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By Jaguar
With the best will in the world, I discovered that it is not possible to care for a premature infant who needs to be fed at two-hour intervals around the clock, and produce newsletters. The Summer Solstice issue of Ripples was the victim, unfortunately. As an attempt to compensate for that, we have tried to make this issue especially large and meaty.
This is also the last issue for which I will be the editor of Ripples. Grove elections are in progress (many of you will be receiving ballots with this issue), and I have decided not to run. What with the demands of a full-time job, my son Sean, and producing ADF’s national publication quarterly, I felt that it would be best for me to hand the torch over to someone else. I shall miss it; Ripples has been very special to me, and I have really enjoyed the creativity and the challenges it brought.
I have no doubt, however, that the next editor will do a wonderful job, and will carry Ripples on to greater heights. I thank you all for all the support you have shown over the past three years, and ask that you now give it to the next editor. And above all, SUBMIT!!!
By Fox
I am writing to you to let you know about a serious problem facing our community. A couple living in Garden City, MI are having their lives and property threatened in part due to the fact that one of them is Neopagan. Her name is Morgana. She is a practicing Wiccan and member of Shining Lakes Grove. This article is intended to make the Grove and the community aware of her plight and to call for assistance in dealing with this matter.
This story started nearly 17 years ago when Morgana's fiance, Robert, and his former wife (now deceased) were living with their family in Detroit. Due to some problems with some of their children, Robert and his wife kicked them out of the house and disinherited them. The children departed from their lives and were not heard from for many years. Soon thereafter Robert's wife died.
Fifteen years ago Robert began a relationship with Morgana. Ten years ago Robert, then in his sixties, bought a house in Garden City and the two of them settled there for a quiet retirement with their dogs. The neighborhood was a friendly and quiet place and Robert became friends with some of the neighbors.
About a year later Morgana appeared in an interview in the local newspaper. It was one of those "interview with the local witch" pieces that the newspapers love to run around Samhain. Unfortunately the neighbors took offense to Morgana's religious beliefs and a long-standing feud began in the neighborhood.
For about eight years relations on their street deteriorated. What started as occasional comments from across the street and name calling, such as "Witch Bitch" and "Devil Woman", escalated to rock throwing, tire flattening, window breaking, dog poisoning, and on one occasion, a pushing match that left the seventy year old Robert with an injured vertebra. Robert and Morgana maintain that they have never been the aggressors in these fights and have tried to maintain a low profile by keeping to themselves. The City Police were called out on many nuisance calls during this period and apparently became very tired of the whole affair.
A little more than a year ago things on their street took a dramatic turn for the worse. Robert had a unfortunate accident with a snow blower which caused the loss of two of his fingers. The newspaper story regarding the accident, which included his address, was seen by one of his daughters, now in her forties, who happened to live nearby. After sixteen years of absence she appeared on his doorstep, a woman that he didn't even recognize.
Robert and Morgana were friendly toward the daughter at first. But upon entering their home she saw Morgana's Wiccan paraphernalia and a photograph of her in a robe and pentagram. The daughter was incensed by Morgana's religion and has ever since waged a campaign with the neighbors to drive Morgana from Robert's home. I should also mention that it has become clear that another of the daughter's motivations is to take possession of Robert's house and to be written back into his will. The lengths to which she has gone to run Morgana out are outlandish and many, due to space constraints I will only hit some of the worst incidents.
In April of this year Robert received a hand-written note signed with his daughter's name which said: "I want to tell you that even if you did put me out of the house 16 years ago, you have no right keeping me from parking in your driveway or following you wherever you go. If I want to watch you from your driveway I will, as for me hitting you in your face, I have every right to do it because they know you are my father and the police will not do anything because they will just say it's your word against mine, so to me nothing but a pig are you in my eyes. If you think from now on you can have me removed from your driveway, think again, because next time I will beat on you until you bleed. Do not tell anyone or you will know what will happen to you!"
In June two nooses were left hanging on Robert and Morgana's front door. Each had a sign attached which read "Witch" and "Die Witch". The handwriting on each of the two signs is easily recognizable as the same person who wrote the note in the paragraph above. The mainstream media did stories about the nooses and the threats but unfortunately due to their greater interest in sensationalism than in assisting someone in need, the most that they accomplished was discrediting Morgana before the mainstream and Neopagan communities in the region.
Threatening notes began to be sent by mail to Morgana in June. Many of them were constructed to appear as if they had been mailed from the Baptist Church near Robert's house. These notes said things like: "Burn witch and die"; "Leave Garden City now or you will be burned at the stake." and "We will hang you by the neck until you die.". The pastor of the Baptist Church has been very cooperative and assures us that he has no knowledge of the threats. He even went to the length of speaking out against the threats to his congregation and has volunteered to go door to door with me throughout the neighborhood to help resolve the conflict.
Also in June Robert's daughter apparently came into their home and stole their credit card account numbers. She used the cards to run up huge debts against her father which subsequently forced him into bankruptcy. Robert received another hand-written note signed with his daughter's name which said in part "I just thought I would write you a note to let you know that I used your credit cards to buy every thing I wanted."..."I assumed we had more right to use them than Morgana had, because we are family and she is not. I still want to move in your house and move Morgana out. I knew I would get even with both of you, so I had all your account nos., and that is why I charged and charged, even though neither one of you can do anything about it, because you cannot prove it, because we have learned to copy your signature the same as if you signed it."
In July more threatening letters came in the mail purportedly from the Baptist Church. Some of the things said in these letters were: "You are nothing but a evil force in Garden City, get out now before we come for you. We will hang you by the neck until you are dead and we will burn your bones so that you never come back with your witchcraft again." and "We will not put up with you in Garden City and we will do everything in our power to run you out and make your life a hell to live in. You should be burned at the stake and sent back to hell where you belong. You must die and our church will see to it that you do. Burn in hell witch."
Later in July type-written letters were received by Robert and Morgana which included his daughter's type-written name as a signature. A few quotes from these letters are: "I hate you for keeping me from what is mine, that witch Morgana will die and I will make sure that she does and you will die with her in that house because it will burned to nothing and you are in my eyes but a pig." and "Do not tell anyone about this letter or you know that I will come back and hurt you and that witch Morgana will die. I will beat on you until you bleed."
Just a few days ago a note was received that was also type-signed in the daughter's name which said in part: "I will make sure you die even if I have to be the one to do it, you will hang by the neck and die a painful death. As for you Dad, just wait until Halloween, I have something special planned for the both of you. I will burn the house down with the both of you in it. I hope the both of you burn in hell." She also apparently was responsible for the theft of a large sum of money from Robert's house which left them looking to the Salvation Army and donations secured by the Grove to pay for their groceries. They have also had to sell some of their belongings to pay the mortgage on their home.
During the last week, Robert and Morgana have received death threats over the phone both day and night from a number of different persons. Many of these calls refer to Halloween as the time when they will be killed. Robert has since changed their phone number to stop the threats, making this their tenth unlisted number. Unfortunately this measure has proven futile in the past as their harasses have always managed to somehow get the numbers. Currently I am the only person outside of the household who has been given the new number.
I would image that, after reading this account, you must be wondering where the police have been while all of the above was going on. They have unfortunately been astoundingly unhelpful, even antagonistic to Robert and Morgana. They have written up a stack of reports but have failed to investigate any of the incidents further. In a telephone conversation with me recently the Detective in charge of the case stated that they "had no suspects" and plan no further action on the case. Robert and Morgana have been asked to leave the police station on two different occasions when they attempted to report problems and they have been told by officers that the police department will not answer their calls for help, that "they are on their own" and that they should move out of Garden City.
A few days ago an officer sat outside of their house for most of the day. When Robert went out to walk his dog the officer stopped him and told him that it was illegal for him to walk his dog. The officer had removed his badge from his uniform so that he could not be identified, a tactic that at least four officers have used against them. When they pressed the officer to identify himself he refused four times and instead told Morgana that the police knew what she was and that they are not welcome in Garden City.
In an effort to resolve this situation we have contacted the ACLU, the WLPA, the Chief of Police, the Assistant Mayor, the County Prosecutor, the FBI, and the Postal Inspector. We have worked with Senior Citizens Legal Aid to get a restraining order issued against the daughter. The court process server was unfortunately unable to catch her so she was finally served the restraining order by members of our Grove (Rob, Buck, Myself and our heroine Sherri Wolfdancing, who let her warrior spirit shine) by trapping her as she stepped from her car one evening after work. We also enlisted the help of Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services to mediate the dispute between the neighbors but thus far the neighbors have refused to cooperate.
Despite all of this high powered help very little has actually been accomplished to protect Robert and Morgana. With little evidence that any of the above agencies are going to act on their behalf between now and Halloween the Leadership Council of Shining Lakes Grove has resolved to do what we can to assist them in protecting themselves and their property during the nights around Halloween. To that end we have decided to move our Annual Halloween Party to Robert and Morgana's house and to ask for volunteers willing to watch their house on nights preceding and following the party. For obvious reasons the party will be quieter than our usual bash and we are planning to abstain from alcohol consumption to prevent possible problems with the police. We have cleared the party with the city and do not anticipate any serious problems. We will also be providing transportation to and from the party to prevent any vehicle damage which might otherwise occur.
We are also desperately in need of donations for legal fees and volunteers to attend court hearings on October 24 and November 27 to lend support to Robert and Morgana. Please contact us at: Shining Lakes Grove, ADF, P.O. Box 15585, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 or by phone at (313) 665-8428 if you can help.
This struggle is an important opportunity to show their persecutors that Robert and Morgana are not alone in their fight for religious freedom and equal protection under the law. Please consider doing whatever you can to help us win this fight. Next time it may be you.
By George Cooney
In order to be at peace, it is necessary to feel a sense of history - that you are both part of what has come before and part of what is yet to come. Being thus surrounded, you are not alone; and the sense of urgency that pervades the present is put in perspective. -- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Pagans know life as a process rather than a stasis. For us, being is always in motion. Even when our lives seem steady and predictable, our beliefs tell us we are moving under the Sun, day after Summer day, on its way to the time of seed-making and dying; later, the dry frozen seed will endure for months in the unchanging dark under Earth, on its way to the time of sprouting and ascent. Our liturgy is based on these transitions; by our ritual celebrations of the turning of the Wheel through the cycle of the year, our minds and spirits are led to rehearse our own journey through growth, death and rebirth.
Issues of death are much in the world's news these days. When should a patient, or a family member, reject medical treatment intended to prolong life? Will assisted suicide become an accepted part of the physician's repertoire? On one hand, we hear of brain- dead individuals kept alive by machines; on the other, we see the prospect of medical rationing, with insurance companies deciding where to allocate scarce treatment resources. Opinions are offered from a multitude of perspectives: social, moral and economic. We must decide where our own beliefs lead us; what is to be our attitude towards death?
Our Pagan tradition reaches back a long time for answers, back to the days when humans first awakened and began to wonder about the Goddesses and Gods who turned the Wheel. From the teachings of our fathers and mothers in those early days we learn that life and death are a polarity, like a two ends of a magnet; we see this polarity in our everyday lives, manifested in a constant tension between that which builds and that which breaks down. The familiar yearly cycle, from the rising sprout to the rotting stalk, moves in the space between those poles; and that cycle is reflected in the longer story of our own life's progress.
First, we are conceived and birthed; our potential becomes specific; Spirit forms the word that is us.
Next, we grow into maturity; our life gathers experience and takes its shape; our activity adds to the complexity of the world around us.
Finally, we die; we release our life into Spirit's unlimited potential.
In practice, of course, moving along the Wheel is not easy. Even though we know that death has its place, most of us are not ready to embrace it nor even to think about it. Instead the desire for continued life occupies our will. From the depths of our nature we resist death, and we rage against its approach. When death seems to come too soon, we protest, saying "Oh no! Not yet! Not now!" and there is the sudden desperate screech of brakes, the clawed fingerhold on a rock face, the heart jolted back into rhythm in an emergency room. Instinctively, we act to preserve life. Lugh the Lightbringer, the god who ripens the Corn, symbolized this instinct, and we call upon him in our fight for life.
Yet die we must. As Sherwin Nuland points out in his book, How We Die, we must die for the sake of our species; if somehow we contrived to live forever, we would quickly overwhelm our environment's carrying capacity and all perish like lemmings. "Must," in biological terms, thus carries not only its ordinary meaning of inevitability, but also a sense of appropriateness. Our need for death is personified in Herne the Hunter, sometimes called Cernunnos by the Celts. He is the god of culling, who takes away life for the sake of balance and health in the world.
There is even a point where we know it is time for death. Those who work with elders or with the terminally ill have seen people come to that point: the demands of continued life become unreasonable in terms of pain, bodily dissolution, failure of dignity, and loss of contact with one's surroundings; when life no longer returns value in measure with those increasing demands, then we begin to see death as timely. Herne's approach does not inspire the same rage and resistance when our instincts tell us death is timely; and when the Hunter has finished, even our mourning has a different flavor. We still grieve the empty space the dead person has left in our lives, but the other, angry sense of life unlived - of death cheating life - is absent. When someone we know has a timely death, it is easier for us to give inward assent to the ancient truth that life and death - Lugh and Herne - are really showing forth the same Spirit.
What distinguishes the Pagan moral attitude about death is that it affirms the polarity between death and life, without making that polarity into a duality. We do not label as "evil" the force that moves living things towards death. At one moment we might be fighting with all our strength to save our own life or someone else's; at another moment we might be struggling to let go, so death can play its part. Both efforts are "good" in their season. It is our perception of the timeliness of the death that makes the difference. When death approaches out of season (as we perceive it), we struggle against it at the side of Lugh, the Warrior who brings Light and Life. When we believe life is completed, we are ready to call upon Herne the Hunter.
As the world struggles with present-day death issues, it has much to learn from our old religion. For example, if our health-care delivery system learned the appropriateness (and sacredness) of a timely death, emphasis might shift away from hopeless intervention, and move rather in the direction of honoring the transition. Good pain management, home surroundings, and time for parting interaction with family and friends can help a patient wind up this round of living and get on with his or her death. Perhaps such a shift of emphasis might reduce the demand for assisted suicide, once patients realize that a timely death is available through the mainstream health-care system.
For each of us, it is important to decide the place of Lugh and Herne in
our lives. What is "timely death" for us? Will we call the
hunter when we can no longer
play a round of golf?
make love?
sit our grandchild on our lap?
taste food?
recognize our
friends?
Where do we draw this important boundary? The persons closest to us must be part of the decision-making process, as must be our medical caregivers; because when the time comes, we may not be able to express ourselves. Our wishes should be in writing (Michigan has a law about how the writing is put together) and our friends and doctors should be well aware of what we want. As far as Fate permits, the life-death decision is our own; we should do everything possible so that our journey from this life reflects our beliefs, and honors the Lightbringer and the Hunter between whom our Wheel has turned.
By Raven Hecate-Ana Spiritdancer
Do you have any skills in the arts of painting, drawing or needle-work? If so, the Shining Lakes Artisans' Guild wants you!
SLG's Artisans' Guild is designed to promote training and education of members and others interested in learning the arts and crafts. The guild is also dedicated to creating artwork and artifacts for the grove. The guild encourages and supports continuing education for our artisans and craftspeople as well.
We evaluate each member of the guild in his or her chosen specialty. A specialty is a field of endeavor consisting of individual skills or techniques. Crochet, embroidery, and sculpture are examples of specialties in which members can attain recognition.
There are four levels of recognition members can reach for each specialty. An apprentice is a student of a guild member. The guild member must be at least a journeyman in the specialty the apprentice wants to learn. A journeyman is someone whom the guild has evaluated as having journeyman-level competence in a chosen specialty and is a member of Shining Lakes Grove.
Besides showing the appropriate competency in a specialty, a senior-journeyman must also be a member of ADF's Artificers' Guild. He or she must also make one significant contribution to the grove and must show some teaching experience.
To reach the level of master in a specialty, the member must display appropriate competency, contribute at least two significant works to the grove and have considerable teaching experience. The members of the Artisans' Guild determine the guidelines for each specialty and the exact requirements for each level.
The Shining Lakes Grove Artisans' Guild is a place to learn new skills or develop the ones you already have. It is also a place to help our grove.
Almost every culture had its artisans and crafters who made items to sell, trade or adorn themselves and fellow villagers. These artisans contributed significantly to the existence and survival of their communities. Help Shining Lakes grow and thrive. Join the Artisans' Guild. Check Shining Lakes News for time, date and place of monthly meetings. We hope to see you there.
By Gwydion ap' Morrygan
How does one choose a deck? First off let's talk about the wrong ways. Please, DON'T pick a deck because it's the only one at a store or because a salesperson recommends it. There are hundreds of decks available (I have over 40 in my own collection) with more coming out monthly, so you should NOT be limited to what one store carries. No matter how many decks a store has, I guarantee you there are many more available. As for salespeople, they have an obvious interest in selling you something - good, bad, or indifferent. Of course, there are good people, especially in "occult" bookstores, who honestly try to help, but even these people still need to sell. Try to remember to look at a deck before purchasing it. Many stores will have a display deck for this very purpose.
Another "don't" is don't pick your teacher's deck just because it's your teacher’s deck. For many years I have used a Crowley deck because it spoke to me and the colors helped me feel things about a reading. Just because it was the one I used has led to hundreds of these decks being purchased. I believe this deck to be a good one, BUT your deck should speak to YOU.
Now we are coming to the "shoulds". There are certain parts to a deck which I expect. These parts are numbered cards called minors, court cards with one person or one face each, and last but not least the majors. The majors are the cards unlike any playing cards. There are many decks (about 10 I know of) with different parts or no recognizable parts at all. These decks are perfectly good, but I do not refer to them as Tarot decks. They are fun decks which can certainly be used, but have little or nothing to do with our topic. Take your time, look at as many decks as you can find. Ask your teacher to show you decks or some of the many books which have examples of the hundreds of decks available. One fine book is Stuart Kaplan's The Encyclopedia of the Tarot, which shows many examples of decks through the years back to the preserved cards from the first decks.
Remember you can, and probably will, change your deck through the years. If for no other reason than cost, we would like to keep this changing to a minimum. With this in mind, the first "rule" of choosing a deck is - does it speak to you? "How can I tell if a deck speaks to me?" I can hear this cry from wherever you are reading this. This can be as simple as "I like the colors" to something as hard to describe as "I can visualize these cards easily". As an example, the most important and easiest parts of the Tarot are the elements. There should be four - earth, air, fire, and water - disks, swords, wands, and cups. Find the ace of cups, does this card suggest water to you? That's the easiest question I can come up with. Does the ace of swords feel like air, or the ace of wands feel like fire? Does the ace of discs feel like earth or feel weighty; anything just so you get a feeling or vision or something that you can hang the idea of earth on. Something else to keep in mind when trying to choose a deck is that all those little images cluttering up each card will/could stand out someday and could be very significant for that day's readings. For this reason I seldom recommend a deck without those annoying little symbols; but if you feel something, even with a deck with no symbols and just cartoon faces, it could be the deck for you.
Let us look at two decks to show some differences as well as some similarities. The two decks are the Waite/Smith deck or the Waite/Rider deck as it is sometimes called, and the Crowley/Harris deck. In both of these the first names, Arthur Edward Waite and Aleister Crowley, are the people associated with authoring the deck. The second names, Pamela Smith and Lady Freda Harris, are the artists who painted the actual pictures which in turn became the cards. Rider is to the publisher who first put out Waite’s deck.
At first glance these decks seem very dissimilar; even their size is quite different. The Waite deck is usually in a size which is the standard, in fact this is the standard deck which other decks are measured against. This is because for many years (1910 - 1960's) this was the only deck available commercially. Starting in the late 1960's many decks have been published. Waite's deck is usually printed in a few colors - red, blue, green, yellow with black outlines and some flesh tones for skin. Partly this is due to the printing standards available when this deck was first produced. It is also due to the color symbology Waite believed in at the time. The majors of this deck are very similar to the Moroccan Fez deck; which are in black and white with some gold trim. Waite simplified the drawings and called them his own. Crowley ’s colors include these plus many more (browns, and purple as examples) because he never thought his deck would have a mass printing and because his goal was to create a mood for each card. Let me emphasize that each card is supposed to affect you on an astral level. If you relax or meditate on these cards, a feeling will be generated from the general hue of the card.
The size difference between the two decks seems strange at first but not when you learn of their history. The Waite deck was always intended to be used for readings. The original painting by Pamela Smith were fairly small, and were quickly copied to what is now considered the standard size for Tarot cards. On the other hand, Crowley's deck was originally painted by Lady Freda Harris as 45" X 45" portraits; these have been shrunk down to various sizes. I have seen Crowley decks the size of regular playing card decks; while as for Waite's deck, I've seen them as small as 1" X 1/2" for each card. For myself I like large cards as they fit my large hands (I'm over six feet tall). If a smaller-sized deck is easier for you to shuffle, look for the deck you want in a smaller size. Many decks now come in two or three sizes.
Both decks have pictures for the minors. This is a historical addition, which occurred just before the turn of the century, by the Golden Dawn. This magical group, of which both Waite and Crowley were members, asked all of its members to make their own decks based on the information passed out by that group. This information included a key word for each minor card. The key word was expanded into an image which became their minors. These decks were to be used only by the individuals who made them to verify magical practices. Neither intended these cards to become public, although Waite wrote a book which was published during his lifetime, The Pictorial Key To the Tarot, which described each card of his deck in detail. Before the Golden Dawn teachings all Tarot cards simply had pips in each suit for minor cards. By this, I mean that a seven of cups showed seven cups.
For his own reasons Waite used images of medieval times for his deck (to keep in the spirit of the Moroccan Fez deck?). Crowley used images which seem a little more modern, although often the images seem drawn from children's tales. Another member of the Golden Dawn, Israel Regardie, made a Tarot deck (which is available under the name "The Golden Dawn Tarot Deck") in which the images seem to be a child's drawing of Norse myths. Some decks are in a space motif, while others are purely abstract. My point is that there are many views which are all valid. The hardest thing to understand about the Tarot is the multitude of ways to express the same thing. What is most important is which one you relate to without having to continually look them up in a book. This is the infamous "cookbook method", in which for any given card you look up the meaning in some great tome of wisdom. Of course everyone goes through this, but I strongly believe that you start learning the Tarot when you stop looking things up. Go with what you think, not what some long dead or highly elevated teacher says in print. In fact, this is what a teacher is for, to encourage you to say something. All the lessons and all the books, including this one, merely give you something to talk about until you get a sense of what the cards say to you.
Some things people have said about how to handle or store your deck seems appropriate. One of the neat things I first heard was to wrap your cards in white silk and store this bundle in a white pine box. The point was to store your cards in such a way that your charge was protected. In other words the silk, as an insolator, would help protect your charge. Well, I've seen people with all kinds of boxes which were painted white, this is funny because what was meant was a soft wood like "white pine", not a pine box painted white. Truthfully, it is my thought that any wood box will work; and it seems to work best if the wood is not stained or sealed. Frequently I carry my cards in a leather bag of some sort and just as frequently I forget to put the cards back in my wooden box, and they still work just fine. I guess what is most important is to treat the cards with respect. Some people sleep with their new deck under their pillow; others carry one card with them and study it wherever they go. Both systems work great, try one. One thing I will clue you in on is that after a time (50,000 readings or thereabouts??) the cards become sticky, and just won't shuffle. Put them in a paper bag with some talcum powder, shake the bag and - voila! - smooth, silky cards. I've done this many times and it stretches out the use of a deck for a really long time; but I must warn you, it takes away some of the color. When I finally bought a new deck (I know - I'm cheap) I was amazed at how bright and vibrant the colors were in a new deck.
Many people say "Never let anyone but you touch your cards - except of course during a reading when this other person shuffles the cards." Well let me be the first to tell you - this is hooey. Sure, if it's a brand new, first time deck you want to treat it special and not pass it around to every Tom, Dick, and Harry; but once you are past the first time jitters, it's your deck. No one can, or even wants to, take it away through some mysterious mumbo-jumbo.
I'm assuming that you know nothing about the Tarot. If you already know something then what you really need is to get out there and give readings; to your friends, to your relatives, to anyone who will hold still for the five minutes it takes. Understand, if you have a deck, the most important thing you can do is read. Most people, if not all, are scared to death of their first reading, or readings. If nothing else, find someone you trust and give them readings, over and over again, till you feel comfortable and are no longer so scared (this person is the teacher and if they know the Tarot so much the better). Try to just say out what you see, think, or feel, and do NOT look up the "real" meaning until after saying what you see. This may be as little as one line, but it will grow with time. After a while, don't look up anything just go with your gut feeling - this is a reading.
In closing I'd like to speak of the perfect deck; the one complete, exactly right deck. Well, it doesn't exist, but it can be made. This may sound strange, but it's true. Take the Empress from deck 1 and the Fool from deck 2. Take the ace of wands from deck 5 and the World from deck 27. Slowly but surely, you will build up a deck made up of your favorite cards. Add to this photos of people you know in costume, posed like the cards you want; maybe instead of the World from deck 27 you'll substitute a photo of a dancer you know in that pose with additional background to make the photo look like the World. Another source is reproductions of famous paintings. Instead of the Empress from deck 1, try a reproduction of one of the famous Madonna paintings from the renaissance, these were frequently exactly what the painter meant anyway. During this time many "occult" ideas were commonly accepted but not publicly proclaimed. Eventually you'll have 78 cards (please arrange to have them expanded, or shrunk, to the same size) which will be the absolute, perfect deck for you.
See you next time.
By Brighn
The greatest man who ever lived looked up into the sky one fine day and exclaimed, "Odin! Come down here! I am the greatest man who ever lived, and I have a request of you."
Odin appeared before him presently. "So, you are the greatest man who ever lived? What makes you so?"
The man beamed with pride. "Do you not see this visage? Is this not the greatest visage you have ever laid your eyes upon?"
"Yes, it is a fine visage indeed."
"And this body, is this body of mine not the greatest body of them all, muscular and smooth and perfectly sculpted?"
"Yes, I see it is true that you are the greatest man that has ever lived. What then can I do for you? What have you called me here for?"
"I ask only for what I deserve," the man said. "There are those who do not accept me as the greatest who has ever been, and in a fortnight I shall fight them and kill those who will not see my greatness. And though I am great, I am not immortal. But I know that seeing me, you would see the value in making me so, and I would like you to ask Hel to make me immortal."
Odin smiled knowingly. "I am a God among many Gods, and I have foreseen this request, and so I have asked Hel already, and she has agreed to do so."
The man was happy, and Odin returned to the skies.
A week passed, and once again the greatest man called up to Odin. "Great Odin, come down to me, I beseech you once again! Show yourself before me!"
Odin appeared before him again, ever patient. "Yes, what can I do for you this time?"
The man thought for his words. "As you know, in one week, I shall fight my enemies, those who do not see my greatness. And now, thanks to Hel, I shall live through all travails. But I would ask a further favor I want you to talk to Thor and the Valkyries and all the Gods and Goddesses in Valhalla and find a sword that will kill all that it touches."
Odin smiled knowingly. "As I have said, I am a God among Gods, and I have presaged your desire." He pulled from his cloths a shiny sword, long and powerful. "This is such a sword. It has killed tens of thousands. It has killed every man it has touched, and it has given every man who holds it all that he deserves."
The man took the sword, and Odin once again departed.
A week had nearly passed when the man’s voice could once again be heard shouting up to the sky. "Odin, come down to me yet once more, I have another thing that I have need of."
Before the man had finished speaking, Odin was standing before him. "Yes, what is it that you want now?" Odin asked pleasantly enough.
"I have gotten immortality, I have gotten the power to destroy what should be destroyed. But know I would like to talk to those among my enemies, to convince possibly some that their lives might be spared. And for this I need your wisdom, that wisdom esteemed above all else, so that I may chose my words wisely."
Odin smiled again. "Once again, I have used my Godly powers to presage what you would want. And so have I prepared it for you." He pulled from his clothes a mirror, and gave it to the man.
The man was outraged. "What mockery is this? A mirror? What sort of wisdom is this?" With this, his threw the mirror down at Odin’s feet, where it shattered. "I shall kill them all, if this is the wisdom you offer, and I shall have no regrets in doing so."
The man turned and stormed from the glade.
The next morning, the man walked into the city square and raised his sword high. "Everyone, listen to me! Before I have said that I am the greatest man that has ever lived, and before you have ignored me. No more! Today you shall accept me as I am or you shall die!"
The people who had heard him speak so laughed and pointed. Enraged, he swung the sword at the first bystander. But the sword was too heavy, and it caught him off guard. He fell to the ground, and the sword fell on top of him, killing him instantly.
He awoke in Hel, quite surprised, not only that he was dead, but that he was in Hel, and not in Valhalla, with the other great warriors.
Once again, he called upwards: "Great Odin, All-father, I demand to see you one last time, to explain my predicament."
And Odin came striding into the place where the man was. "What is it that you need explained now?"
"How comes it that I am in this place?" asked the man. "I had been given immortality."
"And you have it. Those in you village will laugh of your foolishness forever. Even now their Bards are exaggerating upon the tale."
"And the sword? The sword did not kill anyone."
"Ah, but it did, it killed the only man it touched. For his arrogance, the man who held it got what he deserved."
The man flared. "The mirror, that was the worst of all," the man complained. "What sort of God are you, Great Odin, to treat me so?"
Odin took the mirror out, and it was intact. "This was what you asked for, was it not? Wisdom. Look in it now."
The man did so, and rather than seeing the beautiful face and broad shoulders and perfect chest that he knew he had, he saw a plain face and a plain body to go with it. "I do not understand."
"This mirror shows things as they really are. You relied on the superficial for your greatness, but had developed none within yourself."
"This is too much! And thus has Odin destined me to my fate!"
With this the God shook his head. "Look at me now within the mirror, for you seek wisdom."
The man did so, and in the mirror, it was not Odin standing before him.
It was Loki.
And before the man had a chance to look again, Loki was gone.
By Marae Price
Long, long ago, before we came to this land, before the First People came to this land, before this land even was, there was the Great Water and there was the Great Fire. These two merged to become one, and they were like drops of amber, like golden honey, like the blood of trees. And from this union came all things. Life was abundant in the Land, and the waters teemed with it. The Sun shone brightly, and Water flowed freely, and the First People settled in this warm and beautiful place, for here all their needs were met. They danced in the sun, and the wind danced on the water and made it sparkle in the sun.
But one day the wind grew cold, and the next day colder still, and colder each day until the trees began to die and the water began to turn to ice. The People were cold and hungry, and in great need. So the Sun gave the People the gift of Fire, that they might survive the cold. But soon it grew so cold that the People could no longer remain on the Land, even with the warmth of Fire, so the Sun led them to a safe place where they would have shelter from the cold.
Meanwhile, the Water became so cold she was in danger of freezing solid, so she slipped through a crack in the rock and sunk down into the depths of the earth, where it was warm and dark. There she rested, warming herself and gathering her strength. Up above all the water had become ice, and the snow fell and fell and fell. The Land was desolate.
At last the Water felt herself strengthened, and she gathered herself and poured herself upward, back to the surface, to the Land, and there she poured forth in her fertile power and breached the ice. The Sun shone warm upon her surface, and kissed her, and they brought forth a daughter, whom they named Ana. And Ana stood upon the Land, and she knew all that had transpired, and her heart was filled with sorrow and compassion for the Land and the children of the Land. She turned to her parents and said, "Oh, Mother, oh, Father, the trees have died, the animals have no food, and the people have been driven away by the cold. What can I do to restore life to the Land?"
Her Father the Sun shone brightly, and his rays melted the ice a bit, revealing a sharp shell. He said, "Daughter, you must take this shell and go to the Great Tree, for there alone is the power of life still abundant. You must tap the Tree and release that power into the Land."
And Ana said, "What is the Great Tree, and where will I find it?"
"The Great Tree grows where the First Union took place," said the Sun. "It holds all the power of that moment of creation. As for finding it, ask your Mother to take you there. Well she knows the way, for each day she waters its roots, just as each day I kiss its branches."
Ana picked up the shell and then turned to her Mother to ask the way, but the Water trembled and said, "I cannot take you there, Daughter. It is too dangerous. The power of the Tree is so great that it would surely overcome you if it were released."
"Mother, I must do this for the life of the Land, and for the People and the other children of the Land. If I do not release this power, I know that they will all die. My life is a small thing to give that they may live and be happy once more."
And the Water was very proud of her daughter, and she honored her bravery. "Very well, my child, come and lie in my arms and I will carry you to the Great Tree." So Ana lay in her Mother's arms and was carried beneath the earth. They moved swiftly beneath the ice and snow, and as they traveled, her Mother sang to Ana this song:
I am the River Mother Water,
I am the River Mother Water;
I flow, I flow, I flow,
I flow, I flow, I flow.
And Ana learned this gift-song from her Mother, and she made it her own.
At last they reached the roots of the Great Tree, and these roots went very deep indeed. Ana found a crack in the earth between two of the roots, and followed it up until she reached the surface. There she stepped forth and beheld a wondrous sight. The Great Tree rose above her, reaching far up into the sky. Its branches were covered with golden leaves. Its roots spread wide as well as deep, and as far as its roots stretched, there was no snow, no ice. The earth was bare and the air almost warm with the power of the Tree. And it was here that the Sun had led the People, and here they huddled around the trunk of the Great Tree, with their small fires and meager belongings.
As Ana stepped forth from the crack in the earth, the People were startled and a little frightened, for to them she appeared quite suddenly. But one old woman stepped forward and asked, "Who are you, Child, and why do you come here?"
"I am Ana," she replied, "the daughter of the Water and the Sun. I have come to bring the life back to the Land." At this the people exclaimed among themselves, some astonished, some grateful, some frightened. The old woman raised her hands for quiet, then spoke again.
"My child, that is impossible. The only power that could break the grip of this cold is the power of the Great Tree itself, and that cannot be released."
"Grandmother," Ana respectfully addressed the old woman, "I have the power to tap the Great Tree and release its power into the Land. I am here to do that very thing."
"But, child, you will be overcome! The power is too great. It will destroy you." The people around the old woman nodded agreement.
"Nevertheless, I will tap the Tree, for if I do not, the Land and the children of the Land will die. Now, take your people to the other side of the clearing, and move as far from the Tree as you can. I will tap this side, so that the power will flow away from you and will not endanger you." So the people moved to the far side of the clearing, and Ana stepped up to the trunk of the Tree, raised the shell high, and slashed the bark.
Immediately a torrent of sap flowed forth with such force that it swept Ana away. The people watched as the flood spread across the land, melting the ice and snow and freeing the water once again. Water and sap mingled and the flood swelled and swelled until it flowed so fiercely it threatened to destroy all in its path. The people felt their newfound hope turning once more to despair as the roaring waters ravaged the Land.
Ana, tumbling about as the waters carried her along, feared for the land more than for herself, for she remembered her Mother’s song and began to sing: "I am the River Mother Water, I flow, I flow, I flow," and as she did so she began to feel herself becoming one with the flood. And as she merged with the water, she found that she was able to calm it, to gentle it, and to convince it to flow as she willed it. At last she had it flowing more slowly, and was able to confine it to a channel it had made for itself in the soft earth. And as she flowed with the water over the land, she sang "I am the River Mother Water" and called to all the little springs and rivulets to join her. And she spread her waters throughout the Land, watering the newly growing trees and plants, offering herself to the animals to come and drink, and making a nice peaceful River for the People to come and dwell beside.
All who drank of her water flowed with her spirit, and all became united as children of the River as well as of the Land. Some of the creatures were so grateful for their newly-restored life that they wished to thank Ana, and so they came to dwell in her waters, swimming and playing for her amusement. So the otter, beaver, and muskrat, the ducks and geese, are her companions to this day. And the People dwelled long by the River, but at last they went away, and other people came and went, and they built dams across her and farms and factories and highways beside her, and they filled her waters with trash and poisons. These people had forgotten the River’s gift of life, and had forgotten that she was their Mother. Although they made her angry and sad, still she loved them as her own, and took pleasure in their play. At last some people came who listened to her and heard her words. They spoke to her and offered her gifts, and honored her as their Mother. And these children she honored in return, and told them the story of how She came to the Land.
By Marae Price
At last, the SLG Bardic Guild has something approaching a program of study for our Bards, Apprentices, and miscellaneous students and hangers-on. A brief outline follows, listing types of learning opportunities, types of material to be covered, and how to determine if a particular class is for you. Most of our classes are open to everyone, but depending on the level and type of material to be presented, some classes may be "restricted" to Grove members or to members of the Bardic Guild. We do not wish to discourage anyone, however, and if you are particularly interested in a class that is not open, do not hesitate to contact the Bardic Guild and ask about arranging participation. The best person to contact would be the Bard Mor (currently Marae Price, (313) 663-3276), who is in charge of the bardic apprenticeship program. If we are not able to accommodate your request, we will consider the possibility of presenting the material in a more open forum at a later time.
Please understand that at least some of our workshops are designed specifically to enable the Guild members to work together, and as with Grove Intensives, the emphasis may well be more on process than on content. In these instances particularly, we may prefer to keep a workshop closed.
There are currently three basic forums for bardic classes. The most important of these is the monthly Bardic Night. For most of the past year, we have been offering a one-hour workshop at the beginning of each Bardic Night. Topics vary, and there is no particular order or progression at this time. Generally the level will be beginner- oriented but flexible, and material will be related to learning basic bardic skills. So far we have taught basic drumming, SLG basic chants, music reading, folk dance, poetry and lyric writing, the basics of rhythm, and probably some others I've forgotten. These workshops are of course open to the general community, and many of them are required for members of the Bardic Guild. We are always open to suggestions or requests for future workshops.
The second forum for bardic classes is at Grove meetings. We have presented lectures on deity manifestation (a form of bardic magic), and the bard in contemporary society. Occasionally, we will present to the public in other settings -- I gave a lecture-demonstration on sacred dance at a M.E.C.A.A. lecture, and some of us have given workshops on bardic themes at ConVocation. Lecture situations allow less in the way of participatory material than the Bardic Nights, but these presentations are open to all. As with Bardic Nights, we are open to suggestions for future lectures and demonstrations.
The third forum is at Bardic Guild functions, which include our monthly business and liturgical meetings and the Bardic Seminars. We instituted the seminars last spring, as we cannot count on having enough time at other meetings to be able to schedule a presentation. Seminars alternate with our liturgical meetings, so they generally fall in a month when there is little or no ritual planning. Our most recent one was in August, the next one falls in October. Seminars are four-hour sessions specifically for members of the Bardic Guild to work and study together. If you are a member, you are encouraged to attend. If you are the process of becoming a member, i.e., you have turned in your applications and perhaps been through the other phases of the process, you are most likely also encouraged to attend, but you should check with your mentor or the Bard Mor if you are not sure. If you have not contacted a Bardic Guild member about joining, you should contact the Bard Mor prior to planning to attend a Bardic Seminar.
In all of these settings, we offer a variety of skills and topics related to communication through performance, which is bardcraft. We have taught or will teach music (including vocal and instrumental, music reading, chanting in ritual, and ensemble performance), skills related to storytelling, poetry, dance and drama, the history and function of the bard, bardic magic, and bardic trance specializations (such as trance dancing). We teach (or will teach) both performance and creative skills, as well as history and lore.
The bards are encouraged to share their knowledge and know-how as part of their service to the Grove and the community, not only through classes, but through individual instruction. This actually provides a fourth opportunity for learning bardic stuff. If you are interested in a particular skill or topic relating to bardcraft, contact the Bard Mor (or any bard) and inquire. There may be someone in the Guild capable of providing private instruction. Or, if we have several inquiries on a particular subject, we may arrange a special class or series of classes for those interested. I would especially like to see classes forming; this could be the basis for developing in-depth skills among our bards, other Grove members, and the community in general. So please, let us know what you want to learn! We can use teachers, too - talent to share is yet another good reason to join the Bardic Guild.
Finally, members of the Bardic Guild and others who are interested are invited to our irregular Sunday afternoon jam sessions. These are held on a whim at one of the Guild members' homes, usually around 2:00 p.m. until we get tired (a couple of hours). All levels of expertise welcome; bring your drum, voice, pennywhistle, guitar, or what-have-you. We may do some serious work on ensemble playing or music reading, you may snag yourself a free lesson (or give one!), or we may just play (in both senses of the word). If you're interested, call a bard (Marae and Davroz are the primary instigators) for the next date and location, or to prompt us to schedule one!
Ever wonder how we get the things we raffle off at rituals? Almost all of them are donated by members and friends. Won't you consider donating to the raffle? Here are some ideas:
The more we all contribute, the more fun it is! The proceeds from the raffles pay for our ritual site and props costs. If anything is left over, it helps to pay for producing and mailing Shining Lakes News.
Unless you already received one, you should find a ballot included with this issue of Ripples. We urge you to complete it and return it to us by the listed deadline. While there aren't any contested positions this year, the candidates would appreciate your vote as a show of support. There is always lots to do in Shining Lakes Grove, and we are tremendously grateful to the volunteers who give so generously of their time and energy to help their church grow. If you would like to help any of them out, please check your copy of Shining Lakes News for notices of which groups are meeting when and where. Unless otherwise noted, everyone is warmly welcome at every event and every meeting.
Come and join us and together there is nothing we can't do!
Shining Lakes Grove
P.O. Box 15585
Ann Arbor, Michigan
48106-5585
Phone: (313) 480-2082
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