FULL SCHEDULE

SOL ROOM - Live Music and Ceremony

Solstice Altar - Bring items for our winter solstice altar.

7:15pm: Şeva Zistanê (Kurdish Solstice) with Evin Şah
The Night of Winter (Kurdish: Şeva Zistanê) is a winter solstice holiday celebrated by communities throughout Kurdistan on the Winter Solstice. It is seen as the night before a victory of light over darkness and signifies a rebirth of the Sun. Kurdish musician Evin Şah will share traditional songs and talk about this tradition.

8:00pm: Yule (Nordic Pagan Solstice) with Sowiluf and Sherry Froman
Yule is the Nordic pagan winter solstice. Sowiluf is a Celtic Nordic Pagan who practices Nordic Galdr, Nordic incantation singing and divination. Sherry Froman is a certified minister for the Church of All Worlds and sabbat ritual leader for Harbin Hot Springs. They will be performing a pagan ritual for Yule, embracing the darkness of the solstice and calling in the light through a Nordic song and a narrated ritual.

8:45pm: Shab-e Yaldā (Persian Solstice) with Lydia Violet 
Yaldā Night (Persian: shab-e yalda) is an Iranian winter solstice festival, also celebrated in Armenia, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and other countries. It was a night in which Ancient Iranians celebrated the deity of light, Mithra. On Yalda Night, family members get together and stay awake all night long. Fruits and nuts are eaten, especially pomegranates and watermelons. Prayer is offered. Poetry and mythologies are read aloud. Faal-e Hafez (Hafez Omen) is a Yalda night tradition, added in recent centuries, in which the poems of Hafez, the 14th century Iranian poet, are used for divination and read aloud. Lydia Violet will lead the Shab-e Yaldā and share Persian songs and poetry. There will be a spread of fruits and nuts. Poetry-sharing will continue in the Saturnalia Room.

9:30pm: Saturnalia Coronation (Roman Solstice)
Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Saturn. Romans spent Saturnalia partying, gambling, singing, playing music, feasting, socializing and giving gifts to one another. It was a time when the ordinary rules were turned upside down, and social roles were inverted. Men dressed as women and masters acted as servants. A common custom was the election of a "Ruler of the Saturnalia", who would preside over the merrymaking and give orders to people, which were to be followed. "Yo Saturnalia!" was the characteristic shout or salutation of the festival.

9:45pm: Raman and Faisal (Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic) 
A mixture of Kurdish, Turkish and Arabic music. This band includes Raman Osman, Kurdish composer and master tembûr/tambour (saz) musician from Al-Hasaka, Syria, and Faisal Zedan, Syrian virtuoso percussionist. This music will be accompanied by a sacred dance performance by Ayah Buonaugorio.

LUNA ROOM - Ambient Music

8pm: AguaMayyim
AguaMayyim is a collaborative music project between Rose and Franky Garcia, born out of their deep love and mutual passion for the healing power of sound. Together they DJ, lead breath work and sound healing gatherings, and produce EDM & ecstatic dance events in Santa Cruz, CA. 

10:00pm: William Wardlaw
William Wardlaw is a veteran Bay Area ambient DJ associated with As You Like It and a regular at Chillits and Ambient Awakening events.

11:30pm: Jef Stott
Composer, producer and performer Jef Stott has been deftly navigating the realms of world fusion music for nearly two decades, where he has consistently been at the forefront of the International Global Bass movement. Check out his recent ambient music here.

EARTH ROOM - Tea, Poetry, & Divination

All Night: Gong Fu Tea Lounge
Sit and enjoy fine teas served to you ceremonially by our charming tea servers.

Dongzhi Celebration (Chinese Solstice)
Dongzhi, the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival, is celebrated in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and other East Asian countries during the winter solstice. The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. It is believed that the longer daylight hours after this celebration create an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching Hexagram 24: ䷗ Fù (Returning). To celebrate Dongzhi, we will have available the traditional dish tangyuan (湯圓) or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion. There will be a handout on Counting the Nines of Winter (Shu Jiu) - a way to use the number 9 to get through the 81 (9x9) days of winter until spring begins. You start counting on the day of winter solstice. There will be a plum blossom painting exercise and Chinese poetry that accompanies it. There will be I Ching readings offered and instruction on how to read. The I-Ching is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics.

8:45pm Tekufat Tevet and Hanukkah (Jewish Solstice)
Tekufat Tevet is the Jewish winter solstice, the beginning of winter, or "et ha-ḥoref" (winter-time), when the night is the longest during the year. Hanukkah is called the Festival of Lights and occurs during a dark moon nearest the winter solstice. This year it falls directly over the Solstice. Each night throughout the eight-day holiday, a candle or oil-based light is lit, in rememberance of a magic lamp that miraculously burned for 8 days.

9:30pm Shab-e Yalda Poetry Sharing
To celebrate the Persian tradition of Shab-e Yalda, participants practice poetic bibliomancy, reading aloud divinitory mystical poetry.
We will have copies of Hafez's books in English and Persian. Feel free to bring your own mystical poetry to share.

MERCURIUS ROOM - Meditation, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Healing Music