We kicked off the ceremonial year with 60 odd (by every metric) kinfolk for our annual ceremony to honour the divine dark of the sacred feminine, for winter solstice.

To celebrate this moment, and our community’s deepening of ceremonial approaches, we publish for the first time, The sun wise ceremony calendar, specific to our mob.

We gathered with candles, seed breads, pickles, chestnut and kidney bean stew, rabbit cassoulet, quince tart, medlar pie, feijoa cheese cake, elders and kids.

We paused and listened at this time of the deep dark.

We paused and listened to Mother Country and Father Fire.

Paused and listened to old sonnets,

and newly hatched raps.

Paused and listened to soulful old songs,

and vitalising ones, sung for such a hearth.

Paused and listened to stories meticulously crafted or spoken off the cuff,

and the FireChoir brothers sang Mother of Mountain. We offer it here as a little insight into the ceremonial feast that was this year’s winter solstice gathering.

Slowly one after another we departed from the fire-lit clearing, and walked back through the dark forest to begin our patient sun wise journey towards the summer solstice.

Thank you Brett Ellenport and Leonie Van Eyk for such wonderful images.

Wherever you are we wish you a merry solstice, and a goodly pause.

_______

NB. If you are still wanting to attend all or any of the four online sessions we’re hosting in July, there are still some spaces available but you may want to book now.