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(USGovernment-News.Com, November 20, 2014 ) Ashland OR. -- Over the past 8 years, the annual ceremony has been conducted in the spring. "After last years' dry winter, we feel it is especially important to honor the mountain now, and call in the first snows to begin the season." said organizer Robert "Bobcat" Brothers. "Snow on Mt. Ashland is not only important to the ski area, it is necessary for the health of the Ashland Watershed and the rivers downstream. We have seen clearly how a lack of snow on all of our high mountains can impact the entire Rogue Valley," said Mt. Ashland General Manager Hiram Towle. "We invite each and every one to join us in the blessing." The ceremony will take place outside the Main Lodge, beginning at 1 pm. Contact: Jamie Schectman at jschectman@mtashland.com or 530-386-6597 About Mt. Ashland:
Mt. Ashland Ski Area has served the Southern Oregon and Northern California communities since 1964. It has been owned and operated by the Mt. Ashland Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit since 1993. The ski area boasts five lifts, and offers 1,150 vertical feet and 220 acres of ski-able terrain. It relies on generous donors to help support the ski area to remain an affordable, unique experience that enhances the lives of Rogue Valley residents.
For the last two years we have done ceremonies on Mount Ashland, in Oregon. We will do this again in April, 2010, at the ski area near the top of the mountain, in the quiet time after the close of the season. We wish to encourage others to do the same kind of ceremony on mountains all around the world.
Different Cultures in Common Prayer for our Common Ground ~ Mother Earth
An essential part of the ceremony is bringing together people from different backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of the Earth, honoring natural harmony as a model for human harmony.
Many of us want to give more attention to the Earth these days. Whatever our spiritual tradition, or non-spiritual tradition, we recognize that our larger home needs attention.
Mountains, with their far-ranging views, are a good place to go for a sense of the whole Earth. And the snow that covers them in the winter gives us a dramatic way to understand the water cycle that nourishes planet, people, plants and animals alike.
When we touch the snow, we touch the water that, in the warm sun of springtime, will flow downhill, into the creeks, into the rivers, into the ocean, upward to the sky, and down again, reaching all of life.
This is why we want to encourage folks to go up on mountains in the snow and express their positive feelings - about mountains, snow, water, Earth, life in general, and each other.
Following traditions shared by many cultures, we call these feelings "blessings," and call the events "Blessing Mountains in the Snow." Like the Earth, they are open and free to all. And also like the Earth, we hope that the people who come to offer blessings will be of many different traditions and beliefs. For example, Native Americans of several Tribes, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Zoroastrans, Pagans, environmentalists and others have all offered blessings on Mount Ashland, the one mountain in Oregon where these events have happened in the past two years.
No matter where we come from or what we believe, we all have some common problems to solve. Getting together on mountains in the snow can help us to feel our unity, the enormity of the issues, and how we can all reach out to help.
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Mt. Ashland Ski Area has served the Southern Oregon and Northern California communities since 1964. It has been owned and operated by the Mt. Ashland Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit since 1993. The ski area boasts five lifts, and offers 1,150 vertical feet and 220 acres of ski-able terrain. It relies on generous donors to help support the ski area to remain an affordable, unique experience that enhances the lives of Rogue Valley residents.
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