Deigh-Gaskin
Kenneth Deigh has over 14 years experience as a practicing Magus. As founder of the Sheya System of Magick, editor of Mezlim Magazine, and a practicing Shamanic healer, Kenneth is in the forefront of the Modern Magickal revival.
Sacred Theatre Pt. I
A look at the long standing relationship between theatre,
magick and religion. We will ask the question: "How can we use
theatre to make magick?", and examine some of the many tools and
techniques used to create and perform Dramatic Ritual, especially
those that arise from your own mind and body (i.e. Gesture,
Movement, Breath, Active & Passive Astral Vision, Voice and
Stillness). Exercises to increase awareness; focus, harmonize
and direct energy; and awaken your innate sensitivity to the
energies both within and without you.
Sacred Theatre Pt. II
Using the exercises from Part I, we will create a series of
improvisations aimed at exploring magickal relationships, taking
on "godform", and creating ritual. The goal of both workshops is
to put our ideas into action. We will be talking about what we
think as little as possible and DOING it as much as possible.
Introduction to Sheya
Sheya is a new system of Shamanic-based, self-transformational Magick, founded in the archetypes of human experience. This workshop will include an explanation of the history of the practice, the Sheya philosophy, its initiatory cycle, its basic symbolic models and language, and a practical demonstration of its essential ritual form.
Djenaba (AKA D.J. Reese) has been an advocate of healthy living and spiritual experience for over 18 years, practicing the
techniques and skills she promotes. She is a Personal Trainer and
Fitness Instructor, certified by the Aerobics and Fitness
Association of America, and American Aerobic Association
International/International Sports Medicine Association. She
works with her classes and clients to develop habits that create
lives of health and happiness.
Intuitive Movement
Experience ecstatic joy while you build an active, healthy
foundation of movement. Learn to move in ways that enhance your
uniqueness. Physical activity can strengthen and deepen your
enjoyment of life, as well as add power to your ritual practice.
Conscious Stretching
Stretch, breathe, and go beyond perceptual limits as you
learn basic techniques of body mechanics. Release tension and
maximize your physical potential for joy while increasing health.
Stretch your body, lengthen your muscles, extend your life.
Halim El-Dabh is a Professor Emeritus of African Ethno-Musicology from Kent State University. He has travelled the world on projects by such organizations as the Smithsonian Institute,
studying and participating in the music of tribal cultures. He is
an experienced drummer and performer on a wide variety of
authentic African musical instruments and on keyboard. He is the
composer of the music for Martha Graham's Clymenestra, Nuriev and
Maugo Fontayne's The Fallen Angel Lucifer, Nile Festival Music,
Ramses the Great Symphony, Lament of the Pharoh, and the sound-
light show for the Pyramid of Egypt. His latest production, Opera
Flies, was part of the 25th Anniversary memorial program for the
Kent State Shooting. He is a participant in the WinterStar panel
discussion The Self in Transformation, available from ACE.
Starwood Bonfire Lighting Ceremony
Dancers who wish to be part of the ceremony, check the schedule for the two Bonfire Dance Rehearsals (Thursday and Friday at 4:45 PM) and the Drummers' and Dancers' Rehersal (Saturday during the Dinner Break at 6:15 PM). All dancers should attend at least one dance rehearsal, preferably both, and drummers are welcome at each. ALL drummers and dancers must be at the Saturday rehearsal to be part of the Lighting Ceremony. Learn the ritual dance steps and rhythms we will use for the Bonfire Lighting Ceremony and become part of that Magic! (Of course, any and all drummers, dancers, and others are urged to attend the ceremony, and join in on the drumfun for the rest of the night, straight on towards morning!)
Drumplay is an Rhythmprovisational percussion trio inspired by Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Middle Eastern rhythms. Members:
James Onysko is a fine percussionist using a wide array
of Latin, African, and Afro-Cuban instruments. He's a published
writer and radio broadcaster in Cleveland, OH, and he's host and
producer of the annual Finger Lakes Grasroots Festival of Music
and Dance.
Warren Levert specializes in Latin percussion, and is
considered a Congero extraordinaire. He's studied extensively
with Babatunde Olatunji, and has been a percussionist in Black
Lion, and many of Cleveland's top reggae bands.
Joe Tomino has been performing professionally since his
first appearance with The Young Guns at the age of fourteen. He's
studied jazz and played with The Champion Bubblers and Symbiotic
Drumming with Billy Croakley.
The Guaguanco: the Rhythm of the Rumba
The Guaguanco is the most popular kind of Rumba, and the most influential in the later evolution of cuban dance music. Drumplay will utilize the traditional Cuban instruments clave, palitos and tumbador, to demonstrate the Guaguanco.
The Rhythm of the Samba
Though it has it's roots in Africa, the Samba truly developed as a dance rhythm in Brazil. It's 4/4 beat and interlocking patterns are most associated with traditional Brazilian hand-percussion instruments, but are as at home with
the drums of Africa. Join James Onysko as he leads the Samba on shakers, clave, congas and djembe, drawing on his training with Bessemer Ttaylor and Senegalese master drummer Assane Seck.
Elie (pronounced Ay-Lee, also known as Eliesheva) holds a Masters Degree in Counseling and has studied extensively at the
Departments of Middle Eastern studies at Tel Aviv University. She
is a Kibbutz member from Israel, where strong and active interest
in Earth-connected spirituality has long been and still is at the
root of Kibbutz land reclamation. She is a member of the Machane
Am Ha Aretz (People of the Land) Primitive Hebrew Assembly, a
Peaceful Warrior Path in a Hebrew Earth Spirituality tradition
that reconnects to the Shekina, the feminine aspect of the Hebrew
Divinity. In the past 20 years she has travelled extensively in
Mid-Eastern and other countries, where she has experienced pre-
technological societies first hand and lectured and written
numerous articles.
Goddess of Hebrews, Goddess of Jews: the People of Israel and the Female Face of the Divine
A unique two-part workshop on the history of the beliefs in
and worship of the Goddess within the tribes of Israel. Part one
presents new findings on the Goddess concepts of the ancient
Hebrews, and part two contrasts these with the beliefs in
rabbinical Judaism, thus tracing the evolution of the Feminine
Divine from biblical days across Spanish Kabbalah to modern
Israeli Earth spirituality.
Bill Elston is a thirty-year student of Druidism and a nine-year member of Ar nDraiocht Fein. He has taught Tarot, Oghams,
Pyromancy and Irish Mythology for fifteen years, and is a third-degree Reiki practitioner, a student of Aroma, Gemstone, and light/color therapy, and a founder of Shamanic Lightwave Transformation (an alternative wellness resource center). His personal system of Ogham based healing and divination has developed over the past 12 years from the study and application
of ancient Irish myth and legend.
Healing Potential of the Celtic Oghams
The Oghams are a system of symbolism and memory used by ancient Celtic poets and seers, commonly called "the tree alphabet". Through the study of the trees, shrubs, herbs, gemstones, and the spiritual messages of the animals and birds of Irish myth associated with the Oghams, a viable system of healing
emerges. Integrating the role model aspects of the Irish deities can provide spiritual guidance and (to the qualified and licensed individual) an aid to psychological therapy.
Pyromancy
Fire-Gazing, or Pyromancy, may be one of the oldest forms of
divination practiced by mankind. This workshop will examine the
theories and techniques of using sacred fire in an oracular
method. From the images perceived within the flames, smoke, ash
and embers of a fire, spiritual guidance and insight may be
discovered. safety, types of wood and/or herbs for specific
questions, traditional methods of ignition and the advantages or
disadvantages of individual or group environment will be
discussed. Additives for "special effects" will be explored.
Ron Epstein is a solo practitioner licensed to practice Law in the State of New York and in Federal District Court. He graduated SUNY at Buffalo Law School in 1982 with a Juris Doctor
and a certificate in State and Local Government Law. A former administrative law judge, with experience in civil practice, criminal law and civil RICO matters, Ron has lectured in the areas of Workers Compensation law, the use of surveillance in insurance investigations, and insurance fraud.
The Supreme Court and the Free Excercise of Religion
This workshop will present a non-technical overview of various Supreme Court cases involving interpretation of the first amendment protections providing for free excercise of religion. Four cases will be reviewed: REYNOLDS v. U.S. (polygamy among Mormons), OREGON DEPT. OF HUMAN RESOURCES v. SMITH (ceremonial peyote use among Native Americans) and the sebsequent Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed by Congress to try to overcome it, CHURCH OF LUKUMI BABALU AYE v. CITY OF HIALEAH (animal sacrifice among Santerians), and CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS v. P.F. FLORES, ARCHBISHOP OF SAN ANTONIO (church denied permit to expand by destroying historical landmark).
Privacy Rights and Drug Policy
A review of developments in Fourth Amendment rights (search and seizure) and Privacy rights in regard to Drug Testing. This non-technical analysis will discuss the legal distinction between governmental testing (state action) and private (employer) testing, using an analysis of three cases: Skinner vs RAILWAY LABOR EXECUTIVES' ASSN, (transportation workers); VERNONIA SCHOOL DIST. 47J v. ACTON, (student athletes) and Chandler v. Miller (political candidates) to review the standards for state action. Private action cases and questions of general public policy raised by them will be reviewed, as well as roadblock cases for
DWI and forfeiture of property in light of the concept of probable cause, and Federal Sentencing Guidelines requiring enhancements to sentences for drug crimes.
Shawn Eyer is an author, scholar, artist, and the founder of Thiasos Orphikos, a society for the creative exploration of Greek spiritual traditions. He holds Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology and Religion, and is currently a master's degree candidate in Transpersonal Psychology at John F. Kennedy University in California. Shawn edits and publishes the magazine The Lyre: Greek Spiritual Traditions, and has been a contributor to Green Egg Magazine, The Quest, Alexandria: The Journal for the Western Cosmological Traditions, Diipetes Quarterly and The Beacon. Visit his website at: <http://www.globaltown.com/shawn/>
Entheogens and Immortality at Eleusis: a Transpersonal Perspective
Many scholars now believe that the Eleusinian Mysteries of the ancient Greeks revolved around the communal partaking of one or more psychedelic compounds. This presentation will provide an overview of the rites and rituals of Eleusis, and the evidence for entheogen use during the initiations, as well as other possibilities.
Greek Mysticism and the Mind/Body Split
How did the concept of psyche make the transition from
meaning simply the vitality of living and breathing to the notion
of a discorporate consciousness or "soul", separate from the
body? While Descartes (1596-1650) takes the rap for the split,
this dualism is actually found in most of the world's religions,
including the Orphic mysteries of the ancient Greeks, and played
a significant role in the birth of Christianity. This workshop
will explore how this dissociation from the body has affected
human attitudes toward the environment, sexuality and somatic
experience, and consider some of the ways in which mind/body
dualism might be answered in a holistic way by transpersonal
psychology.
Hellenic Ritual
Hellenistic Paganism is a growing sub-community within the
Neo-Pagan movement, and a popular one! Whether you're a full-
fledged "Greek Pagan" or just really love a Hellenic deity or two
(or twelve), join us for a brief open ritual as night falls at
the Delphic "ruins".
The Balance of Apollo and Dionysus
Hellenistic Paganism is a growing sub-community within the Neo-Pagan movement, and a popular one! Whether you're a full-fledged "Greek Pagan" or just really love a Hellenic deity or two (or twelve), join us for this midnight ritual at the "Delphic Ruins".
Philip H. Farber is the author of FUTURERITUAL: Magick for the 21st Century, a manual of neurological exploration, and was a co-founder of New York's Thelemic Arts Center. His articles on magick and popular culture have appeared in Green Egg Magazine, Mondo 2000, High Times, Paradigm Shift, and other unique publications and web sites. Phil is also a hypnotherapist and
co-host of America Online's "Ceremonial Magick Chat." Philip may be phound online at: <http://members.aol.com/rbcfpstu/index.html#bio>
CyberMagick Unplugged
While pagans, occultists, and mystics of every stripe invade
the Internet, the flamewar over the effectiveness of online
ritual continues. Philip H. Farber uses cybernetic and linguistic
theory to explore and discuss modes of cyber-communication and
the potential of 'net-based magick. If you use the Internet in
any way, you can gain useful information about your cyberian
interactions.
Into the Unconscious Mind
Take a hypnotic tour of your own unconscious mind. Allow
yourself to drift through realms of memory and thought until you
find the really cool places you'd forgotten. Pay no attention to
the man behind the curtain. Do not drive or operate heavy
machinery while attending this workshop.
Fox (Rev. John Adelman) is the Archdruid of Ar nDraiocht Fein, and founder and Senior Druid of Shining Lakes Grove, ADF in Ann Arbor Michigan. Fox has been involved in Paganism for many years, has lived on a Native American reservation, studied Pagan magic and religion in several traditions, and has become the leader of ADF's largest and most active local Grove.
Celtic Tree Magic
Beginning with traditional tree lore, Fox teaches an experiential approach to working magic with trees. This workshop takes us to the woods to learn from the trees, on the land as we find it.
Druidry Ancient & Modern
An introduction to the facts about the ancient Druids, the
Priest/esses and Magicians of the Celts, and to modern groups
that choose to wear their name. Covers the origins of the Celtic
peoples, facts and fallacies about Celtic religion, the two waves
of Druid revival, and more. Recommended for those attending
the intensive, especially if they are new to Celtic tradition.
Stephen Gaskin is a well-known teacher and counter-culture personality, the author of several books including Haight-Ashbury Flashbacks, Mind at Play, Cannabis Spirituality, and This Season's People, and a founder of The Farm Community: the largest
and most successful hippie community in the world, created by a
caravan of 400 hippies in 50 school-busses (and about 40 other
vehicles), travelling across country from Haight-Ashbury. Stephen
is also a founder of The Rocinante Health Center Project and
Plenty International, an overseas relief and development company
that helped rebuild 1200 houses and put in 27 kilometers of
waterpipe in Guatemala, set up clinics in Lesotho and Mexico, and
many other projects around the world including the Jefferson
Award winning South Bronx Ambulance Project in New York City.
Cannabis Spirituality
Cannabis can be the focus for a freelance, ad hoc spiritual
meeting. A group of people, partaking of the good herb together,
not perhaps even thinking of anything spiritual, can find
themselves coming together in communion. This is not a communion
of words but a communion of minds and spirits and souls. It
creates a simple down home ceremony that they can relate to
instead of dogma. With grass, if nothing else, you have an agreed
upon phenomena, and an agreed upon source for it. It's a natural
plant. It comes from the natural universe.
I don't believe in imposing ceremonies on others. I think
you should learn to recognize the natural ceremonies when they're
happening. Sometimes they just come along, and here's one going
on right now, and you find yourself behaving ceremonially. A real
master of ceremonies is someone who knows the natural ceremonies,
knows when they're about to happen, when they should happen, and
facilitates them in the here and now.
Living in Community as an Act of Revolution
An exploration of community as a vehicle for non-violent
spiritual revolution. His emphasis will be on people actually
doing things to fix the mess we have made in an overcrowded world
where people charge for services that used to be given away for
love or duty. "Revolution," says Stephen,"is to be considered as
Karma Yoga." This is a workshop on sustainability by a community leader
with over 27 years of experience.
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