Hello All, I was mewed out of bed this morning at 4 am, the cats' food bowl had developed a distressing spot where there was no actual food covering it. So I stumbled blindly out of bed towards the kitchen and shook the dish so that every square inch of the bottom was covered. (They are fed right after I am really up for the day.) After that I sat for a while and listened to the rain, which was softly striking the roof and the windows. I called out to the Lord and the Lady welcoming them once more into my home. As I sat I shared my frustrations, my hopes, my dreams and how I wanted some things to change and was so thankful for how other things were at this time Finally I made my way back to bed and fell back asleep. I admit I had gone to bed a bit worried about the poem for this issue. I have two poems still on hold from Torch but one is not supposed to be reformatted and the spacing makes it difficult to place in the newsletter. The other I would like to hold off for a while. As for my own poetry, well, it isn't going well right now. I have parts of three poems but none finished. I woke up with a beautiful poem by Arwen waiting in my mail. She will receive proper groveling thanks here later today. Unfortunately she didn't send a Bio with the poem and I hadn't asked for a bio the last time she was published here. One really cool by-product of publishing the American Witch and Pagan weekly newsletter is I am starting to get press releases first hand instead of third, fourth or one hundredth hand and press releases I can use both places. Although some press releases I still receive several places down the line. My herb garden is also starting to take on a bit more green. The catnip has been appearing forever, as has the yarrow but I am seeing lemon balm, chives and others starting to make an appearance as well. Spring seems to be finally arriving in the Heartland. The April Fool's contest has officially ended. We didn't have nearly the submissions I had hoped for but look for the edition in your e- mail box Monday. Until next time, Sheila K. Watkins Editor: Whispers of a Stone Circle See last page of this newsletter for submission guidelines, forwarding guidelines, where you can subscribe to Whispers and copyright information. ~*~*~*~ Untitled By Stephanie Lynch aka Arwen Nightstar 3/28/02 Tonight I saw the moon I stepped out to greet Her. Hair unbound I stretched out my arms Heart unbound I opened my eyes And I saw Her Standing there glowing white Silky soft inquisitive stare Full Moon bunny I shed my clothes and fears letting the wind sweep through me chill fingers combing my tangles As I leaned against a warm heart And I saw Her Sitting there glowing silver Silky soft inquisitive stare Full Moon Bunny As the nots worked themselves free I can not, I know not, I will not, I must not The wind pressed through me urgently Pushing me forward to Her And I saw Her Lying there glowing flowing Silky soft inquisitive stare Full Moon Bunny. ~*~*~*~ Cool Link(s) of the week: Welcome to the World of Miniature Roses - http://www.ars.org/experts/miniatures.html Selecting, growing, and arranging; awards; and special sections on moss and fragrant "minis." I Love Languages http://www.ilovelanguages.com/ Formerly the well-respected Human-Languages page. A comprehensive set on links to language dictionaries, lessons, free translations, teaching resources, job resources for the multilingual, etc. ~*~*~*~ "Christianity Light"? Comparing Wicca and Christianity. By Sheila K. Watkins "Practicing Wicca is a way to have Christianity without, well, the burdens of Christianity." Charlotte Allen in The Scholars and The Goddess, The Atlantic Monthly/January 2001 Found at: http://www.rickross.com/reference/wicca/wicca29.html "Wicca allows one to wear one's beliefs lightly but also to have a rich and imaginative religious life." Stated by Allen Stairs, a philosophy professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in religion and magic and quoted in the above article. The quotes above bothered me but what bothered me more was a fellow (non-Wiccan) pagan stated she felt basically the same way. Her argument about the Christianity part was that she could see similarities between Christianity and Wicca and I am not going to argue that there are none. I commented that I can see a lot of similarities between her beliefs and mine so did that make her beliefs "Wicca Light"? I was irked. I admit it. I have a tendency to get that way when my religious beliefs are dismissed as something lightweight. I'm not going to claim to be an expert on religions but I don't think anyone would argue that Judaism, Islam and Christianity are the same religion. When I was growing up I was taught all three followed the same God just under different names. That all three just had a different take on Jesus. All three follow one God though. Jerusalem is a sacred city for all three. It is an important enough site for all three religions to have fought over it for centuries. Later on I found out all three have 10 commandments. (See here for ones in Islam: http://www.submission.org/quran/ten.html) All three believe in a single lifetime here on earth (with a few exceptions in the Christian faith). All believe there is an evil force who is opposed to God. All believe their religion is the one and true religion. (More comparisons can be found here: http://www.thegreatestpuzzle.com/similarities.htm) So why is Wicca seen as "Christian Light"? There are some surface similarities. Both have a Golden Rule - for Wicca it's called the Rede. (Although the similarities are very shallow. You can not even go by the Wiccan Rede as something standard to Wicca as that was introduced in the decades after Gardner. Because it was introduced later it is not seen as a traditional part of Wicca by some British traditionalists.) The Christian one is meant to be more of a rule though while the Rede is a suggestion. There are shared holy days as well. Some of the tools of a modern witch have been borrowed from the church. Most Wiccans are come to Wicca from other religions and you get the same thing as you do whenever someone switches religions. S/he brings his or her past religious experiences with them. It usually takes a while before the person understands the basics of his or her new religion. A lot of times there will be a lot of bashing as the person gets over being angry at their previous belief system. You get those who become Wiccan fundamentalists as well but those who stick with it usually calm down after a few years. The main problem with comparing Wicca and Christianity is there are no set standards for what is Wicca. Some Wiccans follow one Deity primarily, some believe in that all Gods are one and all Goddesses are one and there are two Deities. Still others, such as myself, subscribe to the fact there are numerous Gods and Goddesses. If you asked most Wiccans "is there a Satan?" Most would say. "No, he was created by Christians and we don't believe in him." I admit I believe a bit differently. I actually do believe he exists but I don't follow him. (I figure if Satan doesn't exist then there are a lot of people who are delusional.) I see Satan and Lucifer more as those who challenge the belief structure in the context of certain group of religious pathways. A bit of research in the book of Job, shows that Satan (from a Hebrew word, "Sathane", meaning adversary or culminiator;) is the adversary, not of God, but of mankind. He is the angel charged by God with the task of proving that mankind is an unworthy creation. I do think you can get most Wiccans to agree on the concept that there is no sin although there are hurtful and harmful acts. Since there is no sin original or otherwise the concept of salvation and being saved doesn't enter into the argument. Of course if there is no sin how can you be punished after death for all the wrongs you have done while here on earth? Most Wiccans go by the three-fold law. (That's three-fold, not three times.) It states that whatever you send out you will get returned to you for good or ill three fold times. Think of it as Karma that hits you in this lifetime. Many Wiccans believe we are on the physical plane to learn lessons and we are reincarnated until we get these lessons right. You aren't going to be doomed to hell for all eternity if you screw up according to Wiccan beliefs. What happens after you have obtained total spiritual enlightenment? I have no clue. Quite a few Wiccans do not see their Deities as all-powerful. (Although there are plenty who do as well. Yet another example of variances in Wiccan philosophies.) Some Wiccans, although not all of course, have a tendency to either refer to their relationship with whichever deity or deities they follow as either serving or describe it as a relationship similar to a parent and child. Deities are talked with, yelled at, and sometimes told exactly where they can stuff what they want us to do. There is no commandment to worship no other deities before them. (If you think about it if there is only "one" God. Why would you need that commandment?) No abject worship although thanking them for blessings is always appreciated. They are followed not feared for what will happen if they are not. Because of this relationship with the Deities as well as the belief structure in the three-fold law, those who follow, and stick with, Wicca become very big on personal responsibility. There is a lot of freedom to do what you will when you want. If you screw up, you can't say, "the devil made me do it." He's not one of our Gods and besides the deities can't force us to do anything we don't really want to do. (Although they can make it highly uncomfortable if we ignore their wishes and they can arrange for situations that encourage us to do what they want.) For example in Wicca, it is not a case of we have this rule that states: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." With Wicca there are a lot more variables, it is up to the people involved in the relationship, not a hard and fast rule. Some make vows of no outside sexual relations. Others have open relationships. If you make vows to be faithful and you don't. Well that is something with which you have to deal. Christianity is an event based belief system. If Christ hadn't died on the cross, according to Christian belief structure, then the whole system would collapse. If Moses hadn't lead the Israelites out of Egypt and then later came down with the Ten commandments where would Judaism be today. Would Islam ever existed if Mohammed hadn't been visited by the angel Gabriel and been commanded to recite the word of God to the Arabs in their own language? Wicca is not based on one or two specific spiritual event happening. Admittedly if Gardner hadn't "publicized" it today you would be going "Wicca what?" But there was no sound of trumpets and an avatar showing up and telling him here are the rules you have to follow either. Some Wiccans will state Gardner made it up as a mix and matching of his own studies. (Would this make him the first electic?) Others will argue it is thousands of years old. (I'm not going to get into that debate but it is just yet another example of how different beliefs all are under the umbrella of what is Wicca.) Were there small pagan groups out there pre-Gardener? I believe so yes. There is enough documentation to hint at the fact they existed for at least a couple hundred years pre-Gardner. We do know that modern paganism does not follow truly ancient ways. (But then what is "Christian" has been changed over the centuries as well.) A person must remember though, until the repeal of the witchcraft laws in England, it was too dangerous to admit you were a witch there. As for this country, well one of the ghost stories, which still lingers in this area of Iowa, involves a hill haunted by a woman who was drowned for being a witch around a hundred years ago. Did Gardner encounter any of these secret pagan groups? With his interest in the occult, more then likely yes. Did he add his own twist to what eventually became Wicca? Well every other founder of a tradition has so why not him? But even if we found out tomorrow that Gardener made every last bit of it up, it doesn't make it less valid for those who have found spiritual fulfillment in it today. The quotes at the beginning of this article seemed to hint that Wicca is less then Christianity. That those who follow its path are not quite as serious about their religious beliefs. But I argue you can find those people in every religion. Every religion has those who only go through the motions but you also have those who walk the walk as well as talk the talk and you also find those who not only walk it, they dance it. Wicca is not a way to have Christianity without its burdens. Wicca has it's own burdens and responsibilities. Comparing the two is much like comparing apples and pears. Both might have some surface similarities but when you bite into them you have a totally different fruit. ~*~*~*~ Announcement(s): Please forward the body of this to as many friends, relatives, and lists as your conscience decrees. I'm counting on you guys to help me on this and spread the word far and wide. 3 weeks and counting... ------------------- As many of you are aware, Camp Gaea is involved in a legal struggle with Leavenworth County and been denied a continuation of their "Special Use Permit" for the land. While Earth Rising, the organization that manages the land, has been frugal with their funds, attorney and legal fees have been mounting. Several annual events, which take place at the camp, have had to look to alternate sites because of these tragic events. For these reasons, the Charlesworth Hostile will be holding a Fundraiser Picnic / Social. Please clear your calendar for Saturday, April 13th! Festivities will commence at noon and last until the last person has turned out the lights and shut the doors. This will not be limited to a single demographic, so please invite all your friends. While the details have not been finalized, there will be music and drink available. We are trying to arrange for picnic style food, but I can't promise anything at this time. However, if you would like to grill something in particular, feel free to bring it. For those of you who are musically inclined, please bring instruments! I know several have asked if there will be a drum circle again. Yes, but only if you all provide them! For those of you with little ones, do not hesitate to bring them. There will be games and activities to keep them occupied. The Charlesworth Hostile 701 E. 90th St. Corner of Holmes and 90th St. Kansas City, Mo. 64131 816-363-0696 Saturday, April 13th Starts at noon and lasts until whenever There will be a minimum requested donation of $5 ($10 would be better) at the door. This is a fundraiser after all. If you would like to help or provide anything, please email me at coyotemead@kc.rr.com I can use all the help I can get… JC Press release: Lady Sheba passes into the Summerland Monday, March 25, 2002 1:44 PM I received word from Lady Sheba's daughter that Lady Sheba passed from this world into the Summerland on March 20th, at home, surrounded by her family. Patricia, her daughter, wrote this: "In accordance with her final wishes, she was cremated and her ashes will be spread over the Wicker family graveyard in Kentucky. We sent with her, to be mingled with her ashes, a copy of THE BOOK OF SHADOWS, because it was such a part of who mother was. She had accomplished many things in her life, but the publication of that book was her proudest moment. She spoke often and fondly of Carl and Sandra and her association with Llewellyn. She was so thrilled when you chose to re-issue her books for a new generation and died knowing her work was not forgotten." Blessed Be. Nancy J. Mostad Acquisitions and Development Manager Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. (651)312-8610 For those who don't know who Lady Sheba is the information may be found in this review. http://www.ecauldron.com/bktgols.php ~*~*~*~ Writer's Biographies: Sheila K. Watkins knew from the time she was 15 that she wanted to be a writer but did not really start writing until she entered college where she worked on her college newspaper and also worked as the editor of the feature section for one semester. She was also introduced to the love of writing poetry at this time. Fortunately for all of us most of the poems have been lost to the world of men. After college she worked several jobs during the next few years but none included writing. It wasn't until after both of her children had started school in 1998 that she went back to her love of putting words on a computer screen. Her first submission was accepted by publication by the IOWAN newsletter and it started her on the path of truly honing her work. In October of 2000, she founded and became editor of Whispers of a Stone Circle. ~*~*~*~ Submissions are always welcomed and can be made to: Zeliziw@netins.net In submitting materials writers are agreeing that if accepted I may post them in the newsletter and on the web page (whenever I finally get back to work on it.) Works submitted must be the writer's own work and they must still retain the copyright OR it must be verifiably public domain. Works can have been published before but please nothing that has been around over and over again. Copyright remains in the author's possession. The Author also realizes that they will not be paid. (If I had money I would be hosting this on something other then Yahoo.) If a submission is accepted, I will check for punctuation, capitalization and spelling in submitted articles. I will fix minor errors if they are present. I will NOT reword things (except for an occasional "an" for "a" and vice versa.) Poems are published as submitted. Forwarding information: If you chose to forward this newsletter, do so in its entirety, including copyright and contact information. People may subscribe to Whispers of A Stone Circle at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhispersOfAStoneCircle/ All articles, poems, etc, except where noted are copyrighted by the writers and are used with permission. They are not to be republished without the express permission of the writers. Contact information may be obtained by contacting the editor of Whispers of A Stone Circle at Zeliziw@netins.net Copyright (c) 2002 Sheila K. Watson. All Rights Reserved