(no subject)
Well, Spring Magick is over and was a success from all accounts - raised quite a bit of money for the library and had quite a few new faces in attendance. The ritual was really great. And was the first time that every able person in the room danced - with enthusiasm even! Was very nice and Ivo did a great job as Cernunnous and looked awesome. Cernunnous talked a LOT this time, but the message was gentler and more entreating (the last couple of years, he has been pretty forceful and impatient).
I think the workshops went well. Mike and I both felt that things had been so busy that niether of us were able to prepare as much as we usually do. And it was the first time I presented that topic (dark night of the soul). It is not a topic that I hear talked about much in the wiccan/pagan community - so was really tap dancing a bit to guage where people were relative to the topic and what would be the most useful things to say. Fortunately for me, Brian, Bob B., and Cindy J were in the room and helped a lot with their particiaption. Got other folks loosened up enough to participate (Thanks guys!). It was a bit difficult to guage how much of my personal experiences to share - partly because, in sharing something essentially mysterious, it is very easy to be misunderstood and partly because I did not know how much I was comfortable sharing until I began (lol). It is an intimate, personal experience. People that have no direct experience of it can feel like you are trying to pass yourself off as 'evolved' in a way that can seem like self-aggrandizement. I was very self-conscious about that.
What was a good reminder for me: The experience of the young folks in the room. Try as they might, they just could not wrap their heads around a lot of it. I am reminded that, without enough basic life-experience, there is no real foundation on which to lay this topic. Everyone was trying to identify instances in their lives that would 'qualify' as a DNOTS. Mostly they identified important and necessary, but relatively benign, moments that were common and momentarily trying but in essense incomparable. Some were moments of grace. Some were related to trials of self-definition. All were important stages of development. Perfectly appropriate, in the scheme of things... I hope I addressed them appropriately without diminishing them. Perversely, after assuring everyone that the experience is ultimately freeing if navigated with courage, I found myself hoping that the pain of it never becomes necessary for them. At minimum, I hope that if it is, they will remember a bit of what was said and that it will prompt them to at least seek out (or listen to) a teacher close to them. Ah, well...
We had to pass on any socializing afterward ;-(. Mike was close to loosing his voice at that point and looked a bit pale. He had been sick all week (essentially confined to bed on Thursday) and really sucked it up to perform through a very long day. We crashed as soon as we walked in - didn't even unload the car..lol - he trying not to set his recovery back and me trying no to get it at all (I was getting a sore throat by evenings end). He slept until 9 this morning (a 3-hour sleep-in for us!! lol) Our schedule (and that of most of those we know..lol) really has been kind of relentless for the last 3 months. Sorry we missed the fun and will rely on you all to fill us in on the goings-on. GOSSIP! ;-)
Planning on a really low-key day. Maybe rent some movies. Take naps. Eat well. Would do some gardening, but it seems gloomy and cold outside. Hope every one is well and had a great night!
I think the workshops went well. Mike and I both felt that things had been so busy that niether of us were able to prepare as much as we usually do. And it was the first time I presented that topic (dark night of the soul). It is not a topic that I hear talked about much in the wiccan/pagan community - so was really tap dancing a bit to guage where people were relative to the topic and what would be the most useful things to say. Fortunately for me, Brian, Bob B., and Cindy J were in the room and helped a lot with their particiaption. Got other folks loosened up enough to participate (Thanks guys!). It was a bit difficult to guage how much of my personal experiences to share - partly because, in sharing something essentially mysterious, it is very easy to be misunderstood and partly because I did not know how much I was comfortable sharing until I began (lol). It is an intimate, personal experience. People that have no direct experience of it can feel like you are trying to pass yourself off as 'evolved' in a way that can seem like self-aggrandizement. I was very self-conscious about that.
What was a good reminder for me: The experience of the young folks in the room. Try as they might, they just could not wrap their heads around a lot of it. I am reminded that, without enough basic life-experience, there is no real foundation on which to lay this topic. Everyone was trying to identify instances in their lives that would 'qualify' as a DNOTS. Mostly they identified important and necessary, but relatively benign, moments that were common and momentarily trying but in essense incomparable. Some were moments of grace. Some were related to trials of self-definition. All were important stages of development. Perfectly appropriate, in the scheme of things... I hope I addressed them appropriately without diminishing them. Perversely, after assuring everyone that the experience is ultimately freeing if navigated with courage, I found myself hoping that the pain of it never becomes necessary for them. At minimum, I hope that if it is, they will remember a bit of what was said and that it will prompt them to at least seek out (or listen to) a teacher close to them. Ah, well...
We had to pass on any socializing afterward ;-(. Mike was close to loosing his voice at that point and looked a bit pale. He had been sick all week (essentially confined to bed on Thursday) and really sucked it up to perform through a very long day. We crashed as soon as we walked in - didn't even unload the car..lol - he trying not to set his recovery back and me trying no to get it at all (I was getting a sore throat by evenings end). He slept until 9 this morning (a 3-hour sleep-in for us!! lol) Our schedule (and that of most of those we know..lol) really has been kind of relentless for the last 3 months. Sorry we missed the fun and will rely on you all to fill us in on the goings-on. GOSSIP! ;-)
Planning on a really low-key day. Maybe rent some movies. Take naps. Eat well. Would do some gardening, but it seems gloomy and cold outside. Hope every one is well and had a great night!