Shedding Festival

A slow crescendo of voices ebb and flow down the streets of La Chiave a Croce. Another festival for the changing of seasons. Now, it's the time for intentions, for tilling the soil and sowing seeds. The time to release the frozen shell is upon us.  

The Festival & Events

On The Claw Continent, there is a traveling event known as the Shedding Festival hosted by the Children of Life and Death.   Unknown to most, the event begins before the public arrives. Basi's followers gather for some morning stretches to release their baggage and start a new day.  

Breathe in, opening your heart up to the sky. Breathe out, releasing the weight down into Basi's welcoming arms.

  Once open to the public, a merry festival begins. Artisan booths and food stalls line the street. Performers take to the stage. What sets this festival apart is its raw nature. The art, in all its forms, celebrate the internal struggles and journeys we all face. From the sorrow and rage to the exponential growth on the other side.  

Your path requires patience and resilience. You cannot rush a seedling but you can nurture its roots. Nurture your heart. Nurture your soul.

— Grimmer Elder at the Shedding Festival

 

Cultural Origins

In Basilic tradition, we play through the holy cycles of life and death every day. We rise to the waking world, coming alive. We lie down to rest, we fall into a - not quite so deep - sleep. The food we choose to consume is part of the ever present circle of life, particularly for adventurers during periods of expansion and growth. These cyclic patterns in daily life are important, yet, incidental repetitions of the life and death cycle.   But what of the mental cycles? The generational curses that we break. The journeys of destruction and discovery that shape self-identity. The stories that no longer serve us and the new ones that we try to tell. It can be hard to adequately express internal experiences without physical representation. Various forms of art - from paintings, written works, and crafted goods to dance, music, and other performances - can hold space and represent the journeys we carry.   To the Children of Life and Death, these internal cycles are powerful and deserving of attention. Hence the creation of the Shedding Festival.    In its conception, the Shedding Festival was a short, private event held to celebrate individual journeys of self-actualization and truth finding. Typically, these ceremonies took place in a quiet room. Anyone could participant in the group processing. It was the host's job, however, to hold space and compassion for the processors. While their stories were never spoken, any sounds from sighs to wails were given up to Basi and held in honor by the rest of the group.