The inaugural meeting of Seattle Pagan Scholars took place at the Seattle Asian Art Museum on Sunday, September 21, 1997. Brandy Williams gave the feature lecture, "On Pagan Speakers: The State of Pagan Scholarship."
The second meeting was held on February 1, 1998. Featured speaker was Erynn Rowan Laurie, presenting "Sacrifice: Ancient Themes, Modern Practice."
The third meeting was held June 21st, 1998. Featured speaker was Kallista, presenting "The Cultural and Symbolic Context of Anatolian Kilims."
Our fourth meeting was held on September 19, 1999. Dave Magnenat presented "A Witch in King Solomon's Temple: One Pagan's journey into Freemasonry." His description:
"This presentation describes modern day Freemasonry through the eyes of a Wiccan man with Ceremonial sensibilities. The presentation will feature at least two histories of Freemasonry, commentary on the place of Freemasonry in today's Pagan religions (and vice versa), and a description of what really happens inside Masonic ritual. Is it Magick or just a bunch of old farts waving their arms and speaking in bad Victorian-wannabe English? Note: This presentation contains material not suited for children."
Dave Magnenat's bio:
Dave Magnenat is a Wiccan Elder, Master Mason, and all in all a pretty nice guy. He has taught nationally on topics ranging from clown and sleight-of-hand skills to public safety communications, and his recent sessions on "Presentation Power" were well received. His last lecture for Seattle Pagan Scholars concerned the production and use of grain-based anaerobically fermented beverages in a pagan religious context, and was also well received even though he didn't have samples.
February 6, 2000.
Helen Adams presented "Alchemy: Spagyria--Not the 'Lesser Art'". Her description of the lecture: "A discussion of plant alchemy, its theory, practice and goals. Also, what I think about Jung."
September 10, 2000
Theodore Gill presented "A Survey of Minoan Sacred Architecture." The description:
"Much of what is left of Minoan culture is written in stone, in the ruins of the buildings they created and the pictures painted on their walls. Scholars reconstruct Minoan religion based on theories about how the buildings were used. The speaker will present slides from his pilgrimage to Crete showing architectural features from the four main Minoan sites and discuss scholastic interpretations of the buildings. He will also share his own observations of the architectural features and their possible functions, and discuss how visiting the sacred and architectural sites has informed his own Minoan religious practice."
Theodore Gill's bio:
Theodore Gill is a Ceremonial Magician and Wiccan elder of multiple lines. He taught for five years with the faculty of School of Night. He has been national First Officer of Covenant of the Goddess.
Sunday, December 10, 2000
Bjoern presented "Singing with the Elves: Religion and Ritual in the Northern European Fertility Cults." Description:
"In Northern Europe, the worship of two distinctly different families of Gods overlaps and has become blurred with time. The older and lesser-known pantheon, the Vanir--the children of the Goddess Vana--are the deities of the earth, sea, and forests; of the changing seasons; and of the cycles of birth life death and rebirth. They are more concerned with fertility than conquest, and honor peace more than they savor battle. They were the Gods of the commoners: the farmers and craftspeople who had little to do with the warrior-cults of the better-known Æsir and their battle-based culture. The religious truths of the Vanir-cults, and their rites, have always been distinct and separate from the Æsir. In the last fifteen years, the worship of these nature deities has experienced a renaissance and their modern worshippers have resurrected and recreated the old rites to adapt them to modern life.
"This lecture shall begin with a survey of what we know from historical and archaeological records of the worship of these deities in ancient times. From there I shall move to the Vanir renaissance and provide an example of how these rites have been recreated for the modern era. This will include a discussion of several thorny and controversial issues (such as the role of blood and sacrifice in religious worship) and the function and formation of a community of like-minded followers of these ancient deities."
Sunday, January 13, 2002
Lesa Whyte presented "Brides in Exile: A Primordial Religious Impulse Latent in Western Civilization."
"Was Mary Magdalene the Bride of Christ? Books based on tenuous evidence have postulated exactly this, and have become quite popular in spite of their speculative foundations. In "Brides In Exile: A Religious Impulse Latent in Western Civilization," Lesa Whyte will show how Mary Magdalene's legends parallel those of enduring and symbolic figures of the feminine divine, and how these "brides in exile" seem to reveal some deeper hunger that is only beginning to be satisfied. She will explore the myriad images of Mary Magdalene, supporting historical evidence, recent scholarship on the subject, and why Mary Magdalene is potentially important not only to modern Christianity but also to the Western magical tradition. The Nag Hammadi Library, the Pistis Sophia, and early Christian writings are some of the primary sources used to formulate this renewed vision of a fallen woman."
Saturday, January 18, 2003
Fifth Annual Symposium
Seven of the eight speakers who had made keynote presentations throughout our history made a presentation at the Symposium.
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Gretchen Faulk presented "Nuit: The Limitless Goddess."
Popular Egyptology refers to Nuit as “The Sky Goddess.” To the ancients, Nuit was more than the stars above, she was the very fabric of space within whose body were the dimensions of all life and eternity. What is the relation of this Goddess to the modern day? Who is she now?
This presentation by Gretchen Faulk will explore Nuit’s role in Egyptian cosmology and religion. An overview of her iconography will equip you to recognize and appreciate her in Egyptian art. Then we move on to 1904 Cairo, and the experiences of Aleister Crowley with the Lady of the ‘Stele of Revealing.’ Nuit speaks for herself in Liber al vel Legis. A personal spiritual interpretation reveals Nuit as the Initiator of a new paradigm for modern Magick. Please join Sor. Ashera as we explore the symbols, character and message of the Starry One of Heaven.
The program was recently offered at the International O.T.O. Conference in Portland, Oregon; Notocon ’03. This version is slightly expanded.
Gretchen Faulk's bio:
Gretchen lives in Salt Lake City and works in local government. For over 15 years she has pursued her education as a Wiccan Priestess studying history, world religions, cross-cultural mythology, and theology. She is known for her devotion to the Goddess and the neo-pagan community, maintaining ties with diverse pagan and international religious traditions. Over the years she has had presented at panel discussions, talk shows, University of Utah lectures, police departments, schools, pagan workshops and lead many, many rituals. This summer she was a featured presenter at Notocon, an international spiritual convention. Her personal spiritual focus is eclectic and devotional. For the last 9 years Gretchen’s scholarship and energy have been directed to the founding and administration of Salt Lake City’s only open, legal Wiccan Church; the Goddess Worship Service.
Sunday, June 5, 2003
Brandy Williams presented "Priestesses and Power: Political and Ecumenical Authority of the Egyptian God's Wives of Amun"
Egypt was ruled by black pharoahs in the 22nd and 25th dynasties. While these Nubian kings ruled Memphis, their daughters ruled Thebes as God's Wives and High Priests of Amun. They stepped into a pre-existing Egyptian tradition of female secular authority as well as the powerful priestly hierarchy surrounding the Theban state deities. The God's Wives were buried in Theban tombs and their images persist on the tombs and in statues. Other priestesses, notably singers and musicians, are depicted on funerary stelae of the same type and with the same iconography as the Thelemic Stele of Revealing. These priestesses wielded religious and political power that would be extraordinary today but was normative in their time. They provide potent images for women working in the religious and magical communities today.
Brandy Williams' bio:
Brandy has been presenting lectures in the Pagan community for 20 years. She is a member of Temple of Light and Darkness, a Golden Dawn group, and is body master of Vortex Camp of the Ordo Templi Orientis. Her latest book is Practical Magic for Beginners, Llewellyn 2005.
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copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Brandy Williams