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This Conference is intended to be a ceremonial gathering; One Large Ceremony, in which each part, presentation, workshop and participant is called to be a prayerful ritual that sanctifies, binds, weaves, and gathers the Ceremony.
As humans we have wandered far from our primal relationship with the Forest; our equal status with all Children of the Forest. We have made ourselves superior; caretakers, overlords, guardians of the earth; we have made the Earth ours.
We have forgotten through fear, pride and judgement that the earth is not ours, we are of the Earth. We have stepped out of the Gaian family and made ourselves outcasts, no longer listening to the pleas and lamentations of our Forest kin to return.
In that alienation we have destroyed forests and lands, we are the cause of the extinction of our forest brethren, we ‘heal’ the planet to suit our needs, we encroach without permission, pity, thought into the lands and habitats of all others that share this planet. We have lost our humility as children of the Earth.
The Elementals spirits and beings of this world work tirelessly for our healing and return to the Forest; the animals, and environment try to contain us; we have become locusts upon the bosom of our Mother; Máthair Tei.
When the Earth sang to the stars, the song was so powerful it became the Great Tree and as the first star fell, the song was echoed in every tree that sprang form Her belly; she is the Forest, she is the trees, she is the song that calls us home.
We are called through this Conference & Gathering to be humble again, to be innocent again, to surrender and return to our place within the family that calls to us.
Bones of the Ancestors was the first step of the 13 month long journey, trial and commitment that the Ancient Ones from the Time Before Time has asked and called for; we called the Ancestors to be with us in our amnesiac struggle. Now it is time to go to and be with them and ask for the Descendants.
It is also our Intention for this and all Conferences & Gatherings presentations in common to raise a consciousness of forgiveness & surrender as part of our commitment to global harmony and the deepening equal relationship between all the children of the Earth and the Spirits. Such is a committed prayer in Spirit to the survival of our planet and in hope for our species.
The 33-acre site features endless grass fields and forested nature trails. The site has two large lounges, that can hold up 30 people each, a large room used as an Arts/Crafts facility which could hold up to 50 people, an outdoor Pavilion with central Fire which can hold up to 100 people and extensive grounds for outdoor work and there will also be a Marquee for 100 people and a smaller Marquee for 50 people. There is also an outdoor fire pit with a semicircular amphitheatre and large grassed spaces for outdoor ceremonies and presentations.
This Conference is prescribed by direct spirit intervention and will be a full conference of morning meditations, morning focus plenaries on the relationship between The Forest and humans with afternoon choices of workshops and teachings, healings, ceremonies. Each day will culminate in an Evening Ceremony for the whole gathering.
There will the Sunday Shaman market, healing ceremonies and quiet time, plus the opportunity to attend pre-conference workshops and the Initiation Ceremony of new Shaman to the Wolven Path Tradition & Lineage.
The conference will be a full 5 days, and have more, shorter workshops, with the choice of adding a 6th pre-conference day.
We are calling for teachers to come and share their wisdom and enthusiasm for this work, so that we can have a full and rich choice of experiences for the Gathering.
We are seeking out the best teachers and ceremonies for the conference which will draw us together in the magic of Spirit and the wisdom of the Ancestors in our journey towards the time of the Descendants
The criteria of the proposals are as follows;
Only presentations that meet the criteria will be considered.
Below are several formats to choose from when preparing a presentation for submission:
Presenters may submit a variety of proposals, especially the shorter presentations and circles.
Presentations should identify the following in order to be considered:
š Name & Full contact details
š Ideal size of group
š Intended audience
š Title of presentation
š Outline of content
š Format preferred
š Expected outcome and/or goal for participants
š How this will serve the Shamanic Community
š A short biography w/photo (jpeg)
Please email all proposals to sacred@circleofgreatmystery.com and mark the subject box 'BC Conference Presentation proposal'
Why do we ask so early?
It is our principle to try and make the Conference & Gathering as accessible to as many as possible. By having the Conference planned early we can allow registrants to pay for the event in instalments should they wish.
Presentation submissions will be passed to a selection panel, which through Spirit Journey, will identify the chosen speakers.
Those chosen will be rewarded by having their basic conference fees negated and only paying for meals and accommodation and by default are in the position to first select from the presentation schedule.
Closing date for submissions is
12 noon PST July 15th 2012