DANCING THE SACRED CALENDAR
with Jenny Deupree
Feb 17-19, 2012
Snow dates Feb 24-26, 2012
In Dancing the
Sacred Calendar”, Jenny Deupree combines Archeo-astronomy (the scientific study
of the beliefs and practices concerning astronomy that existed in ancient and
prehistoric civilizations) with ways of celebrating the sacred dimension of the
cycle of the year through circle dance, song, colors and symbols.
The Solstices of
the Sun, and the Standstills of the Moon are enshrined at Stonehenge on
Salisbury Plain in Southern England and in many other Neolithic monuments in
the British Isles and Brittany. The
placement on the horizon of these extreme risings of the Sun and Moon
determines eight dates, the Solstices and Equinoxes, and the “cross-quarter”
days of Beltane, Lammas, Samhain, and Imbolc.
This calendar of the “Old Nature Religion of Western Europe” has come
down through the ages and remains with us today hidden in holidays like
Christmas, Groundhog Day, May Day and Halloween.
In this workshop
how the astronomical alignments of the megaliths give rise to the 8-fold calendar
will be fully explained. An audio-visual program “Sacred Sites of Ancient
Keltia”, combining pictures of Neolithic monuments with music and poetic commentary,
will be presented. There will be a discussion about the significance of each
holiday and how it might be celebrated. Together participants will construct
small shrines and dance circle dances for each holiday. The workshop will
begin 7:30 pm Friday evening and end Sunday after lunch.
Workshop Fee: $100
Food: Potluck
Please bring a
dish to share for each meal you plan to eat.
If you have very
specific dietary needs that can’t be supported by a potluck or simply choose
not to participate in the potluck, please bring food to feed yourself.
Lodging:
Overnight dormitory accommodations that include all bedding and towels are available at Neskaya for a suggested donation of $25 a night (more if you can, less if you must). Spaces are limited so please reserve ahead. Space on the dance floor is always available free for those willing to bring their own bedding. (A donation for use of showers would be appreciated.) Other accommodations are available in the area.
Click here for more information.