Rituals

by Fern Shaffer and Othello Anderson


Nine Year Rituals

This nine-year ritual has been performed at sites around the United States and Canada from the desert of Death Valley to Green Point, Newfoundland. These rituals have addressed everything from global warming to the disappearance of old-growth forests. The first ritual took place on January 9, 1995, in a wooded site in Lockport, Illinois, to transmit through the trees our concern for the living conditions of planet life.


The second ritual took place on February 9, 1996 at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, Big Sur, California. The purpose was to reflect our concern for water. The sea is the source of life.


The third ritual took place on March 9, 1997, in a cornfield, outside of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The focus was our concern for the gift of nourishment that the earth gives us as food.


The fourth ritual took place on April 9, 1998, on the summit of Blue Ridge Mountain, in Virginia. The focus was to reflect our concern for the preservation of the minerals of the earth.


The fifth ritual took place on May 9, 1999, at the lowest elevation of the Northern Hemisphere in Death Valley, California. The focus was to reflect our concern for the premature death of our planet due to global warming.


The sixth ritual took place on June 9, 2000, on Temagami Island, Ontario, Canada. The focus was our concern for the preservation of the disappearing old-growth forests.


The seventh ritual took place on July 9, 2001, at the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. The focus was our concern for the rivers and waterways. How essential they are for transportation, food, energy, and clean water.


The eighth ritual took place on August 9, 2002, at Green Point, Newfoundland. The focus was the plight within the oceans. Overfishing, toxic dumping, and thawing of the ice caps in the Polar Regions.


The ninth ritual took place on September 9, 2003, at Cashe River Basin, Illinois. The focus was on the preservation of wetlands, an endangered habitat, and an ecological system.


Winter Solstice 1985

 
 

The ritual took place on Solstice December 21, 2012, in IL