Our Facilitators for WytcheHaven Weekends



Riverfire: Called to the craft by Herne at the age of 12, Riverfire is an ordained interfaith minister and reiki master, an accomplished sculptor and one of the founders of WytcheHaven. He is partner to Rio and enjoys communing with nature and the Fey. Riverfire is a practitioner of High Ritual Magick and a third degree priest in the Xohox tradition, a mix of welsh-celtic and hermetic teachings.

Rio: A practicing pagan of over 15 years, ordained interfaith minister and reiki master, Rio is one of the founders of WytcheHaven. She is partner to Riverfire, and mother of four furry felines and one energetic puppy. Rio is a third degree priestess in the Xohox tradition, a mix of welsh-celtic and hermetic teachings. She is currently Dar to a mixed coven of Arkansans and available as a spiritual counselor for individuals, couples and families.

SONA: "Yes, its true! After a hiatus of three years, SONA has reunited-- to the delight of all their fans. Our infamous Interlopers of Idolatry, the Sultans of Spiritualism, the Pompadours of Paganity, the Mad Missourian Mithraites, the "Peter, Paul and Mary" of Pagan Music, have come back together to reform the Power of Three that is known as SONA."

Patricia Telesco: Trish considers herself a down-to-earth Kitchen Witch whose love of folklore and world-wide customs flavor every spell and ritual. While her actual Wiccan education was originally self trained and self initiated, she later received initiation into the Strega tradition of Italy, which gives form and fullness to the folk magic Trish practices. Her strongest beliefs lie in following personal vision, being tolerant of other traditions, making life an act of worship, and being creative so that magic grows with you. Trish travels minimally twice a month to give lectures and workshops around the country. She (or her writing) has appeared on several television segments including Sightings on muli-cultural divination systems and National Geographic Today – Solstice Celebrations. Besides this, Trish maintains a strong, visible presence in metaphysical journals including Circle Network News, and on the internet through popular sites like www.witchvox.com (festival focus), her interactive home page located at www.loresinger.com, & yahoo club www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/folkmagicwithtrishtelesco, and various appearances on internet chats and bbs boards. Her hobbies include gardening, herbalism, brewing, singing, hand crafts, antique restoration, and landscaping. Her current project is helping support various neo-pagan causes including land funds for religious retreats.

Carl F. Neal: Carl Neal is a Pagan author and lecturer, among other things. Carl began to discover his Pagan path in the mid 1980’s after bouts with several “organized” religions and attempts at atheism and agnosticism proved to be incompatible with his core beliefs. With a little help from others in his local community, Carl began to view the world through Pagan eyes and knew he had found the path he had sought for so long. In 2003, Carl’s first book was released. “Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents” is a how-to book focused on the creation of incense sticks, cones, coils, and other forms of “self-combusting” incense. Although the book focuses on the mechanical aspects of incense creation, the spiritual and magickal features of incense were the most important aspects to him and are well represented in “Incense”. In 2004, Red Wheel/Wieser published Carl’s second book. Entitled “The Magick Toolbox: The Ultimate Compendium for Choosing and Using Ritual Implements and Magickal Tools”, this book is a detailed look at the most popular tools used in ritual magick. It details not only how to use these tools in a magickal setting, but also how to find, create, and care for them. Loaded with rituals and photos of various tools, this book is also available internationally. Carl has several newly completed writing projects currently looking for a publishing home. He is also busy writing a sequel to his first book with the working title “Incense Magick: An incense user’s book of shadows” and he is also working on a book about the magick techniques of the modern Greenman movement. Carl lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with an assortment of “special needs” cats adopted from a local animal rescue group. Carl spends his time volunteering for the rescue group, conducting workshops, helping with the local Pagan community, and working a full-time job to support it all. Carl is currently the president of the Oklahoma Pagan/Heathen Alliance and is one of the organizers of Oklahoma’s only Pagan Pride Day. Carl is available for lectures and workshops across the USA. He can be contacted via e-mail at: incense_dragon@yahoo.com

Kevin 'K' Wiley: Join fire artist Kevin 'K' Wiley to experience the magic of fire performance and dancing with Poi. K' brings the fire arts to new heights. Poi spinning is an incredible form of exercise based upon a traditional art of dance and performance. Anyone can learn to spin poi, and the same techniques can be applied to spinning sections of silk cloth and even to dancing with fire! "K" taught a beginner's Poi Spinning Class and performed for us at Weekend #3.

Skinny White Chick, aka S.J. Tucker: WytcheHaven was honored that S.J. performed for us at Weekend #3 - we even got a sneak peak at the Wendy trilogy. S.J. is truly a voice that must be heard - in your heart, in your head and in your soul. She is the picture you see in the dictionary next to One-of-a-kind. "Memphis' Skinny White Chick sings with the passion of a Diva gone a bit mad. Her songs are hauntingly mesmerizing, yet catchy and memorable. Don't miss out. This Chick will be remembered for a long time." Bernadette Holzer "Soule Feste", Wolvenwold News (West Plains)

Sede: Sede was born of a seed and has lived this life as a co-creator unaware. He began dreaming in another life and woke up in southeast Arkansas at the dawn of the Age of Aquarius. During the past two decades he has been experimenting with various musical concepts and genres only to return to his roots as a co-creator. He has studied Buddhism, Christianity, Gnosticism, Hinduism, Islam, Native American Religions, Wicca, and Zen - not that it matters. Today he listens more than he speaks and he seeks after the truth of the matter - typically only finding that the truth lies no further than we imagined it to be in the first place. "Ultimately, the details of your reality don't matter, it's the way you embrace your reality that makes those details come alive for you."

W. Lyon Martin: The author/illustrator of the Pagan children's book An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child, W. Lyon Martin has followed a Pagan path all her adult life. She became a parent in March 1994, when her daughter was born. She began to actively call herself Pagan in 1985 after she read Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler. She continues to read and research her chosen religion to achieve a better understanding of the Pagan Path and deepen her spiritual connection to the Goddess and God. An Eclectic witch living in Eastern Missouri, she has written articles for Craft publications both on-line and in print including PanGaia, PagaNet News, The Seeker Journal, NewWitch, Acorns Journal, Elements Magazine, Crescent Magazine, The Witch’s Voice and The Pagan-Wiccan Times. She has been a working artist since 1981, when she received an Associate of Applied Science degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She continued her training at the School of Visual Arts where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1988. She has exhibited her watercolor paintings in art shows internationally. Her fine art paintings grace both public and private collections. Her illustration work has been featured in assorted publications, from books and magazines to corporate collateral materials and advertisements. Lyon's Craft website, Magickware is geared toward unique handmade gifts, quality ritual supplies and fine art for the Pagan home. She lives with her husband, her daughter and a cranky, old cat of undetermined ancestry.

Dr. Ben Waggoner: Ben is the Vice-Steersman of the Troth, one of the largest Heathen organizations in the world, which promotes all forms of Heathenry (reconstructed pre-Christian Germanic religion), including, but not limited to, Asatru, Odinism, Theodish Belief, and others. He also serves the Troth as its Steward (regional contact person) for Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. He is a frequent contributor of essays and the occasional poem to the Troth's quarterly journal, IDUNNA. Most recently, he edited and contributed material to OUR TROTH, the Troth's newly published encyclopedic book on Heathen religion and practice. A native of Louisiana, he lives in cenral Arkansas. When not doing Heathen-y things, he may be found teaching at a local university, hunting fossils, studying all manner of abstruse lore, or hanging out with his fellow members of the small but growing Black Bear Kindred of Asatru.
http://www.blackbearkindred.org/
http://www.thetroth.org/

Barbara Selene: Selene has been a solitary practitioner for the past 20 years. Mother of three rebels and soon to be a grandmother (that happy day will have arrived prior to the festival), she is facilitating the Flower Frenzy Ritual. Her interest in bereavement and trauma counseling led her to Bachelor degrees in both psychology and communication. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Social Work at the University of Denver. Her skillful blend of research, practicality and magic coupled with the belief that all healing comes from our own inner source, creates an atmosphere of safety, hope and learning that is reflected in her counseling style and rituals.

Jim Boegman: Jim Boegman has been active in the Denver Polyamory community for three years. He co-moderates the Colorado Poly Connections discussion group, organizes the monthly Denver Poly Dinner event, and co-organizes the monthly Poly Diners' Club event. He has presented an introduction to Polyamory at Dragonfest (a Colorado Pagan Festival) for the last two years. He has been married for 14 years and both he and his wife have had several relationships since they became polyamorous.

Jason WhiteEagle: Jason WhiteEagle is a self proclaimed student of the Mysteries. Having studied and practiced Shamanism for over thirty years, he has also studied many of the worlds' religions. These include both Christian and Earthbased. (As a healer, it helps to know about those you are healing.) He was trained as a Combat Paramedic while serving with the US Army's counter terrorism group. He is also trained and certified as a Rape, Crisis, and Family counselor. Jason works with, co-produces, and serves several other festivals around the country. Remember, medics love hugs, so come by med-lodge and give him one.

Alexandria: Alexandria is a Wiccan High Priestess in the Dianic tradition. She attended her first ritual at Beltane in 1989 and describes the experience as “coming home.” The following year she was initiated as a priestess, and began exploring the interrelationships of Wicca with her previous spiritual adventures in metaphysical and new age thinking. In the mid 1990’s, Alexandria began studying to become a High Priestess and was granted that status in December 1996. She was hived out of her home coven in Dallas soon after and started her own coven in the Houston area. It was then that she discovered the greater community that existed; for her original teachers were, and continue to be, very much in the broom closet.

Sasha Daucus: Sasha is one of the leading herbal teachers in the Ozarks. She has practiced clinical herbalism at the Golden Light Center in Doniphan, Missouri since 1984. She makes many of the remedies used in her herbal practice, including ones which concentrate the spiritual properties of plants.

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