But wait, my friends! Just because Samhain is behind us doesn’t mean that the fun is over! We have 7 more stops on the Wheel of the Year and we’d like to invite you to join us!

Raven’s Flight, the group that organizes the Witches Gathering, would like to invite you to our public Yule Ritual, to be held on Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 2:00pm. We can’t promise you the same wine, costumes and music that you get at Maverick’s, but we think you’ll find that the cost of admission (free) is very attractive!

Yule celebrates the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. As far removed as possible from the warmth and activity of summer, Yule is a time for introspection, planning, of drawing closer to community and celebrating life in the midst of the death of winter.

The ritual will be held in Vincent Massey Park (Heron Road at Riverside Drive), in the Council Ring / Grove across the big field from the parking lot. Yes, you read that correctly, we will be having this event outdoors! As a result, we encourage everyone to dress warmly! After the ritual we will head out to a nearby restaurant (location TBD) for hot chocolate and warm food. There is also a lovely hill nearby for sledding if you are so inclined.

2:00 PM: Pre-Ritual warm-up and chant practice
2:30 PM SHARP (no PST): Yule ritual begins*
3:30 PM: Post-ritual Feast

Don’t let the cold frighten you away! The more people who show up, the more we’ll all be able to huddle together for warmth!

*  Please note that we really are serious when we say that the ritual will start at 2:30PM. We will NOT be making allowances for PST. If you wish to participate fully in the ritual, please make sure to arrive on time!

Have I mentioned that you can take a break from all the dancing and frivolity downstairs to have your fortune told upstairs in Café Dekuf? Or that the fabulous and talented Jared Young will be on hand once again to take photos of your astounding costume creations? Have I told you about the return of the sexy balloon women, this time with an intriguing twist? Or that we managed to talk that crazy guy from last year into being the MC again? Don’t even get me started on the plans for this year’s ritual!

Despite our best efforts at promoting the Gathering, we can only scratch the surface of all the amazing things that go on at this event. If you’re still on the fence about coming, if you have not yet looked into buying a ticket, if this is the first time that you’ve ever visited this website, I say unto you: now is the time for commitment!

Whatever strange thing you’re into, whatever odd subculture you inhabit, I can almost guarantee that we will in some way be catering to it. If not, I can absolutely guarantee that you will run into at least one other person who is as outraged as you are that we HAVEN’T pandered sufficiently to your weird interests and you two can talk about it all night long! Perhaps it will form the basis of a lifelong friendship!

It’s win, win, people! Buy a ticket, make a costume, come to the Gathering!

Also, thanks to everyone who came out to visit us at our table at the Dancer’s Bazaar today! We are eternally grateful to Tracey from TAV Creations for offering the space to us.

I’m not going to lie to you, I’m pretty excited. I’ve seen the fabulous prizes being donated by our wonderful sponsors. I’ve seen this year’s poster (coming soon to a telephone pole near you!) and I have even read all the way through our press release.

That is why I am thrilled to announce that TICKETS ARE GOING ON SALE TOMORROW! That’s right! As of Saturday, October 8, you will be able to buy Witches Gathering tickets at:

Crystal Dawn
217 Dalhousie Street – [Map]
Ottawa , Ontario
Tel: (613) 241-2262
crystal@storm.ca

We’re hoping to add some more ticket venues very soon, but please head down to the Crystal Dawn in the meantime. As in previous years, we will be holding back some tickets to sell at the door, but why wait? You save $5 by buying in advance, money that can be put towards buying your mother a lovely Thanksgiving present from Crystal Dawn!

Kaelie Coombe is a bright and artistic 8 year old girl in Ottawa who lives with a difficult form of cystic fibrosis. She is parented by a single mother who spends much time making trips to and from CHEO and caring for Kaelie when she is particularly ill.

To find out more about Kaelie, her mother, and how the money raised by this year’s Witches’ Gathering will help them, visit our Charity page.

Demons, Daemons and Fools

The theme for this year’s Gathering is Demons, Daemons and Fools. A truly fascinating and spectacular spectrum laid out for your enjoyment. On the right: the demons, sexy and terrifying, their razor-toothed smiles dripping with sin and temptation. On the left: the daemons, noble paragons of Greek myth; fallen heroes and benevolent spirits showering us with protection and inspiration. And in the middle, standing between Good and Evil: the Fool. Is the Fool a village idiot, the naive youth of the tarot or the wise fool of Shakespeare? You tell us!

Who will you be this Halloween? Good, evil, foolish or something in between? Crafty or credulous, seducer or saviour, paragon or monster, the choice is yours! Harness your creativity, marshal your wits to delight and titillate and horrify and fascinate us!

If you are new to the site, please check out the About Us and Event pages for more information on the Witches Gathering. We would also strongly encourage you to check out our 2010 Sponsors if you’re looking for places to spend your money. Finally, if you are looking for more information on what makes this event different from any other Halloween party, check out our Paganism and Samhain pages, which includes a list of pagan-friendly resources for the Ottawa region.

We are in the process of creating a dedicated site for Raven’s Flight, the group that produces the Witches Gathering. While the new site is getting set up, news and updates can be found on our Facebook Page.

On behalf of the organizers, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the volunteers who made the night possible, to Mavericks for agreeing to host us, to the Canadian Blood Services for agreeing to be our charity for the year and a huge thank you to all of our fantastic sponsors for your generosity! Particular mention must surely go to Crystal Dawn, a long time supporter of the Witches’ Gathering, who were so excited that they not only sponsored their own prize, but sent out judges to award it!

I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. Please comment and tell us what you liked and didn’t like. Please upload your pictures to the Facebook page or Flickr Group.

See you next year! Happy Samhain!