Sacred Rope-making Workshop
With Saoirse Byrne @Lineage_of
Feb 8, 11-3pm at the Spotted Panther Lodge in SF
(near Glen Park Bart, address available with RSVP to BearEagleMedicine@Gmail.com)
By donation

Join Rev. David Samas, shaman, and Saoirse Byrne, cordage artist, for this fun, hands on introduction to sacred rope-making. Ropes (cordage) have been used by shaman and witches for millennia as a way of traveling between worlds, pulling ourselves or our loved ones out of the darkness, binding or tying together spells and marriages, and as a craft to cary prayer and intention. In this in-person workshop you will have an opportunity to make a sacred rope or cord from any fabric you choose, be it an old sheet that has a memory of your body or your grandmother’s hanky that you wish to wear or work with in a transformed state. Some sentimental fabrics we hold onto even though they no longer serve their original purpose; lets give them new life together.

Bring fabrics to make your ropes- up to 50′ for those participating in the Foundation for Shamanic Studies Three Year Program; a journal, a drum or rattle, and an intention. Snacks will be provided.

From our workshop leader, Saoirse Byrne: 

Cordage is ancient and foundational and in our modern world it is hiding all around us- in the clothing that we wear, in all of the activities that would not be possible without a simple length of cord, and in the cables of bridges and our transportation systems. Our languages are intertwined, across cultures and religions, with metaphors of making thread, twine, yarn, rope while most folks nowadays are unaware that a length of cord can be made with our own hands – beautiful, meaningful, and strong. 

Saoirse Byrne’s exploration of cordage began with seeing wild harvested plants twisted into a smooth linen like thread with no tools other than a butter knife and two hands. Curious, she applied the process to the abundance of materials in her own studio and life – offcuts from custom projects and various family heirlooms too worn to wear. 

Saoirse has a BFA in fashion design from Rhode Island School of Design and received her MBA in Sustainability from Presidio Graduate School as part of the pioneer cohort. Her work blends respect for materials, craftsmanship, personal story and lineage. 

Cordage can take many forms and has become the foundation of her artistic practice. For over ten years Saoirse has been facilitating experiences that use cordage as the central metaphor for ceremony and teaching folks how to turn fabrics that they hold dear into cordage- honoring the people and experiences of our lives.

More at SaoirseByrne.com