The Sacred Wheel of the Year is marked by the 4 major Cross
Points:
Spring Equinox - March 21-23
Summer Solstice - June 21-23
Fall Equinox - September 21-23
Winter Solstice - December 21-23
and the Cross Quarter Days (with their Celtic names)
February 1 - Brigid's Day (Candlemas)
May 1- Beltaine
- May Day -
August 1 - Lammas
October 31 -Nov 1 - Samhein-Halloween & All Souls Day
All holidays begin the evening before at Sundown.
The Wheel of the Year is further marked by
The Cycles of the Moon
The New Moon - a time of planting seeds for new visions
The Full Moon - a time of celebrating our Fullness and the ripening of vision and community.
Our Earth-Honoring Ceremonies
We celebrate all of these sacred times with Ceremony and we welcome
your participation. There is no charge for the ceremonies though an offering of food, flowers, or some other gift is
always welcome for the nurturance of the gathered community, and to help offset costs.
These ceremonial gatherings are each unique and created in the moment, but some common elements are:
opening the circle through calling in the directions, and inviting the presence of Spirit; unifying our hearts through song
and chants, the kindling of fire, bringing of offerings, sharing our concerns and joys, ritual action that embodies our intentions
and prayers, silence to receive guidance, sharing guidance received, blessing one another, closing the circle with gratitude.
If time permits we may also follow the ceremony with a pot-luck meal and time to get to know one another.
There are times when we also celebrate these festivals
in a contemplative way through retreat days that allow you the opportunity to develop a deep relationship to the land, to
Spirit and to community. Our days include times of solitude, ritual, sharing and celebration - and always - good healthy
food!
We could also celebrate them as an intergenerational family event of 2-3 hours duration, with
age-appropriate craft activities for your children. Let us know if you have children that you would like to introduce to these
traditions, and we will plan ways to include them.
If you would like to participate in a ceremony, please give Jeanne a call at 298-8604. These events
are not advertised, and so it is important that you take the initiative to let Jeanne know you are interested. There are times
when Jeanne will be participating in ceremonies in other locations, and so be sure to check well in advance as to whether
a local ceremony will be held.
Other Opportunities for Ceremony
Earth Healing Ceremonies
Ceremonies can also be held to help heal a place that has undergone deep environmental damage - let
me know if you know of a place that needs our loving support and energy, and we'll gather a group to help heal the Earth in
that place.
to bring a community together in celebration or honoring for whatever occasion seems to call
for Grandfather Fire's healing wisdom.
Water Ceremonies to help cleanse, release, and let go of the old, and allow yourself be reborn into
new life.
Working with the Medicine Wheel (A cross-cultural practice of honoring the elemental forces that sustain life and orienting oneself to the sacred cosmos and
one's own soul journey.)
Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites or Special Local Places.
Building an Apacheta (Peruvian Ceremonial Cairn) at a site that has sacred resonance for you. Apachetas
help to link sacred sites and create an energetic pathway of transformative power within the chakra system of Mother
Earth (Pachamama). (See picture above) See Our Communal Apacheta and Fall Equinox 2009 Open House for information on the building of the apacheta on our land, and how to add a stone to our apacheta)
to honor the seasons of our lives
