Our Day of the Dead Celebration on Wednesday, November 2 will conclude three days of ceremony honoring ancestors and the beloved dead. Families are welcome!
The temple will remain open daily during this 3-day period, with a ceremony each evening. Materials will be available for Day of the Dead craft activities beginning the weekend beforehand, during the Southern Oregon Barter Faire at the Wellsprings (10/28-30).
We are also be collecting blankets, coats, and warm clothing up until 11/2 for the Warmth Project, which benefits families on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where need is high, and temperatures can drop to 40 below zero.
DAY OF THE DEAD (ALL SOULS DAY) – Wed Nov 2 – 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Dia de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead” is a time for remembering all our ancestors and loved ones who have passed into the world beyond. We will be expanding our community memorial altar (offrenda) to include all those who have died that you would like to honor – be they relatives, friends, or people who have inspired you.
Please bring a photograph, any mementos you’d like to place on the altar, and a dish of the person’s favorite food for a community feast, as well as drums and rattles.
The Day of the Dead is a festive time for remembering that the veil between this world and the next is very thin. We are all spirits, and the transition we experience at death is a natural part of the cycle of life. On this day, the souls of our loved ones are said to come celebrate with us. And so we dance for them, tell our stories about them, and light candles to guide their way.
On this final evening, we will have a firelight ceremony of drumming, dancing, and remembrance, followed by a fireside potluck feast. Please dress in warm layers for the outdoor portion of our ceremony, which will be brief, due to the cold weather. Day of the Dead attire and/or facepainting welcome if desired.
The final activity Wednesday evening will be the dissemination of the Flame of Ashlandia to the members of our first flametenders’ circle, who will maintain it in tandem in their homes throughout the winter. Anyone else who wishes may also receive the flame to use on their home altar in the form of a candle that has been lit from it.
These ceremonies are the last ones planned to take place in the temple dome this year, after which the temple is migrating for the winter into warm living rooms throughout the Ashland area until Spring.
If you would like to get involved with any of these events, please contact hearthfiretender@gmail.com; your contributions are welcome!
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