Workshops are tentative and are subject to change.
If you would like to propose or lead a workshop, or be on one of our panels, please see the "Arcadia Workshop Proposals" page.
Presenting a workshop or serving on a panel counts as a work shift.
2021 Workshops and Discussions
Connecting with Your Spiritual and Magickal Guides -- What types of spiritual and magickal guides can you have? How do you connect with them?
Icebreaker and Introductions around the Campfire - Just what it says. Let's get connected!
Reconnecting with Your Spirituality and Your Life Purpose -- Do you feel lost on your personal path? Has your spiritual practice lost its zest? Are you searching for greater meaning in your life? We'll talk about strategies to connect or reconnect with your spirituality and purpose.
Welcome Talk: The Importance of Connections in Our Lives – Why is it important to have healthy social and magickal connections in our lives?
Why is it so hard for Gay and Bi Pagan Men to Connect? -- As Pagan men who love men, we are often spread out across vast distances. As gay men we are often find it hard to connect with other men. As Pagans, the Divine is often portrayed and practiced in heterocentric ways. In this guided discussion, we'll discuss why connecting is so hard and ways to connect with each other in our own Queer affirming ways. Facilitated by Mel Mystery.
Connecting with the Greek God Hermes – Who is the Greek God Hermes? What is his magick? How do you connect with him?
Rituals
Opening Ritual -- A brief ritual to declare magickal space, to set intentions for the weekend, and to affirm our connections to each other as we start the weekend.
Main Ritual: Rite of Hermes -- This ritual will honor the Greek god Hermes and initiate the Magician's Journey toward interconnectedness.
Closing Ritual -- A brief ritual to close magickal space, to acknowledge what we learned, and to affirm our connections to each other as we prepare to part ways.
Other Activities
Carve Your Own Jack-o-Lantern -- Bring your own pumpkin of any size, as well as a knife or pumpkin carving kit. The Jack-o-Lanterns will help decorate our Samhain Party later in the evening.
Drum and Dance Circle -- What could be more Pagan than drumming and dancing around a fire or on the beach? Bring your drums and other instruments!
Pan at the Disco: Samhain Party – We’ll have Halloween, Pagan, and dance music as well as a disco ball. This will likely take place around the campfire, or under our main canopy. BYOB. Guests are encouraged to dress up. We especially encourage costumes with mystical/magickal themes -- your favorite deity, mythological creatures, faeries, etc. In lieu of a formal DJ, we encourage folks to bring their favorite Halloween, Pagan, and Dance music to share (CD and MP3 format).
Schedule for 2021 - Stay tuned for our 2023 schedule!
Times and workshops are tentative and subject to change. We will continue to add and edit this schedule as needed until the gathering begins.
Our main focus this year is reconnecting after Covid and allowing opportunities to interact. We hope to offer workshops, discussions, a few rituals, and social opportunities.
If you would like to present a workshop, activity, or ritual please see Arcadia Workshop Proposals.
Friday
1pm and later – Staff and Guests check in, and set up camp
6pm – Dinner
7pm – Welcome talk: What is Arcadia all about?
7:30pm -- Opening Ritual
8pm – Ice breaker and Introductions around the campfire
9-10pm – Drum and Dance Circle
Saturday
8am – Breakfast
9am – Workshop: Reconnecting with your spirituality and life purpose
10am -- Workshop: Connecting with your spiritual and magickal guides
11am -- Morning Hike
12noon – Lunch and free time
2pm -- Discussion: Why is it so hard for Gay and Bi Pagan Men to Connect?
3pm -- Workshop: Connecting with the Greek God Hermes
4pm -- Activity: Carve your own Jack-o-Lantern. Bring your own pumpkin(s) of any size. Jack-o-Lanterns will help decorate for tonight's Samhain party.
5pm – Dinner
7pm – Rite of Hermes Ritual
8-10pm – Pan at the Disco: Samhain Masquerade /Costume Party
Sunday
8am -- Breakfast
9am – Closing ritual
10am -- Packing up camp
11am -- Lunch at Shorebreak Pizza for those who wish to stick around and socialize a bit longer
We had hoped to have vendor and networking tables this year. Due to our change in venue this year, we've had to scale this down considerably. Why the change?
Networking
Rather than offering individual table spaces for groups and events, we will have a table set aside for folks to leave flyers, pamphlets, business cards, and other information about their groups, gatherings, projects, and causes.
Vendors
Due to park guidelines, we cannot have full scale vending this year. We will allow individuals attending our retreat to sell crafts, books, music, art, magickal supplies, and so forth under the main tent during lunch and dinner meal hours. There will be no charge for this, but you are responsible for providing your own small table (not larger than 2' x 4'), for providing any equipment needed to process payments, and for ensuring that you comply with any tax or business regulations (if required). Please be aware there are no power outlets at our main campsite, and WiFi may be spotty in the campground.
Raffle Donations
If you bring something to sell, we encourage you to donate one or more items to our raffle. We will sell raffle tickets and raffle off items periodically throughout the gathering. Any funds raised will go toward this gathering or put aside for next year.
Basic meals will be included with your registration cost. This will cover the meals listed below. You are welcome to bring snacks,other food, and drinks to supplement the meals offered.
There will be a vegetarian option. Folks with other dietary needs and restrictions should inform us at least a week before the event so we have time to plan for this. We cannot guarantee your dietary restrictions will be met if you inform us later than a week before the event.
Please bring a camp mess kit or your own plates, bowls, eating utensils, and cup or water bottle. This will help us reduce waste caused by using paper plates, plastic utensils, and Solo cups.
The menu below is a suggested menu. The actual menu offerings may vary and is subject to change.
Day 1: (Friday)
Dinner "Weeny Roast" -- Hot dogs, veggie dogs, buns and condiments, sides, chips, tea or soda
Day 2: (Saturday)
Breakfast "Continental" - Oatmeal, bagels, cream cheese, fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee
Lunch – Sandwich wraps, chips, tea or soda
Dinner - Chili / Vegetarian Chili, tortillas, shredded cheese, tea or soda. Make your own S'mores.
Day 3: (Sunday)
Breakfast "Continental" - Oatmeal, bagels, cream cheese, fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee
Ground Rules
In order to create a positive environment for everyone attending Arcadia, please observe the following ground rules.
- Everyone's beliefs and paths will be respected.
- There will be no body shaming.
- Please don't try to be "holier than thou" or "Pagan-ier than thee."
- Be open to talking about beliefs without attacking other people's beliefs.
- Newbies are welcome. Feel free to ask questions.
- Participate.
- Please don't dominate conversations. Give others space to talk too.
- Respect consent culture - No means No. Yes means Yes. Clarify Maybe's.
- Any overt expression of sexuality should take place in the privacy of one's tent.
General Policies and Guidelines
Parking
Limited parking spaces are available at camp sites. Overflow parking is available in the main parking lot near the visitor center.
Parking passes are required for all vehicles within the park. We are including parking passes in the registration cost for those who register with us before the retreat and will have these for our guests at the cabin. If you did not register for the retreat ahead of time and plan to "pay at the gate", you are responsible for purchasing your own parking pass upon arrival. Parking passes are typically around $10 per day.
Cell phone and computer policy
Consider unplugging for the weekend! Connect with nature, spirituality, and other people at the retreat! Focus on the here and now! Take a break from your regular contacts and obligations! Frequent texting and phone calls can distract from the atmosphere of the retreat!
If you absolutely must stay connected, please keep your devices on silent or vibrate and take or make any calls or texts you need to away from the main cabin, workshops, rituals, and other group activities.
There will be one designated staff cell phone that will remain on (but silent) throughout the day so incoming guests can call to locate us. The staff cell phone will also be on in case of emergency.
There is no WiFi service at the cabins or campsites. There is WiFi service, for those who need it, at the main information center.
Photography
Photography will be allowed during the event and a staff photographer may be taking pictures for promoting future events. If you wish to take photos, please ensure that those persons in the photos do not mind being photographed. As with the cell phone and computer policy, please keep photography during the retreat as unobtrusive as possible.
Weapons / Bladed Ritual Tools
Bladed ritual tools, swords, daggers, athames, pocket knives, etc will be allowed. However, if they become an issue, we may ask you to put them away. These items should not be concealed. Please keep in mind that we are in a public park and that such items could raise the concerns of mundane guests in the park. If you feel you need to have a gun for protection or defense, we ask that you keep it in your vehicle.
Alcohol
You may bring or partake of alcohol so long as you are over the age of 21, and so long as you do not get out of hand. Individuals who become a problem will be asked to leave. Virginia State Law and campground policies designate that alcohol may only be used in private areas (inside a cabin or camping-unit). If you wish to partake of alcohol outside, such as around the campfire, please put it in another container to make it less obvious.
Nudity / Ritual Garb
As the retreat will take place at a public park, nudity is not allowed in public.
You may bring and wear your ritual garb at your own discretion. As already mentioned, this is a public park and we don't want to spook the mundanes (too much).
Stolen / Lost Items
We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. We recommend that you keep any valuables, wallets, cash, etc. on your person or locked out of sight in your vehicle.
Minors
This event is open to men over the age of 18. Minors will not be allowed.
Work Shifts
All attendees are required to sign-up for a work shift / task throughout the weekend. Primary work shifts will involve helping to cook, cleaning up after meals, getting firewood, tending the fire and grill, and running errands. Hosting a workshop, ritual, or other activity counts as a work shift.
Quiet Hours
Park quiet hours are from 10pm to 6am. There should be no excessive noise after 10pm. Drum circles and other loud activities that could disturb other campers in the park should stop by 10pm.
Park Rules and Laws
Park rules and state laws supersede any policies we have for the retreat.
Woodland Safety
Below are some guidelines to help you navigate the wild forests of Arcadia:
- Please be fire aware. Realize that during dry weather even the slightest spark could combine with dry leaves and sticks to create a fire.
- It should be self-evident, but don't go eating unidentified wild berries or plants as some of these could be poisonous.
- Be careful what plants you touch. Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Giant Hogweed, and other plants can cause severe skin irritation if touched.
- Don't go disturbing wood piles and rock piles. These could be the home of bees, wasps, hornets, spiders, snakes, and other wild creatures. Some of these creatures bite or sting.
- Sunscreen and insect repellent are your friends.
- Make sure to drink enough water so you don't get dehydrated.
- Don't leave food or open food containers near your tent or campsite. These could attract wild animals.
- Be aware of wild animals and don't provoke them.
Subcategories
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