SUN STONE ABYSS:
A Solstice Journey thru Land, Pleasure, & Sorrow

Nocturnal Medicine was invited to create a summer solstice rite at Opus 40—a 6.5 acre sculptural earthwork in New York’s Hudson Valley. In response, we created a self-guided reflective journey through the site, drawing on the dizzying landscape at Opus 40, as well as research into solstice practices.

We designed an experience that held both the pleasurable & painful realities of summer in a climate crisis, tapping into joys like summer fruits & lazy days, and into pains like intensifying heat waves & droughts. Through installation, a series of participatory rituals, & a guided meditation, we invited folks into the complexity of this moment, the land that holds us, & the stories of the past that have brought us into the present moment.

The swells & falls of Opus 40’s topography create a natural journey through light & shadow. Nine installations marked by flags were embedded in the site, each one integrating ritual & contemplation into the landscape. Guests were invited to mourn at a veiled monolith, to leave anointed stones at the body of a fallen deer, to bury stones in the forest, to wash themselves in cool waters, to eat fruits in a shaded oasis, & to ground and receive care at our stone spa. Together, the stations created a journey through light & shadow, into deeper awareness & connection.

Situated in Saugerties, NY, Opus 40 is a monumental sculptural earthwork—the life work of artist Harvey Fite. Fite built it over 34 years within the corpse of a bluestone quarry—a “pile of rubble” formed from digging stone to feed the construction of NYC. Before that, the land was part of the battleground of European colonization of Turtle Island & the genocide of its native peoples. SUN STONE ABYSS brought participants into contact with the stories of violence & loss held in the stone itself.

Location Opus 40 — Saugerties, NY
Year Spring 2022

 

Harvey Fite at work in his preferred uniform of shorts, no top & loafers.

“An incredibly deft synthesis of ritual, meditation, & a sort of spiritual-anthropological treasure hunt, the program involved successive & overlapping layers of sound, touch, thought & sensation.

An unearthing on all the levels of our sculpture & the woods & stone beyond that was thrilling, mournful & smart in equal measure.”

— Caroline Crumpacker
Executive Director, Opus 40 Sculpture Park

We designed a map of Opus 40 with our nine interventions indicated on it. Every guest was given a copy of this guidebook, allowing them to move through the journey at their own pace.

 “This was a beautiful journey and exploration into pain, pleasure, presence, grief & collective healing…. It is through this journey, that we could come to know, integrate and welcome the depths of healing within ourselves and the world more holistically.”

—Amanda K. Rue, Independent Consultant

The summer solstice is the highest point in the sun’s annual journey across our sky—a point at which the past, present, & future all become illuminated.

Nocturnal Medicine drew inspiration from the contemporary Irish solstice tradition, the Annual Day of Reflection, which invites people to use the solstice as a reflection point on the past & future of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.

“After moving through the multi-faceted & multi-tiered piece, I found myself in a sustained, content quiet. As a meditation teacher, I understand this space to be what we would call ‘bliss’, inner-contentedness or fulfillment.

I remain moved & grateful that two people could design an experience—akin to a seated or walking meditation—that could create so much natural alignment whilst simultaneously evoking so much wonder.”

—Taüs Tamara Jafar, musician, artist, & non-dualist teacher

Nocturnal Medicine drew ties between the experience of navigating Opus 40 & ideas of self-development, such as Joseph Campbell’s monomyth The Hero’s Journey, & cultural worker Kai Cheng Thom’s The Healing Spiral.

Both works speak of a shared human path of growth through cyclical travel into injury & shadow, & emergence into life & pleasure. Rooted in these ideas, we crafted a journey that used the form and landscape of Opus 40 to create the grounds for a journey of learning and growth.