Open Ways
Issue 178
PEN Ways Gateway to the Pagan Communities
Beltane 2015 Beltane 2015
Open Ways Open Ways
Open Ways Gateway to the Pagan Communities Issue 178 Beltane 2015 Open Ways is published online eight times a year, on the Quarters and Cross-Quarters, by The Nine Houses of Gaia, Inc. Circulation 3400+. Newsletter Staff Editor— Angel Webmaster — Angel Advertising— Angel Proofreaders— Kate / Ali E-media—Ali Submissions Articles, letters, poetry, artwork, etc., are solicited from the community. We reserve the right to edit for length and content. Email or send self-addressed stamped envelope for Writers’ Guidelines. Type-written (single-sided) or word processed manuscripts are welcome, electronic submissions via e-mail preferred. Send submissions to: Open Ways Editor PO BOX 33182 Portland, OR 97292 E-mail: editor@ninehouses.org openwayseditor@gmail.com World Wide Web: http://ninehouses.org Please do not send the original copy of your work! Manuscripts unaccompanied by a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope will not be returned. All submissions will be accepted at our discretion. Advertising Ads must be camera-ready. Payment must accompany ad. No credit card payments. Deadlines (page 3) apply. E-mailed ads and their payments must be received by the deadlines. No black backgrounds please! Email Editor for more info. Rates & Sizes (W x H) $15 for a business card size (3.5’ x 2”) $30 for quarter-page (3.5” x 4”) $60 for half page (7” x 4.5”) $120 for full page (7” x 9”) Discount for one-year, pre-paid ads. $10.00 for business name and phone number or email address in Directory for 1 year.
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Our Mission Statement The Nine Houses of Gaia is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1992 to sponsor the Northwest Fall Equinox Festival and publish Open Ways. Open Ways serves as an introduction to, and, an anchor for pagan communities in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest; a forum for the exchange of scholarly, practical, or experiential information, knowledge, and wisdom; a tool for instruction and communication; a “journal” of events, announcements, ideas, poetry, prose, illustration — anything of benefit or interest to Pagans, Wiccans, or other Nature Spiritualists. Copyright © 2011 All rights remain the property of contributing authors and artists. For reprint information, please contact Open Ways. Inquiries will be forwarded to appropriate parties. Statement of Confidentiality Open Ways honors the right to privacy. Information regarding our contributors or subscribers will not be made available under any circumstance. Our mailing lists and email lists are not for sale or trade. Contributors are encouraged to use pseudonyms. Open Ways and The Nine Houses of Gaia are not responsible for any content on other sites.
Cover Art: Salvia Vision By Gwyllm Llwydd Back page Art: By Chad Fenlon
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Open Ways OPEN WAYS DEADLINES This deadline schedule includes all articles, artwork, announcements, events and advertisements. Send everything to the Portland address for Open Ways on page 2 . Advertising rates are posted on the bottom of page 2.
Open Ways Issue
Submission Deadline January 5 February 21 April 3 May 23 July 4 August 23 October 1 November 21
Brigid Spring Equinox Beltane Summer Solstice Lughnasadh Fall Equinox Samhain Yule
Available By January 19 March 6 April 17 June 6 July 18 September 6 October 14 December 8
Submission deadlines are 4 weeks before the Sabbats and publication dates are 2 weeks before the Sabbats.
Table of Contents Page
Title
Page
Title
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Letter from the Editor
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Count Your Blessings
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Call for Submissions Advertising in Open Ways
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Lunar Deities Ongoing Festivals
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North West Fall Equinox festival Information
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Lilith
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Pagan Picnic
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Blessed Be the Maiden The Hero’s Journey
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Pagan Community Directory
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Thorne’s Lessons #2
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Coloring Page
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Pagan Business Directory
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Pagan Serenity Prayer
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Coloring Pages
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North West Fall Equinox Festival Registration Information
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Open Ways Letter from the Editor Blessed Beltane! The time of new beginnings: new love, new adventures and new fruition. May the blessings of the Goddess and God be with you all at this joyous time. Blessed Be, Angel
It Takes a Village to Raise... a Village Do you have knowledge and spiritual gifts to share with your community? Volunteer to present a workshop at the Northwest Fall Equinox Festival 2014! Please email a description of the workshop you wish to present to nwfef@ninehouses.org. Be sure to include the length of the workshop and any preferred accommodations it might entail.
Do you have BIG MAGICK to share with your community? We are accepting proposals for NWFEF 2015 main ritual! The purpose of NWFEF is to celebrate the harvest. The main theme, ritual, and workshops differ from year to year depending on selection from proposals submitted by community members (you!). Your ritual proposal must have a complete outline; please contact nwfef@ninehouses.org to request "Tips and Tricks", a "rubric" to assist you in composing your proposal. Ritual proposal submission may be emailed to nwfef@ninehouses.org or mailed to PO Box 33182, Portland, OR 97292.
Share the Magick!!!
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Open Ways Submissions for Open Ways ! Open Ways Gateway to the Pagan Communities is a newsletter for the community by the community. We NEED your contributions! Guidelines for All Contributors We welcome articles up to 3,000 words of a scholarly, historical, news/event, or how-to–nature; letters; music; poetry; rituals for group or solo-practitioners; personal experience; interviews; artwork; etc. Please honor plurality and diversity. Address issues of interest to pagans, Wiccan’s, polytheists, Buddhists, or nature spiritualists. Where appropriate, include bibliographic references, sidebars, and graphics. Manuscripts will be accepted in any readable form; however we prefer articles via email if possible. Manuscripts and letters selected for publication may be edited for clarity, brevity, accuracy, or editorial consistency. Always include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you wish your work returned. Never send your only copy! The editorial staff reserves the right to accept or reject any manuscript or work of art submitted for publication. Contributing Columnists (reoccurring) Column writing offers a lot of flexibility as well as a wide-ranging variety of topics on which to expound. Submit a proposal stating the intention of the column and frequency. Contributors that commit to being a reoccurring contributor to 4 or more issues will be given a complementary business card size advertisement. Contributions may be: • Regular features with the same by-line, title, and/or premise. • Of a subject matter that is by nature practical (how-to), historical, literary, ethical, philosophical, educational, social, moral, political, inspirational, magical, or whatever happens to stoke your bellows. • In a style appropriate for the subject matter, the author’s personal taste, and the editors guidelines of this publication. Book reviews We welcome and encourage your written book reviews. These do not need to be scholarly critiques of the material by someone with a lifetime of experience with the subject matter; often the best, most useful reviews are written by those with whom the readership can identify. The book you are reviewing does not need to be a new release. Readers are interested in your reaction to the book: did you enjoy it? Did it provoke any new ideas or change for you? Was it useful? Artwork Open Ways encourages submissions of all kinds of artwork: Larger pieces for the cover, smaller works for illustration, and even smaller ones to accent and fill in. Please be sure your images are high quality jpeg or tif files with 300dpi. Need help, just ask! Poetry We regularly run poetry in each issue, and plan to continue this as long as we have the poems to do so. Poems should be of reasonable length and on Pagan/Wiccan topics. Ones that reflect your personal thoughts and experiences are preferred. Reporting Open Ways needs your stories of events, speakers, and public festivals in your area to share with our readers. Or maybe you went for a walk in the woods and had an interesting experience. These are stories you would share around the circle.
Send submissions to: editor@ninehouses.org openwayseditor@gmail.com World Wide Web: http://ninehouses.org Please DO NOT send the only copy of your work! All submissions will be accepted and/or edited for content at the discretion of the editorial staff.
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Open Ways Advertising in Open Ways Advertising is a great way to market your business, organization, festival or anything else that you want people to know about. Our rates are extremely affordable and now that we are an online magazine, ads can be full color at no additional charge. Where does Open Ways get seen? www.issuu.com is an incredible “flip page” viewer that is just like paging through a magazine. This site will also have a “library” of archived issues. www.ninehouses.org is our website where we will have both an embedded min-version of the issuu.com reader as well as a pdf document for those with low-technology computers. Individuals can also embed the publication into their own websites, which we encourage. Social Networks: Facebook, Witchvox etc. Email – we will send an email to our entire network with a link to view it. Local Pagan friendly Shops – Posters will be distributed with an announcement of where to find our publication Please follow these guidelines when placing an ad: Please do not use a lot of black background. Payment must accompany ads. Deadlines apply. E-mailed ads and their payments must be received by the deadlines. Copyright and Permissions All rights remain the property of the author or artist. Inquiries for reprint information/permission are forwarded to appropriate parties. Rates and Sizes (per Issue) $15.00 for business card size (3.5"x2") $30.00 for quarter-page (3.5"x4") $60 for half page (7"x4.5") $120.00 for full page (7"x9") 25% Discount for one-year, pre-paid ads. $10 for one year Business Name and Phone Number or email address in our Bussiness Directory
OPEN WAYS DEADLINES This deadline schedule includes all articles, artwork, announcements, events and advertisements.
Open Ways Issue Brigid Spring Equinox Beltane Summer Solstice Lughnasadh Fall Equinox Samhain Yule
Submission Deadline January 5 February 21 April 3 May 23 July 4 August 23 October 1 November 21
Available By January 19 March 6 April 17 June 6 July 18 September 6 October 14 December 8
Submission deadlines are 4 weeks before the Sabbats and publication dates are 2 weeks before the Sabbats.
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Northwest Fall Equinox Festival 2015 Dancing with the Moon When: September 17-20, 2015 Where: Magnificent Forested Setting Fall Equinox festival celebrating the harvest! Event Details: This festival has been happening for over 20 years and continues to evolve and change. The main purpose is celebrating the harvest time. Cabins available... each sleeps 4-8 people, you must bring your own bedding. There will be a Craft corner for parents and their children as well as the young at heart to participate together creating a festival craft. Families are strongly encouraged to come. There will also be some awesome drum circles going on. Please bring your drums and other musical instruments for some wonderful community building time together. If you are interested in being a vendor email vender@ninehouses.org with a description of what you will be vending so we can list you in our festival packet. Workshop Proposals: Anyone wishing to present free workshops at the upcoming Fall Equinox Festival please email a description of the workshop you wish to present. Please include the length of the workshop. Email proposals to: NWFEF@ninehouses.org.
Ritual Proposals for 2016: The purpose of the NWFEF is to celebrate the harvest. The main theme, Ritual and workshops differ from year to year depending on who is doing the main Ritual. We accept Ritual submissions via email to NWFEF@ninehouses.org or by mail to PO Box 33182 Portland, OR 97292. The Ritual proposal must have a complete outline, if we feel there is not enough to get a clear picture it will be sent back to you with a request for more refining. Registration information and forms coming soon.
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Open Ways Pagan Family Picnic Sunday July 19, 2015 Noon to 4 pm Creston Park Site B
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The Hero’s Journey: The Lovers By Chrissy Lavielle DECEMBER 4,2010 — 10:30 PM
Welcome to The Lovers! Like romance itself, this card is portrayed in a bewildering parade of images. The traditional Rider-Waite-Smith card is pictured above. But it can also look like this:
The Lovers, Marseille deck, late 15th century Or this:
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Victorian Romantic deck, Lovers, card 2, c2008 I think that all of the above are valid, insightful ways of portraying this card, but IMHO, some others aren’t as successful. They get part of it right, but they don’t convey the whole message. Like its associated sign, Gemini, the card contains multitudes and is very hard to pin down to one simple meaning. It has layers, like an onion or an ogre. To get a grip on this tricksy card, let’s begin with its astrological and Hebrew letter attributions.
The astrological sign, Gemini, the twins, is attributed
Mercury design by Murray Robertson to The Lovers. Its element is air, so it’s a mental, logical, verbal sign whose key words are “I think.” Since Gemini is the sign of the twins, it means duality; and since it’s ruled by Mercury, the trickster, it can mean duplicity. Mercury—and therefore Gemini—are all about communication.
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Open Ways So, “Where is the love”? The words that help us find it are “duality” and “communication”. It takes two to tango (or tangle); and love goes scurrying off into the shrubbery when communication breaks down.
Zain, or Zayin is the letter attributed to The Lovers. It means “weapon” or “sword”. Aside from the adage, “All’s fair in love and war,” what do swords and love have in common? Well, what do swords do? They cut things in two. They make a “this” and a “that”, which gives you a choice. Another term for lover is “chosen one.” Because of their logical, binary, “this or that” quality, swords are associated with the element air. And notice the similarity between sword and words. Which brings us back to Gemini. So, surprise, surprise, The Lovers has at least two meanings in a reading. Depending on where it falls in the spread and the cards around it, it can indicate a decision/choice or a love affair. Because it is a trump card, you, as a reader, can be fairly certain that the decision won’t simply be about what to have for dinner. And the love affair won’t be a one-night-stand, or if it is, it will be a spectacular, life-changing one-night-stand. The card may also indicate a situation which will require the querent to communicate and/or negotiate, or to recognize the yin-yang dualities within herself and others, or to improve communication between her self-conscious and subconscious. But wait. There’s more. Like I said, this card’s not simple. And it deals with duality, so The Lovers blog entry will be in two parts.
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The Major Arcana and The Hero’s Journey: The Lovers, Part II The Lovers card’s astrology and Hebrew letter provide an understanding of its basic meanings of love, communication, and choices, but the pictures tell us more.
From theRider,Waite,Smithdeck,first published in1909
The Rider, Waite, Smith version is the most symbolically complete of the three we’ll be examining, so I’ll start with that. The card shows a man looking at a woman who is looking at an angel.
The man is Adam, The Magician, and The Emperor. He is the self-conscious, the left brain, the part of us that is logical, practical, and “sane”. It gets us from here to there on time and presents a consistent personality to the world. To make this really clear, Pamela Coleman Smith drew a tree with twelve flaming fruits right behind him. These are the twelve signs of the zodiac (not the twelve apostles). Each flame has three parts, one for each decan of the sign. So the tree behind the man is the twelve basic personalities and the thirty-six sub-personalities of humanity.
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The woman is Eve, The High Priestess, and The Empress. She is the creative, intuitive, subconscious, right brain, part of us. The tree behind her has a serpent spiraling up it and five fruits. The serpent symbolizes the underworld and all the stuff that’s secret and hidden and dangerous. The five fruits are the five senses or feelings. The angel is the Raphael, Archangel of air and the east. You can tell because he’s yellow, the color of air and the east. Gemini, the card’s associated sign, is an air sign, so that’s why Raphael is pictured and not one of the other archangels. He represents the super-conscious, Jung’s cosmic unconscious, the Akashic Records, and/or the divine. So we have what looks suspiciously like a trinity. Those pesky things are everywhere. This one is the trinity of the human psyche: the conscious, the subconscious, and the super-conscious or divine. Yes, divine—most occultists teach that “There is no part of us that is not of the gods.” (Dion Fortune). The thing to notice here is the communication pathway. The man looks to the woman, who looks to the angel. What this card is telling us is that if we want to communicate with the divine, we must do it through the subconscious. Which means that the conscious mind, which formulates the question or desire must be on good speaking terms with the subconscious. If it’s not, the request never gets through or gets garbled, and things start going very wrong.
The mountain behind the two lovers is the peak of our aspirations, the symbol of what we are here on this earth to accomplish. It’s there to remind us that once the above three parts of our psyche are in harmony, we can achieve the seemingly impossible; but if they aren’t, we are lost. We may be very successful and wealthy, but if the thing that got us that wealth and success somehow short-circuited the above path of communication, we can never be truly happy and love will never stay in our lives.
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VictorianRomanticTarot, card 2,c2008
The next card is from the Victorian Romantic Tarot. It is the second of two Lovers cards that come with the second edition. None of the other keys in this deck give the reader a choice of which card to use in a reading. Why does this not surprise me? If we assume that the divine is implied, this card is telling us the same thing as the RWS card plus a few other things. Here we see a hunter (consciousness) and his mermaid quarry (subconscious) locked in an amorous embrace. They are obviously in communication. The conscious mind has laid down his tools (notice the spear) and lovingly embraced the subconscious, because he has come to realize that the subconscious cannot be bullied or coerced into submission, she must be seduced and persuaded. This is one lesson the RWS card doesn’t teach. The above scenario encourages the reader to speculate further. These lovers definitely have some choices to make. If they continue with their relationship it will result in either a drowning man or a fish out of water. A closer examination of the card reveals that the mermaid, or subconscious, has already chosen and is adapting. She is growing legs. The subconscious is infinitely resourceful and flexible and will bend over backwards to please if she is asked nicely. But he (the conscious mind) must be careful what he asks of her. If the mermaid does grow legs, will her every step be agony, like Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid? Will their love be changed forever?
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Marsailles deck,late15th century
In the earlier tarot decks, A man and two women are pictured with cupid, or Eros, fluttering above them ready to shoot the man in the heart. In The Devil’s Picture Book, Paul Huson suggests that these cards were a depiction of the fateful Judgement of Paris, with one or two goddesses pictured instead of three. Once upon a time, many years BCE, every one who was anyone on Mt Olympus was attending Zeus’s celebration of the marriage of Peleus, a
Eris,goddess ofdiscord,snatched fromAdam Gorightly's Discordianblog
mortal hero, and Thetis, a sea nymph. (Is this beginning to look familiar?) Unfortunately, no one was brave enough to invite Eris, the goddess of discord. She came anyway, of course, and threw a golden apple inscribed with the message “for the fairest one” into the midst of the revelers. All Hades ensued. In the end, three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite laid claim to the poisonous fruit and turned to Zeus to make the final judgement. In a rare moment of perspicacity, Hera’s husband
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Open Ways refused to choose. Instead he ordered Hermes to spirit the goddesses away to Mt. Ida and command Paris, a Trojan shepherd, to make the decision.
The divine ladies immediately went to work on Paris. Hera offered him the kingship of Europe and Asia if he would but choose her. Athena offered him success in battle. But Aphrodite simply undid her girdle, and when the hapless young shepherd looked upon her beauty, her son, Eros, shot him through the heart. He fell madly in love with the Goddess of Love, and she promised him the most beautiful woman on earth for his bride if he chose her. Guess who won? Unfortunately, the most beautiful woman on earth was Helen, wife of the Spartan King Menelaus. When Paris ran off with his wife, the Greeks attacked Troy and eventually burned it to the ground. And so the only good thing that came from The Judgement of Paris was The Illiad. Hindsight being 20/20 and unaffected by the wiles of Aphrodite, it is obvious to us that the best thing for Paris to have done would have been to cut the apple into thirds, award each goddess a
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Open Ways piece, and tell them that they were all equally fair. This is also the psychological lesson of The Lovers card. Remember that trinity? Hera, queen of the gods is the super-consciousness, Aphrodite is the subconscious, and Athena is the self-conscious. For a person to be healthy and happy, all three are equally important and must get along. The sly, side lesson of the Marseilles deck Lovers is that this is very difficult because our lusts and desires (the barbs of Eros) are constantly interfering. In the Hero’s Journey, The Lovers are sometimes exactly that, two main characters in love. Of course, they must be in conflict or faced with a difficult choice, or the story will be boring. Romeo and Juliet and Peter Pan and Wendy come to mind. The card also represents a major plot
TheLittleMermaid inCopenhagenharbor,by Edvard Eriksen,1913
point; a place in the story where the hero is forced to make a decision that locks her into a specific course of action. Dorothy starts down the Yellow Brick Road. Frodo decides to return the ring. The Little Mermaid asks for human legs. It is these decisions and the motivations behind them that give the story interest and poignancy; that give the reader insight into the characters; and that drive the plot. And the motivation behind all good decisions is true, unselfish love.
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Thorn’s Lessons By Thorn 2. Meditation Basically this is practice of learning to still the mind. When it is performed frequently and diligently, one can become empty of all distractions and hold singular ideas, complex thoughts, even actions as the whole of your universe despite the world around you. This will drastically increase concentration, focus, patience, awareness, and calm. Unlike the other lessons, this need not be mastered in order to continue on to the next lesson, merely practiced regularly. It's mastery will come only with regular diligence to it's practice, and with time. Basic meditation is not merely deep thought, but learning to be aware of one's own self, not as the thoughts being pondered, but as a being performing the act of thinking, which is separate from that being. This act, like the heartbeat, can be controlled. To learn this skill, one should find a comfortable position. A position that is not comfortable enough to induce sleep, but is merely comfortable enough that it will not rapidly cause discomfort or numbness to any body parts, such as sitting in a comfortable chair or position. The simplest way to start meditation is to relax, clear your mind, and focus on a point in space. If it is required that something actually occupy that space, so be it. The space should not be something active or mobile. It shouldn't be something that changes, like a clock or a shadow on the wall that will creep as the sun or moon rises or sets. It should be something that does not change over the period of time you are meditating. Candle flames can be used for this, but only if the candle is of sufficient length and thickness to not burn overly fast, or especially, go out during the exercise. The area should be made quiet, with as few distractions as possible. Distractions are detrimental to one who is a novice at meditation. As to how to meditate; once you have chosen an appropriate area and removed any distractions, a meditative position is chosen as stated above, you simply stop thinking. Stop the running dialogue and the stray wisps of concern for everything and anything that are running about in your head. Simply stop. The previous lesson regarding heartbeat and breathing can be of some assistance in giving the mind something to focus on if necessary. If thoughts begin, or creep in from the edges of the mind, do not chastise yourself, or worry about "doing it wrong" simply stop the thoughts, and continue on with stilling the mind by not thinking. It's normal for the mind to think, to be active. It's primary purpose is to process information being input into the body after all.
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Meditation is the art of learning to separate Self from one's own thoughts. It's not expected that the stillness that occurs in deeper meditations can be reached in a few sessions. It's only expected that the student of meditation practices regularly, at least once a day, for at least ten to fifteen continuous minutes a day, minimum, and as many days of the week as they are able. Increased frequency increases the ease of which one enters into the meditative state. Once the student can maintain the meditative state of mental quiet, they can then begin to bring that state into their normal life, and observe the world around them, and their position in it, from that quiet, still, detached place inside themselves. Thoughts can become clearer, most distractions (internal or external) ignored, actions performed with a keener awareness of the body, due to the lack of surrounding thoughts "cluttering up" the mind. When the student can, for more than fleeting moments and at will, achieve the stillness of the mind, (that is to say that they can hold the stillness, and that it is not just a momentary pause in their thoughts) and hold it for as long as they want, they will have “completed� this lesson. When they can do so during their regular day, outside of sedentary meditation, they will have mastered the skill. It is expected that meditation is regularly practiced beyond this lesson, even once it is completed. Entering a meditative state is not expected to be instantaneous.
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Coloring Page
The Four Seasons Goddesses Beltane 2015
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Pagan Serenity Prayer
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Coloring Page
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Open Ways COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS By Chris Lee In Life, we are blessed with the opportunity to free ourselves from suffering. For my Body is temporary, but my Mind goes on forever. It is a blessing to have a warm Heart and a cool Head. It is a blessing to have an attitude of gratitude. Blessed are they who bestow their blessings on others. I ask for a blessing, and I am blessed. Go with my blessing: bless you, and Blessed Be.
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Open Ways Lunar Deities By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide For thousands of years, people have looked up at the moon and wondered about its divine significance. It should come as no surprise that many cultures throughout time have had lunar deities - that is, gods or goddesses associated with the power and energy of the moon. If you're doing a moon-related ritual, in some traditions of Wicca and Paganism you may choose to call upon one of these deities for assistance. Let's look at some of the better known lunar deities. In the legends of the Inuit peoples, Alignak is the god of both the moon and weather. He controls the tides, and presides over both earthquakes and eclipses. In some stories, he is also responsible for returning the souls of the dead to earth so that they may be reborn. Alignak may appear in harbors to protect fishermen from Sedna, the wrathful sea goddess. Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt. Because her twin brother, Apollo, was associated with the Sun, Artemis gradually became connected to the moon in the post-Classical world. During the ancient Greek period, although Artemis was represented as a lunar goddess, she was never portrayed as the moon itself. Typically, in post-Classical artwork, she is depicted beside a crescent moon. She is often associated with the Roman Diana as well. Cerridwen is, in Celtic mythology, the keeper of the cauldron of knowledge. She is the giver of wisdom and inspiration, and as such is often associated with the moon and the intuitive process. As a goddess of the Underworld, Cerridwen is often symbolized by a white sow, which represents both her fecundity and fertility and her strength as a mother. She is both Mother and Crone; many modern Pagans honor Cerridwen for her close association to the full moon. In Chinese mythology, Chang'e was married to the king Hou Yi. Although he was once known as a great archer, later Hou Yi became a tyrannical king, who spread death and destruction wherever he went. The people starved and were brutally treated. Hou Yi greatly feared death, so a healer gave him a special elixir that would allow him to live forever. Chang'e knew that for Hou Yi to live forever would be a terrible thing, so one night while he slept, Chang'e stole the potion. When he saw her and demanded she return the potion, she immediately drank the elixir and flew up into the sky as the moon, where she remains to this day. In some Chinese stories, this is the perfect example of someone making a sacrifice to save others. In Aztec stories, Coyolxauhqui was the sister of the god Huitzilopochtli. She died when her brother leapt from their mother's womb and killed all of his siblings. Huitzilopochtli cut off Coyolxauhqui's head and threw it up into the sky, where it remains today as the moon. She is typically depicted as a young and beautiful woman, adorned with bells and decorated with lunar symbols. Much like the Greek Artemis, Diana began as a goddess of the hunt who later evolved into a lunar goddess. In Charles Leland's Aradia, Gospel of the Witches, he pays homage to Diana Lucifera (Diana of the light) in her aspect as a light-bearing goddess of the moon. Hecate was venerated as a mother goddess, and during the Ptolemaic period in Alexandria was elevated to her position as goddess of ghosts and the spirit world. Many contemporary Pagans and Wiccans honor Hecate in her guise as a Dark Goddess, although it would be incorrect to refer to her as an aspect of the Crone, because of her connection to childbirth and maidenhood. It's more likely that her role as "dark goddess" comes from her connection to the spirit world, ghosts, the dark moon, and magic. Selene was the sister of Helios, the Greek sun god. Tribute was paid to her on the days of the full moon. Like many Greek goddesses, she had a number of different aspects. At one point she was worshipped as Phoebe, the huntress, and later was identified with Artemis. Her lover was a young shepherd prince named Endymion, who was granted immortality by Zeus - however, he was also granted eternal slumber, so all that immortality and eternal youth was wasted on Endymion. The shepherd was doomed to sleeping in a cave forever, so Selene descended from the sky every night to sleep beside him. Unlike most other lunar goddesses of Greece, Selene is the only one who is actually portrayed as the moon incarnate by the early classical poets. Sina is one of the best-known Polynesian deities. She resides within the moon itself, and is the protector of those who might travel at night. Originally, she lived on earth, but got tired of the way her husband and family treated her. So, she packed up her belongings and left to go live in the moon, according to Hawaiian legend. In Tahiti, the story goes that Sina, or Hina, simply got curious about what it was like on the moon, and so paddled her magical canoe until she got there. Once she had arrived, she was struck by the moon's tranquil beauty and decided to stay.
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ONGOING FESTIVALS Northwest Fall Equinox Festival: A celebration of the harvest. Sponsored by The Nine Houses of Gaia. September 13-16th 2012. For more information visit http://www.ninehouses.org. Pagan Picnic: A potluck gathering sponsored by The Nine Houses of Gaia. The third Sunday in July. For more information visit http://www.ninehouses.org. Turning of The Wheel: Turning of the wheel is a festival created to take an earth based approach to celebrating the changing of the seasons while empowering and sustaining our diverse and talented community of artists, healers, organizations, and local businesses. We have woven together sacred ritual with entertainment, joyous celebration, abundance, fun, laughter, and love to create a beautiful family friendly festival that we hope to make a seasonal tradition. Our vision: Weaving community, celebrating the earth, and sharing our gifts. www.turningofthewheel.net Pagan Faire: Now in its 22nd year! It's always in March, on a weekend day close to Spring Equinox, and is an allday merchant faire with entertainment and workshops followed by a Spring Equinox ritual. Open to the whole community, sponsored by SisterSpirit. For more information visit http://www.paganfaire.org.
Spring Mysteries Festival: A recreation of the Eleusinian Mysteries help is April and is presented by Aquarian Tabernacle Church. For more information visit http://www.aquiriantabernaclechurch.org. Spiral Rhythms Festival: Magick and music for Mother Earth sponsored by M.A.G.I.C. Usually held in June. For information visit http://www.spiralrythms.org The Mother Earth Gathering: A “green living” celebration – an earth awareness festival, held in June for information visit http:// www.owow.org Pagan Campout: A campout for Pagans! Held in June. For information visit http://www.pagan campout.com Sunfest: A summer Solstice celebration sponsored by OWOW, held in June. For more information visit http://www.owow.org Summerstar Pagan Gathering: A starwood celebration, held in July. For more information visit http://www.summerstar.org Faerie Worlds Festival: A celebration of music, art and imagination inspired by the realm of Faerie. Held in July/August. For more information visit http://faerieworlds.com Beloved: Open air sacred art and music festival. Held in August. For more information visit http://www.belovedfestival.com The Middle Earth Gathering: A fall Equinox celebration, and earth awareness gathering, held in September. For more information visit http://www.earthgathering.org Hekates Sickle: Walk the paths between the worlds and meet and Goddess and Gods learning the lessons of your ancestors and interacting with the divine. For more information visit http://www.aquiriantabernaclechurch.org Beltane in the Grove hosted by Spiral Grove Coven For more information visit www.spiralgrovebeltaine..org.
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Open Ways Lilith By Ton Ton Dreamdancer
I am Lilith of the luxurious hair; do you like my arching wings? They say I'm dangerous to young men, I invoke thoughts that desire brings. There are many such as me, I merely wanted the top. You can imagine my dismay, when Adam demanded to stop. It’s a word I’m unfamiliar with…to say the least! Give me a real man, or a woman, Oh hell! Just give me the beast! For sensuality is what I am, a primal driving force!! Who needs one such as Adam? When I can have the Fae and the Norse. For those of you not faint of heart, call me in your dreams. You will find the illusion of mortals is not what it seems. Search for me, I’m still in Eden in the Western lands. I’ll be playing with Elementals and others… whenever I can. Try a taste of my …magik. Climb into my arms. My primal ecstasy will steal you away…do not be alarmed. For I know the hunger in your soul, the way you want it to be. Just pray to me in the darkest of nights. Oh, what a web we could weave. Pleasure yourself upon my thighs, bring no guilt or shame. For fire is the element I do seek! Ecstasy feeds my flame.
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Open Ways Pagan Community Directory Listing various kinds of resources for the Pagan Community, including circles (both open and closed), church groups, meeting places, study groups, and event organizers. Please, no retail outlets. A listing here does not necessarily mean a specific group can or will help you. To be included in this directory, please send information (limit 50 words which includes name and contact information) to Open Ways, PO Box 11183 Portland, OR 97211 ; or email openwayseditor@gmail.com or editor@ninehouses.org
ADF Druids of Portland
Www.cedarmountaincoven.com.
Our study group meets on the last Friday of every month at Essential Elements Apothecary and up to 8 times a year for Public Ritual. Affiliated with ADF (Ar nDraoicht Fein), adf.org. We are in pursuit of authentic scholarship and modern practices. See our website at pdx-druids.org.
Coven Caer Wy’east
Aquarian Tabernacle Church Serving the PNW since 1979. An interfaith church of Wicca and Earth Religions recognized and accredited worldwide. All are welcome at Open Circles near Seattle at NM & FM. Info and schedule : 360-793-1945, classes : 425-821-7246, Pagan Youth Group: Spiral Scouts International.360-793-9427. www.spiralscouts.org Black Hat Society Get out of the broom closet and knock off the cobwebs from your hat! The witchy gals in Central Oregon have formed a social network for fun, friendship and support. Many traditions are represented and welcomed. Get on our mailing list or upcoming activities. blackhatsociety@yahoo.com Cedar Mountain Coven We are an eclectic Celtic coven, with some Native American influences. We meet for Sabbaths, Esbats, laughter and support throughout the Portland/ Vancouver area. Closed to new members Samhain to Beltane, we do keep a waiting list for anyone interested. Beltane 2015
A traditional Gardnerian Coven, sponsors a non-oath bound, British Traditional Wiccan Outer Court for seekers of traditional training.. We prefer to work with seekers 30 years or older. New training cycles usually begin each spring. For more info contact Steward Creace 503-622-1381 or Steward _Creace@msn.com.
For more info, or to volunteer, please contact jfallenstar@gmail.com http://www.goddesstempleashland.com/ Hermetic Fellowship
Meets 7:30 pm, 3rd Thursday of every month for talks, sometimes ritual, in the Western Esoteric Tradition. We focus on 8 main Paths: Theurgy & Holy Magic, Qabalah, the Ancient Mysteries, Grail Quest, NeoPaganism & Wicca, Alchemy, Gnosticism, and Rosicrucianism. Please email for location and to introduce your“Coven Call” self. email: isidora.forrest@gmail.com Small Milwaukee-based coven seeking web: www.hermeticfellowship.org new members, age 18-30 willing to meet bi-monthly. Our group is very eclectic and Indigo Lights Circle Online Teen tends to focus on energy work. Teaching Group available. Please email us for an interview A place for uniquely gifted teens to celeat Avery.Nachelle@yahoo.com brate and explore the gifts the :Lord and Lady granted us with. Site address: http:// The Earth Gatherings www.geocities.com/jinksjustjinks/ An eclectic spiritual group with frequent get - together’s to discuss various spiritual Lyceum of Trees paths. Sponsors of The Mother Earth Gathering and The Middle Earth Gathering We are an educational coven located in Portland, Oregon. The group’s humble spark began to glow (June and September), Earth Awareness during Samhain 2000, and caught fire the following Festivals, honoring diversity and creating Yule. Lyceum focuses on classes for people beginbalance between wilderness and civiliza- ning to explore Paganism. Members are encouraged to offer classes and form study groups for deeper tion. 503-503-1415 bladu@hotmail.com www.earthgatherings.org PO Box 19655 explorations of areas of interest. For more information visit Portland, OR 97280. http://www.lyceumoftrees.com/ Oakmist Grove is accepting applications for our Portland training coven.* The Goddess Temple of Ashland is a sanc- Please see our website at tuary for the nurturance of the divine femi- www.oakmistgrove.com for more infornine in all people. Jackson Wellspring, mation. 2253 Highway 99, Ashland, Oregon. Goddess Temple of Ashland
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Open Ways Learn the Craft of the Wise A gathering of heathens, pagans, wiccans, witches, and magickal thinkers in the Portland and Salem areas. This group hosts monthly circles in Portland and Salem, joins in the celebration of the Moon Cycles and the Sabbats, and is a teaching coven. We make it easy for new pagans, providing an open and friendly atmosphere and instruction at the beginning of each gathering. We also offer group classes, private instruction, and an exciting year and a day program. Find us at www.meetup.com/ltcpdx M.A.G.I.C. A Vancouver/Portland based group that holds four gatherings a year, teaches classes in metaphysics, and provides ordaining of clergy, and sponsors the Spiral Rhythms Festival. Call 360-693-7349 or Email sienna@spiralrhythms.org and Www.spiralrhythms.org/magic for more information. Nine Houses of Gaia (9HOG’S) A non-profit organization incorporated to facilitate networking among pagans in the Pacific Northwest. Sponsors of Open Ways Newsletter as well as Northwest Fall Equinox Festival. The NWFEF celebrates the great harvest, begun at Lammas and ending at Samhain. Contact info for Open Ways editor@ninehouses.org. Officers of Avalon, Inc A non-profit benevolent organization representing Wiccans and other Pagans who work as police officers and other professionals in the emergency services members $15/yr for associate members. Membership dues $25/yr for full Newsletter The Dispatch. Registration forms available at www.officersofavalon.com. PO Box 22 Baraboo, WI 53913-0022. 30
Open Doors Center for Healing Arts We at Open Doors believe that healing is a collaborative process with practitioner, client and source. We believe that each individual has a journey of healing that is unique. Our goal is to provide assistance for realigning, re-connecting and restoring the natural state of vibrational well being. Our Practitioners are experienced in many varieties of healing modalities that help with this process. Visit www.opendoorscenter.com for more information about our energy-work and other events.
PDX Pagan Tribe This tribe is for heathens, pagans and free thinking individuals residing in or around Portland, OR, or other metro areas who want to communicate with other like minded folk. Please no political rants, there are other tribes for that. A person has to sign up with Tribe.net for free in order to join this tribe. The tribe is moderated in order to keep out hate mongers and spammers. Web address - http://tribes.tribe.net/ pdxpagans.Portland
Pacific NW Pagans Yahoo Group An online community for Pagans in the Pacific Northwest, including Oregon Washington, Idaho, Alaska and British Columbia. When posting announcements for events in this group, please be sure they're in PNW. http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/pnwpagans.
Sacred Oak Grove A Druid Grove in the Arthurian/CelticWiccan tradition. For those seeking a true Druidic path of knowledge, truth, justice, spiritual fellowship, and community service. Esbats, Sabbaths and tutorials. Members commit to both group and individual studies for spiritual growth. Now offering an outer circle. For information call 503235-5774 or oakgrove@teleport.com.
Polyamory Circle A gathering for folks exploring options beyond monogamy. Discussions include Other Worlds of Wonder (OWOW) open relationships, extended families, and A corporation organized to operate exclu- intentional communities. Everyone intersively for charitable purposes, including, ested is welcome to join us. For information but not limited to serving the Pagan com- and location Laury 503-285-4848. munity through sponsoring the Sun Fest festival and purchasing land to be held in Red Cedar Circle (Church of Si. Si. Wiss) trust for the Pagan community. Northwest Coast Medicine Johnny Moses Email address: owoworg@hotmail.com teachings to all. Portland/Vancouver area Website: www.owow.org Address: P.O. Box 68803, Portland, OR meetings. For information and location call 503-245-5660 or rlouis@hctc.com. 97268
PACT A democratic, eclectic teaching/training coven in three parts: A semi-private outer circle - by invitation only, two inner-core circles for PACT initiated. Lessons, degrees, and clergy training by PACT university. For info and a waiting list: email lordansurpact@yahoo.com
Seattle Goddess Group A new site dedicated to worship of the Seattle based deity (As first seen in the “Summer of 2008 art book) “Let your love grow” is her prayer. http:// groups.yahoo.com/groups/seattle.godess/ or SeattleGoddess@yahoogroups.com.
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Eclectic coven that emphasizes increasing the power of the individual through strength of our Gestalt, focusing on diversity in beliefs and the practice of Magick Members range from Portland to Hood . River and Mt. Hood. Please send letter of intent to HPS Belle Evergreen at belleevergreen@yahoo.com.
Our order exists to serve the religious, spiritual and educational needs of its members within the Druidic, Wiccan and Pagan We are a circle of women committed to Community. If you are drawn to a Celtic healing, education ritual and service. (HERS) We celebrate the eight holy days path and aspire to study with the Druids, we of the wheel: Solstices and Equinoxes are welcome you. for all genders and families; Cross quarters Contact us at forestdruids@yahoo.com are for women only. For information: http://www.sophiasancuary.org or http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/SophiaSancuary. SpiralGrove Coven- an eclectic coven focusing
Silver Star Circle
The Ancient and Honorable Order of the Sacred Oaks
Shadowluz
Sophia Sanctuary Women’s Temple
A Celtic Pagan circle meeting for Sabbats, full and new moons, weekly class and more. Located in Battle Ground Additional. info: email slvrstarcircle@yahoo.com.
Sister Spirit Eclectic women's spirituality group founded in 1985. Sister Spirit's purpose is to create a place where women of all spiritual backgrounds and traditions can celebrate women’s spirituality. Through female imagery we celebrate our connections with nature. We come together to explore our own spirits, and learn, grow, and expand to fully realize the divinity within. Website: www.sisterspiritportland.com. Email/Phone: sisterspirit .portland@gmail.com/ 503-7363297. Address Mailing: PO Box 9246 Portland, OR 97207. Physical address: 3430 SE Belmont #102, Portland, OR. (Office, library, and small group space)
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on the Wheel of The Year as a path of Personal Growth. We circle in the Portland area. We host a festival, Beltaine In The Grove, for the Rites of May. Please see our website, www.spiralgrovebeltaine.org or contact Seanachai at seanacahi.moonfyre@gmail.com for more information
A Druidic order in the Arthurian/Celtic tradition, chartering groves meeting established criteria and dedicated to authentic Druidic principles and traditions. For those who aspire to the excellence of Druidry, Inc. in OR and 501(c)3. 503-235-5774 The Sorcerers Guild www.sacred-oak-grove.org. Dedicated to the enhancement of Magickal work within its membership. Public meetup at the Dancing Beans 1615 SE 12th Ave The Saint James Project Portland, OR held monthly. Email theA shamanic Arm of the Red Witch Tradi- binder7@yahoo.com for date and time. For tion. Includes Indigenous Shamanic train- m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n : h t t p : / / ing, pilgrimages and extensive her story/ s o r c e r e r s g u i l d . t r i b e . n e t o r history from the first century CE to the pre- http:www.sorcerersguild.com, or sent. Prerequisite: Reiki 3 and 3 years of http://groups.myspace.com/sorceryguild magickal hands-on experience. Meets at Toad House in McMinnville Oregon. Con- The Well of Diancecht tact info is worldtree1@verizon.net. Provides free sacred energy healing to veterans, active duty military and their families. We also list practitioners offering sliding The Sacred Cascade Grove scale services to serve members, veterans and their families. Info: The Sacred Cascade Grove of The Sacred diancecht@yahoo.com Order of Gnostic Druidism offers a Druidic college in Central Oregon.
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West Hills Covenant of UU Pagans WHCUUPS/ (WICCA) (WHCUUPS ): As a growing, eclectic pagan community, we welcome new members! We meet bimonthly on 2nd and 4th Monday evenings, 6:30-8:00pm during the school year, and 7:30-9:00pm during the summer months), for structured thematic discussions/ activities and socializing. Together we also celebrate all eight Sabbats throughout the year. We also offer a Year and a Day class for aspiring Pagan (esp. Wiccan) Clergy. Contacts for the group are as follows: Rachel Walaskay (Moderator) taramathea@yahoo.com or (503) 935-7795; Mary McGar (Co moderator) daraileen@yahoo.com or (971) 242-1321. Feel free to visit our website and join the group to receive updates and information About upcoming events: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Women coming together to celebrate the Goddess in Her many forms. Weekly meetings: Wings-Retreats (called Forwards) Summer Gathering. Rituals email/ phone: normahp@iglide.net/ 541-4853654. Address, PO Box 5296, Eugene, OR 97405 Women of the Goddess Women of the Goddess is a Pagan community in the Dianic tradition. Our purpose is to mark the eight Sabbats of the year in ritual with like-minded women, to strengthen the Goddess connection within ourselves, to share this connection with others, and to bring wholeness to the world and to our journey in it as the Wheel of the Year turns. Location Seattle, WA. Contacts: janicevc@seanet.com or 206-322-
Witches of Westwi ck Paranormal Society Centered in the beautiful foothills of the Columbia River Gorge. Specializing in Esoteric research and Theology. Dedicated to tribal rites of passage as well as the Major and Minor Pagan Holidays & Festivals. We love to explore the enchanted as well as the chilling. Contact Leanna at devasdelight@yahoo.com or 541-490-5718
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Pagan Business Directory A G Glass Studio LLC (503) 313-8028 Global Mineral askglobalmineral@gmail.com If The Broom Fits ifthebroomfits@comcast.net Inner Compass Tarot tarot@shadesofmaybe.com
To advertise in our Pagan Business Directory, One year for $10.00, Business name and phone number or website only. Email:
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The Nine Houses of Gaia Open Ways Advertising PO Box 33182 Portland, OR 972
Alice Jordan jordan.alicem@gmail.com Mother Earth’s Gifts and Treasures motherearthsgiftsandtreasures@gmail.com
Tell them you saw their ad in the Open Ways Newsletter!
Of Earth & Air (503) 693-3600 VC Bath and Body Treats info@VCBathBodyTreats.com Elan Metamorphosis www.metamorphosishealing.net
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Open Ways The Nine Houses of Gaia Presents:
The Thirty first Annual Northwest Fall Equinox Festival Dancing with the Moon September 17-20, 2015
Important Information – Please read! REGISTRATION: Space is limited! Your BEST CHANCE TO ATTEND FESTIVAL is to REGISTER EARLY, by sending a fully paid registration to the address listed. COMPLETED REGISTRATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN MONDAY 9/1/14! If we are full when we receive your registration, we will return your check with a letter of apology, hoping to see you next year. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF WE ARE ACTUALLY FULL! PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE RUMORS, as only the registrar will know that information, and even she won’t know the exact status at every moment. If you are accepted, a confirmation email will be sent to the Main Registrant soon after receiving the registration. A detailed Festival Program will be emailed to that same registrant a couple weeks before the Festival. It is recommended that you review the ENTIRE packet, as park rules may change year to year and print at least the festival schedule and bring it with you. CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDS/EXCHANGE POLICIES: ANY and ALL CHANGES to your registration must be made through the Registration Goddess! If you need to cancel part or all of your registration, we will issue refunds for cancellations before Wednesday, 9/10/2014. Registrations are NOT exchangeable at the gate! Please contact the registrar about ANY changes or questions immediately, and absolutely no later than midnight Wed., 9/10/14 by email, nwfef@ninehouses.org or mail, PO Box 33182, Portland, OR 97292. WORKSHOPS: Please let us know if you would like to conduct a workshop or mini-ritual by attaching a separate, brief description and appropriate age recommendation with your registration, or emailing nwfef@ninehouses.org . Impromptu workshops are welcome, but advance notice will get you into the Festival Program! VENDORS: Please email your booth name, wares/services offered, etc. to nwfef@ninehouses.org. Be descriptive, as vendors will be listed in the Festival Program! The vending fee is $35 plus an item donated to our raffle. Your raffle item will be collected from you on site. Contact nwfef@ninehouses.org for assistance with registration. Contact vendor@ninehouses.org for questions/concerns regarding onsite matters. VOLUNTEERING: We expect the community to help before, during and after the festival. If you are interested in helping with festival preparations prior to the festival, please contact us via email (nwfef@ninehouses.org) or PO Box. Everyone will be asked on site to contribute at least two hours to help with the many tasks, such as ritual site preparation, clean-up, firewood hauling and especially in the kitchen! When you arrive, we will still be in the process of setting up temples and other activity areas. Please do your part by checking in with coordinators of setup projects to offer your assistance. A community builds a festival. And building it together is part of the experience. CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE FOR MORE---------à
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Open Ways CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES: There will be rituals, workshops, and other fun activities for children. Parents are asked to help out with these events. Ideas and suggestions are welcomed. There will be no child care service provided. Parents are responsible for making any child care arrangements. LOCATION: Rustic wooded campsite in the mountains, approximately 1½ hours from Portland. (Specific site information available only to registrants). Cabins available (sleep 4-8: be prepared to share). A few wheelchair accessible accommodations available. A limited number of tent-camping spots are available; you must reserve one with the Registration Goddess pre-festival, preferably with your registration. PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED! Please do not ask for special exceptions! PARKING: Park Rules state that no RVs are permitted onsite. Vendors (1 vehicle per booth) and vehicles displaying a valid handicapped parking tag have on-site parking available. Please email nwfef@ninehouses.org if you qualify. Parking onsite for regular attendees is limited. Vehicles over capacity are required by the park to be in a designated offsite parking area. If upon arrival you are notified by a staff member that we have reached vehicle capacity, please follow this procedure: After unloading your vehicle, you will need to return to the gate where a shuttle driver will follow you as you drive to the offsite parking area and drive you back to the site. On Sunday, we will shuttle you back to your car so you can return to the site and load your gear. We have been assured that the offsite lot is secure and patrolled. And, as always, we encourage you to carpool to the Festival. ARRIVAL: Check the festival program for the gate opening time on Thurs. evening, do not expect to enter the grounds before then. Cars lining up outside the gate will not be permitted to do so until a certain time as well, please refer to your festival packet for this time and do not show up before then. Your cooperation will ensure a continuing amicable relationship with the park and its staff. The gate will close on time on both Thursday and Friday nights, and remain closed until Sunday. Please plan your arrival accordingly! T-SHIRTS: Our new fundraiser! Please support Open Ways & NWFEF by purchasing a T-shirt to commemorate your festival experience. Pre-order only. $15.00 each, $3 add’l for sizes XL & greater. Pick up your T-shirt order at the gate when you check in. CONTACT US: With any food allergies, special accommodation needs, questions, or concerns at nwfef@ninehouses.org or NWFEF PO Box 33182, Portland, OR 97292. Please allow 1-2 day response time for basic registration questions, 3-5 days for issues requiring consultation with other festival departments.
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Open Ways The Nine Houses of Gaia Open Ways PO Box 33182 Portland, OR 97292 E-mail:
editor@ninehouses.org openwayseditor@gmail.com World Wide Web: http://ninehouses.org
Proceeds from the North West Fall Equinox Festival go to producing Open Ways Thank you for your support! Beltane 2015
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