Come and attend our wonderful workshops! 

We have something for everyone!

Our informative workshops offer variety and depth and something different than expected!  See the NEWS page for schedule!

Register using credit card, bank card, or debit card and email registration form to Register@UnitedEarthAssembly.com!

Dallas local favorite, “ Moonlady” will be presenting a wonderful workshop at this year’s United Earth Assembly designed to honor the full moon that weekend! She joins our national CoG favorites, Amber and Azrael K to celebrate the Earth and all She has to teach us! Join us to see what the Mother Earth can teach you!

WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTERS:

SILENCE IN THE MEADOWS: THE BEE GODDESS AND THE HONEYBEES
AND
THE MYSTERIES AND MAGICK OF HECATE
PRESENTED BY AMBER K AND AZRAEL ARYNN K

SILENCE IN THE MEADOWS: THE BEE GODDESS AND THE HONEYBEES In ancient times the melissae served as priestesses of the Bee Goddess, knowing Her importance to all life on Gaia.

Today the honeybees still pollinate a vast number of the plants we eat, but are threatened by CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder).

Come get an eco-update on these amazing creatures, a look at a possible future without them, and information as to how you can help preserve them.

THE MYSTERIES AND MAGICK OF HECATE:  She is ancient beyond imagining, and She is much more than the dark goddess of the waning moon.

Come celebrate Hecate as Guardian of the Threshold, Guide and Torchbearer, Keeper of the Keys, Mistress of Magick, Presence at the Crossroads, Queen of Heaven and Earth, and more.

The workshop will include lecture and discussion about her history and nature, a guided meditation, stories, ritual, and more.

Join Amber K and Azrael Arynn K, Directors of Ardantane Pagan Learning Center and authors of True Magick, Ritualcraft, Heart of Tarot, and many other books for two workshops and book-signing Saturday, October 3rd. 

FULL MOON SMUDGES
PRESENTED BY AMY MARTIN

In honor of the Full Moon UEA weekend, Amy Martin, aka the Moonlady, will talk about her favorite lunar herbs and unusual ways to enjoy them. Learn what makes a good lunar smudge, how a lunar offering is different and what instances each is best suited to. Discover a handy way to smudge several people at a time using hibachi herbal magic. Get turned on to a super easy and portable way to enjoy mugwort. A casual and fun workshop with lots of discussion from someone who really loves the Moon.

Amy Martin is a well-known Dallas leader in Earth-centered spirituality as the ceremony leader and creator of the acclaimed SolstiCelebrations and Moonlady Fests. The events are presented by Earth Rhythms, www.EarthRhythms.org, for which serves as executive director. Regarded as the “Moonlady,” she operates a 2900+ member holistic/spiritual/environmental email listserve for North Texas called Moonlady News. Amy’s latest book is “Spirit Herbs: Simple Recipes for Hibachi Herbal Magic & Sacred Space” released by Moonlady Media, operated by her husband, Scooter Smith. She may be reached by visiting www.moonlady.com.

ANCESTOR VENERATION: HOW TO HONOR THE SPIRITS OF YOUR BELOVED DEAD
PRESENTED BY CAIRELLE PERILLOUX

Are you interested in creating a sacred space and/or tradition to honor your deceased loved ones? Join Cairelle Perilloux as she discusses ancestor veneration! This lecture will touch briefly on the history and traditions of filial piety, and will provide an in-depth look at some ideas (and do’s and don’ts!) for setting up your own ancestor altar and creating your own rituals. Take-home reference materials will be provided, and an example altar will be on display.

Among other things, Cairelle is a hoodoo-ish traditional witch, a granny, a writer, a gardener, a fledgling herbalist, and an essential oil junkie. She is the proprietress and webmistress of Witchy Living, an e-Shoppe, blog, and discussion forum for witches of all paths, and she is also the hostess of “Witchy Living – Talk Radio for the Everyday Witch” on BlogTalkRadio. The Witchy Living e-Shoppe offers for purchase the "Notions and Potions for Everyday Magick" that are needed and wanted by witches of all paths! Our portal site also features a private discussion forum with scheduled chats, a quarterly newsletter, a banner exchange with other witchy businesses and sites of interest, and links to Cairelle's blog and Witchy Living's podcast - "Talk Radio for the Everyday Witch." A brick-and-mortar store is in the works and the opening is planned for the very near future.

ASTROLOGY: LIBERATION THROUGH ENCHANTMENT – UNDERSTANDING YOUR PERSONAL VENUS TO ENHANCE MAGICAL LIVING
AND
LIVING GREEN – ECO-CHIC INTERIORS – SAVING THE PLANET ONE LIVING SPACE AT A TIME!
PRESENTED BY BRIDGET LESTER

ASTROLOGY: LIBERATION THROUGH ENCHANTMENT – UNDERSTANDING YOUR PERSONAL VENUS TO ENHANCE MAGICAL LIVING
All too often we limit our use of astrological insight to simply cataloguing various personality quirks bestowed by our sun and moon signs. In reality, the planets, luminaries, and astrological signs are all symbols of the God-forms and their energies that are alive and well and extremely active in our lives.

Venus the planet shows us how Venus the Goddess works Her magic on us and through us. Properly understood and valued, Venus teaches us to enchant, charm, and spell into our lives Her gifts of abundance, beauty, balance, and harmony to banish the merely mundane, the dross, the uninspired slog of so-called daily existence. Venus is more than sex and romance; Venus is Magic! Venus transforms us and liberates us.
In this workshop, you will learn how Venus operates in your life and how you can direct Her energy to increase your Venus potential. Venus is the Great Attractor. What is She attracting to you?

LIVING GREEN – ECO-CHIC INTERIORS – SAVING THE PLANET ONE LIVING SPACE AT A TIME!
The wrong color can do more than look bad on your walls – it can kill you and the planet!
Sustainable design doesn’t just, “feel good”, it looks good too and can enhance your lifestyle through improved functionality, versatility, and style. Don’t limit Eco-Chic to the compost bucket!

Our homes are Sacred Space. What we surround ourselves with impacts our lives on a very profound level, deeply influencing both our sense of well-being and our physical well-being. “Green”, “Eco”, and “Sustainable” are industry buzz-words and sometimes just words but we do have real choices when it comes to selecting the “stuff” in our homes that meet our requirements to look good, work well, and protect our shared mother, the Earth. We’ll have fun exploring some of these options.

Living Green starts at home.

Bridget Lester is a magus, witch, astrologer, and astronomer. She has a 30-year background in the design industry and her own interior design studio. She honors Gaia and knows it is imperative to live harmoniously on the Earth with as little impact as possible. As a design professional, she knows that living, “green” extends beyond recycling and installing compact-florescent bulbs. Her magical path influences her astrological practice and feeds her soul. She has been a practicing witch and Goddess worshipper since 1978, currently serving as Guardian within the Temple of Ma’at, a magical lodge incorporating Egyptian and Chaldean star-magic. She teaches the Village Tradition of English Witchcraft in partnership with Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki. Her astrological practice is geared toward helping people discover their unique spiritual/magical gifts and understand which elements and God-forms power their houses of magic within the blueprint of their birth-charts.

NEW AND FULL MOONS THROUGH THE ZODIAC YEAR
PRESENTED BY J’ANN PEACOCK

Learn how to use the qualities of the 12 zodiac signs to create Moon Rituals on the New and Full Moons through the year.
The workshop will teach us how to benefit from the energies of the New and Full Moons as we travel through the Wheel of the Year. We will learn to, “Draw Down the Moon” and use our breath to project, balance, and heal with the Moon energies.

As a bonus, we will create our own, "green" ritual to perform as a part of the Saturday night ritual at UEA, which falls on a Full Moon evening.

J'Ann Peacock Alvarado is a librarian, a musician and a Yoga instructor who lives in the Dallas area. She is a third degree High Priestess in two traditions; as an Isian, she belongs to Circle of the Unicorn, and as a McFarland Dianic, she is a member of Sacred Moon Circle and the High Priestess of Circle of the Moon White Mare. She has been involved in Wicca for most of her adult life. She has presented workshops at CoG Merry Meet, Goddess Rising and United Earth Assembly conferences in recent years. She has Elder Credentials in Covenant of the Goddess (CoG.)

THE INS & OUTS OF LABYRINTHS
PRESENTED BY GAELEN ANANAT

Come learn about one of the oldest spiritual tools: the labyrinth. Understand its purpose, its practice, and a bit of its history. Learn about the different kinds, how to use them in your own life, and how to create one for yourself. You will have the opportunity to make a finger labyrinth and discuss the various types of labyrinths you can design and create in your own yard.

Gaelen Ananat has been walking the Wiccan path since the early 1990's. She has had her own active, teaching circle since 1999: Circle of the Serpent (www.circleoftheserpent.org). Gaelen is a member of the national organization, Covenant of the Goddess (www.cog.org) and has held member credentials with this 501c3 organization since 1999. She has been an active member since 1996 and has held national and local offices during most of that time. Currently, she is the Membership Officer of CoG's Texas Local Council. She has presented publicly on numerous Pagan and Wiccan topics and has presented Wiccan Sabbats and moon rites at events such as previous UEA events, Covenant of the Goddess' Merry Meet, Betwixt & Between Community Center, Council of Magickal Arts (http://www.magickal-arts.org/), Goddess Rising, Sacred Journey Fellowship (http://www.sacredjourneyfellowship.org/), Amy Martin/Earth Rhythm Celebration solstices (http://moonlady.com/), and CoG's Texas Local Council Classes and Sabbats. She co-facilitated her own weekend event, Goddess Rising, for 9 years, along with a crew of wonderful volunteers. Gaelen performs handfastings, Wiccanings, and memorial services. She also has a bachelor's degree in psychology and spent some time as an aftercare counselor. She enjoys worshipping the Goddess with her circle, teaching spiritual tools and topics, attending interfaith events, and participating in Pagan activities. She can be reached at gaelen@circleoftheserpent.org.

LIVING GREEN: RACHEL CARSON’S “OTHER ROAD”
PRESENTED BY SORCIA

Rachel Carson was the first person to sound the alarm at the unbridled use of chemicals in agriculture. Hers was the first voice that the general public listened to regarding the poisoning of our eco-systems, despite efforts by the scientific community to silence her. Those who followed in her footsteps were reviled and ridiculed as “Those environmentalists who want to keep us in the dark ages.” Those environmentalists walked Rachel’s “Other Road”, which comes from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” Now, those who have walked the well-trodden road of excessive consumerism and indiscriminate use of chemical poisons look with less vitriol at “those environmentalists.” Will we all live to regret the road not taken by humanity, as a whole, to maintain our beautiful home, planet Earth?

Sorcia is a third degree High Priestess in Circle of the Wildwood, in the American Tradition of the Goddess. She has found that choosing to live a life conscious of the footprint she leaves is a journey of constant, sometimes devastating discovery. As she uncovers layer upon layer of her own ignorance about how much she is a product of a blissfully unaware generation, it the road back to nature seems almost impossible to find sometimes. As an avid hiker into the wilds, she sees first-hand how we impact this planet more than we can ever imagine. As an educator, Sorcia finds that she learns much more about a subject when she sets out to teach it. Her purpose for this workshop is to learn as much as she can while teaching others, too.

THAT HOODOO YOU DO
PRESENTED BY DENISE MARSHALL

This workshop will cover the history of Hoodoo, cultural influences, terminology, regional variations, and Hoodoo’s cultural impact in the US.
The presenter will also discuss the ethics found in Hoodoo, the types of practitioners, the various types of curios used in spell-work, the role the spirits of the dead play, methods of doing spell-work, and some well-known Hoodoo rituals.

Denise Marshall is a High Priestess trained by the OIC Coven. She has been a practicing Wiccan since 1996, was granted her 3rd Degree in 2007, hived from OIC in 2008 and is in the process of creating a daughter Coven. Denise has been working in the Hoodoo Tradition of American Folk Magic since 2006. She was first trained by Catherine Yronwode, a well respected practitioner of the tradition with 40+ years of experience. Catherine served as the consultant on the film The Skeleton Key and is considered an expert in the Tradition. Denise has studied with other Hoodoo practitioners since 2006 and has learned a variety of methods of doing the work based on the family traditions of these subsequent practitioners.

SACRED SPACE
PRESENTED BY ENDORA PHOENIX

What is Sacred Space, how to create Sacred Space, and living in Sacred Space.

What is Sacred Space? For many it is just a word, a buzz word if you will. A buzz word is a word that is adopted in current society to represent an idea, for example, “Power Lunch.” Sacred space and a cast circle are two different principles that come together during ritual and magick to become one. You don’t have to cast a circle in sacred space; likewise you don’t need physical sacred space to cast a circle. Notice the words: don’t have to and don’t need. Calling deity works regardless of where you are or what circumstances you find yourself. However, just because you don’t need to cast a circle doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it.

This workshop is part lecture and part open discussion.

Endora Phoenix is High Priestess of Dragon moon Coven. She is an autonomous High Priestess of the American Tradition of the Goddess. Dragon Moon structure is matrilinear, matrifocal, and employs a three degree system of elevation. She received her third degree from Gaelen, High Priestess of Circle of the Serpents, on February 9, 2002. Dragon Moon celebrates the wheel of the year in the form of Sabbats and the cycles of the moon with the Esbats. They also celebrate woman’s mysteries in the form of blood moons, and the male mysteries (which as a female remain a mystery to her!)

Butterflies are flying jewels that can brighten anyone’s day. Learn how to easy it is to entice these beauties into your yard by making your garden their favorite drinking place or all-you-can-eat buffet. See how butterflies mate, lay their eggs, how caterpillars eat themselves out of house home then shed their skin and morph into a chrysalis.

Janet D Smith is a life-long butterfly lover who became a Dallas County Master Gardener in 2005. She now has a yard full of plants that butterflies and hummingbirds swarm to. She oversaw the planting of a butterfly garden at the Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake in Dallas and raised over $1500 for the garden by donating the proceeds of sales of her butterfly photography. She is a frequent volunteer in the gardens and new Butterfly House at the Texas Discovery Garden in Fair Park where her photos are also available in the gift shop.

Janet has been a speaker for the Dallas County Master Gardeners since 2006 and was named Speaker of the Year for 2008. Besides Butterfly Gardening, she also presents Miracle of the Monarchs, WaterWise Gardening, Rain Barrels 101, and her state award-winning Sex in the Garden (about Pollination, of course).
Janet retired early from a long career in information technology so she could spend more time enjoying the great outdoors. In addition to gardening and photography, she enjoys kayaking, camping, hiking, birding and reading. She works part-time at the Wild Birds Unlimited store in East Dallas.

PRAYER FANS
PRESENTED BY STANDING BEAR COOPER

‘Papa Bear’ will give instructions and discuss how to make a Native American prayer fan. There will be examples provided to look at. He will demonstrate how to use it and explain the lore behind the tradition of prayer fans and how they fit into the Native American practice of spirituality. The specific parts of the prayer fan and their importance will be discussed.

This will be an open question and answer workshop with a chance for folks to ask about Native American practices and Shamanism.

Standing Bear Cooper is part Lakota and was raised in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. He was taught the Native American practices and philosophy by the elders at the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota and has been practicing them, as well as teaching them, throughout his life. He has resided in Texas for over 20 years, is a very talented artist working with various media and is affectionately referred to as Papa Bear by the local community. He has taught workshops at many Metaphysical bookstores across the Western United States, for Boy Scout Troops, UEA, OIC and at many other pagan and Wiccan friendly events and locales.

WORKING WITH WIGHTS: WIDSITH DIVINATION RITUAL – ORACLE SPAE RITE
PRESENTED BY JENNIFER CULVER AND WIDSITH

Come learn about and from the spirits of the land from a Germanic/English perspective. After a short introduction to the heathen view of the land wights, participate in a divination session specifically asking the wights for information and/or aid. This method of divination, represented well in the saga of Eric the Red, provides participants with the opportunity to consult with one of the seers of Widsith, learn about the heathen perspective of our relationship with the land, and leave with additional resources and contact information for further consideration.

Jennifer holds and M.A. in English Literature and is currently working on her Ph.D. in an Interdisciplinary field mixing language, literature, and history. Widsith has facilitated workshops for UEA, CoG, Goddess Rising, Harrow Moot and other events in past years as well as hosted at least one training workshop a year for the past 4-5 years.

Jennifer’s Master’s thesis argued for a larger presence of the valkyrie figure in Anglo-Saxon culture. Her academic training includes study in late medieval and early modern witchcraft, ritual, shamanism, and myth in media. She has been heathen for well over a decade and works hard to create a sustained community for her children and many godchildren.

Currently, Jennifer focuses on Widsith and Holy Spring Heathen Fellowship. She is also a Fellow in the Rune Gild. In the past, Jennifer has functioned as clergy and Steward for the Troth.

GREEN DREAM PILLOWS/DREAM INTERPRETATION
PRESENTED BY ANASTASIA LANKFORD & DELFIN PYTHIA

Stasia and Delfin will be guiding participants into making their own eco friendly dream pillows using recycled materials and herbs. Stasia will discuss dream interpretation and methods for remembering your dreams and share recipes for various types of dream pillows depending on the desired effect. Delfin will share a recipe for a dream pillow that will help the dreamer travel into the realm of Faery and assist in hands-on crafting to create their own pillows.
Handouts with recipes and instructions will be passed out and folks will get to create their own dream pillows using the recipes and herbs provided.

Anastasia has been active in the DFW pagan community since 1993, became a member of CoG a few years later, and was a board member for the Betwixt & Between community center in Dallas. She co-founded OIC, an eclectic group of solitaires who follow the Old Path traditions, with Bryan Lankford. Consequently, Anastasia has hosted and performed numerous classes and rituals both publicly and privately for groups, community centers, and conferences, including at UEA, Spirit of Spring, Merry Meet, and CMA. Anastasia is associated with several pagan groups in the area, including Widsith (with jennifer Culver and Janice Burgess) and the Temple of Ma'at (with Bridget Lester). She believes in fun and synchronicity as part of life, as well as class and ritual. Delfin Pythia is a third degree High Priestess of The American Tradition of the Goddess. She spent 8 years with The Circle of the Serpent. She has just started her own study group-soon to be coven “Circle of the Earth, Sea & Sky”. She has also been a member of the Heathen based Seidh group “Widsith” since its beginning six years ago, practicing Oracle and Journey work. She has presented workshops at Goddess Rising and has been a volunteer for several of the past Winter Solstice celebrations hosted by “Moonlady” Amy Martin. She is also a member of Texas Local Council of CoG serving as Recorder and volunteers for CoG hosted public and community events. She has four children and eight grandchildren and considers herself a blessed soul and always a student of life.

GREAT PLACES WITH LANDSCAPING THE EARTHKIND WAY
PRESENTED BY TAMMY RISSER, DALLAS COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

If you are wondering exactly what “EarthKind” is all about, here is your opportunity to get informed. Learn how to easy it is to enjoy a beautiful landscape, while gaining maximum benefits, with the lowest amount of effort and maintenance

EarthKind methods employ safe techniques for the environment, while lowering your upkeep. Learn how to attract birds, beneficial insects and butterflies to your yard. Learn how to drought proof your yard and add to your enjoyment and property value.

Tammy Risser is a Dallas County Master Gardener and Certified Earth Kind Specialist and has been a Master Gardener since 2004. She is active in her community spearheading a “neighbors helping neighbors” group in the South Garland area, chairing a multi-neighborhood beautification committee, active in her Home owners Association, serving as board member, and on various committees in the Shores of Wellington. Tammy conducts educational, seed ball making workshops, clean-up projects, and other projects involving EarthKind Roses, and SmartScape plantings. Tammy also stays active with the Oak Cliff Parks Restoration Project as a hands-on volunteer and Earthkind Consultant.

MORNING MEDITATION (QI-GONG)
PRESENTED BY BRYAN LANKFORD

Chi Kung (or Qi-Gong) is an internal Chinese meditative practice which uses slow graceful movements and controlled breathing techniques to promote the circulation of chi within the human body, and enhance a practitioner's overall health. Chi Kung literally means "breath work." It is a system of movement, meditation, and breathing that can unblock, align, and purify the body’s energy so that the entire being - body, mind, and spirit - can function more harmoniously. Although Chi Kung is often confused with tai chi, Chi Kung is usually much slower and focuses on the "chi" aspect to a much greater degree. There are three main reasons why people do Chi Kung: 1) To gain strength, improve health or reverse a disease 2) To gain skill working with chi so as to become a healer 3) To become more connected with the "Tao, True Source, Great Spirit" for a more meaningful connection with nature and the universe.

This workshop is designed to wake you up, energize you and give you a great start to your day. Come join us as we explore both internal and external forms of this ancient practice.

Bryan Lankford is a Wiccan practitioner in the Dallas Pagan community. He has been trained as a High Priest in the McFarland Dianic Tradition, a Wiccan tradition founded in the early 1970s by Morgan McFarland, and has master standing in Old Path Wicca. He is the cofounder and High Priest of the OIC coven, an Old Path coven that holds regular circles of its own as well as performing rituals for the Dallas Pagan community.

Bryan has served as national co-second officer and as a national interfaith officer of the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), an international organization for Wiccans, and as first officer of the Texas Local Council of CoG. Bryan serves on the board of directors of both Earth Rhythms, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that presents experiential events, preserves natural places and provides assistance to those in need in the North Central Texas region and Betwixt & Between community center (B&B) where he taught the beginning Wicca class at since 1998. As interfaith officer for the Texas Local Council of CoG, Bryan lectures extensively about Wicca at colleges, universities, and private functions around the North Texas area helping thousands of people understand the truth about Wicca.

Since 1999 Bryan has been a member of the Thanks-Giving Square Interfaith Committee, which promotes dialogue and cooperation between people of all religions, where he represents the Wiccan faith in the Dallas area religious community. In 2000 he received international media attention when he gave the opening invocation at a Dallas City Council meeting.

Bryan has been frequently interviewed by the media and has been a guest on both secular and religious radio programs. His first book, WICCA DEMYSTIFIED: A GUIDE FOR PRACTITIONERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS, was published by Marlowe & Co. in 2005.

If you have any questions, please send an email to Workshops@UnitedEarthAssembly.com