Convocation 2007 IV: Gravity
Saturday at Convocation. Saturday was the most fun day of the weekend, because that is when Blair came out. I got there just as she was finishing signing up at the registration desk, and I was able to sneak up behind her. The Con person (the Trickster who gave me my packet o' Con Stuff Thursday night in fact) at the desk was handing Blair her badge and said he could pin it to her chest. That is when I said "Oh, I want to do that!" 
Pinnage did not ensue, as there were plastic badge holders, but it was good to see her.
We had to split up soon however, as the morning classes were soon to begin. My first stop was Adam Andrew's class on Hekate (like I was going to miss that). It was very intriguing, and I think very well done by him. He had even more information on her than I did, which I think I can honestly say is an accomplishment. I know how long it took me to put together what I know on Hekate: Moving Through Darkness
He started by reading four short essays written by people who have had experiences with Hekate, all of which I found very moving. Then he had us throw out words that people would use to describe her. I asked if he meant that I would use, or what other people would, since they seem to be very different. Adam grinned and said both, because one of the things he was emphasizing in his class was the widely varied perception of Hekate throughout history. So I said: "Scary!" in my best Count Scary voice. Other people threw up more flattering things like "Powerful.", "Light-bearer", "Crossroads", etc...
Then he basically gave a rather academic lecture about Hekate's history, starting from Hesiod circa 700 B.C.E. He stuck with the facts, and had a wealth of info to provide. One thing I did not realize that it was with Shakespheare's play Macbeth that her image was imprinted on Western society as a crone figure. I had thought it was much earlier. Certainly the idea was percolating, but it was Macbeth that cemented it. He also had some more names for her that I do not. I cannot remember them now of course, because they were all in Greek. He does have a website where he plans to post his lecture - Hecate's Light - but unfortunately he has only finished the first page. Well, aside from the About page and some pics (he even has one there from last year's Convocation).
We talked some afterward, but like all conversations and Convocation seem to be, it was short because there was another class coming up, bathrooms to go to, and so many people to catch up with. He did tell me something very intriguing and sad. He had been doing his dissertation on men who are the victim of rape, especially on gay men and date rape in the gay community (Adam is gay btw.), and he found that when doing surveys if he asked if men were raped, almost no one said yes (so surprise, considering how are society is about male power). However, if he asked if they had been coerced into sex, the number jumped way up, to about 1 in 4 men. Yep, 1 in 4 men are coerced into having sex. Makes you think huh?
Anyway, next class was Chris Penczak's Witchcraft and the Shadow Self. Which was pretty cool. Most of the lecture part was stuff I already knew, since Shamanic work with the Shadow is pretty well old-hat to me. The journey work afterward was interesting however. It is what I talked about in my last post, Crow Is With Me
After that was Gus diZerega's book signing and the lunch break. Blair and I had been planning on doing lunch together, but her class ran long so I had time on my hands. So I ran to the book signing, and actually got there just before Gus did. So I was first in line. Since other people were forming up behind me, we talked for a long while. At least fifteen minutes. It was rather cool. He is a Gardnerian High Priest (and a phd), so he has a somewhat different view on things that a Shamanic Witch like myself. He is also a very smart man. We were actually talking about how being trans has prepared me for Witchcraft, and I could see him think about it. I get the feeling it is not something that he ever really considered before (no surprise, being a Wiccan and a straight boy), and he said something very interesting. That how everyone has a combination of masculine and feminine energy in them, he could see how in a trans person that was very different than in other people, and how that places us in a different position, magically and spiritually, than other folks.
Then Blair showed up, and we went to Quiznos lunch. Funny thing is, Adam was there already with is sister and Leslie, a woman whom I had met Friday at Chris Penczak's Ascension Magic class and chatted with a bit. Convocation is like that. You keep meeting the people you know. It is like magical gravity pulls you together.
So after lunch I was not really sure what class to do. So I did the Santeria discussion with Eshu_Dina, P.K., Jackye, and a few others I did not know from the local Lukumi Ile. It was interesting. I even learned a few things I did not know, in spite of how much Eshu has told me over the years. It was also nice to see him and the others again. Once again, it is like gravity pulls you to certain people.
At one point someone asked a question about the use of cowrie shells for divination. It turns out that there are 256 possible meanings to divining with them. The moment I heard that, I could not help but to think that is the same number of IP Addresses in a subnet with a /24 mask, before you subtract one for the base network address and another one for the loopback of course. Yeah, I am so the net girl.
Then was the Tempest Smith Foundation raffle. I found out at the Closing Ceremony Sunday that we raised $1,300 for the foundation! WoW! $8 of that was mine. I did not win anything unfortunately. However Songtoisis did, and I got to see her husband. Goddess, he is tall. Way taller than her (and remember, she is taller than me). We did not get a chance to talk, because the raffle was going on. Though we did touch base several times over the weekend. I like her. She is a cool chick. By Freja she is yummy too...
Instead of trying to do rush to dinner after and get back in time for Chris Penczak's Sorcerer's Initiation Ritual that was coming up, Blair and I decided to just hang out and troll through the merchants room. I found an adorabe dress that I am wearing as I type. Here is a pic (Though I did not buy the coin belt until Sunday morning):
Chris Penczak's ritual was next. It was so stunning that it deserves an entry of its own. This has probably run waaay too long anyhow, so I will end this post now, and start the next one with the Hidden Company.
Pinnage did not ensue, as there were plastic badge holders, but it was good to see her.
We had to split up soon however, as the morning classes were soon to begin. My first stop was Adam Andrew's class on Hekate (like I was going to miss that). It was very intriguing, and I think very well done by him. He had even more information on her than I did, which I think I can honestly say is an accomplishment. I know how long it took me to put together what I know on Hekate: Moving Through Darkness
He started by reading four short essays written by people who have had experiences with Hekate, all of which I found very moving. Then he had us throw out words that people would use to describe her. I asked if he meant that I would use, or what other people would, since they seem to be very different. Adam grinned and said both, because one of the things he was emphasizing in his class was the widely varied perception of Hekate throughout history. So I said: "Scary!" in my best Count Scary voice. Other people threw up more flattering things like "Powerful.", "Light-bearer", "Crossroads", etc...
Then he basically gave a rather academic lecture about Hekate's history, starting from Hesiod circa 700 B.C.E. He stuck with the facts, and had a wealth of info to provide. One thing I did not realize that it was with Shakespheare's play Macbeth that her image was imprinted on Western society as a crone figure. I had thought it was much earlier. Certainly the idea was percolating, but it was Macbeth that cemented it. He also had some more names for her that I do not. I cannot remember them now of course, because they were all in Greek. He does have a website where he plans to post his lecture - Hecate's Light - but unfortunately he has only finished the first page. Well, aside from the About page and some pics (he even has one there from last year's Convocation).
We talked some afterward, but like all conversations and Convocation seem to be, it was short because there was another class coming up, bathrooms to go to, and so many people to catch up with. He did tell me something very intriguing and sad. He had been doing his dissertation on men who are the victim of rape, especially on gay men and date rape in the gay community (Adam is gay btw.), and he found that when doing surveys if he asked if men were raped, almost no one said yes (so surprise, considering how are society is about male power). However, if he asked if they had been coerced into sex, the number jumped way up, to about 1 in 4 men. Yep, 1 in 4 men are coerced into having sex. Makes you think huh?
Anyway, next class was Chris Penczak's Witchcraft and the Shadow Self. Which was pretty cool. Most of the lecture part was stuff I already knew, since Shamanic work with the Shadow is pretty well old-hat to me. The journey work afterward was interesting however. It is what I talked about in my last post, Crow Is With Me
After that was Gus diZerega's book signing and the lunch break. Blair and I had been planning on doing lunch together, but her class ran long so I had time on my hands. So I ran to the book signing, and actually got there just before Gus did. So I was first in line. Since other people were forming up behind me, we talked for a long while. At least fifteen minutes. It was rather cool. He is a Gardnerian High Priest (and a phd), so he has a somewhat different view on things that a Shamanic Witch like myself. He is also a very smart man. We were actually talking about how being trans has prepared me for Witchcraft, and I could see him think about it. I get the feeling it is not something that he ever really considered before (no surprise, being a Wiccan and a straight boy), and he said something very interesting. That how everyone has a combination of masculine and feminine energy in them, he could see how in a trans person that was very different than in other people, and how that places us in a different position, magically and spiritually, than other folks.
Then Blair showed up, and we went to Quiznos lunch. Funny thing is, Adam was there already with is sister and Leslie, a woman whom I had met Friday at Chris Penczak's Ascension Magic class and chatted with a bit. Convocation is like that. You keep meeting the people you know. It is like magical gravity pulls you together.
So after lunch I was not really sure what class to do. So I did the Santeria discussion with Eshu_Dina, P.K., Jackye, and a few others I did not know from the local Lukumi Ile. It was interesting. I even learned a few things I did not know, in spite of how much Eshu has told me over the years. It was also nice to see him and the others again. Once again, it is like gravity pulls you to certain people.
At one point someone asked a question about the use of cowrie shells for divination. It turns out that there are 256 possible meanings to divining with them. The moment I heard that, I could not help but to think that is the same number of IP Addresses in a subnet with a /24 mask, before you subtract one for the base network address and another one for the loopback of course. Yeah, I am so the net girl.
Then was the Tempest Smith Foundation raffle. I found out at the Closing Ceremony Sunday that we raised $1,300 for the foundation! WoW! $8 of that was mine. I did not win anything unfortunately. However Songtoisis did, and I got to see her husband. Goddess, he is tall. Way taller than her (and remember, she is taller than me). We did not get a chance to talk, because the raffle was going on. Though we did touch base several times over the weekend. I like her. She is a cool chick. By Freja she is yummy too...
Instead of trying to do rush to dinner after and get back in time for Chris Penczak's Sorcerer's Initiation Ritual that was coming up, Blair and I decided to just hang out and troll through the merchants room. I found an adorabe dress that I am wearing as I type. Here is a pic (Though I did not buy the coin belt until Sunday morning):
Chris Penczak's ritual was next. It was so stunning that it deserves an entry of its own. This has probably run waaay too long anyhow, so I will end this post now, and start the next one with the Hidden Company.