| Embers
An
Intimate Ritual Continuum
of Fire Circle Magic.
Friday October 2nd - Sunday Oct 4th, 2009
at
Four Quarters
We have planted the seed and raised
the crop.
The fires have burned and surged; our persons transformed.
Embracing
the Gift and with winter nigh;
Now is the time to bank the fire, to pull from
its glowing bed
those last bright burning Embers
and make of them a Gift
to our Tribe,
The Age Old Promise of Return.
With which to build the Fires
yet again.
Embers is The Magic of Sacred Fire Circle
...Working within
the reality of a living, functioning Magical Community.
...A
Community invested with deep, lasting ties to The Land.
...The Stone Circle as a tangible expression of that
communities magical commitment.
...Our Traditions of Service
to the Circle, the Role of the Sacred Witness, the Sharing of Food, the
Community Medicine Bundle, Our Honor of Our Ancestors, the Four Directions and
their Elements within Sacred Space.
...and Our Personal Responsibility
to make Magic for Ourselves,
...and our Tribe. Building
on our experience of Fire Circle Alchemy
as expressed each Spring
with "Fires Rising";
Embers is the
indigenous
ceremonial traditions of Four Quarters
made manifest within
Fire Circle Magic. A
Journey through our Past,
a Dreamtime sojourn in our Present
and the Gift
of the Transformed
...to the Future of The Tribe.
For
two nights and a day we will live as one community
within the embrace of The
Stone Circle,
making food, talk, art, sleep,
Music, Dance, Ceremony and
High Majick.
The
Means
*
All food for Embers, as well as refreshments from The Coffee Dragons, from Friday
dusk until Sundays dawning, is provided as an integral part of the ceremonial
experience; prepared, served and shared from the Food Altar within the sacred
enclosure of the Stone Circle.
*
The Community Nest around the North Altar is a physically constructed raised platform,
decorated and furnished; including the
Food Altar at the west edge; all sheltered under the oaks and colored Witness Arbors of The Stone
Circle. The Church has made a substantial financial commitment to provide the
materials for the construction and decoration of this Community Nest. Aside from
ceremonies that may take the Tribe out of the Circle and onto the Land, it is
envisioned that it will be practical for individuals to stay and camp within the
Stone Circle for the entirety of Embers.
*
To the East of the Nest and facing the East Gate and Mother Stone of the Stone
Circle is our Sacred Fire Circle proper. A raised fire brazier, benches and decorated
hangings; the dance and drum circle covered in a layer of sawdust.  The
Method
* Embers is Magic Fire Circle
within the embrace of The Circle of Standing Stones. As such Embers uses much
of the Earth Religious ritual traditions and Wiccan symbolic framework of
Four Quarters, as developed over 13 years by our Membership.
*
Embers does not use the symbolic structure or ritual technique of "Alchemical
Fire Circle." Our spring event "Fires Rising" is
Alchemical Fire Circle, as developed and guided by Abbi and Jeff McBride, Joshua
Levin, Michael Wall and their co-creators.
*
Embers assumes some prior experience in one of the many flavors of Magic Fire
Circle; or a dedication to ritual and ceremonial workings. You should be prepared
to take responsibility for creating and offering your own contributions to Fire
Circle and your Tribe. And to be open and listening; making space for the sonic
and spiritual contributions of others. If you have questions, please do call Four
Quarters.
* We will all be charged with taking
back the Gift of Glowing Embers to our personal Clans. Taking personal responsibility
for seeing and working towards the greater good of the Tribe and the World.
What
do you hold in your heart through the dark winter?
What
gift are you keeping for the promise of spring?
Embers
from the Sacred Fire Circle
The
Magic
Thursday through Friday
"Creating
the Vessel"
Preparation of the Stone Circle and its decoration.
Construction of the Arbors and Community Nest, the Fire Circle, the Food Altar
and physical preparations for the major ceremonials. Prep of food in the camp
kitchen and pot-luck meals until Friday, dusk.
Friday-
Dusk
The Circle is always open. Beginning with no fire lit, we invoke
the spirit of our long ago ancestors of pre-historic and nomadic times to share
the wisdom that has been lost to us. Then we begin with an open drum circle, fun,
a chance to burn off the unfocused. Any children are encouraged to run hard with
a goal of 10PM bedtime in the Nest. As the center forms, opening is made for more
focused music and then the beginnings of spontaneous offerings to the fire. Approximately
midnight we shift to the Ancestors Altar, constructed as a part of the East Gate
Stones, the perimeter of the Stone Circle is defined by glowing luminaries.  "A
Candle for Our Ancestors"
We make ceremony
for the ancestors at their altar, the Stone Circle blazing in light. We state
our intent for the weekend and cast our Tribal divinations for guidance in the
Work of these two nights. After divinations are read, the ancestors totems in
Mask, manifest; to act as our guides for the night. It is to them that this night's
Work is offered and they set the pace, wordlessly. From sundown to dawn, the energy
of the fire circle moves from loud energetic burn off, through fine listening
music, into trance at dawn.
 Saturday-Daylight
"A
Dreamtime Sojourn"
As needs be, a time for rest and reflection
on our present. Preparation and planning for the individuals or small groups offerings
to the Fire Circle. Important components and commitments:
* "Stone Soup" for
Saturday night, made during the day in a copper cauldron over the Fire Circle
fire, made up of contributions from all. All giving shared time working the Food
Altar, feeding us all.
* Commitments to maintaining the sonic envelope of
the Fire Circle, very softly, during the day light hours, a place for deep reflection.
* Provisions for continued personal divinations, a chance to speak with the
Stones.
* Creation of the Tribes clay reliquary box, to contain the last Embers
of the Sacred Fire until Beltaine next. Creation of individual reliquaries, with
which to bring the Embers home to your Clan.
* Volunteer Ninja Kabuki ceremonial
stage hands prepare the Altars on The Land for Saturday night ceremony.
*
VERY IMPORTANT Individuals and small groups focus on and develop their own creative/
art/ expressive/ ceremonial offering to the Saturday night Fire Circle, with all
the ceremonial equipment of Four Quarters offered for their use. Focusing on what
we bring into the collective future, working magic to bring about positive change.
* VERY IMPORTANT The creation of Physical Totems of these ceremonial offerings
by those making offerings to the Fire Circle, to go into the collective Spirit
Bundle, Saturday night.
* VERY IMPORTANT Rest!
 Saturday-
Dusk
"Offerings to The Sacred Fire"
Energy moves back to the Fire Circle and we begin with The "Invocation" sung in
long duration. Moving to a more structured approach to music making, the Fire
Circle guided by the silent "Keepers of The Staff" in Mask, Fire Circle becomes
a source of Sacred Music. As we develop the center of the energetic envelope,
individuals and groups present their Physical Totems to the Spirit Bundle, and
then make their creative/ art/ expressive/ ceremonial offering to the Fire Circle.
As each offering is made, it is received, witnessed and acclaimed; and the symbolic
Physical Totem of the giver is incorporated within the Spirit Bundle of the Tribe.
 "A
Gift to The River"
Ritualists and Witnesses, offerings to the Sacred
Fire and The Tribe; proceed through the night joined with periods of focused music.
In the wee hours, after all offerings have been made and the Spirit Bundle completed,
we enter into our Journey to the Future, a night-time sojourn on The Land. Making
our Gift to the Future, we return to the Fire Circle to finish the night in spontaneity
and music.
 Sunday
Morning
"Sealing the Gift"
We gather
for our repast and sing. The fired reliquaries are removed from the fire and each
participant removes one ember from the fire, speaking to their prayers/hopes for
the year to come. The reliquaries are filled, sealed and presented to all. With
which to take the Embers home to their Clan and build the fires of Beltane. The
Promise of Return.
Disassembly and cleanup.
NOTES
FOR ATTENDANCE:
* Embers assumes some prior
experience in one of the many flavors of Magic Fire Circle; or a personal dedication
to ritual and ceremonial workings. Embers is not a drum circle, but rather an
immersion in ritual focus on The Sacred Fire Circle. You should be prepared to
take responsibility for creating and offering your own contributions to Fire Circle
and your Tribe. And to be open and listening; making space for the sonic and spiritual
contributions of others. If you have questions, please do call Four Quarters.
* Embers does not use the "Facilitator" or "workshop"
model common to most other Sacred Fire Circle events. However, many of the planners
and facilitators of "Fires Rising" will be in attendance for Embers.
* The Food Altar
will provide for the attendees from dusk Friday until Sunday morning. Each person
should bring one gift capable of feeding several for the Food Altar, all other
food will be prepared by The Starvin' Artist.
* Every one MUST bring sufficient pillows, rugs,
cushions, blankets and decorations for a 4 by 8 foot nest area. Altar and other
decorations are encouraged. Beauty is its own reward.
*
There are no specific provisions for children, though if we have a crop we will
create activities for Saturday during the day. Fire Circle until 10pm each night
is held open for their participation.
* There are
no merchants for Embers.
* Embers is
the fourth major Four Quarters event that is being completely planned and developed
by our Members Planning Groups. As a Member, Please join us in this process on
The
Embers Members Planning Section of the Four Quarters Forum.
If
not a member, you can still participate through The
Embers Public Forum.
* We
have been asked how we can possibly create this event, invest in the materials
required and provide food at such a low cost. Simply put, we are a land based
non-profit Earth Spirited Church; and this is our Give-Away. For over a decade
Four Quarters has been a Membership driven and Membership supported Earth Spirited
organization. These are the fruits of a living, loving, breathing community.
Come,
don't be a stranger.
Join us as we stand together In the Center of The Circle!
Members-Only
Early Bird
$100 PreReg by Aug 15th
Members-Only Registration
Thursday
- Friday arrival
$120 PreReg by
Sept 19th
Promoting Members Pre-Registration
$35 Food fee. Late registration +$20
Non-Member Guests
Thursday - Friday
arrival $150,
PreReg by Sept 19th
Late Registrations discouraged, call
us for late registrations.
Children
under 16 are loved, cherished and FREE
Handicapped, Special Circumstances?
CALL US !
All
food is included with your registration for Embers. Please
do plan on arriving Thursday, you will be glad you did!
All
attendees must intend to arrive by Friday!
Attendance will be LIMITED!! There
is no Merchanting at Embers!
You are welcome to arrive before
Thursday and stay later than Sunday.
Early In and Late
Out camping is $5 a night for Members, and $10 a night for non-members.
Our
hot shower building is equipped with flush toilets and is located in our North
Crook camping area.
Our showers use state of the art
"on demand" water heaters and low-flow heads; our toilets are imported
super low-flow dual-flush units.
Try our RideShare database to carpool to our events and become eligible for our
Fuel Subsidy!
Four Quarters
is Green!
Register
for
EMBERS
with our
OnLine shop
|
