Sunday, April 09, 2017

SPIRIT DANCE



This Trance Dance I've been running, I thought I'd change the name to Spirit Dance. And in so doing, present it in a way that is closer to how I see it. Because this dance is fundamentally about a deep connection to Spirit. 

I think 'trance' gives the wrong emphasis. The altered state, the 'trance', is a necessary part of what happens, but in ordinary parlance it also has connotations of loss of consciousness, of being hypnotised. And it's not like that. Nor does the term bring out what is essential.

In a traditional setting, a spirit dance would be an invitation to the spirits to dance with us, through us – even, in some cases, to possess us. It is a ceremony. And the spirits are called in for the benefit of the whole village.

The spirit world is always with us. But most of the time our minds are, by necessity, on the everyday. The spirit world – the sacred – presents itself when we step out of the normal: at night, when we sleep; in the solitude of wild places; at sunrise and sunset; when lightning strikes; indeed, anywhere or anything that jolts us out of the dream of waking existence.

What I mean by the spirit world needs a broad interpretation. It is whatever appears, whatever comes through us when we step out of the ordinary. And the spirit dance is set up, like any ceremony, to invoke that non-ordinary consciousness.

There is the rhythmic music, the movement, the intention to visit the spirit world, and there is the blindfold. All of these take us away from the linear, rational self and bring us to quite a different place, that is hard to put into words.

But it is where we go to meet ourselves in a bigger sense, and in a closer sense. And we can bring anything we want to the dance. 

In a traditional setting, we’d begin with a sense of gratitude to the natural world for all the good things in our lives. And to the spirits for being present and for nourishing us and for being willing to help us. And we can bring whatever is on our minds: a desire for guidance and clarity; a wish to heal some of those troubled sides that most humans seem to have; help for a physical ailment; and help for others. Above all, perhaps, we bring a desire for a deep connection to Spirit.

And we have fun. The spirit world is not a church. Things are informal, there is humour. And dancing is a good thing to do. There is no-one watching (because of the blindfolds), and no particular way of moving. If you’re moving at all. It’s wherever the music takes you.

Monday, April 03, 2017

RIDING THE TIDAL WAVES OF CHANGE

In mid-May 3 of us - myself, Moira Lake and Kate Hubert - are running a day in Devon on the astrology that's currently shaping world events. The death throes of the old world, a new paradigm. How do we orient ourselves in times like this, how do we ride the collective currents, instead of being swept along with them? 

Below are the details


Riding the Tidal Waves of Change


A day of astrological exploration
For all levels of experience from beginners to professionals

Brexit/Trump and the Uranus-Pluto Square with Barry Goddard
Arguably the biggest political event of our lifetimes, Brexit came as a shock. The UK chart reveals different sides to the national character, shedding light on what happened, both personally and collectively. Brexit can also be explored in the context of the current Uranus- Pluto square that has revealed the dark underbelly of globalisation and is bringing political change across the western world.

Barry Goddard has been using astrology to describe and predict world events since 2003, mainly in his blog at www.astrotabletalk.blogspot.com, as well as in astrology magazines. He has been doing personal astrology readings since 2002, and also runs shamanic trance dances.

Going for Broke with Moira Lake
Let’s follow all the planets through the heavens as they close in for the dramatic multiple conjunction with Saturn and Pluto in January 2020. What is ending or beginning now? What are our choices? Every day counts. Through enacting planetary energies and exploring dialogue between them, we will learn how to work with these influences so that a world may emerge in which we truly want to live.

Moira Lake has been a professional astrologer for over 25 years. She also works as an energy healer and shamanic worker. She practises in Dartington. For more information, visit www.hearthstarhealing.com.

Overthrowing the Tyrant King with Kate Hubert
What Saturn makes, Uranus breaks. Merlin-like, Uranus brings radical change to our awareness of human possibility. We are held in the tension of incarceration and liberation. Using visualisation to attune to these energies, we can begin to identify them in our own experience and in the wider world. This helps us get conscious and engage with the challenges and possibilities of our times.

Kate Hubert is influenced by esoteric and Jungian astrologies and a love of druidry. Based in Ashburton, she's been a professional astrologer since '99, offering readings, teaching and workshops. www.awenastrology.wordpress.com.


Venue The Hexagon, Park Rd, Dartington Estate, TQ9 6EQ

Saturday 13th May 2017  10.00am – 5.00pm         £50

Booking (concessions available)/Further info: Kate Hubert  kate@spiral7.co.uk 01364 654494