Green Spirit 2018

July 27 - 29, 2018
at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve
near Barneveld, Wisconsin
Coordinated by Messina and Raven

"Reaping the Bounty"

Join us as we gather together for this year's Green Spirit Festival to celebrate and give thanks for the bounty of the First Harvest! It’s time for us to reap the bounty of what we have sown not only in our fields and gardens but in our lives. Lughnasadh is also a great time to share your skills with your tribe and reap the bounty of your own talents! Perhaps you're an artisan and would like to peddle your wares on the Green as merchant. Maybe you're a wonderful bard who will reward us with your karaoke singing talents or lip sync contest. Perhaps you want to enjoy and learn during our amazing workshops of the season. Or maybe you'll want to hone your athletic ability (or lack thereof) and join in the games of strength and exciting relay races! There will be family programming, a labyrinth and a Lughasadh ritual and so much more! Whatever gifts, skills, or just presence you have to offer, we invite you to join us and give thanks as a community for the abundance we have in our lives at this First Harvest Time!

Featured Presenter: Nancy Vedder-Shults

Named a Wisdom Keeper of the Goddess Spirituality Movement in 2013, Nancy Vedder-Shults, Ph.D is the author of The World is Your Oracle: Divinatory Practices for Tapping Your Inner Wisdom (Fair Winds Press: April, 2017). This innovative book presents 40 multicultural techniques, 1/3 of which are visual, 1/3 auditory, and 1/3 kinesthetic. Nancy is the thealogical columnist for SageWoman Magazine, and blogs for Elephant Journal, Feminism and Religion, and formerly for Matrifocus. She recorded Chants for the Queen Heaven, a CD of Goddess chants from around the world and has offered spiritual growth presentations across North America since 1987. Nancy honed her intellectual skills from 1975 -1991 in the emerging field of Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where her focus on empowerment began.

SCHEDULE of EVENTS

Friday, July 27th
Noon	Open for General Arrivals
1 pm	Stone Circle Bounty Blessing with Rev. Selena Fox and Florence at the Stone Circle Placing of stones donated during road restoration in Circle Sanctuary's Stone Circle
2:30 pm	Workshop: Animal Oracles for Accessing Your Inner Knowing with Nancy Vedder-Shults, Ph.D. in the Temple Room This interactive workshop will use an ancient Celtic oracular method called deuchainn to tap into our 'knowing'. After discovering what we want to ask and fine-tuning our questions, we will invite our wisdom to respond in the form of an animal, bird, or bug. Opening to our inner depths allows us to set priorities, meet challenges, and find creative solutions. These practices can empower us on our spiritual paths and daily life. Come and renew your connection with Spirit. Family Programming with Calypso and Florence at the Family Center
4 pm	Opening RItual: Sacred Woods and Kindling the Flame with Rev. Selena Fox and Messina on the Green Come join with us to kindle a first harvest fire with the Celtic nine sacred woods. Learn more about the first nine trees of the Celtic Tree Calendar and the ritual uses of their woods as we build our festival fire and open circle.
5 pm	Newcomer Meet & Greet with Papa Jim and Ministers-in-Training in the Temple Room
5:30 pm	Dinner behind the farmhouse
7 pm	Chanting Workshop with Nancy Vedder-Shults, Ph.D. in the Temple Room Bring your favorite chants and a hunger for new ones as we come together as one voice.
8:30 pm	Tavern on the Green Lughnasadh is a great time to share your skills with tribe and reap the bounty of our talents! If you're a bard, or just like to have fun, come share your karaoke, singing, speaking talents, and lip sync abilities.
Saturday, July 28th
7 - 8:30 am	Breakfast in the Summer Kitchen
9 am	Mugwort Harvest on the Green Join in the annual community harvest of Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) a sacred herb used in rites, divination, dream pillows, spirit bags & celebrations. Bring hand clippers if you can. Open to all ages.
10 am	Workshop: The World is Your Oracle: Divinatory Practices for Tapping Your Inner Wisdom with Nancy Vedder-Shults, Ph.D. in the Temple Room Come and learn divinatory methods that Nancy has gathered in her book, “The World Is Your Oracle”, to explore ways ancient, indigenous, and contemporary cultures have tapped into the wisdom that resides within each of us. We will investigate three major intuitive senses: the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Oracles help us turn inward to develop deep listening, deep vision, and deep sensing of our insight. This workshop is an introduction for those who are just beginning to perform oracles as well as an opportunity for those experienced with divination to find fresh inspiration. Come and sink deeply into your inner knowing! Family Programming with Calypso and Florence at the Family Center
Noon	Lunch behind the Farmhouse
1:30 pm	Workshop: Lughnasadh Prosperity Magic with Rev. Selena Fox in the Temple Room Explore ways of working with Lughnasadh symbols, meditations, and rituals for abundance, prosperity, and wellness in personal and community life. Family Programming with Calypso and Florence at the Family Center
3 pm	Tailteann Games on the Green Celebrate Lughnassadh with the tradition of the Tailteann Games. Contests for adults and youth.
5 pm	Raffle / Silent Auction Drawing with Amanda on the Green
5:30 pm	Dinner behind the Farmhouse
7:30 pm	Community Lughnassadh Ritual with Rev. Selena Fox, Minerva, and Rev. Sharon Join as we celebrate the turning of the wheel into the harvest season. Now is time to reap the bounty of our hard work. Come to honor our gods and goddesses, the first harvest of the season, and ourselves.
Following Ritual	Spiral Labyrinth As the wheel turns, spiral in and spiral out to reflect on your bounty during the first harvest.
10 pm	Midnight Late Night Life Chats with Messina and Raven in the Summer Kitchen Congregate in the Summer Kitchen for camaraderie and community building through intentional dialogue. Converse on random topics drawn from the cauldron of possibilities.
Sunday, July 29th
7 - 8:30 am	Breakfast in the Summer Kitchen
9 am	Book Signing with Author Nancy Vedder-Shults, Ph.D. on the Green
10:30 am	Lughnasadh Ritual Post-Mortem with Ritual Leaders in the Temple Room Discuss the process and insights of the ritual with the community and ritual leaders. Hear what they had in mind, share what you experienced, in body, and connect soul to soul. (Recommended to attend if going to the Closing Ritual.) Family Programming with Calypso and Florence at the Family Center
11:30 am	Closing Ritual with Rev. Selena Fox and Messina in the Temple Room
Noon	Lunch and Final Departures
2 pm	Memorial Service for Sandy "Artistfair" Kucyk with Rev. Selena Fox and Rev. Ana Blechschmidt in the Temple Room Join with the Kucyk family and the Circle Sanctuary community for the burial ceremony of Sandy's ashes. Meet in the Temple Room for further information, followed by a procession to the Circle Cemetery.

Items to Bring

Please help us conserve paper: bring your own cup to use for drinks at meals and other times.
Camping Gear: tent, sleeping bag, pillow, air mattress, flashlight, water jug, towel, biodegradable soap and shampoo, personal toiletries, sungear, raingear, cold weather gear, insect and tick repellent.
Items to donate to the raffle and silent auction
Offerings of fairy images, crystals, fresh flowers, dried or fresh herbs for Fairy Shrine at Opening Ritual & other times (optional)
A lawn chair, mat, or blanket for outdoor seating. Many activities will be outside.
Herbs or grains as an offering for main ritual
Green Crown, Foliate Mask, and/or other ritual garb (optional)
Clippers for Mugwort Harvest (optional)
Drum, rattle, or other rhythm instrument. (optional)
Chants, songs, or rhythms for late night drumming/dancing (optional)
A stone to give away to the Stone Circle. (optional)

VENDORS

Outdoor vending space is available -- please review the FAQ and the Guidelines, and contact the Circle office with any questions.

REGISTRATION

Adults (each):	Before 7/23	7/24 - 7/26
3 Days	$105	$120
Fri - Sat	$75	$90
Sat - Sun	$75	$90
Sat. Only	$60	$75

Children 5+ (each)	Before 7/23	7/24 - 7/26
3 Days	$45	$50
Fri - Sat	$35	$40
Sat - Sun	$35	$40
Sat. Only	$25	$30

Children under 5 are free.

Registration for this event is limited. Please register online to guarantee you will be able to attend. Some same-day registration may be available depending on numbers.

Cancellations received before July 26th will be refunded minus 50% processing fee. Cancellations received on July 26th or later will not be refunded. Please refer to Circle's cancellation policy if you should need to cancel your event registration.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions, please contact the Circle Office.