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SACRED HEARTH

The Sacred Hearth is the centre of the Sunrise site. The layout of the Hearth is constructed as a medicine wheel, with each of the four compass directions represented by Earth, Fire, Air and Water.

The Central Fire is the heart and hearth of the Festival. It is kept alive night and day and provides a warm haven for all. There is a team of fire-keepers who will look after the space, keeping it clear, clean and respected. A friendly fire has been central to the evolution of our very humanity, providing warmth and safety and a place to gather, to dance and to sing down all of the years. Our fire-keepers honour this lineage. The fire is treated as the heart and creative womb of the mothering Earth – and the fire-shamans’ job is to bring her flowers and tokens of gratitude. Each morning we will welcome the sun’s rise and kindle the fire – with the spark of light from the central sun streaming in to the earth-womb as it does in the eternal dance of all creation. We will create an avenue of light aligned to the solstice sunrise and this will be decorated with artwork honouring the interplay of heaven and earth in all its duality. There will be small shrines and temple space in an outer circle around the fire and everyone is welcome to join the devotional singing, chanting, meditation and dreaming circles; and children are especially welcome to participate in decoration of the arena.

There will be four shamanic dance workshops at Sunrise and on Saturday night a Ghost Dance Ritual around the central fire. Peter Cedrowen Taylor (Snowfalcon) will lead Friday and Saturday at 10.30-12.30 two workshops on shamanic dance, meditation and movement, and Zelia will lead a shamanic trance dance at the Firefly Stage from 14.00-16.00 on each of those days. On Friday evening at 20.00 we will have a workshop on the Sun and Moon in the central fire circle round-houses. We will gather around the central fire at 20.00 on Saturday for ceremony.

Our Ghost Dance is indigenous to Britain and this time – a coming together of Celtic, Eastern and Western traditions, inspired by the last Native American Ghost Dance, but not taking from that tradition anything not willingly given – such as chants or dance steps. Our dancers are in strong shamanic and yogic training. The dance is participatory – we ask for no spectators but for people to contribute their attention through dance, voice or drums. Please remember that the dancers are in ceremonial relationship to Great Mystery – this Earth and the Cosmos – this is a ritual thanksgiving and dreaming our world anew. It is a dance into 2012 and the ‘end of time’.

If you would like more information mailto: globalghostdance[at]googlemail.com

(Artwork on banner by Stephen 'Sem' Meakin - www.bungeroosh.com)