Paganicon 2019

Facilitated workshop that is open to EVERYONE of all ages. Come learn the basics of drumming with us!

Despite what your 7th grade choral teacher may have told you …or your parent…or your friends have declared….EVERYONE can sing.
It is your sovereign right as a human BE-ing…as a creative soul, to express yourself as our ancestors and ancient ones have…through the beauty that is singing, be it solo or in groups. 
We as Humans in the West,  have sadly repressed and forgotten the joy of our own voices, and NOW is most definitely the time to reclaim our power as creatures of the Universe. At this shifting time in the collective consciousness, we are encouraged to open ourselves up to the vibrations of Sound.
In this 90 min introductory intensive as Dayna Jean Wolter introduces you to the power and healing aspects of your own singing voice as an individual, and as a group for use in your own spiritual practices. In this focused group setting, you will be introduced to the technology of “Chanty-Whoo-Ha”, and access the confidence to release your true voice, feeling the resonance your Soul has been thirsting for.
Come open your pie-holes and make some noise together!

Live music performed by Minnesota Blues Society Hall of Fame receipient Lady J Griot & Her Root Doctors. Lady J reveals the ancient tribal heritage of blues music as it was used by the African Elders as a form of ancestor worship and animism. Music was used by indigenous wise wo/men, healers and witch doctors to lower the barrier in between the material world and the spirit world, and the blues is a remnant of that sound.

This workshop, based on the instructor’s book, Trance Dancing with the Jinn (published by Llewellyn), is a practical overview of traditional Middle Eastern trance dance rituals - Islamic zikr, Sufi whirling and the shamanic zar. This 90 minute class includes history, the science behind what causes trance, a description of Middle Eastern spirits (the Jinn), the music used to call these entities and a ritual to experience them first hand. Come learn Middle Eastern trance dancing from a dancer with over 40 years of performance and teaching experience. PLEASE DO NOT EAT FOR AT LEAST 90 MINUTES BEFORE THE WORKSHOP. Trance dancing can cause nausea on a full stomach. 

 The Zar
     For centuries women in Africa and the Middle East have used trance dancing to cure physical and mental ailments. Followers of the Zar cult believe their illnesses are caused by "red spirits" – a subspecies of Jinn called the Zar - who use human bodies as hosts. These spirits cause sickness to draw attention to their needs, which must be satisfied before a host can be cured. Dance-induced trances enable humans to communicate with their possessors to discover what the spirits want.

Trance Dancing    
     Dance therapy has been gaining notoriety for forty years, yet the practice is ancient, perhaps as old as language. Humans have been connecting with the spirit world through dance-induced trances since the dawn of time. Mammoth bone flutes and scapula drums are among man’s oldest artistic artifacts. And many cultures throughout Africa still use their ancestral techniques - for cures, inspiration and divine intervention. The movements are easily learned and extremely effective, often enabling experienced pagans to connect with spirit during their first ritual. I have taught these techniques in Europe, Egypt and the USA (Pantheacon and Lily Dale among other gatherings) and have found that for those with an open mind who enjoy movement and/or percussion it is an excellent communication facilitator.

As an owner of different types of drums, I would like to lead a drum circle utilizing a variety of drums.