🌱 Event: Land Stewardship Day: Opening the Land
📅 Date: March 15, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM arrival | 10:00 AM start | 6:00 PM clean-up | 7:00 PM wrap-up
🏞️ Location: Taino Woods Sanctuary

As we awaken the Land, we awaken parts of ourselves that long for balance, renewal, and harmony. This sacred relationship reminds us that we are not separate from nature but woven into its cycles. In honoring the spirit of the season, we prepare to receive the blessings of the Spring Equinox lodge with open hearts.

Please note: This is a one-day event, and no agreements or intake forms are required this year. We simply ask for your presence, enthusiasm, and willingness to support the Land, yourself,  and community.

📩 RSVP by Wednesday, March 12, 2025, to let us know you’re coming!
For questions about volunteering, what to bring, or what to expect, email us at events@tainowoods.com.

Join us in community spirit as we prepare the Land for the sacred Spring Equinox Lodge Prayer! This one-day stewardship gathering will focus on opening the Land after Winter, clearing paths, gathering materials, and creating a welcoming space for the upcoming ceremony. Your time, energy, and love will help set the stage for this season of renewal and transformation.

With gratitude,
The Taino Woods Sanctuary Team

📅 Date: March 22, 2025

🕘 Time:

• 9:00 AM – Arrival and check-in
• 10:00 AM – Ceremony begins with opening directions
• Cibucan Dance – Women weave together ropes suspended from a tree branch
• Boa Constrictor Dance – Women march in a line, holding onto the rope effigy of a snake
• Anointing of Men – Closing ritual before fire lighting
• 12:00 PM – Fire 🔥 lighting commences, followed by Guanara Lodge and Expression
• 7:00 PM – Community clean-up
• 8:00 PM – Wrap-up

🏞 Location: Taino Woods Sanctuary

Celebrate the Spring Equinox and the rebirth of Yokahu, a day of Taíno teachings and ceremony led by our Taino elder Behike Miguel Sague. This profound gathering will guide us in prayer, reflection, and reconnection with the Land, the Spirit, and one another as we honor the cycles of renewal and balance.

🌿 Ceremony Details:

🌸 Dress for Ceremony and Lodge:

Participants are encouraged to wear their naguas (traditional white ceremonial attire) for the Taíno teachings and ceremony led by Miguel Sague. Additionally, please bring separate modest attire for the Purification Lodge.

To learn more about the significance of purification lodges, please visit our Guanara Lodge Protocol.

🌽 Sacred Offerings for the Ceremony:

We invite participants to bring any of the four sacred Taino foods:

• Green squash
• Black beans
• Cassava
• Yellow corn

Additionally, bringing cornmeal for the Taino Lodge and the traditional honorable gift of tobacco for our Behike and/or land stewards is encouraged. These sacred items amplify our prayers and intentions.

🥘 Potluck Community Meal:

Following the ceremony, we will share a communal potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a prepared dish to contribute. While potluck foods do not need to be from the four sacred Taino foods, we encourage offerings that reflect your love and gratitude for the community.

🔹 Please bring your own drinking water and reusable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day.

🔥 Schedule Overview:

• 9:00 AM – Arrival and preparation (dress in layers for cold, wet weather)
• 10:00 AM – Opening directions and Sacred Dances:
• Cibucan Dance – Women weave together ropes hanging from a tree branch, symbolizing interconnectedness and the cycles of life
• Boa Constrictor Dance – Women march in a line, holding onto the rope effigy of a snake, representing movement and transformation
• Anointing of Men – A closing ritual before the fire lighting
• 12:00 PM – Fire lighting and Guanara Lodge ceremony begins
• 7:00 PM – Community clean-up
• 8:00 PM – Wrap-up and departure

🙏🏽 Donations for the Taíno Teachings:

• Day Pass: $75

📩 To make your donation ahead of time online: Donate Here
(Digital donations are required in advance of the event to confirm your participation.)

If you feel called to give more and “pay it forward” for another community member in need, or if the suggested donation amount is a challenge, please email us at events@tainowoods.com to discuss alternative options.

🌿 Important Notes:

• To honor the Land and its readiness, any adjustments to the location or details of the Lodge will be communicated in advance. If necessary, the Purification Lodge may be hosted at the Upper Lodge.
• The clean-up and wrap-up times are not optional; participants should plan to engage in the 7:00 PM clean-up and leave the Land for the day by 8:00 PM, or when the ceremony leader closes the circle.

Let us come together to celebrate the sacred teachings of this Equinox, honoring the cycles of renewal that unite us all.

With love and gratitude,
🌿 The Taino Woods Sanctuary Team

🌿 Event: Land Stewardship Day: A Day of Service and Renewal

📅 Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM arrival | 10:00 AM start | 6:00 PM clean-up | 7:00 PM wrap-up
🏞️ Location: Taino Woods Sanctuary

As Spring breathes new life into the Land, we invite you to join us in community stewardship as we prepare Taino Woods Sanctuary for the season ahead. This Stewardship Day is a chance to give back to Atabeyra (Mother Earth), connect with like-minded souls, and ensure the Land is ready to welcome all who seek healing, renewal, and sacred gathering; reminding us that we are not separate from Nature, but woven within her cycles.

What to Expect:

🌱 Clearing and tending to sacred spaces
🌳 Gathering materials for upcoming ceremonies
🔥 Preparing firewood for purification lodges
💛 Community bonding and shared gratitude

Our Gift to You – A Love Exchange

As a token of appreciation for your stewardship, all stewards who attend this workday will be gifted the opportunity to participate in our New Moon Lodge on April 26, 2025, without a monetary donation. This is our way of honoring the reciprocity that sustains our sacred work.

What to Bring:

• Sturdy shoes or boots for outdoor work
• Work gloves (if you have them)
• Layers of clothing suitable for the weather
• A reusable water bottle and enough drinking water
• A packed lunch and snacks for yourself
• An open heart and willingness to serve

📩 RSVP by Wednesday, April 9, 2025 to confirm your participation!

Let’s come together in the spirit of service, gratitude, and unity as we honor and prepare this sacred space for the year ahead.

In Calm-Unity and Reverence,
The Taino Woods Sanctuary Team

📅 Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM arrival | 10:00 AM fire 🔥 lighting & ceremony begins | 7:00 PM clean-up | 8:00 PM wrap-up
🏞️ Location: Taino Woods Sanctuary

Join us for the New Moon Purification Lodge, a space for reflection, renewal, and reconnection. As we gather in the womb of Atabeyra, we honor the divine feminine and the wisdom of our ancestors, emerging from this ceremony reborn and renewed. The New Moon invites us to release the old and embrace new beginnings with clarity and intention.

Our Love Exchange for Stewardship

Those who contributed their time and energy during our Land Stewardship Day on April 12 are welcome to join this lodge without a monetary donation for the teachings, as a gesture of our gratitude and appreciation🫶.

For all other participants, we kindly request a sliding scale donation to support the sanctuary’s maintenance and our ongoing ceremonies:

• $50, $75, or $100 

📩 Make your donation ahead of time here: Taino Woods Sanctuary Stripe Donation

A Day on the Land

🌿 Preparation as Ceremony – Please arrive one hour before the fire 🔥 lighting to gather firewood, prepare blankets, and pray together as a community. This preparation marks the beginning of our ceremony and deepens our connection to the Land, ourselves, and each other.

🔥 The Lodge Experience – Inside the lodge, we connect with the elements, offer prayers, songs, and allow the steam and heat to cleanse our bodies and spirits.

🥘 Community Feast After Ceremony – Following the lodge, we gather for a communal potluck. Please bring a prepared dish to share, made at home and ready for serving.

What to Bring:

• Ceremonial attire: We encourage participants to wear naguas or traditional white attire for the ceremony. For more details, please refer to our Guanara Lodge Protocol.
• A reusable water bottle with enough drinking water for the entire day
• Sacred offerings (such as tobacco, cedar, lavender, or personal items for the altar)
• A prepared dish for the communal potluck
• Two towels (one for sitting inside the lodge, one for drying off)
• A change of clothes for after the ceremony

Important Notes:

• Respect the Time & Process – Allow time for preparation and integration. We advise against scheduling commitments post-lodge to honor the medicine’s continued influence on your spirit.
• Arrival & Clean-Up Expectations – All participants must arrive by 9:00 AM for full participation. Clean-up begins at 7:00 PM, and all guests should depart by 8:00 PM.
• Space is Limited – To maintain the intimacy of this sacred space, we have limited availability. RSVP by Wednesday, April 23, 2025, to secure your place.

📩 To Register or Inquire: Email us at events@tainowoods.com.

Come, sit in the warmth of the lodge, and let the New Moon guide your journey of renewal.In Calm-Unity and Reverence,
The Taino Woods Sanctuary Team

🌞 Event: Radiant Sun Summer Solstice Dance & Overnight Prayer Dance. 
📅 Date: June 21, 2025 – June 22, 2025
🕘 Time: Starting at 9:00 AM on Saturday, June 21 | Opening directions, Radiant Sun Dance | Fire lite for Overnight dance | Concluding at 5:00 PM on Sunday, June 22
🏞️ Location: Taino Woods Sanctuary

Celebrate the radiant energy of the Summer Solstice with us during this overnight gathering of sacred dances, song, and ceremony. Guided by Taino elder Behike Miguel Sague, this Summer Solstice Dance offers an incredible opportunity to honor the Sun as Yokahu in his full maturity, embrace the rhythms of Atabeyra, and reconnect with the cycles of light and life, through Yokahu’s creation story. Together, we will share a journey of renewal, abundance, and gratitude for the blessings of the Land and the community.

Ceremony Details:

🌟 Dress for Ceremony:
Participants are encouraged to wear their naguas, or traditional white ceremonial attire, for the Taino teachings and ceremony led by Miguel Sague.

🌽 Sacred Offerings for the Ceremony:
Please bring any of the four sacred Taino foods: green squash, black beans, cassava, and yellow corn. Additionally, participants are encouraged to bring cornmeal for the Taino Lodge and the traditional honorable gift of tobacco as an offering for our behike and/or land stewards. These sacred items will amplify our prayers and intentions.

🥘 Potluck Community Meal:
Participants are invited to bring a dish of their choice to contribute. We will share a communal potluck meal before the overnight dance ceremony. We will fast during the overnight dance. While potluck foods do not need to be the four sacred Taino foods, we encourage offerings that reflect your love and gratitude for the community. Please also bring your own drinking water and refillable water bottle.

🔥 Schedule:

Participants can arrive Friday 6/20 to camp overnight. Inquire via events@tainowoods.com. 

• June 21:

  • 9:00 AM Arrival: Please arrive on time to allow for check-in and preparation. Dress in layers to accommodate varying weather conditions.
  • 10:00 AM Ceremony Start: It is required that all participants arrive by this time to fully honor and participate in the sacred gathering.
  • Our third annual Karaya Guey Guateke Areyto Summer Solstice Dance: Following the ceremony, we will transition into overnight practices with dance, song, prayers, and the fire will be lit at this time.

• June 22:

  • Morning Integration and Closing Practices: We will be finishing our dance by noon and begin the day with sacred integration practices, food, and reflections, preparing for the conclusion of this transformative journey.
  • 5:00 PM Wrap-Up: All participants will depart the Land at this time with hearts full of gratitude and blessings.

🙏🏽 Donations for the Taino Teachings:

• Day Pass: $75
• Overnight Pass: $125
• Family of 4 Pass: $175

📩 To make your donation ahead of time online: Donate Here
(Digital donations are required in advance of the event to confirm your participation.)

If you feel called to give more and “pay it forward” for another community member in need, or if the suggested donation amount is a challenge, please email us at events@tainowoods.com to discuss alternative options.

Important Notes:

• Please honor the start and end times of the ceremony by arriving promptly at 9:00 AM on Saturday and leaving the Land by 5:00 PM on Sunday, or when the ceremony leader closes the circle.
• Overnight practices are integral to this ceremony, as they honor the cycles of light and darkness. Participants should plan to stay for the entirety of the event.
• Community Clean-Up: As the ceremony concludes, we will gather together for a collective clean-up of the Land and ceremonial spaces. This shared act of care and gratitude ensures the Land is restored to its original state, or better, and remains ready to serve our community. It is a beautiful extension of togetherness and mutual support, so we encourage all participants to join.
• Updates regarding the ceremony or Land conditions will be communicated in advance.

Let us come together to embrace the light of the Summer Solstice, celebrating with prayer for the balance to return within us and our homes! May the abundance of life in harmony with the rhythms of Nature and Spirit vibrate to all humankind!

Han Hankatu,
The Taino Woods Sanctuary Team

Support the Journey, Hold the Sacred Space

📅 Date: August 14, 2025 – August 17, 2025
🏞️ Location: Taino Woods Sanctuary

The Nature Quest Fast is a sacred four-day experience where questers enter the woods to be in solitude, while fasting, and in deep prayer to seek clarity, purpose, rewiring, renewal, and deeper alignment with the natural world. As our quester roster for this August is full, we are now calling in experienced supporters to help tend the space and hold the ceremonial container, ensuring that those on this path are upheld with care and reverence.

🌿 Seeking Experienced Ceremony Supporters

We are calling in seasoned supporters who have previously assisted with last year’s Nature Quest, Vision Quests, and/or Moon Dances to serve during this transformative experience. Your presence will be integral to holding the energy of this sacred journey.

Ways to Support:

🌀 Circle Keepers – Hold space in prayer, meditation, song, sacred smoke, eating nourishing foods in the questors’ names to offer the energy of strength and guidance to the questers.
🌿 Ground Keepers – Assist with the preparation and upkeep of ceremonial spaces, the 🔥 fire never goes out, ensuring harmony between the Land, Questors, and Supporters.
💧 Reentry Support – Welcome questers back in celebration with love and care as they transition from solitude to community.

The Nature Quest Fast will also include multiple Purification Lodges, and those serving as supporters may be invited to assist in their facilitation.

Supporter Contributions & Camp Donations

If you are joining as a supporter, camp dues are based on your length of stay:

• Full Ceremony (Thursday–Sunday): $230 per person
• Weekend Only (Saturday & Sunday): $130 per person
• One-Day (Friday – or – Saturday -or- Sunday, no overnight): $75 per person | $130 per family
• Weekend Only – Family of Four (Saturday & Sunday): $230
• Full Ceremony – Family of Four (Thursday–Sunday): $280

🌿 Spiritual Elders: Love donations are welcomed in honor of their wisdom and service.

🤲 Finance Assistance: Supporters who attend workdays before the quest may qualify for reduced fees—no exceptions.

📩 To make your donation ahead of time online: Donate Here
(Digital donations are required in advance of the event to confirm your participation.)

If you feel called to give more and “pay it forward” for another community member in need, or if the suggested donation amount is a challenge, please email us at events@tainowoods.com to discuss alternative options.

✨ Interested in Becoming a Quester?

Although our August Nature Quest Fast is full, we are considering opening a second quest. If you feel called to embark on this transformative journey, please email us at events@tainowoods.com to express your interest.

📩 Reserve Your Spot as a Supporter!

📅 Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
🕘 Time:

🏞 Location: Taino Woods Sanctuary

Embrace the sacred energy of the Fall Equinox as we come together for a day of prayer, purification, and reconnection. Guided by Taino elder Behike Miguel Sague, this profound ceremony will lead us through the cycles of life, death, and rebirth as we honor Yoka Hu’s descent to the watery underworld, a pivotal moment in the ceremonial cycle of the cemies. Through prayer, dance, and reflection, we create space for healing, gratitude, and renewal in alignment with the seasonal shift.

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🍂 Ceremony Details

🌟 Dress for Ceremony and Lodge:

Participants are encouraged to wear their naguas (traditional white ceremonial attire) for the Taíno teachings and ceremonies led by Miguel Sague. Additionally, please bring separate modest attire for the Purification Lodge.

To learn more about the significance of purification lodges, please visit our Guanara Lodge Protocol.

🌽 Sacred Offerings for the Ceremony:

We invite participants to bring any of the four sacred Taino foods:

Additionally, cornmeal for the Purification Lodge and the traditional honorable gift of tobacco for our Behike and/or Land stewards is encouraged. Participants may also bring personal altar items to be placed during the ceremony. These sacred offerings help amplify our prayers and intentions.

🥘 Potluck Community Meal:

During the ceremony, we will share a communal potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a prepared dish to contribute. While potluck foods do not need to be from the four sacred Taino foods, we encourage offerings that reflect your love and gratitude for the community.

🔹 Please bring your own drinking water and reusable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day.

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• 🔥 Schedule Overview:
• 9:00 AM – Arrival and preparation (dress in layers for varying weather conditions)
• 10:00 AM – Opening directions and Sacred Dances:
• Cibucan Dance – Women weave together ropes hanging from a tree branch
• Boa Constrictor Dance – Women march in a line, holding onto the rope effigy of a snake
• Anointing of Men – A closing ritual before the fire lighting
• 12:00 PM – Fire lighting and Guanara Lodge ceremony begins
• 7:00 PM – Community clean-up
• 8:00 PM – Wrap-up and departure

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🙏🏽 Donations for the Taíno Teachings:

• Day Pass: $75
• Weekend Pass: $125
• Family of 4 Pass: $175

📩 To make your donation ahead of time online: Donate Here
(Digital donations are required in advance of the event to confirm your participation.)

If you feel called to give more and “pay it forward” for another community member in need, or if the suggested donation amount is a challenge, please email us at events@tainowoods.com to discuss alternative options.

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🌿 Important Notes:

• Timeliness: Please honor the start and end times of the ceremony by arriving promptly at 9:00 AM and leaving the Land by 8:00 PM, or when the ceremony leader closes the circle.
• Dress Appropriately: The ceremony will take place outdoors—please dress in layers and prepare for varying weather conditions.
• Sacred Practice: The clean-up and wrap-up times are an integral part of the ceremony and community practice. This collective care ensures that the Land remains ready to support future gatherings.
• Ceremony Updates: Any adjustments to the ceremony details or location will be communicated in advance to align with the Land’s readiness.

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Let us come together to embrace the balance of the Fall Equinox, honoring the cycles of transformation that guide us all.

With love and gratitude,
🌿 The Taino Woods Sanctuary Team