Wild Earth, Wild Soul by Pfeiffer Bill

Author:Pfeiffer, Bill [Pfeiffer, Bill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780991887
Publisher: Moon Books
Published: 2013-06-28T04:00:00+00:00

Ceremony in a Wild Earth Intensive

In a Wild Earth Intensive (WEI), ceremonies are usually held outside at ceremonial sites that have already been created on the land, unless the group feels especially called to make a new site. Each ceremony draws on a variety of the elements mentioned above. Each is an invitation to journey deeper into the Great Mystery and to be nourished in the process.

Although the entire WEI could conceivably be viewed as a ceremony, we have enjoyed at least three “formal” rituals in each Intensive: the Opening Ceremony, the Sweat Lodge or Medicine Lodge Ceremony (with guest facilitation), and the Closing Ceremony. Each is described below. In addition to these, guest facilitators often offer other ceremonies with which they are familiar.

Opening Ceremony

Purpose: To enter into the mystery and power of sacred space

Duration: Approximately 1 hour

Prepare the site in advance. In a large open space, create a U-shaped “gate” of saplings and flowers (or other natural materials). Place the gate in the east, with the two ends held up by stones or set into the ground. Inside the gate, using cornmeal, stones, or evergreen branches, mark out a circle large enough to include all the participants standing comfortably.

To begin the ceremony, invite people to line up in front of the gate. Ask them to enter slowly and silently, one at a time. Two guides will smudge each person with sage or cedar (or another purifying herb) and then, using flowers or evergreen boughs, sprinkle some drops of water (from a small bowl) on them as they enter. The guides will let each one know firmly but softly how glad they are for their presence, saying something like: “Welcome, we are glad you are here. Enjoy the mystery.” One by one, the people will take their places around the circle, and the guides will take turns smudging each other before “calling in the directions.”

This next step requires some explanation. To “call in the directions” means to invoke the forces of the universe. This very powerful act sets the tone for the remainder of the ritual, as well as the entire WEI. At its essence is the acknowledgment that we are all kept alive and guided by these forces, whether we know it or not. If we are wise, we approach them with gratitude and humility. Each of the seven directions (the cardinal directions; Earth; Sky; and Within, or Center) represents an archetypal energy. Indigenous traditions throughout the world honor these energies differently. In the WEI, we have used the following “amalgam” given to us by Cathy Pedevillano, a shamanic practitioner who has been taught by a variety of indigenous elders over the past twenty years. This is only one possible model for honoring the directions.

The facilitator(s) who are calling in the directions step into the center of the circle and explain what is to happen next. They ask the participants not only to focus on the archetypal energies being invoked but also to fully experience the qualities of the physical environment as they turn and face each direction.

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