Flashes of Insight

Modeling New Ways of Being-The Annual Wise Woman’s Festival Preparing for the 5thYear April 4-6!
by Flash Silvermoon

These are very exciting times and it has never been more important for us to start living into a higher consciousness.
The Annual Wise Woman’s Festival is one of those experiences of living into a such a consciousness and space that grows year after year in empowerment,safety,and deep sharing by all.
Its hard to find words to describe the intensity and subtlety of the uplifting feelings we enjoy at the WWFest.It is always a heartwarming empowering experience of soul connection for many with their sisters, lovers and friends.
Those who attend and present are down to earth positive women who make magic for 3 days and absolutely raise the energy of all who are there while grounding this new consciousness on earth.
This is not a Religious Festival but rather a space for creating a fluid spirituality that embraces ancient traditions of many cultures without being bound to any particular one.
We also create organic changes that address the modern needs of our culture without losing depth and authenticity. I think some of the key ingredients that permeate this festival are acceptance, mutual respect, and a whole lot of wisdom shared with loads of fun too..
The Wise Woman’s Festival is a small and intimate festival that tends to max at about 100 women. There is a strong mix of lesbian and woman identified presence among the presenters, performers and attendees.
The festival is open to all women and that is important as well as making it affordable enough for most women to get there or do a work exchange. Start planning now so you can make it to this fun fest.
We expect that our advance full ticket should cost only $65 per woman for wkshps,concerts,camping and sisterhood. Meals will be extra and deliciously reasonable for all tastes and needs. Day tickets will be $35 and include one night of free camping.
Its very special for a mom to bring her daughters especially to a place where they can be totally safe to mingle and be befriended by many other women.
Next Fest April 4-6 2008, we will have a kids event if enough children want to come.and tell us in advance.
If you are intimidated by going to some of the large Women’s Fests this one will feel quite comfortable and friendly. Its a great place to make new friends doing a work shift in the kitchen or at registration or just sitting by the fire at night.
It is so important to create these spaces in our lives whether they be for an hour or a weekend or a lifetime. I realize just how committed I am to continue this festival which is coming into its Fifth year.
The Native Medicine Women, Aurora Whitebird,Songdancer and Butterfly Circle Woman are so awesome and create a healing space where they work much of the time. They also do a Sweat Lodge both evenings which is very well attended.
Some can’t do a sweatlodge safely so if you are one of those women who doesn’t prefer that activity, we also have spoken word poetry and drumming. Corky and Portia will be some of the new poets to join this year.
At the Multi traditional circle for Peace, Justice And Healing.
We speak to all the ancestors/ansisters for all the races welcoming them to work with us asking women in
the circle to call in their ancestors. Our goal as always is to Raise the Vibe for the Tribe and bring Peace and Healing to the Planet.
Returning Sat.night,Kat Whitestar and her lover Claire Franklin, who also play in the band Elysian Sex Drive from Sarasota, played as a duo for the first time last year offering some deep and evocative music from their repertoire which features Kat’s soaring vocals and brilliant songwriting. and Claire’s percussion and voice.
I always love jamming with them and Omi, my sister Blues Sister. Omi is also a Priestess of Yemonja in the Yoruba[Nigerian] tradition . We like to began our set with a chant to Oshun , the Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Performance which always gets those sweet energies flowing.
After we each play our separate sets we all join in to create a most cosmic jam of sounds and songs. Funky, bluesy, Latin and rock n roll beats keep the women dancing for hours and the heat and energy rising.
With all of the mind and spirit work that occur during the day, it is always a great time for us to really get into our bodies, cut loose and dance.
I remember a room filled with swaying women of every size, age and color. Quintina Crawford,a young sister who also played her smoothe jazzy sounds over lunch traded vocals with Kat. Omi and me and the blend was pretty amazing.
These high energy, raise the roof jams have become a tradition for us on Saturday Nights at the Wise Woman’s Festival and all these wonderful women will return this year too.
One of the real surprises, and another group that is returning this year is Third Eye Spoken, a young group of spoken word
poetry artists in their 20’s black, brown and white straight, bi and gay. Their honesty,courage,clarity and style blew us all away and this was their first fest!
They spoke [or spit as they call it] with such fire and passion and straight from their cores. These young women gave many of us who have been activists for years a lot of hope that there really is a new generation picking up the torch of rebellion and spirit for the future.
Many of us are part of oral traditions that will die with
us unless we pass on the knowledge so working and playing with these Maiden Goddesses was most inspiring.
After their first amazing set, some of us started playing drums while 17 yr. old Asia and Krystle freestyled. I switched over to the keyboards to give them some blues backup and another hour of spontaneous creativity ensued.
This is part of a typical Fri night while some are in the Sweatlodge which is an incredible experience in itself for clearing and raising energy. We have a secong lodge after the music on Sat night as well because so many women usually want to return.
Some of what really gets modeled at WWFest is a radically different way of relating with openness and safety.
Many describe the WWFest as an oasis that they find irresistible in a sea of Patriarchy.
The young women remarked how amazing it was to be able to leave their purses unattended anywhere anytime and not
to worry. Vendors could do the same with their booths too. Of course those who could camp and sleep under the stars in an all women’s environment enjoyed that pleasure immensely.
You needn’t camp if you are not a camper as the site is an easy 1/2hr commute in Florida from Gainesville, Melrose or a little more from Ocala and there are also nearby BnB’s and motels [see my website].for those who can’t camp and come from a further distance. We have women coming from many parts of the state and country for this special festival so don’t miss your change this year.
Days are filled with workshops, walks, and healing opportunities from some of the finest presenters on Alternative healing, Ancient traditions, and Creativity.
You can journey to discover your animal totems with Butterfly Circle Woman, blend your own special essential oil, with Songdancer. Omi Aladora Ajamu will present a workshop on the Goddesses of the OrishasI[Flash Silvermoon] teach the healing power of stones and crystals, and how to open yourself to your
intuition with the Wise Woman’s Tarot. In the past I taught easy methods to communication with animals.
This year I will teach Sacred Sex:Tantra for Lesbians and other women.
Last year,Anna Alvarez and I took participants on a musical guided journey to the Temple of Isis. We may do a different Journey this year.
You can also enjoy Yoga with the Parrotwimmin, Non traditional Reiki with Lylly,Deep Thinking with Woody, Sacred Touch with Sarah,Moondancing with MarinaAlzugaray ,Alchemy and Scrying with Aurora, as well as learning how to write and perform spoken word poetry with the amazing young women from Third Eye Spoken. Morgana may be back with her Amazon Bellydancing.
Oh and did I mention the food? We have never had better food which features some ethnic faves from many continents for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.
JMarie and Oriya,our kitchen witches, prepared mouthwatering and healthy food.
Most all of the,presenters,workers and performers are hot to do this again this year and many new presenters and events are planned as well.
. I stopped doing this festival in Oct because I was tired of being dogged by hurricanes and the change to Spring has been a wonderful one.
. Some new topics for next fest will be Omi’s workshop on the Goddesses of the Orishas, Astrology,Tantra for Lesbians,African and Belly dancing,Pagan 12 Step meetings,Reclaiming and much more.We need lots more support and input for this festival to continue and grow the way it can.
New dates again are April 4-6
so please consider coming and or helping. If you want to communicate about the festival please go to my website below and scroll down on the homepage to the WWFest section where you can read all about past fests as well as join the
festival Elist for future announcements. New Fest info is not up yet but last years will give you the feel of the event.
Advance Tickets will be available soon at Wild Iris Books.
This is a huge amount of work for me and many others and I am so happy to be able to bring together so many wonderful women. Come join us this year and bring all your womenfriends.
Blessings Flash Silvermoon
The 5th Annual Wise Woman’s Festival
* The Wise Woman’s Tarot - http://www.flashsilvermoon.com *
* The Wise Woman’s Tarot - http://www.flashsilvermoon.com *

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