In the wake of a world pandemic, with its repeated lockdowns and restrictions, we find ourselves, as after a war, relieved yet aware of an indefinable weight as the grief of Covid, with its attendant anger, guilt and shame, is added to the unexpressed griefs of climate change and the political turmoil of the last few years.
With suicide rates going through the roof and mental health issues of increasing concern, we have yet to develop the personal and communal resources needed to heal our troubled souls. Yet our ancestors had, and some tribal peoples today still have, a ready mechanism in the sacred technologies of their differing cultures.
In this experiential event, culminating in a simple ritual, poet and ritualist William Ayot will be looking at the rites and mysteries that various societies have evolved to heal and renew themselves following tragedy and change. From the vibrant, embodied rituals of Africa to the dimly discerned yet potent myths and ceremonies of the Celts and Teutons, we will be exploring ritual as it applies to grief, atonement, and healthy return in our fractured, busy, and demanding lives