Deans Marsh community celebrates winter solstice

THE Deans Marsh Community Cottage has celebrated the longest night of the year with four days of events.

From June 20 until June 23, people came together for workshops and sessions which ran either side of the main winter solstice event Saturday night.

“The point of winter solstice is to reflect on the time of year and nature and where the sun’s at and obviously the shortest day of the year and taking time to be still in that moment,” Deans Marsh Community Cottage co-ordinator Caroline Shelborune said.

Thursday was a community altar creation, where around 10 people helped create a space in the hall that was then used throughout the weekend of events.

“The group of people got together to create this beautiful space in the hall that was full of candles, flowers, driftwood, shells, stones, pebbles and some soft furnishing.”

This space was then used on the Friday night for a drumming workshop and again on Saturday for the sound healing session.

“People could come and go through it in during the night while other celebrations were happening outside in the cottage car park,” Ms Shelbourne said.

With more than 300 people attending, the candles were lit and fires going for the main event on Saturday night with performances, the lighting of the solstice spiral and more.

Ms Shelbourne said it was a great night with performances from Tiffany Eckhardt and Dave Steel and the fire twirling being a highlight.

“Adam Callow made this incredible fire sculpture that was a seed pod and opened into a flower.

“It was a really beautiful night, the weather was prefect, it was a still, calm, evening not a cloud in the sky and it was a really happy event.”

Feed me Surf Coast and Ye Ye were on scene to provide the food with help from the Deans Marsh Primary School who provided apple crumble and chocolate brownies.

Mulled wine was also on offer as part of the Cottage’s fundraiser.

A meditation workshop wrapped up the weekend of events on Sunday.