Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members,
Snakemoon has written this month’s newsletter with an eye towards the way Earthwise families incorporate their sacred traditions with the secular celebration of Halloween. There is lots of interesting information in this one, including a wonderful essay by Snakesmoon titled “Uncle Ray and the Halloween Tree.”
Whatever and however you celebrate, we wish you all the best during this beautiful and potent time of year.
Sia
In this October edition of our newsletter we have:
Dear Full Circle friends & members:
As most of you know from reading our March 2003 newsletter we lost our WB Director, 2 Committee Chairs and 3 vital, experienced Senior Volunteers early this year due to job changes, moves out of state, illness and/or family obligations. As a result of this, the poor economy and the war, we decided last March to cancel the Witches' Ball in 2003. It takes a year to plan and prepare for the annual Witches' Ball, and we just could not do it this year, under these circumstances.
Take heart. We will offer TWO BALLS in 2004; a Beltane Ball in May and The Witches' Ball in October. Both are fantasy masquerades.
The Beltane Ball: All things wild and wonderful are welcome; Green Men & Green Women, wild animals and birds, Fairies, Sprites, Dryads, Elves, Satyrs and Nymphs. Wenches, Witches, Warriors, Wizards & Wanderers will be in attendance.
The Beltane Ball will be a fundraiser for Full Circle. Our Council can no longer afford to put the expenses for the WB on their credit cards as they have generously done in the past. The Beltane Ball will now allow us the necessary funds to host the larger Witches’ Ball, which is annual fundrasier for the Humane Society.
The Witches’ Ball 2004: The theme for 2004 will be The Silk Road: The magical, mysterious Silk Road is regarded as the greatest East-West trade route. It was the Internet of its age, serving as the conduit not only for goods but also for the transmission of knowledge and ideas between east and west. Costumes can range from the 7th - 15th century and will include clothing, masks and amour from such places as Venice & Rome, Persia, China, Tibet, The Middle East (then known as Arabia), India, and Constantinople. We expect to see traders, dancers, thieves, poets, magicians & astrologers, warriors, entertainers and nobles from many nations mingle in our hall.
We hope that you will be able to purchase tickets to the Beltane Ball when they become available and so help us to keep the Witches’ Ball going.
While I am sad that we had to the cancel this year’s ball, I am deeply grateful to have had this time off. For me and others here, this year off has been a gift. We all needed to pull back and rest and this was the time to do it. Some of us needed to put our attention back on our selves and some of us just needed to recharge. I am very happy to see our core volunteer group moving in directions that are positive for them. Most of these people have tilled the ground for years and are now seeing their personal gardens bloom. I think that they will move into next year with a great deal of strength and a new sense of direction.
Earthwise organizors and non-profit groups all across the U.S. tell us that attendance is down this year between 25 – 50%. If you have a favorite event and you would like to see it keep going, now is the time to give them your support.
Meanwhile, I have been working with folks here to see both the forest and the trees. We have changed some of the things we do here at FCE to make it easier for us. It has been challenging to keep the quality and lighten our load at the same time, but I think we've done it. I am particularly happy with the way the FCE Community Calendar is used by our folks - people are really linking up. There, too, I see ground being sown that will bloom next year.
Other news: We have chosen a wonderful new Director for next year. Ravensong first worked with us at MUSE Camp in 1999. He is a very talented guy, with a great deal of experience in our community, and we are delighted that he will be working with us on the next two balls. We also have a new Council in place, a new website crew and our Dj is booked for both events. We are working and planning for both events as we speak. Everything for 2004 is on schedule.
Some of our Senior Volunteers won't be back to work for Full Circle. Some of them have moved out of state and others needed to move on to concentrate on careers, school or family. They all leave FCE with gratitude and many blessings. Meanwhile, other talented, reliable volunteers have stepped forward to take their place. Now that our core staff has rested, we will have something good to offer our new folks, as opposed to the bunch of grumpy burn-outs we could have become.
I also glad to see that many of our FCE members have used this year to simplify, regroup and re-imagine their lives. We know what kind of persistence and courage that takes and we wish you all the best.
In January 2003, the Council met and decided to re-envision the ball, this time
on a smaller scale; one more suited to the harsh economic realities our
community and our country now faced. As of this writing, our
Council has decided to that the ball will be a smaller event, one designed for
approximately 350 people. We will take smaller halls until the economy
improves and we will continue our commitment to give approximately $2,000 a
year to the Humane Society.
I would thank you all for your support in past years. I would also like to thank those who recently donated the needed funds to rent the hall for the Beltane Ball. Donations for Full Circle came in from all over California and as far away as Ireland. We used this money (almost $300 dollars) towards renting the hall for the two events we plan to put on in 2004.
A Bio page for our new Council, Staff and our new Director will be up soon. Tickets to the Beltane and Witches Ball will also be available – look for announcements and a ticket page after the holiday. Our FCE calendar has further notes about both of these these balls under the headings BELTANE BALL 2004 AND WITCHES BALL 2004. Our website will also offer more details after Samhain.
On behalf of our volunteer staff, I would like to wish Happy Holidays to you and yours. We wish you all prosperity, perspective, health and joy in the coming year.
Sia & the folks at Full Circle Events
-------------------------------------------
For those of you who have not yet attended a Witches’ Ball, here is a brief history of this popular event:
In 2000, (each year has a link to that parcicular ball’s website)
We rented the lovely Lucy Stern Center in Palo Alto for our first ball. The theme that year was Art Deco. As far as we could tell no one had thrown a Witches’ Ball in Northern California in almost twenty years. By the day of the ball 72 people had bought tickets. Everything had to be planned from scratch and we had no money for advertising. We figured we’d be lucky if 90 people came. That night over 300 people showed up, and with 50 staff and 6 Vendors, we had over 370 people involved. The evening was great fun and the crowd had an incredible spirit. (My favorite moment was the presentation of the Gaia’s Guardian Award). We also learned a few things. And we gave $2,000 to the Humane Society.
This Witches’ Ball took place a month and a half after the terrors of Sept 11th. The theme that year was Fairies and we based our website design and our decorations on the work of Brian Froud. We rented the Scottish Rite Center in San Jose that year. The Scottish Rite center holds 600 people and has a 3 level dance floor, a great vendor space, and lots of parking. It also costs $9k to rent.
The economy was worsening, but was not nearly as bad as it is now. After all the shock and sorrow, people wanted something life affirming and fun to go to. They wanted community and connection. We gave them that. Everyone was kind and helpful. The evening was wonderful, the crowd was gorgeous, the Dj played all the right music and the decorations were lovely. Many people we didn’t even know came early to help set up and stayed late to help break down.
Wendy and Brian Froud were slated to be in town and planned to attend, but they were forced to cancel their book tour after the Twin Towers fell and were unable to come to U.S. Even so, Brian Froud sent several signed prints to the event and we were able to auction these off, with the proceeds going to the Humane Society.
Overall, we raised almost $2,500 for the Humane Society, after expenses.
The whole event felt blessed and we all went away enthusiastic and happy. This particular ball served as a source of healing and comfort to our community during a difficult time and we are grateful for the memories we have from that night.
The theme that year was “Bohemia and the Moulin Rouge” . As we worked on this event, the economy tanked, stocks fell to an all time low, Enron and other scandals came to light, many local businesses failed, the threat of war loomed ahead and thousands of people in California lost their jobs . Finding new jobs in this area was hard-to-impossible and a general sense of unease entered into the community. Meanwhile, hundreds of our regular supporters moved away. So, we left the (very expensive) Scottish Rite Center and took the San Jose Civic Center in downtown San Jose. “At last!", we thought, “a place we can afford and where we can grow over time. Ticket prices can stay the same, and we’ll have more money for the Humane Society. Yeah!”
Somewhere, the Tricksters were laughing.
In times of tragedy, people tend to come together for comfort and support. It is just the opposite during a downturn. In times of economic hardship, most people tend to “circle the wagons” and take care of their own. So it was sad but not surprising to find that fewer people attended the ball in 2002, then had come to dance in 2001. All over the U.S. non-profit groups were suffering and ours was no exception.
Despite these challenges the evening was a great success. 450 people came (bless every one of you!) and our attendees had a great time. The hall looked wonderful, the vendors made money (especially the corset Vendor!), the raffle went very well and the Dj did a very eclectic dance mix while taking requests.
The costumes worn by our attendees were amazing. The entertainers and the photographer also did a great job. All of the volunteers worked their butts off to make things run smoothly. Most of our senior staff worked in that hall from 8 am to 2 am the next morning with help from wonderful volunteers who came and went as their schedule allowed. I still can’t believe how few people managed to make the hall look great and still manage run the ball so well.
The Humane Society staff also came and they had a great time. Our community and our group can be proud of what we accomplished that night. We gave $1,800 to the Humane Society, but the lower-than-expected attendance and extra expenses meant that we had little seed money left for 2003.
We are currently working to meet the challenges ahead in 2004. With your support the Witches’ Ball will continue on and improve. Thank you.
------------------------------------------------
In light of the amount of candy some of us will cadge from the trick-or-treaters in our households, Sia sends important news:
From UPI: GLASGOW, Scotland, Aug. 27 (UPI) — Chocolate increases blood antioxidants but consuming milk at the same time cancels the health benefits, says a new study from the University of Glasgow. The speculation is milk might have the same effect on other antioxidant-rich foods, including fruit and green vegetables, NewScientist.com reported Wednesday.
Researchers in Scotland and Italy looked at the body's absorption of an antioxidant found in cocoa, called epicatechin. Volunteers were given either plain chocolate or milk chocolate. Some were also given milk in the double-blind experiment. Then their antioxidant levels were tested.
"Those volunteers who had dark chocolate had a 20 percent increase in antioxidants in their plasma," said Alan Crozier, one of the research team. "But those who had milk chocolate, or milk with their dark chocolate, showed no increase in epicatechin plasma levels."
Crozier suggests it might be advisable to refrain from milk products in combination with chocolate. Antioxidants lower the level of free-radicals in the blood. Prolonged exposure to free-radicals has been linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer.”
So, Sia and I agree: Hershey's milk chocolate isn't anywhere near as good for you as Scharffen-Berger 70% bittersweet! (Or, as tasty!)
BAY AREA TAROT SYMPOSIUM:
The annual Bay Area Tarot Symposium, hosted by the Daughters of Divination, will take place this year in San Francisco on October 18th from 10 – 5.
Speakers will include:Mary Greer (renowned Tarot author, including Tarot for Yourself), Lon Milo DuQuette (Understanding Aleister Crowley’sThoth Tarot, Tarot of Ceremonial Magick), Kooch Daniels (Tarot d’Amour), Dr. Art Rosengarten (Tarot & Psychology), Joseph Martin (The Quest Tarot), Valerie Sim-Behi(Comparative Tarot), Ellen Lorenzi-Prince (Tarot of the Crone), Holly Voley (expert on the Rider-Waite Tarot), & many more to be announced, plus the art of Arnell Ando & Marie White.
Join the best and brightest in field, as well as promising newcomers and local favourites, for a day of lectures, exhibitions and presentations on all aspects of Tarot -- plus readings & the fabulous Tarot Bazaar.
For more information: Contact Thalassa at (415) 753-5041 or airndarkness@yahoo.com
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE Halloween …
Well, frankly, with today’s accelerated retail policies, it was beginning to look a lot like Halloween right after they stopped selling red-white-and-blue bunting. But All Hallow’s Eve, Hallowmas, Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, the Thinning of the Veil … whatever you call it and what ever you celebrate, it’s time for what Alexei Kondratiev (writing in the Quarterly Journal of Celtic Spirituality) calls “the season of death and renewal.”
Everywhere you look, people are hanging up skeletons, spiders, and cauldrons. Capitalizing on its historic roots, Salem, Massachusetts hosts an annual Halloween Festival, while closer to home the Winchester Mystery House will host a special tour on Halloween night. (They also host these tours on every Friday the 13th). Tour the rambling, mysterious mansion at night withonly themoonlight, a souvenir flashlight, and your imagination to provideillumination through the bewildering maze of rooms and stairways.
The Halloween Alliance – for those who take Halloween seriously – also spotlights the Mystery House on their website. Teachers looking for seasonal ideas for the classroom can find useful links and suggestions at the Teacher’s Lounge.
Dragon Lady writes: This year the Spirit Stores have some of the very best wings I've seen in years, including some great wings for adults. My favorites are the new Dragon Wings (antique gold with talons), the Gothic Fairy wings, the Punk Fairy wings and the Purple and Green Vampire wings. They also have a wonderful collection of multi-colored and rainbow wings - all in adult sizes. Prices range between $14 - $25.00 each. (The wings they offer for children are better this year, as well.)
Also, check out their new Venetian masks. These come attached to a hair band and flip down, over the face. As a result of this new design they are more comfortable to wear, plus they stay put!
Thanks to Disney, pirates are going to be big this year. The Spirit Stores have some great pirate outfits for both men and women. Arrrrgh! These stores also offer plus size costumes for you gals with curves.
Those of you who plan on going to the Beltane Ball next year as fairies, or those who want Venetian masks for the Witches Ball in 2004 may want to haunt the Spirit Stores during their After Halloween Sale. I always find great bargains at these sales, but you have to get there early.
And thanks to Target, you can be Halloweenish from head to toe: the store has cute Halloween socks Ladies, size 4 - 10, for $2.99. Black cats (50's style with rhinestones), Witch stripes, eyeballs, spiders, Pretty witches on brooms, pumpkins, etc., black cats in baskets with half moons on the sides - very cute.
And what would this harvest holiday be without food? For ghastly and ghoulish ideas, Britta’s web site offers every thing from Eerie Eyeballs to Haunted Human Heart (with recipes and photos!). Or, if you just need to do something with the gourds that are suddenly overrunning your garden, try this recipe for Pumpkin Bread:
Makes 2 loaves.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups of fresh pumpkin --> 16 ounces if using canned pumpkin
2/3 cup water --> if pumpkin is canned
1/2 cup water --> if pumpkin is fresh or frozen
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir until blended. Add nuts. Mix well. Pour into two 9x5" loaf pans. Bake 1 hour. Cool slightly and take out of pans to let cool on a rack. This tastes best if you wrap, refrigerate, and wait a day to eat it. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
And when you get tired of pumpkins and chocolate, order up some Chinese food and ponder this mystery: Who Was General Tso And Why Are We Eating His Chicken?
And in the case of Terry Pratchett, that’s a good thing. Pratchett, author of the beloved Discworld series, will be signing his new book, "Monstrous Regiment," at the following California locations in October:
October 10, 2003, 7:30 PM PST
SAN FRANCISCO
Cody's Books
2454 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley, CA
October 11, 2003, 12:00 PM PST
SANTA CRUZ
Bookshop Santa Cruz
1520 Pacific Ave.
October 11, 2003, 7:30 PM PST
SAN JOSE
Barnes & Noble
3600 Stevens Creek Blvd.
And, if you haven’t read it, here’s a bit more about "Monstrous Regiment" to wet your appetite:
War has come to Discworld . . . again.
And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centers on the small, insufferably arrogant, strictly fundamentalist duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on it's ability to beat up on its neighbors for even the tiniest imagined slight. This time, however, it's Borogravia that's getting its long overdue comeuppance, which has left the country severely drained of young men.
Ever since her brother Paul marched off to battle a year ago, Polly Perks has been running The Duchess, her family's inn -- even though the revered national deity Nuggan has decreed that female ownership of a business is an Abomination (with, among others, oysters, rocks, and the color blue). To keep The Duchess in the family, Polly must find her missing sibling. So she cuts off her hair, dons masculine garb, and sets out to join him in this man's army.
To read more about this book and the Discworld World Series (which includes the famous "Witch Books"), please go to: http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/. The Witch Books in the Discworld series are as follows: Equal Rites; Wyrd Sisters; Witches Abroad; Lords & Ladies; Maskerade; Carpe Jugulum.
For more information on all things Discworld, including all the words to "The Hedgehog Song" and the rules to Cripple Mr. Onion, please go to: http://www.ie.lspace.org/. This wonderful website, called L-Space, also includes the Annotated Pratchett section, a huge undertaking by his fans which notes the cultural, literary, historical and scientific references made in the DW books.
Pratchett won the Prometheus Award for Best Novel this year for “Night Watch.” This award honor outstanding science fiction/fantasy that explores the possibilities of a free future, champions human rights (including personal and economic liberty), dramatizes the perennial conflict between individuals and coercive governments, or critiques the tragic consequences of abuse of power—especially by the State.
For those of us who regularly experience an urge to do a lot of nesting as we go into the winter, you can find a lot of tips for fall cleaning from the Aromatherapy household recipes, EcoLiving, Healthy Home, and BusyMoms websites.
Why are natural cleaners a good idea? Well, according to a study at Bristol University in England that was published in New Scientist in 1999, in homes where aerosol sprays and air fresheners were used frequently, mothers suffered from 25% more headaches and 19% more depression, and infants under six months of age had 30% more ear infections and 22% higher incidence of diarrhea. Hey, if that’s true, I’ll take my air “un-freshened,” please!
And one Earthwise mother wants to brainstorm with others about recycling projects for her community.
Natural Bridges State Beach is world-renowned for its yearly migration of monarch butterflies. Visitors can see thousands during the butterflies’ peak season. The best time to see monarchs in the park is from October 15th to February 1st. For more information on the monarchs, see the Pelican Network site. And this from City of Pacific Grove website:
“California's stunning coastline is a well-known romantic getaway -- for the monarch butterfly. These elegant insects hole up in Pacific Grove from October to March, but February may be the best time to see them in action. Right around Valentine's Day the monarchs start their mating ritual, a refined affair in which the male butterfly lands on his mate, picks her up and carries her into the eucalyptus trees. As many as 30,000 butterflies descend on Pacific Grove's Monarch Sanctuary each year, so they're usually pretty easy to spot. However, the best time for monarch viewing is between noon and 3PM. These heat-loving butterflies stay sluggish until the outside temperature climbs above 55 degrees, and often spend the cooler morning hours spreading their wings to catch the sunlight.
To find the Sanctuary, take the marked path near the intersection of Ridge Road and Lighthouse Avenue, near 17 Mile Drive. The Sanctuary is free and open to the public, and local "butterfly docents" are often around to answer questions. If one day of butterfly watching isn't enough for you, consider staying in Pacific Grove -- visitors can take advantage of special Monarch Days discounts and gifts offered through the Chamber of Commerce (831-373-3304). If you're still curious about these delicate creatures, check out the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History at Grand and Central Avenues. Happy monarch watching!
Butterfly season kicks off the first weekend of October with the annual Butterfly Parade and Celebration at Robert Down Elementary School Oct. 4 and the Historic Homes Tour Oct. 5. Come for that weekend or any other through March 15 and try out the brand-new trolley that shuttles butterfly watchers between visitor locations. The tour lasts 90 minutes and tickets are $12. Bring a butterfly-loving friend and they pay $6. Every hotel in town participates in Monarch Days, so if you're looking for that perfect weekend sanctuary, visit the site or call the Chamber of Commerce.”
Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley and some very lucky duckies: WCSV won last year’s Gaia’s Guardian Award, which included a plaque and a check for $250.00 from Full Circle. WCSV put the money towards these duck ponds, which are now complete and clearly being put to very good use.
The center has a nifty page on their latest rescues and newborns. Check out the adorably little “Petunia!”
By the way, the folks at Wildlife Rescue of Silicon Valley send their best regards to the staff and members of Full Circle. About five WCSV staff attended the ball and had a great time. They all appreciate our support.
African does matter: The goal of AFRICA MATTERS to promote wildlife conservation by promoting the interaction of artists, teachers and scientists. Visit their site to learn how you can help save the glorious wonders of the veldt for future generations.
And if you want to save some four-footed folk a bit closer to home, visit the California Directory of Pet Adoption Resources.
In other animal news, read about a tiny but intrepid hitchhiker in the Marin Independent Journal and some at the
Apparently, Barbie is more than just a skinny doll with obvious implants: according to the Saudis, she’s also a threat to morality (gasp!). In a moment of energetic solidarity with oppressed girls every where, some feminists have suggested that we drop thousands of Barbies, complete with Barbie cars, laptops, business suits, jogging togs and pink hair styling salons over certain countries like Afganastan, where women are still beaten for daring to attend school or for not wearing a veil in public. Barbie has been a U.S. President, an astronaut, a doctor, a teacher, a Witch, and a Queen (pick a kingdom, any kingdom). She has her own Harley, but she has never, ever done housework. When you think about it, we’ve sent far worse symbols overseas over the years….
Before the fundamentalist Talaban regime took over in Afghanistan, women were:
Are things getting better? The news is mixed. RAWA has spent the last decade working towards regaining the freedom of women in Afghanistan. It will take more than humorous symbols to accomplish this. You can read about their work on their website.
What is the real role of women in Islamic (as opposed to Islamic fundamentalist) society? The students at the University of Arizona Women’s Studies Project asked that question and you can read what they learned at a site titled “Women and Islam”.
In fairness to our Muslims sisters and others who object to little Miss Mattel, Barbie is indeed seen as a sex object in most of the world—which isn’t surprising, since she was inspired by a German sex toy named Bild Lilly? Yup, Barbie started out life as a prostitute ... with a tattoo.
Sia recently had correspondence on the issue of dress and history with another Pagan feminist:
Sia wrote:
As students of culture, you and I know that this is
not the worst time in human history. Far from it, in fact. The
ancestors have a great deal to tell us just now and I think that our people
will benefit from the reminder. For some of them, these are the first of their
hard times and they
don't have models showing them how to cope. As a tribe, we have the
memory of a butterfly on cocaine. I am therefore, very grateful to people
who have the broader range of vision and who can remind us of what we need to
be doing right now.
While there is much to be angry about, I hope that people can use this energy to work for change. I see many people making changes in their own lives (this last moon in particular has been something to see!) and these changes have a ripple effect. I see others working on the community scale and this work has power. I see a lot of hope in many places on earth and I try and keep things in perspective.
I am still hopeful that the position of women in the Middle East and other countries dominated by patriarchal and/or fundamentalist thinking can be improved. I have watched Afghanistan (and other places) in horror for 20 years now and I hold these brave women in my heart. I believe that the women & children in that region hold the real hope for change and I am praying that they aren't beaten down and caged yet again. Now is a good time for Western Women to reach out to our Muslim and Middle Eastern Sisters. I see it happening, especially in the colleges and community groups and in inter-faith meetings.
One thing does concern me. I see some of our sisters focusing too much on how these women dress. I honestly don't care what they wear on their heads, as long as it is their choice and not someone elses’. The important thing is that they keep their minds free and their bodies and their children safe.*
We too often mistake "being like us" for real freedom. Women in the West have their own chains and these can be all the more strong for being invisible.
The Organizor replied:
Yes, I have felt the same about the Afghan women's dress. For one thing, the burkas are beautiful--they represent women's incredible talents at creating beautiful textiles, and I'm sure they date from a very ancient time, and I'm equally sure they didn't have anythingt to do with repression and everything to do with protection in the desert, probably from the wind and sun, as well as tremendous beauty. American women are sometimes very limited in our vision. And we put way too much value on externals. The women in Central Asia (like the women in India, Africa, South America, etc.) have a kind of self-possession that we can't even touch, and that is priceless (female empowerment, based on the blood mystery, the earth energy). We women in the West are slow to learn this. We consider ourselves so "free," and yet many people are regurgitating State Media propaganda as if it were original thought--very disturbing. Yes, exactly what you said, we mistake "being like us" for freedom. We are in great danger at this moment in history for making this mistake (as they dismantle our freedoms, and leave our fashions intact).
I feel a great pressure to rest and regroup, as you suggested. I think many of us who have been in the leadership in a spiritual way are being groomed now for whatever is ahead. Sit back, breathe, take stock, and wait for orders--that's how I feel out here in the woods. Save what you love. And be prepared for the unknown. Dispel fear. Attune to Nature. Be present. That's my current practice.
Our thanks go out this lady for her good advice. This October newsletter is dedicated to all of the other women and men working for equality, peace and tolerance the world over.
By the way, there is a "Muslim Barbie" (sort of). Made by Noorart, the doll is called is Razanne and she wears modest Muslim garb. Razanne is meant to be an independent woman and a role model for modest Muslim girls. She, too, has a laptop. Perhaps someday, she and Barbie can be email buddies and they can debate the issue of dress and trade stock tips.
When it comes time to remember the Honored Dead, please keep a thought for those who lost their lives this year in other countries, as well as those loved ones we remember here at home.
Blessed Samhain,
Sia & Snakemoon.
* for more discussion of this issue from an Islamic woman’s point of view, read: Veiling
PAGAN COMICS:
Oh My Gods:
http://ohmygods.timerift.net/strips/2003/
// this year's archives
http://ohmygods.timerift.net/
// main page
P.U.T.F.:
http://www.accendi.net/putf/archives/
// archives
http://www.accendi.net/putf/
// main page
And for you Techno-Wizards:
User Friendly (which has a Pagan character)
http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20001030
// start of pagan stuff
http://ars.userfriendly.org //
main page
Enjoy.
A recent study suggests that some people should be careful about using melatonin.
Appreciation, adoration, and her own art exhibit at the Met! (Hey, chocolate and roses make nice offerings as well …)
Click here to read Macha Nightmare’s report in WitchVox.
As we move through hurricane season, it’s nice to know these frightening storms are not just Mama Gaia pitching a fit. According to The Washington Post, hurricanes have a bright side.
If you’re new to California and trying to find other EarthWise spirits to work and play with, here’s a site recommended by one of Full Circle’s members: MysticWicks offers is an online community with a variety of bulletin board-type forums divided by interest. As we discover other well-run online communities, we’ll note them in future newsletters.
GNOSIS CAFÉ DREAM STUDIO:
Anne Hill, the Owner of Serpentine Music and the co-author of the book “Circle Round For Children” has recently embarked on a new venture and opened the Gnosis Café Dream Studio. Website. Anne writes:
This site represents the culmination of my decades-long process to bring together dreamwork, ritual, magic, and meditation for personal healing and collective transformation.
Dreams are one of our most fertile links to the well of creativity and inspiration that lie at the root of human consciousness. By tapping into this source individually and in groups, we can bring the guidance from our dreams into our waking lives in surprising, fulfilling ways. This site describes some of the many ways I encourage people to take this journey. I hope you will join us, too.
Anne is a long time supporter of Full Circle and a former Council member. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate her on achieving her Masters Degree from the Center for Creation Spirituality.* She is now the Reverend Anne Hill.
Anne has also just sent her first born off to college at UC Santa Cruz. Congratulations to the Hill family!
* These are the people who bring us the wonderful Techno-Cosmic Mass. The next mass will be on October 12th. The theme is: Kinship with Animals.
EVENTS OF INTEREST
Publishers Note: Samhain events abound during the month of October. Some of these events are now highly political in nature. Others are more focused on the ancestors and the sacred. Some events are more traditional and some are inter-faith or eclectic by design. FCE has requested that each group give an accurate and current description of their event on the FCE Community Calendar and on their websites and we have found that some groups are better at doing this than others.
We have also heard complaints in past years from members who have attended events that say they have one sort of focus and then turn out to have a completely different focus on the night in question. If you plan on attending a public event during this magical season, we recommend that you ask questions about the nature and intent of the event in question. Don’t just go by what website says (it might not be current) or the description in the calendar; write or call the Event Coordinator and see if the event in question is really your cup of tea. This is a powerful time and it behooves us (both organizers and attendees) to work with one another with honestly, clarity and conscious intent.
Full Circle is not responsible for any event that we do not specifically host. We do not support or sponsor any of these events or contacts unless specifically stated. Please use your own discretion when attending these events or connecting with people you do not already know. This list is intended as an information resource only, and is non-promotional.
Sia
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
For a holiday that focuses on the twin pleasures of dressing wacky and eating good tasting things, Halloween is often mired in controversy. Years ago in my son’s elementary school, we encountered the usual issues of Christian parents objecting to their children celebrating a “Satanic” holiday (and Jehovah’s Witness’ offspring, who are apparently not permitted to celebrate any holidays or birthdays).
What was less expected were the more general debates around costumes and decorations. Many families energetically campaigned for restrictions around any element that depicted violence or war, often broadened to include almost anything with a scary component. Also verboten were any form of superheroes.
Umm, well, yes. But (I’d feebly argue), dead things are the point of Halloween. (Along with scary things, yucky things, and magical things.)
In the larger Pagan community, the Halloween/Samhain controversy often focuses on the “desecration and commercialization of our sacred ceremony.” Indeed, some groups righteously insist on scheduling Samhain ritual activities on the 31st, thus forcing members with children to choose between honoring their beloved dead and serving their small but living progeny. (Heck, on that topic alone, it’s surprising how few Pagans realize that Samhain is a seasonal holiday; various groups used different ways to determine the date, often relating to the sun’s inclination, full moon, etc.)
It seems that many of us have forgotten a bit about how—and why—our current holiday practices evolved. As noted above, there are many celebrations that honor the ancestors and acknowledge the role that death plays in the cycle of life. In old Europe, All Hallows Eve was the final harvest before the long winter. Often considered the demarcation of the New Year, it was a time of dancing, feasting, and revelry to celebrate making it through another 12 months intact—and to help the community connect and bond in the face the upcoming winter. Both those who’d died were during the year and those who’d been born were honored.
In Central America, European and Aztec tradition blended to produce the Day of the Dead, actually series of days honoring ancestors and spirits. This holiday is an unusual combination of both the serious and the whimsical. Celebrants make alters for loved ones, decorating them with the person’s favorite possessions and foods. Celebrants enjoy festive picnics at the family burial plot, sometimes with music and toasts to the departed dead. And everyone eats treats shaped like skulls, coffins, and skeletons.
Our modern tradition of dressing up in macabre attire may have developed as a way of dealing with the fear of death and the need to make a link to long-dead ancestors. Of course! Embody what you fear and you defuse that fear just a bit. Or, a person may pick a costume that indicates what they want to be in this life: strong, smart, fearless, funny. And stuffing yourself on sweets harkens back to the other purpose of this final harvest: eat up, because there’s going to be a lot less on the table in the coming months. (And fatten up, so you too will survive the winter.)
So, in my opinion, feasting and flamboyance are not at odds with the “purity” of Samhain. They are instead one aspect of a larger collection of traditions that includes altars for loved ones, the Spiral Dance, and reunion with our beloved dead in the Isle of Youth.
For families that wish to acknowledge the delightful role that Halloween plays in the lives of their children while nonetheless broadening their appreciation of the larger implications of this time of year, I’d recommend an animated video based on Ray Bradbury’s book, The Halloween Tree. (Better yet, get them to read the book!)
Apparently, Uncle Ray wanted to share a thing or two about how communities throughout history deal with loss, honor the waning sun, and face the darkness. Think of this as the Christmas Carol for the EarthWise world.
And remember, every little trick-or-treater is out there facing the dark with reckless abandon, a goofy outfit, and an empty bag, hoping for sweet tasting gifts from the world at large. And hey, isn’t that that a pretty good metaphor for the rest of us?
Entering the darkness with fear and joy,
SnakeMoon
Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Create the Future