Beloved Quaker historian/herstorian Margaret Hope Bacon recently died.
I knew Margaret from the Meeting where I first came to Quakerism. She was an amazing woman as well as a wonderful historian. She also told women's untold herstories.
I believe every modern Goddess worshiper, Pagan, Witch, Feminist Witch, and feminist should read Mothers of Feminism... at least once. :)
Margaret's obituary in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20110227_Historian_inspired_by_lives_dedicated_to_good.html?viewAll=y
Beloved (and controversial) elder, author, and scholar Merlin Stone also died recently. When God Was a Woman still remains one of the most essentially thought-provoking books ever for many women when it comes to religion and spirituality.
They are both sorely missed; but so many give thanks for their long lives, well-lived.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
from CPT: "Walk the walk—CPT seeks applicants for Peacemaker Corps"
CPTnet
19 March 2011
*CPT INTERNATIONAL: Walk the walk—CPT seeks applicants for Peacemaker
Corps*
CPT Announces Summer 2011 Peacemaker Corps Training in Chicago, IL USA, 15 July through 15 August 2011. Applicants must have participated in a CPT delegation or equivalent CPT experience before June 2011.
Full-time, and part-time positions with stipends are available, especially for the Palestine project, to start as early as September 2011.
Please send your Peacemaker Corps application to the Chicago office by May 1, mailing address P.O. Box 6508; Chicago, IL USA 60680; or fax: +1-773-376-0549; or
e-mail: personnel@cpt.org
CPT delegation and Peacemaker Corps Applications can be found online:
http://www.cpt.org/participate/peacemaker
CPT delegation dates and locations can also be found online:
http://www.cpt.org/participate/delegation/schedule
19 March 2011
*CPT INTERNATIONAL: Walk the walk—CPT seeks applicants for Peacemaker
Corps*
CPT Announces Summer 2011 Peacemaker Corps Training in Chicago, IL USA, 15 July through 15 August 2011. Applicants must have participated in a CPT delegation or equivalent CPT experience before June 2011.
Full-time, and part-time positions with stipends are available, especially for the Palestine project, to start as early as September 2011.
Please send your Peacemaker Corps application to the Chicago office by May 1, mailing address P.O. Box 6508; Chicago, IL USA 60680; or fax: +1-773-376-0549; or
e-mail: personnel@cpt.org
CPT delegation and Peacemaker Corps Applications can be found online:
http://www.cpt.org/participate/peacemaker
CPT delegation dates and locations can also be found online:
http://www.cpt.org/participate/delegation/schedule
Notes from FLGBTQC Mid-Winter Gathering
notes from my Book of Shadows (spiritual notebook) from the 2011 Mid-Winter Gathering of Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns.
As soon as our Epistle is available, I will post it here. - sm
Meeting for Worship Sunday
the idea that one "ought" to write, blog, etc., from love rather than from anger
--> anger springs from love, is a sign that something needs to change --> I would not be angry if i did not love
--> would not be angry on my own behalf if not for self-love; would not be angry on behalf of my Quaker communities if I did not love Quakerism or my Pagan communities if I did not love Paganism and if I did not love the Goddess (each other, this beautiful Earth)
writing about being at FLGBTQC Mid-Winter and my experience being here
--> what is it that is so wonderful about FLGBTQC? it's hard to explain to people who haven't experienced it, or to someone who's come and who's maybe been put off by another who's rubbed them the wrong way
-- so far this weekend, we've talked quite a bit about this community as someplace where we feel known, with our imperfections, and loved
-- I certainly feel this way
-- worship
-- worship for business
(-- no "card check" at the door)
reminder from worship: community is one of the testimonies
large-group worship sharing
how we collectively hold the integrity and centeredness of our worship as something important
-- conversations I've had today with Friends about how theaological diversity, and sharing that with each other, is one of the gifts of FLGBTQC
--> these two things -- integrity and centeredness of Quaker worship, and theaological diversity -- are not in conflict; but rather, they complement and enrich each other
I am hearing: it is important to ask to be held in the Light on the list-serv
*post the intergenerational worship post on the blog --> radical inclusion
Singing the Goddess
(fun!)
As soon as our Epistle is available, I will post it here. - sm
Meeting for Worship Sunday
the idea that one "ought" to write, blog, etc., from love rather than from anger
--> anger springs from love, is a sign that something needs to change --> I would not be angry if i did not love
--> would not be angry on my own behalf if not for self-love; would not be angry on behalf of my Quaker communities if I did not love Quakerism or my Pagan communities if I did not love Paganism and if I did not love the Goddess (each other, this beautiful Earth)
writing about being at FLGBTQC Mid-Winter and my experience being here
--> what is it that is so wonderful about FLGBTQC? it's hard to explain to people who haven't experienced it, or to someone who's come and who's maybe been put off by another who's rubbed them the wrong way
-- so far this weekend, we've talked quite a bit about this community as someplace where we feel known, with our imperfections, and loved
-- I certainly feel this way
-- worship
-- worship for business
(-- no "card check" at the door)
reminder from worship: community is one of the testimonies
large-group worship sharing
how we collectively hold the integrity and centeredness of our worship as something important
-- conversations I've had today with Friends about how theaological diversity, and sharing that with each other, is one of the gifts of FLGBTQC
--> these two things -- integrity and centeredness of Quaker worship, and theaological diversity -- are not in conflict; but rather, they complement and enrich each other
I am hearing: it is important to ask to be held in the Light on the list-serv
*post the intergenerational worship post on the blog --> radical inclusion
Singing the Goddess
(fun!)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Happy Eostara!
Happy Spring Equinox!
So here we are, on the balance point between Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice. We are half-way between the longest night of the year and the longest day of the year -- between the day with the most hours of darkness and the day with the most hours of light; between the day with the fewest hours of light and the day with the fewest hours of darkness. Between the shortest day and the shortest night.
We're also halfway between Brigid, when the days first are really noticeably longer, and Beltane, when spring springs forth with great energy and abandon.
I've lived most of my life in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, but I lived for several years in other parts of the country -- the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest -- and I paid close attention to the progression of the seasons there, too. Even in the Mid-Atlantic, just between the city where I grew up and the city where I've lived the longest, which are a scant 100 miles apart, there's a difference in how quickly spring comes.
But everywhere I've lived, there's a noticeable difference right now. Even my last year in Michigan, when it snowed on Spring Equinox (and then again at the end of March!), Spring was still very clearly on Her way.
I've had eggs on my mind for the last week.
And rabbits.
And chocolate.
And cardinals. There's a mated pair in our neighborhood, and not only have they finally, finally discovered our bird feeder, they even sometimes come to it together. This brings me happiness.
There are crocuses in the communal lawn, and shoots poking their green heads up through the earth all over the place. I've seen some snowdrops.
Our neighbors' baby is no longer a newborn, but well into infancy.
Driving to the Roses, Too! Spring Equinox potluck yesterday, I saw a few sheltered daffodils starting to bloom, and lots of forsythia blooming alongside the road.
The temperatures were in the 70s F on Friday, in the 50s F over the weekend. And thet will dip down to freezing overnight, with snow flurries possible.
Yes, we are on the balance point.
What signs in nature tell you we're on the balance point between Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice, between Brigid and Beltane?
What's happening in your own spiritual life that reflects what's happening in nature?
How are you still stuck in the cocoon or shell of winter?
What environment are you emerging into?
How are you transformed as you emerge from your shell or your cocoon into spring?
So here we are, on the balance point between Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice. We are half-way between the longest night of the year and the longest day of the year -- between the day with the most hours of darkness and the day with the most hours of light; between the day with the fewest hours of light and the day with the fewest hours of darkness. Between the shortest day and the shortest night.
We're also halfway between Brigid, when the days first are really noticeably longer, and Beltane, when spring springs forth with great energy and abandon.
I've lived most of my life in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, but I lived for several years in other parts of the country -- the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest -- and I paid close attention to the progression of the seasons there, too. Even in the Mid-Atlantic, just between the city where I grew up and the city where I've lived the longest, which are a scant 100 miles apart, there's a difference in how quickly spring comes.
But everywhere I've lived, there's a noticeable difference right now. Even my last year in Michigan, when it snowed on Spring Equinox (and then again at the end of March!), Spring was still very clearly on Her way.
I've had eggs on my mind for the last week.
And rabbits.
And chocolate.
And cardinals. There's a mated pair in our neighborhood, and not only have they finally, finally discovered our bird feeder, they even sometimes come to it together. This brings me happiness.
There are crocuses in the communal lawn, and shoots poking their green heads up through the earth all over the place. I've seen some snowdrops.
Our neighbors' baby is no longer a newborn, but well into infancy.
Driving to the Roses, Too! Spring Equinox potluck yesterday, I saw a few sheltered daffodils starting to bloom, and lots of forsythia blooming alongside the road.
The temperatures were in the 70s F on Friday, in the 50s F over the weekend. And thet will dip down to freezing overnight, with snow flurries possible.
Yes, we are on the balance point.
What signs in nature tell you we're on the balance point between Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice, between Brigid and Beltane?
What's happening in your own spiritual life that reflects what's happening in nature?
How are you still stuck in the cocoon or shell of winter?
What environment are you emerging into?
How are you transformed as you emerge from your shell or your cocoon into spring?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
About Sarah's poem
I first heard Sarah Leuze's poem "In Wildness" read aloud at this year's Mid-Winter Gathering of Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns. Read out loud in a powerful voice by someone who loved and loves her very much.
It blew me away. My breath caught. Tears came to my eyes. I knew right away this was the poem I'd been waiting for, for this year's on-line Brigid poetry festival.
I'm grateful to Robert for permission to reprint it here.
p.s. For a copy of Sarah Leuze: a collection of her poetry, fiction, and a memoir - with photos and biographical notes, please contact her estate, below.
It blew me away. My breath caught. Tears came to my eyes. I knew right away this was the poem I'd been waiting for, for this year's on-line Brigid poetry festival.
I'm grateful to Robert for permission to reprint it here.
p.s. For a copy of Sarah Leuze: a collection of her poetry, fiction, and a memoir - with photos and biographical notes, please contact her estate, below.
Poetry for Brigid: "In Wildness," Sarah Leuze
In Wildness
You do not have to suffer.
You do not have to mimic the great martyrs.
You do not even have to know who you are.
You only have to be happy in the wild beauty of the world;
You only have to love what you love, unfettered and unfurled.
Let the untamed call of the loons come to you from across the lake in the afternoon;
Hear the thrilling rush of wings overhead as the wild swans head home to the lagoon.
Let the rock dove coo to you softly each morning from its city perches;
Listen for the song sparrow's call each evening from the forest edges;
Let even the humble robin sing to you each day from the grass and hedges.
Whoever you are, no matter how insignificant, how despairing, know this:
In wildness is the resurrection of the soul, and the preservation of the earth.February, 2009Revised October 29, 2009
Copyright © by the Estate of Sarah Leuze, 2010. All rights reserved. Any correspondence should be addressed to Robert Leuze, Executor, Estate of Sarah Leuze, 245 West 104th Street, 16C, New York, NY 10025. Reprinted here with permission.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Radical love, radical inclusion... and the stereochemistry of gender inclusion
I know there's some renewed attention right now to the issue of cisgender-women-only space/the exclusion of transgender women in certain kinds of Paganism.
(Please note that I am not following, or interested in, that debate, and please don't ask me for information about it.)
A number of people have spoken to me quietly about the issue -- because they're hurt or just plain puzzled by the fuss, or because they're trying to figure out their own complicated reactions to it.
I've also been trying to discern what, if anything, I should say publicly about this issue.
I realized I'm led to share a response I sent to one of those friends. Part of why I'm comfortable sharing it is because it turns out there's nothing in this letter that I haven't said to other people, both electronically and in person, in public as well as in private.
Apologies to my beloved former chemistry professors for the oversimplified explanation of stereochemistry.
- sm
Dear [name],
Cis *isn't* being used because it's the opposite of trans -- it's a termed borrowed from chemistry [for one], and it's being used because it's a good descriptive term for people who were born into bodies consistent with their gender identities.
In chemistry, there are types of molecules with two different kinds of structures -- cis and trans. In one structure, the component groups are attached to *opposite* sides of a molecule across a (double) bond; that structure is called trans, or different. In the other structure, the component groups are attached to the *same* side of a molecule across a (double) bond; that structure is called cis, or same.
Take a look at the second set of pictures here to get the idea (the ones with the big green circles with no rotation): http://www.chemguide.co.uk/basicorg/isomerism/geometric.html
You and I were born into bodies consistent with our gender identity -- the same, or cis; "the same" with our gender identity, or cisgender.
My friend [name/mutual acquaintance] was born into a body not consistent with her gender identity -- different, or trans; "different" from her gender identity, or transgender.
If you don't like the way it's being used by transgender women in the [blank] debate, then you're giving too much credence to the commenters there, IMO.
If you don't like how it's being used by transgender women in general, I'm sorry. That sounds difficult. It's often difficult to listen to people with less privilege when they confront us, and it's true: you and I have cis privilege.
But the term cisgender is *not* being used exclusively by transgender women, any more than the terms heterosexual, straight, white, temporarily able-bodied, upper class, or male are being used exclusively by lesbians, gay men, bi people, transgender people, disabled people, people of color, poor people, working class people, middle class people, or women.
You also need to understand that transgender women experience a terrible amount of misogyny, and that they get it both from men and from other women. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be another woman who behaves that way towards women who also happen to be transgender.
My own journey towards transgender inclusion has not, and still isn't always, an easy one. I've been part of a Quaker lesbian organization that was torn apart over the issue of including transgender women; I couldn't have told you then if I thought it was better to exclude or include transgender women. I have also been incredibly honored to get to know a number of transgender women and men in person, as real people, most but not all of them through a deeply Spirit-centered Quaker organization that walks its talk of radical love and radical inclusion. It has become very, very clear to me where I find the Goddess, and where She leads me, when it comes to this issue. I can be sure of that even when I'm not 100% comfortable; it's a very different kind of discomfort than when I'm not certain.
So I hope this helps some.
Love and blessings,
Stasa
(Please note that I am not following, or interested in, that debate, and please don't ask me for information about it.)
A number of people have spoken to me quietly about the issue -- because they're hurt or just plain puzzled by the fuss, or because they're trying to figure out their own complicated reactions to it.
I've also been trying to discern what, if anything, I should say publicly about this issue.
I realized I'm led to share a response I sent to one of those friends. Part of why I'm comfortable sharing it is because it turns out there's nothing in this letter that I haven't said to other people, both electronically and in person, in public as well as in private.
Apologies to my beloved former chemistry professors for the oversimplified explanation of stereochemistry.
- sm
Dear [name],
Cis *isn't* being used because it's the opposite of trans -- it's a termed borrowed from chemistry [for one], and it's being used because it's a good descriptive term for people who were born into bodies consistent with their gender identities.
In chemistry, there are types of molecules with two different kinds of structures -- cis and trans. In one structure, the component groups are attached to *opposite* sides of a molecule across a (double) bond; that structure is called trans, or different. In the other structure, the component groups are attached to the *same* side of a molecule across a (double) bond; that structure is called cis, or same.
Take a look at the second set of pictures here to get the idea (the ones with the big green circles with no rotation): http://www.chemguide.co.uk/basicorg/isomerism/geometric.html
You and I were born into bodies consistent with our gender identity -- the same, or cis; "the same" with our gender identity, or cisgender.
My friend [name/mutual acquaintance] was born into a body not consistent with her gender identity -- different, or trans; "different" from her gender identity, or transgender.
If you don't like the way it's being used by transgender women in the [blank] debate, then you're giving too much credence to the commenters there, IMO.
If you don't like how it's being used by transgender women in general, I'm sorry. That sounds difficult. It's often difficult to listen to people with less privilege when they confront us, and it's true: you and I have cis privilege.
But the term cisgender is *not* being used exclusively by transgender women, any more than the terms heterosexual, straight, white, temporarily able-bodied, upper class, or male are being used exclusively by lesbians, gay men, bi people, transgender people, disabled people, people of color, poor people, working class people, middle class people, or women.
You also need to understand that transgender women experience a terrible amount of misogyny, and that they get it both from men and from other women. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be another woman who behaves that way towards women who also happen to be transgender.
My own journey towards transgender inclusion has not, and still isn't always, an easy one. I've been part of a Quaker lesbian organization that was torn apart over the issue of including transgender women; I couldn't have told you then if I thought it was better to exclude or include transgender women. I have also been incredibly honored to get to know a number of transgender women and men in person, as real people, most but not all of them through a deeply Spirit-centered Quaker organization that walks its talk of radical love and radical inclusion. It has become very, very clear to me where I find the Goddess, and where She leads me, when it comes to this issue. I can be sure of that even when I'm not 100% comfortable; it's a very different kind of discomfort than when I'm not certain.
So I hope this helps some.
Love and blessings,
Stasa
Recommended article: T. Thorn Coyle's "Duality and Diversity: Gender at Pantheacon"
T. Thorn Coyle's "Duality and Diversity: Gender at Pantheacon"
The theme of gender at Pantheacon started for me on Friday afternoon, when I was able to catch most of Dr. Charlie Glickman's presentation on "The Mystery and the Masculine." I walked into a lively discussion about stereotypes, gender, and where we might find a place inside or outside of the box, and how breaking out of the box sometimes offers a full range of deep and powerful archetypes. Why was I drawn to this presentation? Not only do I like and respect Charlie, but I carry a great deal of the masculine within me; as a matter of fact, I used to get mistaken for a man with great frequency. I don't anymore, though most people still recognize that strand of my energy signature. I feel comfortable presenting in a more "female" way these days and my power is more fully integrated so my overall energy outlay is smoother. But you still won't catch me in a skirt unless I'm doing high femme drag. And that is rare.
I spoke in Charlie's class about Z Budapest saying last year that I was not a masculine woman, presumably because I wear lipstick now, and my jeans are no longer two sizes too big. No, I'm not butch like my butchest of friends, but the reason I identified as masculine at the first was in an attempt to do damage control around some masculinity bashing that had been going on. As I still swim strongly with that current, I outed myself on the panel and was then smacked down. Not for long, as you might imagine.
Read more...
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friends Journal article on young families; other thoughts on accessibility
A F/friend of mine brought this excellent article to my attention a few weeks ago. (I know I saw it when it first came out, but because of other things going on in my life that month, it didn't really sink in.) Then, at FLGBTQC Mid-Winter recently, one of the many things we were talking about was how to make worship accessible to different people -- children, people with different neurological needs, etc. -- and I was reminded of it again.
From "Young Families and Quakerism: Will the Center Hold?" (Friends Journal, May 2008):
(Read more: http://www.friendsjournal.org/young-families-and-quakerism-will-center-hold)
But this article isn't just about helping Meetings be more accessible to young families: it's also about nurturing our Meetings and helping them be vital, growing communities.
I'm excited, reading this, because the connections with and parallels to other kinds of accessibility are really clear to me. And the tools are related, too.
The author and his family and I used to all be part of the same Meeting, before they moved and we moved. In that Meeting, we used to have regular, intergenerational, semi-programmed Meeting for Worship.
While I was there, that worship never took place in the main Meeting room, and it never took the place of regular Meeting for Worship: therefore, it was optional.
There were a couple of issues with this. It made it clear that our children were not full members of our community. However, it also meant that no one who felt they couldn't in good conscience participate in programmed or semi-programmed worship was forced to do so.
Sadly, when it came to our children, we didn't walk our talk as well as we might: several families I know left for other Meetings where they felt their children to be more fully part of the life of the Meeting. This is not an option in many geographic areas, including some of the other places where I've lived.
I confess that I am one of those people who's allergic to programming in Quaker worship. For me, as soon as we introduce programming, we introduce dogma and theaology, and we are no longer in spiritual communion. We have violated Meeting for Worship. It's no longer safe worship space. When that happens, I can visit, but I'm no longer home. But I also felt really strongly, in that Meeting, about intergenerational Meeting for Worship, and I knew a full hour of unprogrammed worship just wasn't accessible to our children. So I went to intergenerational semi-programmed Meeting for Worship. (I itched, but I didn't break out in hives.)
Even though the connections with other kinds of accessibility are clear to me, they're not so clear to other people.
Here are some examples:
If it's okay for kids to wiggle quietly, read, write, or play quietly during worship...
...then it's okay for adults with neurological conditions to wiggle quietly, or engage in other quiet activities, during worship.
If it's okay for kids to read Bible stories silently, or for adults to read from Christian or Hebrew scriptures silently...
,,,then it's okay for kids or adults to read from non-Christian books silently.
If it's okay for kids to write quietly...
...then it's okay for adults to write quietly.
Those are just a few parallels that spring immediately to mind. I'm sure there are others.
I'm reminded of two times in my life when handwork was the only thing that made Meeting for Worship accessible to me.
The first was when I was recovering from an injury and was in constant pain. For months, I had a terrible time centering into worship. Reading or writing was too cerebral -- it pulled me out of worship, into an intellectual head-space. But finding a place in the back of the Meeting room where I could sit on the floor, stretch out the leg with the cast on it, and work on my crochet ministry -- the blanket I was making for a Friend whose husband had just died suddenly -- I could center into worship. The second was during a flare-up of a neurological condition, when I was on a medication that made me sleepy unless I had direct sensory stimulation. If I was driving, I was fine; as a passenger, I would fall asleep. I found myself very sleepy in Meeting for Worship, no matter what time of day, no matter where -- the Meeting where I was sojourning, back at my home Meeting, at FGC Gathering, when traveling, it didn't matter. I did not want to sleep through Meeting for Worship. Again, reading or writing pulled me out of worship and put me into too intellectual a space, but crocheting allowed me to stay centered in worship when I started getting too sleepy.
Coming back to Tom's article and the thoughts it's prompting for me, I also want to think more about how this kind of openness might work to help us embrace the theaological diversity among us -- and so help us deepen our Meetings in the Spirit and in their faithfulness to Quakerism.
Here is something really important Tom points out in his article:
Learning to be accessible doesn't have to be comfortable at first in order to grow comfortable, or in order to provide huge rewards for a Meeting community.
So, dear Friends -- shall we see how the Spirit is leading us to be uncomfortable together, and how how we are led to be transformed?
From "Young Families and Quakerism: Will the Center Hold?" (Friends Journal, May 2008):
[The project] found that those who joined Quakerism started attending at the average age of 34. The project summarized that our outreach efforts should focus on those in their 30s and 40s. Many of those who are drawn to unprogrammed Quakerism are looking for a "tribe" that gives them a sense of connection and belonging that resonates with their sense of who they are, and who they are becoming. (Many who take the quiz at <www.beliefnet.com> are pleased to discover that there is already a well-established religious tradition that shares their convictions! Now, all they need to do is find a Friends meeting in their area. Thank goodness for <www.quakerfinder.org>!)
This yearning for authentic community shifts to an even deeper existential level when young adults find themselves becoming parents. As has been well documented, people often seek a religious community during the early years of parenthood, because of their bone-deep hopes and fears for their children. Having children tends to evoke in us a spiritual awakening, and a connection with the Source of life. We experience the Divine through our love for our children. Contemporary culture, with its wide array of anti-spiritual messages and experiences, has only exacerbated these deep yearnings. For Quakerism to be a spiritual home of choice for today's young adult seekers, then we must meet them where they are. That is, we must offer them a community that does not simply accept them and their children, but which pro-actively embraces them and nourishes them, personally and spiritually.
(Read more: http://www.friendsjournal.org/young-families-and-quakerism-will-center-hold)
But this article isn't just about helping Meetings be more accessible to young families: it's also about nurturing our Meetings and helping them be vital, growing communities.
I'm excited, reading this, because the connections with and parallels to other kinds of accessibility are really clear to me. And the tools are related, too.
The author and his family and I used to all be part of the same Meeting, before they moved and we moved. In that Meeting, we used to have regular, intergenerational, semi-programmed Meeting for Worship.
While I was there, that worship never took place in the main Meeting room, and it never took the place of regular Meeting for Worship: therefore, it was optional.
There were a couple of issues with this. It made it clear that our children were not full members of our community. However, it also meant that no one who felt they couldn't in good conscience participate in programmed or semi-programmed worship was forced to do so.
Sadly, when it came to our children, we didn't walk our talk as well as we might: several families I know left for other Meetings where they felt their children to be more fully part of the life of the Meeting. This is not an option in many geographic areas, including some of the other places where I've lived.
I confess that I am one of those people who's allergic to programming in Quaker worship. For me, as soon as we introduce programming, we introduce dogma and theaology, and we are no longer in spiritual communion. We have violated Meeting for Worship. It's no longer safe worship space. When that happens, I can visit, but I'm no longer home. But I also felt really strongly, in that Meeting, about intergenerational Meeting for Worship, and I knew a full hour of unprogrammed worship just wasn't accessible to our children. So I went to intergenerational semi-programmed Meeting for Worship. (I itched, but I didn't break out in hives.)
Even though the connections with other kinds of accessibility are clear to me, they're not so clear to other people.
Here are some examples:
If it's okay for kids to wiggle quietly, read, write, or play quietly during worship...
...then it's okay for adults with neurological conditions to wiggle quietly, or engage in other quiet activities, during worship.
If it's okay for kids to read Bible stories silently, or for adults to read from Christian or Hebrew scriptures silently...
,,,then it's okay for kids or adults to read from non-Christian books silently.
If it's okay for kids to write quietly...
...then it's okay for adults to write quietly.
Those are just a few parallels that spring immediately to mind. I'm sure there are others.
I'm reminded of two times in my life when handwork was the only thing that made Meeting for Worship accessible to me.
The first was when I was recovering from an injury and was in constant pain. For months, I had a terrible time centering into worship. Reading or writing was too cerebral -- it pulled me out of worship, into an intellectual head-space. But finding a place in the back of the Meeting room where I could sit on the floor, stretch out the leg with the cast on it, and work on my crochet ministry -- the blanket I was making for a Friend whose husband had just died suddenly -- I could center into worship. The second was during a flare-up of a neurological condition, when I was on a medication that made me sleepy unless I had direct sensory stimulation. If I was driving, I was fine; as a passenger, I would fall asleep. I found myself very sleepy in Meeting for Worship, no matter what time of day, no matter where -- the Meeting where I was sojourning, back at my home Meeting, at FGC Gathering, when traveling, it didn't matter. I did not want to sleep through Meeting for Worship. Again, reading or writing pulled me out of worship and put me into too intellectual a space, but crocheting allowed me to stay centered in worship when I started getting too sleepy.
Coming back to Tom's article and the thoughts it's prompting for me, I also want to think more about how this kind of openness might work to help us embrace the theaological diversity among us -- and so help us deepen our Meetings in the Spirit and in their faithfulness to Quakerism.
Here is something really important Tom points out in his article:
Learning to be accessible doesn't have to be comfortable at first in order to grow comfortable, or in order to provide huge rewards for a Meeting community.
So, dear Friends -- shall we see how the Spirit is leading us to be uncomfortable together, and how how we are led to be transformed?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Query on grief and support
How do we bear witness to, and support each other through, griefs which society doesn't usually recognize or honor?
What are some examples of these kinds of grief?
What are some examples of these kinds of grief?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
An accessibility ally
At a Quaker retreat last weekend, during the introductory announcements about the site, the schedule, etc., a member of the Planning Committee made some announcements about accessibility, including an announcement about the fragrance-free nature of the gathering.
I was grumpy and overwhelmed at that point. I felt that fragrance issues hadn't quite been handled adequately so far, in a community with a history of handling them very well. I'd been trying to negotiate with my (well-meaning and responsive) cabin-mates, who'd brought fragranced personal care products with them. I certainly did not expect to have the reaction I did to zir announcement.
Ze stated very clearly that this was a fragrance-free gathering, and that this was for accessibility reasons and is an accessibility issue. Ze explained plainly and clearly several of the problems fragranced products can cause for people with medical conditions triggered or exacerbated by chemicals in fragrances, and how such exposure would prevent members of our community from participating in the gathering.
But ze went further. Ze announced that the Planning Committee was providing fragrance-free soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Ze added, "So there's no excuse for using scented products." Ze also said, If you are wearing something scented and someone with a fragrance sensitivity can smell it, you have already made them sick. Then ze said (I'm paraphrasing), If we can smell a fragrance, those of us without fragrance sensitivities, being allies and advocates, are the ones who should take it upon ourselves to say something in situations like that, rather than leaving it to people who are sensitive.
How did I feel?
This heavy load lifted from my shoulders. There were all sorts of things ze had said, and so I didn't have to. There were all sorts of ways ze was advocating for me and for other people there with this accessibility issue, and ze was calling other allies to do so, and so we didn't have to. I was off duty. It was amazing. It gets so completely exhausting doing self-advocacy around disability accessibility (and not just disability). This weight just lifted from my shoulders.
I made a point, later, of telling ze how much I appreciated what ze had said and the language ze had used. Ze said it was heart-felt, and that was how ze had chosen zir words, and that ze appreciated the feedback.
Me, I appreciated zir advocacy, and I appreciated how the whole community -- once again -- embraced responsibility for accessibility for vulnerable members of our community.
Someone over the weekend reminded us vocally that "community is a Quaker testimony." Yes.
Blessed be. Thank you, Friends.
I was grumpy and overwhelmed at that point. I felt that fragrance issues hadn't quite been handled adequately so far, in a community with a history of handling them very well. I'd been trying to negotiate with my (well-meaning and responsive) cabin-mates, who'd brought fragranced personal care products with them. I certainly did not expect to have the reaction I did to zir announcement.
Ze stated very clearly that this was a fragrance-free gathering, and that this was for accessibility reasons and is an accessibility issue. Ze explained plainly and clearly several of the problems fragranced products can cause for people with medical conditions triggered or exacerbated by chemicals in fragrances, and how such exposure would prevent members of our community from participating in the gathering.
But ze went further. Ze announced that the Planning Committee was providing fragrance-free soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Ze added, "So there's no excuse for using scented products." Ze also said, If you are wearing something scented and someone with a fragrance sensitivity can smell it, you have already made them sick. Then ze said (I'm paraphrasing), If we can smell a fragrance, those of us without fragrance sensitivities, being allies and advocates, are the ones who should take it upon ourselves to say something in situations like that, rather than leaving it to people who are sensitive.
How did I feel?
This heavy load lifted from my shoulders. There were all sorts of things ze had said, and so I didn't have to. There were all sorts of ways ze was advocating for me and for other people there with this accessibility issue, and ze was calling other allies to do so, and so we didn't have to. I was off duty. It was amazing. It gets so completely exhausting doing self-advocacy around disability accessibility (and not just disability). This weight just lifted from my shoulders.
I made a point, later, of telling ze how much I appreciated what ze had said and the language ze had used. Ze said it was heart-felt, and that was how ze had chosen zir words, and that ze appreciated the feedback.
Me, I appreciated zir advocacy, and I appreciated how the whole community -- once again -- embraced responsibility for accessibility for vulnerable members of our community.
Someone over the weekend reminded us vocally that "community is a Quaker testimony." Yes.
Blessed be. Thank you, Friends.
Friday, February 4, 2011
A review of Ben Whitmore’s "Trials of the Moon: Reopening the Case for Historical Witchcraft"
I don't have the brain right now to digest and analyze this fully, but I find it really interesting. - Stasa
from http://www.sourcememory.net/veleda/?p=39
Here is an excerpt:
Read more:
http://www.sourcememory.net/veleda/?p=39
from http://www.sourcememory.net/veleda/?p=39
Here is an excerpt:
This is a review of Ben Whitmore’s Trials of the Moon: Reopening the Case for Historical Witchcraft. A Critique of Ronald Hutton’s Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Auckland: Aotearoa / New Zealand, 2010 http://www.goodgame.org.nz/trialsofthemoonexcerpt.pdf
I am glad someone took on the task of providing a detailed critique of Hutton’s book. Ben Whitmore, a Pagan priest in New Zealand, does not hail from the school of Wicca-is-a-direct-transmission-of-ancient-Pagan-tradition. He is clear “that today’s witchcraft is largely a reinvention” and favors examining the foundational myths of modern neopaganism with a critical eye. At the same time, he feels a spiritual kinship with past traditions and holds out the possibility of recovering their authentic roots:
“I feel it is high time that Wicca and Paganism be permitted to have not just myths, but a history as well.” Hear, hear.
Hutton, although himself a Pagan, has systematically attacked the idea of pagan survivals in medieval Europe, and not just in this book. He hews to an orthodox focus on literary sources as the font of culture, with a corresponding disregard for the testimony of folk tradition and its conservational power. We hear from Diane Purkiss about how the English school of witchcraft history had “hardened into an orthodoxy”since the 1970s. Whitmore points out that they ignore the rich documentation of folk paganism by continental historians (a disregard, paired with sputterings about “rigor,” that I have been protesting for years).
Hutton’s earlier book is described as taking a “withering” approach toward neopagans while rhapsodizing about christianity. Such attitudes are unsurprising in most academic circles, but Hutton’s dismissals have been taken up by some Pagans as well. Whitmore recounts “one rather sad conversation I had with a bright young High Priest and High Priestess who were abandoning the Craft because Triumph had convinced them they were living a lie.”[2-3]
Whitmore makes an effort to be evenhanded. He praises Hutton’s chapters on Wicca as “balanced and comprehensive.” He corrects an error about the succession in Alexandrian Wicca. [3] It’s been years since I read Triumph of the Moon, so I don’t remember if the feminist branches of Wicca were included. In any case, modern paganism is not the main thrust of Trials of the Moon; it is about making the case for a historical connection between pagan ethnic religion, including goddess reverence, and later witches and witch traditions.
Whitmore counters Hutton’s exaggerated claim of “a tidal wave of accumulating research which [in the 1990s] swept away … any possibility of doubt regarding the lack of correlation between paganism and early modern witchcraft.”He lays out the misrepresentations and revisionism in Triumph of the Moon by reviewing the historical literature that Hutton cites, and systematically showing that his sources do not say what he claims they do. In some cases they say the complete opposite. The quotes that Whitmore provides shows that they affirm rather than deny the persistence of pre-Christian spiritual traditions, including shamanic ones. The exception is Muchembled, but even he acknowledged the demonization of folk beliefs and observances in constructing the myth of the Witches’ Sabbath. [6-8]
So the book tests Hutton’s evidence and provides some much-needed historiography. It also offers helpful summaries of ideas by various authors. P.G. Maxwell-Stuart, for example, talks about the incompleteness of European conversion into the middle ages, and tracks the imposition of elite ideas about diabolical pact and witches’ sects onto folk culture. (Hmm: a footnote alludes to the famous case of two German villages where only two women were left alive. Maxwell-Stuart, however, appears to have erased the specific targeting of women, rendering it as only two “residents”spared by the hunts. [9 fn 27]) Still, I’d like to read his discussion of the number of accused witches who actually were cunning folk, healers, diviners, or people who had dealings with the faeries. [10]
Read more:
http://www.sourcememory.net/veleda/?p=39
Conflict and Quaker process
I was thinking recently about a conflict in the Meeting where I'm sojourning. And then I found myself thinking back on conflicts -- and potential conflicts that never were -- in other Meetings and Quaker organizations I am or have been part of.
I posted the following to Facebook:
...reflecting today that whenever I've been really angry over, disturbed about, or hurt by a conflict in a Quaker meeting or organization I've been part of, the real root of my pain hasn't been the conflict, but a lack of Quaker process. Whereas the most potentially terrible conflicts have been transformed in the deepest love through worshipful decision-making, leading-seeking, and truth-seeking together.
Thoughts? Reflections on your own experience?
What are the parallels or analogs in Pagan groups or organizations?
I posted the following to Facebook:
...reflecting today that whenever I've been really angry over, disturbed about, or hurt by a conflict in a Quaker meeting or organization I've been part of, the real root of my pain hasn't been the conflict, but a lack of Quaker process. Whereas the most potentially terrible conflicts have been transformed in the deepest love through worshipful decision-making, leading-seeking, and truth-seeking together.
Thoughts? Reflections on your own experience?
What are the parallels or analogs in Pagan groups or organizations?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
6th Annual Brigid Poetry Festival
It's the 6th annual Brigid Poetry Festival! All over the internet!
I found out about this a few years ago through Deborah Oak Cooper, Reya Mellicker, and Anne Hill.
A quick web search of Brigid poetry brings all sorts of results for this year's festival.
Enjoy!
I found out about this a few years ago through Deborah Oak Cooper, Reya Mellicker, and Anne Hill.
A quick web search of Brigid poetry brings all sorts of results for this year's festival.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Blessed Brigid to you!
A happy and blessed Brigid to you!
Brigid is the Goddess of smithcraft, healing, and poetry. How is She moving in your life today?
If this is Imbolc, Candlemas, or Brigid, to you, what does the holiday mean to you?
Brigid is the Goddess of smithcraft, healing, and poetry. How is She moving in your life today?
If this is Imbolc, Candlemas, or Brigid, to you, what does the holiday mean to you?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Upcoming CPT aboriginal justice delegations to northwestern Ontario, Canada
Here's an opportunity for peace witness work here in North America. - sm
http://cpt.org/cptnet/2011/01/25/cpt-international-christian-peacemaker-teams-announces-aboriginal-justice-delegati
http://cpt.org/cptnet/2011/01/25/cpt-international-christian-peacemaker-teams-announces-aboriginal-justice-delegati
CPTnet
25 January 2011
CPT INTERNATIONAL: Christian Peacemaker Teams announces Aboriginal Justice Delegations to Treaty #3 Territory (Northwestern Ontario) March 31-April 11, August 12-22 and September 24-October 5, 2011.
Corporate clear-cut logging of Asubpeeschoseewagong traditional territory has destroyed hunting, trapping, and food and medicine gathering activities. The legacy of Indian Residential Schools have deeply impacted families and communities. Mercury contamination discovered over forty years ago continues to poison residents. Explore what it means to live in right relationship with the earth and each other. Find out what it means to be an ally to indigenous communities engaged in healing, resisting colonialism, and struggling for sovereignty.
From a base in the city of Kenora, and visits to Asubpeeschoseewagong traditional lands, the delegation will meet with Indigenous and non-Indigenous community leaders and residents. Delegates will develop an analysis of colonialism, participate in undoing racism training and plan a public witness/nonviolent action as appropriate to confront issues of structural violence. Some physical rigors may be involved, such as camping in basic conditions, and stretches of time outside in unpredictable weather.
Fundraising expectation: $525 Canadian or US. Delegates make and pay for their own travel arrangements to Winnipeg, Manitoba or to Kenora, Ontario.
CPT is a faith-based group that seeks participants who are interested in human rights work, committed to nonviolence and to undoing racism, and willing to participate in team worship and reflection. Delegates should have plans to share about the trip upon return to their home communities and congregations. All on-ground travel, two to three meals a day, simple accommodations, and all honorariums and delegation fees are covered. Most CPT delegations involve some physical rigors.
English language fluency is required for full participation.
Funding support: CPT has limited funds available to assist applicants who otherwise could not participate. CPT is committed to undoing racism and will give preference for funding support to applicants from communities that have been disadvantaged by racism.
For more information or to apply, contact CPT, PO Box 6508, Chicago, IL 60680; phone 773-376-0550; fax 773-376-0549; e-mail delegations@cpt.org, or see CPT's website at: http://cpt.org/participate/delegation.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
What are your favorite feminist blogs?
What are your favorite feminist blogs?
Some suggestions I've received so far, some of which I've known about, some of which are new to me:
from Amy S:
A few other suggestions I received:
A quick web search turned up some of these. What's your experience with them?
Update: How could I forget Geek Feminism???
What feminist blogs do you suggest?
Some suggestions I've received so far, some of which I've known about, some of which are new to me:
from Amy S:
- I Blame the Patriarchy, http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/
- Fugitivus, http://www.fugitivus.net/
- Yes Means Yes, http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com
- (sometimes) Shakesville, http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/
- (sometimes) Tiger Beatdown, http://tigerbeatdown.com/
- (newly-discovered) DarkDaughta, http://darkdaughta.blogspot.com/
A few other suggestions I received:
- Bitch PhD (which is mostly laid down but sometimes not), http://bitchphd.blogspot.com/
- Feministe, http://www.feministe.us/blog/
- Feministing, http://feministing.com/
- Ta-Nehisi Coates, http://www.theatlantic.com/ta-nehisi-coates/
- Pam's House Blend, http://www.pamshouseblend.com/
A quick web search turned up some of these. What's your experience with them?
- The Angry Black Woman: Race, Politics, Gender, Sexuality, Anger, http://theangryblackwoman.com/
- Finally, a Feminism 101 Blog, http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/
- (I confess, I loved this page: http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/04/17/faq-what-do-you-mean-by-not-my-nigel-feminist-abbreviationsjargon/)
- Feminist Blogs, http://feministblogs.org/
- Bitch Magazine / Bitch Media, http://bitchmagazine.org/
- The F-Word: Contemporary UK Feminism, http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/
- Feminist SF - The Blog!, http://blogs.feministsf.net/ (I wish there was more here!)
Update: How could I forget Geek Feminism???
- Geek Feminism, http://geekfeminism.org/
What feminist blogs do you suggest?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
from CPT: ABORIGINAL JUSTICE: USA and Canada sign UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Christian Peacemaker Teams
from Christian Peacemaker Teams
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE: USA and Canada sign UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Christian Peacemaker Teams
CPTnet 5 January 2011ABORIGINAL JUSTICE: USA and Canada sign UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoplesby Peter Haresnape
“We owe a very great debt of gratitude to those who remember the old ways to live and honor the earth. And yet, we have ignored them, oppressed them, and even stripped them of the land that is their life. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is an important step toward protecting these vulnerable members of our human family, of giving them the dignity and the respect that they so richly deserve.”
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu
On 12 November 2010, Canada endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The U.S. followed suit on 16 December. Both countries, along with Australia and New Zealand, initially voted against the Declaration when the UN General Assembly adopted it on 13 September 2007, but with these recent endorsements, the Declaration is now unanimously recognized by the international community.
The Declaration is the result of more than twenty years of discussions and negotiations, making it one of the most carefully designed instruments to support human rights on an international level. According to Amnesty International, “The Declaration does not create new or special rights. Instead, the Declaration provides urgently needed guidance in applying existing international human rights standards to the specific circumstances and needs of Indigenous Peoples.”
It remains to be seen how the Declaration will affect the attitudes and actions of the U.S. and Canada towards Indigenous Peoples. Prior to his announcement of support for the Declaration at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, President Obama gave many examples of recent endeavours to amend past wrongs and improve current conditions for Indigenous communities in the United States. He did not refer to specific articles of the Declaration that would connect to such endeavours, but he did say, “What matters far more than words […] are actions to match those words. And that’s what this conference is about.”
The Declaration sets out minimum standards expected of governments towards Indigenous Peoples. Canada has yet to move toward meeting these standards, but the Declaration provides a tool for Indigenous communities seeking justice in Canada. On Monday 13 December 2010, Barriere Lake First Nation delivered a copy to Prime Minister Stephen Harper as part of their campaign against Canadian interference in their traditional governance.
Implementation, not endorsement, will be the true test of the Declaration’s value. Canada and the U.S. must demonstrate respect for Indigenous knowledge and law, and understanding of their nations’ colonial history and present. “Only through continued use will its provisions become our reality,” writes aboriginal and human rights law expert Robert T. Coulter. We must start citing the Declaration at every opportunity as we call our governments to account for their actions across the world, and as we—both as individuals and as nations—build relationships with Indigenous peoples.
Text of the Declaration
Robert T. Coulter’s analysis of the new U.S. position
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Music from circle at Winter Solstice/Yule (but probably not what you think)
In my Tradition's Winter Solstice ritual, we spiral into the Darkness, spend some time there, discover a number of gifts in the Darkness, and then spiral back out into the Light.
Several pieces of music have stuck with me from circle this year.
Lorna Kohler's "Spiraling into the Center"
(I learned this with "shield" and "wheel" interchangeable (ah, folk process...). There are times when "shield" makes sense to me, and times when "wheel" makes sense to me, too. Sheet music for this can be found on p. 251 of Songs for Earthlings.)
Clara Scott's "Open My Eyes, That I May See"
When I had walked a counter-clockwise spiral into the center of the circle, into the Darkness, I spent some time in worship there. And one of the things that came to me were lines from this hymn:
Yes, it's a hymn! Like a lot of women of my generation, I spent many years thinking that was simply the opening to Cris Williamson's "Song of the Soul."
But at FLGBTQC Mid-Winter Gathering a few years ago, when Willie Frye was our keynote speaker, we sang hymn #166 in the Quaker hymnal Worship in Song in worship one morning. And I learned there's a whole hymn behind those opening bars... Clara Scott's hymn "Open My Eyes, That I May See."
Cris Williamson's "Song of the Soul"
During the rest of ritual, then, "Song of the Soul" was of course stuck in my head. During singing, I snagged my wife's copy of Rise Up Singing (there are occasionally advantages to casting a circle in your own living room), and my circle sisters indulged me by singing it enthusiastically with me.
In harmony.
They rock.
Several pieces of music have stuck with me from circle this year.
Lorna Kohler's "Spiraling into the Center"
Spiraling into the center
The center of the Wheel
Spiraling into the center
The center of the Wheel
I am the weaver, I am the woven one
I am the dreamer, I am the dream
I am the weaver, I am the woven one
I am the dreamer, I am the dream...
(I learned this with "shield" and "wheel" interchangeable (ah, folk process...). There are times when "shield" makes sense to me, and times when "wheel" makes sense to me, too. Sheet music for this can be found on p. 251 of Songs for Earthlings.)
Clara Scott's "Open My Eyes, That I May See"
When I had walked a counter-clockwise spiral into the center of the circle, into the Darkness, I spent some time in worship there. And one of the things that came to me were lines from this hymn:
Open mine eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me...
Open mine eyes, illumine me
Spirit Divine!
Yes, it's a hymn! Like a lot of women of my generation, I spent many years thinking that was simply the opening to Cris Williamson's "Song of the Soul."
But at FLGBTQC Mid-Winter Gathering a few years ago, when Willie Frye was our keynote speaker, we sang hymn #166 in the Quaker hymnal Worship in Song in worship one morning. And I learned there's a whole hymn behind those opening bars... Clara Scott's hymn "Open My Eyes, That I May See."
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me...
Open my eyes, illumine me
Spirit Divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear...
Open my ears, illumine me
Spirit Divine!
Open my mouth, and let me bear...
Open my heart, illumine me
Spirit Divine!
Open my mind, that I may read...
Open my mind, illumine me
Spirit Divine!
Cris Williamson's "Song of the Soul"
During the rest of ritual, then, "Song of the Soul" was of course stuck in my head. During singing, I snagged my wife's copy of Rise Up Singing (there are occasionally advantages to casting a circle in your own living room), and my circle sisters indulged me by singing it enthusiastically with me.
In harmony.
They rock.
And we can sing this songMay you, too, always find gifts of magic in the blessed Dark.
Why don't you sing along?
And we can sing for a long, long time
And we can sing this song
Why don't you sing along?
And we can sing for a long, long time
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Pagan Arts Initiative
(a project of the Delaware Valley Pagan Network)
presents the
14th Annual
Winter Solstice Celebration
(a project of the Delaware Valley Pagan Network)
presents the
14th Annual
Winter Solstice Celebration
Celebrate the Darkness and the Light
with Songs and Stories
featuring
SpiralSong
Feminist Spirituality Vocal Ensemble
Saturday, December 18, 2010
7:00 pm
co-sponsored by
Thomas Paine Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
3424 Ridge Pike
Collegeville, PA, 19426
directions at http://www.tpuuf.org/about-us/directions/
Please email or call to confirm child care availability for this Celebration (contact info below).
Sunday, December 19, 2010
7:00 pm
co-sponsored by
Walking Fish Theatre
2509 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(Frankford Avenue & Cumberland Street)
SEPTA and driving directions at http://www.walkingfishtheatre.com/directions.html
Space is limited; we encourage reservations for this Celebration (contact info below).
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
8:00 pm
co-sponsored by Springfield Friends Meeting
and The Inner Path
at Springfield Friends Meetinghouse
1001 Old Sproul Road
Springfield, PA 19064
directions at http://delcopeacecenter.org/directions.html
with Songs and Stories
featuring
SpiralSong
Feminist Spirituality Vocal Ensemble
Saturday, December 18, 2010
7:00 pm
co-sponsored by
Thomas Paine Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
3424 Ridge Pike
Collegeville, PA, 19426
directions at http://www.tpuuf.org/about-us/directions/
Please email or call to confirm child care availability for this Celebration (contact info below).
Sunday, December 19, 2010
7:00 pm
co-sponsored by
Walking Fish Theatre
2509 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(Frankford Avenue & Cumberland Street)
SEPTA and driving directions at http://www.walkingfishtheatre.com/directions.html
Space is limited; we encourage reservations for this Celebration (contact info below).
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
8:00 pm
co-sponsored by Springfield Friends Meeting
and The Inner Path
at Springfield Friends Meetinghouse
1001 Old Sproul Road
Springfield, PA 19064
directions at http://delcopeacecenter.org/directions.html
Suggested donation, $10.
All are welcome regardless of ability to make a full donation.
For more information, email dvpn@dvpn.org or call 267-255-8698.
All are welcome regardless of ability to make a full donation.
For more information, email dvpn@dvpn.org or call 267-255-8698.
A performance of "A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual" by Julie Forest Middleton and Staśa Morgan-Appel. Book and compact disc for sale at each Celebration and at http://emeraldearth.net/winter__solstice.htm.
For information about additional Winter Solstice Celebrations, please click here.
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