Ongoing Events
Welcome to the Community! (It’s Free!!)
The Gaian Congress Community strengthens our bonds and provides camaraderie to support our spiritual journeys.
Unlike solo efforts, the group’s collective energy enhances meditative experiences and co-creation. Coming together amplifies our vibrational field, unites our spiritual allies, and creates a powerful support network.
As our Subtle Allies remind us, “Imagine what we can do together”—our individual strengths multiply in unity.
What Gaian Congress Community Members Say…
Monthly Workshops
Oakwise: A Journey on the Path of the Druid with David Shorey
Saturday February 15th, 10-11:30am Pacific
The mention of Druidry evokes images of ancient robed Celts cutting Mistletoe and gathering in Oak tree groves. The reality is that what we know of ancient Druids would fit on a 3×5 card. Druidry in the current era pays homage to the past but is firmly rooted in the present. Today people all around the world walk the druid path. In this interactive workshop, we will touch on the history of Druidry and explore how it currently manifests in the 21st Century.
Cost: $35
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David Shorey is an Awenydd of the Angelsey Druid Order and Druid of Julian, California. He is also a member of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids.
https://www.instagram.com/drshorey/
He has previously taught at the Fairy & Human Relations Congress.
The Dark God with Dr Megan Rose
Saturday March 15th, 10-11:30am Pacific
For many the idea of the Dark God evokes the fear of a sinister shadow figure of ill-intent. However, darkness is neither evil nor malicious. The Dark God holds the potent male aspects of that which is hidden, repressed, and/or rejected in our collective unconscious, as well as the fecund richness of our depths.
Cost: $35
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The Dark God has many faces and many names. He is the Horned One, the Lord of the Animals and the Green Man. He is the Wild Man, an erotic trickster unfettered and unencumbered by doctrine or rules. He is the Liminal King, an edge-walker and guardian of the thresholds. And he is a Lord of Death, the leader of the Wild Hunt and a Faery ruler of the Otherworld.
In this introductory class we will explore a few of the key archetypes of the Dark God, demystifying some of his aspects that are often misunderstood or vilified.
As an introduction, this class is designed to prepare the way for a deeper dive into his forms and forces in the Dark God course—coming April 2025!
with Megan Rose, PhD
Dr. Megan RoseTranspersonal Psychologist. Pagan Scholar. Ecospiritual Minister.
https://www.drmeganrose.com
Deepening Your Relationship with Plant Spirits with Jan Kinsey
Saturday April 19th, 10-11:30am Pacific
Join us in shamanic journeys to meet a plant spirit that wants to work with you throughout this next year. You will explore what its medicine is for you and how you can develop a relationship with this plant.
Cost: $35
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Jan Kinsey has been one of the organizers for the Fairy & Human Relations Congress for close to 20 years. He is a shamanic practitioner who is passionate about working with the spirits of nature, especially weather spirits and facilitating plant ceremonies with Pacific Northwest medicinal plants. Jan has facilitated plant initiations with Oak, Yarrow, Hawthorn, Goldenrod, and Devils Club. Originally from Norway, he now calls Cascadia home.
In his healing practice, Jan utilizes shamanic healing practices and energy work to address underlying causes that are manifesting as dis-ease or emotional imbalances. He has worked in medical clinics that specialize in treating auto-immune and chronic illnesses.
https://www.shamanismworks.com/
https://soundcloud.com/shamanism_works
https://www.facebook.com/ShamanismWorks
https://www.instagram.com/shamanismworks_jan.kinsey
The Power and the Presence of the Dark Rider: Traditional Southern Crossroads and Liminal Magic with Orion Foxwood
Saturday May 17th, 10-11:30am Pacific
The belief that there is a powerful intercessory spirit or deity that dwells at physical thresholds, transition points and intersections, is a common theme in the folk beliefs and magical practice traditions of Africa, Europe and in the American South.
In this workshop, Orion will share lore of the crossroads, its magic, its roads and its Master; and how to find and work with them. He will share music, poetry, lore and practices to introduce you to the spirit he knows as the Dark Rider. This is an introductory session with further work and direct contact sessions planned if there is adequate interest.
Cost: $35
MORE INFO
Orion Foxwood is a witch and an Elder in Traditional Craft and is a Southern and Appalachian Conjure man. He is a high priest in Alexandrian Wicca and teacher of Faery Seership and co-creative magic. An author and lecturer, he has given talks extensively across the United States for nearly 30 years and has taught and co-lead tours in the United Kingdom. He has taught at the Fairy & Human Relations Congress many times starting in 2006.
The belief that there is a powerful intercessory spirit or deity that dwells at physical thresholds, transition points and intersections, is a common theme in the folk beliefs and magical practice traditions of Africa, Europe and in the American South.
The most common being the crossroads where roads, foot paths, horizontal and vertical forces (such as the planetary poles and rotation), the living and dead (graveyards) and/or geological states (such sea, land, wind etc) intersect. These places are often described by those who know their secrets as being “claimed by all yet owned by none” – where reality, causality, liminality and possibility are present but beyond the clutch of time, limitation and the usual rules of consensus thought.
The spirit dwelling there is seen as the opener and closer of the ways (roads of life) and its names (and gender) vary depending on the local tradition or that of the petitioner/ magic worker and include Papa Leba (New Orleans Creole spelling), the Devil, the Crossed Man, the Dark One, the Trick Doctor, Jesus-on-the-Road and the Dark Rider to name a few. His power, and his capriciousness is legendary and it is both feared and revered. However, there are traditions and techniques for revering, encountering, and employing his power safely and effectively. Likewise, there are times and means to approach his crossroads where luck, love, life and death meet.
In this workshop, Orion will share lore of the crossroads, its magic, its roads and its Master; and how to find and work with them. He will share music, poetry, lore and practices to introduce you to the spirit he knows as the Dark Rider. This is an introductory session with further work and direct contact sessions planned if there is adequate interest.
At the thinning time when shadows move apart.
Sadness fades and frees the haunted heart.
Four roads from everywhere to somewhere meet.
At a crossroads, where spirits and conjure greets;
Four roads from everywhere to somewhere meet,
Let us walk the magic road with practical feet,
The way is open……………
(by Orion Foxwood)
Bioregional Animism:Expanding the Scale of Our Healing Work with Lauri Shainsky PhD
Saturday June 21st, 10-11:30am Pacific
Details coming soon!
Lauri’s website is https://shamanicsoundhealing.com/
Cost: $35
MORE INFO
details coming soon!
Checkout some of our past workshops to get a taste of the variety offered!
Gaian Congress Community Special Series
Yoga for Nature Communication with Lindsey Swope
Wednesdays 9am PT/12pm ET, March 5th – April 2nd, 2025
Do you feel stuck or blocked in your efforts to communicate with the beings of Nature? Or just ready to take things to a higher level?
It may not be a question of a new meditation technique, it could be that the energetics of your physical body are limiting your connection.
This yoga series will cleanse and energize the various systems of the body to facilitate our connection with fairies, elementals and other subtle beings of Nature.
60 min classes, online via Zoom
Cost: $60
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Topics are:
Ground and Center – we can’t meet another until we truly know ourselves, so we start by practicing getting our own energy fields into a clear and coherent state
Strengthening the Nervous System – We will re-member our original energetic anatomy, the central column of Light along our spine, to strengthen our inner communication system and support our ability to connect with beings of a different vibration.
Opening the Heart – the heart is the main communication gateway, a strong and supple heart can both give and receive with ease
Energizing the Electromagnetic Field – our bodies are surrounded by an electromagnetic field, often called the aura. This field of energy is where impulses from subtle beings first land on their way into our consciousness. Enhancing the energy of our field makes it easier for their communications to be felt and recognized.
Expanding into Joy – fairies, devas and other subtle beings of nature live in the higher vibration of joy. Building our capacity to live in joy makes it easier for us to connect with them.
The class will be taught at a fairly gentle level with options given for more intense movements. Each class will include some breath practice (pranayama), warm ups, a kriya or cleansing set, a short meditation and some time for discussion to share our experiences.
Each week participants will be given a short, 5 minute exercise to practice throughout the week to help integrate the changes.
They say it takes 40 days to establish a new habit, this course will take us through 35 days, with an extra 5 days of practice at the end you should be well on your way to a whole new relationship with your nature allies!
“Lindsey’s teaching is clear and well-paced. Her choice of poses and her guidance on breathing technique truly help me in my practice to align with Spirit and connection with the subtle realms. She includes nuggets of knowledge about the body’s energy that enhance the class experience but do not interrupt the flow of movement. Her depth of commitment to her practice and connection to Gaia are palpable. This is a yoga experience that will continue to teach me.” – from 2024 participant
Lindsey Swope started her practice of yoga in 1986 and has been teaching since 1997. She took her first class in shamanism in 1995 and has been deepening her connection with the subtle beings of nature since then.
The Dark Gods: A month-long deep dive into His many faces and expressions with Dr Megan Rose
Thursdays April 3rd, 10th; Wednesday April 16th & 30th, 5pm PT/8pm ET
60 min classes, online via Zoom, with readings and recordings available
Cost: $100 (25% discount for Gaian Congress subscribers and students who took the Intro to the Dark Goddess class)
MORE INFO
For many the idea of the Dark God evokes the fear of a sinister shadow figure of ill-intent. However, darkness is neither evil nor malicious, it is a place of deep introspection, rest and mystery. The Dark God holds the potent male aspects of darkness—that which is hidden, repressed, and/or rejected—for our collective unconscious.
The Dark God has many faces and many names. He is the Horned One, the Lord of the Animals and the Green Man. He is the Wild Man, an erotic trickster unfettered and unencumbered by doctrine or rules. He is the Liminal King, an edge-walker and guardian of the thresholds. And he is the Lord of Death, leader of the Wild Hunt and ruler of the Otherworld.
In this experiential course we will explore the key faces and forms of the Dark God, demystifying many of his aspects that are often misunderstood or vilified. Attention will be paid to the cultural trauma and projections foisted upon this archetypal role and the concept of darkness. Guidance will be given for how we can best approach and undertake a relationship with the various transcultural expressions of this dynamic, powerful deity. Special focus will be given to how working with the Dark God empowers, emboldens, and enables us to step into agency and sovereignty in our lives and magic.
Topics: The Primordial Ones, the Horned Ones, the Liminal Ones, the Deathly Ones
Megan Rose, Ph.D., has a doctorate in East-West psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a master’s degree in religion in society from the Graduate Theological Union. She is an initiated ceremonial magician, a Druid, a Shakta Tantric practitioner, and a senior seer in the House of Brigh Faery Seership Institute. She serves as an ecospiritual minister and psycho-spiritual counselor and is the executive director of the Entheosis Institute.
What’s Included in the Gaian Congress Community
There are a series of posts every week to assist us in our roles as Bridge-Builders between the Realms.
First Monday:
10-11am PT
First Monday of the month is the Co-Creative Practice Circle. Topic for February 10th 10am Pacific time: How Can We Help? So much upheaval is happening on the planet these days! We each in our own small way can be of help, but how? Come hear from your allies in a circle of support. (Note: this month’s circle is a week later due to schedule conflicts)
Monday Meditation:
Every Monday we share a short, simple exercise as a practice to connect with the Subtle Realms. It may offer a way to play with the current energies on the planet, or it may focus on deepening your connection with the Realms. (There are many people who share weekly guidance, ours comes from our Nature Spirit allies and is focused on helping us connect to the subtle realms of the planet and beyond.)
We strengthen the human/tree web of connection by tuning into a different tree each week. We get to experience their personalities, their gifts and their wisdom, as well as share some of our love with them to help them maintain their vital role on the planet.
Introducing #Gaiancalendar – We are taking the form of the Druidic calendar, also used by numerous other ancient civilizations, and creating our own calendar aligned with the world around us. We might name each month after a Nature ally, or come up with designations for each new and full moon. Or we may just summarize each week with a short phrase encapsulating its essence – what is blooming? What weather patterns are common at this time? It is a way to notice what is happening in the world, to also create a record to compare thru the years.
Wednesday:
2pm PT / 5pm ET
Writing with the Fae with Shoshana Avree. On Zoom, we meditate for about 7 minutes to tune into the Faery realm and meet a being that wants to share a story, then write without editing for 15 minutes to record the exchange. It’s a brilliant way to connect and learn!
Thursday:
Question of the week, to share experiences and promote introspection.
Feel Good Friday:
The energy of Gratitude and Joy helps us connect to the higher dimensions. This is an opportunity to share what is lighting you up, and in sharing that light it grows brighter!
Third Saturday:
10-11:30am PT
Monthly Workshop with Guest Speaker. These are recorded for later viewing. Presenters are scheduled up to three months out, if you have a suggestion for someone you would like to see please let us know! Workshops are $35.
Second Sunday:
5:30pm PT
Book Club discussion. We have read many of the classical books on connecting between the realms over the past couple of years! This is recorded for those that cannot attend live, and there is opportunity for on-going discussion in the network.
Join the Community for access to Practice Circles, Book Club and Weekly Meditations!