AGE OF MAGIC New Years Eve celebration in Peaceburgh Dec 31 2013

[Miguel Sague Jr]

It was such a wonderful honor for me to have participated in this year's signature Peaceburgh New Year's eve event, AGE OF MAGIC. I was particularly humbled to have been asked by the organizer, Cassandra Mousey to lead the midnight count-down ceremony to the four sacred directions and to the Earth Mother and Father Sky.

Cassandra Mousey

After several beautiful hours of drumming, dancing, singing, enjoying the awesome talent of my musician friends, and the great offerings of those who were there to provide services and sell treasure objects, I guided the group that had gathered at the First United Methodist Church in prayer, chanting, and sacred dance, leading right up to the 12:00 hour.

 Leni and I arrived at about 9:30 PM and found things in full swing. And it was fortunate that our friend Tom Jefferson was there with his camera and his remarkable photographic talent to record this historic event.

The photos that grace this blog were all taken by Thomas Jefferson, Photographer of all things PEACEBURGH. Please click on this LINK to visit his page in facebook in which you will find more of these great photos.

Leni and I joined right in. I could not help the temptation of the conga drums.

Many of my dearest friends from way back were there. Tenanche RoseGolden came with Johnny Creed Coe.

We were joined by talented dj, musician and dancer Bobbi Williams, as usual, flashing her stunningly dazzling smile!

How that human being can move!!!!

and massage artist Abby took a minute from her massage post to take a pic with me :-)

Sol Shanti and CherylAnn Hawk blessed us all with their mystical presence and that of their magical children Cheyenne, Isaiah, Talula and Little Hawk.

Awesome Peaceburgh activist  Tom Menditto was there also, as well as many, many more of my Peaceburgh family.

Some folks brought hula hoops and dazzled us with their glow-in-the-dark spinning talent.

And then, of course, the amazing talent of LIVE TO LOVE band was unfolded in front of us to totally enchant everybody who attended the concert.

This wonderful family band composed of my friends Sol and Cheryann Hawk and their kids, and two other excellent musicians made sweet sweet music.

The evening moved to within 15 minutes of the 12:00 midnight hour with joy and fun being the hallmark of the night.

Then at a quarter to 12:00 we began the ceremony. I smudged the room, the drummers and  the participants with sage.

Then I appealed to the powerful spirits of the four directions of my Taino people's tradition to bestow upon the participants the gifts of Open Mind, Introspection, Wisdom and Illumination, the powers of the four winds.

I prayed to Yaya the Great Spirit, the great Unity of Mother Earth and Father Sky for the blessings of the new year for all my brothers and sisters. The sacred heart-beat rhythm of the drums accompanied my words and my actions as I moved into the holy chant of Ata Bei the Cosmic Matriarch.

The glory of the sacred song of our Earth Mother rang out all over inside the meeting hall as the participants joined in singing in both the Taino Indigenous and English languages.

We began the great Guitiao Dance of sacred relatives. As people put their hands on the shoulders of friends they became connected as brothers and sisters, and they danced in a great serpentine row.

It all culminated at 10 seconds to midnight with a joyous countdown into the new year.

The countdown was followed by an inspiring group activity led by my friend Vikki Hanchin.

I feel infinitely blessed to have been given the opportunity to spend the transition into a new year engaged in this marvelous labor of co-creation and healing with my fellow Peaceburghers and I sense the tremendous power of the four sacred rivers that surround our region flowing in the bloodstream of our neighbors and friends here.

Seneko Kakona (abundant blessings) to us all

Miguel

[Miguel Sague Jr]

Thank you brother...You have truly captured the spirit that existed there that night. I hope some day you might be ableto share one of these New Year celebrations with us.

[AkuTurey]

Wow,going over each photo,and following the course of events,I can almost feel the wonderful,inspirational and the healing unity of all those attending! I know what those gongs feel like having experienced them myself!!! ...and the variety of music,talent and even physical types representing most of humanity. To think that Beike was there to lead the welcoming in of the New Year,in a Taino way fills me with a gratitude that is difficult to explain---I imagine the far reaching effects of this---into and out of the past,the present,and the future! Cuba,the Great Caiman! ....and all the lands where our Taino relatives were and are,are smiling broadly!----he rest of Creation's children beginning to remember more and more WHO Atabey and Yocahu are.Taino ti! Han han Katu!