Calendar of Spiritual, Healing, Creative Classes & Events at “The Mesa”

Winter 2011-2012

Your RSVP for all classes helps us to plan our time and order supplies. Thank you for calling or emailing ahead to let us know you are coming. (Please call The Mesa if you are RSVPing on the day of a class or event.  Emailed RSVP’s must be received at least one day before.)


December 2011: back to top of page

Dec 2-4: Buffalo Hunt Winter Abundance Ceremony Weekend. Sessions: Friday evening, 7-9:30pm, Saturday, 9am-5pm, Sunday, 9:30am-12:30pm. Three years ago, Lewis Mehl-Madrona and members of the Coyote Institute re-awakened the winter hunt buffalo ceremony, traditionally performed midwinter to invite sustainability and abundance into the community. Join us as we discuss what “hunting buffalo” means today, use mask-making, ceremonial objects, songs, and dances to create our own ceremony based in the context of modern life, and ask the spirits for abundance for ourselves and the whole “tribe”. With Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD., and Barbara Mainguy, MA. Since this weekend centers around a sacred ceremony and the preparation for it, there is no set fee and no one will be turned away. Your suggested donation of between $150-$250 for the weekend or heart offering for the Sunday ceremony helps to cover travel expenses, support Dr. Mehl-Madrona, The Coyote Institute, and The Mesa Creative Arts Center.


Breakdown of individual sessions:

Dec 2: Introduction to the Buffalo Hunt and Mask Construction. Friday, 7-9:30pm. This evening we will learn about the fall rituals used by the Native peoples of the Northern plains to prepare for the winter buffalo hunts. “Buffalo hunting” has taken on many meanings in our contemporary world. In its symbolic meaning, the buffalo refers to that which sustains the people and gives them strength and endurance. Buffalo as a spirit is the companion of Wi, the sun, and provides an important source of healing for the people. Buffalo is celebrated in many ceremonies, including the sun dance in which buffalo plays a central part. As the days shorten, we prepare to enter the time of the North, in which Tatonka Tunkan, or the Buffalo Spirit dwells with Wicasa wan sayiciyaca, the Guardian of the North. We will explore the historical origins of a ceremony which can be re-enacted in modern times to prepare the people for literal and metaphorical winter, to seek strength and endurance for the winter season, and to be sustained into spring.

Please Note: On Friday evening we will also begin to construct masks that will be used for the ceremony. These ritual objects will be made with plaster gauze bandage while participants listen to stories about the Buffalo Hunt, drum, chant, and channel the spirits wanted to be brought into the ceremony. Participants will have the choice to make a full or partial life-mask (made on their own face greased with Vaseline) or on a plastic face form. Please wear work clothes or bring cover ups.

Dec 3: Finishing Masks, Assembling Buffalo Bundles, and Creating the Ceremony. Saturday, 9am-5pm. At the center of the Buffalo Hunt ceremony is the buffalo bundle, which contains the sacred objects related to the buffalo into which the buffalo spirit enters during the ceremony. As part of this session we will explore how to create a group and personal bundles – the objects needed and how to begin to care for a bundle to draw fortitude for the winter (in all the meanings of that term). The purpose of this is to construct a ritual for all of us to enact together that can put us in harmony and balance with the natural and the supernatural world to give us fortitude for the hard times ahead (winter in all senses of the term). We wish to ask the natural and the supernatural world for their cooperation in our survival and sustenance and we make offerings and sacrifices to them in exchange for that reciprocity. We will construct our bundles and bless the objects brought to reside in those bundles. Participants who cannot come Friday evening should request a handout in advance that describes the ceremony we will enact and the supplies that should be brought to construct the group and personal bundles. (Email bradandkate@mesacreativearts.com) We will also continue working to finish and decorate our masks with paint, beads, feathers, and other objects from nature.

Dec 4: Northern Plains Winter Ritual. Sunday, 9:30am-12:30pm. We will move forward to enact the ceremony for good winter hunts after having defined what “a good hunt” means for us, collectively and individually. Please note that sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco may be used and/or burned in the ritual. We will end with a pipe ceremony. These rituals are part of the Northern Plains cultures of Native North America, part of the heritage Dr. Mehl-Madrona through his father.

Dec 4: Sweat Lodge Ceremony. Sunday afternoon: preparations starting around 11am, fire to be lit around noon, ceremony to commence around 2pm. Potluck meal to follow ceremony. Join us as we go into the Lodge for purification and healing of body, mind, and spirit. Dress for Lodge Ceremony: Shorts with or without shirts for men, T-shirts and shorts or cotton dresses for women. Please note that women on their Moon Time will be asked to pray outside of the Lodge. Bring a small towel for inside the Lodge, large ones to dry off with afterwards, and blankets/appropriate outer gear to suit the weather. Ceremony will be led by Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona and Barbara Mainguy. Your donation helps support our healing work at The Mesa. Must RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email. Help with Lodge preparation before the ceremony and cleanup afterwards is needed as well as supplies of firewood, stones, blankets, water, etc. We will need volunteers to act as fire and door keepers during the ceremony. (Please note that space in the Lodge may be limited.

Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD, graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine and trained in family medicine, psychiatry, and clinical psychology. He has been on the faculties of several medical schools, and helped found the alternative healing unit at UPMC Shadyside. He is the author of Coyote Medicine, Coyote Healing, Coyote Wisdom, and Narrative Medicine, a quartet of books on what Native culture has to offer the modern world, and has just released his most recent work, Healing the Mind Through the Power of Story: The Promise of Narrative Psychiatry. Lewis is of Cherokee and Lakota heritage and works with aboriginal communities to develop uniquely aboriginal styles of healing and health care for use in those communities. He is currently affiliated with the Coyote Institute in S. Burlington, VT and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

See a YouTube video of Dr. Mehl-Madrona talking about mind, story, and how they affect us.

Barbara Mainguy MA is a creative arts therapist, with a background in art, philosophy and psychology.  She completed her MA thesis on the connections between Lakota healing traditions and psychotherapy. A narrative and energy practitioner, Barbara believes in parallel worlds and multiple dimensions. In her work, she uses the teachings she has received from elders and her background in philosophy and art to invite people to question 'reality' and its uses for maintaining balanced relationships with the forces that act upon them in the world. For the past few years she has learned from and worked with Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona. Their work together utilizes energy, story, ceremony, art, movement, drama, music, imagery and Lakota quantum physics to guide people into an approach to self-healing.

Create your own personalized holiday gifts--
Dec 8: Model Magic Holiday Ornaments. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. (For adults and kids alike.) Better than Play-Doh, Model Magic is a simple air-drying modeling compound made for kids that comes in brilliant colors. It’s soft, non-toxic, sticks easily to itself, and is easy to use, even for people with little hand strength. A great creative medium to play with for making little figures, refrigerator magnets, colorful beads, and all kinds of fun stuff, it’s just right for making light weight, colorful holiday ornaments to hang on a tree, stuff in a stocking, or attach to a gift bag. With Kate and Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Just in time for the holidays!
Dec 9: How to Deal with Negativity. Friday, 7-9:30pm. Grumpy friends, family, or coworkers dragging you down? Feel like you’re drowning in negativity from the media? Wondering how to keep your sanity in a “world gone crazy”? Negativity is a low vibration that can affect your own and drag it down. It’s not all about protection or “shielding” yourself. Learn easy and practical methods to deal with negativity; your own, and from others. If you can’t remove negativity from your life, at least we can show you how to use intention, crystals, meditation, new ways of responding, and other techniques to help you deal with it in a healthier way. With Kate and Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Full Moon and total lunar eclipse
Dec 10: 13 Original Clan Mothers Meeting. (Men welcomed.) Saturday, 11am-1pm. Join this ongoing, supportive circle of friends in self discovery through Native American teachings. Each month we will study the cyclical lessons of one of the 13 Original Clan Mothers, archetypal women elders who taught “The People” how to be Human Beings. Based on the book, The 13 Original Clan Mothers by Jamie Sams. Moderated by Kate Silberberg. Your donation helps support our healing work at The Mesa.

Clan Mother of the 12th Moon cycle: “Gives Praise”. The mother of all acts of thanksgiving and keeper of abundance. Guardian of ceremony and ritual.

We will also be covering the Clan Mother of the 13th Moon cycle who represents the occasional 13th moon that occurs in some years: “Becomes Her Vision”. The Guardian of transformation and transmutation. The keeper of the emergence of Spirit into physical form.

Create your own personalized holiday gifts--
Dec 10: Wire Wrap Basics. Sunday, 2-5pm. Have you ever found a rock or crystal that was so beautiful you wanted to wear it? Here’s a great way to be able to wear your favorite rock or crystal, or design and create great jewelry gifts for the holidays. Learn the basics of wire wrapping and create a pendant or two from your own stones, or ones you purchase from our great gift shop collection. Learn about the healing properties of crystals and how adding metal settings can amplify or enhance their healing energy. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Just added! The Mesa and our gift shop will be open during this event.
Dec 10: Holiday Body-Mind-Spirit Fair at the Willows Inn. Saturday, 11am-4pm. Join Mesa Co-director, Brad Silberberg, as he offers his new Energy Activations and our great gift shop items at this event in Beaver County. No admission fee. Readings/healings: $20/20min. Location: Willows Inn, 1830 Midland Beaver Rd. Industry, PA 15052. For more info, call Mary Petrella: 724-513-3949.

Dec 11: Sunday. The Mesa will be closed so we can attend a family event.

Dec 13: Energy Healing Circle. Tuesday, 7-9:30pm. No healing experience necessary. Here is a chance for beginners and accomplished healers to come together to share giving and receiving healing. We’ll start with a brief meditation, then take turns on the healing table to receive from the group. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Donation: $10. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Dec 15: Soul-to-Soul Connection. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Are there things you’ve wanted to say to others but they just wouldn’t listen? Were there things you’ve needed to tell a loved one or friend but didn’t because you just couldn’t say it to their face? Did those issues bring emotional pain or keep you apart? Unresolved issues with estranged or departed friends or loved ones or those we are at odds with perpetuate misunderstandings and can cause us to hold onto their Spirit, or them to ours. Either way, it keeps both parties from being at peace and progressing on their respective Spiritual Paths. We’ll demonstrate this safe, simple, and effective technique to connect on the Spirit Level and have a meaningful, heart-to-heart conversation at any time with anyone, alive or not. You can also use it to communicate with plants, animals, or children.  Learn to use this same method to send Earthbound souls home to the Spirit Side or disconnect psychic cords. Each participant will have the opportunity to connect with a loved one they need to heal with to resolve unfinished business. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Dec 16: Healing with Crystals. Friday, 7-9:30pm. For thousands of years, people have used the energy and consciousness of rocks and crystals to help bring positive change into their lives and health. Learn techniques for working with rocks and crystals such as clearing, activating, energy projecting, programming, and layouts. Get a brief reading from gifted psychic, Paul Meidinger to determine crystals that would help you in your personal healing and how you can best use them on your evolutionary path. Bring your favorite rocks and crystals or use some of ours. With Psychic and healer, Paul Meidinger. Contribution: $30. Must RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Create your own personalized holiday gifts--
Dec 17: Embossed Metal Milagro Ornaments. Saturday, 1-4pm. The word “Milagro” means miracle in Spanish. Milagros are small embossed tin ornaments or charms made in Latin American countries like Mexico and Peru as religious charms and votive offerings. They are visual reminders of the prayers of need, thanksgiving, or celebration one wants to send out into the Universe. Make your own angel, tree, star, or other holiday Milagros out of easy to work embossing metal, in gold, silver, or copper finishes to activate your prayers, give as gifts, or just hang on your tree. (Embossing metal is like thick aluminum foil and can be cut with scissors and embossed with a dull pencil.) With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Create your own personalized holiday gifts--
Dec 18: Felted Gift Stocking. Sunday, 1-4pm. Make and decorate your own festive holiday gift stocking from sheets of colored felt with our 10 needle Babylock Embellisher machine. With no sewing required, this needle felting machine will allow you to easily make all the seams and add decorations with yarn and contrasting felt. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Dec 21: Winter Solstice Medicine Wheel Ceremony. Wednesday, 6:30-9pm. This is the shortest day of the year and longest night, but it also heralds the return of the Sun as the days start growing longer. It’s also an important time of opportunity for change in your life as powerful energies open doorways for you. Join us in a Native American based ceremony in the Mesa Medicine Wheel to connect with the forces of Nature, greet the coming of Winter, express gratitude, and ask for help. Bring a covered dish to share for a pot luck dinner inside The Mesa after the ceremony. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Your monetary donation helps support our healing work at The Mesa. PLEASE DRESS VERY WARMLY as we will be outside for the ceremony. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097, or email.

Please note: Some calendars list Wednesday, December 21st of this year as the First Day of Winter, and some list Thursday, December 22nd. As it works out, the actual time of the Solstice is 12:30am Eastern time on Thursday. This would be 7:30pm Wednesday, Universal time (what used to be called Greenwich Mean time. We’ve chosen to hold our ceremony on Wednesday to take advantage of the rising energy of this event. It was listed as taking place on Thursday Dec 22 in the Washington County Tourism Guide, printed a year in advance. We ask forgiveness for any inconvenience this has caused.

Dec 22: Extended Holiday gift shop hours: Thursday, 10am-6pm.

Dec 23: Extended Holiday gift shop hours: Friday, 10am-6pm.

Dec 24: Christmas Eve. Gift shop open Saturday, noon-4pm.

Dec 25: Christmas Day. The Mesa will be closed.

Dec 29: Open date.

Dec 30: Open date. Please call if you’re thinking of visiting our gift shop.

Dec 31: New Years Eve. Regular gift shop hours: Saturday, noon-4pm.



January 2012: back to top of page

Jan 1: New Years Day Open House and Potluck Buffet Social. Sunday, 2-7pm. Start the New Year out right by joining with others of like mind and purpose. Come to The Mesa to hang out, chat, drum, play “The Gift of Enlightenment” board game, use our divination cards, and set an intention for what you really want for 2012. We’ll also be holding a Native American “Blanket Giveaway”. Bring items old or new, big or small that you’d like to “move along” to place on the blanket. Each participant will get to take something from the blanket to take home. (Not to worry, we’ll have some extra items.)  We’re also planning a Gift Card Swap, so bring in those gift cards you received that you know you’ll never use to trade and take what you have and don’t want and turn it into what you want and don’t have! Please bring a covered dish (How about a hot one to warm the new year?) to share with others. Bring African Djembe drums and musical instruments and we’ll jam! Your monetary donation helps support our healing work at The Mesa. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097, or email.

Jan 5: Mandala Drawing. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Mandalas are circular designs with radial symmetry that have been used in many cultures for meditation, to promote healing, and to soothe the body, mind, and Soul. The simple act of drawing one is deeply meditative and healing. You don’t need to be an artist to learn to create and use Mandalas for personal centering, healing, and expansion. We’ll look at examples of Mandalas from around the world and create and color our own. If you can hold a pencil, you can create beautiful works of spiritual art. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 6: “Healer 101”. Friday, 7-9:30pm. Whether you’ve learned a healing modality in a class or have intuitive abilities, beginning to work with others to help with their healing is a big step; one that can be challenging and confusing. It may be hard enough just believing in your new healing skills, but dealing with people?!! Learn methodology to put your gifts to work while you assess your client’s energy, emotions, issues, and likely causes of discomfort and “dis-ease”. Find out where to start, how to listen, what kind of questions to ask, and how to build confidence so you can relax and really help your clients. Get tips on running a healing practice, legal issues to be aware of, and ethical considerations that affect you as a helping professional. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Want to learn to knit or teach others to? Here’s a workshop for you…
Jan 7: Knit-In. Saturday, 1-4pm. Bring your yarn, needles, and ongoing or finished knitting or crocheting projects to share some time, good conversation, and tips with other yarn crafters. Maybe you’ll learn something and have a chance to pass along what you know. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $10. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 8: 13 Original Clan Mothers Meeting. (Men welcomed.) Sunday, 11am-1pm. Join this ongoing, supportive circle of friends in self discovery through Native American teachings. Each month we will study the cyclical lessons of one of the 13 Original Clan Mothers, archetypal women elders who taught “The People” how to be Human Beings. Based on the book, The 13 Original Clan Mothers by Jamie Sams. Moderated by Kate Silberberg. Your donation helps support our healing work at The Mesa.

Clan Mother of the 1st Moon cycle: “Talks With Relations” Mother of Nature. Keeper of rhythm, weather, and the seasons.

Jan 8: BEAD POWER! Sunday, 2-5pm. Discover the history and significance of beads as currency, symbols of power, and personal adornment. Learn to make manifestation bracelets, abundance necklaces, or other jewelry imbued with your energy, intention, hopes, and wishes. You have the power to transform your life by beading your intentions into sacred objects and jewelry to wear. We’ll discuss the meanings of different bead shapes, colors, and materials as we share our stories and each create a piece of “intentionalized” jewelry for ourselves or a loved one. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $45. (Bring your own beads to use and share with others, and/or purchase some from us.) Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 12: Origami. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Learn the art of Japanese paper folding that dates back over 10 centuries and helps with development of concentration and fine motor skills. Use vibrantly colored paper to create animals and other shapes by folding a single piece of paper. Origami animals and other creations make great small gifts to tuck in a greeting card or add to gift wrap. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Friday the 13th. Get Lucky at The Mesa!
Jan 13: Working with Crystals. Friday 7-9:30pm. Native Americans say that rocks are the oldest beings on this Earth and have seen all of history. Each one contains its own particular energy and consciousness that we can interact with directly. Crystal and mineral specimens can help us heal specific issues, teach us about energy and consciousness, and improve the energy environment of our homes. Learn how to awaken and use the energy and wisdom of your rocks and crystals to help yourself and others. We’ll discuss mineral identification, healing and manifesting uses, clearing of crystals, and more. We always have a great time in this class and come up with new ways to work with stones. Bring your favorite stones and we’ll help you identify them. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

The Mesa will be closed and we’re postponing the Cherokee Shaman Rattle making workshop originally scheduled for this date until Spring 2012 so we can take part in the following event:
Jan 14: Center of Harmony Opening. Saturday, 10am-6pm. Join Mesa Co-directors, Brad and Kate Silberberg as we offer Tuning Fork sound healing sessions and Seashell Divination readings at the new Center for Harmony in Harmony PA. All of the businesses within the center will be open and participating in the event; a coffee shop called Wunderbar, Darn Yarn Needles and Thread: a locally sourced and organic yarn shop, Pearlette: a handmade jewelry shop, and Suma Integrative Medicine owned by Mary Davis D.O. who will be practicing acupuncture, medical Qi Gong, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. They’ll also be selling gift certificates for upcoming classes at the Center and some local businesses will have booths set up as well. Admission is free. Location: 253 Mercer St, Harmony, Pa 16037. Email Dana for more info: drlowers@me.com.

Jan 14: Postponed until Spring Cherokee Shaman Rattles. Saturday, 1-4pm. Rattles are more than noise makers. Their vibration can be used in many ways to raise energy, promote healing, and aid in ceremony. Make a pair of unique and powerful shaman rattles, just like the jingly ones made by a Cherokee shaman that were gifted to us. Start with a pair of sticks, add brass bells and bone hairpipe beads. We’ll help you assemble them and lead a ceremony to awaken our rattles. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $50. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

We had such a good time making clay pieces to fire in our trashcan kiln that we’ve scheduled two sessions for winter. Come to one or the other, or both!
Jan 15: Sawdust Fired Pottery Session 1. Sunday, 1-4pm. Our ancient ancestors didn’t have electric or propane fueled kilns to fire their pottery in. They used pits in the ground and whatever solid fuels they had available; wood, straw, or even dried animal dung. Join us to make simple pinch pots, animal figures, masks, smudge bowls, and other objects from low-fire Raku clay. After they’ve dried completely, we’ll fire them with smoldering sawdust in our low-tech trashcan kiln. (Firing tentatively scheduled for Feb 26th) This firing method forces us to face the same kind of uncertainty that our ancestors had to deal with under less than perfectly controlled conditions, but the resulting pieces usually come out beautifully, in lovely shades of black, gray, and white. With Kate and Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email. You can see photos of the process and results from our last firing on our Mesa Facebook page.

Jan 19: Using Divination Cards. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Are you attracted to those divination card decks with their lovely artwork and mysterious energy, but feeling confused or even afraid about using them? Learn how using divination decks can give you daily guidance and help you connect with your Higher Self and Spirit Guides. Check out the basics of using divination card decks (yours or ours) by practicing giving and receiving mini-readings with other students using different “spreads” and your intuition. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 20: First Aid for Empaths. Friday, 7-9:30pm. Empathy means somehow experiencing the feelings, thoughts, or experiences of others. The dictionary definitions of empathy imply that this experiencing can only be “imaginary” and not physical because people cannot really feel what’s happening in someone else’s body, right? The truth of the matter is that we all are affected by each other’s thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a real way, but most of us are very adept at blocking the source of those effects from our awareness. Those of us who are Empaths live with the reality of experiencing other people’s feelings as if they were our own every day of our lives. Lack of knowledge about this gift and how to use it in a healthy way can result in anxiety, physical stress, and the feeling we’re going crazy. Learn what it means to be empathic and how to work with this spiritual gift. We’ll discuss techniques for sensing without absorbing, energy system hygiene, and whether or not to engage in “shielding” oneself. We’ll also take part in some exercises to help test out and integrate what we’ve learned. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 21: Glass Bead Making. (For adults and kids 12 and older) Saturday, 10am-4pm. Look out! Glass bead making is almost too much fun. With a simple torch and just a few tools you can make them on your kitchen table. Learn the basics of making beautiful beads from hot glass with a special torch and colored glass rods and make your own beads for accents in necklaces or bracelets. It's really safe and easy. With Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $95 (Includes all materials for class. Kits available to purchase and take home.) Must RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

All of our 14 inch drum kits on hand are spoken for, but we still have a few 12 inch kits and new, larger 15 inch drum kits that will be arriving this week for this exciting workshop. We still have spaces available for you and a friend. Call by Thursday, 1/19 so that we can prepare materials for you. Please specify whether you want to make a 12 or 15 inch drum.
Jan 22: Making Native American Drums. Sunday, 1-5pm. The sound of the drum is the heartbeat of Mother Earth and a deep primal connection for every one of us. The Lakota (Sioux) say that it is the voice of the drum that allows us to talk with Spirit in ceremony. We need more drums and people drumming to help reconnect Humanity to each other, Mother Earth, and All Our Relations. Here’s a chance to make your own 12, 14, or 15 inch round Native American hand drum in a sacred manner from a maple hoop and Elk rawhide. You’ll be amazed how simple it is and how good it feels to create your own drum with your own hands to use for ceremony, prayer, healing, shamanic journeywork, or to reconnect with your inner self. (Everyone goes home with a beautiful working drum.) We’ll make the drum beaters and awaken these drums during a “birthing ceremony” after the drums have thoroughly dried. (To be scheduled for early March 2012.) With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $95 for 12” or 14” drum, $110 for 15” drum.

Jan 26: The Power of “Languaging”. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Your word may be your bond, but the words you speak also affect your health, energy, outcomes and those of others. Saying words like “try” imply and attract failure, while “incredible” negates our perception and experience. “Languaging” refers to the conscious choice of words used to positive energetic advantage. As shown in books like Your Body Believes Every Word You Say and You Are What You Say, you can talk yourself sick or well, into positive or negative outcomes, harm or heal others with your words. Spoken (and even written) words are powerful manifestors. Their vibrations go into your body, unconscious mind, and out into the Universe like little keys to unlock specific circumstances. What has your speech been unlocking inside of you and in the world around you? Learn how word choice and the way you speak can make you sick or well, bring you what you want or sink your little boat. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 27: Spirit Art. Friday, 7-9:30pm. No previous art experience necessary. The energy and consciousness of Creation flows around and through us all of the time and you can tap into it through your own artistic endeavors. Learn ways to bring through messages, healing, and higher creativity through a joining of the artistic with the Spiritual. We’ll support each other as a group as we work side by side with basic art materials and simple methods to connect with our Higher Selves and tap into Universal Wisdom. Ways to interpret the inner meaning of finished artwork will be covered and each participant will receive a brief reading of their creative abilities and blockages. With Paul Meidinger. Contribution: $30. Must RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 28: Make a “Hand of Protection” Ornament. Saturday, 1-4pm. For centuries in Middle Eastern cultures, the symbol of a hand has been used as a sign of protection and luck. Called the “Hand of Fatima” in Islamic culture, a “Hamesh” in Hebrew and “Hamsa” in Arabic (literally the number 5, as in five fingers) these symbols were placed on houses and worn by children, pregnant women, and babies to give protection, especially from the envious “evil eye”. Make your own Hand of Protection like the one hanging in the doorway of The Mesa Healing Center from embossing tin and decorate with paint and plastic “jewels” to grace your home or that of a friend or loved one. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

You’ve seen our “Be Love” and Mesa spiral hand garden panels in front of our building. Now make your own.
Jan 29: Make a Hypertufa Planter or Garden Sculpture. Sunday, 1-4pm. Spring may seem far away, but it’s never too early to make plans for your garden. It may even help you get through the winter. Hypertufa is a lightweight substitute for stone made from cement, peat moss, and pearlite (that white stuff you’ve seen in potting soil). With it you can cast planters for flowers, mold garden sculptures, or create accent pieces for you yard. In this workshop you’ll learn how to mix this easy to use material, make molds from existing flower pots, plastic bags, or cardboard boxes, and how to direct-sculpt hypertufa. You’ll then make your own planter or garden sculpture to take home. (Some pieces may need to be left at The Mesa until set and picked up later.) With Kate and Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Must RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Jan 31: Energy Healing Circle. Tuesday, 7-9:30pm. No healing experience necessary. Here is a chance for beginners and accomplished healers to come together to share giving and receiving healing. We’ll start with a brief meditation, then take turns on the healing table to receive from the group. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Donation: $10. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.


February 2012: back to top of page

Feb 2: Fairies 101. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Many people dismiss fairies as imaginary, but stories of fairies and other “wee folk” are part of every culture around the world. Just because we don’t usually see them doesn’t mean they’re not there. With an open mind and a little patience, you can begin to recognize their presence all around you. Learn the basic habitats, powers, and behaviors of Fairies, Elves, Gnomes, Water Sprites, and Elementals. Discover which ones you resonate with the most and find ways to enlist their help. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 3: Finding Your Spiritual Path. Friday, 7-9:30pm. Your birth was not an accident. You chose to come here to this Earth for this lifetime to learn certain spiritual lessons, bring particular gifts, help humanity, and give back to Creation. You had a plan. Don’t you remember? Many people these days are struggling with careers, relationships, and lives they feel don’t fit them, but aren’t sure where else to go or what else to do. Join us for this class to gain insight into what your Soul may have sent you here to do and learn. We’ll engage in some guided meditation, use psychic sensing, Kinesiology (muscle testing), and other techniques to help you see more clearly your highest path for this incarnation. We’ll discuss what you can do in the short run to get moving in that direction. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 4: Consciousness, Communication, and Telepathy. Saturday, 1-3:30pm. Have you ever had the experience of being able to communicate with someone who didn’t speak your language at all? Sure, you used hand gestures and facial expressions, but didn’t you feel like something else was happening that allowed you to understand each other’s words? In our daily dealings with family, coworkers, and people we don’t know, we communicate not only in words, but also telepathically to a certain degree. As our level of consciousness-- our awareness rises, so does our vibration and psychic sensing and we begin to communicate more strongly on the telepathic level. Join us to learn about your telepathic sensing abilities and engage in exercises to open and expand them. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 5: 13 Original Clan Mothers Meeting. (Men welcomed.) Sunday, 11am-1pm. Join this ongoing, supportive circle of friends in self discovery through Native American teachings. Each month we will study the cyclical lessons of one of the 13 Original Clan Mothers, archetypal women elders who taught “The People” how to be Human Beings. Based on the book, The 13 Original Clan Mothers by Jamie Sams. Moderated by Kate Silberberg. Your donation helps support our healing work at The Mesa.

Clan Mother of the 2nd Moon cycle: “Wisdom Keeper”. The Protectress of sacred traditions. The Guardian of the remembering.

We had such a good time making clay pieces to fire in our trashcan kiln that we scheduled two sessions for winter. Come to one or the other, or both!
Feb 5: Sawdust Fired Pottery Session 2. Sunday, 2-5pm. Our ancient ancestors didn’t have electric or propane fueled kilns to fire their pottery in. They used pits in the ground and whatever solid fuels they had available; wood, straw, or even dried animal dung. Join us to make simple pinch pots, animal figures, smudge bowls, and other objects from low-fire Raku clay. After they’ve dried completely in a couple of weeks, we’ll fire them with smoldering sawdust in our low-tech trashcan kiln. (Firing tentatively scheduled for August 21st) This firing method forces us to face the same kind of uncertainty that our ancestors had to deal with under less than perfectly controlled conditions, but the resulting pieces usually come out beautifully, in lovely shades of black, gray, and white. With Kate and Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email. You can see photos of the process and results from our last firing on our Mesa Facebook page.

Feb 9: Native American Flute Healing Meditation. Thursday, 7-9pm. Does the sound of Native American flute music touch you somewhere deep in your Soul? Learn a little bit about the history, construction, and use of the traditional Native American flute and the health benefits from playing or listening to flutes. Then lie down and relax with a long meditation to the live sound of the flute, drums, rattles, crystal bowl, and other instruments. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $25. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 10: Sacred Geometry. Friday, 7-9:30pm. The underlying Spiritual/energy structure of all of Creation is based upon certain foundational elements of mathematics and geometry that go beyond our 3-dimesnional world.  They consist of patterns of energy and consciousness that cause matter to exist and maintain form. The ancients knew that working consciously with sacred geometric forms can bring through energy from higher consciousness or other dimensions for healing and enlightenment. It sounds really complicated, but it’s not. Learn the basis of the study of Sacred Geometry in a simple, experiential, non-mathematical way and experience how its tenants can be used to promote healing and generate energy you can use in your own life. We’ll play with 2 and 3 dimensional constructions to feel their effects on our classroom environment and personal energy field. With Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 10, 11, & 12: Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival. Friday, 1-9pm, Saturday, 9am-5pm, Sunday, 9am-4pm. Mesa Co-director, Kate Silberberg, will be helping out with the free workshop (Needle felted “upcycled” neck warmer) both Saturday and Sunday and teaching a class in making coiled baskets from yarn wrapped rope on Sunday afternoon from 1-4pm. For info or to register, visit www.pghknitandcrochet.com or call Barb, 412-963-7030.

Feb 11: Saturday. The Mesa and gift shop are open during the PGH Knit and Crochet Fest. Class to be announced.

Feb 12: Sunday. The Mesa and gift shop are open during the PGH Knit and Crochet Fest. Class to be announced.

Feb 16: Disconnecting Cords and Energy Vampires. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Have you been feeling like someone is taking all of your energy? Yes, “energy vampires” do exist. When we establish relationships we set up energetic connections that are intended to flow both ways; giving and receiving with another person. Sometimes family, friends, or even lovers take advantage of this energy pipeline and take our energy through these psychic connections without our conscious permission. Some people steal our energy on purpose while others are doing so without being the least bit aware of it. People don’t even have to be alive to drain us, as these connections stay intact even when a friend, family member, or former abuser dies. Learn more about psychic cords, how to detect them, and practical, ethical, and humane ways to disconnect rather than cut them. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 17: Working With Tuning Forks. Friday, 7-9:30pm. Tuning forks do more than make a tone when you strike them. They activate your energy systems and open portals for higher dimensional healing to come through with their precise vibrations. Experience the amazing sound energy and vibration of tuning forks for healing, relaxation, energizing, and balancing. We’ll experiment with chakra colored Solfeggio scale forks, Otto tuners, Brain tuners, Om forks, and Angel tuners. Participants will each receive a mini sonic healing. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 18: Make a Drum Storage Bag. Saturday, 1-4pm. Many people have admired the beautiful bags that Kate Silberberg has made out of Native American print fabric for our Mesa frame drums. Keeping your drum in a cloth bag keeps it clean and safe while traveling or while waiting for you to play it. Here’s a chance to honor and protect your own drum by making a secure “home” for it. They’re really simple to cut and sew. Layout and assemble yours with our sewing machine or by hand. Choose from several Native American and tribal fleece prints or bring a yard of your own material. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $50. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097, or email.

Feb 19: Beginning Blacksmithing. Sunday, 10am-4pm. Learn about the transformational art of blacksmithing and the basics of hand forging metals with fire and anvil. Find out about tools, materials, techniques, and the sculptural possibilities afforded by working heated metal. Then take a turn at hand forging simple projects. With Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $85. Must RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 19: Woven Amulet Bags. (For adults and kids 10 and over) Sunday, 1-4pm. Learn to weave beautiful amulet bags (--like a miniature purse) from scrap yarn and crochet string. It’s so easy you won’t want to stop! (Bring your own yarn to share or use some of ours.) Students will make a simple cardboard loom and weave a beautiful bag for wearing around the neck. Learn how prepare the loom, switch yarn colors, tie off, and complete your weavings. We’ll help you make the hanging strap for your bag and show you ways to embellish your creation with beads. Projects can be completed in just one afternoon. With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $45. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 23: Intro to Essential Oils. Thursday, 7-9:30pm. Essential oils are concentrated liquids containing volatile aroma compounds from plants that have been used over centuries for relaxation, healing, and sensual pleasure. They are far more than just fragrances. Each essential oil contains patterns of information and consciousness that we can partner with for positive change. Whether used separately or in blends, essential oils rubbed into the skin or inhaled through the nose stimulate our energy systems, rebalance our emotions, change how we’re thinking, and help us reconnect with our Souls. Learn to safely use single or blended essential oils for first aid, energy balancing, emotional support, and for healing specific ailments. We’ll pass around different oils so you can experience their effects on your physical, emotional, and mental aspects. (Bring your own oils or blends to share if you have some.) With Kate Silberberg. Contribution: $30. RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 24: A Night at the Spiritual Improv. Friday, 7-9:30pm. Being called upon to respond quickly without time to think is one way to practice overcoming inhibitions that keep us from letting out our true selves and tapping into our Soul knowing. As we found out in our “Going Hog Wild” class, participating in an improvisational acting situation also raises our energy as it lowers our guard. Join us as we take turns engaging in spiritually based improvisational toning, acting, movement, and… who knows (?!!), get past the challenges of judging and comparing ourselves, and move toward greater freedom. Each participant will get a mini-reading to find out where they are spiritually blocked and how they might best be able to release it. With Psychic and healer Paul Meidinger. Contribution: $30. Must RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

It’s been 4 years since we’ve offered the following workshop. Who knows when we’ll offer it again. Mark your calendars!
Feb 25 & 26, & Mar 3 & 4: Native American Cedar Flute Making. (No woodworking experience necessary.) 4 sessions: 2 Saturdays and 2 Sundays, 10am-4pm. Learn the history and construction of Native American flutes and make your own Lakota style Courting flute with your own hands. We’ll supply you with a flute kit made from aromatic red cedar to assemble, carve, and finish into a working pentatonic (five note scale) flute. We’ll supply the necessary tools and supplies and teach you how to play it, too. With Brad Silberberg. Contribution: $240 includes flute kit. You must register and pay by Feb 10 so that we can be sure to have materials for your flute. Call 724-947-3097 or email.

Feb 26: Sawdust Kiln Firing. Time to be announced. (Weather permitting.) We’ll be loading our clay objects made in our ceramic workshops on Jan 15th and Feb 5th into our Trashcan Kiln and igniting it to burn until all of the fuel is consumed (8-24hrs, depending on how it’s all packed). You’re welcome to come check it out. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Donations welcomed.

Feb 28: Energy Healing Circle. Tuesday, 7-9:30pm. No healing experience necessary. Here is a chance for beginners and accomplished healers to come together to share giving and receiving healing. We’ll start with a brief meditation, then take turns on the healing table to receive from the group. With Brad and Kate Silberberg. Donation: $10. Please RSVP, 724-947-3097 or email.

Is Feb 29th your birthday? Come to meditation and we’ll celebrate with you!
Feb 29: Leap Day Meditation Circle and Celebration. Wed, 7-8:30pm. 2012 is an important year for many things; planetary alignments, Presidential elections, and possible shifts in global human consciousness. It’s also a Leap Year, containing one “extra” day at the end of February. Leap Day happens only once every 4 years and was created to keep the calendar from drifting out of alignment with the changing seasons and a 365¼ day solar year. It all seems kind of arbitrary, but why not celebrate it anyway? Is February 29th your birthday? We’ll help you celebrate! Bring a snack to share. The Silberbergs. Your donations helps support our healing work at The Mesa.

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Interested in taking a class you don't see listed? Let us know! We're always planning new classes at The Mesa and looking for new ideas and instructors. Please email us with your suggestions.

Want more information about a class or event? Want to register or RSVP, call: (724) 947-3097.
If you want to contact us about a space in a class or to RSVP on the day it is scheduled, please CALL The Mesa instead of emailing.


Located near The First Niagra Pavilion (Fomerly “Post Gazette Pavilion”) The Mesa Creative Arts Center is within 30 min. of Sewickley, 45 min. of Downtown Pittsburgh, Washington, PA, Mt. Lebanon, and Beaver, PA,
1 hour of Zelienople, and 20 min. of Weirton, WV and Steubenville, OH.

Click HERE for Driving Directions to The Mesa.

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