Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members,
In this July edition of our newsletter we have:
Essay: Kronos and Kairos: It’s about time …
Into the full furnace of summer
The summer solstice is behind us, and with it the cooler days of summer. For sun worshipers and those whose bodies leap with joy in heat, the best of the season is beginning. For shrinking violets and some Nor’westerners, the dire and dusty, thirsty time of the year looms. Some of us will head to the beaches, others will take refrigerated refuge shopping in the malls or reading at home in front of the fan-blades.
Bridging Eastern and Western Buddhism: Judaism has its Torah, Christianity has the Gospels and Islam its Koran, but the Buddhist path comes with no required reading. Well almost, because there is a new and useful book about the Middle Way in America.
The Dance of Connection: How to Talk to Someone When You’re Mad, Hurt, Scared, Frustrated, Insulted, Betrayed or Desperate. Sounds like a book I could use when watching the evening news!
As Long As the Moon Shall Rise: This book inspires gift giving during the Full Moon—now how perfectly pagan is that? The book itself would be a great Pagan starter gift!
Furry, finny, and feathered Folk
Backyard Gem Show: Summer is the time of squeaky door songs and chirps from the hummingbirds, those winged gemstones; here are spectacular close-ups. Learn how to give them a wing-up, and get closer yourself. And if you need more sparkle, dragonfly season is upon us as well, beautiful to see and with wonderful names and stories.
All about spiritual things
Divination: What kind of summer nightlife awaits? Will I get a raise? Admit it, we all have inquiring minds and here are the tricks of the trade to get the answers, or at least a free clue.
What’s my line?: My pagan line, so to speak … How does one find out where one fits (or whether one is a “mythfit,” to paraphrase Mr. Pratchett)? Sometimes it could be as easy as finding the right story. If myths don’t fire you up, perhaps your soul is lit in nature? You are not alone and don’t need to go all the way to Walden to find company. C.S. Lewis didn’t think pantheism was a live, ongoing concern, but many modern pagans of scientific bent disagree. And while the beguiling neo-pagan question of what is what is the “elephant in the room,” why not take a look at it from a questing modern pagan? It’s thought provoking and honest work at how to find or make a path.
Vitruvian Man: Beautifully proportioned and evocative, sometimes drawn as a humanized pentacle, this famous Da Vinci trademark speaks of far more than the form of perfect man. The symmetry of temples comes from the same ideal proportions.
Fossil Pages: He took the phrase “cut in stone” a bit literally. A paleontologist has come up with a novel way of studying historical manuscripts, by treating them as fossils from an extinct species.
Good, good, good vibrations: The Beach Boys knew a lot about sand and sound, but they didn’t that even Napoleon had the connection investigated. And now, one of the biggest math department grants ever is looking for the link between drums and healing and ancient mythology; cymatics is the literal new wave.
Monty’s Revenge: Killer rabbits just might have the last word, and not only in medieval spoofs as a plague of them endanger an ancient Viking site in Scotland. Now those are some Beatrixesque fierce bad rabbits!
Pagans and the Law
This just in! Analysis of Cutter v Wilkinson: The United States Supreme Court Interprets Federal Act Favorably to Pagan Plaintiffs - (courtesy of The Witches’ Voice) Author: Dana D. Eilers.
Excerpt: “On May 31, 2005, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Cutter, et al. v. Wilkinson, et al. which will be, for Pagans a significant moment in the history of American jurisprudence. In this case, Pagan Plaintiffs have successfully mounted a constitutional challenge in the United States Supreme Court.”
Who You Calling “Lady”?: The Origins of the Lady (excuse me, Goddess) of Justice.
A Diverse Harvest of Tempting Treats from the Web:
Tired of the same old song? Then check out this handy website which has archived almost eight years of ritual chants.
Rock of ages: Until recently, few people knew that Texas harbored one the largest and most diverse bodies of Native American rock art in the New World. For 14 years the Rock Art Foundation has worked to preserve this fragile art and educate the public about its significance. Information on joining the foundation, tours, photos of the rock art and merchandise that supports the foundation can all be found on their website.
Summer Reading: In a unique collection of myths and fairy tales illustrating the archetype of the serpent goddess, Goddess in the Grass by Linda Foubister, examines the symbolic meaning, association with fertility, prosperity and renewal, and the serpent goddess’ origins as the Great Goddess.
Dem Bones: Everything you ever wanted to know about one of the world’s oldest musical instruments can be found here along with where to buy, how to play and how to connect with other bone players.
Tree time: Next time you find yourself enjoying a patch of shade this summer, consider the giver and look up the lore behind the tree on the Earth-dancing website, which also provides information of topics ranging from spiders to Reiki.
We have hundreds of events listed on our California Community Calendar.
Here is just a handful:
· Medicine for Earth Gathering
· The Maturing of American Paganism
· Women’s Full Moon Ritual & Potluck
· Lammas Sunday Morning Goddess Celebration
· Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
· 17th Annual Elderflower Festival.
And as part of the ongoing events list, Spiral Steps now has an online support group hosted by Yahoo. The Moderator's name is Jonathan and the link is here. All are welcome.
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.
It’s about time …
Time, time, time,
see what’s become of me,
While I looked around
For my possibilities
I was so hard to please.
—Simon and Garfunkel
I have a very prickly relationship with time. There’s never enough of it, it’s always slipping away, I don’t have time to ___ (fill in the blank), I’m late, I’m late, I’m late! (Hello, White Rabbit!) Worse yet, you’re late—and you’re wasting my time! Years ago, I did a workshop exercise about what I needed in my life. At that point, I was fairly hard up financially (well, actually, this would describe about 90% of my adult life!), and I assumed that the upshot of this exercise would be the identification of MONEY as the missing element in my life. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be TIME that I most lusted after. Now, years later, as the months and weeks and hours of my life slip by, I am daily in contact with the reality that Time is a precious resource, one I hate wasting.
Except … sometimes, actually wasting time is the greatest, most soothing comfort there is—more luxurious than a bath spiked with aromatic oils, more powerful than a deep tissue massage, more hedonistic than Valrhona 70% cocoa Bitter Dark. Yes, time is a resource for doing, for making dreams come true, for manifesting careers and homes and families and creative projects and all sorts of things. But it’s also a resource for being: being quiet; being still; being satisfied; being full; being content.
Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.
—Faith Baldwin
And there they are, the two concepts of time first codified by the Greeks. Chronos (Khronos) is the time that can be measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years: the time you want to hold onto, the time you need to get things done, the time that flies by. Carl Sandburg put it beautifully when he said, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.” Kairos, on the other hand, is the time which cannot be measured, the perfect time, the qualitative, meditative, leisurely “now” of being. The way you feel when you daydream. The way you feel when you sit on a zafu. Time as the reward rather than time as the driver. Sacred time.
Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so.
—Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Time in Circle is supposed to be time-out-of-time. But so often we bring Khronos into Kairos. In my coven, time is always a bit of a difficult subject: some members are perpetually late (two hours is not unusual!), causing others to feel taken advantage of. Some always have to leave early, with very clear boundaries as to how much time they can give to the group before they have to go home and tend to families, school work, career, whatever. Even in the act of magic, time becomes a player when some people feel less is more while others feel more is more. Mind you, this is not merely a philosophical issue: if one person truly believes that their portion of the ritual (say, calling the directions), can only be full and rich and evocative if it rivals in duration the recitation of Homer’s Odyssey, this will undoubtedly cut into the moments set aside for other things, such as the actual body of the ritual itself. Even in sacred space, we’re essentially telling ourselves (and others), Hurry up (into Kairos) … and then hurry back out again! Gotta run. Khronos trumps.
Lost, yesterday, somewhere between Sunrise and Sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.
—Horace Mann
And then there’s the way that Khronos nibbles at the edges of everyday life so that ultimately, the sacred once again gets short shrift. It’s important to realize that magic isn’t what happens in the circle. In fact, the circle is to magic what the barre is to ballet: a great place to practice, but not actually dancing. All around us, in every tree, in every face, in every encounter, is the opportunity to meet the Goddess and the God, to weave the spell of life and participate in the Magic that is instantaneous and always being cast. Yet usually we rush quickly past, no time to dawdle! No time to be the spell, no time to embody the holy, no time to enjoy the gifts of our lives.
The bad news is time
flies. The good news is you're the
pilot.
—Michael Althsuler
Years ago, when I was diagnosed with cancer, I found a book called Breast Cancer? Let Me Check My Schedule! by Peggy McCarthy. The title alone beautifully captured my life at that time. A full-time working single mother with a smart, energetic 10-year-old son, no support (either financial or otherwise) from my ex-husband, and the Silicon Valley Gold Rush raging on around me, I barely had a minute to pee, much less have cancer. My daily mantra to my son was “Hurry up, you’re making me late …” as I bundled him into the car. Surprising how a little thing like illness can make you look at time differently.
I went through my cancer “adventure,” got well, and got wise. I knew what I needed and I made certain that I got it. Within weeks of completing my treatment, I quit my job, started a career as a consultant so that I could see my son more often, moved away from Silicon Valley, and began to manage my time according to my needs. Let’s look at that phrase again: according to my needs. Just seeing it there on the page gives me warm feeling.
And it worked. I began to relax, muscles that had never been unbound opened and elongated, my sleep lengthened, my jaw unclenched. Later, when the physical pleasures of down time became commonplace, I began to have bouts, first very short, then longer and longer, of Kairos: time-out-of-time. Time to lie in bed and read a book. Time to chat with my son. Time to draw. Time to take a walk. Time cook something new and challenging. And then, later, time to dream, trance, journal, wonder, ask, thank.
Time to be grateful for my life. Time to be alive.
To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.
—Emily Dickinson:
Time is on my mind a lot lately, and once again I notice that I do not have much of it—a lack I feel keenly. There are many reasons, one of which is quite obvious the transition from consultant to employee has brought me many, many boons: a home, financial stability, a cadre of interesting colleagues, new and exciting challenges. But it also means that I must structure my time according to more traditional requirements rather than my own needs. In that, I unfortunately have a great model in my colleague and manager, a woman who, through no conscious intention, has somehow arrived at a work day that starts as soon as she opens her eyes, and ends when she falls over onto the keyboard each night … weekends as well!
Plus I’m still “Mom.” With a 17-year-old, the demands are different, but they’re still there—while many parents somehow think that once the kids get to a certain age, they’re on their own, I’ve observed that this is usually a quick path to trouble. Teens need parents just as much as toddlers. I have other responsibilities as well, to my clients (I’ve still retained a few), to my friends, to my coven, to my animals, to my house. And, I’m dating—is there any greater time sink than reading profiles on Yahoo Personals and trying to concoct witty emails to strangers? Yes: it’s trying to be witty over meals with strangers, often people you know, after 15 minutes, are probably not a good match for you! In there somewhere I’m suppose to find time for my relationship with spirit, Kairos time, but that's increasingly hard to come by, and the wear is really showing on me.
A few months ago, a friend introduced me to the The 20 Minute Break: Reduce Stress, Maximize Performance, Improve Health and Emotional Well-Being Using the New Science of Ultradian Rhythms by Ernest Rossi. And thank goodness. For at least 20 minutes a day (sometimes twice a day, when I’m feeling really fried), I enter a mind-free zone that is not quite like meditation (which for me has always felt a bit “controlled”) and not really like daydreaming, but combines the best of both. Actually, these breaks feel refreshing and invigorating, but also soothing and grounding … like a really good—but brief—trance. I sometimes come out of my Ultradian break with a problem solved; I always feel renewed.
And one idea that I keep bumping up against during these breaks—it’s so obvious once I say it aloud—is that I need more time. Simply that: more time. Fewer commitments, fewer responsibilities, more time. And, having reclaimed my life once before, I know what to do: set the bar lower; say no to stuff; let go of stuff; don’t try to do it all. Choose what you can do, and what you can’t, and be grateful that you have a choice.
I've been on a
calendar but I have never been on time
—Marilyn Monroe
Which leads me to a sad but necessary announcement: I will be changing my relationship with this newsletter. Because I am currently writing full time on several long term projects (including a book with the remarkable inventor and visionary who steers the company that employs me), I need to hand over the Editor-in-Chief reins to Labrys, who has graciously agreed to step into this position. I will transition into a contributing writer here. I have enjoyed my two years at this post, learned a lot about the community and our shared paths, worked with some wonderful folks, written some essays of which I’m proud, and learned lots of interesting things about comma usage from our proofreader extraordinaire, Arianna (It’s not a breath?).
Most of all, I’m grateful to Sia for giving me this opportunity and trusting that I would serve both Full Circle and my own evolution in the process. The experience has enriched our long-time friendship, helped me grow as a writer, allowed me to make a deeper connection to my practice, and refined my vision of NeoPaganism. May our new Editor-in-Chief be likewise blessed during her tenure here!
Snakemoon
Publishers Note: While Snakemoon leaves this position, she does not leave our Circle of Friends. We also hope to have some more of her wise and witty essays sometime in the future, if, as she says, Time allows. Snakemoon has the kind of "voice" we need in our community: responsible, funny, practical and wise. She’s never lost perspective, played the Diva, or said an unkind word in all the years I’ve worked with her – how unusual is that? I’ve come to rely on both her sense and sensibility and I am greatly in her debt for the priceless combination of collaboration and creativity that she brings to every project.
Our deep thanks go out to Snakemoon for her years of dedication and service to our community, and for bringing her vast array of talent, humor, leadership and imagination to a complex and time consuming task. Her Highest Wish is to empower others and her gifts and graces are many. She will be missed.
Best wishes go out to you, Snakemoon, for the Highest Good in your future from all here.
Your loving friend, Sia,
The Newsletter Staff
And the volunteers at Full Circle Events.
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.
Arianna G. is our Copyeditor. Thank you, Arianna!
Once again we enjoyed the assistance of contributing writers Arianna G, Labrys, and Nualilith. Thank you all!
ScoutGhost is the Networking Coordinator for Full Circle Events. She can be reached at scoutghst@sbcglobal.net.