WinterStar Symposium

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The WinterStar Symposium is an annual event produced by the Association for Consciousness Exploration. It is held at Atwood Lake Resort in Dellroy, Ohio. This 4-day event, first held in 1984,^[1] features a schedule of activities with the same flavor as the Starwood Festival, but scaled to an indoor venue, with classes during the day and musical performances and ceremonies in the evening, followed by parties held in the 4-bedroom cottages maintained by Atwood. The guest roster reflects the Starwood line-up, as does the curriculum, but with WinterStar it is customary to pick a particular theme around which most of the event is focused. Atwood's pool, hot tub, sauna, restaurant and bar help make the event most appealing.

The program features classes on an eclectic variety of subjects that may include world spirituality & culture (with a heavy representation from the Neo-Pagan community), holistic healing and movement systems (such as Yoga, massage, Reiki, Qi Gong), innovative art and music, and/or fringe science, mind studies, and the environment. The event also features musical, theatrical, and/or multi-media presentations as eclectic as its curriculum, and various parties and ceremonies. Many nationally and internationally celebrated speakers and entertainers have appeared at WinterStar, such as:

Margot Adler, Jim Alan, Steve Blamires, Isaac Bonewits, Muruga Booker, Dennis Carpenter, Dagmar Braun Celeste, Priestess Miriam Chamani, Ian Corrigan, Phyllis Curott, Prem Das, Jim Donovan of Rusted Root, Sally Eaton, Halim El-Dabh, Philip H. Farber, LaSara Firefox, Selena Fox, Stephen Gaskin, Wavy Gravy, Gregory Morris Group, Anodea Judith, Donald Michael Kraig, Paul Krassner, Jeff Magnus McBride, Ralph Metzner, Patricia Monaghan, Jeff Rosenbaum, Joseph Rothenberg, Jim Scott of Paul Winter Consort (1996), Robert Shea, Snakes Rising, Harvey Wasserman, Arlen Riley Wilson, and Robert Anton Wilson (1984-87, 1989, 1992-3, 2001).^[2]

The WinterStar Symposium reflects the principles of Association for Consciousness Exploration, which has served as a networking organization since its inception, promoting the ideas its members find exciting and interesting, but always aimed at providing a common ground between different communities and fringe groups where they can interact - share discoveries, plan cooperative activities, compare notes, but most of all enjoy each other's company and celebrate their differences. The members feel that if people who believe different things can still party together, if they can consider their differences a plus rather than a problem, then pick up a drum or musical instrument and jam together, the world would be on its way to a much better place.