RITUAL OF LIGHT OF ETHNIC CULTURES FOR HARMONY AND PEACE IN THE WORLD LATVIA, TURAIDA 19-21 JUNE, 2015.

“Foundation Māras loks”, in cooperation with the Turaida Museum Reserve and Sigulda City Council, and participating European Congress of Ethnic Religions (ECER) and International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), is organising the conference “Calendar – Cultural Reflection in nation”, in the end of which – during the Summer Solstice Celebration in Turaida – the representatives will have a possibility to carry out jointly the ritual of light for the Harmony and Peace in the World. CALENDAR – CULTURAL REFLECTION IN NATION Every ethnos has retained the memory of its calendar, based on its union with nature and reflecting the sacral or cyclic time. Through celebrations and rituals, calendar shows the world outlook of people and also the ancient archetypes, creating and maintaining the ties with a particular place, time, tradition and ancestors. Presently, the majority of peoples live in the time matrix not giving them a possibility to synchronize with the cycles of nature – the historical or the linear time has been introduced – which does not allow reconnecting with their ancestral intangible cultural heritage. By restoring the ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS based in the ethnic tradition, people are able to get rid of uncongenial cultural influences. Each etnos's main task is to preserve and transmit their spiritual heritage to the future generations. This is also supported by the UNESCO Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. The organizers of the conference invite the ethnic cultures to tell us your special story of your ethnic celebrations, rituals, traditions and archetypes over the course of a year. At the end of the conference we plan to adopt a joint resolution. Concluding the conference, we invite representatives of ethnic cultures celebrate the summer solstice in Turaida, jointly lighting a bonfire for Peace and Harmony in the world that resonates also with the year 2015 as the Year of Light declared by UNESCO. The Summer Solstice Celebration in Sigulda began 9 years ago, and is now an expanding event grown every year, bringing 3 to 5 thousand participants of Latvian regions and guests from all over the world. This is a very important moment for the people who honour the Sun – it is also energetically a very powerful moment with the view to unite in a common thought and ritual. Everything that is alive is on the move – in the cycle (rite), and everywhere where there is a cycle there is also a ritual. Through ritual the human inner world comes in a close contact with the Universe, renovating the primordial harmony, which ultimately is also a key prerequisite for the existence of every ethnos – to build unity between PEOPLE, ANCESTORS and NATURE CYCLE. ETHNIC CULTURE – PEOPLE’S ROAD OF LIFE The development of understanding of the world goes in the order: SELF – FAMILY (KIN) – ETNOS  – HUMANITY. We call to choose the road of Light, we call to bring Peace and Harmony to the world and we urge to follow own ways of culture to unify on the level of humanity through reaching spiritual perfection! Organizers of the Conference: „Foundation Māras loks” In cooperation with: Turaida Museum Reserve, European Congress of Ethnic Religions (ECER) and International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS) Supported by: Sigulda County Council Contaktinformation: e-mail: marasloks@gmail.com cell phone: +371 29541105 Skype: agnija360 website: www.marasloks.lv www.facebook.com/marasloks  

AGENDA

18. JUNE

Arriving. 17:00 – Tour in Riga 19:00 – Leaving for Krimulda. 20:00 – Dinner EVENING CIRCLE – discussing the course of the Conference, getting acquainted, expressing wishes

 19 JUNE

8:00 – MORNING CIRCLE – exercising with Dainas (Latvian folk songs), with Agris Vanags 9:00 – Breakfast 9:30 – Leaving to the conference place 10:00 – 10:15 – Conference opening 10:15 – 10:35 – Opening statements 10:35 – 11:10 – Introductory theme „Calendar – cultural reflection in nation”, Irena Saprovska, „Foundation Maras loks” 11:10 – 12:00 – „Everyone should set one's hand for the valuable legacy of generations to be passed over to our children", The Law of the Intangible Cultural Heritage – making a list of National Cultural Heritage values, Signe Pujāte, Latvian National Centre for Culture 12:00 – 12:30 - „Latvian time counting and foreign time matrix”, Dr phil. Valdis Steins, Latvia 12:30 – 13:30 – Dinner / video presentation „The Calendar Year. Lithuania” 13:30 – 14:00 – „ROMUVA and the calendar year”, Inija Trinkuna, ROMUVA, Lithuania 14:00 – 14:30 – "Bhartiya Calender:  Associated Aspects", Akhilesh Peshwe, ICCS, India 14:30 – 15:00 - "Bharatiya Calendar - Astrological significance", Dr Lata Dani, ICCS, India 15:00 – 15:30 - „Calendar as the basis of the nation culture development ”, Rodoslav  Sec, Slavonic Aryan culture 15:30 – 15:50 – Сoffee break 15:50 – 16:20 - „The Ancient Illyrian calendar and its importance for the culture”, Sofia Kukure, Kiev University, historian 16:20 – 19:00 – Circle of CULTURES, calendar presentations Daniele Liotti, MTR (Movimento Tradizionale Romano), Italy ASATRU, Germany „Cultural and Religious traditions in Africa”, Georges Val, historian, France Elena Lazareva „The tradition of Kupala. Magic of Sun, Water and Fire”, Belarus culture Maria Bykova „Yakut calendar year”, Yakut culture „Slavonic Circle. ECER congress 2016.”, Marianna Gorronova  and Zdenek Ordelt, SLAVONIC CIRCLE, Czech Republic 19:30 – dinner and Latvian dancing together with the folk group „ORE”.

20 JUNE

 8:00 - MORNING CIRCLE – Slavonic Aryan practice ZDRAVA, with Rodoslav Sec 9:00 – Breakfast 9:30 – Leaving for the conference place 10:00 – 10:20 – Elena Lazareva „The tradition of Kupala. Magic of Sun, Water and Fire”, Belarus culture 10:20 – 10:50 - "Dance of Shiva: The Kaalchakra”, Radheyshyam Dwivedi 10:50 – 11:20 – „Indigenous Cultures and the role of ICCS”, Dr. Lata Dani, ICCS, India 11:20 – 13:00 –„Ayurved For Good Health”, Dr. Avinash Lele and Dr. Bharti Lele

13:00 – Lunch 14:00 - 14:30 – Accepting of resolutions 14:30 – Tour in the Turaida Museum Reserve 16:00 - Rituals during the making of the POWER GARLAND. Demonstration of the summer solstice ritual, short introduction to the summer solstice tradition or songs, wishes for all Ethnic cultures, etc. 18:00 – Dinner 20:00 - Meditation through Latvian folk songs „The path of the Sun's daughter”. Socrate Folkschool, the Park for Self-Gnostics and Harmonisation, conducted by Jānis and Dace Vītoli Or 20:00 - The traditional bath ritual at the best Latvian ancient ritual bath masters Aelita and Juris Batņa, “Lielzemenes”.

 21 JUNE 7:00 - MORNING CIRCLE – Hatha - Yoga Class (Pranayama  and Asana Practice) with Sandra Scherzer, Germany 8:30 – Breakfast 9:30 – Leaving for the excursion

Conference participants are offered the opportunity to go on a tour to the Āraiši Lake Castle, where in one area you can see the Stone Age settlements, the IX and X century ancient Latgalian Lake Castle and the medieval castle ruins of German crusaders, as well as to visit the Cēsis Castle and the ancient jewellery forge. Alternative choice offered is attend the Internation Yoga day celebration at the Botanical garden in Riga, leaving at 7.00. More detailed information at:http://www.lu.lv/eng/news/t/33629/ 15:30 – Returning from excursion 16:00 – Lunch 18:00 – Preparing for the Sumer Solstice ritual 21:00 – LIGHT RITUAL 01:00 – 03:00 - NIGHT RITUAL or culture demonstration (songs, dances)

22 JUNE

11:00 - Late breakfast 13:00 – Leaving for the excursion (more info zigurds@parks.lv) or home. CONFERENCE FEE Conference fee is 160 euros. The fee includes accommodation (4 nights), meals (3 times a day, plus dinner on 18 June and breakfast on 22 June), transportation from Riga to Krimulda and from Krimulda to all conference venues, the conference handouts, as well as the dance evening and the tour. The bath ritual is for an additional fee – 30 EUR. Please confirm your participation at the conference by 30 April, indicating the number of members of the group, information on the attendance of the ritual bath and of the tour, as well as about eating habits and other issued related to the conference that we should know! The conference participation fee is to be paid to the bank account specified below until 1 June. Payment must indicate the name, the culture represented and the purpose of the payment - Participation in the Conference of World Ethnic Cultures in Latvia. We are looking forward to the information in English on your cultural calendar until 11 May. Contact: e-mail: marasloks@gmail.com cell phone: +371 29541105, Skype: agnija360, Agnija Saprovska, co-founder of “Foundation Māras loks” website: www.marasloks.lv www.facebook.com/marasloks Bank account specifications: Account name: Nodibinājums Māras loks Registered office: Ādmiņu iela 4a-2, Rīga, LV-1009 Unified tax payer's (registration) No. 40008089535 SWIFT code (BIC code): UNLALV2X Account No. LV 13UNLA0050006074369 You are welcome to visit hospitable Latvian! Yours faithfully, "Foundation Maras loks"