Summer 2016

A Pagan Pride Day Experience
Johnson Davis

Pagan Pride Raleigh 2016 will be my 11th year volunteering for the event, and I can’t wait for it to start.  Every year I walk away with a new story to tell, but my favorite story is from a few years back.

A small group of women in what can only be described as “Church Lady” attire (nice dresses, matching pillbox hats, pearls, purses, and sensible heels), arrived at our information booth with questions, concern for our souls, and no small amount of fear. The bravest amongst them mentioned a particular archetype from her own religion, and asked where that might be in our belief system.

I have to admit, until then, my usual answer to this common question was disrespectful and condescending.  I might say something about that being in her path not mine, and imply through word or tone that we Pagans are above such things.

Two things made me respond differently this time.  First, she seemed completely guileless. She honestly seemed to want to understand rather than just using this as a tool to change my mind. And the second thing was a new guideline we had just agreed on for discussing Paganism with non-pagans at that year’s event: Only tell someone what you believe, and how that affects your choices in life. This ensures that we don’t make sweeping claims about what “all” pagans believe, and that we never tell someone what they believe.

Tarot of the Season: Problem-Solving Spread
Jessica Beall

This problem-solving spread was originally devised by Angelo Nasios in Unlocking The Arcana (page 83). The Tarot design used for the sample spread (pictured above) is the Night Sun deck by Lo Scarabeo.

Card Positions:

1. The problem
2. What can be changed
3. What cannot be changed
4. Other options
5. Guidance; next steps to take

Sample Question: What can the Tarot tell me about my current job situation? (Currently unemployed)

1. Seven of Cups. There are many options to choose from right now, many different paths to walk among. Which one do I want to pursue? Which one will make me the happiest? I have to choose.

2. The Magician. The Magician denotes my extensive training in multiple fields. Master’s degree, EMS, Tarot reading, etc. Yet, there is always room for improvement. This is what can be changed: the pursuit of knowledge and learning new information. I can always learn more to get a job.

3. Nine of Swords. One cannot change the past. What is done is done. I can only move forward, and learn from my mistakes. Beating myself up over not choosing certain career paths is only causing myself stress and anxiety. The lesson here is to let it go and move on.

4. Seven of Swords. I see this card as a way to utilize resources to create new opportunities for myself. Take only what is needed, and leave the rest for others.

5. Hanged Man. Patience, patience, patience. I need to trust my intuition and know that the universe will work things out for me in the end. What positive energy I put out will come back to me.

Mabon & Samhain Activities
Dodde Stark

Hello everyone! I am spending way too much time these days checking the trees for any sign that fall is on its way. It is kind of hard to think about Mabon and Samhain when it is 100 degrees outside. But maybe, if we think fall thoughts, it will begin to manifest...and at least we know it will happen sometime in the future. Does the groundhog feel this much pressure in February? Anyway, here is a fun recipe that will get you in the mood for crisp air and warm drinks.

Hot Apple Cider

I bet this would be tasty served ice cold too! It is made in a big pot on the stove or a crockpot. As it cooks down, it will fill your house with the scents of the season.

Ingredients
8-10 apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 whole allspice, or 1 tsp powdered
10 cups water

Preparation
Cut your apples into quarters. Don’t bother removing the seeds, as you will be straining them out later on.* Place all ingredients into the pot and cook on low for 3 hours. After 3 hours, use an immersion blender or a potato masher to mash the apples as much as you can. Cook for another 1-3 hours, or until the desired flavor has been reached. The longer it cooks, the more intense apple flavor you get. Strain the liquids with a strainer covered with cheese cloth to remove any fine apple pieces. Place in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week, or you can freeze to keep and use at a later date.

SOURCE: family.thinkingoutsidethesandbox.ca.

* If you like thicker apple cider, then go ahead and peel and remove the seeds now and don't strain the liquid later. This way you get to keep all the yummy apple bits in your drink!

When you are preparing this dish, keep in mind that all the ingredients have magical properties that add a deeper level to you cooking. Let's start with the spices.

• Cinnamon: happiness, healing, love, prosperity, protection, spirituality, strength, and success

• Clove: love, protection, purification

• Allspice: healing, luck, money

Frigg's Forest
Heather Gee

Summer 2016
 

As the All Mother, Frigg is the Norse Goddess of Mothers and protector of Children. Frigg’s Forest is an on-going series of tips and activities to involve your children in your practice.

Working the land is a skill all children should develop. Tending a garden not only teaches kids how to sow and reap, but also teaches about life and death, about responsibility and following through, and about their own role in the vast web of life.

Beginning in the summer, choose an area where you want to make your garden. Design your garden: flowers, fruits, veggies, or a mix; whether you will use a raised box or plant directly in the soil; choosing the shape, and the border material if any. Spend morning hours throughout the summer preparing your space by clearing out any unwanted vegetation and/or debris. Build your raised box or set up your borders.  Prepare your soil with quality topsoil mixes.

In the fall, plant the desired pieces to fall planting specifications. Continue to tend the garden area to keep weeds at bay.

Over the winter, think fruitful thoughts by creating garden decor. Paint rocks as plant markers, or to look like bees and lady bugs. Make scarecrows. Build faery houses. Have embellishments ready to be installed in the spring.

In the spring, refresh the topsoil and complete the majority of your planting. Continue to tend the garden area to keep weeds at bay. Lay out mulch. Complete your garden with your decorations.

Have the kids be in charge of watering the plants regularly and participate in weeding.

Keep the kids engaged by having them measure the plants as they grow, and inspect for buds and flowers. Make them detectives and have them inspect the garden for other signs of life: insects, rabbits, moles, etc.

Continue to tend the garden and watch for growth in plants and animals through the summer.

In the fall, have kids note the changes they see with the plants, and explain how things are fading and beginning to go dormant for the year. Share the story of Persephone and the changing of the seasons. If you did a veggie garden, harvest your veggies. Do some freezing or canning.

In the winter, bring in any decorations that need sprucing up and upgrade your embellishments as desired. Redesign your garden to eliminate aspects that didn’t work for your family, and implement new aspects. Review with the family how well everyone did, and reward the responsibility shown and follow-through completed. If you did a veggie garden, enjoy the veggies that were saved for the winter.

When spring arrives again, review the Cycle of Life and get busy tending the Earth!

Sustaining the Gardens

It’s your friendly neighborhood treasurer here to give you the word on AmazonSmile! It’s possible that you may not have heard of this program, but it is a lovely way to support the Church of the Earth while you shop online. This program is set up by Amazon.com, and for all eligible purchases made via AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to a selected charity.

To get started with the program, you simply need to go to “smile.amazon.com” using the web browser on your computer or mobile device instead of the usual “amazon.com” address you'd use to shop otherwise. It is also a good idea to update your bookmarks to the Smile URL so that you don’t even have to think about the change. The first time you go to the website, you will need to login with your Amazon account and then pick your charity from the many available. You will find us listed as “Church of the Earth of Raleigh, NC”.

That’s it! Once you are set up, just use the smile.amazon.com URL, and AmazonSmile will do the rest! Despite being a different URL, it will offer the exact same great Amazon shopping experience and products. I know 0.5% may not seem like much, but every little bit helps out our community that we are growing here in Raleigh.

If you have any further questions about this program, feel free to send me a quick message at jenny@cote-nc.org and I can point you in the right direction!

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