Choosing your Twilight Covening Clan

Make sure that you read over all of the Clan descriptions carefully. There are many wonderful possibilities. On your registration form, you will need to list four Clans as possible choices for the weekend. We will try to give everyone their first or second choice, but it is important that you indicate four preferences since we assign the Clans primarily on a first-come first-served basis and some will fill up quickly. Some Clans may also be cancelled due to lack of demand in a particular year.

Number your preferences from 1 to 4, with 1 being your first choice. Registration forms which are filled out incompletely will only delay processing time, making it less likely that first choices will be available. So that Clan Leaders can best meet the needs of all of the members of their Clan, whatever their level of experience, we ask that everyone answer all of the questions on the registration form.

All of the Clans at Twilight Covening are designed to provide deep and fulfilling experiences. Some Clans, indicated with an asterisk (*), include work that relies on past experience or is especially challenging. If you would like to apply to join one of these Clans, please let us know why it calls to you right now and include information about your training, skills and practice with this kind of work in your application along with information about the kind of support system you have in place outside of Twilight Covening (coven, teacher, therapist, etc.). If you do not include all of this information, we cannot assign you to one of these Clans.

To fully complete the ritual of Twilight Covening, you should arrive by dinner time on Friday and must plan to stay on site until Monday afternoon so that you don't miss your Clan's final meeting or the closing circle.  Clan assignments will be finalized and mailed after the registration deadline of September 29. We will have a master list in the office; please call if you have not received your assignment by October 5.

Twilight Covening Clans 2019
October 11-14, 2019

Barred Owl Clan* 
The ancient visiting traditions of England and beyond beg to be revived and so we shall! With song and revelry, blessings and gifts, many of these traditions are joyous, but "bad luck" awaits those who don't respond where and when they should. These ritual forms illuminate what is expected of us: We are responsible to participate in the greater good. We are expected to give gifts to those in need. We are required to cease hostilities, honor our ancestors, and joyously thank the cattle, bees, apples, laborers, etc. that work for and feed us. All of this is encoded in the songs.
The Barred Owl clan will delve into these indigenous European visiting traditions – from Maying to Souling to Wassailing – joyfully re-learning the old ways as a means of resisting and replacing our materialist, individualist, domination-focused modern culture. *Clan members should be physically able, and know the basics about these traditions, love to sing or both. Please include a letter explaining your interest.
Sarah Stockwell Arthen leader,  Kate Greenough, co-leader

Black Dog Clan
In Northern Europe, the year was divided into two seasons – summer and winter – and the transition between the light and dark halves of the year marked a transformation in the spiritual landscape of the world.  Lore from Scandinavia, Britain, and the Continent describes a phantom troop called the Furious Host or Wild Hunt that appears with the turning of the seasons and embodies the energy of the dark months, chasing land spirits into hiding, and carrying souls of the dead to the underworld.  In Black Dog Clan, we will be leaning into this shift of energy and exploring our relationship with the dead, the darkness of winter, and the power of the wandering gods. We will explore ways that Heathenry teaches us to honor and remember ancestors and heroes, and ways to connect with the disir – potent guardians of our family lines.  We will engage with songs, rune lore, and other activities for the long winter nights.  And we will tell sacred stories and explore how they teach us to tap into the transformative powers of the underworld in this season of the sun’s waning.  Black Dog Clan’s work will be derived from Germanic/Heathen Tradition, but this clan is open to people of any path.
Trey Wentworth and Ulf DiCerto, leaders

Buffalo Clan
The Buffalo's majesty and sense of purpose as it moves over the land inspires us to hear Spirit’s call, and create the path that speaks to our hearts. The buffalo symbolizes manifestation, via right intention and right action. In fact, the buffalo’s work is both sacred and practical. In this clan, we will explore magickal techniques to connect with Spirit, define and experience our intention, and manifest our vision. As the buffalo travel together over the land, our clan will actively build connection with one another and with our Mountain. Using meditation, energy work, movement, art and ritual, we will walk the path we want to create for ourselves, and explore how our work is in service to our community. Our weekend’s work will harness the power of the seen and unseen to bring to life that which calls to us.
This clan will be very physically active and will spend significant time outdoors walking on uneven terrain.
Clan members will share a cabin.
Tatiana Lyons and Steve Trombulak, leaders

Butterfly Clan
During our lifetime, we face periods of change, struggle, and loss. The path through these challenging times is by embracing transformation. Change is something that happens to us, but transformation is our response to change that leads us down the path of unlimited potential. The labyrinth is an ancient pattern that mirrors the twists and turns of the cycles we move through in our lifetime. When used in a magical context it can bring about profound transformation. Sometimes we pass through stages of transformation where we become "stuck" and need to reach deep within ourselves to find the inspiration to move forward. The caterpillar journeys to sacred center to emerge as the butterfly transformed and ready to use its new wings. This clan will use the labyrinth as a tool for transformation to journey inward and emerge with new insight and inspiration. Using journaling, labyrinth construction and walking, meditation, movement and breathwork; we will journey to the stillness within and emerge with the tools we need to facilitate our own metamorphosis. We will leave the weekend with a pathwork plan to continue the work of the butterfly to dry your wings and fly into unlimited potential. The work will be physically active at times and we will spend most of our time outdoors. You do not need previous experience with the labyrinth to join this clan.
Butterfly Clan will share a cabin.
Tracy Andryc, leader

Centipede Clan*
To appreciate the light we must embrace the shadows. In our personal magical journeys we encounter fear that keeps us from doing just that. Through journeywork, moving meditations, and rituals we will look at the patterns that hold us back from moving forward. Centipede Clan will work on awareness of our trigger responses so that we may alter the edges of our walls of resistance and seek out allies from within our fears. This clan is open to those ready to engage their shadow spaces with vulnerability.
Sarah Lyn, leader

Coyote Clan
We are all ridiculous.  We have been socialized to take ourselves too seriously, to subsist in patterns and habits, to be a productive member of society.  In ancient cultures, the Tricksters served to break those habits, to laugh at themselves and at others, and to reflect our own ridiculous nature back at ourselves.  In Coyote Clan, we will uncover our inner Fool, break the rules that hold us back, cross boundaries and exist in liminal spaces, and explore what other possibilities may exist on the other side.  Prepare to have your assumptions challenged and your buttons pushed.
Coyote Clan will share a cabin.
Ben Schuman, leader; Irene Glasse, co-leader

Crane Clan*
When cranes gather in a flock, they gabble and toot in a cacophonous, ever-changing web of harmony. Long ago, the cranes and other waterfowl taught the Lithuanian people to join this web through Sutartinės, a flowing, weaving song-style that builds and reinforces a communal connection to the wider tapestry of nature. In Crane clan, we will explore a trance practice based in Sutartinės-singing and lead ourselves towards an experience of the ever-changing harmony between the self, the community, and the world.
This clan will involve a lot of singing, and some optional gentle movement. If you are confident and comfortable in round-singing, you have the requisite music skills for this clan. Please indicate your level of comfort with singing in the comment box.
Lynn and Will Rowan, leaders

Gargoyle Clan
Where are your edges?  What is the difference between perception and reality?  How do you know whether a perception of the outside world is really a projection from within you?  How do we discern whether to be active or passive in any given situation? In the Gargoyle Clan, we will explore our perceptions, both physical and Other, and learn to distinguish external input from internal Knowing.  We will practice techniques for focusing perception, discernment, protection, shielding, warding, and grounding. These techniques will include physical, mental, and magical forms, first applied to the self, and then with each other.  Techniques will vary, so that all may have a chance to find their particular skill set within a given form and be able to use it going forward. This clan will spend most of its time outdoors and includes some gentle physical activity.
Rose Starwind and Ted Thibodeau, leaders

Ibis Clan
Ibises were sacred to the ancient Egyptians, and considered them a manifestation of Thoth, who was credited him as the author of all works of astronomy, astrology, the science of numbers, mathematics, geometry, land surveying, and sacred science.
What is the nature of a sacred place, a temple, a sacred landscape? We will be working with techniques to creating our own contemporary ritualized landscape..  During this process, we will work with the land itself in constructing a “sacred site", incorporating aspects of astronomically aligned megalithic structures and sacred geometry inspired by a variety of cultures and times.  We will incorporate common aspects of a ritualized, landscape, infused with sacred geometry, observational astronomy, and internal/personalized mythology, to assist in generating shifts of personal and group consciousness.
This is the last time this Clan will ever be offered at Twilight Covening. We will be spending considerable time outside working with the land, both day and night, with an all night vigil, working with our Templum, on Saturday.
Ibis Clan members will be sharing a cabin.
Wolf Grathwohl, leader

Lion Clan*
In our extended community of festivals, rituals, and ceremonies, drummers often have the task of “holding sonic space” for dancers, trancers, chanters, and others wanting to access a higher state of consciousness via entraining to rhythm.  This clan is an advanced ensemble experience, focused on exploring the discipline and techniques of percussive ensemble playing for ritual and ceremony. We will be learning music from West Africa, Haiti, and Cuba, and exploring our own rhythms as well, as we learn the roles of each instrument, how we can effectively use them both technically and rhythmically, and develop our listening skills overall.   Some instruments will be provided, and a list of what will/won’t be used in our work will be sent prior to Twilight Covening so you can plan what to bring or leave home. This clan requires familiarity with some form of drum technique, previous experience with playing for sacred or intentional ceremonies (fire circles, community rituals, etc.) and a comfort level learning new rhythms and techniques at a fast pace.
Joss Price, leader

Magpie Clan*
From our first moment to our last, breath is essential to our survival, but breath is also something we can change and control. Using extended breath patterns and trance states the Magpie Clan will open to a deeper connection to Nature, while softening the edges between our human selves and the unseen world. Magpie encourages us to open and explore those liminal places where we can sense our essential connection to the Universal web and to the land we walk upon. As magpies we will work toward valuing our total self, both light and shadow aspects. Our clan will come away with tools and a shared vocabulary to use in our own magical practices, as well as our everyday lives. This clan is not appropriate for people with physical touch issues. Be prepared to work late into the night and early in the morning, in a physically active clan.
Magpie Clan will share a cabin. 
Moira Ashleigh leader

Mouse Clan 
Living parallel to the larger culture, resourceful, prolific, adaptable, protective and successful, Mice live all around us. In this clan we will examine our magical toolboxes, identifying our tools, learning how to use them properly, and adding tools that might be missing. As witches, we should be well versed in how to meditate, ground, charge, give offerings, protect ourselves and our spaces, make intentional objects, create spells, and know when to do these things for maximum effectiveness. This clan is open both to newcomers and long time witches.
Katie LaFond, Leader

Octopus Clan
Manifesting our memory, opportunities, and challenges through talisman, Octopus clan will bring the magic of artist creation as a tool for growth and vision. Fetishes have been utilized in various cultures throughout time as a means for both storytelling and ritual. Octopus Clan will primarily use natural materials and primitive techniques to create physical objects that can be kept and worked.
Kaye Kittredge and Mark Girard, leaders

Snowy Owl Clan
This clan will be exploring the role of the Soothsayer, looking into the history and underlying principles of Divination: the tools, the techniques, our place in the community, how different forms contrast or overlap. We will cover language/ symbols of astrology, and the basics of numerology, palmistry, dowsing, card reading and other casting techniques, also systems from other cultures like I Ching, and the psychic components of trance work, scrying, psychometry, and dream and omen interpretation. We’ll compare which techniques work best in which situations, and how to find your best methods, even how to develop our own. This is an intensive clan with lots of work and service, and little free time.
Tchipakkan, leader

Turkey Vulture Clan*
Turkey Vulture appears as two things. In the air they are graceful, beautiful, peaceful. On earth they look fierce, raw, ugly, terrifying. They don’t kill to survive; they eat what is already dead. In Egypt, vultures are considered protectors of the living and consumers of the dead. In the Turkey Vulture Clan we will call on the Fierce Feminine Archetype to reclaim our Power. We will commune with the dark goddess to recognize those dark moon times that help us rest and prepare for new growth and rebirth. The divine feminine calls on us to be agile, to use our intuition and live in our truth. Like the cycle of the moon, which goes from light to dark, and back to light again, we honor the cycles of our lives. As the weekend continues, we will open into our own Sweet Fierceness. This Clan will dive deep and include components of discussion, visualization, ritual and interaction to help us tap into our own pure knowing and sovereignty. We encourage the participation of persons of all genders and welcome the opportunity to help make the feminine archetypes work for you. Some of our workings will be done during the witching hour.
Participants will be encouraged to share a cabin.
Lanna Lee Maheux & Michele Abazorius Whitaker, Leaders

Walrus Clan
The walrus dives deep and digs for hidden morsels which elude others who seek them. In this Norse clan, we will dive deep to explore both the Hunter/Warrior and Home & Hearth traditions. The Hunters/Warriors will follow a hunters schedule and go on a quest with Snorri to sharpen their skills and arrows as they identify  their individual beasts to conquer. They should be prepared to spend a lot of time outdoors in the woods, fasting and working with focus, both as a group and on their own, then engaging in a ritual hunt. The Home & Hearth folks will prepare the Hunters' ceremonial game feast with Jane, and explore rituals and practices of the Norse home, including bread baking and home warding. This clan will also do trance Voyaging, with the goal of each member learning from the other participants and from the Otherworld so as to provide reinforcement for further magical pursuits.  The Hearth and Home portion of the Walrus clan welcomes all, no matter what your physical abilities may be, the Hunter/Warrior segment will be physically demanding.
Jane Sibley, leader; Snorri co-leader

White Hart Clan*
For the Celts, the appearance of the White Hart was a sign that the forces of the Otherworld were present and in action.  This magical being draws us to embark on a quest into the unseen realms, stimulating profound spiritual changes for those who would follow. To quest for the White Hart is to quest for ancient and powerful magical knowledge as understood and practiced by the Celtic ancestors.  By looking closely at the myths of the Celtic people, we will gain an understanding of some of their deep-held spiritual beliefs and the inner workings of their magical practices. We will learn and engage in several of the magical practices that we glean from the mythologies, adapting them for our modern lives and personal needs.  In this way, we build a living, potent magical and spiritual practice rooted firmly in the traditions of the ancient Celtic people. Participants should have some background in Celtic traditions. Not recommended for mobility challenged individuals. We will spend much of our time outdoors.
Juniper Talbot, leader

Wolf Clan*
Wolves are creatures of twilight, living in-between night and day.  Their eyes and ears are adapted to shadow times. In Wolf Clan, the dark landscape is our ally.  A wolf pack is a family, and we will rely upon each other to move through the woods, breathe into liminal spaces, and support the Twilight community.  Our work focuses on finding connection to each other over distance and beyond human words. We will move together, listen together, and howl together. In Wolf Clan, we ultimately explore what it means to provide service to the community as a pack and as individuals, occupying the place between human and other.
Be aware this clan will pierce the veil of the Visioning Ritual, and therefore we will not be able to accept anyone who has not been to Twilight Covening at least twice in previous years. We will also be very physically active, including moving through the woods during all hours of the day and night. Be prepared to work late into the night and early in the morning, offer ritual support to the community, and interact closely with other clan members.
Wolf Clan will share a cabin
Donovan Arthen and Wolfhame, leaders