APA Newsletter- Nov 2003

Appalachian Pagan Alliance
Newsletter-Nov. 2003

Editress; Ginger Strivelli

As the Autumn harvest season gives way to Winter, the APA 
has begun to plan our annual Yule gathering again this year. 
We've gained some new members of late and are glad to hear 
some plan to attend the Yule gathering so we can meet 
them off-line.
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FROM OUR BOOK OF SHADOWS:
 
"I often saw weary little women coming to the table 
after most exhausting labors, and large, bumptious 
husbands spreading out their hands and thanking the 
Lord for the meals that the dear women had prepared, 
as if the whole came down like manna from heaven. 
So I preached a sermon in the blessing I gave. 
You will notice that it has three heresies in it: 
"Heavenly Father and Mother, make us thankful for all 
the blessings of this life, and make us ever mindful 
of the patient hands that oft in weariness spread 
our tables and prepare our daily food. For humanity's 
sake, Amen." (A Thanksgiving 'grace' from 
Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1815-1902
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A THANKSGIVING PRAYER FROM THE IROQUOIS (SENECA) PEOPLE 

Gwa! Gwa! Gwa! Now the time has come! Hear us, Lord of the Sky! 
We are here to speak the truth, for you do not hear lies, 
We are your children, Lord of the Sky. Now begins the Gayant' 
gogwus This sacred fire and sacred tobacco And through 
this smoke We offer our prayers We are your children, 
Lord of the Sky. Now in the beginning of all things 
You provided that we inherit your creation You said: 
I shall make the earth on which people shall live And 
they shall look to the earth as their mother And they 
shall say, "It is she who supports us." You said that 
we should always be thankful For our earth and for each 
other So it is that we are gathered here We are your 
children, Lord of the Sky. Now again the smoke rises 
And again we offer prayers You said that food should be 
placed beside us And it should be ours in exchange for 
our labor. You thought that ours should be a world where 
green grass of many kinds should grow You said that some 
should be medicines And that one should be Ona'o the 
sacred food, our sister corn You gave to her two clinging 
sisters beautiful Oa'geta, our sister beans and 
bountiful Nyo'sowane, our sister squash The three 
sacred sisters; they who sustain us. This is what 
you thought, Lord of the Sky. Thus did you think to 
provide for us And you ordered that when the warm 
season comes, That we should see the return of life 
And remember you, and be thankful, and gather here 
by the sacred fire. So now again the smoke arises 
We the people offer our prayers We speak to you 
through the rising smoke We are thankful, Lord of 
the Sky. (Liberally translated) Chuck Larsen, Seneca 

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SACRED SITES SECTION:

Sights
By Ginger Strivelli

So many sights that I've always wanted to see
Magical places I must someday be
Flower colored and scented Hawaiian Islands
With great volcanoes smoking above their sands
As drummers and dancers do beckon 
The rising and setting great golden sun
Ancient Stonehenge's megaliths standing eternally
In their fairy tale land of castles and pageantry
The fairy folk's secret trails of old
With leprechauns guarding pots of gold
Mexican lost cities in the jungles lay
Waiting for me to find them one day
Egypt's pyramids sphinx and Nile
Have stood waiting for me quite a while
The ancient Gods of many a place
Have yet to gaze down upon my worshipping face
So many wonders I've yet to behold
So much I want to see before I get old.

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