WOMYNSPIRIT HERSTORY
Womynspirit is, in a way, an accidental festival - which has grown to become a regular presence since 1992.
In the summer of 1991, seven womyn gathered with a facilitator at Unicamp to participate in a week-long “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” camp. When the facilitator was called away due to a family emergency, the seven womyn decided to carry on, following the “Cakes” syllabus (a Unitarian program), each taking a turn at leadership. With the focus on the question, “How would your life have been different if the feminine had been honoured?” they studied the influence of European patriarchal religion, shared personal stories, sang, leaped the fire.
A powerful ritual focusing on the Burning Times began shakily. The womyn’s chanting and toning was echoed by a mocking male voice. Other male voices around the comp joined the first, creating an atmosphere of threat. However, the womyn decided their positive power was greater than the negative male energy being directed at them, so they danced away their fear around their fire, naming the men’s actions for the threat that they were. Chanting louder and louder, they gradually switched to positive, empowering chants, and when at last their ritual felt complete, they found that the threat had faded away.
This experience led them to envision an Ontario festival which would bring together local Pagan women to share their skills and gifts, with no big names and no paid presenters. Their own experience led them to understand that we each have strengths, whether we recognize them or not, and that circling together can give us the confidence to share.
The original 7, Janice, Maureen, Judy, Kate, Annette, Hilda and Betty, called on others from across southern Ontario to join them in planning. Thus, in 1992, Womynspirit was born.
Monthly planning meetings were held in sacred space, as the vision grew. We decided we would create an affordable event and that local woman would teach the Womynspirit knowledge, facilitate the rituals, teach the lore, and it would include children so they could take part in and experience our culture.
The original plan was to go round the wheel of the year. We started in August with Lammas. Janice asks: “Do you remember the bread?” Ah, yes, some of us do! And the dancer with her pythons! The second Festival was held at the Fall Equinox, with lovely outdoor workshops. The third Festival, at Samhain, gave us a deep experience, unlike any other gathering. We unanimously decided that Samhain was our special Womynspirit time.
We gathered at the Ecology Retreat Centre in the Hockley Valley for the first 10 years. Then we moved around the province for several years - west to Butterfly Farm near London, north to Elmvale and Camp Kawartha, and then returned to our original home, Ecology Retreat Centre.
Over the years, we had wide-ranging workshops ranging through chanting, ritual 101, Tarot, sexuality, sacred circle dance, yoga, herb walks, tree talks, crafts, kitchen magic, art, tea-leaf-reading, revolutionary womyn’s humour (the Raging Grannies), planning your own Pagan memorial service, grieving the losses of aging, mask-making, activism, a Death Café.......
The girls’ program, which ran for many years (and may resume when funds allow), was staffed by ECE professionals with young helpers. The girls did nature walks, crafts, and visionings. And of course they had a Hallowe’en party in full costume. With the guidance of experienced Womynspirit witches, they had a Saturday afternoon ritual, during which they shared deeply. We felt it was a privilege to circle with the young girls, because we were the wise ones who were passing on our knowledge and experience. It was not 'babysitting'. It was kraft work of a different sort.
The vendors were all womyn who crafted their own art/craft work and the subsidy fund was set up with the vendors’ 10% donation . The vendors also gave items to the raffle so we could raise money to support low income and single mothers. (Although a financial crunch has left us with no current subsidy fund, we hope to be able to offer subsidies again in the future.)
Over the years, we have also gathered in our homes and community spaces to celebrate other sabbats, to keep in touch, and also to enable other womyn to experience some of the Womynspirit magick. When Womynspirit began 25 years ago, there were few covens, and so our in-town rituals were attended by up to 50 womyn. Over the years, womyn have formed more local covens, and attendance at these rituals dropped off. However, with our ongoing presence at First Unitarian Congregation in Toronto, we have been able to offer “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven”, “Rise Up and Call Her Name”, “The Pagan Book of Living and Dying”, and other Pagan courses of study (all well-attended), as well as occasional rituals.
-Kate
Read about this years festival
Womynspirit is, in a way, an accidental festival - which has grown to become a regular presence since 1992.
In the summer of 1991, seven womyn gathered with a facilitator at Unicamp to participate in a week-long “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” camp. When the facilitator was called away due to a family emergency, the seven womyn decided to carry on, following the “Cakes” syllabus (a Unitarian program), each taking a turn at leadership. With the focus on the question, “How would your life have been different if the feminine had been honoured?” they studied the influence of European patriarchal religion, shared personal stories, sang, leaped the fire.
A powerful ritual focusing on the Burning Times began shakily. The womyn’s chanting and toning was echoed by a mocking male voice. Other male voices around the comp joined the first, creating an atmosphere of threat. However, the womyn decided their positive power was greater than the negative male energy being directed at them, so they danced away their fear around their fire, naming the men’s actions for the threat that they were. Chanting louder and louder, they gradually switched to positive, empowering chants, and when at last their ritual felt complete, they found that the threat had faded away.
This experience led them to envision an Ontario festival which would bring together local Pagan women to share their skills and gifts, with no big names and no paid presenters. Their own experience led them to understand that we each have strengths, whether we recognize them or not, and that circling together can give us the confidence to share.
The original 7, Janice, Maureen, Judy, Kate, Annette, Hilda and Betty, called on others from across southern Ontario to join them in planning. Thus, in 1992, Womynspirit was born.
Monthly planning meetings were held in sacred space, as the vision grew. We decided we would create an affordable event and that local woman would teach the Womynspirit knowledge, facilitate the rituals, teach the lore, and it would include children so they could take part in and experience our culture.
The original plan was to go round the wheel of the year. We started in August with Lammas. Janice asks: “Do you remember the bread?” Ah, yes, some of us do! And the dancer with her pythons! The second Festival was held at the Fall Equinox, with lovely outdoor workshops. The third Festival, at Samhain, gave us a deep experience, unlike any other gathering. We unanimously decided that Samhain was our special Womynspirit time.
We gathered at the Ecology Retreat Centre in the Hockley Valley for the first 10 years. Then we moved around the province for several years - west to Butterfly Farm near London, north to Elmvale and Camp Kawartha, and then returned to our original home, Ecology Retreat Centre.
Over the years, we had wide-ranging workshops ranging through chanting, ritual 101, Tarot, sexuality, sacred circle dance, yoga, herb walks, tree talks, crafts, kitchen magic, art, tea-leaf-reading, revolutionary womyn’s humour (the Raging Grannies), planning your own Pagan memorial service, grieving the losses of aging, mask-making, activism, a Death Café.......
The girls’ program, which ran for many years (and may resume when funds allow), was staffed by ECE professionals with young helpers. The girls did nature walks, crafts, and visionings. And of course they had a Hallowe’en party in full costume. With the guidance of experienced Womynspirit witches, they had a Saturday afternoon ritual, during which they shared deeply. We felt it was a privilege to circle with the young girls, because we were the wise ones who were passing on our knowledge and experience. It was not 'babysitting'. It was kraft work of a different sort.
The vendors were all womyn who crafted their own art/craft work and the subsidy fund was set up with the vendors’ 10% donation . The vendors also gave items to the raffle so we could raise money to support low income and single mothers. (Although a financial crunch has left us with no current subsidy fund, we hope to be able to offer subsidies again in the future.)
Over the years, we have also gathered in our homes and community spaces to celebrate other sabbats, to keep in touch, and also to enable other womyn to experience some of the Womynspirit magick. When Womynspirit began 25 years ago, there were few covens, and so our in-town rituals were attended by up to 50 womyn. Over the years, womyn have formed more local covens, and attendance at these rituals dropped off. However, with our ongoing presence at First Unitarian Congregation in Toronto, we have been able to offer “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven”, “Rise Up and Call Her Name”, “The Pagan Book of Living and Dying”, and other Pagan courses of study (all well-attended), as well as occasional rituals.
-Kate
Read about this years festival
