Sluggy's Pages!

Volume 1, Issue 1 - Samhain 1996

Welcome to Sluggy's Pages. This is Shining Lakes Grove's kids' page. It comes out eight times per year, with information and activities for the young folk and their parents. We encourage you to send us any seasonal stories, poems, art, games or puzzles for us to include in this newsletter. Editor is Mama Moon. Phone (313) 439-0434.

Lore Corner

• Did you know that Samhain means "end of Summer", from the Gaulish word Samonios? For the ancient Celts, the year ends at this time, and the new year begins with the long night that is the Winter season.
• Samhain marks the end of the harvest season. Any food not gathered by now is left for the gods and spirits, the "folk of the hills".
• It is traditional to leave out food for the Dead: porridge and beer or whiskey, made without salt. Salt, the stuff of the earth, dispels their spirits.
• Trick or treating may have originated with the poor folks of the village dressing up as the spirits of the dead, and going from house to house being offered food and drink. From there we get the song "Soul Cakes", now sung at Yule. Later, things changed and the young men would dress up as the more gruesome spirits who might come along with the dead, to lead them out of town. The children today combine these roles.

Ancestors' Song: Let's sing this together

Ancestors of the ancestors of the ancestors of this land
Ancestors red, ancestors white, ancestors black, and every shade of tan
We honor thee, ancestors of this land
We honor thee, those who have gone before.

Maze

Help the spirits find the Summerlands.

Autumn Announcements

Grove Playday Tomorrow!

For all young and young at heart, the Grove will be meeting at the Hands-On Museum on the corner of Huron and Fifth in Ann Arbor from 2 PM to 4 PM, Sunday November 3rd for awesome experiments and scientific wonders. All welcome. There is an admission fee.

The Youth Activities Committee

is in full gear. Members are Mama Moon, Fox (ad hoc), Ash, Monica, Michael McClennan, and Janet. Although two of our members were absent, Buck, Rob and Kami gave important input at our first meeting. Meetings are only four times a year at Silverman's on Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti. Our next meeting is Monday, January 6th, 1997. All Grove members are welcome. We will be focusing on future activities and rites of passage.

Samhain Word Search

(Find the Hidden Message)

S N I K P M U P H A C

K D P P A R A W N A L

C N N W N N A Y U S A

I O O A Y N E L W R N

R N O Y L E D L A E C

T N M R D R U I D D E

H A L L O W E E N I S

G I L N I A H M A S T

I H U T A E R T M T O

N R F I R E V E L U R

S T S O H G A T E O S

• Ancestors
• Annwn
• Arawn
• Cauldron
• Clan
• Druid
• Fire
• Full Moon
• Gate
• Ghosts
• Halloween
• Night
• Outsiders
• Pumpkins
• Pwyll
• Revel
• Rhiannon
• Samhain
• Summerlands
• Trick
• Treat
• Veil

(Answer at the end.)

Looking Ahead!

Ana's Elves

For Yule the children will be exchanging gifts. Please have your child bring a present (less than $3) wrapped and tagged boy/girl/unisex and approximate age group.

December Playday

December 28, 1996, at the Toledo Zoo, 2 PM through "Lights Before Christmas". There will be an admission fee.

Food Drive

Our winter service project is a canned/dry food drive for the needy. Youth are encouraged to participate.

Yule Cookie Exchange

If you bring 3 dozen homemade cookies all the same, packaged in 6 half-dozen bags or plates, for just $2 you can take home 6 half-dozen bags of different cookies. The money will go to SLG's Land/Building Fund.

Grove Necklaces for Kids!

Did you know that children can be members of the Grove too? They even get a special necklace appropriate for their age group (ages 1-6, 7-12, 13-17). At Yule we will be having a special celebration of our children. If you would like more information on how your child can become a member, contact Mama Moon (313-439-0434) right away!

Yule Decorations

Children should bring stale popcorn and/or raw cranberries to the Yule ritual to make Yule decorations.

ConVocation

It's not too early to register for ConVocation. There will be plenty of kids/family programs offered, and daycare by our own Mama Moon.

Yule Song

Kids - try to learn this song for Yule:

Mistletoe and holly
Burn the Yule log bright
Bring back the sun
With dancing and delight!

Think Ahead!

Make a list of Yule gifts here:
1: _______________________________
2: _______________________________
3: _______________________________
4: _______________________________
5: _______________________________

Yule Family Traditions

In our family, we enjoy all the ways we can of celebrating list at the time of darkness. We have a "winter tree", decorated with lights and animals, and symbols of light such as suns and moons and stars. We offer food to the animals under and around our outside trees. We light a Hannukah menourah and place colored lights outside to share the beauty with our neighbors.

Another fun way of celebrating the sun's approaching return is with a Yule calendar; you might count off the days from the first of December until the solstice with an "advent calendar", and under each day's doorway might be one of the gifts the sun gives us: a plant; a warm-time activity; a summer animal; or other things which are special to your family; and last of all is the baby sun himself!

Many familiar carols were pagan first. Find your favorites and sing out with gusto, or repaganize a few with simple changes. You can get a Yule songbook from Mama Moon and go a-caroling.

Wassail! This Norse tradition takes us out into the orchards, to offer cider and song to the trees whose fruit gives us so much pleasure.

Kami Landy

Answer

The word search secret message is "Happy New Year"!

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