2009 Witchcamp Paths

From the Cauldron: An Elemental journey of word and action ~ with Brook and April

Gwyion gains knowledge from the Cauldron of Cerridwen. He follows the shifting path that leads him to become wordsmith, poet, and Bard, the great Taliesin. Likewise, our transformational dance with The Goddess will help us to bring our magic word to the world. We swirl in the cauldron of The Center to find the seed of our soul: our magic word and action in the world. This is the work we bring forth and offer in our lives.

We shall craft a magical journey using The Elements as our guides. Each Element gives us tools that we will use to grow the seed. Air: To Know & Understand, Fire: To Energize & Empower, Water: To Feel & Intuit. With Earth, we will manifest the magic that we have found.

Using writing and trance, energy, song and dance, drumming and divination this path is open to all levels of experience; we especially encourage newcomers and beginners. In addition, experienced practitioners are most welcome to use this path as an opportunity to deepen ritual and leadership skills.


Womb of the Dark Mother...Sipping from the Cauldron of Desire ~ with Hekate and Willow

Who are we when we have been swallowed by shadow? What is this powerful part that shrieks and claws, threatening to consume us? Let us dive deep into our darkest and sometimes most difficult parts, using trance, movement, Tarot and aspecting. The shadow can be our worst enemy or our most powerful ally, and perhaps even both… if we are willing to see ourselves fully. Are we willing to give our shadows their time in the light? Are we willing to listen to their yearnings

This path will begin with preparing to see in the light those parts of us that we hold in the dark. We will create our own black mirrors to give our shadow a face. We will listen to the name of our shadows, hear there desires, and attempt to understand their motivations. We will seek to understand why we long to dip our fingers into the power of the Dark Cauldron.

We ask that those interested in this path have a strong personal practice, have done some level of shadow work previously, and are willing to work in full authenticity. This is not a path recommended for beginning students. Those interested should bring a journal, and things to decorate their magical black mirror (beads, paint, herbs, feathers, etc.). Path will include daily practice, trance, magic, spellwork, and possible homework.


The Witches' Runes ~ with John Brazaitis and Ravyn Stanfield

Dare to embrace the Knowledge of the Witch. Become more fluent in a language spoken between tree and witch, sun and water. Study the magical alphabet that conjures fire, ice, thorn, joy and awakening. Explore the living runes as catalysts for Alchemical transformation within our lives.

This path continues and expands the rune work begun at last year's camp. We will experiment with practical runic spells, exploring Alchemical relationships and bindrunes. This path will combine a lecture component with experiential and devotional work. We will trance, move the runes through our bodies, create individual/group spellwork and art, listen for wisdom in the forest and sing our magic into the cauldron. And, of course, there may be a story or two. It is unlikely we will hang upside down from trees for days on end but we can't guarantee anything.

This path is intended as advanced work, and some familarity with the runes is recommended in order to fully participate. Please bring a journal, and markers that will be used to draw on your body, your intellect and your imagination. Having your own set of runes will also be helpful. For those interested in gaining a basic knowlege of runes, we will be presenting optional offerings on the runes and related subjects during the week in addition to this path.


The Path of the ShapeShifter ~ with Suzanne and Birch

Caught between our willingness to become all of who we are and resistance to our greatest awakening, lies one of the deepest of magics, the ability to Shapeshift. Through the advanced skills of Aspecting, Glamouring and Sacred Drama, this path invites you to cross a bridge between the worlds, to initiate your ecstatic performer in service of She who demands your all. Through spontaneous ritual, divination and cauldron diving trance, improvisation, ecstatic movement and songs that make us sweat, we will enact the great drama of life. From birth to bondage, from liberation to death, we surrender to the ocean of Her mysterious will. It is time to change or be changed. Become "the change that makes us wiser". Fully release your immeasurable mythic imagination upon the worlds you inhabit. Each day as we journey into the Otherworld we will bring information and inspiration from Her realm with the powerful intent to ground our magic into the very living fabric of our day to day lives. As our work, we will make of ourselves a potion to nourish our communities.

"I burn with visions of another world...." As witches and artists, visionary imagination is our essential tool. Our abilities to Shapeshift relate directly to our understanding that on the Web of Life all created things exchange power, life force and consciousness. In ecstatic encounters with the Otherworld the adventurer transforms before returning with new knowledge and understanding to share. With the touch of the poet he or she can then sing the great mesmerizing litany of all that one has been, is, and could be again. The bard is to be born once again in you. For whom will you sing? Please note that this is an advanced path for those with experience with ecstatic practises and ritual.

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