“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger as reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” ― Anais Nin
As a practicing Pagan and Witch, I try to incorporate the arts into every ritual, every spell, and every affirmation that I can. Every year at Beltane, I read a carefully selected sonnet from my favorite romantic poet, Pablo Neruda. The music of S.J. Tucker is a part of every ritual grounding and cleansing. The beautiful ladies that invoke the four elements in circle perform ecstatic dances that transform them and their costuming into divine creatures beyond human understanding. We talk a lot about how spell-craft doesn't "need" the accessories we associate with it; but in our circle, poetry, dance, song, and art are as useful as any athame or cauldron. The tools of the arts are indispensable for transforming our mindset from the mundane to the sacred.
This is a special year for us, as we try to incorporate more artistry in the weekend's activities. We are honored to host an installation created by Angela King for Prospect 4 titled "Wisdom of the Swamp Goddess," which will be showcased among the trees of Gryphon's Nest. Our Community Mandala will be a permanent installation that all people at the Nest can contribute to by painting a river stone and adding it to the mandala, to help unleash your creativity and vibe with a collective imagery. The Meditation Tree was installed at last year's WFBH, and we hope to add more to it this year (with quote contributions from attendees).
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ― Pablo Picasso
Artwork, poetry, prose, song, and dance speak to us on a subconscious level. Artforms take something complicated that cannot be accurately described with our regular speech, and translate it (using multiple layers of understanding) to our deeper minds. They allow us to tap into our depths to explore our inner realms and connect to the collective unconscious. This is where we connect to communal knowledge, cultural memory, and creative/created energy that ripples through all people. They also trigger our emotions, which help to deepen the impressions of the art/poetry/musical piece all the more.
We want everyone who spends their time with us at the WFBH to not just have fun and party... when you leave, we want you to be able to say that you understand yourself better, that you feel the spark of divinity in you, that you feel more connected to your community, or that you experienced a beauty you haven't encountered before. We want to temper the beauty of our weekend together with the fun and excitement that everyone talks about each year. Let the meaning behind the weekend wash over you, and carry it back to your everyday life. The power of the arts in the world of magick is unparalleled.
We hope you'll be inspired, aroused, awakened, entranced, and engaged. And we hope to see you grow in your power and magick every year!
"Art is standing with one hand extended into the universe and one hand extended into the world, and letting ourselves be a conduit for passing energy." - Albert Einstein
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