I want to give thanks to all the good people that helped and supported Freedom Festival 18 in making it one of the best we've had. I give thanks to the good folk who took on roles in the main ritual! Thanks goes out to our priestess Sherry, the goddesses Kim, Dawn, Mary and the gods Frank, Chris and Jack and to smudgers T-Roy, Tom and Nissa and to the good folk who spoke for the 7 elements, drummed and danced, again thank you!
Thanks to Jack and Jim for their maintenance help with the portable hot showers! Thanks to Aurora, Mary and other good folk who helped with the registration, silent auction, heralding and other tasks that needed to be done. Thanks to Sweetwood Temenos board members who help put on Freedom Festival and were at the Thing! Thanks Mary, Amanda and Jack! Thanks for the 2 members who ran for the member at large position on the board. Thank you Peter and Eric! And congratulations Eric as our new member at large and Thanks for his and Megan’s mead making skills and mead offered in the silent auction! Thank you Josh for your fire eating and fire whip performance! Thanks to all the good folk who kept the sacred fire going from beginning to end!
Sweetwood Temenos Freedom Festival 18 had many good folk show up and be part of the community. We had at least 50 adults and 5 to 6 children who had a great time running around in the woods and camp! I tried to meet the many good folk came to the Freedom Festival 18 as I could. I am impressed by the quality of the good folk that showed up! The weather held all through the Freedom Festival, which on Monday morning after the Freedom Festival, I poured a libation on the altar for the gods and goddesses, the spirits of the land and the powers of the elements who blessed us with such good weather.
There was much good energy at the Freedom Festival 18 and no frowns. There were lively discussions, lots of laughter and good humor among the good folk who made the community. It was a joy to hear such good community echo through the woods. At the beginning of the festival during the opening ritual I drew a rune, which was sigel –Sun and at the closing ritual I drew the rune sigel-Sun. The sigel rune’s double appearance for me, emphasizes its Divinatory meaning of success and victory. The Sweetwood community, its membership and friends need to continue to grow in order to succeed in creating and maintaining a dedicated piece of land whose purpose is providing a place for Sweetwood members, it’s friends and other like-minded community groups to celebrated the 8 Sabbats and Freedom (the freedom Festival), and recreate and contemplate. This accomplishment would be a success and legacy to pass on to the generations, the descendants, which are to come. At the Freedom Festival 18 there were 3 generations of adults putting energy into creating this success and this is a good omen and so may be the beginning of this success! So Mote It Be!
This year’s Freedom Festival was both an expression and an example of the culture that Sweetwood Temenos as a church and community is and seeks to foster. I am learning as president with support from the Sweetwood board, and Sweetwood members and friends how to delegate tasks and responsibilities that sustain and grow Sweetwood Temenos, its Freedom Festival and other celebrations and events. I am grateful to the members and good folk who bring forth ideas that make Sweetwood Temenos and its Freedom Festival, celebrations and events a better experience and make them happen. With continued expansion and support of membership and friends it is probable that a bath/shower house could be built in the year of 2017, which would mark a watershed and a new beginning for Sweetwood Temenos. To make this happen there needs to be continued cooperation, shared power, common vision and task completion, as well as many hands and talents!
Again to all the good folk of Sweetwood Temenos; its members and friends thank you for making Freedom Festival 18 a very good one and supporting Sweetwood Temenos! And to all the good folk who are interested in Sweetwood Temenos you are invited to come to our Freedom Festival, Sabbats and events and join us as we would like to meet and get to know you!
Never Thirst
Iacchus