ASHEVILLE, N.C. – As harvest season ends and Samhain fast approaches, we begin to prepare ourselves for the coming festivities and the coming winter. Though we don’t necessarily have to harvest our food for storage in the modern age, we do gather our warmest clothes and comforts and as we in the Northern Hemisphere fall back into the dark part of the year, we celebrate.
Participants gathering for a group photo at the conclusion of the workshop – Image credit: Sita Schussler
Of these celebrations, an essential tool that has spanned thousands of years is the Pagan mask. At the Rusty Lotus Dojo, located in Asheville, NC, a workshop was held so that the community could come together and prepare their own.
The use of masks in rituals and ceremonies has its roots in many ancient and Indigenous cultures around the world. They were often used to symbolize a relationship with ancestors, spirit beings, and even animal spirits as a way of honoring and also seeking blessings from those on the other side of the veil.
Building Community and Masks
The found object/upcycled mask-building workshop was the first of its kind for hosts Leaflin Lore Winecoff and Ronin J’in, owners of the Rusty Lotus Dojo. The pair of animists and artists local to the Asheville area, featured the workshop on a sliding scale as to be inclusive to all and featured a headdress style and mask style. (two techniques the pair often employ for performance)
The attendees of the workshop ranged from all ages and backgrounds and were encouraged to bring any upcycled or found items to aid in the process, though provided onsite were an array of fabrics, metals, jewels, supplies, and more. Artists, students, and professionals in the Asheville area, are all coming together as a community to continue the ancient tradition.
Marston Blow and Logan in the creation process – Image credit: E. Thornton
Marston Blow, a ceramics artist based out of Asheville, spoke with The Wild Hunt during the workshop and as she adorned her badger-like mask with golden lace she stated:
“When you wear a mask, such as this, you begin to transmute it, channel it, and you can become one or simply become an ‘other’ worldly character,” Blow said.
Also in attendance were members of the Fairy Kin, a group of stilt performers who travel to festivals and events performing songs and acts wearing costumes reminiscent of the Pagan festivities long ago. You can often find the group at the Lake Eden Arts Festival held bi-annually in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
In Service of the Muse
Though the event was the first of its kind for the pair, they often hold classes and workshops such as dance, contact improv, and qigong in the space. According to Ronin, an artist and theatre teacher in the Asheville area, the inspiration for the workshop came from a Midsummer’s Daydream gathering.
“We had dressed in these costumes at a gathering, Midsummer’s Daydream, and a dear friend of ours expressed interest in making their own mask. This was inspiring and so we thought, how can we share the things and the crafts we like to do with others, in a way that is accessible and that was the impetus of it,” Ronin explained.
Winecoff, Ronin, owners of Rusty Lotus Dojo – Image credit: E. Thornton
Winecoff, a circus performer and visual artist, also stressed the importance of a “peer economy,” meaning supporting one another in the artist community by holding events, such as the mask-building workshop, and also supporting other local artists in their endeavors as well.
“Ultimately I want to be in service to the space, I feel a special connection to the building, the floors, the building itself, I feel like a steward of it…this a really potent place to do different kinds of magics and build community,” Winecoff told TWH.
As the pair continue with their performances in and around Asheville, they do hope the space becomes more of an artist community space, incorporating more workshops, educational classes, and a place where artists of all types can come to support each other while also building a loving community. All in service of the muse.
More information on educational classes, workshops, and schedules of events are available on their Facebook page.
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