Have a blessed Solstice,
♥ Jacki
- solitary or group pagan or earth based ritual or ceremony leadership
- dramatic arts, performance arts, drumming, fire dance, other musical instruments, spoken word, etc.
- visual arts and still life, decorating spaces
- group facilitation, community engagement, hospitality, and related skills
- or a genuine interest in learning how!!
YOU are more than welcome to join in, as much or as little as you wish.
*Please contact Jacki at E-mail: [email protected] and include in the Subject: "Midsummer Ritual 2019" with any questions or wishes to collaborate. Include your intentions and relevant experience or area of interest please so we can arrange for the best synergy.
If you are taking a major role, I will provide you a copy of the liturgy in advance. If you are taking a minor role, I will provide some guidance as necessary. If curious, ask!
*Please feel welcome to bring your own offerings to put in the fire or offering bowl, or praise offerings of stories, poems, etc.
*The ceremony as it is, seems heavy on the gender-binary/gender-polar vibe, and we want to be clear that we welcome people of any expression to take on any role if they feel called to it, because this is a safe space.
*We will probably have alcohol at this ceremony.
*We will probably be eating bread at this ceremony.
*If you have dietary restrictions, or otherwise cannot join in because of something else, please let us know if we can accommodate you somehow.
*Dress code - Dress for the weather. wear what you wish, (your robes, your regalia, your civvies, your costumes, whatever you feel honours the spirit of the circle.) please be careful not to wear something super flammable as we will be moving around by the fire.
Please take a moment to review this list!
*Donations: Incense, wildflowers, roses, wreaths of greens, fresh herbs, ribbons in sun/fire colours - red, gold, yellow, orange, white etc. ... and pot luck feast foods (seasonal foods, bread, fruit, dips, veggies, preserves etc.) pending dietary information from other participants.
*Other Contributions: crafty deco, fairy decorations (garden gnomes, toadstools, fairy doors) But please no glass or glitter, and remember to pick up your things afterward! Leave no trace.
ROLES:
Don't be shy, it's a great way to celebrate! Please let us know if you are able to provide any (or multiple!) of the following...
Pick your top three roles if more than one calls to you.
(Click "Read More" to view list)
folks to gather wildflowers, greenery for crowns, corsages and decorations- introducing oneself to the land, and asking permission, listening to intuition, using wildcrafting principles (leave some behind growing) and leaving offering when taking.
2. Fireplace Decorators -
Decorate the twin fires sacred masculine and sacred feminine - one with straw/sticks,maybe even in an 8 spoked sun wheel (think log cabin/fence style structure supporting 8 medium length logs as spokes) around a tipi shape kindling setup- maybe decorate with 4 elements in mind. and one with roses, wildflowers, mosses, wreaths of greens, etc. possibly in a spiral formation or pentagram star, crescent moon etc.
3. Sacred space decorators -
Folks to make crafts like sun catchers and string art and to hang them up in the nearby trees. Set up a trellis or gateway to the sacred space. Choose a world tree near the altar, or set up a post in the ground to represent the cosmic axis.
4. Altar designers (to consult with acting clergy)
- make a space for tools of the ceremony, crystals, candles, etc.
5. A summoner -
someone to call people to the ceremony and lead the procession to sacred space, as well as greet anyone who arrives late and make sure they get into the circle appropriately.
6. a handmaiden/gent or two -
to provide a bowl for symbolically cleansing before entry into sacred space
7. a Page or two -
to provide ribbons to participants upon their arrival at sacred space
8. an effigy designer -
to create a fair sized straw man for burning during ritual.
9. Cook -
to prepare a vegan bread type dough for sharing at feast, perhaps calling for blessings when preparing the dough
- potentially make or organize a feast food area as well.
10. Fire tender -
someone to allow the fire to burn down when appropriate and keep it stoked otherwise,
11. Acting clergy -
(typically a high priestess and a high priest) to lead the ceremony, keeping it flowing, and reminding folks who's part is next. also responsible for opening and closing the space and monitoring participant energy levels, able to lead folks to raise and ground group energy. Any roles that are not taken fall to these folks.
12. Space holder -
Someone to lead the Land Acknowledgment when folks arrive after the spiral dance, but also to generally hold space in the sacred space, keeping an eye on things (any lit candles, anything that might blow away) after the cleansing of space, but while the summoner is gathering folks. And also to mention that it is a safe space for all diversity.
13.
Spiral dance leader -
to greet participants as they enter by encouraging folks to take hands and lead them into the labyrinthine dance around the unlit fire area until finally coming around into a circle facing inward.
14. Attuner -
someone to lead the breaths together and the Awen chant for inspiration.
15. Meditation leader -
someone to lead the two powers meditation or similar meditation for bringing people into the flow of earth and sky. (tree of life, chakras, whatever inspires you)
16. Offering to appease the Outdwellers -
Someone to put an offering outside the circle for peace with any being who might come to disturb.
17. Smudge leader -
Someone who can lead a ceremonial cleansing for participants.
18. Purpose Statement Speaker -
somebody who can say a bit about why we are gathered to do ceremony and what the solstice means to various folks in the community.
-- these next few can be the same four folks if necessary --
19. 3 Realms Honourers and 1 Gatekeeper caller
three people to consecrate the three portals to the realms of the world tree, and one later to call in the gatekeeper to open (and at the end, close) the portals.
20. 4 Guardians Callers
four people to call on the four directions and elements and their guardian spirits to join and protect the work. (and dismiss them at the end)
21. 4 Goddesses offerings leaders -
someone to acknowledge the goddesses of land, sea, sky and cosmos who are always with us and without whom we would not be.
22. Nature spirits offerings leader -
someone to make offering to the spirits of nature and other beings who are our guides and allies in life.
23. Ancestors veneration leader -
someone to honour the mighty dead and those who have paved the paths for us walking them today
24. Gods offerings leader -
Gods and goddesses in general need an offering
--
25. Praise offerings leader -
Someone to recite poetry and lore about the gods of the occasion - oak king, holly king, sun god or goddess, other myths about goddesses...up to inspiration of the person doing it whether they stick to the suggestion as memorization is sometimes harder than adlibbing.
26. Leader for Offerings from the folk -
someone to call upon the folks gathered to make offerings and praise to their own personal powers and kin. And to make the final offering to all those allies named and unnamed.
27. Seer -
someone to read and interpret an omen for the community.
28. Trance journey leader -
someone to drum and do a guided visualisation with silent time to contemplate before a callback.
29. Ritual Drama participants -
Folks willing to compete for a role as one of the Kings, and to do a ritual drama (improv mock battle)
30. Grounding leader -
someone to lead the group in a progressive muscle relaxation for those who wish to ground solo with the group, and a simultaneous massage circle for those comfortable grounding together as a group.
31. Bards and Braggarts -
for a bardic circle and braggi afterward, share stories songs, poetry, and more at bardic, and brag about the year's feats and accomplishments and/or boast oaths, either new or in progress this year.
32. Participant Observers are also welcome -
join in without a commitment to take on a leadership role.