We Want You!

April 12-14: Nettles to Nirvana: A Personal Practice Boot Camp

Many advocates of having a personal practice will smile serenely and say a practice will give you balance, personal peace, and enough Zen to cover your house. Yay for Zen wallpaper!

We will tell you that having an effective personal practice means reaching to your core, grabbing a handful of your deepest Self, pulling it out and examining it under a bright light.

Are you looking for a practice that will kick your ass? Transform you? Change your life? Then you need this! You need BOOT CAMP!

Join us for Nettles to Nirvana: A Personal Practice Boot Camp! (See what we did there? You'll still get your Zen wallpaper. It just may have some rips in it.) Our weekend intensive will take you on a deep and focused journey to develop and sustain a meaningful personal practice that will transform you, and thus your life.

Are you ready for Boot Camp?

About:

This is a Pagan spiritual intensive, but it is open to all that are open to working within a pagan context to achieve their spiritual goals. We will be exploring the 12 Wild Swans story to discuss the usefulness of personal practice, but to also work with the challenges that arise from serious, devoted and life-changing Work. By the end of the class, participants should walk away with a clearer sense of what they are looking for from a personal practice, knowledge of what methods appeal to them, a better sense of their personal blocks when it comes to sustaining Deep Work, and an opportunity to experience more clarity and focus for their personal journey.

Teachers:

Amoret: A Feri/Reclaiming Witch, Amoret’s passions are the search for Truth and Desire, co-creation and manifestation, community building, ecstatic ritual, poetry, divination and whatever good book has currently captured her attention. Committed to teaching in the Pittsburgh pagan community, she brings her experiences in leadership training, small group facilitation, personal transformation work, tarot, trance techniques, and ritual arts to the teaching table.

Boneweaver: I followed a fairly generic Pagan path until meeting members of my spiritual family and focusing on Reclaiming/Feri. I've been in a variety of leading and teaching roles within the Pittsburgh Pagan community for about a decade. I am an optician by trade and an artist by desire. I work the edges between life and death and shadow work calls me (sometimes calling me Silly Names). I value a sense of humour and a sense of purpose. I seek those who are seeking me.

Time Commitment:

The intensive will begin at 7pm on Friday, April 12th and run through 1pm on Sunday, April 14th. On Friday evening, we will come together and bond through discussion of the story and a trance to start our journey. On Saturday, it gets personal. We focus inward to discover and then outward to manifest as we weave the story throughout the day, breaking as appropriate for restful reflection and informal discussion. On Sunday morning, we will reconvene for wrap-up and farewell, our boot camp asses having been kicked.

Friday: 7pm-10pm

Saturday: 10am-9pm

Sunday: 11am-1pm

Location:

Pittsburgh, PA; traveling participants welcome

Requirements:

- An open heart

- A sense of humour

Cost:

A "you decide" sliding scale of $75-$150 includes the weekend of instruction and supplies. You decide where you fall on the scale, no explanation needed.

To Register:

Send an email to Amoret and Boneweaver at witches2brew@gmail.com. A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the workshop fee will be due on registering, and is the only way that we can hold a space for you. Registration and full balance must be received by March 31st. Payment should be made via Money Order. Please contact Boneweaver and Amoret at witches2brew@gmail.com to arrange payment.

Because we wish for The Work to reach all who are called: if the sliding scale is out of your reach but you wish to attend, please contact us privately at witches2brew@gmail.com. Limited partial and full scholarships available.

Though we do not anticipate this occurring, if for any reason the class would have to be cancelled full refunds of monies paid will be given.

Ecstatic Witchcraft Workshop in Pittsburgh

Ecstatic Witchcraft: Why Bother?

Interested in witchcraft? Curious about the difference between Ecstatic traditions (Feri, Reclaiming) and British Traditional Witchcraft? We will be hosting a six class workshop that will include:

- introduction to the class, and a brief history of witchcraft/paganism
- a discussion on the myths surrounding paganism
- an overview of major pagan religions (a quick and dirty run-through)
- an overview and discussion of British Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca
- an overview and discussion of Ecstatic Witchcraft (Feri and the Reclaiming Tradition)
- a Reclaiming-style ecstatic ritual

Who should attend: This will be the first of several workshops offered in the Reclaiming Tradition so anyone interested in getting a better understanding of Reclaiming-style witchcraft is encouraged to attend. Those that are curious about paganism are also welcome.

About the instructors:

Lora:  A Reclaiming-identified Witch for over 13 years (and a Pittsburgher for 6!) Lora’s passions are community building, divination, ecstatic ritual, poetry, and whatever good book has currently captured her attention. Committed to teaching in the Pittsburgh pagan community, Lora brings her experiences in leadership training, small group facilitation, trance techniques, and ritual arts to the teaching table.

Pamela:  A non-trad identified Witch since … um, I should know this, huh ... 2000/2001? Focus on the Reclaiming/Feri path since 2009. Practitioner of American Folk Witchcraft encompassing herbs, oils, candles, and whatnots. Co-leader of a local CUUPs group for almost 8 years, co-leader of a monthly Pagan Spirituality class for same. Worked to plan, solicit vendors/advertisers, organize, and track financials of local Spirit Fair for 3 years. Transitional magic surrounding life/death/rebirth and transformational magic particularly working with shadow energy are my areas of grace. I believe laughter is one of our most effective magical tools.

When: 

Sundays, January 22nd, 29th, February 5th, 19th, 26th, and March 4th

Time: 2-5pm

Where: private residence, South Hills area

Fee per class: $10 per class, or $50 if paid in one up-front installment

***Deadline for registration: Wednesday, January 18th***

Things to Bring to Class:
- Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by River and Joyce Higginbotham
- water bottle
- notebook and pen
- a curious attitude and an open mind

Workshop participants are expected to attend all classes. Space is limited, first come, first served! 

Interested? Email witches2brew@gmail.com with the following:

- preferred name and contact information
- a short paragraph on three things that brought you to your current tradition/spiritual path
- a short paragraph on two things that keep you in your current tradition/spiritual path
- a short statement on what interests you about the class or paganism in general