Please be advised that due to the severe storm conditions the Solstice Ritual for tonight, December 12 at 7:30 pm has been CANCELLED. We apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment, but we must put everyone's safety first.
Thanks to all for your continued interest in our events.
The Executive,
Calgary Jung Society
Friday, December 12, 7:30 – 10:00pm
Parkdale United Church Auditorium, 2919 – 8th Avenue N.W.
Members and friends are welcome
The purpose of a Winter Solstice ritual is to acknowledge the darkness and celebrate the coming of the light, something many religions and mythological belief systems have observed. Additionally, besides this outer-world celebration of light, there is another meaning conveyed in the Demeter and Persephone myth. Although the days are getting longer, we still must face winter’s coldest months, which means for many people a kind of hibernation and/or a descent into the underworld. For some this could result in sadness or even depression, a grieving for the lack of outer-world fecundity. Hopefully, however, psychic energies are actively being tapped into in order to discover further depths of understanding. In the cold winter months, we have the tremendous opportunity to strengthen our connection with Self and the collective unconscious.
Traditionally rituals have common characteristics. Leaving the ordinary requires a passage or transition into another “other worldly” place. Secondly, the centre of the ritual is cosmic in origin. For instance, around a fire the four directions of the earth are honoured, the four elements (fire, earth, air, and water), and specific objects pertinent to the myth symbolize the cosmic order in the centre. Thirdly, each participant is involved with his/her whole being, to take the opportunity to arrive at the centre, of the Self and of the world for a sense of wholeness. Fourthly, a sacrifice must occur. In previous times, an animal or food sacrifice would be made. In more modern times, for the sacred and the profane to become whole, we offer the “I”, the ego. Finally, the community binds together with an experience, grounded in the sharing of food and drink.*
*We acknowledge Mae Stolte’s lecture material, November18, 2005, above as a foundation for this ritual.
The Calgary Jung Society invites you to participate in the enactment of a Winter Solstice ritual, based on the Demeter and Persephone myth, on Friday, December 12, 7:30, Parkdale United church. Please bring an intention as a silent offering, an issue that needs work or a dream image or situation that needs energetic work. Also, bring a small plate or tray of finger food to share with others.
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