Earth Celebrations at the Cemetery Park are organised and led by Mandy Lui

Join us for Celebration - Reconnection - Wellbeing - Mindfulness

The evening will be a gathering around the campfire.

With guided mindfulness and reflections - connecting with the woodland, the five elements and ourselves.

A time for personal reflection - an opportunity to think about what we want to focus on in the coming months.

Earth celebrations are part of our shared heritage across the world. For millennia, people across the globe celebrated the passing of the year and it’s turning points, marking the seasons and cycles of the earth. It is only in the very recent past that we have lost this connection.

Reconnecting with the earth its seasons and cycles have a direct benefit on our positive mental health and wellbeing. We often see ourselves as separate from and superior to nature, when in fact we are nature.

Earth celebrations are part of a living tradition. Understanding the seasons and working in harmony with them is essential to survival. They help us to find out more about ourselves, our intrinsic connection to the earth and that our lives are interwoven with the Earth’s.

To celebrate the earth’s yearly cycle, is to take part in ancient traditions, connecting to the earth’s passing seasons, enabling us to feel connected.

Our aim is to rekindle these the Earth Celebrations, reconnect to the cycle of the year, the natural world and ourselves.

About Mandy

For some time, Mandy has been part of a local group, trying to bring the effects of the climate and ecological crises to the fore, to raise awareness of the issues and attempting to persuade the government to take immediate and proportionate action. Whilst there have been some successes, not least in raising the profile of the ecological and climate emergency, the seriousness and the devastating effects of these are not yet widely recognised.

Over time, she has come to the conclusion that one of the biggest problems, is that most of us have lost our connection with the earth, seeing ourselves as separate, and the earth as a resource. Our indigenous ancestors held the earth as sacred and followed the seasons and cycles of the year closely.

Our modern way of living, industrialised, technological and living mostly indoors, has severed our connections to the seasons and cycles, from our food production, our clothing production and our communities.

For many cultures across the world, this connection has been broken but the effects are particularly evident for city dwellers; often living surrounded by concrete and artificial street lighting, buying our well-travelled food from supermarkets and so many of us just not knowing our neighbours.

Reconnecting with the earth her seasons and cycles has a direct benefit on our mental health and wellbeing. Following the passing of the year, with Earth Celebrations, are a part of a shared human history.

Our aim is to rekindle Earth Celebrations though mindfulness, reconnecting with the elements, nature, seasons and cycles, to deepen our connections and promote well being.

Where shall we meet?

We will meet everyone at the Southern Grove entrance to the Cemetery Park (near the Soane’s Centre) at 6pm (weekday events) or 4pm (weekend events). We will then walk together to the outdoor classroom circle, where we will be holding the event.

What should I wear/bring?

Wear something comfortable with an extra layer or waterproof if the weather is chilly or wet.

We will be having a break for a tea midway through the session.