We wanted to extend an enthusiastic thanks to all of you who attended our panels. It was one of the most successful tracks we'd ever had with the rooms filled to near capacity for most of them. The high quality discussion and enthusiasm just would not have been possible without you guys.
And now, a taste of what is to come next year. The topic for next year is Northwestern Mythology. This covers everything from the the Inuits and other tribes of the Great White North to the coastal Natives of Oregon and Washington. Our totem animal will be Bear and our mythological totem panel will be shared by Thunderbird and Wendigo. It will give our panel attendees a change to explore the true meaning of the word "totem" in its original context and unlock some of its mysteries.
The Shamanic Shapeshifting panel was a huge success and we will be continuing this panel next year. Additionally, we'll be doing one called Creative Mythology. The details of the project are currently still in development, but you might want to get started by getting hold of Joseph Campbell's book by the same title.
Quite a few of you asked about a list of resources used for this year's panels. Some of these are out of print. We suggest trying Amazon first or going to a really good secondhand book store:
Oriental Mythology by Joseph Campbell
A Treasury of Asian Literature by John D Yohannan
Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews
Animal-Wise by Ted Andrews
The Serpent and the Swan: The Animal Bride in Folklore and Literature by Boria Sax
Primitive Mythology by Joseph Campbell
Creative Mythology by Joseph Campbell
Asian Mythologies by Yves Bonnefoy
Asian-Pacific Folktales by Jeannette Faurot
The Dragonology Handbook by Ernest Drake
The Horse in Myth and Magic by M. Oldfield Howey
Dragonology - The Complete Guide to Dragons by Ernest Drake
Dragonology Field Guide to Dragons by Ernest Drake
Crafting Personal Shrines by Carol Owen
Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy by Mircea Eliade
Myths to Live By by Joseph Campbell
The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane by Lama Surya Das
Dragons and Unicorns: A Natural History by Paul and Karin Johnsgaard
Power Animals by Steven D. Farmer
Japanese Tales by Royall Tyler
The Book of Shamanic Healing by Kirstin Madden
Beginner's Guide to Meditation by Goswami Kriyananda
Beginner's Guide to Buddhist Meditation by Christina Feldman
Meditation for Busy People by Osho
Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures by Boria Sax
The Strong Eye of Shamanism: A Journey to the Caves of Consciousness by Robert E. Ryan
Power Animal Meditations by Nicki Scully