Sunday, July 16, 2006
11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Ft. Washington State Park, Flourtown Pavilion
Ft. Washington, PA

Come join us for a day of fun and magick! The Summer Social is a potluck picnic held to give Pagans of the Tri-State area a chance to meet each other and learn more about each other’s traditions.

There will be ritual, classes and workshops, meditations, and people on hand to do readings and energy work. And making its debut this year, the Pagan Arts Initiative will be sponsoring a display of work by local Pagan artists.

There is no charge for this event, but donations to DVPN are welcome.

BRING:

1. Food for the potluck. There are grills available for any grillers who might be interested, but if so please contact us in advance to make sure the needed supplies are available. Please label all food with ingredients that might cause allergy problems (nuts, wheat gluten, dairy, etc.).

If your name begins with:
A-H: Bring a main course dish (pasta, potatoes, veggies, soup/chili, sandwiches, etc.)
I-N: Bring a side (salad, bread, fruit, cheese, dip/salsa)
O-S: Bring a dessert
T-Z: Bring drinks

2. Seating. There will be picnic tables available, but depending on attendance there may not be enough for everyone.

If you have any questions, just e-mail morgan@dvpn.org with “Summer Social” in the subject line.

Notes on the facility:

1. There are restrooms with running water on-site.

2. There is no electricity.

3. The pavilion is wheelchair-accessible from the parking lot.

THE PATH

-- A short story by G. Ashton (continued from previous issue)

Hilde had recently been laid-off from work but it felt more like being let go. It was very strange for Hilde, being laid-off from work for the second time within a two year period. At the same time she had not wanted to be where she was employed since Day 1, she had taken the job out of desperation. Recently a new part time person had been hired and Hilde had been uncomfortable with this person since her arrival. She could not pinpoint the reason why she was uncomfortable with this person but Hilde trusted her own intuition in the matter.

Hilde usually wore some type of “Earth Religion” jewelry and this woman had spotted this and questioned Hilde about her jewelry and spirituality. Hilde usually was subtle in her approach, as she knew other pagans would recognized her jewelry as being Earth Religion oriented, and non-pagans would more than likely not be aware other than her jewelry was elegant. It was soon after the new hire had questioned Hilde on her jewelry that the more than usual dissension had started on the job. Her employer seem to have a different attitude toward Hilde and soon thereafter had started giving this new hire some of the responsibilities that he had said he was going to give Hilde. Then before she knew it, Hilde had been laid off.

There was a side of Hilde that said she should fight the issue because she felt it was religious discrimination. Employers knew what they were doing and Hilde knew he had been careful with listing the reasons for the lay-off. Not on the surface, nor on paper, would it appear to be religious discrimination. Then there was the issue of the fact that she didn’t want to be there to begin with. So why fight to stay at a place that she didn’t want to be? Was this a gift in disguise so she could move on?

Hilde thought how her life had changed. With new friends and people in her life there usually was no difficulty with her spirituality approach. They accepted her for who she was. It was the people from her past, people she hadn’t seen in a number of years, family members on the periphery of her existence, and her parents that gave her a challenge.

Hilde’s parents were particular challenging. “How could somebody in their mid forties still have certain buttons pushed and be made to feel like a child who had no control over what was happening?” Hilde knew the answer to that one. When something was really important to her, such as her spirituality, and then there were people who were important to her such as her parents, “and never the twain shall meet”, Hilde’s buttons still were pushed to a degree.

On more than a few occasions Hilde had tried discussing with her parents the subjects of spirituality, religion, universalistic ideas. Every time it was to no avail. Each time Hilde would mention that she was Wiccan, of the Earth Religion, studied Runes, etc., her mother would look through Hilde into a place that Hilde could not reach; and Hilde knew it didn’t matter what she said, she was not going to get her parents to accept her spiritual/ religious approach. “How does a person accept you, but not accept you?” Her parents loved her, accepted her as a good person, but when it came to religion they did not want to hear the label of Wiccan, Runester or Earth Religion. Although this was not the way Hilde would prefer it to be, this is the way it was and for the time-being Hilde needed to accept it as such.

Hilde could understand her difficulty with her parents as they were important to her as loved ones in her life. What about the people on the periphery, the cousin she hadn’t seen in many years, co-workers (when employed) that were around but not an intimate part of her life? Why did she have difficulty with these people? Hilde truly believed that she didn’t care what these people thought of her, so what was the real issue? Protection of self? Tired of dealing with the hassles of people who were not of like mind? Self-empowerment by not “giving the power away” to those who would attempt to sap you? A past life issue that had not yet surfaced, “or had it?” “Boy, this is when I wish I had an elder right around the corner so that I could discuss these things when they came up”, Hilde said looking at Silk, the cat that had not sauntered from the bedroom.

There was a part of Hilde who envied and admired the pagans who just chucked everything and said this is who I am, like it or lump it. Hilde wondered if her own world would continue to change to where she got to this point of attitude, or whether it would continue to be a balancing act of in and out of the broom closet depending on whom she was with.

to be continued....

DVPN’s 5th ANNUAL SUMMER SOCIAL July 20, 2003 11am - 6pm North George’s Hill Pavilion Fairmount Park

It's that time again, we're getting things set for our 5th Annual Summer Social!

This year's theme is "The Art of the Craft" and we'll be featuring hands-on classes by artists & artisans from all over the region. Come learn how to make Ritual Masks, Smudging Feathers, Norse Amulets, and much more!

The event will be on Sunday, July 20th, from 11am to 6pm.

The day will start with a site blessing by our local Spiral Scouts, and move right into the classes. There will be lots of cool raffle prizes, water balloons for cooling off your friends ;) and lunch will be a potluck. PLEASE label what you bring to help out folks with food allergies. Bottled water and sodas will be available for purchase.

Price - $5 at the door, DVPN Members & children under 12 are Free There will be an extra $5 fee for materials for the Mask Making class

Location - North George's Hill Pavilion, Fairmount Park, Phila.

Parking - Free

Hope to see you all there!

Directions:

 North George’s Hill Pavilion is just beyond the Mann Music Center, on North George’s Hill Road.

By Car:
From the North or South of the city, take I-95 to 76W to the Montgomery exit and follow the signs to the Mann Music Center. If you’re coming from the East or West take 76 to the Montgomery exit and go straight through 1 traffic light. Follow the road up the hill to the right, the pavilion will be on your left -Look for signs and a banner out in front of the pavilion.

By Bus:
Take the 38 bus, and ask the driver to let you off at North Georges Hill road, you should see the pavilion with our banner on it. You can pick up the 38 in Center City at 15th and JFK Boulevard. Buses run every 40 minutes.

More info can be found at www.septa.org, or you can call SEPTA at 215-580-7800.

DVPN's Fourth Annual

Saturday, April 12 Noon to 9pm

William Way Center 1315 Spruce St Philadelphia, PA

Crystal Ball

Come join us for a day filled with classes, dancing, shopping, music and much more!
Lectures will feature topics on magic from many different cultures, such as Greco-Roman, Finnish, Celtic and Norse. Our speakers include:

We will also have a special 2 hour seminar by the author of our Coven Building Series:

Jim Dickinson
HP Guardians of the Windsword Coven

Why Covens Fail and How to Help Your Coven Succeed

The average coven lives for 2 years or less. Why is this true? It is not a lack of good intentions. Most of the time, it is not a lack of love and respect for God and Goddess. Why doesn't a group of basically good-hearted people become a lasting coven? We will discuss group process, group dynamics, and the stages of group development. More importantly, we will explore: how the spiritual mission, or lack of one, can be the seed of long life or early death; how true consensus limits group growth; why an understanding of basic psychology and counseling skills are essential; why that feeling of 'coming home' that new members to a coven will often express is not always a good thing; why solid leadership is essential -and more!

If you are interested in being a merchant, please contact merchants@dvpn.org for more information.

$25 in advance or $30 at the door (DVPN members get a $5 discount on these prices)

Send check or money order to:

DVPN
P.O. Box 34596
Philadelphia, PA 19101-4596

or

click here for online payments using PayPal.

DIRECTIONS TO CRYSTAL BALL By Car: From West of Philly: Take 76 East to the Vine St. Expressway (Rt. 676) . Get off at the 15th Street exit, and stay on 15th till you get to Pine St. Turn left onto Pine, and go to 11th St. * Turn left onto 11th St., and left again onto Spruce. Go approx. 2 1/ 2 blocks to Spruce & Juniper. The William Way Ctr. will be on your right, and a parking lot on your left. There are several parking lots on Broad st. if this one is full. All are pay-lots. Do not park in the lot on the left side of the Center.

From New Jersey: Take your best route to the Ben Franklin Bridge. Stay in middle lanes as you get off the bridge, and follow signs to 676/ Vine St. expressway. Follow same directions as above, from the *.

From Delaware: Take best route to 95 north -Follow to 76 West. Get off 76 at the South Street exit, and turn right onto South St. Take South to 11th street and follow same directions as above *.

Via Public Transit: Take either Regional Rail, the Blue or Green line subways to Market St. East station (11th street) -Walk south on 11th St. to Spruce -turn right onto Spruce -William Way will be about 3 blocks up the street on your right. You can also take the Orange line to the Lombard/ South exit, and go one block north on Broad St. to Spruce, and turn right -event is 1 block down on the left.

Charity Walks

First, a big round of applause for our MS Walk teams who raised over $2,500 for a very worthwhile charity. We had 20 people participating in two teams, which is the largest amount of people we've ever had to come out and raise money for one of our causes. We raised the most amount DVPN has ever raised for any cause. And we increased our positive visibility in the community as a whole for this event.

We want to thank the participants from both teams because we couldn't have done this well without you. Your rabble-rousing and fund-raising combined made this a fun thing to do. We also want to thank those of you who pledged us your support -you played a crucial role in this endeavor as well. Look for photos soon to be posted on our website www. dvpn. org.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

DVPN will also sponsor a team in the 12th Annual Delaware Humane Association Walk for the Animals, on September 22, 2002! The Delaware Humane Association, a "no-kill" animal shelter located in Wilmington, Delaware, is holding its 12th Annual Walk for the Animals on Sunday, September 22, 2002, at Banning Park, Maryland Avenue, Newport, Delaware, beginning at 10: 30 am.

This walk is unique, as walkers are welcome to bring their dogs along on the one or two mile (your choice) walk through Banning Park. There are contests and activities for both pets and owners, and many booths featuring wonderful products for your pets.

Advanced registration is $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-16, and Free for children 5 and under. Registration on the day of the walk is $20. Walkers are also encouraged to raise pledges for the Delaware Humane Assoc. There is a discount for teams with 5 or more walkers, and DVPN wants to put together such a team. So if you are interested in participating, or want more information, please contact Maria at legalady@ dvpn. org, or see the Delaware Humane Association's web site, http:// www. dehumane. org/ Support/ Walk2002/ walk-2002. html

Delaware Humane Association's mission is to reduce pet overpopulation, to prevent cruelty and suffering to animals, and to provide temporary housing for homeless animals.

DVPN SPONSORS CHARITY WALKS

DVPN is once again sponsoring a team to participate in this year's AIDS Walk, which will be held on Sunday, October 20, 2002. We are team no. 1070 again. If you want to register, simply go to the AIDS Walk homepage at http://aidsfundphilly.kintera.org and click on the online registration link.

Once you register, you can print out a pledge sheet right from the website and start gathering pledges right away. Octboer 20 will sneak up on us. DVPN's goal this year is to raise over $1,000 and have over 10 walkers on our team. That's only $100 a person in pledges. We know we can do this! If you have any questions about the AIDS Walk or the AIDS Fund, please feel free to contact DVPN's team captain, Maria Sawczuk, at legalady@dvpn.org.

WINTER SOLSTICE

--by Kris Rogy, Mystickal Tymes

Yule, also known as the Winter Solstice, is celebrated on December 21st. This Sabbat celebrates the rebirth of light, renewal and rejuvenation during winter. As Samhain represents death this celebrates rebirth on the wheel of the year. The Goddess gives birth to the Oak King (Sun Child) in hopes for new light a bit earlier each day. Yule coincides closely with the Christian Christmas celebration.

Yule is a time for awakening new goals or plans and also for leaving old habits or regrets behind you.

The Christian tradition of a Christmas tree originates in pagan celebrations. There are many traditional ways of celebrating during this Sabbat.

The pentagram, symbolizing the five elements, was placed on the top of the tree. Families would bring a live tree into the home to provide a warm place for the wood sprites to living during the cold winter months ahead. The tree was decorated with various ornaments, all of which were symbolic. Bells were hung on branches as an indication of when a spirit is present in the home. Candles were lit and placed on the tree (in glass holders!) to represent the rebirth of light and the security of warmth during the cold months of winter, as well as to light the path for the faeries, so that they could find their way easier during the cold, dark nights. Food and treats were hung on the branches for nourishment for the spirits.

Seasonal colors of red and green are also of Pagan origin, as is the custom of exchanging gifts. The home is decorated with candles and fires are lit to welcome the light’s return.

Fire and the use of a Yule log celebrate Yule, a solar festival. A log is saved, holes are carved into it and candles are placed in it. It is kept throughout the year to protect the home. That piece is used to light the next year’s log, carrying on the cycle of the season and the wheel of the year.

May you have a wonderful holiday and bright blessings!

--Kris Rogy

Paid Advertisement

The Eye of Horus, which is a group of men and women dedicated to the promotion of native-based spirituality has several new programs available to prospective members, such as:

Rainbow Gathering Tribal Network
Holistic Medical Network
Pagan Singles Network

We are currently searching for farms in remote or rural areas with space for camping or housing available for our very popular communal living and working arrangement program.

Call 215-928-9262 evenings between 9pm - 11pm or email: thespiritoftheforest@yahoo.ie

Personal Transformation

--by Kris Rogy, Mystickal Tymes

This is the time of year to go inward andreally take a look at ourselves. Take notice to how you are feeling, what you would like to accomplish during the months ahead, and what you would like to change in your life - for a more empowered you! Recognizing and accepting change and growth is first. Once you are aware and are willing to change and grow, all is possible. Make time to connect with the God and Goddess on a daily basis for strength and guidance. They love you and are there for you!

This is a 2 part spell. The first part is done during the Dark of the Moon. To banish and neutralize any unwanted habits, dispell any harm, remove any obstacles. The second part is done during the Waxing Moon, to create growth & empowerment.

Ingredients:

Herbal Bath Blend - make a mixture of the following herbs: Verbena, borage, betony, cinquefoil, peppermint, lemon peel, blessed thistle *Place mixture into 2 separate muslin bags Black candle, pink candle, pink bag, small seashell, sea salt, bowl of water (add a pinch of sea salt)

Part 1

Charge one of your herbal bags for your purpose (banishing & neutraliz- ing). Take a ritual bath, while running the water, add a small amount of sea salt and herbal bag. Cleanse yourself, letting go of all worries and ten- sions. When you are ready and focused, get out of the tub, letting all of the water drain completely first. Go to your sacred space, cast your magick circle. Light the black candle, stating your desire. Ask the Goddess, the Crone, to bring you guidance and protection. Connect with Her. Thank Her and close your circle.

Part 2

Charge the other herbal bag for your purpose (growth & empowerment). Repeat ritual bath, bringing your seashell into the water with you. Cleanse, and visualize what you desire. When ready, go to your sacred space (bring seashell), cast your magick circle. Light the pink candle. Hold your seashell, charging it with your intentions for change and growth. Ask the God and Goddess for insight and guidance. Place the seashell in the bowl of water, chanting:

Waters of Life, I Give to Theele, ihMy Desires to Come to Mel? Thank Them and close your circle. When the water fully evaporates, place your seashell in the pink bag and keep with you.

Blessed Be!

Paid Advertisement

The Eye of Horus, which is a group of men and women dedicated to the promotion of native-based spirituality has several new programs available to prospective members, such as:

Rainbow Gathering Tribal Network
Holistic Medical Network
Pagan Singles Network

We are currently searching for farms in remote or rural areas with space for camping or housing available for our very popular communal living and working arrangement program.

Call 215-928-9262 evenings between 9pm - 11pm or email: thespiritoftheforest@yahoo.ie