Fire Ceremony –“Visions & prayers for the next 50 Years @ Salisbury Centre

*** Closing “Despacho” Fire Ceremony ***

Event part of the Salisbury Centre 50th Anniversary Celebration Celebration week June 19-25 (read more below)

Sunday 25th June – 17:00 – 18:30

An opportunity to formally close the Salisbury Centre 50th Anniversary Celebration by sowing the prayers and visions for the next 50 years of the Salisbury Centre!

This CEREMONY will follow an earlier workshop “Ecological Wellbeing and the Salisbury Centre – The next 50 years” happening earlier in the day (14:00 – 17:00). The workshop, with Olga Bloemen, will explore the themes of the ‘Work That Reconnects‘ by Joanna Macy, exploring how our interconnectedness can heal and transform climate grief and overwhelm into collaborative action for our community and the planet. Places will be limited so Booking is recommended.

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About the Despacho Fire Ceremony (17:00 – 18:30)

Join us to call-in and dream together all the positive changes we would like to see in the future of the Salisbury Centre!

A “Despacho” is a shared powerful ceremony (originally from the Peruvian Andes) to express gratitude, give back to the Land and sow together powerful prayers for a shared manifestation.

There is no cost for this event, yet in spirit of reciprocity we welcome voluntary contributions to cover costs (e.g. firewood) & support the Salisbury Centre.

DONATIONS:

You can donate online via www.Salisburycentre.org/donate (using "Fire Ceremony") as reference, or by cash and card on the day

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Despachos are usually performed as a form of “Ayni“ (or reciprocity) with the universe, and when done from the heart and with conscious intent, it helps us to enter in direct communication with the sacred as well as remembering the interconnectedness of all things. By offering our prayers and intentions, we enable a reconnection with the land and we can sow the seeds for anything we would like to see growing in the new year

You will need to bring (if possible) with you some SYMBOLIC OFFERING to add to the Despacho (These items/offerings will be offered to the fire in a bundle)

• Any items you might choose to bring as an offering should represent and contain a meaning/representation which is meaningful to you, in relation to what you with the next 50 year to hold for the Salisbury Centre

This “Despacho” is a shared ceremony to sow together powerful prayers for a shared manifestation. In particular it will be focussed on sharing DREAMING, PRAYERS and VISION for a better world, wishes filled with all the Positive qualities we would love to call in for the next year. It should NOT be focussed on personal wishes (e.g. “I pray I get that job I really want,“), but wishes for the Salisbury Centre community & how that could fit human evolution at large.

The ceremony will be focussed on calling in positive qualities, upgrades, dreams and visions for the Salisbury Centre next 50 years!

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**** OPTIONAL **** As part of the ceremony you may chose o bring with you some Symbolic Offerings to add to the Despacho Fire Ceremony (More information will be provided on the day)

These items/offerings will be offered to the fire in a bundle

(May you not be able to think or bring any offering there will be some provided for everyone on the day, but please do if you can)

Any items you might choose to bring as an offering should represent and contain a meaning/representation which is meaningful to you, in relation to what you want the next 50 year to hold.

For instance…

• …You might bring a bird feather , as a representation of your wish for more “lightness” and “ease” in the coming years.
• …Or you could bring some honey, to symbolically express gratitude to the bees and their cooperative attitude, and as a prayer to have more collaboration and community building.
• …Or maybe a simple script of paper with a prayer/poem written on it.
• …Offering some Water drops from a river next to your house as a symbol of “home” & “flowing”, praying that all human beings can find a safe home in the Salisbury Centre (Or wishing the centre cleansing and purification)

Use your imagination and generosity (you can bring multiple items) and there is no right or wrong

A (non-exhaustive) list of possible items with variable meanings is:

• – Grains , rice, fruits, food , honey
• – Crystals, stones, jewels
• – drops of Liqueurs, flower essences, essential oils, natural soaps
• – Sacred objects, man made symbols, drawings, writings
• – Symbolic objects, relics, fossils
• – Animal products (e.g. fur, images, feathers, butteflies’ wings)
• – Candles, ashes, coal
• – Soil, Petals,leaves, plants, seeds
• -Memories, relics, tapestry
• -Homemade crafts, cakes, bundles, art
• – Salt, spices, sugar etc..

You can think of the Despacho as a work of art, or as a symbolic representation of the purpose behind it, or both. Mandala arrangements are common, as these can represent and contain multiple meanings and representations. (You can be creative and use your imagination!

If you have any questions please get in touch with [email protected]

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All the offerings will be placed as a mandala on a central large sheet of paper which will ultimately be made into a bundle and offered to the sacred fire.

****Booking via this link encouraged to give us an idea of numbers on the day *** Drop-ins will be allowed if there is space****

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At the very hour of this Despacho Fire Ceremony other prayer fires will be taking place in a variety of other Sacred Sites across the World!

For instance an amazing delegation of Mesoamerican elders (Mexico, Guatemala, Central & South America etc) will be holding a Sacred Fire Ceremony at the same time & day in Glastonbury (with shared intention to link the prayers and the grid of positive intentions across the Globe)

Really powerful time to share positive intention

Looking forward to sharing it with you all

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ABOUT THE Facilitator:

Francesco Benvenuti, current community facilitator and member of staff at the Salisbury Centre, will hold the ceremony. Francesco brings his extensive experience accumulated over his training, travels and adventure across Central & South America, and Australasia, and spending time with Indigenous tribes, numerous teachers and learning how to pray to welcome Magic and flow into our life. You can hear some Francesco's recorded devotional music here

Francesco is a passionate Shiatsu Massage Practitioner, Embodiment Coach, Singing voice facilitator, Ceremonial space holder and a Carrier of the Sacred Fire. He composes his own songs which he loves sharing in a variety of ceremonial settings and festival. (see more about Francesco’s work here : www.oathroslin.earth & www.resonancetherapies.life)

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Salisbury Centre 50th Celebration Week June 19th-25th

(Read more here : 50th Anniversary Programme & June Celebration!)

This events is part of the the 50th anniversary celebration of the Salisbury Centre!

Standing as one of the oldest holistic centres in Edinburgh, this currently thriving community Centre was founded with a robust spiritual community focus, which over time has expanded to embrace a strong foundation of inclusivity, as well as creative, psychological, and ecological wellbeing, making it a resilient and much loved community space in the heart of Edinburgh!

To celebrate the occasion we have been running a 6 month 50th anniversary theme programme of events which will culminate in this celebration week in June (19th - 25th).

You can download a brochure which offers some context about the Centre’s history and its founding pillars HERE (https://shorturl.at/bix05 )

Expect gatherings of old friends and new, workshops, movie screenings, discussion panels, shared meals, ceremony, visioning & networking for the future. Come and learn how challenges were transformed to create new foundations to grow from. The programme has draws from the incredible richness of all people who have contributed, over 5 decades, to the evolution and resilience of this special Centre.

Host or Publisher The Salisbury Centre