Solstices and Equinoxes are cosmic moments shared by the entire Earth at the same time. They remind us of the balance between light and dark, and how we are nourished by both. As well, they have long been recognized by indigenous cultures, so honoring these cosmic events reminds us of the indigenous roots we all share.
This morning I found a description of the original seasonal ceremony Southern Oregon Pachamama Alliance hosted at Lithia Park, on behalf of our community, on December 21, 2012. If you remember back to that time, worldwide there was a great deal of anticipation around that particular Winter Solstice.
Pachamama Alliance was pondering a question raised by one of our indigenous partners: “If you are committed to protecting the Earth and the mountains and rivers, wouldn’t it be a good idea to regularly ask the spirits of the earth, mountains and rivers to guide you and support you in this work?” Folks in the San Francisco headquarters asked Arkan Lushwala, an indigenous partner, for help in creating a simple ceremony that could be adopted by Pachamama Alliance communities around the globe for the purpose of uniting us, guiding us and empowering our actions in the world.
Arkan suggested each community locate a special bowl to be used in the ceremony. You can see the beautiful blue bowl that was gifted to us here in Southern Oregon for that first ceremony by local potter Bonnie Morgan. It has been with us at every ceremony since. The bowl represents the larger spirit of our regional community and this land we live on.
At the first ceremony each person brought a stone to place in the bowl representing our gathering together. We collected water from Lithia Creek and poured it over the stones representing the spirit of water, the spirit of life, that connects us in our shared purpose:
“Bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on this planet.”
These three fundamental commitments—to the Earth, to the human community, and to the spirit inside ourselves and underlying all—gain strength and depth when we seek, on a regular basis, to consciously acknowledge and give thanks to that which holds us. While Pachamama is most often referred to as Mother Earth, for many she is understood as the embodiment of all space and all time. We acknowledge and give thanks to Pachamama and seek to align ourselves with the wisdom that orchestrates the beauty and wonder of life.
Here in Southern Oregon, we have held a seasonal ceremony in Lithia Park for every Solstice and Equinox since December 2012. We recognize each time that we do this ceremony on the lands of the original peoples–the Takelma, the Shasta, and others. We express our deep gratitude for the wisdom that Takelma elder Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim shared with our community for so many years. We also thank Louise Pare who has served as facilitator for our seasonal ceremonies each season since that first time.
This coming Sunday, our 35th seasonal ceremony, Louise will have to miss (and we will miss her!), but the ceremony will go on.
You are warmly invited to join us at 12 noon, at the Upper Duck pond in Lithia Park for this very special occasion.
I love this evocation of the power of Solstice – and Equinox — to acknowledge and give thanks for Mother Earth, our precious human life, and the Spirit which enlivens us. Thank you for recalling the origin with Pachamama of the ceremonies held since 2012 — and for the commitment to holding this ceremony.
I remember how Grandmother Agnes asked us repeatedly to thank the water EVERY time we use it for any purpose. I am doing that now with more regularity, especially as our drought worsens. This prayer of thanks helps me treasure every drop and take greater care to conserve. Thanks for a great blog!