The Ashes of Community


The ashes you’ve taken from the remnants of this ritual fire were introduced to it in the spirit of community. By tradition, ashes are gathered from one ritual fire and sprinkled into the flames of subsequent fires.


Bring them to any ritual of the Pagan community that will utilize a fire. With permission of the priest, priestess, or other officiant, sprinkle the ashes into the flames - if you aren't sure if a ritual will participate in the Ashes of Community, be sure to ask!


If more than one participant brings ashes to the fire, the histories of the ashes are pooled into a list showing the dates, events, and places represented by those ashes.


By tradition these ashes should only be given to those who attended the fire from which they were drawn. They represent the shared spirituality of all those people who have honored their gods at these ritual fires.


The cleansing nature of fire allows us to draw our rituals together without fear of negative energy being introduced. These ashes cannot transfer the essential energies raised by one ritual into the next, only the spirit of community.


The ashes have been part of or have included:



Date(s) Host/Festival Location Ritual
Lughnasad 1982 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Lughnasad 1983 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Lughnasad 1984 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Lughnasad 1985 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Lughnasad 1986 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Lughnasad 1987 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Lughnasad 1988 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Lughnasad 1989 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
1990 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Summer Solstice Ritual
April, 1991 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1991 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Men’s Ritual
April, 1992 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1992 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Summer Solstice Ritual
April, 1993 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1993 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Men’s Ritual
April, 1994 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1994 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Summer Solstice Ritual
July, 1994 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
April, 1995 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1995 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Men’s Ritual
1995 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Summer Solstice Ritual
Lughnasad 1995 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
April, 1996 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1996 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisconsin Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 1996 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
April, 1997 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1997 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Ritual
1997 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 1997 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
April, 1998 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1998 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Ritual
1998 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 1998 Coven of the Rising Sun Middletown, New York
Lughnasad 1998 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Samhaim 1998 Daughters of Chango Middletown, New York
April, 1999 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
1999 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Ritual
1999 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 1999 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Samhain 1999 Coven of the Rising Sun Middletown, New York
April, 2000 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
05/13/00
Big Hill Shelter, Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail and Long Path, Harriman State Park, New York Honoring the Lightning
Summer Solstice 2000
North South Lake Campground, Catskill Mountains, New York Fire fueled by lightning-downed pine
2000 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Ritual
2000 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 2000 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
02/16/01
Long Island, New York Celebration and cremains of Biff, beloved familiar of Voyager, August 1983 – February 23, 2000
02/20/01
Fahnestock State Park, New York Celebration of snow
April, 2001 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
2001 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Ritual
2001 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 2001 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
10/06/01
Slide Mountain, New Hampshire In memory of the fallen of 9/11/01
April, 2002 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
June 8-9, 2002 Laurelin Reteat Center Bethel, Vermont Cherry Hill Seminary Summer Intensive
Summer Solstice 2002
Dry River Falls, New Hampshire
2002 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Ritual
2002 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 2002 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
09/11/02
Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming In memory of the fallen of 9/11/01
09/12/02
Grant Village Campground, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Celebration of the Earth
April, 2003 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
Beltaine 2003
Balsam Lake Trail, Catskill Mountains, New York
Beltaine 2003
Eddyville, New York
Summer Solstice 2003 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Ritual
2003 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
Lughnasad 2003 Circle Sanctuary Wisconsin
Lughnasad 2003 Temple of the Old Gods Hudson, New York
Lughnasad 2003 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
Full Moon, August 2003 Gaiaped Alliance Mud Lake Shelter, Northville-Placid Trail, Adirondack Mountains, New York Naming Ceremony: Gaiaped Alliance
Full Moon, October 2003 Gaiaped Alliance Canary Pond, Northville-Placid Trail, Adirondack Mountains, New York
10/12/03 Gaiaped Alliance Mud Lake Shelter, Northville-Placid Trail, Adirondack Mountains, New York
11/08/03
Eddyville, New York Lunar Eclipse Cremation of Mina, companion of River and Basia, ? – September, 2003
Yule 2003
Highland, New York
April, 2004 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
06/20/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Opening Ritual
Summer Solstice 2004 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Handfasting of Sunnie and Robin
Summer Solstice 2004 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Morning Ritual
Summer Solstice 2004 Pagan Spirit Gathering Bonfire Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Tribal Drum & Dance Ritual
06/22/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Bonfire Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Handfasting of Draig & Truth
06/22/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Hickory Grove, Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Rite of Passage Initiation
June 22-23, 2004 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Candlelight Labyrinth
June 23-27, 2004 Pagan Spirit Gathering Chaos Camp, Wisteria, Ohio Sacred Fire
06/23/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Women’s Ritual
06/23/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Hickory Grove, Wisteria, Ohio Men’s Ritual
06/24/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Hickory Grove, Wisteria, Ohio Pagan Military Ritual
06/24/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Bornless Rite
June 24-25, 2004 Pagan Spirit Gathering Hickory Grove, Wisteria, Ohio Sacred Hunt
06/25/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Hickory Grove, Wisteria, Ohio Rite of Offering to Pomona
06/25/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Bacchanalia
06/26/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Bast Cat Ritual
06/26/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Stone Circle, Wisteria, Ohio Summer Solstice Community Ritual and Wicker Sun Burning
06/27/04 Pagan Spirit Gathering Town Green, Wisteria, Ohio Closing Ritual
Lughnasad 2004 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
October 9-10, 2004 Gaiaped Alliance Glastenbury Mountain, Vermont New Beginnings Ritual
April, 2005 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
April, 2006 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
April, 2007 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
June, 2005 Pagan Spirit Gathering Wisteria, Ohio Stone Circle, Town Green, and Drumming Circle Rituals
07/05/07 Gaiaped Fellowship Baxter State Park, Maine Pilgrimage
July 25-29, 2007 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont
April, 2008 Beltane Festival Stone Mountain Farm, New Paltz, New York
05/26/08
Town of Ulster, New York S’moranalia
Summer Solstice, 2008
Huguenot Street, New Paltz, New York S'moranalia and memorial to the Kelvinator; included ashes from the partially-burned oldest maple tree along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
07/30/08 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont Opening Circle and Tarp-raising
07/31/08 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont Handfasting of Robin and Terence - Caffeina ritual and consecration of coffee press
08/02/08 Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont S'moranalia
August 3, 2008  Lughnasad Festival Laurelin Retreat Center, Bethel, Vermont Closing Ritual and Tarp-downing
Autumnal Equinox, 2008 Temple of Caffeina New Paltz, New York Consecration of fireplace
Yule, 2008 Temple of Caffeina New Paltz, New York Memorial for Gremlin, companion of Robin; included her cremains and a charred piece of a tree that was consumed in the Yellowstone fire of 1988
New Year's Eve, 2008
Starksboro, Vermont
New Year's Eve, 2008 - New Year's Day, 2009
Starksboro, Vermont Death of 2008 and birth of a new Champ
04/25/09 Center for Symbolic Studies New Paltz, New York Beltane