Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Event Announcement for Earth Based Religion Study Group

When: Friday November 13th 2009 7:00pm till 8:30pm
Where: Meadville Unitarian Universalist Parish House
(Building to the left of the Church)
Directions: 346 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335 (See
http://www.uumeadville.org/directions.htm)

Come join the Druids of Snow Water Grove, ADF at the Meadville UU Parish House for the Earth Based Religion Study Group. We'll be meeting in the Arthur Room of the Parish House on Friday November 13th 2009 at 7:00pm.

This is open to the public, be you a member of the Church or not, or be you pagan or non-pagan.

In this meeting we will be focusing on....

* 2 out of the 9 ADF Druid Virtues: Vision and Integrity.
* Different Forms of Divination

Our secondary goal is to bring some of the Meadville/Crawford County pagan community out, to show that the Meadville UU Church is an accepting, religiously diverse and friendly congregation with an atmosphere of mutual respect for different faiths. To show that, as we all know, "Church" is not a bad word.

Bring yourselves, your curiosity and your questions, or just come out to see who we are, and what we'll be doing.

Contact us on 814 406 9794 or info@snowWaterGrove.org for further details.

* Advance Notice: The December Meeting will be Friday December 11th 2009 (second Friday of the month) at 7pm *

Bright Blessings,
Grey Whittney (Senior Druid)
Snow Water Grove, ADF
www.snowwatergrove.org

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Samhain is quickly approaching..

Samhain is quickly approaching, and I've got a number of things yet to do. But I was also asked by a news reporter about Samhain, and I thought to post my response here as well (just before the article comes out at the end of the week).

Um, need to post an announcement to the blog too... Sorry, nearly forgot that.

  • What is Samhain?
Samhain is regarded as the one of the 8 High Days that we, as ADF Druids (Ár nDraíocht Féin: Irish translated as Our Own Druidry ) celebrate, as well as a number of other Pagan and Neo-Pagan groups in the Northern Hemisphere around October 31st/November 1st as the End of Summer (folk tradition has references to the Old Irish meaning sam-fain being summers-end). A time to stock up for the coming winter months, a time of plenty and feasting for the community.
  • What does is celebrate?
In a Celtic hearth culture, it's a time to celebrate the third and final harvest of the year. The end of one year, and the start of another, and is usually thought of as the Celtic New Year (although, this too may be a folk custom, as the supporting sources such as the Coligny Calendar did not state how it matches with the Roman Calendar around the 1st Century CE). For many pagans it's a time to remember the honoured dead, the ancestors of blood and spirit of a person, group, tribe or family. Some light bonfires, and reference it as a fire festival (much like it's counterpart holiday, Beltane).
  • Is it related to Halloween (other than being the same date)? If so, how?
Halloween, the secular holiday, has roots in Samhain. A time where children dress up as spooks and ghouls and go 'trick or treating' in the neighborhood, a time of harmless fun that families have enjoyed for years (from my own point, seen from going door to door, and handing out candy). Some refer to it a All Saints day (which you could argue are ancestors themselves from a religious standpoint).
  • Why do you observe it? / How do you celebrate it?
I, personally, observe it because I feel it is the best time to give praise to my Ancestors, those gone from this world, of both those related to me and those hero's, people and animals no longer amongst us. I feel that it is a time where the barrier between our world and the otherworld is thinner. To those who have passed away this past year I have the chance to praise, and toast them, and use it as part of the grieving process.

As a member of Snow Water Grove, ADF, we spend time honouring the Ancestors at this time of year, as they are one of the three Kindred (the others being the Nature Spirits, and Shining Ones) we routinely praise, and have a reciprocal relationship with not only in our rituals, but our lives too, and gives the Grove and the community it supports, the chance to offer praise; be it old songs family members enjoyed, stories and memories, or their favorite food, drink, even tobacco.

We set out an additional place at the table for the Ancestors too, and invite them to join us for our rite at this time. As in all our public rites, we send gifts and praise to the Ancestors at Samhain, and ask for their blessings, wisdom, and help in the coming winter months, as we have a belief in reciprocity, a belief of a Gift calls for a Gift.
  • I saw on your Web site that you have a public ritual scheduled for Nov. 1. I just wanted to make sure that the time listed there is correct. (The U.N.C.L.E. Web site says 5 p.m.)
Alas, I had made a mistake and not updated our website. The public ritual is to start at 5pm on Sunday November the 1st at the Meadville UU Church, in the Parish House dining room.
  • Anything else you'd care to add?
Some say it's the time of both good and bad ghosts, hence the dressing up as spooks to scare the bad ones away, to others it's a way to make the spirits feel more at home by seeing those like themselves, and help them to their old places, to see their families once again. Some say it's an evil time, and the practice should be banned, which doesn't promote tolerance in the community at all. I fear that some don't think about it at all.

"We whisper words as the wheel and the world turn,
I take a minute, a moment for those missing,
Hail the Ancestors, Hail the hero's we learn,
To the Ancestors: I remember your deeds."
  • Your name and title (if you have one) with Snow Water Grove.
- Grey Paul Whittney, Snow Water Grove, ADF (Senior Druid)
Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) is an international fellowship devoted to creating a public tradition of Neopagan Druidry. See www.adf.org for more information.

See: www.snowwatergrove.org for more information about the grove.

Monday, October 05, 2009

Announcement for Earth Based Religion Study Group

When: Friday October 9th 2009 7:00pm till 9:00pm
Where: Meadville Unitarian Universalist Church
Directions: 346 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335 (See http://www.uumeadville.org/directions.htm)

Come join the Druids of Snow Water Grove, ADF at the Meadville UU Parish House for the Earth Based Religion Study Group. We'll be meeting in the Arthur Room of the Parish House on Friday October 9th 2009 at 7:00pm.

This is open to the public, be you a member of the Church or not, or be you pagan or non-pagan.

In this meeting we will be focusing on....

* Samhain/Halloween, and what it means to people
* 3 out of the 9 ADF Druid Virtues: Wisdom, Piety, and Vision.

Our secondary goal is to bring some of the Meadville/Crawford County pagan community out, to show that the Meadville UU Church is an accepting, religiously diverse, and friendly congregation with an atmosphere of mutual respect for different faiths. To show that, as we all know, "Church" is not a bad word.

Bring yourselves, your curiosity and your questions, or just come out to see who we are, and what we'll be doing.

Contact us on 814 406 9794 or info@snowWaterGrove.org for further details.

Bright Blessings,
Grey Whittney (Senior Druid)
Snow Water Grove, ADF
www.snowwatergrove.org

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Land update

Quick update on where we are with the land..

The Police left us a voicemail with an adjacent land owners number, as he had some questions. The converstation went civil, and without problems, and he's told us that it's not him. We seem to be working towards the same goal, protecting the land. So we're no closer to finding those responsible, but we do know that the Police have been asking around. In a small community, I suspect news will travel fast, so this in itself helps in one way.

We've put up a quick posted sign with the Grove number (it was raining really hard, and had already gone dark), as well as a hand written sign in the forest with land owner details, stating that the Police have been notified and that trespassing and vandalism will not be tolerated.

We're also awaiting some details from the surveyor (as we'd hate to post the wrong parts).

Seem that after so long without anyone being on the land, people have gotten used to using the land, so this is perhaps a backlash, or kids thinking it's their turf. Sadly, though, the place will get posted and everyone who worked with the land will loose access (that'll be an interesting backlash against the vandals, too).

So far, we've not put the land back to rights, as weather and time has been against us. However, leaving it as it is and stating that the Police are involved with a few new signs, shows those who will most likely come back that we're not leaving anytime soon.

I did want to say a big thank you to all those who have shown their support, and asked how they can help us; from the local Meadville community, Erie Pagan community, ADF members and complete Groves. Snow Water Grove, and the Land owner really appreciate the support, offers of time and protection, more so than can be expressed in a few lines here. Best I can do is keep everyone informed on what's going on, and if anything changes.

Our next check of the land should be later this week and will be to see if there's any subtle changes; Signs ripped down, etc... We've also got plans to check Nerthus' bed, just in case they dug her up (we'll make offerings to apologize for the disruption), and place more posted signs down the road (weather and light permitting)

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sad Land News

I'm both angry and upset about items that have transpired.

Between September 21st and 28th someone decided that our presence as Snow Water Grove at the land near Titusville is not welcome. Having made significant effort to block the driveway, tried breaking the steps, they destroyed the fire circles, removed the gate stones, and spent time to write profanity with sticks into the ground with a large arrow pointing west. They also beat the fire-bowl repeatedly with rocks, stole tools and tiki torches, as well as the ceramic pot we use for the sacred well. Not sure they fully understand that the tiki torch liquid is poisonous to the ground if not burnt.

The land rights belong to J.Quinet, and we have permission to use it for camping and ritual. A surveyor has mapped out the land, the police were called, and we have a case number for "Theft and Criminal Mischief" (contact us if want the details). Again, thanks to the Corry station State Police for their time and understanding.

We've put this on our website for now because we think someone visited our site and saw who we are, and took dislike, although we've not trespassed into others land. We've heard that some know we're a religious group, but not causing any problems. We're prepared to work with those in the area.

This is also to say that we are not leaving, not giving up. We will work with the land and return it to it's former state. To those friends of the Grove, we are not looking for revenge, even if we ever find those responsible.

May the kindred help us rebuild, find those responsible, and allow us to continue working with the land.