Usa Mauka, 

An Update to Our Purification Lodges:

As we reviewed our calendar, we needed to make a few changes to the Purification Lodge dates. Here is our latest list of ceremony dates: 

• 3/25/23: Spring Equinox Purification Lodge
  • *Tentative date due to possible weather forecast*
• 4/8/23: Full Pink Moon Purification Lodge with Nancy Eagle Spirit Woman – Our First Full Moon of Spring 2023!
  • *Nancy Eagle Spirit Woman is our Taino sister; and has blessed us with her presence and prayer last year. We are so excited to be doing this work alongside her. She has so much wisdom and love. Be sure to check out the details of her event below!*
• 4/29/23: 10 AM – 5 PM: Medicine Drum Birthing Ceremony with DRUMDOULA Mia
  • *Registration is open until 4/22/23*
• 5/6/23: Flower Full Moon Purification Lodge
• 5/20/23: Strawberry New Moon Purification Lodge
• 5/26/23 – 5/29/23: Friends Outside Retreat
  • *Registration for this retreat will go out at a later time*
• 6/3/23: Strawberry Full Moon – A Night Purification Lodge
• 6/23/23 – 6/25/23: Summer Solstice Danza with Behike Miguel Sague
• 7/15/23: Sturgeon New Moon Purification Lodge
• 7/29/23: Sturgeon Full Moon Purification Lodge
• 8/19/23: Blue New Moon Purification Lodge
• 9/29/23 – 10/1/23: Fall Equinox Danza with Behike Miguel Sague
• 10/28/23: Hunter Full Moon & Dia de Los Muertos – Honoring the Ancestors
• 11/11/23: Beaver New Moon Purification Lodge
• 11/25/23: Beaver Full Moon Purification Lodge
• 12/23/23: Winter Solstice Purification Lodge – A Morning Ceremony

Shamanic Drum Meditation and Pipe Ceremony:

Our Taino sister Nancy Eagle Spirit Woman is hosting a Shamanic Drum Meditation and Pipe Ceremony via Zoom on Sunday February 12th. This is an incredible opportunity to experience the medicines of the drum and of the pipe; and to participate in our larger Taino community. 

Out of the kindness of her giant heart, she is donating some of her proceeds to Taino Woods Sanctuary. The registration fee is $40. For inquiry and interest, email Nancy Eagle Spirit Woman at Eaglediva77@gmail.com with “Taino Woods Sanctuary” in the subject line. 

Drum Birthing Ceremony: 

We are hosting a Medicine Drum Birthing Ceremony on Saturday April 29th 2023 with DRUMDOULA Mia. The DRUMDOULA is an incredible woman dedicated to providing each person with the ceremonial experience of creating your own drum. From harvesting the natural materials to her own personal blessing, DRUMDOULA Mia provides a welcoming, loving, and sacred space for novice and expert drummers alike. 

Sign up to experience the magic of birthing your own medicine drum here: Medicine Drum Birthing Ceremony — DRUMDOULA. 

Registration will remain open until Saturday April 22nd 2023. Space is limited to 18 seats. 

Taino Woods Tekinas:

Our Drumming and Song Circle has been growing and evolving into a wonderful group of individuals with so much passion for learning and preserving the songs of our indigenous ancestors. These songs are shared in our purification lodge ceremonies, and they will be showcased in the larger upcoming events this year. 

If you are someone who feels the calling to be in a space of song and drumming (and no experience is required), please email us at: tainowoodsny@gmail.com. We are always welcoming new members.  

Our Community At Large:

As we are creating and organizing a year’s worth of exciting and important ceremonies, gatherings, and events, some of our members are participating in an upcoming Moon Dance; as an opportunity to recenter and refocus on oneself, most especially during this quieter time on the Land of Taino Woods Sanctuary. 

Moon Dance is a ceremony of purification and prayer for all women who feel the call, regardless of age or ancestry. Originating in Mexico by the Grandmothers, Moon Dance’s purpose is to awaken consciousness, recenter on our own feminine power, connect with Mother Earth and All Relations, and purify our physical and subtle bodies. Over four nights during the Full Moon, individual and collective prayers are danced, sung, and brought forth through chanupa pipe ceremonies and purification lodges as our sisters gather together in reverence for the strength of Mother Earth, the feminine energy in its connection to the duality of life itself, to the ancient rituals and ceremonies, and to the Grandmothers and Grandfathers who have guarded this knowledge to bring balance in to our homes and families between the masculine and feminine. Ometeotl!  

A true commitment to self and to the collective; thank you wise women for taking this journey, for praying on our behalf, and for seeing Our most sincere intentions. 

Seneko Kakona!