All Species Day 2009

Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of Montpelier Vermont's "All Species Day". It began with a wonderful vision from Janus Walrafen of a day of fun and pageantry for kids, centered around a Spring Beltane theme. What might have been a local only affair back then has now blossomed into quite an extravaganza and an afternoon filled with dazzling costumes and ritual.

The day began with a call to all species in Hubbard Park's soccer field. The field is nicely surrounded in an enclosed and remote circle of trees that is more of ritual place today than anything resembling a soccer field. There were blessings by local Abenaki tribeswomen as well as smudge purification to the hundreds present. The directions are then called by elaborately costumed participants evoking each cardinal direction as the ruling elemental representation. As each direction is called, those children and adults dressed as a particular species of either plant, aquatic animal, legged land animal, or bird or insect (some like myself had their dogs as well), circle the center of the field where a nest of straw is prepared for the dying crone as she too makes her way around the circle carrying a torch to each direction. When the crone makes a full circle she enters the nest and dies whereupon a group of dancers performed an elaborately choreographed dance to traditional Mande drumming from West Africa.

The crone transformed into the Maiden and is born anew as the young goddess; fertile and energetic to meet her mate. She dances her way toward two stacked fires and lights them ablaze with a remaining torch. At this time everyone in attendance passes through them and up a winding and steeply wooded slope to another field that has puppet theater, juggling and silent dance. The Stag King emerges from the woods to be greeted by the masses and leads the crowd down the path to the roadway where a truck full of samba drummers awaits with 25 or so samba dancers in the head of what will now become the parade of participants. As the drummers start up, everyone who was in attendance (still in costume mind you), follows the procession for about a mile or so over a bridge where offerings are made to the river and another Haitian dance of Parigol is performed. The parade continues its mile route to the State House lawn and up the steps.

There is now a little bit of time for people to get blankets and set up a spot on the lawn. Morris dancers perform for a few minutes as a Huge 30 foot tall Earth Goddess puppet is erected and makes it's way to the top landing of the steps. The drums start up again with Cuban yemaya dancers emerging from the puppet. This transitions to Haitian Kongo and more dancers emerge from the Goddess' skirt. The dancers make their way down the steps toward the Stag King who is waiting at the bottom landing for the Spring Goddess to greet him. The drumming stops and the Stag transforms into the Green man to unify with the Spring Goddess, and thus consecrate the birth and unification of Male and female; God and Goddess; The final fertility rite.... The coming of Spring!

Hannah and I have been a participant in this day/ritual for 12years. We have been the stag and goddess on two occasions as well as yearly drummers and dancers. For a few years I have led the samba drummers as well as Drummed for all of the Haitian/Cuban dances. Hannah of course has ALWAYS danced .... in everything. We created the piece of the ceremony that includes a transformation of the Stag to the Green Man. We felt it was a healing way of representing the male aspect of the season as equal to that of the goddess.

This year was the first year that we chose to actually walk the whole thing as mere attendants rather than participant organizers. It was hard to believe for some that we were not IN it this year. We wanted a chance for others to be involved as well as an opportunity to view it with our son Thelonious, on his level and speed. He was a very convincing lion who needed to roam!

I highly recommend attending this event in Vermont if you ever get the chance. Whether or not you follow Beltane in this manner or not, the intention and offerings of renewal and peace are tangible and quite lovely. First Sunday in May... Mark the calendars!

Cheers.