The Conference Programming Committee is pleased to preset the list of (currently planned) classes and workshops for this year’s virtual conference. As always, we have a wide variety of topics, and we hope you will find something to interest and excite you You can register to attend by clicking on this link:
Aidan Kelly
History of Wicca Since 1488
Covers from Innocent III’s proclamation that Witchcraft was a heretical religion, through the evolution of the concept during the Burning Times, its transformation during the Enlightenment and Romantic eras, to the New Forest Coven and Gardner’s creation of Wicca as a very new sort od religion and his writing of his Book of Shadows,
Archonstone
Meditation, basic psychic hygiene and Inner Alchemy
Meditation methods that take active mindful practices instead of seeking quiet. How start doing shadow work and organizing the mind for personal symbols. How to take the opportunity to change behavior, thoughts and reactions.
Brandon E. Hardy
Jesus and the Polytheists
Christianity is well known for its monotheistic beliefs, yet Jesus seems to keep popping up in the spiritual lives of people who are anything but. How does this work? In this class we’ll spend some time challenging common perceptions of the Christian tradition, then learn from a number of ways that polytheists today are incorporating his (often surprise) presence into their practice.
Catherine Kane
The Hidden Harvest
The theme is harvest. Good things are coming – but folks miss them because they don’t always come how we expect them. The Universe works in mysterious ways
We need to look for harvest outside the box, as well as how we expect it.
Join Cathy for an all you can eat buffet of ways to see opportunities you might have missed, question beliefs that aren’t serving you, find hidden happiness, and reap the bountiful harvest that you didn’t previously notice.
Find the wonderful surprises in your life
You Deserve a Good Harvest
We all deserve good things. Love. Prosperity. Respect. Happiness.
But many shut them out because they think they’re not worthy.
This can be due to beliefs we’re taught by others, or the ones we teach ourselves.
Let’s change our programming to one that supports our worthiness and joy.
Join Cathy for a look at how we’re programmed to think we’re unworthy and how to change our beliefs for something better. Learn ways to reject unworthiness, embrace happiness and let the good stuff in.
Christopher LaFond
Harvesting Information through Astrology
Have you ever wondered how astrologers get their information? What kind of information can you get from an astrology chart? What kind of information isn’t available there?
Chris will take you on a short journey through the signs, planets, and houses, as well as some of the predictive tools that astrologers use to gather knowledge.
This workshop is designed for folks with limited or no astrological background, but even some professionals are likely to find something here that is new to them.
Coyote Skywoman
Magical Elements in Books and Film
The ideas of magic are hugely popular in novels and film, but which of these really can grasp the feel for magic as modern pagans understand it? Spanning several decades, we will talk about such wildly diverse stories as Cat Magic by Whitney Strieber, The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis, Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin, Jr., Lammas Night by Katherine Kurtz, Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist, and Soul Smith by Tom Deitz, and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon as well as films like Legend, The Wicker Man, Pan’s Labyrinth, Wolfwalkers, and Practical Magic.
Gretchen Schork
Customizing Seasonal Celebration
Rituals of seasonal celebration are widespread. But does your location have a different vibe, a particular weather cycle, or an environmental factor that makes the rituals seem a bit like fantasy? We will look at the particular and local factors that affect the seasons in YOUR location, with a focus on making the rites match your own needs. While the dates may be set by the cycle of the Sun, the way that energy works will vary: Yule in Florida, Arizona, and Maine will have very different formats. In a world of changing climate, we have to be resilient to keep our celebrations in line with what our world is doing around us. There are no solutions here, just different approaches and a new way to think about the issues involved.
Growing a New Magical System
The process of integrating a lifetime of learning into a coherent and useful system is a daunting task. Seeds are sown in childhood, and through a lifetime they germinate, grow, flower and set new seeds. Gretchen has worked her way through Roman Catholic theology, generic Wiccan practices, Magical Qabalah theory, and Rune based belief, only to find that none were quite what was needed. Follow her journey of discovery, frustration, and joy as she explains the development of an American approach to magical philosophy that covers all the core skills that are needed to practice her own vision. This is intended to encourage those who are on a similar path, looking to personally integrate life and magic in a way that makes sense. It goes beyond any of the systems she has studied to date, and is a process that is still under way.
GriffonMagik
Omens of Misfortune – Comets, Banshees and Ghosts – Oh My!
Apophis is whizzing by the planet, Charon is closer and ghosts are abounding. Ouch – not everything is an omen of misfortune. Primitive minds to modern tools help us reevaluate the world around us. So how do we view these now and why are they not as scary were before? Or are they still scary?
Learning how to see Auras
What are Auras? Learning to see the aura has many uses. It aids in many healing modalities as well as magical practices. We will cover some techniques in developing this skill. Starting in black and white helps you see the shapes first. Then over time, you will be able to differentiate the colors and more.
You will need some white paper, pencils, a viewing square, and a subject. The viewing square is a single piece of paper or carboard with a rectangle cut into it. It should measure 1.5 inches wide by 3 inches long. The subject can be your partner, an animal or living thing.
Jane Sibley
Veterinary Medicine and Magic in Early Norse Times.
The Norse cared greatly for their animals, and had a variety of ways to treat ailments, both magical and physical. Cattle, sheep, and horses were highly valued; there wasn’t as much for dogs and cats. Some of the treatments were purely magical, such as the use of living lice from several neighboring farms or dwellings, recitation while performing a physical activity, and the use of spit, earth, or fire in a treatment. The evil eye was feared, as was “shot”. Christian as well as Pagan spellcraft was popular. Throat boils and the inability to thrive in animals was generally treated both physically and magically. Since in those early days, folks didn’t know about bacteria or viruses, they did the best they could with what they had.
Traditional Norse Spellcraft
Many techniques involved silence, or reciting certain spells, sometimes in a back and forth manner with the patient (or animal’s owner). We will look at measuring (taking one’s measure), reciting, nine-woman food (nikonemat), warding, creeping, borrowing from graves, the use of Christian clerical garb or the church itself, and more. There was good knowledge of nutrition and hygiene, but the endochrine system was unknown. Birthing was dangerous, and there was a whole sequence of events from the time a woman’s water broke through the delivery of the placenta. Wound treatment and elementary surgery will also be discussed,, as well as treatments for gout, tuberculosis, anemia, and other ailments.
Larry Obern
Psychic EMT
Doing energy and spiritual work comes with unique and specific safety challenges. Even an experienced practitioner may not be familiar with how to keep participants safely. In this class we’ll discuss: How to safely ground someone else. How to stop an overcharge that is occurring, and how to safely drain energy from someone who is overcharged. This class will teach what to say, when to act, and the ethical standards that we should adhere to.
In the new virtual world, even more challenges have arisen; this class will also touch on how one can respond online.
Orion Foxwood
Casting the Golden Cord: A Magical Technique for Conscious Co-Creation.
You were born to paint the truth of your spirit onto the canvas form-
not to be trapped in another’s painting.
Magic in its many forms has been a part of the human experience for millennia, despite attempts to demonize and destroy it. In its journey to the present, magic has had many roles, and ways it is described and defined. These definitions have been both helpful and harmful to workers. Each definition reflects the politics, and beliefs of the time as well as the temperament and philosophy of the writer, who in the past, may not be a practitioner nor a sympathizer. Thus, the magic continues its forward march to define and refine itself through us, its workers. Today, more than ever, we the witches, magicians, druids, shamans, etc. are the shapers of magic, and its role now and unfolding in the future.
How we define magic shapes everything about it t is a worthy effort for workers to adopt, adapt or develop their definition. Without this, magic can be scattered, ungrounded, and vague and that weakens its effectiveness. To this end, Orion developed one for his eco-magical Faery Seership work: “Magic is the art of conscious co-creation leveraging the visible to the invisible and the invisible to the visible”. It is human-inclusive, not human-centric to address the core wounds that are damaging each other and our planet From this definition, Orion and Brigh have developed “Casting the Golden Cord ” as a potent magical technique building on traditional magical techniques but responsive to what he calls the “co-creative call to action for the restoration of earth”. In this workshop he will share:
The meaning and purpose of the co-creative call to action.
The Core Wounds
What it means to be a “conscious creator” and the role of definition.
A brief review of the components of the “Casting the Golden Cord” technique including alignment to the “universal directions”, “extracting power from the momentum of the past”, “the golden cord of Intention and alignment” and engaging the Invisibles as “Those Who Walk in Grace”.
A direct experience of the practice.
Raven Kaldera
Personal Gnosis: Judging the Spiritual Experience
Most Pagans (and other polytheistic minority religions) would agree that personal experiences of Deit(ies) are fine when they’re kept to yourself … but what about when they’re not? How do we decide whose divine messages get incorporated into group practice, and whose don’t? How can we trust each other? How did the ancient world handle these issues? This will be a discussion group on how to healthily incorporate personal gnosis into group doctrine. Please come with intent to be courteous and respectful of others’ views; the moderator is a hardass and will not tolerate rudeness.
Consent-Focused Ritual
There’s been a lot of talk about consent in Paganism lately, but what does it mean to have open rituals with potential strangers and to keep it as consent-focused as possible? What are ritual activities that make people feel pressured to uncomfortably participate, and how do we gracefully handle that? This class will focus on useful tools for making open rituals more accessible.
Sara Mastros
Working with the Mighty Dead
What are the Mighty Dead?
How can we establish contact with them?
Why are they such useful magical allies?
Dream incubation with the dead
Solomon, Magician King, as a Magical Ally
We’ll discuss Solomon’s hagiography over many cultures, focusing on his role as a legendary magician. We’ll focus on his role as a teacher and ally in so-called Solomonic magic. We’ll end class with a group invocation of Solomon, and suggestions for acquiring knowledge of conversation with him among the Mighty Dead
Sidney Eileen
Nonbinary Perspective
Nonbinary perspective is for anyone of any gender and any path. It is about framing your view of life, the universe, and everything to include nonbinary ways of being along with male and female. Working from a binary perspective can make interacting with nonbinary deities, spirits, entities, and humans more confusing or limiting than it needs to be. Come with an open heart and a curious mind, as we explore how to achieve a nonbinary perspective that enriches your life and your practice
Animistic Perspective
Animism means understanding that everything has a soul, from you and me to every animal, plant, object, and place. Join me as we explore what animism is, how to verify it energetically, and how to apply animistic principles in your personal practice and everyday life. Fully embracing animism is a path to greater finding magic and wonder in urban zones, engaging compassionately with the world, and appreciating ourselves as one component of a much larger interconnected web of reality.
Tchipakkan
Introduction to Lenormand Divination
Lenormand is a fortune telling system with 36 cards displaying common European symbols. This system is direct, honest, and one spread will answer clients questions on everything from love, money, travel, danger, and even gives timing. As opposed to the spiritual symbolism of the Tarot, this is straight fortune telling. See if it’s for you!
Food Magick: Beyond Herbs
Natural Magick is the science of the natural properties of materials, times, and actions, and we can learn to use the properties of different foods along with the energetic effects of what we do when processing them to create the magickal effects we want. This is an introduction to that process.
You don’t need to make strange potions to create magickal effects. Every food has magickal properties, and you can use them to both enhance your health, and your life. If you know, or can “divine” the properties of the foods you already use, you can make magick without having to resort to “Eye of Newt” or “Dead man’s toe”.
Tom Blaschko
The Worlds Our Souls Know
We spend a lot of time and energy living in the physical world, but it’s not the only world our souls know. Come journey in this interactive presentation to experience and share discoveries about some of the other worlds our souls connect with.
There is the world of our Wish where we timelessly discover our ability to exist and the world of our Will where we make the decision to continue existing. Our life’s purpose is seeded here and develops as we move through our lives.
There’s a world of the Heart where all are one, and when one changes, we all change together. Then in the world of Voice we learn to be separate and sovereign, if we will that to be. We find our connection with others and our ability to walk our own path in these worlds.
Our souls connect to places of energy and to other places of inspiration. When energy and inspiration are brought to all the other parts of our soul, we can act effectively in the world (both the physical and non-physical parts). Whatever our paths or practices, a more complete knowledge of the worlds where our souls travel will help our lives be more effective and fulfilling.