Kiss the water: a Solstice ceremony for the lake

By Anne-Marie Oomen
Sun contributor

Basics: You are invited to join in a simple ceremony of thanksgiving and acknowledgement for the lake, to be held on Saturday, June 21, at 11 a.m. People who wish to say words for the lake will meet at the Empire beach in front of the cul de sac—where the black locust grows next to the boulder. We will form a circle that will revolve in and out of the shallows as we join in a litany of gratitude for the water and lake that nurtures us aesthetically, culturally, personally. All are welcome.

Background: On the equinox in March I visited Ecuador with Norm and Mimi Wheeler and several other friends. We stayed in the village of San Pablo del Lago (St. Paul of the Lake) and while there, reconnected with Mimi’s friend, an Ecuadorian member of the Quechua tribe (pronounced “Keechwa”) named Luis Perugachi. Luis generously took us to Peguche Falls, the falls that springs from the high lake and spills down the mountain toward the city of Otavalo. The falls swirl over bluffs and precipices, dramatic in their blue and white cascade off the heights. By the time we climbed to the lookout, we were wet and refreshed with water and we felt revived—despite the altitude of 8500 ft. Then Luis led a couple of us through a short tunnel in the mountainside. The tunnel opened onto a small sitting place where the river rushes through a rocky canyon like area. There Luis explained that at the summer Solstice, his people come from all over the region to walk in the river, to bathe, sing, and offer words and prayers of thanksgiving to the falls and the water that runs there. He did not share the details, but he was clear in this: his people say the words FOR the water, river and falls. NOT to them, not asking anything of them, but FOR them. He said it was a time of renewal and good thoughts. What stayed with me was his reverence for the water, and the idea that they would create words and make ceremony FOR the water and falls.

The practice is not new; I know many of us already express water gratitude both personally and in groups, so forms of this probably already exist. But the concept of doing it in Empire, at our lovely beach in our own way has not faded. People to whom I have spoken usually think, nod and say yes, they would like to do this. So perhaps our 2014 Solstice could be a time to let the tradition of the Quechua inspire us, to say some words for our beloved lake, and perhaps after this long winter with all its complications, it would good for us to do this together with as many people who are moved to join.

Details will be available on site. I am speaking with people who are familiar with how to create ceremony with care. This event is not a fundraiser, not sponsored by an organization, nor will there be food or drink involved. We may kiss the water, but however this ceremony evolves, it is intended to be a respectfully shared moment with our beloved Lake Michigan, for this living thing that gives us so much.