Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members,
In this November edition of our newsletter we have:
While Snakemoon unpacked boxes in her new home and struggled with a lousy internet connection, the FCE Council and Committee Chairs hosted meetings and began work on our plans for 2004.
Full Circle will offer a Beltane Ball (May 8th) and a Witches’ Ball (October 23rd) in 2004. Both events are described on the FCE Community Calendar under the dates in question.
We wish you all a peaceful and pleasant holiday. May all our connections go smoothly and may we remember the many reasons we each have to give thanks.
Sia
As we head into the winter, it’s a great time for curling up by the fire with a good book. And for those who exchange holiday presents, books make a wonderful gift. Here are a few interesting tomes that have come our way…
What to give the cat who has everything, but is bored with it: Doris Dingle's Crafty Cat Activity Book: Games, Toys & Hobbies to Keep Your Cat's Mind Active.
For many of us, journal writing is an important part of each day. To encourage a budding journalist, try Christina Baldwin’s Life's Companion: Journal Writing As A Spiritual Quest. Christina is also the author of Calling the Circle: The First and Future Culture, a book about creating ritual circles.
The Affair of the Poisons by Anne Somerset is an instructive tale of state paranoia, which attempts to answer the question, “Why does a powerful, confident nation suddenly become obsessed with invisible threats to its security?” Set in 17th century France, the book is a study – sometimes graphic – of the events surround the trial of the Marquise de Brinvilliers, a enthusiastic poisoner in the court of Louis XIV.
Looking for a children’s book? The Mistress of Spices is the story of Tilo, a young woman born in another time in a faraway place, who is trained in the ancient art of spices and ordained as a mistress charged with special powers. Once fully initiated in a rite of fire, the now immortal Tilo--in the gnarled and arthritic body of an old woman--travels through time to Oakland, California, where she opens a shop from which she administers spices as curatives to her customers. Spices is a tale of joy and sorrow and one special woman's magical powers. (Note: A Book Signing is scheduled for this author at the Barnes & Nobel in Santa Clara on November 20th.).
For those of you interested in the beauties of the winter sky, we recommend two books: Secrets of the Night Sky: The most Amazing Things in the Universe You Can See with the Naked Eye & 365 Starry Nights: An Introduction To Astronomy For Every Night Of The Year.
AN INTERFAITH SAMHAIN:
Amara in San Francisco has written a wonderful article for The Witches’ Voice titled An Interfaith Samhain. Her story shows that peace and understanding are possible if we open our hearts, tell the truth, and really listen to one another.
We think that you will appreciate Amara’s journey and that you will be moved by her description of this loving Samhain ritual. We can all take courage from this moving example of tolerance and respect.
Sia
Civilizations dating back to the 4th Century (Etruscans, Romans... Britain, America) have held turkey or chicken wishbone contests. Pulling the dry turkey or chicken bone until it snapped ("lucky break"), they believing the winner's wish or dream would come true. ...Many believe that this symbol will "catch" their dreams, bring good luck, and make their wishes come true (and that) the object becomes a channel of good energy.
We’re not sure about the vegetarian equivalent for this. Would a root vegetable do as well? You be the judge.
And if you treasure your cell phone, you might enjoy this Guardian article about the increasingly painful uses of text messaging. It made Sia ponder how writers of the past would have responded to the creative challenges of the mobile phone. Dorothy Parker would have been a smooth operator, text messaging through the “full gamut of emotions from a to b” until she found z. Oscar Wilde would have been a natural, too, firing off witty epigrams in all directions. Doubtless he'd have substituted the word “mobile” for “diary” in the famous line: “I never travel without my mobile. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”
· Check out the gallery and the doll making kits at Gretchen Lima.
· Electric Celt has attractive Raven T-Shirts, pendants and triskeles.
· Ilze Heider has an interesting gallery of leather bag designs.
· Kozlowski Farms in Sonoma County offers a wonderful selection of gourmet jellies, jams, butters, marmalades and preserves (either with sugar or fruit sweetened) as well as marinades, mustards, chutneys, salad dressings (including fat free and no oil) bruschettas and fudge sauces. Flavors include classics like apple, red raspberry and peach, as well as chipotle, jalapeño and cabernet sauvignon. We recommend the Pumpkin Butter, the Mint Apple Jelly, or the Garlic-N-Basil Bruschetta. They offer great gift baskets ranging from $20 - $125.00 and they will ship all over the globe. These products are available on-line, through their print catalog and in select grocery stores throughout the Bay area. Phone: 800-473-2767
We were glad to hear that folks enjoyed the cartoons listed in the last newsletter. To further tickle your fancy, we offer Dharma the Cat: a series about a noviceon the rocky path to nirvana in company with a Buddhist cat, and a mouse hell-bent on cheese.
For those of you interested in Asian Pagan studies, here is an essay titled:
From
Friends of Sea Otters:
The southern sea otter can only be found off the coast of California between
Half Moon Bay (south of San Francisco) and Santa Barbara. …One of the best
places to view sea otters is in the Monterey area, where they can easily be
seen from the cliffs above the water. Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing is
another good area to view sea otters. FSO also publishes an Otter Spotter
guide that lists good viewing locations around the Monterey Peninsula.
There are also many aquariums that have rehabilitated sea otters on display. You may visit sea otters at the following aquariums: SeaWorld San Diego, Colorado's Ocean Journey, Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, New York Aquarium, Oregon Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the New England Aquarium.
The Marine Mammal Center rescued many marine mammals this year. These wonderful creatures are more endangered than many people think.
Many Otters, in particular, are getting sick and dying of kidney and liver disease and scientists are wondering about the cause. One theory links kitty litter with the diseases found in sea otter populations. Learn about the threat to Sea Otters and see how you can help.
On a brighter note, Otter pup numbers are up in the 2003 Census. Friends of the Sea Otter has some interesting information on pups, while The Otter in History is a very interesting story.
There are a number of viewing locations on the Monterey Peninsula, where you can see these wonderful animals. You can also Adopt a Sea Otter, which would make a wonderful Yule gift.
Let’s hope that many more Sea Otters grace our lovely coast in years to come.
Barbie does Love Spells? Why, yes, she does! (Don’t tell the Muggles or the Christian right!) By day, Secret Spells Barbie, and her friends Christie and Kayla are fashionable schoolgirls; by night they turn into magical enchantresses. (This happens to me all the time. Leave the house in plaid skirt and knee sox; return in spider silk gossamer and moonlight. The neighbors are beginning to talk…)
SF Gate columnist Mark Morford recently skewered the pseudo-Wiccan elements of Secret Spells Barbie, but hey, nice to know that the EarthWise community is so visible that we’ve even gotten to the attention of Mattel.
Next year they’ve promised a new collectable Barbie and Ken role-playing as Arwen & Aragorn.
Ah, mathematics. One of the big three (reading, and writing and…) For many of us, math is just plain hard. But here’s a way to make it more fun: let the Simpson’s help kids learn – and enjoy -- math.
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune discusses animals and spirituality, suggesting that the other animals on this planet have a lot of spiritual lessons to teach us hominids.
CALENDARS FOR THE NEW YEAR
We’Moon:
The New We'Moon calendars are out. Published by Mother Tongue Ink in Oregon, We'Moon calendars are empowering handbooks in natural rhythms with inspirational art and writing by women. This year's theme is: Power.
We'Moon calendars come in spiral, lay-flat and unbound editions. The latter is perfect for your organizer.
Spiral Scouts:
SpiralScouts International is an alternative co-ed scouting program for boys and girls ages 3-18. The organization is currently running its first program-wide fundraiser by selling official 2004 Spiral Scouts Calendars. If you would like a calendar, please contact Janet at SpiralScoutsDetroit@lakotacreations.com.
WISE OLD SAGE:
In the old days, someone with experience and wisdom would be called a Wise Old Sage. Did our ancestor’s know something we didn’t? Current research suggests that taking sage helps to improve memory and might also help to combat Alzheimer’s disease. The Medical Plant Research Center in the UK has high hopes for the humble sage.
Can ingesting weeds keep you healthy, overall? A book called Honey from a weed by Patience Gray makes just that argument. She writes:
Knowledge of these and other plants was for centuries our common European heritage. The English, once familiar with these weeds and their specific virtues, as described in early herbals, are now showing a revived interest in this heritage.
The first treatise on medicinal plants was written by a Greek doctor, Cratevas, in the 1st century BC. This illuminated codex existed in Byzantium (Constantinople) until the 17th century and served as a model for subsequent treatises, but was then lost. Because of this, Dioscorides' De Materia Medica, written in the 1st century AD, has come to be regarded as the original study of plants. Christian monks, both Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic, pursued these studies, raised the wild plants in their walled gardens, dried their roots and leaves, pounded them to powder, and produced unguents and specifics for many ills… What is significant is the survival of this 'knowledge' in seasonal culinary practices, among Greeks, Italians, Catalans, in a tradition unsupported by literacy. The 'knowledge' is handed down, chiefly from mother to child, while stooping to gather the plants. …
(For more information click on the link above to read an article about this book and other books in the same field.)
Are you interested in the origins of words and phrases? If so, check out Take My Word For It, a weekly webzine devoted to language.
Are you looking for an unusual baby name, Craft name, or character name? Then check out Baby Names Central, a website that offers information on unique names and their meanings. We also recommend an essay there titled “A Tragedy Told In Names”, which is about some of the unique (and moving) baby names from 18th century Guam.
GOT GOAT?
A goat seems to have been the must-have accessory for any prehistoric farmer with wanderlust. Patterns of genetic variation in modern goats reveal that, although they were domesticated in several places, the descendents of these pioneers have since intermingled, interbred and spread far and wide, to a far greater extent than other livestock species.
Goats are the ideal traveling companions: they laugh in the face of harsh environments and will eat just about anything. Plus, their small size provides greater commercial flexibility -- having four goats, say, gives you a wider range of trading options and spreads your risk more than having one cow.
For more information on goats in history, check out a website called Nature.
Recently, our bird watching members have written in, asking us to repeat the recipe we send out several winters ago for healthy Bird Seed Balls. You can make these at home. Use pretty ribbons to hang them from your trees and they will add to your holiday decorations. Unlike the store bought kind, they do not use PVA glue as a binder. This is a great holiday project for the kids.
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
We hope you all had a wonderful Samhain. The Full Circle staff is still recovering from all the festivities, pomegranate juice dripping down our chins, and candle wax caked on our favorite cloaks.
We know there’s a long, dark, cold patch coming up. Undoubtedly, PG&E will stretch the limits of our patience and pocketbooks. Surely, the well merchandized spirit of “holiday gift giving” will once again pollute the whole season with hideous tchotskes that will burden the landfill in January. Long lines, traffic, rain, and too much bottled cheer will try the patience and good humor of our fellow beings, as we muddle our way toward Yule and the turning of the year. We will continue to send you information and humor through this newsletter in order to keep you laughing and connected through the dark months ahead.
May we enjoy the quiet blessings of this winter together.
SnakeMoon
Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Create the Future