Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members,
In this July edition of our newsletter we have:
GOOD NEWS! THE WITCHES’ BALL IS ON!
I am very happy to announce that our charity costume ball will proceed as planned. Our new FCE Sponsors have made this possible with their recent donations. We are deeply grateful. An anonymous member (someone who loves the Witches’ Ball and who comes every year) has generously loaned us $1,000 to help pay for rent of the hall.
We still need seed money to continue the newsletter and
calendar into 2005.
Here’s Why: Come November 1st, we will have to pay back the $1,000, give money to the Humane Society (this is a charity fund raiser, after all), pay all expenses for the ball (which we keep to a minimum), and still hope for seed money for next year’s ball and for Full Circle.
Oh, and we need to keep the ticket prices affordable.
………tricky.
You can help in one of two ways.
PLEASE BECOME A SPONSOR: We ask that our readers donate $5.00 - $13.00 to FCE for a yearlong sponsorship. We have over 1,000 people on our mailing list and hundreds of listings on our calendars. If our readers and calendar users pledge just a small amount we would have the much-needed operating funds necessary to continue this work into 2005.
You can send funds:
Via Paypal:Please send donations to this email address: membership@fullcircleevents.org via the PayPal website at: http://www.paypal.com - You can use credit cards, debit cards or electronic checks to send funds. You do not have to sign up for a Paypal account - anyone can send funds now, at any time. It’s very safe and easy to do.
Via Check or Money Order: c/o Full Circle Events, 615 Malarin Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95050. Please make the check out to: Full Circle
AND/OR
PLEASE BUY A TICKET TO THE 2004 WITCHES’ BALL….NOW! If you wish to attend the 2004 Witches’ Ball (our annual fundraiser for the Humane Society) we ask that you buy your tickets now (while the price is still at it’s lowest point and when we need the money most urgently). It costs over $1,200 just to rent the hall for this event, not to mention insurance and money for a good Dj. Help us keep Full Circle and The Witches’ Ball going!
Herein we celebrate our Supporters.
Please know that we deeply appreciate the donations we received. We are heartened to hear that our peers appreciate this newsletter, and that you folks support the work we do in your community. Thank you, all for your generous and kind support. (1)
We would like to thank these June donors for making this newsletter, the calendar, and our charity work possible:
* Xcentricities Corsets * The Publisher of PanGaia, SageWoman & New Witch Magazines * The Luck family * Jocelynn M. * Donna A. * Rachel P. * Frederick C. * Lisa F. * Traci T. * Carri F. * Robin G. * Evangeline G. * Sandra J. * Charlotte S. * Kristin S * Jim P. * Howard S.
You’ve helped us raise $330.00 towards our goal. This, plus the $1,000 loan from our anonymous donor, will help us rent the hall for the WB in 2004.
We would also like to thank the Full Circle volunteers and FLARE for their hard work, dedication and many hours of unseen labor – without you folks (the true, the strong, the brave), this work would not be possible.
As always, the FCE general budget with a list of expenses & charity donations will be published in this newsletter at the end of the year.
Regards to all,
Sia
(1) Believe it or not, some people wrote angry emails to us (ala “How dare you ask us for $5.00 !?”) and pulled out of our mailing list when we asked for help last month. So it goes. Some people just don’t “get it” that Earthwise organizations need funding and support from our community in order to survive. Our Council members have fronted all the money for this group for over 4 years now. We’ve been paid back every time, and Full Circle always runs in the black, but times are hard for us, too, folks. Like many of you, we can’t be sure we’ll have jobs tomorrow, and we just can’t load thousands of dollars on our credit cards anymore. So, we took these few, angry people off our member list, and let them go in peace.
GAIA’S GUARDIAN AWARD WINNER for 2004:
The Gaia’s Guardian Award is given annually by Full Circle to a person or group for "Outstanding work benefiting Mama 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. We are pleased and happy to announce that the Winner of this year’s Gaia’s Guardian Award is The California Bat Conservation Fund.
The California Bat Conservation Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of bats. The Fund's major activities include:
Members of this organization will be on hand at the Witches’ Ball to answer questions about their group and to receive this award from Full Circle. This award takes the form of a plaque and come with a $250.00 check.
Please join us in honoring these good people at our annual Witches’ Ball.
The Full Circle Council
Past Winners Include:
· The Wildlife Rescue Center of Silicon Valley.
· A local trainer of Service Dogs for people with disabilities who is, herself, in a wheelchair.
· Officer Christine Franco, who was then Chief Investigator for the Humane Society on cases of animal abuse, neglect & cruelty. Officer Franco is a warm-hearted supporter of the Earthwise community. She has since moved to L.A. with her husband. At present she studies law at a university near her new home.
THE SILK ROAD: FROM VENICE TO CHINA AND BACK AGAIN:
Merchants, entrepreneurs, and adventurers of the 7th through 15th centuries sought profit and fortune along The Silk Road -- a network of trade routes that connected China (Cathay), India, Persia, Tibet, The Middle East, and Constantinople. Demand for the luxurious goods traded along the mysterious route also influenced markets and fashions in Venice and Rome. Silk -- the main commodity traveling east to west -- was traded along with gold, jewels, ivory, glass, metals, furs, ceramics, gun powder, exotic birds and other animals. Travelers, traders, and missionaries formed caravans, journeying thousands of miles over dangerous terrain. Some found death instead of glory, but many others thrived to mingle cultures and share new concepts of religion, philosophy, and technology. In many respects, the Silk Road was the Internet of its day.
Perhaps the most famous travel journal in the known world was kept by a man named Marco Polo, a merchant of Venice, who traveled the fabled Silk Road. He is thought to be one of the few westerners ever to visit China during this period.
The Silk Road journey was an adventurous exploration that required courage and risk. Travelers from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East often worked together in peaceful interaction, cooperation, and open exchange. In that spirit of tolerance and discovery, we seek to celebrate The Silk Road for Witches’ Ball 2004.
Costumes may range from 7th – 15th century China, Persia, India, Tibet, The Middle East, Constantinople, Rome, and Venice. All manner of traders, dancers, poets, magicians, entertainers, nobles, thieves, and warriors will join us to dance, feast, and laugh.
Within our halls officers of the Byzantine army mingle with mystical Chinese weavers. Brightly clad Indian princesses whisper to laughing Buddhist monks. The musical cymbals of belly dancers punctuate the air as jugglers dazzle the eyes of Venetian merchants and Viking sailors. Himalayan yogis wander peacefully among fierce Hun warriors. Wise astrologers consult the heavens and nomadic fortunetellers study the palms of veiled Persian ladies. Chinese dragons cavort with mighty griffins, immortal Phoenix and the winged bulls of Assyria.
The costuming possibilities are nearly infinite! Be wondrous. Be creative. But, above all, be tasteful as this is a family-friendly event.
As always, there will be plenty of vendors in our magikal bazaar to tempt the coins from your purse. Refreshments will also be available for sale.
The winner of the 2004 Gaia’s Guardian Award will be honored during the evening’s festivities and a portion of all proceeds from ticket sales, silent auction, and raffle will benefit the Silicon Valley Human Society. This money will be earmarked so that it goes directly to pay for medical care for animals which have been neglected or abused and for those cats and dogs who have special needs.
We hope that you can join us.
Trisha & Sia
P.S. We would like to thank our friend, Ghost, who first suggested this WB theme to Full Circle in 2002.
THE FULL CIRCLE SURVEY PROJECT
In the next few months, we hope to offer a series of short surveys designed to help us learn more about you, the people who read this newsletter. Our goal? To become more aware of whom we serve, and thus better able to serve the community as a whole. The information gathered will be shared with our readers in the form of pie charts & graphs. The email addresses of those who answer these questions will be kept completely private. We will never ask for your name, phone number, or address.
Once the charts have been produced, the list of responders to each survey will be destroyed.
We hope that this series, and the information it provides will be of great use to the individuals, scholars, organizers, parents, activists, and teachers who read this newsletter.
We need Sponsors in order to do this work. Currently, Full Circle has over 1,200 members on our mailing list. The cost of producing one survey a month for 100 – 1,000 responses is $20.00 each survey or $240.00 a year. If you would like to help us build up a more accurate profile of our California community, please contact us at info@fullcircleevents.org.
We will be happy to work with our Sponsors to help them obtain information that is useful to them, as well as to us; however, this is not a marketing tool. Sponsors will not have access to the email addresses of the responders, and Full Circle will not allow anyone to use this information to market to, track, or spam our community.
If you wish to become involved in this project, please contact us at info@fullcircleevents.org.
Thank you,
The Full Circle Council
Herbs, gardens, and farming
Where does our food come from? How is healthy food grown and what challenges do its farmers face? Where are the small, family farms in California that grow food with care and integrity? The Farmers section of Seasonal Chef provides articles that give us a peak into the lives of free-range chicken farmers, bee farmers, flower farmers, and others. Get to know where your food comes from because choosing food wisely is one way to make a difference.
Farmer's Markets: Seasonal Chef also publishes a listing of local farmer’s markets and seasonal recipes to help you take advantage of the upcoming late summer and fall harvests. There’s even a page of “vintage California cuisine,” recipes from the 19th and early 20th century.
(Really) early farming:Experts suggest that Stone Age people in Israel may have started faming some 10,000 years earlier than previously believed, by collecting wild grasses, including wild emmer wheat and barley, which were forerunners of the varieties grown today.
Visit the Mediterranean: California is one of the "Mediterranean garden zones," demonstrating a distinctive climate pattern that is also found in Chile, South Africa, Australia, and (of course) the Mediterranean. These areas can host a wide variety of plants which make wonderful bird and butterfly gardens (drought tolerant, as well). To see a Mediterranean garden in all its beauty, visit one of several gardens right here in the bay area, including Tilden Park, the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and others.
Interested in native California plants? Then check out The California Native Plant Society, Yerba Buena Nursery in Woodside, and the Sierra Azule Nursery and Garden near Santa Cruz.
Drought tolerant seeds: You'll may want to visit the website for the Larner Seed Company in Benicia. These plants are easy to grow and they don't need much water, so you'll save money and time. The owner of Larner Seeds has also written a book titled "Gardening with a Wild Heart."
Home & Garden Tips: Here is a helpful article on how to go plant shopping without wasting money or time.
Music, dance, and movement
Hot July days are great times to kickback with a cool lemonade and listen to (or make) music:
Celtic, Blue Grass & Blues is on the menu at the Espresso Garden and Café in San Jose (near San Jose State) where Fiddling Cricket (among others) arranges a wide variety of musical events. (Our thanks to Azeraeis for telling us about this wonderful place!)
More Blues: Henfling’s Tavern (no, that’s not a typo) in the Santa Cruz mountain town of Ben Lomond showcases both local blues bands as well as well-known nation acts.
Jigs, Reels, Ballads, and Laments: In her NPR show, The Thistle & Shamrock®, host Fiona Ritchie guides listeners into the heart of Celtic music both traditional and modern.
Concerts and performances: The Cayuga Vault in Santa Cruz and The Little Fox Theatre in Redwood City offer art and music programs that represent the broad tastes, eclectic styles, and ethnic diversity of the communities they serve.
Hidden Jewels: Do you have a favorite place to hear great music? If so, write to us and we will list it in our next newsletter. You can reach us at info@fullcircleevents.org
Footloose and on the move
The Best of the West: Via Magazine surveyed its readers for a listing of the best municipal and regional parks in the west. Now you know where to go for that next picnic …
Outdoor Activities. This site notes points of interest and has a list of outdoor activity by type, such as biking, rock hounding, water sports, wildflowers, gardens, camping, wilderness areas, gardens and more.
Surf and Sand: Here is a comprehensive list of California Beaches, as well as a list of nude beaches in the area. Take a Hike: For you walkers and hikers, here is a national Trail Guide for any place you’d like to go. Enjoy.
Eco-tourism: Planeta is the Global Journal of practical eco-tourism with segments on Baja California, Costa Rica, and Australia (among others). They describe themselves as “a lively public space for the development of conscientious travel and eco-tourism that benefits … travelers and locals.”
Stumped for a destination? Trying to figure out where to go on vacation? Why not visit one of the most popular vacation spots in the world—California! California has diverse landscapes, great camping at hundreds of locations, beautiful National Parks (including Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia), popular attractions like Disneyland, Hollywood, Lake Tahoe—and our own San Francisco Bay Area. When was the last time you just went sightseeing in your own backyard? You don’t even have to go far, because some of the best attractions are right here in Northern California. (Later this month, I’m heading to Redding to see the newly opened Sundial Bridge and Turtle Bay Exploration Park).
Eco-tourism AND California: (Oh, I’m going for the gold now…) For those who enjoyed the Eco-tourism links above, here’s one on California eco-tourist sites, including the Ark Cottage in Pt. Reyes. Also, check out Safari West, a wildlife preserve dedicated to species preservation through breeding, education, research, and public interaction. (And, you can stay overnight in safari tents, and then awaken to the morning conversation of an Indian Hornbill and the pounding hoofs of springbok!)
There are two, wonderful Pagan retreat centers located in Northern California. Both are special, each is unique, and their rates are extremely reasonable.
Gaia’s Oasis – The Sierra Foothills
Full Circle recently held their staff retreat at Gaia’s Oasis, a wonderful wild retreat in the Sierra foothills, about 40 miles outside of Yosemite.
Gaia’s boasts a lovely little lake, as well as fire circle, meditation & hiking spots, and a labyrinth. They have two comfortable lodges (with modern kitchens) for those who don’t want to sleep outdoors, plus camping space for groups of up to 40 people.
Both lodges are very clean and comfortable and both are filled with some wonderful Pagan & Goddess art.
The land itself is sacred and is treated as such. There are several lovely Goddess statues on the property. My favorite is a statue of Kuan Yin (looking very sexy, I might ad) which is located under a tree by one of the streams, near the labyrinth.
The owners have recently constructed a 35-foot teepee (using lodge poles they were given by a local tribe) and this is used as a drumming site and fire circle in spring and winter. In summer, the drumming is held outside, at a special fire circle near the meditation grounds.
Gaia’s Oasis is on 125 acres of land, which has oak and other kinds of trees, as well as a variety of birds and wildlife. It is private, quiet, and very beautiful.
This is a great place to bring a group, especially if the members love to camp and they appreciate wildlife. The FCE staff gathered out in their deck chairs every night just to watch the bats fly over the lake. The local rabbits are very calm and will take a dirt bath nearby while you mediate “Namaste to you, Bunnies!” (Well, it’s their land, after all). The dragonflies near the lake are numerous and very colorful, and this is a great site for bird watchers.
The owners are charming people, and very helpful. They are excellent guardians of this land. They are also mean drummers. Our volunteer staff had a great time there, and we happily recommend this retreat to all who appreciate such places.
One of the owners, Gaiella, is a very talented artist and musician. She created the giant cloth and wire phoenix that guards the drumming grounds at Firedance and her art can be seen in various parts of the lodge. Her partner, Chris, is a techno-wizard, a wonderful musician & drummer, and photographer. All the folks at Full Circle enjoyed their company and we plan on going back there very soon.
At the end of our stay there we presented Gaia’s Oasis with a new Goddess statue. Actually, it is a fountain which one of our staff members purchased from a woman artist at a California craft fair several years ago. It portrays Gaia as Earth Mother, with flowers in her hair and her arms outstretched in a circle. May this fountain have many happy years there in its quiet spot near the apple tree, and may it bring peace and inspiration to all who visit this magikal place.
Isis Oasis – Sonoma Country
Do you want to visit the wine country? Then check out Isis Oasis in Geyserville. Two of our members stayed there recently when they attended the Lavender Festival in nearby Healdsburg, and they had a wonderful time.
These ladies recommend that travelers stay in one of the lovely rooms in the lodge (each room is decorated in honor of a different Egyptian deity). They raved about the glorious pool, the friendly staff, and the wildlife (including jungle cats!) on the property.
The owner/founder of Isis Oasis is a licensed breeder of rare Ocelots. She rescues parrots, wild cats, and other creatures as a part of her spiritual practice.
All of the buildings on the property are filled with paintings, decorations, and stained glass in the Egyptian style. Much of the art is made by the owner, who is a former jewelry designer. She is a delightful lady who is now in her 70’s. She has some great stories to tell about living in North Beach in the 1960’s.
You can stay at Isis Oasis and visit surrounding Sonoma County while you are there. Santa Rosa & Sebastopol (my favorite town) are nearby, as is the Russian River area.
Isis Oasis has a lodge with 15 rooms (two beds in each room) as well as a sitting room, a fire stove, and a recreation room. Nearby is a pool and hot tub. This area also has a wood-burning fireplace.
Isis Oasis also has a separate, private house with a full kitchen and two bathrooms, and a separate hot tub. It has two bedrooms, and a number of daybeds throughout. The decorating theme honors ancient Egyptian royalty. This house can be rented for groups of up to 30 people at one time.
It also has a Pavilion, which can hold parties for up to 100 people at a time.
Check out the Egyptian Temple/Theatre while you are there. It is stunning. Services are held every Sunday at 3 pm.
Do you know of other retreat centers in your California? If so, please write to us at info@fullcircleevents.org
Happy trails, folks.
Sia
All about spiritual things
Shinto:The basis of Shinto is "coming into harmony with nature." With few doctrines and no official writings, it is a nature-based spirituality rather than a religion guided by a leader. Followers revere numerous kami, but these are not exactly gods. The name is a clue to Shinto’s philosophy: "shin" means that which inspires awe or reverence, and "to" means path or way." For more information about the practice, you can visit the Shinto Online Network.
Science and Spirit grapple over the fate of a lonely orca that’s spent three years separated from his pod. While scientists want to relocate the whale so that he can reconnect with his species, the local Mowachaht-Muchalaht Indians say the whale arrived in their territory a week after death of a chief who had said his spirit would return as a killer whale.
Progressive Witchcraft: Prominent British authors Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone are traveling across the USA this summer to promote their new book, Progressive Witchcraft. In it, they focus on the role of trance, advocate exploration into other spiritual practices, and suggest that Wicca is evolving away from ceremonial practices and strict duotheism. They also call for an end to Pagan dogma.
A Path is an online site created by Brian Gallagher anddedicated to “many paths, one destination.” There are quite a few interesting and amusing articles here, including instructions on How To Create Your Own Religion In 10 Easy Steps (All Hail the Great God Lardicus) and one on why “My Religion is Right and Yours is Wrong” that accurately yet humorously captures the attitudes of religious righteousness. Sia recommends the Ritual Creation worksheet for groups that that find themselves organizationally challenged!
The Goddess and the God … and The Divine Twins: In his article in Witch’s Voice, Rainbird works with the traditional male/female duality and the Divine Twins, a modern queer mythology!
Project Sheba: Miri Hunter Haruach offers workshops that use the Queen of Sheba to examine participant’s experiences as women in a culture that objectifies beauty, defines dark as “other”, and diminishes the power and wisdom of the Divine Feminine. The Project Sheba workshops involve singing, movement, drumming, circle dancing, art, and guided visualization.
Sighting Saturn: On July 1, 2004 the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft will reduce its speed, allowing the spacecraft to enter Saturn's orbit. The spacecraft will begin a four-year tour of the ringed planet, its mysterious moons, stunning rings, and complex magnetic environment. During the Saturn Tour, Cassini will complete 74 orbits of the ringed planet, 44 close flybys of the mysterious moon Titan, and numerous flybys of Saturn's other icy moons.
Celestial Navigation: This is a wonderful term for finding our path by watching the sun, the moon, and the stars. If you are interested in learning about the sextant, reading charts, or understanding how the sailor relates to the sea, visit the Celestial Navigation web site.
Black Britons, 1st century CE: A British archaeologist believes that people who have lived in the English-Scottish Borders for generations could be descended from Moorish soldiers who patrolled Hadrian's Wall nearly 2,000 years ago.
Phoebe: “Phoebe is one of Saturn’s
moons. It was named after a Titan, one
of the original (that is, pre-classical) 14 figures in Greek myth. Phoebe and
Atlas were given dominion over the Moon, whose planetary power is that of
Enchantment, and the second day of the week was theirs. So, Phoebe is
another Moon Goddess, her name means Bright Moon. She was the mother of Leto
and Asteria through her brother Coeus (Intelligence). There was another
Phoebe, a human priestess, who figures briefly in the story of Castor and
Pollux. Anyway, it's Phoebe who was the grandmother of Artemis and Apollo,
and her name became surnames for both twins.” This information comes from Paleothea, a site about women and Greek
myths.
Paleotechnics (The Art & Technology of Early Peoples): This site is intended as an introduction to the world of ancient living skills.
Everything else
Not-so-traditional family values? Something called the Traditional Values Coalition has issued a parental advisory about Shrek 2, claiming the movie furthers what it calls "the transgender agenda," an "effort to deconstruct the biological reality of male and female." (Wow. All this, and state of the art animation too! Those people at Pixar really got it goin’ on …)
In other Shrek news … Shrek, the hermit sheep, finally got sheared. (Probably it was just a special effect. Pixar strikes again!) Named "Shrek" after the ogre from DreamWorks' computer-animated film, this over-wooly merino sheep had been on the lam and hiding in mountain caves for six years after escaping from his flock.
The moon, a paddle, and you: Up for a unique and potentially romantic water adventure? Try a moonlight kayak trip on Tomales Bay with Blue Water Kayaking.
We have hundreds of events listed on our California Community Calendar.
Here is just a handful:
· Mayan Astrology and Calendar Workshop
· The Liberty Ball
· Workshops with Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone
· Highland Games
· Heart of the Forest Renaissance Faire
· Independent Booksellers Book Faire
· The Strauss Waltz Festival
· The Gilroy Garlic Festival
· A Hawaiian Shamanic Bodywork Retreat
· Dance Camp
· Gem Fairs at various locales
· Meetings and event with the Rosicrucian’s
· Blue Moon gathering
And there are lots more, with new events are added every day. Click on the Full Circle California Community Calendar to access the list. If you want your event listed, 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. Questions? Please contact our Networking Coordinator ScoutGhost at scoutghst@sbcglobal.net
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ESSAY: The Essay is currently on vacation and will be back soon.
Happy Summer to all,
Sia, Snakemoon & the folks at Full Circle
FCE Newsletter Staff:
SnakeMoon is the Editor-in-Chief of the Full Circle Newsletter. She can be reached for comment at snakemoon@comcast.net.
Sia is the Publisher of the Full Circle Newsletter and the Council Leader for Full Circle Events. She can be reached at info@fullcircleevents.org.
Scoutghost is the Networking Coordinator for Full Circle Events. She can be reached at scoutghst@sbcglobal.net.