Here are my notes from the Blessing Rite we did for the Powerhouse — worskhop to the amazing Fremont Solstice Parade. Liza, one of the parade organizers, asked me to bless the space with light and peace. Enjoy!

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Welcome to all! Intro: Rachelle, Abbess and Monkfish Abbey (a generous soulcare community) and Jen, one of our community members. My family and I have totally adored the last four years of celebrating the Summer Solstice with this community, and we’re honored to be invited to bless the workshop space. Thank you!

This is a three- part rite of blessing:
• Invocation
• Personal blessing
• Infilling of the space.

If at anytime you feel uncomfortable, feel free to opt out and simply observe.
Non-sectarian rite …we’ve tried to use very generous language and create something that is suitable to the Solstice community, and we welcome everyone to join us.

Holy Ground
The Powerhouse (use name!) is in many ways just an average building. Not overly large, not overly beautiful. An everyday space, dusty and crowded, its original purpose all but forgotten.

But once you step inside….rich in beauty and creativity…always feels a little bit like the crowded back entry – a mud porch to Oz…the maypole flowers, years of mask making roots this space in a divine source of creative energy and makes a common place, holy ground.

Invite you to take off shoes….so that you can connect to the energy of the earth which is the source of so much creation, and acknowledge and name this place as holy ground.

Invocation
As we celebrate Solstice – the return of the light—we draw more light into this space through an invocation.

Spoken while lighting a three wick candle – my personal nod to the Trinity.

With this light I invoke:

The Spirit of Light, as we welcome the return of the Sun
The Spirit of Creativity, as we connect with the creative energy that birthed us.
The Spirit of Peace, and we set our intention to create a place of unity and community in this space.

Take a moment to invite whatever positive spirit/energy you would like to see inhabiting this space during the Solstice season.

O brightest of all Spirits, inhabit this space with us now and in thsee coming days, that we may kindle light within ourselves, and within the lives of others. Amain.

Blessing

In addition to inviting Light into this physical space, Jen and I would also like to give each of you a blessing of light, taken from the words of poet Thomas Moore and from a traditional Celtic blessing. …we’ll be coming come around with a symbol of light (candles decorated by monks the Thursday before)…offer a phrase of blessing for each of you tonight. If you don’t wish to receive this blessing simply clasps your hands in front of you…

Infilling

Having invited the Spirit of Light, Creativity, and Peace into the Powerhouse…and having greeted each of you with a Blessing of Light, let’s fill this space with sound as a sign and symbol of the spirit and energy within and around us.

Ohm - the hum of the universe, of creation and creative energy uniting us all
(Three part sound: Ah-Oh-Um)
Inhale and exhale to begin, then join together in six Ohms, ending and beginning each sound following the pace of your own breath.

Call and response chant for peace, repeating each phrase after me then chanting the whole thing together:

“Ohm Shanti”

The light in me greets and honors the light in you. Namaste!

Live music, dancing, and nibbles to follow along with a showcasing of the grant-winning artists and the techniques they’ll be teaching in public workshops.