2012 Workshops
The Black Madonna: Ancient Ties/Modern Traditions
Thursday July 12th - Sunday 15th, 2012
ABOUT OUR PRESENTERS
Mary Saracino is a novelist, poet, and memoir writer. She is the author of The Singing of Swans (Pearlsong Press 2006), No Matter What (Spinsters Ink 1993), Finding Grace (Spinsters Ink 1999), and Voices of the Soft-bellied Warrior (Spinsters Ink Books 2001). Her poetry and stories appear in a variety of literary and cultural journals and anthologies. As the founder of MOTHEROOT, she leads workshops on the Dark Mother/Divine Female. For more information visit Mary’s online sites:
www.marysaracino.com ~ http://marysaracino.blogspot.com/ ~
www.redroom.com/author/mary-saracino
Lori Coon is the Executive Director of The Mandala Center. For over 20 years Lori has facilitated her own workshops on relaxation and stress management, women’s wellness, and using art for self expression and personal growth. She has worked for various organizations, including the NY office of Mental Hygiene, The Resource Center, The Chautauqua County Arts Council, the YWCA Domestic Violence Program, and Chautauqua Institution, designing workshops and creative programs for all ages. Lori is an artist and writer and has spent the past year delving into her own exploration of the Black Madonna and Divine Feminine. She will be assisting Mary in providing some creative projects for participants in this workshop.
Read the Interview with Mary Saracino
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
Who is the Black Madonna? Why is she so beloved by so many people throughout the world and how is she relevant today?
Join novelist, poet and independent scholar of the Divine Female, Mary Saracino, along with Lori Coon, for this experiential retreat that takes you on a virtual pilgrimage to Black Madonna sites around the world. Immerse yourself in hundreds of images (viewed on a big screen) and learn about the Black Madonna’s rich history, her ancient ties to Isis, Artemis and Cybele and her veneration within the Catholic tradition.
This inspiring workshop weaves together a virtual Black Madonna world tour with visually-rich PowerPoint presentations, discussions, guided meditations, and simple creative art and writing exercises to invoke a rich connection to the Black Madonna. Together we will “pilgrimage” to the Black Madonna on a group labyrinth walk and carry our own questions and intentions to her to deepen our personal understanding of and connection to the feminine face of the divine
FEES
The fees are all inclusive and include the workshop instruction, administrative fees, grounds use, lodging, and meals. The workshop begins with dinner at 6pm on the day of arrival and ends with lunch at noon on the date of departure. Guests should arrive between 1PM and 5PM on the first day or call to make special arrangements.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL...REGISTER By June 1st, 2012
Shared Room $465 per person
Private Room $575 per person
REGULAR FEE... After June 1st, 2012
Shared Room $510 per person
Private Room $635 per person
Fees include an art supply fee.
PLEASE READ BEFORE REGISTERING
Please register early if you want to attend the workshop. Workshops are cancelled a couple of weeks prior to the start date if minimum enrollment is not reached. DON’T DELAY: REGISTER TODAY! And get the Early Bird Special! In addition, our events sometimes sell out because of the small and intimate size of our facility and space is limited. Don’t delay!
To Register please call us at 575.278.3002.
We are currently working on an online registration option but in the meantime please call us to register for this workshop. If you have a coupon, scholarship award, discount to apply to your workshop, or would like to check availability for additional nights with our “extended stay discount”, please mention that when you call. Please review our cancellation policy prior to registering.
Note about Private Rooms
Due to the small size of our facility, private rooms are available on a limited basis and are not always guaranteed. We will make every effort to accommodate all requests but if we are unable to do so we will notify you as soon as possible after your registration and prior to the workshop.
Donations
We are a non-profit organization and subsidize large portions of our overhead costs for our workshops. While there is no obligation to pay more than the basic workshop fee, your tax deductible donation to help us cover our true costs is greatly appreciated. If you would like to make a donation in addition to your workshop fee, mention the donation when you call or go to our Giving Page where you can donate online.
About Our Workshops
Our workshop prices are all inclusive unless otherwise indicated. Our prices include a unique and relaxing environment on the grounds of The Mandala Center, a full workshop experience with exciting and experienced facilitators, your lodging, meals, and supplies. Full payment is required upon registration. You may register online and pay with a credit card or pay pal account. You may also call to register with a credit card or mail us a check or money order. MOST of our workshops begin with dinner on the date of arrival and end with lunch on the day of departure. Guests are asked to arrive between 1-5 p.m. on the date of arrival. Please check with us for special arrangements if you cannot arrive between these times. On the date of departure most workshops end with lunch at noon. Guests may remain on the grounds until
3 p.m. on the day of departure. There are times we will request rooms be cleared by noon if we have another retreat beginning.
Early Bird Specials ~ Extended Stays ~ Scholarships
We offer an EARLY BIRD price for those who are able to plan ahead so take advantage of that special discount! If you would like to extend your stay for additional rest and renewal, check about our availability and come a day early or stay an extra night for a 15% discount off our regular lodging fees! For anyone in need of financial assistance, you may submit a scholarship application and you can access that here on our website. Our scholarship fund is limited and we cannot provide full scholarships but will review all applications for partial awards. If you would like to contribute to our scholarship fund to help others attend, please call us or go to our Giving Page online.
Cancellation Policies
Please review our Cancellation Policies prior to registration.
Our workshop policy is as follows:
Cancellations for workshops prior to 30 days result in a refund minus a $100 cancellation fee. (Our reduced price individual weekends have a $75 cancellation fee.)
Cancellations made within 15-30 days prior to a workshop result in a 50% refund only.
Cancellations made less than 15 days prior to a workshop result in no refund. We make financial commitments to our own workshop leaders and vendors.
We understand emergencies arise but we cannot offer refunds beyond the policies listed. We also are not able to give refunds for anyone missing events due to bad weather conditions. FULL Refunds ARE given if an event is cancelled by TMC for any reason.