Alchemical Fire at Free Spirit Gathering June 16-18, 2010
We
will once again be co-creating and conspiring (with a clutch of
our drumming and fire-choir pyro-peep friends) to bring 3 Alchemical
Fire Rituals to Free Spirit Gathering (FSG), Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday night of the event. We will also be facilitating workshops
during the day - descriptions below:
- Wednesday, June 16th
- Fire Alchemy Technology workshop - 2:00pm
- Collaboratory Drum and Chant workshop - 4:15pm
- Alchemical Fire Ritual - 11:45 pm - ?
- Thursday, June 17th
- Alchemical Perspectives workshop - 2:00pm
- Rangoli workshop - 4:15pm
- Alchemical Fire Ritual - 11:45 pm - dawn?
- Friday, June 18th
- Fire Alchemy Technology workshop - 2:00pm
- Collaboratory Drum and Chant workshop - 4:15pm
- Alchemical Fire Ritual - 11:45 pm - dawn
If you would like
more information keep reading or please contact
us. There's also more about how we do ritual on our KindlingFire/Alchemy
page.
For more info on Free Spirit Gathering, or to register, please visit
the FSG web site. Free Spirit is held in mid-June
at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington MD. Map below.
Alchemical Fire Ritual
The Alchemical Fire Ritual
Team including: Whittney Matlock, Mike
Miller,
Shane A, Amy Lawrence,
Michael Gryffyn, Tigré Cruz, MoJoe
Dancing Tree Galitsky
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday Nights 11:45pm until dawn
The Alchemical Fire Ritual is a multi-night ritual running from Midnight
to Sunrise Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. This circle has permeable
boundaries so that participants may enter and leave as they choose. Folks
are encouraged to honor their needs and take part in as much or as little
as they like when they like. We also strongly encourage persistent participation.
Alchemy works best when you put effort into the practice.
To make this magik work, there are some agreements we ask of everyone who enters this Circle:
- As we play in Sacred Space we agree to be fully present and plugged into the grove that is happening. Everyone is encouraged to participate as fully as they are able.
- We help each other stay focused by acting on inspirations and creating opportunities to engage with each other, self and spirit.
- Encourage each other to share the magik we each bring to the fire.
- Keep casual conversation outside the ritual space.
- Be sober and response-able within the ritual space.
- Share what you are good at with the circle, try what weakest at within the circle.
- Allow silence when it happens.
To get the most out of this kind of ritual, and especially if you're new to this or have questions, we encourage you to come to at least one of our "Fire Alchemy Technology" classes and/or "Collaboratory Drum and Chant" classes.
Fire Alchemy Technology – How We Work at the Fire
Presenters: Whittney
Matlock and the Alchemical Fire Ritual Team
Wed, June 16th - 2:00pm & Friday June 18th - 2:00pm
In its simplest form, Alchemy is the art and science of transformation
through experimentation and observation. Our Alchemical Fire Ritual (AFR)
is a way to practice this art using the tools available to us at the fire
circle. We work together in a creative collaboration to awaken and inspire
awareness in each other. We playfully explore the edges of our comfort
zones within the safe space of our intentions. As we approach our limits,
we reach beyond them and observe what happens. Supported in the circle
of our sisters and brothers great leaps become easy steps. We can risk
falling when it is into the arms of those we trust.
In this class we will look at the tools you may already be used to
working with at fire circles and rituals...
- intention, observation
- the fire, the music
- our voices, our bodies
- a willingness to play, an open-ness to experiment
- most important of all - our agreements for working together and supporting each other
We want to share what may a new way for you to put these familiar tools to use to spark awareness and inspiration - experiment and wonder. We encourage you, we welcome you, we invite you to come check out our lab before we start working together. Ask questions about the tools we use and how we use them, and learn about the core concepts we act from to create change throughout the night. You'll soon be on your way to becoming an "adept."
Collaboratory Drum and Chant
Presenters: Mike
Miller and the
Alchemical Fire Ritual Team
Wed, June 16th - 4:15pm & Friday June 18th - 4:15pm
Ever thought of an interesting rhythm to play counterpoint to a chant or spoken
piece going on at fire circle but felt reluctant to join in? Ever have a great
chant occur to you while the drummers had a juicy groove going on and not known
how to get it started? We'll briefly talk about ways drummers, chanters (and
dancers and ritual people) of all skill levels can quickly and easily communicate
or check-in with each other when they need to get on the same page to make
fire ritual a collaborative, sweet, magickal flow.
Then we'll quickly set intentional space and chant and drum and play together. Bring a drum, noisemaker, your voice or favorite musical instrument. (Quiet or "unusual" instruments welcome, too.) Bring a chant, rhythm, or other ritual accompaniment and let's have fun! We will also have instruments, rhythms and chants to share if you don't have your own.
Alchemical Perspectives – How the World looks to an Alchemist
Presenters: Whittney
Matlock and the Alchemical Fire Ritual Team
Thursday, June 17th - 2:00pm
The practice of Alchemy is widely varied in style and substance. In our experiments,
Alchemical Fire Rituals, experience and awareness are pressed
into the service of personal transformation. This type of Transformation is
never by accident. It asks much of a practitioner. It offers great rewards
for those who are persistent. Though there are many ways to practice Alchemy,
there some common seed materials which guide Alchemical thought.
In this class we will discuss the ideas presented in two documents:
- the Emerald Tablet, an ancient verse preserving the fundamental core of Alchemical thought and
- the Kybalion, an inspired elucidation of the ideas intimated in the Emerald Tablet
We will then explore how modern interpretation of these ancient mystical ideas can still inform our experiments of Spirit and help us transform our personal lead into Life's vital gold.
Let's Do Some Rangoli!
Presenters: Mike
Miller and
the Alchemical Fire Ritual Team
Thursday, June 17th - 4:15pm
Rangoli is an Indian art-form often used to celebrate and honor
the gods and welcome guests. Fine sand or rice powder, white or colorfully
dyed, is poured on the ground in intricate patterns signifying protection,
prosperity, hospitality,... A very simple and elegant form of this
art can be used - with plain flour, sand, leaves and flowers - to
creatively adorn and demarcate intentional space as sacred, welcoming
and magickal.
After brief instruction in a western adaptation of this art, you
will be able to practice designing and drawing small rangoli patterns.
Then we will create sacred space and collaboratively draw the Rangoli for the evening's Alchemical Fire Ritual.
Alchemical Fire Ritual Team:
this year's team includes Whittney Matlock, Mike Miller, Shane A, Amy Lawrence, Michael Gryffyn, Tigré Cruz and MoJoe Dancing Tree Galitsky
Amy Lawrence is known to many of us by the apt sobriquet "firegoddess." She
has been firetending and involved with fire circle rituals and sacred
arts circles for several years and for several organizations. Her
focus is on healing the collective via the individual expansion of
awareness, one heart and mind at a time. Always preent, she will
be helping hold the Heart and Hearth of the Alchemical Fire.
MoJoe Dancing Tree Galitsky makes his living these days as an entertainment rigger and tinker-at-large and has been working in the theater, film and special event world for 20 years, ran the Dancing Tree Cafe at FSG for 8 years, and is often highly involved in whatever festival/gathering he finds himself. He considers himself a Modern Tinker and seeks to continually add to his skill base and engage in metapsychospiritual discussion/growth every chance he gets. Joy is the name of the game and creating harmony on all levels of life is the tool. Love is Everything, so let us build a fire of compassion, gratitude and joy and remember to laugh and smile whenever possible. The focusing of energy to create a safe environment for you to grow and celebrate is my personal goal for this event. If you need an attentive ear and mind, I got it covered and if you need a shoulder or a hug, I got that too. Let us conspire to create ritual/freeform/planned/spontaneous theater/magic of the highest orders. May we all find our joyful center and then ripple. May we grow our individual consciences and hence raise the collective mind. No effort is wasted if it leads to sociological growth even in the time frame of eons. Namaste.
Michael Gryffyn has
been a student, teacher and researcher in Western and Eastern metaphysical
and healing arts for more than 30 years, and is a practitioner of
many disciplines including Sound Healing, Alchemy, Wicca, Kabbalah,
and Tantric yoga. Michael is a long-time practitioner of the art
of using sound and the voice for healing the body. He is also a fire
shaman, priest, guide, healer and a member of the Beneficent order
of the Greenman. Michael currently has a coven and a Sound Therapy
practice in Laurel Maryland.
Mike Miller has been
priest of Gardnerian, Eclectic Wiccan and Ecstatic traditions. He
has facilitated drum circles, designed and presented large rituals
for Spiritual events including Main Ritual at FSG. He currently works
as a web development/support consultant for the House of Representatives
and has interests ranging from Television and Audio to Gardening
and Beekeeping. A creature of Earth, Mike finds a paradoxical grounding
in Fire. His discovery of Sacred Intentional Fire Ritual has opened
his magickal eyes and voice. His current spiritual passion is kindling
the sacred rhythms of fire, music, trance and magickal wonder. His
greatest delight is for you to come to the fire and open your eyes
and voice to wonder, too.
Shane A has
been working with various groups of Pagan, Larpers and Freaks to
produce some wonderful and magical experiences for people for a number
of years. He is an amature goldsmith (the main metal currently is
silver), he is a tinkerer and maker, he has helped produce rituals
with Kindlers of the Sacred Rhythm, Sacred Mark Sanctuary and the
Circle of Dark Eros. His work has to do with site and area prep,
special effects (Shane makes really cool stuff happen with fire),
sound systems and effects (back lines and atmospheres) and just generally
making stuff happen. Shane has also been seen on staff at various
Pagan, LARP and Freak events such as Suspendc, 1948:Horror, FSG and
Sacred Sexuality Beltaine. This year Shane is working with the Alchemical
Fire Ritual Team hoping to create and share more Magic with you all.
Tigré Cruz is
a Rhythmic Mage, drum instructor, drum circle facilitator, Ritual
drummer and the lead percussionist for the group KIVA. In the past
thirty four years, he has acquired a wealth of experience from classical,
contemporary, cultural and competitive drumming. He has studied drumming,
drum circle facilitation and performed with Jaqui MacMillan, Mamady
Keita, Jim Donovan of 'Rusted Root' and various other well known
teachers. Tigre has taught classes for many organizations such as
Four Quarters, Carolina Spirit Quest, Chesapeake Pagan Community,
Sacred Well, Free Spirit Alliance, and for many other nationally
recognized conferences and festivals. He currently resides in Pasadena,
Maryland. For Private or Group Lesson information, please send him
an email: Tigre at tigredrums dot com.
Whittney Matlock is a practitioner and teacher of the ancient mystical
art of Shamanic Alchemy. This brand new, age old practice, teaches
the creation of a personal elixir of enlightenment. With this elixir,
distilled from the sweat of hard work by the fire of personal challenge,
frees the mind to evolve through self examine in the trance of intense
experiences. Though he is happy to share his elixir with anyone who
asks, he'll always remind you that it's the process of brewing your
own elixir that makes the magik work.
Before this, he was infamous in the field of massage therapy for
pioneering the use of actually listening to his client's needs during
sessions. Until his discovery, this strange practice was thought
to only be used by a nomadic tribe of bodyworkers in the South Sea
Islands. In his wanderings between many worlds, Whittney brings the
spiritual practices of the Pagan community into the world of BDSM
and the techniques used in BDSM to the Pagan community. When not
otherwise occupied, his favorite hobby is corrupting people into
thinking for themselves.
As a Shamanic Practitioner, the fire circle is one of his most valued
tools. At times it may be the grand stage on which life processes.
At others it may be a sharing fire where all come to experience and
learn. With many variations in between. His main goal is to provoke
people to be engaged, to take part, to have a hand in their own enlightenment
and to support the enlightenment of others. Most shocking of all,
he believes that the transformation work of the fire can be fun.
Take a chance on adventure and step into the circle. You'll never
be the same again.
Map to FSG
FSG is at Camp Ramblewood
2564 Silver Road
Darlington, MD 21034
1-800-466-CAMP
1-800-466-2267
How to join or find out more about us
We invite others in the DC metro area interested in our path to join us and find out if this is a direction for you to explore. If you are interested in learning more about us or have questions about the ideas we are exploring, please contact us.
All genuine seekers are welcome. If this is not what you are seeking, then please seek elsewhere and blessings be with you.
Namaste.
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