An Evening of Star Wisdom and Cosmic Kinship
With John Abate + Victoria Moon, and guest facilitator Elijah G, community tender and co-steward of theGrove
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As we approach the Winter Solstice, the longer nights invite us into a quieter relationship with ourselves and the world around us. Darkness offers a place of gestation, mystery, and deep listening — a place where we can rest, tend what is taking shape within, and honor the returning light.
Above us the stars invite us to remember our place within the cosmos here on Earth, and to deepen our relationship with the night sky. The light of each and every star offers a point of connection in the darkness, drawing our attention into the vastness we belong to as well as reflecting to us the light that we are.
This gathering invites us into direct experience of the season’s teachings — how do we honor Winters’ call to slow down and turn inward while continuing to nourish our relationships and stay connected with others? What helps us make room for silence and rest? How can step into a healthy balance of rest and movement simultaneously? What light are we choosing to tend through the Winter months?
Our guest facilitator, Elijah G, will guide us through star teachings and an exploration of the night sky, inviting curiosity, wonder, and a deeper sense of relationship with the celestial world.
Together, we’ll honor the darkness, welcome the returning light, and remember the warmth we can offer one another through the Winter season. We hope you will join us!
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Practices woven throughout the evening include:
△ Star teachings + exploration of the night sky with Elijah G
△ Remembering our relationship with the stars + cosmos
△ Ceremonial cacao
△ Guided meditation
△ Sacred silence + deep listening
△ Starlight ceremony
△ Personal prayer + intention for the Winter season
△ Song, poetry + creative expression
△ Community, warmth + connection
You do not need knowledge of the stars, experience with ceremony, or confidence in singing to participate. All practices are invitations, and you are welcome to share or listen in the ways that feel right for you.
Registered participants will receive a preparation email before the gathering with details on what to bring and how to prepare.
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At the heart of Circles of Harmony is a desire to restore our relationship with simple practices that have connected human beings to place, community, the sacred, and the larger web of life across generations. With each gathering, we are honored to welcome guest facilitators from different paths, traditions, and areas of study, inviting them to share their gifts and lived wisdom in service of connection, inspiration, and community.
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Meet Your Facilitators //
John Abate
John is trained and qualified to teach MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) through the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Center for Mindfulness and Integrative Studies. Along with his MBSR training and teaching credentials, John has spent time on silent meditation retreats and leads mindfulness and meditation workshops through his organization, Mindful Foundations. His path includes pilgrimages to the Sacred Valley of Peru and study within the Andean Cosmovision, deepening his relationship with the cycles of nature, community responsibility, ceremony, and the natural world.
Learn more about John:
IG: @johnjabate
Victoria Moon
Victoria is a ceremonialist, herbalist, mother, tattoo artist, and owner of Root + Ritual studio in New Hartford, CT — a tattoo shop and healing arts space devoted to healing and spiritual transformation. Her path has been shaped by years of immersion in earth-based ceremony and plant medicine traditions, working closely with cacao as a primary teacher and ally. Through her dedicated practice in herbalism, she continues to deepen her relationship with the land and the wisdom of the natural world.
Her work is rooted in the understanding that spiritual practice begins with relationship — with the body, the Earth, one another, and the seen and unseen worlds around us. She holds the intention of creating spaces where individuals feel safe, seen, deeply held, and invited into direct experience of their own inner knowing.
Learn more about Victoria:
IG: @victoriamoontattoo
Elijah G // Guest Facilitator
Elijah, one of the co-founders of theGROVE, has been a student of the stars since his earliest days, perpetually drawn to the mystery and magic of the natural world. His true passion and calling lie in deeply absorbing this ancient wisdom and sharing it with others.
A lifelong student of the outdoors, Elijah’s journey has taken him across the country and into some of the world's most rugged landscapes—including a transformative six-month expedition in Patagonia with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School). These experiences rooted him in a profound respect for the earth and wild spaces.
In 2020, Elijah and Rachael purchased the land that would become theGROVE. Today, Elijah dedicates his energy to tending and stewarding the property, weaving his artistic expression directly into the landscape and creating a sanctuary where others can reconnect with nature's rhythms.