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Godhooks is available to teach the following classes at your events or teaching centers.
TEACHING CRAFT THE PRIEST/ESS TRACK This workshop will lead participants through the basics of combining four Wiccan Paths of Power: ritual, herbology, psychic development and trance and meditation. It is the first workshop of the Priest/ess Track, a series of classes designed to help develop the basic Priestly toolkit for clergy (or future clergy) walking any initiatory Pagan or Neo-Pagan derived path. This introductory class will teach the Sensory Spirituality approach to tapping those sources of spirit within us and all around us; and although it is derived from the traditions of northeast coast Blue Star Wicca , it is appropriate for both the students and teachers of many Pagan paths. We will use individual and group exercises to lay the basic groundwork for circle, trance or meditation. Drawing on the Paths of Power noted above, Godhooks will lead the group through the process of opening to spirit through magic and prayer and preparing themselves to explore the experience of the divine. Because we will be drawing on the Path of herbology, we will be working with with intensely scented essential oils and incense. Those with perfume sensitivities may wish to choose another workshop. Participants will also have the opportunity to take home an incense or oil blend to enhance their private practice. Additionally, we will be drawing on the Path of psychic development, and will ask participants to partner with another attendee for several exercises involving energy work; you may either come with a partner or choose partners at the workshop. Please arrive with a open mind and readiness to enter sacred space. Enter willing to listen, learn, share and explore with respect, discernment and an open heart. Adults and teens are welcome. THE PRIEST/ESS TRACK The fourth workshop in the Priest/ess Track series will tackle the problem of teaching energy work and magic to students who doubt that they can do it. We will start by sharing a few stories of resistence and quickly move into a review of the ways in which almost everyone moves energy and uses magic every day. The group will then learn a sneaky set of exercises designed to help Craft teachers nudge their students into magical work without triggering fear, doubt and underconfidence. Participants will be asked to partner with another person for several exercises, so either arrive with a working partner or come willing to meet new people and work with them. The workshop will culminate in the use of a Braided Stream/Blue Star technique for entering altered states of consciousness. Please come with an open mind and be ready to explore and learn. Although this class is part of the Priest/ess Track, attendance at prior series workshops it is not required. THE PRIEST/ESS TRACK This workshop, the final class in the Priest/ess Track series, will lead participants through the Sensory Spirituality approach to mentoring and teaching advanced students. It will emphasize practical strategies for the cultivation of those qualities and attributes that are required of effective group leaders,Craft teachers and good mentors in general. We will draw on the work of multiple traditions and researchers from many disciplines in approaching this task; through individual and group exercises, we will identify and explore the interpersonal and self-actualization skills of a good teacher and role model. We will discuss the key domains that must be nurtured in order to “grow” a good community leader and lay out our discoveries as a group. Participants will have the opportunity both to contribute their own insights about how to work with advanced Craft students and identify those areas in which they would like to further their own growth. Although Godhooks works within the Blue Star tradition, this class is designed to meet the needs of all teachers and group leaders who work within modern Pagan initiatory traditions. Although it would be helpful to have attended other workshops in the Priest/ess Track prior to attending this workshop, it is not required. All teachers, leaders and future leaders are welcome. In order to preserve a safe and intimate learning environment,
please arrive willing RITUAL THE PRIEST/ESS TRACK Godhooks will lead participants through an exploration of the fundamental tasks of those Priests or Priestesses who guide students through any kind of ritual experience. We will use a series of individual and partnered exercises to experience the skills and mimic the responsibilities of a ritual leader and discuss our discoveries as a group. Participants will have the opportunity to identify the key elements of what makes good ritual work and learn how to start polishing their own skills. They will be asked to partner with another person for several exercises, so either arrive with a working partner or come willing to meet new people and work with them. Although the basic principles we explore will apply to a very wide set of ritual formats, we will be working with the litergy of the Blue Star tradition. Although it would be helpful to have attended the introductoryr workshop in the Priest/ess Track seriesprior to attending this workshop, it is not required. All respectful adult and teen participants are welcome. Please do not bring young children or infants; the highly interactive nature of this workshop makes childcare very difficult. Please note that you will be working in sacred space
and arrive willing to listen, learn and explore with respect and an
open heart. AROMATICS *** Essential Oil Workshops *** Working with Precious Essential Oils: This workshop, which is limited to 20 participants, will explore some of the most important uses of rare, high- end and hard to get essential oils. These oils and absolutes are often the key ingredients in three kinds of formulas: 1.) aromatherapy blends that target Level 4 stress (severe stress that can manifest as unexplained pain, heart problems, strokes, high blood pressure, chronic depression, despair or increasing anxiety); 2.) magical formulas designed to promote eroticism, attract love and enhance feelings of joy; and 3.) the proprietary formulae of elite perfumers. We will touch on each arena of use and concentrate heavily on a brief survey of the first two. Handouts, references and a resource bibliography will be provided. During the second part of the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to work with genuine, high end oils diluted in a pure, high quality base. They will decide whether to create a targeted Level 4 blend or a magical blend for private use. Recipes will be provide but as always, creativity will be encouraged. Everyone will be able to identify and use those essentials that evoke the most profound effects for them. Materials will be provided for a materials fee, and each participant will take home one exquisite personalized blend. If supplies allow, participants may be able to create more than one blend at a lower additional cost. Please note that we will be working with intensely scented, undiluted essential oils. Those with perfume sensitivities may wish to choose another workshop. Sensual Aromatherapy: Compound Your Delight This workshop, which is limited to 16 participants,
will explore some of the more sensual and playful
aspects of aromatherapy. Participants will have the
opportunity to experience each of a selection of base,
mid, and top note essences while they learn about and
work with essential oils. Everyone will be encouraged
to identify those aromas that evoke the most profound
effects for them. During the second part of the workshop, each individual
will create a personal blend
of essential oils and add it to one of the following:
a fragrance-free moisturizing lotion, an unscented Please note that we will be working with
intensely scented, undiluted essential oils. Those
with perfume sensitivities may wish to choose another
workshop. **** Incense Workshops *** Create and Charge Your Own Magical Incense: This workshop, which is limited to 16 participants, will lead participants through the creation of a magical incense designed for use in one specific spell. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about and select from a wide selection of gum resins, dried herbs and essential oils. We will cover basic principles for combining loose incense, choosing ingredients that invoke elemental and magical associations and making successful substitutions. A selection of basic recipes will be provided and analyzed, so that participants can learn to identify how and why the ingredient was selected and identify the magical purpose of each. During the second part of the workshop, will raise energy and charge our creations, after covering different techniques for doing so. Each individual will create and take home a personal incense targeting a specific purpose. If supplies allow, participants may be able to take home more than one. All materials will be provided for a materials fee. Please note that we will be working with intensely scented herbs and essential oils. Those with perfume sensitivities may wish to choose another workshop. Incense for Meditation and Trance: This workshop, which is limited to 16 participants, will lead participants through the creation of a magical incense designed for use during meditation and trance. It will also address the creation of sacred space in order to induce altered states of consciousness, and end with an experiential exercise combining both the herbal and meditative components of the workshop. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about and select from a wide selection of gum resins, dried herbs and essential oils well suited for trance work. We will quickly review the basic principles for combining loose incense, choosing ingredients that invoke elemental and magical associations and making successful substitutions. A selection of basic recipes will be provided. During the second part of the workshop, we will charge our creations and use them for the first time. Each individual will create and take home a personal incense and guidelines for its use. All materials will be provided for a materials fee. Please
note that we will be working with intensely scented herbs and
essential oils. Those with perfume sensitivities may wish to
choose another workshop. TAROT AND DIVINATION THE PRIEST/ESS TRACK Craft leaders and group failitators often find themselves in the position of providing support and advice to students and others in pain or confusion. How can one develop a basic set of lay counseling skills that offer the right kind of help without inappropriately crossing (or bending) professional boundaries? How can a Priest/ess best guide her students and colleagues when they need spiritual help? And when should a Priest/ess refer someone to the professional counseling sector? One answer: a well trained, compassionate Priest/ess can provide a safe space in which individuals can identify and address daunting personal issues without sacrificing a spiritual interpretation of their problems. Careful use of divination can help students and colleagues participate in the interpretation and healing of their pain andoffer insightful, nonjudgemental guidance through many of life’s challenges. While even the best diviner cannot offer professional counseling services unless he or she has received appropriate levels of training, a good Priest/ess can serve as a valuable adjunct on the healing journey. This workshop explores the fundamental underpinnings of using divinatory techniques to offer lay counseling and provides concrete instruction for those Priest/esses interested in developing lay counseling skills or adding a formal lay counseling component to their current divinatory practice. We will move from theory to real life examples of the kind of work that lay counselors do, using Tarot and Rune readings as examples. We will close with a question and answers session if time permits. Godhooks will make reading recommendations for the further, private development of participants’ lay counseling skills, and if possible, will bring several copies of the text she most recommends to the class for purchase at the original cost. Diviners, readers and interested individuals of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome. Journey Through the Major Arcana Tarot can be a powerful tool for identifying destructive behavioral patterns and uncovering persistent, unaddressed issues that sabotage relationships and lives. It can also point a way out of these problems or people who are willing and ready to listen to advice and try something new. This workshop targets beginners and moderately experienced Tarot readers with up to 4 years of occasional reading experience. We will begin working our way through the Major Arcana exploring each card and what it tells us about the person who receives it. In two hours, we will provide an overview of the most commonly encountered meanings of these cards. The Major Arcana focuses on the ongoing struggle that each individual undertakes in his or her lifetime: the lessons that must be learned, the challenges that must be met and the grace that will be experienced. This workshop is an opportunity for readers to learn how Tarot as a guide for internal growth. Intermediate Tarot I Tarot can be a powerful tool for identifying destructive behavioral patterns and uncovering persistent, unaddressed issues that sabotage relationships. It can also point a way out of these problems for people who are willing and ready to try something new. This workshop targets beginners and moderately experienced Tarot readers with up to 4 years of occasional reading experience. We will begin working our way through the Minor Arcana, starting with the cups and swords. In two hours, we will provide an overview of the most commonly encountered meanings of these cards. These two suits, more than any of the others, tend to focus on the day to day problems experienced by young and middle-aged people struggling to establish strong relationships and good lives. The goal of this workshop is to expand a beginner or intermediate’s knowledge of the Minor Arcana, often overlooked in favor of the Major Arcana. While the Minor Arcana is usually less glamorous, it is critically important for the Tarot reader who provides lay counseling for her/his clients. Intermediate Tarot I may be taken without taking Intermediate Tarot II. Intermediate Tarot II In this workshop, which targets beginners and moderately experienced Tarot readers (with up to 4 years of experience) we will work our way through the Minor Arcana suits of wands and discs (also known as coins or pentacles). In two hours, we will provide an overview of the most prevalent meanings of these cards. By examining these two suits, we will complete the survey of the Minor Arcana begun in Intermediate Tarot I. The goal of this workshop is to expand a beginner or intermediate’s knowledge of the Minor Arcana, an often overlooked in favor of the Major Arcana. While the Minor Arcana is generally less glamorous, it is critically important for the Tarot reader who provides lay counseling for her/his clients. Intermediate Tarot II may be taken without taking Intermediate Tarot I. The two above workshops may be combined, with a long The Tarot of Intimacy: Looking for Important Tarot can be a powerful tool for uncovering barriers to intimacy, dysfunctions that signal future elationship problems and unrealized sources of strength. This workshop targets moderately experienced tarot readers with 1 to 3 years of occasional reading experience. We will focus on specific card patterns that identify particular relationship problems (including sexual, communication and abuse issues). We will explore card combinations that throw up “red flags” for people involved in intimate relationships, and talk about specific ways in which the Tarot can be used to uncover the most productive responses to relationship challenges. Creating Fulfilling Relationships (this can also be done as a weekend): Mindful Kissing and Foreplay Mindful Love Making Mindful Sex Play: Adding Spice! |
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