Events for 2024 and 2025
*****COVID19 Announcement: Everyone, regardless of where they are in their vaccine journey, will be required to test that day.
Testing options: You test that day, right before coming (and from that time, no unmasked contact w/ people, i.e. stopping by a store), photograph the results, and the expiration date of the test you took, and show the picture of your negative test at the door. OR you can test OUTSIDE when you get here. You will not be admitted without proof of a negative test. We will have tests available (if we run out, you'll need to buy one and then test). Where to get free tests, viable tests, tests for the uninsured: https://www.covid.gov/tests Free tests are available to all by mail again and most insurance pays for tests every month.
We highly recommend you get the current up to date vaccine, which now is the Monovalent (rolled out in Sept '24). It is not a booster. It's for the new variants. Your older vaccines probably aren't doing much of anything anymore. Find out your schedule and more info on https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html If you do not have health insurance, you can still get vaccinated for free. https://www.vaccines.gov/
There may be further safety requirements depending upon the situation or the venue at the time.
Masking: We highly recommend masking (with N95/KN95/KF95) in public areas of any kind, especially leading up to an event. It can take 2 weeks after an exposure to get a positive on a test. You probably won't know you had an exposure because tracking is defunded, so just assume you have been exposed if you're unmasked (especially indoors) in a public place. Masking for the service is always acceptable.
-If you have had a recent infection (within 2 months), no longer have symptoms without medication, are testing negative without anti-virals in your system, and after that, wait 5 more days before being unmasked (N95, KN95, KF94) around people. People are staying contagious 5 days after their last unmedicated symptom. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html
-If you have another situation/concern, please contact us.
If you have symptoms or test positive, please do not come to the service. We will miss you, and hopefully see you another time.
If the Covid-19 situation changes, we will follow the CDC guidelines or be even more strict about contact.
You may email firesong@globalspirits.org for more info on our events. There may be updates to this, so please check back.
2024:
January Service for the Spirits of Cycles: Sat. Jan 13th 3 PM in Bethesda, MD Email tom@toms.net for directions and logistical information. We will do our annual divination for the year at this service.
February Service for the Spirits of Air: Sat Feb 3rd at 3 PM Columbia, MD. Contact carla.g725@gmail.com for address. We need to end about 8:30-9.
March Service for the Spirits of Learning: Sat. Mar. 30th at 9 PM. '5 PM is set up and beginning prayer. 'At the Sacred Space Conference March 28-31st. . http://www.sacredspacefoundation.org/ We recommend this conference. If you cannot come to the entire conference and wish to come to just the service, there will be a $30 fee, collected at the service, that goes to the conference.
April Service for the Spirits of Pleasure: Sat. Apr. 20th 3 PM in Bethesda, MD Email tom@toms.net for directions and logistical information.
May Service for the Spirits of Earth and Retreat: May 16-19th Retreat at Fox Haven in Middletown. Service on May 18th. There are still a couple spaces available for the retreat. You may arrive Fri if you cannot arrive on Thurs. We can accommodate others for just the service, only if we have not filled our quota for the weekend, and you will need to pay for that day, so we need to know ahead of time.
June Service for the Spirits of the Journey: Sat. June 22nd This will be a Headwashing Service at Where the Sidewalk Ends, near Emmitsburg. Please contact firesong@globalspirits.org for more information.
July Service for the Spirits of Weather: (location TBA) July 13th at 3 PM in Bethesda, MD Email tom@toms.net for directions and logistical information. We will be calling in Spirits of Weather with Popular songs instead of traditional/devotional songs.
August Service for the Spirits of Fire: August 8th at 8PM At Free Spirit Gathering Aug 6-11th. https://www.freespiritgatheringmd.org/ We highly recommend this festival. But if you can only come for the evening, there is a fee of $30 to go to Free Spirit Alliance. Register for the whole gathering or day or evening pass.
September Servicefor the Spirits of Water: Sat Sept 21, at Assateague Island National Seashore. 12 PM setup. 1 PM start time. Please email firesong@globalspirits.org for more information. We need to know if you are coming, so we can give directions and also weather updates.
October Service "Getting to Know You": Sat October 19th: 2 PM start in Bethesda, MD. Email tom@toms.net for directions and logistical information. Our theme this time is to invite a Spirit who is unfamiliar to you but you are curious about (and plays well with others). For UToS Members, this means a Spirit in our litany who has not been invited for a long time (or maybe never).
November Service For the Spirits of the Dead and The Ancestors: Sat Nov. 9th 3 PM start time at Where the Sidewalk Ends, near Emmitsburg, MD. Please email firesong@globalspirits.org for more information.
December Service for the Spirits of Assurance: Sat. Dec 7th. 3 PM start time in Germantown, MD. We will have our annual give away before this service. If you wish to participate in that, please bring a wrapped gift that's worth $20 or less.
2025:
We are currently working on our 2025 schedule. We have dates already. Some themes and locations are pending.
January Service theme TBA, location TBA.: January 11th. We will do our annual divination for the year at this service.
February Service theme TBA, location TBA.: February 22nd
March Service for the Spirits of : Sat. Mar. 29th at 9 PM. At the Sacred Space Conference March 27-30th. . http://www.sacredspacefoundation.org/ We recommend this conference. If you cannot come to the entire conference and wish to come to just the service, there will be a $30 fee, collected at the service, that goes to the conference.
April Service for April 10th-13th Retreat at Fox Haven in Middletown. Service on Apr 12th. We have a limit for how many people we can have at the venue. You may arrive Fri if you cannot arrive on Thurs. (teleworking there may be possible). We can accommodate others for just the service, only if we have not filled our quota for the weekend, and you will need to pay for that day, so we need to know ahead of time.
May Service for : theme TBA:', location TBA.: May 10th
June Service theme TBA: , location TBA.: June 14th
July Service for the Spirits of Purification: July 12. This will be a Headwashing Service at Where the Sidewalk Ends, near Emmitsburg. Please contact firesong@globalspirits.org for more information.
August Service for the Spirits of: At Free Spirit Gathering Aug 5-10th. Our Service Thurs Aug 7th. https://www.freespiritgatheringmd.org/ We highly recommend this festival. But if you can only come for the evening, there is an evening pass. Register for the whole gathering or day or evening pass.
September Service at Assateague Island National Seashore for the Spirits of the Sea. September 6th 12 PM setup. 1 PM start time. Please email firesong@globalspirits.org for more information. We need to know if you are coming, so we can give directions and also weather updates.
October Service theme TBA: ', location TBA: October 4th
November Service For the Spirits of the Dead and The Ancestors: Sat November 1st at Where the Sidewalk Ends, near Emmitsburg, MD. Please email firesong@globalspirits.org for more information.
December Service theme TBA: location TBA:December 6 We will have our annual give away before this service. If you wish to participate in that, please bring a wrapped gift that's worth $20 or less.
2023:
January Service for the Spirits of Victory Sat. Jan 7th at 2 PM. We will do our annual divination at this service. Columbia, MD. Contact carla.g725@gmail.com for address.
February Drum Workshop: Vodou Rhythms. Sat Feb 4 at 1 PM. in Bethesda, MD. 1 PM. Before the service at 3. We will learn some basic rhythms that work for some Lwa. Please bring a drum. If you do not have one, we should have extras.
February Service "Getting to Know You": Sat Feb 4 at 3 PM. in Bethesda, MD. Email tom@toms.net for further information. Our theme this time is to invite a Spirit who is unfamiliar to you but you are curious about (and plays well with others). For UToS Members, this means a Spirit in our litany who has not been invited for a long time (or maybe never).
March Service for the Spirits of Freedom from Oppression Sat Mar 25 at 3 PM Contact carla.g725@gmail.com for address.
April Service for the Spirits of Unity: Sat Apr 8th at 8:00-12:30 in the Garden Room- Between the Worlds/Sacred Space Joint Conference. For those who want to come only to the ritual, the fee is $30.00, collected at the start of the ritual. http://www.sacredspacefoundation.org/
May Retreat and Service for the Spirits of Planting: Thurs-Sun May 18-21st - Retreat at Fox Haven in Middleton, MD. The service will be on Sat May 20th. Please contact firesong@globalspirits.org for more information.
June Service for the Spirits of Portals: Sat June 10th, start time 1 PM. This will be a Headwashing Service at Where the Sidewalk Ends, near Emmitsburg. Please contact firesong@globalspirits.org for more information.
July Service: Calling Spirits with Popular Music. Sat July 15, 3 PM start. in Bethesda, MD. Email tom@toms.net for directions and logistical information. Popular music, being loosely defined, includes hip-hop, country, old vaudeville, R&B, folk... Not their traditional songs.
Aug. Service: Spirits of Curiosity Thurs Aug 3th, 6:30 set up. 8:30 ritual start time. - At the Free Spirit Gathering. (FSG is Tues-Sun, 8/1 - 8/6) https://www.freespiritgatheringmd.org/ In the "Tin Can".
September Service for the Spirits of the Ocean: Sat Sept 23, at Assateague Island National Seashore. 12 PM setup. 1 PM start time. Please email firesong@globalspirits.org for more information. We need to know if you are coming, so we can give directions and also weather updates.
October Service: (Theme TBA) Sat. Oct 7th, 3 PM start in Bethesda, MD. Email tom@toms.net for directions and logistical information. More information coming soon.
November Service for the Ancestors and Spirits of the Dead and Drumming workshop: Sat. Nov. 4th, 3 PM start time at Where the Sidewalk Ends, near Emmitsburg, MD. Please email firesong@globalspirits.org for more information. The workshop is on the Rhythms of the Lwa.
December Service for the Spirits of Night: Sat. Dec 2nd, 3 PM start. Email tom@toms.net for directions and logistical information. We will have our annual give away before this service.