gather

Gather 2019: Overview

A few weeks ago I attended Gather 2019, a “pan-spiritual” conference. I never know how to classify it, but pan-spiritual seems to work, it’s not really a pagan conference, though many attendees might fall into that category, nor is it really an energy worker conference, though many attendees might fall into that category. You have pagans, Buddhists, Catholics, and Satanists; monotheists, polytheists, atheists; energy workers, spirit mediums, sorcerers; psychic vampires, otherkin, and other fringe freaks (said with true love). I have never attended a magick oriented conference that manages to actively encompass so many diverse backgrounds.

I’ve been attending Gather almost as long as they’ve been occurring, I missed a few at the beginning, but this was the 19th year of Gather, and I continue to be impressed by it. Now, I will admit my bias, I am associated with the organization that arranges Gather, House Kheperu. If you’re familiar with their system, I’m the Ally Guardian, if you’re not, it’s easiest to say I’m allied with them, and while not a member of the House, I work with them in most ways a member might. This year I co-headed programming, meaning I sorted through all the class submissions, made the very difficult call of what classes to accept and decline, and helped set up the schedule. So I’ll admit, I’m in a place to be biased about Gather, but I’m also tied so closely with the House and Gather because how much the early Gathers impressed me.

This year the theme was Unleashing Your Potential, and I think Gather itself has been doing that in the last two years. Gather is held at The Hotel at Oberlin (that’s the actual name), in Oberlin Ohio. It’s a beautiful hotel, in a remarkable town, and I’d yatter more about the community but this entry will be long enough as is.

We were very excited to have Ivo Dominguez Jr. as our featured presenter. In fact the first class I attended this year was Ivo’s class “Energy Fitness and Conditioning Practices.” I enjoyed this class immensely, the basic concept being that energy work is work, magick is work, and just like with physical exercises that you need to actively do energetic work to keep yourself in good form. At events like this, it’s not unusual to see someone burn themselves out, doing too much beyond their normal limits (like running 5km when you might only jog 1km every week). The class dealt with exercises that you can do to help prevent that and strengthen yourself.

On a slight aside, I just want to say if you ever get the chance to attend one of Ivo’s classes do it, and if you ever get the chance to actually talk with him, do it. He is a genuine pleasure to talk with, a fascinating person, and I’m lucky I got to spend so much time with him. Also he is approachable and grounded. I’ve been to conferences where the guest presenter is there just to sell books; they teach their class, they sit with their books, and they vanish. Ivo wasn’t like that, he attended classes like anyone else, he stayed for the after Gather lunch. As much as he was our guest presenter, he was also like the rest of us, enjoying a weekend of great conversations and classes.

The second class I attended was my own, “Tantric Tech and the Tarot” focusing on the Chariot, Death, and the Moon. This is the fourth (!) time I’ve offered a form of this class, each year dealing with a different set of cards. In this class I explore the deeper esoteric meanings of the cards as used in the BOTA and Golden Dawn outside of divination. I also offer the rough equivalent of a jenang, a basic Buddhist Empowerment, using the figures of the cards, rather than traditional deities. This is an extension of, and now a driving force, behind my own deep personal esoteric work with the tarot.

That was the last class of the night, but as usual I was up until around 0500 talking with friends I haven’t seen for months, and interesting new folks I just got the chance to meet. As much as I love the variety of scope of classes at Gather, it’s these in between and after hour conversations that really make it a great event.

Despite being up until 0500, I woke up and attended a 1000 class: Oneironautics 101 by Duende. It was an introduction to dream work, and the hypnopompic and hypnogogic states. Despite being early, it was an enjoyable class I’m not sure how much I’ll manage to make use of, because as folks might know dream work just seems to be beyond me, despite trying everything forever. (Perhaps a bit of hyperbole) But nonetheless it was interesting and has me rethinking some of my dream issues.

Then I had the second class that I taught: Dealing with Your Demons. It was a redux of a class I did years ago on how to use magickal techniques for working with demons and spirits, and how to apply those techniques to our “personal demons,” our psychological structures and baggage and all the internal stuff that makes our life difficult. It was well received. It was also one of the classes that was recorded, so if you’re interested in the class but didn’t attend you can purchase access to the recording (more on that below).

The next class I attended was Integrating Initiations with Dani and Hrafn. It is a class I wish was better attended, because conversations after Gather showed how much it was needed. The class looked an initiatory experiences, spiritual awakening and emergence, both informal, and formal, how they impact the individual and societal group, and how to navigate the upsets, mental, energetic, social, and otherwise. It had some good solid advice and perspectives, both presenters have been part of initiatory magickal traditions, and one presenter is a licensed therapist. If you’ve never been to a large event like Gather you might not realize it, but in a lot of ways if you’re open they’re initiatory experiences, and there are always people who have issues getting back into the swing of things afterwards.

The second Ivo class I attended was Castings & Containers: Choices In Creating Sacred Space. This was one of the two classes I was most excited for. I greatly enjoyed, and recommend, Ivo’s book Casting Sacred Space. In fact one of the techniques from that book was used during a ritual at Gather several years earlier that I was one of the ritualists for. This class was less on specific techniques for creating space, like in his book, and more on the different types of space, how to make it in different ways, and why would you want space that is more a fortress than a crossroad or a lense.

Cat’s Minor Meta-Surgery class was the other class I was very excited for. Meta-Surgery is a phrase we use for intentional alterations to the energy body. In this case the class covered the basics, what it is, why would you do it, how do you do it. This class focused on making a very simple augment for the finger. We had an experiment of sensing three items concealed in fabric or a box with our hands, then creating this extension to our finger, and then using that longer appendage to reach into the wrapping/box around the items and sensing again. While the class was nothing particularly new to me, I really enjoyed it because Cat is a blast (the only person I know who refers to an energy ball as “that motherfucker” and check out her amazing energy body artwork) and meta-surgery isn’t really talked about a lot, so was curious to see her present on it.

The last class I attended was Ivo’s third class on Sunday morning, The Consequences of Magickal Action: Aftercare and Healing. A great class to finish Gather with, looking at all the different issues that can arise in magickal work (especially intense and closely grouped workings, like at a conference like Gather…). Very practical, down to earth, take care of yourself advice, but needed.

I was a minor part of the closing ritual at Gather, where I spoke about the Questions of the weekend, and challenging others with them. The theme was unlocking your potential, and for me, the question that I kept coming back to in that regard is “Who are you?” We think of ourselves in relationship to other things, we’re children, siblings, lovers, we identify as our job, our hobbies. When all of these things are gone, when you take away all these supposedly defining traits: who are you? Want to unlock your potential? Know who you are.

Then, suddenly, Gather 2019 was over. I’ve already booked off the dates for Gather 2020. As I have stated, and I’ll state again, Gather is my favourite magickal conference/convention/event, and the only such event that I will rearrange and fight everything in my life to make sure I make it down. If you were unable to attend, you can buy digital access to the recorded classes here.

To the folks I met at Gather this year and came to my blog, welcome!

To folks reading this who are interested or curious in Gather, I hope to see you there for Gather 2020.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick

Ritual: Breaking The Cycle

Last weekend I was at “Gather” which is the unofficial name many folks use for the House Kheperu Open House. It is by far my favourite magickal convention; I literally start planning for the next year on my way home. It’s run by some friends of mine and I help out in some minor ways, and I’ve been attending and teaching there for over a decade. Like any convention there are some awesome folks, and some folks we wish weren’t around, but overall it’s probably my favourite crowd too. Magickal conventions often a niche, which is excellent, but creates a bit of an echo chamber in some ways, Gather though…Gather pulls people from everything. Vajrayana Buddhists, Zen Buddhists, Greek Polytheists, Norse Heathens, Satanists, Kemetic Pagans, Santeros, witches from pre-Gardnerian trads, atheists, neo-Pagans, Jewish Qabalists, O.T.O. and Golden Dawn folks, Christians, even a Catholic priest, and so much more. You have skill ranges from “I read a book on magick, and I’m curious” to “I literally wrote the book on this.” In terms of intelligence there more people with psychology and science degrees than I can shake a wand at. (Not that I believe degrees are the end all be all of intelligence, but these serve as good markers that I find lacking at a lot of other conventions. It’s also the only magickal convention that when people see me compulsively solving Rubik’s Cubes people ask if I have more, so they can do them too) Yet at Gather, everyone meshes, and we hold conversations across these huge divides to a degree I haven’t really seen at other events.
This Gather I ran two rituals, one solo and one with two friends, and I wanted to talk about the latter.
We called the ritual “Breaking the Cycle” and to be honest that title was (if I remember the conversation right) more or less a place holder until we thought of something better, and we never got back to that. Though we do have a new potential title I’ll discuss at the end. The idea was to allow people to release something from their past, embrace or work on something in their present, or move toward something in their future. Yes, that’s a bit vague, but when you’re doing large rituals broader goals that can be personalized are more likely to be useful.
The basic schema is the ritualists embody Past, Present, and Future, and open up a sacred space of wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey allowing us to work with the participants on things at any point in their timeline. In this ritual I was the Past. The sacred space is cast in a triangle, representing Past-Present-Future, rather than more traditional circles using elements/directions. The space casting idea is based upon one that appears in Casting Sacred Space, an excellent book on different methods of opening ritual space.
The style of ritual my friends and I work with in this case is a fairly spontaneous one in terms of speech. There is a lot of embodiment, and letting the force and the spirit or whatever talk through us, so the script I provide is only the loosest of indications of the type of things we might have said.
To perform this ritual you need three ritualists, three cauldrons, three sterno cans (or another source of fire that fits in the cauldrons), flash paper (enough small pieces for everyone, the size of a business card works), and pens.
Everyone has their piece of paper before the ritual begins, and pens are provided in the centre of the space.
Arrange the three cauldrons with the sterno cans lit at the edge of what will be the space, the ritual will be performed inside the triangle formed by the cans, so make sure they’re spaced far enough that all the participants can fit inside the triangle. To start with though all the participants are outside of the triangle, only the ritualists are inside it. Before starting the ritualists are to think of what it is they want to work with, and a single word to represent it, and then write this on their piece of flash paper. The person representing the Future selects something in the present they want to work on, the person who is the Present selects something in the past they want to let go of, and the person who is the Past selects something in the future they want to work toward.
The ritualists meet in the centre of the triangle of cauldrons and sync up their energy. In our shared tradition this is simply just holding hands and running energy in a circle between us, bringing us to a more harmonious state. The ritualists then go and stand at their cauldron, facing out from the triangle. The ritualists take a moment to connect to their Temportal Aspect, to root it in the cauldron, and invoke it into themselves. For me this involved me taking a moment to feel myself moving forward in time, and then throwing my mind down the stream the other way, I mentally linked myself to a past life, not because of any inherent trait of that life, but just to anchor myself into going backwards, to root myself in the Past and going that way.
Past: “Ancient of Days, Forger of Time. I call upon the Past, the Bedrock upon which everything stands. Let the Past move into the Present.” The embodiment of the Past turns to face the centre of the triangle.”
Present: “Life ever-birthing the World, Master of the Dancing Moment. I call upon the Present, the river which flows through all things. Let the Present open into the Future.” The embodiment of the Present turns to face the centre of the triangle.”
Future: “Dreaming Ones, Weaving Ones, Bright Child Unborn. I call upon the Future, the open sky in which all potential rests. Let the Future become the Past.” The embodiment of the Future turns to face the centre of the triangle.”
The three Times pass their traits in the triangle, connecting to the other Times, and creating a triangular flow and space.
Future then approaches Present.
Present: “What do you bring me?”
Future responds. Present takes the flash paper from Future and burns it. Future returns to their corner, and Present approaches Past.
Past: “What do you bring me?”
Present responds. Past takes the flash paper from Present and burns it. Present returns to their corner, and Past approaches Future.
Future: “What do you bring me?”
Past responds. Future takes the flash paper from Past and burns it. Past returns to their corner.
((That part of the ritual is designed to further reinforce the variant flow of time within the space. Up until this point everything has gone from Past to Present to Future, but here it goes from Future to Present to Past to introduce a counter-current into the space.))
Past: “The participants are now to enter the Triangle, through the space between Past and Present.”
The participants walk into the triangle, in single file, and spiral toward the centre of the triangle until everyone is in the space. We assigned someone beforehand to lead everyone in and out of the space, just to make it flow better.
Past leaving the cauldron circles the participants in the centre of the triangle: “I am the Past. Everything you have ever done resides in me. Every action that has made you who you are, I contain. I am the foundation upon which the present and future are built. Come to me to release your pain, your regrets, your patterns of thought. Give to me that which holds you back, that which keeps you in the past, not in your future or present. Through me find freedom from what has been.”
Past returns to their cauldron. Present then circles the participants: “I am the Present. Every moment you experience in me. I am the moment that is eternal. Your past is always behind you, your future is always ahead of you, but I am always here with you, in every moment. Come to me to build who you are, to shape your life and your self. In this moment of eternity I am here, give to me that which you want to embrace and nourish, or that which weighs you down. Through me find power in what is.”
Present returns to their cauldron. Future then circles the participants: “I am the Future. Everything that ever happened to you leads into me. I am what you will become, I can be beautiful and terrifying. Come to me to grow, to change, to become. Give to me your hopes and your dreams and I will bring them to you, let me know what you want and I’ll make it so. Through me find glory in potentials.
Future returns to their cauldron.
Present: “You’ve heard our Voices, now decide. Are you here to let something go, to embrace something, or strive toward something? Distill this idea into a single word and write it on your paper, pour your heart and energy into the paper, and then take it to the Time who rules it.
The participants write down their focus and take it to the Temporal Avatar. Each of us did this in a different way, I’ll describe mine.
The participant approaches the Past which is me. I held out one hand and took their paper from them, and with my other hand I held their hand, and clasped both with my hand holding the paper. Each person got a unique message from me at this point, what follows is made up, but vaguely like the things I said. “I am the Mother, and I am the Grave. As the Past I hold everything that occurred to you. As the Mother I love you, and as the Grave I can take this issue of yours and -“ I light their paper in the cauldron “and I can let this die so you are free.”
Everyone goes up to the appropriate Time and has their focus thrown into the cauldron.
Past: “You have touched your Past”
Present: “Your Present”
Future: “And your Future.”
Past: “Now you can be Free”
Present: “Now you can Grow”
Future: “Now you can Become. *Pause* We now ask that you leave the triangle through the space between Present and Future.”
People are led out of the space through that boundary. The Times uproot their Time from their cauldrons and walk to the centre of the triangle. Joining hands they release the Time from the space and themselves. ((This is fairly easy, the closer these Time traits are to each other the more likely they are to fall apart))
That was the ritual, in some ways very simple, very short, but it was also very potent. We had a few folks in tears, a few that took a bit to come down, but it was really beautiful. It also seems to be very effective. That ritual was performed on Saturday, I came home Monday night and had a job interview on Tuesday, and by Thursday I had started my job. My focus for the future was getting a job. My friend who was the Future is finishing up a highly specialized medical degree, and she loves her placement, unfortunately there are no jobs open at that place…well, there weren’t, as soon as she went back she was told someone just gave their two weeks, and everyone there wanted her to apply for the job. My friend who was the Present has been doing an externship at a place they enjoyed, similar story though, no room for them, but they found out the week they returned that a space would be opening up. Though those two weren’t focusing on jobs directly the opening of the career paths are connected to their focus. Two of the ritual participants also have gotten jobs in the week after the ritual. Of course, not all the results or focuses were job related, people have reported things moving forward in their various arenas.
Due to the amount of people getting jobs right after the ritual though we’re thinking of renaming it from “Breaking the Cycle” to “Do you want a job?”
I wanted to share that for two reasons. First I love Gather and the friends at it, so thought it would be interesting to give people some insight to the type of things that might happen there if you ever decide to check it out. Secondly I want to talk more about what I’m doing on this blog. I share techniques, I talk theory, but I want to post every once and a while with more of an example of “If you followed me around magickally, this is what you would have seen me do this week.” I find I learn just as much knowing what other people are doing, as I do from listening to more theorizing on magickal practices.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick