Happy Solstice! We’re celebrating this celestial event at our upcoming Drum & Journey Circle, Friday, June 26, with drumming, shamanic journeying, and a Peruvian-style Fire Ceremony. This year, June 21 marked the summer solstice in our part of the world (the Northern Hemisphere), and we welcome the long evenings and warm weather of summer. Solstice means “sun standing still” in Latin; the sun, which the Incas called “Inti,” seems to stand still for a while at this time of year. Traditionally, the ancient people of Northern and Western Europe celebrated the summer solstice (Midsummer Night) on June 24 with bonfires, feasting, dancing, and storytelling.
Whether you build a bonfire or just use candles, a Fire Ceremony is a great opportunity to release negative energies, set new intentions, and renew through gratitude and offering your eternal connection to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and all the physical universe that supports us throughout our lives. In the Peruvian shamanic healing tradition, things are a bit more subdued… you usually bring a “prayer arrow” – a simple burnable stick, usually about the length of your forearm or a little smaller, to place into the fire with your prayers and intentions. (Some folks like to decorate their prayer stick by wrapping it in burnable yarn or string, or for example, by painting or writing on it, but that is not required.) No worries, we’ll have sticks on hand if you forget yours or don’t have time to find one. We will explain how to “come to the fire” for healing. The Spirit of Fire will cleanse you and help you release/burn that which no longer serves you. It will carry your dreams, intentions, prayers, and gratitude to the realm of spirit, our guides and helpers. (Afterward we Circle Keepers will sit with the fire until it burns out, and you are welcome to sit with us if you wish, and if wild abandon is your thing, feel free to drum, and dance, and tell stories!)
As with drum healing, you can “come to the fire” a second time on behalf of a loved one or other in need of healing. We will rattle, drum, and sing/chant as a group throughout the Fire Ceremony to hold the healing space around the fire. It’s not unusual to spontaneously “journey” during this time!
Our intention and desire is to do the Fire Ceremony outdoors, and the weather is looking good, so we'll plan to meet in Bay View Park, across the street from the Marian Center for Nonprofit's North parking lot. Since we will be outside, please plan to provide your own seating, water, bug spray, etc. As usual we will have a few drums and rattles available for those who don’t have one, but if you can, please bring your own and any extras you are willing to share. Please email us if you have questions.
Hope to see you Friday at 6 pm!