Twin Cities Pagan Pride 2010

Well, I attended and taught my workshop at the Twin Cities Pagan Pride this year. The location for this year’s event was at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community, which is an old converted church in the western side of Minneapolis. Because of the new location and the smaller area, the venue was probably not as big as supposedly has been in previous years. Saturday was fairly well attended, but Sunday was only sparsely attended, at least until the mid afternoon. My class held on Sunday at 12:30 had only four of five attendees, but this made the workshop more intimate and allowed for a wider range of topics to be discussed. I also was able to really examine the nature of my workshop on Sacred Space, Temples and Groves, and found that it does need some adjustment, but overall, the class was a success. The weather for both days was quite nice, pleasantly warm during the day, and cool during the evening - and lots of brilliant sunshine, which I enjoyed soaking up a bit of that, too. (Winters can be pretty harsh up here in the great northern plains.)

I also got to meet some old friends that I haven’t seen in quite a long time, as well as hang with some friends that I hadn’t got the chance to socialize with during the summer months. It makes me realize that living way out in the countryside has its benefits and its drawbacks. Seeing friends on a regular basis is one of the things that doesn’t happen often enough, so I often feel like I am missing out on what is going in the city. However, the isolation has its uses, which is the peace, the silence, ability to tune into nature, and enjoy long periods of thinking, meditating and working magick as often as I please. I am lucky in that I have a large home in the country and can support both an indoor temple (with an adjoining fire place) and an outdoor grove. Having both of these features makes living out here both a positive experience and one that has aided my spiritual and magickal development.

So, with that being said, I am enjoying this autumn, but I am definitely feeling a lot of internal spiritual movement deep within my soul, and I know that there will be some very interesting things awaiting me in the next couple of months. Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and I love all aspects of it, especially Samhain! The period from late September through the end of December are my most productive times, and it’s the time when the magick really manifests in a very powerful way - so I look forward this autumn with a high degree of optimism and encouragement.

Some interesting points about sacred space were written into my notes for that workshop, and since I haven’t shared any of that information with my readers, I wanted to post it here for all to read and think about. Here are my notes, but I have restricted them to include only the initial information about sacred space.


Introduction to Sacred Space

To define sacred space, we need to first define the terms sacred and space.

The dictionary can help us with this task (Merriam Webster).

Sacred - something that is dedicated to (exclusive) religious use, hallowed - consecrated by love or reverence, dedicated to a person or purpose, inviolable.

Related words: Sacramental - anything that is considered to have a sacred significance. Sacrifice - making an offering to a deity, giving up of something cherished or desired.

Sacred Space - a place or area (room) dedicated (either permanently or temporarily) for religious use, consecrated by a special process (either an outward act or an inward perception) and using either obvious or implied boundaries.

Sacred space establishes a boundary threshold between the domain of spirit and the mundane world, where what is within that boundary is considered to be a participant of the domain of spirit.

What is outside that boundary is to be considered part of the mundane world, or that space which is not essentially a participant in the expression of the sacred.

The boundary that is used in Witchcraft and paganism (if it is used at all) is a circle.

A circle can be found in both an indoor temple and an outdoor grove.

Other most essential element is the altar, which symbolizes a point or specific place in the circle where the godhead may be approached and communicated with in a direct manner. (Think sacred mountain or world tree.)

Because of the use of a boundary for sacred space, the temple room or outdoor grove characterizes a kind of magick or liturgical operation that is defined as using the process of immersion.
       
The gods, spirits and special creatures in paganism and witchcraft are experienced directly and individually by all - there is no veiling, gradation or partitioning of that exposure.

Pagan and wiccan magickal and liturgical practices are different than Christian or ceremonial magickal practices. 

Frater Barrabbas

September 25/26 - Twin Cities Pagan Pride

I will be giving a workshop at the Twin Cities Pagan Pride gathering, which will be happening on Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26th, at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community in Minneapolis. My workshop is about Sacred Space, Temples, and Working Magick in a Grove, scheduled for 12:30 pm, Sunday, in the Purple Room. You can find information about the gathering here, and a schedule of events, here.

This is my first venture and engagement with the TC Pagan Pride gathering, but I have heard such good things about it that I vowed last year not to miss it. So, I will be there for both days, attending some classes, chatting with old friends and making new friends (hopefully). There are some interesting events being planned for both days; I wanted to put in a plug or two about those events that are being put on by friends of mine.

Everything Out of Nothing: Saturday, 12:30 - 1:30 pm - a workshop about cosmologies, conducted by Anne Marie Forrester. This workshop looks particularly interesting, at least to me, since I am quite a fan of mythology and creation myths in particular. Art supplied are provided, so that indicates to me that some craftiness will be involved, it all sounds like fun to me.

Introduction to the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram: Saturday, 1:30 - 2:30 pm - this workshop will explore and learn the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, facilitated by Scott Stenwick and his friend, Michele. Scott is something of an expert in the arena of ceremonial and Enochian magick, so this should be a very good class - I highly recommend it. Both Scott and Michele are quite knowledgeable and experienced in the art of ceremonial magick, and they are personal friends of mine.

Magical Writing: Saturday 2:30 - 3:30 pm - this workshop is all about producing inspired writings, insights and divination involving various gods and spirits. Veronica Cummer is the facilitator for this workshop, and I also consider her a good friend. She is a phenomenal teacher, mentor and writer. Keeping a journal will be one of the main topics that will be emphasized in this workshop, particularly since it’s so useful to keep a record of what has happened for future reference. Any one who is worth their salt as a magician knows about and keeps a journal, but it is typically an acquired skill, so Veronica will assist those who are new to this idea, as well as those who think they know it all (like me).

There will also be a number of other forums, rituals, workshops and vendors, so if you happen to live in the Twin Cities area, or are visiting, please consider stopping by. If you like, you can attend my class and hear me expound about sacred space. Give me a holler afterwards, and if you feel motivated, you can also buy one of my books. I will have some on hand, ready to be autographed by me and my magick pen - of course.

Other things that are going on with me lately?

Well, for one thing, I am learning to be a fiction writer. (Don’t laugh!) I am in the middle of my second fiction writing class, and I recently finished a refresher course for grammar. (So, maybe I might even start writing better and more clearer than I have previously..right!) It’s really not a myth that occultists like to write in an oblique manner to confound their readers, making them presume that the occult author actually knows arcane mysteries that others don’t. It’s actually a fact, one that I attempt to prove on a regular basis! Yes - I suppose you can spot hyperbole a mile away, so I will desist.

Anyway, my attempt at learning to write fiction will fulfill an age old dream of mine, inspired by that fab Beatle tune “Paperback Writer” - which I know that everyone knows and loves just like I do. (Sorry for the unintended ear-worm.) My first attempt at writing fiction will be to produce a vampire story. You don’t like that idea? Too late, it’s already pretty well defined in the “short form” so don’t try to talk me out of it. Here is my passion piece that I wrote up justifying the reason for writing this kind of story.

Passion - I really don’t like vampire stories in the media today that glamorize the vampire. I am a big fan of the old Hammer production horror films, where the monsters were evil, inhuman and terrible. I think that the series “Twilight” represents the worst of this genre (just my opinion). I strongly believe that the vampire is an unsympathetic monster that must be combated and destroyed, or humanity itself will be wiped out.

Here’s a character sketch of the story’s nemesis.

Duncan Sinclair - also known as the Vampire Hunter. Duncan is a mysterious man with connections to various governments and church organizations that he never talks about or reveals. He is a deeply devoted and pious practicing Roman Catholic Christian, but who has other abilities and knowledge that he keeps discreetly to himself. Duncan operates out of some clandestine organization that hunts and kills vampires, having a powerful network of connections and information that goes far beyond any known organization. He is tall, powerfully built, with jet black hair that he keeps short and well groomed. He has an unsightly scar on his left cheek from just below his eye to his jawline. Duncan usually wears a dark brown leather duster, a fedora and heavy rubber soled work boots. In his coat he usually has various knives, wooden stakes, a mallet, flares and a sawed off shotgun that shoots buckshot and holy water. He also has a silver mirror, a large golden pectoral cross, a couple of vials of holy water and a consecrated host mounted in a small golden monstrance. Duncan talks bluntly, passionately, and wastes little time giving his opinion about a person or a situation, and is usually spot on. However, he never swears, avoiding what he calls the “F” word, or the “GD” word (goddamn) - he will use vulgar words and oaths, though, and quite explosively, if angered. Duncan smokes cheroot cigars and drinks gallons of coffee, but never drinks any alcohol, because he says it clouds his mind. He is like a combination of Jack Palance and Nick Nolte.

Well, that’s what they call in show business - “a wrap” - and I am out of here!

Frater Barrabbas