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By Jaguar
Well, a miracle has happened (or maybe it was magic), and the second issue of ripples has made its way out of the guts of my computer and onto the guts of some trees. You may notice a few changes from the last issue, one of which is this column. We have a new column on herbs, courtesy of Johnna Sturgeon, and some excellent poetry from Windweaver and Kami. We also have the first installment of a charming story by Kami, as well as an invitation to an ongoing discussion about community from Jim Hoyt. Our cover article is a summary of the process we have started using to try to find good solutions to some of our Grove issues.
I hope the next issue will have some more fiction, as well as columns on the Tarot, astronomy, and the structure of ADF cosmology. Mostly, though, this newsletter should be a reflection of who and what we are. As such, it should consist of your ideas, insights, creativity, and so on. Please contribute. Your submission can be fact or fiction (preferably accurately labeled), text or graphics, pagan or non-pagan. As they say in Druid's Progress, "SUBMIT! SUBMIT!"
By Jaguar
The following was written for submission in Druid's Progress. As a result, it occasionally explains thing which are obvious to Grove members. Please bear with it.
One of the hallmarks of Pagan groups is that they tend to be very short-lived. Whether a coven, a grove or a kindred, small groups form, become cohesive, and then break apart, all usually within less than two years. The breakup is normally the result of some change within the group. In some cases, a new member joins who has a different vision of the group. Other times, a central member leaves and the others don't have the commitment or vision to continue. Most commonly, underlying differences begin to surface which cause the group to dissolve, often acrimoniously. We see the same pattern, over and over again.
This is not unique to Pagan groups, but rather is characteristic of small group dynamics in any setting. Small groups tend to follow very distinctive developmental patterns which are divided into four stages. In Stage One, the group comes together: they find out what they have in common, and learn a little bit about each other. In Stage Two, the fighting starts: people begin to cordon off territory, form cliques, and each individual's agenda is far more important than that of the group. In the third stage, the group begins to develop a common vision, and members begin to see group goals as equal to or more important than their own. In other words, they begin to believe that they can be fulfilled by helping the group to succeed. The final stage is reached when the synergy of the interactions is so great that the group's identity supersedes that of its members, accomplishing far more than any of the individuals could alone.
Unfortunately, a change to the vision or membership of the group causes a step back in this progression. So, for example, when a new member joins, old tensions resurface and the group loses its sense of cohesiveness while it adjusts to the new member. Group members are also likely to resent the new member a bit as old, comfortable patterns are changed to accommodate the new person. Study after study has indicated that while some groups will spend more time at some stages than others, steps are never skipped.
I believe that herein lies the clue to why so many Pagan groups fail within their first two years of existence - they have never learned to weather the changes in a way that strengthens, rather than divides, the group. In other words, they don't realize that the fighting is a natural, normal, and necessary part of the evolution of their group, and that it is possible to move beyond it. Of course, this doesn't happen by itself. Group members need to know that there is a 'morning after', and they need the tools to get there.
In Shining Lakes Grove, like every other ADF grove, we have people who have very divergent topics on almost every topic we discuss. Few topics have been more difficult to address that the issues surrounding the role of children in the grove and in our public and private rituals. Around half of our grove members have children. There are some who feel strongly that all of the grove's activities and rituals should be structured with children in mind, and others who feel just as strongly that children and adults have different goals and the grove should accommodate both separately.
To complicate matters, we are a fairly new group consisting of twenty people with a complete range of personalities, from extreme introverts to extroverts, from people who like time to form and voice their opinions to folks whose words tumble out like water over Niagara. With this variety of personal approaches, a free-for-all at a grove meeting wouldn't resolve anything, and might in fact prove very harmful. We are moving from Stage 1 into Stage 2, with a few individual interactions firmly entrenched in Stage 2 already. It is critical that the child care issue be resolved in a way that will work for everyone. This is especially true as one of the stated goals of our grove is to build community, and our definition of community includes both adults and children.
There are many different processes we could use to examine this issue. As the individual currently guiding our grove-building process, I proposed that we use a combination of formal dialogue and concordance decision-making to explore our options and craft a solution. I have seen these techniques used, and have been very impressed with both the process and the results.
Formal dialogue is a powerful tool for creating an outcome to which all the members of the group are truly committed. The goal is not to reach a decision, but rather to learn, really learn, what everyone else in the group is thinking and feeling. You should not be trying to advance your own position, but rather seeking to understand as fully as possible all the fears, assumptions, views, and ideas that everyone else is bringing to the table. This point is critical, because if you can't let go of your own agenda, you spend all of your time thinking about how you would answer the questions, and none listening to what other people have to say. Once this understanding has been achieved, the group usually has a deeper sense of mutual trust, and develops creative solutions which really work for all the participants.
Having a facilitator helps to keep the discussion on track and the communication open, honest and fair to all group members. I assumed this role, although it was tough to be both participant and facilitator. Additionally, there are some guideline for all participants which help to make things go a bit more smoothly. These guidelines are:
So, now that we've hashed to death the reasons for using the process and the ground rules to follow, just what the hell are we talking about, anyway? After all this build-up, the process itself is deceptively simple. Seat everyone in a circle (of course), and decide upon a general topic. You don't have to define it very completely, as people will define the issue through the questions they ask.
The process itself has three steps - Inquiry, Clarification, and Advocacy. In Inquiry, the first person takes as much time as she needs to think about a question for the person beside her. Her question should be one to which she really wants to hear her neighbor's answer. She asks her question, and her neighbor takes as much time as he needs to formulate his answer. When he is ready, he speaks his answer not to her, but to the center of the room. In other words, she has asked a question to bring out information that the entire group needs to hear. He speaks his truth completely but concisely, and it is directed to the question, not to airing his own agenda. When he has finished, he thinks of his own question, and when ready, asks the next person in the circle. It is important to prevent talking out of turn and side comments during this phase, as it will prevent members from listening to what others are saying. The rounds of questions can continue for as long as people have questions to ask, can go around the circle a predetermined number of times, or can go until it just feels right to go on to the next step.
The second step is Clarification. The purpose here is to get further understanding of points you don't understand. Maybe someone on the other side of the circle said something unclear and you couldn't ask for elaboration. Here's your chance to find out. Be careful that you are asking because you want to understand, though, and not because you are looking for ammunition for your own case.
The third step is Advocacy. Here is where you can bring up any ideas or concerns you have which have not been explored by others. Again, be sure of your motivations, and speak from a desire to help others to understand you. Throughout all the steps, it is very important that the group establish some way for speakers to indicate that they have finished, e.g. a talking stick, or a verbal cue ('I am done' works well').
Once all of the issues are on the table, the time has come to create a solution. This is where I find that concordance decision-making can be very powerful. Concordance involves crafting a decision with which everyone agrees fully. This is a little different from consensus, where the participants merely have to agree to abide by the decision. Having put so much effort into understanding everyone else's position, it makes sense to me to use concordance rather than consensus. This doesn't mean that concordance is always appropriate, though. In any given situation, whether we use concordance, consensus or majority rule will depend upon the type of decision and the degree of buy-in needed.
Concordance decision-making requires a flip chart or other writing surface visible to the entire group. One person goes up to the flip chart and writes a statement outlining what she thinks is an acceptable solution to the issue. If someone else in the group disagrees, he suggests a change, and goes up and writes it on the chart. The group discusses each proposal, which helps to clarify differences of opinion and stimulate further refinements. When it appears that a satisfactory solution has been reached, the facilitator reads the statement aloud, and goes around the circle asking whether each person supports this resolution fully. The only acceptable answer is 'Yes'. Nothing more and nothing less. Any other answer suggests that the respondent is uncomfortable with the outcome, and further discussion is held until either s/he accepts the current statement, or appropriate changes are made. This process is repeated until everyone responds 'Yes'. It may take several sessions to achieve this.
Our grove had a number of misgivings about using this process, and while we have only worked through one round of questions in Inquiry so far, I felt that it would be useful to share with you some of the comments before and after the first round (some of these were made to the group, and some to me privately):
Before:
After:
These comments are indicative of both the enabling and frustrating elements of the process. People had the time, space and security to speak their minds, while having an opportunity to hear others express their own concerns. On the other hand, for those who are used to participating actively in all facets of a discussion, the discipline required can be very irritating. We tried to alleviate by providing each participant with a pad of paper and a pen. People were encouraged to write down the questions, the answers, and any thoughts, reactions, and comments they had. This provided them with a way to remember the points raised by others as well as their own ideas and reactions, while allowing them to continue paying attention to what was being said. They will be able to bring up these points later in the process.
With this first step, we have laid the framework for a whole new way of resolving our differences. Even more importantly, the grove now recognizes that although we have different views on many issues, the disagreements don't have to mean the dissolution of the group. With the grove's commitment to creating workable solutions, I believe we will find our way past the difficulties and closer to the type of community we strive to become.
By Johnna Sturgeon
This month, we start a new column on the physiology, habits, history, and medicinal uses of common herbs. If there are any particular herbs you'd like to see reviewed, please let Ripples know. - Jaguar
In writing an article on herb lore, I feel it is most useful to focus on herbs that are easily available in this area. One such herb is chicory (Cichorium intybus), commonly found along roadsides and in vacant lots.
Chicory is fairly easy to identify, mainly due to the distinctive periwinkle blue color of its numerous compound flowers. This plant averages about three feet high. The leaves at the base of the plant are very similar in color and appearance to dandelion leaves. From these leaves grows a round, green woody stalk with a number of branches. The upper leaves are lance-shaped and are moth smaller and smoother-edged than the base leaves. As mentioned before, the flowers are a distinctive pale slaty-blue color and are made up of over a dozen square-ended petals. The ends of the petals are somewhat toothed in appearance. Chicory flowers from late June or early July to October. The root of the plant is tough and woody, white in color. If the skin of the root is cut, it oozes a whitish sap. The entire plant is very bitter.
Chicory was originally a European native, but is thoroughly colonized in America today. In ancient Rome, it was used both as a food plant and as a "blood purifier". In his 1653 herbal, Nicholas Culpepper identified it as an herb of Jupiter and, following the alchemical system of the time, classified it as slightly hot and dry.
In this century, chicory was primarily used as a root tea to alleviate sour stomach and indigestion. Traditional folk medicine also prescribes the root tea for liver problems like jaundice and for skin eruptions such as acne or boils.
Modern scientific analysis shows chicory to possess many healthful and medicinal qualities. It contains large amounts of vitamins A, B, C, and K (responsible for the formation of clotting agents). Experiments have confirmed the value of root tea as a diuretic and a laxative as well as its usefulness in treating conditions that are often caused by excess levels of uric acid in the body such as gout, rheumatism and joint stiffness. The extract of the root has been found to be diuretic, lowers blood sugar, is slightly sedative, antibacterial and antiinflammatory. Due to the fact that the extract lowers the heart rate of laboratory animals, researchers believe it may be useful in treating some types of heart conditions.
As with any root, the best time to harvest chicory root is in the late fall, preferably after the plant is dormant and the seeds have set. As chicory is a particularly common plant, however, it is acceptable to harvest modest quantities while the plant is still in bloom, especially as this makes positive identification of the plant easier. The only time chicory should not be harvested is in early spring because the wet ground makes the root more damp and thus harder to dry. If the root is brown or otherwise discolored, it is probably rotten and should be thrown away.
After scrubbing the root well, it should be dried in artificial heat not higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. You may wish to slice, grate or otherwise prepare the root before drying. If you dry the root whole, you should make certain that it is completely dry by cutting it open to see if any dampness remains.
To prepare a decoction of chicory root, use approximately one ounce of root to one pint of water and boil it in a glass or enamel pan. DO NOT use an aluminum pan. After boiling for twenty minutes, strain into a glass jar and allow it to cool. It may be stored covered in a refrigerator for up to two weeks. The normal dosage is a mouthful two or three times a day. If the taste is unpleasant, it may be sweetened as desired or flavoring herbs such as mint, anise seeds or cloves may be added during the decoction process. These should be added five to ten minutes before the decoction is finished.
To prepare an extract, use four ounces of root to one pint of alcohol (vodka is best). Combine these in a tight-sealing jar like a mason jar for at least fifteen days. Shake the jar once or twice daily and store away from light. This may be used externally as an antiseptic, etc., or several drops placed under the tongue three to four times a day used internally.
By Jaguar
As the first leaves turn to brilliant oranges and reds, as the occasional hint of chill caresses the skin when evening turns to night, we find ourselves again at the Fall Equinox. It's time to bring in the tomatoes and the squash, the last of the cucumbers, and to start thinking of putting the garden to bed for the winter. Perhaps put in a couple of rows of snow peas and lettuce for a fall harvest, or pluck the last of the red raspberries from the browning canes. It's a good time to reflect on the labors of the summer, and the good fruit they bore.
This past season saw Shining Lakes host very well-attended rituals at Summer Solstice and Lughnassadh, with many new and old friends joining us for perfect weather and lovely ceremonies. We also picked sour cherries, black currants and blueberries. (It was supposed to be strawberries and raspberried, but they inconsiderately were not ripe when we were ready to pick!) The cherries went into cobbler, jam, jelly, and an experimental batch of wine (it smells good already). The black currants are now jelly and wine (about which I'm a bit dubious, but we'll see). The blueberries never even made it to the fridge before finding their way into pancakes, jelly, jam, and a variety of other delicacies.
There were several campouts this past quarter. The first was at Hell Creek Ranch, and while the ambiance was a bit noisy and mosquito-ridden, the company was wonderful, the singing inspiring, the riding smooth (well, mostly), and the grove-building exercises empowering. July also saw Starwood come and go, well attended by the grove. The ceremonies were wonderful, the weather lovely, and the experiences both challenging and entertaining. In August, we were represented at the gathering of the Grove of the Reflecting River, near Marshall, where we attended a sweat-lodge (graced, I suspect, by all the entities of chaos and laughter who have ever come to be), tasty pot-luck dinners, an herb-identification walk, and a charming ritual in celebration of Lughnassadh. In September, many of the members who went to the Holly Rennaissance Festival camped together the same night, and both the campfire and the festival were much enjoyed by all.
We also accomplished some important community work. Fox met with the Washtenaw County police and the Ann Arbor police to let them know who we are and what we do. He was well received, and the officers were very glad to have found a resource for questions about occult matters. The Grove also performed its first community service activity, distributing flyers about the hearing on the proposed toxic waste incinerator in Saline. It was well worth it, as the hearing was very well attended. For those hardy souls who participated, there was dinner awaiting at Fox and Jaguar's den when the flyers were gone.
All in all, an active, productive quarter which yielded much in companionship, caring, fun, and friendship. And in the end, aren't these the most important harvests of them all?
The muses have indeed touched some of those among us. Enjoy.
By Windweaver
I who poet's heart did glean
When inspiration was conferred
Besides the cauldron of the queen
Where for a year and a day I
stirred
When fate three drops of wisdom spilled
On hand
instilling timeless spell
To know what's past or unfulfilled
What thought to keep and which to tell
And so in fear I wisely
fled
The angry queen who made the brew
In the form of hare I
sped
and she as greyhound did pursue
Into river's cold embrace
I leapt the shape of fish to take
She intent upon the chase
An otter of herself did make
So into air I quickly leapt
A bird in flight I now would be
And up into the sky she swept
A striking hawk she came for me
Under siege of desperate
strait
A pile of wheat did I espy
Seeking to escape my fate
Into the pile of grain did fly
So in pile of winnowed
wheat
I lay among the other grain
The queen, her vengeance to
complete
Did land and change her form again
As a hen with
crest of red
She scratched and searched within the pile
Upon
the grain I was, she fed
Returning home with vengeance smile
This did not my end create
For victim of mischance was I
And destined for another fate
To live a life and not to die
So
within this queen I grew
A child of fate to be reborn
Inspired
with wisdom of the brew
And born in light of Beltane morn.
By Kami Landy, Fall Equinox Ritual '94
I am a bard of my people
Keeper of the wisdom, the seanachie
Mine is the voice that rings from stone and tree
Aimergin,
first bard, come to me!
Aimergin, son of Mil
Sweet your
verse,
Verses make pathways
Ways of calling
Call to
harvest feast
Feast ancient Powers
Powerful words
Words
invoke thee, Aimergin!
Aimergin was the First Bard of his
people.
His words held power to claim the land and tame the sea.
In his verse was knowledge of all that is or could be.
And so
it is said that all who speak with inspiration, power and vision,
Speak with the voice of Aimergin
Three blessings to those who
hear these words:
That your eyes may be open,
That your heart
may be open,
That the silver ringing words come lightly
from
your tongue to honor the Ancient Powers
We call to us today.
This is the first installment of a quest story by Kami Landy. Three more installments will follow.
By Kami Landy
A child woke in darkness. Listened to the silence and sang it back. The echoes woke and soon there was a cave filled with the music that rises from silence. The Earth felt it in her sleep and woke. Her deep song spread throughout the mountains that held the cave. Looking for the source of all the singing, she found the child and was filled with love.
Love gave her voice, and the Earth spoke gently to the child. Gently and kindly she spoke, her voice rumbled and groaned with all the power of the ancient Earth. The child felt it shaking and shook as well. Then the Earth quieted herself and hummed slightly until the child was soothed. Gradually, so slowly as the moss grows, she let words slip into her humming, until the child knew her meaning. The song she sang was
LOVE
safe strong safe
deep soft ancient Earth
tiny new
G R O W I N G
safe guardian holding
Rocks Cave
Water Moss
safe soft safe
LOVE.
Then her voice drifted back to humming. The child thought of what was heard and felt, the meaning of the words, and gained language.
I am
I am here
Here is
Old
I am new
I am
What
What is love
Love is ancient
I have love
New ancient here
How who?
The earth felt then her deep and aged wisdom. The answers to the child's question came welling, rushing, pouring up at once in a great crashing roar. It held the song of bear and mole, mountain and pebble, star and tree and the crying of the first baby. The child could not bear so much and drew into a tiny tight ball, keening. The Earth, hearing this, fell silent.
At last she saw that the child was too small and new to stand before unveiled knowledge. Taking the stone of permanence, the clay of changing form, the moss of soft endurance, and the phosphorescent light of the depths, she fashioned for herself a body to contain her love and words, limiting them to the child's understanding. Thus, as an ageless, gentle mother she showed herself within the cave.
Her skin glowed with phosphorescence, but her eyes glowed with loving wisdom. And her face was that of the child. Cradling the child with her body, the Earth said,
"Daughter, daughter, be at peace. My love will keep you safe. In all this wide, wild world, there is nothing I do not see.
"Child, the answers to your questions are out in the wide world, and there you must go. I am ageless, and for me to tell you the story you seek would take an age. Your time is short but you hear and see much. This hearing, though you may fear the gift of sound, is your great gift and challenge. It is life and your aliveness.
"As you journey, I will be with you, for I am in all things as all things are in me. When the world was young, I was Mother to all its creatures. Year by year, seeing my everywhere, the ceased to see me at all. As children will, the acted in ways that were unwise, but would not hear my words of caution. Now, what was once a great family is scattered, fighting the parts of itself that should strengthen one another, and I cannot rise to bring change for it is my nature to endure, not to cause. I who know all things can do little, but you, my child, can walk about and touch the things you see. Therefore I challenge you to share your vision, your knowledge of my presence with those you meet. Sharing your gift is what will enable you to keep it. The more aware my other children become, the more they will help you. When all is once more in harmony, you will have no need to return to this cave, for you will find me everywhere. Then the answers to your questions will come to you in everything you touch.
"Now it is time to leave your fear behind and walk toward the sun."
Contributed by Kami Landy from her SCA days.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the eggs well. Mix in the condensed milk, and add the applesauce and the lemon juice and pulp. Beat until fairly smooth. Fill 2 deep or 3 shallow pie tins, and bake for one hour or until set. Serve warm or chilled.
By Jim Hoyt
This is the first in a series of exploratory articles from Jim about community. Please send your ideas and comments about community to Ripples and they will be forwarded to Jim. - Jaguar
As pagans, we often hear and use the word "community". Indeed our most common inclusive description of ourselves is "the Pagan Community". You can hear the capitalization of the "c" in community when we use this term.
But what do we mean? What do we see as community, Pagan or otherwise? Is community a place? If so, what are its ideal dimensions and qualities? Is it a grouping of people? What then distinguishes one group from any other? What are common attributes of all communities? A shared vision? What are the dynamics of that sharing? And what are the implications and consequences of these images of community? Where do they lead? Would we as a Grove like to fashion a community? What sort?
My hope is that we can use this column as one of many forums for the sharing of our visions of community. I foresee a series of articles where we share our ideas and experiences, the intent od which is to focus our vision and strengthen our magic, bringing into sharper reality our ideal of Pagan Community. I'll be composing this column, but it really is a conversation among ourselves. I'll need your input - discussion, writing, art - whatever form you feel best communicates your ideas. Please seek me out and share your vision with us all.
So what is a community? And was is the Pagan Community?
By Jaguar
The gene for deafness in cats is very strongly linked to the gene for white fur: thus, a very large proportion of pure white cats are deaf. Calico (brown, black, and white) cats are always female. The cat was sacred to the ancient Egyptians, and the cat goddess, Bastet, was the guardian of pregnant women. Thousands of cat mummies have been found in the tombs of the Valley of the Dead in Egypt.
On the south side of Puerto Rico is an inlet called the Phosphorescent Bay. Its waters contain a very high concentration of phosphorescent microorganisms. When these organisms are moved, they glow. On dark nights, particularly during the new moon, one can see where the fish are swimming by the trail of light they leave. If one fills a bucket with this water, and pours it back into the bay, the falling water looks like a shower of tiny sparks. There is apparently only one other such bay in the world, and is located on the coast of India.
Shining Lakes Grove
P.O. Box 15585
Ann Arbor, Michigan
48106-5585
Phone: (313) 480-2082
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