Starwood Festival

The Starwood Festival is a seven-day Neo-Pagan, New Age, multi-cultural and world music festival presented in July. Approximately 1,500 people attend including staff, speakers and entertainers. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects. There are also live musical performances, rituals, bonfires, multimedia presentations and social activities.

History

The Starwood Festival was founded in 1981 by the Chameleon Club, a recognized student organization at Case Western Reserve University, which later founded the Association for Consciousness Exploration (ACE). It has been operated by ACE since 1983. It featured entertainment, public ceremonies, and classes on subjects such as sensory isolation, Kirlian photography, Neopaganism, shamanism, Wicca, holistic health, tarot divination, Thelema, and past life regression. Among the first guest speakers and entertainers were Jim Alan and Selena Fox (founders of Circle Sanctuary), Raymond Buckland, Lee Bryan Grotte (Foundation for Research in Medical Botany), and music by Chameleon and The Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria.

The first Starwood was held July 24–26, 1981 at Coopers Lake Campground, the same site as the Society for Creative Anachronism's Pennsic War, in Slippery Rock, PA. From 1982 through 1985 it was held at Devil's Den Park in New Philadelphia, OH, a former state park run by Whispering Winds Nudist Camp. In 1986 and 1987 it was held at Bear Creek Amphitheatre (part of Bear Creek Resort Ranch KOA) in East Sparta, OH, and at Echo Hills Ski Resort in Logan, OH (on the Buckeye Trail) in 1988 and 1989. The event moved to Brushwood Folklore Center, a private campground in Sherman, New York from 1990 through 2009. Starwood 2010, 2011 and 2012 were held at Wisteria Campground in Pomeroy, Ohio.

The event began as a weekend festival, and grew over the years to a seven-day event. Attendance has grown from 185 in the first year to peak at around 1800 people in 2002, and has stayed between 1300 and 1600 until its move to Wisteria, when the attendance dropped to between 600 and 800. Since 1982, Starwood has been a clothing optional event, and skyclad attendance is common.

Activities

Starwood offers approximately 150 workshops, on topics including alternative lifestyles, political & spiritual activism, spiritual traditions, consciousness-altering technologies and substances (such as biofeedback, sensory-isolation, mind machines, and entheogenic substances), martial arts & movement systems, history, magic, folklore, art & music, healing, metaphysics and environmental issues.

There are classes on the drumming and dancing styles of Africa, South America, Ireland, the Middle East and elsewhere. All-night drummers’ bonfires are held each night of the event in at least two locations: the "Paw Paw Patch" for larger drums such as djembes, and the "DidgeDome" for smaller drums such as bongos and tablas, accompanied by didgeridoos and quieter instruments. There are concerts held every lunchtime, dinnertime, and evening, and all-night multi-media enhanced parties in an inflatable structure called the "PufferDome" and in an adjacent area called the "G-Spot". Starwood provides child care and children's classes and programs in a playground area called "Kids' Village",.

Starwood is attended by people of all ages. Followers of diverse beliefs attend Starwood, including Wiccans, Neo-Druids, Ifás, Sufis, chaos magicians, Ásatrúar, ceremonial magicians, Yorubans, Buddhists, and those representing a variety of New Age spiritualities. According to the event organizers, the festival is designed for members of all spiritual paths to share their customs and beliefs. Some specific groups whose members regularly appear at and attend Starwood include the Church of All Worlds (CAW), the Church of the Subgenius, Ar nDraiocht Fein, and various Neopagan Covens and organizations.

Miscellanea

• Starwood's success inspired Rev. Ivan Stang (a regular Starwood participant and speaker) to found the annual Church of the SubGenius X-Day festival in 1996, which takes place at Wisteria Event Campground in Pomeroy, Ohio.
• On several occasions, the director of ACE Jeff Rosenbaum has organized performances of Firesign Theatre radio plays on stage at Starwood, performed by organizers and guest speakers of the event under the name "Firesign Clones".
• The annual national meeting of Ar nDraiocht Fein, held at an event in late May called the Wellspring Gathering, originated as part of the Starwood Festival in 1988 at Bear Creek KOA in East Sparta, OH. It became a separate event in 1991.
• Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart have appeared at over 20 Starwood Festivals (and a few WinterStar Symposiums) over the past 25 years; because of this, there has been a Church of All Worlds presence at Starwood, called the CAWmunity, for over a decade.

References

• Adler, Margot (1979) Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. Beacon Press, 1979; revised and updated 1997. Penguin (Non-Classics) ISBN 0-14-019536-X, ISBN 978-0-14-019536-1
• Aloi, Peg (2007) Witchvox article about Starwood 27 [1]
• Association for Consciousness Exploration. Starwood Speaker Roster. Retrieved January 7, 2007.
• Benjamin, Elliot Neopagan Rituals: An Experiential Account in Coreopsis: A Journal of Myth and Theatre [2]
• Blain, Jenny & Douglas Ezzy & Graham Harvey (2004) Researching Paganisms (The Pagan Studies Series). AltaMira Press ISBN 0-7591-0523-5, ISBN 978-0-7591-0523-2
• Bloch, Jon P. (1998) New Spirituality, Self, and Belonging: How New Agers and Neo-Pagans Talk About Themselves. Praeger/Greenwood ISBN 0-275-95957-0
• Bond, Lawrence & Ellen Evert Hopman (1996) People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out. (Reissued as Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans & Witches Today in 2002 Destiny Books ISBN 0-89281-904-9) Several interviews at and/or discussing Starwood.
• Bruce, Marlene (2005) Travelogue: The Starwood Festival 2005 - Sherman, NY.
• Conrad, C. A. (2007) Deviant Propulsion: Poems. Soft Skull Press ISBN 1-932360-87-5, ISBN 978-1-932360-87-5
• DeWitt, David (2012) Pagan/Magickal Festival Returns to Meigs This Week Wednesday, July 11, 2012, The Athens News [3]
• "Expanding the Frontiers of Your Consideration" article [4]
• Furman, Donna Beating Stress Through Meditation (The News Herald Oct. 5th, 1986)
• Gilboa, Netta "Getting Gray With Reverend Ivan Stang" Gray Areas [5]
• Gill, Michael (2005). Circle of Ash in Cleveland Free Times, July 7, 2005 (Feature Article) [6].
• Gonce III, John Wisdom & Daniel Harms (2003) The Necronomicon Files: The Truth Behind Lovecraft's Legend. Weiser Books ISBN 1-57863-269-2, ISBN 978-1-57863-269-5
• Govannon, Taliesin (2011). Starwood 2011 (Posted: July 31st, 2011) [7] in The Witches' Voice.
• Gray, Edward R. & Scott Thumma (2004) Gay Religion. AltaMira Press ISBN 0-7591-0325-9, ISBN 978-0-7591-0325-2
• Grimassi, Raven (2000) Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft. Llewellyn Publications ISBN 1-56718-257-7, ISBN 978-1-56718-257-6
• Hayes, Charles (2000). Tripping: An Anthology of True-Life Psychedelic Adventures. (Terence McKenna Interview) Penguin Compass/Penguin Putnam Inc. ISBN 0-14-019574-2
• Hoey, Steve (1996) Thoughts on Starwood. Noise Laboratories.
• Hunter, Jennifer (2000) 21st Century Wicca: A Young Witch's Guide to Living the Magical Life. Citadel ISBN 0-8065-1887-1, ISBN 978-0-8065-1887-9
• Jung, Fritz (2001) Starwood Article about song by same name in Witchvox with Mp3 file [8]
• Kates, Bill (1997). Best of the Fests: Starwood Festival in High Times.
• Krassner, Paul (2005). The Blame Game article in The Huffington Post, August 26, 2005.
• Kent, Stephen (2006) Starwood article on Stephen Kent Website
• Krassner, Paul (2007) The Witch Hunt Ain’t Over Yet High Times, December 24, 2003.
• Lewis, James & Shelley Rabinovitch (2003) The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft & Neo-Paganism. Citadel Press ISBN 0-8065-2406-5, ISBN 978-0-8065-2406-1
• Lewis, James R. (1996) Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft. State University of New York Press ISBN 0-7914-2890-7, ISBN 978-0-7914-2890-0
• Lingan, Edmund B. (2006). "Beyond the Occult Revival: Contemporary Forms of Occult Theatre" article in PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art - PAJ 84 (Volume 28, Number 3), September 2006, pp. 23–38. The MIT Press.
• Mansfield, Mark (2009) Starwood Festival 2009 - StereoSubversion Website
• McColman, Carl (2002) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism. Alpha ISBN 0-02-864266-X, ISBN 978-0-02-864266-6
• Edain McCoy (2004) If You Want to Be a Witch: A Practical Introduction to the Craft. Llewellyn Publications ISBN 0-7387-0514-4, ISBN 978-0-7387-0514-9
• Monaghan, Patricia (1999) Meditation, the Complete Guide. New World Library ISBN 1-57731-088-8, ISBN 978-1-57731-088-4
• Nema (1995) Maat Magick: A Guide to Self-Initiation. Weiser Books ISBN 0-87728-827-5
• Paige, Anthony (2003) American Witch: Magick for the Modern Seeker. Citadel ISBN 0-8065-2511-8, ISBN 978-0-8065-2511-2
• Pike, Sarah (2001). Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community. University of California Press [9]. ISBN 0-520-22030-7
• Pike, Sarah (2004) New Age and Neopagan Religions in America Columbia University Press ISBN 0-231-12402-3, ISBN 978-0-231-12402-7
• Pitzl-Waters, Jason (2007) Round the Fire: Traveling Pagan Troubadours and Festival Culture [10]
• Reed, Robert A. & Joy S. Miller-Upton & Donald W. Wallbaum Local Festival Celebrates Pagan Rites (August 3, 1989) The Free Paper Logan, OH.
• Seachrist, Denise (2003). The Musical World of Halim El-Dabh. Kent State University Press: World Musics Series. ISBN 0-87338-752-X
• Singer, Maria (2005) Dancing the Fire: The Ins and Outs of Neo-Pagan Festivals & Gatherings. Citadel ISBN 0-8065-2534-7
• St. John, G. (2003) Rave Culture and Religion. Routledge ISBN 0-415-31449-6, ISBN 978-0-415-31449-7
• Vale, V. and John Sulak (2001). Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Ritual. [11] (Interview with Jeff Rosenbaum). San Francisco: RE/Search Publications. ISBN 1-889307-10-6
• Zell-Raveneart, Oberon (2011). Starwood Festival 2011 (A Review by Oberon Zell) [12] (Posted: August 7th, 2011) in The Witches' Voice
• Zell-Raveneart, Oberon (2012). Starwood 32 - Review by Oberon Zell [13] (Posted: September 23rd, 2012) in The Witches' Voice

External links

• The Starwood Festival web page