My Fall Mysteries workshop

[sabrinamari]

Cat, Eve and I will be running the Inanna Track again at Fall Mysteries. It is hard. It is very hard.

It demands much and gives much in return.

Participants will not be allowed to share the details of their experience with others, although they are free to discuss the insights and transformations they encounter there.

I can't wait.

******

http://www.freespiritgathering.org/fallevent/inanna.html

The Descent of Inanna:
Letting go of the Trappings

The notion of a descent myth is nearly universal, with virtually every ancient civilization's lore featuring at least one version. The Descent of Inanna is among the more detailed and powerful of those myths, and this track is designed to allow the participants to walk in Her footsteps as She passes through the Gates and into the Underworld.


Ideally designed for individuals who seek a transformational experience, this track is designed for those in mourning, those wishing to break free of dysfunctional patterns and those looking for deeper meaning from everyday life. During the course of the workshop, participants will focus on stripping away the trivial trappings of the everyday with the goal of laying their true self bare.

Participants will encounter the mei, Sumerian symbols of power, only to have them ritually stripped away one by one. They will enter the Underworld and be brought face to face with their inner selves. In this place, they will be nurtured through a re-entry process and reborn as new beings.

This track is not easy. Participants should expect it to inspire strong emotions and challenging memories; they must be prepared to do an archaeology of their personal histories. In order to meet the physical challenges of the track, they must be able to walk 1.5 miles comfortably and move/dance with relative freedom.

This track is not suitable for those living with mobility impairments or pain syndromes that impede walking, free movement and attendance at multiple daily workshops. It may not be a good fit for individuals under severe emotional stress. While breaks are frequently scheduled, participants will be asked to undertake intensive emotional work accompanied by moderate physical effort. Please consider your physical and emotional state carefully and err on the side of caution before selecting this track.

Presenters: Sabrina Mari, Cat Castells, Eve Jones.

Sabrina Mari is a cultural anthropologist and Wiccan Priestess. She is a longtime member of the Blue Star Tradition; her work focuses on rites of passage and the facilitation of personal transformation. Sabrina has conducted public and private workshops in Craft settings since 1993. She periodically teaches classes in aromatics, Tarot, ritual, Craft and personal growth.

Cat Castells owns a craft (note the small "c") gallery in New Hope, PA. She lives in NJ with her small daughter and partner in a big house which hosts regular rituals and other events related to her Wiccan practice. Cat's personal practice involves her connection with the Gods and her work in helping others in her tradition through transformational experiences. In her copious (ha!) spare time, she helps to run several events a year.

Eve Jones is a Protean Gardnerian Witch and one of FSA's usual suspects. She has training and experience in music, theater, and ritual design, among other things. She lives in Brooklyn with her partners.

Comments

[reikirock.livejournal.com]

Sooooooo wish I could be there! Your workings are always amazing and I'll never forget the first trance work I did with you on the soccer field that magical night of my first FSG.

Peter

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Thank you, honey. I loved doing that work!

[rio-luna.livejournal.com]

i too would like nothing better than to do this work--and i can't think of a better, more compassionate and learned priestess to lead it than you!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Thank you, my dear. I hope we can work together in the future. I'd love to be able to see you and work with you again.

[diekonigin.livejournal.com]

I'm disappointed that I am one, on call that weekend, and two, don't feel that I'd fit into the physical requirements of the track, as it's the only track I think I'd be likely to attend. Oh well.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I think you would kick ass and take names with the very difficult emotional work of this workshop.

You do need to be able to walk between a mile and a mile and a half (at a moderate pace) to do the track, and be able to do some gentle movement during one particular workshop.

We are being very cautious in emphasizing the physical demands of the intensive because we've realized that those with pain syndromes could really struggle with each of the above. Last year we did not realize how hard it could be for folks with fibromyalgia and chronic pain/fatigue to accomplish them. And our community has quite a few people with some form of chronic pain---because pain requires so much personal growth and self management, it may incline people to join a n initiatory path.

Thus, we are being careful, and asking people to evaluate their capacities with open eyes.

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

Perhaps working with people with pain syndromes and limited mobility on an alternative method might yield good results. I don't mean "You need to start doing this immediately", but perhaps beginning to allow the ideas to start coming up naturally. It might result in a parallel ritual, or in a ritual that people can be involved in regardless of physical limitations. Not knowing what the Inanna ritual consists of in any detail, I may be way off, but I get the impression that it's a really valuable tool/resource for people.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Yes, the long-term vision includes some work on "How can we make this more accessible to those living with a range of pain syndromes and disabilities?"

We are still so early in this workshop offering that we've only just identified the need.

Good thinking, Batman!

[sligoe.livejournal.com]

I have registerd. I will be there. It's past time I did this kind of work, and I want to be ready to face the next steps in the path to clergy. If I am to help others to transform their lives, I need to be able to do that for myself.

I can't wait to start work. :)

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

This is good to know. I'm glad you are ready to do it.

[glasscut.livejournal.com]

I'm happy you guys are doing this again! It really helped me fix my perspective.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that it was useful to you. I enjoyed working with you and the group immensely!

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

I won't be there, but I would really love to sit down with you sometime and quiz you on this.

Maybe when you come to visit Boston? :-)