Events Witchcraft

Presenting at The Gathering Paths Aug 5-7, 2022

by Sidney Eileen

I am very excited to be giving three presentations and leading one ritual at The Gathering Paths 2022, presented by Between the Veils, a nonprofit event organization.

The Gathering Paths

Friday – Sunday
August 5th – 7th
at the DoubleTree Hotel
San Jose, CA

This event was originally scheduled to happen back in February, but was postponed due to covid. I honestly did not think I was going to be able to make the August dates after developing new health problems, but I am every so grateful that it has worked out.

The deadline for making hotel room reservations at the convention rate was extended to July 22, which does not leave much time from this post, so take advantage of that if you can. You can purchase passes in advance, and they will also be available on-site during the event at a higher rate compared to advance purchase.

Sidney Eileen at The Gathering Paths 2022

Animistic Perspectives – Friday 7pm

Animism is a natural human impulse, as odd as that might seem in the context of greater Western culture.  If you have ever cussed out an electronic device or a curb you tripped over, or thanked your car for making it there in time, you engaged with those things in an animistic way.  Animism means understanding that everything has a soul, from you and me to every animal, plant, object, and place.  It is a cosmological perspective on the nature of reality that is compatible with most cultures, traditions, and paths, and an important feature of the philosophies and cosmologies of a great many religions, both historic and modern.  Join me as we explore what animism is, what I mean by “souls”, how to explore animism energetically, and how to apply animistic principles in your personal practice and everyday life.  Fully embracing animism is a path to greater understanding of the spirits that exist around us, finding magic and wonder in urban zones, engaging compassionately with the world, and appreciating ourselves as one component of a much larger interconnected web of reality.

Some of my related writing:

Ethically Approaching Baneful Magic – Saturday 2pm

Baneful magic is a very hotly debated subject in witchcraft. Ethics and morality get mentioned a great deal, usually with all parties admitting that ethics are a critical aspect to determining whether or not baneful magic should be used. However, there is also usually little or no clarification about what that means, or how to personally evaluate the ethics of potential baneful workings. Join me as we weigh the often debatable, cultural, and personal nature of magical morality and ethics alongside some common motivations for doing baneful magic. We will examine common attitudes towards and frameworks for the ethics of baneful magic, being mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of each. After that we will discuss some ways to approach finding and using your personal moral compass, so that you can decide for yourself how you want to approach baneful magic, or if you want to do it at all.

Some of my related writing:

Nonbinary Connection and Celebration Ritual – Saturday 9pm

All are welcome to join us as we celebrate and connect with nonbinary genders, both our own and the genders of those around us. We will acknowledge the infinite experiences of gender, and the amazing variety in nonbinary experiences in particular, and how we are all enriched by celebrating those variations and individual expressions. There will also be celebrating gender euphoria, in whatever form it takes. We will reframe gender divinity archetypes from a nonbinary perspective, include male and female, so that we may magically break down the binary constructs that dominate modern society and spirituality and better understand them from a more open and inclusive perspective.

Nonbinary attendees will be welcomed to invite/honor nonbinary deities and spirits if they so choose. This can be done verbally or silently, and can involve placing a representation or token on the ritual altar. They will also be given the opportunity to speak about and celebrate their personal gender if they are comfortable doing so.  Binary attendees are welcome, but asked to quietly participate, expand their awareness, and celebrate the genders of those around them.  All attendees will be welcome to present personal items to be blessed by the energies of the ritual.

Some of my related writing:

Unconventional Tools and Altar Supplies – Sunday 11am

The only essential for witchcraft practice is yourself. Everything else is icing on the cake, tools which can be used to aid in achieving focus for your magical or devotional practice. Are they fun? Sure. Inspiring? Absolutely. Useful? Undoubtedly. Essential? Not usually. Even those items which are almost ubiquitous in modern witchcraft can be problematic for individuals, be that due to financial limitations, space limitations, being in the broom closet, bad associations, allergy, disability, or more. Even if having one or more of those items is feasible, maybe it just doesn’t seem to click or hold the power for you that it does everyone else. Maybe something less conventional, but with greater personal meaning, will work just as well or better. Join us as we discuss alternatives and creative means of finding and consecrating magical tools and altars supplies that are respectful and perfect for your personal practice.

Some of my related writing:

All Presentations will be In-Person at The Gathering Paths

COVID guidelines

Friday – Sunday
August 5th – 7th
at the DoubleTree Hotel
San Jose, CA

For more information and to register for the conference, please visit their website at: https://betweentheveils.org/the-gathering-paths/

Follow them on social media at:

Love to see you there!