Wednesday, December 19 

Annual Celebration of Light

Our annual ceremony honors the role light plays in many religions and traditions at this time of solstice, and includes the miracle candles of Chanukah, the Christed Christmas lights, and the flames of Kwanzaa's worthy principles.

This year's gathering will be led by interfaith ministers Rev Joni Carron, Rev Susan Jameson, Rev AnnE O'Neil, and Rabba Kaya Stern-Kaufman. As we join in community we celebrate the healing power of light and its ability to raise our energy and our consciousness. Come be merry and join us as we rejoice in many traditions. 

Interfaith ministers Rev Joni Carron, Rev Susan Jameson, Rev AnnE O'Neil are all graduates of the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. 

Rabba Kaya Stern-Kaufman is the founder of the Rimon Center for Jewish Spirituality and the co-founder of The Berkshire Minyan. (www.rimonberkshires.org)

Rev Carron works with hospice patients and their families and officiates weddings and other ceremonies. 

Rev Jameson is the founder of Humanity in Concert and co-director of Healing Winds (www.healingwinds.net). ;

Rev O'Neil offers energy healing and spiritual counseling to individuals.  (www.yoursoulpath.com).

Thank you to Satyena Ananda for leading a meaningful harvest gathering.

 Some themes during dinner conversation: 

The idea of deserving abundance has roots in our different upbringings and different faith traditions.. Catholic and Jewish roots discussed. What had we learned about suffering and its role in life? 

What were differences in women's and men's roles? 

History of the  goddess traditions... 

Awareness that the Berkshires is a special place...

Susan Jameson WII board member and  greeter

harvest altar in progress

Amber Chand

Peggy Hawkins

Barbara Doctrow

Harvest Gathering:
The Blessings of Gratitude

Wednesday, November 14, 2012  

5:45-8:45pm

NEW LOCATION:
First Congregational Church,
4 Main Street, Stockbridge MA

 "If the only prayer you said was Thank You, that
would be enough" ~ Meister Eckhart

Satyena Ananda 

 

A long standing tradition of the Women's Interfaith Institute is to gather in the fall of the year to share the blessings of our harvest and to enrich our lives with the power of gratitude. The year 2012 has not been an easy one and the winds of change are blowing strong. We will be entering a new world age, a time of co-creating a new way of living on earth.  As we move into this time there is a great shaking to release the powers of greed and corruption.  Because of this we are now called to hold our focus on the good, give thanks for our many blessings and stand for what we know is truth.

 

Please join us as we experience an evening of: 

Gratitude, Inspiration, Connection, Ceremony, Prayer, and Song

This year we will again  focus on our Spiritual Harvest: gratitude for what has been ~ what we have received ~ what we have learned ~ how we have grown ~ the gifts we have given ~ the joy we have known ~ the strength we have called upon ~ the challenges we have conquered ~ the love we are harvesting ~ the action we have been called to take.
 

There is such power in prayer.  Let us gather together and take this opportunity to join our hearts and our forces to call down a blessing on the human family, our Mother Earth and all life.

Please bring an object for the gratitude altar that represents the blessings of your harvest along with a short written paragraph about what you are spiritually harvesting.
 

Satyena Ananda is a holistic educator and spiritual guide with thirty eight years background and training in designing and implementing programs and experiences for people of all ages in the areas of healing, personal transformation, holistic living, ceremony and spiritual direction.  Her work promotes spiritual connection, peace, self-acceptance, love and spirit-empowerment. She is co-founder and director of Starseed, an interfaith healing sanctuary and holistic retreat center in the northern Berkshires. 
 

Satyena has ancestry from the four root races, and feels called to assist humanity back into the unity of the One.  She has been leading  Universal services and ceremonies since 1978.  Feeling the beauty and necessity of interfaith she served on the boards of Women's Interfaith and Women's House of Peace for 8 years.  She is deeply grateful to join with you for this evening.