Virtual Twilight Covening
October 9-12, 2020
In the twilight of the year, we gather together to set time apart from our daily lives for study, reflection, dreaming, and seeking visions.
A time apart.
Feel the current of change
As the season turns.
Flow with the tide.
Find yourself held in community,
Honoring the spirit of the Earth.
Breathe in the cool crisp air
Cross the bridge from autumn
Into the dark of winter.
Step into a three-day ritual of deep spiritual connection, learning and magic.
Twilight Covening is a continuous 3-day ritual which holds and shapes an institute of Earth spirituality and a time to develop our collective wisdom in a shared sacred space as we move into the dark time of the year.
Each year since 1986, members of the EarthSpirit Community gather deep into ourselves and into communion with this time of year and with all of Nature. We explore the depths of a range of spiritual practices, learn new skills together and experience the joy and power of a living community ritual. We invite you to join us.
Twilight Covening is held in the autumn during the strong natural transition taking place all around us from light into dark, summer into winter, and outward focus to inward contemplation. During the gathering, we use this current of change, along with our focused practices, to find inspiration and insight that can feed us in the dark months to come and motivate us to make changes that we can use to deepen our own spiritual practice.
The intensive work of Twilight Covening takes place in practice-specific Clans and in full-community rituals that flow together through the weekend.
This year, in order to keep our community safe, Twilight Covening will be a virtual event. We’ll keep our structure of holding smaller Clan meetings as well as larger all-community rituals, and we’ll also be mailing out a package of very special materials to participants to help make Twilight Covening happen in and around your home. Participants can expect to split their time between Zoom sessions, individual practice, and structured rituals.
The rituals include:
- Releasing Fire Ritual on Friday night,
- Dream Circle on Saturday Night
- A Visioning Ritual on Sunday night
- Attunements each day which mark the cycle of the day
During this time when we cannot be together physically, the opportunity to deepen our practices and expand our tools feels especially potent. Many participants have found that Twilight Covening provides a model for maintaining an earth-centered practice on a daily basis and is a wonderful opportunity for developing strong and lasting connections with others on a similar path.
The Director
Deirdre Pulgram Arthen
Deirdre Arthen, a witch for over 40 years, loves creating different kinds of gateways along the boundary between the seen world and the unseen and sharing the experience of passing through those gateways with her community. Deirdre is the Executive Director of EarthSpirit and partner in Tamelin Productions with Andras Corban Arthen. She coordinates Twilight Covening, selecting and overseeing all of the clan leaders and shaping the ritual content for the weekend.
Twilight Covening Application
Admission to Twilight Covening is by pre-registration only. One fee includes the cost of the program and a package of special materials mailed to your home.
- Online Registration closes at 11:59pm ET on Monday, September 21, 2020
- The cost of registration is $125
- If you live outside of the US and would like to register, please contact us by email no later than September 11, as we will need extra time to accommodate international mail.
There will be a fee for international mailing.
Current dues-paying EarthSpirit members, Associate and above, may deduct $5 from their total cost.
Unfortunately, due to the need to purchase and mail materials, we do not anticipate being able to accept late registrations for Twilight Covening this year.
Twilight Covening Confirmation
Confirmation of registration, with directions and the clan assignment, will be sent out no later than Saturday September 26.
E-mail is by far the most efficient means of communication. If you have changed your email or mailing address from the time of registration, you need to let us know asap so that your information can reach you in a timely manner. Send us an email at Tamelin Productions with the subject: "Covening address change".
Given the atmosphere we create at Twilight Covening, the number of people we can accommodate is limited. Please register early to ensure admission. If cost is an issue and paying in installments will help you attend, please call 413-238-4240 or e-mail us at tcreg@tamelinproductions.com as early as possible and we will try to help. A few work exchange positions may be possible for individuals with construction or carpentry skills.
Morwen Two Feathers Scholarship Fund
Anyone can Donate to the Morwen Two Feathers Scholarship Fund to help other people attend Twilight Covening.
Again this year, a scholarship fund is available to offer partial financial aid to people who otherwise could not attend. In order to help as many people as possible be a part of the Twilight Covening magical experience, we ask that you only request what you need, up to 50% of the attendance cost. There will be a "Scholarship Application" selection in the payment section on the application form. All scholarship applications will be reviewed by the Tamelin Productions team, and you will hear from us once that has happened.
If you are under age 18 and would like to register on your own, or if you want to request special arrangements for payment please e-mail us at tcreg@tamelinproductions.com
Twilight Covening Online Registration Instructions
To register online, click the link below. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with your registration number. If you do not receive this email, your registration is not complete. Please do not register more than once. If you have questions, additions, changes, or cancellations, e-mail us at tcreg@tamelinproductions.com. Online payment options are: credit card (via PayPal), check, or money order. If you choose PayPal, you'll be taken to the PayPal site at the appropriate time in the registration process. If you choose check or money order, please write your registration number on your payment and mail it to:
Tamelin Productions
PO Box 340
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Payments must be received by September 21 for us to complete your registration. Thank you for understanding.
Registration for Twilight Covening is Closed
This method is fast, secure and helps us process things quickly.
If you have not received your assignment by September 26, please contact the Tamelin Productions office at 413-238-4240 or tcreg@tamelinproductions.com.
Refunds
If you are not able to attend Twilight Covening and would like to receive a credit you must request it by email by September 18. If you need to have your money refunded, let us know before September 10th. After that date, your registration money is committed toward expenses for which we have to pay in advance whether you attend or not. Please do not ask us for any kind of refund or credit after September 18.
A $25 service charge will be applied to all refunds and bounced checks.
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.
To fully complete the ritual of Twilight Covening, you should plan to dedicate time to the event at these approximate times:
- Friday night, October 9: 2+ hours at night
- Saturday, October 10: 3 sessions - morning, afternoon and night, with breaks
- Sunday, October 11: 3 sessions - morning afternoon and night, with breaks
- Monday, October 12: 3+ hours in the morning
Clan sessions will run on Eastern Daylight time and clan sessions will not be recorded.
It is important that you be fully available with minimal distraction or interruption during Clan meetings and rituals. Some Clans may have additional meeting times; these will be clearly communicated in your confirmation. If making additional time is a significant challenge for you, please indicate on your application form.
In order to participate, you will need a stable internet connection and a private space. If you are unable to participate in video calls due to bandwidth or other technical limitations, please note this on your application form. While finding ways to create access to private outdoor space will be helpful, we are striving to make this event accessible to participants in a variety of living situations, including those without access to private outdoor space.
Clan assignments will be finalized and mailed after the registration deadline of September 21. We will have a master list in the office; please call if you have not received your assignment by September 26.
Twilight Covening Clans 2020
October 9-12, 2020
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. Often times we pass through stages of transformation where we become "stuck" and need to reach deep within our selves 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 a variety of techniques to interface with the labyrinth archetype, we will create a vision board to illustrate a planned path forward. As we move through the weekend and deeper into our work, we will uncover the elements of our path forward that need to be brought into the light, identified, and transformed. You do not need any prior knowledge of or work with the labyrinth.
Tracy Andryc clan leader
Cormorant Clan
The Cormorant's eyes have nictating membranes that help it to see clearly in different conditions, just as magical practice asks us to see our world differently. In this clan we will use breath, trance, movement, and photography to explore in light and shadow, to see between, into patterns, and outside the boxes we have been taught. We will work to find the places where magic and technology become partners. As a clan we will stretch our ability to hold an altered state, while collecting images to share. This clan is not a photography class, and the camera or phone you will use is not important, as long as you are familiar with the tool (this is not the time to learn a new camera). This clan also assumes you have the skills to hold altered space and to ground when needed. Cormorant clan will have extra clan times.
Come walk into the Mystery and allow yourselves to see.
Moira clan leader (she/her)
Garter Snake Clan
As our beloved Mother Earth lives, grows, decays, and sleeps only to be born again in the spring, so too do people pass through different phases during their incarnation here. We evolve and change, and sometimes the lives that we built for ourselves no longer fit. Garter Snake Clan seeks to support those who need to shed their skin to reveal the truth and beauty beneath the old scales. We will explore techniques for coming back into right relationship with our Sacred Selves and dive deep with Elemental Life Sculpting. We will release that which no longer serves and step into the next phase of life connected, consecrated, and empowered.
Garter Snake Clan will be based around the primal elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit, and will use guided meditation, gentle movement, breathing exercises, altar work, written reflection, and conversation to support our work of transformation.
Irene Glasse clan leader
Mouse Clan
Living parallel to the larger culture, resourceful, prolific, adaptable, protective and successful, Mice thrive. In this clan we will talk about the different Crafts of the witch. We will create amulets, talismen, and make several magical tools. We will practice scrying techniques and talk about when to do your magic to increase effectiveness. We will examine our motivations, perceptions, cycles, and do our best to shift our awareness enough to create more space for magic in our busy lives. This clan will work for those who have outdoor spaces as well as those who don't, as long as you have a decent imagination.
Katie LaFond clan leader
Orb Weaver Clan
This clan will explore the creation of art in ritual and magical practice, individually and in community, with a focus on understanding and integrating the symbolic language of nature. Clan time will be spent both exploring pattern recognition and the role of visual arts, symbols, sigils and spellcraft in our community's evolving traditions, as well as diving into intentional art creation. While prior art experience and proficiency will be helpful *it is not necessary* for participation in this clan. Clan members must provide their own basic materials, but our projects will be structured to allow for eight-legged variety and flexibility in the materials you choose. Paper and pencil, a sand tray, paints, fiber, and/or sculptural materials could all be used in our work. We will build galleries of imagery as we progress through the weekend. So beyond having the technical capability of accessing the zoom meetings, clan members must have the ability to take pictures, and either add to a Google Slide presentation or email images to the clan leaders through the weekend.
Martin Bridge and Kaye Kittredge clan leaders
Seal Clan
The Seal dives deep into the ocean depths to seek out that which sustains her. Like the seal, we live in interrelated, overlapping realms. Our dreams connect these worlds, forming a web that links our sleeping and waking landscapes; our mythic soul and our lived experience. Considering ideas and tools developed by dream pioneers such as Carl Jung, Jeremy Taylor, Robert Moss and Stephen Aizenstat, as well as ancient cultural approaches to dream work, we will dive into our own depths to search the realm of dreams for wisdom and insight. In our on-line Clan we will learn techniques to work with our dreams, both individually and with others. Through zoom discussions we will implement the techniques we have learned by working together on dreams. There will be opportunities to expand dreamwork outside of Clan time by finding ways to communicate in partners or small groups. Clan members will be given exercises to do away from the screen, which can be done outside or inside depending on personal situations. Techniques for dream incubation will also be taught for clan members to practice on their own each night. Even if you rarely remember your dreams, you will find deep meaning in exploring the world of dreams and may even discover that your own dreaming life becomes more alive for you as a result. This clan is for people new to dream work, as well as for those who have strong relationships and experience with dreams and dream work.
Juniper Talbot clan 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 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, deep independent exploration, ritual, and group 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 (around midnight, EST). This special online edition of Turkey Vulture will require dedication and concentration. Participants will be expected to focus on the clan work from Friday evening until midday Monday and you should plan to create the privacy and space to do so.
Lanna Lee Maheux and Michele Abazorius Whitaker clan leaders
Registration for Virtual Twilight is Closed
Twilight Covening 2020 Clan Leaders
Irene Glasse (Garter Snake Clan) is a Mystic Witch based in Western Maryland. She is President of the Frederick Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, organizing and offering Pagan events, rituals, classes and workshops to a large, vibrant community. Irene also performs readings, healings, pastoral counseling services, magickal and ritual work, guided study and more both in person and remotely through her website, www.GlasseWitchCottage.com
Juniper Talbot (Seal Clan) has been a witch since 1982 and is an Elder in Lenai Aine, a Celtic witchcraft coven. She has been co-facilitating a Dream Group in her hometown and leading dream workshops in many venues since the early 2000’s. Juniper has studied dream work with Jeremy Taylor, Robert Moss, Stephen Aizenstat and others, and is passionate about sharing this inspirational realm of wisdom with fellow dreamers.
Katie LaFond (Mouse Clan) is a pagan who has studied many traditions of witchcraft. A fiber artist, homesteader, and musician, Katie is passionate about local food and making most things from scratch. Katie has led a variety of clans at EarthSpirit’s Twilight Covening, taught workshops and classes in a variety of pagan disciplines across the U.S., and has written and led ritual both public and private, digital and in person. A music teacher and member of MotherTongue, she lives in the hilltowns of Western MA with her family, bees, pets, chickens, books, turkeys, gardens, hobbies, & way too much yarn.
Kaye Kittredge (Orb Weaver Clan) is an artist, systems thinker, and member of Glainn Sidhr. She draws inspiration from nature throughout her life, including in her professional work in program management, organizational transformation and alignment in the information technology sector. She is a long-time member of the Rites of Spring core volunteers and a frequent clanleader at Twilight Covening, most recently offering a variety of clans centered around the many ways we create, both individually and as a community. She has also held an active role for many years in creating EarthSpirit's Boston-area programming. On the Board, she serves as a member of the Program and Interfaith Long Range Planning Committee.
Lanna Lee Maheux (Turkey Vulture Clan) is passionate about helping others realize & reclaim their own power using discussion & tools like visualizations & daily practices. Lanna uses pronouns she/her & is a witch, faery seer, podcaster, ex-clown, balloon twister, actor, geek, silly person, writer, singer, twit, & recovering Stand-Up Comic. A long-time member of the EarthSpirit Community, Lanna has presented at Rites of Spring, & has led the White Raven & Turkey Vulture Clans at Twilight Covening. Lanna Lee likes shiny things.
Martin Bridge (Orb Weaver Clan) is an artist, educator and permaculture designer living and creating in the hills of western mass. A central theme of Martin’s work is an exploration of the natural world and our place as humans in relation to the web of life that we are a part of. His work bridges realms of science and mysticism in an effort to challenge the cultural paradigms that dictate how we relate to both the natural world as well as our sisters and brothers. His Permaculture works have been shared in international publications and educational material. Martin initiated the "Art Salons" that have been an important part of "Rites of Spring" and "A Feast of Lights" since 2005, creating a space to explore the integration of art in our individual practices and evolving community traditions.
Michele Abazorius-Whitaker (Turkey Vulture Clan) brings a laser focus with use of archetypes, and phases of the moon that directly correspond to aspects and hidden influences in our lives, through Fierce Feminine activation, sovereignty and rituals. Michele is a faery seer, priestess, witch and healer. Her myriad of path work also includes Priestess Path Sisterhood, Usui Reiki Master, Hatha Yoga Teacher, and Registered Nurse. As a long time member of EarthSpirit Community, Michele has presented workshops and intensives at Rites of Spring and has co-led Caribou and Turkey Vulture Clans at Twilight Covening. Michele is pursuing her Masters in Nursing, and defines her best role as Grandmother.
Moira Ashleigh M.A. (Cormorant Clan) is a witch of the Glainn Sidhr Order. She has been a featured presenter at EarthSpirit's Rites of Spring, Twilight Covening, and A Feast of Lights. She has also taught at Free Spirit, Pagan Pride, and was the coordinator of the EarthSpirit's "East" events for 20 years. Moira has a Masters degree in Theater and Dance from Emerson College, She is also a storyteller, and the embodiment of the character RagRoot at the New York Faerie Festival. Moira's numerous clans at Twilight Covening focused on breath, trance, ritual support, ritual roles, shapeshifting, perceiving patterns, and the body as a magical tool. She is also one of the ritual photographers at Rites of Spring and the photographer for the EarthSpirit presence at The Parliament of the World's Religions 2009, 2018. Moira uses her photography to share her love of the natural magic in the world and in her community.
Tracy Andryc, (Butterfly Clan) has been sharing her love of the labyrinth since her first walk on its path in 1998. She sees the labyrinth as a universal tool that can be used in a magical/spiritual context, regardless of your religious path. Tracy is a Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, Certified Birth Doula, Reiki Master and owner of One Path Labyrinth Ventures. She takes a holistic approach to her labyrinth work by incorporating other modalities such as crystal grids, sound and sacred dance. For two decades, she has facilitated workshops and rituals on the labyrinth and other topics at venues throughout New England.
