Summer Solstice 2011 by Open Ways Newsletter

pen Ways

Gateway to the Pagan Communities Summer Solstice 2011

Issue 154

Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Alban Heruin, Alban Hefin, Gathering Day, Vestalia, La Festa dell'Estate (Summer Fest), the Day of the Green Man. 1

How to Contact Open Ways www.ninehouses.org

pen Ways

Email: editor@ninehouses.org

Gateway to the Pagan Communities

Facebook: www.facebook.com/openways

2011

Issue 154

Mail Po Box 11183, Portland, OR 97211

The Nine Houses of Gaia is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1992 to sponsor the Northwest Fall Equinox Festival and publishOpen Ways.

Submissions Open Waysserves as an introduction to and an anchor for pagan communities in Oregon and Articles, letters, poetry, artwork, etc., are the Pacific Northwest; a forum for the exchange of scholarly, practical, or experiential solicited from the community. We reserve information, knowledge, and wisdom; a tool for instruction and communication; a journal the right to edit for length and content. Email or send self-addressed stamped envelope of events, announcements, ideas, poetry, prose, illustration — anything of benefit or interest to pagans, wiccans, or other nature spiritualists. for Writers Guidelines. Type-written (singlesided) or word processed manuscripts are We publish Open Ways 8 times a year on the quarters and cross-quarters. welcome, electronic submissions via email preferred. The Open Ways is an online magazine and resource for We’ve got exciting plans and we need the Northwest Pagan community. your help! Contributors are a vital part of each Open Ways publication; please consider sharing your wisdom Ads must be camera-ready. Payment must accompany ad. No credit card payments. and experiences pertaining to the Deadlines apply. E-mailed ads and their payments must be received by the deadlines. Sabbat. We plan on expanding the Email Editor for more info. publication to include regular “columns” on various topics….please consider being a regular contributor. Here are some ideas for columns that 15.00 for business card size(3.5"x2") $30.00 for quarter-page(3.5"x4") we’d like to include: $60 for half page (7"x4.5") $120.00 for full page (7"x9") Rituals; Folktales/Lore; Astrology; Discount for one-year, pre-paid ads. Food; Art/Crafts; Book Reviews; Movement/Dance; Gardening/Herbs Poetry/Short Stories; Perspectives: Youth, Single Life, Family Life, Elders We plan to expand the Community Directory & Community Events; there’s so much going on in our community and we want Open Ways to be “the source” for it all. If you know of events, let us know!

Deadline for material

Available

Beltane

March 15th

April 15th

Summer Solstice

May 1st

June 1st

Lughnasadh

June 10th

July 10th

Fall Equinox

July 20th

August 20th

Samhain

September 10th

Oct. 10th

Yule

November 1st

December 1st

Brigid

December 10th

January 10th

Spring Equinox

Feb 1st

March 1st

Many changes are still in the works as we still just getting off the ground in this new format. Additionally, this is our last issue as editors as we have started a new family business and need to devote all our time to that endeavor.

Please continue to send in submissions for inclusion to: openwayseditor@gmail.com Blessings! Jonathan & Bethany

Summer Solstice At Summer Solstice, brightness-peaking square dances with dark-returning. At the very thrumming breath-song, verve-song of planetary she-volution, we open our hearts to the fire at the center of the sun, to the starfire at the center of the Milky Way, to the fire that rolls and burns at the core of GaiaEarth. Amaterasu. Pele, Vesta, Litha. This same fire burns, molten, bright, perennial, unceasing, inside each being: each witch sister, every daughter who every lived, rock people and salamander, spider and giraffe, chloroplast. Light the fires, watch the fires of longest light and praise and delight, celebrate the power of transformation at the core of life. Find a word that celebrates your brightness, and in sacred circle, with all womyn from all-time and all-space, sing this word out, this chordant tuning, a ray beaming out in all directions. Know the song you make is part of the starfire blazing in the Milky Way of Goddess provisioning, the song that fires the orbs and orbits. What is the shape of the constellation of your life? Marna ÂŠ Mother Tongue Ink 2010

www.wemoon.ws 3

Transformational Goddess Raina C. Colvin Compliments of Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;moon 08

Your Biz Ad or Event Poster Here! Low Rates! www.ninehouses.org 4

¤ Angela Galik 2009

Allusion, Sheila A. Richards, We’moon 09 5

Astrology: The Summer Solstice The Summer Solstice is the time when the Sun halts over the Tropic of Cancer (23°N26') on its tropical journey north, then after some three days, turns in its tracks and begins its journey south, towards the equator. This, the shortest night of the year, happens in 2011 on the 21st of June. This major calendrical event is the focus of religious and social festivities in all cultures; Christian society marks the event with the Midsummer festival known as St John the Baptist's Day (June 24). [See Note for Southern Hemisphere]

Sun stops in its journey north, and then turns, having gone as far north as it is going to each year. Cancer is ruled by the Moon and Midsummer celebrates the elemental powers of fire and water, so people would light fires and bathe in the dew on the morning of Midsummer's Day – as indeed they still do in many parts of the world. Even in the twenty-first century, people still love to come together and surf the cosmic wave of energy that is released at this time. Every person in the Holy Grail – the Sacred Chalice, planet Earth's Light Grid – participates in the distribution of the Life and in turn restores the Divine Plan on Earth. As the Life enters and flows through all individuals and their world, it makes the whole world sacred.

Midsummer has historically been the central point of the magical year: even today in some places, traditional hilltop bonfires are lit to revive the power of the Sun; flaming disks are thrown into the air; blazing wheels are rolled downhill; leaping and dancing around and through the fire are ritual encouragements for maximising the harvest. Magical powers are heightened and the little people are about. It is the ideal time for gathering magical herbs: pluck them before dawn, before breakfast, while the dew still wets the petals. Fern and fern-seed is gathered on Mid-Summer's Eve, to harness the power of the Sun. Golden solar flowers such as St John's wort, mugwort and mistletoe, the golden bough, are worn as garlands.

For a neat graphic and explanation of the celestial show, check out Archaeoastronomy.com.

Astrologically, the June Solstice marks the entry of the Sun into the Cardinal, Water Sign of Cancer. The Tropic of Cancer (23°N26') is the actual degree of latitude over which the

Witch’s Cauldron

History in the Brewing Summer Solstice 2011 By Jaclyn MacKinnon Bruce Williams, of Williams Brothers Brewing in Alloa, Scotland, picked up his flagship recipe from antiquity. A customer of his back when the brothers Williams ran a hombrew shop in Glasgow brought in a family recipe, translated from Gaelic, which according to her was the product of ancient legend. The story goes that an old Pictish man, some say the Pictish king, commits suicide after his son is killed by Scots for the recipe for Pictish “Leann Fraoch,” or, Heather Ale. There are many versions of this legend but the 19� century poem by Robert Louis Stevenson tells the story well enough: From Heather Ale by Robert Louis Stevenson:

Heather Ale goes on to depict the slaughter of Picts by the Scots and the king of Scots attempting to coax the secret of the recipe from the last Pictish survivors in the area, a father and his son, lest he “Rule in a land of heather, and lack the Heather Ale.” The man promises the recipe so long as the Scots kill his son, from whom he claims to fear retaliation for giving up the secret. Once this is done the man takes his own life, saying he had indeed feared his son, but for lack of courage and betrayal of the recipe’s secret he feared, not for retaliation.

Heather Ale (per Gallon) •1 lb Pale malt extract •0.2 lb Amber malt •2 cups pressed flowering heather tips •Good yeast (see note) Optional: 0.25 oz Myrica gale, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle. The commercial heather ale Fraoch contains it, the homebrew version does not.

This recipe is modified from Bruce Williams’ homebrew version of his Heather Ale, derived from his customer’s Gaelic recipe. My goal producing homebrew recipes is to come up with something anyone can make, regardless of experience and with minimal equipment. The full Williams recipe is available in Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers by Stephen Harrod Buhner. You’ve likely seen the commercial version in stores, it’s called Fraoch Heather Ale and it’s available in bottle shops all around Portland. Heather ale has been produced for at least 4000 years and is still made today. An archaeological site dating to approximately 2000 BC on the Isle of Rhum, Scotland, yielded evidence of fermented beverage made with heather. Heather ale was important to Druidic culture, used in ceremony, which makes it an ideal midsummer libation. In addition to its historical significance it is light, floral and all-around pleasant, perfect for a long summer day’s celebration.

min, 45 min and at 60 minutes, at the end. If you are using Myrica gale, add it at 30 minutes. Chill and transfer to a sanitized fermenter, pitch yeast. Ferment to completion, 5-7 days, transfer to clean fermenter, place remaining 0.75 oz of heather in a sanitized mesh bag, weigh down and place in ale for an additional five days. Remove “dry-herb,” prime and bottle. I prime with just shy of ¼ cup (say ¼ c. minus 1 tsp) dried malt extract, boiled in ¾ c. water for five minutes, per gallon. Prime the batch, not the individual bottles, you will get more consistent carbonation. Wait two weeks and enjoy! If you’ve never brewed before I recommend checking out a good homebrewing book. Note on yeast: I recommend going to a brewpub with a clean mason jar and asking for yeast, ¼ cup dense cell mass per gallon is more than enough. I also recommend getting a beer at said brewpub, not to stimulate the economy (though it is a nice “thank you” for the yeast) but to check the quality of the yeast. Some brewpubs reuse their yeast a few times too many. If the beer has a dusty, musty taste, the yeast is old. This isn’t all that common, but it happened to me twice last week so I feel it’s worth a mention.

The juniper braggot from the Beltane issue is a hit! Kalevala Braggot not only tasted great (which is the ultimate goal, really) but passed a tasting panel of beer lovers and people of discerning palates. I donated about a third of the batch to a private tasting benefitting Doernbecher Children’s Hospital which in additional to being great fun raised a lot for some folks who deserve it. Portions of Heather Ale and future batches will be similarly donated, because this stuff’s too good to just benefit me. Gun cuireadh do chupa thairis le slainte agus sonas. May your cup overflow with health and happiness. Jaclyn MacKinnon References: brosbrew.com/ •Williams Brothers Brewing: www. •Buhner, Stephen Harrod, Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers.©1998 Stephen Harrod Buhner, Siris Books, Boulder, Colorado. •Heather Ale, Stevenson, Robert Louis http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/stevenson/heather_ale.html

June Moon Names:

Customs and myths One way to express the cycle of the Earth's fertility that has persisted from early pagan to modern times is the myth of the Oak King and the Holly King, gods respectively of the waxing and waning year. The Oak King rules from Midwinter to Midsummer, the period of fertility, expansion and growth, and the Holly King reigns from Midsummer to Midwinter, the period of harvest, withdrawal and wisdom. They are light and dark twins, each being the other's alternate self, thus being one. Each represents a necessary phase in the natural rhythm; therefore, both are good. At the two changeover points, they symbolically meet in combat. The incoming twin -- the Oak King at Midwinter, the Holly King at Midsummer -- "slays" the outgoing one. But the defeated twin is not considered dead -- he has merely withdrawn during the six months of his brother's rule.

Leaves Moon (Cree). Horse Moon (Celtic). Ripe Berries (Dakota). Hoer moon (Abernaki). Lotus Moon (Chinese). Windy Moon (Choctaw). Summer moon (Kiowa). Buffalo Moon (Omaha). Leaf Moon (Assiniboine). Corn Tassel Moon(Taos). Blackberry moon (Greek). Green grass Moon(Sioux). Ripening Moon (Mohawk). Turtle Moon (Potawatomi). Making fat Moon (Lakota).

On Midsummer Night, it is said that field and forest elves, sprites and faeries abound in great numbers, making this a great time to commune with them. Litha is considered a time of great magickal power, one of the best times to perform magicks of all kinds. Spells and magick for love, healing and prosperity are especially effective now. Wreaths can be made for your door with yellow feathers for prosperity and red feathers for sexuality, intertwined and tied together with ivy. This is also a very good time to perform blessings and protection spells for pets or other animals.

Hot weather moon (Ponca). Leaf Dark Moon (San Juan). Major Planting Moon (Hopi). Planting Moon (Neo Pagan). Fish Spoils Moon (Wishram). Water melon Moon (Natchez). Hot Weather moon (Arapaho). Dyad Moon (Medieval English).

Nurturing and love are key actions related to Midsummer. Litha is a good time to perform a ceremony of self-dedication or rededication to your spiritual path as a part of your sabbat celebration. Ritual actions for Litha include placing a flower-ringed cauldron on your altar, gathering and drying herbs, plunging the sword (or athamĂŠ) into the cauldron and leaping the balefire (bonfire) for purification and renewed energy. Giving away fire, sleeping away from home and neglecting animals are considered taboo on this holiday.

Strawberry Moon (Anishnaabe). Dark green leaves Moon (Pueblo). Summer Moon (Passamaquoddy). Green Corn Moon, Flower Moon (Cherokee). Mead Moon (Full Janic), Strawberry moon (Dark Janic). Honey Moon, Hot Moon, Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon (Algonquin).

Gods & Goddesses of Litha

Fire, the Sun, blades, mistletoe, oak trees, balefires, Sun wheels, summertime flowers (especially sunflowers), summer fruits, seashells and faeries.

Aphrodite Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar and Venus, Athena, Artemis, Dana, Kali, Isis and Juno and the gods Apollo, Lugh Ares, Dagda, Gwydion, Helios, Llew, Oak/Holly King, Lugh, Ra, Sol, Zeus, Prometh eus and Thor

If you made Sun wheels at Imbolc, display them now prominently, hanging from the ceiling or on trees in your yard. You may want to decorate them with yellow and gold ribbons and summer herbs.

All green gemstones, especially emerald and jade, and also tiger's eye, lapis lazuli and diamond.

Chamomile, cinquefoil, copal, elder, fennel, fern, frankincense, galangal, heliotrope, hemp, larkspur, laurel, lavender, lemon, mistletoe, mugwort, oak, pine, roses, saffron, St. John's wort, sandalwood, thyme, verbena, wisteria and ylang-ylang (pictured). Herbs gathered on this day are said to be extremely powerful.

Lavendar rose sandalwood 11

Community Directory Our study group meets on the last Friday of every month and up to 8 times a year for Public Ritual. Affiliated with ADF (Arn Draoicht Fein), adf.org. We are in pursuit of authentic scholarship and modern practices. See our website at .

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.

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 or visit 501(c)3.

Coven Caer Wy'east is a traditional Gardnerian Coven that occasionally offers classes and training to the Pagan Community. We also welcome questions and dialogue with all members of the Pagan Community. Contact Person: Steward Creace E-mail: Tel. .

Serving the PNW since 1979. An interfaith church of Wicca and Earth Religions recognized and accredited worldwide. All welcome at Open Circles near Seattle at NM & FM. Info and , classes : schedule : , Pagan Youth Group: Spiral Scouts International. .

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 for upcoming activities.

Small Milwaukie-based coven seeking new members, age 18-30 willing to meet bi-monthly.Our group is very eclectic and tends to focus on energy work. Teaching available. Please email us for an interview at

The Goddess Temple of Ashland is a sanctuary for the nurturance of the divine feminine in all people. Jackson Wellsprings, 2253 Highway 99, Ashland, Oregon. For more info, or to volunteer, please contact

For seekers interested in spiritual paths within the Western Esoteric Tradition, including the Ancient Mysteries, Theurgy, Qabalah, Rosicrucianism, Gnosticism, Wicca & NeoPaganism, Alchemy & Grail Quest. Meets third Thursdays for presentations/discussions. 1st semester 2011: Ancient Greek Philosophy; 2nd: Ancient Greek Religion. 2nd semester includes ritual. Location & info:

A place for uniquely gifted teens to celebrate and explore the gifts the :Lord and Lady granted us with. Site address: An eclectic spiritual group with frequent get-togethers to discuss various spiritual paths. Sponsors of The Mother Earth Gathering and The Middle Earth Gathering (June and September), Earth Awareness Festivals, honoring diversity and creating balance between wilderness and civilization. Contact info: or

Mystic Arts Gathering and Information Circle A 501(c)(3) Vancouver/Portland based group that holds public rituals and gatherings throughout the year, teaches classes and workshops, ordains clergy, and sponsors the Spiral Rhythms Festival. or call for more information.

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 Lammus and ending at Samhain. Contact info for Open Ways

A non-profit benevolent organization, representing Wiccans and other Pagans who work as police officers, and other professionals in the emergency services. Membership dues $25/yr for full members $15/yr for associate members. Newsletter The Dispatch. Registration formsavailable

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 wellbeing. Our Practitioners are experienced in many varieties of healing modalities that help with this process. Visit for more information about our energy-work and other events.

tribe. The tribe is moderated in order to keep out hate mongers and spammers. Web address A corporation organized to operate exclusively for charitable purposes, including, but not limited to serving the Pagan community through sponsoring the SunFest festival and purchasing land to be held in trust for the Pagan community. Email address: Website: Address:

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.

A gathering for folks exploring options beyond monogamy. Discussions include open relationships, extended families, and intentional communities. Everyone interested is welcome to join us. For information and location Laury

Northwest Coast Medicine Johnny Moses teachings to all. Portland/Vancouver area meetings. For information and location call or

The Sacred Cascade Grove of The Sacred Order of Gnostic Druidism offers a Druidic college in Central A democratic, eclectic teaching/training Oregon. Our order exists to serve the religious, spiritual and educational needs coven in three parts: A semi-private of its members within the Druidic, outer circle - by invitation only, two Wiccan and pagan community. If you inner-core circles for PACT initiated. Lessons, degrees, and clergy training by are drawn to a Celtic path and aspire to PACT university. For info and a waiting study with the Druids, we welcome you. Contact us at list: email l

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 13

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 5 or .

A Shamanic Arm of the Red Witch Tradition. Includes Indigenous Shamanic training, pilgrimages and extensive herstory/history from the first century CE to the present. Prerequisite: Reiki 3 and 3 years magickal hands-on experience. Meets at Toad House in McMinnville Oregon.Contact info

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.

or or

A Celtic Pagan circle meeting for Sabbats, full and new moons, weekly class and more. Located in Battle Ground Additional. Info: email

A community of self-identified women who gather together in sacred space to learn from each other and honor their own selves. Open circle monthly and a Deepening circle that is a quarterly commitment. E-mail or find us on facebook to be on our mailing list!

Eclectic women's spirituality group founded in 1985. SisterSpirit's purpose is to create a place where women of all spiritual backgrounds and traditions can Eclectic coven that emphasizes celebrate women's spirituality. Through increasing the power of the individual female imagery we celebrate our through strength of our Gestalt, connections with nature. We come focusing on diversity in beliefs and the practice of Magick. Members range from together to explore our own spirits, and Portland to Hood River and Mt. Hood. learn, grow, and expand to fully realize Please send letter of intent to HPS Belle the divinity within. website Evergreen at email/phone . / address Mailing: If the bardic arts call to you, and your love of the Goddess and God speaks to you through Celtic and Arthurian-based mythology and lore, come walk our Pagan path with us as we renew our grove. Now in Vancouver, WA. Contact

Physical address: (Office, library, & small group space)

We are a circle of women committed to healing, education ritual and service. 14

(HERS) We celebrate the eight holy days of the wheel: Solstices and Equinoxes are for all genders and families; Cross quarters are for womyn only. For information .

Dedicated to the enhancement of Magickal work within its membership. Public meet-up at the Dancing Beans 1615 SE 12th Ave Portland, OR held monthly. Email for date and time. For more information: or

As a growing, eclectic pagan community, we welcome new members! We meet bi-monthly on alternating Monday evenings, (6:30-8:00 PM during the school year, and 7:30-9:00 PM 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) or (503) 935-7795; Mary McGar (Comoderator) or (971) 242-1321. Feel free to visit our website and join the group to receive updates and information about upcoming events:

Women coming together to celebrate the Goddess in Her many forms.. weekly meetings: Wings - Retreats (called Forwards) Summer Gathering.. Rituals email/phone / address

We are a feminist pagan community of women in the Dianic tradition of Wicca. 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. Seattle, WA email/phone: j

Provides free sacred energy healing to veterans, active duty military and their families. We also list practitioners offering sliding scale services to service members, veterans and their families. Info:

Send your information to editor@ninehouses.org

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. or Contact Leanna at

A cat came fiddling out of a barn, With a pair of bagpipes under her arm. She could sing nothing but fiddle dee dee, The mouse has married the bumblebee. Pipe, cat; dance, mouse; We'll have a wedding at our good house.Will ever after handsome be. -Mother Gooose 15

Community Events 7 pm. Bring your journal or come and start a new one. All women welcome. SisterSpirit office, 3430 SE Belmont #102. Call 503-736-3297 for info. $5+ donation appreciated. 7 pm. All women welcome. SisterSpirit office, 3430 SE Belmont #102. Call 503736-3297 for info. $5+ donation appreciated. 7:30 pm. SisterSpirit Office, 3430 SE Belmont #102. All women welcome. Call 503-7363297 for info. $5+ donation appreciated. 7 pm. SisterSpirit Office, 3430 SE Belmont #102. All women welcome. Come share your dreams and insights! 503-736-3297 for info. $5+ donation appreciated. Yes, its a pirate ritual and we’ll be making treasure boxes to bury what we want to come true-literally a treasure map. Come dressed as pirates to this fun and lighthearted ritual. Aargh! 6:00 pm, Michelle’s Meadow, Forest Park (on NW 53 Dr. ½ mi. north of intersection with NW Cornell Rd.). All women welcome. Call the SisterSpirit office for information: 503-736-3297, or check www.sisterspiritportland.com or find us on Facebook. $5+ donation appreciated. 7 pm. SisterSpirit office, 3430 SE Belmont #102. All women welcome. $5+ donations appreciated. Call 503-736-3297 or email patmac31@juno.com for information.

7 pm. Bring your journal or come and start a new one. All women welcome. SisterSpirit office, 3430 SE Belmont #102. Call 503-736-3297 for info. $5+ donation appreciated.

for Lammas / Lughnasadh, we will be hosting an all-day field trip to the Stonehenge replica at the Maryhill Museum of Art. (35 Maryhill Museum Drive Goldendale, WA 98620). 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/WHCUUPS/.

Visit

offers energy-work sessions on the first Sunday and second Saturday of the month. for more information about our energy-work and other events.

– being hosted local, eclectic, loving, teaching coven. Please and times. Suggested $10 donation.

;a for dates

( Worshops - Crafts – Rituals Lane County $180. includes lodging, food and program normahp@iglide.net 541-485-3654

Send your information to editor@ninehouses.org 16

https://musepriestess.wordpress.com/ http://www.pdxecstaticdance.com/ http://www.writingportland.com/song-circles/ http://www.thesweetnest.com/our-sweet-nesters/events-and-offerings http://www.crystaltemple.org/calendar/calendar.htm http://www.witchvox.com/vn/ev/usor_ev.html

Turning of the wheel is a festival created to take an earth based approach to celebrating the changing of the seasons while sustaining our diverse and talented community of artists, healers, and local businesses. Mission: Weaving Community, celebrating the earth, and sharing our gifts. www.turningofthewheel.net A recreation of the Eleusinian Mysteries help is April and is presented by Aquarian Tabernacle Church. For more information visit http://www.aquiriantabernaclechurch.org Magick and music for Mother Earth sponsored by M.A.G.I.C. Usually held on the first weekend in June. It has not been held due to lack of funding but hopefully will be back soon. For information visit http://www.spiralrhythms.org A "green living" celebration - an earth awareness festival, held in June. For information visit http://www.earthgatherings.org A campout for Pagans! Held in June. For information visit http://www.pagancampout.com A summer Solstice celebration sponsored by OWOW, held in June. For more information visit http://www.owow.org A starwood celebration, held in July. For more information visit http://www.summerstar.org A celebration of music, art and imagination inspired by the realm of Faerie. Held in July/August. For information visit http://faerieworlds.com Open air sacred art and music festival. Held in August. For more information visit http://www.belovedfestival.com A celebration of the harvest. Sponsored by The Nine Houses of Gaia. Held in September. For more information click here. A fall Equinox celebration, and earth awareness gathering, held in September. For more information visit http://www.earthgathering.org 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

Fall Equinox Festival Call To The Community!!! The Northwest Fall Equinox Festival is looking for qualified volunteers during and at festival in the areas of Cooks/Chefs/Dishwashers/Dining Hall Staff/Truck Crew/Security/Wood Crew/Musicians/ and more. Volunteers are granted partial scholarships to festival. If you are interested in any of these positions please write a 250+ explanation as to your interested post, your qualifications, and any special skills or talents and forward to Open Ways.

The Nine Houses of Gaia is now accepting proposals from the community, professionals, restaurants, and kitchen witches; for the NWFEF Kitchen 2011. All type written proposals must Please forward to the Open Ways. All proposals should include be received by your theme, ideas, staff leads, general menu for brunch service and dinner service as well as late night munchies. Please note the following requirements: Individuals who are chosen to run this year’s NWFEF Kitchen must have restaurant or festival cooking experience (special dietary cooking experience encouraged.) All shift and meal leads must have a state issued Food Handlers Card. If selected, it is your responsibility to purchase groceries based on Nine Houses approved Kitchen Budget, and prepare all meals for 175-250 patrons, staff, and crew at this year’s NorthWest Fall Equinox Festival. You will be responsible with communicating to the Nine Houses of Gaia via a liaison throughout the year. *The Nine Houses of Gaia reserves the right to pre-screen and reject any potential kitchen staff member. Please note that in a recent study, we have discovered our community is approximately 80% omnivorous and only 20% vegetarian/vegan – surprised?

Are you an Artist, Crafter, Bodyworker, Hair Designer, Make-up Artist, Costume Designer or ??? Share your talents with the community! For more information, email: vendors@ninehouses.org