Opening & Cacao Ceremony
Thursday 23rd of July at 1pm
A sacred space to begin the journey together.
We warmly invite you to cross the threshold of the Gathering with presence, intention, and an open heart as we embark together on this four-day journey.
Before the opening circle begins, we will be welcomed by an Opening Concert by Elma Niacci (Bruno Maniaci). Through his captivating acoustic guitar, blending Mediterranean, Celtic, Middle Eastern and neo-folk influences, he will gently guide us into the spirit of the Gathering. His music invites us to slow down, fully arrive, leave the outside world behind, and allow the journey to begin within.
We will then gather for our Opening Circle—a moment to pause, land, and step fully into this extraordinary playground of freedom, connection, creativity, and celebration that we are about to co-create.
This Opening Ceremony is a foundational moment: a time to come together, recognize one another, and weave the collective field of trust, softness, and unity that will support the entire Gathering. It is an invitation to arrive exactly as we are, to set our personal and collective intentions, and to give ourselves permission to be fully authentic—in all the richness, vulnerability, and joy of our shared humanity.
Sophie Auber, founder and visionary of the Gathering, will officially open the space and guide us through a heart meditation—an invitation to reconnect with ourselves, with one another, and with something greater than ourselves, so that our hearts may beat as one as we step into this shared circle, connected, present, and aligned.We will also be supported by the sacred medicine of cacao, the plant of the heart, which will gently open our inner space and nourish presence, connection, and the flow of love.
This ceremony is an invitation to honour this passage together—to cross the threshold consciously, embrace all that is present, and open ourselves to everything we are about to experience, explore, create, play, and celebrate throughout these four unforgettable days of Gathering.
