Sacred Stewardship: A Journey of Land, Food, and Soul
Enrich your relationship to Land, Food Growing and Stewardship
*option to do a work exchange for 75% scholarship (you pay 300$ for all 6 months). See below.*
‘Sacred Stewardship’ is a transformative 6-month container designed to deepen participants' connection to the Earth through myth exploration, soulcentric practices, and ceremony, with a focus on food growing. Hosted at Cedar Song Centre for Wild Belonging in Victoria, BC, this immersive experience invites participants to reconnect with the land, its seasonal rhythms, and the beings who share it. Through hands-on food cultivation - with special teachings by Meghan McEachern from Stowel Lake Farm - ritual, and community, participants will explore how these practices can be integrated with the practicalities of life, fostering a deep reverence for the Earth and its gifts.
From Spring to Fall, six gatherings will provide opportunities for individuals to immerse themselves in a sacred, place-based relationship with the land. This group is open to all, regardless of experience, and aims to bridge the divide between the spiritual and the everyday, creating a lasting community grounded in reciprocity, stewardship, and shared wisdom. Co-guided by experienced facilitators, including mythologist Stephanie McKay, Stowel Lake grower Meghan McEachern, and guide and Cedar Song co-founder Stephanie Marchal, the program will weave together practices of earth-based spirituality and practical land stewardship, supporting participants in developing a “village cosmology” rooted in interconnectedness and sacred reciprocity.
This project is rooted in a deep respect for ancestral wisdom and the living, animate qualities of the land. By fostering a spiritual connection to food growing and stewardship, it will help create a lasting community that honors the sacredness of the Earth and its cycles.
We will be meeting on land one full day, once a month between March and August, from the time of dreaming the land to seeing it in full bloom We will have opportunities for online check-ins in between gatherings, during which land-based explorations will be suggested. Participants will also be able to ask for one-on-one guiding from either Stephanie MacKay or Stephanie Marchal to support their growth in their connection to the land and to their deeper themselves.
Each participant will enter in relationship with one or two plant beings that they choose, either because it holds a special significance to their family or ancestry, or because it is calling them. They will deepen in appreticeship to these plants and learn to care for them.
At the end of the 6 months, we will have a celebration/feast (on August 9th) where stories and food will be shared. The participants will be able to take some of their crop with them to share, and will be invited to share some of their bounty to the larger community.
This is an experiential offering, to which you are called to commit for the whole 6 months and to co-create fully. The first and last online meeting is compulsory while the others are optional times for check-in and extra guidance.
Time commitment:
6 days on land with 6 online meetings.
On-land meetings: March 29, April 12, May 10, June 7, July 12, Aug 9.
Online check-ins (the first and last are mandatory but the others are optional) to get further invitations and guidance with Stéphanie Marchal: 7.00-8.30pm on Tuesdays March 18th, April 22th, May 27th, July 1st, July 29th, Aug 19th.
Opportunity to come to Cedar Song in between these dates to be with the land and/or support the garden. Available days to do a work exchange for scholarship (see below) include: April 6th, April 19th, May 4th, May 24th, June 14th, June 21st, July 13th, Aug 2nd, Aug 30th, Sept 14th, Oct 5th. You can choose the days that work for your schedule and come work for a few hours toward your scholarship.
Contribution:
1200$-1600$ for the 6 months (200$ per month). Fee will serve purchase of garden materials.
Possibility of work exchange scholarship: 900$ scholarship (you pay 300$) for a 36 hours on land work exchange commitment, organized in 6 hours of on land help on 6 regular days between March and September.
A field was recently restored on Cedar Song and is waiting for the visions of stewards.
Starting field back in summer 2024:
During restoration:
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