Fire Festivals

Fire Gatherings ~ Spinney Hollow, Fair Oak

Woodland fire gatherings to creatively celebrate the seasons with shared food, laughter and music amongst warmed hearted people

Spring Equinox ~ Saturday 24th March / 4pm - 11pm

Summer Solstice ~ Saturday 23rd June / 4pm - 11pm

Autumn Equinox ~ Saturday 22nd September / 4pm - 11pm

Winter Solstice 'Yule' ~ Saturday 22nd December / 1pm - 8pm

(Full details of these events are further below)

“Just to say a warm thank you for the wonderful fire gathering event last night you created a beautiful atmosphere and I felt nourished from the experience”

All welcome, family friendly event.

Cost: Adults - £15 / U18 - £5 (includes all activities and food)

Booking: (Essential) Online Booking Form

Payment: In advance, details sent upon booking

Full Directions to the site will be sent upon booking

Richard Parker ~ mail@activeartists.org.uk / 02380 554445 / 07769 901615

“A very enjoyable evening in the woods. It was magic and such a beautiful place, drumming fun and the stew perfect. Thanks!!!”

We invite you to join us for a sacred gathering around the fire at Spinney Hollow woodland, to celebrate and connect with the natural cycle of the year and acknowledge the way this resonates within ourselves. There will be a creative group activity to connect us with the energy of the season alongside plenty of drumming & dancing around the fire. These events are open for all to bring and share in music, songs, poems, stories, food and friendship.

We will be preparing a tasty seasonal vegetable stew cooked on the fire, served with bread, cakes, teas and juices. Please feel free to bring along any other refreshments, food to share and alcoholic beverages that you may fancy, bearing in mind that this is a family event.

Spinney Hollow is a beautiful 5 1/2 acre low impact and environmentally sustainable woodland project in a 90 acre copse on the edge of the Winchester District. Its aim is to create a woodland space for people to learn, create and play. It is home to a range of Native species of trees, undergrowth, wild flowers and many varieties of birds and other woodland animals.

Facilitates include a fire pit, outdoor sheltered woodland kitchen with BBQ, sink, dining table and food storage, acoustic stage with solar powered lights and a compost loo with a rustic wash room.

As access and parking is limited we are always looking for offers of lift shares (also better for the environment), when you book please let us know if you are able to offer a lift, would like a lift, where you are coming from and how much space you have in your vehicle, we may be able to pair some of you up for the evening.

“It was a great evening and had a huge impact on our friend”

Winter Solstice 'Yule' ~ Saturday 22nd December 1pm - 8pm

The Shortest Day & Longest Night of the Year is a time when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. The Sun’s whose strength has been held dormant in the belly of the Earth begins to gain power again and the Earth begins to awaken as the seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb begin to warm. It is a time for us to warm our inner fire and bring in our light, looking ahead and planning which dormant seeds we will grow in our lives as the Winter gives way to the bursting forth of Spring.

We will be creating an Evergreen Solstice Bush and invite you to bring natural elements and candles to add to this during the evening. We will also decorate the Solstice Bush with our wishes for the coming year, bringing light via the candles to the dreams we have as Winter fades with the climbing Sun. The evergreen represents the cycle of everlasting life and the new green growth that will soon appear.

From 1pm we will be preparing a tasty seasonal vegetarian meal cooked on the fire, served with bread, cakes, teas and juices, please come along and help. Also feel free to bring along any other refreshments, food to share and alcoholic beverages that you may fancy, bearing in mind that this is a family event.

“Brilliant!”

Autumn Equinox ~ Saturday 22nd September / 4pm - 11pm

The Autumn Equinox is a time of balance, when day and night become equal length, the Sun’s strength begins to recede and nature turns on its inward journey back to the belly of the Earth. For us too, it is a time of balance between the outward and the inward realities. It’s a time to assess all that has been gathered both physically and spiritually, begin to reflect and make use of all that we’ve harvested. To acknowledge this we will be blending incense from gathered herbs, barks and flowers each to their own blend in accordance with what you wish to bring into consciousness this autumn and beyond. We invite you to share your music, make new friends, dance, meditate and enjoy all the evening has to offer.

From 4pm we will be preparing a tasty seasonal vegetarian meal cooked on the fire, served with bread, cakes, teas and juices, please come along and help. Also feel free to bring along any other refreshments, food to share and alcoholic beverages that you may fancy, bearing in mind that this is a family event.

“A pleasant ambience had been created”

Summer Solstice ~ Saturday 23rd June / 4pm - 11pm

The height of summer is a time to honour the full strength of the sun and the earth in all her bounty. It’s a time to gather together and celebrate the glory and power of the masculine and the overflowing abundance of the feminine. To acknowledge this we will be fire lighting the bushcraft way, with the main fire being lit at 7pm and making traditional head garlands from woven plants and ribbons. We will be providing a veggie barbecue, but please bring plates of food indulging in the fruits and greenery of the season. We will be having traditional mead, so come and share your music, make new friends, drum, dance and lets celebrate together.

We will be providing veggie burgers and sausages, with bread. We ask that you bring along food & drink to share to go with the BBQ that honour the season e.g. fresh herbs, salads, pasta, fruits, juices, lemonade, cookies and cakes decorated to honor the Sun, and anything made with honey.

“A very lovely and joyful evening!”

Spring Equinox ~ Saturday 24th March / 4pm - 11pm

The Spring Equinox is a time of balance, when the Sun gains in strength, day and night become equal length and nature begins to awaken and come alive. Its a time to reach out, begin new ventures and make plans for the year ahead. To acknowledge this we will be making pray flags to fly in the wind and carry your prayers and wishes, and invite you to share your music, make new friends, dance, meditate or run wild like a mad march hare.

From 4pm we will be preparing a tasty seasonal vegetarian meal cooked on the fire, served with bread, cakes, teas and juices, please come along and help. Also feel free to bring along any other refreshments, food to share and alcoholic beverages that you may fancy, bearing in mind that this is a family event.

“I think you are really 'raising the vibration' in Southampton through what you are doing, and we know that’s needed!”