SAMHAIN - Creatures of the Wild - Woodland / Fireside Dance

Come forth all ye Creatures of the Wild Night,

Mask and horn, 

hooth, tooth and tail.

Ferrel forest foragers, 

scurrying scavengers,

hedgerow hollow dwellers,

eyes of the night,

and join us at the fire-side 

for one last harvest of togetherness before we retreat to the slumber of winters rest. 

• WHEN : SAMHAIN - 31st October
• WHERE : The DIP - Dartington Estate
• MEET SPOT : Behind Green Table (see pin)
• MEET TIME : 6.45pm
• WALK TIME : 7.00pm
• YEW TREE  RITUAL : 7.30pm
• CACAO / MUGWORT : 8.30pm
• CREATURES RITUAL AND DANCE :9pm
• CLOSING MUSIC - OPEN FIRE : 11pm

MEET PIN 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/r1QNWkWqDLwYKudG6

COSTUME 

Creature Features. Craft a mask, a tail, horns or simply paint on some whiskers, we welcome your embodiment of the sacred animals of this land. Past and present. Seen or other-worldly. Totally optional (note : you‘ll need to wear headphones)

LOCATION : THE DIP (& walk) 

Do gather at our meet-spot and join our guided walk. We will stop at Grandmother Yew, for a ritual opening and then onward. Please be aware that (as always) we haven't sought permission to dance at THE DIP, which is in a field owned by the Estate. Our CREATURES events are a gentle nod to our long lost rave culture, while upholding the principles of a modern conscious dance container. If you don’t feel comfortable with this edge, then please sit this one out.  

YEW TREE RITUAL

Roots reaching into time, she bears witness to more than 1500 years of our changing landscape. 
through cycles of birth and decay

she, who sits in stillness,
A doorway to dream-realms 

We honour you. 

Our candle-light ritual will be supported by the music of Evan Pan, Potery from CurlyBard and a song from our beloved Rivka. 

MUGWORT  CACAO RITUAL 

Isla-Rose will be cooking up a caldron of powerful Peruvian Cacao with grandmother Mugwort from our homelands of Devon 🌿🌘✨Mugwort is deeply connected to the moon and is a powerful dreaming herb, helping to access the realms behind the veil. Coupled with the heart-opening medicine of cacao, we will have a powerful elixir to help us journey into the depths of the night ❤️ (See contradictions below) 

CREATURES RITUAL

We offer respect to all the Creatures through the living arts of theatre and ritual, crafted by Callithump for our participation and enjoyment.

FIRE-SIDE ECSTATIC DANCE (DJ Everyone)

We will offer a big fire to warm us while we dance our bones upon the earth.

We will be exploring something totally new. A crowdsourced DJ Set. 
Curated by myself (CurlyBard)

I will be weaving together your music suggestions added to a communal playlist. 
‘Selected songs will then be purchased and crafted in a landscape of music we can explore together. 

To offer a song or (max 2) that you feel will suit the occasion, simply add it to the Spotify playlist.

LINK WILL COME SOON. 

BARDIC FIRE (after dance)

Grounding music will guide us to the fire-side where we will close the circle for those who wish to leave, but keep it open for those who wish to sing into the night. Your songs, stories, poems and chants are so very welcome.,

IMPORTANT 

This is a NO-ALCOHOL EVENT 

This will be a mushroom-positive space. 
To be clear, We are NOT holding a mushroom ceremony or offering mushrooms, however we do welcome those who feel secure in working with the local, wild psecolcibin mushrooms (liberty caps) to journey with a reasonable and light amount of this medicine if they choose. (Self responsibility and a sense of your known limits is fundamental)

WHAT TO BRING - checklist 

• WATER - plenty of it
• CREATURE FEATURES (optional)
• ITEM / PHOTO for ancestors altar (optional)
• INSTRUMENTS / SONGS / STORIES for Bardic Fire
• A RUG to sit on
• HEADTORCH - (Essential)
• A SENSE OF HUMOUR - (Essential)

MAY THE SPIRITS BE WITH US

May we all enjoy this final harvest festival with honest-hearts and playful reverence for the living forces that move around and through us. 

Blessed be this chance to dance. 

With love

CurlyBard

• Ecstatic Revolution
• Nature Dance UK.

MUGWORT AND CACAO (Contradictions) 
MUGWORT : not safe for use whilst pregnant.

CACAO :  If you are on antidepressants, have any heart conditions, are pregnant or breastfeeding, I would invite you to consider a smaller dose of cacao 🤎🍫