A word of wisdom… From The Hermit

If all your wishes were granted, and you had everything you desired. Would you be happy without any hopes, dreams and plans for the future?

Ponderings   by Gramps

Way back in the primeval soup a single cell was stimulated and by some inexplicable means began to divide and, over the billions of year that followed, evolved through various transitions and stages into becoming Homo Sapiens.

Have you ever considered that something very close to that long path of evolution is happening every year, today?

A single cell, an egg, is stimulated by sperm, and goes through the whole gamut of that evolutionary process in approximately nine months.

 The cell divides and multiplies within the womb.

 From a single cell to a complete infant that is born from that ‘soup’ within the womb.

 One of the true Wonders of Life!

Granny Wildheath’s Tips

Here is a little tip for the gardeners among you. When the stinging nettles re-appear gather a good sized bunch and put them in a bucket, half filled with rain water. Push them down so they are well in the water, and then cover the bucket with an old slate or some thing. Give the bucket a bit of a stir once in a while. Then after a few weeks take out some of the water, strain out any bits and you have fairly good greenfly stuff to spray on your plants. You need to have 2 or 3 buckets on the go as its best if used fresh.

A thought to ponder? From The Hermit…

Looking for personal happiness in the words and actions of others is like trying to get fit by watching somebody else exercise.

Moot Meal at the Green Man, Six Mile Bottom, Saturday 14^th April

By David Street

The Green Man at Six Mile Bottom is one of those places I’ve driven by so many times on the way to work etc, but never given a second thought to, apart from the name that is, which is a pretty good name for a pub in my view, but I may be biased.

 I was really looking forward to the Moot Meal not having been to one for a while, and I was not to be disappointed. We arrived in the late afternoon sunshine, it had been a lovely sunny day and sitting out the front we found Heather, Julie and John enjoying the sunset. Shortly after Tina, Chris, Allan and Natalie turned up and we moved inside to find our table. We were then joined by Sara and Connie to make our number complete.

 This is where we encountered our only problem of the evening, when we found our table was split into two, which none of us were happy about. The restaurant was pretty busy but after some persuading by Tina some other less important guests were moved and we got our one large table, sorted!

 There was a good selection on the menu (unless you happen to be afflicted by vegetarianism) and there was a special board with venison, pheasant and steak. Those members of the group from Essex were pleased to find the steak was supplied by a butcher in Colchester. 

Starters ordered varied from Melon to Whitebait (a large portion and so delicious), main courses consisted of venison steak, casserole and lots of steaks as well as some lush chicken (that was the name honest) which consisted of chicken in an almond and amaretto sauce with rice, yum! I tried some of the steak too and that was melt in the mouth with loads of flavour.

 Now most of us were pretty full when we were asked about dessert but I rose to the challenge when presented with “Click’s delight”, shame they only had one left! I won’t tell you what it was you’ll have to find out by yourselves.

 Although not cheap I found the food at the Green Man very good (worth the money in my opinion), the service helpful and friendly and a generally good atmosphere. I would definitely recommend it and will no doubt visit again myself some time.

                                                                  EAMM 2007 Review By Carol

The East Anglia Mega Moot was most excellent. The talks were superb, the company was wonderful, and I was able to relax and enjoy it which was the best bit.
We started with a talk from Di Firmin about the public perception of paganism as evidenced by the media coverage she has received over the years. It's gone from front page shock horror "evil witch lives in Colchester" to page 23 "those weirdo’s are having another of their annual dos". It wasn't the most educational talk ever, but it was interesting and fun to listen to, and about the right level for first thing in the morning.
Then we had Nick Ford who was talking about what I would describe as culture shift, the idea that it wasn't wave after wave of war and oppression that changed the culture so much as people adopting new fashions. He came out with the best example to illustrate this theory that I've heard - even though we haven't been invaded by American Gangsta Rappers and Chavs, if viewed by archaeologists some time in the future it could seem that we had. It was a very interesting talk making a lot of sense and bringing thoughts and theories I'd already come across into sharper focus.

Then it was Jenny Blain's turn and she gave a fascinating insight into Seidr. It made a few more connections for me and has given more areas to go off and research. I am definitely being more and more drawn to this, it keeps cropping up in the strangest of places, I get the feeling this isn't going to go away until I've put some real time into studying it.

After lunch we had Steve Pollington. He's always one of my favourite speakers, this time it was Leechcraft which meant we had the pleasure of listening to some wonderful old english while he recited some of the charms. It was another thought provoking talk, I want to go read up on ancient medicine and herb lore as a result. I've got Steve's book on the subject somewhere so that's a good starting point. I can't think of many other occasions when I have felt this inspired by two subjects from the same event!

Then we had Robin with an overview of Egyptian Magic. It was mostly things I'd already heard before, but as always the presentation was entertaining and fun to listen to. I do find the idea of Heka quite fascinating. Am so used to the Eastern perception that it's the intent that makes the magic, the idea of it being the actual words is almost alien but fascinatingly so.

Last talk for the day was a discussion led by Terry on The future of Paganism - should we celebrate our differences or try to conform to the Wiccan Ideal. We were all pretty much in agreement that Diversity is a good thing, but it was a fun rant anyway.

Then there were a couple of hours of decent chilling out and socialising before the fab and groovy Paul Mitchell got to strut his funky stuff with a mammoth 3 hour set. You just gotta love Paul, he had us all laughing and singing along within minutes - even the people who'd never heard of him before were quickly converted.

 It was a real shame to come home. It looked like the party was going to keep going for hours, but we had a long journey home so had to leave while everything was still in full swing. It has reminded me exactly why I started organising Broomcon and why it's worth doing.. Maybe I should go to more of these events.

                                                                                            EAMM 2007 Review by Nick Ford

Congratulations and thanks to Mildenhall's SageCat Moot for hosting the East Anglia MegaMoot at the Bell Hotel last weekend. It was one of the pleasantest events of its kind I've attended. I haven't often
experienced such hospitality and appreciation from event organisers and attending pagans, or such obliging helpfulness from hotel staff (tell one barmaid once how to make a black and tan, and the other
three all already know by the time they serve you).

The event speakers were all well worth listening to (for the first time in a long time I didn't skip a single talk), from Jenny Blain on Seidr to Robin Herne on Kemetic spirituality, Steve Pollington on
Anglo-Saxon leechcraft, veteran pagan campaigner Di Firmin, talking about the changing public and media perceptions of paganism in East Anglia over the past 40 years, and concluded with a very useful discussion on where pagan politics is going in the UK.

The evening of music and song with Paul ('The Drinking Times') Mitchell (with a little help from two or three singers from the Grey Mare) was excellent, and couldn't really have been bettered unless
they'd booked Blackbird ('Rigantona') Hollins as well (you never know, they might, next time).

With about 100 people there it was big enough to be interestingly diverse, yet still small enough to be intimate and friendly. Even the stalls were selling a high proportion of original and useful
stuff, with hardly an item of witchypoo gothickitsch in sight :-). As Captain Beefheart nearly said, in Moonlight on Vermont': "Goes to show ya what a Moot kin do."

                                 A Poem By A Witch: Rhiannon and Pwyll

Speaking to me from a place I cannot reach.

Your story obtuse, obscure and un-clear, its messages strong but confusing.

 The love of your life betrayed and lost you, your only child stolen and used against you, how can I learn from your mysteries, why do you haunt my dreams still? 

An image of horses, running faster than the wind, more silently than the darkness of night, you hair flying and whipping wildly around your face, the moon shining on your naked back.

 How could a Prince not fall for this beauty, impossible and doomed with all her ancient baggage! An unavoidable love, a destiny that must be fulfilled, no matter the cost to the Prince or the Land, no matter the cost to Rhiannon’s pride.

She hides her pride for so long a time, taking the humiliation, accepting the beatings and shamings from her community, never speaking an unkind word to her tormentors…

 What can I learn from this tight-lipped martyr?

 What lesson is there for me, a witch with no serious troubles, an easy modern life, with no horses to run like the wind, no oppression or suspicion unless I decree it.

What can I give to you Rhiannon? What is it you wish of me?

 Tell them my story child, share my suffering my sister, wail and moan for the pain caused by lying and everlasting foolishness of mankind.

Her whisper came like the frost appearing on glass,

“Tell them, sister, tell them all you know”

 And still I know, this will not be enough, for I do not know enough, I may never find all the truths all the stories of this Ancient Queen,

“I promise to try” I murmur back, “What’s that dear?” comes a voice from reality, “Promise what, and to whom?” The smile I see brings me out of my dream of horses,

flying on the wind, the dream of love and fear.                    

 Shaking myself awake I smile to my Prince, just a dream, just a dream…

 Good Morning Rhiannon, I say to myself as I get out of bed

Cycle of Life – A Poem by a Witch

 I speak with the Goddess on my bike. 

She reaches out to me from the wind in my ears and sun on my back.

 With gold and pink fingers and ice blue breath, she whispers to me as I fly, bump and glide along roads, tracks and streets.

 I speak back to her in the open spaces, unheard by others but listened to intently by the old ones.

 The wheels spin around and the chain spurs me forwards, all turning, all endless, I can stop at will, anywhere I like, kiss a flower, wait for a bird to take to its wing and watch in wonder as life pours itself all around me.

 I speak with the Goddess when I’m on my bike.

 Sometimes it feels like flying, or gliding on the surface of the earth.

 Sometimes I feel her mock me, pushing wind and rain in my face, forcing me to a stop! Then I feel her test me, are you strong enough? Can you understand the strength that grows beneath your feet, the force of the water flowing all around your tiny island?

I see her seasons change from beneath folds of scarf and hat, I smell the spring approaching long before I see it, I stretch my shoulder blades and straighten up my back, sitting tall and peddling strong, she carries me along, treasured and protected. 

I speak with the Goddess when I’m on my bike. 

My wheels and hers, turning in unison.

 Well, a car would be nice to do the shopping, but think what I’d miss out on…