Shining Lakes News

A Newsletter for Shining Lakes Grove, A.D.F.

Yule 2003 - Vol. 11, No. 1

From Senior Druid To... Santa Druid?

So what exactly was it that made me want to put on a hot furry costume, an even hotter wig and beard, and sit in a flower shop sitting and waiting for children to arrive? Was is a grand desire to bring joy to the lives of young people? Was it because my fianceé asked me, and we saved money on the costume because I didn’t need a fake belly to fill it out? Or was it a chance to take part in a living legend that has lasted for centuries? Okay, it was mostly the second reason, I admit. But the other ones were certainly factors as well.

I’m sure most of the folks reading this already know the ancient connections between Santa and Odin, so I won’t go into depth here. (The first URL below gives a good summary.) The image of Santa we modern Americans are more familiar with was brought to New York by the Dutch, as their Christmas figure Sinterklaas, and was later influenced by German immigrants and their own stories of Kriss Kringle.

Throughout the years, many people have told tales of their own versions of Santa in every available medium, from Thomas Nast’s magazine illustrations to Coca Cola’s advertising (no, Virginia, they didn’t create the image of Santa in a red fur coat, they just promoted it) to movies like “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. (An idea that I could have come up with, if my parents hadn’t squelched my creative spark by making me “repair” the Santa’s House of Horrors gingerbread house I made when I was in college, but that’s another story.)

So after all these changes to the man who travels the world on that special night, what does this have to do with us modern Druids anyway? The holiday he represents is either a Christian one or an economic one, depending on who you ask. We do our own holiday several days before, and our Grove has its own kindly grandparent figures to work with.

I’d hardly be the first to suggest that Santa can still be a symbol of giving and kindness, as was Saint Nicholas so many centuries ago. But as an ADF Druid, I’m always looking for comparisons between our modern culture and the ancient cultures we work with. And when I look at how Santa’s image has changed through the years, I can’t help but think that this is what the Ancients did with their gods, working with them and honoring them from year to year, and changing their ideas of what those gods looked like and what they could do. Studying the ancient Greeks and seeing how differently they viewed their gods in 1000 BCE compared to 500 BCE, and seeing how many more gods they were honoring at that later date, the addition of Santa to our modern “pantheon” and his changes through the years make a lot more sense. Is Santa a deity? I’m not certain. But we sure treat him like one.

And I can tell you that being Santa, even for a few hours in a flower store, is quite an experience! As long as I had that costume on, everyone was smiling at me. One fellow was buying a vase for his arrangement, and commented to the clerks that it looked like a bong. He immediately turned to me and said, “Oops, sorry Santa!” as though I were a priest or some similar moral authority. (Meanwhile, I had to restrain myself from singing the Imperial music from Star Wars as “bong bong bong bong-b-bong bong-bong” à la Gobi from Saturday Night Live.) In fact, the only person who didn’t treat me with such respect... was the only child who visited us that day. She stood next to me just long enough for her dad to photograph us, then it was back to the cookie plate and the candy canes hanging from the tree. Maybe it’s a good thing we don’t have a new character named Sugar Claus competing with Santa for the attention of our kids, because I think I know who would win! Yours in service to the Kindreds and the Grove, Rev. Rob Henderson, Senior Druid

Yours in service to the Kindreds and the Grove,
Rev. Rob Henderson, Senior Druid

Bibliography:

• "How Odin Became Santa Claus": http://realmagick.com/articles/14/2014.html
• "The Claus That Refreshes": http://snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

Grandma Jude’s Homegrown Advice

By Jude Howison

I was going to write a sort of rant on the meaning of giving, but a small health concern (one of those old lady things) started me thinking about self care.

I’ve been feeling a little run down ( or more accurately run over) lately and also not sleeping well. This is not normal for me. I usually sleep very soundly (Chuck says I make a lot of sound) and feel pretty good in the morning. It bothers me when my body doesn’t react the way I expect it too, so I went looking for the cause. As is typical for me, it was internalized stress.

Since I know that this time of year can be stressful for most people, I thought that I would pass along a few suggestions for minimizing wear and tear.

1. SLOW DOWN   Resist the urge to rush from one event to another. Try to prioritize and only do those things that make you smile. You may find that you get more enjoyment from the holidays if you do less. It will give you time to concentrate more energy on the things and people you love.

2. EAT WELL    This does not mean stuff yourself silly at each get together. It means to give your body the nourishment it needs to keep you going and to fight off infection.

3. DRINK WATER    I know, a lot of you don’t like plain water. Try it with a little lemon or vanilla. Your body needs water to keep your brain sharp and also to fight off infection. And remember that alcohol will dehydrate you. If you will be indulging in alcoholic drinks, drink plenty of water before you go out and also between alcoholic drinks. This also helps to ward off hangover.

4. GET SOME SUN    If you suffer from SAD then you already know the importance of sunlight. If you don’t suffer from SAD, remember that your body needs sunlight to make vitamin D. Besides, it feels really good!

And last, but not least:

5. MAKE TIME FOR YOU    Take just a little time (even if it’s only 15 min) just for you. Meditate, go for a walk, call a friend, rub your feet, what ever makes you feel good and pampered.

This may seem real basic, but we often forget to take care of ourselves during all of the merry making. I know some of you are so busy thinking of others that you run yourselves ragged. I don’t want anyone to get sick this holiday season. I wish you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday.

Guilds: Artisans and Bards

Although Mother Nature's creative forces are not very active this time of year, many of us are getting the urge to make something. If you are one of those people who love to bead, knit, sculpt, or even paint away the long winter nights, then perhaps the Artisan's Guild is for you.

According to their Guild by-laws, the Artisans Guild exists to promote education and training in the arts and crafts for members of ADF. The purpose of this is to create artworks and other artifacts for use by ADF and to allow their members to explore and deepen their spirituality through arts and crafts.

Pretty much the Guild members try to help each other learn new skills, find resources for supplies and offer critiques of completer work. I do not belong to this guild but I am on their e-mail list. They are a very pleasant and helpful group.

If you prefer the performing arts, then you should consider the Bardic Guild. The Bardic Guild exists to promote education and training in the arts of music, storytelling, poetry and satire for members of ADF. They produce songs and stories for use at rituals and other ADF functions. You can see the work of some of the Bardic Guild members in the pages of Oak Leaves.

Both of these Guilds have study programs that are accepting new students. In order to participate in the study programs and other guild activities you must be an ADF member. Also, to be admitted into the study program you must have completed the Dedicant Program (I can help you there!)

As stated in my previous article, we do not have a local chapter of either of these Guilds. If you are an ADF member and are interested in starting one of these guilds on a local level, contact Rob, Rod or me and we will be happy to help set you on the right track.

- Jude

Run for your lives- the Biddies are coming!

The Brídeog is our annual Imbolc tradition, in which the rowdy (maybe not too rowdy) Biddies travel from house to house with our Bríd dolly, demanding an offering of non-perishable food items (later donated to Food Gatherers) and bringing a Bríd Cross (made from the Grove’s own wheat straw) and the goddess’ blessings to our homes. This year’s Brideog will be on the evening of January 31st. If you’re interested in being a Biddie, or having us visit your home, contact Rob at robh@cyberspace.org or (734) 427-0282.

Bylaws Amendment: Assistant Senior Druid Term Limit

In accordance with the Grove bylaws, the following amendment will take effect on January 19th, 2004, thirty days after publication in Shining Lakes News:

Article 7 paragraph 6: The sentence “No individual may serve more than three consecutive full terms as Assistant Senior Druid” shall be removed.

This amendment was voted on at the December 9th business meeting, and the vote was unanimous.

This edition of Shining Lakes News was compiled and edited by Rob Henderson – so don’t blame Gen for the mistakes!

Yes, we’ll have a room at ConVocation this year! Contact us for details.

SLG Leadership Council

Senior Druid
Rob Henderson robh@cyberspace.org

Assistant Senior Druid
Rodney Cox uberrod@comcast.net

Administrator
Jude Howison uputat@yahoo.com

Scribe
Jude Howison uputat@yahoo.com

Pursewarden
Rodney Cox uberrod@comcast.net

Chronicler
Genevieve Stoyak gstoyak@hotmail.com

Outreach Coordinator
(position open)

Youth Activities Coordinator
(position open)

SLG Guild Leaders

Magicians' Guild
Rodney Cox uberrod@comcast.net

Warriors' Guild
Rodney Cox uberrod@comcast.net

Healers' Guild
Rodney Cox uberrod@comcast.net

Producers' Guild (unofficial)
Gen Stoyak gstoyak@hotmail.com

No e-mail access? Contact our officers at our snail-mail address or phone number.

Shining Lakes News (©2003) is published by Shining Lakes Grove, A.D.F., P.O. Box 1732, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106, (734) 276-7809. For information about SLN, contact the Chronicler at gstoyak@hotmail.com or call the Senior Druid at the number below. For information about Shining Lakes Grove, contact the Senior Druid at (734) 427-0282 or robh@cyberspace.org, or visit www.shininglakes.org.

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