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Sacred Groves

Sacred Groves is a ten acre forest sanctuary located on Bainbridge Island, in

Washington state, home to a small intentional community living in harmony with
each other, nature and spirit. We welcome guests and clients to the land for
rituals, healing work, music, learning, prayer and retreat time in the woods. It is a
place to deepen your relationship with Mother Earth and your personal
spirituality, a place for ceremony and a sense of connection. We offer season’s
change rituals, sweatlodges, grief-work, communication classes, a monthly drum
circle and Women’s Moon Ceremony and more. Women’s Mysteries School
events are geared especially towards women’s healing and empowerment.

Sacred Groves is not affiliated with any particular religion. The events here
include elements of ritual from earth-based spiritual traditions in North America,
Africa and pre-Christian Europe. They have also been inspired by mentors like
Sobonfu Some, Joanna Macy, Starhawk, and co-creative experiences in
drumming and ritual groups for the past couple of decades. We welcome people
from all races and cultures who share our beliefs that the earth is sacred and
that music, dance, prayer, ceremony, and time in the natural world are essential
for personal and community health.

Events at Sacred Groves are most often facilitated by owner-director Therese

Charvet whose spiritual practices and offerings have been shaped by 25 years of
Buddhist meditation practice, her deep connection to Mother Earth, and her love
of drum, dance and song. Some events (like the Grief Ritual and Wailing Lodge)
are co-facilitated with Kendra E. Thornbury of SpiritAlive who also occasionally
offers her own workshops at the Groves. Occasionally Therese invites other
teachers to the Groves to share their gifts with the land and the people who love
to come here.

Activities at Sacred Groves occur in the natural setting of 10 acres of Pacific

Northwest rainforest. It is a small wilderness park where you can feel the
sacredness of the earth. It’s a place to settle into the quiet, listen to the birds,
watch the trees sway in the wind, re-establish connection with God, Goddess,
Great Spirit, Great Mystery or whatever it is you call that ineffable power that
underlies all of life.
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Sacred Groves in India

Sacred groves in India refer to forest fragments of varying sizes, which are
communally protected, and which usually have a significant religious connotation
for the protecting community. Hunting and logging are usually strictly prohibited
within these patches. [1] Other forms of forest usage like honey collection and
deadwood collection are sometimes allowed on a sustainable basis. Sacred
groves did not enjoy protection via federal legislation in India. Some NGOs work
with local villagers to protect such groves. Traditionally, and in some cases even
today, members of the community take turns to protect the grove. [2] However,
the introduction of the protected area category community reserves under the
Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002 has introduced legislation for
providing government protection to community held lands, which could include
sacred groves.

Indian sacred groves are sometimes associated with temples / monasteries /

shrines or with burial grounds (which is the case in Shinto and Ryukyuan religion-
based sacred groves respectively in Japan). Sacred groves may be loosely used
to refer to other natural habitat protected on religious grounds, such as Alpine
Meadows.

Historical references to sacred groves can be obtained from ancient classics as

far back as Kalidasa's Vikramuurvashiiya.

Beliefs
Typically, such groves are associated with the concept of a "presiding deity". While most of
these sacred deities are associated with local Hindu gods, sacred groves of Islamic and
Buddhist origins, and some based on smaller local religions and folk religions (like the folk
deities ayyanar and amman ) are also known of. There are over 1000 deities associated with
sacred groves in the states of Kerala and Karnataka alone.
[edit] Locations
Sacred groves are scattered all over the country, and are referred to by different names in
different parts of India. Sacred groves occur in a variety of places - from scrub forests in the
Thar Desert of Rajasthan maintained by the Bishnois, to rain forests in the Kerala Western
Ghats. Himachal Pradesh in the North and Kerala in the South are specifically known for
their large numbers of sacred groves. [3]
Around 14,000 sacred groves have been reported from all over India, which act as reservoirs
of rare fauna, and more often rare flora, amid rural and even urban settings. Experts believe
that the total number of sacred groves could be as high as 100,000. [4] [5]
It is estimated that around 1000 km² of unexploited land is inside sacred groves. Some of the
more famous groves are the kavus of Kerala, which are located in the Western Ghats and have
enormous biodiversity; and the law kyntangs of Meghalaya - sacred groves associated with
every village (two large groves being in Mawphlang and Mausmai) to appease the forest
spirit.
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Among the largest sacred groves of India are the ones in Hariyali, near Ganchar in Chamoli
District of Uttarakhand, and the Deodar grove in Shipin near Simla in Himachal Pradesh.

State No of groves Local name References

Andhra Pradesh 750 B. R. P. Rao [6]

Gumpa forests
Arunachal Pradesh 65 (since attached Dudley et al [7]
to monasteries)

Assam 40 Than, Madaico

Sarna, Devlas,
Chhattisgarh 600*
Mandar, Budhadev

Goa NA* SERBC document [8]

Gujarat 29*

Haryana 248

Himachal Pradesh 5000 Deo bhumi

Jharkhand 21* Sarna Marine Carrin [9]

Devarakadu,
Karnataka 1424 Gadgil et al [10]
Devarkan

Kerala 2000 Kavu M. Jayarajan [11]

Devkot, Matikot,
Madhya Pradesh 21*
Devsthali, Budhadev

Deorai/Devrai

(Pune, Ratnagiri, Waghchaure et al [12]

Maharashtra 1600
Raigarh, Kolhapur
districts)
Gamkhap, Mauhak
Manipur 365 (sacred bamboo Khumbongyam et al [13]
reserves)
Law kyntang,
Meghalaya 79 Upadhyay et al [14]
Law lyngdhoh
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Orissa 322* Jahera, Thakuramma

Pondicherry 108 Kovil Kadu Ramanujam et al [15]
Oran (Jaiselmer,
Jodhpur, Bikaner),
Kenkri (Ajmer),
Rajasthan 9*
Vani (Mewar),
Shamlat deh, Devbani
(Alwar), Jogmaya
Gumpa forests S. S. Dash [16]
Sikkim 56 (since attached
to monasteries) Dudley et al [7]
Tamil Nadu 503 Kovil Kadu M. Amrithalingam [17]
Deobhumi, Bugyal
Uttarakhand 18* (sacred alpine Anthwal et al [18]
meadows)
Garamthan,
Harithan,
West Bengal 670* R. K. Bhakat [19]
Jahera, Sabitrithan,
Santalburithan
All numbers are quoted from the records of the C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre of the
Government of India. Starred numbers are likely to increase. The centre also maintains a
complete list of identified sacred groves in India, most of which is online. [20]
[edit] Uses
Traditional uses: One of the most important traditional uses of sacred groves was that it
acted as a repository for various Ayurvedic medicines. Other uses involved a source of
replenishable resources like fruits and honey. However, in most sacred groves it was taboo to
hunt or chop wood. The vegetation cover helps reduce soil erosion and prevents
desertification, as in Rajasthan. The groves are often associated with ponds and streams, and
meet water requirements of local communities. They sometimes help in recharging aquifers
as well.
Modern uses: In modern times, sacred groves have become biodiversity hotspots, as various
species seek refuge in the areas due to progressive habitat destruction, and hunting. Sacred
groves often contain plant and animal species that have become extinct in neighboring areas.
They therefore harbor great genetic diversity. Besides this, sacred groves in urban landscapes
act as "lungs" to the city as well, providing much needed vegetation cover.
[edit] Threats
Threats to the grove include urbanization, over-exploitation of resources (like overgrazing
and excessive fuelwood collection), and environmental destruction due to religious practices.
While many of the groves are looked upon as abode of Hindu gods, in the recent past a
number of them have been partially cleared for construction of shrines and temples. [4] Other
threats to the sacred groves include invasion by invasive species, like the invasive weeds
Chromolaena odorata, Lantana camara and Prosopis juliflora.
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[edit] Traditions
A large number of distinct local art forms and folk traditions are associated with the deities of
sacred groves, and are an important cultural aspect closely associated with sacred traditions.
Ritualistic dances and dramatizations based on the local deities that protect the groves are
called Theyyam in Kerala and Nagmandalam, among other names, in Karnataka. Often,
elaborate rituals and traditions are associated with sacred groves [21], as are associated folk
tales and folk mythology.
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Sacred groves were a feature of the mythological landscape and the cult practice of Old
Europe, of the most ancient levels of Germanic paganism, Greek mythology, Slavic
mythology, Roman mythology, and in Druidic practice. Sacred groves also feature
prominently in many Asian and African mythologies and cultures, most notably in India,
Japan, West Africa, and Anatolia.
[edit] Ancient Near East
Further information: Ancient Near Eastern religions
Excavations at Labraunda have revealed a large shrine - which, according to Herodotus was
supposed to have contained a sacred grove. The site was sacred to both Carians and Mysians.

In Syria, some sacred groves are believed to have been made during Assyrian times.

[edit] Greco-Roman polytheism

Main article: Temenos
The most famous sacred grove in mainland Greece was the oak grove at Dodona. Outside the
walls of Athens, the site of the Academy was a sacred grove of olive trees, still recalled in the
phrase "the groves of Academe."

In central Italy, the town of Nemi recalls the Latin nemus Aricinum, or "grove of Ariccia", a
small town a quarter of the way around the lake. In Antiquity the area had no town, but the
grove was the site of one of the most famous of Roman cults and temples: that of Diana
Nemorensis, a study of which served as the seed for Sir James Frazer's seminal work on the
anthropology of religion, The Golden Bough. [1]

A sacred grove behind the House of the Vestal Virgins on the edge of the Roman Forum
lingered until its last vestiges were burnt in the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE.

In the town of Spoleto, Umbria, two stones from the late third century BCE, inscribed in
archaic Latin, established punishments for the profanation of the woods dedicated to Jupiter
(Lex Luci Spoletina) have survived; they are preserved in the National Archeological
Museum of Spoleto [2] .

The Bosco Sacro (literally sacred grove) at Bomarzo, Italy is a well-known sculpture garden
and sacred grove.

[edit] Baltic polytheism

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Sacred groves have survived in the Baltic states longer than in other parts of Europe. The
main Baltic Prussian sanctuary, which is also considered a sacred grove was Romowe. The
last extermination of sacred groves was carried out in the lands of present-day Lithuania after
its Christianization in 1387 and Samogitia in 1413. A sacred grove is known as alka(s) in
Lithuanian.

[edit] Germanic polytheism

Main article: Hörgr
Sacred groves feature prominently in Scandinavian mythology. The most famous sacred
grove of Northern Europe was at the Temple at Uppsala in Old Uppsala, where every tree was
considered sacred - described by Adam of Bremen. The practice of Blót - the sacrificial ritual
in Norse paganism was usually held in Lunds or sacred groves. According to Adam of
Bremen, in Scandinavia, pagan kings sacrificed nine males of each species at the sacred
groves every ninth year.[3]

The pagan Germanic tribes also performed tree-worship and had the concept of sacred
groves. It is thought that the idea of sacred trees like the Thor's Oak might have led to the
concept of the present day Christmas tree.

[edit] Celtic polytheism

Main article: Nemeton
The Celts used sacred groves, called nemeton in Gaulish, for performing ritual animal and
human sacrifices, and other rituals, based on Celtic mythology. The deity involved was
usually Nemetona - a Celtic goddess. Druids oversaw such rituals. Existence of such groves
have been found in Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Hungary in Central Europe,
in many sites of ancient Gaul in France, as well as England and Northern Ireland. Sacred
grove remains had been plentiful up until the 3rd century BC, when the Romans attacked and
conquered Gaul. One of the most well known nemeton sites is that in the Nevet forest near
Locronan in Bretagne, France. Gournay-sur-Aronde (Gournay-on-Aronde), a village in the
Oise department of France, also houses the remains of a nemeton. [4] [5]

Nemetons were often fenced off by enclosures, as indicated by the German term
Viereckschanze - meaning a quadrangular space surrounded by a ditch enclosed by wooden
palisades.

Many of these groves, like the sacred grove at Didyma, Turkey are thought to be nemetons,
sacred groves protected by druids based on Celtic Mythology. In fact, according to Strabo, the
central shrine at Galatia was called Drunemeton. [6] Some of these were also sacred groves in
Greek times (as in the case of Didyma), but were based on a different or slightly changed
mythology.
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[edit] India
See also: Sacred groves of India
In India, sacred groves are scattered all over the country, and do not enjoy protection via
federal legislation. Some NGOs work with local villagers to protect such groves. Each grove
is associated with a presiding deity, and the grove are referred to by different names in
different parts of India. They were maintained by local communities with hunting and logging
strictly prohibited within these patches. While most of these sacred deities are associated with
local Hindu gods, sacred groves of Islamic and Buddhist origins are also known. Sacred
groves occur in a variety of places - from scrub forests in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan
maintained by the Bishnois, to rain forests in the Kerala Western Ghats. Himachal Pradesh in
the North and Kerala in the South are specifically known for their large numbers of sacred
groves.[7]

Around 14,000 sacred groves have been reported from all over India, which act as reservoirs
of rare fauna, and more often rare flora, amid rural and even urban settings. Experts believe
that the total number of sacred groves could be as high as 100,000. Threats to the groves
include urbanization, over-exploitation of resources, and environmental destruction from
Hindu religious practices. While many of the groves are looked upon as abode of Hindu gods,
in the recent past a number of them have been partially cleared for construction of shrines and
temples.[8][9]

Ritualistic dances and dramatizations based on the local deities that protect the groves are
called Theyyam in Kerala and Nagmandalam, among other names, in Karnataka.

[edit] West Africa

The concept of sacred groves is present in Nigerian mythology as well. The Osun-Osogbo
Sacred Grove, containing dense forests, is located just outside the city of Osogbo, and is
regarded as one of the last virgin high forests in Nigeria. It is dedicated to the fertility god in
Yoruba mythology, and is dotted with shrines and sculptures. Suzanne Wenger, an Austrian
artist, has helped revive the grove. The grove was designated as an UNESCO World Heritage
Site in 2005. [10].

Sacred groves are also present in Ghana. One of Ghana's most famous sacred groves - the
Buoyem Sacred Grove - and numerous other sacred groves are present in the Techiman
Municipal District and nearby districts of the Brong Ahafo Region. They provide a refuge for
wildlife which has been exterminated in nearby areas, and one grove most notably houses
20,000 fruit bats in underground caves. [11] The capital of the historical Ghana Empire El-
Ghaba, contained a sacred grove for performing religious rites of the Soninke people. Other
sacred groves in Ghana include sacred groves along the coastal savannahs of Ghana [12].
Many sacred groves in Ghana are now under federal protecttion - like the Anweam Sacred
Grove in the Esukawkaw Forest Reserve [13] Other well-known sacred groves in Ghana
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include the Malshegu Sacred Grove in Northern Ghana - one of the last remaining closed
canopy forests in the savannah regions [14], and the Jachie sacred grove.

[edit] Japan
Sacred groves in Japan are typically associated with Shinto shrines, and are located all over
Japan. The Cryptomeria tree is venerated in Shinto practice, and considered sacred. Among
the sacred groves associated with such jinjas or Shinto shrines are the shrine at Atsuta-ku,
Nagoya - one of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan, and the Kashima Shrine - now
protected as part of the Kashima Wildlife Preservation Area, on account of its varied bird life
and plant life (it houses over 800 kinds of trees). [15]

The Utaki sacred sites (often with associated burial grounds) on Okinawa are based on
Ryukyuan religion, and usually are associated with toun or kami-asagi - regions dedicated to
the gods where people are forbidden to go. Sacred groves are often present in such places, as
also in Gusukus - fortified areas which contain sacred sites within them. [16] The Seifa-utaki
was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2003. It consists of a
triangular cavern formed by gigantic rocks, and contains a sacred grove with rare, indigenous
trees like the Kubanoki (a kind of palm) and the yabunikkei or Cinnamomum japonicum (a
form of wild cinnamon). Direct access to the grove is forbidden.