This newsletter is the first of its kind. Actually, it's a supplement to the flyer we get graciously from SerpentStone, so no, this does not replace the flyers. As it were, I sensed it was time for this, so even people outside the Pagan Community can partake of the Wisdom that's available for healing. And yes, there may be some minor editing on occasion. If individuals wish for their pieces sent in return, do please send an SASE. I also look to make copies of originals sent in, thus contributor and newsletter are protected. As of now, Bean Si and I, Obsidian Silverleaf, appreciate your time in this endeavor. After recent contemplation we have decided to extend the newsletter to all 8 Holidays in the Wheel of the Year... So, please let us know what you think... suggestions, ideas, and criticisms are all welcome. Do enjoy!!!!
Happy Anniversary to The Serpent's Voice!!! This Lughnasadh issue marks our fifth year of production!!!! Thanks to all of you who have made this possible!!!!
Lady Obsidian and Lady Bean si
The SerpentStone domain is now up and running! The Web Team has done a complete redesign of the site, and the two sites are integrated into one.
If you've bookmarked http://welcome.to/serpentstone and/or http://go.to/gathers, they will still redirect to the correct site. Questions/comments about the site should go to webteam@serpentstone.org.
Any material that you would like to submit to us for consideration for publication on the web site should be sent to webteam@serpentstone.org . This includes your poetry and song lyrics, essays and even artwork (please e-mail for file requirements before sending any files). Also, if you have a web site that you'd like us to consider for our Links page, let the Web Team know!
Get your own @serpentstone.org e-mail alias! E-mail alias redirects e-mail to your current mailbox. You can give out yourname@serpentstone.org as your e-mail address and receive it at yourname@aol.com (or whatever your current address is). This service costs just $5 a year, which goes to pay for the serpentstone.org domain.
For more information, e-mail: winterhawk@serpentstone.org
Do you have other notices of importance? Do let us know, they can be published in upcoming issues of "The Serpent's Voice".
In 1991, SerpentStone was officially formed from a joint vision of Lord Serphant and Lady Rhiannon. It began with several basic ideals and goals.
To begin with, SerpentStone was, very specifically, NOT a coven or tradition. It was a Family. It belonged, not to any of us, but to the Lord and Lady. There was to be on one person or persons in control of the group, although it was recognized that people would tend to turn toward those who had earned their respect. There was to be no hierarchy, except as chosen by each individual group for their own working. This was to avoid anyone using SerpentStone as a power base. SerpentStone was to be of the Community, for the Community.
How, then would such a group function? The only way it would work would be to give complete freedom of choice to the affiliated groups, within the bounds of the law "And It Harm None, Do What Ye Wilt", while encouraging each to strive for their highest ideals and hold to the highest ethics. The only bonds would be those of mutual Respect, Trust, Love and a common dedication to bringing that love and trust out to help the Community to grow. There was a strong desire to provide a place where people could come together in worship and work of the Lord and Lady.
This was, and is, the ideal: the dream upon which SerpentStone was built.
The goals were seen as building blocks. These included:
These are still the ideals and goals of SerpentStone. There are many treasures that have grown from this: new groups, gatherings, friendships, innovative ideas and ways of working. Over the years, people and groups have come and gone, or come and grown. Some felt uncomfortable and did not like what they saw or felt and left. This is as it should be: there is no one path that is right for all. We need the variety and diversity.
Many came and found love and acceptance, and a strong feeling of family. Even when there were problems or disagreements, we were (and are) still a Family. Our willingness to accept each other as individuals and respect each other's views whether we agree or not, is a large part of our strength. We are all children of the Gods, and no one is more right or more important than anyone else. As this is done, some may find they have grown in a different direction and no longer feel comfortable within SerpentStone. This, too, is a part of growth: the fruits ripen and the seeds disperse. The seeds must find their own fertile ground to grow in their own way. To these, follow your dream. Forge your own path and may the Light of the Lord and Lady shine ever on your way. Let there ever be peace between us. SerpentStone is not for everyone, but it is here for those who share the dream..........
A lot of folks from all walks of life regardless of upbringing, social status, religious preference or whatever position in life a person may be have their thoughts about this word. However, just as the adults that are sexually active and the medical profession that are fickle about what is right and not right about this or that. This is one of those aspects in life whether horrific or not.
Abortion deals with a pseudo-dark issue in life. Quite frankly, I'm not generally for someone to have such a procedure however, I'm not in their shoes either. But, in the event of sexual assault, incest or the life of the possible mother then that's a different matter. And should the Mom to be is with a husband, mate or companion then the pregnancy needed to contemplated prior to sex in the first place. And if it wasn't welcomed then you have assault. Then guess what? There's imprisonment for the responsible party and that can be a tricky issue depending on the circumstances.
However, should the Mom to be realize that this is not the time for the new life to come into existence then there's one aspect people have given up their power to change. Because, mind you when a woman comes into being in this lifetime she has made a Spiritual Agreement to welcome the new life into this world prior to her own arriving here. And should she realize that conditions are not favorable then, the new Mom needs to acknowledge to the new life that this is not the time for them to come about. Instead, suggest that they wait till later to come about again. This of course is best dealt with within the first 3 weeks and preferably after Mom has discovered the new news. This does not mean that I'm suggesting "medical advice" whereas I'm offering another perspective for a Spiritual Balancing.
Lady Obsidian Silverleaf
Blessed Be
There is none at the present, if you would like to contribute, do let us know….. drop us a note….
*Blessed Be*
Grease Paint
(Washes off with soap and water)
| 1 T cornstarch 1/2 T water 1/2 T cold cream Food Coloring |
small dish spoon baby food jars (for storage) |
Mix the water and cornstarch together in the small dish until smooth. Mix in the cold cream. Add food coloring a drop at a time until you get the color you like. Seal tightly in baby food jars marked "Grease Paint".
**Keep away from eyes.
Eyes in the Dark
(An experiment with water pollution)
| a potato pottingsoil knife paper & crayons 2 small flower pots marked #1 & #2 2 glasses or pitchers marked #1 & #2 water 1/4 c. pollutant (laundry soap, salt, bleach, pine-sol, used motor oil, vegetable oil, or whatever contaminants are handy) |
Either choose a potato with little bumps called "eyes" or put a potato in a dark cabinet until it grows "eyes", check it every day. An adult should help you cut the "eyes" off the potato with the knife. (2 strips approximately 1" wide and 1/4"-1/2" thick with at least 2 eyes per strip.) Fill the flower pots half full of potting soil and lay the pieces of potato on top facing "eyes up". Cover the "eyes" with 1" of potting soil so they are "in the dark".
Fill glass or pitcher #1 with 2 cups clean water. Fill glass or pitcher #2 with 1 3/4 cups clean water and add the 1/4 cup "pollutant" and mix it. Water pot 1 with pitcher 1 and pot 2 with pitcher 2. Set them in a sunny window. Keep them moist, but not wet. Watch them very closely for the next 3 weeks. Draw a picture of what happens every week.
Rainbow Toast
| 1 c. milk 4 slices white bread 4 T sugar 4 small cups or baby food jars 4 colors of food coloring 4 new paintbrushes foil toaster oven or broiler |
Fill each container with 1/4 c milk adding a different color to each one. Lay the bread on the foil and have the child paint it with the different colors of milk (don't let it get to wet). Sprinkle sugar on top. Toast until it is slightly brown.
Bean si's Stream
As I sit here and think about Lughnasadh, I try to look at my year up to this point. My first thought is that I never ever dreamed of being where I am right now and doing what I am doing. The adjustment to life in Virginia has been rough, sometimes downright horrible, but I have made it through. I did my best to remain positive, to strive to keep my head on my shoulders and to remember that my path brought me here for a reason.
With that in mind, I have to think about my first harvest on this Lughnasadh. A few months ago, I would have told you that my harvest will be quite small and depressing. However, that is not the case. The Lord and Lady have brought me the abundance we need as always. My chosen family has been with me the whole time, at least in spirit, and has helped to feed my soul when I thought all was lost. I have learned a lot in these trying times and I can now claim those lessons and the bountiful harvest before me. I am thankful for this abundant harvest and look forward to the harvests yet to come at Mabon and Samhain.
I hope that all of you can look at your lives and find the abundant harvest as I have. There is more to all things than meets the eye. I am learning that more and more as I remain in Virginia carving out my new existence. May this grand adventure rage on and on!
May you all be blessed with joy, love and abundance this Lughnasadh as well.
Lady Bean si
by P. B. Owl
As Pagans, we typically talk about Lammas as the first of our two or three Harvest festivals (depending on whether or not you count the culling of animals at Samhain as a Harvest). Frequently this comes out in conversation or in practice as Bread Thanksgiving, to be followed in the fullness of time by Fruit and Vegetables Thanksgiving, Meat and Dead Relatives Thanksgiving, and finally Turkey and Football Thanksgiving which we've borrowed from our neighbors. This may sound a little flippant, but it is fairly close to the truth unless we actively work to make it more than this. And Lammas especially has the potential to be so much more for us in our practice and as a marking point on the Wheel of the Year.
Think about Lammas for the moment, and how it is essentially different from the Harvest qualities of either Mabon or Samhain. At Mabon we pick vegetables, fruit, and nuts. We can store them or use them in a variety of ways, but we don't really change them very much from the original forms in which we harvest them. At Samhain we cull our herds of animals unlikely to make it through the winter months. We skin and gut them, but really, the flesh of our animals remains meat, and we really don't change this very much either. But Lammas is different.
If you go to the fields and cut down your wheat, what do you really have at this point? You have a field of stubble and a lot of very tall brown grass stalks that might look tasty to your cows or goats but really doesn't appeal to you very much at all. So you separate the wheat kernels from their stalks, the material we then call chaff. And then you pull off at least some of the husk from the wheat kernels. Are you done yet? Of course not; try to eat that and you wouldn't enjoy it very much at all, and more importantly, you'd break your teeth trying. The wheat must be broken by something far stronger than our teeth. It is ground, and frequently milled after grinding. Water is added, then soda or yeast. This mixture must be kneaded and pressed. And then it has to be set aside to rise on its own. Only then is it ready to baked and made into the bread which sustains us. And it is within this sequence of Mysteries that we find the lesson of Lammas.
And the lesson is this: Many of our most precious, necessary, and life-affirming gifts must be transformed if we are going to be able to use them. Yes, Deity provides. We are given those things that we need to sustain us, physically and spiritually. But, we don't always receive them in a form that nourishes without work from us. First we must recognize the value in things that might appear to be useless or worthless. To do this, we need to look at the blessings of Deity with discernment, humility, and patience in order to perceive their true value to us. Then, we must be willing to place our own thought, energy, hard work, and time into aiding the transformation of the abundance we have been blessed with. Finally, we must allow these transformations to happen, and to understand that the will of Deity is at work here, not just our own.
Grain is cut down. So are we. Grain is stripped, broken, and pounded. So are we. But grain is also cared for, comforted by the tears of the Mother, allowed to rise, and then transformed into its final form which serves and nurtures. Remember, as we celebrate Lammas, that we also are transformed, that we can rise to any occasion, that we can comfort, serve, and nurture. Blessed be.
References and Suggested Reading:
Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest, by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason.
Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
| August Birthdays
8-3 Suzy |
August 1, 2002. Waning Moon:
Our Lady will be in her fourth phase, in her decline. Now is the time for breaking down, destruction, doing away with what does not work for healing and the wisdom for seeing this appears. This is the time of the Dark Mother, Crone & Grandmother as she does not need light to see in the depths of being. She gives us a choice to see or not to see. The question is "Are we willing to see what is there?" Her name is "Hecate," and many others according to culture.
August 8, 2002. New Moon:
Our Lady will be in her first phase, she's beginning anew. Her name at this time is "Green Hecate" and many others according to culture.
August 15, 2002. Waxing Moon:
Our Lady will be in her second phase waxing, thus she is building energy and focusing it for whatever need arises. Her name at this time is "Diana" and many others according to culture.
August 22, 2002. Full Moon:
Our Lady will be in her third phase, totally full. This is the height of her being and fulfillment of all, as the great mother is about to give birth. Her name is "Selene" and many others according to culture.
August 30, 2002. Waning Moon:
Our Lady will be in her fourth phase, in her decline. Now is the time for breaking down, destruction, doing away with what does not work for healing and the wisdom for seeing this appears. This is the time of the Dark Mother, Crone & Grandmother as she does not need light to see in the depths of being. She gives us a choice to see or not to see. The question is "Are we willing to see what is there?" Her name is "Hecate," and many others according to culture.
This will be the first harvest of the Wheel of the Year. The first gleanings of sustenance for the dark half of the Wheel, of which the Oak King slowly begins to give way to the Holly King until "Yule". Now is the time when we begin to take stock of what we have sown. There are many cultures that have a connection with this holiday, some are Celtic, Norse, Scandinavian... to name a few.
Love & Peace
Green Blessings
Lady Obsidian Silverleaf
Aspects for the Holiday of Lughnasadh 2002.
AM on the 1st:
Moon squares Sun - don't force matter; patience needed.
Moon squares Neptune - judgement poor; gullible, impressionable.
Moon squares Mars - impulsive, emotional thinking.
PM on the 1st:
Moon quincunx Pluto - emotional upheavals threaten inner security.
Sun oppose Neptune - impractical, idealistic.
AM on the 2nd:
Moon squares Mercury - restlessness, indecision, worry.
Venus squares Saturn - may be sarcastic with loved ones.
PM on the 2nd:
Moon semi-sextile Saturn - overly cautious concerning feelings.
Moon trine Venus - beautiful purchases, redecoration.
Moon squares Uranus - erratic or eccentric behavior, quick mind.
Moon sextiles Jupiter - cheerful; cooperation.
AM on the 3rd:
Moon quin-cunx Chiron - adapting to moods and emotions of others.
Mercury sextiles Saturn - plan ahead; good judgment.
PM on the 3rd:
Moon trine Neptune - idealistic, romantic, friendly.
Moon sextiles Sun - gain through more work.
AM on the 4th:
Moon sextile Mars - nervousness and excitement.
Moon opposes Pluto - daydreams, snags in plans.
Moon trine Mars - harmony, cheerful and exciting.
Moon semi-sextile Pluto - old anxieties are awakened.
Gemini Moons are built for activity. This is a mutable air sign, so it likes to move around--quickly. When the Moon is here, we like to move around, tool The Moon's costume now is a coat of many colors, so variety truly becomes the spice of life.
Since Gemini is ruled by Mercury, now is when we're suddenly in the mod for conversation, puzzles, riddles, and word games. We want two--at least two--of everything, and we're a bit more restless than usual. Now is a great time for letter writing, phone calls, or short trips. It's when you'll find the best short cuts, and when you'll need to take them, too. Watch for a tendency to become a bit scattered under this fun, fickle Moon.
Future Family gatherings are listed at the SerpentStone Gathering page. You will note that Imbolc has no gathering date, 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
P.O. Box 9296
Knoxville, TN 37940
Email serpentstn@aol.com or mortir@aol.com
At this past Litha Gathering at DragonHills, Georgia, Obsidian Silverleaf was brought into her Rite of Passage into the Mother aspect of the Goddess. The rite was led by Lady Rhiannon of SerpentStone
At this past Litha gathering July 21st - 23rd there was a lot to be had and going on. And again new faces too. There were a good number of vendors with goodies too. Again, Lord Senthor and Lord Amergyn were there to sooth our ears with their musical wit.
The following workshops were presented as well:
We also had a Sweat Lodge w/ Chief RedArrow of the Bird Clan of East Central Alabama a recognized tribe of the Free Cherokee.
The following Kitchen Witches assisted with their culinary magick to sooth folk's taste buds. And they include:
The entire Coven of the 9 Woods w/ Lady Sophia, Hearthkeeper, Rhiannon, Mau, Robyn, Nightfall, Owl and others from Wyndragon.
Kitchen Clean up crews for the Holiday weekend include (along with other folks whose names I wasn't able to fully retrieve this past Litha 2002):
Magda, Kell Contfer, Ocean, Stonecat, Obsidian, Buddy, Thomas Kapp, Jenny, Jody, Moonbeam, Moonhawk, Cornwoman and Greyfix.
The Main Litha holiday Ritual headed by Lady HearthKeeper & Lord LaughingBear was a delightful designed ritual that dealt with the Summer garden of life. In other words no plant or flower was better than the next one, they all have equal fairness in the eyes of the Lady & Lord. Even if someone was the High Priestess of the Circle of Flit-o-Rama it didn't matter. Everyone was and is equal in their sight. Thus, everyone did the work Deity has for them.
Lady Obsidian Silverleaf
Blessed Be
Knitted items,
Stained Glass,
Wire Sculpted Jewelry,
Candle crafting information & other goodies….
In Columbia, South Carolina
Contact FoxIvy@sc.rr.com
Proprietor: Obsidian Silverleaf
If you would like to place an ad in our newsletter, please submit your ad to Obsidian or Bean si.
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!!!!
Lady Obsidian Silverleaf and Lady Bean si
Blessed Be
The next issue will be out in time for the Mabon 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 Lughnasadh gathering of August 2002.
Return to the main Serpent's Voice page.