Planning Committee for the 2010 Beltaine Festival Standardsville VA

Just a few of the folks who put their blood, sweat and tears into creating this festival...

Gretchen~ President, Mountain Mysteries Manifestations Entertainment Coordinator	Gretchen McMahon is a singer/songwriter/composer/multi-instrumentalist. She has performed at pagan festivals in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland and Virginia. She has composed and performed music for ritual and the ritual theater 2000-2002 production of Dark Goddess, produced at the Vortex Theater in Austin, TX. Gretchen also acted in the production as well, performing the roles and priestessing Baba Yaga, Cerridwen and The Morrigu. Gretchen is a Reiki Master and High Bard of the Virginia Pagan Warrior's Guild. She is an eclectic praticioner and on the Bardic Path. Gretchen knows the value and power of sound and music in ritual and magick. She looks forward to bringing her years of experience in performance and festival production to Mountain Mysteries Mabon	Mountain Mysteries Home Beltane Home Register! Vendors Entertainment & Fire Classes & Presenters Community Events Rituals Children & Teens Directions & Site Info Safety Policies PCO's About Us 2010 Mabon Festival
Dewey ~ Vendor Coordinator	I am a real Gypsy at heart. I enjoy change and all the simple things in life. I'm not hard to please, I keep it as simple as possible. I love my chosen family and would gladly die for any one of them. Not really of one path, because I believe that causes tunnel vision. However, I know Mother Earth is my keeper and I love her for that. I find other paths interesting and like the learning aspect of gaining knowledge. I enjoy art because I take raw thoughts and bring them to life. Glad not to be a "Yes man", but my own man. "This Life is short ~ Enjoy!"
Deb ~ General Workshops Coordinator, Web Mistress	Deb is a Mom, Wife & Artist. She enjoys constantly expanding her knowledge - through books and teachers "in person". She has been teaching Reiki at festivals since 2002. With a slight addiction to collecting crystals, she enjoys energy work of all kinds. "I am honored to be a part of this amazing group and planning what will be a very memorable event!"
Justin ~ Safety Coordinator	Justin is a former Marine who has been handling safety duties for pagan gatherings for over 10 years. His spiritual path is best described as pagan warrior, walking the fine line between harm none and doing what is needed to protect those in his charge. His hobbies include almost all of the martial arts, military history and just to annoy the family cats he plays the violin and recorder. You can most likely find him at events walking the area and keeping an eye on everything, or at night with glow sticks trying to avoid the poison ivy.
Katie ~ Children's Coordinator	Katie Shubert is a retired professor and resides in Columbia Maryland with her Husband Harvey (a psychologist) and her 20 year old daughter Morgan, three dogs and a very very fat black cat named Merlin! She has taught in the public school system for 25 years before teaching college. She is a member of the programming board for Maryland Faerie festival, an originator and board member of Central Maryland Pagans, and a planning coordinator of Mountain Mysteries Mabon.. She is very active in her Pagan community hosting drum circles, rituals and classes at her home. She is an avid student of Tantra, Holistic healing, and Reiki. She classifies herself as an earth witch. She claims that some of the best conversations she has every had has been with trees! But if you ask her what her biggest passion in life is now she will smile and tell you" it's all about teaching our young ones the old ways" Which she does with passion and wisdom and love
Stephen ~ Volunteer Coordinator	Stephen has participated in pagan festivals and events in Texas, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. His popular boffer weapons workshops are always a hit. Stephen has a solid martial arts background. He has studied Go Jo Ru Karate, Tae Kwan Do and Fencing. Stephen is a knight in the Virginia Pagan Warrior's Guild. He has presented forging demonstration at the Lost Pines Boy Scout camp in Texas. Stephen has studied blacksmithing and welding at Austin Community College. He has apprenticed with renown sword maker Daniel Watson of Angel Swords in Driftwood, Texas.
Greg Ritual Fire Coordinator
Lisa Fashion Show Coordinator	Lisa (Adams) Starnes has been practicing witchcraft since 1989. She began her career in Holistic Health as a Massage Therapist in 1995, continuing her studies by becoming a Reiki Master and obtaining certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner, where she learned to work with herbs, homeopathics, energy, TCM and more. To ritually affirm her desire to help others, she became ordained in the Order of Melchizadek in 1996, eventually becoming legally recognized by the State of Virginia as clergy in 2002. Lisa dedicated herself to the Goddess after re-locating to Charlottesville from the Northern Virginia rat race in 1998. Shortly thereafter, she met and fell in love with her hunky warrior husband –at the Charlottesville Beltane Festival. The following year, they and a group of friends, became involved with the festival, moving it to Heavenly Acres Campground. Lisa continued on the Beltane Festival committee until 2005 as workshop and ritual coordinator, and as treasurer for the Blue Ridge Pagan Alliance. Lisa and her husband are working partners in Celtic Faery Wicca as Second Degree High Priestess and High Priest, although their true paths are much broader including yoga and buddhism. Lisa has attended several of the Mid-Atlantic Pagan Leadership Conferences, and went on to organize the Central Virginia Pagan Community Conference in 2004, carrying forward the spirit of community organization she learned from the MA-PLC. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from James Madison University with a Bachelor’s in Religion and Women’s Studies in 2004. Lisa lives with her wonderful husband, Mark, their two cats, and three horses in the National Forest.