Keening with Sacred Sites and the Land on Dartmoor
About
RECONNECT WITH THE ANCIENT PRACTICE OF EXPRESSION THROUGH VOICE IN THE DARTMOOR LANDSCAPE.Many traditional cultures understood grief as something that needed expression, witness, and community. Rather than carrying loss in silence, people gathered together and used ritual, voice, and connection with the land to process life's transitions. Keening was an ancestral form of vocal expression used for centuries to give voice to grief, sorrow, change, and remembrance. It was not only an expression of loss but of the full emotional landscape that surrounds it: anger, protest, praise, longing, and the deep physical need to purge what the body has been holding. Across the British Isles, it was suppressed by the Church over several centuries, marking a deep interruption in cultural expression that has never fully healed.
This gathering is part of an ongoing attempt to reintroduce this indigenous tradition and restore the human voice to collective grieving.
We will walk an ancient stone row, following in the footsteps of those who came before us, who used the act of walking the sacred rows as a processional container to support their grief. We will also gather at the Longstone, the standing stone at the heart of the complex, which stands over three metres high, and work with the energy of the stone in combination with our voices. The stones, the open landscape, and the long memory held within the moor provide a powerful setting for reflection and release.
Through guided practice we will work with the human voice, listening to the subtle movement between harmony and dissonance, exploring how keening reconnects us with the full range of emotions that have long been suppressed, and learning to express what words alone cannot always convey. Keening is also an expression of the land itself, a way of allowing the voice to become a channel for the living landscape around us.
This is not a counselling session or therapy group. It is a carefully held space for reflection, expression, and connection, drawing on indigenous traditions and the enduring presence of the Dartmoor landscape. If you are currently experiencing active mental health difficulties, this workshop is not appropriate for you at this time.
Dartmoor often experiences inclement weather, please dress in warm layers, bring waterproofs and wear appropriate footwear for a rough terrain.
With Liz Meadows and Emma Sampson
No previous experience is required.
Maximum 15 spaces
Date
Saturday 22 August 2026 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM (UTC+01)Location
Shovel Down Ceremonial Complex, Dartmoor
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Keening with Sacred Sites and the Land on Dartmoor
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