Enclosed with this issue of the Messenger you will find a registration form for the annual SEF Retreat at Woolman Hill Retreat Center, in Deerfield MA. We've got a full weekend of activities planned (workshops, ritual, communing with nature), but with plenty of time for relaxation, talk, and enjoyment. The weather is often wonderful and people can spend lots of time outdoors. The main rituals at our Spring retreat each year have drawn on the creative talents of our members and have covered a variety of themes, including the Lady of the Lake, the Litany of the Goddess (honoring the multitude of aspects and names of the Goddess), Rites of Artemis , Aphrodite and Pan, and a Blessing for the local apple trees. This year we feature the Ancient Egyptian Rite of the Ancestors, immediately followed by a celebratory banquet of the 18th Dynasty. Children accompanied by their parent(s) are welcome at the retreat. The retreat organizers would like to work with parents who attend with their children to provide suitable children's activities wherever appropriate.

Pagans in a Scary World
By Lynda L. Warwick

It seems like every time we turn on the radio or the TV there is more bad news. The economy is worsening--people we know are losing their jobs and there seem to be few new jobs in sight. Services to the poorest and sickest people in the state are being eliminated, so they go from having poor options to having no options at all. We wonder how far the budget cuts will go, and what will happen? We buy duct tape and plastic sheeting, put together disaster kits, worry about horrible diseases and chemical poisons. And then there's the march toward war. We wonder, where is this all going? Is there anything good ahead?

As Pagans we understand that we are not separate from the events of the world. We are connected with the people who are dropped from Medicaid and the radical Muslims who hate our country, and the oil fields that may be set afire in Iraq. We know that the sun shines and the moon waxes and wanes on all people alike. Unfortunately, that sense of connectedness doesn't help a lot when the whole world seems to be threatened.

Emotional reactions to today's stresses may include varying degrees of denial, anger, attempts to bargain (that would be the duct tape), deep sadness, and sometimes a sense of acceptance that things are the way they are, not the way we want them to be. People are anxious, depressed, and sometimes panicky. Oddly, these reactions are the kinds of things people feel when they experience great loss--the death of a loved one, the loss of a fulfilling job and income, the loss of a valued relationship. They are also common reactions to trauma. People who have been traumatized lose the comforting beliefs that make it easier to get up in the morning--the notion that bad things don't happen to good, careful people, the idea that the world is basically a good place, the belief that most other people are not going to try to hurt you and that you are likely to be able to go safely about your ordinary day. People may find that in response to all this emotional turmoil, their rhythms of daily life change. We may eat too much or too little, sleep too much or poorly or not enough, increase use of alcohol or drugs, become more irritable.

We may have stomach problems, headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue. We may have worse concentration than usual, and forget things socially or at work. We may argue more with our loved ones, or get more frustrated with daily annoyances. And this is on top of the level of stress many of us experience in ordinary times!

What can we do? Sometimes it helps to have an intellectual understanding about what is happening, and then we can think of some things to relieve the stress. It may help to understand that our country has undergone a major loss of innocence over the past year and a half. There is a new understanding that we are not the beloved people or the exalted leader of nations that we might have thought we were. There are people out there who want to hurt us and kill us on a large, impersonal scale for reasons we don't even understand. Our leaders are planning to kill a lot of people in our name, also on a large, impersonal scale, and for reasons we may not entirely understand. It is a loss of safety, a loss of security and trust, even a loss of identity in some ways. Traumatic reactions are normal under these circumstances, and so are the phases of grief. The best resources I know for handling these kinds of pain include seeking out support, learning to remain mindful in your daily activities, increasing deliberate self-care, and getting active in whatever way feels right to you rather than avoiding the scary issues. As Pagans, what particular resources are available to us?

Get Support
Many of us can find support within our communities, even though we should take as given that we may not agree with each other on the issues (why start now?). We can turn to coven mates or elders, or fellow seekers and friends we have found along our path. We can talk about feeling scared or angry or helpless, and hear that we are not the only ones feeling that way. Talking and being heard can help to reduce isolation. We can call on our gods, our companions and guardians seen and unseen, and ask for their guidance and strength. Finding support means that we don't subconsciously think we have to face it all alone, or that we are responsible for fixing the problems that scare us.

Increase Mindfulness
Mindfulness means to remain in the moment, giving full and non-judgmental attention to whatever you are doing or experiencing in the present moment. It is a really good way to manage anxiety and worry, because by definition anxiety and worry are about what might happen in the future. It helps with depressed, hopeless thinking as well, since that also tends to be about the future. Making the attempt to concentrate with all your senses and all your mind on whatever you happen to be doing makes it hard to be halfway into the future, off balance and scared. Doing one thing at a time, with your full attention, means that each moment you experience gives you as much as it possibly can. Mindfulness doesn't mean that you don't think about or plan for the future--just that you don't do that all the time, and when you do it, do that with your full attention too. So when you are washing the dishes, wash the dishes, and when you are worrying, worry with all your attention. It's hard to keep that up for long!

Take Care of Yourself
Increasing self-care means to identify what makes you feel better. A good way to begin is to finish the sentences "I feel better when I..." and "I feel worse when I...". Think back to a time when you felt calm, strong and centered. What were you doing for yourself then? Were you taking care to get enough sleep, eating properly, taking time for fun, working responsibly and well? Were you in contact with friends or family more than you are now? Were you exercising more? Listening to music that energized you? Attending more rituals, or doing more of your spiritual practice? What are the things that you control, that make you stronger? Do those things, even if you only do a few. Self care also means that you observe your own limits. If you have done all that you can do for yourself, even if it's not as much as you think you should be able to, and you are still having problems, it's worth checking with your physician or a therapist to see whether you have crossed the threshold from stress into clinical anxiety or depression. There is effective treatment for these conditions, and you can begin to feel better fairly quickly, depending on how far your condition has progressed.

Get Active
Feeling helpless contributes to feelings of anxiety, depression, grief and panic. Being in denial or avoiding things that remind you of what hurts is a natural thing to do, but if you do it too much it can actually make those feelings worse. That is because when you keep avoiding, the back of your mind starts to think that these are things you cannot face, that they are too dangerous and the only option for you is to retreat and hide. The more you avoid, the harder it becomes to face the challenges you have to face in order to keep your life moving. Your mind can easily make a switch from "I prefer not to think about these things because they make me angry and scared" to "I can't tolerate thinking about this--it's too much for me, and if I do I might be completely overwhelmed." So find something you can do that makes you feel strong. Express your anger or fear through activism--on either side. Try to answer the question, "What am I most afraid of?" because fear often leads to anger or helplessness. If you are most afraid of the political situation leading to war, e-mail or write your representatives and tell them what you worry about and what you want them to do. If you want to protest the war effort, there are groups all over that you can join in person or over the internet. If you are most afraid of terrorism and think the best solution is to go to war, express your opinion and find other people who agree with you. If you are afraid of losing your job, update your resume and check out the market in your field regularly.

Try to do something to actively address your feelings regularly, daily if possible. And don't forget that as pagans we have a lot of tools to help us ground, center, and direct energy in accordance with our will. Use the resources of your experience and training to influence the world in the way you want. The world is scary right now, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better. We have been through scary times before, and we will go through them again, and somehow we generally make it through. Understand what your feelings are, and where they come from, and then deal with them as best you can. Find support from your loved ones. Take care of yourself, body, mind and spirit. Be mindful and live in the present as much as possible. Get active and engage the problems that scare you. And remember that we are all connected, and there is a world of strength in that.

Lynda L. Warwick, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and high priestess of an Alexandrian coven. She has a private practice in Boston, MA and can be reached at lwarwick@juno.com, or at http://www.warwick-associates.com/boston

Morgan-Greer Tarot © 1979
U.S. Games Systems

Spring Equinox or Ostara
By Arachne

Oestara, Ostara, Eostre - is the name of a Teutonic Fertility Goddess who was especially associated with the Vernal Full Moon, and thus Springtime and all the season stands for. While Her actual name is no longer a familiar word, the name of the Christian Springtime holiday - Easter - is thought to derive from Oestara, as do many of the folk customs associated with Easter. Chicks, rabbits, early flowers, budding branches, seeds and especially eggs are ancient symbols of the new life that the Spring Equinox heralds. For modern Pagans and Wiccans, Oestara is a time to put winter behind us, and prepare for the upcoming season of growth. We begin our preparations by undergoing ritual purification at the previous holiday on the Wheel of the Year, Candlemas (traditionally February 2). The Spring Equinox signifies the end of this annual period of inner purification, and the beginning of the season of outward action. While many of us do this very literally - by planting seeds, pruning trees, and preparing garden soil for planting - all of us do it metaphorically by preparing our inner selves for the life changes that Spring will bring.

Eostre © 1990 Joanne Powell Colbert
By permission JPC 2002

Persephone's Return
By Morwynna

The re-awakening of the Earth at Springtide is represented by the return of Persephone to Her mother, Demeter (the Olympian Goddess of the Grain), after spending the winter as Queen of the Underworld. Persephone's annual descent and Her eternal return reinforce our faith in the never-ending cycles of life, and lead us to ponder the Mysteries of the Maiden and Mother aspects of the Goddess.


Demeter and Persephone
© 1962 Ingrid and Edgar D'Aulaire

Rites of Passage

On February 6, as part of a Rite of Brighid, Meg Richardson was dedicated to Grove of the Mists Coven. Meg has been working with Brighid for many years, and she met Morwynna and Thea at last year’s SEF Imbolc Workshop. Officiating at the Dedication Rite were Morwynna, Gwydion, Seth, and Thea.

Stop!

If your Messenger envelope has a "hand" sticker on the front, it means that we have not received your 2003 dues. If we don't hear from you by April 20, the Beltaine Messenger will be the last one you receive. Most of our members have renewed their SEF Memberships for 2003, so if you have not yet renewed, please take the time to do so now! If you have renewed recently, we have enclosed a new sticker for your Membership Card to indicate that you are a member in good standing through February 2004. If you renewed before 3/9/03 and you have not yet received a new sticker, please email morwynna@earthlink.net.

The Society of Elder Faiths currently offers two levels of membership, Full and Supporting. Applications for both levels can be found on our website. Supporting members will receive our newsletter, announcements about upcoming classes and seminars, an invitation to the Society's Annual Meeting, and other SEF events. Annual supporting membership is available for a donation of $15.00 or more.

The SEF offers Full membership for current Supporting members who have been in good standing for one year or more, and who are active in one or more member-supported committees to support ongoing SEF projects. As an additional part of their commitment, Full members vote in the election of Directors and other matters of the Society, and may be nominated to serve on the Board of Directors. More information about applying for full membership is available on the website.

As our membership grows, and with it the Society's base of support, we hope to provide additional services to both our members and the greater Pagan community. Among future SEF goals being planned or currently under consideration are creating a low-impact burial ground, erecting a stone circle for use as an outdoor temple, setting up a scholarship fund, and collecting a library/archive. If you are interested in helping to bring these ideas to fruition, please renew today!

Call for Liturgy

The Liturgy Committee, formed at last year's Volunteer Meeting, is tickled to announce that we have established a ritual framework for a standard SEF liturgy to be used at all open SEF rituals. At this point we are seeking inspired prose/poetry/songs/chants suitable for use with new comers and experienced practitioners alike.Specifically, we are looking for material for the following ritual components: