It’s only a couple of weeks away now! I am so excited to be returning again this year as a featured speaker at this long running (since 1985) annual Pagan gathering. Heartland is held every spring outside of the Kansas City metropolitan area at a Pagan owned and operated camp. It has one of the best merchant areas I have seen at any festival, and over the years has hosted people like Starhawk, Christopher Penczak, Stewart Farrar, Leo Martello and author Marian Zimmer Bradley.
For those of you who will be at Heartland, I have three workshops and one ritual planned:
SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK
You are thinking of writing a book on Paganism or magic, or perhaps you have already done so. What do editors look for? What mistakes can you avoid that would otherwise kill your chances? Author Alaric Albertsson will discuss book publishing, using his acquisition editor’s personal notes. Get an inside look at how it all works.
(In February I participated in a panel discussion on this topic at Pantheacon. Obviously I will be speaking alone this time, rather than with a panel of other Llewellyn authors, but my acquisition editor has given me permission to use her own notes for the presentation.)
WYRDWORKING
Runes, galdor, wortcunning, scrying and seething. The Anglo-Saxons had magic traditions as rich as any other culture. Learn about the magic techniques discussed in my book, Wyrdworking: The Path of a Saxon Sorcerer. What is Anglo-Saxon magic? What sources do we have as evidence for these old practices? If English is your first language, Anglo-Saxon magic is your cultural heritage.
(At this presentation I will be talking about my book, why I wanted to write it, the sources I used and where I hope to go on from here.)
HERB MAGIC AND THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES
One idea discarded in medicine long ago was the Doctrine of Signatures. We will look at this theory and see how it still applies to the practice of traditional herb magic. Learn how to enhance your own work with herbs using the Doctrine of Signatures in a safe and creative way.
(This is my first time doing this presentation, and I’m excited about it. I will be discussing an intuitive approach to working with herbs, including a simple ritual for use in herb magic.)
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
You and your animal companion are BOTH invited to this ritual! We will give thanks to our gods, to the local animal spirits and to the animal companions who have passed over the Rainbow Bridge. You paid fifty bucks to bring your companion here; let him or her receive the blessings of Spirit. All animal companions must be restrained as per Heartland’s rules. One animal per adult human, please.
(Facilitating this ritual is very important to me. I don’t think everyone who attends Heartland realizes what a privilege it is to be able to bring their animal companions to the festival. The animals themselves should have a wonderful experience participating in a ritual designed just for them!)
At each of my presentations I will have copies of Travels Through Middle Earth: The Path of a Saxon Pagan, copies of Wyrdworking: The Path of a Saxon Sorcerer, some Martin Rune Decks and (just for fun) a few copies of the new Kingdom of Arlond role playing game setting that Taren Martin and I have jointly published.
At some time during the festival, Aquarius Books will be hosting a visitation and book signing for me. I don’t know when this will happen, but I am sure there will be announcements posted at the festival – or just stop by the Aquarius merchant booth and ask!
Hope to see some of you there.