Hello Again,

Well I spent the last two days writing about sex. You would have thought it
would be an easier subject for me to write about cause it isn’t like I never
talk about the subject or even think about it.  But it was a bit more
difficult then I had planned, anyway the article is an opinion piece on sex.

The final poem for the Stone Walls contest is in this issue. This offering
is by Two Wolves.

I did have a funny conversation with a friend yesterday while taking a
break. I sent her this link, http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020419.html
, and it resulted in the following conversation: (No offense intended to
blondes out there.)

Her: I love it when the moon does that. I always stop and stare
ZeliziofWWS: 8^)
Her: I have a habit of walking into parked cars when I do that too
:-\
Me: question
Her: ?
Me: how do you stop stare and walk into parked cars at the same time?
Me: Stopping hints not walking
Her: cuz like I'm blonde and stuff
Her: and so like when I start again
Her: I plow into things
Her: :-[
Me: so you can stop and keep walking?
Me: She was so blonde when she stopped, she kept moving
Her: well, I can stop, look, and resume

She found the blonde joke quite funny.

If I keep this up, my friends are going to get together and do a collection
of the most interesting Sheila Typo's ever.

Until next time,
Sheila K. Watkins
Editor: Whispers of a Stone Circle
See last page of this newsletter for submission guidelines, forwarding
guidelines, where you can subscribe to Whispers and copyright information.

~*~*~*~
Stone Walls
by Two Wolves

Sitting here in a drunken almost-stupor,
whiskey replacing the blood that
once filled my veins,
I contemplate the words “stone walls.”

I look out the window
of my cluttered, dysfunctional office
and try to visualize
these walls of rock.

I take another drink –
the amber liquor is ambrosia –
and I realize,
in a painful inspiration-flash

that the walls we put up
around us
are more than stone –
stronger,

harder,
impossible to break,
even with dynamite.
Even with fission.

For these walls so impenetrable
are of Spirit
and are …

ourselves.

~*~*~*~
Cool Link(s) of the week: Celtic Goddesses: (short descriptions)
http://www.art-with-attitude.com/village/celtic_goddesses.html

~*~*~*~
An Opinion on Sex
By Sheila K. Watkins

Sex. It’s a pretty powerful word in our culture. It’s snickered about;
teasing hints of it are used to sell everything under the sun. Songs are
full of them, heck rock and roll started out as a reference to sex. In the
American culture at large sex is something better teased about then actually
used but in the pagan culture we don’t have to worry about that do we. Sex.
It’s a pretty powerful word in our culture. It’s snickered about; teasing
hints of it are used to sell everything under the sun. Songs are full of
them, heck rock and roll started out as a reference to sex. In the American
culture at large sex is something better teased about then actually used but
in the pagan culture we don’t have to worry about that do we. Sex is
important in a lot of pagan paths, for example Wiccans have the great rite.
Sex is seen as natural, pleasurable, necessary and an act of worship. But
pagan religions are not about having orgies or how many notches you can put
on your staff or chalice. It is about following the old ways, which includes
acceptance of sex as not sinful.

 Sex is a part of our religion, for many of us. It is far from a sin so
anything goes right? Yes and no. There are some ground rules that we should
follow. 1) Only between consenting adults ( I know teens are going to
experiment, it’s the nature of being a teen but I am not going to get into
teen sexuality here. I’m going to have to deal with it in real life soon
enough with my children.) 2) Teachers and students should not engage in
intimate activities while they are in the student teacher relationship.
(With the exception, if there was a previous committed relationship for
example long term significant others or marriage and one partner asks the
other for teaching and the relationship can handle it then go for it.
Personally I couldn’t. Also if the sole purpose of the teacher student
relationship is the teaching of sex magic, well I think you see my point.)
3) There is also no means no, no doesn’t mean try to manipulate the other
person into having sex with you.  True story. Several years back I was on an
e-mail list, and one of the women on it wrote for advice. She was married
and her and her husband were in a monogamous relationship. A pagan associate
of hers was trying to tell her she should tell her husband that she had to
sleep with him because it was a religious obligation and if she didn't well
she wasn't pagan. She was a bit upset about the situation and was advised to
tell the guy off.

“Hey, babe, I worship the great god Abraxus.. He believes in the glory of
the naked human body... (Someone used something very similar to this on me
in 1966... I *still* don't know if Abraxus is a god...)”1

The guy fell very much into the category of using religion to get laid and
that bugs me. Now before you paint me as an old fuddy duddy I would like to
explain. I have friends who are all sorts of lifestyles from homosexual,
bisexual, transgendered and transsexual as well as straight. Some I couldn’t
imagine doing a kinky thing on a bet, others are into BDSM, group relations
and I hear a lot about it. I know one guy who is celibate as a choice for
now. (For some reason people find it very easy to tell me all about their
sex lives.) Sane informed relationships of any kind are cool with me,
idiotic selfish game playing is quite another.

Anyway back to the point I was making, the guy wanted sex, he wanted it from
her and he didn’t care enough about her to take her feelings on the matter
into consideration. He wasn’t above using the tired old trick of making the
woman either prove or disprove something. The first time I heard the
variation on this was when I was in college and a guy told my roommate she
needed to sleep with him to prove she wasn’t racist. Same game, different
player.

“My personal favorite: ‘My chalice, your athame?’”2

When I was first starting out I met a man who said he was Wiccan, I didn’t
tell him I was looking into it because I hadn’t decided if it was for me or
not. I remember him telling me one thing he liked about his religion was he
could sleep with anyone he wanted and not feel guilty about it. I don’t know
if he is still Wiccan or if he has gone onto other things. I know at the
time I was thinking, “his poor wife.” Now my take on the same situation
would be as long as his wife knew and was fine with it then “cool.” But the
way he phrased things at the time, according to my memories, I wonder if the
sex part was “the” important part of his religious beliefs. If you are
involved in the pagan community for any length of time (even if you don’t
follow a path where sex is important) you will come across this type.  In
fact several of the pickup lines scattered through here have actually been
heard at pagan gatherings. They seem so intent on their physical desires,
wants, and needs that they forget about the spiritual part.

“Hey baby....it's Beltaine!! ::leer:: ::wiggle eyebrows up and down::”3

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with enjoying the physical. What I am
saying is, sex isn’t pagan even though a lot of pagan paths incorporate sex.
If someone is in it for how many people they can screw then they might want
to consider joining a swinger’s club instead. OK, it bugs me when people use
religion as a pick up joint, it bugs me more when religious groups encourage
it. (Example: Churches advertising dating services) If you meet someone
though the course of your activities, that’s wonderful but going out
actively prowling just feels ick to me.

At one point I decided that for me the rule was: never sleep with someone I
wouldn’t trust to (privately)circle with and never (privately) circle with
someone I wouldn’t trust to sleep with. It doesn’t mean we are sleeping
together but if I am going to circle with them but I have to trust them that
much. I will step into a public circle but I don’t totally let my guard down
there because there are people I don’t know usually present and there are
some people I refuse to even step into a public circle if they are in it.

To me both are sacred and require a lot of trust. If I am burned in either
area, it takes a lot for me to regain trust if I ever can, and it hurts me
deeply and actually I can recover from hurt sexually quicker then I can from
hurt, done by someone I trust, of a magical nature. Maybe it is cause when
someone you trust hurts you in a magical way it leaves a feeling very much
like that of being raped. Whereas if you are hurt in a sexual nature (unless
there is rape involved) it is a bit easier to get over.

Some people don’t understand where I am coming from when I tell them my
rule. I am not saying they have to follow it either. Actually in some cases
that is a good idea cause the people some people sleep with I would avoid
engaging in even passing conversation.

“Unknown instant messenger: Are you really a witch?
Me: uummm yes
Unknown instant messenger: Are you really from Iowa?
Me: Yes
Unknown instant messenger: Want to meet somewhere and (Expletive deleted)”4

In fact there are some people who I wish to shower after any sort of
contact, smudge myself and my area and then shower again several times.

“*sly smile* I'm hung like Herne...” 5

This article is basically my opinion and how I see things. How you see them
may be something entirely different and that is fine. It makes the world a
richer place when people have different opinions.

I would like to leave you all with some of the better of the cheesy Pagan
pick up lines I was given when I requested them.

Hey, babe, I'm looking for a high priestess for the Great Rite...6
Is that an athame in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?7
Whatcha got under that robe?8
I practice skyclad...wanna see my sky?9
Can I dunk my athame in your chalice?10
Hey babe, I can help you open up your root chakra... *waggles eyebrows*11
Haven't we met on the astral plane?12

My personal favorite is (along with a great come back line):

I need a second for the Great Rite....wanna help?13
"If a second is all you need then it ain't going to be so Great.. call me
when you need a couple of hours" 14


Top 10 pick up lines 15
http://www.spiralnature.com/entertain/top10.html

There are some other nominees for cheesy lines (which have actually been
heard at festivals, mind you!): 16

1. "Hey, baby, wanna come back to my tent and do the Great Rite?"

2. "You look familiar; I think we were in a coven together in a previous
life." -- a variant of #7


Contributors for the cheesy pagan pickup lines are the following:
1 Contributed by a long term pagan from California who wished to remain
nameless
2 Contributed by A. Marina Fournier
3 Contributed by Jackie Beltaine
4 Instant message created from the memory of a real conversation. All I can
say is eewww eeewwww ewwwwwwwww still.
5 Contributed by Gwen Wolfrose
6 Contributed by the long term pagan from California who wished to remain
nameless
7 Contributed by Jackie Beltaine
8 Contributed by Jackie Beltaine
9 Contributed by Jackie Beltaine
10 Contributed by Jackie Beltaine
11 Contributed by Gwen Wolfrose
12 Contributed by Gwen Wolfrose
13 Contributed by Jackie Beltaine
14 Contributed by Hare
15 Link Contributed by Ariell
16 Contributed by A. Marina Fournier

~*~*~*~
Announcement(s):
The Iowa Organization of Witches and Neopagans (www.iowaorgofwitches.org) is
having their third annual Beltane gathering at Margo Frankel Woods, April
27th, 11 am-8 pm.
The event includes workshops, a potluck, a divination table, vendors and a
silent auction, which will help IOWAN pay for expenses of upcoming events.
The festivities will also involve a Maypole, a ritual, and a bonfire, as
well as drumming. Everyone is welcome.
To get to the wood, start at the 2nd Ave. exit of I-80/35, and go north. 2nd
Ave. becomes Highway 415, but keep going. On the right-hand side of the
road, there will be a small white sign with blue letters that say "IOWAN";
turn in there. Go around to the back, and there you are.

Blessed be,
Kevin Romaine (Sings With Coyotes)
Event Coordinator,
Blessed Be and Meet Me in Des Moines 2002[Iowa Mirror Event]
October 18-20, 2002
Osceola, Iowa, USA

Additional information
Hey troops, my mom told me today that when she talked to Barb on Wednesday.
Barb said if the weather was lousy on Saturday, they would have some of the
activities at The Atlantean, and the ritual up at the wood, but that the
entire event might be shifted to Sunday. The weather then looks somewhat
better. I am to call Barb tomorrow, and I will post an update as soon as
possible.

Blessed be,
Kevin Romaine (Sings With Coyotes)
Event Coordinator,
Blessed Be and Meet Me in Des Moines 2002[Iowa Mirror Event]
October 18-20, 2002
Osceola, Iowa, USA

~*~*~*~
Writer's Biographies:
Tow Wolves says about himself: “. Let's try this: I've been writing since
high school, and have seen my poems published both locally and overseas.
During this time, I also served as a combat medic in the U.S. Army, a
Paramedic in civilian life, a photographer, and newspaper reporter, as well
as in various jobs in the business world. I now co-own a small-press
publishing company that specializes in extremely-small press runs. I live in
what's left of a forest (after our recent ice storm) in the Kansas City,
Missouri area with two wolf-rejects and innumerable wildlings.”

Sheila K. Watkins knew from the time she was 15 that she wanted to be a
writer but did not really start writing until she entered college where she
worked on her college newspaper and also worked as the editor of the feature
section for one semester. She was also introduced to the love of writing
poetry at this time. Fortunately for all of us most of the poems have been
lost to the world of men. After college she worked several jobs during the
next few years but none included writing. It wasn’t until after both of her
children had started school in 1998 that she went back to her love of
putting words on a computer screen. Her first submission was accepted by
publication by the Iowan Witches and Neo-Pagans newsletter and it started
her on the path of truly honing her work. In October of 2000, she founded
and became editor of Whispers of a Stone Circle.

~*~*~*~
Submissions are always welcomed and can be made to: Zeliziw@netins.net
In submitting materials writers are agreeing that if accepted I may post
them in the newsletter and on the web page (whenever I finally get back to
work on it.) Works submitted must be the writer’s own work and they must
still retain the copyright OR it must be verifiably public domain. Works can
have been published before but please nothing that has been around over and
over again. Copyright remains in the author’s possession. The Author also
realizes that they will not be paid. (If I had money I would be hosting this
on something other then Yahoo.) If a submission is accepted, I will check
for punctuation, capitalization and spelling in submitted articles. I will
fix minor errors if they are present. I will NOT reword things (except for
an occasional “an” for “a” and vice versa.) Poems are published as
submitted.

Forwarding information: If you chose to forward this newsletter, do so in
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All articles, poems, etc, except where noted are copyrighted by the writers
and are used with permission. They are not to be republished without the
express permission of the writers. Contact information may be obtained by
contacting the editor of Whispers of A Stone Circle at Zeliziw@netins.net

Copyright (c) 2002 Sheila K. Watson.
All Rights Reserved