Event
EarthSpirit Yule Ritual
EarthSpirit invites you to attend our western Massachusetts Yule Celebration!
Saturday, December 16, 2023 5:30-7:30pm
Williamsburg, MA Grange Hall
Come celebrate the longest night and the rebirth of the Sun at the coming Winter Solstice
This welcoming ritual is appropriate for all ages. We will sing and dance together, and make gifts for one another while we celebrate the power of darkness and share joy in the returning light, even as the cold deepens all around us.
Families are welcome; and in fact, there is a special Procession of Light for attending children to be a part of. Please arrive right at 5:30 to find out more and prepare.
Location: Western MA – The Williamsburg Grange Hall on Rte 9 (Main St.) in the center of Williamsburg. Available by PVTA bus #42 (“The Burgy Bullet”)
Doors open at 5:30 PM and close promptly at 6:00 PM for an hour during the Ritual. Please do a home covid test before attending if at all possible, and do not attend if you have covid symptoms of any kind or have been recently exposed.
What to wear: Seasonal or ritual clothing.
Important: Children who wish to be part of the Procession of Light should wear light-colored clothing like white, silver or gold!
Masks for covid protection are optional and respected.
What to bring: A book wrapped in plain brown or white paper!
We are introducing the Jolabokaflod (Yule Book Flood) at our Yule Ritual this year!
From Katie LaFond: This tradition was started in Iceland during World War II. Paper was one of the few things that wasn’t rationed, so people gave each other books. Today, the tradition, as I understand it, is that people give each other gift-wrapped books and the night before their holiday they stay up long into the night reading them and eating chocolate. My family has enjoyed this tradition for years, and I shared it with The EarthSpirit Community in 2020. If you’d like to participate this year, please join us for our Yule Ritual. Bring a book that you’re ready to pass on. Wrap it in plain brown or white paper, and write on it what genre the book is, what age range it’s appropriate for, and maybe a fun tidbit about it. Put it under the tree, and at the end of the ritual, if you’ve brought a book, please pick a book to take home with you. Then, on the longest night of the year, tuck in with a cozy blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy your books!
An informal finger-food pot-luck will follow the ritual in the downstairs hall
Cookies, snacks, beverages, and other food to share are welcome. We will have cups and napkins.
Contributions for admission $5 to $10 on a sliding scale will be collected at the door to cover our expenses. Children 10 and under will be admitted free, and no one will be turned away for lack of resources.
If you would like to volunteer to help with set up or breakdown, or to contribute to the celebration, please contact us in advance asap by email (earthspirit@earthspirit.com).
For your Yule gift list, EarthSpirit offers: MotherTongue CDs on-line at CD Baby Weaving the Web of Life, This Winter’s Night
Samhain Ritual Western MA
EarthSpirit Samhain Celebration in western Massachusetts
We honor the change of season and our ancestors at this ritual of harvest and remembrance.
In the fullness of Autumn, in the growing darkness, come take part in a celebration of this time when the veil between the worlds is thin.
Take time for yourself to reflect on your mortality and honor those who have passed.
Find a quiet place in the darkness, and feel gratitude as you reap your final harvests between now and winter.
Location and Date:
October 29, 2023 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Williamsburg, MA at: the Williamsburg Grange Hall on Rte 9 in the center of town. Available by PVTA bus #42 (“The Burgy Bullet”)
Doors open at 6:30 PM
and close promptly at 7:00 PM for the duration of the Ritual
What to wear:
Seasonal or ritual clothing is encouraged. Please, no “halloween costumes”. Safety masking is optional and respected.
What to bring:
If you like, bring a small photograph of a departed loved one to add to the ancestor altar (be sure to write your name on the back and pick them up again before you leave). There will also be an opportunity to share some precious memories in their honor.
Please bring a donation of new warm basic clothing items: like new socks, gloves, underwear, toiletries, for the Survival Center as a demonstration of the ways we can support one another through the dark time.
An informal finger-food pot-luck and social time will follow the ritual. Cookies, beverages, snacks or other food to share are welcome.
Please bring nothing that needs utensils or plates. We will have cups and napkins.
If you would like to volunteer to help with set-up or break-down, or to contribute a brief poem or song to the celebration, please contact us in advance asap by email (earthspirit@earthspirit.com) so we can see how it might fit in.
Donations for admission $7 to $10 on a sliding scale will be collected at the door to cover our expenses. No one will be turned away for lack of resources.
Children under 15 may be admitted for 1/2 price however, please remember this is a solemn remembrance event and children should only attend if you, as a parent, feel it is appropriate for them and they will not disrupt the event for others. Parents are responsible tor stepping outside if their child becomes distracting and needs a break.
