Messages In This Digest (2 Messages)

1.: Shamanic Circle Journeying with Bear Heart From: Earthwise

2a.: Re: The Mercian Gathering From: Tim Hartridge

Messages

1.: Shamanic Circle Journeying with Bear Heart

Posted by: "Earthwise" earthwise@bigpond.com astarte_earthwise

Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:28 pm (PDT)

WitchWorks Presents:

Shamanic Circle Journeying with Bear Heart (Walter Moyer) & Astarte
Earthwise.
When: Saturday October 15th 2011
Where: Walka Water Works - 55 Scobies Lane OAKHAMPTON HEIGHTS 2320.
Maitland, Hunter Valley NSW In Reserve 2 (upper park) behind
the heritage chimney, just to the right of where you enter.
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/earthwise/events/34057162/
Time: 10.30am
Cost: FREE!

What to Bring:
~ A plate to share of healthy nourishing food and drinks to sustain you for
4 hours
~ A sarong, towel or rug to lie on (for the journey)
~ A Blindfold
~ Pen and paper
~ Insect Repellent
~ Sunscreen
~ A Chair

Bear Heart and Astarte worked together in the USA a decade ago, presenting
workshops on spirituality, now once again they reunite to bring you a
Shamanic Circle Journey as Bear Heart visits Australia for the first time.
Bear Heart is of mixed blood from the North American Seneca Tribe, Bear
Clan. He is also an ordained Minister of ULC.
On this Journey we invite you to; you will be taken on an ancient
exploration of the spirit world, seeking answers to the questions that
concern us. Each journey is accompanied by a rhythmic drumming. An optional
sharing follows. Participants are encouraged to bring a pad or blanket to
lie upon and something to cover the eyes. We suggest you bring pen and paper
to record the journeys.

Before the Journey
In order to take such a journey you will need several things:
An open mind
A clear intention
A blindfold
A mental picture of an entrance to the earth you have seen at some time in
your life.

The Shamanic Journey in Perspective:
There are five conditions that will help you become a successful journeyer.
They are:

Let go of your need to control: Our experience is that this is difficult for
most people to do in life, yet alone in preparation for a meditative process
like journeying. If you are trying to orchestrate your own journey you will
be paying too much attention to the details and not be able to get into the
flow required to really experience the lower world.

Detach from outcomes: This is also challenging for many of us. There is no
way we can predict the outcome of a particular journey, yet so often we try.
While we may have a mental image of what will happen the experience never
matches our picture. Release the image and enjoy the experience.

Trust the spirit helpers: A big help in letting go of your need to control
and detaching from outcomes is to trust the spirit helpers. They will always
orchestrate the perfect result for you. Whether you have an amazing
experience in Technicolor, get held up in the tunnel, or don't experience
any part of the journey at all, it is perfect for you at that time. As hard
as it can be sometimes, trust that the spirits are giving you what you most
need at that particular time.

Lighten up and enjoy the experience: Our experience is that when you take
all this too seriously, the spirit helpers will find a way to lighten things
up. They are notorious tricksters and will always help you find the humour
of your own seriousness.

Leave your ego at the entrance: When you think you are the centre of the
action, you are likely to miss the very important signals being given to you
by the spirit helpers.

We both look forward to bringing you this experience free of charge thanks
to WitchWorks, bringing free events to the pagan community in the Hunter
Valley!

Wise & Blessed Be
Astarte Earthwise

<http://www.earthwise.net.au/> Website
<http://www.meetup.com/earthwise/> Calendar
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/EarthwiseBOS> Facebook

~~Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds
long to play with your hair ~~Kahlil Gibran.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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2a.: Re: The Mercian Gathering

Posted by: "Tim Hartridge" ozpagan@ozpagan.com wwwozpagancom

Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:57 am (PDT)

On 16/09/2011, at 1:15 PM, Caroline Tully wrote:

> Indeed the Mercian gathering does look good. Heaps of Pagan things
> in the UK
> are good..
>
> Speaking of Oz though, what about the Down To Earth Confest?
> http://www.confest.com/thesis/
>
> I used to go to that all the time and while not specifically Pagan,
> that it
> always had about 3000 people. Admittedly I didn't go to the
> organizational
> meetings, so I don't know what the deal was with insurance, laws,
> fires n'
> stuff.

Hi Caroline and et al,
I've done the DTE confests and enjoyed them. Back in the early days
I'd travel over from Adelaide, and later down from Sydney for them.
I'd even run pagan rituals at them.

The first confest I attended was at Berri in SA, sometime back in the
70s. I dragged a few coven members along and we ran an Esbat. With
over a hundred people dancing 'n' trancing beneath a full and fiery
full moon we stirred the magick all night and watched the dawn rise.
It was actually at this confest where I met the Marolds, as well as
members of the Dawn of Ra.

I recall one year, with a small contingent of Dark Circle members, we
accepted an invitation to join-in the 'spiritual' village's mantra
chant-in. Our pagan troop sat somewhat conspicuously through the
endless round of Hindu chants (to this guru and that). We politely
awaited our turn. And patiently waited and waited to have our chance
to share our pagan chants and mantra. Finally there was an "Om Shanti
Om" and what seemed to me to be a pause, I leaped right-in with my
"Ma, Binah, Moon, Ea, Ge" luna-mantra. The rather (errr) surprised
looks on faces from our Eastern-embracing hippy counsins was met with
gusto and enthusiasm of our pagan troop. I was completely oblivious
to the terrible "faux pas" I had just made — apparently "Om Shanti"
was Hindu code for "that's all folks" — and not missing my chance, I
blissfully went on to do a second chant.

It was hilarious, but really I had warned them, we were coming armed
with chants.

But back to the topic — I think the problem, as I see it, is that
there just aren't any Witches' Sabbati for Witches to attend.

I'm just frustrated by a complete lack of ritual experiences
available to me. The last few ritual that I attended that resembled
these ol'time Sabbats and Esbats have been my own; supported I might
add by a small team of familiar Dark Circle members. To them I say,
thank you and "vinum sabbati!".

What surprises me though, outside of this relatively small circle of
friends, I just don't see any development in the broader pagan-
witchcraft community, here in Australia, of Witches' celebrations.
Admittedly I am interested in something that will provide an
experience of depth and akin to Margaret Murray's "Witchcult of
Western Europe", but I really don't think that's too much to hope for.

vinum sabbati,
Tim 'ozpagan' Hartridge

http://www.witchesworkshop.com

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