Rituals

Opening Ceremony

On Thursday night, we officially open the gathering with a ceremony that welcomes all participants to the forming Solstice community. You are encouraged to bring drums, rattles, tambourines and other instruments for the drumming circle that begins the ceremony. If you don't have an instrument to play, feel free to dance!

Rites of Passage

During Sacred Theatre of the Goddess, many choose to honor their own rites of passage—menarche, new motherhood, and croning are common. There are also rites for those wishing to adopt a specific archetype as a focus of intrapersonal work, such as amazon, queen, fairy or grandmother. If you would like to participate in a rite of passage for yourself or someone you know, there is time available at Sacred Theatre of the Goddess.

Sacred Theatre of the Goddess

On Saturday night, the women and children at the gathering meet in a large circle and participants "perform" an offering of their choice to the Goddess. It should be noted that while we do have some professional performers within the community, most of the performances done for Theatre of the Goddess are amateur and often casual in nature.  Some women tell personal or fictional stories; some present poems; others sing songs they enjoy and invite others to sing along; still others dance. Sometimes the workshops, especially those for the children, lead to a small group planning some sort of performance for the others as a representation of what the workshop taught them.  The mixture of styles and creative ideas is endless! This ritual ends when no one else wants to perform. Dress warmly for this ritual; the nights can get cold, even in the summer.

Giveaway

Following breakfast on Sunday morning, the Solstice Giveaway ceremony is based on the Native American tradition of giving away something of value to you to another participant in the gathering. The exact format of the giveaway varies, depending on the ritual leader. This ceremony often brings tears, laughter, surprises and an unusual level of emotion to the women and children present. It's one of those experiences you have to be a part of in order to truly appreciate.

Closing

One of the more difficult aspects of Solstice is going back to our lives beyond the world of the gathering. The closing ceremony is created in recognition that all transitions should be honored and noted. We also thank those who have contributed to the gathering at this time and ask new planning council members to step forward to help create the next year's gathering.