Sunset over the city
The East London GreenSpirit Group celebrated the autumn equinox around a bonfire in ancient forest watching the stars come out and telling stories. Then a large group of us marked midwinter with a ritual and a bonfire and a party. I hope that your winter celebrations were fun and that the New Year will bring answers to prayers and good things.
After a time of drawing in energies and shortness of daylight, we’re looking forward to the gradual return of light to this part of our planet!
The next meeting of the East London GreenSpirit Group is at 7.30pm on Thursday February 2nd 2012 at 137 Ham Park Road, London E7 9LE. After a vegetarian supper we will share a Candlemass candle-lit ritual to remember that this is the Celtic festival of Imbolc.Please bring poems, stories, songs etc to share on the theme of Imbolc and the coming of light and springtime to our part of the planet. It will help with catering if you let Ian know by Jan 29th if you are coming. (020 8552 2096 info(at)greenspirit.org.uk)
Our Spring Equinox meeting will be on Wednesday March 21st 2012 at33 Park Roadat 7.30 pm
Spring Equinox celebrates the renewed life of the Earth that comes with the Spring. It is a solar festival, celebrated when the length of the day and the night are equal (this happens twice a year, at spring and autumn equinox). To celebrate the spring we will start with Ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers and foliage meditatively. Bring budding twigs, flowers, willow catkins, sprouting bulbs, and bring your favourite poems by Nature poets like John Clare, Blake, Wordsworth and Thomas Traherne.
Dawn Walk at Easter. We will rise early to greet the dawn in Wanstead Park April 8th (leave West Ham park 5.15am, or meet at Wanstead Park 5.30, sunrise is 6.09am) Afterwards we are invited to enjoy a cooked breakfast at Ian’s.
Wednesday May 2nd is the date of our Beltane celebration, and a discussion about responsible consumerism, especially in the light of our current economic crisis, looking at all the ways in which we could make our life-styles (clothing, energy, food, entertainment, travel) more sustainable. Short meditation and discussion at 7.30pm.33 Park RoadStratford,E15 3QP
To celebrate the Summer Solstice on the evening of June 21st we will do something outside, perhaps in the local park, programme to be planned, ideas welcome (in the past we have done a tree trail etc)
For more details about East London GreenSpirit contact Hilary Norton: email: hapn(at)greenspirit.org.uk or ‘phone: 020 8470 3365