Vol. IV  Issue V          May 1, 2002 ____________________________________

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	SerpentStone Gatherings       Future Family Gatherings are listed at the SerpentStone Gatherings Page. You will note that Imbolc has no gathering, simply because it's toooo cold. Imbolc typically is celebrated by the individual Covens, Sanctuaries, Circles, Groves, & Temples of the SerpentStone Family.
For more information or pre-registration contact SerpentStone, PO Box 9296, Knoxville, TN 37940. Email serpentstn@aol.com or mortir@aol.com.

Rites of Passage

At this past Spring Elder's Gathering, on April 21, 2002 in Candler, NC, Lord Amergyn received his barding from Lady Rhiannon of SerpentStone. May the Sidhe guide your steps with love & peace. Green Blessings Lady & Lord Bless Obsidian

Special Events

At this past Ostara there was a lot to be had and going on. And a lot of new faces (a welcoming sight). There were a good number of vendors with goodies galore. And for the musical notes Lord Senthor & Lord Amergyn were there to sooth our ears. Ostara was hosted by the Bird Clan of East Central Alabama. The Kitchen Witches & Clean up crew took care of the culinary tastes. They include: Bird Clan, Chattanooga Group, Jonathan of the Vision Quest, and Morristown Solitaries. The following workshops were available as well: Facing loved ones Illness/Mortality with Kris 12 Steps to Freedom with Rosehawk Ritual, Ritual, who's got the Ritual with Amergyn Music at the Bardic Circle with Amergyn Egg Hunt & Misc. with Luna The following Circles were also present: Opening Ritual at the Drum Circle Men's Ritual with Amergyn Spider's Sweat Lodge Lil Pagans Care during Main Ostara Ritual (I apologize but, I don't have a name listed to whom credit is to go to, maybe you folks that attended can note me on that one). Women's Ritual with Magda Vision Quester's Meeting Closing Ritual *Special Noting* At the Ostara Family gathering the Main Circle was a Beautiful Cherokee Ceremony.... dealing with the Rainbow Warrior People and the passing down of Knowledge so it's not forgotten. The explanation of the Colors of the Rainbow was also done...... if I remember this correctly...... (with my memory, who knows what I forgot) RED: Here you see the first color of the rainbow. It is the color of Red. Red represents love. Strong as a chain of steel binding us all together. Love that is unconditional, unending, and unbinding. Learn to love yourself then you will know how to love others. Teach only love. A-ho ORANGE: This is the color Orange. Orange is the color for religion. Religion is the belief in and reverence for a higher power accepted as the creator. It doesn't matter what religion you align yourself with. What matters is that you believe in something! All paths are sacred! Your faith may be tried and tested. Look to this color when you loose your faith and allow yourself to believe once more. A-ho YELLOW: Next is the color Yellow. Yellow is the color for Nature. Spend some time each day in Nature. Listen to the bird song, watch the plants dance, and feel the wind upon your cheek. Connect each day with your mother earth, feel her loving arms around your tattered soul. It is here your soul finds its connectiveness to understand All the Relations. Mitakuye Oyasin A-ho GREEN: This is the color Green. It is the color of immortality. As the earth is greening now so do our lives. Yes, one must look to death when seeking how to live. Death lays it's hand upon the flower and tree, it takes both the babe and mother. Death in all it's solemnity will come to you. Live your life that all may remember you with love and honor. Learn to live all the colors so that your death song will be one of joy. A-Ho BLUE: This the color Blue. It is the color of Fidelity. Fidelity is loyalty, faithfulness, and being trustworthy. Now you know where we got the saying of being "true blue". Be loyal each and every day, to yourself, your family, your earth walk. Be one that others can trust. Be true and faithful with each and every step you take upon this earth but most of all be true to yourself. A-Ho INDIGO: This is the color of Indigo. This is the color of patriots. We are all patriots here. A Patriot is one who loves and defends if necessary. Once it was the Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, and Wives that watched their precious men march off to war with tears in their eyes and heaviness of heart. Now those precious women stand beside their men and march that same war trail as they did long ago. Today all patriots have the opportunity to vote and be heard. We Are power! We Are change! A-Ho VIOLET: The last color in our Rainbow is that of Violet. Last but by no means least, violet is the color of service. Be ready and willing to serve. Be ready to serve your community. Be ready to serve Spirit. Remember to serve in spirit as well as for spirit. It is hard sometimes to serve in Love without only serving yourself. When in doubt look to this color for help. Look for ways to serve when all else fails. A-ho. And of course, an invitation was sent out to folks present to take up a color during the Circle. Afterwards, a Traditional dance was done. All of which was very beautifully done. A Blessing and I think that covers it........ *****Spring Elder's Gthering***** At this past Spring Elder's Gathering on April 20, 2002 there was a lot to be covered to bring about the Evolution of SerpentStone as a whole. For SerpentStone has not fallen apart, to the contrary it has healed, grown & evolved. By the Universal law of Love let not the following be misconstrued or used in a fashion not becoming of either an everyday Pagan or Elder in the community so mote it be. So says the Obsidian Mirror. The Spring Elders Gather Vote & Results: First vote just for Elders. In attendance: 17 Do we include people here that are not elders in this decision making? Yeas 17 Nays 0 Abstentions 0 All to be re-evaluated at next springs EG. Do we keep the current list of 47 Elders as a governing body that determines policy for Serpent Stone? Yeas 0 Nays 35 Abstain 0 Should we have a Board of Directors of at least five persons as a governing body? Yeas 31 Nays 0 Abstain 1 Should the governing body be chosen from the current Elders or from those active in the community be they Elders or not? Current Elders Only Yeas-0 Nays- 35 Any Active Members of Serpentstone? Yeas- 35 Nays-0 Cheetah- makes a motion that we continue at another time. Should the Triad as interim governing body until Board of Directors is set up at next Elders Gather? Yeas 35 Nays 0 Abstain 0 Because they must be able to WORK with the person chosen, does the Diad choose their third interim Triad member? Yeas 30 Nays 3 Abstain 2 (Spider and Rhiannon) Should the Diad choose from the current Elders or from the General Active Members? Elder 1 General Active Member 33 Abstaining 2 (Spider and Rhiannon) How many support theory of Special Interest Groups (Committees) being established to help accomplish needs in SS? Yeas 34 Nays 0 Abstain 1 We would like to send out with next gather flyer a call for volunteers to help establish groups. Like to have one year for people in group then rotate out. Anyone good at putting feelings aside and words and putting out fires, would like to set up a fire tending committee to deal with rumor control. Blessed Be Lady Obsidian and Lady Bean si

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Blessed Be and Farewell,

Lady Obsidian and I would like to thank you, the readers, for your time and effort. We would appreciate all input from those of you who have taken the time to read our work. Any comments, questions, or submissions of material for the next newsletter should be directed to Lady Obsidian. Her address is Obsidian Silverleaf, 1118 Bob Brook Ct., Columbia, SC, 29210. You may also be able to reach her by phone at 803-772-2991. If anyone needs to contact both of us they can do so by this E-mail address: SerpentsVoice@serpentstone.org. If you don't have email access, please contact Lady Obsidian and she will pass it on to me. Thanks again!!!! Love & Peace, Good Journeys, Lady Obsidian Silverleaf and Lady Bean si Blessed Be

Deadline for Submissions

The next issue will be out in time for the Litha celebration. If anyone is interested in submitting articles or ads for any section of our newsletter, please direct them to either Obsidian Silverleaf or Bean Si shortly after the Beltaine gathering of May 2002.

May the Lord and Lady Bless and keep you each and every day. Walk in their light and you will always be safe. Lady Bean Si & Lady Obsidian Silverleaf Blessed Be

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