Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival, marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It is a time when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is at its thinnest, offering a unique opportunity to honor ancestors, reflect on the cycles of life and death, and reconnect with the natural world.
Step into the enchanting atmosphere of Center Street Retreat and reconnect with this sacred tradition. As the veil between worlds thins, this transformative event invites you to immerse yourself in the magic of nature and deepen your spiritual connection.
Through sacred ceremony, immersive sound experiences, and nature therapy practices, we will honor our role as future ancestors, awakening a deep connection to the land and to those who came before us. As we journey through the lush gardens of Center Street, this heart-centered experience will invite you to reflect on the legacy we are creating, blending ancient traditions with the mindfulness of the present. Together, we will cultivate a sacred space for ceremony, spiritual exploration, and inner peace.
What to Expect:
- Samhain Ceremony: Honor your ancestors and the cycle of life with reverence and gratitude.
- Collective Samhain Altar: Contribute to a shared altar where offerings will be made in honor of the season and our ancestors.
- Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy: Engage in immersive practices to cultivate a profound connection with nature.
- Immersive Sound Experience: Allow the healing vibrations of sound to deepen your journey into stillness and presence.
- Tea Ceremony: Savor the moment through a mindful tea ritual, allowing for grounding and contemplation.
- Fire Circle Ceremony: Gather around the fire to close the evening with sacred rituals and meaningful reflection.
- Reflection & Connection: Take time for introspection and share meaningful moments with a community of like-minded souls.
Whether you seek spiritual growth, stress relief, or simply a moment to reconnect with nature, this event offers a sanctuary for your soul. Join us for an unforgettable Samhain experience as we honor the cycles of life in a space of deep connection and presence.
MEET THE PRACTITIONERS
EVE PAYOR
Eve Payor (aka Lady Eve) is a musician, artist, dendrophile, and the owner of Singing Pines (http://singingpines.co/). Eve grew up in Atlanta and spent summers in Appalachia basking in the aroma of the forest and playing in mountain streams. She studies Druidry and is a certified forest bathing guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, and enjoys sharing her passion for soundscape and sensory learning. As an active Zazen practitioner, she incorporates meditation and subtle awareness throughout her endeavors.
Her artistic advocacy focuses on the connection between music, environment, accessibility and wellness. In 2016 she began to lead an ongoing series of soundwalks, which gives the public opportunities to experience natural surroundings through listening techniques, meditative breathing, and contemplative focus. In recent years, the soundwalk program has grown into an artist residency called the ACA Soundscape Field Station at Canaveral National Seashore (https://atlanticcenterforthearts.org/home/soundscape-field-station/), and an accessibility program for blind and partially sighted youth called Young Sound Seekers (https://atlanticcenterforthearts.org/youngsoundseekers/), sponsored by the National Park Service. These programs highlight the growing importance of environmental sound (soundscape) on the quality of health for all living creatures. As a musician and soundscape artist, she uses field recordings, electronic music, spoken word, and classical oboe in her compositions and collaborations.
She has performed at the Mutek Mexico Festival, 800 East Atlanta Art Collective, been a curator at Vancouver’s alternative performance festival: Signal & Noise, and produced her Pan Ambient event series with Seattle’s Decibel Festival. In 2016, she produced an interactive gallery exhibition called Watercolors in Sound at Atlantic Center for the Arts showcasing a sound/video/photography installation of field recordings from the New Smyrna Beach soundwalks. Eve has been a featured artist-in-residence at Hambidge Center (https://www.hambidge.org/) in North Georgia, Serenbe AIR (https://www.southfultoninstitute.org/alumni) in Chattahoochee Hills Georgia, and a featured artist at Timucua Arts Foundation (https://timucua.com/) Orlando, and the Atlanta Science Festival (https://www.ajc.com/events/festivals/atlanta-science-festival-hosts-more-than-100-events-for-kids-adults/E0NXtIC5syi9qBPFd2FUZM/).
IMANE EL GHAZOUANI
Imane is the Director & Architect of Experiences at “Center Street – A Place For the Heart,” where she channels her passion for experience design and community empowerment. With a background in Mechanical Engineering and a science-oriented mindset, Imane crafts ritualistic modern experiences, such as Cacao Ceremonies and immersive settings, blending her expertise in mind-related sciences with the healing arts. She specializes in creating safe spaces for self-exploration and collective healing, utilizing sound and other creative mediums. Alongside her professional endeavors, Imane is known for her talent in designing sacred spaces and altars, seamlessly blending natural elements and everyday objects. Her philosophy revolves around the belief that life itself is a sanctuary, and her work reflects this ethos, offering grounded yet transformative experiences for all.
