Elements of Magic Intensive June 2nd-3rd in PEI

I love the elements. I also love Prince Edward Island, which is why I'm uber-excited to be co-teaching Elements of Magic at the beginning of June just outside of Charlottetown in PEI.

Elements of Magic
Weekend Intensive
June 2nd - 3rd, 2013
Prince Edward Island

With the art of magic, we deepen our vision and focus our will, empowering ourselves to act in the world. Working with the elements--Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit, we explore the ritual techniques and core practices of the Reclaiming tradition. In this class we will explore the practice of magic with others; to create sacred space and time, to explore our connections with the Divine/Goddess/God/Mysterious Ones, in whatever form we understand them. Some techniques that are typically touched on include breath, movement, drumming, song, trance, visualization, raising and projecting energy, and ritual.

Elements of Magic is one of the Reclaiming Witchcraft's core classes, an introduction to Reclaiming practices and philosophy, and a pre-requisite for all other Reclaiming classes. We welcome both beginners and experienced people who want to deepen their experience of the sacred with others.

Reclaiming is a community of people working to unify spirit and politics. Our vision is rooted in the religion and magic of the Goddess, the Immanent Life Force. We see our work as teaching and making magic: the art of empowering ourselves and each other. In our classes, workshops, and public rituals, we train our voices, bodies, energy, intuition, and minds. We use the skills we learn to deepen our strength, both as individuals and as community, to voice our concerns about the world in which we live, and bring to birth a vision of a new culture.

 Please bring something potluck to share for lunch on Saturday. Sunday lunch and healthy snack throughout the weekend are included in the registration fee. Please let us know of any food allergies, sensitivities, or any other special needs (food-related or not). 

Teaching Team 
Amanda is an ecstatic Witch following an initiatory mystery tradition of North American witchcraft. She has been active in the Montreal community since 2000, and involved in Reclaiming since 2003. She is currently a member of the Reclaiming Teachers in Training and Service (RTITS) guild in New England, and has offered workshops across Canada and in the United States. Until recently, Amanda was on the Board of Directors for Gaia Gathering, the Canadian National Pagan Conference. She was also the Managing Editor of Wyntergreene, a national Pagan magazine, for many years.

Amanda's personal practice celebrates life and places a strong emphasis on personal responsibility and relationship with Mystery, including deity, the ancestors, spirits, nature, and our selves. She believes strongly in having an extensive magical toolkit that complements real-world skills. She works as a freelance writer, blogger, and health coach. Visit her website at witchyways.blogspot.com

Josie Baker is a community organizer and Pagan activist. She has organized many open workshops and rituals in the Reclaiming community in Montreal and the Maritime provinces. Her academic background includes Religious Studies, Women's Studies, Community Development, and Adult Education. Her experience with the Reclaiming community includes 10 years of Pagan activism, ritual (co)creation at Vermont Witch Camp and co/facilitating a class on Elements of Magic in 2008 and Ecology of Magic in 2007, and participation in Earth Activist Training in 2009. She values direct (inter)connection with the earth and the land in her home province of Prince Edward Island.

Costs 
sliding scale: $130 to $70, You decide where you slide. No explanations needed. If the lower end of the scale is impossible for you, please contact us. We don't want to turn anyone away because of their financial situation, and are willing to provide work exchange opportunities.

TO REGISTER
Space is limited. To register or for more information, contact: reclaimingpei@yahoo.com A $40 deposit is required to hold your space (Cash, cheque, PayPal, Interac transfer accepted. Please contact us prior to sending Paypal or Interac transfer). The balance is payable at the workshop. Or you can pay the whole shot when you register.

Facebook Event page is here

Workshop: Crafting Ritual

I have a workshop coming up on Thursday June 21st at 6:30 pm at Le Mélange Magique in Montreal

Crafting Ritual: An Introduction
Ritual is a space in time carved out for spiritual or transformative work. It usually involves set forms to create and contain the energy of that moment; and is an integral component of many contemporary Pagan practices. This introductory workshop provides an overview of common ritual formats and some basic considerations when crafting a ritual for yourself or small groups. ($30)

Please register directly with Le Melange Magique
514.938.1458 or tmb@themagicalblend.com

Intro to Elements of Life

Introduction to the Elements of Life
Thursday April 26th, 630-830 pm
Le Melange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine W

Many contemporary Pagan and esoteric traditions use the five foundational elements of earth, air, fire, water and ether/spirit. What are they, where do they come from, what do they represent, how can we tune-in to their energies for our magical or spiritual work, and why would we want to? This 2-hour introduction scratches the surface of these questions and offers some practical exercises to explore (and use) the five elements.

Cost $30

Space is limited.
Please reserve your spot directly with Le Mélange Magique.
514-938-1458

Facebook Event page

Wisdom of the Wild: A 4-day Intensive

Wisdom of the Wild

Wisdom of the Wild: A four-day intensive camp in the Reclaiming Tradition
June 7-10, 2012
The Hermitage, New Hampshire, USA
Contact: events@mythosphere.com
Facebook event page

From where does your authority come? Whose laws do you follow? Almost everyone knows the story of Robin Hood, who steals from the rich to give to the poor, creating justice by choosing to defy the laws of society.

In the oldest versions of the Robin Hood story, Robin was not a noble lord, but a skilled commoner, one of the people. His power came not from “above,” but from his strength of spiritual authority, which flowed from intimate knowledge of the wild woods, giving the ability to exist outside the laws and structures which governed the society around him.

The Robin Hood tales inspire us by teaching that through the knowledge of the Wild we can develop our own authority, and create a more just world. Coming from a place of inner authority, the actions we take are based on the right thing to do, not necessarily what we are told to do or what is expected of us.

We will follow Robin, Marian, and their band of merry witches into the wild woods to learn Her deep, subversive wisdom, and revel in Her powerful and shameless ecstasy.

The four-day camp will include intensive path work, afternoon optional offerings (including archery!), all-camp rituals, and the opportunity to share stories, music, skills and song in the wild with your fellow journeyers. There will be two paths offered: an inner path and an outer path, offering the opportunity to learn from the wild, develop your magical skills and spiritual authority, and use that skill and authority to manifest positive change in your life and the world around you.

This is an intensive camp and will involve deep Work, so we ask that campers come with some prior background and knowledge of basic magical practice. Particularly for those whose experience is in other traditions or forms, we will offer optional offerings covering fundamentals of Reclaiming-style ritual and magic.

Location: The Hermitage, Claudia and Chelidon’s home and land in West-Central New Hampshire (Grantham, NH, near Hanover-Lebanon, NH)

Date: Thursday June 7, starting promptly at 6 pm (can arrive any time after 3pm), ending Sunday June 10 at 1pm

Meals: Starting w/ Dinner Thursday, 3 meals a day on Friday and Saturday, Brunch on Sunday

Cost: $225-150, sliding scale

Teachers: The teaching team will be made up of experienced teachers and mentors from the RTITS (Reclaiming Teachers in Training and Support) group, which is in its seventh year of work.

To register: Register online at wisdomofthewild.eventbrite.com . When you register, you can choose whether you want to pay online or send a cheque in the mail. A $75 deposit is required to secure your place. The balance is due by June 1st, 2012. A small Eventbrite service fee will be added to your online registration total.

Contact: For more information, email to events@mythosphere.com The event will be filled first-come, first-served, in the order in which registrations/deposits are received. We do expect camp to fill, and will begin a waiting list at that point.

FACILITIES
Main House with 3 1/2 baths, 2 kitchens, 1 large inside meeting room and large dining room with seating for 20+, hot tub in the greenhouse. Indoor and woodland showers w/ hot water.

A converted barn with large meeting space, comfy bunk beds for 20, running cold water, wood stove heat, 2 fancy composting toilets. 20 acres of wooded private land with 3 streams abutting thousands of wooded acres of preserve land.

Large open area for outdoor ritual with bonfire circle and space for campers should anyone wish to tent or car camp.

Please note the house has cats and a dog, but the barn is pet-free. Special dietary and other needs (CPAP, etc) can typically be accommodated as long as we know in advance.

Elements of Magic in Montreal

Reclaiming core class
Weekend intensive
April 14-15, 9:30 am to 6pm both days
Price $40-75 sliding scale
Location: Verdun

DESCRIPTION
With the art of magic, we deepen our vision and focus our will, empowering ourselves to act in the world.

In this class we explore the practice of magic and witchcraft by working with the elements--Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. We learn the ritual technologies used in the Reclaiming tradition to create sacred space and time, and to create magic; and we explore our connections with the Divine and Mysterious Ones, in whatever form we understand them. Some techniques that are typically touched on include breath, dancing, drumming, chanting, trance, visualization, working with will, sensing and projecting energy, raising a cone, basic spellcraft, and ritual.

Elements of Magic is one of the Reclaiming tradition's core classes. It acts as an introduction to Reclaiming practices and philosophy and is pre-requisite for all other Reclaiming core classes. We welcome both beginning students, and advanced students who want to deepen their experience of the sacred elements.

Please bring something potluck to share for lunch on Saturday. Sunday lunch and healthy snack throughout the weekend are included in the registration fee. Please let us know of any food allergies, sensitivities, or any other special needs (food-related or not).

TEACHING TEAM
Amanda is an ecstatic Witch following an initiatory mystery tradition of North American witchcraft. She has been involved in Reclaiming since 2003 and teaching within the tradition since 2006. She is currently a member of the Reclaiming Teachers in Training and Service (RTITS) guild in New England. Her personal practice celebrates life and places a strong emphasis on personal responsibility and relationship with Mystery, including deity, the ancestors, spirits, nature, and our selves. She believes strongly in having an extensive magical toolkit that complements real-world skills. Visit her website at witchyways.blogspot.com

Jack is a British witch, writer and craftsman living in Montreal. He has been involved with the Reclaiming tradition for nearly 15 years, and has been teaching within the tradition for some 10 years. He has previously been a member of the British Reclaiming Teachers' cell and has taught at both Avalon and Tejasweb witchcamps. His work focuses on land, lore and the mysteries of gender and sexuality. He is currently working within a Northern Tradition kindred and exploring the magic of the Canadian landscape.

COSTS
We wanted to keep costs low and we've done it. We have the use of a private space for free. It's not large, but it suits our needs and it's convenient.

$40-75, sliding scale. You decide where you slide. No explanations needed. If the lower end of the scale is impossible for you, please contact us. We don't want to turn anyone away because of their financial situation, and are willing to provide work exchange opportunities.

For transparency, the teaching team is receiving an honorarium of $10 each per participant. Registration is limited to 12 participants. $20 per participant is going to cover expenses, including food. That is the base $40. Any balance collected goes to to a fund to help cover travel expenses and keep workshop costs low when we bring in a teacher for Iron Pentacle in the fall, or other advanced workshops. As well, it helps cover expenses for anyone requesting work exchange.


TO REGISTER
Space is limited. To register or for more information, contact Amanda at ravenka (at) cosmic-muse.com.

A $20 deposit will be required to hold your space (Cash, cheque, PayPal, Interac transfer accepted). Balance payable at the workshop. Or you can pay the whoe shot when you register.

My Spring Workshops in Montreal

I was hoping to announce my full Spring line-up, but I haven't had confirmation yet on all the workshops. But here is what has been confirmed so far.

Pagan Chant Workshop
Sunday, March 4, 14:00 – 16:00
The Montreal Pagan Resource Centre, $10
1928 Ste-Catherine West, H3H 1M4

Chant plays an important part in many Pagan rituals for creating a group mind and raising energy. It's also fun! In the first hour Amanda will introduce us some of the classics, as well as newer Pagan chants that she has learned in her travels to Pagan communities across North America. In the second hour, participants will be invited to share chants with the rest of the group. Don't worry, if no one brings chants for the second hour, Amanda has plenty of her own to fill the time! Song sheets will be provided for the first hour. Cost is $10. All proceeds will go to the MPRC.

Exploring the Pentacles
Thu, March 29, 18:30 – 20:30
Le Mélange Magique, $30
1928 Ste-Catherine West, H3H 1M4

The pentacle is a powerful symbol in many witchcraft traditions. In some, the pentacle is a way to understand the universe, ourselves, and our communities; and ultimately a gateway to alignment and Mystery. This workshop is an introduction to the element, iron and pearl pentacles that come to us from traditions associated with Anderson Feri, and most accessibly through its offshoot Reclaiming tradition. It is an introductory talk about these pentacles, including resources for where to find more information. We will not be working directly with these pentacles in the class.

Crafting Ritual: An Introduction
Tuesday April 10th, 7pm-10pm
Charme et Sortilege
4933 de Grand Pré, H2T 2H9

Ritual is a space in time carved out for spiritual or transformative work. It usually involves set forms to create and contain the energy of that moment; and is an integral component of many contemporary Pagan practices. This introductory workshop provides an overview of common ritual formats and some basic considerations when crafting a ritual for yourself or small groups.

Elements of Magic
April 14th-15th 9am-6pm
Verdun, Qc

With the art of magic, we deepen our vision and focus our will, empowering ourselves to act in the world. In this class we explore the practice of magic and witchcraft by working with the elements--Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. We learn the ritual technologies used in the Reclaiming tradition to create sacred space and time, and to create magic; and we explore our connections with the Divine and Mysterious Ones, in whatever form we understand them. Some techniques that are typically touched on include breath, dancing, drumming, chanting, trance, visualization, working with will, sensing and projecting energy, raising a cone, basic spellcraft, and ritual.

Elements of Magic is one of the Reclaiming tradition's core classes. It acts as an introduction to Reclaiming practices and philosophy and is pre-requisite for all other Reclaiming core classes. We welcome both beginning students, and advanced students who want to deepen their experience of the sacred elements.

Developing Daily Practice
Sunday May 6th, 1pm-4pm
Charme et Sortilege
4933 de Grand Pré, H2T 2H9

Daily spiritual practice is a commitment to self-care, as well as personal and spiritual growth. Depending on your tradition and beliefs, it may also be a commitment to your gods, coven- or Craft-mates. For a daily practice to work for you, it has to be something that satisfies your spiritual goals and that you enjoy. It also must fit into your daily life. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the reasons for undertaking a daily practice, as well as its most common forms and commonly-encountered obstacles. We will then develop individual plans for starting, and maintaining, a daily spiritual practice.

An Introduction to the Elements
Date and time TBD
Le Mélange Magique
1928 St. Catherine West, H3H 1M4

Many contemporary Pagan and esoteric traditions use the five foundational elements of earth, air, fire, water and ether/spirit. What are they, where do they come from, what do they represent, how can we tune-in to their energies for our magical or spiritual work, and why would we want to? This 2-hour introduction scratches the surface of these questions and offers some practical exercises to explore the five elements.

Upcoming Workshops for Fall 2011

My fall workshop line-up is complete!

I will be teaching at Le Mélange Magique and Charme & Sortilege in Montreal, as well as at The Elemental Book and Curiousity Shop in Winnipeg. With the exception of Intro to Contemporary Paganism, advanced registration is required and a minimum number of people must be registered for the class to run. All classes are capped at 9 participants. Please register directly with the shops.

Fall Series: September through December
Building a Personal Spiritual Practice *FULL*
Privately organized.
The focus of the work of this class is to develop a core devotional spiritual practice. Devotion can be outwardly or inwardly expressed. For example, the class can be used to enter into relationship with a deity/spirit or set of deities/spirits, or to come into closer contact with our own soul, inner light or higher self. Class is every second week. Each session builds on the last one and the exercises are flexible enough to be adapted for individual beliefs, traditions and deities.

Thursday October 6th, 7pm -9pm
Intro to Contemporary Paganism
Le Melange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine W, Montreal H3H 1M4
What is Paganism? Ask a dozen people and you’ll get at least a dozen answers. In this brief introduction, we will discuss what we mean when we use the word Pagan in a contemporary religious or spiritual context. We will explore some of the various philosophical underpinnings that seem to unite most contemporary Pagan traditions, as well as some of the common conceptions and misconceptions people have about Paganism. ($5 donation to the MPRC, register with Le Mélange Magique)

Sunday October 16th, 2-4pm.
Crafting Ritual: An Introduction
Le Mélange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine W, Montreal H3H 1M4
Ritual is a space in time carved out for spiritual or transformative work. It usually involves set forms to create and contain the energy of that moment; and is an integral component of many contemporary Pagan practices. This introductory workshop provides an overview of common ritual formats and some basic considerations when crafting a ritual for yourself or small groups. ($30; Register with Le Mélange Magique)

Saturday October 29th, 1-4pm.
An Introduction to the Elements
Charme et Sortilège, 4933 de Grand Pré, Montreal H2T 2H9
Many contemporary Pagan and esoteric traditions use the five foundational elements of earth, air, fire, water and ether/spirit. What are they, where do they come from, what do they represent, how can we tune-in to their energies for our magical or spiritual work, and why would we want to? This 2-hour introduction scratches the surface of these questions and offers some practical exercises to explore the five elements. ($45; Register with Charme & Sortilège)

Thursday November 3rd, 7-9pm
Developing Daily Practice
Elemental Book and Curiousity Shop, Winnipeg, MB
Daily spiritual practice is a commitment to self-care, as well as personal and spiritual growth. Depending on your tradition and beliefs, it may also be a commitment to your gods, coven- or Craft-mates. For a daily practice to work for you, it has to be something that satisfies your spiritual goals and that you enjoy. It also must fit into your daily life. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the reasons for undertaking a daily practice, as well as its most common forms and commonly-encountered obstacles. We will then develop individual plans for starting, and maintaining, a daily spiritual practice.

Saturday and Sunday November 5th-6th
Elements of Ritual
Elemental Book and Curiousity Shop, Winnipeg, MB
Ritual is is a space in time carved out for deep work, usually involving set forms to create and contain the energy of that moment; and is an integral component of many contemporary Pagan practices. This hand-on workshop is an introduction to crafting ritual for solitary work, or for small or large groups. We will break ritual down into its individual components to work with them, and then build it back up again. This workshop is offered as a weekend intensive.

Wednesday December 7th, 7-9pm.
Developing Daily Practice
Charme et Sortilège, 4933 de Grand Pré, Montreal H2T 2H9
Daily spiritual practice is a commitment to self-care, as well as personal and spiritual growth. Depending on your tradition and beliefs, it may also be a commitment to your gods, coven- or Craft-mates. For a daily practice to work for you, it has to be something that satisfies your spiritual goals and that you enjoy. It also must fit into your daily life. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the reasons for undertaking a daily practice, as well as its most common forms and commonly-encountered obstacles. We will then develop individual plans for starting, and maintaining, a daily spiritual practice. ($45; Register with Charme & Sortilège)

The Celtic Tree Ogham Online 8 Week intensive

This is a really unique online workshop offering from my friend Raven in the UK. It's fairly hands-on and I'm sure will be fantastic. Even though the Celtic Tree Ogham is based on UK trees, part of the workshop will help you build a personal Ogham that relates to the trees of your land. It also looks at tree ecosystems. Very, very cool stuff.

Here's the info:

The Celtic Tree Ogham Online 8 Week intensive
The Celtic Tree Ogham is one of the lesser known forms of divination. This ancient Celtic alphabet has some parity with the runes, ie an alphabet for which each letter also has magical significance and meaning. In this case the divinatory meaning is derived from observation of the ecological, practical as well as magical properties of twenty trees native to the British Isles, e.g. Birch, Rowan, Alder, Willow and Ash.

Interest in... the Celtic Tree Ogham is beginning to grow and has expanded outwards from the British Isles, extending into countries such as the USA where many of the Celtic trees are not native to the land. Where the traditional Celtic trees are found, they frequently occupy different ecological, practical and magical niches.

In this workshop we will work on learning skills and tools to develop and build energetic connections to the trees of the Celtic Ogham, along with using other resources and research to learn about the ecology of the trees. We will learn how to translate these energies into understanding the trees that are part of our native ecosystems whether you live in mountains or the desert or even in the British Isles (!); and work towards building a personal tree ogham system that is relevant to your own land, and which may be more or less based on the traditional Celtic tree ogham system. (Read more...)

About Raven:
I am a British Witch who has been working and teaching in the Reclaiming tradition for over ten years. I am also an initiate in the Anderson Feri tradition. I love to travel and has taught courses, classes and Witchcamps in the UK, Germany, US, Finland and Israel, as well as online classes. I have an on-going love affair with trees - the Celtic Tree Ogham is my favoured divination tool, and I have spent many years studying it, teaching it and offering readings using it. I am an ecologist by training and a lover of the natural world, and sees much of my work as building connections. I am a self-employed artist and crafts-person (I make ogham sets, runes and more!), jack-of-all-trades, a poet, writer and recovering academic.

Register by the 26th of June directly with Raven (greenwomancrafts@gmail.com)

Norse Shamansim Workshop With Prudence This Saturday

This is a blatant plug for a couple of workshops at Le Mélange Magique this Saturday by an extremely knowledgeable guest teacher.

On Saturday May 28th, Prudence Priest from California will be giving two workshops:

Amber & Jet Saturday May 28th at 12-2PM $15 per person
Nordic Shamanism Saturday May 28th at 3-5PM $25 per person

Some of you met Prudence and her fabulous amber this past weekend at Gaia Gathering. I don't have her bio in front of me, but for those of you who don't know Prudence, she is a wealth of information and has been active in the Craft/Paganism since the 1970s. She is an elder in COG, a founder of the American Vinland Association, and was involved in the early days of the Asatru Alliance and the Ring of Troth. Seriously, don't miss these!

More information is here. Or call the store (514-938-1458) to reserve your space.

My Panels at Gaia Gathering

The Gaia Gathering programming team is in the process of ironing out the scheduling to make sure none of us who are scheduled to sit on panel discussions or offer workshops need to perfect the art of bilocation. In the meantime, these are the panels that I'll be participating in as a panelist:

Priest/essing our Craft
This panel seeks to define the qualities a person needs to be able to take on a leadership role in the Pagan community. What does it mean to be a Priest/ess in our covens, groups and communities? What are the risks and challenges, and what skills do we need to cultivate? Do we have a need for a Pagan chaplaincy to make clergical services available in our communities, and how can we support our leaders in that endeavor?

Community Leader and Clergy Burnout
Many of our communities hinge upon the efforts of the few to provide services, organize events, and plan rituals that the community members can take part in. Sometimes these people receive the support they need, but much more often, they are left to do the work on their own, which is the well-worn path to burn-out. How can we better support our community leaders and clergy to prevent burn-out? More importantly, how can we help them recover from the burn-out they‘ve already experienced?

Documenting our Histories
Our communities are constantly evolving in terms of culture, population, and the response to crisis. How do we chronicle these events that make-up our modern history? We have discovered such wisdom in ancients texts, but what can we learn from the legacy of our modern-day elders? How do we preserve our recent history so that future generations can benefit?

Song and Chant Share
This is an opportunity to share songs and chants and other music from our communities across Canada.

As soon as I have the complete list of topics and times, I'll post them here. From what I've seen it looks like an exciting programme!

For more Gaia Gathering, visit the website or blog, or check-out the facebook page or event page.

Gaia Gathering in Montreal

Gaia Gathering, The Canadian National Pagan Conference, is fast approaching. This year I'm excited that it's in Montreal. I'm on the organizing committee and we've been working really hard to bring some fabulous Canadian speakers and entertainment to the event, in addition to the panel discussions, roundtables and workshops that make up the core of the conference.

The preliminary programme is now available in pdf format. You can download it here.

The workshop lineup has been announced. Read more about the workshops here.

We're in the process of finalising the panel and roundtable discussion topics. This is a longer process because we really try to get input from folks planning to attend the Gaia Gathering about what they want to see at the conference and what they want to participate in. The list of possible discussion topics is here.

If you haven't registered already, you can register online through EventBrite, here. You can also download the registration form and snail mail it in.

Details about accommodation are here.

My Workshops for April and May

I have three workshops coming up at Le Mélange Magique (1928 Ste-Catherine W) in April and May; and of course, Gaia Gathering (Concordia University) is coming up over the May Victoria Day long weekend and I'm sure I'll be on some panels there too.

Both the Powers of Air and Crafting Ritual workshops need a minimum number of participants to run, so advance registration is strongly encouraged. You can show up on the day of the workshop without registering, however, if the minimum registration was not reached by 48 hours before the workshop start time then it gets cancelled. Register at Le Mélange Magique (514-938-1458). No advance registration is required for The Pagan Umbrella. I run it whether there is one person or 20 people!

Thursday April 14th, 6:30 pm
Powers of Air
The elements of earth, air, fire, water (and aether) are foundational underpinnings of many esoteric traditions. Through a combination of lecture and hands-on exercises, we will delve into the element of air, the direction of east, power of new beginnings, knowledge and ideas, and beings like birds and sylphs. You will also be provided with activities to continue to deepen your relationship with this element on your own. (2 hours; $20; advance registration required; minimum enrollment required for the workshop to run)

Thursday April 28th, 6:30 pm
Crafting Ritual: An Introduction
Ritual is a space in time carved out for spiritual or transformative work. It usually involves set forms to create and contain the energy of that moment; and is an integral component of many contemporary Pagan practices. This introductory workshop provides an overview of common ritual formats and some basic considerations when crafting a ritual for yourself or small groups. (2 hours; $20; advance registration required; minimum enrollment required for the workshop to run)

Sunday May 8th, 2pm.
The Pagan Umbrella
What is Paganism? Ask a dozen people and you’ll get at least a dozen answers. In reality, paganism is probably best considered to be an umbrella term for a variety of spiritual and religious traditions. In this brief introduction, we will discuss what we mean when we use the word Pagan in a religious or spiritual context, discover some of the more popular Pagan paths being followed today (such as Wicca, witchcraft, Druidism, Heathenism, or simply Pagan), and explore some of their commonalities and differences. (2 hours; free)

Friday May 20th to Monday May 23rd
Gaia Gathering
The Canadian National Pagan Conference (CNPC), Gaia Gathering, is a grassroots national Pagan organization founded in 2004. Each year the conference is hosted over the Victoria Day long weekend in a different Canadian city through a bidding process similar to the Olympics. Past host cities include Edmonton, Halifax, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Vancouver. This year (2011) it comes to Concordia Univesity in Montreal. The conference is organized collaboratively by Canadian Pagans and brings together Pagans, Pagan-curious, Pagan elders and community leaders, and interested others for a long weekend of networking, discussion, and community. Traditionally, the panels and discussions have focussed on the issues we experience as Canadian Pagans living in the 21st century, with special emphasis on the experience of being Pagan in the host city. For more info visit their website, blog, or Facebook page!

My March 2011 Workshops

Here is a list of workshops and talks for March. Actually there is only one this month as I concentrate on Gaia Gathering.

The Pagan Umbrella
Thursday March 17, 2011 6:30-8:30 pm, FREE
Le Mélange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine W, Montreal
What is Paganism? Ask a dozen people and you’ll get at least a dozen answers. In reality, paganism is probably best considered to be an umbrella term for a variety of spiritual and religious traditions. In this brief introduction, we will discuss what we mean when we use the word Pagan in a religious or spiritual context, discover some of the more popular Pagan paths being followed today (such as Wicca, witchcraft, Druidism, Heathenism, or simply Pagan), and explore some of their commonalities and differences.

"The Pagan Umbrella" is essentially a talk and Q&A with me sharing my perspective on contemporary Paganism and the various paths that I see falling under this umbrella term.

Also, the study/reading group is still ongoing and it looks like we have a couple of spots open for the Spring session starting March 23rd. We meet every second Wednesday and will be exploring Aphrodite. Contact me for details if you're interested.

Defining Paganism

I've been working on my handouts for the Pagan Umbrella course that I'm teaching on Thursday. One of the challenges of talking about contemporary Paganism is defining it. I half-jokingly said in the class description, "Ask a dozen people and you’ll get at least a dozen answers," but this statement is true. We each have our own understanding of what Paganism is.

Here are some of the definitions and thoughts on Paganism that I've pulled out as a starting point for the course on Thursday:

• Polytheistic nature religion, such as ancient Greek, Roman or Egyptian, or indigenous folk religions (Margot Adler in Drawing Down the Moon, 1979)
• Polytheistic nature religions based on older or Paleopagan religions (Isaac Bonewitz quoted in Drawing Down the Moon, 1979)
• A constantly-evolving philosophy that views humanity as a functional organism within the greater organism of all Life. (Oberon Zell quoted in Drawing Down the Moon, 1979)
• Religion or spiritual practices that have widely-accepted associations with the country-side and the natural world based on the 19^th century understanding of “pagan” meaning country-dweller or “rustic”. (Ronald Hutton in Triumph of the Moon, 1999)
• Followers of polytheistic religions, whether ancient or modern. (Chas Clifton in Her Hidden Children.)
• An affirmation of interactive and polymorphic sacred relationship by the individual or community with the tangible, sentient, and/or non-empirical. (From Pagan Theology by Michael York, 2003)
• Spirituality that is based upon personal experience as its ultimate standard of validity, and that is distinguished by the following five characteristics: pantheism or panentheism, animism, polytheism, the eternal present, lack of a concept of ultimate evil. (Gus DiZerega in Pagans and Christians, 2001)
• A polytheistic nature religion in which reciprocal relationships between humans and all others are important, and which is recreating ways of relating to the earth and all its inhabitant, and has little or no dichotomy of sacred and profane, or differentiation between ordinary and religious activities. (Graham Harvey in Contemporary Paganism, 1997)

After these, we'll be briefly looking at some of the historical roots of contemporary Paganism before getting into the various paths and traditions that fall under the umbrella, or sit along its edges, not quite in under it or outside of it either.

January/February 2011 Workshops

I'm presenting some workshops and talks at Le Mélange Magique over the next two months. Some of them are free and others have a fee. Please help spread the word.

Descriptions are below. "The Pagan Umbrella" is more of a talk with me sharing my perspective on contemporary Paganism and the various paths that I see falling under this umbrella term. The other two workshops are actual workshops with experiential components and exercises that you can take away from the workshop and work with. "Introduction to the Elements" is very introductory. I have a more advanced one that I will probably be offering over several weeks or as a weekend intensive in March or April. "Developing Daily Practice" is suitable for all levels and spiritual paths and includes some personalised follow-up.

In other news, the study/reading group is still ongoing and it looks like we have a couple of spots still open for the Winter session starting January 12th. Contact me for details if you're interested.

The Pagan Umbrella
Thursday January 20, 2011 6:45-8:45 pm, FREE
Le Mélange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine W, Montreal
What is Paganism? Ask a dozen people and you’ll get at least a dozen answers. In reality, paganism is probably best considered to be an umbrella term for a variety of spiritual and religious traditions. In this brief introduction, we will discuss what we mean when we use the word Pagan in a religious or spiritual context, discover some of the more popular Pagan paths being followed today (such as Wicca, witchcraft, Druidism, Heathenism, or simply Pagan), and explore some of their commonalities and differences.

Introduction to the Elements
Sunday January 23, 2011 2:00-4:00 pm $5
Le Mélange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine W, Montreal
Many contemporary Pagan and esoteric traditions use the five foundational elements of earth, air, fire, water and ether/spirit. What are they, where do they come from, what do they represent, how can we tune-in to their energies for our magical or spiritual work, and why would we want to? This 2-hour introduction scratches the surface of these questions and offers some practical exercises to explore the five elements.

Developing Daily Practice
Thursday February 10, 2011, 6:45-8:45 pm $30
*Advance Registration Required*
Le Mélange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine W, Montreal
Daily spiritual practice is a commitment to self-care, as well as personal and spiritual growth. Depending on your tradition and beliefs, it may also be a commitment to your gods, coven- or Craft-mates. For a daily practice to work for you, it has to be something that satisfies your spiritual goals and that you enjoy. It also must fit into your daily life. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the reasons for undertaking a daily practice, as well as its most common forms and commonly-encountered obstacles. We will then develop individual plans for starting, and maintaining, a daily spiritual practice.

Metal Magic with Helmut

In case you missed it, Helmut from Helmut's forge from southwestern Ontario will be in Montreal this Saturday. He will bring horns and blades and leather journals to sell. (They're magical, gorgeous, and well-worth the money. Stock up on your yule gifts early; or treat yourself.) AND! And he will be giving a workshop.

Metal and Magic (Helmut)
Thirty years of making ritual tools, research and experimentation have taught me that when it comes to metal, magic follows a predictable pattern of behaviour linked to its physical state. In this workshop, I will describe these properties and how they affect the ritual and magical use of metal for today’s practitioners.

Helmut started blacksmithing forty years ago, and this year celebrates his thirtieth year of making metal work for the pagan community.

Saturday October 30th 2-4pm $40
Le Melange Magique
1928 St. Catherine West
514-938-1458

February Events around Montreal

I recently realized that when I update the "Local Events" widget on my blog, it doesn't really notify those of you who are getting blog updates via an RSS feed. So I'm going to try to agglomerate them monthly into a single post. Here are the events that I know about for this coming week and for February:

• Sunday January 31st - Pagan Sunday Brunch
• Saturday February 6th, 2:30pm - Public Imbolc Ritual
• Sunday February 7th - Divine Relief Fundraiser
• Thursday February 4th - MPRC Discussion Night
• Thursday February 4th, 9pm - CUPS Pub Moot @ Hurleys
• Sunday February 28th - Pagan Sunday Brunch

Also my workshops for this coming week, February and March:

• Thursday January 28th - Exploring the Elements: Air
  
• Thursday February 11th - Exploring the Element: Fire
• Thursday February 25th - Exploring the Element: Water
• Thursday March 11th - Exploring the Element: Earth
• Thursday March 25th - Exploring the Element: Aether

Registration is required for all workshops offered through Le Mélange Magique, such as the Exploring the Elements series. Space is still available in Exploring the Elements.

Winter Workshops Reminder

'Just a reminder that I'm offering some workshops this season through Le Melange Magique. Spaces are still available for the following ones:

Developing Daily Practice Thursday January 21st
(starts at 7pm promptly; $25)

Exploring the Elements series, every second Thursday starting January 28th, 7pm
($30/workshop or $120 for all 5)

If you want to take these workshops, you must register for them in advance with Le Mélange Magique at 1928 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest (514-938-1458).

Yule Fair This Weekend

The annual Montreal Yule Fair hosted by Le Mélange Magique and the MPRC fair kicks off this weekend. Doors open at 10am, and the event wraps up with a Yule ritual on Sunday at 6pm. There is a great line up of vendors and speakers, including yours-truly who is filling in a last-minute workshop void at 11am on Sunday morning. The full schedule, including a downloadable pdf programme of vendors and speakers, is here.

What am I speaking on? By popular demand, I'll be chatting about a few of the pentacle practices that form part of the foundational philosophies and practice of the some Pagan traditions, and offering resources for those who want to learn more. For me, the pentacles constantly offer new insight and challenges; and my relationship with them informs a huge part of my whole being. The element pentacle from a Wiccan perspective was part of my early training. Then about 8 or 9 years ago, I started working with Iron and its permutations, and the rest flowed from there. Here is the workshop description:

Exploring the Pentacles

The pentacle is a powerful symbol in many witchcraft traditions. In some, the pentacle is a way to understand the universe, ourselves, and our communities; and ultimately a gateway to alignment and Mystery. This workshop is an introduction to the element, iron, pearl and related pentacles that come to us from traditions associated with Anderson Feri, most notably Reclaiming.

Please keep in mind that this is an introductory discussion/backgrounder about pentacles, including resources for where to find more information if this topic grabs you. It is not a workshop.

In other news, just a quick reminder that tonight is the monthly MPRC discussion. The topic this month is "The Power of Dreams." The conversation starts at 18:45.

Upcoming Workshops

After a brief respite from offering public workshops, I'm pleased that my schedule is once again sane enough to offer the occasional workshop. I have committed to offering two (well six actually)through Le Mélange Magique in Montreal this Winter. The details are below. The daily practice workshop grew out of my own insights and struggles with a regular daily pracitice over the last several years, and incorporates a lof of the good advice that was offered to me by my own teachers, mentors and peers. The elements series is based on similar workshops I offered in 2005 through 2008, and my own ever-evolving work with the elements since the early 90s. I am also considering offering Ecology of Magic again starting in the spring, although through a slightly different format. Please let me know if you're interested.

Please register with Le Mélange Magique directly either at the store or by phone. (I think they may require a deposit though.) A portion of the revenue from the workshops is donated back to the Montreal Pagan Resource Centre for their work financially supporting local public activities.

Developing Daily Practice
Thursday November 26th, 2009, 7-9pm
Daily spiritual practice is a commitment to self-care, as well as personal and spiritual growth. Depending on your tradition and beliefs, it may also be a commitment to your gods, coven- or Craft-mates. For a daily practice to work for you, it has to be something that satisfies your spiritual goals and that you enjoy. It also must fit into your daily life. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the reasons for undertaking a daily practice, as well as its most common forms and commonly-encountered obstacles. We will then develop individual plans for starting, and maintaining, a daily spiritual practice. (2 hours; $25)

Exploring the Elements Series
Thursdays 7-9pm, Jan 28th, Feb 11th & 25th, March 11th & 25th 2010
One of the foundational underpinnings of many esoteric traditions is the belief that existence is comprised of a combination of foundational elements. In this series of five classes we will explore the elements commonly associated with the five points on the witches’ pentacle--air, fire, water, earth and ether--using activities designed to bring us in tune with their energies. We will also explore their history, magical associations, and some common symbology. Each class will focus on a separate element. The course is designed as a series that builds over eight weeks, but they can be taken individually. (2 hours each workshop, $30 each or $120 for all 5)