Hi All,
Happy spring and merry eclipse! May both be good to you…
I am most definitely turning into the late Donna Van Toen. And I’m at the moment in the middle of a time crunch. So let’s get on with the news, since once again there’s a lot of it…
First of all, a reminder to book your hotel room if you haven’t already done so. The hotel phone number is on the flyer and yes, you need to tell them you’re with SOTA in order to get the discount.
Secondly, I have had a good candidate volunteer from the registrar assistant staff slot. So that slot is gone. I still need to contact our staff from last year and make sure they are available, but at the moment it looks like we have no staff positions to offer you. If that changes, you can be sure that I’ll let you know.
Third, for those of you who have asked if we will be offering a discount to GLAC attendees, I’m happy to report that the answer is yes! If you are attending GLAC and are not yet registered for SOTA, you can take $30 off either our Full Package or our Deluxe Package. The kicker is that you must pay at the conference. A post-dated cheque is fine, and you can post-date the cheque to June 20th. So have a look at our flyer and your schedule, and if you can make it, see me at the conference. The discount will not be honored after that date.
Fourth, a lot of you on this side of the border have complained about the exchange rate. Frankly, I’ve complained too. So we’re going to offer a bit of a price break. Specifically, between April 5th and 15th, you will be able to sign up for the Full Conference Package at par. That’s $250 CDN. But there ARE some restrictions. First of all, the at-par rate applies to the Full Conference package ONLY. Single days, Pre-Conference, banquet, lunches, and the Deluxe Package are still subject to the exchange rate. Secondly, this rate applies for email transfer (Interac) and cheques ONLY. No PayPal. Sorry. Their rates on top of this discount are more than I can afford. Third, all email transfers and cheques must be received by April 15. My address is on the flyer, and I would advise allowing 3-4 days from Ontario and 5-7 from elsewhere for cheques. I wish we could do more, but since we pay in US funds, this is the best I can do. I hope it’s a help.
And what are you getting for your money? Here’s a sampling:
Last year we had a couple of lectures on midpoints but most of you who attended came away wanting more. Alex Trenoweth is happy to oblige on that front this year. Alex was one of our Open Forum people last year and you loved her. She’s also a teacher by profession so she knows how to present information clearly as well as how to make it interesting. Here’s her topic:
Midpoint Madness
This informative and practical workshop will demonstrate the usefulness of midpoints. By taking the time to delineate midpoints, astrologers can cast light in the shadowy parts of a chart to enhance and reinforce often hidden wisdom and guidance. Please do bring your own charts to work on.
Midpoints can give you a lot of important information. And they don’t need to make you crazy. Alex will show you the ropes and maybe interpret a few midpoints in the process as well. So don’t let those midpoints make you mad. Find out what they mean!
You already know that Jacqueline Janes will be our keynote speaker at the Opening and will be talking about State of the Art Evolving (no, not just the conference but rather evolving in general). And you may also know that we will not only have nibblies and a cash bar at the opening but also hospitality after the opening courtesy of AFAN. What you may not know is that Jacqueline will also be presenting a two-hour presentation on Saturday. Topic: Archetypes of Otherness. Here’s the description:
Archetypes of Otherness
Natal charts hold a wealth of information about the shape and form of the many relationships in our life. We will not just focus on the intimate other, a favorite, but the sibling other, the working other and the peer other. Mom and Dad, too, have qualities of archetype otherness.
Everybody has “others”. Come and see what insight Jacqueline can give you into yours…
And last but not least, as you know, Patricia Bell had to cancel this year due to a schedule conflict. She has been replaced on Saturday by Patricia Price. While I know we will all miss Patricia Bell, Patricia Price is someone I have had on my list of potential speakers for quite some time. She has lectured all over the world, has a wealth of knowledge in many areas, and on top of all else has a good sense of humor. Here’s her topic:
Toning to the Planetary Vibrations: The Teachings of Pythagoras
Join us to explore how Pythagoras, teacher in the ancient world of the Mediterranean, used these musical tones to create harmony. We will be toning sound vibrations for healing and well-being for your personal planets and for today’s harmony according to the “stars”. Join us for fun and transformation.
As you can see, this is not the same old stuff. And if Patricia says it will be fun and potentially transformative, trust me — it will be!
…And of course there’s more, but I’ve run out of time again. So that “more” is going to have to wait for a couple of weeks, since I am headed to GLAC on Wednesday. On my return I hope to have more good news about lunches, the trade room, and of course lectures. Meanwhile, have a good spring, regardless of what the weatherman says…
Best,
Donna