Saturday 4th October 2008

Qabalah through the Worlds 

A Master class in Advanced Practices and Concepts for Working with the Tree of Life

With David Rankine

The Qabalah underlies the magickal systems of the Western Mystery Tradition.  Yet many of its most effective practices have been ignored or forgotten in recent centuries.  This workshop will focus on exploring techniques which can be applied to creating magickal change, such as the development of Ruach ha-Qadosh, the power of prophecy referred to in the Old Testament.

Many of the medieval texts on Qabalah contains hints and ideas which provide signposts for effective spiritual growth through the Tree of Life, such as the steps required for effective use of prayer, and the different types of light and when to use them appropriately.  These ideas, together with the chiromantic attributions of the Tree of Life and the importance of fragrance are all themes which will be studied through the day.

The power of the Hebrew alphabet is often neglected, and we will consider the letters and meditational techniques for working with them to strengthen the astral body, attract desired qualities and achieve inner balance.

A working knowledge of the Tree of Life is required for this workshop,  a basic knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet will be advantageous.

£45.00  Please book in advance.   This workshop runs from 11 until 5.



Marian Green A Workshop dealing with how to use the Elements in Ritual.  marion Green has editied Quest magazine for 41 years which doesn't seem possible as she still has the energy of a 20 year old.  She did have a wise head on young shoulders and now she is a legendary Wise Woman.  her books are reliable for how to do practical work and get the results your want. This is a rare opportunity to be taught by her and one well worth having.
The day will run from 11am until 5pm-ish.  The cost for this workshop is £30. Light refresments will be provided and there are plenty of place to have lunch in Museum Street. Please book in advance.

MONDAY 20^TH UNTIL 23^RD OCTOBER      

ISAAC AND PHAEDRA BONEWITZ.

Isaac has been almost everything in his long Occult life. Qabalist, Witch, Druid. It seems sensible therefore, to have an evening on each of these subjects on his rare trip to England.

Modular Ritual Design.  From the arcane art of computer programming comes a whole new approach to the equally arcane art of creating effective ceremonies: "modular ritual design." Isaac and Phaedra will discuss the many uses that a computer programming metaphor can have for ritual design. They'll show how general problem solving techniques can be applied to the complexities of ceremony, and demonstrate how the modular approach can be used to modify successful rituals from the past into effective future ones.

How to Perform a Druidic Liturgy - Isaac and Phaedra present a detailed explanation of the liturgical methods developed by Isaac and others for the Neopagan Druid movement. Unlike Wiccan ceremonies, most Druidic ones are meant to be experienced by large groups of people, so their liturgical design, preparation, and performance require significant variations to handle the larger population factors. Isaac and Phaedra will discuss these in detail, as well as the importance of the polytheology, cosmology and aesthetics involved, as they go step-by-step through a standard liturgical design for Neopagan Druid worship.

SATURDAY 15^TH NOVEMBER 

Dr GEO THREVARTHEN CELTIC SHAMANISM WORKSHOP

Celtic tradition teaches us how to bring Spirit's power into daily life. Despite its antiquity, it’s worth isn't limited to the Celtic tribes who roamed Europe two thousand years ago, or to their descendants, because Celtic tradition formed one basis for the Western world-view. The problem is that the spiritual part of the tradition was lost to most of us, leaving a gutted cosmology. Through meditation, chant in Old Irish, and the visionary technique of the echtra or spirit journey, we can experience spiritual reality as personally and vividly today as Celtic shaman-priests did millennia ago. For more see http://www.celticshamanism.com

Dr. Geo Athena Trevarthen was raised in a Scottish and Irish hereditary shamanic tradition, Geo has practiced magick and shamanism all her life. She went on to study shamanism, psychology, anthropology, ancient religions and Celtic Studies. She received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh for her groundbreaking work on Celtic shamanism. (She was the first to academically prove the existence of a full spectrum of shamanic features in Celtic cultures.) Geo teaches with wisdom and humour, sharing ancient chants and shamanic practices to reveal Spirit's presence with and within us.

SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER  

EMMA RESTALL ORR    

KISSING THE HAG; THE DARK GODDESS AND THE UNACCEPTABLE NATURE OF WOMEN WORKSHOP.

Emma Restall Orr's book, Kissing the Hag, is about the many faces of the dark goddess of nature and how she has a tendency to make us impossible and miserable.  It is an uncompromising book, thick with women's stories, taking the reader from the wild freedom of childhood, and on through the complications of our female nature: the dismissive and frigid, the promiscuous, the needy and demanding, the destructive, the manipulative, to the boring old bag.  It is a thought-provoking book, a challenging book, and perhaps most of all a book of devotion.  The workshop will be an opportunity to explore these aspects of nature - it is for wild women devoted to the dark goddess and those who fear her, and for the men who have to deal with women who are bloody wonderful and bloody difficult.

Workshop and Book Launch 11until 5-ish £40.00.  Refreshments provided. There are plenty of cafes for lunch in Museum Street.