Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members
In this edition of our newsletter we have:
OSTARA:
For many Pagans, the first true day of Spring is near. Among Pagans this holiday is called Ostara,
Vernal Equinox, Alban, Eiler, and/or Esther.
To read an article on this holiday, visit: http://www.witchvox.com/holidays/ostara.html
2002 WITCHES’ BALL: BOHEMIA AND THE MOULIN ROUGE:
The Bohemian movement began in Paris the 1830’s and
continued until 1914. The term Bohemian was used then to describe free living,
free thinking people. The Bohemians questioned the social conventions of their
day and they were independent, artistic, witty, and colorful. Their religion was art, their philosophy,
freedom. The Bohemians believed that one could make one’s life into art and that
art should reflect real life. They were
enthralled with the mystery and wonder of existence. As a group, they had what
the French call “joie de vivre”.
This movement was closely allied with the
city of Paris. During the second half
of the nineteenth century, Paris emerged as the entertainment capital of the
world. The sparkling redesigned city fostered a culture of energetic
crowd-pleasing amusements that presented real life as a grand and dazzling
spectacle. The theatre Moulin Rouge was
at the heart of this movement. The
Moulin Rouge was a café, dance hall, and theatre all in one. It was known as the
"rendezvous du high life”. People
came from all over to dance, to watch the dancers, and to watch each other
watching the dancers. The artist Toulouse-Lautrec was there, at the same table
every night, drinking and sketching everything which caught his fancy,
particularly the dancers.
This theme presents
a wide range of costuming possibilities. These include:
Gypsies * Dandies
* Dancers * Artists * Soldiers * Courtesans (also known as “Grande
Horizontals”) * Street Urchins * Students & Intellectuals * Poets &
Writers * Magicians & Street Performers * Mediums & Occultists *
Aristocrats (these people loved to go “slumming” at the Moulin Rouge) * Rogues
and Con Artists * Travelers from many nations * Working Class types * Diplomats
& Spies * Actors & Clowns * Gamblers & Card Sharks * Policeman & Politicians (the Moulin
Rouge was a constant source of trouble to the Paris authorities)
Cultural influences
on Europe during this time included those from India, Asia, Turkey, Africa, and
the Middle East (then known as Arabia).
The Bohemian
movement brought forth deep changes in
culture. It oversaw a clash of high and low art that sent spasms through
painting, sculpture, music and writing that continue to this day. The Bohemians influenced the Beat Generation
of the 1950’s who in turn influenced the Counterculture of the 1960s. The Bohemians, the Beats, and the
Counterculture have in their turn
greatly influenced (for both good and ill) what is now known as the Modern
Pagan Movement.
***** The Date
for this year’s Witches’ Ball is Saturday, October 12th
Last year we had
over 600 people attend the Witches Ball.
We expect to increase that number this year and are currently in
negotiation to rent a larger hall in downtown San Jose.
We plan to offer
tickets to the ball on sale on our website beginning in April. As always, people who buy their tickets
early in the year will receive the lowest ticket price. Tickets increase in
price throughout the year. They will be available for sale in bookstores around
the Bay Area beginning in September.
If you’d like to
read a bit about last year’s ball go to: http://www.fullcircleevents.org/ball2001/index.shtml
The website for the
2002 ball is currently under construction and will be up soon.
DECORATING COMMITTEE FORMING FOR THE 2002 WITCHES’ BALL:
Calling all artisans, decorators, crafty people and
willing volunteers!
The Witches' Ball 2002
Decorating Committee needs you! We are looking to compile a list of those
persons who are interested in helping decorate this year's Ball. Our theme for
this year's Ball is "Bohemia and the Moulin Rouge" and we will be
focusing on the wild Bohemian movement that swept through Europe at the turn of
the century and the wonderful entertainments at the Moulin Rouge theatre which
were at the heart of this influential cultural movement.
We need all types of
volunteers- people who are good at painting, sewing, crafting, building, floral
design and theater design. And even if you can't draw a straight line, we need
people who are willing to help gather supplies and donations, help with set up
and clean up and just pitch in as much as they can. The only bad volunteer is
the one who doesn't show up!
If you are interested in
helping out, please contact Molly.
In your e-mail, please
include:
Thank you!
WORKING WITH ANIMALS:
Those who want to volunteer at our local Wildlife Shelters
can find links to
these Shelters under "Wild Life Rescue in Northern California " on
our Links
Page. During spring and summer, Shelters need folks who can help them
feed
baby birds, squirrels, and raccoons as well as other land and sea mammals.
They will train you and they will work around your schedule. If you have
some time, give them a call.
By the way, our local Humane Societies need foster home and foster parents for
kittens, puppies, and dogs. If you'd rather work with domestic
animals, please give them a call today. We have a good section on our links
page with lots of
information for dogs and cat lovers and links to local shelters. Look
under
the section titled "Companion Animals".
EVENTS OF INTEREST:
March
2nd & 3rd – Celtic Music and Arts Festival – San
Francisco
For
more information, contact (415)252-9992, email: iaf@iaf.org
or visit http://www.iaf.org
March
3rd – Books of Spells workshop – Walnut Creek
Held
in the Walnut Creek/Lafayette area 12:30-4:30PM. $60 per person.
Please call Elayne at (925) 676-8560 or e-mail elaynelockhart@juno.com to register
or for more information.
The flyer says: Sats, Mar. 2, 9 & 16, 1-5:30 pm, $45 + $10 materials fee per class, $120 + $30 materials for series. Your Totem Shield:3/2; Symbolic Art & Tarot: 3/9; Mythic Maskmaking:3/16, Class sizes limited; to register or inquire: (831)335-9064.
March 5th – Meditation Class – Mountain View
Visit:
http://www.sophianic.org or contact
Argante Comyn (argantecomyn@yahoo.com)
to find out more.
March
6th – Class in Feri Witchcraft (part of a series) – Oakland
Advance
registration by phone is not required, but is advised for priority seating.
Call (510) 653-3244. Held at Ancient Ways, 4075 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA
March
6th – Goddess Initiation Workshop – San Jose
The flyer says: The Author of "Be a Goddess!"
Will Teach a Mini-Workshop Based on Her New Book, "Goddess
Initiation" at San Jose Metaphysical Book Advance Reservations Highly
Recommended - Please Call (408) 446-0590
to Guarantee a Space in Class.
March 9th – 3 – 7 – At the new Gaia
Building in Berkeley
The flyer says: Come to The Gaia Building for a stunning display of images of women of Mexico and Cuba. Mayan women and children, Zapotec Indian women featured in Blossoms of Fire, dancers, shepherdesses, market women…these images capture the people and places that can move us emotionally, where life is rooted in tradition, community & a passion for life. All photographic images for sale $18 each.
For more information call 510-848-4242 or email patricewynne@earthlink.net
March
10th – Creating Ritual Class
– Richmond
1 – 4:40. Please call 510.234.4455 or write to ritualist@earthlink.net for more information.
March
10th – Walk the Labyrinth (women only) – Lafayette
For
more information, call Lellani Birelyi at (925) 256-8109
or e-mail: Leimermaid@aol.com or
on the web: http://www.daughtersofthegoddess.com
March
10th – Open Ritual - Santa Cruz
The
flyer says: Community seed invites you to an open ritual at the Cayuga Vault
in Santa Cruz from 2-4:30pm. Come all Ye Witches and let us dance, do magic,
and make merry! Let's celebrate the turning of the seasons, attune to the
cycles of the moon and sun, create music, dance the spiral dance, and heal
ourselves and our world. This circle is open to all Pagans, and to those who
desire an understanding of how pagans worship. Keep in mind that this is a
participatory event, and there will be no "onlookers". So don your
favorite robes, your cloaks, and pentacles and let us meet together in sacred
trust. A $3.00 to $9.00 donation is requested to cover costs. No one will be
turned away for lack of funds. For more information, contact 831-469-0336,
community_seed@mindspring.com
or visit
http://www.communityseed.org/Events/Open_Ritual/open_ritual.html.
March
13th – Class & Slideshow on Paranormal Activity in the Bay Area
– San Jose
Please
Call (408)446-0590 to Guarantee a Space in Class.
March 15th – Danu concert – Santa Cruz
For more information, log on to their website at http://www.danu.net
March 16th – Tarot Tea Party – Oakland
The flyer says: It's the civilized way to learn the Tarot. Come sip tea and work with the Tarot. There will be a lecture and then hands-on work with Tarot. Bring your favorite deck to work with. 1-5PM, cost $5-$10 open to both men and women. Call (510) 653-3244 for more information.
March
17th – Ostara with Reclaiming – San Francisco
The
flyer says: Held at Beltane Grove, (or magic meadow, the wedding spot, etc.)
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA. Gather at 12PM. Ritual at 1PM Bring food
or drink to share. All Reclaiming rituals are clean and sober! NO drugs or
alcohol (including wine), please. For more information, please contact: rcorrespondence@yahoogroups.com
March
20th – Vernal Equinox (open ritual) – Half Moon Bay
The
flyer says: You are invited to a Vernal Equinox celebration at the Half Moon
Bay Yacht Club from 7-9:30pm. This is a time of renewal and rebirth. Days and
nights are of equal length and the year is waxing into warmth, fertility and
light. The Earth is reborn in springtime. All things are young, playful and
new. It is a time to reclaim childhood and the child within, to play and have
fun. Join us in sacred play and remember the freedom and joys of
childhood. Take a piece of that back
with you to weave into your life. Ceremonies are open to all and children are
encouraged to take part. Weather and tides permitting, ceremonies occur around
a bonfire on the beach. Contribution $10.00 and bring potluck item. For more
information, contact
janfreya@mindspring.com.
March
21st – Spring Celebration – Atherton
Their flyer says: Featured Speakers: Z Budapest and Dr.
Marla Lowenthal. The evening will end with a brief musical interlude, so bring
percussion instruments and drums to join in the fun. This event is free to the
public. Light refreshments available.
Menlo College, Student Union,1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA,
March 21, 2002 - 7PM Info: (650) 543-3840 (Dr. Lowenthal)
March 23rd – Spring Equinox Celebration –
San Jose
The flyer says: Hearthstone will host a Spring Equinox
Celebration from 11:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m. at John Mise Park in San Jose. For more information, please
contact Molly at molly@hearthstonecircle.org,
or visit http://www.hearthstonecircle.org.
March 23rd – Return of the Snakes Parade - Berkeley
Their
flyer says: The Saturday following Patrick's day, we honor our native ancestors
by bringing together brothers and sisters of ALL native spiritual practices in
pride and harmony, as well as those who support our community. In doing so, we
unite in our message to the world that Pagans, or "the people of the
earth, " are alive within modern society, and that we must live together
in love and tolerance, as opposed to fear and misunderstanding, as voices in
the great choir of Spirit. Come reclaim your spiritual heritage and participate
in this historic pride event! We encourage diversity, tolerance, safety,
and respect for all participants and audience members. This is a
family-friendly event, and children are encouraged to participate. Contact
Micha at (510) 843-0333 or snakeparade@yahoo.com,
or see http://www.geocities.com/snakeparade
for more info.
March
23rd – Equinox Ritual (women only) – Berkeley
For
more information, please contact Lupa (510) 601-1428 or
e-mail: lupamoon@earthlink.net.
March
23rd – Ostara Ritual – Sacramento
For
more information contact Dell Richards at (916) 455-4790 or
dellrichards@att.net
March
24th – Ostara Pot Luck and Drum Circle - Fremont
Call
510-468-5139 for an invitation and more information.
March
27th – Old Blind Dogs Concert – Santa Cruz
For
more information, go to http://homepage.ntlworld.com/neverdesign/newobd/news.htm
or
call Sheila at (831) 464-2128, Bob at (408) 847-6982 or e-mail celtsoc@aol.com.
April
4th – Witches & the Web with Macha Nightmare – San Jose
The
flyer says: Macha is a Member of the Reclaiming Collective &
Co-author of “The Pagan Book of Living and Dying”. This Mini-workshop is
Based on Her New Study of Technopaganism, Witchcraft, and the Web. Please Call
(408) 446-0590 to Guarantee a Space in Class.
April
5 – 7th – Celebrate Spring – Women’s Rituals of Renewal – Bodega Bay
The
flyer says: A weekend of music, shamanic healing and ritual to awaken our
powers of wisdom and regeneration. Come together with other women to
share the joy of possibilty inherent in the return of Spring. Like
Persephone coming out of her cave, we will renew our hopes and
dreams for a better world by singing, chanting and sharing healing together. Bring drums, rattles, a special shawl
or a blanket and your
Motherpeace Tarot deck. This retreat is held at a pristine retreat center in
Sonoma County, close to Bodega Bay, 90 mins north of San Francisco.
Please read more information and see photos of the incredible retreat
center on our weblink for this event at: http://www.sacredjourneys.com/retreats.html#spring
or contact
Sacred
Journeys for Women
POB 8007, Roseland Station, Ca. 95407
Toll-free: 1-888-779-6696
Meditation
Class – Mountain View – Begins March 5th
The
flyer says: This class will meet 17 times, in Mountain View, CA. Participants
will get an introduction to Sophianic ritual space and structure, and go on 17
different visionary journeys, each focusing on a planet in our astrological
system. Each class meeting after March 5th will be set up by us and the
students based on everyone's availability.
If you're interested, please take a
look at our web site, http://www.sophianic.org
, and contact me, Argante Comyn (argantecomyn@yahoo.com) to find out
more.
Marin
Womanspirit - Marin UU Fellowship.
For
information, call Lucille Foppiano at 415-479-9169 or write to Marin
Fellowship, 240 Channing Way, San Rafael, CA 94903-2606. Church phone:
415-479-4131.
A
Magical Workshop series in San Lorenzo.
The
flyers says: The first series of workshops will focus on the
chakras, and future topics will be announced. These workshops tend to be
experiential in nature and very hands on, working with energy and creating
meditation symbols or tools. The workshops are open to any experience level,
there is no fee, and you are not required to attend the whole series.
Children are welcome. For more information contact Foxglove, aka Stacy, at
foxglove999@hotmail.com.
The
flyer says: A core shamanic drum
circle, meets at 7pm on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the
Half Moon Bay Yacht Club in Half Moon Bay. For more information, contact janfreya@mindspring.com.
The
flyer: This is an open forum on Paganism, Witch Craft and Wicca that meets at 7
PM in Concord on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. Meet with
other like-minded people on pagan paths to share ideas, opinions, information,
and ask questions. This is a great place for people new or old to pagan ways to
meet and learn from each other. For more information, contact Elayne at amethystrose@juno.com, or call
925-676-8560.
The
flyer says: Every third Saturday, Dolphin Dream in Walnut Creek hosts a
drumming circle from 6:30 - 8PM. Bring your drums and rattles or use theirs
to beat away the stresses of the outside world and find that place within
where the heartbeat dwells. Attendance is free. Contact 925-933-2342 for more
information.
The
flyer says: The Radical Fairies of Santa Cruz gather on the third Sunday of
the month to celebrate full moons and solstices, our love for the earth our
mother, each other, and the spiritual gift which that love is. Join them for
a potluck at 6PM, and ritual at 7PM. For more information, phone the events
line at 831-335-5861 or call 831-429-1388
The
flyer says: Irish Music Session and Traditional Song Circle every fourth
Sunday from 6-10pm at Don Quixote's located at 6275 Highway 9. All singers
and instrumentalists are welcome! For more information, contact Jessica at
831-335-7696 or Sheila at 831-464-2128. Sponsored by the Celtic Society
of
Monterey Bay.
The
flyer says: Each Gateway begins with an informative talk, and both the talk and
the ritual are led by the practitioners of the religion presented. This month's
Gateway will be an Introductory Shamanic Journey with Shilo Satran. Shilo will
use ritual and drumming to call in the Spirits so that participants can pay a
brief visit to non-ordinary reality. Please bring a blanket and/or
cushions to lie on. Shilo is an Advanced Student of Michael Harner and
Sandra Ingerman at the Foundation for Shamanic Studies in Mill Valley. Call
408-559-GAIA for more information or http://www.batnet.com/bapagan/bapa.html.
Attendance
is by invitation only. Contact Dj at info@fullcircleevents.org for more
information or visit the website at http://www.spiralsteps.com
Visit
http://www.fullcircleevents.org
for more information.
More information on these and other events, please visit:
Bay Area Pagan Assemblies: http://www.batnet.com/bapagan/bapa.html
Full Circle Events: http://www.fullcircleevents.org
The Index: http://www.cyprian.org/Index/
The Witches Voice: http://www.witchvox.com
- (Go to their California Events Page)
PRIVACY AND TRUST ISSUES AMONG US – CAMERA’S AT EVENTS:
I recently attended a favorite open ritual of mine at a Pagan festival in Northern California. This ritual includes an hour long trance dance at its core. It is usually well attended and beautifully presented. This year’s experience was ruined for many of us by one woman who chose to bring a camera. She proceed to thrust this flash camera in the faces of many of the attendees while they were dancing, thus violating our privacy, our concentration and our ritual space in the same moment.
Happily, the Wardens at this ritual stopped her but not before she had taken between 6 – 12 shots of people without their permission and not before she had ruined the experience for many of us.
When confronted by the Wardens the woman claimed that she had a “right” to take these pictures because this was, after all, a “public ritual”, an argument so selfish, so wrong headed and so rude that it is hard to even begin to address it. Nevertheless, I will try. For those few among us who are not clear on the concept of privacy, I will point out that we come into a ritual space trusting that it will be a safe place. Simply attending a public ritual does not automatically give permission for anyone to take our photograph.
This “public ritual” was held in a hotel ballroom. It was a private event put on by a private group which was open to the public (i.e. the paying attendees) to attend. Allowing people who are not in your immediate Circle to attend a ritual does not give them the right to act as they please nor does it deprive the rest of us of our rights.
Even if such a ritual were to be held outdoors in a public park, simple courtesy would require that she ask permission before snapping pictures as she did. Most ritual groups do not allow anyone to take pictures, even in such spaces as that.
But such people as this woman do not think of such things. It falls to the rest of us to teach them about boundaries. Sadly, it only takes one such person to ruin a good time for the rest of us and this is something many festivals and Circles now have to contend with. They have to do this, if only to protect them from lawsuits.
Law suits? Surely I must be joking? I’m not. I don’t have to tell you folks that many of our people are still in the closet about their belief systems. Some of us are at risk for losing family ties, jobs, friendships, or even custody of our children by coming out as Pagan. So, it should not seem strange to anyone that we don’t wish to have our picture taken while at a Pagan event. If someone’s privacy is violated at a festival and they lose their job as a result, you had better believe that there will be lawsuits a’ plenty.
Furthermore, most Pagans do not want to have their picture taken as this might make them self conscious and interfere with their concentration. Finally, it is not surprising to anyone with an ounce of sense that someone engaged in a trance dance might not want a flash going off in their face.
Alas, reasoning with this woman soon proved to be impossible. She was finally threatened with eviction from the ritual space (something that I frankly think should have occurred immediately and without any sort of debate at all). When she realized that her bad behavior would not be tolerated she finally put her camera away.
It is because of behavior like this that most East Coast Pagan festivals have banned all types of cameras from their grounds entirely. This ban arose, in part, from a notorious incident at a outdoor festival. This popular festival is out in the wilderness and it draws thousands of Pagans every year. Several years ago, many hundreds of Pagans were dancing around the ritual fire and many were skyclad. These people were among their brother and sister Pagans on sacred ground far away from the prying eyes of outsiders, so imagine their surprise when they later discovered naked pictures of themselves for sale at various porn sites on the Internet.
This brings me to my next point: This woman had no right to capture anyone’s image without their knowledge or consent. This was an issue for Pagans in the early days of the movement and it is ten times more true for us in the age of the Internet. If she reads this, and she still doesn’t understand why her supposed “rights” should not be allowed to interfere with a sacred ritual or with the rights of every other person present then she is at liberty to contact me and I will explain this to her in words of one syllable. Then, if she still doesn’t understand, I will refer to my (Pagan) attorney. He will be delighted to explain this concept to her in more detail.
If you glean from this missive that I’m angry about this incident, you are quite right. The people who know me (and who know that I’m not the shy, retiring type) have asked why I didn’t just walk over to the women and confront her myself. I’ll be honest with you all, I didn’t confront myself because I did not trust that I could do so without violence. I was that angry. I choose instead to remove myself from this ritual and to point out some people in charge what I saw happening. To their credit, they intervened as soon as they saw the problem. Nevertheless, I can assure you all that that I will never again attend, remain at or recommend any ritual if I don’t see and hear the the organizers setting clear boundries about issues as basic as camera use and acceptable ritual behavior.
This ritual was not put on by Full Circle and It did not occur at a Full Circle sponsored event. In fact, Full Circle hosted that same ritual group with great success at MUSE Camp in 2001 and nothing of the kind happened there. This is because Full Circle sets boundaries that protect our attendees at all our events. Perhaps this story will serve as a reminder of what can happen when one person decides that their whims are more important then the good of all.
As a result of this incident, I have asked the folks at The Witches Voice to put up a page on camera use at Pagan events on their Festival Tips page. http://www.witchvox.com/festivals/tt00_intro.html
They have promised me that they will do so in the near future.
I have also made a formal complaint to the organizers of this festival about this woman and her behavior. Furthermore, I have spoken privately to the High Priestess who organizes this ritual. She is a person I like and have worked well with in the past. I believe that she will make whatever changes she needs to make in order to keep ritual attendees more safe in future. My thanks go to out to her and her Wardens for taking such fast action at the ritual itself.
As I have said, this incident came as a great surprise to her. She and her troupe have presented this ritual several times in the past and they have never had this sort of problem occur before. I can only hope that this incident will help her, the festival organizers, and other ritual designers set boundaries that will better protect the rights and privacy of their attendees.
Wishing you honor, love, and trust at all your rituals:
Sia
http://www.fullcircleevents.org
Full Circle Events