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Friday, April 30
11am ~ 12:45
Reiki I ~ Debbie Striker, RMT
Have you always wanted to learn Reiki, but never seemed to have the time or
money? We'll review the standard Usui Reiki methods and have lots of hands
on practice. Everyone will receive their Reiki I attunement and
certificate. We'll also discuss any questions you have about this
wonderful healing practice.
Debbie taught her very first "public" Reiki I class at the Beltane
Festival at Heavenly Acres in 2002. 28 people attended the class,
including 4 men. Several years later, 5 of those students received their
Master / Teacher training at the festival. She is honored to be able to
count many of those "students" as some of her dear friends today.
Disaster planning 101 ~ Justin A.
This workshop is an introduction to emergency planning and disaster readiness.
This workshop will include a short period of instruction on the basics of
planning for an emergency/disaster followed by an open discussion. This workshop
is not the end all be all for keeping you safe should disaster strike. It is
only a beginning to your adventure on the whacked out world of what if.
In my life I have lived in California (earthquake central), Guam
(typhoon central), and Northern Virginia where even the word "snow" sends people
into a panic. I am currently a member of the Prince William County Amateur Radio
Emergency Service Team (ARES) and have been into emergency planning for over 10
years.
Encounters With Deity ~ Gretchen McMahon
Deity has an extraordinary effect on our day to day lives. Often Deities will
choose to directly contact us through visual, aural or sensory means. Have you
had direct contact with Deity? What was it like? Gretchen McMahon shares her
experiences with direct Deity contact and encourages workshop participants to
share theirs as well. She offers tips and techniques to invite Deity contact
into your life. 2 ~ 3:45
Witches, Madness, and Modern Medicine ~ Amber Northwind
Madness and witchcraft have a long historical connection. Witches have often
been accused of causing madness in others, as well as being accused of suffering
from madness themselves. Modern medicine has identified many, many disorders,
diseases, and conditions that can rightfully be proclaimed madness, such as:
Bipolar disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, ADD & ADHD, OCD, PMS,
Addictive Personality Disorder, as well as many more that relate to our
perception of reality. Does one or more of these "labels" apply to you? Come
learn how psychology fails to address some of the root spiritual causes of many
personality disorders, talk about techniques to help people cope with these
disorders, and fill in the spiritual spaces that conventional medicine tells us
to ignore.
This workshop will begin with a bit of historical
background to madness and its associations with witchcraft and magickal thinking
and move on to introduce some common diagnoses that humans struggle with today.
Then, I will be sharing my own journey into and out of madness, inviting
workshop participants to share their journeys, and we will then discuss the
ramifications of our unique spirituality on how modern medicine has helped us
heal...or halted our progress toward spiritual perfection.
Although we will be practicing some spellwork, meditation
techniques, and chakra-work to help us in our struggle, please note that the
techniques in this workshop in no way should be considered as replacement
therapy for any conventional medicine prescribed by a licensed medical provider.
In addition, we will be trying to stay focused on positive, healing goals rather
than discussing our modern healthcare system or it downfalls(although I know
this is on everyone's minds right now!).
Amber Northwind is a nine year attendee of Beltane
Festivals in Virginia. I consider this to be a time of spiritual pilgrimage that
I make from my native New York State to the lush mountains of the Blueridge. It
is like stepping forward in time for me, since New York is not quite progressed
into Spring at Beltane time and Virginia is almost into Summer. This geographic
time traveling inspires me and renews me and helps keep alive my belief in
foretelling that I practice as Tarot reading. I have been a professional Tarot
reader all the years that I have been attending these Beltane pilgrimages and a
practicing witch for twenty years. Coming from a family of witches, scholars,
and devout Christians has given me a uniquely developed approach to the
challenges of my life.
Decorating the Maypole ~ RedWolf
The Maypole has its roots in Pagan Germanic and British
fertility rites to welcome Spring and ensure the fertility of crops and
livestock for the year. This ceremonial folk dance, which celebrates the sacred
union of the God and Goddess, traditionally has 24 dancers who face each other
in pairs, weaving in and out until the pole is wrapped.
During the Maypole workshop we will discuss the history and lore of the
Maypole, as we decorate the Maypole wreath with flowers and the pole with
ribbons in preparation for the dance. For those interested in participating
in the dance, we will also practicing wrapping the pole! Pagans of any age
are welcome to participate in wrapping the pole.
Items to bring (optional): flowers and sprigs of herbs to decorate the
wreath; plant offerings to lay at the base of the Maypole.
Women's ritual ~ Li
A ritual honoring the feminine Divine, and that part of ourselves.
Li Kane ~ initiated by BranwennWhiteRaven as a 1st degree Celtic Wiccan in 2001, but my interest in the Craft dates to high school. Active
member, and Knight, in the Pagan Warriors Guild. Avid outdoorswoman: skiing,
hunting, fishing, hiking. Been living in the Roanoke Valley since 1984,
currently share my house with 3 spoiled cats, and a rescued greyhound.
5 ~ 6:45
Forging Demonstration: Stephen McMahon
Stephen honors the
Smith Gods in the ancient art of blacksmithing. This is your chance to see an
actual forge in use as fire meets metalBYOHMB Bring Your Own Home Made Beverage ~ Sorchae Washburn
Class Description: An opportunity for brewers, vintners, cordial makers and
all other make-your-own-alcohol makers to bring a small sample of their best
conconctions to share and discuss. This will be an open forum geared towards
the sharing of the home-made adult beverage craft and an opportunity to
learn about "how the other guy does it". This forum is limited to legal
drinking age participants only (21 and over).
Sorchae has been brewing mead for about five years (read newby) but would
love to host an adult beverage crafting forum to promote the sharing of
knowledge... And she loves mead... the sweet kind ;-)
The Scarlet Priestess: Serpents, Veils, & the Goddess ~ Nuit (Night)
Moore
This workshop explores the connections between
serpentine energy, kundalini power, female shamanism, sexuality, and the
Veiled Goddess archetype. Topics that will be explored include the Kundalini/Shakti
energy, raising this energy through movement, sound, breath, and
visualization, the history of the Serpent and the Goddess, the mysteries of
the Veil, and the gifts of the Red Witch. Although this class is designed
for women, it is open to all. Nuit (Night) Moore has been involved with
the Virginia pagan community for over 20 years, as a priestess, teacher and
friend. She first served as High Priestess of the Witches of Pungo and has
served as Priestess for many a circle since. She has written countless articles
and contributed art since 1990 for many likeminded publications, and has given
workshops all over the US on her areas of specialty, which include the Dark
Goddess and Wild Wise Women, Women's Blood Mysteries, female shamanism, the
Goddess and the Grail, the French & Welsh Romantic traditions (of which she is a
direct descendant), raising power, ritual theater, herbology and more. In
addition to this, she is a film maker, performance artist, painter, poet and
dancer, and much of her creative work celebrates the esoteric and the mystical.
Her books and many creations are available at her vendor tent. Friend her on
Facebook! :) 8 PM ~ ???
Bale Fire Ritual followed by Fire BLITZ, then drumming, dancing and enjoying the
Bale Fire! Saturday, May 1
10 ~ 11:45
The truth about bats and wolves: The reality behind the
vampire vs werewolf debate ~ Scarlet Ravenwing and Great Wolf
This will be an open discussion about the true world of Vampires and
Werewolves (Lycans). Be prepared with questions, chairs, and notebooks for note
taking, but we ask that you leave what you've been taught behind as we explore
the truths and falsehoods of folklore and the media in the realms of Vampire,
Therians, and Otherkin and the relations between the communities. We ask that
due to VA laws that this be 18+ unless with parental permission, (please
approach us with consent if your child wishes to attend.) Scarlet Ravenwing has been a member of the true vampire
community for a little over 11 years now, she is a practicing Egyptian pagan
with Irish/Cherokee roots. Great Wolf has been actively part of the Lycan
community for nearly 12 years now, he is a son of the Roman pantheon and enjoys
healing work. This husband and wife team help run an online community for the
education and community forum for local Vampire and Otherkin. Both feel it
nessecary to speak openly about the Vampire and Otherkin community so as to
educate the outside communities about true vampirism and otherkin lifestyle.
Both were born and still reside in the Shennadoah Valley.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blue-ridge-vampire-otherkin-alliance
Poi Spinning ~ Fire Blitz
Have you ever wanted to learn to spin fire? This extended workshop
will teach you some of the basic moves that get your poi spinning and will
address some intermediate moves for those who are ready. Ages 8 and up please.
Training materials will be provided.
Fire Blitz will be performing for us on Friday evening.
Check out the Entertainment & Fire page for more information about the team.
Home Sanctuary Practices ~ RedWolf
We view our home as our physical and spiritual sanctuary. For those of us
who practice magic in our home, it is vital that we establish effective
barriers to ensure our workings are successful, and that we are able to
create a sanctuary in our home.
In this workshop participants will learn the basics of home cleansing and
protection. This class will cover the following topics:
* Simple home cleansing by smudging and the use of Washes and Powders
* Purification spellwork with candles
* Indoor and outdoor protection methods
* Clearing and banishing home of negative energy
RedWolf (Jeanet) has followed the Pagan path since 1993, when
she was introduced to Witchcraft by her sister. While RedWolf’s practice is
mostly eclectic, her focus is on Shamanic Witchcraft and American Folk Magic.
She has extensively studied magical herbalism, aromatherapy, and the use of
stones and crystals for ritual work and personal transformation. She has taught
workshops on a variety of practical magic topics, and for the last 6 years, has
also led public rituals for several local Pagan groups.
RedWolf has been a member of the Circle Sanctuary community since 1996, and is
currently enrolled in Circle’s Minister Training Program, which is led by its
founder, Selena Fox. She is one of the founders of the Northern Virginia Pagan
Network. She also co-owns The Pagan Peddler, an online Pagan ritual supply
business she operates with her husband Dave and her 6 feline “work center
supervisors”.
12 ~ 1:45
Tips for Running a Public Program ~ The Weavers
Class Description: Join us as we share a bit about how our public program works,
what's been successful & what hasn't. We'll be also be including some of our
favorite songs & chants.
We're not a coven, but a diverse group of pagan women who plan
the earth-based spirituality program at a Unitarian Universalist church in
Maryland. http://fullcircleuuca.org/
Making, tasting & use of fruit & herbal syrups ~ Ilyenia min el J'bal el
Zarr'a
Ilyenia is a second degree priestess of the Correllian Nativist Tradition,
and has been practicing for over 15 years. She also does medieval & Renaissance
re-creation.
A look at the work of NGO's and Mayan Cultures in
Guatemala ~ Tony Bradley
An in depth view of the work Conducted by the NGO's like the Highland Support
Project and the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission. Several videos will be
presented as well as an open forum to discuss topics ranging from responsible
service work abroad to human trafficking and femicide.
A professional adventurer, Tony Bradley is owner of Zero Gravity
Video. Entering his third year in working in the Central Highlands of Guatemala,
Tony has the unique opportunity to live with, study and work with the indigenous
Maya, but has captured rare footage (with full community permission) of Maya
culture. This includes Maya spiritual ceremonies, traditional Maya weaving and
Highland Midwives on an average day. Zero Gravity is currently under contract
with Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work, producing a
documentary on the Human Rights Issues faced in the region like human
trafficking and femicide. In his spare time he contemplates his life dream
of becoming Halle Berry's boy toy :)
http://www.gravitystation.net/
http://www.cafepress.com/gravitypulse
2~ 2:30 MJZ Performance
2:30 ~ 4 Maypole Ritual & Dance!
4 ~ 5:45
Guedra ~ Rowan Rose
NOTE: This workshop is for women only.
A guedra is a type of trance dance that is practiced by women in parts of North
Africa. Through clapping and chanting, a wall of sound is created, and allows
for the dancer to enter a trance-like state. Based on Muslim and shamanistic
influences, it is an ecstatic trance dance intended as a blessing dance. This
workshop will begin with a lecture and discussion on this spiritually powerful
collective experience, followed by instruction and demonstration of the
movements and chanting. Following a brief intermission, interested students can
stay and participate in an actual guedra. The movements are simple and
absolutely no dance experience is needed. Students are not required to dance,
they can simply watch and participate in the chanting and clapping if they
prefer. The majority of the dance is performed sitting on the ground, so please
dress comfortably. It is also suggested to remove any jewelry, specifically
rings and bracelets, prior to the guedra. Water and light refreshments will be
provided.
Rowan has been an eclectic Witch for the past 16 years, building her own path
from the traditions that speak to her. I'm currently solitary, but have worked
in groups both in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Music, drumming and dance are a
large part of my worship- bonfires are a bonus!
4 ~ 5
Beginner Bellydance ~ MJZ
Class Description: How to move in the ancient ways to let the music move through
you. Learn basic movement vocabulary to give your inner voice a chance to speak
through dance. Learn how to let the music move you, while respecting the basic
tenets of bellydance as an artform. And why the phrase "Who me?? Bellydance??
No way!!" is a total underestimation of what you can or can't do. You don't
know if you can't unless you try, and if you can't, it is only because
Beginner Doumbek ~ MJZ
The doumbek is a goblet shaped drum popular all over the Mediterranean and
Middle East. Some believe it was the first "skin-covered" drum ever created by
people. This class will introduce you to this interesting and ancient drum and
how it is played. We will cover basic level instruction on how to hit the drum,
as well as some of the rhythms associated with the doumbek, and how to choose
one of your own. Come feel the heartbeat of the earth with us!
5 ~ 5:45
Drumming/Dancing at a drum circle ~ MJZ
Learn how to communicate with other drummers and dancers, making new friends
everywhere you go! When you are part of the music, nobody is a stranger! Learn
some cool ways to create combos to go with the rhythms you hear, how to interact
with others, and how to modify rhythms to make them more danceable. Basic
etiquette for drum circles, haflas, and performances.
Min el-Jbal el-Zarr'a
is a performance troupe based in the local area. Through music that speaks of
ancient times and places, they convey a love of music and rhythm that is felt by
young and old alike. The dancers play the music with movement, while the
musicians dance with sound. More than just a troupe, the bond and shared desire
to share the vision brings a joy to the stage that isn't often found, while
conveying a feeling of the ancient Middle East. The music and dance movements
are from specific areas in the Middle East, staying true to the roots and
tradition of the folkloric style. The musicians and dancers are more than happy
to teach and share their knowledge in these areas, hoping to spread the love and
joy that comes from this deep and ancient art
7 ~ 7:30 Pagan Fashion show followed by Gretchen McMahon and KIVA, then more
drumming and dancing around the Bale Fire!
Sunday, May 2nd
10 ~ 11:45
Birthing & Raising Our Little Heathens ~ Deb Striker
We had so much fun at Mabon with this discussion, that we've been asked to
bring it back...
Calling all parents or parents to be. Let's sit together and discuss the
future generations that we are adding to our paths.
A few of the subjects covered will be:
*Conscious conception and prenatal "conversations"
*Honoring our Spirituality through our birth practices
*Birth locations - Hospital vs Home
*Birth attendants - Dr., Midwife, Doula, partner, unassisted.
*Mainstream Baby Showers vs. Blessing Ways or other rites of passage
*Balancing everyone's needs
*What role does the community play in your child / children's life?
*What community activities would you like to see available for our children.
*Public school, private school, homeschooling, unschooling.
*Any other child related discussions that flow from our conversations.
Deb Striker ~ is a full time mom to her amazing magickal
3yo daughter, Serena. She has studied childbirth practices in depth since
Serena's conception and is fascinated by how many choices there are. Serena was
a home water birth with only John & Deb present. Our midwife did show up
20 minutes after Serena :)
Poi Spinning ~ Fire Blitz
Have you ever wanted to learn to spin fire? This extended workshop
will teach you some of the basic moves that get your poi spinning and will
address some intermediate moves for those who are ready. Ages 8 and up please.
Training materials will be provided.
Fire Blitz will be performing for us on Friday evening.
Check out the Entertainment & Fire page for more information about the team.
On The Bardic Path ~ Gretchen McMahon
For millennia Bards have held a special place in the magickal realm. What is a
Bard? How do Bards impact current society? Gretchen McMahon discusses her own
journey on the Bardic path. She offers suggestions on how to embrace your own
inner Bard. Musical instruments are welcome, but not required. All you need to
bring are open ears, minds and hearts! Find out about the magickal power of
sound and words. Learn how to use Bardic skills to form your own incantations
for your workings and how sound can be an enormous energy amplifier.
1pm ~ "Merry Part" Ritual
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