It’s getting to be that time of year again, the time when I’m super pumped to go to SpiralHeart Witchcamp.

My first SpiralHeart camp was last year – I had been to one other Reclaiming witchcamp ages ago, and had done a lot of larger group rituals at Diana’s Grove, but I had never been to a “camper-led camp” before, and had no idea what to expect. I wondered if it would be like the witchcamp I had been to before, a camp that used a traditional Reclaiming teaching team model. In 95% of the ways it could have been different, it was the same – just as moving, just as magical, just as full of love and trust and challenge. For that other 5%, it was different – more like my experiences at Diana’s Grove.

I love that SpiralHeart supports everyone being involved, testing their skills, trying on new roles and allowing room for mistakes. It feels organic and supported and…like the way I want my communities to be. I have always said that leaders need to flub here and there to show everyone that leadership doesn’t require perfection. I believe just as wholeheartedly that communities need to leave room for newcomers and people with less experience to step into bigger roles – and I definitely experienced that at SpiralHeart. It was my first time at this particular camp, and I felt included, valued, seen, and allowed to take on important tasks.

And I am coming to love the camper-led teaching model, having experienced what it was like to be a path facilitator last year, and getting an opportunity to be on the ritual arc team this year. The model used at SpiralHeart gives a lot of room for people to step up and lead, but it also gives room for facilitators to have a personal camp experience. I know that this year I will be able to help create the ritual arc for the evening rituals, but I will get to have some personal experiences when I attend a path – I am not facilitating in both arenas, so I get some personal reflection time – and that is a really important for me if I am to avoid burnout.

And then there are all the other beautiful things about camp: being able to be in the woods at Four Quarters, co-creating with amazing, magical people, and working the wonderful story we are working with this year.

Yeah, I’m really, really excited for July, and for Freya.

Image: Amulets of women – image found here