The July meeting, class and ritual went well. We have begun our Harvest Season Food drive to benefit Manna Food bank, and we collected our first items of the season at the July meeting. We had a class on altars, a prosperity candle ritual, and an impromptu discussion on past-life memories. We also finalized plans for the Samhain Fest-2000, A Halloween Brouhaha. The gathering will be held at Asheville Memorial Stadium, on October 31st, 2000 between 7 and 10 pm. Our August meeting will be on August 15th, at 6:00pm at Mysts of Avalon store. Ginger will be leading a workshop to make harvest season charm wreaths. Joy will be leading this month's ritual. Our September meeting will be on September 12th at Mysts of Avalon store, at 6:00pm. Please remember to bring the canned food to donate for our Harvest Season Food Drive, P.R./Charity campaign. The APA is one year old now, and we are off to a magically successful start. We have educated a lot of seekers, the media and the public, about our ancient and honorable religion of Witchcraft! From our Book of Shadows Hawaiian Love spell While chewing on a piece of sugar cane, you say; "Makani-ke-oe (The Hawaiian God of Wind and Love.) Send love flying on Your wind, flying to __(name)___! There it shall land upon him/her, and keep him/her awake with longing for me." Then you blow into the wind, and the wind will carry your love-charged breath to you intended. Hindu water cleansing spell (Originally done in the Ganges, but any waterway, rainstorm, or even a bath of well water will suffice.) "I come to you as a child to his mother. I come as an orphan to you, moist with love. I come without refuge to you, giver of sacred rest. I come a fallen child to you, uplifter of all. I come undone by disease to you the perfect physician. I come, my heart dry with thirst, to you, ocean of sweet wine. Do with me whatever you will." Holidays August 17th until the 25th -- Odin's Ordeal of the Runes. Odin was made to hang from the 'world tree' for nine days and nine nights before the runes were revealed to Him, so He could pass along the sacred knowledge of them, to humanity. August 23rd-- Feast of Vulcan, (God of Fire.) Nemesea, (Goddess who protects the reputation of the death.) and Vertumnalia. (Roman God of Fruits and flowers of Autumn.) August 29th.--Hathor's nativity day. August 30th.--Charisteria…the Roman festival of 'thanksgiving.' 'Rules" of Magic Magic works only and always, when you believe it will. A Spell done once has power of it's own, afterwards. A spell done the same way, a dozen different times, by a dozen witches, has a dozen times the power. Just imagine the power a spell holds if it is done for thousands of years by thousands of Witches! Like purposes like! Sacred balance purposes power… balance of male/female…. Balance of night/day…balance of fire/water…. Balance of God/Goddess…. Balance of summer/winter… etc. etc. Balance is sacred and magical!