I am happy to provide workshops for festivals, gatherings, or just one-on-one, for those who want them. If there is travel involved, there may be a cost to cover that travel (and food and lodging, or any ritual supplies), but I’m happy to discuss. I prefer to keep costs down and make the work accessible to as many people as I can. ADF festivals generally get me for free (though help with transport is appreciated).
Workshops for Festivals
These workshops fit in a 1-2 hour workshop slot (usually 1 hour, 15 minutes, with 15 minutes for questions, but these can be flexible to fill your needs). Some may have a corresponding ritual piece that could work as a two-part experience.
Mythology Workshops
- Crafting Connection Through Mythic Drama – The stories that we share, whether ancient in origin or modern in our connective context, impact our relationships to the Spirits and to one another. We’ll consider how these myths and stories impact our actions and provide a script for our behavior and our connections, and we’ll look for those scripts in uncommon places.
- An Awfully Big Adventure: Signposts on the Final Journey of Indo-European Souls – It is well known by any who study the lore what awaits us after death: there is a kingdom of the dead we arrive at, with various perils and paths that branch off along the way. This workshop looks at the IE journey to the afterlife, drawing heavily on comparative mythology to show what signposts (ferrymen, waterspaces, dogs, and kings to name but a few) present themselves as we journey through that last, awfully big adventure: death.
Continental Celtic (Gaulish) Deities – Cernunnos and Epona are deities that everyone in modern Celtic Paganism has heard of. We have images of who they were and how they were worshipped, but does this image accurately reflect the deities of the ancient Celtic world? We’ll discuss the gods and goddesses of the continent, and pay particular attention to the so-called “trinity” of Gaulish Gods: Esus, Taranis, Teutates.
Ritual Skills Workshops
- Divination in Ritual – Reading for others is difficult. How do you read for others in a public ritual, and how is it different than reading for an individual across the table from you?
Practical Spirit Work Workshops
- Building Spirit Alliances
An Awfully Big Adventure: Signposts on the Final Journey of Indo-European Souls – It is well known by any who study the lore what awaits us after death: there is a kingdom of the dead we arrive at, with various perils and paths that branch off along the way. This workshop looks at the IE journey to the afterlife, drawing heavily on comparative mythology to show what signposts (ferrymen, waterspaces, dogs, and kings to name but a few) present themselves as we journey through that last, awfully big adventure: death.
Other Topic-Specific Workshops
Druidry 101 – The Druids of Gaul, Britain, and Ireland are a mystery to many people, and there’s also a lot of misinformation out there. In this workshop, we’ll separate fact from fiction, talking about the culture that birthed the Druids, what remnants (if any) can still be found today, the revival of Druidism, and the future of the movements that are around now. (approx. 1 hour)
- Heavenly Light and Earthly Fixtures: Film Photography & The Natural World – Analog photography is all about fixing light into the earth: photons strike silver and transform it into a latent image. We’ll talk about ways to capture images (both analog and digital), how light works, and what you can do to see things with a camera that can’t be seen with your eyes. (approx. 1 hour)
- Related Workshop: Mealtime Photowalk Around the Festival – We’ll grab our cameras during a mealtime or other downtime and look for interesting things to take photos of, discussing how to take photos in certain spaces, improving your photography, and finding new perspectives. (approx. 1 hour)
- Related Workshop: Analog Ritual Photography: Hands On – In this workshop, we’ll learn how to take analog photos using cameras and film you bring, borrow, or buy. We’ll develop the photos after the event and you’ll get scans and/or images back from your experience. There is a cost for this, as physical film, development, etc. takes time and money. Costs depend on size. (approx. 1 hour)
Short Workshops for Small Groups & Individuals
These classes can be done in-person or virtually for your group. They can also be done one-on-one if you would like. They cover basic skills and last about 30 minutes.
Tuesday Classes at The Magical Druid
Most Tuesdays, I teach a beginner intro class on a topic at The Magical Druid; the full schedule of both future and past classes can be found online, or by scanning the code to the right.
These classes are 30 minute workshops, designed to cover basic skills. By and large, they hit the 30 minute mark right on, and are great for someone who is just starting out in modern Paganism.
These classes are free and open to the public. See the link above (or scan the QR code) for the complete schedule.
If you’d like to have one scheduled just for you, remotely or in-person, let me know; classes scheduled outside the regular window will have a cost associated with them, though.
Past Workshop Offerings
I’ve given many workshops over the years, and so I’m including descriptions from past workshops. Some could be offered again, if you’re interested in them.
2025 Workshops
All workshops I did in 2025 were through The Magical Druid, and the list can be found on the “Tuesday Classes at The Magical Druid” link.
2023 Workshops
- Summerland 2023: If All You Have Is a Hammer: Opportunities For Diverse Spellwork With Limited Tools – Books and occult manuals tell us we need many things to do magic and ritual. Sometimes, it’s beneficial to have those items, but most of the time we can make do without them. In this workshop, we will discuss working with the tools we have, substituting for tools we don’t, and breaking down the work of magic into simple steps we can do on any occasion.
- The Magical Druid, Jan 15, 2023: Learning Love Spells – Rev. Dangler discusses love spells: their ancient origins, the ways modern folks interact with them, and the experience of casting and working them. The information in this class is applicable to anyone working magic, not just working love spells: these become the place to start as we discuss magic in a broader context.
- The Magical Druid, Feb. 18, 2023: Making Money Magic –
- The Magical Druid, Mar. 11, 2023: Enchanting for Luck – We’ll talk about how to craft spellwork for ourselves and others that improves our general luck and experience in this world. There’ll be a bit of history and a bit of hands-on work.
2022 Workshops
- Complete Video Workshop: Magic for Priests – A complete course working through the ADF Clergy Training Program course, “Magic for Priests,” covering both the historical sourcework and the practical applications of that work. This is a 14 video session, linked (for free) from my Patreon. [View the post and videos]
- Wellspring 2022, Summerland 2022: Druids In Cars, Going To Festivals: Extemporaneous Prayer Challenge! – Three Cranes Grove, ADF, has a podcast called “Druids In Cars, Going To Festivals,” and a couple of years ago, we aired an episode (Episode 25, the 7th episode of Season 2) called “Extemporaneous Prayer Challenge!”) That episode provides the blueprint for this workshop. Rev. Avende a (she/they) and Rev. Dangler (he/him) will present their processes for the creation of off-the-cuff, extemporaneous prayers: how they weave symbolism, surroundings, lore, and poetics into a cohesive prayer experience that connects a ritual participant to the community gathered for worship. We’ll give you the tools to create, and then apply them by speaking prayers and making offerings in an off-the-cuff manner within sacred space. Note, portions of this workshop, and extemporaneous prayers created, will be recorded for use in the podcast, with consent of attendees (meaning, you can participate and not be on the podcast, too).
- Summerland 2022: Consent Roundtable – Discussing the meaning of consent, what it takes to do the work, and how to have a happy and safe festival!
- The Magical Druid, Dec. 10, 2022: Seeking Spirit Allies: A Guide To Safe Spirit Work – Getting started working with Spirit Work can be daunting, but making alliances among the spirits, and managing those relationships, can go a long way to making this work safer and easier. We’ll talk about how to connect with a spirit, how to craft a relationship, and how to maintain it. We’ll also talk about the big rules to know when going into this sort of work, and basic measures you can take to stay safe. We’ll apply that work in a short ritual and journey to seek a spirit to work with, and talk about how to derive meaning from the experience as well.
- Virtual Workshop, Mar. 21, 2022: Creating accessible YouTube Captions from a Transcript – Accessibility is important, and ensuring our content can be understood by everyone is key to our work.
- Virtual Workshop, in installments: Magic for Priests 1: ADF CTP Study Guide – The complete course in magic for Priests, offered by ADF, in video study guide format.
2021 Workshops
- Center for the Study of Religion at OSU, Jan. 29, 2021: Magic and Healing: Healing Through Inspiration and Relationships – The Center for the Study of Religion invited me to participate in a discussion about magic and healing, and this is the short presentation I did as part of the discussion.
- Wellspring 2021: Opening the Door: Building Content for Others – We’re not the sort of religion that proselytizes, but Druidry is, and always will be, an explicit public and inclusive Paganism. Because of that, we have to consider how we can find ways to express our work and devotion in clear, concise, and technically excellent ways. We’ll talk about various content pieces, from video and audio to pictorial, how to create a culture of trust that shares the workload, and how to encourage others in the process.
- Summerland 2021: The Maintenance of Practice: Working For Others Through Periods of Solitude – How do we connect when our connections are gone? We’ll carry some pandemic lessons into our future work, opening the ways so others can join us at the open door of our hearth. We’ll discuss #TheFlameOfHope work; performative prayer & public piety; creating public ritual from a place of solitude; and ways to keep the door open for others when alone at your hearth. [Watch a video of this presentation]
- Harvest Nights 2021: Divination in Ritual –
- Harvest Nights 2021: Gates and Gatekeepers –
- Virtual Dedicant Study Meetings, Feb. 18, 2021; May 20, 2021
2020 Workshops
- ConVocation 2020: Continental Celtic Deities: Drawn From the Shadows – Cernunnos and Epona are deities that everyone in modern Celtic Paganism has heard of. We have images of who they were and how they were worshipped, but does this image accurately reflect the deities of the ancient Celtic world? We’ll discuss the gods and goddesses of the continent, focusing particularly on Gaul, who they seem to have been, and how we can engage with them in our modern context. Symbols, iconography, and meditation are the tools we will use to seek that engagement, and we’ll discuss ritual actions and prayers to help maintain those ancient fires once we’ve rekindled them in our lives.
- Video Workshop: “Can I Mix Pantheons and Cultures In My Work?” – One of the most common questions we hear is, “Can I mix pantheons in ritual? Can I work in two cultures at once?” This is a test run of my first shot at a series of videos that might answer questions for folks. [Watch a video of this presentation]
- Video Workshop: Tips for Crafting Your Divination Set – The process of making a divination set can be hard to manage the first time you do it, so Rev. Michael J Dangler, who makes sets professionally, gives a few pointers, including some from on of our Grove members, Shawneen. The video covers the practical and the magical aspects of set creation. [Watch a video of this presentation]
2019 Workshops
- Trillium, 2019: Priesthood in ADF – A panel discussion on priesting in ADF, moderated by Wayne Keysor.
- The Magical Druid, 2019: Sigils and Magical Signs Part 4 – The Leap From Sign to Magic – In this workshop, we discuss imbuing your signs with life and magic all their own, from connection to servitors and egregores.
- The Magical Druid, 2019: Sigils and Magical Signs Part 3 – Forms of Sigilization – How to sigilize, and how to create your own
- The Magical Druid, 2019: Sigils and Magical Signs Part 2: Icelandic Magical Staves – In the 17th century, a number of grimoires (magical books) were created in Iceland, containing sigils based on runes and other spellwork. This updated class is designed to work more toward a “Basics + Build-Your-Own” process
- The Magical Druid, 2019: Sigils and Magical Signs Part 1 – Magical Sigils in General: Meanings, Usage, and Basics – a crash course in the sorts of symbols you might see and experience, and how some of them came into use.
- The Ohio State Univeristy Religious Studies class: Intro to Druidry –
- Mosaic High School class: Intro to Druidry –
2018 Workshops
- Beyond the Gates, Sept. 12, 2018: An Awfully Big Adventure: Signposts on the Final Journey of Indo-European Souls – It is well known by any who study the lore what awaits us after death: there is a kingdom of the dead we arrive at, with various perils and paths that branch off along the way. This workshop looks at the IE journey to the afterlife, drawing heavily on comparative mythology to show what signposts (ferrymen, waterspaces, dogs, and kings to name but a few) present themselves as we journey through that last, awfully big adventure: death.
- Three Rivers Festival (virtual), Jun. 1, 2018: Trancework and Chants – (with Rev. Avende) – Rev. Avende and Rev. Dangler were invited to Three Rivers Festival in Canada this year, but were unable to attend. The festival was kind enough to find a way for them to present remotely, however, so they were still able to provide a workshop. The topic was twofold: trancework and chants. While it may not seem like the two topics go together at first, they find a way to dovetail by the end of the workshop. Here, we’ll cover what trance is (compared to meditation), how to access it, various things to look for, and how to apply it to ritual. At the end, the group does an internet-based ritual that is mostly serious, but also somewhat silly (as all the best things are). [Watch a video of this presentation]
- Video Workshop, Sept. 21, 2018: A Crash Course in A. O. Spare’s Sigil Creation – A quick course in the process of sigil creation as defined by A. O. Spare
2017 Workshops & Rituals
- Wellspring Gathering & Midnight Flame Festival, 2017: It’s Dangerous To Go Alone: Building Relationships With Reliable Spirit Allies – we discuss how to approach spirit allies, the basic rules you might follow for spirit work, and the kinds of things you can do to improve and build relationships. We also tackle hard questions about what it means when a spirit gives you a gift you may not want, and how to set healthy boundaries. We also create and bless talismans to work as touchstones for those spirits in a simple rite. [Watch a video of the Midnight Flame presentation]
- ConVocation Ritual Celebrant (ritual lead by Rev. Melissa Hill)
2014 Workshops
- Summerland 2014: The Otherworld Isles: Beyond the Mists – The Celtic immrama detail the voyages of heroes beyond the waves and into a place of wonder. There, they encounter islands inhabited by fantastic people and monsters. The workshop will include a discussion of the three extant immrama, “The Voyage of Mael Dúin,” “The Voyage of the Uí Chorra,” and “The Voyage of Snedgus and Mac Riagla,” and draw out the pagan elements available to us.
- The Magical Druid, 2014: Icelandic Magical Staves – In the 17th century, a number of grimoires (magical books) were created in Iceland, containing sigils based on runes and other spellwork. Rev. Michael J Dangler presents some of the basic sigils and how to use them, as well as a technique for creating your own!
2013 Workshops
- Trillium, 2013: How to build a fire and not to destroy it during ritual – A workshop where I taught people how to build a sacred fire.
- Traveling Clergy Workshop, Ad Astra Retreat, 2013: Effective Ritual: Piety, Gnosis, and Performance – At the 2013 Ad Astra Retreat in Topeka, Kansas, Rev. Michael J Dangler joined the Traveling Clergy to present on “Effective Ritual.” The workshop ran a bit over the allotted time thanks to a number of questions, but the information remains valuable to anyone interested in improving their ritual performance. [Watch a video of this presentation]
- Summerland 2013: From Myth to Ritual: Crafting Meaningful Rites from Myths and Stories – Myth and ritual are intimately connected: the two forms of remembrance and enacting compliment each other and deepen our connections with the cosmos around us. Yet we often have difficulty with connecting the two in a meaningful way: in modern Paganism, we typically begin with a ritual structure and move toward the myth, rather than the other way around. The workshop will focus deeply on the ways ritual and myth are connected, as well as ways to creatively weave and tell a story through ritual actions and phrasing. We will examine strategies to begin with the myth and work our way into a ritual structure that has both meaning and depth for the participants. We will outline a couple of myths as candidates for the process, and brainstorm on how to create an ADF Core Order of Ritual outline for translation, so consider bringing a myth to share!
- CraneFest 2013: The Interaction of Myth and Ritual – At a laid-back discussion at CraneFest 2013, Rev. Michael J Dangler provided a workshop on the way myth and ritual interact to create a cohesive experience in our religious lives. The discussion became very broad by the end of the workshop, with a lot of practical application being discussed regarding working mythic imagery into public liturgy with some additional theatre, and crafting a funeral from general Indo-European death imagery. [Watch a video of this presentation]
2012 Workshops
- Pagan Fire Seminars 2012: Center & Circumference – Understanding the center is all about orientation: if you know where the center is, you will be able to tell where the edges are, and what direction everything else is. Religion can be said to be about “orienting” one’s self from that center. [watch a video of this presentation]
- Pagan Fire Seminars, 2012: Ritual Clothing, Tools, and Props – In this short workshop, we describe the advantages of paying attention to ritual clothing and props, as well as how to bring yourself closer to your tools, with an illustration of praying to the spirit of your tools. [watch a video of this presentation]
- Pagan Fire Seminars 2012: Divination in Ritual: The Questions Asked – How is ritual divination different than a card reading? What sorts of questions do we ask? What does it mean to take an omen in a public ritual? This very short discussion provides that detail on divination in ritual, with a very brief overview of how we should view divination in ritual (Is it fortune telling? Is it concerned with our current state?), as well as the questions we ask and how they fit into that view of divination. [Watch a video of this presentation]
- Pagan Fire Seminars, 2012: Carved, Called, and Stained: Runic Work in Ritual Space – A discussion of three key components of the process of crafting a divination set, inspired by the famous passage from the Hávamál. Ranging from runic lore to inspired text, this workshop is a step beyond the basics for any seer or diviner, regardless of tool. [Watch a video of this presentation]
- Pagan Fire Seminar, 2012: Creating the Place of Vision -Vital for seers who wish to work their craft in either public or private spaces, the Place of Vision is that space the seer goes to during their work. Rev. Dangler describes how the seer works with both their internal map and compass to help others find their way in a world full of symbols. [Watch a video of this presentation]
- Midnight Flame Festival, 2012: Deepening Your Divination Practice – There is more to divination than symbols and poems: from taking omens in private and public to developing and using tools both ancient and new, connections can be found that might surprise you. This workshop will set you on the path to learning a bit more about your divination system of choice. Several IE forms of divination are covered (including ogam, runes, and augury), as is a short discussion on creating a divination set that resonates with you from the signs you know best. [Watch a video of this presentation]
- 3CG Samhain Rite, 2012: An Awfully Big Adventure: Signposts on the Final Journey of Indo-European Souls – It is well known by any who study the lore what awaits us after death: there is a kingdom of the dead we arrive at, with various perils and paths that branch off along the way. This workshop looks at the IE journey to the afterlife, drawing heavily on comparative mythology to show what signposts (ferrymen, waterspaces, dogs, and kings to name but a few) present themselves as we journey through that last, awfully big adventure: death. [Watch a video of this presentation]
2009 Workshops
- Trillium, Wellspring, Summerland, and Midnight Flame, and Pagan Pride Day Columbus 2009: An Awfully Big Adventure: Signposts on the Final Journey of Indo-European Souls – It is well known by any who study the lore what awaits us after death: there is a kingdom of the dead we arrive at, with various perils and paths that branch off along the way. This workshop looks at the IE journey to the afterlife, drawing heavily on comparative mythology to show what signposts (ferrymen, waterspaces, dogs, and kings to name but a few) present themselves as we journey through that last, awfully big adventure: death.
2007 Workshops
- Wellspring and Pagan Pride Day Columbus 2007: Cultivating the Fire of Piety -Druidry is less about what we believe and more about what we do. Rather than forcing the Folk into paradigms of belief, we Druids simply do what is right. This workshop examines what that means for us as Druids (and, more broadly, as Neo-Pagans) and offers suggestions about how to build an internal tradition of practice that will eventually lead to the belief and faith that we all long to have in our hearts.
- Midnight Flame Festival, 2007: Prayers – What is prayer, why do we pray, and how do we pray?
- Midnight Flame Festival, 2007: Magic 1 – Rev. Dangler works through the entire course of Magic 1, with sources, examples, and answers to all the questions to help you start down the path of study with the program.
2006 Workshops
- Trillium 2006 – The Buffett Liturgy – This ritual takes the ADF Standard Liturgy and turns the words of Jimmy Buffett into a creative experiment, designed to show just how adaptable the Standard Liturgy really is, and how it can be applied to our own personal, modern and post-modern Druidism and spirituality. Bring chairs or a towel to sit on, because we’ll be basking in the presence of the Gods rather than standing. Appropriate ritual attire includes sandals, grass skirts, and Hawaiian shirts, or perhaps a floral print robe (if you didn’t bring anything like that, whatever you come in will be accepted, including long white robes). If you drink, we can promise you’ll be drunk by the end of it; alternative virgin drinks will be available to those who either cannot/do not drink or are in recovery. Instead of the usual sacrifices held to the Powers and the Patrons, we will include our opening round of the Bardic Circle for the evening, where each person will have the chance to share one song, story, poem, or other bardic/artistic sacrifice to whichever Power they wish, and more can be shared after the first round of offerings as we receive the blessings of the Gods. So, bring your instruments, your voice, and your inspiration. We will be sailing from the Port of Indecision for calmer waters for the night.
- Desert Magic Festival, 2006: Creating Amulets and Talismans – What are amulets and talismans? How do you make them? What is there origin? We will cover these topics and more, and study several examples cross-culturally in order to gain a better understanding. We will then begin work on our own talismans and amulets and learn how to make them on our own.
- Walking With Fire, 2006: “Something Involving Tentacles” – In a strange synthesis of fiction, chaos magic, and one big cosmic joke, this presentation will bring into focus the Cyclopean corpus of information on those weird things that lurk at the far edges of our consciousness: the fictional Elder Gods and Old Ones of Lovecraft’s mythos. We’ll discuss various Necronomicons, view modern interpretations of the mythos, and perhaps watch a short video or two. We’ll also talk about the relevance of this particular mythos to modern Neo-Paganism (focusing on chaos magic) and the various uses and essays that have grown out of Lovecraft’s stories (and the stories of those who have followed him).
- PSA meeting, 2006: Etruscan Religion: Recreation and Inspiration – A brief overview Etruscan religion, with an emphasis on how we can use it as a spring-board to create our own personal religion.
2005 Workshops & Rituals
- Desert Magic Festival, 2005: Chaos Magic – What’s Chaos Magic? What kind of ethics are important in it, if any? How do we pirate another person’s/group’s reality? If you don’t like this lecture, you can banish it with laughter. You will get homework, but it’s fun.
- Desert Magic Festival, 2005 – A Garden of Papayas and Mangos: Developing the Buffett Liturgy – A look at the Jimmy Buffett liturgy, wherein the Deities are honoured through the lyrics of Jimmy Buffett. It’s a serious liturgy with a not-so-serious writer.
- Desert Magic Festival, 2005 – The Buffett Liturgy – This ritual takes the ADF Standard Liturgy and turns the words of Jimmy Buffett into a creative experiment, designed to show just how adaptable the Standard Liturgy really is, and how it can be applied to our own personal, modern and post-modern Druidism and spirituality. Bring chairs or a towel to sit on, because we’ll be basking in the presence of the Gods rather than standing. Appropriate ritual attire includes sandals, grass skirts, and Hawaiian shirts, or perhaps a floral print robe (if you didn’t bring anything like that, whatever you come in will be accepted, including long white robes). If you drink, we can promise you’ll be drunk by the end of it; alternative virgin drinks will be available to those who either cannot/do not drink or are in recovery. Instead of the usual sacrifices held to the Powers and the Patrons, we will include our opening round of the Bardic Circle for the evening, where each person will have the chance to share one song, story, poem, or other bardic/artistic sacrifice to whichever Power they wish, and more can be shared after the first round of offerings as we receive the blessings of the Gods. So, bring your instruments, your voice, and your inspiration. We will be sailing from the Port of Indecision for calmer waters for the night.
- PSA Meeting, 2005: “Something Involving Tentacles” – In a strange synthesis of fiction, chaos magic, and one big cosmic joke, this presentation will bring into focus the Cyclopean corpus of information on those weird things that lurk at the far edges of our consciousness: the fictional Elder Gods and Old Ones of Lovecraft’s mythos. We’ll discuss various Necronomicons, view modern interpretations of the mythos, and perhaps watch a short video or two. We’ll also talk about the relevance of this particular mythos to modern Neo-Paganism (focusing on chaos magic) and the various uses and essays that have grown out of Lovecraft’s stories (and the stories of those who have followed him).
- Summerset Festival 2005: Continental Celtic Deities – Cernunnos and Epona are deities that everyone in modern Celtic Paganism has heard of. We have images of who they were and how they were worshipped, but does this image accurately reflect the deities of the ancient Celtic world? We’ll discuss the gods and goddesses of the continent, and pay particular attention to the so-called “trinity” of Gaulish Gods: Esus, Taranis, Teutates.
- Summerset 2005: The Belenus Rite – A ritual that follows the standard ADF ritual outline, designed to light the fires of Community, Blessing, and Sacrifice. This ritual requires the lighting of a large bonfire, which is sanctified and I will not do this ritual without my Grove, or at least a part of it. We also require a 30 minute time period for “Pre-Ritual Briefing”, which should also be listed in the program before the rite.
- Walking With Fire, 2005: Shadow Puppet Ritual Theatre – A Walking With Fire tradition, please join us for an interesting retelling some of Vedism’s most well known myths as compiled by Mazi, read by Duke, and acted out by our troupe of volunteers.
- Walking With Fire, 2005: The Eastern European Vampire – Everybody is an expert on vampires. We all know exactly what they are when they’re mentioned in conversation, and our minds conjure up images and thoughts for us to frighten ourselves with. In this workshop, we’ll examine the origin of the vampire in Eastern Europe, particularly in the Slavic countries. We’ll analyze the linguistics of the name, how the vampire of the Eastern European world differs from the Hollywood interpretation, discuss ways of becoming a vampire, how their powers are gained and what those powers are, and (of course) talk about how to destroy them.
2004 Workshops
- Desert Magic Festival, 2004: Continental Celtic Deities – Cernunnos and Epona are deities that everyone in modern Celtic Paganism has heard of. We have images of who they were and how they were worshipped, but does this image accurately reflect the deities of the ancient Celtic world? We’ll discuss the gods and goddesses of the continent, and pay particular attention to the so-called “trinity” of Gaulish Gods: Esus, Taranis, Teutates.
- Walking With Fire, 2004: Creative Ritual – Are your rituals in need of a bit of an “infusion” of sorts? Do you look around as you invoke the Horned God and find that people are yawning? Maybe it’s time for a new approach to ritual! We’ll start out discussing ways to work within your current liturgical paradigm, and move on to new ways to do things. Bring a specific issue you want resolved, and we’ll talk about it. If nothing else, we’ll learn something from each other.
- Walking With Fire, 2004: What To Do When Your Rituals Get Too Serious: Humour and Play in Ritual – Are you losing members because your rituals are too serious? Do you freak out when the fire refuses to start, or do you smile? How much humour is too much, and how do you know the difference? This workshop is a fun look at a topic that we sometimes take too seriously: even the Gods like to laugh sometimes, and unfortunately sometimes that laughter is directed at us, instead of with us. Learn to discern the difference!
- PSA meeting, 2004: Chaos Magic – What’s Chaos Magic? What kind of ethics are important in it, if any? How do we pirate another person’s/group’s reality? If you don’t like this lecture, you can banish it with laughter. You will get homework, but it’s fun.
- Summerland Gathering 2004: A Garden of Papayas and Mangos: Developing the Buffett Liturgy – A look at the Jimmy Buffett liturgy, wherein the Deities are honoured through the lyrics of Jimmy Buffett. It’s a serious liturgy with a not-so-serious writer.
- Summerland Gathering 2004: The Buffett Liturgy – This ritual takes the ADF Standard Liturgy and turns the words of Jimmy Buffett into a creative experiment, designed to show just how adaptable the Standard Liturgy really is, and how it can be applied to our own personal, modern and post-modern Druidism and spirituality. Bring chairs or a towel to sit on, because we’ll be basking in the presence of the Gods rather than standing. Appropriate ritual attire includes sandals, grass skirts, and Hawaiian shirts, or perhaps a floral print robe (if you didn’t bring anything like that, whatever you come in will be accepted, including long white robes). If you drink, we can promise you’ll be drunk by the end of it; alternative virgin drinks will be available to those who either cannot/do not drink or are in recovery. Instead of the usual sacrifices held to the Powers and the Patrons, we will include our opening round of the Bardic Circle for the evening, where each person will have the chance to share one song, story, poem, or other bardic/artistic sacrifice to whichever Power they wish, and more can be shared after the first round of offerings as we receive the blessings of the Gods. So, bring your instruments, your voice, and your inspiration. We will be sailing from the Port of Indecision for calmer waters for the night.
- Columbus Pagan Pride Day 2004: ADF ~~ Druidic Alphabet Soup – an introduction to the various experiences of Druidry, what they look like and how to navigate them.
2003 Workshops & Rituals
- PSA meeting, 2003: Amulets and Talismans – What are amulets and talismans? How do you make them? What is there origin? We will cover these topics and more, and study several examples cross-culturally in order to gain a better understanding.
- Elysium, 2003; PSA meeting, 2003: Rune Poems – This workshop examines the extant Rune Poems that form the basis for interpretation of the runes for magic and divination. This workshop includes about 20 pages of notes per person. Help with photocopying/printing is very much appreciated.
- Summerland, 2003: Basic Rune Carving – Tired of store-bought runes that break when you jingle them? Fed up with not feeling in contact with the set you bought at the second hand shop, or are you missing Hagalaz and Fe? We’ll be starting on our own Rune set (though time will not allow us to fully finish, we’ll try to get through the first Aett so everyone has a good grasp of how to do these things). We’ll discuss materials, methods for carving and proper sacrifices for the work. The class will also include some history on the Runes, as well as a bit of discussion on their use.
- Summerland Gathering 2003: The Buffett Liturgy – This ritual takes the ADF Standard Liturgy and turns the words of Jimmy Buffett into a creative experiment, designed to show just how adaptable the Standard Liturgy really is, and how it can be applied to our own personal, modern and post-modern Druidism and spirituality. Bring chairs or a towel to sit on, because we’ll be basking in the presence of the Gods rather than standing. Appropriate ritual attire includes sandals, grass skirts, and Hawaiian shirts, or perhaps a floral print robe (if you didn’t bring anything like that, whatever you come in will be accepted, including long white robes). If you drink, we can promise you’ll be drunk by the end of it; alternative virgin drinks will be available to those who either cannot/do not drink or are in recovery. Instead of the usual sacrifices held to the Powers and the Patrons, we will include our opening round of the Bardic Circle for the evening, where each person will have the chance to share one song, story, poem, or other bardic/artistic sacrifice to whichever Power they wish, and more can be shared after the first round of offerings as we receive the blessings of the Gods. So, bring your instruments, your voice, and your inspiration. We will be sailing from the Port of Indecision for calmer waters for the night.
