Singing in Love 2024

*PLEASE READ FULL DESCRIPTION BEFORE PURCHASING TICKETS.. EVEN IF YOU ATTENDED A PREVIOUS GATHERING SINCE SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED*

Singing In Love is a 4-day ceremonial song circle retreat at Stonehedge Gardens in Tamaqua, PA, where we come together in community to sing, pray and connect from and with our hearts. There will be facilitated song circles, community meals, ceremonial events, night time song circles around fires, a tea temple, kids area & much more! Join us for a special weekend of creating magic through vibration, prayer, community connection and song.

This is a retreat, so we need all participants to be aware of and agree to the programing and guidelines listed below the video. 

To learn about song culture, what to expect & what to bring, all this information in on this ticket site, songleaders and so more go to brand new website: http://www.singinginlove.com

What you need to know: 

Ticket price includes: general admission, song circles/activities, camping, tea & 12 delicious, vegetarian meals.

The Opening Ceremony is very important to set the parameters for the container and to bring the group into alignment. Attending Friday morning's Orientation is required. If you have attended Singing In Love before, attending Orientation is still very helpful to the group. If there are extenuating circumstances and you are not able to attend the opening circle, please contact Singinginlovegathering@gmail.com to discuss other options for those who have attended before. 

We require each ticket holder to volunteer 1-2 hours per day (food prep, serving, etc). We will be sending an e-mail with a spreadsheet to sign up for shifts closer to the event, please be on the look out for that. Donations & volunteering helps us keep the ticket price low, and creates the experience of living in community! 

We ask for all ticket holders to bring a donation of organic fruit for the community breakfast, tea temple supplies (honey, alt.milk, herbs, etc) and/or healthy snacks.

Simplified Schedule: 

Thursday Aug. 29th: 3pm-10pm: We highly encourage arrival on this day to get settled in, enjoy the evening ceremony and be ready for Opening Orientation Ceremony the next morning. There will be a bonus meal offered around 6pm-7pm for early arrivals. Then Sacred Fire Lighting Ceremony will be at 7pm followed by community singing in the evening. 

Friday, Aug. 30th : Opening Orientation Ceremony at 9:30am and the magic begins! 

Friday-Sunday, Aug. 30th-Sept 1.: Facilitated song circles, 3 yummy organic community meals per day, open community singing around the fires in the evening & tea temple throughout the day and night. 

There will also be a "Flowering Angel wash" on Sunday afternoon. 

Monday, Sept. 2nd : Morning song circles, breakfast and lunch, a community bartering market (bring items to sell/trade), closing circle and clean up/pack out.

What is a Song Circle?

In a song circle, we learn easy-to-memorize songs that we sing as a group. And guess what..? You don’t have to be an experienced singer at all! It is so empowering to sing beyond what society deems a “good singer”. This is a safe space to practice opening our voices in a non-judgmental, supportive and loving group container, while singing songs that remind us of our power, truth and belonging. 

There is a vast variety of song circle types; some contain numerous harmonies, multiple parts, and even fun activities that go along with them! Others include improvisation, vocal opening, circle singing and much more. Many circles have themes such as the elements, personal empowerment, spiritual upliftment, grief, and so on.

Daytime song circles will be facilitated by experienced or master song leaders coming from all over the U.S. At night we will have an open fire circle where anyone can teach a song to the group in a "popcorn" style.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Although this whole experience is extremely uplifting, there are some songs and song circles can potentially activate deep emotions. A few circles may even have specific themes like grief and shadow work. There is a Soul Support team on site who are there to assist in holding space for us to regulate our nervous systems. Please be aware that they are not offering therapy. 

GUIDELINES

*** This is a drug and alcohol free event.***

*This is a non-performance based event. When a song is shared it must be taught to the group in order to be sung together in a supportive and loving group container *

*PHOTOGRAPHY: For informational and artistic purposes, elements of this event may be recorded (audio/video), or photographed. All attendees must agree to being in these photos or recordings. We will have media staff who will be informed about what is and is not acceptable to capture at the gathering. We will not be recording vulnerable moments such as expressions of grief or crying. Although we encourage participants to not use their phone during the retreat, if one does take pictures/videos we ask that it is done with discernment to not take pictures/videos of vulnerable moments, and we require that it is done respectfully and with no sense of entitlement, as such privileges can be taken away.

*There are no dogs allowed at the event. A registered Service Animal trained/in-training actively assisting the participant may attend if approved by the Singing In Love team. Please email us BEFORE buying a ticket at Singinginlovegathering@gmail.com*

*By purchasing a ticket, you and all in your party agree to all terms & conditions mentioned in this description & waiver.

*No smoking or vaping in common areas, there is a designated Holy Smoking Temple. 

FOOD

For Thursday August 29th, a simple dinner will be offered, then there will be three yummy organic community meals served Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the gathering. Monday only breakfast and lunch will be provided. 

We will stay away from major allergens. Our meals will be peanut, soy, dairy, egg, crustacean and gluten free. If we have any dairy, nuts, or eggs they will be cooked separately or on the side away from main dishes. We will have well balanced & nutritious vegan meals (with some vegetarian side options).

There will NOT be any food vendors present at the event. If you have specific food requirements, please pack accordingly. Please bring a cooler, if needed, as we will not have fridge space available. 

*Please bring your own bowls, plates & utensils. There will be a community dish cleaning station located near the kitchen. Our intention is to create as little waste as possible during the gathering. 

This is mainly a 🌿 plant-based 🌿 event

There are no discounted tickets for those who wish to bring their own food for the gathering.

CHILDREN

*Children 12 and under get free admittance, but must purchase a “Young LoveBird” meal pass if eating community meals. 

*Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. We have a childrens area with games and activities, and some scheduled singing and crafts. There is no all day drop-off child care, however, children may be dropped off during song circle times as long as they are well-behaved, follow direction well and can use the toilet without assistance. It is encouraged for parents to volunteer their Karma Yoga hours at the Kids area.

*Children are welcome and invited to attend song circles, as long as they are not being disruptive and causing distractions. Song circles can be a very sensitive and delicate experience, so minimizing disruption and distraction in order to honor and respect those holding space and teaching songs, as well as fostering conducive environments for participants to be able to feel the fullness of what song circles can bring up, is very important. It is understandable when children sometimes speak out, make random sounds or move around a bit, but the guardians are responsible for removing children from a circle if their activity is disruptive and causing too much of a distraction. They may return if/when the children are able to be more present with the circle. 

*Unaccompanied children may not be in the kitchen or tea house. This is the responsibility of the parent or guardian, not event staff. 

*Parents or guardians are responsible for kids use of condiments, as well as access to snacks, meals, tea, showers, bathrooms, creeks, pond, and any area or offering of the event. 

*Chronically misbehaved children may asked to leave the event.  If so no refunds will be offered to the associated parent or guardian who may need or be asked to leave as well. 

EQUITY DISCOUNTS 

We’re committed to creating a radically inclusive environment at Singing in Love. We recognize that People of the Global Majority (PGM), aka Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), often face significant barriers to participation at certain events. To address this, we’re offering:

- Three discounted ticket options for PGM/BIPOC.

- At least one scholarship for PGM/BIPOC who require additional financial support. 

Although some pillars of this event are based in inclusivity, unity and community, we recognize and are aware that unconscious biases and microaggressions may still happen, as they tend to occur in predominantly white spaces. It is our intention to set the container with safety and care by speaking and bringing awareness to respecting song lineage, how to not culturally appropriate songs and by offering support if anything like this arises. We as the organizers, as well as the Soul Support team, are here to address and work towards remedying anything that may feel painful or exclusionary during your experience at Singing in Love. 

Our goal is to foster a diverse and equitable space, and we’re dedicated to making our event accessible and safe for all. If you want to take advantage of our discounts, scholarship, or have any further questions, feel free to email us at Singinginlovegathering@gmail.com

CONSENT

Our intention is to create a safe container for everyone, so consent is extremely important. To achieve this, we establish a culture of consent and respect. We prioritize consent before initiating ANY physical contact or intimate activity. Respect boundaries by honoring "no" or "stop" requests immediately, communicate your personal boundaries clearly and assertively, and avoid pressuring or coercing. If you feel your boundaries have been crossed, immediately seek someone from the Soul Support team to help you. We will go over our consent and boundary guidelines during morning orientation.

REFUND POLICY

Tickets are non-refundable. All sales are final.

In the event that Singing In Love 2024 is postponed or canceled before the gathering, a coupon credit will be issued redeemable towards a future Singing In Love gathering. Ticket holder name transfers are available and if needed please reach out via email at least a week before the event to provide us with the new ticket holders information. 

* If you are in need of financial assistance and want to attend the gathering, feel free to email us at singinginlovegathering@gmail.com and we will try to work something out.

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

Singing in Love will follow public health guidelines. We recommend that you take the following precautions:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or with hand sanitizer.

Do not attend Singing in Love if you have symptoms of illness.

Do not attend Singing in Love if you are testing positive for Covid. Follow current CDC guidelines if you have been in contact or have recently tested for Covid in the last 10 days. 

Failure to observe the above agreements may result in removal from the gathering. Thank you for respecting the community and keeping everyone safe. We look forward to singing with you!