Session Descriptions
Large-Group
Session: Solar Fires & Surging Waters
After lunch we will join together as a group to explore the theme of the
event. What are the surging waters within us? What is it to stand in the
light of the solstice sun?Where
do these energies reside within us?
Will you risk alchemy, transmutation, and transformation, to turn lead into gold?
We will discuss some of the themes and concepts for the day, and tell the story of Isis, who grieves for her dead husband Osiris before traveling to find the missing pieces of his body, and ultimately gaining the magical knowledge to bring himi back to life.
What is the deep magic inside you?
| Skills & Tools |
Elemental
Magic: Power and Energy
Marty Couch
How do we raise energy? Where does energy come from? How
do we use it to create power (and empower ourselves and others)? This
workshop will focus on understanding and using the elements to enhance
rituals. Whether you're new to ritual work, or if you are finding your
rituals stalled, or if you're just looking for a way to deepen your connection
to the elements and to be able to work with power and energy in ritual,
this workshop will give you tools to use in your next ritual.
Contemporary
Shamanic Practice
Joan Forest Mage
Joan is a contemporary shaman working with tools both from
her background in dance, movement and the expressive arts, as well as
tools from working with her spirit guides. Through discussion and some
experiential shamanic work, this workshop will explore the work of modern
shamanism, tools and practices, as well as what it means to be a shaman
in the context of an urban world.
Tantra
as a Path of Sacred Support
Martin
Barba, CTE
This introduction to Tantra will consist of instruction,
dialogue, and some simple exercises. Participants will learn to express
the power fo touch and breath in our Sadhana (spiritual practice) and
in our sacred relationships. The
yoga of tantra is a personal discipline, excellent for raising and channelling
and integrating the creative energies of the 1st and 2nd chakras through:
movement (kriya yoga), meditation, breathwork and exercise to expand your
ability to connect with yourself.
Elemental
Alchemy
David Spellsinger
This workshop will offer a combination of Cherokee shamanism,
Celtic Druidry, and Daoist alchemy. The "Great Work" of alchemy
is turning lead into gold. It is also the quest for wisdom, and the elixir
of immortality. Learn some tools to begin your own alchemical transmutation
into your divine self, living your highest potential.
Crystal
Bowl Meditation/Vibrational Sound Healing
Rosina
This experiential workshop will use singing bowls for sound healing. As
a musician, Rosina finds the sound energies to be healing on a deep level
and work in a continuous frequency to bring wellness and peace. Rosina
will bring her skills as a witch, priestess, Reiki healer, Sound healer,
and musician.
| Story & Myth |
Legacy
of Sumer:
Magicians
Journey Sumerian Ties in Modern Society
Louvel and
Lisa of Occult Bookstore
Explore the relationships of modern societal entities and
the gods of Sumer. This is a class on the relationships of the ancient
gods and modern movements toward understanding our universe. Socratic
class so bring lots of questions. This instructor bring with him many
years of work with the Sumerian forces and in modern ceremonial magick.
Body-Movement
and Magic:
Telling Your Story Through Movement
Renee
"Dance
was humanity's first connection to Deity and remains today a powerful
connection beween us and the Divine."
This will
be an experiental workshop in which we will explore ways to connect with
the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water through our bodies and through
movement. Useful exercises on how to move and direct energy from the body's
own bioenergetic system will be presented, as well as ways in which we
can use intuitive dance to expressively allow the body to tell it's own
story and ways in which we can then 'listen' to this story. What story
does your body tell? As life force is rising in the earth, can you connect
to that life force through your body?
Building
the Inner Temple:
Working with your Personal Mythology
Chris Scherbak
& Jack Cole, ADF
Within you is a sacred space, an inner temple. This space
is built from your stories, your personal mythology, and it is a space
that exists for you to do personal and spiritual work. Together we will
explore building this temple of spirit within ourselves. We will explore
our own stories and myths that reflect ourselves, and are reflected in
our own personal temple. Join us to explore the mystery and mythology
within yourself and to build your inner temple.
Creativity
Magic & Myth:
The Story of Isis, the Story of Our Selves
Traci Wood
& Shauna Aura
You don't need to be an artist to explore myth and story
through creative process. In this workshop we will explore the store of
Isis as she seeks to revive her dead love, Osiris. Isis follows the pattern
of the hero's journey, grieving, then seeking to find the lost pieces
of Osiris and the magic to bring him back to life. When have you discovered
the magic you need to do the impossible? In safe and sacred space, we
will explore mythology, Isis, and our own stories, as well as crafting
a mixed-media box to house our own personal magic.
**Some supplies
will be provided, and you are welcome to bring items for collage, or boxes
or cans that can be decorated.
Sacred
Alchemy of the Fire Circle
J. Sun Winslade
(PhD)
As a basic element,
fire is one of the oldest symbols for magick and transformation in the
world. But what does it actually mean when we 'play with fire'? And why
is it central to community experiences from Pagan festivals to drum circles
to Burning Man? In this workshop, we explore the centrality of fire as
a transformational force and a medium for storytelling, ritual, song,
and drumming. We will discuss various models for the fire circle, including
Magnus McBride's theories of alchemical fire, as well as ideas of how
to bring fire circle energy to a communal situation, even when all you
have is a candle. Bring drums, voices, and experiences.
| Green Earth & Sustainability |
Loving
the Earth: Why be Green?
Sayre Vickers
What motivates you to be Green? Why do you want to live a more sustainable
life? What do you love? If the thought of "going Green" fills
you with dread, or guilt, come instead to an uplifting work that will
help you discover the places where you love the earth, and the things
you can do to show your love to the earth. We will brainstorm some of
the tips and tools we may already be using in our lives, and other practices
we might adopt. Join us for an experiential and engaging discussion of
ways to love the earth.
Green
Magic, Money Magic
Shauna Aura
& Mark Mandrake
Living
a more sustainable life doesn't have to cost more. Learn some basic tips
and tools for greening your life that can also save money. There are lots
of choices around being green, and those choices can cost or save the
green in your wallet. We will discuss green tools for eco-sustainability
that can also lead to personal abundance. The workshop will also include
some experiential work to look at money as a form of energy, representing
the work that we have done, and how the places we spend our money offers
our energy and support.
Greening
your Workplace
Josh Ramos
Would you like to make your workplace more
Green? Have you ever gotten stuck wanting your company to recycle? Have
you tried to get your employees and coworkers to stop using bottled water
and not had much success? Or are you completely overwhelmed by all the
non-sustainable things that your company does? When an individual recycles,
many resources are saved, but when a large organization focuses on ecological
sustainability, the impact is far greater. This workshop will focus on
tools for getting buy-in for green initiatives in your workplace, including
focusing on cost savings and positive PR. Josh has been working to help
corporations Green themselves, and will offer some tips and tools for
you to bring a workable proposal to your boss, coworkers, or employees.
Fermentation:
Tools of the Organic Lifecycle
Nance Klehm
Fermentation is a biological process that
impacts the food we eat, as well as the waste we produce. Yogurt and other
foods are made through a process of fermenting, which can add nutrients
and preserve food. Fermenting is especially important if you're looking
to grow your own food and want to preserve some for the winter. At the
other end of the organic lifecycle, fermentation is part of the decomposition
process for all kinds of waste. Learn more about this process and how
you can use it in your process of living a more sustainable life with
the food you eat, and what you do with your waste.
Cool
Congregations: Reducing our Impact
Faith In Place
This
workshop is designed to help people measure their carbon footprints and
then lower them in community and with mutual support. If you've been wanting
to reduce your impact but don't know how, or if you have found yourself
overwhelmed, this is a chance to approach the topic in a user-friendly
way, and learn tools that you can implement in a supportive environment
with friends and community members who will support you along your path.
It will help to bring some household information to this workshop, including:
• car make,
model, mpg, and miles driven for the last 12 months
• airplane miles flown in last 12 months
• last 12 months kilowatt total for electricity usage*
• last 12 months heating gas used, and
• garbage produced each week measured in gallons (kitchen bags are
13 gallons, large garbage bags are 33).
| Leadership & Community Building |
Are you a community leader, or would you like to become one? These workshops are a place to discuss professionalism, excellence, facilitation skills, and group dynamics. They are appropriate for both experienced leaders and new community builders.
The
Need for Unity:
Working Together in Earth-Centered Community
Rev. Don Lewis
How do we work together as a community? Is it possible
for multiple groups representing multiple traditions to collaborate? More
importantly, what happens if we do not?
How can Earth-Centered groups hold the paradox of acknowledging many different traditions and beliefs, and also hold the importance and genuine need for communities to be able to work together? Pagan unity does not mean all groups practice the same tradition. However, the ability for communities in alternative spirituality to communicate, cooparate, and collaborate is critical to the health of the Earth-Centered traditions.
Don will share some examples of where the different groups have come together to successfully collaborate, including the campaign to allow the Pentacle on the grave-markers of US Soldiers, the Goddess Campaign, and other examples. Don will review these collaborations and how these groups successfully cooperated. He will also host a conversation around the pitfalls that can face people trying to do collaborative work and how to avoid them.
Power
and Structures in Groups
Mark Mandrake
How does group structure affect the power dynamics within
a community? How can group agreements hold the energy of the group? What
structures serve group health and hold a supportive container for power?
How does power move in a group? How do people step into power in groups?
When we have power in a group, we become more responsible for our impact.
We will discuss group needs and how those relate to power.
Through discussion and exercises, this workshop will demonstrate and teach concepts that offer opportunities for participants to take an active role in becoming the leader they want to be. Whether you are already a community leader, or would like to become one, these tools will offer you a new perspective on your power and impact in groups.
Learn tools for healthy group dynamics beginning with understanding yourself and your role and community.
Step
into your Power:
Personal Power and Leadership
Shauna Aura
Does the word "power" fill you with fear, or
with desire? Or both? This workshop will address power, charisma, empowerment,
and power struggles, with a focus of using power with integrity. As leaders,
we must understand the nature of power if we are to serve our communities.
We will address powerlessness and the negative perception of the word
"power" within alternative spiritual communities and learn tools
to work with power in integrity.
Are you willing to claim your own power? As community builders, in order to empower others we must have power. How do we gain power without taking it from others? What does it mean to stand in our power? What does it feel like to be visible, to have your actions seen and take responsibility for your actions? How do you empower others? Through exercises and discussions we will explore the power we have earned, and take the step into our own energy, radiance, and visibility. Are you willing step into the brilliance of the Sun?
Healing
Between the Worlds:
Magical and Psychological Tools
Alan Salmi, LCSW
Leaders in alternative spirituality have a more diverse spread of tools
available to them in their work as leaders, teachers, and clergy than
more mainstream groups. In this workshop, we will explore tools that complement
each other, such as astrology and psychotherapy. The many magical tools
of Pagans, shamans, and astrologers can work well with the tools of psychology,
therapy, and hypnosis to treat the whole person. Have you ever found yourself
offering a tarot or astrological reading, and discovered that your client
was asking questions more appropriate for a therapist or grief counselor?
Alan is a psychotherapist who uses astrology, hypnosis, and body-centered practices in his therapy practice as well as his magical work, and the workshop will explore how to blend these tools in a way that serves the community. We will look at the way these tools complement each other, and discuss how long it takes to become skilled in some of the more intensive skillsets. We will also address what kind of work is more appropriate for a traditional therapist.
Complex
Webs: Dual and Multiple Role Relationships in Pagan
Spiritual Counseling
Drake
Spaeth, PsyD
Dual and multiple relationships with those they counsel consistently pose
ethical quandaries for counselors, therapists and ministers. In the Pagan
context such relationships are inevitable and complex--and Pagan ministers
are often compelled to navigate them with little or no guidance. They
are frequently not fully aware of the ethical and legal implications involved.
This workshop offers some clarity.
Open
Ritual: Solar Fires & Surging Water
How
do the waters well within you? How does the Sun's fire rise inside? Vitality
quickens with the abundance of the Summer Solstice.
In this ritual, we will recall story of Isis. Isis grieved when her beloved Osiris died; it is said that the tears of her grief flooded the Nile. What losses have you grieved? Isis began a journey to recover the pieces of Osiris' body. She faced an impossible challenge--to bring him back to life--and in the end, uncovered the magic of the Sun within herself to revive him. Like Isis, will you journey to gather your missing pieces and discover the deep magic within you?
Together, we unite the Full Moon waters and the fires of the summer sun with the alchemy of inclusive, ecstatic community ritual. Join us to sing, dance, and drum the life force within!
This ritual is an embodied, experiential opportunity to live a myth for an evening. Join us for an experience to lay new patterns in our souls. Part embodied psychology, part magic, this inclusive, participatory session will offer choices and steps for your spiritual journey.
Conversation
and Community
9:00 pm
After the ritual there will be time to talk to new friends within
the community we've created this night. Perhaps some drumming and dancing
if such festivities arise.