Greetings, Community!
I am so excited to be attending Untamed this year! The Untamed staff received feedback that you folks were interested in seeing more workshops centered on music, magic, and educational/academic content. As a long-time musician, Bard, Initiate, and Priest, I jumped at the chance to offer an interactive workshop focusing on the placement and use of sound and music in ritual and magical workings: Music for Ritual and Magic.
For me, music has always been one of the strongest forces in my life. When I was young, I connected with my father over our mutual love for the type of emotive music that moves you. Music is art, and as they say, art isn’t supposed to be beautiful. It’s supposed to make you feel something. Even the most cacophonous of sounds can still find a way to reach you in ways that stir your heart and create space for magic in your spirit. I haven’t presented on music in several years, and preparing this workshop feels like coming home to visit old friends and make new ones along the way.
This workshop has two parts. I will start with some words about how our brains work when it comes to sound and work toward the practical aspects of using sound to “do stuff” in ritual. I’m not a fan of magic without a purpose, so I do hope you will consider bringing forward any prayer requests you have (healing requests are GREAT for this work) as well as an object you would like to turn into a talisman.
You don’t have to be a polished or trained singer to participate in this workshop. You only need to bring an open mind and a loving heart to allow the music—and the magic it creates—to move your spirit.
Blessings,
M
Rev. Melissa S Ashton, MNM
Mountain Ancestors Grove, ADF