- BCWC 2010 -
The 23nd Annual BC Witchcamp
Saturday, August 28 - Friday, September 3, 2010
INTENTION:
We sense the coming shift and drop deeper to listen for guidance. In sacred relationship with the earth, we support each other in expressing our love as action in all the worlds.
CAMP THEME:
Once upon a time, not too long from now and perhaps even as soon as tomorrow, there exists a place called Avalon. One of the many mysteries of Avalon is that it does not, as other places do, exist in a particular time in a particular place. Avalon, rather, is a way of being.
In Avalon, there are many ways of loving. A person, their best friend and their spouse all three loving one another with neither jealousy nor shame. Dyads and triads, people of all genders and orientations unconfined by common practices -- for nothing in Avalon is common.
In Avalon, leadership lies in a large and shifting council of equals -- each with their own gifts, story and moment to shine (be the shine seen by all or go unseen deep in a forest, cave or night).
In Avalon, there is a race of priestesses, women and men trained in the ancient practices of magics. These priestesses walk a third road woven of acute self awareness, service to the community, and marriage to the land (and thus diplomats to the races that live within the land).
Now, we will step forward into the mists once again to listen to the Lady of the Lake and remember why we came into the world and what is ours to do. Will you cross the threshold and enter the place where you can learn who you really are? Will you follow the stories of Avalon as they unfold, weaving and spiraling with ancient magic? Will you remember ancient alliances with the land and its spirits? Will you bring these vows into the present day, asking humans to remember and act? And finally, will you be an alchemist, like the one called Merlin, using magic to rework the mundane?
THE BCWC 2010 TEACHING TEAM
Ravyn (the Red) Stanfield
Ravyn Stanfield is a healer, writer, and activist, practicing acupuncture in Portland , Oregon. She is an aspiring alchemist dedicated to liberating the uniquely embodied magic, leadership and music within each of us to serve the communities of our Earth. She uses her work in the realms of sacred sexuality, theatre, Taoism, feminism, Jungian psychology and environmental activism to coax more of the extraordinary into the world through the ever widening cracks in Western civilization. She will never be a morning person so all of this erotic revolution must happen after 10am. She is an initiate in the Reclaiming and Feri traditions and teaches workshops internationally. She is so delighted to return to BC for another year of world changing magic. www.ravynstanfield.com
Dawn Isidora
Dawn Isidora first became involved with Reclaiming in San Francisco (her home town) in the early eighties. Over the past twenty-five years, she has spiraled towards the center of Reclaiming communities and wound her way back out to the edge, only to be drawn in again. She believes it is this constantly shifting perspective that keeps the love affair alive. For the past two decades, she has made her home upon an extinct volcano in Portland , Oregon — where she raised two sons, peacefully co-existing w/ numerous critters -- carnate and incarnate. Along the winding path “to know myself and all my parts“, she has explored many landscapes: sacred sexuality, right sized-ness and authentic edges (boundaries) , community building and service, teaching and mentorship are some. She is a Reclaiming and Feri initiate and works closely with Isis, Mary Magdalene, Ganesha, the Peacock Angel and “The Old Man” (as he prefers her to call him). She is so very happy to be returning yet again to her beloved home camp community of BCWC. The richness of the forest, the mystery of the lake, the majesty of the mountains and especially the open-hearted people feed her soul. dawnisidora.com
Urania
Urania makes her home north of San Francisco amongst the rolling hills of Marin County with her beloved family. Her herstory with Reclaiming goes back to 1991 and she has done most everything from schlepping to bookkeeping to ritual planning, teaching and general rabble rousing. She is regularly awed and grateful to have received so many opportunities from this community. Her life is richer for having walked this path. Her current fascinations include Astrology; the movement of the outer planets and the birth of what is coming…word smithing and gardening. She still loves paradox and explores it in herself, communities and nature at every chance given.
Anne Hill
Anne Hill, D.Min., author of What To Do When Dreams Go Bad: A Practical Guide to Nightmares, is a longtime Reclaiming and Faery priestess, and host of a weekly radio show on dreams, http://dreamtalkradio.net . She co-wrote Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions, makes music CDs over at Serpentine Music, and writes for both the Huffington Post and the Blog o’ Gnosis. Anne is on the faculty of Cherry Hill Seminary, teaches internationally on dreams and spirituality, and lives on the Sonoma Coast . Although sick of writing in the third person, Anne is nonetheless very happy to be coming back to the BCWC community, working with such a great team, and being back in the gorgeous north woods.
John Brazaitis
John Brazaitis has been teaching at various witch camps for more than 15 years; he feels very honored to be asked to return to BCWC. He is a resident of Sweetwater Community Land Trust, an intentional community and 500 acre conservation land trust in the Missouri Ozarks. In recent years he has become more and more and more concerned about the growing pollination deficit and it's resulting environmental changes. (or is it the other way around). As a result he has taken up bee keeping on a semi-commercial scale. He has also been teaching beekeeping at the local junior college. His main area of interest is the historic and folk traditions of Northern and Eastern Europe and helping to explore this material in an environment of powerful intentional magick, supported by a knowledgeable community has literally not existed for many hundreds of years.
Student Teachers
Bramble
Bramble is a former feminist activist working in a balloon shop in Vancouver and learning about surrender and grace. She is ravenous for what lies beneath the surface and ever reaching for depth. She loves and works with Myth, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Alchemy, Faery, Dreams and Tarot. She has a passion for what speaks to our in-between places where we sense mystery and expanding possibilities, and she is more interested in what she doesn’t know than what she does.
Linda Beet
Linda Beet has had her toes fully squelched in the mud puddle path of witchery for a good 15 years now. In love with the wee voices of the forest, creating ecstatic ritual and building community in her BCWC home, she is thrilled to reenter Avalon, the land of her first Witchcamp and the stories of her ancestors Protected by the Oak trees on Vancouver Island she tramps the bardic trail of drumming, music, movement and sharing the tales. Beet plays hard at her day job as an intuitive Tarot reader and metaphysical teacher in Victoria . www.intuitivearts.ca
Jane Meredith
Jane Meredith is a Priestess of the Goddess who lives in Australia and loves to travel. She is a writer and teaches workshops in Tarot, Magic, Mythology, Experimental Kabblah and the Goddess. Her working passions include the Dark Goddess, women’s sexuality and unfolding the realms of the mythos. She is also very very fond of trees, dark chocolate and cats. Jane’s first book, Aphrodite’s Magic: Celebrate and Heal Your Sexuality will be published in 2010. She is involved with establishing Reclaiming in Australia and is ecstatic to be coming to BC WitchCamp (bringing as many of her relations as possible), where she envisions the overlaps of local and international magic. www.janemeredith.com
Resource Teacher
Willow Firefly Kelly
Willow Firefly is a performance artist and a faery-loving experiential teacher of magic, music, and mystery. She facilitates the collaborative creation of strong containers, inviting participants into an empowered experience of their own magic and transformation. She is teachable and loves passing on what she has learned to other teachers and leaders. After a 14 year incubation period and some pressure from her allies, she is actively weaving the human and faery realms together; passing on her directions, road maps and instructions to those that openly and lovingly seek re-connection. She is an instigator and is known to be quite mischievous, running amuck with the faeries every chance she gets. She is delighted to be returning to beautiful Evans Lake and the magical amazing BCWC community.
PATH DESCRIPTIONS
Elements of Magic
With Dawn Isidora and Jane Meredith
Earth am I
Water am I
Fire and Air and Spirit am I…
We embody the sacred Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit and They are all around us. We breathe in Air and focus our vision. We stoke the Fires of creativity and hone our will. We dip below the surface of the Water to dream and dive deep into mystery. With feet firmly planted on this good rich Earth, we choose what to manifest and what to release. As we come into alignment, we experience connection with Spirit.
Elements of Magic is the first of the core Reclaiming classes. This Path will focus on renewing and strengthening our relationships with the Elements, introducing the new practitioner to the basics in practising magic and inviting the more experienced practitioner into the specifics of the Reclaiming Tradition. For the seasoned Reclaiming witch this is a wonderful way way to reconnect and renew one's practice. During our week together, we will explore and develop ritual skills and practises including: Creating sacred space, sensing and working with energy, trancework, spellcrafting and divination.
Tracing the paths of the five Elements we journey into deeper relationship with the sacred world. We meet our essential selves, acknowledge our path in the world and choose to take effective magical action.
Once Upon a Time...The Bardic Circle
With Urania and John
Stories have been told as long as, and quite probably before the ancestors had a fire to sit around. Story telling itself links us to our oldest ancestors, and is one of the things that defines us as humans. Like many things that are familiar, we rarely consider how magical and complex this gift of the Gods actually is.
Join us for a week as we immerse ourselves in the art of storytelling. Among the things we'll be working with are the history and function of story, the nature of oral tradition, and how living in a print society has changed our notions of what story is. We'll also be working on practical storytelling skills, exploring both mundane and magical tools to aid us in perfecting our craft.
We'll also be looking at myth and sacred drama; how they have been used, and can be used in ritual and personal practice. Additionally we'll discuss some of the methods that Reclaiming has evolved over the years of accessing original source material that is fragmentary, contradictory, and often perplexing.
And, of course, there will be the stories themselves.. .ours, and those of the ones who have come before us.
This path is for all those who come prepared to share, those who have never told a story before, or those who have told them their entire life.
Breaking the Hex, The Primal Secrets of the Body
with Ravyn and Beet
Whether in the time of Avalon or today, our bodies have always been our most essential and primordial connection to the earth. Our bodies have secrets to share about ecstasy, ritual, life and healing. We may struggle with daily living in urban settings removed from connection with the earth's song. We are trying to midwife a new world to birth, in the face of circumstances beyond our personal control. The modern culture we live in encourages us to be divorced from our bodies and separate from the earth, a hex of self hatred that we have the power to break.
Our spirituality is deeply rooted in the planet on which we make our home. This week, we will reclaim our primal nature, remembering ourselves as divine human animals. We will dissolve layers of fear, dissociation, technology, self hatred and loneliness to better understand the voices of our bodies and our common Mother. We will design solitary and tribal play for our bodies to commune with the spirits of the land and break the hex. We will reconnect to the possibility of wild human beauty and purpose within the web of life. We will invite plant and animal spirits, ancestors and descendants to speak with us, rededicating to ancient alliances or beginning new conversations. We will trance to seek wisdom from the voices of our co-inhabitants of the earth for direction and inspiration. We will drum, sing and dance with the land in ecstatic passion, our human trademark. We will create practical magic for healing our bodies and our planet and remind ourselves that we are never alone in this work.
Please bring art supplies, a rock, crystal or natural token with which to work, musical instruments (if you have them), your journal and your voice. We will be moving every day but all movement can happen seated or standing with bodies of all shapes and sizes that can move in large or small ways. Please bring rain gear, as we will meet outside if at all possible. We ask that this path be for folks who have taken Elements of Magic, at camp or in community.
Dreamtime and Myth
With Anne Hill and Bramble
Our dreaming mind continuously creates the mythic counterpart to our waking reality. Sometimes these worlds intersect and we are catapulted into a new understanding of our lives, but mostly our dreaming psyche goes about its business and we go about ours.
In Avalon, though, dreams come alive. Using our own dreams and dreams from the time of Avalon, we will physically create and enter the Dreamtime. Here we will explore dreams from myth to find out how the ancients viewed their nighttime wanderings, and we will meet the allies from our dreams that need to enter our waking vision of who we are and where our path is taking us. Dreams and myth always bring us back to the building blocks of Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit, so Elements training is suggested before going off-road with us into the Dreamtime.
Please bring a dream to share, and/or be prepared for a powerful dream leading up to this camp. Bring a journal, altar object(s) that have a strong association to your dream or to dreaming generally, and any scarves or fabric that we can use to create our own dream geography.
THIS YEAR, A CAMPER-LED PATH:
Earth Activist Path
with Amy, Oriana and Ruby
Deepening, strengthening and quickening our resolve to protect and renew the earth using deep witnessing and integration.
This path will be rejuvenating and inspiring, connecting deeply with the wild heart of the earth. Whether we are preparing to turn the tide or to hold the wake, we will explore collaborative creativity, making art and dancing with nature, using inspiration and developing the art of spells.
Path work will involve willingness and readiness to experience all parts of connection with the earth: the well of paralyzing grief as well as power and beauty and resilience, and how to bear our responsibility as witches.
This is an outside path and participants will need to dress for the weather. Finding ways to include campers of all abilities who wish to participate will be part of the work. This path will appeal to campers wanting to do deeper magic and is designed for those with experience with elements and trance work.
Amy, Oriana and Ruby are long-time BC campers who together bring a wide variety of magical skills and activist experience to this work, including many years of camp teaching and organizing. We are inspired by the land at Evans Lake and the developing deep mysterious complex passionate relationship it is developing with the BC camp community.
OUR RESOURCE TEACHER'S OFFERING
(outside of path time)
Developing Devotional Depth : A Journey in Creating a Sustainable Personal Practice for Daily Life
If you long to create, enhance, revitalize, or adjust your personal practice, come join me in the creation of a buffet of magical devotions where the heart becomes the doorway to Mystery. We will let our passion and joy guide us in connecting to deep self and spirit to create sustainable practices that nurture happiness in our daily lives. We will meditate, trance, sing, dance, write, share techniques, and play our way to enlightenment with the Fae, the Great Mystery and each other. Lightly sprinkled with the Sufi practice of zikr (remembrance) along with Dances of Universal Peace, we open our hearts and minds to beauty and discover what vibrates us into ecstatic resonance. From this place, we build a practice to carry us beyond camp. Bring songs, chants, meditations, and other practices to share.
REGARDING PATHS AND RITUAL AT BCWC:
Please notice that the path descriptions include skill level and prerequisite information.
If you are new to the Reclaiming Tradition or to witchcraft in general, know that you are welcome at BCWC. Know also that your experience at camp will be greatly enriched by some preparation before camp. Consider reading "The Spiral Dance" by Starhawk, or visiting and reading the content at www.reclaiming.org.
GENERAL INFORMATION
BCWC CAMP LOCATION
Evans Lake Forestry Camp is an hour and a half drive from Vancouver, located 15 kilometres north of Squamish BC, in Paradise Valley, on a picturesque mountain lake. The site offers a feeling of seclusion but is serviced with all basic amenities. A map to Evans Lake Forestry Camp will be mailed to registrants with their letter of confirmation, as well as a list of things needed to prepare for camp.
ACCESSIBILITY
The camp is situated on somewhat hilly terrain and is not conducive to wheelchairs; call or write and talk to us about your concerns. Together we may find a solution.
TRANSPORTATION TO CAMP
Carpooling to camp is highly recommended, because of limited parking, and to lessen the impact of cars on the environment. If you can offer a ride, please fill out the information on the registration form. If you need a ride please let us know that, too.
DIVERSITY
We honour the diversity in all people and welcome all races, sexual orientations and differences of life situation, background, and ability that increase our diversity. We accept adults 19 and older; exceptions are occasionally made for mature teens (16-18) with written permission from parents or guardians. We cannot accommodate children at this time.
NUDITY
YES!! However, not in the dining hall or near to where staff resides.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The cabins are centrally located and are electrically heated. The bunk beds have covered mattresses; campers must bring their own sleeping bag or sheets, pillows, and blankets. There are hot showers in the washhouses. A large recreation hall will provide indoor space for rituals when needed (but...let's think "outdoors"!)
TENTS
There is tenting space on a grassy lawn behind the cabins (and washhouses), as well as some spots in the woods, for people who want private space. The registration fee is the same as for cabins. Space is assigned on a first come, first served basis.
MEALS
Three delicious meals are served daily in the dining hall with vegetarian and some meat options. We will strive to offer non-dairy and wheat-free meals for those who require it, however, please know that it is not possible for the kitchen staff or within our budget to meet every dietary requirement. For severely restricted diets, please consider bringing supplements to camp meals, and act accordingly. Please complete the Food Section on the registration form. There are no cooking facilities available to campers.
MARKETPLACE
A vibrant and colourful market reflects the creativity and diversity of our community and provides a lively meeting place each day after dinner. You must be a registered camper to be a vendor. Vendors contribute 13% of all sales and services to our Financial Assistance Fund. The Witches' Funk Trunk Boutique is a very cool and funky place to shop. Donations of used-but-good ritual wear, costumes, and accessories are welcome.
APHRODITE'S TEMPLE
Again this year, BCWC will include Aphrodite's Temple: a sacred, private, reservable space for opening to beauty and delight. It is a sex-positive space, the venue for facilitated workshops and events, and more - people can use it as a cuddle space, for massage, etc. The temple organizers do what they can in terms of supplies, but we encourage people to bring what they wish to make this space work for them.
SMOKING
Smoking is limited to designated outside areas. There is no smoking inside any buildings.
CELL PHONES
The use of cell phones will be limited to designated areas only. Please honour this.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
REGISTRATION FEE:
Camp registration fees are set so we cover costs of putting on camp, including planning meetings outside of camp. Due to an increase in fees from Evans Lake, the fee range this year is a sliding scale of $500-$800 CAD or USD. Our goal this year is to have 75 campers paying an average registration fee of $570. The use of PayPal last year seems to have been very successful in helping people pay for camp on time. It cost the camp about $600 to use PayPal, so while this will be one way to pay, the preferable method is to register online and send in check(s) or money order(s).
TO REGISTER
We strongly encourage registration online here on our website: you can fill out the registration form online, and pay the registration fee via Pay-Pal, if you need to use a card, or can't send a cheque or money order.
If necessary, you may register using paper and post (snail-mail). To access a printable version of the form to send in by regular mail, click here. Payment must be made by money order or personal cheque.
With either method, you have these options:
1. Pay the total registration fee at the time of registration, or
2. Make a Deposit (minimum of $150.00 CAD or US; due when registering), and pay the balance with 1, 2 or 3 payments.
By mail include post-dated cheques with your paper registration or after online registration, the final cheque to be dated no later than July 30.
Note: NSF cheques will be charged a $15 fee and may result in being put at end of waiting list.
By PayPal please indicate on your registration form if you will be making 1, 2 or 3 more payments on PayPal, with dates and amounts, with the final payment to be made no later than July 30.
CONFIRMATION
A letter of confirmation with a list of what to bring plus a map to Evans Lake will be sent to registrants starting May 15th and thereafter as registrations are received.
CANCELLATIONS
A $75 non-refundable fee will be applied to all cancellations. Cancellations received after July 30 will forfeit the entire payment if their place cannot be filled. After August 21 there are no refunds.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Work Exchange
A limited number of financial assistance options are available. Energetic, strong, versatile people required. Working on the team is a service to our community... and fun! Get to know the inner workings of camp! To apply, please write a letter stating your financial situation, organizational and other relevant skills.
The Activist Scholarship
One of the strengths of Reclaiming is our commitment to bring magic into the world, transforming consciousness. Many of us are actively involved in transforming our local communities and world. This scholarship is co-funded by the Vancouver Reclaiming Community with BCWC.We are providing a scholarship to a front line political action activist so they benefit from the spiritual renewal of camp, and strengthen the link between our magic and our activism. The scholarship is open to anyone who self identifies as a witch or agrees with the values in the Reclaiming Principals of Unity, and who volunteers regularly for activist work. To apply, please write a letter stating your activities.
All applications for the Activist Scholarship or work exchange are due by June 1st, 2010. Send them to witchcampbcinfo@gmail.com or write to BCWC, #21-784 Thurlow St,.Vancouver, BC V6E 1V9. Applicants will be notified by June 15th of acceptance.
Need-based Financial Assistance
This year, due to the generosity of campers and the success of fund-raising events, BCWC is able to offer financial assistance with camp fees. Please see the questions in the registration form at the end of this document. Applications for this financial assistance are due April 30th, 2010, and go to: Panther (aka: Judy Jones), PO Box 75213, Seattle, WA 98175-0213, or to: laska2@comcast.net. We will tell you by May 31st the amount we will be able to help you with for the 2010 camp.
All of the funds raised for scholarship come from Witchcamp participants through generous donations and many unique, wonderful ways we raise money each year. We encourage you to organize fundraising events before camp to raise funds for scholarships.
Your confirmation packet will answer most of your questions!
If not, please write us at witchcampbcinfo@gmail.com, call Ashtare/Val at 604-325-8081, or check back here.
BCWC is operated by the Witch Camp of BC Society.
* Posted on 04 Apr 2010 by Jeff
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