Midsummer Workshops

2 pm

Hellenismos with John D.

Unlike many ancient cultures the Greeks left us with a wealth of information and knowledge. Their religious and philosophical work affects us today, both in pagan and Christian thought. The workshop will briefly cover the evolution of Greek religious practices and ideals from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic eras, including an overview of the gods and other spirit entities. The principles of ritual and festival from the classical era will be reviewed, and we will touch on magic in ancient Greece (time permitting). John combines training in neo-pagan witchcraft with a college major in Greek history and further study of Indo-European comparative mythology. The result is a modern Hellenic reconstructionist path that incorporates magic and modern neo-pagan practices with ancient ritual structure and worship of the gods. The workshop will be followed by a Hellenic ritual to open the Festival.

3 pm

Hellenic Festival Opening Ritual with John D, see Rituals

4 pm

Magickal Mead Making with Rassayana

Mead, the ancestor of all fermented drinks, is typically an alcoholic beverage made from honey and water. Its strength may range from that of a mild ale to that of a strong wine. It may be still or carbonated; dry, medium, or sweet. Depending on specific recipes, it may be brewed with spices, fruits, or grains. This workshop presents an introduction into how to create a basic show mead with discussion of various options for flavoring and strength. It will include a demonstration of the brewing process and how to infuse with magickal intent. Rassayana, a priestess of the Tradition of the Witches Circle, brews magickal meads for the sheer pleasure of sharing tradition and history ... along with a healthy dose of good cheer! Workshop will be followed by a mead tasting and competition.

5 pm

Mead Tasting and Competition

Meads can be competed in the following categories:

Sweet Fruit
Sweet Non-Fruit
Dry Fruit
Dry Non-Fruit

Each meadmaker is allowed one entry per category. Each category will have a first, second and third place. All first place winners will be judged against each other to determine best in show. Please bring mead in UNMARKED bottles. We will provide labels for you to assure anonymity. Meads will be judged on appearance, bouquet, overall flavor, mouthfeel and aftertaste. Winners will receive commemorative certificates.

6 pm

Dinner Break

7 pm

Evening Concert -- See Live Music

9 am

Creating Your Own Spells

Join Stephanos Rhodeois for a course on the basics of spell writing and creation. You will learn the elements of spells, how to structure them, various sources you can use, as well as how to write spells on the fly.

10 am

Introduction to Medieval Astrology
Ze Old Vays Are Ze Good Vays

Since the Enlightenment, astrologers have struggled to understand and use a system that was no longer understood, and didn’t seem to work very well. In astrology’s recent comeback, the focus has been mostly on psychological interpretation, but it was prediction that was the focus of traditional astrology for nearly two millennia. Today, there are a handful of astrologers who are recovering these ancient traditions as they were once practiced, and a renewed focus on predicting. This workshop will present a brief history of Western astrology with special attention paid to the differences between classical/medieval vs. modern traditions. I will also (re)connect the Western Astrological Tradition to the Eastern (Hindu) Astrological Tradition.

11 am

Women's Self Defense with Joe

Join Joe Cariola for a brief, informative and possibly life-saving walk down the path of the Warrior. Learn to embrace this aspect at the most critical of times. Joe has been formally trained by the US Army and has studied various forms of martial arts his entire life. The workshop will be broken into three 15 minute intervals covering the critical points in any conflict: breaking the initial hold, incapacitating your opponent, and conflict resolution/flight. The session will involve some person to person contact, but no striking. Protective gear will not be needed.

Noon-1 pm

Lunch Break

1 pm

Main Ritual -- Click here for more information

2 pm

Sacred Songs and Sacred Language

Native Americans have a rich spiritual culture that has been handed down from generation to generation - to today. This lecture will cover the important aspect of songs in Native American ceremonies, the difference between common and sacred language used in Songs and Ceremonies, and incorporate discussion about understanding the difference in literal and spiritual meanings of songs. These concepts transcend Native American culture and encompass all pragmatic cultures around the world.

Michael first began his path in Native American Ceremony over twenty five years ago. His experience with Native Elders, combined with his studies in Ancient History, comparative mythologies of the Proto-Indo Europeans and over thirty years involvement with Japanese culture and Buddhist practices, allows him to bring together a well rounded understanding of sound, song, and spirituality.

3 pm

Hand Drumming Workshop

Blake drums for The Lauren Kendall Band and facilitates community drum circles in the Richmond, VA area. During this workshop, he will share with you:
*how to find and lock into the heartbeat/pulse
*how to avoid overplaying/overpowering the group
*the importance and power of the group playing together
*how valuable everyone's drumming/voice is for the group

4 pm

Sacred Bellydance with Imakhu

Imakhu shares the metaphysical Women's mysteries of the ancient art of Sacred Bellydance. Metaphysics, ritual, and dance techniques taught, history, as well as meaning of behind bellydance garb. No experience needed. Yes, men can dance too! Dancers, wear comfortable clothes that show the body line and bring water. Drummers/Percussionists are welcome to lend support and learn technique.

5 pm

Magickal, Medicinal and Culinary Herb Gardening
with Victoria

A multipurpose herb garden can be as small as a single pot or as large as your space allows. This workshop will cover planning your garden and choosing appropriate plants, creating your garden space both physically and metaphysically, and incorporating your garden into your personal sacred space. As part of the class each participant will be provided with a handout and will plant a small pot with herb seeds to begin or enhance your garden.

6 pm

Dinner Break

7 pm

Evening Concert -- See Live Music

11 am

Storytelling with Carolyn

Carolyn Wolfe is a freelance writer, author and poet. the story she will be reading at this festival is, "Thyme and Tarot." which is an original short story about a no nonsense business woman who was brought up by her grandmother in the"Old ways" but has now let most of the teachings go. She does however, keep reading her Tarot cards every morning out of habit. This story is about an awakening she has one morning after she does a special reading for herself.

12 pm

'What is the ADF?' with Kim

Never heard of the ADF? That's okay. The Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) stands for "Our Own Druidism". In this workshop, you will learn what is the ADF, who is in the ADF, what makes an ADF ritual, and will continue into the closing ritual, done ADF style.

Kim has been a member of the ADF for 5 years and has completed the Dedicant Path. She is also an ADF Bard.

1 pm

Closing Ritual -- Click here for more information