Learning Circles
Welcome to Carolina Spirit Quest, where you will see familiar faces, make new friends, and have an opportunity to learn some amazing things. We have a diverse offering of Learning Circles (workshops) from Drumming and Rattle-Making to Massage and Astrology. Our Learning Circle presenters are experienced and enthusiastic. We are xcited about these Learning Circles because we think there is something for everyone!
Please register early as participation in some Learning Circles is limited. A brief schedule of the Learning Circles is provided below, with links to where they are described in more detail.
Learning Circle Schedule
- Friday Afternoon 2:00 - 4:00 PM
- Children's Learning Circle (LC):- Ritual Etiquette
- Defining Ourselves (Youth, ages 12-17)
- Shamanic Rattle Making, *PART 1*
- Energy Movement in Ritual - Basics
- Friday Afternoon 4:30-5:30 PM
- Newcomers Circle
- Saturday Morning 9:00 - 11:00 AM
- Children's Learning Circle
- Healing Through Ritual
- Embracing Your Darkness
- Fun with Honey and Yeast! FULL
- Conversing with Nature
- Dreams to Reality: A Journey
- Saturday Afternoon 1:00-3:00 PM
- (1:15 - 2:45) Dreams of Eagles, Visions of Owls
- Saturday Afternoon 3:00-5:00 PM
- Children's Learning Circle (LC):- Splash Time / Free Play
- Pagan Youth Open Forum (ages 12-17)
- Shamanic Rattle Making, *PART 2*
- Tigre's Drum Circle Rhythm & Tech Workshop
- Gift of Pleasure - Massage of the Legs
- Walk, Commune and Dream with the Trees
- Tarot in Ritual and Magick: Using the Major Arcana to Manifest Your Dreams
- Sunday Morning 9:00-11:00 AM
- Children's Learning Circle (LC):- Remembering Our Time Together
- Merry Mead Again - Intermediate Mead Making FULL
- Trancing: Altering Consciousness at Will
- Astrology: Outer Planetary Cycles and Personal Evolution through the Collective Dream
- Irish Oghams CANCELLED
- Polarity Therapy: Connecting with energy
Please Note: Learning circles are subject to change. Please check with the web site, or the Learning Circle Coordinator, for any changes or additions.
A Special Welcome To Newcomers
We are so glad you are with us at Quest. We invite you to attend the Newcomers Workshop 'So This is Your First Quest?' on Friday night from 4:30 - 5:30 (see page 7). Attendance is not mandatory, but you will learn many helpful tips. Also, take a moment to look over the "What To Bring" list. If you think you will be lost without a certain item for the weekend, go ahead and pack it. Make sure you bring lots of ritual items, like clothing, staffs, jewelry, etc. During the Opening, Main and Closing Rituals, it is common to see participants dressed in their finest ritual garb. Robes, dresses, tunics, gowns, cloaks and capes decorated with symbols meaningful to the participants' traditions or body painting in colorful designs are worn by many. Plus, there is always lots of glitter!
Remember, you are here to have fun. If you have questions at any time throughout the weekend, please feel free to ask a Staff or Board member. We are here to help you have an enjoyable weekend. Be ready to meet many different people from many different paths. Bring an open mind and heart, and be ready to learn, teach, share, listen and make new friends. Welcome to Quest!
Newcomer's Circle - So This Is Your First Quest?
Facilitators: Cynthia Campbell and Lance Brown
Time slot: Friday Afternoon 4:30-5:30
Back for its fifth year by popular demand, Quest is presenting a Learning Circle for new folks. This fun, fact-filled mini Learning Circle is offered to anyone attending their first Quest. Please come even if you are a veteran of other gatherings. Cynthia and Lance have attended several Quests and promise you some fun and a few surprises. Anyone who has attended Quest may come and offer their favorite tip.
Learning Circle Descriptions
Friday 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Children's Learning Circle (LC):- Ritual Etiquette
Bring children to the their workshop area 5 minutes before LC's and pick them up immediately after LC's.
Knowing when to be playful and when to be serious will help children (and their parents) during ritual. This Learning Circle will teach the kids about ritual etiquette so that ritual is meaningful and fun for children and adults alike.
Shamanic Rattle Making, *PART 1*
Facilitator: Dawn Kenny
Using a hand made rattle to enter an altered state of consciousness, one can "journey" to awaken your imagination and intuition, creating a relationship with the spirits of the earth and all her relations. In this Learning Circle, you will make your own Shamanic journey tool and awaken its healing energy through a powerful experience during ceremony. The rattle is made of cow-hide and a handle you select. Filler, sinew, feathers, stones, beads, colored leather, and other decorations will also be provided to complete your instrument. Bring additional items you may want to include, as well as a blanket and bandana for journeying.
This is a 2-part workshop - both parts must be taken! There will be a $35 fee for this Learning Circle for materials. The fee covers both parts of the Learning Circle.
Defining Ourselves (Youth, ages 12-17)
Facilitator: Christine Ahrens
This Learning Circle offers the Youth members of SpiritQuest a chance to know more about themselves and others in "their" community through Astrological Signs.
Energy Movement in Ritual - Basics
Facilitator: Becky Starr
We will explore basic methods for moving energy within the context of a ritual setting. Our two major areas of focus will be circle casting & raising, and releasing a cone of power. We will use visualization and lots of practical exercises to feel the movement of energy around and out of the circle. This learning circle is designed as a introduction to energy movement - beginners welcome!
Saturday 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Children's Learning Circle
Bring children to the their workshop area 5 minutes before LC's and pick them up immediately after LC's.
Fun with Honey and Yeast! FULL
Facilitator: Ben Starr - Class Limit: 10
This Learning Circle will explore the art and science of making mead. We will look at basic techniques, recipes, equipment and ingredients for various meads, metheglins ( mead with herbs or spices) and cysers (mead with apple juice). Attendees will go home with one gallon of traditional must (solution ready for yeast), an airlock, yeast and tubing to finish off their own luscious concoction. Alcohol is not allowed on the premises, so there will be NO tasting of mead at this event. There will be a $10 fee for this Learning Circle for materials and take-homes. Merry mead, merry part, and merry mead again!!!
Dreams to Reality: A Journey
Facilitator: Gryphon Rosemead
Before we awaken our dreams, we must create them. Come explore your dreams and how to learn from them and bend them to your own desires. How can you become a lucid dreamer? What Goddesses, Gods and herbs can be called on to help you? We will mix bat's wings, a hawk's heart, hairs of a baboon & lion, a bear's foot, and sprinkle it with graveyard dust to make a dream sachet. We will journey into our own dark places to emerge with the wisdom we need to make our dreams ignite our reality.
Healing Through Ritual
Facilitator: Kestral
We will discuss the ways ritual can be used to aid the healing process. Topics will include: candle magick, knot magick, poppets and body painting. Participants will have the opportunity to make a poppet for use in their own personal healing.
Conversing with Nature
Facilitator: Sharon Ryan
In honor of Earth & Earth Day, we will commune with The Nature Spirits and share what they have to say. We will observe any themes that may arise and see if we feel newly motivated to work on behalf of Earth. We will finish, as always, by giving thanks to The Nature Spirits and all they do for us.
Embracing Your Darkness
Facilitator: MoonDance
"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people." - Carl G. Jung
What is our darkness and how do we deal with it in ourselves and others? Our fear, anger, ego, depression, etc often get in the way of realizing our dreams or following what Thelemites call our "True Will". By judging it as "evil" or seeking to deny it, we allow it to rule us. By embracing, understanding and accepting it, we can defuse it. In this discussion of "darkness", we will explore what darkness is, where it comes from, the ways in which we deny it and how we can transform it into an ally and teacher.
Saturday Afternoon "Free Time" 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Enjoy a couple of hours of time free to take a nap, walk the park, or shop at the vendors. Or, if you're craving something to do, attend one of these activities in our "free" time on Saturday afternoon:
1:30 - 2:30, Children's Ritual
This year, CSQ is pleased to present a short children's ritual open to children of all ages. In this ritual, the children will be able to explore and create personal altars in each of the directions. This ritual will be conducted by Emerald and will be held in front of the children's area in the grass.1:00 - 3:00, Pyromancy: Sacred Offerings: - CANCELLED
1:15 - 2:45, Dreams of Eagles, Visions of Owls
Facilitator: Steve Stone
The mere presence of an eagle makes the heart beat faster and the spirit yearn for flight. Nowhere else can you actually learn about eagles and owls and be in their presence at the same time. Experience the feelings that an eagle inspires and let your soul fly with this physical and spiritual experience. Owls have long been known for their foresight and watchful knowledge of our world. During this seminar, you will meet several types of owls and learn about their physical and spiritual place in the world. This seminar includes lecture, meditation, and discussion. At the end of the seminar participants will receive a small eagle feather and the federal paperwork to make it legal to keep.
Saturday 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Children's Learning Circle (LC):- Splash Time / Free Play
Bring children to the their workshop area 5 minutes before LC's and pick them up immediately after LC's.
If the weather allows we will have a supervised splash time for the kids. Please bring appropriate clothing and towels for your little ones. If the weather does not allow for this activity we will have a supervised free play.
Pagan Youth Open Forum (ages 12-17)
Facilitator: Rita Sizemore
This learning circle will be an open discussion that allows teens to voice their opinions & experiences to promote growth & cohesion amongst their peers. Topics such as being a first generation Pagan, prejudice and you, explaining Paganism, rites of passage, and recognizing your role in the pagan community, among others, will be open for discussion. This forum is specifically designed for youth ages 12-17 to give them the opportunity to speak their minds regarding their own personal spiritual beliefs.
The leaders of this forum are trained facilitators and parents of two teenage sons.
Gift of Pleasure - Massage of the Legs
Facilitator: Dick Merritt
Being able to touch skillfully & 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 underlie most bodywork and healing energy modalities. It can be a part of many diverse spiritual paths. Besides, its fun. Learning circle consists of demonstrations & practice. Participants will learn to give and exchange relaxing & healing massage of the legs - especially useful when the recipient has been exercising strenuously. Each participant should bring a towel & a blanket or sleeping bag. Wear a garment which can give access to the entire leg or can be removed. Oil is furnished.
Tigre's Drum Circle Rhythm & Tech Workshop
Facilitator: R. Tigre Cruz
Are you interested in learning the technique and language of djembe drumming? Have you attended drum circles wanting to participate and play more? This series of classes is designed for beginner and intermediate drummers interested in the world of West African percussion and traditionally influenced rhythms. At the conclusion of this class, you will have a working knowledge of some West African and contemporary poly-rhythms, the hand technique and drum language created by Babatundi Olatunji, rhythm technique for grounding or meditation, and the reading of drum rhythm tablatures ( music sheets) to help you learn more rhythms and play more in drum circles.
Shamanic Rattle Making, *PART 2*
Facilitator: Dawn Kenny
Using a hand made rattle to enter an altered state of consciousness, one can "journey" to awaken your imagination and intuition, creating a relationship with the spirits of the earth and all her relations. In this Learning Circle, you will make your own Shamanic journey tool and awaken its healing energy through a powerful experience during ceremony. The rattle is made of cow-hide and a handle you select. Filler, sinew, feathers, stones, beads, and other decorations will also be provided to complete your instrument. Bring additional items you may want to include, plus a blanket & bandana for journeying.
This is a 2-part workshop - both parts must be taken! There will be a $35 fee for this Learning Circle for materials. The fee covers both parts of the Learning Circle.
Tarot in Ritual and Magick: Using the Major Arcana to Manifest Your Dreams
Facilitator: Beth Owl's Daughter
Many people use the Tarot for divination and to evaluate the energies around choices and events in life. But the cards can also be used as a powerful tool for ritual. In this workshop, we will work with the trump cards of the Tarot, called the Major Arcana, as tools that enable us to move energy, stepping between the worlds in order to co-create our dreams. Open to beginners as well as seasoned Tarot practitioners. Participants should bring their favorite decks (if any).
Walk, Commune and Dream with the Trees
Facilitator: Janice Geller & Libby Outlaw
We will walk on the earth, awaken to the trees and envision with the sky. Come explore how the trees can inspire our unconscious, transport us into dream time and help us interpret our reality. The workshop will explore nature as a catalyst for creating sacred space through ritual, movement, dreaming, song and art. This workshop creates a safe, playful and sacred space for individual and group time.
Please bring:
- A diary, notebook or something to write in
- Art supplies
- Blanket and pillow to sit on, or chair
- Wear clothing you can move in & sit on the ground.
Sunday 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Children's Learning Circle (LC):- Remembering Our Time Together
Bring children to the their workshop area 5 minutes before LC's and pick them up immediately after LC's.
The children will use printed digital pictures of their weekend activities to create mementos of our time together. Each family will have a favorite photo framed and decorated by their child to take home.
Trancing: Altering Consciousness at Will
Facilitator: Sharon Hill
Come join us for an experiential workshop of magickal techniques involving the exploration of the vast multiverse of our consciousness. One definition of magick is the ability to alter one's reality by the power of will. Consciousness is an aspect of one's reality and the ability to control consciousness is the basic to magickal practice and power. In this workshop we will engage in individual and group exercises of altering consciousness, including relaxation, guided and unguided journeying, and discussion of the application of trance work to magickal practice. We will tailor our activities to the constraints of location, time, interest, and the experience level of the participants. I look forward to our shared experiencing. Namaste
Astrology: Outer Planetary Cycles and Personal Evolution through the Collective Dream
Facilitator: George Ward
The outer planets are invisible to the naked eye, yet their long orbits have a profound effect on the evolution of the collective unconscious. When we dream or go into trance, the delta brainwave state allows us direct access to the collective unconscious through mythic images and messages. Studying the mythology and symbolism of the outer planet cycles over time helps us understand our collective patterns. Knowing this, we can reinterpret and heal the meaning of events in our past and present, empowering our intentions for the future. The cycles of Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron and other "newly" discovered planets, centaurs and galactic points will be discussed in this workshop. People of all stages of understanding in astrology are welcome. All you need is a willingness to close your eyes and open your mind to the vastness of the cosmos.
Merry Mead Again - Intermediate Mead Making FULL
Facilitator: Ben Starr Class Limit: 10
This Learning Circle will further explore the art and science of making mead. We will look at additives, advanced techniques, recipes, equipment and ingredients for various melomels (mead with fruit) and metheglins (mead with herbs or spices). Attendees will go home with one gallon of must, an airlock, yeast and tubing to finish off a luscious berry (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry) melomel. Alcohol is not allowed on the premises, so there will be NO tasting of mead at this event. There will be a $10 fee for this Learning Circle for materials and take-homes.
Irish Oghams for Healing
Facilitator: Bill Elston - CANCELLED
Polarity Therapy: Connecting with energy
Facilitator: Dick Merritt
Polarity Therapy is one of a multitude of hands-on healing modalities which works with the flow of the body's energies. It is, perhaps, the easiest to learn to use effectively. Through demonstrations and practice, participants will learn to use the fundamentals of polarity on one another. Polarity is practiced with cloths on. You can connect your energetic body to that of your subject through ordinary street clothing. Working with energy can be a part of many diverse spiritual paths. Besides, it is both helpful and fun.
Learning Circle Presenter & Spring Quest Staff Biographies
Becky Starr considers herself an eclectic Egyptian pagan. She is a frequent ritual leader for Celebrate the Circle. Becky is on the CSQ Board of Trustees, now serving as the current President, and has been involved with CSQ for 5 years. Becky is a Priestess of Isis and lives in Durham, NC with her hubby, son and cat, Mistletoe.
Ben Starr has been making meads, cysers and melomels for about 2 years (just ask any of his friends how good his meads are!). He is also a contributor on GotMead.com, a member of the International Mead Association (IMA), on the Home Mead Maker committee of the IMA and is the Editor of the IMA Home Mead Maker Newsletter. In February at the IMA's Mead Festival in Boulder, CO, Ben (and Becky) took Gold Medal and Best in Show in the Home Mead Makers division with a Mulled Apple Cyser. Ben lives in Durham with his wife and son and has anywhere from 15 to 50 gallons of mead fermenting at any time.
Beth Owl's Daughter has been a passionate devotee of the Tarot for over 33 years. A professional Tarot consultant, she is also an eclectic Reclaiming tradition witch, a member of the American Tarot Association and organizer for the Raleigh-Durham Tarot Enthusiasts Meetup. Her Tarot constellation is The Magician/The Wheel/The Sun. As a professional consultant, she has taught and worked with hundreds of clients worldwide using the Tarot for ritual, healing, and self-discovery. She also works extensively with the magical energies of herbs and flowers. She honors Brigid, Gaia, and Hecate in her daily practice, as well as the devas and Ancient Ones who bless the magical cottage in the woods that she shares with her husband, professional photographer John Rottet. They are currently owned by two cats. You can learn more about her by visiting her website (updated daily) at: http://www.owlsdaughter.com
Christine Ahrens has been Wiccan for 17 years. She has been associated with the Greencraft tradition for almost 5 years. She was ordained as a Wiccan deaconess in the Greencraft tradition in 2003. She lives at Ft. Bragg, NC with her husband and three children.
Cynthia Campbell is a full-time mom and long-time pagan dedicated to Inanna. In addition to being Co-Director, she is also Secretary of the Carolina Spirit Quest Board. She meets with Celebrate the Circle, where she enjoys teaching circles as well as learning from others. Her many spiritual interests include pagan chants, tarot, runes, historical research, and thread & fiber crafts. She lives in Hillsborough, NC with her husband Dan, daughter Jessica, one cat, and two fish.
Dawn Kenny, M.S. has been teaching alternative health practices for 18 years. She has a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology and certifications as Master NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner, Master Teacher of SSR and Shamanic Reiki, Yoga teacher and Thai/Shiatsu Practitioner. Her studies also include training in Advanced Shamanism, Acupressure, Sound/Color/Light Therapy and Healing Touch. http://www.rhythmvisions.org/
Dick Merritt, a retired professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association, led massage workshops for many years. 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 him self 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. A techno-pagan, he is a retired UNIX technician.
George Ward is a local astrologer who works through Dancing Moon Bookstore. George has been studying and practicing astrology for over 20 years. He is published in an astrological column in a quarterly international journal called the "Pleiadian Times". George teaches astrology classes and workshops in addition to his personal astrological consulting services. He is also on the board of the Network of Triangle Astrologers and regularly sponsors astrological speakers and events in the Triangle area.
Gryphon Rosemead has been practicing the craft since the early 70's and has given Workshops and done Rituals at many public and private events across the southeast. She is a public Pagan, High Priestess and Elder and is active with Carolina Spirit Quest, Inc., CUUPS, International Pagan Pride Project and Pagan Wilderness Weekend. Gryph has earned a BS and MED from the University of Georgia. A National Board Certified Agriculture Teacher, she has been listed twice in Who's Who Among America's Teachers. She lives with her cat, Josh and her K-9 companion, Skye and has turned her attention to writing full time. For more information, including her schedule and upcoming publishing projects, visit her website at http://www.angelfire.com/nc/gryphon
Janice Geller is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Movement Therapist, Bodyworker and Artist who leads workshops and trainings, and has been in private practice for thirty years. She looks forward to sharing nature inspired dreamwork, in a sacred natural setting, and guiding people to explore their inner landscapes.
Kestral is a 1 year breast cancer survivor who used a series of rituals to assist in her healing. A member of Coven Briar Rose in Los Angeles, Kestrel follows a Welsh family tradition of witchcraft.
Lance Brown is an eclectic modern techno Pagan and Unitarian Universalist. His path includes influences from Wicca, Celtic Paganism, and Native American traditions, with a strong focus on his patroness, Brighid, and Bear, his totem and spirit guide. Lance is a member of Celebrate the Circle and the Ord Brigideach.
Libby Outlaw's 30 years of experience practicing and teaching Bodywork, ritual and storytelling, along with her love for creative art and movement will come together to focus on the nature of dreams. Her landscaped gardens and spiritual relations with the earth and plants inspire her as a workshop leader.
MoonDance became interested in "darkness" while she was living in San Francisco and taking classes toward her Masters in Women's Spirituality at the New College of California. For her thesis, she is considering leading a ritual in which Dark Goddesses challenge us to acknowledge, face and embrace our fears.
Rita Sizemore began actively practicing Wicca three years ago and is currently attending a deaconry training program through Sacred Well Congregation in Texas. She is currently the Assistant Distinctive Faith Group Leader for the Ft. Bragg Open Circle and instructs the Children's Open Circle Program. Rita is employed as an Army Family Readiness Assistant, aiding military families in the process of deployment and reintegration. She is the mother of two awesome teenage sons and a military spouse. She home schools and is currently organizing a chapter of Spiral Scouts for the Fayetteville area.
Sharon Ryan has felt a deep connection with Nature all her life. She has a practice in Holistic Healing for Humans and Animals and is the founder of a spiritually based ecological movement called Sacred Earth. She is active in Peace Work and many Visual and Performing Arts. She loves to have fun. Spirit is important to her.
Steve Stone does not just study animal spirituality; he shares his home and his life with animals. He has such an affinity for raptors that his rescue survival rate is more than double the national average. With a live eagle, owls, hawks and falcons, Steve teaches people about the animals.
R. Tigre Cruz is a Drum Mage, a drum instructor and a drum circle facilitator. He is a third degree initiated High Priest in Wicca, and the new drummer-percussionist for the band KIVA. In his thirty one years of drumming, studying, training, and/or instructing classical and modern percussion, he has acquired a wealth of experience in band, orchestra, marching band and competitive drum corps. He is immersed in traditional West African Djembe drumming and technique. He studies drumming and drum circle facilitation with Jaqui MacMillan. He has performed with and learned from Daveed Korup, Aesa Grayson, and Jim Donovan of "Rusted Root". Tigre facilitates groups to shape intentions and drum circles for a variety of reasons: ritual, meditation, inspiration, trance, healing and enjoyment. Tigre has co-created formal and informal ceremonies, and taught classes for various organizations such as The Pagan Leadership Skills Conference, The Mid-Atlantic Men's Gathering, the Sacred Space Conference and PagaNet Inc. He resides in Washington DC.
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Last updated 03/12/06