August 10, 2016
Twin Oaks Gathering Draws Women to Virginia Woods
Winnie McCroy READ TIME: 8 MIN.
For 32 years, women have been traveling to the woods of Louisa, VA each August to attend the annual Twin Oaks Women's Gathering. Over 100 women gather at the campgrounds for three days of dancing, stargazing and celebrating in a supportive feminist space.
This year�s Gathering, August 19-21, will feature workshops on topics ranging from sustainable living to sacred chants. Performers include Crys Matthews, Deborah "Spice" Kleinmann, and DK & the Joy Machine.
The goal of the Gathering has been the same since 1983: "Celebrating Ourselves, Our Creativity, and Our Strength!"
"We live in a world where people of color, gender queer folks and women experience disproportionate acts of violence," said Sapphyre Miria, one of the Gathering�s organizers. "The Women's Gathering allows us to reconnect with ourselves."
Workshops
The Acu-Detox Program started out about 30 years ago in New York as detox from heroin instead of methadone, then moved all over the country. The protocol showed positive results in drug courts with all different kinds of addiction. When the towers came down the NADA protocol helped people sleep so they could process what was happening to them, it was used after Katrina and the disaster in Haiti.... We'll talk about the current uses and participants will be offered to experience the NADA protocol first hand so they can encourage their mental health and substance use providers to integrate the program. - Thea Page
You'll have the delightful experience of allowing your imagination to flow as the auricle listen to etheric stories of your oneness with all of Creation to the background of soothing music. As you relax to the wonderful scents of relaxing essential oils, filling your nostril. You'll also have the option of experiencing relaxing acupuncture treatment as your senses are being stimulated. - Lolita Smith
Come talk about comfort and communication while exchanging massage in a private space. - Spice
In this workshop, we will describe and discuss the creation of Feminina Sube on Isla Mujeres, and Handmaids Gate, both participatory on-going goddess installation spaces, one on Isla Mujeres, MX and one iin Floyd VA. Both are dedicated to unleashing women's creativity, bring together women to create goddess art spaces, bringing and celebrating and educating each other, one on fertility goddesses from around the world, on Isla, and the other, dedicated to the Ancient Winged Hittite Goddess Shaushkah, chased out of her own domain by ISIS. Come see what part you can play, how you can get involved, and talk about the importance of re-opening these kinds of channels throughout the world. - Batya Weinbaum
Finding your power and resolving conflict under stress is challenging. We are hard-wired to react to stress and threats with the distress response: freeze, give up, fight, flight, or dissociate. In this state making peace from a position of calm power is impossible. In this workshop you'll learn tools that help replace the distress response in our bodies with calm alertness and compassionate power. This workshop will use body exercises and movement experiments as a teaching tool. - Sabine Dibowski
We are living in a patriarchal, white-supremacist society. As such, we all carry internalized oppression. When we acknowledge that we all hold internalized racism, we are able to acknowledge that our space is not yet safe as a whole to our sisters of color and work toward a truly equal safe space for all attending women. In part one of this workshop, we will specifically investigate our internalized racism as individuals and in the context of the gathering. After spending some time reflecting, we will gather for part two to brainstorm solutions to creating safe space. - Facilitated by Sara Tansey & Sapphyre Miria
Time to get physical! We will warm up, exercise, run practice drills and end in fun scrimmage game. After taking this workshop, you will be able to play , coach and officiate flag football. We would love it if you would: coach a girls team, start your own women's team, officiate in womens & girls flag football tournament. We use the sport to teach life skills - uniting females all over the world. See flier: IWFFA-2016-promotional-tour - IWFFA
Come circle & be surrounded by healing vocal sounds, chants, energy work (such as Reiki) & the vibrations of quartz crystal bowls. Each attendee will have the opportunity to be in the center of the circle. In this special space you can relax & absorb the healing powers that all the sisters joining have to beautifully offer. Please bring a blanket or towel to sit upon. - Pam Karthik
Intersectionality is the study of overlapping social identities such as race, class, and gender and the related systems of oppression. In this workshop, we will explain the basic theory and terminology of intersectionality and explore the concept through group discussion following the guiding principle, "the personal is political." - Julia Griffin
Sexuality and feminism have a complex history, especially around issues related to BDSM and sexual kink. Clementine and Erin will hold space for a shared discussion on kink through a feminist lens. This is a support/discussion group open to women who actively engage in sexual power exchange or top/bottom role-play to share their joys, fears, questions and concerns within a safe and accepting environment of women. People who are unfamiliar or who feel opposed to these practices are respectfully asked not to participate. Please be 18+
Join in to learn how to Make Kombucha, with starter kit included. -Winnie
Fungi can be helpful in your garden and delicious in the kitchen. This workshop offers a peek into the fungi kingdom at large and addresses Grow It Yourself (GIY) indoor growing and cultivation methods with the option to transfer your fungi to your outdoor garden. In addition to a demonstration of basic propagation techniques, the class offers resources for finding mushroom materials to work with as you set about on your homegrown mycological pursuits. - DNA
This workshop will take several recent North Carolina laws, including HB2, and go beyond headlines to look at the laws' functional provisions and effects. We'll also look at how these right-wing laws being promoted by Republicans form a program (quite successful so far) to dismantle the middle-class and subsidize the wealthy. The burdens of these laws have fallen most heavily on women. The Koch Brothers and similar right-wing/ 1% groups promulgate model laws that protect and promote the interests of ultra-wealthy men, but make these laws sound and look facially neutral. After attending this workshop, you will be able to smell the sexism in proposed laws that look facially neutral. If you don't like 'politics,' think of this as being about democracy and your own self-interest. - Sherri Zann Rosenthal
Through intentional practice of flow arts, we have the opportunity to grow closer to ourselves and the Universe. This workshop will guide you through different techniques for movement meditation, with a focus on the implementation of Reiki energy healing. We will discuss how to channel Universal Life Force not just into your flow, but into all parts of your being, so that you may thrive in your most optimum human existence. Together we will explore how you can approach your hoop practice from a more sacred standpoint, using your hoop as an instrument of ascension on your self-healing journey. - Laura Carmody
In this experiential class, we will break out of our comfort zone and do something most of us have been told not to do, for most of our lives. Yes! That's right, we are going to get down and dirty and covered in mud! Be ready to dive in, let go and find freedom and empowerment in embracing your wild woman self! And yes, you will get officially welcomed to The Mud Tribe! - Kate Knott
How do we as women build and participate in community? Come hear women from various intentional communities share their stories of what it means to live communally and cooperatively. We'll talk about the bigger picture of sharing income, decision-making, our houses and our lives, and also delve into the day-to-day realities of living this lifestyle. Format will be fluid presentation and Q&A style. - facilitated by Sapphyre and Rachel
Come sing and stretch! We'll move through a combination of flowing yoga movements while singing gentle sacred chants. No yoga experience necessary. Please wear stretchy clothing (nothing tight) and bring a towel or blanket or mat to sit on (we'll be on the ground for some of the time). - Valerie
Twin Oaks intentional community was founded in 1967 in the Central Virginia countryside. Since then, the community has supported several businesses, including hammock and tofu production. Currently, Twin Oaks is home to over 100 people. For more about the community, contact us via the form at twinoaks.org/contact-us.
Registration is open to women and children (all girls; boys 6 and under) are welcome. The Gathering is open to all who are female-born and/or woman-identified. The fee for the weekend is $85, but a sliding scale and work exchanges are available.
For more information, visit http://womensgathering.org or email [email protected].
Winnie McCroy is the Women on the EDGE Editor, HIV/Health Editor, and Assistant Entertainment Editor for EDGE Media Network, handling all women's news, HIV health stories and theater reviews throughout the U.S. She has contributed to other publications, including The Village Voice, Gay City News, Chelsea Now and The Advocate, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
