Summer Solstice, Water Blessing, and World Peace Day ceremony

Story Info

Renee Toll-Dubois
Ware River, Barre, MA
2024
Type of Wounded Place

• Oceans + Lakes + Rivers

Map

Story & Experience

For the 2024 Global Earth Exchange, we returned to a spot on the Ware River and had a combined Summer Solstice, Water Blessing, and World Peace Day ceremony. After creating a solstice altar—see photo—and singing a Solstice song, we thanked the Sun for its Light, warmth, energy that sustains life on our planet and acknowledged the Fires that burn away the past, bring new beginnings, illuminate past and present; the warmth of love and community, the sparks of creativity, the heat of passion, the flames of Justice. As we named each, we brought to mind examples in the world today.

We also acknowledged the droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, and the devastation caused, knowing we humans must change our ways.
Then we blessed the water, as directed by Indigenous elders. We combined waters from our homes and special places in a copper pot and then sang the Algonquin water song—Nibi Wah bow—4 times, facing the East, South, West, and North, then poured the blessed water into the river.
We listened to MaMuse and Lyla June Speak for her, that it is time to speak for and protect the water and change our fear to love, with truth, faith, and compassion.
We closed the ceremony.

For the 2024 Global Earth Exchange, we returned to a spot on the Ware River and had a combined Summer Solstice, Water Blessing, and World Peace Day ceremony. After creating a solstice altar—see photo—and singing a Solstice song, we thanked the Sun for its Light, warmth, energy that sustains life on our planet and acknowledged the Fires that burn away the past, bring new beginnings, illuminate past and present; the warmth of love and community, the sparks of creativity, the heat of passion, the flames of Justice. As we named each, we brought to mind examples in the world today.

We also acknowledged the droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, and the devastation caused, knowing we humans must change our ways.
Then we blessed the water, as directed by Indigenous elders. We combined waters from our homes and special places in a copper pot and then sang the Algonquin water song—Nibi Wah bow—4 times, facing the East, South, West, and North, then poured the blessed water into the river.
We listened to MaMuse and Lyla June Speak for her, that it is time to speak for and protect the water and change our fear to love, with truth, faith, and compassion.
We closed the ceremony.

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