In 2012, we were delighted to welcome two Guests of Honor: Christopher Penczak and S.J. Tucker.

Christopher was the top guest suggestion on our surveys from 2011, and Sooj (as S.J.Tucker’s commonly known) has a wide following in the Twin Cities already, having packed several concerts over the past couple of years when she’s come through the area.

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Christopher Penczak is a Witch, teacher, writer and healing practitioner. His practice draws upon the foundation of both modern and traditional Witchcraft blended with the wisdom of mystical traditions from across the globe as a practitioner and teacher of shamanism, tarot, Reiki healing, herbalism, astrology and Qabalah. He is the founder of the Temple of Witchcraft tradition and system of magickal training based upon the material of his books and classes. He is an ordained minister primarily serving the New Hampshire and Massachusetts pagan and metaphysical communities through public rituals, private counsel and teaching, though he travels extensively teaching throughout the United States.

Christopher has penned over fifteen books on spirituality, witchcraft, healing and magick and has won multiple awards, most notably from the Coalition of Visionary Resources. He continues to write books and articles while holding a full time teaching and healing practice in New Hampshire, where he lives with his partners, science fiction/fantasy/RPG author Stephen Kenson and psychic Adam Sartwell.

You can find out more about Christopher on his website. (And thanks to Llewellyn Publications for sponsoring his travel!)

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What might have happened if Peter Pan’s Wendy turned pirate and succeeded Captain Hook as ship’s captain? How about if Medusa and Rapunzel fell in love with the same hapless prince? What sort of tango do you dance with the alligator in your house? How do you fend off an online stalker who thinks he’s Jesus? What’s all the buzz about the guy with the mandolin who marched on Washington? Performing songwriter SJ Tucker addresses these questions and many others, all in the time it takes to play a show. Critics describe her music as the perfect mix of witty and weighty, and she takes listeners on a fantastic, genre-hopping ride with just her voice, her guitar, and occasionally a drum.

Fans of all ages come to see SJ Tucker for more than just the stories she weaves into her songwriting — her musical talents are second to none. Her style is classified, at times, as “Celtic Blues”, while her instrumental and vocal talents earn comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, Dar Williams, and Jeff Buckley. Not confined to one type of song or another, SJ spans opera, chant, and rockergrrl, employing deft guitar hands and the bluesy, powerful voice of a 300lb gospel singer–finely contained in a petite frame which earned her first band the name ‘Skinny White Chick’ by accident.

An incredibly prolific writer, SJ Tucker has composed over 130 original songs and independently produced six full-length studio albums. SJ Tucker started on the road with her first album in 2004, and she is taking the nation by storm — on her own power — state by state.

You can find more information about SJ and her music at http://www.sjtucker.com/ – there are lyrics and sound clips on the site to give you a preview, including details about her six studio albums and her numerous EPs and live recordings. She is also receiving airplay on countless internet and independent radio stations.