A New Start for an Old Place

Jun 6 23:36 UTC 2002

Creating a Home for Pagans: A Vision of Roots and Community


Far too often we Paganfolk end up doing our rituals, drumming, teaching,
and celebrating on somebody else's land. We go to a friend's house or we
find a spot in the park or we rent a hall - fleeting locations for a
faith with long roots. When we want to tell others who we are we refer
to books, partly because there exists few community spaces for us to use
in learning from our elders. The number of those Pagan spaces, however,
is growing.


On a wooded lot in an urban neighborhood in Ann Arbor, Michigan powerful
magick is afoot. Observe with the following components: one big old
house on an acre of land in an A2's neighborhood, a new (Pagan) board of
directors, and a vision of cooperative living, public education, and
year-round Pagan community. Mixed carefully with the right incantations
(including some legal incantations) the Pagans in Michigan just might
have a new place to find community: Michigan's first Pagan Community
Center.


The house at 1910 Hill Street contains 7000 square feet of floor space,
which includes living space for residents (six bedrooms and a third
floor apartment), space for community activities, a Pagan library and
other spaces for healing, rituals and whatever grows from the seeds of
this vision. There's also a nice yard filled with budding plants, wild
and domestic, many old and young trees, and some day, herbs, organic
gardens, medicine plants, and a drum circle. Soon this land will be
filled with public ritual events, drumming circles, books, classes on
Pagan issues (herbalism, Wicca 101, creating renewable resources, etc),
networking meetings, Reiki healing circles, potlucks, and many other
wonderful activities. All that's missing, dear reader, is the final
ingredient: you.


The community needs volunteers, prospective community (non-live-in), and
prospective house (live-in) members to help build and empower the
cooperative into a functioning center for Pagan education and
activities. We, the current members, intend to provide services and
information to anyone of any faith interested in learning more about
Paganism, environmentalism, alternative spiritualities, and community
living. We hope to see classes and rituals here. We hope Elders will
come and share their wisdom. We see healing circles and drum circles,
herb circles and circles for many other things. We see an opportunity
for the People of the Earth in Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas to
grow deep roots in the community.


In our community members make decisions through a currently developing
model of formal consensus. It's based on empowerment, on honoring
everyone's voice. There are many ways to become a part of this vision.
Committees to plan events, to create rituals, to sponsor fund-raisers
are all in need of energy. Maintaining the house and yard are vital to
helping the vision grow. The board of directors needs help with the
business aspects of interacting with the public and legal entities. It
is also possible, when rooms are available, to live in the house and
create a good environment on a daily basis (as our house residents do).


Please join us in helping the magickal potential of this Vision grow
into something good and strong for the Pagan community. If you've ever
been to a Pagan gathering and wondered why that community feeling can't
last all through the year - well it can!! For more information, contact
Ian Springer at itspring@voyager.net or call 734-547-6962.


[You can also contact me at dvoid@comcast.net.]

response 2 of 24:

Jun 7 03:33 UTC 2002

Hi!  Good to see you here, Void. Been missing you.
Have you sent this notice to the Seeker?  In time, perhaps to the Observer?
I'd know the location as "Corntree", yes?  Been around a while, then.
Anyway, I sure hope that it works out, it's a great idea. I'll help as best
I can.

response 4 of 24:

Jun 7 11:49 UTC 2002

Best of luck with the new site, Pagans.  (I've asked Pan to pay you a 
visit, so don't be surprised if a strange wind comes through and then 
everyone feels a little weird and then things start to go amazingly 
well for you.)  

I worry about the drumming circles in the yard.  How close are your 
neighbors?  

response 6 of 24:

Jun 7 14:42 UTC 2002

Hmmm, maybe we can come out and get photos to run next issue ... ?

response 8 of 24:

Jun 7 18:27 UTC 2002

Speaking of Seeker deadlines, Misti- I keep meaning to email and tell you
that my class is on hiatus 'til Fall, so please remove the calendar notice
for it. Thanks.

It sure would be nice to see a central home for the local pagan communities.

response 10 of 24:

Jun 7 22:04 UTC 2002

Sure, Misti, please add #0 to the Seeker as written.  There will be
people there doing some fix-up work tomorrow between 10:00 AM and 4:00
PM if you want to come out and take pictures.  The place needs some work
and we're planning an open house for July 13th, so be prepared for a
little untidiness if you come tomorrow.  Just wander around calling
"hello" till someone answers, then ask for Dru.  :)

re #4: Thanks, md.  We'll look forward to Pan's visit.  There were
bimonthly drum circles in the yard or basement at 1910 for the better
part of last year and no neighbors ever complained, though we always
stopped well before the noise ordinance became a problem.  The only time
we did have a complaint was the evening of 9/11, when I organized some
impromptu drumming in the living room kind of late and the next door
neighbor asked us to quiet down.

response 12 of 24:

Jun 10 17:28 UTC 2002

Right.  It has lost its childcare license (a story which probably isn't
appropriate for this item, but I will discuss it in e-mail), so now
we're attempting to do something else.

response 14 of 24:

Jun 13 16:58 UTC 2002

   Having Spiral Scouts meet there is a great idea.

response 16 of 24:

Jun 26 04:11 UTC 2002

so- how was PSG? who was there? what did you do?
Need help with house stuff?

response 18 of 24:

Jun 28 15:31 UTC 2002

That would be great!

Last I heard, Rod was interested in helping out...

response 20 of 24:

Jul 4 02:48 UTC 2002

   We certainly are.  Community meetings are on the first Tuesday of
every month, community work days on the third Saturday.  Oh...I have
something else which was e-mailed to the michigan_pagans list to post
here:

Greetings!


Most folks probably read the post from a few weeks ago about 1910 Hill
Street.... (see message 10225 "Creating a Home for Pagans (fwd) Posted by:
Aldous Tyler Thu  5/23/2002") More information is also available in the
form of meeting agendas, minutes, and other documents related to this
effort found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Corntree/files/


Rooms For Rent
==============
Three new pagan residents are moving into 1910 Hill Street and two
rooms are left! Spirit has again brought some wonderful folk and energies
to this sacred stewardship! If anyone is interested in becoming part of
this intentional pagan community/community center, please feel free to
contact me off list!


The two rooms that are left rent in the $350.00 to $400.00 range, which 
includes all utilities, phone, free washer and dryer and use of this 
spacious 7000 square foot home, and a heavily wooden acre of land. It's
a clean and sober house, and about five blocks from the University of
Michigan's Central Campus and just three blocks from the bus stop!! Ample
parking and opportunity to commune with trees, pagans, fairies and what
ever else is about the place! We will soon be adding a cable modem
network, building a drum/dance circle in the yard as well as major
re-modeling of the house, inside and out. A truly unique opportunity
within our pagan community to connect, network and live the pagan life
while creating community!


Druids Needed For Land Blessing
===============================
We're going to have to remove some trees that are too close to the house
and some other trees that aren't so healthy from the land. We'd really
appreciate any and all Druids willing to commune with the nature spirits
and tree folk living on the land to insure things are done in a good way.
Also, we'd like a Land Blessing at our Open House in August. Any 
interested Druids or other folk, please contact us!


Free To Good Home:
==================
There are several items in the yard that we must remove that may be
of use to others: a canoe, an in-board motor, lots of fire wood, a
trailer, various things in two sheds, and a tractor that runs without a
mower carriage. In the house we have to remove: one almost dead upright
piano and some other furniture stuff, and one wood burning stove with
shattered glass.


All items free for the taking....


If interested please contact me off list!!


Other Opportunities
=========================================
Activities section (the basement with ground level access, 1600 square 
feet of space, soon to be functional fireplace and bathroom) of the
facility is available for Spiral Scout meetings, classes, rituals and
other such activities. Use of yard will also be available in the near
future.


Open House planned for August this year
=======================================
More information as date approaches! Anyone interested in helping us
to prepare for this event, please let us know and thanks in advance!


Interested Folks
================
Pagans and kindred spirits interested in joining out efforts -- please
contact us!


Complaint Turned Into Opportunity
=================================
Recently, the city received a complaint about some of the sidewalk
sections along Hill Street and Cambridge that need to be replaced. Rather
than fret over who complained and why, we've taken this as an opportunity
to work with the city in three different areas. We've taken this as an
opportunity to have the city inspector see the need for a cross walk on
Hill Street. Currently there isn't one for the school children and the
road is curved and hilly. A study of where to place the cross walk is
being done by the city, the need for one having been acknowledged as a
result of the complaint! Also, we've begun talks with the Parks and
Recreation department to replace the grass between the sidewalks and the
curb with wild flowers. If you are interested in helping with the
replacement of the sidewalks, use of the old concrete for walkways and
landscaping or wild flower garden creation, please
let us know!

Thanks!

We're grateful to have the opportunity to work with our local government
in becoming a vital community asset here in the Ann Arbor area!

Bright Blessings,

Johnny MoonOwl
moonowl@comcast.net
734-677-8211

response 22 of 24:

Aug 22 00:58 UTC 2002

----------------------------------------------------------------------

When: 1:00 p.m. - ????
Where: 1910 Hill Street
Ann Arbor, MI
September 7th, 2002

----------------------------------------------------------------------

COME JOIN US FOR AN AFTERNOON OF:
FOOD, FUN, & FRIENDS!
COME BUILD COMMUNITY WITH US!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Featured Activities:

*Potluck Feasting

*Live Music
Musicians Welcome! Some time slots still open!!
Contact Crow Dancer if you or you and your band would like to
serenade  the community with your pagan vibrations!
mamacroww@neo.rr.com

*Ritual Land Blessing

*Evening Drum Circle
We will kindle the fire and bless the drum circle!
Drumming and dancing will follow!

*COMMUNITY INFORMATION

If you need directions, or have other questions about the
Open House, please email 7gencc@comcast.net or use the
Seven Generations Community Center Contact Information below:

Johnny MoonOwl: moonowl@comcast.net
Mamma Crow: mamacroww@neo.rr.com
Dru Mennick: void@cyberspace.org

response 24 of 24:

Jul 18 16:37 UTC 2005

And, sadly, Seven Generations is no more. 
Why is it so impossible t get a real pagan community center happening in
Ann Arbor?