Wild Earth Gathering, March 5th - In Dialogue with Wildness

11301 Neelsville Church Road,Germantown MD 20876

05 March, 2023

Description

Please park at the farmhouse. You are welcome to drop off friends and/or instruments near our site, but then you need to return to farmhouse for parking. Please be in touch with Sarah at [email protected] if you need accessible parking. “There is no defense against an open heart and a supple body in dialogue with wildness.” – Terry Tempest Williams What is an animas quest? What purpose does a vision fast serve? To quote a description from the Animas Valley Institute: As a rite of initiation, the quest is a ceremonial descent to the underworld, in which you die to your familiar way of belonging to the world, uncover the passion and wisdom of your soul, and retrieve the gift that is yours alone to bring to the world, enhancing personal fulfillment and genuine service. The quest serves as a modern rite of initiation — not into any social, religious, or spiritual group, but into your own soul and deeper layers of true adulthood. Two of our wild ones, Paul and Alison, have recently returned from such a quest in the rugged, arid landscape of the Anza-Borrego Desert. They will lead us and will share a little of what they encountered in the deep passages of death and rebirth. LIABILITY Your attendance at the event is understood to hold The Wild Earth Spiritual Community and its leaders harmless in case of illness, accident, or injury. LOGISTICS/DETAILS Gathering Times: 2:45 drumming or other spontaneous music. Bring an instrument or a song to share! 3:00 gathering begins Please plan to arrive 5 - 10 minutes early as there is a 10 minute walk to our spot. What to bring: Camp chairWeather appropriate clothingSturdy shoesWater and snackBlanket for warmthDirections – Look for the large DAYSPRING sign, enter there and follow the “Wild Earth Spiritual Community" signs. Please see the specific driving directions below. Parking – Please park by the Farmhouse, found right after you enter the grounds. Look for "Wild Earth Spiritual Community" signs. Someone will be there to greet you. From the parking area, follow the signs to the trail leading to the gathering site. There will be signs marking your way on the 5 to 7-minute walk (on varied terrain). To make the pathway easier to navigate, you can drive to the gathering site and drop off your drum and chair, then return to park at the Farmhouse. Please be in touch with Sarah at [email protected] if you need accessible parking. Restrooms - Note: You may use the restroom in the Farmhouse. Please enter the Farmhouse from the back porch, not the front porch. Go up outdoor stairs and enter to the right into the kitchen. The bathroom is off the kitchen. Please wear a mask in the Farmhouse. Weather – We will gather regardless of the weather unless it is dangerous. If the weather turns, we will email you all by 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning to clarify the plan. Filming and Photos – We would like to take photos of the program to post untagged on our website and Facebook page. Please let us know if you would rather not be photographed. Latecomers – If you don’t see us in the parking area, please follow signs for "Wild Earth Spiritual Community" to our gathering location. Contributions – We will be collecting donations to support our work in organizing these free, monthly Wild Earth Spiritual Community gatherings. We are so grateful for your contributions and for making it possible for us to continue offering opportunities for deepening one's spirituality in nature. Feel free to email Sarah with questions or call Sarah's cell (301) 807-8209 until 2:40 pm on Sunday with last-minute questions. DIRECTIONS TO DAYSPRING: From eastern MoCo and Howard County: Take the Intercounty Connector (200) to 270 North. Travel north on 270 to exit 15 A, for Rt. 118 North. Take 118 North through several stoplights to Rt. 355, Frederick Rd. Turn left on Rt. 355, heading north, and take a quick right on Neelsville Church Rd. Travel about a mile on Neelsville Church Rd. and turn left at the sign for Dayspring. From DC area: Take the Beltway (495) to 270 North. Travel north on 270 to exit 15 A, for Rt. 118 North. Take 118 North through several stoplights to Rt. 355, Frederick Rd. Turn left on Rt. 355, heading north, and take a quick right on Neelsville Church Rd. Travel about a mile on Neelsville Church Rd. and turn left at the sign for Dayspring. From the North: Take 270 South to exit 15. Turn left on 118, heading north. Take 118 North through several stoplights to Rt. 355, Frederick Rd. Turn left on Rt. 355, heading north, and take a quick right on Neelsville Church Rd. Travel about a mile on Neelsville Church Rd. and turn left at the sign for Dayspring. From Baltimore: Take 70 West to exit 68 for Rt. 27. Follow 27 south to Rt. 355, Frederick Rd. Turn left on 355, Frederick Rd. Turn left on Shakespeare Blvd. Turn left on Neelsville Church Rd. Travel about half a mile on Neelsville Church Rd. and turn left at the sign for Dayspring. Covid requirements: Please abide by the following COVID-19 Safety Requirements: We will not be able to supply hand sanitizer, insect spray, sunscreen or chairs. Hydrating is important. We will not have snacks or drinks to share. Please bring your own if you want or need any of these things. Please do not attend if: You have tested positive for COVID-19 and are still suffering from COVID-19 or if symptoms have subsided and it has not been at least 10 days since the onset of symptoms before the gathering.You have had two or more symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days before the gathering.You have come in contact with anyone else with COVID-19 symptoms in the last 14 days before the gathering.You are waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test or you are waiting for the symptoms to subside to the point of being recovered.You have tested positive for COVID-19 and are still suffering from COVID-19 or if symptoms have subsided and it has not been at least 10 days since the onset of symptoms before the gathering.