A.J. Gooch

A.J. Gooch is a member of Ar nDraiocht Fein and Senior Druid of Stone Creed Grove, and a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. He has been brewing beer and mead for over 19 years, and teaching the brewing of beer and mead and the art of making cordials and elixirs for over a decade. He has also been playing the Australian Didgeridoo for seven years, and counts among his teachers Stephen Kent, Alan Shockley and Jason Gazda. He is a talented drummer, and an organizer of a weekly Drum JamCircle that meets in Cleveland.

Aqua Vitae - Making Cordials and Medicinal Tinctures

One of the great discoveries of the alchemists was the distillation of the essential spirit of alcohol. This discovery allowed potion-makers to create compounds of much greater concentration and effectiveness than mere fermentation or tea could. AJ will teach the basics of the art of making medicinal and recreational tinctures (‘cordial’ drinks). Ingredients are steeped in good distilled spirit, filtered and enjoyed for purposes magical, medicinal and, of course, for the satisfaction of the senses.

The Didjgeridoo: It’s Secrets and Meanings

A.J will play the didgeridoo and demonstrate a simple grounding using the sounds of this spirit instrument. This will be followed by a discussion of the symbolism of the different paintings that decorate the didgeridoos, and of its magical and spiritual uses.