We are a small community with a lot of different opinions. From differences in religious practices, to ethical fine points, to differing mundane views, we have many topics that we disagree on. How do we have healthy discussions without leaving hurt feelings? How do we resolve things so we can work together? What techniques help us share our differences in a way that brings us together rather than pull us apart?
Our panelists will share techniques that they have found effective.

Most of us have heard of the psychic art of automatic writing but applying that same concept to intuitively created artwork is less well known. At last year’s conference we discussed art as a spiritual practice. Let’s take that further down the rabbit hole into a discussion of psychic messages in the images we create. Symbology, accurate images, remote viewing, visions, and dreams... Panelists will speak of their experiences with channeled art.

If you are organizing a space for magick, ritual, or healing, are you considering the accessibility of the space you want to use? For many of those who are “able-bodied” or “neurotypical”, there are many details that can be missed. Simple things like making sure a venue is wheelchair accessible, offering scent-free spaces, incorporating large print, and more should be considered as standard practice. There are other ways that we can make our spaces more accessible, too. Offering “cakes & ale”? Make sure that ingredient lists are available for everything. Can we offer online rituals? Distance healing? Can we incorporate more trauma-informed practices in our spaces? Do we have alternatives for dimly-lit rituals? How can we handle a situation when a leader may have a competing disability with an attendee? If you have ideas or practices to share, please sign up for this panel and let's make our spaces better!

What happens when children’s pretending creates thoughtforms that are imbued into their toys? Rarely is this a conscious and intentional act of the child involved, but creating pretend personalities for toys seems to be nearly universal to humans. The topic of haunted dolls comes up often in the paranormal, and this is typically attributed to the child being so attached to the toy that their soul becomes anchored to the doll after they die. What if the majority of haunted dolls are accidentally ensouled with thought forms created by the children who played pretend with them?

How much consent do you get when dealing with Gods? Informed consent or simple consent? What happens when they do things to you that you don't want? How do you cope? Why do some people have the right to refuse and others don't? Let’s talk about what we know from personal experience with this difficult and tangled situation.

How do we create rituals for more than just birth, marriage, and funerals? How about gender transition and gender affirmation? Divorce? Coming out as queer? Beating a serious illness? Rebirth after midlife crisis? Ideally, these rituals publicly proclaim the change between the status of the individual and their community - but how do we make sure this happens, and that they are effectively celebrated and acknowledged? Come with suggestions and experiences.

As we have incorporated more interactive activities over the internet, (the conference being an example), what have we learned? Does your group host rituals through Zoom or other online platforms? Have you learned new techniques to send and coordinate energy over distances? Have you developed techniques for being able to “spot” participants in guided meditations, which we used to do in “in person” group trance working? Perhaps this even offers more accessibility to your attendees. What have you learned and how can we incorporate these new lessons into our practices?

Most of our community is non hierarchical, which is in most ways a good thing allowing for growth and creativity. however it means that there is no one in authority to step in if someone acts in an inappropriate way. How do we as a community respond; what are our responsibilities; how do we warn new people of bad actors?

In this day and age we have access to a lot; a lot of materials, a lot of marketplaces, and a lot of pressure to have the newest thing. Modern materials and markets make it easy to produce and procure things cheaply, so cheaply that many things become disposable. Does this diminish the magickal or ritualistic value of the item? While it is true that a disposable straw from Mcdonalds can be used as a wand, is it worse than one made with a store bought dowl and hot glue. Do either of those have as much significance as one made by hand from a stick consciously harvested from the forest for the purpose? Are we good stewards of the world if we use mass produced objects when we could make them ourselves with less impact? Where is the line drawn? Should we not use chalk if there isn't any locally? Is glitter anathema to living in harmony with nature? How do you decide?

Does the prevalence of woo-woo graphics in the stores augment the magick in the world? For the past several years, graphics like triple moons, pentacles, astrological symbols, and the like have been very trendy in our mainstream stores. Is it adding magick to the world or is it appropriating sacred symbols for corporate gain?

#witchtok, #crystaltok, #herbtok! There are a slew of content creators teaching about all sorts of witchy topics. Live psychic readings, “get witch quick” tips, ASMR Reiki sessions...most creators seem to believe what they are posting is effective, but where should we be using discretion? What effect has social media had on magickal practices? Has it made things like magick and herbalism more accessible to those in spiritual deserts where those practices may be frowned upon or illegal? Do the benefits outweigh the BS?