Ancient Ways

Messages from the 2009 Ancient Ways Festival Committee

Seeds of Change: Manifesting the culture of abundant blessings

 

May 13-17 at Stone City

Come gather, camp, sing, dance, laugh, play and open to a life filled with joy, power, and magical abundance!

T. Thorn Coyle, author of "Kissing the Limitless" and "Evolutionary Witchcraft" will be joining us with workshops and a large community ritual - The Heart Opens to the Seeds of Possibility - on Saturday night.

Also musical groups Hobbyhorse and Land of the Blind!

AND...Save your change! Bring along fists full, pockets full and jars full of coins for money play and money magic. We will fill a cauldron of gold to donate to Solar Cross, a pan-magical, non-profit religious organization building an urban temple and spearheading funding for such projects as Pagan Prison Ministry, Hospice and Elder Care, research, education, and ordination.

 

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From Teri – Registration and Vendor coordinator,

Dear Festival Goers,

It is time for us to gather once again from our many wanderings and come to our village in the hills, where we will celebrate the joy of life and the turning of the season.

There will be rituals and workshops and meals to share.

Parties and meetings of old friends and ones we had not met yet.

There is a village market and many places to gather to share what you wish to share. Music and song.

Some special note to begin:

If you have time and wish to help setup, please come a day early (on Tuesday) and be part of the setup crew( this is free)

We are having potluck dinners

Community potluck theme dinners: The Festival can bring beans, rice, pasta, greens, hummus, etc for the basic part of the meals.

Thurs dinner - Mediterranean, hummus, tabouli, couscous

Fri dinner - Mexican, chips, salsa, rice, beans, tortillas

Sat dinner - Pasta - pasta, some greens for salad.

Please bring food to share and add to the meal. You should bring your own things for snacks, breakfast and lunch.

There really is a Village Market place.

We will have several vendors coming

So bring your money with you :-)

1 - Everyday Goddess will be there with her usual wonderful clothing

2 - Feeling Great Now is a massage booth, and you really feel good after she is done with you

3- Coventree Olde World Market - a new vendor who has all sorts of good things for sale

4 - Dragonquest Treasures-all sorts of handmade ritual and decorative things

 

5 - Land of the Blind-they will be doing "Fairie Fotos" every afternoon and selling cds

 

There are several indoor sleeping place for rent. See rates in the "messages from committee" page and if you want to rent one of them, bring cash or check and see Vendor coordinator in the yellow and Purple tent in the Village Market Place.

 

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From Mandy:

I'm so excited to be in festival space with you all next week! There is a lot to do to get ready. Prepare to open yourself to prosperity and abundance! We will be planting seeds of change this year at festival. Brett and I have been saving change to throw into the cauldron of abundant blessings since the idea was planted. Do you think you can bring more change than us? I'd like to see you try! Proceeds to benefit SolarCross.

On Sunday there will be a town meeting after the Heart Circle to discuss the direction we are going in as a festival community. We are also looking for new festival committee members to create next year's event at Stone City.

We have a lot of great programming in store for you. I'm happy to see our generation (my gen) stepping up to the plate to help provide the body of this festival. A big thanks to T. Thorn Coyle for joining us this year. We will have a volunteer list with jobs you can sign up for on site, beginning with set-up on Wednesday and Thursday. See you at Ancient Ways!!!

 

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From Tina:

I am working on a map of Stone City for the Festival. It has me thinking about the things that we still need to consider. I’d like to present a ½ page map and ½ page program to folks as they arrive.

Has it been put out to the community that we do indeed have indoor accommodations? There are 4 trailers, one little house and 5 boats in which people could sleep. Most of the boats would entail some climbing to get into but the trailers are accessible easily for most folks. Last years agreements were that whomever uses them will pay Festival who will pay Stone City extra cost per night.

Kittiwake boat $25 sleeps 4

Trotwood Trailer $ 20 Sleeps 3 -- taken

Love shack $ 20 King Size Bed soon to have fridge

Doll house $ 20 Queen size (?), may only have a small bed.

4 Small boats $ 15, Sleeps 3

2 Small trailers $ 15, Sleeps 3

Shannon has obtained an above ground pool. We will be setting it up and testing it the weekend before the Festival. The new hot tub outside of the Guest House is fully functional, it runs on propane. Jamie will be working to set up the tub Zoe donated last year. We will need to get a kiddie pool for the tots.

We have several places that we can have workshops.

1 - The kitchen area has a semi permanent cover and 5 huge picnic tables with benches. It’s be good for creative work that needs tables.

2 - The Star Dome will be a project in itself . We will be thatching the roof then it will be good for several people to sit down in the shade.

3 - Where the smoking area was last year is now the Aphrodite Shrine. It is shaded, with a bench for small stuff.

4 - We will have Zoe’s yurt above the parking area again with massage tables in it for adult centric work.

5 - The kids area of course is in the dappled shade and can be for their workshops.

6 - The porch of the Guest House is a possibility.

7 - The newest boat is a cruiser type and could host a group. The decks of some other boats are good too.

8 - We will also be putting up the Gypsy Tent for indoor space workshop and party space.

9 - Morpheus would like to keep The Henge for rituals and spiritual workings.

***************

From Glenn:

EARLY BIRD set up crew. Come early like on Monday or Tuesday and help with set up. Please let me know if you are going to join us with this.

Community potluck theme dinners: The Festival can bring beans, rice, pasta, greens, hummus, etc for the basic part of the meals.

Thurs dinner - Mediterranean, hummus, tabouli, couscous

Fri dinner - Mexican, chips, salsa, rice, beans, tortillas

Sat dinner - Pasta - pasta, some greens for salad.

We have plenty of shade canopies, 6 new ones and some of the old ones that will be repaired as possible on Tuesday.

We are putting the vendors in the same space as last year. Teri will co-ordinate the vendors.

Looks like we got lucky; the weather should be really great this year. No rain and no boiling days. So bring towels for the pools and hot tub. And musical instruments for jamming.

 

 

 

 

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2009 Ancient Ways Festival Program (full version)

 

WEDNESDAY

5pm Opening ritual - Glenn and Amanda

Bring coins for the change theme of the festival.

6:30pm dinner – no theme

8pm Star stories – Glenn

Hear the tales that lie behind the names of the constellations.

9pm Star Gazing – weather permitting

 

THURSDAY

9:30am Kids Co-op meeting

10am Music with the kids - Paloma and Bobby

Sing and dance along to tunes old and new.
Paloma and Bobby have been singing and dancing from the beginning.  They lead the way, so come along for the journey!

11am Heart Circle - Joi

We get to know each other this way.

1pm Sacred Fire Making: Fire by Friction - Brett

1pm Necronomicon brainstorming session – Glenn, facilitating

Doc (new to the Bay Area) who can’t be here for the Festival would like to start a SIG on workings based on the Necoromonicon. Those of us here at the festival can share any insights we have on the system and start a networking group.

2pm Thatching the Stardome roof - service project for Stone City

*please bring gardening shears if you can

Use natural building techniques and native materials to beautify the Star Dome and make it somewhat invisible.

3pm Tarot - Glenn

Bring your deck if you want. We will trade reading layouts, ideas and readings.

4pm Sensual Massage – Ken Cheeseman, the massage wizard

Teaching people how to give and how to receive a sensual massage and the different levels of massage. Each person needs to bring a large beach towel or flat sheet.

Ken has been a massage therapist for twelve years and also taught massage for several years.

6pm Dinner - potluck theme - Mediterranean (Festival can provide some basics of hummus, tabouli, couscous)

7pm Agape Ritual - Amanda

A Lovefeast seeks to strengthen the bonds and the spirit of harmony, goodwill, and congeniality, as well as to forgive past disputes and instead love one another.  In this ritual, we will perform a humble act of service for one another, using the oldest healing technique in this world - touch.  Be prepared for a simple foot-washing and to celebrate our interconnectedness.

Amanda has been following her own spiritual path all along.  She loves to connect and share in communal bliss.  In addition to raising two amazing little people, she has been helping to organize Ancient Ways Festival for several years now.

FRIDAY

9:30am Kids Co-op meeting

10am Sacred Fire Making: Fire Building with the Children

10am Long Sword Dancing – Emperor Norton’s Long Sword members

Learn to make sword pentacles and dance together in this old form of folk dancing.

11am Sacred Fire Making: Fire by Friction

11am Heart Circle - Joi

1pm Engaging the Warrior's Heart - T. Thorn Coyle

Magic workers, activists, healers and lovers all need the power within to stand upright, walk their talk and engage their will. This workshop will discuss the Pentacle of Autonomy: Commitment, Honor, Truth, Strength and Compassion and incorporate movements to help open us to these energies. This pentacle is the basis for strong ethics and effective leadership. We will work with the blade and cup, our bodies and breath, forging a strong will and an open heart. Step into the possibility of your own authority.

2pm Healing with Shamanic Didjeridu with KRYSTOV 'Didjeri-Doc' from Land of the Blind

A workshop for beginning Didjeridu players (didjes provided or bring your own) focusing on healing and shamanic breathwork and ancient native background. DIDJERI-DOC will also work with mid level didj players regarding Sound Healing, as well as offer Deep Earth Sound Healings to those interested.
Didjer-Doc is a healer, musician, sound shaman & doctor. He uses the Didjeridu as a Deep Mother Earth vibrational attunement instrument, both in his Pagan music with Land of the Blind, and as a doctor-sound healer-shaman for over 20 years. He teaches Didj and Shamanic breathworkand is also the inventor of the sound healing medical device, Sound Relief, patented by US Gov. Shamanically, he studied with Rolling Thunder (Medicine Man), Heyemeoyst Storm, Eagle Clan and Sun Bear, learning Native American healing ways. He holds a Chiropractic license in California and Oregon, and is a 12 year member of the Pagan Trance band LAND OF THE BLIND.

3pm Chanting through the Portal of Voice - Dana Ma and Terence

In the east is the domain of air, the portal of voice... a vibrational force that can facilitate subtle and powerful change. Yet, in order to access it, you must be open to sharing your voice! In this melodious workshop, Dana Ma and Terence draw on years of obsessive singing to examine how ritual chanting can transform the energy of individuals and rituals. We will briefly discuss how to choose the right chant, how to write one on the
fly, and how sometimes the best vocal expression of all is silence. In our tradition, everyone's voice is beautiful. You don't have to be a professional singer to sing with the Spark Collective, and you don't have to know a single chant. All you need is a willing tongue and full lungs. So bring your enthusiasm and your spark to this workshop, where
we can all share our favorite chants and explore some lesser known songs.
Dana Ma has been a student of music for over 20 years.  Her study of voice has taken her through various styles including opera, blues, Indian raga, and ritual chants.  She currently teaches piano in the SF Bay Area, sings with various fellow musicians on the west coast, and is recording her first album this summer.

4pm Freyr and Freyja Blot - Robert

See the songs below for the Saturday night ritual.

6pm Dinner - potluck theme - Mexican (Festival provides some chips, salsa, rice, beans, tortillas)

6:30 Bring your drums! - tba

7pm Talent Show

Share something you do with the community. Bring your song books too.

8:30pm Concert - Hobbyhorse

The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Mythology come alive with songs by Fantasy Folk duo Hobbyhorse. A song inspired by a Native American flood story, one about the Egyptian god Osiris, another about Eurydice’s last moments before she dies… “Ancient mythology has inspired art, poetry and literature for thousands of years. Within these magical stories the dramas, emotions and characters speak deeply to us all.” This year at Ancient Ways, Hobbyhorse will be playing a mix of songs inspired by Mythology, science, alchemy and spiritual experience. They may also throw in one or two traditional English songs as well.

Annie and Phil of Hobbyhorse live in the San Francisco bay area, but their music exists in a realm they call Fantasy Folk. Their poetic lyrics and intricate guitar work will enchant and transport you. Hobbyhorse's songs are inspired by stories from around the world about gods and goddesses, creation, love, loss, renewal, the end of times, and the wonders of science and alchemy. They perform concerts and also teach workshops about The Mystical Secrets of Music. You can visit Hobbyhorse at www.EnchantedEntrance.net or www.myspace.com/hobbyhorsecafe

10:00 PIRATE PARTY with Gypsy Tent Open Stage

This party is in honor of Jack Darkhand, recently lost and deeply missed. We will toast him and the great fun person he shared with us.

Dress up and have fun.

 

SATURDAY

9:30am Kids Co-op meeting

10am Rise Up Fabulously: Guerrilla Gardening and Taking Back our Right to Beauty – Kenneth Winter
This is a workshop for everyone. We are going to talk some, sing some and most importantly get our hands dirty. Please don’t wear anything that cannot get soil and clay on it, feather boas excepted. Art, flowers and joy are the subjects of the day.
Making out with Divinity in as many ways as possible. Big Love!

11am Heart Circle - Joi

11am Sex, Will and Magic: Opening to Life Power - T. Thorn Coyle
Magic is the marriage of breath, will and desire. If our lives lack full access to any of these, our magic will not thrive. In this experiential workshop we will learn ways to tap the energy of life and sex, using this to strengthen our will and fuel our work. Energy techniques, meditation and chanting will help us access life power, opening our lives to heightened awareness, energetic sensitivity, and a strong, magical will. Strength, love, and beauty will surely follow.

1pm - Creating Foundation: Weaving a cocoon for transformation through daily practices - Kenneth Winter
We will explore together a series of daily practices that nourish our connection to the Divine. Pay Attention: Wear soft clothes that feel good against your skin, bring drink that will sooth your thirst, and be prepared to experience emotion. The workshop just started.
Ken says: I have been consciously studying relationship to self and others as a pathway to the Divine for 23 years. I have been teaching workshops on sustainable relationship skills, with a focus on being successful at polyamory, for the last nine years. I have focused the last few years on creating and engaging in daily spiritual practices that work to deepen and enrich my experience of joyful connection to life.

2pm Mystical Secrets of Music - Annie and Phil of Hobbyhorse

Everyone is moved by music, but do you know the deeper, spiritual reasons why? We offer an interactive, fun and informative workshop to introduce you to the esoteric meaning of sound and music for both musicians and non-musicians. Learn about the music of the spheres, the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, how to use toning to stimulate the chakras, and how to drum the 4 elements on one of the oldest instruments, the frame drum. Learn how you, the cosmos, and the awesome power of music are connected. Website: www.MysticalSecretsOfMusic.com

Hobbyhorse's imaginary music and art venue:  www.hobbyhorsecafe.com, Hobbyhorse on Myspace:  www.myspace.com/hobbyhorsecafe *Ride your imagination with Hobbyhorse*

 

3pm Handfasting - Kat & Justin

 

4pm The Green Fairy at Home & at Large – Jeff

A dreamy trip into the past, present and future of absinthe and its relationship to the culture at large as well as an investigation into the personal implications of developing a relationship with the Green Fairy. All questions welcome.

Jeffry Winters is a forest dwelling, topsoil building husband, father and kitty keeper. He is often found growing, wildcrafting, processing and sharing edible, sacred and medicinal plants and potions. He also presents his strange perspectives at festivals willing to take the risk.

4pm Nature Walk - Brett

 

5pm Food of the Gods: Aphrodisiac Tasting and Discussion Group – Gax

Come have a sit down and chat about the lore of aphrodisiacs and their ancient, and even sometimes holy, associations.  Food will be served.

6pm Dinner - potluck theme – Pasta

(The festival will provide a few basics like some pasta and sauce and a salad.)

8pm The Open Heart Births Seeds of Possibility - T. Thorn Coyle

Here is the chant we will be using at the blot and ritual.

Shining Twins

Hail! To the Golden Ones.
Hail! To your Shining Brightness.
Hail! To the earth below and the lands beyond our eyes    (yes, lands, plural)

Freyr and Freya we honor you,
King and Queen of elf and wight.
Bright Powers, dance among us here
We will gift you the kiss of life.

Gorgeous Brother, can you feel the power rise
As the bells caress our dancing feet?
Gorgeous Sister, I will lay my body down,
We will worship at the sacred feast!

10:30pm Concert - Land of the Blind

LAND OF THE BLIND is just your average Pagan Trance Duo left wing tree hugging Mother loving Middle Eastern Celtic fusion trip around the world! www.landoftheblind.com

Cyoakha and Krystov and Tatseena - Live Ritualist Music....with belly dancer-percussionist Tatseena - nice fun funny pagan duo of dark and light celtic faerie funk musicians with years of touring, deep belief in magic and magical community and

willingness to teach or play or cook or whatever is needed. Nice fun famed belly dancer who rocks.

 

SUNDAY

11am Heart Circle - Joi

12 noon After Heart circle, join in a planning for next year.

1:00 Closing Ritual - Glenn and Amanda

Afternnoon general clean up and community breakdown of canopies and equipment.

5 pm Festival closes

At the vendor area during the festival:

Faerie Fotos - Cyoakha Grace O'Manion is an Irish Faerie. Bring special wings if you have some, if not, they will be provided. Bring any special magical objects you would like with you. Transform yourselves with make up, wings, wigs and costumes with love and support into fae fantasy. This is NOT photoshop layers but rather a magical process with film.