The Gathering for Life on Earth (GFLOE) is an annual Pagan spiritual retreat hosted by the Greater Vancouver Pagan community in British Columbia, Canada. The purpose of this 4-day event is to build community, to foster religious discussion, and to celebrate life on the Pagan path. This camp is welcoming and inclusive of all Pagan paths. The Gathering is a registered non-profit society run by a members-elected board of volunteers. The festival does not make money, but is instead here solely for the benefit of the community and is completely run by unpaid volunteers who work hard to organize a new festival each year.
I gathered all the information below from members of the Gathering for Life on Earth community and various blog posts, board of director minutes, newsletters, and other records. The resulting book of ritual scripts, plays, articles, stories, and poems is being sold as a fundraiser for the Gathering's scholarship fund to help Pagans who couldn't otherwise afford to to come to our wonderful camp. To purchase a copy of the ebook, Merry Met: 20 Gatherings of Rituals, click here.
1993 – no theme
Opening Ritual: (unknown)
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
*Men's Mysteries: Sam
*Women's Mysteries: Dragonfly & Avalon
Closing Ritual: (unknown)
1994 – (unknown)
Opening Ritual: (unknown)
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
*Handfasting: Sam
~Celtic Wine Moon: Steve, Jimmy, & Bob
Closing Ritual: (unknown)
1995 – (unknown)
Opening Ritual: (unknown)
*Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Croning Ceremony for Clay: Sherryl
Closing Ritual: (unknown)
1996 – Thou Art God / Thou Art Goddess
Opening Ritual: (unknown)
*Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Main Ritual: (unknown)
~Women's Mysteries Ritual: Donna
Men's Mysteries Ritual: Myke
~Chocolate Ritual: Jamie
Closing Ritual: (unknown)
1997 – (unknown)
Opening Ritual: (unknown)
*Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
~Scattering Clay's Ashes in the Labyrinth: Sherryl
~Human Mysteries: (unknown)
~Darktime Ritual: Ron & Jennifer
Closing Ritual: Silver Spiral
1998 – Classical Theme
*Opening Ritual: Melissa / Silver Spiral
*Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Closing Ritual: Melissa / Silver Spiral
1999 – Mirth and Merriment
Event coordinator: Melissa
Opening Ritual: (unknown)
*Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
~Descent of the Goddess: Roy & Imojean
*Sun Ritual: Melissa / Silver Spiral
Closing Ritual: (unknown)
2000 – Never-Never Land
Event coordinator: Melissa
Opening Ritual: Elaine / Silver Spiral
*Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
*The Pirate Ritual: Ron & Jennifer
Closing Ritual: Elaine / Silver Spiral
2001 – Midsummer Night's Dream
Event coordinator: Sam
*Opening Ritual: board of directors
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
*Closing Ritual: board of directors
2002 – Alice in Wonderland
Event coordinator: TJ
*Opening Ritual: Parnassus
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Dark Moon Ritual: Shade
*Closing Ritual: Cindy / Silver Spiral
2003 – Mythical Creatures and Characters
Event coordinator: Lisa F.
*Opening Ritual: Star Sapphire
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Magick Within Ritual: Earandil
*Closing Ritual: Star Sapphire
2004 – Arabian Nights
Event Coordinator: TJ
*Opening Ritual: board of directors
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Lughnasadh Ritual: Star
Eleusinian Mystery Initiation Ritual: Descendants of Demophon
*Closing Ritual: board of directors
2005 – Tricksters
Event coordinator: Russ
Opening Ritual: (unknown)
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Lammas Ritual: Paul & Shoshana
*Eleusinian Mystery Initiation Ritual: Descendants of Demophon
Baba Yaga Ritual: Jennie & Brenda
Take the Feeling of the Gathering Home Ritual: Holly
Closing Ritual: (unknown)
2006 – Tribal
Event coordinator: Russ
*Opening Ritual: Melissa / Silver Spiral
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Lughnasadh Ritual: Genevieve
Lammas Ritual: Sloan
Celebrating Light and Dark Rituals: ED
*Closing Ritual: Melissa / Silver Spiral
2007 – Pagans of the Caribbean
Event coordinator: Rain
Opening Ritual: Angelique
Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
*Lughnasadh Ritual: Paul
Closing Ritual: Angelique
(2008 cancelled due to landslide.)
2009 – The Fool's Journey
Event coordinator: Jen
*Opening Ritual: John
*Nude Moonlit Ritual: Sam
Lughnasadh Ritual: Ian
Aphrodite Ritual: Joy
Closing Ritual: (unknown)
(2010 cancelled due to site issues.)
2011 – The Enchanted Forest
Event coordinator: Barbara
*Opening Ritual: Chris & Lisa / Scathach
*Starlit Skyclad: Melissa / Silver Spiral
*Persephone Play and Initiation Rite: Descendants of Demophon
*Women's Skyclad Ritual: Lisa
*Beltane Ritual: Melissa / Silver Spiral
*Closing Ritual: Chris & Lisa / Scathach
2012 – Between the Worlds
Event coordinator: Sarah
*Opening Ritual: Poetry, Music & Fire
Skyclad Ritual: Poetry, Music & Fire
Main Ritual: Grant
Women's Mysteries: Andrea
*Closing Ritual: Poetry, Music & Fire
2013 – Isis and Osiris
Event coordinator: Sarah
Opening Ritual: Rosanne
Fire Ritual: Wolven Path Shamanic Tradition
Main Ritual: Coru Cathubodua
*Starlit Skyclad: Melissa / Silver Spiral
Women's Mysteries Ritual: (unknown)
Men's Mysteries Ritual: (unknown)
Closing Ritual: Coru Cathubodua
2014 – The Wild Hunt
Event coordinator: Violet
*Opening Ritual: Poetry, Music & Fire
*Starlit Skyclad: Melissa / Silver Spiral
The Chocolate Ritual: Geri
Incubation Rite: Louise
Sung Goddess Devotional Ritual: Sophia / Vancouver Goddess Choir
*Main Ritual: Poetry, Music & Fire
Ancestors of a Witch: Saturn & Holly
*Closing Ritual: Poetry, Music & Fire
2015 – The Tuatha De Danann: Irish Gods and Heroes
Event coordinator: Trivia
Opening Ritual: Coru Cathubodua
Starlit Skyclad: Melissa / Silver Spiral
Sung Ritual: Sophia / Vancouver Goddess Choir
Main Ritual: Coru Cathubodua
Closing Ritual: Coru Cathubodua
2016 - The Norse Gods and the Sagas
Event coordinator: Trivia
*Rituals I have scripts for in the book.
~Rituals I have stories or poems about in the book.
Hi Melissa, One tiny correction, 2005 you missed the 1st H in Shoshana.
BB
Paul
Thanks Paul! Is it Shoshona or Shoshana?
Shoshana
Thanks - fixed!
What a little memory rush looking back at the old lineups!
I haven't been to the Gathering since 2003. Loved seeing familiar names.
Does anyone have the lyrics for the Goddess version of the song 'Fever'? I would love to introduce it to my pagan friends here.
Thanks for connecting! I have the lyrics at home somewhere, but I'm going to have to scan them and email them - I don't want to post them for copyright reasons. Drop me an email at melissa@mudandmagic.com and I'll send them.