I just returned from PSG 97 and what a great gathering it was. This
year's Pagan Spirit Gathering was held in Ohio on 620 acres of pristine land.
There were 500 adults and about 100 children attending. The land known as
Wisteria, owned by Todd Alan, Don Waterhawk and several others, is absolutly
beautiful!
        We celebrating a Hand-Fasting, a Wicanning, held an earth blessing
ceremony for the land and several other rituals. There were over 50 free
workshops, all-night drumming and dancing, sweat lodges every night and many
friends to get reaquanted with and many new freinds to make. This year was
by far the best PSG that I have attended.
        Any pagan looking to network, learn, have a great time would be the
better for having gone!!!

31 responses total.

Someone ought to link this to the synthesis conference.  I, unfortunately,
do not have those permissons.  I beseech you tell us more, moonowl.

What Bjorn said...Bruin, if you would?  I don't think Rob reads Agora.
The land it was held on is an interesting project; it's a joint venture
between a number of entrepreneurs, and being handled as a business, not a
hippy co-op.  They're hoping to rent the space out to various groups such as
the boy scouts, etc., not just paganfolk, while maintaining it in a reverent
and sustainable way.  Todd Alan, a well known Pagan musician, is one of the
organizers.  I suppose, now it's closer than Wisconsin, I might show up some
year.
Thing that's worthy of general discussion, I think, is about the relationship
between the "counterculture(s)" and money- are we growing into tolerance of
it?  Should we be?  Can we develop sound financial practices without "selling
out"?

If somebody can tell me how to link items to other conferences, I'll 
gladly link this item to synthesis.

1. Go to target Conference
2. Type "linkfrom <confrence name><item number>"
3. Hit Enter/Return.
4. Done.

This response has been erased.

It has been done (i.e. linking Agora 26 to Synthesis 109)!

Thank you bruin.

Yea!
So, Hokshila, go on...

Yes, please . . .

The gathering was wonerful. Each day from 1:00 through about 4 or 5 there are
free workshops, everything from drumming, to trance dancing, to Healing Hands.
For example, on Tuesday at 1:00, we had a choice of:
        1. Abott Bromsley Horn Dance Workshop
        2> Middle Eastern Drumming for Beginners
        3> SUN - Singles Unity Network (for single pagans)
        4> Healing Hands
        5> Trends in Paganism in North AMerica
        6> Natural Breast Health
        7> Panpipes II
        8> The Little Gods and Goddess Storytime (for the kids)
and at three o'clock we had the choices of:
        1> Rainbow Ritual
        2> Drumming Workshop 1 (mainly african drums and rythums)
        3> Ars Poetica Pagana: Walking the Bardic Path (Sch)
        4> The Galloping Garrolous Grok Flock (all about CAW)
        5> Yoga for relaxation and meditation
        6> Recliaming the Goddess within (for men and wemon)
        7> Teen Art: Creating a Sacred Talisman
        8> Children's Garlands
        9> Journeying Through Discreet States of Consciousness

As you can see, each day there was quite a variety of things to do. All the
workshops are free. Each night there was a main ritual or concert, and of
course there was a Sweat Lodge, too. And what pagan gathering wouldn't be
complete without all night, yes all night drumming and dancing, which I did
instead of sleeping most nights.
        PSG is one gathering where the people come together and truely have
a pagan community throughout the week. As you may have noticed, we take into
account the teens and the kids in our planning. There is a day care there if
you'd like to leave your child and go to a workshop or just take a break. Each
person that attends signs up for four work shifts through out the week in
order that the community may function. Areas such as first aide, information
center, Centering Dome (counseling), childcare, wood cutting, sweatlodge, etc.
We all pitch in to make it work. And I love the opportunity, regardless of
what it costs, the practice what I talk about the rest of the year--pagan
living.
        One of my favorite Rituals that is held is the Animal Totem Dance. It
is held in the Ritual Circle and people dress as the totem they wish to
invoke. The procession starts at one end of the camp and as it passes, the
procession grows... the Drummers lead the procession to the ritual circle.
Some {very} interesting things occur during this rite.
        Wisteria is the campground where the gathering was held, and Kami's
technical disription is accurate is it's way. The land there is
beautiful---620 acres of <pristine> land - fireflies light up the paths at
night, turtles and bull frogs abound-- the coyotes can be heard laughing at
the dancers at night. During the day the hawks fly over head. There are clean
and clear running spring feed streams that you can drink from... The Spirits
are felt and hear the prayers of those who pray... The little people whatch
from the woods and invite those that respect the ways of the land to return.
I hope that all of the abundance of the universe is bestoyed upon those who
have invested in this land, those that have given up their homes and homelands
to make Wisteria work. Remember, being pagan doesn't mean we need be poor,
nor does having abundance mean we have sold out. If we follow our hearts and
live our truth, why would not abundance follow?
        I am all ready planning next years journey to the Pagan Spirit
Gathering, where ever it is held. They are my family, my kindred spirits. I
would invite all those who seek kinship to gather with us next year... share
our fire and our food, our drum and dance, our tears and joy.

Peace, Love and Light,
Johnny Moonowl, Tatonka Hokshila

That sounds absolutely deliteful.

That was eloquent!  Thanks.
>free workshops, everything from drumming, to trance dancing, to Healing
I generally expect workshops to be included in the admission price.  I know
that there are some events where the admission just pays for basic camping
and you have to sign up (and pay) for additional classes, and I suspect I
wouldn't go to much, being sort of cheap.

>        1. Abott Bromsley Horn Dance Workshop
Do you happen to know who taught this one?

> what it costs, the practice what I talk about the rest of the year--pagan
Yup.  Practice it, learn more about it, have its very possibility reinforced.

>Kami's technical description is accurate in its way.
Pretty sparse, eh?  I haven't been there yet, and I wanted to make a point
about the attitude of the organizers- that they can be hard-headed when they
need to be, businesslike in preserving the sacredness of the land.  I'd like
to go some time.

> to make Wisteria work. Remember, being pagan doesn't mean we need be poor,
Hear, hear!

> would invite all those who seek kinship to gather with us next year... share
Road trip?  Grexpedition?

I would be interested in at least carpooling with other Grexers, and camping.

Sounds like a road trip to me! Convoy! The workshops are free in another
sense, too. The people that do the workshops to them for free. If the is a
workshop you'd like to do when you go, you can send in a request when you
register and the will most likely fit it into the schedule! The dance was done
by some one named Nels... that's all the information listed...

Well, I'm not sure about the organizers of PSG, but for ConVocation and WicCan
Fest there are a limited number of workshop slots, so people submit
applications to teach.  The folks in charge of progamming choose among these,
the workshops which look most well thought out, interesting and varied.  Most
teachers get the privilege of teaching <g>, a few "guests"--the ones who are
known, or who are doing a whole lot, or something- get special treatment: free
entry or a special dinner or first-refusal on the best camp site or something.
I believe that Starwood is different in that they a) have a number of classes
which require a surcharge and b) can afford to pay their guests a significant
fee, which is how they get some of the "names" they do.  Programming a
festival is a headache-producing job, but really fun.

I have a friend who has been researching Morris dancing, mummers plays and
such things, which is why I wondered who had done the workshop on Abbots
Bromley.  It's not her.

Seems that over the years, the larger the gathering at PSG, the more workshops
they have. This year, we had afternoon gatherings, but it seems that in years
past, we had them in the morning, too. These are different from the many
rituals held in the evenings.
        Starwood is different from what I have heard from others. There seems
to be a great deal of partying going on there, compared to PSG. We a great
deal of fun and there is some drinking, but it isn't the focus at all. I
haven't been to other wiccan or pagan gatherings, save for a couple of dozen
native american gatherings, which are very different and wonderful. What
gatherings ahve you been to Kami, and what are they like?

I gather that Starwood is pretty deliberately going for the "psychadelic"
crowd.  Not sure that's such a good plan, what with some winner deciding to
get drunk and stoned at the same time, and take a walk in the fire, a couple
of years back.  He seems to have learned his lesson.  And the various
substances have been rather less in evidence since then...

Other than Pennsic, which is medieval but has an open circle of 200-400 people
each year, I've been to 3 Starwoods, two Wellsprings (ADF's national
gathering), Merry Meet (COG's national gathering) once, when it was at Circle
Pines, and WicCan Fest this year.  Of them all, I particularly liked WicCan
Fest, but then, I have lots of friends there, was teaching, and had not
politics of any sort to deal with.  But that one is relatively small- 300
people and real kid-friendly and generally pleasant.  Wellspring is even
smaller, about 100, but rife with politics since it's where a year's worth
of business has to get done.  Same with Merry Meet, but at least it wasn't
*my* politics...I was just there with a friend, who was just there to hang
out, so it was very mellow.  They all have the usual bardic circles, drumming
and dancing circles, workshops and rituals, as well as some combination of
communal food and camp-cooking.  As it happens, all the sites have swimming,
too, although at Brushwood the pool isn't open yet by Wellspring- just the
hottub (awww, shucks <g>).
Now, besides those outdoor festivals, I've been to Esotericon (now defunct),
Etheracon and Ecumenicon, all out east.  They're indoor gatherings so there's
a lot more concentrated programming--don't have to allow the time for transit
and for camp-mainainance.  I find I prefer them, for the intense atmosphere,
although I enjoy camping out with friends.  They've had the sorts of "people
politics" that plague SF cons, but those were mostly internal and not really
my problem.  Other than that, there're generally super people, good
programming, and decent accomodations.  There's generally a pool and often
a hottub, huckters' room, art show, concerts, some amount of singing and
drumming although not the all night variety of outdoor events, and a
hospitality suite which is open until almost an obscene enough hour to make
up for the lack of a bonfire.  It's what ConVocation is modelled after.
        So- tell us about the Native American gatherings Moonowl.

We get together and pray. The spirits come and help us move our lives in a
good way. Then we share food and give away. Usually, we send grandpa and
grandma home with some money and tabacco for the old people on the
reservation. 

A little mellower, a little more intense, eh?  Probably a  *lot* closer
community- you don't have the "tail sniffing" of deciding who's a "real" pagan
or whatever.  Cool.

Well, can't say I've ever done any "Tail sniffing". I have never felt the need
to determine who's a real pagan. I figure that we are all where we're supposed
to be on our own path, so that judgement isn't one I need to make. But yes,
we are a very close family when the weekend is through. Many life long
friendships are made at those gatherings. The people that are there are the
people who are supposed to be there. I guess I look at all gatherings that
way. Each person is there to get what the need at their particular place on
their own path. Besides, I'm not sure what a 'real pagan" is. Enlighten me,
please, as to what makes a pagan real.

Johnny, I have no idea "what makes a pagan real."  I've certainly run into
people with whom I felt a swift affinity, a sense of familiarity, even family.
I've also run into people who seemed to be "slumming", putting on a role,
enjoying the romance of being "different" without having put real thought into
what it means.  I've met a lot of people who profess "pagan values" but who
are themselves intolerant, careless, unkind, dishonest, hypocritical, etc.
Now, I'm not sure where the line is between human weakness- being on the path
as we all are- and being "not for real", but some people you instinctively
trust and others you don't.  That appears to be different from the more
egregious "tail sniffing"; "Oh, you're Wiccan?  What tradition?  What line?
Do you know so-and-so?  Oh, you were trained by X?  Well, you know her
initiation isn't valid don't you?"-- that sort of catty snobbery.  It does
happen, if not quite *that* soap-opera nastily.  I try not to play that game,
letting obvious competence speak for itself, and yet, it's easy to look for
a short-hand with which to establish shared language and experiences; "Oh,
you're Faery Trad/Dianic/Gardnerian-derived?  Well, have you tried playing
with ....What did you think?"--a little more familiar than "Hey lady, what's
your sign?".  You see what I'm getting at? Trying to find a way to make
community stronger, not more devisive, when we're so spread out and have
*been* a community for so few years.

Right! I have often thought about how in society in general, when we find that
we have issues with a group of people, how we tend to just drift to another
group and avoid the issues. I think that in the general society, we can
afford, if you will, that luxury. However, in the pagan community, we can not
afford to allow issues to tear about the fragile fabric that has grwon in the
last twenty or so years. I believe that by working through the issues, we can
make the community stronger and more durable as well as get healthier in our
relations at the same time.
        I have noticed that some people are as you have said, not quite really
walking the talk. In my experience in AA, we say fake it til you make it! I
think this also applies to the people that you speak of. I didn't hear much
of that kind of talk at PSG, though. I'm sure it was there, to some degree.
The overwhelming tolerance of the gathering has, on more than one occassion,
but things in my face that I needed to look at. This has been good for me.
I have learned what really makes a person beautiful, getting past the physical
aspects of beauty in that judgemental way. Also, I have been challenged with
really learning what it means to be open minded. This is a tough challenge
to live up to. Paula keeps me on an even keel in this department.
        I was also, for the most part blessed not to have been apart of the
politics that I'm sure where there. I loose what grace I have in such
discussion, so I avoid them as much as possible. Politics I am not good with.
Also, I think that maybe because I follow the native path, some of the
discussions about wiccan traditions I don't find myself around, all though
I must admit that when I do I ask some questions to learn more about them,
and If i'm in one of my moods, some questions to have fun with.
        There were some faces missing from this year's psg do to this one not
seeing eye to eye with that one. My thoughts center on "As long as the ties
that bind us are stronger than those that would tear us apart, what will
happen will happen and we will still be here." I really, really hope to see
You dancing across the fire from me at psg 98. I would love to have more
people in Ann Arbor come into my family fire in this way. I like the way you
get me to thinking about certain things. And I bet you dance a mean fire!!!

Johnny Moonowl

Actually, Johnny, it takes a long time before I"ll get up and dance.  I enjoy
it once I do, though.  I'm more comfortable telling stories around a bardic
circle.  Had some fun at WicCan Fest- I told a story about why we don't tell
stories from Beltaine to Samhain (that is, though the summer half of the
year).  Totally apocryphal, and a real hoot!  The punch line was "and that,
good people, is why I cannot tell you a story today"--after spinning a longish
yarn.  People just about fell over!  whee!  

I'm glad that there really is an atmosphere of tolerance at PSG.  It does
sound like a good time.

Being comfortable in your own tradition and knowledge, and able to ask
bridge-building questions of folks from other traditions, is a gift.

Gee, Kami,
        We'd have you dancing in no time at all! The drums just kinda get under
your skin and Johnny bugs you til you dance. Unfortunately, the bards where
sparse this year, but hopefully next year Caltria will be there.. I had a good
one to tie on the end of their story circle this year, so next year I'll do
it if they are there. At any rate, start planning a grexpitition to psg next
year! It'd be wonderful to have a bunch of us travel and meet there. Southern
Ohio has to be close for Grex-ohio as well as most of Michigan and other areas
as well. There were some folks who came out from California this year. Also
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Geaorgia, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mass., Minnisota,
Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North
Carolina, Ohio, Penn., South Dakota, Tenn., Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington
State and D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, and a few from North of the Border.
A few wonders and rovers where also in attandance. Definately a GREAT way to
net work the U.S of A. in a fun and interesting vacation.

Johnny, it's just that I enjoy watching and feeling the music.  When it's
time, I dance, but it's one of the things I'm slow about.  Some things are
worth taking time over...
Wonder why the shortage of bardic talent.  Maybe busy dancing? <g>
Caltria?  as opposed to folks from Keltria? 
What was your story about?
Group travel is easier on everyone: the drive is less fatiguing and more
interesting, especially if you have multiple CB radios so you can chat and
if you switch off passengers now and then.  And having a group encampment is
really friendly.  Is there shady camping within reasonable reach of the
programming areas?
Good demographic representation.  ConVocation also has had folks from Florida,
DC, Virginia, NJ, Connecticut, Mass, Ottawa, Toronto, London Ontario,
Kentucky, Washington State, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan.  Don't know
if there were any Texans.  

        Just an aside, Johnny, but you said you'd found what makes a person
beautiful - c
sounds like there's a story worth telling in there.  Would you honor us?

Yea, Kaltria, now that's the group. Wish they'd a been there. Hopin' ta see
'em next year, ta be honest with ya. Do gotta good one for them. What's the
story, ya askin'? Now, you'll be needin ta be there too, if'n you wanna hear,
cuz the tellin's gotta be heard, ya know?
        Now this beauty thing...well, that one might just work on this
gadget... you see, most of the young ladies and some of the men walk around
most of the time in various states of undress. Now, to the young man who has
never witness such fine young pagan gals walkin' in the morning sun with
nothin' to hide, well, now that is a fine sight to see. And, well, those
pretty young pagan gals can just get yer heart to thumpin'!
        But that ain't the beauty that I seen there, not the real beauty. Let
me tell ya 'bout that. Ya see, the guy camping next to us, well he's in the
nation guard, and I spotted him right off, with his cammo tent and canten and
all. Military up to his eye brows and proud as a new father 'bout it, too.
He's plannin' on being one of the first pagan chaplins in the service, that
one is, but that ain't the pretty part. The second morning we were their, I
was up fixin' the morning coffee and this guy comes out of his tent wearing
a skirt and a wig and some pearls, walks over and asks for a cup of coffee.
He starts explaining how he likes to dress as a woman as I'm fillin' up his
cup. Oh, he ain't gay, just likes to dress like a lady. We sure talked alot
that morning and the coffee was good, too. Great guy and it didn't bother me
at all that I was talkin' to a guy in a wig with pearls. Them was fake,
though, cuz I know what the real ones look like.
        And another beautiful thing that I seen was Maddonna. Not the one in
them videos, no, this one is a big woman, mustta weighed in at over three
hundred pounds if she weight an ounce. Hugh tits on her, too and they were
pierced. Naked as a jay bird, she was and all sweaty from the afternoon sun.
I could tell she was feelin' good 'bout herself, so I just had to smile. There
I was huggin' this huge sweaty nipple pierced woman and just feelin' good to
be alive. Never meet her before, but we was home and so huggin's a good thing.
Her and Baba turned out to be two of the most beautiful ladies there.
        And Kathy was there too, lookin' good for a lady that damned near
killed herself drinkin'. Two years without a drop for her and there she was
standin' with her two week old daughter. What a sight. Ain't it somethin' how
some folks can crawl outta the gutter and be standing in front of ya takin'
care of a new born baby? Whatta sight that was. And every time she passed me,
she stopped and let me see that kid, cuz we can't have 'em and she remembers
me takin' time for her when she was still drinkin'. I ain't never seen Kathy
lookin' so happy.
        Who's Baba? Well, now she's Grandmother, but she like to be called
Baba. She's 'bout as big as Maddonna and has the sparkliest eyes you ever
looked into. My Grandma died back in '80, so I asked Baba if she'd be willin
to sit in for her. She said "Sure, always needin' more grandkids." But that
doesn't stop her from flirtin' with me, right in front of the Mrs., too, but
that's fine with me. SHe's got the twinkliest eyes I ever looked into.
        Well, them young pagan gals are sure pretty to look at, but I think
that if I'd kept on lookin', I mighta missed the beauty that was all around
me.

Johnny

Thanks for the story, Johnny.  Pretty fair description.  One of my favorite
robes that I saw at Starwood was probably made out of bed sheets, caftan
style, and painted with the lady's own body, so she could be naked without
courting sunburn...Yum!

        Re #27:

        Where I see beauty, is in kindness and in creativity and in being true
to ideals.  A man changing a stranded stranger's flat tire is more handsome
than a man sitting.  A woman painting is more beautiful than a woman sitting.
These are only things as I see them, though.

        It is a good thing when a man or a woman sees through what they are
told is beautiful or good.  But it is sometimes the pain and uncertainty that
drives us to be better than we are, to learn our value in terms of who we are
and not what price we would bring at market.

        Thank you for sharing that story, though - it has meaning.

Yes, Jazz, you have also seen the beauty that I spoke of. It is the kindness,
the love, the creating that is beautiful. It is the struggle out of the pain
the made Baba beautiful. It was the creativity of the cross-dresser that was
beauty, it was the way Madonna had changed her own flat tire of a life that
was beauty. It was seen for their value as a living, breathing human was
assumed since they were breathing. To assume another's value gives me the
opportunity to learn who they are, who they wish to become and sometimes who
they used to be. Thank you for understanding the story.

I am you, You are another reflection of me,
Johnny Moonowl

        It's all a part of the story, anyways.  It's just the body of writing
that confuses people into thinking things aren't.

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