Workshops

Come to Carolina Spirit Quest where you will see familiar faces, make new friends, and other kinds of magick. We have a diverse offering of workshops from Incense Making to Lantern Making to Mask Making. Many of our workshops also pertain directly to our theme of Stepping Into the Light. Our workshop leaders are experienced and enthusiastic. We are excited about these workshops because we think there is something for everyone.

Please register early as participation in some workshops is limited. They are listed below. Remember, these are subject to change and other workshops may be added, so check the website regularly.

Workshop Overview

Friday PM

Noon - 4:00 Massage: The Gift of Pleasure - Part 1

3:30- 5:30 Lantern Making - Part 1

4:30-5:30 Newcomers Workshop

After Opening Ritual - Pyromancy

 

Saturday 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Quietly Maintaining Your Spirituality at Work

Mask making for Personal Understanding

Massage: The Gift of Pleasure - Part 2

Coming Out at Work

 

Saturday PM 3:00-5:00 PM

Living in the Light: Being a Public Pagan

Massage: The Gift of Pleasure - Part 3

Tantra: Sacred Sexuality

Legal Aspects of Paganism

Lantern Making - Part 2

Dreamcatchers

 

Sunday 9:00-11:00 AM

Community Activism: Lessons from the Gay Rights Movement

Massage: The Gift of Pleasure - Part 4

Incense Making

Ancestor Spirits

Irish Celtic Cosmology

Acting techniques for Dramatic Ritual and Magical Practice

So This Is Your First Quest? A Special Welcome To Newcomers

Facilitators: Tammie Ward and Gryphon Rosemead
Time slot: Friday PM 4:30-5:30

Back by popular demand, Quest is presenting a workshop for new folks. This fun, fact-filled mini workshop is offered to anyone attending their first Quest. Please come even if you are a veteran of other gatherings. Gryphon and Tammie have attended several Quests. They promise you some fun and a few surprises. We welcome anyone who has attended Quest to come and offer their favorite tip.

Bringing Out the Light: A Lantern-Making Workshop

Facilitators: Garry and Andrea
Time slot: Friday PM & Saturday PM

Using bamboo, tissue paper, tea light candles and a hot glue gun, we will step you through the creation of your very own magical lantern. We will show you how to create stars, moons or most any other shape you can imagine. These lanterns are flameproof and lend themselves to a wide array of decoration with paints, papers, feathers, bells or whatever you wish. This workshop will take two hours on both Friday and Saturday, and will be using hot glue guns, so is not recommended for small children. PLEASE BRING YOUR HAIR DRYER - it will allow you to dry the layers of tissue paper in time to have your lantern for the procession. These lanterns are a perfect way to focus magical energies and creative forces. In the creation of the lanterns, people can imbue the lanterns with their own energies and spiritual forces. Once lit, and carried in the night, the lanterns are beacons of light in the darkness. Bring them together in a circle, and the participants are literally stepping into the light. There will be a $10 fee per participant to cover the costs of materials.

Pyromancy

Facilitator: Bill Elston
Time slot: Friday PM

Since the beginning of time man has had a fascination with fire. Through understanding one can seek answers in the flames of wisdom. This workshop will examine the how and why of using fire as a divinatory tool. Included will be the principles of Pyromancy, safety, what fuels to use, safety, how to build a fire, safety, how to interpret the images in the flames, safety, special effects and of course, safety.

Quietly Maintaining Your Spirituality at Work

Facilitator: Tamia Buckingham
Time slot: Saturday AM

Whether you are out of the broom closet or not, there are many ways to quietly honor your spirituality within your workplace. This workshop will explore methods and techniques for incorporating your spirituality into your worklife without drawing attention to it. Principles of Feng Shui, along with adaptations of eclectic ritual and spell-working elements, will be presented as starting points. Group discussion and round-table work will let participants build on the foundation work to design methods for their unique situations. Note: If you would like to have your workspace reviewed for Feng Shui alignments, please bring a scale drawing (with North indicated) and some photographs of the space. Together, we can design a peaceful personal oasis within the stormy seas of capitalism!

Maskmaking for Personal Understanding

Facilitator: Louann Efird
Time slot: Saturday AM

This workshop will involve the making of masks as a craft. The mask may represent a totem animal, God or Goddess, a symbol or something else of significance to you. It may symbolize a quality or personality trait you wish to acquire, or make a request to the gods through the symbol of the mask. The mask may be used to embody or invoke a quality that the mask maker is uncomfortable expressing in other ways. The mask may be a way of coming out. Like a friend, the mask should not be used as a crutch. One suggestion is to make a mask to keep as a reminder; another, to burn the mask to finalize what you are working. This workshop would require thought and imagination, personal searching and study of the subject and the object. Participants will be offered a chance to do Live Action Roleplay and take on new traits, quirks, motions or entire new personalities as a way of telling their Truth.

Coming Out at Work

Facilitator: Gryphon Rosemead
Time slot: Saturday AM

Coming out at work is a scary thing. If you have decided to come out as a Pagan to your co-workers, what is the best way to do so? What are some of the consequences you might face? How can you find others who have been living openly as a Pagan in your field of work? We will discuss some different paths possible and the pros and cons of each.

Legal Aspects of Paganism

Facilitator: Nightshade
Time slot: Saturday PM

Nightshade will discuss legal issues of general interest to the Pagan community. Time permitting, such issues may include: "What should Pagan groups think about when practicing with minors present?" "What should Pagan groups know about going nonprofit?" and "Is Wicca a legally recognized religion?"

Living in the Light: Being a Public Pagan

Facilitator: Drema and Lance
Time slot: Saturday PM

Waaaaaay Out - An open discussion on being a public Pagan. Topics will include large and small public ritual, handling harassment, talking to the police, interviews with reporters, giving public p resentations, crowd control, how to put on a positive public face, and more.

Tantra: Sacred Sexuality

Facilitator: Raven
Time slot: Saturday PM

This workshop will cover concepts about sacred sexuality, divine prostitute, priest-marriages; Eastern Tantra -- Red Tantra, White Tantra, and Buddhist Tantra; Western Tantra -- Sex Magick, Karezza, The Great Rite; Tantric Texts -- Sutras, Shastras, and Tantras; Tools of Tantra -- pillows, blankets, candles, shrines, oils, etc; Rituals of Tantra -- meditation, yoga, maithuna, cakrapuja; and Tantric Alternatives -- Tantra in BDSM, Tantra for LGBT, etc.

Dreamcatchers

Facilitator: Lisa
Time slot: Saturday PM

Dreamcatchers are a great tool to funnel positive dreams and visions to the sleeper while bad dreams get lost in its web. Native Americans have long used these tools but now their energy is open to anyone. Designing and creating your own dreamcatcher will make it more attuned to your personality and energy. There will be an additional charge of $10 for materials for this workshop.

Using Yoga to Connect to Divinity

Facilitator: Rebecca Emberger
Time slot: 5:00 to 5:45 PM Saturday, before Dinner

Yoga is an excellent way to connect to your inner divine life force. The Goddess lives within each of us and yoga can help relax your body, quiet your mind and free your spirit so that you may connect with her more easily and frequently. Come join us as we learn some basic breathing exercises and simple stretches that can be performed by anyone. Please wear loose fitting clothing that does not impair movement and bring along a mat, blanket or towel to lay on. Registration is not required to participate in this workshop.

Incense Making

Facilitator: Becky Starr
Time slot: Sunday AM

Disconnect the smoke alarm 'cause we're making incense!! This workshop will present a beginner's overview of making incense for personal or ritual use. We will explore the reasons for using incense, various ingredients, and magical correspondences to achieve a desired goal. We will be working with three resins and ten herbs - including Frankincense, Sandalwood, and Rose - alone and in various combinations. Each participant will leave the workshop with not only an ounce of each of the 13 ingredients for future incense blending, but also a custom blended personal incense of their own design. There will be a materials' fee for this class of $10 to cover take-home ingredients! Limit of 10 participants.

Irish Celtic Cosmology

Facilitator: Bill Elston
Time slot: Sunday AM

This workshop will examine the entities of the Irish Myths. Which deity do you invoke for what purpose? What makes the Irish different from the rest of European mythologies? Who were the ancient Irish deities, where did they come from, where did they go, did they go anywhere or are they still with us? How do we invoke them? What are the literary sources for them?

Ancestor Spirits

Facilitator: Sharon Hill
Time slot: Sunday AM

The spiritual heritage is in our blood. A man once told me that he believed that our racial heritage related to our spiritual roots; that we tended to reincarnate in the same ethnic groups in different ages. At the time I was furious, and though I do not know if I agree with him, I'm definitely in agreement that there is a spiritual heritage in our blood. In this workshop, we will explore our ties to those who genetically contributed to our being who we are and where we are. We will discuss methods of connecting with the vast source power in our blood that is our birthright.

Community and Activism: Lessons from the Gay Rights Movement

Facilitators: Lisa and Kimana LeMaster
Time slot: Sunday AM

What does the term "Pagan Community" mean? Should we use such a term? And how can such a diverse people ever hope to ensure their safety "in the light" without losing our individuality? These questions will be explored as we look to the Gay Rights Movement of the past 30 years to see what can be learned from such a diverse and still politically active population.

Acting techniques for Dramatic Ritual and Magical Practice

Facilitator: Michael Mercandetti
Time slot: Sunday AM

Much emphasis is placed in magical practice on the use of magical tools and weapons. Though these valuable tools are important in ritual, what good are they if we do not grasp and harness the power that Mother Nature has given us through our ownbodies and imagination? This workshop will provide solid yet simple technique to fully immerse oneself in a ritual mind, body and spirit. This workshop will be split into three parts: A voice and movement section using stretches and vocal/breathing techniques to remove tension and open our vocal resonators. Utilizing techniques from Michael Chekhov and the Stanislavsky Method, we will focus on using the six senses, our will, the power of our thoughts in space, emotion, intention, grounding and the use of centers through visualization, concentration and creative group exercises. Simple yet powerful techniques of shutting off our ego in order to step into our higher selves will be utilized to fully focus on magical practice such as qualities and atmospheres. These lessons will culminate into an application of technique through a performance of a monolgue either from "The Lord of the Rings", "The super Warrior" or "The Never Ending Story."

Weekend Intensive Workshop

Massage: The Gift of Pleasure

Facilitator: Dick Merritt
Time slot: Friday Afternoon, plus all three workshop slots

Being able to touch skillfully and sensitively enhances our sensual expression. To touch with awareness is a beautiful gift for a friend or lover. Massage and the healing power of touch underlies most bodywork and healing energy modalities. It can be a part of many diverse spiritual paths. Besides, its fun.

Workshop consists of demonstrations and practice. Participants will learn to and will give a full body massage. We will introduce polarity therapy, perhaps the easiest of the many techniques for using healing energy. Open to couples and individuals. Wear brief clothing or bathing suit (two piece for women). Bring sheet, towel and sleeping bag or heavy blanket for each participant. Bring a massage table if you have one. Oil is furnished. There will be a $20.00 fee per participant for this workshop.

Cancelled - Sweat Lodge Workshops - Cancelled

NOTE: The CSQ staff regret to inform you the sweat lodges have been cancelled due to personal circumstances. The staff searched, but could not find sweat lodge workshop leaders so we must cancel the sweat lodges for CSQ 2003. Here is what you are missing.

Facilitator: Hillsborough Sweat Association and Friends
Time slot: Saturday AM - Construction

The sweat lodge will be constructed by adult and teen participants that register for this Saturday morning workshop. Participants will bring home the knowledge of how to build their own lodge. Both construction of the sweat lodge and the fellowship forged through this activity will enhance the experience of the sweat lodge ceremony itself. There will be a $10.00 fee per participant for this workshop.

Facilitator: HSA and Friends
Time slot: Saturday PM - Sweat lodge
Time slot: Sunday AM - Sweat lodge
Note: These are two separate sweatlodge workshops, one each day.

A discussion of the purpose and some of the various forms of the sweat lodge ceremony and how it can be adopted to modern neo-paganism. This will include logistical and safety considerations for running a sweat lodge and a brief, but real, sweat lodge based on the teachings of an Elder. Bring two large towels; one to sit on and one to dry yourself with. If you are wearing clothing, make it loose. Avoid spandex. The sweat lodges are "clothing optional." Any person present may choose to be clothed or unclothed, according their level of comfort. While the sweat lodge area is not handicap accessible, we will try to make this experience available to all who wish to attend. There will be a $10.00 fee per participant for these workshops.

Garry and Andrea are pagans living in Virginia Beach with their son, William. Garry is an Occupational Therapist and potter, and Andrea is the proud owner of Twin Roses Designs, a Pagan costume/clothing company. They have been participants and vendors at the past two Carolina Spirit Quests.

Bill Elston, a Druid for over 30 years, a cook by trade, Reiki master, herbalism student, Tarot and Rune reader. Currently working on developing the Oghams (ancient Irish memory developing system) as a tool for healing.

Tamia has been a pagan even longer than she has been a finance and accounting geek! And no, the two aren't mutually exclusive. Her work environments have held elements of her spirituality for over a decade - although she's only been "out of the broom closet" for the past two years. Her interest in Feng Shui was kindled in the mid-1990s by time spent in eastern-culture hotels while on business trips - and has brought a sense of peace and fulfillment in her life. It is much easier to work in a space that honors your spirit - particularly if surrounded by your totem animals!

Luanne Efird, more commonly known as Louie, grew up in Norfolk, Va. When she was fourteen, she went to a traveling renaissance fair where her attention was captured by an old man with a long scraggly beard who told people's fortunes for spare change. He did this with odd long wooden sticks. They talked for hours about what runes were and how they worked. Once home, Louie quickly set about looking up more information. Her mother, having noticed more and more pagan-ish books around the house, bought her first deck of tarot cards with the deal that she would do readings for her mother. Her mother and grandmother encouraged her to add her artistic talents to what she was learning. She expanded her study into meditation, herbs and candles, myths and traditions, among other things. In 1993, Louie was asked to join a small gathering for a private Yule ritual. She then explored a traditional Norse path, Blue Star Wicca and the study of Sanitarian. She has attended many of the Gathering of the Tribe events and found CTC on the Internet. She has been most recently solitary with stress on the elements and sympathetic magic. Recently her interests have turned towards her family's Slavic roots.

Gryphon Rosemead has been practicing the craft since the early 70's and has given Workshops and done Rituals at many public and private gatherings. A public Pagan, she has been on TV, in the newspaper and has linked her mundane and magical identities on her website. She is a High Priestess and an Elder and has earned a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and Masters in Education from the University of Georgia. She is Director of QuestSpecial Events and a member of the Board of Carolina Spirit Quest, Inc, has served on the Celebrate the Circle (http://www.angelfire.com/nc/celebratethecircle/) Steering Committee, contributes frequently to the CTC Newsletter and is the Workshop Coordinator for Pagan Pride Day in the Triangle. Gryph is a National Board Certified Agriculture Teacher in a small rural town, has become interested in promoting Pagan tolerance in the public school system and lives in a barn with her dog Iago and her cat Grandmother. For more information visit her website at http://www.angelfire.com/nc/gryphon She can be contacted at gryph@pobox.com

Nightshade is currently a member of the Board of Directors for PagaNet, Inc. and serves as its legal counsel. He writes and speaks to the public on legal topics of interest to the Pagan community. Nightshade resides in Virginia Beach, VA, where he is a practicing attorney, licensed to practice law in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. He is certified in Virginia as a guardian ad litem and as a mediator with mentor status.

Lisa is a UNC Student who has collected dreamcatchers since she was a little girl. She makes dreamcatchers as a way to funnel energy and connect with her Native American roots. With new designs, she finds ways to connect with the Goddess.

Sharon Hill is a 44 year old African-American female who is also a licensed clinical social worker. She teaches often at Celebrate the Circle, has written for the newsletter for both CTC and Quest, teaches Quest Specials on Healing and the Chakras, and has been involved in the North Carolina pagan community for over three years.

Becky describes herself as an Eclectic Egyptian Pagan and has been making her own mysterious blends of incense for about three years. She is a corporate trainer by profession and a teacher by passion. Last year was her first Quest experience and she had so much fun, she decided that she just had to teach this year. Becky is a priestess of Isis, a member of CTC, and lives in Durham.

Raven is an Ordained Minister, Wiccan High Priest, and initiated Tantrika (practitioner of Tantra).

Drema is the Co-Founder and Board Chairman of PagaNet, Inc. (PNI) and Co-Founder, Publisher and Senior Editor of PagaNet News. Drema has been a practicing Wiccan since the mid-80's and High Priestess of Silver Phoenix Coven since 1991. She is also the Co-Founder and Event Coordinator for Virginia's Harvest Faire, and Founder of Mother Hubbard's Cupboards, a short-term assistance resource for individuals and families in need. Drema is legally recognized to perform clergy services in Virginia, and has been married to her husband, Bear, for 22 years.

Lance, with PagaNet, Inc., has been following his path since the early '70's. His is co-founder of PagaNet, Inc, and High priest of Silver Phoenix, a British traditional coven located in Virginia Beach, VA. He is currently on the Board of Directors for PagaNet, Inc, and performs duties as Secretary & Treasurer. Additionally, he handles all the invoices, subscriptions, calendar & Webweaver submissions and photography for PagaNet News. Should he ever get a break, he enjoys woodworking on his back porch. His e-mail is PNI@paganet.org.

Dick Merritt, a retired professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association, led this workshop at SUUSI each year from 1988 through 1999. Dick grew into paganism through the influence of eco-feminist spirituality in the 80's. It was a natural fit, given his agrarian background. He is an eclectic neo-pagan and Unitarian Universalist. Dick characterizes himself as a Joseph Campbell pagan because of his conviction that religion is metaphor. Strongly influenced by the Creation Spirituality movement, he describes himself as a panentheist. He enjoys frequent rituals and purification ceremonies. He has been leading rituals for groups of up to 300 participants and studying those led by others since the late '80's. A techno-pagan, he is a UNIX technician.

Kimana and Lisa LeMaster have been living as a married couple for nine years, and have walked a Pagan path together for six of those years. Kimana received a BA in History and Religion from Old Dominion University in May of 2003, and has opened an event planning business, and Lisa is a Sign Language Interpreter. They are home schooling moms for their three teenage daughters, and they serve as clergy for their coven in Portsmouth, VA.

Rebecca Emberger is a certified yoga instructor and has been practicing yoga since she was a baby. Her style is her own eclectic blend of styles and traditions. She runs two weekly classes in the Atlanta area and operates a yoga studio in Hampton, GA.

Michael Mercandetti (Moon Talon) has been fascinated with mystical topics since as a child, he saw dragons in the clouds and heard voices in the earth. He began his Pagan interest in College where coincidentally he met an outstanding magical teacher who remains his friend and mentor on magical topics to this day, Will Elston, Lord of the Kitchen. He is a current member of ADF (ArnDraiocht Fein), a Druid Fellowship. At his time at Ithaca College, with the help of Bill Elston, Michael founded and presided, a psychic and spiritual group that performed workshops on a multitude of spiritual topics including Shamanism, Rune Magic, The Enneagram and the metaphysical properties of Stones. In terms of Acting, Michael has performed on New York City Stage for over three yearsat a number of Theaters. He was last seen in an original productionof Jack Kerrouac: Last Call. Michael received his B.F.A. with honors in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. He also attended Ithaca College for two years. He received a performing arts and academic scholarship from both universities. He is currently studying acting with Stanley Harrison, a graduate of the Yale Drama Graduate School of Acting.

Tammie Ward, I was born and raised in Durham, NC where I continue to live and work. My path has a little of this and a little of that. I feel a deep connection with the Goddess in many forms. I try to remain open to where She leads me, but sometimes I go kicking and screaming. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, reading, movies, backpacking in the NC mountains and attending pagan gatherings, many of them with Danny Moses. I have a 16 year old black cat, Concho. I am the Board of Directors for CSQ and I help in many areas of the organization. I enjoy facilitating rituals and teaching workshops. Ask me about Sacred Blood.