Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members.
In this edition of our September newsletter we have:
Witches Ball Tickets now available in Bay Area stores * Pagan Pride Day Celebrations * Stealth Costume Contest * Pagan Library Project * Announcing the Gaia’s Guardian Award Winner for 2002 * The Sun Dagger * Discworld Party * In Memoriam *The Rainbow Bridge * Young Cat in Need of Home * Groups of Interest * Events of Interest * They Shall Not Grow Old
Witches Ball Tickets in Stores:
Witches
Ball Tickets are now available at select stores throughout the Bay Area:
DARK CARNIVAL
3086 Claremont Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
Phone: (510) 654-7323
208 Monterey Ave., Capitola,
CA 95010
Phone (831) 464-7245
Los Gatos:
222 North Santa Cruz Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
(408) 395-2766
Modesto:
120 San Juan Drive
Modesto, CA 95354
Phone: (209) 549 - 1727
http://www.WhisperedPrayers.com
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650)
964-2220
Oakland:
4075 Telegraph Ave.
Oakland, CA 94609
(510)
653-3244
Pacific Grove:
115 Central Ave.
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
(831) 375-1700
THE SWORD & ROSE
85 Carl St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 681-5434.
SAN JOSE METAPHYSICAL
BOOKSTORE:
1231 E. Kentwood Ave. San
Jose, CA 95120
Phone (408) 446-0590
email:
sjbookshop@mindspring.com
Santa Cruz:
1211 Soquel Ave.
Santa Cruz, Ca 94062
(831) 425-7685
911 Ceder St.,
Santa Cruz, CA 95050
(831) 425-1313
Walnut Creek:
DOLPHIN DREAM
1437 N. Broadway
Walnut Creek, CA
(925) 933-2342
Tickets are also available on-line at http://www.fullcircleevents.org/ball2002/.
Pagan Pride Day:
September
14 - The San Francisco Bay Area Pagan
Pride Day celebration
will take place from 10am-6pm at Golden Gate Park's Speedway Meadow. 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/.
Event benefits PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) and the San Francisco Food
Bank
September
21, 22 - Come join the Fourth Annual Sacramento Pagan Pride Harvest Festival. There'll be vendors, food, entertainment, workshops,
authors, rituals, dancing, kids korner, games and more. For information on this
charity event sponsored by Pagan Pride International Inc and Sacramento Grove
of the Oak, contact Michael at 916-443-2866 or visit www.SacPaganPride.org. Event benefits Cornucopia Food Closet,
Nature Conservancy, WEAVE and VFW
For more
information on the origins of Pagan Pride
Day and other events
throughout California, visit: http://www.paganpride.org/
STEALTH
COSTUME CONTEST:
This year the Witches
Ball will offer a new event; a Stealth Costume Contest.
Hawk, our Witches Ball
Director, and her handpicked cadre of Stealthy Judges will take note of the
wonderful costumes worn by our attendees that evening and award prizes at the
end of the night.
Certain attendees will be
awarded gifts and award ribbons for excellence in costumes. Some will receive
award ribbons for Costumes Worthy of Special Mention. Winners will be announced on our website. If you are not there to receive your gift,
it will be mailed to you after the ball.
So if one of our Witches
Ball Staff Members approaches you about the Costume Contest and you would like
to be considered for an award, please give them your name (or Craft name),
email address and/or phone number.
These people, like our other official staff members, will be wearing
“Witches Ball Staff” badges.
We would like to take
your picture, if possible and post it on our Witches Ball website. Only your name (or Craft name) will
be mentioned on the website.
If that’s not OK by you,
just let us know. It is not a
requirement to enter or win this contest.
The Award Categories are
still being decided. Some of the
categories we are currently considering are:
Best Theme (Male and Female) * Most Imaginative (M&F)
* Best
Child's (M&F) * Director's Choice * Best Among WB Staff & Volunteers *
Most Humorous
Local stores that donate
gifts to our Humane Society Raffle and/or our Stealth Costume Contest will be
mentioned on our website, in our newsletter and at the ball itself. We will
also be happy to give your business card to the Winners). If you wish to donate a gift item or gift
certificate, please contact Dj at info@fullcircleevents.org.
Thank you.
The Pagan Library Project:
The Pagan Library Project
began in the spring of 1999. It is
intended as a resource for anyone who wishes to investigate Paganism in all of
its various forms, and in all of its many origins. Started as a project of the
Advanced Paganism List at Onelist.com, they seek the input of all pagans who
wish to see this database grow and prosper. It is their goal, over time, and
with your help, to become the largest and most comprehensive listing of pagan
books on the Web.
http://www.valaquenta.com/PLP/about.html
Gaia’s Guardian Award Winner for 2002:
The Gaia’s Guardian Award is given annually
by Full Circle to a person or group for "Outstanding work benefiting Mamma
Gaia and her creatures". These people inspire the rest of us by their
courage, caring and compassionate action. You do not have to be Pagan to win
this award - what counts are good deeds and a noble heart. I am pleased and happy to announce that the
Winner of this year’s Gaia’s Guardian Award is The Wildlife Center of
Silicon Valley.
The Wildlife Center of
Silicon Valley rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured and orphaned
wildlife. Included among the animals on
Care List are squirrels, ducks and all types of water birds, eagles, owls,
hawks, songbirds, swallows, foxes, raccoons, Canadian geese, hummingbirds,
possums and snakes. As of June of this
year they received over 2,251 animals in their shelter. On average, they deal
with almost 5,000 animal cases a year.
The
Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization. Up until 1993, the volunteers
were part of the Wildlife Department of the Humane Society of Santa Clara. In
1992, their volunteers received and took care of 7,000 animals. In 1993, due to
budget cuts, the Wildlife Department was no longer in existence. After
receiving this devastating news, their volunteers pulled together and started
the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. This organization has been in existence
since the fall of 1993.
The Parks Department of
San Jose has allowed them to use one of their properties, and they were able to
move into the facility in the summer of 1994. During their first year, they
took in and cared for 3,774 animals. Although the center is primarily a
receiving station for the animals, many injured animals are housed there in
order to attend to their medical needs. Most of the animals that come to The
center go to volunteers' homes for "home care".
Caring
members of the public deliver sick, injured or orphaned birds and mammals to
the Wildlife Center in San Jose. Their skilled volunteers provide care and
rehabilitation. Without help, most of
these animals would perish.
It is
illegal in the State of California to keep any wildlife in your possession
without a permit issued by the California Department of Fish and Game. The
Wildlife Center has been issued such a permit. As a result, they are able to
take in, house, and care for injured, sick or orphaned wild animals found by
residents of Santa Clara County. First aid and basic care is done at the center
by staff and volunteers. Major medical care is provided by veterinarians who
donate their services.
The shelter is
located at 3027 Penitencia Creek Road in San Jose California. Their phone number is (408) 929-WILD. They are always looking for donations, help
and volunteers. If you are interested
in volunteering, please contact them via that phone number or through their
website.
The Center also
has a WISH LIST of much needed items.
If you can contribute any of these items, please contact them. All of your donations (either cash or
equipment) are Tax Deductible.
Their Wish List
can be found here: http://www.wcsv.org/help/index.html
Their Page for
Kids can be found here: http://www.wcsv.org/kids/index.html
Information on
Volunteering can be found here: http://www.wcsv.org/help/index.html
The Gaia’s
Guardian Award will be presented on stage to the members of the Wildlife Center
staff at the Witches Ball. A $250.00
cash award will also be given to the Center.
We are told that this will be used to help build a new Duck Pond for the
care of baby and adult ducks brought into the Center.
We would like to
thank our past and present Witches Ball attendees for your support. Your contributions in the form of ticket
sales make this award possible.
The Sun Dagger:
Shown
here http://www.lapahie.com/Chaco_Sun_Dagger.cfm
is
the "Sun Dagger" by which the Chacoans (Anasazi) were able to read
the harvesting and planting seasons and recorded time's passage. At the winter
solstice, rays of sunlight fell between the 2 huge stone slabs, neatly
bracketing the spiral petroglyph on 443 foot Fajada Butte at the south entrance
to Chaco Canyon. At the summer solstice, a single band of light bisects the
center of the spiral. The spring and fall equinoxes were heralded by an
additional light that fell on the smaller petroglyph, visible to the left of
the larger one. Ms. Anna Sofaer made this discovery in 1977.
The
fascinating Chaco canyon area is discussed in the PBS video titled: The
“Mystery of Chaco Canyon”:
http://www.pbs.org/whatson/press/summer/mysterychaco.htm.
This
one-hour film, narrated by Robert Redford, presents substantial evidence that
the Chacoan people expressed a complex solar and lunar cosmology in their
magnificent architecture. The discoveries documented in the film have
transformed scientific understanding of this site — one of the most elaborate
and mysterious of ancient Native American ruins — and are revolutionizing
perceptions of the Chacoan civilization.
Here
is another interesting page on the Bighorn Medicine Wheel.
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/stars/starkno8.html
It is an informative page
about Native American Sun Wheels and how they work as analog star computers.
and here is a page for those of you who are interested in Archaeoastronomy
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/cfaar_as.html
My thanks go out to
Captain Lightening, our web builder, for this information.
Discworld Party:
The Discworld Fan Party
in honor of Terry Pratchett was a huge success. Over 500 people attended this event, which ran from 7 – 10 in the
evening. We raised $450.00 for the Orangutan Foundation through the auction of
Discworld Items (the Clarecraft Chess Set and the Game of “Thud”) which were
donated by Terry.
Terry looked very
handsome in his velvet smoking jacket and he had a wonderful time seeing old
Bay Area friends and meeting new ones.
Pictures of the Discworld
party will be available via the Snapdragon Gifts website in November. A link will be sent out to all via this
newsletter later on.
I would like to take a
moment to thank the members of the Seamstress Guild (both the California and
Boston Chapters) for their participation.
Without their help in preparing for, decorating, hosting and handling
break down for this party, the event would not have been the great success that
it was.
Seamstress Guild - California Chapter:
Clare (Lilith), Dave (Assassin),
Greg (The Patrician) Jim (Foul O’ Ron), Kristil (Angua), Lee Ann (P’tracy),
Marie (Ms. Marie, Seamstress Extraordinaire) Ray (Teppic), Thalassa (Seamstress
AKA “You can call me Lola”). Yours
Truly appeared as Mrs. Palm.
Seamstress Guild - Boston Chapter:
Deb (Lady in blue), Tony
(Mr. Dibbler, our Auctioneer) , Naomi (our lovely Door dragon), Ann (Mrs. Goodbody). The Boston fans will be hosting Terry as
their Guest of Honor at the Boston WorldCon in 2004.
The California Guild, in
particular, did a huge amount of work before, during and after the party. They were wonderful hosts and hostesses and
they made sure that our guests were entertained and that everyone who wanted to
got to meet Terry. I know that Terry
was very impressed by the decorations, the organization and the costumes worn
by all of our Guild members and by many of the guests.
Later on that evening,
our hard working Guild members had the pleasure of sitting with Terry down in
the bar after the event and hearing him talk about the plot line for his next
book. The group finally broke up around
1 in the morning and we all staggered off to bed.
We would also like to
thank our friend Jade Falcon, who came in a very lovely Victorian costume and
who took our Guild Scrap Book around the room and gathered signatures and notes
for Terry. Jade’s partner bid on and
won the “Thud” game for her at the auction. Lucky girl!
And special mention must
go to the lovely “Satine”, a red headed member of the Con suite Staff from
Minnesota who worked so hard with Lee Ann at our food table. She looked so magnificent in her Moulin
Rouge- style red dress.
All our ladies and
gentleman looked wonderful. Terry was
dazzled, as well he should have been.
I would also like to thank Tammy who created
the lovely floral arrangements and the Tea Tray featuring “Rats on Sticks” for
our food tables. Thanks also go to
Kristil (my favorite Raven) for finding rock candy for the trolls, dried frog
pills (Terry loved these) and the chocolate gold coins for the dwarfs. Yet more thanks go to Ray and Lee Ann who
brought both Rincewind’s Hat and the magnificent blue eyed “Death” who sat in
our foyer. My thanks go out to Clare
who had the foresight to take so many great pictures of the event with her digital
camera.
We are also grateful to
Geri and Sandra of the ConJose staff who worked with us over the last 6 months
to plan this event. Special mention
must also go to Tom Whitmore, a friend of Terry’s and the Co-Chair of the Con
for allowing us to host the party in the Con’s Hospitality Suite at the
Fairmont hotel.
If you were at the party
and you got some good photos, I would love to have a copy. You can contact me at info@snapdragongifts.com
Again, thank you
all. It was a wonderful evening. We made Terry and his many fans very
happy.
Sia
In Memoriam:
Many cities, schools and
businesses throughout the Bay Area will join in a minute of silence at 9 am.
Fire Departments around the country will observe one minute of silence at 6:45
am. Here is the note from one city
website. Check your city for events
such as this in your area.
“The City of Santa Clara will join with the Santa Clara Unified School
District in observing a moment of silence on September 11, 2002 at 9 a.m. in
remembrance of the tragic events that took place a year ago in New York City,
Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
We ask everyone in the community - wherever they
happen to be at this time of day -- to join with us in marking this solemn
occasion. Houses of worship are encouraged to ring their steeple bells.
The Santa Clara Fire Department will be joining
fire departments from around the nation on September 11th to commemorate those
who lost their lives during the tragic events that occurred in New York City,
Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, one year ago. At 6:45 a.m. uniformed fire
personnel will position fire apparatus in front of fire stations with red
lights flashing and observe one minute of silence. Following the moment of
silence a fire bell will toll over the fire radio to commemorate those
firefighters who answered their last alarm that fateful day on September 11th,
2001.
Fire station American flags will be raised and
flown at half-staff for the remainder of the day”
Public Gatherings:
Techno Cosmic Mass for
Remembrance & Healing – Oakland
http://www.technocosmicmass.org/sys-tmpl/schedulefor2002/
San Francisco Day of Remembrance:
http://www.sfdayofremembrance.com/
Services – Non-Religious: http://www.sfvisitor.org/sept11/nonreligious.htm
Community and Volunteer
Events: http://www.sfvisitor.org/sept11/community.htm
Musical Performances: http://www.sfvisitor.org/sept11/musical.htm
Prayer & Meditation: http://www.sfvisitor.org/sept11/PRAYER.htm
Vigils: http://www.sfvisitor.org/sept11/vigil.htm
Bay Area Pro-Peace Events: http://www.craigslist.org/sfo/eve/5519205.html
Contact: Jacqueline Lasahn ritualist@earthlink.net for more information.
http://www.dancemission.com/brigade/company.htm
Websites
that may be helpful:
Tools for coping: http://www.thecentre.org/resources.html
From Belief Net:
A Pagan Ritual for
Commemorating Sept. 11th:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/112/story_11236_1.html
The Rainbow Bridge:
Many of us will be working with concept of The Rainbow Bridge in our meditations on September 11th. . Here is a page that talks about the Rainbow Bridge in folklore and myth: http://haldjas.folklore.ee/folklore/vol6/rainbow.htm
Young Cat in Need of Home:
A 6 month old black and white cat (currently) named Sylvester is in need of a home. He is neutered and perfectly healthy. He has already had his first series of shots. He has a black mask, tail and back. His front legs and his tummy are white. He is calm, loving and very sweet natured. He will be a wonderful lap cat.
He is available to a good home. Please contact Dr. Carole Larsen c/o the Animal Health Center in Santa Clara at (408) 249-1315 if you are interested.
Groups of Interest:
New Women’s
Spirituality Group: Gilroy & Hollister areas:
The flyer says: A new Women's Spirituality Group is forming for the
second and fourth Thursday evenings of each month, beginning in October. Please
contact Susan Lee at orcalove@gte.net or (408) 838-4704. For more details, visit http://www.lighthousewoods.com
Events of Interest:
Aug 8 – Sept 30th:
Vampire Tour of San Francisco:
Sept 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.
Sept 9th -
Motherpeace Astrology Gathering for Women
The flyer says: Where: Corralitos, California (near Santa Cruz, in the
redwoods, request
directions) To register for this and other events, go to: http://www.motherpeace.com/index.html
Sept 11 - Freyr and the Harvest Mare – Berkeley
The flyer says: http://www.hrafnar.org
Sept 12-15 - Women's
Festival - La Honda.
The flyer says: September
12-15 - The Goddess 3k in '02 International Women's Festival will be held in La
Honda. Presented by Z Budapest and the Women's Spirituality Forum, this
Bi-annual International Goddess Festival features Ubaka Hill, Vicki Noble,
Susan Weed, Jennifer Berezan, and many others. Four fun filled goddess honoring
days - the time of your life celebrating this special time in your life -
honoring the Fates. Come sing, dance, learn, and celebrate with your Sisters in
the Heart of California's Redwood Forest. Also offering full Maiden's Program
for two different age groups, one for the younger girls and one for the teens.
Festival fees (if registered by March 31, 2002) $300 for Women and $175 for
Maidens. (Accommodations - cabin with beds - toilets & showers - all meals
catered) For more information, contact bendis@prodigy.net or visit http://www.zbudapest.com.
Sept. 21 - Hearthstone will host a
Fall Equinox Feast
The flyer says: from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Hearthstone Home in San Jose. For more information, please contact Molly at molly@hearthstonecircle.org or visit http://www.hearthstonecircle.org.
Sept 21st – Bark in the Park – Santa Clara
The flyer says: Bark in the ParkTM is a fundraising event hosted by the Naglee Park neighborhood's Campus Community Association. All proceeds benefit the CCA and Humane Society of Santa Clara County, Inc. Both are non-profit organizations serving our local communities. http://www.nagleepark.org/bark/
Sept 21 - Autumnal Equinox Celebration at the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club
The flyer says: from 7-10pm. One again the Earth establishes balance between the light and the dark as the Sun enters the astrological sign of Libra. This is a time to create, prosper and give thanks for all the gifts we enjoy in our lives. It is a time to be humbly grateful for all our teachings, especially those that cause us pain. From now until Winter Solstice, the daylight hours continue to shorten and nights get longer. We begin our descent into the underworld, the world of darkness. Please join us as we collectively honor this passage. Ceremonies are open to all and children are encouraged to take part. Weather and tides permitting, ceremonies occur around a bonfire on the beach. This Equinox marks the Harvest Full Moon, which will be honored by traditional Tarahumara Pipe Ceremony from Mexico. Contribution $10.00, and bring a potluck item. RSVP requested. For more information, contact janfreya@mindspring.com.
Sept 26th thru 30th - Twilight Gathering in the Mendocino Woodlands.
The flyer says: All traditions of magick and witchcraft are invited to a weekend of Transformative ritual, intimate sharing of lore and art, and fine company. For more information, contact Tara@TwilightGathering.org or 510-232-2569, or visit www.TwilightGathering.org.
October 5 - The Loch Lomond Highland Games
The flyer says: This will take place at Highland Parks in Ben Lomond. For more information, contact 831-457-6716, llcs95@lochlomondceltic.org, or visit http://www.lochlomondceltic.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.
Last year we had 600 attendees. This year we hope to have between 600 – 800
people attend.
October 19 - The San
Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium (SFBATS)
The flyer says: This will
take place at the Unitarian Universalist Center. More details to be announced
as plans progress. For more information, contact 415-753-5041.
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
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the night.
Laurance Binyon (1914).