I sent a long memo to Ochre today and gave him several contacts to interview for his thesis work. Included among these are:
The Publisher of Sagewoman, PanGaia & New Witch magazines
The Founders of The Witches' Voice
Spiral Steps & Spiral Scouts
Margot Adler (NPR) & Rowan Fairgrove (COG)
The author of Green Witchcraft
The owner of Serpentine Music
The professor at Chico who wrote People of the Earth
articles on the Parliment of the Worlds Religions (Pagan participation)
and some notes on the Quantum Weather Butterfly and magickal theory in Terry Pratchett's work. That outta hold him for a while...
I also spent 3 hours yesterday adding notes to the FCE calendar , doing research re festivals, et al, and inviting other Pagan organizers to post their events there. The Southern California folks are using this more and more, which is nice to see.
I'm having lunch with Owlwind today. We are planning some camping trips. It will be good to get back into the woods. It's possible to spend so much time working at our jobs and doing volunteer work that we forget to take the time just to be. With that in mind, it's time to go dance on the beach.
Sia
Monday, July 26, 2004
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Interview
I spent an hour and a half chatting with Ochre on the phone today, We were doing an interview for his undergraduate thesis on Pagans & the ecology movement. He is a very nice guy; very well read and thoughtful, and I enjoyed talking to him.
I sent him some notes on Ronald Hutton's book "Triumph of the Moon" for background history and I've given him some Terry Pratchett titles, just cause - I hope these help him.
I also gave him this quote which Ialways keep above my altar:
"It's not about commanding and controling but about consciousness and communion."
I've since sent notes to Owlwind (a nature educator & artist) and to Laurel (a fiction writer & animal activist) about this, in case they wish to do interviews, as well.
Sia
I sent him some notes on Ronald Hutton's book "Triumph of the Moon" for background history and I've given him some Terry Pratchett titles, just cause - I hope these help him.
I also gave him this quote which Ialways keep above my altar:
"It's not about commanding and controling but about consciousness and communion."
I've since sent notes to Owlwind (a nature educator & artist) and to Laurel (a fiction writer & animal activist) about this, in case they wish to do interviews, as well.
Sia
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Debriefing volunteers
Ravensong, the Witches' Ball Director, is currently debriefing staff & volunteers about their experiences at the Beltane Ball last May.
Everything went very well, but we can always do things better. It's important to ask our folks what they think, as they often have very good ideas for improvements. Also, we want know what sort of experience our general volunteers have at our events. It's important the these people get clear directions, have fun, and feel appreciated for the work they do.
General volunteers are the folks who show up and help decorate, help with set up, work the ticket table and/or help with take down at the end of the evening. The also pass out flyers or help get the word out in other ways. We could not do our events without them.
Senior volunteers are those people who have been with us for several years, and and who know how our events work. They can help out the new folks when needed and they keep on eye out for problems or mis-communication among the staff. These people are usually "cash approved" to work the ticket tables, raffle, etc.
FCE Staff are those volunteers who are in charge of an particular area, such as decorating. They usually hold a Chair position or work on an important committee, like the website team. Or they might act as Networking Coordinator, Editor-In-Chief of the newsletter, Vendor Coordinator, etc.
1 out of every 100 Pagans we meet has the time, willingness, skills & exerperience to work as a member of our Senior Staff. We have always been blessed in the people we have here at FCE, and we meet some great new people every year. Since these folks are so very hard to find, we cherish them. FCE folks are responsible, fun loving and great to work with.
Everything went very well, but we can always do things better. It's important to ask our folks what they think, as they often have very good ideas for improvements. Also, we want know what sort of experience our general volunteers have at our events. It's important the these people get clear directions, have fun, and feel appreciated for the work they do.
General volunteers are the folks who show up and help decorate, help with set up, work the ticket table and/or help with take down at the end of the evening. The also pass out flyers or help get the word out in other ways. We could not do our events without them.
Senior volunteers are those people who have been with us for several years, and and who know how our events work. They can help out the new folks when needed and they keep on eye out for problems or mis-communication among the staff. These people are usually "cash approved" to work the ticket tables, raffle, etc.
FCE Staff are those volunteers who are in charge of an particular area, such as decorating. They usually hold a Chair position or work on an important committee, like the website team. Or they might act as Networking Coordinator, Editor-In-Chief of the newsletter, Vendor Coordinator, etc.
1 out of every 100 Pagans we meet has the time, willingness, skills & exerperience to work as a member of our Senior Staff. We have always been blessed in the people we have here at FCE, and we meet some great new people every year. Since these folks are so very hard to find, we cherish them. FCE folks are responsible, fun loving and great to work with.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Gaia's Guardian Award 2004
This year's winner is the California Bat Conservation Fund.
I contacted our winners last month and gave them the news. In July, I posted notices about the award to our FCE newsletter and to The Witches Voice.
We need to have the plaque made in time for the WB.
I contacted our winners last month and gave them the news. In July, I posted notices about the award to our FCE newsletter and to The Witches Voice.
We need to have the plaque made in time for the WB.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Practical Paganism & The Four Elements
I saw this recently on a Pagan Pride website and I like it a lot. To me is speaks of practical Paganism and new ways to view the four elements.
Air: Education
We're never going to be able to practice our spiritual paths openly if we don't give the public accurate information about what we do and do not do.
Fire: Activism
People aren't necessarily going to go out of their way to find out what Pagans really do. We have to have the courage to act on our convictions and do what we need to do.
(or as I like to say it, "Lightning candles isn't enough.")
Water: Charity
We know that what we do returns to us. We need to demonstrate this by offering compassion to our communities where it is needed. When we share our own abundance, we show that we trust the Gods to share abundance with us in return.
(and we must respect money as just another tool; one that needs to be used well in order to do good).
Earth: Community
We're never going to be able to practice openly if we don't know anyone else in our local Pagan communities. We need to weave networking webs in our cities, in our towns, in our rural areas. We need these webs to support one another. That support will also show those who would restrict our practice that we are not just a few isolated eccentrics, but are a growing congregation of people who adhere to a faith that, while different, is as valid as their own. That last part is key.
At FCE we also believe that we must offer respect, as we expect to receive it, and be a positive presence in our neighborhood.
Sia
Air: Education
We're never going to be able to practice our spiritual paths openly if we don't give the public accurate information about what we do and do not do.
Fire: Activism
People aren't necessarily going to go out of their way to find out what Pagans really do. We have to have the courage to act on our convictions and do what we need to do.
(or as I like to say it, "Lightning candles isn't enough.")
Water: Charity
We know that what we do returns to us. We need to demonstrate this by offering compassion to our communities where it is needed. When we share our own abundance, we show that we trust the Gods to share abundance with us in return.
(and we must respect money as just another tool; one that needs to be used well in order to do good).
Earth: Community
We're never going to be able to practice openly if we don't know anyone else in our local Pagan communities. We need to weave networking webs in our cities, in our towns, in our rural areas. We need these webs to support one another. That support will also show those who would restrict our practice that we are not just a few isolated eccentrics, but are a growing congregation of people who adhere to a faith that, while different, is as valid as their own. That last part is key.
At FCE we also believe that we must offer respect, as we expect to receive it, and be a positive presence in our neighborhood.
Sia
Monday, July 19, 2004
WB Graphics
I spoke to MysticHawk for about an hour on the phone today. Work on the graphics portion of the website is going well and is on task. She hopes to be done by the end of July.
We have chosen the colors for the main section and for the theme section. A map of the silk road will be used as in a very creative way.
She is also designing a new logo for the WB.
I will send her notes on art & costuming graphics this week. Emphasis is on China, Venice, the Middle East, India and Constantinople. (Dover books are a real help, here)
Laurel will send her the final drafts of her text asap.
Everyone is working very hard and the schedule looks good.
A note about the FCE staff: These good people work through illness and demands from their real life, as well as family visits, births, deaths, et all. They always have a host of other demands on their time. We are very lucky to have such responsible, talented people at FCE .
We have chosen the colors for the main section and for the theme section. A map of the silk road will be used as in a very creative way.
She is also designing a new logo for the WB.
I will send her notes on art & costuming graphics this week. Emphasis is on China, Venice, the Middle East, India and Constantinople. (Dover books are a real help, here)
Laurel will send her the final drafts of her text asap.
Everyone is working very hard and the schedule looks good.
A note about the FCE staff: These good people work through illness and demands from their real life, as well as family visits, births, deaths, et all. They always have a host of other demands on their time. We are very lucky to have such responsible, talented people at FCE .
Friday, July 16, 2004
Witches' Ball - Words & Website
I met with Laurel last night over coffee, and we went over the final drafts for the text to go on the Witches' Ball website. We've purchased the url: http://www.thewitchesball.org and are creating a new website for just that event.
The theme this year is The Silk Road. The Theme page, the front page, the Costuming ideas page, et all will be finished soon & drafts will be sent to the web team.
The research on the Silk Road that all of us have done these last 12 months is really paying off . Laurel has painted a beautiful word picture, which will transport people to the world we are making.
We choose this theme becuase it was a period in history when people from many different cultures and religions exchanged ideas, as well as goods, and they worked together in relative harmony (Want to get ahead? Then get along. It's funny how the quest for money can do that to people).
In a way, the Silk Road was the internet of it's day, which is another reason why the theme is important to us.
I've asked Laurel to add in some more links and enhance the Venician aspect in her text. (We are emphasising China and Venice here, with notes about the other cultures as a sideline. ) Little else needed to be changed.
Some of this history stuff is a bit obscure, but our folks like a historical challenge. We're here to educate, as well as entertain, and I don't ever want to "talk down" to our members.
I think our guests will be thrilled when they see what an exciting theme this is - there are so many wonderful costuming possibilities here.....
Mystic Hawk will produce a web draft in the next few weeks. Once the FCE council approves this, we'll load it on the WB url.
Other pages for things like directions, food, vendors, etc. will be put up later. We've agreed on separate, short pages for each main topic as this is easier for people to read and it also makes it easier to find the information they are looking for.
Once these initial pages are up, we can start putting up Sponsor ads and further advertising the WB.
I'd like the site to be up and running by the end of July, so that the advertising team can get to work selling banner ads, etc.
This WB site is going to be our base site or "template" for the WB website. We'll use this from year to year and only the theme pages and some of the artwork will need to be changed. It will be a great relief once it's done. It's exhausting creating an entire webpage more of less from scratch every time we change the theme. While Captain Lightning and I had a lot of fun making the pages for 2001 and 2002, it's a great deal of work. By creating a "template" and building on what we've done before, we can make great pages and not kill our staff in the process. The idea is to work smarter, not harder and to keep the quality high.
Sia
The theme this year is The Silk Road. The Theme page, the front page, the Costuming ideas page, et all will be finished soon & drafts will be sent to the web team.
The research on the Silk Road that all of us have done these last 12 months is really paying off . Laurel has painted a beautiful word picture, which will transport people to the world we are making.
We choose this theme becuase it was a period in history when people from many different cultures and religions exchanged ideas, as well as goods, and they worked together in relative harmony (Want to get ahead? Then get along. It's funny how the quest for money can do that to people).
In a way, the Silk Road was the internet of it's day, which is another reason why the theme is important to us.
I've asked Laurel to add in some more links and enhance the Venician aspect in her text. (We are emphasising China and Venice here, with notes about the other cultures as a sideline. ) Little else needed to be changed.
Some of this history stuff is a bit obscure, but our folks like a historical challenge. We're here to educate, as well as entertain, and I don't ever want to "talk down" to our members.
I think our guests will be thrilled when they see what an exciting theme this is - there are so many wonderful costuming possibilities here.....
Mystic Hawk will produce a web draft in the next few weeks. Once the FCE council approves this, we'll load it on the WB url.
Other pages for things like directions, food, vendors, etc. will be put up later. We've agreed on separate, short pages for each main topic as this is easier for people to read and it also makes it easier to find the information they are looking for.
Once these initial pages are up, we can start putting up Sponsor ads and further advertising the WB.
I'd like the site to be up and running by the end of July, so that the advertising team can get to work selling banner ads, etc.
This WB site is going to be our base site or "template" for the WB website. We'll use this from year to year and only the theme pages and some of the artwork will need to be changed. It will be a great relief once it's done. It's exhausting creating an entire webpage more of less from scratch every time we change the theme. While Captain Lightning and I had a lot of fun making the pages for 2001 and 2002, it's a great deal of work. By creating a "template" and building on what we've done before, we can make great pages and not kill our staff in the process. The idea is to work smarter, not harder and to keep the quality high.
Sia
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Pagan Voting Project
Goal: Register voters nation-wide.
How: Using a banner ad created here, which links to a non-profit, non-partisan website.
What: People can sign up to register on line. They can also read about the candidates and the issues.
Supporters: The Witches' Voice, SageWoman Magazine
Organizer: Full Circle
Staff on Task:
Graphics: Mystic Hawk
Website: Captain Lightening
Text & Links: Sia
Help with Promotion: FCE Newsletter, TWV & Blessed Be, Inc.
Inspiration: Declare Yourself & Rock the Vote websites & Iron Jawed Angels program and way, way too many episodes of The West Wing.
Sia
How: Using a banner ad created here, which links to a non-profit, non-partisan website.
What: People can sign up to register on line. They can also read about the candidates and the issues.
Supporters: The Witches' Voice, SageWoman Magazine
Organizer: Full Circle
Staff on Task:
Graphics: Mystic Hawk
Website: Captain Lightening
Text & Links: Sia
Help with Promotion: FCE Newsletter, TWV & Blessed Be, Inc.
Inspiration: Declare Yourself & Rock the Vote websites & Iron Jawed Angels program and way, way too many episodes of The West Wing.
Sia
Work in Progress
Disseminating moon
The work in progress for FCE is:
Pagan Voting Project
Witches' Ball website
The Witches Ball
Full Circle Staff Retreat
On-going work:
FCE Newsletter
FCE CA Community Calendar
The work in progress for FCE is:
Pagan Voting Project
Witches' Ball website
The Witches Ball
Full Circle Staff Retreat
On-going work:
FCE Newsletter
FCE CA Community Calendar
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Bat Lovers Win Gaia's Guardian Award
Proclaimation... (this went out to The Witches' Voice, various Pagan sites and news agengies) It was picked up by the San Jose Mercury News.
The Gaia’s Guardian Award is given annually by our non-profit Pagan organization to a person or group for "Outstanding work benefiting Mama Gaia and her creatures". These people inspire the rest of us by their courage, caring and compassionate action. You do not have to be Pagan to win this award; what counts are good deeds and a noble heart. (1) Full Circle is happy to announce that the Winner of this year’s Gaia’s Guardian Award is The California Bat Conservation Fund.
The California Bat Conservation Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of bats. The Fund's major activities include:· Dispelling widespread misconceptions about bats through informative presentations and live-bat displays at schools, libraries, museums, and community centers· Restoring injured and orphaned bats to health and returning them to the wild· Working alongside major conservation efforts to replenish shrinking bat populations. Members of this organization will be on hand at the Witches’ Ball to answer questions about their group and to receive this award from Full Circle. This award takes the form of a plaque, and comes with a $250.00 check. (A link to the CBC website is attached to this announcement.)
Please join us in honoring these good people at our annual Witches’ Ball, Saturday, October 23rd, 2004. The Witches' Ball is a costume ball, a Pagan Pride event and a charity fundraiser for the Humane Society. All are welcome. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit our website.
Blessed Be,
The Full Circle Council
http://www.fullcircleevents.org
Established: LUGHNASADH 1999
Full Circle is staffed entirely by volunteers
(1) Past GGA Winners Include: · The Wildlife Rescue Center of Silicon Valley.· A local trainer of Service Dogs for people with disabilities who is, herself, in a wheelchair. · Officer Christine Franco, who was then Chief Investigator for the Humane Society on cases of animal abuse, neglect & cruelty. Officer Franco is a warm-hearted supporter of the Earthwise community. She has since moved to L.A. with her husband. At present she studies law at a university near her new home.
Website: http://www.californiabats.com/
Sia
The Gaia’s Guardian Award is given annually by our non-profit Pagan organization to a person or group for "Outstanding work benefiting Mama Gaia and her creatures". These people inspire the rest of us by their courage, caring and compassionate action. You do not have to be Pagan to win this award; what counts are good deeds and a noble heart. (1) Full Circle is happy to announce that the Winner of this year’s Gaia’s Guardian Award is The California Bat Conservation Fund.
The California Bat Conservation Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of bats. The Fund's major activities include:· Dispelling widespread misconceptions about bats through informative presentations and live-bat displays at schools, libraries, museums, and community centers· Restoring injured and orphaned bats to health and returning them to the wild· Working alongside major conservation efforts to replenish shrinking bat populations. Members of this organization will be on hand at the Witches’ Ball to answer questions about their group and to receive this award from Full Circle. This award takes the form of a plaque, and comes with a $250.00 check. (A link to the CBC website is attached to this announcement.)
Please join us in honoring these good people at our annual Witches’ Ball, Saturday, October 23rd, 2004. The Witches' Ball is a costume ball, a Pagan Pride event and a charity fundraiser for the Humane Society. All are welcome. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit our website.
Blessed Be,
The Full Circle Council
http://www.fullcircleevents.org
Established: LUGHNASADH 1999
Full Circle is staffed entirely by volunteers
(1) Past GGA Winners Include: · The Wildlife Rescue Center of Silicon Valley.· A local trainer of Service Dogs for people with disabilities who is, herself, in a wheelchair. · Officer Christine Franco, who was then Chief Investigator for the Humane Society on cases of animal abuse, neglect & cruelty. Officer Franco is a warm-hearted supporter of the Earthwise community. She has since moved to L.A. with her husband. At present she studies law at a university near her new home.
Website: http://www.californiabats.com/
Sia
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