APA FEB 2005 Newsletter
(DID We mention we beth and Ginger are going to EGYPT In March?)
Editress Ginger Strivelli
Well, after an arduous wait, Lady Gingers discovered that once again
she was alone in the APA chat room. When what to her wondering eyes
should appear, but a knock at her Yahoo messenger door/window. None
other than Ms Phoebe Keys did come 'round to chat "over there." Now
to many of you that may seem odd, because right there in that
infamous left-hand column is the word "CHAT" but Yahoo
has made it all but impossible for that function to work if you are
using a Macintosh computer. Now a G4 is a loverly thing, if you
don't need to use a Yahoo group to chat. SOo.. since no one else
arrived over here, the Ladies Ginger and Pheebes carried on their
conversation "over there."
There were lengthy discussions of the plans for Egypt, the trip of a
lifetime for someone like LadyG (and most out of the question for
someone like LadyP, who asked the questions and listened intently).
There were other discussions of ways to handle the press who can, and
often do, ask difficult questions when "situations" arise that can
reflect badly on the local pagan population. Both ladies had
situations and comments to share from their experiences. (do you see
what you missed by not being there?!?! And neither of us can be
blackmailed!)
In the end, the chat lasted for about an hour and a half without
interruption, which would have been welcomed if it had happened, but
since it didn't, at 10:30 we shut 'er down and went back to our
respective lives: Lady G packing and Lady P typing away.
Respectfully submitted
Pheebes
A History lesson-
By Phoebe Keys
Easter and the holidays that are related to it are
moveable feasts, in that they do not fall on a fixed
date in the Gregorian calendar (which follows the
motion of the Sun and the seasons). Instead, they are
based on a lunar calendar like that used by the Jews.
At the First Council of Nicaea in 325 it was decided
that Easter would be celebrated on the Sunday after
the 14th day of the first lunar month of spring (in
theory, the Sunday after the first full moon on or
after the day of the vernal equinox). Eventually, all
churches accepted the Alexandrian method of computing
Easter, which set the northern hemisphere vernal
equinox at 21 March (the actual equinox may fall one
or two days earlier or later), and the date of the
full moon was to be determined by using the Metonic
cycle. A problem here is the difference between the
western churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
The former now use the Gregorian calendar to calculate
the date of Easter, while the latter still use the
original Julian calendar. The World Council of
Churches proposed a reform of the method of
determining the date of Easter at a summit in Aleppo,
Syria, in 1997. This reform would have eliminated the
difference in the date between the Eastern and Western
churches. The reform was due to be implemented
starting in 2001, but it failed.
Respectfully
Pheebes
------------------------------
Another History lesson and Prayer for a Departed “Priestess.”
By Ginger Strivelli
Sister Lucia born as Lucia Dos Santos, died Feb.13th 2005, in
her Carmelite Convent in Coimbra, Central Portugal.
Sister Lucia was the eldest of the three shepherd children,
along with cousins Jacinta and Francisco who, witnessed
the apparition of “The Mother” who everyone then assumed
to be the “Virgin Mary of the Christian faith, and who came
to be known as “Our Lady of Fatima.” After Her First appearance
on May 13th 1917, she promised to return each 13th of various
months, except when she appeared on Aug.19 due to the
incarceration of the three children by the communist authorities
of Portugal, during the 13th of that month.
These appearances by the mother to the three children c
ontinued until “the day the Sun danced” on Oct 13th, 1917.
A local paper, the “O Seculo” in the Oct 17th 1917 issue
quoted one reporter’s recounting of the event thusly:
“A spectacle unique and incredible if one had not been witness
of it. . .. One can see the immense crowd turn toward the sun,
which reveals itself free of the clouds in full moon. The
eastern star of day makes one think of a silver plaque, and
it is possible to look straight at it without the least
discomfort. It does not burn, it does not blind. It might
be like an eclipse. But now bursts forth a colossal clamor,
and we hear the nearest spectators saying,
'Miracle, miracle! Marvel, marvel! '
“Before the astonished eyes of the people, whose attitude
carries us back to biblical times and who, full of terror,
heads uncovered, gaze into the blue of the sky; the sun has
trembled, and now the sun has made some brusque movements,
unprecedented and outside of all cosmic laws -- the sun has
'danced,' according the typical expression of the peasants . .
Lucia, served Her lady the rest of her life as a nun in the
Catholic Church…until she died on the 13th (naturally) of this
month. Our Lady of Fatima has since become one of the most well
loved and well followed “Goddesses” of our times…and her Mircale
of the Dancing Sun continues to inspire faith and wonder in Her believers.
-FROM OUR BOOK OF SHADOWS;
Cleopartra’s Stuffed caramel walnuts
This recipe has been deciphered from an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic.
These treats were served at wedding banquets and
such festive celebrations.
8 ounces of Almond Flour (you can make this in a food processor
or blender with whole almonds if you can’t find it ready made)
8 ounces of sugar
6 tablespoons of orange essence
120 walnut halves
2 cups of caramel sauce (or melted caramel candies)
Mix the almond flour with the sugar and orange essence to form
a paste. Place a dot of this paste between two walnut halves
and press them together. Then dip them in the caramel. Set them
out on papyrus (or waxed paper) to dry.
SACRED SITES SECTION By Sandra Karasiewicz
I first came upon this place, Camp Grier, when I was a mere
eight years old. I don’t remember exactly how we came upon it
in the first place, probably through church, sense that’s what
Camp Grier was. It’s a wonderful place, located in Old Fort
just at the bottom of Black Mountain. I often found myself
tuning out whatever activities were taking place at the time
to just...be, to sit there silently and take it all in. It
wasn’t until much later, when I worked there as a counselor
that I understood the concepts of Sacred Space. What made this
place so sacred to me was the peace that I felt. To me, such
a concept is very difficult to come by, so I take what I can,
when I can.
At night, usually during the waxing moon (for that’s the only
time She is visible decent hours) I like to take my crazy creek
chair to the dock and just sit there. Or if I feel like it,
hike to the Fire Tower, which sits on a ridge above the lake.
If one can overcome what can often be freezing mountain
stream waters, there is what we call the rockslide and the
Polar Bear club. The rockslide is exactly what it sounds like;
an area in the creek that we use as a little waterslide. The
polar bear club is a very small area under some falls where
campers go in, sing the camp song, and emerge members of the
‘polar bear club’. The Polar bear club is also a place I like
to meditate, or at least try to sort out whatever thoughts are
over running me at the moment. The polar bear club also boasts
the best back massage system I've ever seen.
After five summers as a camper, and two as a counselor, Id have
to agree with the camp motto. Camp Grier really is
‘The Place to Be’
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