The Grief Ritual of Love and Praise

Dear lovers of life, grievers of what is loved, full hearted alivers, full breath breathers,

This Grief Ritual is a yearly offering for our hearts. In tending to our grief, we honor the bigger force that keep all our hearts beating and able to love.

Grief, pain, loss; these are all as natural a part of life as bee stings, or a thicket of healthy green nettles in a wet mossy part of the forest. That is to say, they can hurt, and can even be quite dangerous if not treated well.

But as we know, they can also be potent medicine that rejuvenates our vitality and allows us to more fully celebrate the honey sweetness of life. Grieving is a natural part of life. Grief is what happens when we love deeply, feel deeply, when we care and live fully.

Let us honor all that we love by grieving for it fully, let us make space to dive into the regenerative waters of grief while holding each other in tenderness and care. Let us make offerings and prayers for good winter rains, let us nourish the earth with our salty tears.

The body needs to grieve and it cannot be fully metabolized alone. We need to be witnessed in our grief for it to transform into life giving waters.

Come dance the range grief has to offer, and join the art of grieving well.

We will gather to build a communal grief alter to Life and Death, praise all that Was, Is and Might Be, water the Tree of Time with our tears and songs, share our stories, bless each other and honor our ancestors. We conclude by walking down to the beautiful San Lorenzo river.

This ritual draws from the tradition generously offered by Sobonfu Some as well as the work of Martin Prechtel. We partner with the amazing musician and artist Michael Louge to co-create a soundscape with our voice and songs. For those who desire assistance from the Little Holy Ones, our mushroom friends will be available

Come honor what you love, what you have lost, what you are grieving.

Becca and Hope

P.S We humbly request that before attending this grief ritual you please listen to the 45 min audio recording of Martin Prechtel's talk titled "Grief and Praise" (he also has a book by that name --- which is amazing--- but please listen to the talk before arriving on Friday)

Please come in comfortable clothes you can move in and please arrive 15 min early to settle in so we can begin on time.

To be prepared for the ritual please bring:

Chair, Mat, Cushion, and Blankets for a comfortable seat

Drums and Shakers

Swimsuit/sarong/clothes for wading in the water

Pictures of loved ones or ancestors

Altar items and offerings such as: flowers for alter, tobacco, cornmeal, feathers, beautiful stones, bones etc.

Host or Publisher Becca Fresco and Jolyn Hope