In 2006 we will honour the Great Mother in the landscape of Avalon at Her festival of Lammas. We will make our pilgrimage to the Mother of Creation, celebrating Her love, abundance and generosity. There will be many opportunities for conferees to express their own creativity and to participate as artists, singers, drummers and priestesses. Please bring drums, rattles and other instruments to join in making music at the Lammas bonfire, in the Mysteries of Avalon and on Sunday’s Goddess Procession. Throughout the Conference a special Art Space will be open in the Glastonbury Assembly Rooms, where all conferees are invited to explore “The Mother as Creator, Creativity and Creation”, through different artistic mediums, including painting, poetry, text, sound and film.
For all those of you who have always wanted to participate in Goddess Sacred Drama, this year’s Heart of the Mysteries of Avalon will be focused in a Sacred Performance of the Creation Myth of Avalon, received from the landscape during the 2004 Goddess Conference. We would like everyone to take part in this drama in small ways. If you’d like a larger role, please contact Kathy. For the drama we ask everyone to bring clothing, coloured according to your astrological Sun sign. If your Sun sign is earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), please bring black. If your sun sign is water (Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio), please bring gold. If your sun sign is fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), bring red. If your sun sign is air (Aquarius, Gemini, Libra), bring white. Otherwise the main Conference colours are all shades of yellow, from cream to sunflower to gold.
This year Kathy Jones, the Conference Webster, is joined by a Spiral of creative Spinners: Roz Bound on Registration, Koko Newport with the Melissas, Kay Allen inspiring the Creative Mother Space, Sandra Brant with Artists and Craftspeople in the small Town Hall, Pammy Dini assisting with Administration, Emma Knight for the Goddess Abundance Fayre, Rosie Elflain, Annabel Allen and team looking after Young People, as well as Priestesses - Aine Carey, Charis Cave, Cheryl Straffon, Katinka Soetens, Ren Chapman, Rose Flint and Sally Pullinger, who design and create Conference Ceremonies and the Sacred Drama.
Conference participants will once again be supported in Circles of Thirteen and we ask you to welcome Conference newcomers as well as old friends, so that everyone has companions on our journey of exploration into the Mysteries of Avalon. The Goddess Conference is a wonderful opportunity to renew your commitment to the Goddess, to fully experience Her loving nature, to walk in Avalon’s sacred landscape, to enjoy yourself in the company of like-minded Goddess-loving people, to meet old friends and new. We look forward to seeing you here in Glastonbury and ask for the Great Mother’s blessings on our Conference.
The full final programme will be given to you on arrival at the Conference.
Tuesday 1st August Glastonbury Goddess Temple, Lammas Abundance Ceremony
7.30-9.00pm The Courtyard, Glastonbury Experience.
Open to conference participants and the public. Donations to the Goddess Temple are welcomed.
Wednesday 2nd August WELCOME & PREPARATION FOR THE GODDESS CONFERENCE
Morning 9.30am 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 Roe, and Lydia Ruyle’s beautiful Goddess Icon banners. Time to add your personal offering to the central statue of the Mother Goddess and to light prayer candles at the main altar.
Also time to view GODDESS EXHIBITIONS in several venues in the town. In the Small Town Hall you’ll find Goddess art, craftwork & gifts from amongst others Dory Joy, Foosiya Miller, Karen Mander, Kriszta Veres, Morgana & Elfie, Pamela Matthews, Reyner Karinarson, Ronnie Hudson, Shankari, Sharon Zak and Wendy Andrew. In the Glastonbury Assembly Rooms is the Great Mother’s Exhibition with paintings of the Mother from many Goddess artists, as well as the participatory Art Space The Mother as Creator, Creativity and Creation, focused by Kay Allen, Diana Milstein & Ramona Belcher. On Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 12noon-3.00pm artist Helen Drever offers a meditation on The Presence Of The Mother: A Performance with Milk, Honey, Red Ochre and Barley, downstairs in the Assembly Rooms. In the Miracles Room of the Glastonbury Experience visit Wendy Andrew's beautiful paintings,
inspired by
The ever-changing nature of Goddess.
This will also be the first opportunity to see Wendy’s new Goddess Wheel,
commissioned by the Goddess Temple and The Lady of Avalon, inspired by
The Creation Myth of the Isle of Avalon by Kathy Jones.
11.30am-1.00pm WELCOME CIRCLE for all Conference participants, introductions and first gathering in Circles of 13.
Afternoon 2.30-5.00pm PREPARATION RITUALS: AWAKENING THE SENSES
Journeying in Circles of 13, we ritually prepare ourselves for participation in the Mysteries of the Great Mother by Awakening our Senses to Sound, Sight, Touch, Taste and Smell.
Evening 7.30pm OPENING CEREMONY: Invocation of the Great Mother focused by the Conference Ceremonial Circle: Aine Carey, Charis Cave, Cheryl Straffon, Kathy Jones, Katinka Soetens, Lynne Orchard, Ren Chapman, Rose Flint and Sally Pullinger. With participation for all, music from Jana Runnalls, Lydia Lite & Oshia Drury, story-telling from Pamela Gaunt, circle dance, poetry from Rose Flint, songs from Eva van Nieuwburg from Holland, and a performance by Peru the fabulous Singing Woman.
Thursday 3rd August THE INSPIRATION & CREATION OF THE GREAT MOTHER
Morning 9.30am Ceremony opening the day with trainee Priestesses of Avalon.
9-30-12noon Young people’s workshops 8-18 years, Thursday, Friday & Saturday mornings. Sign up at Registration.
Presentations by Kathy Jones - The Great Mother in Avalon
Pamela Matthews - Goddesses of the New Light, Goddesses from around the world with slides
Dr. Apela Colorado - Potentiating the Creative Fire
Anique Radiant Heart - Songs of the Mother an opportunity to sing for the Mother
Priestessing the Elements - Adding percussion and movement to the Four Element songs in preparation for priestessing the Earth Healing Ceremony on Chalice Hill this evening.
Circles of 13 - Time to spend with your circle talking and making Lammas grain dolls
Afternoon 2.30-5.30pm Workshops
Alessandra Belloni - Rhythm is the Cure In her own fabulously unique style Alessandra drums, sings and leads participants through the wild rhythms of Southern Italian ritual folk dances of the Black Madonna and the Tarantella.
Anique Radiant Heart - Singing for your Soul If you can speak you can sing. Learn about the four types of singing voice available to you and find your Spirit Voice so that you can write and sing your personal Spirit Chant.
Annie Spencer - Weaning Ourselves Off the Madonna. Deep into our psyche is imprinted this archetype, which has nothing to do with the true triple goddess of our land. What do we have to reclaim to transform ourselves from milksop into true woman?
Chris Leeson - Deep into the Earth I go… Explore the centre of your own Earth energy through a sacred circle of chant, meditation, Goddess Oracle, creating corn crowns, and ending with a crowning ceremony.
Katinka Soetens - Mother Mysteries : Healing Birth Explore the source of your mothering: birth, both your own and those of your children, healing birth issues with drawing, clay-work and meditation, sound-work and journeying.
Kay Allen, Di Milstein & Ramona Belcher - Aspects of the Mother in Collage An opportunity to explore and express aspects of Mother from a choice of approaches including collage, text, poetry, painting, sound and film and washing lines!
Peru - Women’s Ecstatic Healing Chants Workshop Open the voice and the whole body to the Earth Spirit through ancient sacred women’s chants, breathing and singing into a deep state of union or lovemaking with the Earth.
Roz Bound - Writing with the Goddess The Mother and Muse of our fertile creativity is always with us. In this interactive workshop, you will have the loving gift of sacred space and time to write, listen and be heard.
Tim Ward - Goddess: Image, Archetype, and Anima An experiential encounter with images of the Goddess, from 20,000 BC to the present day, sculpting in clay a statue of some aspect of the divine feminine.
Evening 7.30pm EARTH HEALING CEREMONY on top of CHALICE HILL
8.30 pm THE GREAT MOTHER’S LAMMAS BONFIRE in BUSHEY COMBE
Friday 4th August FACE TO FACE WITH THE DARK & LIGHT MOTHER
Morning 9.30am Ceremony opening the day with training Priestesses of Avalon.
Presentations by Annie Spencer - Birth, Death and the Mother
Claire Hamilton - Was Arianrhod a Good Mother?
Koko Newport & Katinka Soetens - Admitting the Bad Mother
Alessandra Belloni - Healing chants and ritual drumming in honour of the Black Madonna
Circles of 13 - Make Lammas Bread Mother Goddesses In the footsteps of our foremothers we shape bread dough into images of the Mother Goddess which will be baked in the afternoon and eaten in the evening.
Afternoon 2.30-5.30pm REHEARSAL & PREPARATION for this evening’s Sacred Drama performance
Focused by Aine Carey and Sally Pullinger. Learn chants and movements for participation in this evening’s Sacred Drama.
Evening 7.30pm THE HEART OF THE MYSTERIES
CREATION MYTH OF THE ISLE OF AVALON : NOLAVA’S STORY
Written by Kathy Jones, directed by Aine Carey, with music especially composed by Sally Pullinger, this Sacred Drama performance encourages us to deepen our connection to the Lady of Avalon, She who is Nolava, Great Mother within the landscape of Glastonbury Avalon. As well as the principal actors, everyone in the Conference is invited to take part in bringing alive Her Great Mystery.
Saturday 5th August RE-MEMBERING THE MOTHER OF CREATION
Morning 9.30am Ceremony to open the day in the Town Hall with the Priestesses of Avalon.
Presentations by Tim Ward - A Man's Search for the Goddess with slides
Jill Smith - Mother of the Isles, the Major Southerly Lunar Standstill at Callanish, on the Isle of Lewis with slides
Letecia Leyson - Mother/ing and the Gift Economy
Young People’s Song - The young people in the Conference perform their self-composed song.
Chocomama - Her Priestesses offer Her blessings
Lady Olivia Durdin Robertson - Journeying to the Mother
Afternoon 1.30-3.30pm A choice of three workshops:
Cheryl Straffon & Jacqui Dash - Celebrating Lesbian Womens’ Spirituality
Brian Charles - Men and the Mother For men who love the Goddess.
Pamela Matthews - How shall I know you, dear Goddess? Pamela shares the experience and visions which have driven and sustained her 22-year Goddess quest.
2.00-4.00pm GODDESS ABUNDANCE FAYRE in the Town Hall
An opportunity to sell your gorgeous Goddess art and craftworks to Goddess-loving people or to offer Goddess readings, etc. Prebook your £20 stall with Emma Knight Tel 07742712603
Evening 7.30pm GORGEOUS GODDESS GALA MASQUE & VEGETARIAN FINGER BUFFET
Come dressed as the Goddess or God you are, masked or veiled. Treat yourself to a delicious vegetarian Finger Buffet specially prepared for us by Cafe Galatea. Listen, dance and make merry with international star Julie Felix and Glastonbury’s own fabulous Wild Women - Jana Runnalls, Katrina Brown, Oshia Drury, Lydia Lite and friends.
Sunday 6th August GODDESS PROCESSION & THANKSGIVING
Morning 10.00am GODDESS PROCESSION through the streets of Glastonbury to Chalice Well and to the top of the Tor with a fabulous FRUIT FEAST. Please bring fruit to share.
Afternoon 2.30pm GIVE AWAY - Bring something lovely to give away to another person. Thanksgiving Ceremony Weaving the Mother Web of Connection
CLOSING CEREMONY
CLOSE OF CONFERENCE 4.00pm
