Friday, March 25, 2011

Pagan Spirit Gathering

Taken directly from their site (which the link is included in the title of this post!)


Pagan Spirit Gathering


Celebrate Summer Solstice June 19-26, 2011!




It's official: PSG has a new location for 2011! The beautiful Stonehouse Park near Earlville, Illinois will welcome the PSG Community this Summer for our weeklong celebration of Summer Solstice, June 19-26!



About PSG

The Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG) is one of America's oldest and largest Nature Spirituality festivals. Since its inception in 1980, PSG has been bringing together hundreds of people from throughout the United States, plus other countries, to create community, celebrate Summer Solstice, and commune with Nature in a sacred environment. Sponsored by Circle Sanctuary, PSG is open to long-time practitioners as well as newcomers of a wide range of Nature religion traditions, including Wiccan, Contemporary Pagan, Druidic, Heathen, Celtic, Baltic, Greco-Roman, Isian, Shamanic, Hermetic, Animistic, Egyptian, Native American, Afro-Carribean, Taoist, Pantheistic, Ecofeminist, and Nature Mystic. PSG is an opportunity for personal renewal, networking, education, and cultural enrichment.

Throughout the Gathering, there are hundreds of program activities, including rituals, concerts, workshops, panels, meetings, intensives, revels, dancing, drumming, firespininng, and bonfires. The are a variety of youth program activities, including those for children, tweens, and teens. In addition, there is leadership training for Pagan ministers and other leaders through the Pagan Leadership Institute.

Stonehouse Farm offers a very large 3 bay barn that has been renovated where we will hold indoor concerts! No more sitting in the sun for noon concerts! And no more hauling your chairs to the concerts there are plenty of picnic tables! There is a beautiful court yard for gathering right outside of the barn also.

The camp features a beautifully remodeled camp store with a wonderfully large deck great for sitting and chatting with friends or reading your favorite book! The camp store has phone service, wireless service, indoor restrooms and all the snacks and forgotten necessities you may need!

There is a wonderfully large shower house that has 3 showers stalls on both the mens' and womens' sides. There are also flush toilets here too! Behind the shower house is a large sink perfect for scrubbing dishes or clothes!

Attached to the shower house is covered pavilion that overlooks the wonderful swimming pond and sandy beach! Bring your rafts and lounge chairs and enjoy!

As in past years, PSG's spiritual community begins emerging as participants arrive on opening day, set up camp, meet and greet others, and create a Pagan Town together which will last the entire week of the Gathering. The Sacred Fire is lit during the Opening Ritual and is kept burning throughout the Gathering to symbolize the Solstice Sun and Spirit of the PSG community.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Long or Short?

I have always liked my hair short, but my love does not.  He prefers me with long hair. 
My hair is very slow at growing!  And now I have the new battle of the greys!  If I don't dye my hair I have a salt and pepper mix similar to many of the Hebert women in my family.  I did not get the Chautin gene with having the beautiful all silver hair like my grandmother Sophie! 

So I am debating what I should do, continue to attempt to be patient and let it grow out?  Or should I keep it short and just dye the heck out of it until I am 90 years old?

Me with short hair last Fall:

Or continue to let it grow out?   Me now:

What do you think?

Crystal

Friday, March 11, 2011

Preparing my path to Localvore

Lately the news has had me thinking about our economy (not only the US in general, but specifically here in Michigan).  What could I do as one person to help support my local economy?  What do I do on a daily basis that would and could make a difference? 

Buy and eat my food locally of course!

So I am on a mission to find out what food items are available to me locally.  With the spring and summer months ahead of us when local farmers markets begin to open, I will of course have much more available bounty of produce during the warmer months.  So now for the next month or so, I will begin to change the items I buy on a weekly basis to closer producers from Michigan.

First I look in my own cupboards and fridge at first glance, I know I currently buy:

Sugar: (Pioneer and Big Chief)
Better Made Potato Chips
Faygo Pop
St. Juliens Wines (ok I am a BIG supporter of them. LOL)

This might be harder than I thought...need to do some research to find out more companies!

Crystal

Thursday, March 10, 2011

New Button

It has been a while since I had a button on my page.  So I thought I might try my hand at making a new one.

What do you think?  I am still debating on the "glitter" effect.  But if I change it, I will have to start from scratch.  I might just make a few different ones cause I am not sure I like this one anyways.



Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!
Copy this code to your website to display this banner!


I have also made a second button with a different graphic.  So let me know which one you like the best.

And if you grab one of my buttons, make sure I know, so I can return the favor if you have a button of your own!

Crystal

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Look Ma, I'm a Winner!

I recieved some wonderful news today!  Especially good news on this dark, gloomy, rainy day.

I woke up to see a comment on my last post from the Domestic Witch that I am a winner.  Intrigued, I ventured over to her blog to see what was going on.....

http://domesticwitch.blogspot.com/2011/03/winning.html

Hot Diggity Dog, I am a WINNER!  I won a bottle of Divine Lotus Healing's Aura Spray in the scent of Om!  Thank you Laura for gifting this spectacular item to Domestic Witch for one of her contests.  If you would like to see her many other glorious items, check out her Etsy page by going to:

http://www.etsy.com/people/divinelotushealing

I think I might reward myself with a nice cup of Winter Magic tea this morning!  My supplies of it are low and have been trying not to drink it all up. 

Very Nice!

Thank you Domestic Witch and thank you Divine Lotus Healing!  Many wishes of much magic and prosperity to you both!

Blessed Be,
Crystal

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

You Tube Channel

Well I have gone and did it.....I have created my own YouTube Channel.

Not exactly sure what I will be doing on it just yet, but I have always wanted to have one of my own.  It will most likely start off as a personal journal and possibly morph into something more later on when I have better equipment.

If you would like to check it out (and possibly subscribe to me) you can do so by one of two ways:
1.  Click on the title link of this post, it should direct you there.
or
2. Visit http://www.youtube.com/user/crystalcauldrons

I hope to see you there.
Right now I only have two videos.  I loaded them only for testing and will come down shortly.  One is of my youngest son attempting to talk on the phone with his Grampa, the other is a portion of a workshop I attended at Convocation 2011 of the Descent of the Goddess presented by Christopher Penczak. 

Sincerely,
Crystal

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Convocation - Masquerade Ball - Saturday

I am new to the world of Steampunk so I let my friends dress me.  Originally we were going for a Steampunk Goddess theme, but alas I was unable to pull a costume together myself and had to rely on my temple sisters for kindness.

Steampunk Mad Hatteress with my sturdy "tea" cup.

Steampunk Goddess Bast

Steampunk Goddess Brigid weilding her iron working tools

Party on dear....party on!

Ravenswood getting her groove on!

Our moma wanted a photo of her girls, so here you go Moma! Chris kissin her older sis!

I always feel well protected because I have Ibisfire's back and I know she has mine!

Me trying to dance with Ibisfire and friend Jen

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Convocation - Day 2 - Friday

Being a born and raised Cajun, I opted to attend Dorothy Morrison and Jackie Smith's Swamp Witchery class.  As I did not know what the ladies had in store for their workshop, it had nothing to do with the swamp and what I personally consider to be "Swamp Witchery".  It was more about using things that you have on hand and not spending alot of money for a specific herb in a specific spell.  Being more flexible with what you have on hand (which is something I already do). It was more like "Swap" than "Swamp". It seemed to be a combination of each ladies' past workshops from past years along with some new information as well.  As always both ladies were charming in their mannerisms and could hold the audiences attention to its fullest extent.  I did enjoy the class very much. 

The next class I attended was Christopher Penczak's Descent of the Goddess.  I really REALLY enjoyed this class!  I liked the fact that he took his turn on the tale and compared it to other religions, paths and examples from being an Alchemist to a baker making bread.  The only thing I did not like about his class was something that Christopher has no controll over, his magical voice as able to send people into deep meditation (just listen to his many discs in the Temple series) sometimes has such a powerful effect it can put some people to sleep.  The gentleman sitting directly behind me began to snore.  So that is my only gripe.

The afternoon was filled with my own workshops that I presented back to back.  First off was the Pampered Pagan Pantry, which I must say thank you to everyone that was in attendance.  It was triple of what it was the previous year and I did not have enough materials for everyone to make their own salt or sugar scrub.  Should I submit this class next year I will be prepared for 30+ in attendance so that everyone present will be able to leave the class with something.  I think we may also be out growing Suite 118 as the poor MEC staff member on hand had to carry many chairs into the room to accomodate my guests.  Thank you young man, whomever you are.  You left without me being able to do so in person.  I also think I recognized someone from the Pagan Center that is one of Domestic Witch's YaYa's but not exactly sure.  So if you were there, let me know that I am not out of my mind.  I wanted to say Hi, but then again, I was not sure if you were who I thought you were....next time I will be more brave, tap you on the shoulder and say, Hey don't I know you from somewhere? LOL

After a short break, it was time for my second class of the day, a workshop that I presented for the very first time, "The Pregnant Pagan Priestess".  Though we only had 13 women in the workshop it was more than I would have thought would attend this first time workshop!  Many thanks to all that attended and I am so sorry that we ran out of time.  I am hoping to get my newsletter up and running this year and will send it out prior to each sabbat for ideas on how you can celebrate each Sabbat as a Pregnant Pagan Priestess.  Many thanks to all the women that came to the workshop as well, those that are seasoned Moms and those that are trying to become moms.  I wish everyone the best of luck and MUCH fertility to those who wish it!

Friday night was our pizza party in the KOTH room.  Here is a photo of some of the gang.

Related Posts with Thumbnails