Mid-winter Festival News - contents
- Coming soon ....
- Review of the Winter Solstice celebration at Sanctuary
- Kaaren Whitney's latest poem Winter's Entrance, and some words about the Solstice
Coming soon .......... Saturday 6th January 2007 Sanctuary, Suffolk
Stillness in Winter with Sarah and Peta Jane
Mantra and Moving Meditation (Sufi Dance)
Arrive from 6.30 to start at 7.00
Ending by 9.30
Donations to 'Fields of Albion' project
Limited places - to book yours - call Peta Jane on 01473-328061
Review of Winter Solstice celebration
On Saturday 16th December 2006, 31 adults and 2 wise children met at Sanctuary to celebrate the Winter Solstice. It had been publicised as a fund raising evening for the Fields of Albion project (raising money and awareness towards buying an old meadow near Ipswich where we can gather to celebrate the festivals). And it was so much more .......
Kaaren Whitney and Andrea Gibbons read us some of their Solstice poems and Gary Knight played Didg and sang some of his own songs. Corinne, Jackie and Jean read contributions. Dave played whistle. John lit and maintained a wonderful fire in the garden. People were invited to symbolically release to the fire and to spirit all that was left over from the year that they didn't want to carry into the new year.
Hot, mulled fruit juice and refreshments were available, as was plentiful time to socialise and make new connections. The later part of the evening we met in circle for a meditation to witness the rebirth of the sun's energy and light and to reconnect with our own inner light. This meditation included a healing visualisation for Suffolk and wherever light and love was felt to be needed. The evening was brought to a close with a simple - yet powerful ritual - we created a ring of nightlights - each lit in celebration of the 'gifts' that we each bring to our community (those positive aspects of ourselves that we are reconnecting with). Two circle dances were then danced in celebration of the rebirth of the sun's light and that of our own.
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Jude later wrote 'Thank you for an absolutely WONDERFUL Solstice celebration, SO good to spend time with such lovely folk in such a nurturing and loving environment.'
Owen wrote ... 'Thank you for organising such a good relaxing and enjoyable evening. I felt connected with the real world. It was my first experience of a Solstice celebration and I'm pleased I gave it a go! I found everyone friendly and welcoming.'
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Kaaren Whitney writes ......
Dear Friends, when the cold and darkness comes our first instinct is to avoid the discomfort it brings. Yet in that darkness, emptiness and sometimes chaos a new aspect of healing can come. When we stop resisting and see what is there we often find within the new light a special part of ourselves we were unaware of previously. Some of these poems reflect that theme: the dark, the cold, the reward at the Winter Solstice. Greetings and blessings to all.
wishing you much
WINTER’S ENTRANCE
As days shrink
to the size of a small doorway,
darkness dominates
like a protective dome
in the star arched sky.
We frenzied town dwellers
seek security
in hyperactivity:
buy bigger presents,
indulge in more parties.
Beyond the entrance we call ‘Winter’
lies a quiet space, empty
but for a single candle
whose light increases
as dreams and hopes
fuel its incandescence.
Step softly within
where the calm communion
of sitting with silence,
shining with light
brings long sought oneness.
Kaaren Whitney
Winter Solstice 2006
