Gathering Of Circles
2004
Schedule of Events
Updated 08/01/2004
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 Time

Thursday Evening   

07:00 to 08:30 PM

Welcome and introductions - Cliff Buchanan - Welcome, Smudging, Introduction circle, Talking stick, Purpose for the Gathering of Circles. Cliff is a computer consultant in Odessa, Texas and has led many gatherings.

08:30 to 09:30 PM

Pipe Ceremony - Pamela Scheler - Pamela Lightsong Scheler is the Pipe Carrier for the Rainbow Bridge Clan.  She creates sacred space through ceremony and song. Flute by Virgie Ravenhawk.

Time

Friday Morning

08:30 to 10:00 AM

Introductions continued. Announcements, acknowledgements of GOC coordinators, housekeeping, welcome and introduction of our five speakers and special guests. 

10:00 to 11:30 AM
Respect
"A man is not an elder because his head is grey... he in whom truth, virtue, gentleness, self-control, moderation, he who is steadfast and free from impurity, is rightly called an elder... is called respectable."
Micah 6:8

Panel discussion on our theme: "Power Of Healing." The Panel will consist of Bearheart, Beth Hin, Melinda Garcia, and Charles Conatser. (Serge Martel will not arrive until late Friday. The panel will each have about 15 minutes to address such questions as What exactly do we mean by "Power of Healing?", Where does it come from?, How do we use it?, When do we use it?, How have you used and experienced it? etc. Then there will be a 30 minute question and answer session.

11:30 to 11:45 AM

11:45 to 01:30 PM

Time

Friday Afternoon

01:30 to 03:00 PM

04:00 to 05:30 PM

Men's Sweatlodge led by Bearheart.

04:00 to 05:30 PM

Women's sweatlodge led by Regina Waterspirit. Regina WaterSpirit, 62, medicine helper, artist, consciousness teacher and co-creator of the workshop,"Inner Vision Quest," with Marcellus "Bear Heart" Williams.  She has taught holistic mental health and art therapy tools for 19 years and has earned the right to "pour water" in the Pawnee tradition. Her tribal affiliation is Hebrew, The Dusty Ones! 

04:00 to 05:30 PM

05:30 to 07:00 PM

07:00 to 08:30 PM

"All My Relations: The Meaning of the Gathering of Circles for Me."  by Beth Hin. A talk regarding personal and mystical experiences and observations of the lived experience and philosophy of The Gathering of Circles,  as we celebrate ten years. Will include time for questions and a guided meditation.
Founding president of the White Rose Foundation, Beth Hin is a mystic, ordained nondenominational minister, master's candidate, doctoral student, and informal scholar of comparative religions. Her lifelong work as a teacher and counselor, focusing on spiritually based directives, defines the White Rose Foundation*s mission to support the unity in diversity of all religions and world peace. Introduction by Carol Dawn. Song by Pamela Scheler, Brett Messer, & Sheri Young.

08:30  to 10:00 PM

Stars, Stories and Smoores - Led by Love SwimmingBear. All children, youth and interested adults are invited to gather in the meadow for a look at Lakota star constellations, then gather to cook smoores while hearing Native American stories. Bring  binoculars, if you have them, and a large towel or blanket to sit on and pull around your shoulders.

Time

Saturday Morning

05:30 to 7:00 AM

07:30 to 8:45 AM

"World Famous Pancakes" - Cliff Buchanan - (Odessa Texas) - Cliff's Kitchen - Fantastic healthy secret recipe, bacon, butter, syrup, GOC donation of  $3 appreciated. Bring your plate, fork and knife and don’t forget your appetite!

09:00 to 10:30 

Serge Martel is the founder and creator of the Healing Modality named "Shamanic Touch", which is a compilation of Shamanic techniques using the subtle energies to bring about complete healing. "Creating your own reality with help from the forces of nature and how to take responsibility for creating your life and using all of the elements at your disposal" will be my focus this year. Introduction by Cathy Bails. Flute by Virgie Ravenhawk.

11:00 AM  to 12:30 PM

Melinda Garcia - "Living Our Daily Lives as the Path to Enlightenment" will be my subject. Following our highest path, being of service to the Heavens, and joining with the Divine is not only for people who renounce their families and join a monastery, convent, or commune. Many of us do not have that option, yet we yearn for union with the Creator in a good way. Together, we will explore the attitudes and tasks that are essential to creating a divine path from a seemingly ordinary one. Introduction by Virgie Ravenhawk. Song by ReeCie Wilkinson.

Time

12:30  to 02:00 PM

Lunch

02:00  to 03:30 PM

Charles Conatser - AGREEMENTS: MORE HEAVEN AND LESS HELL Each moment your agreements determine, whether it will be for you a moment of hell on earth (fear, judgment, guilt, ugliness, and confinement) or a moment of heaven on earth (love, discernment, joy, beauty, and freedom). Most of those agreements were put into your book of laws by others who hooked your first attention as an innocent child, without your awareness. Introduction by Pamela Scheler. Poem by Larry Walker.

03:30  to 04:30 PM

Drum Auditions - Susan Murray  Susan will be the drum master this year.  Susan will pick three teams to drum for the Sweet Medicine Dance. Only her teams will be allowed to drum. This is to insure a better quality drumming for the dance. The steady beat of the drum is essential for stepping into that trance state and dancing your own dance full out.

03:30 to 04:30 PM

Women’s Bundle: Vena LeFever.  Men’s Bundle: Mike Kelley. Bring a small token of your personal power as woman or man, and share the meaning of the token with the group. Take turns at the Sweet Medicine Dance dancing with the bundle to empower it with the power and love of our ancestors and spirits of all directions.

03:30 to 06:00 PM

Sweet Medicine Dance Circle - JJ Hamilton & Steve Kirby - Everyone helps to prepare the dance circle for Saturday night. Paint your face, wear your best, dance full out.

Time

Dusk to 11:00 PM

Sweet Medicine Dance - Time to dance your dance of life and find your own Sweet Medicine. Gather for the processional, which will enter the dance circle from the four cardinal directions. Choose your direction or… let it choose you. Trust in Spirit to guide you this night to find what your soul needs. Dress your best, paint your face, wear your mask or not, find your center and dance your best.

11:00 to ???

Co-ed sweat lodge led by ???

Time

Sunday Morning

09:00 to 11:00 AM

“Talking Stick and Give a Way” - Vickie Vaughn - Bring a gift wrapped in a paper bag for the “give-a-way.” This should be something of significance (meaningful) to you, which you now want to relinquish your attachment to, and pass on to a new keeper. The size or monetary value of this item is irrelevant but the more significant to you the better. It may be symbolic of something of yourself, which you have or wish to turn loose of so that your “hands” are freed up for your present pursuits. Listen to your heart in deciding what to “give-a-way” at this time.

12:00 to 01:00 PM

“Feast” - Bring “pot luck” dish and share the fellowship. Please stay as long as you can to help take down the sweat lodges and police the campsites.

Childrens Basket

June/Nell Baldwin is bringing the "Children's basket" again this year. She will bring a basket of toys, books, musical instruments, balls, yo-yo's, etc. for the children. It will be kept at the Welcome Table. Kids will come get an item from the basket to play with/use/read and return it when they wish and get something else. At the end they will return the items unless it's something they really want to keep. June invites everyone to bring something to add to the Children's Basket so it will continue to be filled year after year.