Testimonials for Workshops and Rituals

Here are a number of quotes about my work facilitating leadership and facilitation workshops, or leading rituals within the Pagan/metaphysical community.

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“I can hardly believe how just changing the language used in ritual made such big difference… Everyone sang, held hands and swayed. There were smiles all around as things came to a close. I got nothing but praises. I for one was more relaxed, not hung up in making sure the wording was right.  I’m eternally and internally grateful for your teachings.”
–Participant, London, Ontario

“Shauna, I would like to extend a very warm thank you for sharing of your experience & your spirit this past weekend. The chanting workshop was wonderful! And the ritual on Saturday was one of the most moving rituals I have ever been part of. Your inclusion of the group in said ritual, was brilliant & effective. Not only did it make me cry, I cried through most of it!”
–Participant, London, Ontario

“BEAUTIFUL EVENT TODAY! I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I danced, I chanted, I meditated, I concentrated, I learned, I hugged, I shared, I smiled, I giggled, I sang, & most importantly… I. LET. GO! :D *raises chalice* To a new year! :]”
–Beltane 2011 Participant, Chicago IL

“The ritual was fantastic and I really felt a bonded sense of community there. You truly created something. Oddly enough, your rituals to me feel not so much ecstatic but emotional. There’s incredible emotional truth there. That your language and energy are incredibly encouraging for people to tap into their internal processes.”
–Participant, Chicago IL

“I’ve been in the pagan community for over 20 years now. I thought I had been in a significant ritual or two. Oh no. Not at all. Not after last night’s experience. I had no idea.

The ritual presented last night, facilitated…was indeed a magickal work of a magnitude I can’t put into words. All the things we attempt to do? All the goals we strive for to connect to the Divine, walk between worlds, be in the presence of gods and achieve community?…It all pales before the absolute power, sincerity and blinding light of the work of these people. I felt like a sandlot ball player who was suddenly dropped into Yankee Stadium in the middle of a World Series.

This was REAL. This was LARGE. This was…Right.
This was what we read about in books, and hear about from other people, like chasing an urban legend. These creatures shine forth in almost blinding white light, centeredness and compelling love of their paths, their gods and their people. The entirety of the gathering was engulfed in rapture. Gentle yet intense leading of the gathered seekers, chanting and singing that choked me up to the point of tears.

I can’t say I have ever been this affected by any ritual, let alone a public one….I have never experienced anything like last night in my life. I so wish more of you could have had this experience as well.”
–Participant in the 2008 Ringing Anvil Imbolc in Kansas City

 

“When you ask what I’m looking for in the Pagan community, honestly, I was looking for exactly what happened on the Solstice. I had been attending [other] group rituals, which were alright, but I felt like I wanted to connect more to them. They felt overly formal. When I experienced Shauna’s ritual on the Solstice, I felt I found my group ritual style. Loved it. Connected with it. Raised energy. It was great. “
–Participant in the 2008 Yule in Chicago

“GREAT ritual…seriously. Best I’ve been to. I will definitely be back for more, and I’m looking forward to bringing my husband; I really feel like he’d connect to your ritual style.”
–Participant, Chicago

“I just want to say that I attended the Return to the Root in November 07 in St. Louis and found it to be an awesome experience.  What a wonderful group you have and a great gift to the community.”
–Participant, Return to the Root conference 2007, St. Louis

“I just want to say thank you to Shauna and [the ritual arts intensive presenter team] and the class that created the Imbolc ritual.  It was truly energizing and amazing!!  I had a fabulous time and learned a lot.  Just the energy created between all of us was inspiring.  Much thanks again.”
–Participant in the 2009 Imbolc in Chicago

“Just wanted to let you know that was probably the best ritual I have ever had the pleasure to attend. Seriously! You do an extremely good job at walking people through a meditation; I came **this** close to astrally projecting and probably would have if I wasn’t sitting so close to so many other people. I think [my husband] is actually tired of hearing me rattle on about the detailed play by play.”
–Participant in 2009 Solar Fires & Surging Waters conference, from Chicago

“Just got back from “Waters of Spring”-A Unity Ritual of Earth-Centered Spirituality. Oberon Zell-Ravenheart presided. POWERFUL!!!!”
–Participant, Chicago

“What a GREAT weekend we just had! Thank you Thank you…for coming up from Chicago to present their leadership and communication workshop and an amazing ritual. I learned so much from the workshop and had a truly great experience in the ritual.”
–Participant in Milwaukee leadership and community building intensive 2009, Milwaukee WI

“I wanted to let you guys know that I really appreciated your Fires of Autumn course.   You did an excellent job of not only providing concepts, but modeling them throughout the weekend.  In almost (almost) a sneaky way even.  That was very beneficial to me, especially as some of the gathering and ecstatic concepts are outside my comfort zone.  To experience them, as well as hear them, opened my mind to them in a very powerful way.  What would have probably seemed overwhelming to implement was clearly made do-able, and even fun.

“So again, thank you, and bright blessings.  I think you are both amazing assets to the pagan community at large as you bring these lessons to would-be leaders.”
–Participant, “Fires of Autumn ritual arts and leadership intensive, Iowa City

“…The positive energy at the workshop was awesome….I feel this is a very POSITIVE STEP to get our community back on our feet. I hope to see more positive things like this happen in Milwaukee.”
–Participant in Milwaukee leadership and community building intensive 2009, Milwaukee WI

“Very nice group as always, and they kept on schedule once we got started. I was impressed at the quality of the presentations I saw.”
–Participant, Chicago 

“Shauna, I want to thank you the other leaders of the ESC for Saturday’s conference. I had such a spiritual high, there was no need for me to go to kinetic playground. It has been a long time since Chicago has a day of pagan conferences. Other groups have done it, but your conference was open to. The workshops were great. I don’t think I have the words to describe the ritual. It was one of the powerful ever for. I am glad I attended. My father died about 7 weeks ago so I definitely can relate to the grieving Isis. I hope that there are future daylong conferences.”
–Participant, Solar Fires and Surging Waters conference 2009, Chicago

“I don’t even know what to say except that I think that might have been the most beautiful ritual I have  ever been involved in or seen. I have never seen anything like it. I have never seen a ritual played out like that. It was like a performance piece but an interactive one.”
–Participant, Solar Fires and Surging Waters conference 2009, Chicago

“Shauna’s retelling of the story of Isis was worth the entire trip;  it touched [my friend] deeply, and she needed to hear that version.”
–Participant, Solar Fires and Surging Waters conference 2009, Chicago

“I thought things were pretty well put together. Great ritual as always! I especially liked how all the facilitators kept on topic as much as possible, because that has a tendency to fall off-track with so many different peoples’ questions. Nice variety of workshops, too! That, and the timeliness was also pretty decent, considering so many peoples’ PST tendencies. ;) I didn’t check my watch too many times, being the time nazi I am :P “
–Participant, Solar Fires and Surging Waters conference 2009, Chicago

“Yes. This.”
–Participant, 2009 Raising the Sacred Fire ritual arts intensive, Chicago IL