“I felt connectedness between people, the sense of the whole community being supported. The support passing from one person to another.”
“The dance - It brought tears to my eyes, and I’m not a person who cries. It was so sensual, so free, so giving…”

The 4th Annual event will be at 3:00 PM, October 22, 2005, at Metropolitan State University’s Great Hall. Call 612-822-4846 for more information. This is a free public event.

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A Wonder-filled, Meaningful, and Inspiring Holiday Gathering
First we make masks of the characters who go between worlds on our behalf.
Then we embark on a torchlight procession through the woods to a bonfire on the banks of the Mississippi River, where we are greeted by Forest Guardian and Moon Mother. Together, we shed our burdens of the past year into the fire on the longest night of the year. The fire purifies what has been shed, and we call back the Infant Sun to begin anew.

When: December 18, 3:00 - 6:30 PM
Where: Seward Neighborhood (specific directions available upon registration
Cost: $23 per person, infant and preschoolers are free; 5 to 12 year olds are $10. Please send in a non-refundable reservation. Space is limited. Contact information is listed below.

Private Gathering: Host a Winter Solstice Celebration for a group of 15 to 20 of your own family or friends at a location of your choice.

Special Events

Conference Opening and Closings
Rites of Change creatively designs conference opening and closing ceremonies that captivate the group’s attention, promote the conference theme, and leave an inspiring impression with conference-goers. We incorporate the talents of local artists and theater groups. Here are two examples.

Rites of Change was instrumental in the awe-inspiring opening and closing ceremonies for the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), where 2000 people gathered a River Puppet from Heart of the Beast Theater, Kairos Intergenerational Dance Group, and pinwheels from the 4-Direction procession. All of these culminated in a mythic tale about how the Mississippi River was formed.

At an annual Search Institute’s Healthy Communities HealthyYouth Conference, Rites of Change had the 1200 youth and adults help to build a bridge brick by brick. Each brick contained a personal commitment was inserted on how the person making the brick was going to support the theme, “America - With and For Youth.”

Rites of Change will be happy to work with any size group and will provide a complimentary cost estimate. Contact information is listed at the bottom of the page.

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New Moon Magic: For Girls of the Verge of Womanhood
This retreat experience is for pre-adolescent (11-year-old) girls and their mothers. Rites of Change helps girls and mothers celebrate the exuberance of girlhood just as girls enter menses. The retreat and ritual shine a light on the confidence and self-assurance of girlhood and playfully introduce the mysteries of the menstrual cycle. Ellen works with a teenage assistant to create a stimulating, safe space for girls to express themselves and mothers to feel more confident in supporting their daughters through the onset of puberty. The girls do creative projects and Ellen meets with the mothers.