Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members,
In this August edition of our newsletter we have:
Abusive Relationships: The
Warning Signs & What You Can Do About It
* Young Lab Named “Daisy” Needs A Home * The Vagina Monoliths * Perseid
Meteor Shower & Mars * Pagan Shopping * The Goddess in the Gospels * Oaks
Trees and Lightning Strikes * For the Birds * The Suppressed Histories Archives
* 10 Steps Towards a Spiritual Summer * Taking Tea In the Garden * The German Stonehenge * Announcement:
Pagan Inmates Need Books and Supplies * Events of Interest * Grateful Dawg Daze
ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS: THE
WARNING SIGNS & WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT:
This article addresses the issues of abuse in relationships. While it is written for women, any men caught in abusive relationships will find it instructive, as well.
Excerpt: According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, 700,000
Americans experienced nonfatal physical domestic violence in the year
2000. However, the number of
individuals involved in emotionally and verbally abusive relationships may be
10 times that figure (or approximately 8 million people), according to experts
such as Patricia Evans, author of the best-selling book The Verbally Abusive
Relationship. Verbal and emotional
forms of violence and physical abuse are often closely linked, of course. Although not every verbally abusive
relationship ends in battery, every physically violent relationship begins with
verbal abuse. "I once worked with
a woman whose husband controlled her through criticism and angry outbursts, but
had never beaten her. The first time
she tried to leave him, he took a baseball bat to her," says Rita Smith,
executive director of the National
Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "We need to dispel the myth that
verbal and emotional abuse isn't violence, or that verbal abusers aren't dangerous."
Many people in the Earthwise community are recovering or
still suffering from abuse, both past and present. There are books and groups FCE recommends for people dealing with
issues of physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse.
The best book we’ve found that addresses the subject is The Family
by John Bradshaw. This book talks about dysfunctional families
and the toll these sick systems take on children raised within them. It also addresses the way in which these
issues can follow children into adulthood and affect their lives.
We also recommend: Codependent No More by Melody Beatie
Also check out Spiral
Steps, a support group for Pagans and others in the Earthwise
community: We also recommend that
people dealing with these issues check out the recovery groups such as Adult Children of Alcoholics
and Codependents Anonymous (both of which are national groups). Meetings are low cost (about $1.00 per
meeting) and they address issues of all dysfunctional systems, not just
alcoholic families.
This website discusses Victim
Behavior and the links page at Full
Circle lists websites and articles that address these issues for those in
recovery from abuse. Check out the
article by Anodea Judith which talks about these issues and Pagan Circles.
National Domestic Violence Prevention
Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
TTY Hotline: 1-800-787-3224
Services are available in English and in Spanish. Translators are available for 139 different
languages.
Counseling via E-mail: ndvh@ndvh.org
Counseling via E-mail for hearing impaired: deafhelp@ndvh.org
The National Domestic Violence Hotline Website is a terrific resource
for victims, family members, co-workers, and friends. It provides information, links to local hotlines, resources, and
advocacy.
It is also important to recognize Domestic Abuse within the Gay Community
(Our thanks go out the Wren’s
Nest for posting the initial article)
YOUNG
LABRADOR NAMED DAISY NEEDS HOME:
Daisy,
a 17-month-old Labrador retriever needs a good home. She is healthy, smart, and very, very friendly. She loves people and other dogs and is good
with cats. She will be a wonderful family
dog – all she wants is love.
She
is about 5 – 8 lbs overweight and could use more exercise then she is getting
just now. She went through puppy
training, but will need some remedial work; she jumps a bit when she gets
excited and she mouths (softly) and she has a new tendency to dig in the
garden, because she is lonely and bored.
All this can be fixed by any dog lover with enough love and a bit of
patience.
The people who own
her now have been very good to her, but they have decided that owning a dog is
too much work. They recently found a
home for Daisy’s companion dog which is why she is so bored and lonely.
If you can give Daisy
a good home, with a yard, (and perhaps a dog buddy) please call Denise or Dave
at 408-985-1305 between the hours of 5 – 10 pm. We will give you the name and number of Daisy’s owners and you can
arrange to meet her.
Thank you.
THE VAGINA MONOLITHS:
The above titled article generated a great deal of discussion when it appeared. Here is an excerpt:
“
…a University of British Columbia researcher who has investigated the great
prehistoric monument for several years has announced he has uncovered its true
meaning: it is a giant fertility symbol, constructed in the shape of the female
sexual organ.”
Here is a dissenting opinion from a Pagan named Linda.
Linda writes:
“It is true Stonehenge has astronomically significant
alignments, although not as many as people enthusiastically proclaimed
originally. It is easy just by chance alone to find alignments because of
the thousands of visible stars, shifting positions of celestial bodies, and the
multitude of directions and degrees. The author correctly says that there
is a widespread history of an ancient Mother Goddess associated with fecundity
and growth.
But he adds that until now everybody has focused on astronomy and the not the
earth's fertility. He is lacking information here. Ancient people
did and traditional people still do today use the skies as a giant celestial
calendar. The position of the sun in the sky, the appearance and disappearance
of stars in the night time sky, the dance of the great bear around the pole
star join in with the migration of animals, animal behaviors, appearance of
plants and fish to announce planting seasons, the availability of wild foods to
be gathered, hunting seasons and in other climes the upcoming rainy
season. There is more than abundant evidence that astronomy and fertility
are linked all over the earth. Therefore, the author is not novel in
linking the Mother and her fecundity to a ritual site; he is unique in his
anatomical claims though for Stonehenge:)
The author also marries Mother Earth to Father Sun. This is common in
parts of the south west and in some earth-based religions in other parts of the
world. But not all sacred marriages are between Earth and Sun.
Where I live in Chumash Country, Xutash, the Earth Mother, has Sky Snake, The
Milky Way, as her consort. Sky snake gave the gift of fire, because he
spits lightning from his mouth. Sometimes the Sun and Moon are celestial
partners, heterosexual as well as lesbian. Sometimes planets are involved
in the sexual dance, esp. the planet Venus. Her eastern and western
appearances can be the two wives of a mythic figure. One story says Moon
has two wives, but one wife doesn't feed him well (western appearance of
Venus) and he grows thin. Therefore he travels to the east where his
second wife feeds him well and he grows fat. The first (and very thin)
moon crescent is seen in the west, the same area of the sky where we see Venus
as the evening star. For two weeks the moon travels ever backwards
towards the east in the sky at night growing larger. Then the full
moon rises in the east where it can appear on the same horizon where the
eastern appearance of Venus does.
Returning to Stonehenge, firstly is there a mythic association between Sun and
Mother Earth in Great Britain…A place to look for corroborative evidence would
be in what we know of the ancient Druids, legend, fairy tales, current day
folklore, and any iconography, symbols engraved in/pained on materials that
didn't perish & now available to archaeologists.
For example, in Egypt the Goddess Nut's body stretches across the sky from
horizon to horizon as the Milky Way. In the evening she swallows the sun
god and gives birth to him again in the morning. Specific areas of the
Milky Way are mapped out as parts of her body. In this instanced we have
celestial events (sunrise and sunset), sacred history, and the mapping out of
the Milky Way which all coalesce to tell the same story.”
(Our thanks to out to Rowan Fairgrove for sending us this very interesting email and to Linda for writing it)
The Perseids
are probably the best watched of any annual meteor shower. They come in mid-August when it's warm and
comfortable to be outside at 4 o'clock in the morning. They are bright, numerous, and dependable.
This year the shower peaks
on Wednesday, August 13th.
Meanwhile, Mars is
paying us a visit.
PAGAN SHOPPING:
If you love Lavender, as I do, then you are going to love Pelindaba Lavender products. These are grown organically. I especially like the Lavender balm (which smells more natural than any other Lavender balm I have found) but I also love their soaps, wreath, and their culinary lavender. They also have a cookbook, for those of us who love to bake with this herb.
Fat Witch Brownies are individually wrapped with the charming Witch logo. Each brownie is baked just for you, my pretty. Every brownie arrives ready to eat, or you can refrigerate it, put in the freezer or in the microwave. No icing. No preservatives.
Designs by Willow: Check out the Pagan imagery, the animal and oceanic imagery and the Tarot Deck. Here is her image of Isis.
Heaven and Earth Designs are counted cross-stitch designs for lovers of fantasy and nature.
Would you like to learn different drumming rhythms and techniques, but don’t have time to take lessons? Then check out the drumming videos, books and CD’s at Chuck’s website.
THE GODDESS IN THE GOSPELS?
Recently, a series of books, including The Da Vinci Code and the Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Thomas have caused many people to re-evaluate the figure of Mary Magdalene. Lately, Time Magazine published an articled titled “Mary Magdalene: Saint or Sinner?” which discusses how a major figure in the life and story of Jesus was 'harlotized' in the writings of the early Church.
Today Mystic Christians and others are asking questions about this rich woman supporter mentioned in the Christian Testament. Was she really a prostitute or was she actually the wife of Jesus? Could she have been a follower or was she rather a leading figure in the Early Church who vied with Peter for control? Or was she, in fact, a Goddess figure?
You decide.
OAK TREES AND LIGHTNING
STRIKES:
Scientists have proven that oaks are struck by lightning more often than any other tree species - and they literally explode. No wonder ancient Greeks believed the thunder god Zeus lived in oak trees.
One reason for the explosion is that old oaks often have water-filled cavities
in the central heartwood of their trunks.
When the tree is struck
with a 50,000-degree bolt of lightning, the water expands instantly and the
tree explodes like a bomb. The
lightning then travels down the oak and out through its extensive root system. A mature oak can produce a root zone
spreading out 60 feet from the trunk.
The lightning travels along these roots to strike unsuspecting victims
standing well beyond the canopy limits.
So if you are dancing, dreaming, or drumming under an oak tree during storm season, please use some caution.
FOR THE BIRDS:
Here are some websites of interest for our bird loving friends:
Ravens’
Avery: “Ravens, Crows, & birds of ill omen seem to be quite
prevalent in the field of literature.
They've been used as symbols and metaphors in many famous works,
including Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem, "The Raven.” Whether it is the brooding gothic aspect of
the Raven, or the Native Trickster figure getting into mischief, people are
charmed by these dark birds. Browse
through the following and see how charming, or malevolent, you find them...”
Owls in Mythology: “In early Indian folklore, Owls represent wisdom and helpfulness, and have powers of prophecy. This theme recurs in Aesop's fables and in Greek myths and beliefs. By the Middle Ages in Europe, the Owl had become the associate of witches and the inhabitant of dark, lonely, and profane places, a foolish but feared spectre. An Owl's appearance at night, when people are helpless and blind, linked them with the unknown, its eerie call filled people with foreboding and apprehension: a death was imminent or some evil was at hand. During the eighteenth century the zoological aspects of Owls were detailed through close observation, reducing the mystery surrounding these birds. With superstitions dying out in the twentieth century - in the West at least - the Owl has returned to its position as a symbol of wisdom.”
The Lindsey Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek is a wonderful place to go to learn about birds and other wildlife. Here you will see many different species close up and well cared for. The education animals at the Lindsey have been rescued and healed from their injuries. These particular birds cannot be released back into the wild for various reasons. Instead, they live out their lives in the excellent facilities of the Lindsey museum and teach countless children about the wonders of nature.
Here is the story of Peety, the Chemical detecting Pigeon, who has recently come home from the war.
The Audubon Society is very active here in California. This is a wonderful group and they offer guided bird hikes in your area on a regular basis. Check out their page to find the Audubon chapter near you.
Also – good news! – Audubon has just opened a new Bird Watching & Education Center in Hawaii. Here is an excerpt from their website:
“Perhaps the most gratifying part of
Saturday’s event for me has been the response we are receiving from the
community,” said Audubon President John Flicker. “The traditional Hawaiian
blessing ceremony at sunrise was a very moving experience, and the overwhelming
turnout of volunteers was more than we ever expected. I want to thank our
volunteers for their hard work and all the people of Oahu for making us very
welcome here.”
SUPPRESSED HISTORIES ARCHIEVES:
10 STEPS TOWARDS A SPIRITUAL
SUMMER:
This guide comes to us from Belief Net:
TAKING TEA IN THE GARDEN:
The garden just might have your cup of tea: Here is an excerpt from an article on how to make your own herbal teas from common garden plants:
“Cold, lemony teas are appealing in hot weather, and
many herbs have a naturally lemony flavor. The bright, lime-green leaves of
lemon verbena have a pure and intense lemon flavor. This shrub, like pineapple
sage, must be protected where winters are cold. Lemon balm is a robust and
cold-hardy plant. More sedate in its growth is lemon thyme, with dainty leaves
on a foot-high plant.”
THE GERMAN STONEHENGE:
Goseck,
Germany: News of an important discovery has recently gone around the
world. The article states, “The site, which is believed to be a
monument of ancient cult worship, provided the first insights into the
spiritual and religious world of Europe’s earliest farmers. Francois Bertemes
of the university of Halle-Wittenberg estimated the site to be around 7,000
years old. He described its significance as "one of the oldest holy
sites" discovered in Central Europe.”
ANNOUNCEMENT:
PAGAN INMATES NEED BOOKS AND SUPPLIES:
This
announcement comes from the Nonnery
Refuge:
“The
Norse and Wiccan/Pagan groups at the Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown,
CA (near Yosemite) are in dire need of supplies and books. Please contact me if
you have anything that you would like to donate to these guys, who really are
serious spiritual seekers. We have upwards of 100 pagan prisoners who are
starting to get equal access to religious ritual, books, time, worship, etc and
they are in need of all of the small things that make such events enjoyable and
more meaningful. If you are local to the area (Modesto/Stockton/Tracy) and
would like to volunteer time at the prison itself, please let me know. We need
intelligent, compassionate volunteers to give these guys the support they need
to stay walking a spiritual path.”
Contacts: Email: eventide@sbcglobal.net - Phone: 209-588-8106
EVENTS OF INTEREST:
We
currently have hundreds of events listed on our California Community Calendar:
Here
are a few:
And
there are lots more. New events are
added every day.
Click
on the Full Circle
California Community Calendar to access a list of on-going and dated events
throughout the year.
Do
you want your event listed? Then please go to our calendar
page and click on the link that says “Submit Event”. The on-line form is simple and very easy to
use. If you have any questions, please
contact our Networking Coordinator ScoutGhost at ScoutGhst@aol.com
GRATEFUL DAWG DAZE:
It’s Harvest Time and once again we gather round the campfire on vacation and once again we encounter that dreaded beast, the Happy Folk Song. As the article I’ve linked to points out, many children today are not learning the folk songs their parents knew. To be fair, their parents may have wanted it that way. Many people today don’t know the difference between a Children's Song (like Bingo), a Silly Song (like Shaving Crème), a witty and ironic song (Like The Vatican Rag by the great Tom Lehrer) and a Traditional Folk Song.
A traditional folk song is one which has been passed down to us by our musical and very talented ancestors. These songs are beautiful to hear and very rich, both melodically and lyrically. They are not the clichéd, repetitive jingles we learned in camp. But most people associate the phrase “folk song” with the latter, so it’s no wonder they shudder when faced with yet another round of “Kum By Ya”.
Back in my day, we still had "musical appreciation" classes in the California elementary schools and the state funded music departments in the upper grades. The lucky ones had dedicated teachers who loved classical music, world music, early music, and folk music. As a result, many people in my generation grew up loving all sorts of music, traditional folks songs included.
To the younger ones among us who may not have heard the old tunes, I say, “Fear not the folk song”. This musical vein runs rich and deep – give it a chance. The people who wrote the great American folks songs were (for the most part) immigrants from Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland. They brought their music and their instruments to this continent where they influenced Folk, Blue Grass, Blues, Gospel, Rock and other forms of music that we love today.
Traditional Folk Song also has it roots in German &
Italian music and European Early Music as well as African and African-American
music. Thus Traditional Folk Music is
part of many Bardic Traditions going back centuries and across cultures. This music dates from a period when most
people could not read or write, but they could remember ballads, songs, dances
and laments and thus pass along their history and their stories to their
children. Traditional music holds the
voices of our ancestors, speaking to us across time. It would be a shame, then,
if we missed out on the pleasure and history that these songs have to
offer. Since we are careful to learn and share the old stories and myths, we
might also do well to be as careful of the great Folk Tradition which is part
of our heritage.
HERE ARE SOME LINKS OF INTEREST:
A website titled “Old Songs” is
“dedicated to keeping traditional music and dance alive through the
presentation of festivals, concerts, dances and educational programs.” Their 20th anniversary CD is
titled “Live from the Dutch Barn: Music from the Old Songs Festival”.
There is a comprehensive and magnificent Links Page on the Old Songs website.
Here is another great site from the folks at MSN.com, and one on the link between Folk Songs and Early Music.
Those of you who love contemporary and ancient Celtic Music will love and enjoy a radio program called Thistle and Shamrock. This program can be heard at various times on a variety of California radio stations.
I would also recommend a newly released video I rented the other day titled: “Grateful Dawg”. I liked it so much, I bought the companion CD. Here are some notes from the publisher:
Jerry Garcia was famous as the visionary behind the Grateful Dead, but his musical tastes were broad, and he found a rewarding partnership with mandolinist David Grisman, whose distinctive "Dawg" style fused jazz with bluegrass. At its best, Grateful Dawg celebrates the easy friendship and truly inspired musicianship of Garcia and Grisman through grainy home-movie footage with surprisingly crisp sound. As one of the film's commentators says, Grisman made Garcia tighter as a musician, while Garcia made Grisman looser, and where they met they created an infectious, rootsy style they called Grateful Dawg. The film's many highlights include instrumental versions of "Dawg Waltz," "Shady Grove," and "Arabia," as well as splendid footage from Garcia and Grisman's days in Old & in the Way. The talking heads inserted ham-handedly between and over performances, unfortunately, become repetitious and, finally, downright annoying. But Garcia and Grisman fans will still enjoy the glimpse at a rare musical alchemy.
Speaking as a Doctor Demento Fan, I hope that that all sorts of music gets passed down, including Traditional Folk Music, Silly Songs, and Classic Rock.
Yours at the Harvest:
Sia
Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Create the Future
Tom Lehrer Song Lyrics.
Dr. Demento’s website.