Grounding and Centering

Grounding a centering is one of the most varied and essential techniques used when working with energy both inside and outside yourself. In this class we will explore some of the reasons and methods that can be used. We will also begin practicing, and students should have a good grasp of the technique by the end of the class.

Developing Your Metaphoric Language

“But if Herald Vanyel/Harry Dresden/?? can see energy, why can’t I?” It’s a question that many of my students have asked, and it isn’t a bad one. Fantasy novels and television aren’t the only place that we get the idea that we need to see energy, many books and classes teach from the perspective that one needs to see energy to to work with it. The sad truth is that for many of us, sight isn’t the way that we perceive the flow of energy. This class will teach students how to identify how they best sense energy, whether sight, texture, tone, temperature, or whatever works for them. As part of this process we’ll talk about how we can talk about energy with each other if I perceive energy as temperature gradients and you perceive it as different textures or something no one has ever thought of.

An Introduction to Pattern Magic

The whole world works in patterns that echo each other throughout nature and reality. The cracks in ice as it warms on a frozen lake and the pattern of a dragonfly’s wing are remarkably similar when looked at in the correct scale, as are the burnt ruts that a fire leaves in a log and the topography of the Grand Canyon. Energy moves and behaves in the same kinds of patterns, and a magician who is observant and creative can use these natural tendencies to their advantage. In this class, students will learn about how to see the patterns in nature and use them in crafting magic that is more stable and uses less energy.

Energy Fundamentals 101

What is all this glowing stuff about anyway? This class explores theories as to the nature of energy and its sources. We will also discuss other areas in which energy in various forms interacts with us and the world around us.

Cleansing without All of the Hand Waiving

This class will address the basic questions of: What is cleansing? What is contamination or taint? Why do traditional cleansing spells work from an energy perspective? and how can we develop our own cleansing systems for different environments and situations. Personal, object, space, and environment cleansing will be addressed.

A Magician in the Desert: Magic without Tools

What are the bones of spell work? What does is mean when we hold out our athame and cast a circle? What are our robes and herbs for and why do we use them? In this class we will talk about the ways that we can do our Work ‘naked in the desert’ as it were. We will discuss three common workings, and how to to achieve the same goals using only energy that we form and imprint ourselves.

The Backpack Wizard: Magic with Found Objects

We can’t all carry a suitcase of magical working tools every moment of the day, yet there are times when, without warning, we find ourselves in just that need. This class will teach techniques for turning out a purse or backpack and with a few quick decisions, consecration, and charging spells, turn the contents into an on-the-go supply closet. And then, when possible, change them back again. Participants should each bring three random objects for practice.

Intro to Techniques for Land Healing

You’ve just moved someplace new and the land or property just doesn’t “feel” right. Or perhaps a bunch of kids have a party in a local hiking area and in addition to leaving behind their beer bottles and wrappers, they’ve left behind, they’ve also made the land sick. Have you come across a piece of ground where nothing will grow, or won’t stay healthy and wished that you knew what to do about it? There are many different approaches that can be used in these types of situations, some are magical, some are spirit related, and some of the most useful involve getting your hands dirty. In this class we’ll be talking about how do identify when land is “healthy” and when it isn’t. Then you’ll learn some techniques from each of the three aforementioned categories so that you can be prepared the next time you encounter someplace in need of healing.

Breaking Magical Ties

“But I was sure he was the one!” Over my years as a magician and a shaman I’ve had those words or something like them wailed at me more times than I can count. When we are in a relationship the other person(s) we’re with can seem perfect and it is not uncommon to see people form energetic and magical ties that last far beyond the end of the relationship. Sometimes this is deliberate, sometimes not. Rarely is it malicious. If this is sounding all too familiar this is where you need to be. In this class we’ll talk a about how to sever these bonds when they are no longer wanted and more importantly, why they form and how to avoid forming them.

Sex, Magic, and the Great Outdoors (18+)

Neo-paganism spirituality is often referred to as “earth-based.”  People who feel drawn to neo-paganism have a deeper connection to the earth and the natural world around them than most other folk. This connection is all too often centered in our minds. How do we connect to the earth in a more visceral way? In this participatory workshop we’re going to use energy work and our own bodies to share, if only for a while, an intimate personal connection with earth and the world around us. The objective of the class is to form magical connection to nature through erotic play, although how you define “erotic” is entirely up to you. The class will culminate in a guided meditation and no one will be forced to go beyond what they are comfortable with in order to participate.