Darkover 2004

Esoteric Programming

(All classes in Esoteric Room across from the elevators behind Conference Registration unless otherwise noted.)

The Esoteric Track was founded for those wishing to explore the traditions hinted at in the works of Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover), Katherine Kurtz (Deryni), and many other SF writers. This year's classes include musical theatre, Jewish, Christian, and Wiccan faith ceremonies, meditative walks, and discussions of healing, grief counseling, magic, and astrology. Included also is a time for Sime-Gen fandom's annual Faith Day party.

FRIDAY

Friday, 2 pm, Setting the Wards, Preparing the space for energy working and sanctuary for the weekend (All are welcome).

Friday, 3 pm, **According to Us, A Parabolic Musical. A musical parable by Charles Butler & Rosanna Tufts-Prothro. Starring A Company of Strangers. (2 hours). The Rector of an urban church dies suddenly, leaving the overgrown parish garden to three homeless people. Maggie hears voices, Nick has lost his memory, Simon is a Pagan who won't enter the church. Why these three?

Friday, 5 pm - ** Energy Working & Memory Fundamentals. Bill Hegeman - Psychological, physiological, and spiritual dimensions of energy working including overworlds, underworlds, dimensional realities, and yogas, and the current physics which is catching up with them.

Friday, 6 pm - **Shabbat Service - led by Baba. Traditional Shabbat minyan with discussion. All welcome.

Friday, 7 pm - **Chariots of the Gods: Who Holds the Reins? Panel with William Hegeman, Myth Woodling, and others. Expectations, responsibilities, and behaviors expected of the devout, the chance encounter, and the drop-in Guests. What we meet, experience, and how to react to the shifting fabric of our lives.

Friday, 8 pm - **Orthodox & Esoteric - led by Baba. A discussion of the role of mysticism in the Orthodox Christian traditions.

Friday, 9 pm **Labyrinth Walk. This spiritual walking exercise is based on the Labyrinth at Chartres cathedral and is part of a community of meditations throughout the world.

Friday, 10 pm **Labyrinth Walk (continued)

Friday, 11 pm - **New Schools of Magic - Discussion of Solitary, Eclectic and Experimental magic. The Caveats of going it alone, versus the safety net of "tradition". When is a school of magick a tradition? What leadership and practical skills are needed, for teaching without being grounded in some other tradition. Bill Hegeman, Charles Butler.

Friday, 12 midnight **Full Moon Healing Service Wiccan-style Pagan Circle for Healing in honor of the Full Moon.

SATURDAY

Saturday, 9 am - **Energy Exercises - Rise & Shine. Come practice Tai Chi or other energy building exercises in a safe environment. (William Hegeman)

Saturday, 10 am - **Vedic Astrology (Rosanna Tufts-Prothro) Astrology from the Eastern Indian point of view.

Saturday, 11 am - **Vedic Astrology (Rosanna Tufts-Prothro)

Saturday, 12 noon **Pastoral Responsibility Clergy in Alternative Faith Traditions Rosemary Kooiman and others.

Saturday, 1 pm (Guest of Honor Speech) (no programming)

Saturday, 2 pm **Spiritual Technology: Magic in Faith and Practice Miriam Benson.

Saturday, 3 pm **Deathworks: Healing Practices for the Dying, Their Moment of Death, and Those Who Grieve Them Duane Bowers

Saturday, 4 pm Pagan Veteran's Memorial Rosemary Kooiman

Saturday, 5 pm Falling Stars Memorial Service (Memorial for those who have lost loved ones in the past year including AIDS & other catastrophic disease)

Saturday, 6 pm SHILTPRON/Faith Day (Jacqueline Lichtenberg Fandom)

Saturday, 7 pm - SHILTPRON

Saturday, 8 pm - SHILTPRON

Saturday, 9 pm - SHILTPRON

Saturday - 10 pm - Clam Chowder (no programming)

Saturday - 11 pm - Clam Chowder (no programming)

Saturday - 12 midnight (after Hallelujah) **Tarot, Trance, and Technique (a Divination Sooth In, bring your tools and share)

SUNDAY

Sunday - 9 am (in Alternate Programming) - **Christian Mass (Order of St. Michael)

Sunday - 10 am **Divination by Design (Kathleen Egbert N'Astarte) (What to do? How to do it? What you owe your subject)

Sunday - 11 am **Divination by Design (continued) Kathleen Egbert N'Astarte)

Sunday - 12 noon - **Energy Working & Memory Fundamentals Bill Hegeman

Sunday - 1 pm (in Music Programming) - **According to Us (see announcement above)

Sunday - 3 pm **Closing the Wards All present. Opportunity to thank the Spirits of many names and close the sanctuary.

COORDINATORS:

Charles Butler see Ecumenicon Table on the platform

Order of St. Michael see anyone in Michaeline blue.

TEACHERS:

A Company of Strangers Theatre troop devoted to works of inspiration. Members: Charles Butler, Barbara Berman, Doug Wensil, Rosanna Tufts-Prothro, Dennis Prothro, and you.

Baba Orthodox layman member of DC Radical Faeries talks on Orthodoxy & The Esoteric and leader for Shabbat Minyan.

Miriam Benson is a spiritual teacher working in upstate New York. She was active in Free Spirit Alliance for many years, working on a farm in Smyrna, Delaware, and has most recently taught at the Chesapeake Pagan Alliance festival. Her presentation is an exploration of real magic in religious traditions.

Duane T. Bowers, LPC. is a grief therapist and educator, and a Care-Giver Coach, in private practice. He is an Adjunct Professor at Trinity College in Washington DC, and teaches seminars nationally and regionally on dying, death and grief. Duane's specialty as a therapist is working with survivors of traumatic death and suicide. Duane was the Senior Director of Emergency and International Services for the National Capital Chapter of the American Red Cross, and spent three months during the summer of 1999 in Macedonia/ Kosovo/Albania supervising family reunification work in camps with war refugees. In September 2001 Duane responded to the Pentagon immediately following the terrorist attack on September 11th, providing support to rescue and recovery workers.

Charles Butler -- Founder of Ecumenicon Fellowship, co-coordinator of the Darkover Esoteric track, and teacher in Wicca, Ifa, divination, energy work, and many esoteric paths. He has designed his own Tarot deck, publishes in sign language, and currently works as a technical writer for the DC Government. Charles is the son of missionary parents to Brazil, and is a dual national. He is also the sign language interpreter for Clam Chowder in its performances at Darkover. Charles is currently working on a novel about Princess Salome, the woman who danced for the head of John the Baptist.

William Hegeman -- Bill experienced paranormal and supernatural phenemona from the time of his childhood. His mundane jobs range from being a Marine, clerk, typist, civil servant, to IT professional. Bill ran psychic workshops from his home in the late 80's called the Wizard's Workshop, encouraging people to follow their own paths. He also participated in the local psychic fairs. He has spent the last decade building a successful career, an intentional family that is happy and healthy, and redeveloping his spirituality.

Kathleen Egbert N'Astarte Co-Founder of Nomadic Chantry of the Grammary, she has been working with divination systems for many years (Tarot, pendulums, etc.). Her class teaches design and responsibility in divination. She regularly teaches classes in the greater Washington/Baltimore area and is active in Mensa, and the Washington/Baltimore Pagan Leadership Conference.

Rosemary Kooiman Co-Founder of Nomadic Chantry of the Grammarye Founder of Pagan Veteran's project. Rosemary's husband Abe was a veteran with many years' service buried in Arlington Cemetary but is currently unable to have a Pentagram on his tombstone as his chosen faith due to bureaucracy. Rosemary's mother (who died in 2000 at 91), gave her a direct lineage of five firstborn females. This is powerful, in any Religion. She has been active in the Craft for over 30 years.

Order of St Michael -- The Order of Saint Michael is an ecumenical Christian community oriented toward self-knowledge and spiritual growth, including clergy as well as lay members. The Order of Saint Michael offers those living in the world an opportunity to experience the support of a like-minded community in developing a personal, mystically oriented spiritual life without necessitating a break with family or worldly ties. This year they are presenting the Labyrinth, an ancient spiritual walking exercise. The Order of St. Michael have been co-coordinating the Falling Stars Memorial Service for several years.

Rosanna Tufts-Prothro (Lady Bluebird) -- Cantor with Ecumenicon Fellowship. Teaching class on Vedic (Eastern Indian) Astrology for Westerners. Rosanna is a Peabody graduate in voice. She is a human resources specialist, certified as a teacher in Conflict Resolution.

Sime-Gen Fandom Group associated with the works of Jacqueline Lichtenberg. Yearly Faith Day party Saturday evening (until Clam Chowder Concert)

Myth Woodling -- Myth Woodling has been active in the Neo-Pagan/Wiccan community since 1984. At present, she has a rather detailed site on the web dedicated to the Italian moon goddess, Aradia. www.aradiagoddess.com At present, she is vice president of the Chesapeake Pagan Community (look for signs for their Tea & Tarot party).

** CREDITS. Ecumenicon Fellowship has agreed to extend academic credit toward its Certificate of Interfaith Studies for those attending any class marked with signature of the coordinator (Charles Butler) and a report on the class (minimum three pages) by Blue Book. See the Ecumenicon Table at Darkover for details.