SweetWood Temenos Newsletter #4

August 20, 2001

SWT INTERIM COUNCIL REPORT

by Kim Ingersoll

The council met at the 5th annual Freedom Fest on July 1st, 2001. This was an open meeting, so members as well as friends participated. Copies of the minutes are available from Secretary Delta. Including money from the Freedom Fest and membership renewals, there is now about $3500.00 in our checking account. This money is earmarked for improvements to the Temenos, as well as operating expenses. Kyril Oakwind is our Treasurer, and she will cheerfully answer any $$ questions when you contact her.

SWEETWOOD TEMENOS UPDATE

The 5th annual Freedom Fest was held on June 29 - July 2. There were 27 people attending, including 2 youngsters, Rowan and Thor. The weather was hot, but the rain stayed away for our event. Jack Chocolate and Sherry renewed their wedding vows at our ritual circle. Also, Jack and Sherry were initiated as Scions in the Church of All Worlds (our parent organization). Delta and Jack Ingersoll made a new Scion magic box for the occasion. Both rituals brought smiles and hugs from all present! Other events included a talk by Jack Ingersoll, " About Freedom & the Age of Aquarius", a symposium about communication (which evolved into a discussion of recent CAW political events), a prayer-flag playshop by Delta, a workshop by DJ called "The Invisible Minority", and of course the main ritual "Welcoming the Age of Aquarius", facilitated by Jack Ingersoll (CAW Priest) and Kyril Oakwind (CAW Postulant). Jack and Delta heard much good feedback, especially for the main ritual, which was both moving & powerful.

MEMBERSHIP

SweetWood Temenos has welcomed three new members since the last newsletter. Hugs, water and Bonobo butt-rubs go out to Jack Chocolate, Sherry, and Michael K. WELCOME!! Our members now number 16, and counting. If you have friends or family that are interested in SweetWood, info-packs can be sent out free. Just contact Delta, if you have questions/comments.

MEMBERS! Just a reminder that you can visit the Temenos at any other time to enjoy the solitude of the woodland. Experience the wholeness of a fully viable & complete ecosystem! It can really renew the Soul and Spirit. Just call us at (608) 625-4060 or email Jack and Kim to reserve a time. Members can bring friends/partners for a small donation.

Delta has been writing this newsletter for almost year now and I guess it is about time to open up these pages for the membership to speak their minds and hearts. What does the Vision of SweetWood mean? to you? Any ideas to increase membership? Poems and stories? Addresses of sugar-daddies? :) Also, if you come across any thoughts & ideas from others, pass them along. Let me hear from you! One idea I brought home from Starwood was the idea that Starwood operates as an 'autonomous zone' - where people can 'do their own thing', and still be in harmony with others & the environment. I'd like to explore this idea as something that SweetWood can develop.

FUTURE EVENTS

Madison Poly Group Campout - August 17-10th, 2001

This is considered an 'open house' to advertise the Temenos, so Jack & Delta will be asking for free-will donations, and will be paying any outstanding costs out-of-pocket.

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. Delta will provide the Pizza! Bring work-clothes, gloves, gardening tools, bulbs/plants & musical instruments for the bonfire. Please let Jack know if you are planning to attend, so we can plan for the food.

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. Bring work-clothes, gloves, gardening tools, bulbs/plants & musical instruments for the bonfire.

Plans are moving ahead for a major tree-planting event. We plan to plant trees around the south and east sides of the land to provide a wind-barrier, and for privacy. Jack has talked to the farmer who rents the hayfield next to the woods about our plans, and he will help us prepare for this big project. He will even use his tractor to dig a trench so the planting will go much easier. Jack and Delta will buy the 800+ seedling trees. Planting is scheduled for next Spring 2002. We would appreciate any help from members and friends. Because the Temenos is a clothing optional site, we feel that that this is a crucial step in actualizing our vision of shared sacred land. As spring nears, more information will follow.

SWEETWOOD TEMENOS WISH LIST

During one of Delta & Jack's many conversations over morning coffee was the idea of a wish list for the Temenos, to make it more comfortable for use by members & friends until the major improvements were finished. If we had a magic wand we would manifest:

Picnic tables
wood/brush chipper
tool shed, outhouse
solar showers
tepee
shelter with roof & canvas walls
more gardens & shrines
love-nests in the woods - complete with mosquito netting
water tank/cistern
more lawn chairs
large Goddess statue
permanent altars/candle-stands for the circle quarters
….more??

Can we do it? Yup, with a little help from friends….I've found that it is easier to manifest things on this Earth plane by slowly working (but persistently) towards small goals. Start a piggy bank with spare change. Check out yard sales and the want ads. Sometimes cities and towns have special days when they pick up major household trash. This is a great time for picking up treasures that others throw away.

THE LAND SPEAKS

by Delta

The wet spring has given way to a hot and dry summer. A lot of local people had been praying for a drought, in fact I saw it on the news. I cringed when I heard it said, for I know that we must be careful what we wish for… I remember only about 3 good rains this summer, and the last one was over 3 weeks ago. As I write, the weeklong heat wave has broken, but no rain fell. The leaves on the trees look tired and wilted. Even some of the weeds have given up their spirits. Some plants that seem to thrive in this drought are Echinacea (purple daisy-like flowers - great for the immune system) and Queen Anne's Lace, also known as wild carrot. Yes, you can eat the roots, but take care that you don't confuse this plant with wild hemlock, deadly to eat! Even in this dry weather, the forest leaf-litter holds in the moisture so mushrooms of all shapes and sizes can still grow and reproduce. This woods is a mycologist's dream!

Most of the spring flowers have faded, but Delta planted some hardy lilies along side the woods, which have bloomed abundantly this July & August. They have a heavenly scent, reminding me of jasmine, cinnamon and lemon. Delta also dug a new flowerbed and seeded it with annuals, but the cosmos and wild marigold have now been replaced with a nice bunch of periwinkle-colored bachelor buttons. Day lilies also seem very hardy to drought and spread themselves easily, without the help of us human gardeners. Anne Greenstar of the green thumb is filling up our gardens with lovely Lambs Ear and Black-eyed Susan, (among others) bought from the Chicago-land arboretum were she works.

For the first time since the Temenos has manifested, Delta must now go and water the garden…

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