Introduction to Totemism
Introduction to Totemism: One of the most popular magical topics today, animal totems are versatile aids in magic and personal growth. Lupa explains the basics of totemism, including what totems are, how to work with them and how to find your own totem. The complete version includes a guided meditation, so please wear comfortable clothing.
DIY Totemism
How many totem animal dictionaries can you fit on one shelf? Chances are that no matter how many books on totemism you have, most of them follow the exact same formula, and teach you to rely on someone else's definitions (whether the author intended it or not). However, the best information comes from your interactions with the totem yourself. In this workshops, Lupa shows you how you can create better relationships with totems, including unusual totems such as extinct and domestic totems, and how to write your own personal totem animal dictionary.
The Last Totem Card Deck You'll Ever Need
Totems aren't limited to Big, Impressive North American Birds and Mammals. However, commercial totem animal card decks tend to be primarily limited to these animals, and maybe a few others--which means that if your totem happens to be, say, Kookaburra, the decks won't work. Let Lupa show you how to construct a simple deck of thirty-three cards that can literally get you into contact with any totem animal.
Shamanism for the Postindustrial World
"Shamanism" is a loaded word these days. But what does it really mean? What's the difference between traditional shamanism and neoshamanism? What about core shamanism and plastic shamanism? And why all the different terms? Come learn about how shamanism can be relevant to the postindustrial society we live in, and how we can apply it to our lives without negatively impacting indigenous societies.
Totemic Shapeshifting Dance
Shapeshifting! The word conjures images of werewolves, and shamans changing into animals. We can't physically change ourselves, but we can learn to take on the energy and perception of nonhuman animals for a time through dance. Lupa has been doing intensive shapeshifting dance since 2002, and this workshop deals with what you'll need, how to determine what animal(s) to dance, and how to achieve the right state of mind to shift.
Therianthropy
Ever wondered what it's like to be a werewolf? Therianthropy is the modern interpretation of inherent internalized animal energy--in other words, being human and animal simultaneously. Learn about what therianthropy is (and isn't), what it's like to be a therian, and the magical implications thereof.
What Are Otherkin?
A unique subculture that shares some overlapping with paganism, Otherkin are people who believe in some manner that they are not quite human, whether through reincarnation, energy resonance, or other theories. Join Lupa as she explains how it is that someone may resonate with an animal, an elf, or a dragon, all while living a perfectly human life.
Cultural Appropriation
Pagans are fond of borrowing cultural items and religious rites from other cultures, particularly Native American tribes. But what impact can this have on the cultures we borrow from? How can we balance respect for other cultures with our own personal growth?
Queer and Genderqueer in Magic and Paganism
For some pagans, dichotomies such as male/female, God/Goddess, or masculine/feminine just don't fit. What about hermaphroditic deities and priest/esses? Or transgenderism and magic? Or invoking the opposite/other-sex deities? Leave your preconceptions of sex and gender behind and explore the grey areas between black and white!
Experimental Animal Magic
Animal magic goes far beyond totem animal dictionaries and familiars that sit and watch you work magic. Join Lupa as she explains the various experiments in animal magic ranging from creating new species on the astral plane to shapeshifting to working with animal parts in a respectful, magical manner.
The Magical and Ritual Use of Animal Parts
I've been working with animal parts both in my artwork and my magical practice since the mid-1990s. In this workshop I'll discuss the history of animal parts in magic and ritual from cultures around the world. I'll also go over modern concerns, including legalities, ethics, and getting in touch with the spirits of the remains.
Training the Wild Dogma
Every religion goes through its growing pains, and the many religions under the "pagan" umbrella are no exception. As we grow as a community and as individual religious paths, one of the obstacles is that of dogma. We face the potential reality of cultural stagnation, with ostracism of those who "just don't fit in", rigid standards of acceptable beliefs, and all the other things that many pagans dislike about organized religion. I'll discuss some ideas on how to stay flexible through our years of growth, where potential problems are, and why the Devil is the cure for dogma.
Every Little Bit Counts: Everyday Environmentalism
Many pagans are environmentalists. But sometimes that label can seem a little daunting, especially in the face of such vast issues as global warming, water pollution, and overflowing landfills. Being an everyday environmentalist, however, is as easy as making the decision to buy one piece of organic produce instead of conventional. This workshop focuses on ways in which you can work environmentalism into your everyday life, both magical and mundane.
****The following workshops are presented with Taylor Ellwood****
Your Magical Mate
Everyone's heard of the dreaded love spell--a bright pink candle, a handful of rose petals (watch those thorns!) and a picture of your would-be beloved. Of course, we know the outcome of this unfortunate attempt at romance. Instead, how about some constructive advice on both magical and mundane methods to find that special someone--or someones? In this workshop we'll tell you about the magic we worked to find each other, the mundane actions and thoughts that helped hone our search, and what's made our relationship a success since then! Rather than trying that tired old compulsion spell, give our techniques a try for yourself--find out about why it's important to love yourself as well as your partner(s), and what you can do to keep a relationship healthy both on the magical and mundane levels.
Chaos Magic 101
The often-misunderstood but ever-useful chaos magic is a sure way to broaden your magical options and shatter your paradigmal tunnel vision. In this workshop we will define what chaos magic is, how it works, and how you can use it to dynamize your own magical workings. We will discuss common techniques, such as sigils, banishing with laughter, and creating an alphabet of desire. The full version includes a chaos magic ritual created by workshop participants in order to fully illustrate the theories discussed.
Making Conscious Choices in your Everyday Life
Whether we realize it or not the culture and lifestyle we've been raised with has ingrained us with values and morals and feelings that can sometimes sabotage our interactions with other people. But how do we become aware of these biases? In this workshop we explain how important it is to make a fully conscious choice in your interactions with people and events and what you can do to accomplish this goal. We explore why we sabotage ourselves, and how we can focus our awareness on both our environment and on what's happening internally so that we avoid sabotaging ourselves and learn to recognize how to change the circumstances we are in.
The Pagan Publishing Industry
You've got some great ideas and you have friends who tell you that you should write a book. But is that all there is to the pagan writing industry? In this workshop, we offer you our perspectives as experienced writers and editors for an occult publishing company. We'll tell you of the importance of promotion, marketing, and of course writing. If you want to get a book published, come to this workshop.
Blue Magic: Making Money Work For You
A lot of pagans and occultists have the ingrained belief that poverty makes you virtuous, but we take a different tack. In this workshop we'll talk about the poverty myth and the beliefs people have about money. Then we'll discuss ways you can use magic to deals with thes ingrained beliefs as well as resources you can use to start learning how to make money work for you.
Neopagan Acceptance of Sex- and Gender-Based Subcultures
The neopagan community, comprised of Wiccans, pagans, druids, Asatru, and many other nature and magic-based paths, has historically been particularly accepting of other subcultures, including those related to sex and gender. Many neopagans participate in the BDSM/fetish scene, practice polyamory, and are queer friendly,. However, as inclusive as the community may be, we sometimes find ourselves marginalized by homophobia, transphobia, and misunderstandings surrounding polyamory. Learn how we have overcome prejudices in the past, how to deal with intolerance in the present, and how neopagan efforts to be accepted and recognized by mainstream society parallel and may be supported by efforts of gender- and sex-based subcultures.
Kink Magic
The use of primarily vanilla sex for magical purposes is pretty well covered, but what about those who like other flavors, too? Here we present how BDSM and other fetishes can be utilized in magic for both practical results and personal development. In this workshop, magic and kink are intertwined to reveal a world of possibilities that can be made manifest through play. Learn how energy work can be used to top someone, how you can invoke or evoke entities during play, use mirrors and sigils to manifest possibilities, use subspace for spiritual journeys, and much, much more. Safety issues in magic and kink are also covered.
How to Create a Pop Culture Entity
This workshop shows people how to create an entity based off a pop culture icon or persona, or create an entity and make it part of pop culture. We explain why you want to work with entities and what they can teach you. Participants are walked through the process so that they have a firm understanding of how to create and work with an entity
Practical Pop Culture Magic
Reinventing the wheel has never been easier--or more fun--with pop culture. In this workshop we show how pop culture can be applied to any magical paradigm and explain why it will still work. We also show you the best systems of pop culture to draw on such as role-playing games, anime, and other sources that provide some structure that can be tweaked toward a magical perspective.
The Importance of Communication and Service in Community
This is more of a talk/discussion where we examine the importance of communication and service in community. What is effective communication and how can we improve our communication skills? What is service? How do we define service? How do we find the community that fits each and every one of us? Is there such a thing as a perfect, all-inclusive community? These questions and more, we'll consider in this workshop.
Kink Alchemy
In this workshop we apply principles of alchemy to kink magic and explore how a scene/ritual can be used to alchemically transform the psyche of a person from lead into gold, while letting go of the past issues that have blocked the person.
Bodypaint and Paintings Workshop
Painting can be a very expressive form of doing magic. This workshop introduces people to two ways I use paints in my own magical workings. The first way is through the body with the specific goal being to paint your intentions on your body and manifest those intentions through the intimacy of paint on flesh, as well as through ritual.
Sacred Sexuality/Sensuality
In this workshop we present a frank appraisal of sex magic and the various systems of magic that incorporate it. We'll discuss what both sex and sensuality is and how they relate to each other. We'll talk about the benefits and dangers of sex magic and how energy work is used in it. Finally we'll do a couple of exercises to get a better understanding of it.
Getting in Touch With Your Intuition, Environment, and Spirit
We live in a world where we are always on the go, always working, and not always fully appreciating what occurs around us. In such a world, it's very easy to live in a commodity mentality, always wanting everything now. But in this workshop we will teach you the importance of not only being aware of your environment, but also learning to work with intuition and spirit. You will learn that spirit can manifest in random situations, through words people say, or events that occur or even that funny twinge in your stomach. By learning to be aware of spirit, you'll be more in tune with your environment and you'll learn how to focus on achieving what you truly want.
Undoing the Saboteur: The importance of Conscious Choices in your Everyday Life
Whether we realize it or not the culture and lifestyle we've been raised with has ingrained us with values and morals and feelings that can sometimes sabotage our interactions with other people. But how do we become aware of these biases? In this workshop we explain how important it is to make a fully conscious choice in your interactions with people and events and what you can do to accomplish this goal. We explore why we sabotage ourselves, and how we can focus our awareness on both our environment and on what's happening internally so that we avoid sabotaging ourselves and learn to recognize how to change the circumstances we are in.
Rites of Passage
What is a rite of passage? When do you have a rite of passage and how do you have it? How do you recognize them, and how do you deal with the upheaval in your life that can result from them? Must a rite of passage be organized and group-oriented, or can it be sponetaneous and solitary? We explore these questions in this workshop with examples from our own lives, but also with an aim of exploring the role of initiation in magic and in our lives.
Identity/Aspecting Magic: a New Approach to Invocation
What constitutes identity and how can you use different personas to become a better invoker? We'll teach you that and explore what identity is from our own perspective as well as the perspective of several other prominent occultists. We'll tell you the benefits and dangers of aspecting and invocation and what you can do to address those situations.
Childfree Pagans
While many pagans feel called to be parents, there are some pagans who choose to remain childfree. In this workshop we will explain how to go beyond the "procreative" slant of many pagan traditions, giving birth to ideas and projects instead of children, and the ecological and time-management benefits of being childfree. This is not a class to bash or complain about pagan parents; rather, it is a resource for childfree pagans, as well as for those curious as to why we made the choices we did.
Site content © Taylor Ellwood and/or Lupa, 1998-present. Contact us.