Greater New Orleans Pagan Pride Project will be our food vendor this year!  Meals and drinks will be offered Friday morning through Sunday morning!  Menu details will be posted on Facebook closer to the event, so make sure to bring some cash and support them!

GNO Pagan Pride Project

Arabian-style hookah service using a variety of flavors and fruit will be available poolside on Friday and Saturday (cash or credit accepted), courtesy of our vendor Sultan Hookah. Prices range from $12 to $40 per hookah, with coal service throughout the nights. All hookahs are handmade by Sanan Huseynov, and will be available for purchase at the end of the event!

Sultan Hookah

I create jewelry, sculpture, decorative metal works, and other artworks using pagan and occult imagery. I pull ideas and symbols from Norse mythology, folk lore, and history , as well as adding my own artistic vision to create unique objects that are well made, interesting, and beautiful. To see a wide range of my works visit my website

Blades Workshop

Mystic Healing Hut will be at Wyld Fire Beltane Hunt offering a list of services at Special Tribe Prices! I offer Services such as Massage, Reiki, Sound Healing, Crystal Healing, Cupping, Chakra balancing, and custom sessions. Come relax, rejuvenate, and realign! 

Mystic Healing Hut

Custom and one-of-a-kind ritual and costume headdresses, jewelry, and Pagan art for sale. Currently taking pre-orders for custom designed Beltane head-dresses ($75) and flower crowns ($50) until April 5th for event delivery. Must be prepaid through Venmo or Paypal. Email atomicsweets@gmail.com.

Knot Magic

It’s said the shuffling of the cards is the earth, and the pattering of the cards is the rain, and the beating of the cards is the wind, and the pointing of the cards is the fire. My name is Vincent Anthony Piazza, and what I specialize in is holding up a Mirror to your life by revealing the abundance that you truly deserve. I give you images and symbols to focus your vague intentions and transform them into action. Your will is the magic. In other words, you are the magic. If you can create something in your heart and then act on it to make it happen, that is magic, that is Tarot, and that is what I can give you. Very simple, very straightforward, I do all of this Gladly and with a caring and compassionate heart. $20 for a 30 minute individual reading, or $40 for an hour long couples reading.

Piazza Tarot

Offering a few different braids in mostly "Viking" styles or French braids. I will work accessories into the hair, including glitter. Finally, I am offering face and body painting as well, including tribal paints in red and black. There will also be face glitter on-hand as well.

Loki's Hair and Paints

Spooky and her Baby Dolls are back at The Nest for their third year of burlesque entertainment!! This cadre of sexy vixens will entertain us poolside on Saturday night with an array of tantalizing performances!

Spooky LeStrange and her Billion Dollar Baby Dolls

The Goddesses of The Hunt are composed of an assortment of belly dancers, fire dancers, and pyro technicians from the New Orleans and Baton Rouge area. This year, Emily Snyder will be a new addition as the element of Air in ritual. All the Goddesses will entertain and delight at the Saturday feast!

Elemental Goddesses

Inferno is New Orleans’ first fully licensed team of fire spinners, bringing the heat to this Beltane hunt! We can’t wait to share performances with you from two of our most talented community leaders- Ana Sofia Vega and Lucy Quade.

Ana Sofia Vega incorporates her training in belly dance and tribal fusion with burlesque, and multiple prop manipulation to create captivating moments onstage. Lucy Quade is a fire spinner of two years and a lifelong witch. She has a background in dance and professional theatre, and found flow arts 5 years ago as an outlet and deeply spiritual form of expression.
 

Inferno Fire Dancers

Last year was Reina Bee Sunshine's first year with us, and she electrified us all with her glow hoop striptease! She will perform on Saturday night with her hoolah hoop and... little else!

Reina Bee

Haggis Rampant is a modern bag-piping and drum ensemble family that's been entertaining crowds at LRF and PPD since 2003! Part comedy, part rhythm, part Scottish Highlands, part drinking... Haggis Rampant will make anyone want to dance a Scottish jig!

Haggis Rampant

Join us in the Drum Circle on Thursday night after our fire walk, as we sync with the rhythms of Gryphon's Nest and drum together around the fire. Novice and expert drummers welcome, and please bring drums and noisemakers if you have them.  There will be a few extra drums available.  

Drumming Down the Moon

Alex VanBeber of Academie Gnostique, Alombrados OTO, and GNO Pagan Pride is an occult scholar specializing in Norse magick, or Seiðr.  Learn everything from the powers in Norse magic to Norse mythology and the Desir, sexual mysteries, and more!

Rediscovering 

Seiðr Craft

This is an open forum to discuss the semantics of the language used regarding The Hunt, and an opportunity to generate some new ideas to make our festival feel more inclusive and inviting to everyone. Led by Alec Gibson and Emily Snyder.

Community Circle: Confronting "Predator"

Join yoga instructor Rachel Elizabeth for a heart-opening flow to help open and heal the heart. Heart-opener poses allow us to release blockages in the heart chakra that inhibit us from loving ourselves and others, facing our fears, trusting others, and making new connections. In this all-levels yoga class, we will go through a series of yoga poses that open the shoulders and heart space. Make sure to bring a yoga mat and any props you would like to use.

Yoga Flow: Opening the Anahata

We all have secrets, and most of us have had some wounding tied to our inner child. Perhaps our vulnerable and sensitive inner child needs healing. We can reconnect with some of the reasons for our adult fears, phobias and life patterns by establishing that connection to our vulnerable inner selves.. When we begin to understand them, then magic, healing, and transformation can occur. Debra Jeffries was the founder of Solitaries of New Orleans, NOLA Merry Meet, was a 4th Degree High Priestess of Covenant of the Pentacle Wiccan Church - ATC, and founded Bee Hive Coven in 2013.

Loving Your Inner Child

Community. Tribe. Kindred. Coven. No Matter what words you use to describe it, they all mean the same thing... family.  Learn a way to honor what you believe, honor the past that made you, honor yourself, and in doing so, bring those in your life closer to your heart. A sumble is more than a drinking ritual; it is a catalyst for togetherness and a confirmation of confidence.  Come learn how to use this ritual in everyday life, how it can bring together people from many different backgrounds and how it can even bring whole communities together.  Join us!  Take a seat of honor! Share with us your greatest deeds!

Community-Building Rituals of Heathenism

Beltane is the time to indulge in all the seasonal flavors that make your pallette sing. Join Ty Siddiqui of New Orleans Lamplight Circle as she guides you on a kitchen witch's tasty exploration of traditional Beltane foods, modern dishes, aphrodisiacs, and naughty desserts. Recipe-swapping is encouraged, and there will be some baking.  This is a hands-on workshop with plenty of magick baked in!

The Delicious Dishes of Beltane

In this workshop, Vovin Lonshin will discuss: the history of sigil magic, the roots of modern sigil magic, the important of writing a good "statement of intent," and how to turn that into a name/word of power! As a group, we will explore the practice of sigil-making and pour our energy into a ritual to empower each sigil!

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Vovin describes himself as a Thelemic Luciferian Koas Mystic and is a member of the OTO, the TOPH, the OA, and the ATh.

The Power of Sigil Magick

Every person at WFBH is invited to join us for a community circle to talk about what's going on in our community, what resources are available, and how we as Pagans can contribute and help bring out the best of the Gulf South Pagans!  This circle will be moderated by Ty Siddiqui and Alec Gibson of New Orleans Lamplight Circle, and they welcome all those who are looking to grow spiritually and communally. 

Pagan Circle on Building Community

Different spiritual systems see different relationships between the spiritual and the physical. This class is about seeing them as being the same thing, feeding and affecting each other constantly. When we engage in physiospiritual acts, we use our bodies to strengthen our relationships with the divine, and with ourselves. Join Emily Snyder of New Orleans Lamplight Circle as she explores one of the most overlooked tenets of Paganism and magickal practice, and discusses some of the physical practices that individuals and cultures can use to enhance their spirituality.

The Physio-Spiritual World

Learn how to work with the element of fire as it exists within our own personal experience as well as how it externally relates to our environment and those around us. Fire dance is as much about our personal journey as it is our collective journey. Fire dance is a culmination of flow art technique, fire safety, and a dance or movement ability.  Katie G. will guide you on this journey to bringing more fire into your life.

Promethius Arises: Embracing Fire Dance

This amazing journey into sacred sound begins with each attendee sitting or laying comfortable and then being "bathed" in sound waves and vibration from the various instruments including crystal singing bowls, & chimes, resulting in a deeply relaxing and healing meditative experience. This healing meditation, led by Daizy Daigle, is guaranteed to relieve stress, reduce anxiety, promote relaxation and a deep, restful sleep. Be sure to wear something comfortable and bring something to lay on. Daizy is a licensed massage therapist, Reiki master teacher, cupping therapist, and sound healing alchemist.

Sound Bath Meditation

Trust a metaphysical shop-owner to teach you the basics of incense making!  Clifton Eakin of The Nest, Gryphon's Nest Gifts, and Coven of the Gryphon will lead a hands-on workshop to teach you how to make your own incense for Sabbats, magickal workings, Esbats, and general pleasantness. 

Magical Incense Making

Dance is a body artform, it is the instrument where self expression, sexuality, and personal identity originate. Our embodied identity is intimately present and explored through dance. Dance has been used for generations to attract partners, discover ourselves, provide entertainment, and explore sensuality. We will explore movements that embrace the divine feminine that have been used through the ages to develop creativity, muscle strengthening, confidence, and sexuality. Join Katie G. as she helps you to explore your inner dance goddess!

The Sensuality of Dance

Sex magick is practiced by numerous occultists in Western traditions because it is seen as a powerful way to use erotic energy for manifestation. Alex VanBeber of Ordo Templi Orientis and Academie Gnostique will discuss:

• A brief history of sex magic in the West (Brotherhood of Light, Golden Dawn, OTO, and Wicca)

• The mystery of love

• Setting intentions

• Doing your will

• Consecration

• Fetish

• Worship and invocation

• Drawing down the sacred marriage

• Bondage and purification of the soul

Sex Magick in Western Occultism

Sanna believes that every person can benefit from magickal self-care, especially those that struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Explore the psychological benefits of ritual and spell work with Mental Health Counselor, Sanna Clark M.A. PLPC. Sanna is excited to share with you not only the psychology behind witchcraft but also practical ways to incorporate it into a wellness and self-care practice. Also, look forward to an in-class activity, and if time, a Q&A.

Witchcraft as Self-Care

This is a new addition to WFBH and an opportunity to break bread as one tribe. Attendees can use the indoor oven to heat their dishes, and we'll dine under the Meditation Oak. Start the weekend right by relaxing with good company at twilight!

Thursday Night Community Potluck

On Friday night, don your war paint, adjust your flower crowns, and get prepared to run!  One of our central events of the weekend will start at sunset, as our predators track down each prey one-by-one in search of the May Queen!  Remember that prey wear all white, and predators wear black and red! Embrace your inner warrior, or cunning creatrix!

The Hunt

"The spirit of place" is a powerful entity at Gryphon's Nest, and after years of festivals, camping, and pool parties, she could use a little TLC! Join us on the swamp docks on Friday as we pour some loving energy into the place that has sheltered our wacky communities of weirdos, dreamers, singers, doers, drummers, and Pagans!

Embracing Louisiana: Spirits of the Swamp

Connect with the Element of Fire in our opening ritual by opening yourself up to the ecstatic and marshaling your fear. This centuries-old practice spans religious traditions around the world, and all these traditions center around testing yourself and opening up the boundaries of the mind and body to achieve a higher state of consciousness.

Sean Mieth, aka Cannibal, will set up and lead our fire-walk. Sean had a Celtic Pagan upbringing by his parents who are well-known members of the Arizona Pagan community. Cannibal is the former operations producer for Southwest Leather Conference and Wristrained in Phoenix, AZ.  He is a dedicated member of the Edgewalkers Tribe, and has facilitated spiritual firewalks for EW gatherings for the past five years. He assists in facilitating the Edgewalkers gathering at The Nest in March.

Overcoming Fear: A Fire Walk Opening Ritual

The Lord and Lady are alive, and magick is afoot!  In sacred circle, underneath the Great Oak, we will welcome the embodiment of the Goddess and God as our May Queen and Oak King are transformed, and witness the blessing and miracle of the Great Rite, or hieros gamos. Note: * This is not a live sex act. Participants are clothed.

The Sacred Marriage

In our closing ritual, Ty Siddiqui and Alec Gibson will come together to bless and offer prosperity and fecundity to all those in the community who wish to take some of the potent energy from Gryphon's Nest home with them!

Dance the Maypole

This will be a permanent art installation created by the collective voices of all those who come to The Nest!  From The Mandala Project, "the word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds. Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community."

Community Mandala

This is an installation that we began last year.  The quotations on the cut wood pieces are meant to inspire attendees to sit and meditate wherever they feel comfortable, but especially under the tree itself. Eventually, the outer bark of the tree will surround and envelope the cut wood pieces.

Meditation Tree

Originally from California, Angela has called New Orleans home for 40 years.  She has worked in the arts for 45 years in music and visual art.  Having created many art installations and environments for every discipline and for hundreds of artists, she is steeped in the creative world. Her primary personal expression is creating alters; alters to life, to goddesses, to experience, to loves in her life, to nature, to her spiritual connection with the universe. She is the creative director, fabricator and founder of the Goddess Project in New Orleans and this is the second Goddess wall created on the facade of her Central Business District building. Ms. King has graciously agreed to lend her installation to WFBH. Learn more about The Goddess Project at www.RevisitingTheGoddess.com. The other Goddesses who collaborated in this project are Diana Souza, Elizabeth Conway, Elena Reeves Walker, Sus Corez, Elizabeth Eckman, Heidi Tullman, Carolina Gallop, Steph Smith, Nancy Gonsalves and  Janet Baus.  

Wisdom of the Swamp Goddess, by Angela King