Next event: Beltane Community Grief Tending Ritual, 8 May, Brighton
Read: Grieving My Way Into Loving the Planet, Dahr Jamail
Watch: Lama Rod | Love and Rage: The Path of Freedom Through Anger
Listen: The Wild Edge of Sorrow - The Sacred Work of Grief with Francis Weller
Dance: Better Days - Ori
Dear grief tenders,
Are you feeling the quickening of spring? I'm enjoying the glorious dawn symphonies of the bird, the heavenly scented blossoms on the trees and hedgerows, a warming sun and longer days. I find myself dancing with the inspiring energy of the east (in the 8 Shield map) and all the movement it calls forth. While still physically and metaphorically uncurling from a deep winter dreaming time. It's a lively, but somewhat awkward, jig!
This energy continues to rise as we head towards the cross-quarter festibal of Beltane. When we celebrate the union of the Green Goddess and the Green Man, the fertile potency of nature and the power of the life force.
It's a great time to express yourself - your love and grief, rage and anger. We'll be working with the fiery energy in our Beltane grief ritual on Saturday 8 May.
I hope to welcome you into the village soon.
With gratitude,
Gail
Next ritual: Beltane community grief tending ritual, Saturday 8 May, Brighton
A maximum of 12 to allow for social distancing, we’ll gather at the Centre for Ecotherapy in Stanmer Park, Brighton, from 10am to 5pm.
The village is smaller than usual in light of the COVID rules and designed so we are socially distanced.
The format
building the banks of the village, for the river of grief to flow, including creating supportive altars
stirring the grief, with exercises in writing and active listening
time to express grief at a grief altar
integration time with song and meditation
harvest and close.
Suggested exchange
The suggested exchange for the full day is £60. There are some concessionary spots available.
Booking
Booking and payment is advance is essential – there are 10 places available. Please email me - gail@bigseeds.co.uk - to get the booking instructions, or if you have any questions.
Jamail says "No matter how difficult life on Earth becomes, we will only be able to withstand these times by sharing ourselves with one another. If nothing else, we can bear witness together and not suffer in isolation as the dominant culture prefers. In being a “we,” humans can live as the deeply interconnected consciousness of Earth that we already are, just as Joanna [Macy] has taught all of her life."
Watch: Lama Rod | Love and Rage: The Path of Freedom Through Anger
Lama Rod's book Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger is a keeper. I recognise similarities in the practices he offers in this book and his work, to those that we share in our community grief tending practices.
He says "Holding space for awkward emotions, is important for how I show up as as whole person...love and pain are how we connect to our humanity...
if you don't get into the world of emotonal labour, then you're going to be left behind. Because there's a new world about to open up...because we have to have a new way of being...a returning to the indigenous ancestral communty and world view which honours relationship."
Listen: The Wild Edge of Sorrow - The Sacred Work of Grief with Francis Weller
This episode includes:
Why we need to honor grief in order to save the planet
The capacity of nature to help us heal our grief
How to help children establish a relationship with grief
How grief has become attached to other emotions like fear and anger
The intimate connection between grief and joy
How we enter the experience of grief through different portals ( the “5 gates”)
A simple ritual for sharing our collective grief (for healthcare workers and others)
I've been dancing with the rising sap and inspiring lyrics of this song. I think we're all longing for better days.
"You don’t belong to this world
You cannot find your place
Now you’re strong
But when tomorrow comes
the dark will spread
You better try
You better rise
Better grab yourself some better days."
"the truth is that things
don't really get solved.
they come together
and fall apart.
and they come together again
and fall apart again.
it's just like that.
the healing comes from
letting there be room for
all of this to happen:
room for grief,
for relief,
for misery,
for joy."
pema chodrun
