One-Day Conferences in the Bay Area
Similar to the first day of our previous annual weekend conferences, we will explore themes from an interfaith perspective through participatory sessions guided by diverse Earth-honoring elders.
Saturday, June 22nd, 2013
Celebrating the Sacred Masculine and Feminine
Indigenous and earth-honoring traditions often affirm the need for good relations between the Sacred Feminine and Masculine. Many also teach that modern Western cultures fail to sufficiently honor the Sacred Feminine (e.g., women, the Earth, our dreaming) and that greater balance is part of the transformation needed at this time on Earth.
Join us for a full day of embodied learning, inclusive ritual, and heart-centered dialogue around questions like: How can we deeply honor both the Sacred Feminine and Masculine in our personal lives and spiritual practices? How can this bring healing to our human relationships and to our unbreakable connections with the rest of life and nature?
Offerings will be guided by earth-honoring elders and teachers of diverse lineages. All sexual orientations and gender expressions warmly welcome. Cost is $65 before June 1 and $75 after. REGISTRATION OPEN NOW >
Saturday, October 5th, 2013
Death as Conscious Rite of Passage
 Earth-honoring traditions affirm the importance of a good death, both as the completion of a life well-lived and as an early stage in the journey of becoming an ancestor. Many traditions also ritually enact the dying process as a catalyst to activate our potential and purpose while on Earth.
Join us for a full day of embodied learning, inclusive ritual, and heart-centered dialogue around questions like: How can we support loved ones to step consciously through the gateway of death? How can traditions of ritual/ceremony help us face our own death with courage and live more fully in the present?
Offerings will be guided by ceremonial leaders from diverse earth-honoring traditions. People of all ages and health levels welcome (wheelchair accessible). Cost is $65 in advance, $75 at the door. Registration opens in June.
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Interfaith Dialogue on Ancestor Reverence
At our 2012 conference " Celebrating Ancestral Wisdom" representatives of four earth-honoring paths participated in an interfaith panel on the topic of ancestor reverence. Presenters included Awo Ifagbemi (Ifa/Orisha tradition), Hua Anwa (Red Road, Native ways), Chandra Alexandre (Shakta Tantra), and T Thorn Coyle (European Pagan ways). Listen to the full recording of this lively discussion and feel welcome to share the link to this discussion on the homepage of our website. You can also access to the complete archive of interviews through the Voices of the Earth Project
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Reflection from Alliance Board Chair, Megan Carroll:
"It's Love"
Recently, in an Earth Medicine Alliance workshop about relating to the natural world, participants were asked "What are your tears are about when you cry for the Earth?" I was surprised at what the question assumed. My tears are not from sadness for harm being done to the Earth. I cry because I am so deeply touched by the love the Earth holds for us. A giant oak tree that has absorbed the energy of those who have sat, played, or cried within the reach of its branches; the rocks and mountains that abide moment by moment by moment, year after year, for millennia; the ocean, that soothes our sorrows with the rhythm of endless waves; all these bear witness to our lives. All of our moments and energetic imprints etched in their cells. That is love.
I trace my awareness of this rich bond to my participation in the Natural History Field Quarter (NHFP) program during college. Each spring quarter, a small student group traveled around the State of California with Professor Steve Gliessman, camping and learning about different environments through observation and scientific techniques. We lived outside for 9 weeks. It was our job during all that time to observe our natural relatives. Yes, yes, we used the scientific method. But more: we sensed, we engaged, we related. There was something so meaningful there, in the lap of mother earth; we knew we were connected. We were forever changed.
This year's UC annual reunion was the 40th anniversary of the NHFP program. Over 400 alumni crossed the globe to celebrate - the largest single group at a reunion in the history of the campus. Most were still working in related careers. Since its inception, the program had seemed like a boondoggle and had been justified on the basis that it really is about science. Several speeches appealing for funds to continue the program were made at the reunion. Each speaker emphasized how much science played a role in our studies while we lived outdoors for those 9 weeks each year. But 400 dedicated people didn't return to celebrate a science program. It wasn't really about science after all. It was about love.
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Ways to Get Involved
The Earth Medicine Alliance is a volunteer-run 501(c)3 non-profit focused on helping humans to heal and enliven our relationship with the rest of the natural world. One of the best ways you can support our work is by making a donation to support our efforts (we are fully tax-exempt).
Dedicated volunteers are needed year-round for various projects:
- Voice of the Earth Project. Work on an interview/film project in a flexible team environment and interface with great earth-honoring elders and community leaders. Contact: elaine@earthmedicine.org
- Board of Directors. We are now a working board of six and we have space for others if it's a good fit. If you have experience serving on a board, and especially if you have fundraising, marketing, business, or other practical skills, feel good about contacting us. Please email info@earthmedicine.org
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