APA newsletter-Dec 2003

Editress: Ginger Strivelli

As usual this Yuletide the APA held our Yule Gathering, 
as well as our usual daily chit chatting and networking 
on the yahoogroups email list, and the usual thrice 
monthly online chatroom meetings.

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YULE GATHERING REPORT 
By Lady Birch Langley

The Appalachian Pagan Alliance celebrated the Solstice 
with a warm and homey Yule gathering on December 16 at 
the home of Ginger Strivelli and Sean Strivelli, with 
Beth Langley as co-hostess. The Strivelli girls, Destiny, 
Amethyst, Sybilsue and Harmony were decked out for the 
holiday in matching, Yule print dresses, as was Ginger. 
(The Strivelli menfolk; Sean, Merlin, and Balthazar 
didn't wear the matching Yuletide dresses for some reason.) 
Check out the Website for photos! Also attending was 
Margi, and Mandi, a new member we had not met before. 
Margi made some delicious iced sugar cookies in Yule 
shapes; Mandi brought a delicious and unusual marinated 
salad of jicama and oranges; Beth brought cheese balls 
and crackers, and Ginger, with the girls' help, made 3 
lovely-----and delicious!----gingerbread house cakes. 
Everyone had a great time talking, getting to know 
each other, laughing at the kid's antics (especially 
Harmony's foray into one of the cakes!), and as usual 
for APA, the conversation ran the gamut from APA stuff 
to the state of the world at large.
The only sad note was that Thomas was not there for 
the first time as Holly King-----he made such an 
excellent one! But though he was much missed, we 
know he is happily flirting up a storm in the Summerland, 
with a bevy of beauties around him! The occasion was 
very warm and friendly, so all you members who missed 
it, plan to join us next time for food, fun, and 
celebration!

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FROM OUR BOOK OF SHADOWS;

A Yule-Fire chant (traditional Scottish)

The Sacred Three
To save,
To shield,
To surround
The Hearth,
The House,
The Household,
This eve,
This night,
Oh! this eve,
This night,
And every night,
Each single night.

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To cure a cold or Flu- (traditional Appalachian Granny Magic cure)

Drink freshly made from scratch Russian tea morning noon and night. 

(1 quart orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1 quart pineapple juice
6 cinnamon sticks
1 TB cloves, whole
3 cups sugar
3 qt strong Orange-Pekoe tea)

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SACRED SITES SECTION;
Submitted By Marcia Tillison

Have you ever walked through a park and found yourself standing 
in the center of a circle of trees?  I have.  There is a place 
just up my street that is called The Duck Pond.  It is a 
park-like public space with a small, long shaped pond up 
the center.  There are geese and ducks everywhere.  
These are birds that have returned for many generations 
over the past 20 or more years.  There are many stands 
of trees on either side of the pond.  The place is not a 
particularly magical spot in town.  You can’t feel the 
ground vibrate or hear voices whisper past your ear during 
the day.  What there is, is a circular stand of trees.  
In the center of the circle is a young tree, where I 
have over the past several years left offerings for 
squirrels, birds and the spirits of the trees and the pond.  
A public place like such as our pond needs for us to give 
thanks for allowing us to walk and stomp and litter and 
fume through each and every day.  I like to stand at the 
youngest center tree, close my eyes and find a moment of 
quiet.  I listen to the breeze blow through the trees 
and feel the fallen leaves under my feet.  I find just 
a small piece of peace in this place.  Any place you 
pass through where nature meets suburbia can become 
sacred.  Take a moment, make an offering, sing a song, 
and listen to the breeze.  Give thanks.

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