winter fire gatherings
these times are wild. in different meanings of this word. I do believe that we need to act in changing the systems around us, AND I also believe that part of the action has to be in growing curious, loving relationships to ourselves and to our kin: the human and the other-than-human; to listen to what we can learn from each other.
therefore I offer a series of evenings around the fire and in the woods, where we explore how that might look. what happens when we slow down, allow ourselves to nourish the relationships with our more-than-human world around us as well as the wild life within us?
what happens when we gather as humans around a fire to share stories, songs, stirrings, silences and questions?
for some winter evenings the coming months we will do that. gather around the fire to explore the wildness inside and around us, and the relationship between them.
why
- to grow deeper roots and softer hearts that we need in a time of interconnected global crises
- to feel that we are not alone and to ask what it means that "we are nature"
- to lean into that support and wisdom that the nature in and around us has
- to create community with space for the wholeness of who we are, and to heal
- to strengthen inter-human and interspecies understanding and connection
- the world needs us to stop, gather and listen - to ourselves, each other and the life in the woods
- it is a crazy world and time we are living in, and gathering around the fire during dark times gives us so much!
how
every time we start and end around the fire.
we will spend some time in conversation, sharing and listening around the fire, and then some time each for ourselves with the life in the woods, so we can bring other voices into the conversation.
we will explore stories, song, silence, our encounters with nature and the questions and longings each of us bring.
(there is no pressure to share, you are welcome to just show up and listen).
these sessions are informed by my own longings, my experiences and practices, especially within Ways of Council, Nature-based rites of passage work, nature connection and the work That Reconnects, as well as inspiration from many human and other-than-human guides, mentors, peers and teachers on my way. And then it will also be shaped by who and what shows up.
these gatherings are held in english, though you are always welcome to share your own language.
who
come those of you who feel these words resonate, whether it is expressed as curiosity, longing, scepticism or something else.
our primary guides for the evenings are the fire, the circle, darkness and the life in the woods.
I, Anna, plan and facilitate the evenings and will sometimes invite other guest contributors.