excursions & an invocation

Janet Evelyn McEuen and the Ajax Club Excursion, Halifax, 1940-41

Titles for my projects allow me to dig deep into language and discover the etymology, the origin of words and their change in meaning throughout history, of terms that I hope will enrich my work.  On that note I would like to invite you to a series of excursions and an invocation in Point Pleasant Park during the month of March.


So why an excursion? 

Why not an expedition, a journey, jaunt, pilgrimage or tour?  Well, an excursion is a special kind of field-trip, which returns to its point of departure and can occur leisurely in the span of a day.  The technical definition states an excursion is the instance of the movement of something along a path or through an angle, it is also a deviation from a regular pattern or path.

North West Arm boating excursion, 1907

Historically, excursion is also a term to describe a military sortie; an attack made by troops 
coming out from a position of defense.  Point Pleasant Park, with its batteries, towers, and stationed troops, is a site of defense where military excursion would have taken place had Halifax been attacked by ship.  I hope you can join me for one or more of the upcoming excursions in the park (please see below).


HOLY WELL EXCURSIONS
Sunday March 13, Monday March 21, and Sunday April 10, starting at 2:00 pm: 
These hour-long excursions will celebrate ritual and rite of passage that is often associated with purposeful travel to sacred sites.  Participants will meet at the Gatekeeper's Lodge at Point Pleasant Park and be guided by foot to the only potable water source in the park, mysteriously refered to as "The Holy Well".  

Interested participants should RSVP by email to printedpages@gmail.com with Holy Well as the subject line, at least 1 day prior to the excursion.  Excursions will take place rain or shine, please wear suitable footwear for trail-walking in the park.

Lamp lighter at Finsbury Park, London

I recently dedicated a post to the new lamp posts that are currently being installed at the Gate entrance to Point Pleasant Park.  The posts have been placed (they are gorgeous!) and are in need of celebration!  Invocations have been used throughout time and by secular groups and world religions to invoke spirits, commence ceremonies, and mark transitions to new eras.  An invocation is an appeal, a summons, a call for assistance and authority and it is also the incantation used for this call.  The Point Pleasant Park Lamplighter's Invocation will recognize the roll of the lamplighter in history, and will take place at a very special time of year; the last evening of this year's Winter, and on a full moon.  I hope you can join me to invoke the spirit of the lamplighter, a new spring, and March's young moon at its zenith.  Please read below for details.

Projected moon, March 19 2011

LAMPLIGHTER'S INVOCATION 
Saturday March 19, starting at 7:10 pm sharp: 
This procession will commemorate and illuminate the old and new sites for the Point Pleasant Park cast iron lamps, made by the Glasgow Corporation Lighting Department in 1900.  The lamps, removed from the Tower road entrance to be refinished and retrofitted with LED lights, are currently being placed near the Park Gates and the Young Street entrance to the park.  

The ceremony will begin at precisely 7:10 pm at the Gatekeeper's Lodge and will take place rain or shine.

All are welcome to participate.  I hope to see you in the park.