I went to the meeting of the salon one of my clients invited me to last night and really enjoyed it. The mission statement for the group is as follows: “To create a living and growing community in which greater wisdom, joy and clarification can be found. This is accomplished by nurturing an atmosphere in which we can socialize, respectfully share ideas and engage in discussion. Through this process we illuminate our shared journey and expand our consciousness of the human condition.”
There were probably forty people in attendance and everyone brought food and beverages to share. The food was good and there was a lot of it, as well as plenty of wine. People attending were from assorted professions and many were originally from other areas of the USA and even four other countries. It definitely was not your typical gathering of folks in often culturally backward Virginia. Generally, the monthly sessions consist of a discussions of a topic agreed to by the members at the previous session. The topics can range over a wide spectrum. Next month’s topic will be anima-animus: the feminine and masculine in each.
The session last night was a bit different since it was the beginning of a new calendar year—a time to look forward and release ourselves from those things that bind us back to old patterns and habits. As a result, the session involved a group ritual for transformation—a Bowl Burning Ceremony. The ceremony involved setting up an altar of sorts with a fire pit containing in numerous lighted candles. After some opening spiritual prayers reminiscent of American Indian rituals, each person wrote down what he/she wanted to release on a piece of flash paper, approached the fire pit one at a time, and then lighted the paper by dropping it into the fire pit. The flash paper burned in a bright flash without smoke or ashes. Afterwards, as in some Indian rituals, sage was burned for purification. No doubt the Catholic Church would deem it some form of heresy, although the Unity Church and some other denominations apparently utilize the ritual.
The meeting and socializing lasted for over four hours. It was definitely a nice evening, after which I went and danced for two hours at The Wave.
There were probably forty people in attendance and everyone brought food and beverages to share. The food was good and there was a lot of it, as well as plenty of wine. People attending were from assorted professions and many were originally from other areas of the USA and even four other countries. It definitely was not your typical gathering of folks in often culturally backward Virginia. Generally, the monthly sessions consist of a discussions of a topic agreed to by the members at the previous session. The topics can range over a wide spectrum. Next month’s topic will be anima-animus: the feminine and masculine in each.
The session last night was a bit different since it was the beginning of a new calendar year—a time to look forward and release ourselves from those things that bind us back to old patterns and habits. As a result, the session involved a group ritual for transformation—a Bowl Burning Ceremony. The ceremony involved setting up an altar of sorts with a fire pit containing in numerous lighted candles. After some opening spiritual prayers reminiscent of American Indian rituals, each person wrote down what he/she wanted to release on a piece of flash paper, approached the fire pit one at a time, and then lighted the paper by dropping it into the fire pit. The flash paper burned in a bright flash without smoke or ashes. Afterwards, as in some Indian rituals, sage was burned for purification. No doubt the Catholic Church would deem it some form of heresy, although the Unity Church and some other denominations apparently utilize the ritual.
The meeting and socializing lasted for over four hours. It was definitely a nice evening, after which I went and danced for two hours at The Wave.
