Starwood Festival

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The Starwood Festival, or "Starwood", is an annual six-day festival presented by the Association for Consciousness Exploration LLC (ACE) along with many volunteers, usually during mid to late July. It is a camping event, featuring over 150 classes on a variety of subjects ranging from New Age, magical and spiritual topics to politics, art & music, mind/body sciences and the environment. Founded in 1981, it has been held in several locations, but since 1990 it has taken place at a private campground near Sherman, New York.^[1]

There are usually around 1,500 attendees including staff, speakers and entertainers each year. Starwood serves the neo-pagan movement and several other communities, and provides a common ground for networking and interaction between them. Hundreds of people (some of them naked or skyclad) interested in alternative culture and spirituality attend Starwood's workshops, live musical performances, varied rituals, bonfire, multi-media presentations and social activities.^[1]

Contents 1 Activities 2 People 3 Featured Speakers 4 Featured entertainers 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Activities

Starwood offers several workshops, totaling over 150 1-1/4 hr slots. Topics include alternative lifestyles, political & spiritual activism, consciousness-altering devices and substances, martial arts & movement systems, history, magic, and folklore.

There are drumming and dancing classes from Africa, Ireland, the Middle-East and elsewhere. All-night drummers’ bonfires are held each night in two structures: one of Celtic design called the Roundhouse, another for didgeridoo and smaller drum players called the DidgeDome. There are concerts held every lunchtime and evening, and all-night parties in an inflatable structure called The PufferDome. There are several structures devoted to multi-cultural ceremonies and rituals including the Nemeton (a Druid temple) and a sweat lodge. Friday night features a multi-media presentation on Brushfire Island (often including fireworks, lasers, and synchronized music), and on the final night a torchlight procession leads to a huge fireworks-stuffed bonfire that burns all night.

[edit] People

At Starwood several different religions are represented, including Wicca, Druidism, Ifa, Sufiism and Buddhism. The event is designed for members of all spiritual orientations to share their customs and beliefs, hence neither proselytizing nor disrespect of the ways of others is accepted. Some specific groups that regularly attend Starwood include the Church of All Worlds (CAW),^[1] the Church of the Subgenius, several Wiccan Covens, various neo-Pagans and some Druidic sects. Also, those who frequent non-religious cultural events like Burning Man, Hookahville, Hempfests, and the Society for Creative Anachronism (S.C.A.)^[2] events are often participants at Starwood.

The festival organizers identify themselves as a part of the Chameleon Club, which is the extended family group that created both the Association for Consciousness Exploration and its events, including the Starwood Festival and the WinterStar Symposium.

[edit] Featured Speakers

Past featured speakers include:^[3] Jim Alan, AmyLee, Gavin Bone, Isaac Bonewits, David Jay Brown, Raymond Buckland, Baba Raul Canizares, Shawna Carol (Spirit song), Dennis Carpenter, Dagmar Braun Celeste, Priestess Miriam Chamani, Darryl Cherney, Dennis Chernin, Phyllis Curott, Ian Corrigan, Kenn Deigh, Jim Donovan, Sally Eaton, Robert Lee "Skip" Ellison, Taylor Ellwood, Philip H. Farber, Janet Farrar, Stewart Farrar, LaSara Firefox, Selena Fox, Gavin Frost, Yvonne Frost, Laurence Galian, Stephen Gaskin, Ina May Gaskin, Michael T. Gilbert, Jesse Wolf Hardin, Charles Hayes, Ellen Evert Hopman, Mike Ingalls, Anodea Judith, Richard Kaczynski, Lansana Kouyate, Donald Michael Kraig, Paul Krassner, Stanley Krippner, Timothy Leary,^[4] Martin A. Lee, Dr. Leisure (George R. Harker), Liafal, Deborah Lipp, Louis Martinie', Terence McKenna, Ralph Metzner, Patricia Monaghan, Christopher Moore, Nema, M. Macha Nightmare, Jonathan Ott, Diana L. Paxson, Christopher Penczak, Lauren Raine, Silver RavenWolf, Jeff Rosenbaum, Joseph Rothenberg, Rob Roy, Tannin Schwartzstein, Nicki Scully, Robert Shea, Elie Sheva, R. U. Sirius, Chas Smith, Abbie Spinner, Ivan Stang, Jay Stevens, Patricia Telesco, Harvey Wasserman, Don Waterhawk, Robert Anton Wilson, Fred Alan Wolf, Oberon Zell Ravenheart, Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart

[edit] Featured entertainers

Past featured entertainers, many of whom also offered classes, include:^[3] Matthew Abelson, Sikiru Adepoju, Todd Alan, Alma Melodiosa, Amampondo, Anima Mundi, ArcheDream, Armor & Sturtevant, Awen, Babatunde Olatunji & Drums of Passion, Baka Beyond,^[5] The Bardos, John Bassette, Michael Bettine, Big Brother & the Holding Company (1999),^[6] Big Village Band, Muruga Booker, Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express (2006), Buddhahood, Burning Sage, Centrak Lasers, Chameleon, Changeling, Chaotic Good, Cyro Baptista & Beat the Donkey (2004), Yaya Diallo, Djoliba, Drumplay, Einstein’s Secret Orchestra, Halim El-Dabh, Felonious Bosch, Gaelic Storm (2002 & 2003),^[7] Green Crown, Brian Henke, Incus, Janah, Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius, Stephen Kent, Kenny & Tziporah Klein, Kiva, Lia Fail, Life in Balance, Maggi, Pierce & E.J., Jeff Magnus McBride, Airto Moreira (2005),^[8] Nada Brahma, No Reservations, One Hat Band, Oroboros, Paprika, Wynne Paris, Owain Phyfe, P.L.U.S. Band, The Prodigals, Raq, Raquy & the Cavemen, Real Magic, Rhythm Alive!, RhythmQuest, Perry Robinson, Rogue’s Cross, Badal Roy, S.A.F.M.O.D., Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band, Jim Scott^[3] of Paul Winter Consort (1995),^[9] Seeds of Time, Shaman, Ron Slabe, Gilli Smyth of Gong (1992 & 1993),^[3] Something Else Again, Sona, Trance Mission, Tribe of Spirit, Victoria Ganger & Revelry, Jim Volk, The Working Theatre, Yokeshire.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ ^a b c Krassner, Paul (2005). Life Among the Neopagans in The Nation, August 24, 2005 (web only).
2. ^ ACE: Starwood history
3. ^ ^a b c d ACE: Starwood Speaker Roster and other pages on the Starwood website including [1] [2] [3]
4. ^ Vale, V. and John Sulak (2001). Modern Pagans. (Interview with Jeff Rosenbaum). San Francisco: RE/Search Publications. ISBN 1889307106
5. ^ Starwood 23 - Entertainment
6. ^ Big Brother and the Holding Company: BBBase
7. ^ Starwood 2002 - Program
8. ^ Starwood 2005 - Program
9. ^ Living Music's MISSA GAIA by Paul Winter

[edit] References

• Bond, Lawrence & Ellen Evert Hopman (1996) People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out (reissued as Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans & Witches Today in 2002 Destiny Books ISBN 089281904-9) Several interviews at and/or discussing Starwood.
• Bruce, Marlene (2005). Travelogue: The Starwood Festival 2005 - Sherman, NY.
• Farber, Philip H. Interview of Stephen Gaskin in Paradigm Shift, October 1998.
• Gill, Michael (2005). Circle of Ash in Cleveland Free Times, July 7th, 2005 (Feature Article).
• Hayes, Charles (2000). Tripping: An Anthology of True-Life Psychedelic Adventures. (Terence McKenna Interview) Penguin Compass/Penguin Putnam Inc. ISBN 0140195742
• Hoey, Steve (1996). Thoughts on Starwood. Noise Laboratories.
• Kates, Bill (1997). Best of the Fests: Starwood Festival in High Times, 1997.
• Krassner, Paul (2005). The Blame Game in The Huffington Post, August 26, 2005.
• Lingan, Edmund B. (2006). "Beyond the Occult Revival: Contemporary Forms of Occult Theatre" in PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art - PAJ 84 (Volume 28, Number 3), September 2006, pp. 23-38. The MIT Press.
• Pike, Sarah (2001). Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community. University of California Press [4]. ISBN 0520220307
• Seachrist, Denise (2003). The Musical World of Halim El-Dabh. Kent State University Press: World Musics Series. ISBN 0-87338-752-x

[edit] External links

• The Starwood Festival web page