In October 2008, when the leaves are beginning to fall from the trees, and continuing into 2009, White House Farm is hosting a series of Nature Ceremonies run by Julia and Justine from the Ipswich-based 3 Rivers Shamanic Group.

These ceremonies are born of a shamanic understanding of ritual – that ritual provides a sacred space we can enter where the material world and spirit interact. The work of ritual honours the co-existence of the spirit and material worlds, and their need for each other. As such, ritual is both healing and balancing.

The healing aspect of ritual offers firstly nourishment for souls and spirits; secondly, it offers the possibility of solutions to problems that cannot be resolved with words alone; and thirdly, a healing ritual can bring the opportunity to release a tension from which words can no longer release us, to find a deeper solution than words can bring.

The individuals involved play an important role in making ritual happen. While it is the spirit helpers we invite at the opening who allow a ceremony to happen as a ritual (and effect any healing to be done), the success of any ritual is only ensured by the intense, focussed attention of the human participants. Ceremony requires community. The White House Farm ceremonies are part of a search for that communion with others as well as a deeper connection to the material world and a sense of meaning-in-life that can maintain self-esteem.

Each ceremony at the farm will focus on one of the elements; and the locations within the Farm and the focus of healing are chosen by spirit.

Justine and Julia will create the sacred space, and within this space they will guide participants through the structure of the ceremony to bring their attention into a spiritual focus, and lead them through activities, blessings, shrine building and ritual attendance at the main shrine of the day – which will be built by participants.

Participants from all cultures and all faith backgrounds are welcome - these ceremonies are multi-cultural, multi-faith and multi-dimensional. The first, for the Spirit of Nature, will take place on 18 October, 2008 gathering at 12 noon and closing around 5.30pm.

In safe and sacred space, ceremony and ritual are means by which people can draw closer to the essence of being human in the natural world. Community and global needs may be addressed, and individual healing can happen as ritual is experienced. There will be no onlookers and the goal for participants will be that they are able to experience a collaboration with full attention to our physical and spiritual worlds.

The cost of attendance at a ceremony covers venue and setting up expenses only. The balance is donated to a charity related to the element being honoured. If you would like to join us in October’s Nature Ceremony please reply to the advert above.

Blessings