Hello friends,
I hope that these recent retrogrades have brought you valuable shifts and changes amidst their chaos. In my own life, I've definitely felt the influence of Venus' recent retrograde most strongly. No one does retrograde magic better than she– most sensual katabasis, a terribly beautiful journey of pleasure, pain, and little deaths!
As her movement returns to its norm in Leo, she’s taken steps toward center stage– with the Sun moving into Venus’ home of Libra today, their duet takes the spotlight, the Sun shining, illuminating Venus in all her fiery, sensual glory. Her lover Mars, subdued and supportive from a sextile in Venus-ruled Libra, cheers her on, her most captive audience.
Venus’ ongoing dance offers us a boon of performance-making magic– creativity which centers the beauty of the heartfire– its gravity which so seductively attracts desire. I've felt an extra rush of energy available to fuel my own creative endeavors, and hope that you each have the opportunity to work with this moment with intentionality, whether it be in art-making, romance, or self-love.
This moment is also marked by the Libra Ingress– the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Libra, a cardinal air sign, offers us the crispness of new beginnings as the forward push of time comes back into focus after the hazy respite of Summer. It's a time to buckle down and finally start working on the projects we’ve been dreaming about– especially those creative ones that may benefit from Venus’ fiery support.
For me, this energy is fueling work on a number of projects including upcoming lectures at the Occulture Conference in Berlin on 10/19-22 where I’m speaking on Ekstasis and its relationship to nightlife and dance. I’m also giving an online talk at AstroMagia on 11/16-18 about strengthening your magical practice through the use of dramaturgy and the exploration of ritual as dance. I hope to see some of you there!
May this Libra Ingress bless each of you with pleasures aplenty and the momentum to embark on journeys of your most precious desire!
Jove
Upcoming Appearances
Occulture Conference - Oct 19-22, 2023 - Berlin
EKSTASIS UNDER THE MOON: TRANSCENDING THE SELF THROUGH DANCE, QUEERNESS, AND EMBODIED MAGICAL PRACTICE
In this lecture we explore the magical potency of nightlife by drawing connections between mystery cults, sabbat, raves, shamanism, and queer club spaces. Together we examine the history of club culture and its intersections with the rich legacy of group ritual practice and the celebration of otherness. We discuss methods of building energy in these spaces and ways to create inclusive spiritual communities through dance, ekstasis, use of altered states, and the expression of diverse identities through group storytelling.
Drawing upon our own experiences as nightlife builders, inspirited dancers, and magical practitioners, we share the power found on the dance floor to transcend the boundaries of self through intuitive self-expression and surrender to Desire. We hope to encourage the audience to thread connections between historical magical practices and the happenings within queer and underground nightlife communities accessible today. We believe that there are valuable folk-magic technologies used in these spaces that everyone can apply to their personal practice whether dancing alone in your ritual space or lost in a sea of fellow revelers.
AstroMagia 23 - Nov 16-18, 2023 - Online
Tickets available: https://astromagia.org/purchase-ticket-am23
AMPLIFYING MAGICAL PRACTICE WITH DRAMATURGICAL THINKING
Individually and collectively, we are joined in an eternal dance with the celestial spheres– each interaction with the magical other is a movement within the larger choreography of our own spiritual development and our changing roles within spiritual ecologies. Approaching magical practice from the perspective of the dramaturg offers the critical theory and expanded praxis of performance as tools to enrich and enhance both ritual and relationship.
Together we'll explore the dramatic structures of dance, theater, music, and visual art as ways to inhabit planetary archetypes and narratives with the body, and have them inhabit us in-turn. Drawing from my own experiences with butoh, ecstatic dance (raves), astro-drama, and multimedia talisman creation, we’ll discuss accessible and practical strategies for maximizing the presence, beauty, and intentionality of each facet of our experience as practitioners.
