2004 Teachers Bios

Andras Corban Arthen was adopted into the practices of a Scottish family of witches in 1969. He is director of the EarthSpirit Community and cunningman of the Glenshire witches, and has taught and lectured widely throughout the country. Andras has represented the pagan traditions at the United Nations and at the Parliament of the World’s Religions. In 1996, he was dubbed by televangelist Pat Robertson on the 700 Club as "an awful role model for the youth of America." Andras lives in Glenwood, a pagan community in the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts

Black Lotus (born Len Rosenberg), walks two spiritual paths. He is a Wiccan High Priest, of the Protean/ Gardnerian Tradition. And he is a Shakta (Hindu Goddess worshipper), and initiated devotee of Mata Amritananda-Mayi of Kerala, South India. He teaches Mantra meditation, Vedic magical uses of gemstones, and is an astrologer. Black Lotus wrote the introductory article for Green Egg's Hindu- Pagan issue (April '98). He performs both mirthful and reverent songs of his own devising. And he co-leads Mnemosynides Coven in New York City with his partner, Alexei Kondratiev.

Erik Burch is a member of Earthstar Circle,  a longtime student of esoteric trivia, and the creator of Juvenile Magick, a magickal system using the folklore of modern American children as its ritual base.

Crista holds a Master's degree in Social Work and is a co-founder of the Sexual Health Information Line in Columbus, Ohio. She has been a member of the Church of All Worlds since the late 90's and currently lives in NYC.

Jonathan J. Dickau has been seeking to unite the realm of the Magical and the Miraculous with the knowledge of Science and Mathematics. A Composer, Musician, Engineer, Producer, Writer, Physicist, and Philosopher,  active in the Taoist Community, and a Unitarian Universalist, he is a member of the Church of All Worlds, and a priest in the Order of Melchizedek.  Jonathan is chief technical wizard at Diverse Productions in Poughkeepsie, NY, and also a Vocal Coach.  He is also a natural Seer/Sorcerer, who has studied the emanations of the Eagle in great detail. Jonathan has been a teacher of the movement arts for more than 12 years, having taught at Tai Ji at the Mid-Hudson Dance Studio for almost 3 years, and leading numerous movement workshops, including Moving With Energy at Starwood 2001 and 2003. 

Djenaba (D.J.Reese) has been an advocate of healthy living and spiritual experience for over 20 years, practicing the techniques and skills she promotes. She is a practitioner of Applied Kinesiology, certified by the InternationalCollege in Zurich, Switzerland and the Touch for Health Kinesiology Association. Djenaba  is an Advanced Personal Trainer, Sports Nutrition Consultant, Fitness Counselor, Advanced Aerobics Instructor, and Yoga Instructor, certified by the American Aerobic Association International/International Association of Sports Medicine, and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Writing under the name D.J. Reese, she is the Fitness Forum columnist for the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Helena Domenic is an Elder of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, and currently High Priestess of the Weavers of the Moonfire in Philadelphia, PA. An accomplished painter, Helena has shown her work across the United States and abroad. She is currently finishing her thesis at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she is also teaching a course on The Art of the Tarot. Helena has also taught at CheyneyUniversity, RutgersUniversity, Sacred Space, Free Spirit Gathering, Ecumenicon, Between the Worlds, Morgan's Cauldron, Heart of the Goddess and Hand of Aries, as well as a variety of Pagan events around the Philadelphia region.

Carole Eagleheart is a nationally-known workshop leader and musician.  She lives in Vermont but travels nine months of the year performing concerts and leading workshops throughout the United States and Canada.  She has released five albums and three books of original music. In 2001 she made a pilgrimage to sacred Goddess sites in Crete.  The music she composed on the pilgrimage has just been released in the songbook "She Calls to Us:  Songs to Celebrate the Goddess."

Philip H. Farber is the author of FUTURERITUAL: Magick for the 21st Century, a manual of neurological exploration. His articles on magick and popular culture have appeared in Green Egg Magazine, The Journal of Hypnotism, Mondo 2000, High Times, Paradigm Shift, and other unique publications and web sites. Phil is a Certified Hypnotherapist, with a private practice in New York's Mid-HudsonValley.

Judy Harrow – has been High Priestess of Proteus Coven since 1980. She served as National First Officer of Covenant of the Goddess in 1984, and is currently President-Elect of the New Jersey Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling. Judy is a faculty member of Cherry Hill Seminary, in their Pastoral Counseling program. Her first book, Wicca Covens, was published in 1999. Her second book, Spiritual Mentoring: a Pagan Guide came out in October, 2002. She also edited the fothcoming anthology, Devoted to You, anticipated for February, 2003, which includes a major essay on the Goddess Brigit by long-term Etheracon teacher Alexei Kondratiev.

Gene is the H.P. of Eleuthia Coven, a Wiccan Coven in the North Star Craft. He is also a member of the Church of All Worlds. He is co-organizer of New Moon New York, NYC's oldest Pagan networking organization and is the author of "Off the Shelf: Mr. Grumpy's Pagan Book Review," at www.bewitchingways.com. He currently lives in NYC.

Rachel Ginther , Alchemist, FSE and Co-Creator of the Garden of One Vibrational Products, has been making Essences since 1994. She has traveled extensively worldwide and brings a background of Sacred Living to all she does though teaching/sharing wisdom, writing, consulting and production Garden of One Vibrational Products which activate the healing potential within each of us and create Oneness/Union in Self, Planet and Cosmos.

Alexei Kondratiev; Background in anthropology, linguistics, and comparative religion. Teaches Irish language, Celtic history at the Irish Arts Center in Manhattan. Officer in Celtic League American Branch. Co-leads (with Black Lotus) eclectic Wiccan circle (Mnemosynides/Children of Memory) in New York.

Catherine Lafuente is a graduate in theology from Sarah Lawrence College; Catherine has studied a variety of religions, from Buddhism to Gnosticism.  She's an initiate of the Knight's Templar Oasis branch of the Ordo Templi Orientis, as well as a student of a local Babalawo.  She is currently pursuing initiation into the Priestesshood of Santeria under the Orisha Obatala.  

Marcia L. Pickands is a Religious Leader, Ceremonial Magician, Psychic and Spiritual Counselor.  She is the Warden of the Sangreal Sodality.  Marcia is the author of The Psychic Self-Defense Personal Training Manual (Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1997) and Psychic Abilities:  How to Train and Use Them (Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1999).  Her next book will be on the topic of SPIRITUAL HEALING. Over the last 30+ years Marcia has taught classes and/or lectured on The Western Inner Mystical Tradition, Neo-Paganism and related mystical, metaphysical, psychic, and magical subjects at The Blue Moon Boutique, Albany, NY, Spring Eagle, Schenectady, NY, The Green Light, Albany, NY, Trinity Temple, Albany, NY , Craftwise , Connecticut, EtheraCon , Poughkeepsie, NY and The Retreat, Pennsylvania/ Massachusetts.

Ceisiwr Serith is a Indo-European Reconstructionist, with a particular interest in Proto-Indo-European religions. He is the author of 2 books: "The Pagan Family" which is sadly out of print, and " A Book of Pagan Prayer",, and has authored over twenty published articles.  He has taught at CraftWise for many years.

Jane T. Sibley, Jane T. Sibley, Ph.D. has taught at EtheraCon, Ecumenicon, Feast of Lights, Ritesof Spring, Twilight Covening, and many more gatherings over the years.  She is a specialist in runes, Norse folklore and mythology, and traditional Norwegian Wise Woman lore.  Her first book, "Norse Mythology...According to Uncle Einar", came out in December, 2000.  At present, she is working on a book dealing with traditional Norse "magic medicine" and a historical fantasy novel with the working title of "The Hammer of the Smith", which deals with smithcraft (and other) magic in the far North.

Tchipakkan is an artist, writer, healer, and eclectic pagan. She started secretly worshipping the old gods as a child, and then openly in her teens. Her small (nearly) self sufficient sustainable homestead in New Hampshire, which she shares with her children, has a varying assortment of animals (sheep, goats, rabbits, chicken, ducks, geese, peafowl, and cats of course). She is the nominal head of the New England Pagan Peasant Tradition. Many years in the Society for Creative Anachronism have brought her many friends and many historically oriented skills, and more knowledge of early Anglo-Saxon culture than conceivably useful. She teaches useful skills like cooking, sewing, candle making, cheese making, and using herbs. When we are living consciously- every act is a prayer.

The Witches Element consists of Martha Napolitano and Nigma. Martha is a 4^th generation Pagan raised in European and Caribbean Traditions. She has been teaching for about 20 years and has focused on form of divination, mainly concentrating on the Tarot. Nigma chose her path about 15 years ago. She has been teaching privately for 5 years. Her strengths are in healing and magical herbalism. After apprenticing with an incense master for 4 years, she chose to study privately and is co-owner of The Witch's Element, Inc.  Nigma is also co-author of a book of occult recipes copyrighted and registered in the Library of Congress