Hello All, Ray left early Wednesday morning, so it is just the girls, the cats and myself again. It was wonderful having him home finally. I do need to get back on schedule again though. My writing has been put on the back burner for the most part since school ended. Fortunately there is currently a bit of a stockpile for both Whispers and AWAP or else I would be pulling my hair out right about now. While Ray was home, he took us out to eat a couple of times (until the air conditioning was fixed.) Our oldest got her ears pierced, something we have been promising her she could have done. She is thrilled. She chose little stars for her starter earrings. We also got her a frame for her Presidential award certificate. Tonight I plan on going to the farmer’s market. Mom plans on having small stand and I am going to place some fresh herbs on it. I wish I had a few more culinary herbs but we will see how they sell. Wish me luck So 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. ~*~*~*~ Cleansing By Errolwolf As I light the sweet grass and sage wand I offer thanks to these people and this space I ask that the GrandMothers and GrandFathers join me in a cleansing of the den ....a healing for all as the ice begins melting into liquid that flows pure and clean, her roots respond to the nourishment drinking of the liquid the darkness of the underground trapped the root in sorrow and gloom ....she wished for the light of the sun slowly a shoot emerged and journey upward penetrated the crust of the surface as the light shone, a solitary leaf unfurls ...reaching the path is now open, the way to the light is cleared the truth is in the honoring. as I leave the den I thank the powers for joining in the healing and cleansing of this sacred place ~*~*~*~ Cool Link(s) of the week: Runelore links http://www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk/lyfja/ghp/runes.html RuneLore and Crafting Your Own Set of Runes http://www.wyrdweavers.org/files/runelore.html ~*~*~*~ Review-Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey Author: Jodi Wetherup (ierne) First published on: February 20, 2001 in Women and Pagan/Spiritual Healing Methods http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/women_healing_methods Title: Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey Author: Kenneth Johnson Publisher: Llewellyn Publications ISBN: 1-56718-379-4 Pages (incl. back matter): 262 Release Date: Second Edition 1998 I requested this book to review as a tie-in with my articles on shamanism (see Shaman's Path 1-4). Although not specifically directed at healing, I have found this book to give a fairly thorough depiction of shamanism practices from several cultures. Kenneth Johnson takes the reader through the vast expanses of time, exposing various shamanic cultures from India to Egypt, Mayan to Native American. Every culture at some point in history has had methods of contacting the spirit realm, whether it be for healing practices, guaranteeing a bountiful harvest, or providing counseling and spiritual guidance. Mr. Johnson has covered pretty many questions that could arise - What is a shaman? How does a shaman journey into other realms? Were shamans male or female? As I read through the book, I found I became more interested in the correlation between modern pagan/witchcraft practices and those used by shamans in ancient times. It seems to me that Mr. Johnson holds the belief that witches and shamans are essentially one and the same - just under different names or "titles." I grant this much - many of the shamanic journey practices described in the book are very similar to the pathworking rituals and exercises used by modern witches. At the end of the book, Mr. Johnson describes a gathering of hundreds of Native Americans in South Dakota in 1890. These peoples had come from far and wide, to dance the Ghost Dance. Medicine men began the ceremony, chanting and dancing throughout the teepees set up, eventually arriving at the center pole. There, the ritual began in earnest, with at least one hundred shamans taking part. They danced and circled and chanted, reaching a state of ecstasy, where they could then speak to the spirits of their dead. It is described much better in the book, very vivid - almost as if one were actually there! Here's a taste of what you will find between the covers. (Mid-paragraph 2, pg. 40) "Scholars acknowledge that Odin is one of the most genuinely shamanic figures in European mythology. He suffers a dramatic initiatory torment on the World Tree, which is chronicled in an old Norse poem entitled Havanal ("The Song of the High One"): I know I hung on the windswept Tree, through nine days and nights. I was stuck with a spear and given to Odin, myself given to myself…. They helped me neither by meat or drink. I peered downward, I took up the runes, screaming, I took them - then I fell back. Odin has been wounded by a spear (like Llew) and - a mystical paradox - sacrificed to himself. Bleeding, he hangs from the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, with none to give him food and drink. He peers downward, perhaps into the depths of Mimir's Well, which lies at the root of the World Tree, for we are told in another place that Odin is privileged to converse with the prophetic head of Mimir because he sacrificed an eye for wisdom. And indeed, wisdom is what he seeks, for to the Norse the runes were not simply a secular alphabet - they constituted a body of lore, each letter rich with magical correspondences and esoteric meanings. Odin wins his goal and grasps the runes, but scream with the pain of knowledge acquired." I recommend this book to anyone curious about the history and mythology of shamanism. It's a good starting point for those interested in learning a new path. ~*~*~*~ Announcement(s): this place reserved for announcements and press releases I find of interest. I’m pretty lenient about what I place in here but please no Spam that’s been around the world so many times everyone has it memorized. I will consider books release announcements, local and national event announcements, and noteworthy news applicable to those in the pagan community among other things. Thank you. Sheila ~*~*~*~ Writer's Biographies: Errolwolf describes herself as: “a hermit crone residing in a serene coastal valley of Oregon,” Errolwolf writes rituals and poems for the spirit.” Jodi Wetherup (ierne) is the editor of more on-line publications then anyone in their right mind should even consider (this includes PaganMuse which can be found at: http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/paganmuse). She runs a home-based business and is a wife and mother as well. 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 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 its entirety, including copyright and contact information. People may subscribe to Whispers of A Stone Circle at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhispersOfAStoneCircle/ 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