Celtic Sorcery Intensive with Morpheus Ravenna
The Celtic cultures of Ireland, Britain, and Gaul provide us with rich and ancient wells of magical lore: blessing and purification rites; protective charms and spells; fate-binding and foredestination; dire curses and battle sorceries. These many forms draw on the traditions of poetic incantation and the power of the Otherworld. This weekend intensive draws on folk tradition, archaeological study, early literature, and extensive personal experience, to explore these traditions of magic and sorcery in depth, while seeking insight through them into Celtic worldviews and cosmologies.
On day one, we will begin with an overview of the Celtic cultures to ground us in the magical and cosmological systems that provide structure for our work. We will lay the groundwork for safe magical practice with a session devoted to spiritual cleanliness and magical protection. We’ll learn to practice saining, smoke cleansing, and other methods of blessing and purification, and the fundamentals of warding and protecting both ourselves and our spaces. The day’s work will provide us with a charged warding tool we can begin using for protection as we delve into further sorceries in the next sessions.
On day two , we’ll deepen into the work with a session examining the ethics of magic. We’ll enter into one of the most ancient traditions in the Celtic world, the practice of chanted sorceries, with a session focusing on the use of poetry, chant, song, and trance in magic, with demonstrations in Gaulish and Old Irish. We will go on to explore how spirit work and spirit alliances can enliven and empower our work. We’ll cover the lore of druids calling forth Otherworldly spirits, the land and rivers to their aid, to tales of phantom armies and enspirited weapons. This will give us the tools to begin entering into spirit alliances ourselves and learn how to enshrine a spirit into an object to aid us in magical work.
On our final day , we will study the use of magical scripts and languages, including the use of Ogam sorcery in both tradition and lived practice. With a solid grounding now in the tools and ethics of the work, we’ll turn our attention to oaths, binding and cursing. We’ll cover the geis or ritual taboo and its connections to practices of fate-binding and oath magic, progressing into binding curses, wounding spells, curse tablets, and other forms of cursing. As part of this study, we will examine the history of cursing as a method of magical redress against oppression and injustice, and its use in justice work and activism. The session will culminate with a demonstration or group working for hands-on experience crafting a spell or curse tablet.
Schedule
Thursday, 7 PM - 9 PM
We will pick a pub in for a drop in meet and enjoy a few hours of social time before the big weekend starts. Drinking is fine during the Meet & Greet, but we ask you to maintain safe and sober space for the rest of the event. The restaurant will be posted on (One week prior). This Meet & Greet event is optional, and we understand if you cannot make it this early.
Friday, 10 AM - 7 PM
Workshop time in four sessions, with breaks for lunch, snacks, and coffee throughout the day. Lunch is provided.
Saturday, 10 AM - 7 PM
Workshop time in four sessions, with breaks for lunch, snacks, and coffee throughout the day. Lunch is provided.
Sunday, 10 AM - 5 PM
Workshop time in three sessions, with breaks for lunch, snacks, and coffee throughout the day. Lunch is provided. We will hold a Social Sunday Session with pizza at the event location. This is optional for attendees, and we understand if you have to get on the road. Pizza will costs an additional $10 and will be arranged Sunday morning.
Classes will be dismissed promptly for dinner on your own or with the other participants. This space will be free from alcohol and drugs.
This workshop will be held in a private home in the Lake Merritt area of Oakland. The house is wheelchair-accessible, with a ramp in the back. Let us know in advance if you will need to utilize the ramp, so we can prepare adequately for your arrival. Keep in mind that the downstairs bathroom is quite narrow, and will not fit a wheelchair. There are three feet from the door to the toilet.
Overnight accommodations are not included in the costs. We will have a Google Group open six months ahead of time, which participants may use to coordinate with lodging and shared transportation concerns.
How to Register
This event is now over.
Cost & Payments
The cost of this event is set on a sliding scale to make it as accessible as possible. We have set the price for three full days of teaching, handouts, lunch, all day snacks, plus tea and coffee service, at a sliding scale of $350 - $500 USD. Choose honestly where you think you fall in that scale, considering whether you are coming from out of town and if have additional lodging and transportation needs. Please keep in mind that the profits of this go towards supporting two small businesses run by women in our Irish Pagan community. This is the full time job for both Vyviane and Morpheus. The profits also help fund at least one full scholarship position for this class, and other classes and events that we hold online and in person.
We will have at least one full scholarship position for this event. To apply, please email vyviane@landseaskytravel.com, explaining why you would like the scholarship, and how it would impact your life. Scholarship applications must be received no later than August 15th, 2018. You will hear back from us by September 15th. To receive your scholarship, you will need to register online and send in your signed and dated waivers within one week of being awarded the scholarship. Failure to do so will result in the scholarship being awarded to another applicant.
All teachers, moderators and employees of Land Sea Sky Travel have agreed to the above tenets and will assist in making our guests, clients, vendors, and friends feel safe and supported. We also strive to work with vendors and companies that hold and express similar values as our own.
A non-refundable deposit of $100 holds your space. Full payment is due on October 8th, 2018. You may set up a payment plan if you wish. Checks are prefered, but Paypal arrangements may be made.
Presenters
Morpheus Ravenna is a spiritual worker, artist, and writer. An initiate of the Anderson Feri tradition of Witchcraft, she has studied and practiced devotional polytheism and the magical arts for about twenty years. Her primary spiritual practice is her devotion and dedication to the Morrígan within the framework of Celtic heroic spirituality. She co-founded the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood and currently serves as Lore Chieftain. Author of The Book of the Great Queen: The Many Faces of the Morrígan from Ancient Legends to Modern Devotions, her writing can be found on her personal blog, The Shieldmaiden. She also practices medieval armored combat and is very fond of spears. She can be reached through her website at bansheearts.com.
Morpheus will be guiding the teachings and presenting over the weekend with some support from guest teachers and Vyviane Armstrong.
Vyviane Armstrong has been event planning and arranging sacred site tours since 1999, with a special focus on Goddess and Sacred Site pilgrimages in North America, UK, and Ireland. She has worked with non-profits for over twenty years assisting with their event planning and cooking at events for groups.
Vyviane is well-trained in Otherworld journeying, group facilitation and has a background in Irish Polytheism and Welsh Polytheism.
You can find Vyviane and her company Land Sea Sky Travel at www.landseaskytravel.com.
Vyviane will be handling the event logistics and catering over the weekend.
Hospitality Statement
We strive to hold safe events, both in person and virtually via our social media sites. If you ever encounter any form of harassment or feel unsafe in our community, please reach out to Vyviane immediately or any other member of staff if necessary.
All teachers, moderators and employees of Land Sea Sky Travel have agreed to the above tenets and will assist in making our guests, clients, vendors, and friends feel safe and supported. We also strive to work with vendors and companies that hold and express similar values as our own.