July 27th - (10am-4pm) Lunch Provided
at
The Meditation Place - 324 Main Street, Longmont 80501 (Alley Entrance)
(NOTE: There will be NO Firewalking at the event.)
Please join Mountain Ancestors Grove, ADF at this year's Summer Symposium!
Every year, we work with members of the community to find the most needed voices for our presentations,
and this year is no different.
For this year's fundraiser & lecture series, we've gathered together the best in our community,
from myriad traditions, to share the wisdom of their paths and perspective.
This year we'll be focusing on the challenging topics surrounding Rites of Passage.
Rites of Passage are a routine part of every life. From the birth of a baby to the death of a loved one, our lives are marked by many events that fundamentally change the way we move through the world. We have lined presentations on death rites from a polytheist perspective, coming of age ceremonies, and the important support function of reintegration for those around us who experience these rites of passage in their lives.
Our Keynote presentation will focus on the power of liminality on his personal journey and guide the attendants through recognizing the power of their own transformative experiences.
Join us for a full day of exploration and growth!
ATTENTION: we will be taking donations for OurCenter, Longmont’s center for self-sufficiency and community assistance. Please go to their website to see what items you can contribute! Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Every year, we work with members of the community to find the most needed voices for our presentations,
and this year is no different.
For this year's fundraiser & lecture series, we've gathered together the best in our community,
from myriad traditions, to share the wisdom of their paths and perspective.
This year we'll be focusing on the challenging topics surrounding Rites of Passage.
Rites of Passage are a routine part of every life. From the birth of a baby to the death of a loved one, our lives are marked by many events that fundamentally change the way we move through the world. We have lined presentations on death rites from a polytheist perspective, coming of age ceremonies, and the important support function of reintegration for those around us who experience these rites of passage in their lives.
Our Keynote presentation will focus on the power of liminality on his personal journey and guide the attendants through recognizing the power of their own transformative experiences.
Join us for a full day of exploration and growth!
ATTENTION: we will be taking donations for OurCenter, Longmont’s center for self-sufficiency and community assistance. Please go to their website to see what items you can contribute! Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Presenters & Speakers
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KEYNOTE - Sam Bullington, Ph.D. (he/him/his) - The Power of the Liminal: Rites of Passage in Everyday Life
In order to grow and transform from one life stage to another—whether individually or societally—we need to spend time in the liminal phase, standing at the threshold allowing the dissolution of the old ways before we can move forward into the new. While American culture does not honor rites of passage very adequately to begin with, it especially fears and resists the ambiguity, disorientation, and necessary death of the liminal stage. By contrast, Sam reveals the power of liminality, explored through his own personal journey as well as the upheaval of contemporary collective transformation, and invites audience members to stand at the threshold with him and take stock of their own transformation journeys. Sam Bullington is a writer, public speaker, college professor, shamanic counselor, and founder and director of Phoenix, Colorado’s Trans Community Choir. Sam recently completed a book about polyamory as a spiritual path (Learning from Polyamory: A Spiritual Seeker’s Guide to Love) and is soon to finish a second about being transgender as a spiritual path (Transgender Wisdom: What I’ve Learned about Gender and Life from Living in the Grey Areas). Sam’s passion is creating a world in which we all can thrive. |
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Rachel Stevenson, MA (they, them, their) -Youth Coming-of-Age Ceremonies
This presentation will explore the various coming of age ceremonies within Unitarian Universalism and why they are important to not only the youth but to the community at large and how Pagans can incorporate various ceremonies of transition to mark the important moments in one’s journey. Rachel Stevenson Is an active member in the Dragonfest Community, having served 5 years as Kitchen Witch. Their previous work consists of working with Unitarian Universalist youth as youth coordinator with the Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist fellowship. Rachel is currently working with a Non-Profit called JUUST Living a sober living residence and congregation in Lakewood. |
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Rev. Melissa Ashton, ADF, MNM (she, her, hers) -Bringing it Back Home: Reintegration Modalities within Rites of Passage
Rites of passage are a routine part of the human experience. Here in the United States, we recognize a variety of occasions pivotal to our growth and development from birth to death and many stages in between. One of the least recognized yet most important aspects of the rite of passage experience is the reintegration of the new self back into the mundane world. In this presentation, Rev. Ashton will provide examples of several relevant rites of passage with a distinct emphasis on the methods of successful reintegration. Originally hailing from Columbus, Ohio and the Heartland Region, Rev. Melissa “Missy” Ashton brings over twenty years of experience from a variety of polytheist and professional communities. She has held multiple leadership positions both locally and with the international organization Ar nDraoicht Fein, A Druid Fellowship, Inc., where she has served on the board of directors. She has presented on many topics in the past, including Music and Magic, the Axial Awakening, The Heroes Journey, and Rites of Passage from a Pagan Perspective. She also studies and writes on leadership development and serves as a consultant for nonprofit management. You may find her musings on her blog. |
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Jaime Stone (she, her, hers) - Gazing into the Eyes of Death: A Historical Overview of Pan-Indo-European Polytheist Funerary Practices
We will be looking at what it meant to have a "good death", and the roles that The Shining Ones and other spirits played in transition. Ideas of reincarnation will be challenged and built upon in a way to merge the separate Truths of Faith and Science. Looking towards the here and now, emerging trends in funerary practice will be examined and weighed with an open heart to see how they can help to reconnect us with the spirits of our Ancestors and kinfolk, while daring to dream of an inclusive After. Jaime found Paganism as an adolescent and has since spent much of her life collecting experiences and traditions, some with the Church of All Worlds, and the Aquarian Tabernacle Church. She has also been responsible for founding small-group, Queer Witch circles. Originally, a student of the Woolsten-Steen Theological Seminary for Pagan Ministries, Jaime is now working on ADF's Dedicant Program. Currently, Jaime is working with a small team to lay the foundational work for a Pagan "Death Society" that would attend members of the faith in their final hours. Jaime’s future goals are to complete her Bachelor’s degree, work toward ordination, and attend a seminary or theological school to pursue her Masters of Divinity. |
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