Workshops at Phoenix Fire 2009

We are so proud to announce this years workshops at Phoenix Fire

What a fantastic line up of teachers showing up to share there wisdom and gifts. There is a little something for everyone.

We are especially excited to welcome ORION FOXWOOD this year who will be teaching Fire Magic of the Old Craft, and SAMINA OSHUN who will be teaching The Magick of the Fire Circle.  Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to learn with all of our great teachers in the smaller intimate setting of Phoenix Fire.  What a special gift!

Hurry there is only 6 days left to register for Phoenix Fire 2009.
Thursday, August 13th - Sunday, August 16th, 2009
With early arrival option: Wednesday, August 12
www.firefamilygathering.org/

Transformational workshop offerings Phoenix Fire 2009:
Fire Magic of the Old Craft
Workshop offered by: Orion Foxwood
The use of fire in ancestral witchcraft tradition is a central part of natural magic and healing work. Through conjuration of the balefire, boonfire and bonefire, the spirit of love, wisdom and inner power is mediated through the world. In this workshop Orion will lead us in a wealth of techniques for these deep rooted practices.

And for those showing early!
On Thursday morning Orion will offer.

Fire in the Land
Workshop offered by: Orion Foxwood
At the heart of the planet burns the heart of Gaia's creative life pulse. In this workshop Orion will teach techniques from the Faery Seership practices for attuning and aligning our human center with the heart flame of the planet.

Orion grew up with the second sight (called the veil)in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginian, an area rife with the folk practices of southern tradition and Appalachia. He is a witch and Elder in Celtic-Traditional Craft, High Priest in Alexandrian Wicca and teacher of the Faery Seership tradition. He is also the founding Elder of Foxwood Temple and a primary founder of the Alliance of the Old religion- a national network covens in his line that have united to preserve the ways of his Elder.

He is the co-director of Moonridge, a center for metaphysical, Craft and Faery studies in Maryland. For over 20 years, he has lectured extensively across the United States and in the United Kingdom on the Craft, Faery Seership Tradition and Southern Folk Magic.

He is the author of "The Faery Teachings" (RJ Stewart Books, 2007),a collaborative CD project with RJ Stewart named “Faery Seership” and his newly released book called “The Tree of Enchantment” (Weiser books, 2008).

On the lecture circuit, he is best known for his teachings on traditional second sight and folkloric Faery practices originating in the ways of the Faery Doctors and Cunningmen of Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the conjurers of the American South. I

In the "other" professional world, he hold a Masters Degree in Human Services, is a licensed professional counselor and a public health administrator. His teachings are based in traditional folk practices aimed at direct spirit contact and substantive personal transformation.



MAGIC OF THE FIRE
Workshop offered by: Samina Oshun
This is a workshop on how to get the most from your experience around the fire. Creating the "Magick" of the fire circle, and using its power to manifest what is needed in your life. Come share your ideas and learn new ways to experience the fire.

Samina has been a Priestess of the Desert Moon Circle in Las Vegas for the past 13 years. She is a magician both on and off the stage, along with being a singer, dancer, song writer, percussionist, stilt walker, guitar & flute player, and all around enchantress. Being a seasoned performer, priestess, & magician, Samina blissfully brings her many talents to the sacred fire circle to help create and bring the magick to life!!!


Tantric Shamanism Breathwork Ceremony
Workshop offered by: Sylvia Brallier
Ecstasy is a divine gift that lifts us out of ordinary reality and into a direct experience of the sacred. The transformative fires of ecstasy burn away the blocked energy held in our shadow selves and transmute it into pure energy that may be used for the healing of our world and ourselves. This form of tantric breathwork is done within the context of a circle. This ceremony is a profound opportunity to drop away what has been binding you and move forward towards your bliss.

Sylvia is a personal growth educator who is deeply interested in the relationship between the body, mind, emotions and spirit. She has some really unique and fun ways to help people shift both their perspective and their lives, which include dance, breath, hypnosis, trance states, energy body awareness, shamanism, and more… Sylvia has been offering seminars and working with people one on one for over 20 years, and LOVES what she does!
Sylvia fosters healing as well as spiritual and artistic grown through open cross cultural studies and personal creativity.
She is the author of: Dancing in the Eye of Transformation, a comprehensive guide to personal development drawing from the spiritual traditions of the world as well as spiritual applications of current quantum theory in order to help people achieve greater peace and balance


Kundalini Dance
Workshop offered by: Kelly Fireangel
Description: In this workshop, we will plug into the energy of Gaia, and dance that energy flow through the chakras, using toning, breathwork and ecstatic dance to release old wounds and stagnation. We then open to the golden light of the sacred masculine, dancing the divine union of earth and sun, dancing ourselves into balance and allowing the ecstatic body to raise our vibrations, clearing our energy field of that which no longer serves us. This practice allows us to step into our highest potential, magnetizing that which we need in order to live in abundance and be present in our most divine and awakened selves.

Kelly Fireangel is an ecstatic dancer and heart-directed being who has worked with many healing modalities over the years. She came to fire circle in 2001, and in 2006 became a trained Kundalini Dance facilitator, studying with its creator, Leyolah Antara Dekanic. She is grateful to have the opportunity to share these tools with her fire family.


Descent of the Goddess and the Phoenix Rising
Workshop offered by: Morganne Baum
During this workshop, I will discuss the myth of Inanna, the legend of the Phoenix, and other icons/archetypes that represent the journey of death and rebirth.  These stories offer a powerful message - that through our challenges and ordeals lies a path towards transformation and renewal.  As we dance around the fire, through the darkness and into the dawn, we also walk the path of Inanna, the phoenix, and the setting and rising of the sun itself. Please bring a pen and paper or journal.

Morganne is a student of classic mythology, archetypes, psychology, and the Tarot, as well as being a skilled composer for piano and voice.  She has been learning and teaching rhythm for over 15 years, and is an Alchemical Fire Circle devotee- having assisted with Rites of Spring, Firedance, Phoenix Fire, MayFire, and Fall Fest for many years.  Through her own struggle with fibromyalgia and back pain, Morganne has found potent strength, healing, and renewal from participating in fire circle events.


Musical Workshops at Phoenix Fire

Rhythm and Trance: How Deep Can You Go?
Workshop offered by: David Allport
This workshop will use the TaKeTiNa rhythm process, developed by
Austrian percussionist Reinhard Flatischler, to lead participants into
rhythmic trance. Our tools will be our voices, steps, claps, and our
willingness to let go of preconceptions about what we can and can't do
in rhythm.

This year I propose to lead a rhythm journey that is more explicitly
trance-inducing than the one we did in last year's TaKeTiNa
workshop. The basic elements will be the same, of course, of allowing
each person no matter what their rhythmic skill to go to their edge,
have fun falling out of rhythm, and feel the joy of falling back in
with the group. Logistically, it would be helpful to have a quieter
space than last year. That could mean the dining room at a different
(quieter) time, because a firm level floor is best for being able to
allow the feet to move on "auto-pilot" without (consciously or
otherwise) worrying about tripping up. Or it could mean the chapel
space, if quiet + dining room cannot easily coexist...

Heightening The Trance (and not by chance)
Workshop offered by: Mushrafali
"MELODIC SOLOING IN A FIRE CIRCLE"
Description: A short solo by a melodic instrument, such as a flute or a marimba, can be a real
contribution to any Circle. It can either heighten what is happening in the moment
or help to initiate a significant contrast that is attuned to the energy of the Circle.
It can also be joined with another instrument of a similar quality to further synergize
the environment. And because a melodic instrument carries more 'tonal information'
it also runs the risk of taking people out of trance if it is not well-timed, the wrong
instrumental color, or goes on too long.

This workshop will give useful guidelines for a practice that already occurs in our
Circles but that has not been addressed systematically. We'll take a look at the
essentials for making an effective solo, such as the Entry Point, the overall mood, resultant drone(s), density, various scale options, and the all important the Exit Point.
This workshop also seeks to inspire participants to investigate new possibilities on
their instruments and bring new creativity back to their local FireCircles.


Rhythm Improvisation for the Fire Circle
Workshop offered by: Morwen Two Feathers
At the Fire Circle, the rhythm carries us on a transformative journey. Often drummers come together from many places and many different levels of skill and experience, but we all want to journey together. In this workshop we will explore the anatomy of rhythm and learn some tips and techniques for turning an eclectic bunch of individual drummers into a fine-tuned rhythm generator. Root rhythm patterns and listening skills will be our primary tools for co-creating in-the-moment rhythm songs. This workshop will be best with a mix of drummers at all experience levels (including none), just like the Fire Circle. Bring whatever kind of drum or percussion instrument you like.

Morwen is a drummer, musician, teacher, writer, and facilitator who has been exploring the connections between rhythm, consciousness, and healing for many years. She is co-founder of Earth Drum Council, and has been teaching rhythm since the early nineties throughout the Northeast. She works as director of program development at a community art center in her hometown in Massachusetts. At the fire circle, as in life, Morwen is developing the skill of simultaneously sinking into the deep groove of the One and expanding to encompass the Polyrhythmic Many, in service to the Whole.


Creative workshops at Phoenix Fire

Altar Building Playshop
Workshop offered by: Howard Woodwind Morningstar and Laya Raznick
Description: Altars are magical doorways that invite the devine presence to enter our personal space. We invite you to join us in creating a safe and expansive container of creativity in which we can learn, share and refine our skills in this ancient sacred Art. Bring your imagination, inspiration & personal sacred items to the fire, and together we will create altars of magic and beauty!
Bio: Howard Woodwind Morningstar loves playing with fire and has beencreating magic, mayhem and sacred altars…. for a long time!Out there in the mundane world Howie has earned degrees in Folklore/Mythology & Family Medicine makes his living as an herbalist/physician in Ashland, Oregon.


Princess Laya has spent a lifetime diligently searching for magic, mayhem and sacred fire while the devine goddess patiently waited for her to open her eyes and come play! Now she stands in awe, riding the flow with an open heart and goofy smile plastered on her grateful face. Laya makes her living as an acupuncturist and a woman of wisdom in Seattle, Washington.

"Shades of the Phoenix - A Watercolor Workshop"
Workshop offered by: Roe Griffith
Come join us for creative play and community building! In this workshop we will play with watercolor paints, the natural scenery and beauty of the location, along with sharing creative juices and encouragement! No experience necessary! Paint, paper, and guidance will be provided. The intention of this workshop is for you to experience the thrill of expanding your creative horizons. We can spend the time capturing the natural beauty of the location via watercolors, or even capturing the beauty of each smiling face around us - what you choose to paint will be up to you!! After the workshop a gallery of our creative works will be created on site (location tbd) so we can share the "Shades of the Phoenix" with our community! Your painting will of course belong to you!  Come join us and share your creative juices with your community!
Bio: Roe Griffith -Trash Witch of the Phoenix - is a Spiritual Woman, Fire Dancer, Herbalist, Rock Hound, Priestess of Isis, Mother, and Grandmother.  Roe's life experiences personally and professionally provide for her to be an inspirational, empathetic, supportive, and encouraging Spiritual Life Coach. Roe lives in the Central Coast Region of Nor Cal where she is the facilitator of a wonderful Wiccan Circle, has an active Life Coaching business and has been active in the local Spiritual and Religious communities for well over 15 years.
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Phoenix Fire Media Workshop
Workshop offered by: James Bianchi
Anyone planning on taking photos or video to be used for publication is required to attend this workshop and receive their media credentials. The workshop will include the unique Family Fire policy that protects people in ritual space and from being “outed,” as well as the law of the arts for video and photo production: including when to get permission, and the various methods of doing so. We will also discuss camera settings and software that can transform images to unidentifiable yet spectacular color montage. It’s not enough to be a good photographer and videographer. An important part of being an artist is knowing when you need permission, what form it should take, and how to protect both yourself and the subject of your work. Those attending will receive Phoenix Fire Media Credentials that will entitle them to submit work for Phoenix Fire productions including our slideshows, website and DVD.

We invite anyone with a digital camera or video camera to become part of our media crew to capture the feel and splendor of Phoenix Fire. We will be creating a new body of work for a slideshow to be shown to participants, our website, and other creative projects. You will learn the techniques used by serious artists who know when and how to obtain permission. Doing this well, frees you to create images that you are free to use in Phoenix Fire productions. Everyone attending the workshop will receive wearable credentials for the Phoenix Fire Media Crew. The consent forms signed by participants upon registration apply only to those media artists who attend this workshop.

James L. Bianchi, Esq. is among the first graduating students from the oldest public interest law school in the country, New College of California, School of Law and is best described as a community activist. Over the years he has been on Boards and Commissions, or founded non-profit corporations, that operate homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, sexual assault programs, drug treatment programs, legal aid offices, and after school programs for elementary school children. Jim practices law in the town of Benicia, California. He is also a professor at the Cherry Hill Seminary for the professional pagan ministry, were he teaches a course on Pagans and the Law. James L. Bianchi is a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids of East Sussex, England, and is the leading Ovate of Taliesin in the San Francisco Bay Area.
James is a core member of the Bay Area Spark Collective and the Pagan Alliance.
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For information
www.firefamilygathering.org/