Kaleidoscope Gathering a pagan festival for everyone.

2009 Kaleidoscope Schedule

Rituals

Bones of the Earth Ritual (with Willow) Every year many people attend the Kaleidoscope Gathering to "unplug" from mainstream society and rekindle their connection to the Earth. This ritual will celebrate the connection of our spirit to the Mother Earth. The ceremony will give participants the opportunity to let go of energies no longer needed in our lives, and send those energies back into the Earth, to be transformed for other uses; leaving us refreshed to absorb the energy we need to effect the changes we would like to make in our lives. "She changes everything she touches, and everything she touches changes."

Celtic Festival Dedication to Lugh (with Thornhaven Protogrove) The Celtic God Lugh is known to have contributed to humanity in many ways. He is the God of Kings, as well as the God of the People. Within that aspect, perhaps one of the most significant contributions was his role as the founder of Gatherings, wherein the folk would leave behind their every-day work to gather and trade, make and enforce laws, re-count myths and perform magic and rites of passage. These Gatherings were very important to the continuation of society amongst the ancient Celts, and ultimately contributed to their strength and survival. It is thus only appropriate that, as we gather as a community, a ritual be held in honour of Lugh, to ask for His blessing and celebrate the beginning of our Gathering. Along with calling for a general blessing of the Folk, the ritual will help participants start their Festival on the right foot, leaving behind mundane cares, and focusing on the common threads that bring us together. In understanding the value that our ancestors took from these kinds of Gatherings, and witnessing the beauty of diversity, as well as the shared experience that only Gatherings can bring, we can make our festival experience more rich and meaningful. Come join Thornhaven Protogrove in worshipping Lugh, founder of Gatherings, and bring your Festival experience to a whole new level.

Closing Ritual (with Lady Pamelia) Every festival must end, to lie fallow until it springs forth again the next year. Come one and come all to join in Community to close the circle of the Festival. Join Lady Pamelia and others for a very special closing ritual to our 20th anniversary Kaleidoscope Gathering.

Main Ritual (with Gina Ellis and Alex DelBusso) Our spirituality comes from human origins and our shared human experience down the eons of living on the land. It dates from before we entirely domesticated ourselves and our words became our masters rather than our tools. This ritual will be traditional and radical - back to roots. But roots alone do not sustain the Sacred Tree. It must branch out and bear fresh new leaves over and over, and blossom and send off seeds into the void of modern culture. Yet, the branches must remember their roots … paper and papal influences should be far away. We are all priests and priestesses here, children of the Goddess, manifesting her in ways that are different, yet blend together in the dance and song of life. We sing of cultivating the soil, cultivating ourselves, and still, at the full moon, remembering our wild selves. While the ritual and our collective purpose are serious, there will be a certain amount of horsing around because it is a hobby of ours.

Men's Ritual (with Men of Thornhaven) This is a ritual for all adult men designed to allow them to get to know their authentic masculine selves. (Staff Note: Details will follow because … well … men are organizing this ritual and they have not yet been established yet.)

Men's Warrior Circle (with Hobbes the Storyteller) Details to be announced. (But, similar to year's past, men will come together for a ritual to explore the Warrior Archetype through ceremony and combat with padded weapons.)

Mixed Warrior Circle (with Hobbes and Kim) Details to be announced. As with past year's, the winners of the Men's and Women's Warrior Circle will unite in a ritual of competitive camaraderie.

Opening Ritual (with Lady Pamelia) The Kaleidoscope Gathering has been held in various forms for 20 years! Come one and come all to join in Community to open the circle of the Festival.

Stag King Competition (with Male Elders and Stag King) Stag King is a legend. Want the Stag King! Slay the Stag King! Be the Stag King! Open to men willing to challenge themselves in fraternal camaraderie. Be prepared for physical activity, getting wet, as well as physical and mental exertion. Boys, girls and women are welcome to cheer at start and finish; please keep the ritual sacred by staying away from the competitors during the ritual. (The space they use is vé and competitors are taboo during the ritual. Do not create ill wyrd.)

Stag King: The Crowning (with Lady Pamela and Elders) The Stag King is a noble ritual held to recognize and honour the men in our community; and to bring positive energy and good luck to us all. This year we are going to be changing the way we recognize the proud winner at a formal Crowning our Stag King. (Staff Note: Lady Pamelia has declared that the auctioning of the Stag King will henceforth no longer occur. The competition is a sacred ritual and will be treated as such.)

Sun Rituals (Guests of Lady Pamelia) Feel the awakening warmth; feel the turning of the Wheel; feel the sleep then to return. At KG this year there will be daily rituals to mark Dawn, High Noon and Dusk. Ritualists from a variety of Pagan traditions have been invited to lead whoever attends in communing with the Progress of the Sun.

Women's Ritual: Manifestations of the Goddess (with Julie Desrosiers of Thornhaven) Each woman is a Goddess. All adult women are welcome to come to this ritual to participate in a ceremony of connection with your Sisters. Please bring a veil of some kind.

Women's Warrior Circle (with Kim the Firekeeper) Details to be announced. (But, similar to year's past, women will come together for a ritual to explore the Warrior Archetype through ceremony and combat with padded weapons.)