Danielea Castell loves nature in a fiercely-passionate way and isn’t hesitant to show it.
In addition to her communing with trees, Castell began focusing on water in the spring of 2012.
“I am guided to do soundweaving where I believe our love can serve the most and right now this is waking up our living, loving relationship with water,” she said.
“Although this is my response to the Northern Gateway proposed project, it also is in response to other threats to clean, accessible water in our everywhere.”
Castell is bringing a group Water Ceremony to Quesnel, Nov. 18 at Ceal Tingley Park, 1 p.m. at the confluence of the Quesnel and Fraser Rivers. In partnership with Terri Boyd, a youth Elder with Lhtako Dene First Nations who will offer opening and closing prayers and prayers for the salmon which will be woven in between interactive water chants, group sound weaving, drumming and prayers of gratitude for the Fraser River.
Sound weaving is about harnessing the power of love and gratitude and directing it through intentional sound to connect, honour, appreciate, communicate and ultimately bond with local natural water, Castell said.
In order to assist people in this pursuit, she is also offering workshops, totally 9.5 hours, Nov. 16 – 17.
“I invite people who really love nature and desire to have a creative way to express their love directly with nature,” Castell said.
She went on to say the part of her that creates the bridge to nature is in her body and is drawing on her innocent playful childlike self.
“It’s my authentic self I offer in sound and song and nature responds to me,” she said.
“One of the key parts of the workshop is looking at barriers to fully feeling our love for nature, e.g., guilt and grief over what’s going on in the world and our lifestyle choices. In the workshop I help people move through those barriers through healing medicine melodies.”
She also said people have limited confidence in their voice with comments like “I can’t sing” or “I’m not good enough.”
“I haven’t had any lessons and I say to people ‘what you think is beautiful is the sound of my love’ and the sound of everyone’s love is always beautiful and true,” Castell said.
One of her main musical instruments is the North American frame drum and she will be teaching the basics of drumming in the workshop as well.
“Drumming is also a simple direct way to connect with mother earth.”
Which all come together in the Water Ceremony through sound weaving.
“Sound weaving is a form of sound healing,” she said.
“Its power comes from clear intention, visualization, focus, repetition and the energy of love and gratitude, magnified by the number of people. This is why we come together in groups as we do in the community Water Ceremony.”
Participants of the water ceremony will also be asked to bring a jar of water they have gathered from a favourite natural source and an
organic offering gathered by the person to give to the river – which can include plants, wood, crystal, rock or other organic items.
To pre-register for the workshops to
be held at the Sun and Sage Yoga studio,
394 Anderson Dr., contact Doris Stonehouse, dorristonehouse@hotmail.com or call 250-992-8990. Castell’s website is www.oneconsciousvoice.com
The public is invited to attend the free Water Ceremony on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. in Ceal Tingley Park.