The second Sunday offers drums, Shamanism, the first half the Reiki course, the Pagan Origins of Christmas, the famous Couples Game by Al Lord and more! The Art Gallery is open 9am-9pm today. Events subject to change. See our Calendar for the most up to date information.

9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Reiki I

Presented by Karen Hefner. The class is a combination of lecture, discussion and experience. You will learn the Usui/Tibetan method of Reiki including all the hand positions for a complete Reiki treatment, the level II symbols and Japanese techniques. The International Center for Reiki Training certified course materials will be provided.

Location: North Window. Participant Notes: Preregister by emailing khefner333@q.com. Fees: $350 – covers Reiki I and II. Presenter Info: After studying, experiencing, and practicing alternative modes of healing for the past decade, Karen has dedicated herself to being in service as a catalyst for personal growth, expansion, and healing. She is a certified Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master and an Associate Teacher for the LightSong School of Shamanic Studies.

Presented by Susan Stoddard. Cherokee women in the southeastern United States amassed considerable wealth and influence due to their dominance of the primary means of economic production, agriculture. Their economic power and the ways in which they utilized it influenced the direction of the politics within the Cherokee nation as well as the course of American history as a whole. The manner in which this economic system developed has important implications for the establishment of women-centered economics and gynocentric systems of power. Location: Gallery Room.

Presenter Info: Susan Stoddard is a life-long advocate for female empowerment and has been recognized for her work by numerous national and international women’s issue organizations. As a consultant for nonprofits, she writes and lectures on topics ranging from land management and sustainability to developing and promoting female leadership in all areas of society. Ms. Stoddard is currently pursuing advanced studies in the influence of Cherokee women’s agricultural techniques on unique land utilization patterns in the Ozarks.

Presented by Vick Kelley. Ancient Pagan rituals and celebrations predate Christian holidays and “Holy Days.” Discussion aimed at reclaiming and honoring the original meaning of these seasonal celebrations. Our “Journey” back to a consciousness of and devotion to the “Divine Feminine” requires us to revisit the original “reason for the season” in our celebrations, rituals, and holidays.

Ages 13 and up. Location: Gallery Room. Presenter Info: I was steeped in the high ritual of “The Church,” learned my catechism, received the sacraments, and stayed in trouble with the powers that be. With the slightest exposure to the information presented in this workshop my whole concept of Christian religion began to crumble. “I found god in myself, and I loved her … I loved her fiercely.” (quote by Ntozake Shange)

Presented by Amy Rhea. A documentary presentation and discussion of the role of mudang (Korean female shaman) in the Korean cultural renaissance, and how Western women can learn from their spiritual, social, and financial example. Presentation length is two hours. Location: Main Stage.

Presenter Info: Amy Rhea is a student of geology at Arkansas Tech University. She has been a practicing witch since 1998 with spiritual emphasis in Welsh and Cherokee cultures. She began studying gynocentric social analysis in 2007 as a means of understanding the matriarchal underpinnings of patriarchal culture. Her email address is manicdragonflyproductions@gmail.com.

Presented by Karen Hefner. In this workshop you will learn the basic skills necessary to journey to non-ordinary reality with the help of your spirit guides, and create your own Native American hoop drum. Following the workshop is a drum-opening ceremony to welcome home the spirit of your drum.

Location: North Window. Participant Notes: Preregister by emailing khefner333@q.com. Fees: $250, covers both days. Presenter Info: Deeply invested in the areas of healing and personal growth, Karen is an Associate Teacher for the LightSong School of Shamanic Studies, an Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master, holds Master’s degrees in Science and the Arts, and is a Certified F.I.R.E.-walk Facilitator. She is also a minister, cancer survivor, mother, and grandmother.

Remember Al Lord’s wildly popular take off from the Newlyweds Game? She’s back to host eight celebrity couples representing the diversity of our community, as they compete for the title 2010 Goddess Festival Sweethearts. An evening filled with hilarious surprises prompted by innocent questions. Cheer your favorite couple as you watch them discover what they don’t know about each other.

Al Lord is an un-closeted game-show fan who began hosting the Couples Game in 1983 to avoid engaging in small talk at parties. It started as a fun, lesbian-only game in Al’s home, then a fundraiser at larger homes and public venues. Through the years several thousand people have watched the game, over 100 have competed, and no one has been injured. Rumors of the game causing couples to break up are highly exaggerated.

Al Lord is a museum director, game-show enthusiast, and social-cause activist who loves to laugh, drink Pepsi, and contemplate her obituary, not necessarily at the same time.

Chocolate Feast during intermission hosted by the NWA Center for Equality. The NWA Center for Equality Vision Statement To see a time when all have the right to be themselves regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation and without fear of harassment or discrimination. We dream and work for full legal rights and social equality in our local communities and beyond. info@nwacenterforequality.org Admission: Sliding Scale $5 to $25