Wednesday 28^th July -
Sunday 1^st August

with Fringe events Sunday July 25th -
Monday August 2nd

Celebrating Bridie and the
Maiden Goddess
Singing the Land Alive!

The Goddess Conference is expanding and changing shape again!

In 2004 we are bringing our start time forward with Registration beginning at 10.00am on Wednesday morning followed by the Welcome Circle at 11.30am. We want to include more experiences and more space for integration. Preparation Rituals will take place on Wednesday afternoon before the Opening Ceremony, so that we are well prepared to begin our Pilgrimage to the Maiden throughout the course of the Conference.

This year we are celebrating Bridie, Maiden Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and the Moon, of healing, poetry and smithcraft. She has a particular connection to Glastonbury where She is recognised as Goddess in Her swan-shaped landscape, and as Lady of Healing and Inspiration. She is also Saint Bridget, who was said to have come to Glastonbury from Ireland in the fifth century CE, living for a time on Bride’s Mound near Wearyall Hill. We will honour Bridie in many ways and especially in the Healing Ceremony which will lie at the Heart of Her Mysteries.  

In this Maiden year we are especially inviting young people who love the Goddess to come to the Conference, making provision for over 7’s in three supervised workshops which will culminate in a wonderful Maiden Ceremony on Sunday morning. This is not childcare, but active participation and parents remain responsible for their children during the Conference. We are including playful experiences for the Maiden within, which we hope you will enjoy - Goddess Games, a Goddess Quiz and a Goddess Abundance Fayre on Saturday - bring your own Goddess items to sell or offer Tarot or tealeaf readings, etc. £10. tables must be prebooked with Tyna Redpath. Tel. 01458 834030. Young people up to 18 will share a free table.

Another focus this year will be the Enchantment of the Land in which we will honour the Lady by sounding Her heart note in the holy places of Avalon, singing alive the Songlines of Her golden etheric Web. We will be journeying together to sacred sites within the Glastonbury/Avalon landscape in a specially expanded Goddess in the Cart procession on Thursday afternoon and evening, ending with the Lammas bonfire. We will sound Her note and send Her radiant healing energy outwards from Avalon to the rest of Brigit’s Isles and beyond. On Friday afternoon we will process to Bride’s Mound to renew Bride’s Sacred Flame. Because we are spending more time outdoors there are no shorter workshops within the Conference this year, they will return in 2005. There are however great day workshops on the Fringe before the main Conference opens.

Conference participants will be supported in Nineteen Pilgrimage Circles and we ask for your cooperation in welcoming Conference newcomers as well as old friends, so that everyone has companions on our journey of further exploration into the Mysteries of Avalon. The Goddess Conference is a wonderful opportunity to renew your commitment to the Goddess, to experience Her truly healing nature, to allow change to come into your life, to enjoy yourself in the company of like-minded Goddess-loving people, to play, and to meet old friends and new. We look forward to seeing you here in Glastonbury and ask for Bridie’s blessings on our Conference.

Provisional Programme

(The full final programme will be given to you on arrival at the Conference)

Wednesday 28h July - WELCOME & PREPARATION FOR THE GODDESS CONFERENCE

Morning 10.00am REGISTRATION for the Conference begins in Glastonbury Town Hall with apple juice & cider in celebration of Avalon, Isle of Apples, with magnificent Goddess wallhangings by Thalia Brown and Willow Rowe, and Lydia Ruyle’s beautiful Goddess Icon banners. Time to add your personal offering to the Maiden Goddess specially created for the Conference by Foosiya Miller, and to light prayer candles at the central altar.

Also time to view beautiful WOMANSPIRIT EXHIBITIONS in the Town Hall, the Assembly Rooms and Glastonbury Experience, organised by Tyna Redpath and Karin Schlüter Lonegren with artwork from amongst others Ama Menec, Clio Wondrausch, Avril Webb, Annemarie Hopper, Jill Smith, Ronnie Hudson, Foosiya(Freddie) Miller and Sylvan Thorncroft.

11.30am WELCOME CIRCLE for all Conference participants with Kathy Jones and Tyna Redpath - your Conference Organisers and Mystresses of Ceremony, introducing everyone and gathering in 19 Pilgrimage Circles.

Afternoon 2.30pm PREPARATION RITUALS
At the beginning of our pilgrimage to the Goddess, journeying with our Pilgrimage Circle, we prepare for participation in Her Mysteries in the coming days by cleansing ourselves with Her natural elements: Air - smudging with incense, Fire - feeling the heat of Her passionate flame, Water - cleansing ourselves in Her waters, Earth - decorating ourselves, and Space - walking meditation, praying to Her for inspiration and guidance.

Evening 7.30pm OPENING CEREMONY: Invocation of the Goddesses on Britannia’s Wheel. Britannia is the Goddess Brigit Ana, of Brigit’s Isles. Focused by the Conference Ceremonial Group and Priestesses of Avalon, with ceremony, dance, song and participation for all, with Jana Runnalls, Lydia Lite & Oshia Drury. Plus Carolyn Hillyer - A Thousand Ancient Daughters: A Ritual Journey to the Oldest Memories of Our Ancestral Land.

Thursday 29th July - THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE LAND

Morning 9.30am Ceremony opening the day with trainee Priestesses of Avalon.
Presentations by Kathy Jones on The Enchantment of the Sacred Land
Lynne Orchard on Footsteps on the Earth, Chalice in the Heart
Rae Beth on Faery Guardians of the Springs and Wells
Rose Flint on Saying the Land Awake
Jana Runnalls sings Songs of the Goddess - Old and new Goddess chants and songs.
Pilgrimage Circles - Make Lammas Bread Goddesses. In the footsteps of our foremothers we shape bread dough into images of the Goddess, which will be baked in the afternoon and eaten in the evening, focused by Tyna Redpath.
9.30-11.30am Young people’s workshop in the Sophia Room in preparation for pilgrimage

Afternoon 2.30pm
GODDESS IN THE CART PROCESSION, SINGING THE LAND ALIVE!
Journeying all together we will process with the Maiden Goddess and banners through the Sacred Landscape.
EARTH CEREMONY - On the slopes of Chalice Hill we will connect with the earth beneath our feet, sounding Her earth note and sending it out along the Songlines in the earth.
AIR CEREMONY - On the top of Glastonbury Tor we will open to the air and the spiritual dimensions of Her life, sending Her energy out through the airs of the planet.
WATER CEREMONY - At Chalice Well we bathe and drink in Her waters moving through different spaces in the gardens, sending Her song out through the waters of the earth.
Followed by a Picnic Supper in the landscape. Packed suppers will be available for purchase from the Spiral Gate Café.

Evening 8.00pm
FIRE CEREMONY - In the evening we will light a ceremonial Lammas Fire sounding Her note and sending healing to the hearth fires of the world.

Friday 30th July - HONOURING BRIDIE

Morning 9.30am Ceremony opening the day with training Priestesses of Avalon.
Presentations by Sister Mary Minehan - Bride as Goddess and Saint. This wonderful Brigidine Sister and Keeper of Bridie’s Sacred Flame from Kildare in Ireland will speak from her own personal experiences of serving Bride.
Cheryl Straffon - Following the Bridie Trail A slide presentation following Bridie’s journey from Ireland to Glastonbury.
Sheila Bright - Brigid at Ailsa Well A personal experience of Brigid.
Patti Howe - Reclaiming Bride’s Mound - the journey to save Bride’s Mound by the Friends of Bride’s Mound
Bridie’s Babes will sing the Maiden’s songs for us
Pilgrimage Circles : Making Bridie Crosses in honour of Bridie. Talking of our personal healing needs.
9.30-11.30am Young people’s workshop in the Sophia Room

Afternoon 2.30-5.30pm PROCESSION TO BRIDE’S MOUND : Renewing Her Sacred Flame
Walking together in procession to Bride’s Mound via Wearyall Hill with the Maiden Goddess, Goddess banners and Bridie crosses for a ceremony to renew Bride’s sacred flame and send Her healing energy out across the land.

Evening 7.30pm THE HEART OF THE MYSTERIES OF THE BRIDE THE HEALER
A special ceremony of personal healing for everyone will be held in the Town Hall. With crystal bowls, toning, journeying, song and hands on healing.

Saturday 31st July THE MAIDEN’S BLESSINGS

Morning 9.45am Ceremony to open the day in the Town Hall with the Priestesses of Avalon.
Presentations by Annie Spencer - Women’s Shamanic Ways - Weaving the scared into our everyday lives
Lady Olivia Durdin Robertson - Journeying to meet Bride the Maiden
Kellianna - Songs of the Goddess
Maiden Games - Release the Maiden within in a fun session of Goddess Games
Pilgrimage Circles - Mead Making - We will make a honey mead which will ferment for a year and be drunk at the 2005 Goddess Conference. Plus a Goddess Quiz
9.45-11.30am Young people’s workshop in the Sophia Room - preparing for Sunday’s Maiden Ceremony

Afternoon 2.30pm GODDESS ABUNDANCE FAYRE in the Assembly Rooms
An opportunity to sell your gorgeous Goddess art and craftworks to Goddess-loving people or to offer Goddess readings. You must prebook your stall with Tyna Redpath Tel 01458 834030
2.30pm Bridie's Poetry Festival - bring poems to share.

Evening 7.30pm GORGEOUS GODDESS GALA MASQUE & ORGANIC VEGETARIAN FINGER BUFFET
Come dressed as the Goddess or God you are, masked or veiled. Treat yourself to a delicious organic vegetarian Finger Buffet specially prepared for us by the Spiral Gate Organic Café. Listen, dance and make merry to Conference favourite Julie Felix, and back by popular demand Glastonbury’s own fabulous WILD WOMEN - Jana Runnalls, Kat Brown, Lydia Lite, Oshia Drury and friends.

Sunday 1st August - MAIDEN CEREMONY & THANKSGIVING

Morning 10.30am Special MAIDEN CEREMONY with Priestesses of Avalon, and a fabulous FRUIT FEAST. Please bring fruit to share.
Afternoon
GIVE AWAY - Bring something lovely to give away to another person. THANKSGIVING CIRCLE
CLOSING CEREMONY CLOSE OF CONFERENCE 4.00pm

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Información y Programa de la Conferencia (Español)

Formulario de Inscripción (Español)

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Conference Information

The Goddess Conference is open to women and men who love the Goddess. We reserve the right to alter details of the programme where necessary to give you the best experience possible, and where circumstances arise which are beyond our control.

Conference and Exhibition Venues: Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury Experience, Glastonbury Assembly Rooms and environs, all in the centre of Glastonbury.

Date and Times: Please Note Changed Start Time. Conference Registration is in Glastonbury Town Hall from 10.00am Wednesday 28th July. Welcome Circle at 11.30am. Cleansing Ceremonies begin 2.30pm. Conference Opening Ceremony begins 7.30pm. Full conference programme runs morning, afternoon and evening Wednesday, Thurday, Friday, Saturday, ending Sunday 1st August 4.00pm.

Admission: Exhibitions, individual talks and Fringe workshops are open to the general public. Conference Ceremonies, Pilgrimage Circles, etc., are only open to full conference participants and day ticket holders.

For Information: The Goddess Conference, 2-4 High St, Glastonbury, BA6 9DU, Somerset, Great Britain

Tel 44 (0)1458 833933

Thanks to Ann Cook, Elin Hejll-Guest, Foosiya Miller, Gillian Booth, Gloria Horner, Kathy Jones, Michelle Scott, Richard Donovan, Sue Oxley and many others for photographs and artwork on this site.

Please respect artists' copyright

Thanks also to Sandra Román for translating the Conference and Programme information, also the booking form, into Spanish.

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