This ritual is focused on the cycles and alignments of celestial, terrestrial, communal and personal energies to engage in the renewal of life at the moment of Equinox.

There is some preparation involved that you need to do at home.   

The contractions and birth pangs of the Great Mother have started as she thaws and freezes again and again.  However the deep silence of winter is broken and the waters start to sing again.  Spring’s Thunder beings and the caress of the warm air announce the change of season.  In the deep watery muck the seeds of ongoing life begin to swell. 

For the full description go to http://www.ritualexpressions.com/re/events.asp

Preparation is a big piece of the ritual.  What you put in is what you will harvest or in this case birth.  Katja Esser in collaboration with Allison Wonderland, Robert Rocheleau and Leon Chaban facilitate this community oriented ritual and you can expect it to be very participatory.  It is important that you bring the items described below to the ritual to give it its full effect to feed us and the other world. 

What to bring:

- A piece of colorful cotton fabric about 1 square yard that is your old skin that you put your intention in as what you want to break out of.  Thank this piece for how it protected you in your journey.  You will not get this piece back.  You can add things to it that pertain to your old story that you want to shed. 

- An umbilical cord made with 4 strips of biodegradable fabric of about 1 yard long in length in which you tie many knots that for the first yard represent all the ways you have been constricted or hurt by others, for the second strip all the ways you have hurt or constricted others, the third one all the ways you have received nourishment and the fourth all the ways you have nourished others.  The strips get tied together in one umbilical cord. 

- Bring Spring flowers that are open, a flash light, drums or other sound makers if you have them, some finger food for after the ritual, raingear if needed and your own water to drink.  Make sure you dress warm.

Cost: $8 for the evening ritual only, $70 - $50 sliding scale if you do the whole day.(see details at www.ritualexpressions.com)

To register: Please contact Katja at (617)365 4024 or email katjacreates@ritualexpressions.com

Directions to Earthlands 39 Glasheen Rd, Petersham MA 01366: From Rt 2 take exit 17, take 32 South to Petersham.  At center of town, at closed country store, take a left on East St. Go for about 2 ½ miles.  Take a left on Glasheen Rd, follow the sign to Earthlands/ University of the Wild. Park in lot A and follow signs to the left to ritual site.