Screenreader greenpane News and Extras

News (click)

House of Danu Lughnasadh Festival weekend (July 30 to August 2), Santa Cruz mountains north of Watsonville. 2nd Annual Gorsedd. All Bards, Ovates, Druids and Neopagans welcome!

In October 2009, Isaac Bonewits was diagnosed with cancer—he has a good prognosis but feels crappy due to treatments. Send Isaac and Fay prayers, healing vibes and cash.

from Storycatcher (click)

pages 18-19
written by Christina Baldwin
of Peerspirit, Washington,
reprinted here with author's permission

I have read a story of a tribe in southern Africa called the Babemba in which a person doing something wrong, something that destroys the delicate social net, brings all work in the village to a halt. The people gather around the "offender," and one by one they begin to recite every thing he has done right in his life: every good deed, thoughtful behavior, act of social responsibility. These things have to be true about the person, and spoken honestly, but the time-honored consequence of misbehavior is to appreciate that person back into their better part of himself. The person is given the chance to remember who he is and why his important to the life of the village.

I want to live under such a practice of compassion. When I forget my place, when I lash out with some private wounding in a public way, I want to be remembered back into alignment with my self and purpose. I want to live with the opportunity for reconciliation. When someone around me thoughtless or cruel, I want to be given the chance to respond with a ritual that created the possibility of reconnection. I want to live in a neighborhood where people don't shoot first, don't sue first, where people are Storycatchers willing to discover in strangers the mirror of themselves. I want to be surrounded by a story-based culture that itself remembers story is essential to human survival.

Google Books: Read more

Buy at Amazon

Screenreader Volunteer

Get Involved: Volunteer

a real-life group will manifest—you can make it happen

written by Larzean
18 February 2010

It'll take time for local Druids, witches and other Neopagans to trust that this endeavor is for real, become acquainted online through the various ways to participate (Facebook, Bigtent forum, YouTube, Twitter, whatever) and come to where you want to meet other local Druids and Neopagans. At that time, we will gather at some café or diner through Meetup. When we feel comfortable, able and courageous as individuals and collectively, community will happen. How can it not? I don't call meetings—been there, done that, doesn't work. Meetings will be demand-driven, meaning you say when you're ready. Be proactive. Don't wait for me. This is YOUR group. Figure out what you'd like to happen, then go and create it.

Just so you know, you must be age 18 or older to attend any gathering. Minors won't be allowed to gatherings without a parent present. There will be no exceptions.

Until we start meeting in person, there's nothing to volunteer for. Technically, I'm the only volunteer now. But when we do meet, two early functions we'll need are:

• Refreshment person

• Set-up and knock-down person

Screenreader bluepane's Quick Links and Sitemap

Quick Links (click)

Ochre Hills Druid Grove: Druid Community. Walk nature. Make art. Tell stories. Live simply. Workshops.

Gilroy, Santa Clara County, Northern California, USA • between San Jose & Monterey Bay

San Francisco Bay Area • San Benito County • Monterey County • Santa Cruz County

© 2010 ochrehills.com • all rights reserved • founder & webcrafter Larzean

I like Siteground.com hosting • favicon with help from Aon-celtic.com

This site is XHTML 1.0 Strict-compliant created on a Mac. Mostly.

If your browser doesn't display as expected, switch to Firefox, Camino, Opera or Safari.

Not responsible for non-compliant, flaky or buggy browsers, or old computers. Sorry.