THE BIG LOVE SAMHAIN A HALLOWEEN ECSTATIC DANCE CEREMONY

THE BIG LOVE--BETWEEN THE WORLDS: A HALLOWE'EN/SAMHAIN ECSTATIC DANCE CEREMONY THE BIG LOVE returns on October 31st in Toronto at the Lithuania House on this profoundly potent holy day as honoured by the ancients when the boundaries open between the worlds of the living and the spirit realms. In the Pagan Wheel of the Year, Samhain/Hallowe'en is one of the eight seasonal festivals when we gather to honour the spiritual rhythms of our world. On this day, when the veil between worlds is thin, it is also a time to honour the ancestors, the dearly departed. It is also a time of powerful divination, as we are open to the influences of the Faeirie realm of spirits and mysticism, as well as receiving messages from our ancestral connections. It is also a time to honour the final harvest as we pray for warmth and blessings to keep us nourished and alight in the further descent into the holy darkness of Autumn and the onset of Winter, which is honoured in the rebirth of the light of the Winter Solstice. As the leaves continue to fall, leaving trees barren, so are we invited to release what no longer serves to make space for new growth. THE BIG LOVE is curated by Darren Austin Hall & Jesse Buck along with a team of special guests. Darren is back from adventures and touring in Europe, including a spiritual sabbatical in Scotland, and he will be donning his DJ Druid magic to guide us through a thrilling dance adventure, combining shaking medicine, multi-genre textures and playful facilitation to bring us into powerful and fun free expression in our movement medicine. The evening shall open with introductions and wisdom teachings by Darren & Jesse to honour the sacredness of the times as well as a cacao blessing. The opening will also feature Clarity Barton, Awakened Priestess, and her embodied sensual Priestess sisters performing a DANCE INVOCATION to bless our sacred space with the Divine Mother Goddess’s energy and bring about healing, love, abundance and inspiration to our journey. www.awakenedpriestess.com Following the ecstatic dance journey, we will move into a Ancestral Portal Sound Journey with Darren and special guest, Margo Free, who will open us to receive divine messages from the spiritual worlds through the activations of sacred vibration & mystical music. To close, we shall enter into an Honouring the Divine Masculine & Feminine Sacred Singing Ritual where men and women will bless each other in turn with reverence and spirited sound. We shall then co-create a closing collective free-chant prayer to honour Mother Earth, the Goddess Gaia. Participants are invited to dress-up in costume as is tradition on this day of magic and wonder. We will also have an Altar to the Ancestors and we encourage participants to place an honouring for their ancestors upon it, perhaps a sacred object or photo that honours a dearly departed. "As the darkness now draws near, see the cycle of the year; As the light now goes within, let the hallows dance begin!" - Celtic Samhain Blessing >>> Schedule - 7:00 - Doors open 7:30 - Cacao Ceremony / Tantric Ritual / Prayerformance by Clarity Barton 8:30 - DJ DRUID 10:30- Soundbath Meditation with JMARGO FREE & DARREN 12am- Everyone out :) >>> Live Art - Live Painting Visual Prana >>> ENERGY Exchange - Early Birds - $25 General Admission - $30 Door - $40 DOUBLE TICKET - Oct 28th / Oct 31st events - $50 >>> LOCATION - Lithuanian house - 1573 Bloor St W, Toronto What is Chocolate Groove? Chocolate Groove has been offering alcohol-free dance gatherings since the summer of 2018 and has evolved over the years. We are very excited to continue hosting events that create space for Ecstatic Dance & room for a more Social experience. At the root of all our elements, we are more than a dance party but a community that creates a safe space for celebration & connection. We are an intentional, all-inclusive safe space for everyone to come together, connect authentically & DANCE. ..:: CODE OF CONDUCT AGREEMENT ::.. Please Respect, honour & Love ... - Yourself - The Space - Each Other This is a space of intentional & Consensual connection This is an Alcohol / Drug-free Space We Are Co-Creating a Safe, All Inclusive, Family Friendly, Non-Judgmental, Shame Free Space for Radical Community Expression & Care. We are learning how to do this together and each person is an active participant in their own learning with us! If you experience yourself or someone else struggling to hold up any of our Values & Pillars, please come connect with us so we can care and support you as a community! Your Chocolate Groove Team