Greetings to Full Circle members and friends.
In this edition of our newsletter we have:
Open Auditions for Talent * Discworld Fan Party in Honor of Terry Pratchett * Renting Costumes & Costume Information * Every Women a Goddess * Witches Ball Update * French Poster Art * Dog Friendly Places * Totems, Power Animals & Spirit Guides * Pagan Forum Alliance * Traditions of Ancient Magic: Amulets & Gems * National Chocolate Chip Day * Pagan Groups of Interest * Events of Interest * Harvest Time in the Year of the Horse.
Where: 511
N. 3rd Street, San Jose, CA 95112
Downtown San Jose,
two blocks off the Japantown/Ayer Light Rail Station
Please call (408)
910-0058 or e-mail ghost@sippelhouse.com
if you have any questions or need any additional information.
Discworld Fan Party in Honor of Terry Pratchett:
Fans of Terry Pratchett are invited to join us at Discworld Fan Party in his honor on Friday, August 30th.
Snapdragon Gifts: http://www.snapdragongifts.com is organizing and hosting this party in cooperation with Conjose. This party will take place as part of The World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in San Jose over Labor Day Weekend.
Terry Pratchett
will fly in from Britain to attend this Convention. He will bring some special
Discworld items to auction off at the party. The Ladies of the Seamstress Guild
(California Chapter) will be there to ply our guests with food and drink. They
will be joined by members of the Assassins Guild. Lord Vetinary (AKA The
Patrician) will also be in attendance.
There are currently 28 Discworld
books. These brilliant, funny novels have been translated into 21 different
languages and they have sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Terry was
recently awarded the Order of the British Empire for "Services to
Literature". He also has the dubious honor of being the most shoplifted
author in Britain.
Terry's books, especially the
"Witch Books", are well loved by many Pagans. Among these are:
"Wyrd Sisters", "Witches Abroad", "Lords and
Ladies", "Maskerade", "Carpe Jugulum" and "Equal
Rites". Other works of note include "Small Gods", "Guards!,
Guards!", "Pyramids", "Mort", "The Color of
Magic" and "Good Omens" (which he wrote with Neil Gaiman).
Terry's latest books are "The Truth", "Thief of Time" and
"The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents".
Please note: It is necessary to
buy attendance to ConJose to attend this event. Prices for day passes are
very reasonable. This gets you into all of the great fan parties, the dances,
filking sessions, costuming classes, art shows, role playing games, auctions,
book signings, readings, masquerades, film showings and workshops. It also
gives you access to the immense Dealer's Room and the Art Exhibit and allows
you to meet some of your favorite authors.
Many of the world's best SF and
Fantasy writers, costumers and artists attend, not to mention scientists,
techno-wizards, fans, booksellers, and publishers. The WorldCon takes in a different
city every year. Attendance is, on average, between 8,000 to 12,000 people who
come from all over the U.S. and the world.
For more information on the
Convention and/or to buy a day pass, please visit http://www.conjose.org.
For more information on Terry's books, please visit http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com.
For more information on the Discworld, please visit http://www.co.uk.lspace.org.
The official members of the Seamstress Guild (California Chapter) will be wearing elegant, late Victorian ball gowns and other noteworthy costumes. The look is classic and sexy, not sleazy, as per Terry's instructions.
Fans are also
welcome to come in costume. Proper dress for the ladies is late Victorian (1885
- 1900 with the smaller bustles of that time). Ball gowns, day gowns or
visiting gowns are recommended. Men can
wear all black (as will Discworld Witches, with the exception of Witches like
Magrat). Discworld Wizards have no taste and they tend towards men's gowns
(medieval) with sparkles and symbols. As is well known, a Wizard's staff has a
knob on the end. Men can also wear late Victorian outfits or Guard Uniforms or
outfits for the Fools Guild. Do not come as a Mime unless you want to be thrown
in the Scorpion Pit. Please note: Costumes are not required to attend this
party. You can come as you are and just have a good time.
P.S. We could not do this without
help and permission of the people who organize ConJose, in particular the
Hospitality Staff. We would like to thank them for their help, guidance and
creativity. It takes two year's worth of hard work to build such a large and
complex Convention as this and they are doing a great job.
P.S.S. Sad to say, we will not sing
the Hedgehog song at this event.
Costumes for the Witches
Ball:
For those of you who are interested in renting your costumes for the Ball, this link will give you a list of Costume stores throughout the Bay Area. http://www.gbacg.org/renting.htm. This come to us courtesy of the Bay Area Costumer’s Guild.
Here is a website on the intricate and subtle “Language of the Fan”: http://www.ideco.com/fans/language.htm. My thanks to Hawk for this information.
Every Women a Goddess:
One if the nicest things about living in the Bay Area is the multi-cultural community that thrives here. Among our Bay Area neighbors are many people who have moved here from India. You’ll often see their pantheon of gods and goddesses when you go into the Indian markets, stores and restaurants. If you have ever wondered who these lovely deities are, here is a page from an on-line store that sells art from India. This page is about Indian Goddesses. It has some wonderful pictures and lots of very interesting information. Enjoy: http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/goddess.
Here is another website called “Devi: The Great Goddess”. This is a Smithsonian Museum exhibit. The pictures are lovely and the information it contains is very interesting: http://www.asia.si.edu/devi/index.htm. There is a special section for kids, as well.
Witches Ball Updates:
The following is a list of updates for The Witches Ball website: http://www.fullcircleevents.org/ball2002/
1) The Music Page is now up and running.
If you want to suggest music to dance to, please visit this page and use it to contact our Chief Bard.
2) The Films Page is up for those of you who want to watch some movies set in the period. These films will entertain you, they will inform you and they will give you some great costume ideas.
3) The Contacts Page is up. If you have ideas or suggestions about the ball, this page will tell you who is handling what and how to contact them.
4) The FAQ has been updated for this year and that page is now up and running.
5) The Costume Page has been up for about a month now. If you need some help with costume ideas, this is the place to look. We will be adding links and banner ads to that page as time goes one.
6) The Tickets Page has been up since May. Tickets are only being sold via our website for now. Tickets will be available in Bay Area stores beginning in September, but at that point they will cost more.
7) The Vendor’s Page is still taking applications for those who might want a Vendor Table. Please note: Vendors are juried and not everyone who applies will be accepted. Next year we plan on having a much larger Vendor Hall. If you don’t make it in this year, you will still have a chance of Vending at the 2003 ball.
8) The Volunteer Page is up and running. If you want to volunteer to help out with this year’s ball, please fill out the form on that page and someone will contact you shortly.
More pages will be added to the website as the year goes on.
French Poster Art:
The art on this year’s Witches Ball website comes from the famous french Poster Art of the period. Artists from the time include Toulouse-Lautrec, Steinlen (who was famous for his cats, two of which grace our front page), Mucha (who created much of the look we now know as “Art Nouveau”) & Cheret. You will also see a well known piece by Renoir on our Costuming Page. The original poster made for the opening of the Moulin Rouge is to be found on our FAQ Page. The young ladies pictures there are riding donkeys. This was done on opening night, just outside the theatre, as a publicity ploy. The Moulin Rouge was packed that night and for many years after.
Here is an interesting page on the history of Poster Art. http://www.postershow.com/french_poster/poster_art.htm
Copies of some of these famous posters will be used to decorate the hall. These will be raffled off during the ball. As always, all the money from our raffle will go to the Humane Society. Out thanks go out to the folks at Yaneff vintage poster art http://www.yaneff.com/ for the permission to use several of their images.
Dog Friendly Places:
For you dog lovers, here is a page that lists events for Dog lovers in the Bay Area: http://www.bayareadog.com/Events/. It includes some canine hikes around the area and has information about the annual “Bark in the Park” in San Jose.
Here is a page that lists the “dog friendly” parts of Santa Cruz: http://www.lighthousedogs.com/friendly.html
Here is a page called Dog Friendly: http://www.dogfriendly.com/ that covers the U.S.
And here is information on dog friendly beaches in San Francisco:
Baker Beach
Golden Gate National Rec Area - Lincoln
Blvd/Bowley St - San Francisco, CA
This dog-friendly beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area has a
great view of the Golden Gate Bridge! Your dog can run off-leash at this
beach as long as he or she is under voice control. The beach is located
approx. 1.5 to 2 miles south of the Golden Gate Bridge. From Lincoln Avenue,
turn onto Bowley Street and head towards the ocean. There will be a parking
lot next to the beach.
Ocean Beach
Great Hwy - Sloat Blvd. - San Francisco, CA
You'll get a chance to run at this beach which has about 4 miles of sand!
The beach runs parallel to the Great Highway (north of Fort Funston). There
are several access points including Sloat Blvd., Fulton Street or Lincoln
Way. This beach has a mix of off-leash and leash required areas. Dogs must
be on leash on Ocean Beach between Sloat Blvd and Stairwell #21 (roughly at
Fulton). North of Fulton to the Cliff House and South of Sloat for several
miles are still okay for off-leash dogs, however parts of these areas may be
impassible at high tide. The Golden Gate National Rec Area (GGNRA) strictly
enforces the on-leash area between Sloat and Fulton, and as of January
2001, at Fort Funston itself. Tickets and fines are issued regularly, so
heed the warning.
My thanks go out to Captain Lightening, Kaye and Ody the Wonder Dog for this information.
Totems, Power Animals and Spirit Guides:
“In the Shaman's view of the world, all things have
life. All life is connected and interdependent. This is neither a primitive
belief, nor a modern spiritual invention. Western philosophers like Heraclitus,
Paracelsus, Spinoza, and Goethe have written on the subject. Hindu, Buddhist,
and Sufi writings ponder its meaning and implications, as well. Celtic Bards,
and Nordic Runemasters worked and learned within its constructs, leaving us
stories, legends, and myths as tantalizing puzzle pieces of a truth greater
than that found in the five senses. This knowledge, born of observation,
mediation, and ecstasy is the underpinning of many non-Christian, and some
Christian spiritual paths. To us moderns, weaned on pragmatism and fed by
technology, the Shamanic world view is a rediscovery of the wonder that can
infuse our days and lead us to wisdom.”
To read the rest of this article by Jay Twelvetrees,
go to:
http://connectionsjournal.com/files/archives/highlights/totems.html
Pagan Forum Alliance:
The Pagan Forum Alliance is a
"webring-like" association of publicly accessible Pagan-oriented
discussion forums and mailing lists that adhere to the following standards:
If you are interested in viewing the various forums that comprise this alliance, then go to: http://www.ecauldron.com/pfa/
Traditions of Ancient Magic: Amulets & Gems:
For those of you who enjoy history, here is an interesting page:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/pap/magic/def1.html
Be sure to check out the amulets and gems displayed on the succeeding pages.
National Chocolate Chip Day:
National Chocolate Chip Day was SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2002
Do not despair. It’s not too late to celebrate this important national holiday. We recommend that you go out and make some cookies as soon as possible. Share them with friends.
Also on this day:
* 1608 John Tradescant
was born. He succeeded his father as naturalist and gardener to Charles I.
* 1693 Dom Perignon discovers the process for making champagne. He
supposedly exclaimed, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”
* 1755 Nicolas-Jacques Conte was born. He invented the modern day
graphite pencil.
For more food history and information, go to: http://www.foodreference.com/
Pagan Groups of Interest:
Daughters of Demeter:
A Yahoo Support Group for
Pagan Women Surviors of Sexual Assalt:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DaughtersOfDemeter/
Pagans Against Drunk
Drivers:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/2231/padd.html
Pagan Alliance of Nurses:
email: paganallianceofnurses@yahoo.com
Events of Interest:
August 3rd –
November 10th – The Photography of Lewis Carroll – San Francisco
The flyer says: Seventy-six rarely seen images by the famous author of children's stories who also happened to be one of the Victorian era's most sophisticated and respected photographers. http://www.sfmoma.org/
August 8 - Dark Moon - New Moon -
Ritual For Change - San Francisco.
The flyers says: (Women Only) Advanced Registration is
required. For more information, contact Jules at 415-695-9066 or dianic.witch@angelfire.com.
August 8 – 11th
Dragon Boat Races – Oakland
The flyer says: Multi-colored
boats with fierce dragon heads and 22-person paddling teams compete on Lake
Merritt on Thursday and Friday during the national championships, followed on
the weekend by a festival at Jack London Square featuring wine, art, and kids'
games. http://www.edragons.org/
August 10 - Dark Moon Movies on witchy topics - San Francisco
The flyer says: Movies are
shown in the school starting at 7:00 pm. Tonight's movie will be Chocolate. For
more information please contact Kristen at 415-425-4847.
August 10 - Herne's Oak
will host Lammas with NROOGD in Santa Cruz.
The flyer says: Come
celebrate the harvest with us. Gather at 12PM, ritual at 1PM. Please bring food
and drink to share for the potluck following ritual. Families are welcome. We
ask for a donation of $10-$20 to defray costs for hall rentals during winter
sabbats - but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Location and
further details TBA. For more information, please contact:
yasmindove@yahoo.com.
August 10 - Daughters of the Goddess Presents: Japanese Bon Ritual,
The flyer says: 7:30-10:30pm.
Open to all womyn desiring knowledge of and experiential work with, the
multi-faceted aspects of the Goddess, in ritual. For more information, contact
Leilani Birelyi at 925-256-8109, Leimermaid@aol.com or visit http://www.daughtersofthegoddess.com.
August 10 - The Healing
Power of Nature - UCSC, Arboretum, Santa Cruz.
The flyer says: To learn to
live as if everything in Nature is alive and sentient is to rediscover a sense
of belonging that is often missing from our over-civilized world and to reclaim
our place in the original family of all beings. To seek solace under a tall
tree, learn the language of the birds, or simply lie down and surrender to the
spaciousness of the sky, is to banish the desperate sense of loneliness and
separation that pervades our high-tech society. In a beautiful natural setting,
we will learn simple ways to retrain our minds and bodies to connect with
nature as our ancestors did for centuries. We will discover how to: Move out of
our heads and into our bodies, cultivating direct sensory experience with the
natural environment; Receive Nature's wisdom by slowing down, listening, and
practicing simple techniques to expand awareness; Deepen our connection with
Nature through artwork, poetry, meditation and ritual in order to integrate
these experiences into our everyday lives. Clinicians will find these exercises
very beneficial in helping to alleviate stress, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. For information call 831-427-6695. To enroll
call 831-427-6600 or visit http://www.ucsc-extension.edu.
10am-4pm at UCSC, Arboretum, Horticulture Bldg. in Santa Cruz.
August 10 – Nov 11th
– “Eternal Egypt: Masterworks from the Collection of the British Museum” a the
Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco
The flyer says: Nearly 150
rare objects, from personal possessions of famous pharaohs and papyrus sheets
from the Book of the Dead, to jewelry, mirrors, and other luxury items.
August 11th –
ORBUS –Celestial Camping Party – Sacramento Valley
The flyer says: Visit http://www.orbus.com/ for more information.
August 12 thru 17 - Chakra Psychology at Skyote Mountain Retreat in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The flyer For more
information please contact Selene at 831-440-0645 or visit http://www.spiritmoving.com.
August 14 thru 18 - The
Fourteenth Annual Elderflower Womenspirit Festival – Mendocino
The flyer says: Relax and
enjoy cabin or tent camping in a redwood forest by a creek in the Mendocino
Woodlands. Elderflower welcomes all women and girls age 11 or older. Girls
younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult. The focus of the festival is
on earth based spirituality and honoring the feminine through the Goddess.
Celebrate our spirituality by sharing knowledge, music, arts and ritual.
Registration must be submitted before August 10th. For more information, please
call 510-869-3828, or contact elderflower@onemain.com, or visit
www.elderflower.org
or write to PO Box 72079,
Oakland, CA 94612-2079.
August 15 thru 18 –
Firedance - Santa Cruz Mountains.
The flyer says: For more
information, contact 831-515-4480 x3916 or visit www.firedance.org.
August 17th –
Basil Festival – Geyserville
http://www.chateausouverain.com/
August 17th –
Music, Food & Pagan Bingo - Fundraiser for Pagan Pride Day – San Francisco.
The flyer says: 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM in Starr King Room at the San Francisco
Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin St., San Francisco, CA. Food,
Drink and Entertainment by The Method. The Method is high energy acoustic with
an ethnic edge. Donations Requested at the door. We'll be serving
spaghetti and garlic bread, listening to music and making our first attempt at
pagan bingo. http://www.sfbappd.org
August 18 - Dragon Dream
hosts Women Wisdom Circles - San Francisco
The flyer says: From
noon-3:30 p.m. Come celebrate the 4-year birthday of Dragon Dream. Each Women
Wisdom Circle is $25, $20 sliding fee. No one will be turned away for lack of
funds (trade and work-exchange are encouraged). Pre-registration is required
for attendance and 48-hrs advanced cancellation highly appreciated. Please
bring a pillow to sit on, your journal and flyers/business cards to share
during the networking portion of the gathering. The meeting place in San
Francisco will be announced to registrants. For registration and information
call 415-339-7888.
August 24 - Mythic
Masquerade - Santa Cruz.
The flyer says: Join us this
summer for a Masquerade Ball. Come in your finest costume Mythical! Dress as
your favorite fantastical beast. Proceeds from this event will benefit the
Alternative Family Education (AFE) program in Santa Cruz. More details will be
announced as plans progress. For more information or to volunteer, visit http://www.communityseed.org, or call
831-469-0336.
August 24th & 25th –
Victorian Days – San Mateo
http://www.sanmateocountyhistory.com
August 25th – Polynesian Festival – Santa
Cruz
August 26th – Sept 2nd – Burning
Man Festival – Nevada Desert
August 28 – Sept. 2nd
– Tall Ships Festival – San Francisco
The flyer says: A spectacular
parade into San Francisco Bay by more than 50 international and local sailing
ships and historic vessels kicks off a week of ship tours, public sailing
trips, gun battle demonstrations, and multicultural music and dance
performances. Ships from as far away as Indonesia, Ukraine, New Zealand, and
Ecuador are expected. For public sailing trip information, call (888) 833-7245.
http://www.sailsanfrancisco.org
August 25 - BAPA sponsors
Gaia's Gateway – Palo Alto.
The flyer says: An open
public ritual featuring a different Pagan tradition each month. Call 408-559-GAIA
for more information or visit http://www.batnet.com/bapagan/bapa.html.
August 30 – September 2nd
– World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention – San Jose.
The flyer says: WorldCon: http://www.conjose.org. The deadline to submit art to the Art Show
has been extended. Go to http://www.conjose.org/Exhibits/artshow.html
for more information.
September 1st – Pagan BOF at WorldCon – San Jose
We have just heard from the
ConJose staff that the Pagan BOF (Birds of a Feather meet) we’ve requested has
been scheduled for 11:30 on Sunday. Our Full Circle staff is booked to work
other ConJose & FCE events and will not be able to attend, however, one of
the WorldCon staff will be there to greet you.
Morning Larks should drop by the room and say “Hi" to the other
Pagans there. May the Goddess Caffeina
bless and attend you.
August 30 thru September 1
- Scottish Highland Gathering and Games - Pleasanton
The flyer says: will take
place at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. For more information, contact
800-713-3160, macdonald@home.com, or visit http://www.caledonian.org/
August 31 & September
1st – Tai Chi & Wing Chung Workshops – Bay Area
The flyer says: Special
workshops to be offered in the Bay Area.
Visit http://www.membio.com/leung/ or write to
Gregory for more information at mandril64@yahoo.com
September 7 - Seven Gates,
an eight-part workshop - San Francisco.
The flyer says: In this
series, we will ask the powers of gemstones to help us journey through the
gates of the chakras. For more
information, contact 415-541-5650 or 707-525-4992.
September 11 - Freyr and the Harvest Mare – Berkeley
The flyer says: http://www.hrafnar.org
September 12-15 - Women's Festival - La Honda.
The flyer says: For more
information, contact bendis@prodigy.net or visit http://www.zbudapest.com
September 14 - Bay Area Pagan Pride Day Celebration – San Francisco.
The flyer says: Vendors and volunteers are still needed. There will be a community ritual and a food drive is also being planned. Guest speakers will be Don Frew and M. Macha NightMare. Pandemonaeon and Anne Hill will be performing. More details TBA as plans progress. Help bring awareness about Pagan religions to the general public. For more information, visit http://www.sfbayareapaganpride.org/.
The flyer says: The theme for
this year's ball will be Bohemia and the Moulin Rouge. This is a costume ball,
a Pagan Pride Event and a charity event all rolled up into one. There will be
vendors, food, entertainment and dancing all night long. A portion of all proceeds will go to benefit
the Humane Society. For more
information go to http://www.fullcircleevents.org
For more information on these
and other events, visit
Bay Area Pagan Assemblies: http://www.batnet.com/bapagan/Events/events.html
The Index: http://www.cyprian.org/Index/
The Witches Voice: http://www.witchvox.com
Harvest Time in the Year of the Horse:
“Lammas or Lughnasad - Its
name literally means loaf-mass, being the time when the very first bit of grain
from the harvest can be baked into a loaf and shared. This is the beginning of the harvest season, and the beginning of
the time of cutting, thinning, setting limits, and turning once again toward
the coming darkness.” Anodea Judith
Wherever I look these last few weeks, I see the effects of harvest time in the Year of the Horse. Ironically, it seems that the people who did not get whacked on the head last year are getting it this year. Just recently, several friends have had to deal with the death and illness of family members and there have been various break ups, job losses, career changes, epiphanies, revelations, and other challenges to body, mind and spirit. All these events seem to have one thing in common; they require that the people involved make significant changes in their lives.
For some, this can be a simple as a change of perspective. For others, it has meant a change of address or careers or even a change in partners. Some friends are finding that their plates are too full and they have to choose between things they love doing. In fact, I see a lot of folks trying to free up more time, so that they can be open to new possibilities. That takes a great deal of courage and ability to say “No” and I admire them for that.
When I look around this month, I see that some people are being pulled, dragged, kicked or carried along the road these days. Whether we ride the horse or whether we are dragged along behind it, seems to depend in part on our ability to accept and embrace change.
Creativity can call a dream into being. Wisdom requires that we acknowledge when a dream is not realistic or when it must end. The first is an act of daring, the second, an act of judgment. Both are necessary in a balanced life. Judith’s quote reminds us that a harvest is as much about knowing our limits and choosing our priorities as it is about celebration and feasting.
I love paradox. I get a lot of them in my spiritual practice so I’ve taken to collecting them. This one has kicked me in the head many a time:
“Knowing your limits will bring you real freedom.”
This month’s newsletter is dedicated to those of you who are coping with change.
Wishing you the blessing of good friends in hard times and a rich harvest.
Sia
Full Circle Events
http://www.fullcircleevents.org
“Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Create the Future”