SweetWood Temenos Newsletter #3

June 20, 2001

SWT INTERIM COUNCIL REPORT

by Kim Ingersoll

The Council met on May 13, 2001 at Kyril's house. It was a rather short meeting. We now have 14 members of the Temenos, with 1 new member being processed. We talked about upcoming events this summer (see below). As of May 31st, 2001 we have $2494.00 in our SweetWood Temenos account. Thanks to Sam and Michael for their generous donations!

SWT UPDATE

The Temenos held a Earth Day Planting Party on April 20-22, 2001. The weather was threatening, but 5 hardy souls showed up with bulbs and seeds to plant. Special thanks to Anne for bringing some lovely plants! The campsites and circle were cleared and a new wildflower garden patch was created. Kim planted some hardy lilies in another patch near the path down to the circle. Hopefully the flowers will be blooming in time for the Freedom Fest.

Jack has now paid for the granite altar top, and the 5 of us brought the stone down to the altar base that Jack had constructed. The top was attached without a hitch. Now we have a beautiful altar in the North to use for our rituals. We had some fun scrying into the shiny dark mirror finish.

Mariosa, a woman from Viroqua had given us a generous donation for the altar top, so she was invited to see the new altar. She left a corn kernel spiral by the Grandma Cottonwood Tree, which disappeared quickly - feeding the deer and the squirrels.

A prospective member and his partner visited the Temenos in late spring and stayed to help clear campsites and stack wood. A lot of wood… They were both impressed with our Sacred Space and are happy that they can find a sanctuary from the city life.

SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER AND FALL 2001

5th Annual Freedom Gather - June 29 through July 2, 2001

(Members can stay free through July 4th). Ritual, playshops, symposium and general merry-making. $25 members, $35 nonmembers.

Pizza Work Party -- Labor Day Weekend, Aug 30 through Sept 3, 2001

General campsite clearing, trails, woodcutting etc. A $5 donation requested for porta-johns. We will provide the Pizza!

Autumn Work Party - Sept 28-30, 2001

It's a beautiful time to enjoy the fall color. Come and mix work with pleasure. A $5 donation is requested for porta-johns.

THE LAND SPEAKS

by Delta Listening Wolf

Spring has Sprung! Spring arrived with cool temps and lots of rain. The zillions of bulbs planted along the main path and around the Circle have bloomed abundantly. The brown leaf fall is shot through with yellow, white, and purple. Later the rest of the forest's green life caught up with blooms of hepatica, trillium and wild geranium. The hardy orchids leave a heavy scent, reminding me of Jasmine.

There was a heavy crop of Morel mushrooms this year; a fine delicacy that people will pay over $20 a pound for. Morels are a local cash crop - in fact Delta had to chase off trespassers looking for a few quick bucks. Morels usually come out around the first week in May, and last for about 1-2 weeks. Morels can be gathered in a sustainable way by looking for mushrooms that have released their spores through a hole in the top. Also, always use a mesh bag so the spores from picked mushrooms can seed themselves as you walk through the woods. They are very distinctive and easy to identify. Fry them well in butter and you will have a very yummy treat.,

As I rake some leaves I disturb a snake mother and her babies. Delta loves to play with snakes, so I gently picked one up and saw its bright orange underside - distinctive for a ring snake. Later an owl calls, so I answer with my own hoots and smile. Now that Summer Solstice is upon us the fireflies have returned. As the fireflies mix with the stars I give thanks for this place where the Green Earth Life and starry sky speaks loud and clear to my Spirit.

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