I'm pleased to share news of a weekend workshop that will bring Feri,
core practices and philosophy, right to the MO/IL area. Naturally I was
delighted that Karina and I were able to organize this and would hope
anyone interested in knowing more about the Feri tradition of
witchcraft would have another opportunity to join us!
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Entering the Mystery: Foundational Feri Lore, Exercises and Liturgy

This workshop deals with Foundational Feri materials and is an
excellent introduction for seekers and those who have been exposed to
Feri only through written materials. It is also of value to more
advanced practitioners for each initiate brings their own
intellectual understanding and unique embodiment of the Feri current
to their work and teachings.

Entering the Mystery offers an intense exploration of Feri through
discussion of the tradition's history, lineages, ethics, lore and
energetic patterns. In this lively discussion we hope to address the
following questions (as well as any you might add): How does Feri
differ from other Craft, Wiccan, pagan and shamanic traditions? How
is it similar? Feri has deep roots in many of the world's mystical
traditions--why and what are they? Is Feri a kind of Witchcraft,
Shamanism, Mystical Path, or what? What is the Black Heart of
Innocence? What is a Warrior Ethic? Why is Feri sometimes called a
martial tradition or a left-handed path while other times it is
referred to as devotional or ecstatic? Why is there such strong
emphasis on the passing of the tradition orally? What is the
Feri "current?" What are the requirements for initiation?

Certainly, it wouldn't be an Intensive if it just included
discussion! In a carefully created container for this work we will
move into the foundational Feri exercises of Soul Alignment and the
Kala Rite. In Feri, we understand the human being as a Three-Fold or
Triple-Souled Spirit with a dense physical body. All Feri magic is
dependent upon the alignment of the Three Souls in order that we
bring our whole self to the work at hand and, indeed, into our entire
lives. Alignment is not the whole of it though, for the souls may
carry complexes (deeply held fears, beliefs, guilt or shame) which
can hinder or negate our attempts at alignment. The cleansing or
purification of these complexes is called making "Kala," a Hawaiian
word which translates, roughly, as "washed clean; made whole." It
has been said that if the only Feri tools one ever uses are Alignment
and Kala, one can go very far and very deep. We will spend a good
deal of time discussing the etheric anatomy of the human, the root-
causes of complexes and various ways of making Kala.

Finally, we will move into a brief discussion of the Feri Gods with
special emphasis placed on the Star Goddess, the Mother of All the
Worlds. Through her holy lust, she birthed all that is, was and is
yet to be. We'll touch upon the gods of the lemniscate and how we
might begin to approach them in our life and magical practice.

It is suggested that workshop participants have had exposure to pagan
and/or Craft concepts as this is not an introduction to paganism but
to Feri Tradition. Other important skills include grounding, a sense
of self-responsibility, respect for the group mind as well as for
individual participants, and finally, a willingness to push beyond
your established boundaries.

Space is limited. Early Registration not only helps us organize this
event, it will assure your place.

When: March 29 & 30, 2008
Where: St. Louis MO Metro Area--specifics TBA January 08.
Tuition: $135 per person.
Pre-registration Required by March 10, 2008.
To Register electronically or by mail, go to www.blackheart.feri.com

Karina BlackHeart is a Feri Initiate and holds the Black Wand of
Mastery. In her teaching, she emphasizes a very personal,
experiential and ecstatic embodiment of the Feri Tradition. She has
been teaching the Craft for fifteen years and is the founder of the
BlackHeart Line of Feri Tradition. She trains both locally and over
distance is honored to be a part of the teaching team at Feri Camps.
A Priest, shaman/healer, poet, writer, ritual artist and mother, she
resides in the rolling hills of Western MA with her children and the
trees.

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Take the href="http://www.wiredreflection.com/tests/magic.html" target="new"> "How Do You Use Magic?" test! Written by Brimo

Aries (Mach 21 - April 19)

How much more can you hold? How much further are you willing to reach? How much bigger of a big picture can you open your mind to see? We will soon discover the answers to those questions, as well as several others that have to do with the themes of unbinding, emancipation, and the loss of inhibition. Judging from my reading of the astrological omens, I'd say the prospects are high for you to achieve a record-breaking state of relaxed and curious expansiveness.

I'll be back to edit and think on that one.

 Blessings y brazos carinos,

Espi

[cross post from myspace to fill the blog gap!  Written Nov 12, 2007]  

I took a walk today. It was warm, some ridiculous temperature that encouraged short sleeves until the wind blew its icy breath upon those silly enough to forget it was November.

I was clearing my head, talking myself into going back upstairs to my apartment and write. Faster. I laughed, thinking of my college roommate who would ask over the phone if I was on my way yet. "Good," she would say. "Drive faster." I was always late. It's a wonder sometimes how folks put up with me.

I thought of everything and nothing, gazing that Sunday afternoon lazy gaze up at the trees. My mind wandered...it's amazing how a cold snap and impending death of the leaves would leave them free to throw off the once verdant chlorophyllic mask to reveal even more startling colors beneath. Think! This is what the tree leaves would look like all year if they didn't have to nourish themselves. I snaked my way through the neighborhood of apartments, watching children play, leaves blow and people arrive home from the various tasks of the day, cataloging and grasping little bits to sprinkle into my own writing.

I smiled up at the endless blue sky and made my way back home, mind and heart clear, full of romantic images to share with the page. I waved to neighbors I did not yet know, holding their door open as they lugged armfulls of who knows what into their home. We laughed together amidst the hustle and bustle of bag after bag, young and old carrying whatever they could. The eldest man called out their thanks and quickly returned everyone's attention back to the project at hand. I began to move on as well hearing the scenes in my head beginning to write themselves whether I was ready to transcribe them or not.

But something made me pause.

They were putting up their Christmas tree.

Lights already sparkled deeper from the darkness, their front room whispering anxiously of greater decorations to come. The door slowly shut out the laughter, closed the squeals of delight, sealed away the excitement.

I breathed the crisp fall air, watched the sunlight drip like rich honey through gold and pink leaves of yet another tree. I looked down at the grass, still the potent green of summer.

I smiled sadly at the trees between my laughing neighbor's apartment building and mine, still heavy and verdant, full of leaves, some just barely kissed by those few golden fingertips who dared already bare their true colors. The wind rustled through them, hushed yet chattering in that way that only autumn can seem to do. A squirrel hopped by, some strange object held tenderly in its mouth. There was tension and excitement in the air here too. The earth quivered in it's last vibant bursts, sharing all it had with us-us, who rushed ahead to the next season.

I guess there was no time for the present.

I headed back to my apartment refreshed but strangely melancholy.

 

It's time to get a new blog out and I struggled whether or not I should get into it-sharing my experiences of Samhain and my ancestor work that I did in my solitary rite.  (The coven celebrated the previous Saturday.)

I spent time with pets, Patrons, and most especially, my Grandma on my dad's side.  You should know, I'm a daddy's girl although I am a copy of the female line from my mom's family.  I love them both and family is very important to me, but the Matron of the family line, even crossing into my mom's side, was my Grandmother.  I'd thought I didn't spend much time with her, pondered what she thought of many things... so we talked.  I cried.  She soothed.  It was good.  She reminded me just because we don't have a direct email address doesn't mean we can't talk. 

Blessed are the Mighty Dead of Red and White threads. 

Unfortunately this does not go towards my daily word count for Nanowrimo so I'm off to steal a few more moments writing at work.  So that's just about all I have for today. 

 

Blessings y brazos to you all.  I hope you had a wonderful Samhain.  Honor to the Ancestors.

-Espi