Nature Journaling for Nature Awareness: Deb Field
After a brief introduction to keeping a field journal, we’ll walk the trails of Camp BB. We will be identifying significant local flora (and any fauna we spot), as well as taking time to sketch and reflect about what we are seeing. Nature Journaling can help increase you Nature awareness as give you a sometimes unexpected chance to meditate and hear what the Nature Spirits have to offer. Bring a pencil and some type of journal if you have one.
Navigating the Autumn Night Sky: Kathleen Pezza
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wished you knew what you were looking at? This workshop will be a basic introduction to the stars, their movement and how to identify the various constellations. Participants will create a star and planet locator, learn how direction and altitude are depicted on a star and planet locator and then use the star and planet locator to find and identify common autumn constellations. Half of this workshop will take place outdoors, so bring something warm to wear.
Hearth Culture Walk: Hearth Culture Reps.
Are you on the fence about which hearth culture is right for you? Do you wish you had a knowledgeable person to go to with questions? Take a hearth culture walk. ADF members who practice in many of the hearth cultures will be set up around the lodge. Find a hearth culture you’re interested in, pull up a chair and chat with an experienced member of that hearth culture. If you’re interested in more than one, feel free to move to another group and listen or ask questions.
ADF Study Programs and Subgroups: Drum and Subgroup Reps.
Story Time!: Everyone
In the spirit of getting to know one another, we bring you story time. How did your grove get its name? What is your favorite story about your patron? What spooky Samhain story do you just love to tell? Bring a story like the ones above and be ready to tell it after the potluck on Friday. Help the rest of the “N.E.R.D. herd” get to know you or your grove.
Basic Ritual Skills: Rev. Kirk Thomas
Those of us who do public ritual for groups both small and large realize that there are certain skills necessary for a successful rite. Much preparation is required to create or learn the parts of a specific ritual, to rehearse any ritual plays or lore recitations, to memorize and/or research any invocations needed, to obtain a ritual space and arrange the potluck… the list goes on and on.
But we don’t necessarily take into account the presentational skills needed by the aspiring ritualist to ensure that everyone present, both human and divine, can take in and comprehend everything going on. We must be both seen and heard, and what we present must be both understandable and effective with a minimum of distraction. This workshop attempts to aid ritualists to begin training our bodies and voices, allowing us to be able to trust them to carry our words and actions to all in attendance.
Crafting Invocations: Rev. Robert Henderson
When you’re hosting a party, you can have the best food, the best drink, and the best entertainment, but if you don’t give out any invitations, you still won’t get anyone to show up. Similarly, we need to make invitations in ritual to make sure the ones we want to honor will be there. Rev. Rob Henderson will show how the Ancients called upon the gods and spirits, and how we can do the same in our modern rites.
The Two Powers and Basic Trance Skills: Rev. Michael Dangler
Grow a Grove Lunch: Sharon Gorbacz and other grove leaders
Come have lunch with our Regional Druid, Sharon, and other available Senior Druids, Grove Organizers and Past Senior Druids to learn a little about starting or sustaining a grove. What do you need to do to start a grove? How do you keep a grove going once you’ve started? What types of problems are common in new groves and how can you address them? Who can you turn to for help when you get stuck? Bring your questions, grab some food and join us.
