Lammas 2002
Sumer Time
Join the SEF in seeing a world class
traveling exhibition of Sumerian artifacts at
the Fogg Museum. We will meet Sunday,
Aug. 25th at 1:00 at the Kiosk in Harvard
Square. This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity to see these objects in one
place. This collection of Sumerian
materials showcases objects excavated at
the site of Ur in the late 1920s, where a
cemetery was discovered dating to the
second half of the third millennium BCE. It
consisted of over 1800 graves, sixteen of
which are believed to be "royal" based on
the extraordinary wealth they contained.
Left to right: Rearing Goat, Cosmetic Box, Wreath. All circa 2650 – 2550 BC.
Sweat and Mayhem in East Bridgewater!
By Jennifer
This year marks the 12th annual
Lammas Games sponsored by the SEF.
They'll be held in East Bridgewater, MA
at the Angel's Loft.
They were actually held for the first time
in my backyard in 1991 as "something
different" for my coven to do at Lammas.
However, the SEF didn't begin to
sponsor them until a few years later, so
we decided to make this one the "10th
annual" for the sake of nice, round
numbers. A few years before, I had
been a guest at some Games held by
another Pagan group in Rhode Island,
and was enchanted not only by the idea
of playing games to honor the god Lugh,
but also by the obvious inventiveness
and care taken by that group to provide a
series of challenging and fun contests
that amazingly, just about anyone could
play.
There were games of dexterity, of
nimblemindedness and of brute strength.
It was a thrill to actually do well at some
of that stuff since I am not too athletic,
and it was also spectacular to see
someone win at some of the more
challenging tasks (like tossing a caber, or
wrestling an opponent off a log!), giving
their all for the God.
I stay involved in the Games because
parts of it are a dear, familiar ritual and
other parts refreshingly new every time.
There's Roger with one of the largest
swords I've ever seen, telling the story of
Lugh, the Master of All Skills, and how
he won his way into the court of Nuada...
our traditional first game, "The
Priestess's Cat", which brings the whole
crowd together, literally hanging on one
another's words... the daring of the men
and women who submit to the Drag
Race... the 11 year old soccer player
who mopped up the field at Celtic
Croquet one year... and the couple who
were laughing so hard they kept falling
down during the Pagan Partner
Piggyback race. At the end of the day,
it's wonderful too to look around the
closing circle and see the faces of
everyone who played hard and look
pretty satisfied to have made it through
what is invariably a hot, sweaty
afternoon.
Among the games included this year are:
The Priestess's Cat, the Caper Toss, the
Drag Race for both men and women,
First Degree Relay Race (it's a secret!),
Sack Races, Apple Bobbing and an Egg
Toss for all ages, Threshing the Hen for
kids, and Celtic Croquet.
I hope you'll make it to the Games this
year and share in the fun!
For directions and for photos of previous
games, please visit our website at
www.elderfaiths.org
Preparing for Lammas
by Morwynna
From the Saxon "hlaf maesse" or "loaf
blessing", Lammas marks the beginning
of the harvest season with the first harvest
of grains.
At this season, games grew out of the
natural competition of those performing
physical work together in the fields. Many
of the Highland Games and Fair Games
test skills which were necessary for
farming, livestock raising, or hunting:
strength, agility, speed, coordination.
Each person competing in these events
was showing off his or her ability to
provide food, shelter, and protection for
the clan, tribe, or family (especially as
prospective spouses might be observing).
State and county fairs today still combine
many elements of these customs. They
feature games, races, sporting events,
and competition in practical skills such as
cooking, sewing, animal husbandry, and
horticulture. They are gathering spots for
people from all over a large geographical
area, and provide entertainment in
celebration of the abundance of the
harvest.
The name "Lughnasadh" for this festival
comes from the Keltic god Lugh, who was
skilled in many different crafts. He
instituted celebration and games in
memory of his foster-mother and teacher,
Tailltiu. This was also the festival that
marked the gathering of the tribes at high
summer: marriages were arranged, trial
marriages begun, and alliances between
clans were formed or strengthened.
Lugh the Many-Skilled
© Joanne Powell Colbert
SEF Midsummer Rituals
This year's Summer Solstice rituals
sponsored by the SEF included an
outdoor celebration at Angel's Loft in
East Bridgewater, and an indoor rite
at Taproot Bookstore in Worcester.
The Angel's Loft ritual, led by
members of Coven Symbios, was
attended by 25 people and featured
a walk through a labyrinth.
At the Worcester Taproot Bookstore
observance, Morwynna and Gwydion
of Grove of the Mists led 10 guests in
procession and dance between two
large candles. This is an indoor
adaptation of a British summer ritual
custom of processing between two
bonfires for fertility and blessing.
The celebration also included being
splashed with roses dipped in
consecrated water, and a circle
dance to the traditional British tune
"Oak and Ash and Thorn."
The SEF will also be sponsoring a
Lammas Ritual at Taproot on July
28, led by Raven and Janus. Angel's
Loft will again be the site for the
Lammas Games on August 4. See
our event listings (Page 4) or our
website for more information on
these events. All are welcome!
Proud Pagan Volunteers?
Massachusetts will be seeing a number of Pagan Pride events in September:
Sun., Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Southeastern Mass. Pagan Pride Day at Watson Pond, Taunton, MA
Sat. Sept. 21, 2002 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Western MA Pagan Pride Day at Strathmore Park, Russell, MA
Sun., Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Eastern MA Pagan Pride Day at Harold Parker State Forest, Andover, MA
The Society of Elder Faiths is strongly considering having an informational table at
each or some of the Massachusetts area Pagan Pride Day gatherings this
September. If you are interested in helping to staff the tables, please contact us at
sef@elderfaiths.org or (508) 839-3457.
Have Credentials, Will Travel
or Just Call me Marryin' Sam
by Peg
About two weeks ago, Jennifer and
Morwynna asked if I'd write about the
last two handfastings/legal weddings I
performed. I couldn't decide what aspect
to write about: the ceremonies, the
locations or what I learn from them. So
you're going to get a little of each. The
two weddings were about as different as
two weddings can be in the preparation,
location and religious views of the
couple.
The first wedding was on a farm in the
Blue Ridge Mountains and was one of
the greatest joys of my life. I handfasted
Peggy, one of my closest friends, to
Marty, one of the most wonderful people
I know. The second wedding was for a
couple who were referred to me by
another Witch. Christine and John's
wedding took place on Thompson Island
in Boston harbor. One of the big things a
minister has to keep in mind is that the
wedding belongs to the couple, not you.
Anyone who knows me will attest to the
fact that I can be very pedantic and set in
my ways. Performing weddings has been
an exercise in flexibility and openness
that has helped me become more flexible
in my daily life. Each wedding has been
different and each one has taught me
something.
Peggy is the person responsible for
introducing me to Paganism and the
Craft, but her own and Marty's spiritual
beliefs are much more eclectic. The
Wedding started with a Wiccan/Pagan
circle casting and quarter calls;
proceeded onto a Native American
based invocation to the Gods. Next came
some friends who read love poems by
12th and 13th century Sufi poets. Peggy
and Marty exchanged bracelets, not
rings, and finished up their vows by
breaking a wine glass after saying the
Jewish prayer that goes with it. The final
blessing was from Tibetan Buddhism.
After all that, we dismissed the quarters
and opened the circle.
When Christine told me they were getting
married on Thompson Island, my first
thought was, "Way cool!" My second
was, "What address do I put on the
marriage certificate?" It turns out that you
put the longitude and latitude.
Christine and John's spirituality is based
in a love of nature and belief that the
divine is resident in the natural world.
They wanted a handfasting, but no circle
casting, quarter calls or invocations to
the Gods. They chose Thompson Island
because it is a beautiful setting. The
group that runs the outward bound
program for at-risk urban teens on the
island helps support the program by
renting out their facilities for weddings.
The island is a great place for an outdoor
wedding. It's windy enough to keep the
mosquitoes at bay, which is great. It just
makes lighting candles or incense a
challenge.
One of the best parts of performing
weddings is having people come up to
you afterward and tell you how moving
the ceremony was. It's also great to be
able to sit and explain your religion to
people who have just had a first and very
positive encounter with Paganism and/or
Wicca. I've never had a wedding guest
be anything but respectful when I talk
about my religion.
What's next on my calendar? A wedding
in Rhode Island. I'm working my clergy
credentials for that one now.
Coffee Talk
On Sunday, April 7, the first SEF
Members' Coffee Hour was held at
Roger and Jennifer's house in
Medway, with thirteen people in
attendance, including both "old timers"
and recently-joined.
This event was only the first of many
opportunities for more of us to become
acquainted as our church grows. In
November, the Grove of the Mists
Coven will be holding an open house
get-together in Marlborough, with
invitations going out to SEF members
in September.
We hope that other members are
interested in getting together, and
willing to help make it possible. If you
don't have space at your home, how
about a local park in your area during
the good weather?
Contact sef@elderfaiths.org or (508)
839-3457 if you'd like to host a social
hour.
News from our
Members
Ellen Evert Hopman, author, herbalist,
and Druid priestess has a website for
her classes, workshops, books, and
videos. Visit Willows Grove at:
www.geocities.com/gaias_song/willow.html
Rites of Passage
On June 20 Gwydion, a
Third-Degree Elder in the New York
Minoan Tradition, was initiated into the
Alexandrian lineage and Grove of the
Mists Coven. Diana Marina served
as Sponsor, and Morwynna and Seth
as Initiators.
The following clergy are available through the Society of Elder Faiths:
A licensed Wiccan Elder, with ministerial credentials from the Covenant of the Goddess and the Society of Elder Faiths (SEF), authorized to perform legal weddings and handfastings. Also available for other religious services and Rites of Passage. Debbie Fields-Berry P.O. Box 335, B.U. Station Boston MA 02215 dberry@bu.edu 508 839-3457
I hold legal credentials through the Covenant of the Goddess and am ordained though the Society of Elder Faiths. I am willing to travel within New England and will work with people of any Neo-Pagan tradition or non-Pagans with an earth centered focus. I require an initial face to face meeting with a couple at least 2 months before a wedding. I have also performed Wiccanings and am available for other rites of passage. Peg P.O. Box 485 Upton, MA 01568-0485 meagan@control.com 508 839-3457
SEF Messenger: The Community Newsletter of the Society of Elder Faiths
Lammas 2002
Editor : Jennifer
Staff: Morwynna
© 2002 Society of Elder Faiths
SEF Members may submit news to:
news@elderfaiths.org
;
or
PO Box 30, Marlboro, MA 01752;
or
508 839-3457