Day and night are in perfect balance again all over the world. T he Sun enters the sign of Libra, bringing balance and harmony and, by necessity, change and transformation. It is time to take action and move into a new energy phase to balance the outer world with the inner world. It is a time to release the past and move forwards, a chance to be clear about what it is you want to do now and prepare for winter. Autumn Equinox is the doorway to winter.
Summer is over and a new phase will begin. Here we can share with each other what we have gained and completed during the summer and make our plans for the coming winter. From now on the days will get noticeably shorter and colder. The Sun’s power is waning fast. This is the time of ripening fruits, nuts, mushrooms and berries. It is a busy time if you want to lay in stores for the winter. After all is gathered in, and the outside jobs are completed, we can celebrate the harvest. This is the family gathering of autumn’s end, Thanksgiving, the big harvest party; a feast and a celebration of the year’s abundance. Here we celebrate the Earth and all her gifts, friendships, family, our produce, our creations and achievements, as well as our own personal harvest.
It is a time for balancing and reconciling opposites and to see them as part of the whole. Everything co-exists together and we need both sides in order to be balanced and whole: the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknown, creation and destruction, death and rebirth, materialism and spirituality. Here at the Autumn Equinox, celebrate your whole selves, your masculine and feminine aspects, your conscious and unconscious, the active and the receptive, your light and dark sides, your fortunes and your misfortunes, your young self and your old self – and all aspects of the cycle of life. Celebrate it all, the good and the bad. Honour the changing season that brings a chance to start again. Dragon Day was celebrated at the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes. The dragon goes underground now for the winter. Here the dragon is invoked to carry the Fire energy into the inner realms, to activate the Fire within. The dragon is an ancient energy symbol representing Earth energy, dynamism, Fire, will and courage. This we take with us now as we turn to face the dark inner realms. This is not a place to fear as we have been taught, but a place to get in touch with your power, strength, inner focus, spiritual path and a reconnection to your inner wisdom. We are part of this whole, not separate from it. -Glennie Kindred
Our retreat includes:
~Sacred Tea Ceremony
-Altar Building
-Education on this ancient, sacred seasonal energies + how to best utilize and work with them.
~Harvest Ceremony
-Heartfelt connection with like-minded souls
-and more
Please bring a journal, something beautiful and sacred to place on the altar to charge during our time together (you will get this item back) and wear comfortable clothing in shades that remind you of Spring!
About Tea Ceremony:
Cha Dao, or Sacred Tea Ceremony is a practice that has its roots in shamanistic Taoism and Zen Buddhism. The earliest written records of Tea describe this plant found in the wild as Medicine that brightened the eyes and opened the Heart. It was domesticated by monks for its ability to support calm and awakened presence and sustain practitioners in extended meditation.
Tea is a plant spirit medicine and comes with her own wisdom and intelligence. The leaves used in our practice are ceremonial grade and come from living trees that are hundreds of years old, meaning that when we sit in ceremony and receive this medicine, we are also drinking in the hundred years' worth of moon, star, and sunshine. This wise medicine always delivers exactly what we need, and every tea sitting is different and unique based on our own individual needs.
Tea Ceremony is a unique and heartfelt way to come together with meaning and intention. It is most well known for inspiring profound states of inner peace and gratitude, creating a space within for us to view our lives with more appreciation and beauty. Tea is also a powerful ally in supporting and assisting in the healing of memories and processing of grief. Due to its gentle nature, tea is a medicine of the heart and suitable for people of all ages.
About your guide Ashley Smith
Ashley Smith is the founder of Pillar of Light, a center for psycho-spiritual healing and wellness in St. Petersburg, FL. Here she offers her signature work- transformational soul healing sessions, she also offers private and group tea ceremonies, healing workshops, annual retreats and more!
Ashley deeply understands pain, loss, and the shadows very well. Her personal lived experiences and her years of study in spiritual pyschology, sommatic repatterning, and shamanic healing serve as her greatest credentials- giving her a deep well of lived wisdom, personal triumph, and unmatched understanding of the rich process of soul alchemy. Healing is possible, you are the key!
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