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Early Bird Sessions of movement and dream sharing

Air - Light, day, enlightenment, breath, inspiration, music, Heaven, ascension, sky, magic carpets, birds, divination by the flight of birds, levity, intellect, consciousness, words, Logos, oral tradition, magic, the breath of plants, fairies: the folk of the air, invisibility

9 am
The Big Story
The Restoration of the World:
The Myth of Merlin

Retold by Caitlin & John Matthews, William Todd-Jones
The Life of Merlin by the 12th century British chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth relates the myth of Merlin. It tells of Merlin's madness after his witnessing a terrible battle, of his sister Ganeida and of Merlin's recovery at the hands of his friend, the poet Taliesin, whose relation of the creation of the world accomplishes a great healing. Set after the passing of Arthur, this myth is based upon the original early medieval sources and Dark Age poems.

11 am
Breakouts

• Love in Action: The Gift Economy
  Duncan Campbell, Michael Karlin, Sue Wootten
  Hafsat Abiola once said, "Love without action is irrelevant, and action without love is meaningless." What is the nature of love in action? What motivates someone to place their gifts in service to the world, and how do they still maintain the sustenance and reward required to carry on in the face of significant obstacles? Can an economy of spiritual abundance and material sufficiency be built upon those ideals of giving? Join in conversation and stories with four individuals who have chosen to walk away from the traditional path to place themselves in service to a mission to make the world a better place.
• A Journey to the Ends of the Earth
  Robert Swan.
  The first person in history to walk to both poles of the earth shares his experiences in travelling across the globe. Through his amazing explorations, Robert Swan (funny, charismatic, great British accent) inspires people to create extraordinary results in preserving the environment through leadership, teamwork and personal development. He shows how anyone can take small, achievable steps to protect the environment and the planet, in order to preserve its natural beauty and integrity for future generations.
• The Archetypal and Prototypal Time of Myth
  Robert Sardello
  An invitation to engage in exercises leading into mythologies in order to evoke memorial patterns and to enter into them in a way that awakens creative awareness of the unknown future; how to be aware of qualities of fate and of destiny.
• Women of the Grail
  Cheryl Sanders-Sardello
  We look at the great myth of the Grail through the actions of the women. The women in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzifal bring new form to the world, sensitizing soul toward the future, toward destiny, by carrying the geography of the spiritual world into the activity of the physical through the creative feminine that holds and lets go, heals and inflicts, nurtures and punishes. They accomplish all, not by what they "do for" the other, but rather by being "who they are with" the other, in other words, out of the wholeness of their being, the way of the heart.
• MythBody to Live By
  Chungliang Al Huang
  Chungliang Al Huang and Joseph Campbell created this work together at the famous Campbell Esalen retreats. This session works with how to embody the I Ching kinesthetically (as well as emotionally), learning to experience the trigrams of the Yin/Yang forces in our own bodies on three levels - spiritual-human-earthly.

12:30 pm
Lunch
We sit to eat all together, presenters and guests. One of the most relaxed parts of the day for informal conversation.

2 pm
The Big Conversations

Interdisciplinary dialogues, usually about a contemporary issue. The conversationalists bring to bear wisdom and knowledge of archetype, narrative, and soul work, with life experience in business, system design, art, science, agriculture —what have you— illuminating on both personal and cultural levels where we are and how we might find our way forward.

• What the Soul Looks Like: Images and Imagination
  Art aims at things unseen by paradoxically depicting them. How is that? What is the imagination? What has it got to do with soul?
  
  Robert Sardello
  David Anderson
  Stu Jenks
  Steve Aisenstat
  Laurie Patton


• Whispering Into the Ear: Music as Message
  The Latin root for inspiration means "to breath into," which also hints at the intimate way in which music can move us.
  
  David Gonzalez
  Midori Snyder
  Lorin Hollander
  Michael Fitzpatrick


• Language and Logos Language is symbol and sign and image at once. Many creation stories say in the beginning was the word, and the word was God. Or the universe is made from sound. Poets on word, sound, sign.
  
  Coleman Barks
  Ekiwah
  James Flannery
  Betty Sue Flowers

4 pm Breakouts

• Eco-Chakras: Making Mother Happy
  Michael Ben-Eli
  What are the core principles we can use to guide the emergent transition to a decent planetary society and a sustainable world?
• The Music of What Happens
  Peter Beagle, James Flannery
  Join two good friends as they indulge in dolce far niente, or "sweet idleness" and the art of conversation.
• Thomas the Rhymer
  Ellen Kushner
  Ellen Kushner's award-winning novel Thomas the Rhymer is based on Celtic folklore, myth and music. In this performance she interlaces portions of the novel with the ballads that inspired them, to create a living picture of a world where song and story intertwine, as a mortal minstrel is taken by the Queen of Elfland to serve in her perilous kingdom.
• Wisdom from the Wild
  David Abram, Caitlín Matthews, Ari Berk, Teri Windling
  From India to Greece, the mentors of humanity and the arts were the beings who shared characteristics of humans and animals. What is their role? What is the place of the wild in our lives? How do we become civilized? When does civilization betray the wild things? How do we listen to the wisdom in the cells of our bodies?
• A Jew and a Palestinian Walk Into a Bar: Stories in Conflict
  David Lewis How myth and story are the key to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict
  

7 pm
Twilight Opening of the Main Conference and Performance Festival

• Chungliang Al Huang dances with concert pianist Lorin Hollander and cellist Michael Fitzpatrick while Heather Dale and Fred Johnson sing, and Michael Meade tells stories. Music, poetry, of earth, air, fire, water.
  

9 pm

• Beowulf
  Charlie Bethel
  The mother of all monster-tales comes to life in this critically acclaimed solo performance. The tale of a man who kills monsters, enjoys hearty friendships, becomes king and ultimately dies in battle with a dragon, Beowulf is one of the oldest surviving examples of English poetry. Actor Charlie Bethel reanimates this usually dusty English Lit staple and restores it to a rollicking, bloody and brash morality poem, in which the story's main themes - the impermanence of life, the certainty of the ultimate uncertainty of mortality and the courage required to engage in the simple act of living - are as immediate and pertinent as they are timeless and classic.
• Let It Unfold: A Heroine's Journey through Story & Song
  Sheri Kling
  In 2002, Sheri Kling leapt from her "day job" in technology marketing to creating a life of following her true bliss — music and the spiritual life. In this intimate performance, Sheri will weave together positive music ranging from "introspective acoustic ballads to more freewheelin' honky-tonk throwdowns" and vivid stories that illuminate our heroic journey toward wholeness. Combining rich vocals with dynamic guitar, Sheri sings about what is real, what is true, and what invites us all into a more passionate and well-lived life. "Sheri's music is rich in meaningful metaphor which connects the listener with spirit and soul. Her songs' lyrics and rich images leave one feeling understood, and satisfied." — Dr. Jerry R. Wright, Jungian analyst

9:30 pm
Dancing
Dance the night away to your heart's content.

• Wednesday (In-Depth Conference)
• Thursday (In-Depth Conference)
• Saturday (Main Conference)
• Sunday (Main Conference)

Presenters — Schedule — Register — What is it? — Fact Sheet

— Education Conference — Volunteers — Hotel — Transportation — Vendors —