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By Jaguar
This time the miracle didn't happen... For those of you who noticed, you were right. This issue is very late. This was not intentional - time and other commitments carried away yours truly. Between visiting eleven different family members in seven different locations, and trying to convince a certain Senior Druid to finish his article, things took a bit longer than expected. Hopefully, this will not happen again.
Speaking of publications, I was interviewed recently by a reporter who writes for Wired magazine. She is doing an article on female technopagans, and was interested in how we integrate modern technology into our rituals (other than using heating and electric light in the buildings, we don t!). She was also intrigued by my recent appointment to the position of Chief Electronic Information Officer for ADF, and wanted to profile that, as well as ADF s TechnoDruids Guild, of which I am a co- founder. She was investigating the slant of what leads women into the melding of technology and paganism. The article should appear around June.
By Fox
This is the first in a two-part series discussing SLG's cosmology.
This article is an overview of my current thinking about the major elements of our cosmology as expressed in our ritual tradition. In upcoming meetings of our Grove's new spirituality group, An Bruane ("The Fireseed"), we will work to explore and deepen our understanding of this material. I shall intentionally skip over much of the ritual structure in order to illustrate the significance of these major elements. (For an explanation of the steps of the ritual and the underlying ceremonial magical intentions refer to the briefing sheet that we pass out to guests at the beginning of our rituals.)
The central element of our ritual tradition is a mutually beneficial exchange of 'energy' with the divine. The contacts that we make with the spirits allow us to enlist their assistance to complete our magical aims and to increase our connection with the worlds around us. We also strive to fulfill our human role in this existence by synchronizing our lives with the rhythms of the cosmos through active participation in the natural seasonal cycles of death and rebirth.
In order to enable this exchange we magically call the universe to order, at least within the confines of our mental construct, into a miniature model of the cosmos. By performing this act in a magical space with no outward boundaries each element of our model is able to resonate outward from our focal point to its universal source, creating powerful contacts with the ebb and flow of spiritual reality. The sacred space thus created is a union of the physical and spiritual where we can commune directly with all of the inhabitants of the worlds.
We begin each celebration with a symbolic journey in the form of a procession. In ancient Ireland the High Days were associated with specific places within the sacred landscape and during the days leading up to each celebration thousands would make pilgrimages to these sites. Today our journey has much of the same effect as we are a disparate community, spread thinly within the larger population and detached from our traditional tribal climate. The procession is a gathering of our family and community for a symbolic walk together, an expression of the joining of each of our personal paths into the larger whole of our folk.
As we travel together we receive three purifications. These purifications are representative of the three realms of Land, Sea, and Sky. These realms are not synonyms for the common Neopagan elementals of Earth, Water, and Air. Rather they represent the numinous structure of the worlds. Through these purifications we come into contact with the backbone of existence, the great triskele of being upon which all that is physical and all that is spiritual reside. These three realms are represented in mythology in terms of the earthly land, sea and sky, but they are really metaphors for the structure of the universe beyond the material world.
The realm of the Land is the surface of the earth at the intersection of the heavenly sky and the underworld. It is actually the whole of the physical universe, our home and the home of our closest kin. Our most immediate interactions take place in this realm as we weave our existence into the sacred patterns of the natural landscape.
The realm of the Sea is the wild and chaotic region that defines the boundaries of the land. It is the home of great numbers of beings that are very different from the kindreds of the Land. It is the concealer of great mysteries and the place of Otherworldly Isles such as Tír na mBan (the Land of Women) and Tír fo Thuinn (the Land beneath the Waves). It acts as a boundary between our material existence and the realm of the Gods. It is the deep Underworld and contains the source of the waters of plenty, wisdom and regeneration. This realm forms the boundary we strive to bridge as we open the portals and make contact with the Gatekeeper to show us the way across.
The realm of the Sky is the world of the Gods and Goddesses. It is the great dome that stretches over land and sea, looming near but difficult to access without assistance. The stars spin around the celestial pole and reveal divine blessings within their mysterious patterns, as the rhythmic movement of the Sun and Moon cast light and shadow upon the world.
At the end of our pilgrimage we enter our sacred grove and pay homage to Danu, the Cosmic Mother. She is commonly represented as the Earth but actually she is the source of all that exists. She, in union with the father God Bile' (bee-lay), gave birth to the Gods. From their original union a succession of births led to the existence of the inhabitants of the realms, thus making us kin to all beings. Danu is the potential represented in the water Goddess who is the source of all rivers, flowing with the power of fertility and beginnings.
The pole or bile' in the center of our Nemeton represents the cosmic vertical axis, the sacred tree upon which the worlds are arrayed. It can be visualized as a mighty tree with its roots penetrating the underworld and its peak touching the pole star, about which the stellar wheel revolves. Through its use we create a link between the realms, the road of spirits, which contains the power of the central axis, aligning our sacred grove with the center of existence. The sacred tree is also connected with the God Bile', who is the ruler of the underworld, the Lord of Death, and the husband of Danu. His assistance allows us to contact our honored dead.
Within the sacred space formed by the realms our holy fire burns as the second portal. It is not a realm itself but is the common link between all realms. It is the essence of the spirit and the physical representation of the presence of the divine. It receives sacrifices and is a doorway between the worlds. It is also one with our inner flames which connect humanity with the divine.
Our third portal of connection is the well. It forms a conduit for the power of the underworld and a liminal passageway to the depths. Liminal magic occurs at boundaries between states, such as the surface of a lake, the shore of the sea, the moment of dawn, or the entrance of a cave. It is the point of transition where crossings between the worlds can occur. Springs, lakes, rivers and wells have long accepted sacrifices and offerings to the underworld. The well waters flow forth from the womb of the Mother with the power of wisdom and healing.
Once the portals are established, we call to Manannan Mac Lir, the keeper of gates, for assistance in guiding the spirits through. Manannan is the King of the Tuatha De Danann who gave the Gods access to the sidhe mounds. His traditional home is out in the wild sea on his namesake the Isle of Man. He is the ruler of the land under the sea and the many islands of mystery. He knows the hidden ways between the mists and guides the seeker on Imramma (voyages between the worlds).
Physical existence lies in the balance of the two forces of world order and chaos. This creative dynamic tension has led to the world as we know it and maintains a survivable rate of change. With the opening of the gates between the worlds, it becomes possible for the forces of chaos to wreak havoc on this plane. We acknowledge these forces from beyond and magically place them aside in an attempt to limit their destructive potential and maintain balance within our ritual cosmology.
By Jim Hoyt
I have seen many intentional communities but the two clearest in my mind are Pendle Hill and Kimberton Hills, both in southeast Pennsylvania. Each has common characteristics and also differences. I'll briefly describe each and in my next article draw some conclusions about what makes a community.
Pendle Hill is a Quaker study center. Founded originally as a retreat for members of the American Friends Service Committee, it now accepts applications from anyone, regardless of faith, wishing to explore and deepen their spiritual development "in the manner of Friends". Physically the site is an old farm with woods and fields, spaces for gardens, paths, and meditation. There is a common house, containing the kitchen and dinning room, meeting/ classrooms, offices and guest rooms. A renovated barn contains the Meeting Room, bookstore, offices and studios and a second house contains the library, meeting rooms, pottery and weaving studios as well as some staff apartments. There is also a dormitory for the students and cottages for the faculty. Other buildings are staff quarters.
Students come for one semester to a year, faculty and most staff for a couple of years. Guests, sojourners, come for a day to several weeks. One value of this community is that Pendle Hill, the place, exists to allow a brief retirement from the world. It is a place where one can reconnect to and strengthen one s spiritual values, study the history and nature of social issues, and develop organizational and leadership skills, before returning to the work of the world.
There is a constellation of values within this one: people are spiritual, action in the world is important, and action in the light of one's spirituality is important, among others.
Pendle Hill, the community, extends beyond the place, it is everyone who has ever lived, worked or studied there. Charged with Friend's values, it is much more then a university alumni network. To say you attended Pendle Hill is to identify yourself with a set of values and experiences with which others readily identify, even others you may have never met.
Kimberton Hills is a Camphill Village, one of several in North America and many throughout the world. Camphill Villages seek to create environments where people who have the label "mentally handicapped" can live fulfilled lives. The first was founded in Scotland in the 1920's, if I recall aright, as a school for children. Camphill Villages use the principles of Curative Education and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner for their philosophical foundation. Kimberton Hills includes a magnificent old manor house and 14 other homes scattered around the land. It is a working farm, following the principles of Bio-dynamic agriculture and producing most of its own food, which is among the finest I have ever tasted, including milk and cheese. Each home is arranged to create a family environment, in many cases the co-workers include a couple with children. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, emotionally healthier by far than society at large. There is a great deal of travel by co-workers between various communities, and so very often the co-workers are from other countries, usually in Europe. This adds a richness to the culture of the home and village, a diversity which is an embodiment of one of the major values at Kimberton Hills; that each person is a unique and wonderful manifestation of divine spirit. The community recognizes that everyone has unique needs and can make unique contributions and every effort is made to structure the community to the individual.
Camphill Villages consciously seek to explore and define what "community" is. The home is the center of family life and domestic activities, especially food preparation, creating an atmosphere of sharing and intimacy. In the Village there is the work of the farm, farm store, various crafts and activities. There is an emphasis on arts, music, theater, activities which tap the widest possible range of human potential and of sharing what people discover about themselves. Taken together there is routine and structure, to maintain the cohesion of the community, and self-exploration and sharing, to inspire and challenge the individual.
Camphill Villages seek to create an environment within the context of the larger society from which the villagers come. For North Americans that includes the forms and values of Judeo- Christianity, however there is a spiritual dimension from Steiner's Theosophy as well. Further, there is a significant amount of Old European village custom added. Taken together, the Village has a world-view which acknow-ledges the spirits of the land and animals as well as humans, and the first May Pole I ever saw was at Kimberton Hills.
Pendle Hill and Kimberton Hills are two examples of intentional communities. Each is very different in their reason for existence; one is a retreat, while the other is a long-term residential community. Yet each share a core of common values. In my next article I'll discuss some of these values as I understand them.
By Jaguar
The past season has been a full and fulfilling one. The ritual at Samhain was well attended, and was a more intimate one than usual. We welcomed family, friends and loved ones who had departed during the past year, and participated in a boast, during which we drank to what we had achieved, poured a libation to what we wished to leave behind, and drank again to our vows and wishes for the future.
Yule was also very successful, with over sixty people in attendance. The ritual was held at Wayne State University, in cooperation with Great Lakes Pagan Council and Full Moon Circle of WSU. We decorated a Yule tree with ribbons symbolizing the dreams for the coming year, and during the pageant the children helped to drive away the winter winds and welcome back the sun with a birthday cake.
Other activities have included ongoing Bardic Night gatherings, a pumpkin-picking excursion, Liturgists meetings, and very interesting lectures by Gwydion ap Morgan on the Tarot, and by Sean Martin on Eastern Martial Arts and Their Magical Applications. Recently, Gwydion and Johnna ap Morgan were handfasted, and Janet Kniaz announced her pregnancy!
January will see the beginning of a new group called An Bruane, or The Fireseed, led by Fox, which will explore the deeper elements of our cosmology. This group is open to all Shining Lakes Grove members. All in all a busy and happy season. We hope to see you all at the coming year s events.
This is part two of a quest story by Kami Landy. Two more will follow.
By Kami Landy
The child was still afraid of the power that surrounded her, but she understood the wisdom of the Mother. She spoke up then to show her strength,"Great Mother Earth, I am not afraid of you! I am your daughter and I will speak for you."
"Then listen to me now. I will give you gifts and hints to help you on your journey. Take this moss from my hair and weave a bag to hold what I give. When something of me calls to you, pick it up and carry it in the bag until you need it. Each gift will tell you its use in its own time. "Speak to my family who helped to make the world. They are Wind, Fire and Water. I do not know where you will find them, but you will know when you do. My gifts will enable you to stand before them and compel their aid."
As she wove, the Earth's daughter looked around the cave. She saw some sand where she had lain. It seemed to shift and shimmer strangely, so she put a little in her bag. The Mother said it was good. Then she took her bag, some food, and a mossy blanket and went out into the world.
Well, she tried to go out into the world, but there was something in her way. It was large and shining and lay in the ground. When she tried to walk on it, it would not hold her. When she tried to walk through it, it hindered her and tripped her. The harder she pushed, the harder it seemed to resist. All she got was wet. Finally she wailed, "Who are you?"
"I am Water, rippling river rushing over slimy stones to sweep your feet away! I am whispering waves washing gently at the shore. I am not solid. No one may see me clearly. Cross me at your peril; I will drown you. I am Water!"
"Water, I am not afraid of you! I speak for the Earth, and I will absorb you."
But the water whirled and rushed, buffeted and pushed, trying to drag down the one who would stand against the current.
Then she took out the dust from her bag, and a number of stones that she found, and built a dam across the river. The water chuckled at her efforts, saying; "You can't hold me back! It pushed and tumbled, breaking against the wall of mud, trying to break it down. But the dam held firm, until the river began to overflow its banks and sink into the sand. As fast as she touched the thirsty soil, she was being absorbed! She tried to turn back, but the pressure was so great that more and more water was pushed up the bank. She poured faster and ran more roughly until she began to be afraid she would be scattered. So she slowed herself and quieted and muttered; "All right, then, help me get back to my channel and I will no more hinder you. You speak for the Earth, and I too will aid you with visions and living motion."
So she took a stick and dug a tunnel in which she placed a hollow reed. Then she took more dust and stones, to make high retaining walls around the water, narrowing until it must all run through the reeds and back into the river bed on the far side of the dam. Going to the end of the reeds, she stamped the ground in a calling rhythm to draw the water towards her. The water was very happy to be relieved of such great pressure. Now she knew how to make tunnels under the ground to get around an obstacle, while helping to irrigate the ground.
Joyfully she curled and boiled, swirled and lapped, feeling out her familiar bed. Soon she found a particular patch of mud to which she called the girl, saying; "Take this clay, form it into a hollow jar, and you can carry a bit of me wherever you go. Cover it with skins and tap it in rhythm to call some of my creatures. Wet the ground to call others of them. And drink of me for love and dreams and life. Whenever you call to me with this drum I will come to you through whatever channel is needed." Then laughing and singing the water whirled on in her journey to the sea. The girl crossed the dam and continued on her journey through the world.
By Jaguar
October day Grey day Hot day Dark thick day Sky crying Heavy grey leaden tears Falling, tearing dying leaves off weeping trees Plastering fading colors to dark pavement Black trunks Wet twigs Drenched bark Heavy wet steaming dying leaf piles Ants eating Relentless, mindless Gnawing wood, devouring trees Wet bark hiding empty hearts
By Shadow Walker
On a night of howling winter
keening winds that coldly slew
life and death as grapes and vintner
shrouds o'er all Atropos drew.
In the mountains by a fire
far beyond the camps of men
a young hunter shivered, tired
all paths lost beyond his ken
Swift a sudden flash of whiteness
white on white with
white between
flickered hissing flames of brightness
lied with
shadows what was seen.
With the snowflakes woven dancing
eyes like moons and wise of face
casting on him spells entrancing
lupine shapes of agile grace.
Swirling, writhing helter
skelter
twisting spinning flesh and snow
winds that shrieked
above hill shelter
heard an undertone below.
Low at
first and rising higher
soft crescendo softer beat
lent its
power to the fire
touched the youngman, raised his heat.
Heightened tempo, muscles twitching
fever dreaming on his feet
felt the music soft bewitching
floated into slumber sweet.
With the dawn the youngman started,
found himself 'neath
doeskins warm
in a tent with flaps unparted
supple maiden on
his arm.
Up he sprang in fear unsmiling.
Wisdom begged
her touch to spurn
Vixen eyes and flesh beguiling
drew him
into warm return.
She learned his speech, she learned his
ways,
gave him comfort, fed his lust
through the long winter
nights and days
between them grew warmth and trust.
A
wolf she begged him never kill,
her own clan's guiding spirit,
because she gave him all his will
he swore she need not fear it.
Moons and seasons waxing, waning,
time is water in the
hand
life's a cup that's for our draining
winds blow
footprints from the sand.
Three sons bore she and a daughter
strapping youths and none a runt.
The girl sewed, cooked and
fetched water,
the boys learned to trap and hunt.
Always
brimming were their caches,
never knew they want severe
never
came disease nor rashes
well they lived upon the deer.
Then there came an early ice-storm
turning moss to rocks of green
deep snow kept it from getting warm
soon the deer were growing
lean.
Then at last they 'gan to hunger
hoarded stores
waned very low
worried anxious grew the hunter
finding little
game to stow.
One night homeward empty-handed
came the
hunter cold and sore
his wife's pleadings countermanded
found
a wolf's tracks at his door.
Swift he took his bow into hand
dropped his pack beside the door
soft he slipped through snowy
woodland
following the lupine spoor.
Not far off he
found his quarry
hunkered o'er emaciate buck
then he cursed
the gray-wolf hoary
grudged its better hunter's luck.
Swiftly sang four famished arrows
deeply drank great gouts of blood
drained the wolf, both vein and marrow
soaked it in its own
red flood.
From behind him came a wailing
anguish deep
and grief unbound
voice of pain his ears assailing
the
hunter's wife had cried the sound.
"The wolf will only
kill the weak
and not for sport like leopards
the wolf will
never slaughter wreak
the wolf is the good shepherd
"Why
did you strum your one-string harp?
The pattern weaver you slew
and now is rent the woof and warp
now lost is the golden hue.
"He gave me hands instead of paws
remade me to be
your wife
our children would have voiced the laws
leading men
in dance of life.
"Then might man have known the balance
spoken with the animals
god-like been with all his talents
now, alas, has come the fall.
"Yet sundered must
our races stay
nor shall we yet be brothers
the chance we had
is flown away
still shall we fear each other."
Her
image swam before his eyes
she one last whimper sounded
without a trace of human guise
a wolf, away she bounded.
His children, too, took lupine form
and loped behind their mother
into the fast-approaching storm
they followed one another.
Upon the wings of wind was borne
a song of ever-longing.
The hunter knew he'd always mourn
his never-more belonging.
'Twas a night of howling winter
keening winds that
coldly slew
life and death as grapes and vintner,
shrouds o'er
all Atropos drew.
Time Life, The Good Cook, Beverages, pg 149
Fill the center of each apple with 2 tsp of sugar. Place in a buttered baking dish and bake in a 350 degree F oven until tender (about 30 minutes). Let the apples cool. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and 3/4 cup sugar to 2 cups of the ale or beer, and let it stand where it will get hot but not boil. Stir occasionally. When the mixture is hot, add the lemon peel, remaining ale or beer and the wine. Stir occasionally until very hot. Add the baked apples and serve from a big bowl.
By Fox
The results of the 1994 elections have caused many in the alternative community to despair. The forces of conservatism and regressive thinking have taken hold of the leadership of the country and the outlook is perceived to be bleak. Rather than agreeing with this sentiment, I believe that we are actually seeing the first signs of the next wave of political, social, and environmental activism. For the first time in our history, the Neopagan Community is poised to play a critical part in this reawakening.
The political, social, and environmental machines have ground to a slow pace under the weight of complacency. Membership and donations have dropped off alarmingly in the last few years as we began to believe that those in power were finally seeing our points of view. While we were resting on our laurels the conservatives carefully and slowly built a real power base. The battle wasn't lost because we were outnumbered. We simply left the field, as if thinking that the other side had given up.
Now we are in the backlash, the back-swing of the pendulum. The conservatives and voices of intolerance are holding sway. Even within the Neopagan community it has been said that it is a bad idea for us to use the "L" word.
We know from experience that the political winds have a certain rhythm of the extremes about them. When Newt or Pat fire off one of their infamous quotes I just grin because I know that they are making yet another deposit into the National Bank of Backlash and in a matter of years we will be riding the crest in the other direction. It is ironic that their antics will prove to be one of the greatest motivations for the rise in popularity of the religious left.
The Neopagan segment of the population has been witnessing unprecedented growth in the last few decades. The explosion of interest in the occult of the eighties is continuing to gain momentum as more and more seekers of all ages are drawn into our circles.
Along with these numbers we have collectively been gaining experience and credibility. As more groups make moves to 'come out of the broom closet' we are gaining acceptance and respectability. We are becoming recognized as citizens in our communities, instead of sources of suspicion and fear. We are beginning to do works of public service and charity that are a far cry from our self- centered early days.
It is now time for us to learn lessons from history and get back to basics. It is critical at this juncture of history that we all make tremendous efforts to place our alternative ways of life and belief in the mainstream. We must work as part of the larger community rather than continuing on the outside as rebels.
We must band together under the sign of the Mother, and assume our rightful place as the spiritual leadership of these movements, leading into the next millennium with the cries of tolerance of human diversity, and respect for all forms of life. The often fractious elements of our community must learn to accept each other and cooperate for the common good. The forces of rumor mongering, jealousy and petty bickering must be resisted as we become living examples of our principles of tolerance and peace.
I am not implying that closed groups have no place within this revolution. They have always been the source of some of our most important spiritual searching and experimentation. The knowledge that they continue to gain will spread outward to give us even more effective tools to heal ourselves and the Earth.
I hope to see, as this century draws to a close, diverse Earth religions banding together as ecumenical regional councils to address the needs of the Mother and all her children. We will settle our differences and build strong ties that will pull the community together. As we work together with people of all faiths, we will build a better world, where our children can live proudly and without fear in the light of the elder Gods.
By Jaguar
There is some evidence that the North American myth of Santa Claus, which is based on the northern European figure St. Nick, may ultimately derive from the Norse god Thor. Thor is depicted as a large strong man, driving a chariot pulled by goats. Today they are reindeer, two of which are Donner (German for thunder and the German name for Thor) and Blitzen (German for lightening -one of Thor's symbols). He is a warrior, whose tools and weapons were made by magical dwarves (the 'little people'). His clothing is often red, reflecting his link with fire. He is also a protector: Images of him were often placed near hearths, and later chimneys, for protection against lightening.
The parasitic plant mistle-toe often grows on oak trees, a tree sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids. The custom around 200 BC was for mistletoe to be burned as an offering to the gods during Winter Solstice celebrations, and to be hung in houses to bring good luck and harmony. Foes who passed together under mistletoe were required to cease hostilities for that day. Mistletoe was also considered to have healing properties, and was used to cure female infertility and poisoning. In Scandinavia, it was associated with Frigga, the goddess of love, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe is believed to have come from this association.
Shining Lakes Grove
P.O. Box 15585
Ann Arbor, Michigan
48106-5585
Phone: (313) 480-2082
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