Hallowed means sacred or holy—this event will be a community tribute to our beloved departed. A day to honor the dead is observed at this time of year by many cultures as the veil between worlds is said to be thinnest.
TIMELINE
4-4:45 Guests Arrive Mask Rental or Purchase
Food Open (closed 5-6pm)
4:50 Guests Gather at Mouth of the Mine.
5pm Guests are Welcomed at Mouth
Land Acknowledgement, Permission to Enter
5:15 Spoken Offerings
5:30 Lighting of the Candles, Placing at Altars
5:45 Silent Prayer/Presence with Soundscape
6:05 Movement into Dance
6-8:30 Open Spaces: Love Notes, Private Communing, Sharing Circle, Listening Fire
6-9pm Food Open
8:30 Howl, Send Off, Closing, Clearing
8:45 Letters Placed into the Cauldron Fire
9:00 Home sat novem b er 2 nd widow jane mine, rosendale . 5-9pm
This is a time for quiet reflection, even through the dancing. This is not the time for chatter or small talk, this is a time for feeling, for prayer, for quiet healing tears,, and connecting. If you’d like to chat, please do so near the food area. Sounding is welcomed.
Held by CIRCLE CREATIVE COLLECTIVE in-circle.org AND CENTURY HOUSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Meanings/Symbolism Of:
Owls:
Owls are often associated with wisdom, mystery, and protection. Their nocturnal nature and keen eyesight make them symbols of insight and the ability to see beyond the surface. In many cultures, owls are considered spiritual guardians, protecting against negative energies. Additionally, their silent flight and adaptability symbolize transformation and the power of change.
Asking Permission and Introducing Ourselves:
We ask permission to enter a place as a sign of respect for the energy of a location, honoring cultural traditions, and maintaining reverence for the site. This act of humility helps preserve and even help to create the sacredness of the place and allows us to receive its gifts. By introducing ourselves to a space, particularly a sacred or natural one, we acknowledge its energy, seek connection, set intentions, and request guidance and protection from its spiritual beings. This practice fosters a deeper connection to the natural world and the spiritual realm.
Land Acnowledgement:
A land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing and honoring the Indigenous peoples who have historically lived on and cared for the land. It acknowledges their history, ongoing presence (even in Spirit), and promotes reconciliation, awareness, and respect for Indigenous sovereignty.
Copal:
Copal, a sacred resin, holds deep symbolism in Mesoamerican cultures. Burned as incense, it purifies spaces, connects to the divine, and honors ancestors. The smoke from copal is believed to cleanse negative energy, promote healing, and offer protection. It’s a sacred substance embodying purification, connection, spiritual well-being, and inviting only the sweet spirits into a space.
Smudging/Smoke Clearing:
Smudging, an ancient practice rooted in Indigenous cultures around the world, involves burning sacred herbs like sage, cedar, or sweetgrass to cleanse and purify a space or person. The smoke is believed to dispel negative energy, promote spiritual well-being, and create a sacred atmosphere.
The Cave:
The cave, a timeless symbol, represents various concepts across cultures. It embodies the underworld, the unknown, and the womb of creation. As a place of shelter and protection, it symbolizes safety and security. In spiritual contexts, caves are often associated with meditation, contemplation, and enlightenment. Ultimately, the cave’s symbolism is multifaceted, representing journeys inward, confrontations with the self, and quests for knowledge and truth.
Lighting Candles:
Lighting candles is a ritual with deep symbolism. They illuminate the mind, spirit, and soul, dispelling darkness and ignorance. Candles symbolize hope, renewal, and devotion, often used in religious rituals and to honor the departed. They create sacred spaces, inviting peace and spiritual connection. Ultimately, candles evoke feelings of peace, hope, and reverence.
The Cauldron:
The cauldron, a vessel of transformation, holds deep symbolic meaning across various cultures. It represents the womb of creation, the cauldron of rebirth, and the vessel of the soul. As a container for both life and death, the cauldron symbolizes the cyclical nature of existence. It is often associated with healing, transformation, and the power of feminine energy.
Marigolds (Cempasúchil):
Marigolds, or Cempasúchil, are deeply symbolic in Mexican culture, particularly during the Day of the Dead. Their vibrant orange color represents the sun and symbolizes life, energy, and warmth. The strong scent of marigolds is believed to guide the spirits of the departed back to the earthly realm. They are often used to decorate altars, pathways, and graves, creating a colorful and fragrant bridge between the living and the dead. Marigolds also symbolize resilience, as they bloom brightly even in the face of adversity.
The Wolf:
The wolf, a creature often misunderstood, carries potent symbolism across cultures. Revered for their strong family bonds, wolves embody loyalty, cooperation, and protection. They also symbolize freedom, courage, and the unwavering spirit to navigate life’s challenges. As intuitive and powerful beings, wolves connect us to the wild, reminding us of our primal instincts and the importance of trusting our intuition.
ABOUT DIA DE LOS MUERTOS, DAY OF
THE DEAD
by Concepcion Duran, Oaxaca Mexico
November 2nd is the Day of the Dead, where adults who have passed away are remembered and their spirits are awaited to come visit. Where I’m from in Oaxaca, the celebration begins one week before, toasting hot peppers, peanuts and seeds for the food offerring at the altar. They also toast cacao seeds, cinnamon sticks and almonds for a chocolate drink and for a variety of other foods. Cempasúchil (Marigold) flowers are collected and placed in every corner of homes and roadsides with an unmatched aroma.
Fruits are collected such as oranges, loquat, apples, guava and Pan de muerto ( bread of the dead) is made for the altar. The altar is prepared with the best tablecloths with an arch that is made of sugar cane sticks. Garlands are made with loquats or Mexican Hawthorn.
The ancestors’ favorite food is offered on the altar and the doors and walkways to the altar are decorated with flower petals. The Spirits are welcomed with the smoke of copal, and tombs are cleaned and decorated with flowers and candles, altars are also made at the cemetery.
ABOUT SAMHAIN (pronounced sow-wen)
Samhain is a festival that originated with the ancient Celts and is the origin of Halloween. It marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and is also the Celtic New Year. It is believed that the veil between the living and the dead is especially thin, allowing spirits to visit the living. People celebrate with rituals such as dancing, feasting, building altars, and taking walks in nature.
SAMHAIN
Poem by Meryn Oakwood
On wings of wind and through the night the Wild Hunt rides
To the dark and shadow the common folk fright for now it is Samhein tide
When the veil that cloaks the border thins and opens a passage ‘tween
The other world is invited in and moves about unseen
Turnips carved with a ghastly face Keep errant souls at bay
The ancestor shrine is set in place for the loved ones on the way
As spirits freely roam the Earth and the Sidhe rise from the hills
Cerridwen guides us through rebirth and the cycle is fulfilled
POEMS SHARED
CEMPASÚCHIL
Read by Concepcion Duran, and is her mother’s favorite poem
“Sólo el cempasúchil sabe lo mucho que te amo y te extraño. Le he contado a cada uno de sus pétalos una historia nuestra.
Sólo el cempasúchil sabe lo mucho que me haces falta, he escondido en cada uno de sus pétalos una lágrima.
Sólo el cempasúchil sabe cuánto amo el día de muertos, y con su aroma envuelve mi casa, mis manos, mi cabello, y es como si volviera a sentir tu perfume, como si volviéramos a estar juntos, preparando el mole, los tamales, el atole, el dulce de arroz .
Sólo las flores saben de mis penas y dolores.
Sólo ellas bailan por las tardes para alegrarme, cuando me siento sola .
Por eso te sigo esperando, porque guardo el recuerdo del cempasuchil formando caminos inmensos, que me llevan a tus brazos siempre es el cempasuchil el que nos reencuentra, en este plano y en los que vengan.
Translation:
Only the marigold knows how much I love and miss you. I have told each of its petals a story of ours.
Only the marigold knows how much I miss you, I have hidden a tear in each of its petals.
Only the marigold knows how much I love the day of the dead, and with its aroma it envelops my house, my hands, my hair, and it is as if I could smell your perfume again, as if we were together again, preparing mole, tamales, atole, rice pudding.
Only the flowers know of my sorrows and pains. Only they dance in the afternoons to cheer me up, when I feel alone.
That is why I keep waiting for you, because I keep the memory of the marigold forming immense paths, which take me to your arms. It is always the marigold that reunites us, in this plane and in those to come.
DEATH IS NOTHING AT ALL
by Henry Scott Holland
Read by Ali Bradley
Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped into the next room I am I and you are you Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name, Speak to me in the easy way which you always used Put no difference in your tone, Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was, Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant. It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, Just around the corner. All is well.
DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP
Poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye
Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
This community ceremony was dreamt and brought to you by Melissa Hewitt, Artist and Director of Circle Creative Collective.
Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt is Director of the Art Effect, and Board Chair for Circle. She is overseeing logistics for this event.
Sibylle Jud certified Feminine Power transformational coach and facilitator. She is also a member of Circle’s board of directors.
Kathleen Mandeville is an Episcopal priest, Outer Edge Coach, Family Constellations facilitator and spiritual leader of Gateway House, a multifaith sacred arts community.
Hollis Dannaham is a Sacred Ceremonialist, Sundoor Firewalk instructor, Akashic record guide, and learning specialist. She holds sacred space for transformational experiences.
Sonic Elixers Soundscapes: Madeleine Grace is a sonic architect who collaborates with the environment to create sounds of truth.
Meryn Oakwood is a poet, singer and sometimes harper, weaving a bardic bridge between the worlds.
Hilary Melcher Chapman leads Howl Walks, performs as RAVEN: an aerial acrobatic duo, & listens deeply with their Gael ancestors.
Matthew Gustafson is owner of Inner Flame Recording, and is in charge of sound and overall support.
Food by El Sabor De Mi Pueblo with Tilda’s Kitchen: tildaskitchenandmarket.com Hudson Valley Current (HVC) is proud to present El Sabor de mi Pueblo, a transformative skills-recognition and training program designed to empower Latin American women interested in food and food service in Kingston, NY.
Other support and thank yous to:
Concepcion Duran, Ysabel Barreto, DJ Marely Shri Alchemy, Ali Bradley, Chris Bradley on Drum, Nati Zuniga, Ellis our firekeeper, Kristin Reimer, Lori-Ruth Calvert, Carl Welden, John, Althea and the good people at Century House Historical Society for all it took to bring this dream to life!
This event is a fundraiser for Circle Creative Collective and Century House Historical Society, both non-profit 501c3. orgs. All donations are tax deductible & appreciated. The funds will go toward bringing you more events that bring a sense of community, healing and presence. They will also go toward programs that support women that have been historically marginalized such as Artesanîa, who help Circle in creating the leather masks here tonight. Go to in-circle.org or centuryhouse.org for more info.
