Quest 2013
Quest 2013
After inaugurating the Red Tent at Quest 2012, it was lovely to be invited back to run workshops this year. We offered a taste of our Wood Sisters Circle group and the Tree of Life Kabbalah school. On Friday, for our Wood Sisters workshop, Sue told the Grimm’s story of The Handless Maiden and Sam followed with a meditation to explore the key motifs of the story. It was heart warming to experience how a group of women who have never met before can gather in a circle, even for just an hour workshop and be inspired by story and spirituality and share with each other at real depth.
Flags – photo by Alice Carfrae
On Saturday we were delighted to gather a very good sized group of women and men for an exploration of Kabbalah. Sue told a version of the Biblical story of Creation, with Adam, Eve and Lilith, that drew on other rabbinical writings, not ultimately selected for the Torah or the Bible, and on different translations of the Hebrew texts. Sam gave a brief talk on a Kabbalistic perspective on the creation story as a symbolic depiction of the continual emergence of manifestation from the Unmanifest Source, followed by a meditation to embody the Tree of Life and the Four Worlds of the Kabbalists. It was lovely to be joined by Wood Sister and Red Tent Council member, Jo Swift, for both workshops, which were well-attended and appreciated – here is what one workshop participant took the time to write to us afterwards:
“Best session for me at this year’s Quest. Well presented and the storytelling superb. So glad I was able to be there. I do think your input at Quest this year was important as it added to the wider balance of the overall project. Hope to see you next year, if not before.” Leslie C.
Movement – photo by Alice Carfrae
Quest itself has evolved into a livelier, gutsier, more varied and fuller festival which still maintains a peaceful stillness at its heart and soul – and there was more for the body this year! We thoroughly enjoyed using our free time at the Festival to get into some serious cake eating at the Food Groove and then working it off with some conscious movement in the dance space, including mindful Tango teaching from Reza Ahmad and ecstatic dance with Five Rhythms teacher, Christian de Sousa – both of whom will be joining us at the Wood Sisters Winter Festival for Imbolc on February 1st 2014.
Dance – photo by Alice Carfrae
We both appreciated being provided with a venue & stewards this year but also missed not being in the Wood Sisters Red Tent and being able to offer that sacred sanctuary space. Although transporting the Red Tent, our hand-made touring sanctuary, is an effort, we felt its presence was profoundly right at Quest and hope that it may be able to bring it back next year.
The Red Tent at Quest 2012
Sam &Sue at Quest 2012 in the Red Tent