12 April 2000 -- Southern California

Greetings Friends!

Just back from nearly a week in the Southland, beginning with WitchCamper Dawn Marlowe and the folks at The Magician's Cabinet in Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains. Crestline only has 9,000 residents, about a dozen of whom attended my workshops on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Willow Kelly, another WitchCamper, picked me up at the airport and we had a nice long visit in her truck on the way up into the mountains. Dawn's beautiful children, Rudy and Summer, graciously vacated their room so I had one to myself. Thanks to Andee, Marcus, Carrie (yet another WitchCamper) for humor, walks, indulgences of many kinds.

Arrived at the home of the elegant and accomplished Wendy Griffin in Long Beach early enough on Friday to have long conversations in her beautiful bungalow furnished with exquisite California Craftsman furniture and lots of goddess art, drums and ethnic tchotchkes.

Our hostesses, the Temple of Isis/Los Angeles, affiliates of the Fellowship of Isis (FoI) in Ireland, lavishly spread out food and drink for our consumption. Wendy's kitchen served as forum for fascinating reflections on the current state of Paganism, feminist issues, creative syncretization, group dynamics and general letting down of tresses. Not to mention the welcome contributions of Laura and Kat. ;-)

I had the chance to talk with Caroline Wise, co-owner of Atlantis Books, the oldest metaphysical bookstore in London, sponsor of local moots and a place of pilgrimage for Pagan visitors to that country. Caroline was impressed with the fact that I'm walking in the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in memory of Golden Dawn pioneer Florence Farr, among others. (If you've considered supporting me financially in this venture, email me for a pledge form.) In the early '90s, Caroline produced some of Florence's rare plays as a fundraiser for breast cancer research, an inspiration she received in a dream.

I regret that Letetia Layson, new HPS of Circle of Aradia, and I were unable to carry on our discussion stimulated by the above-mentioned letting down of tresses, but I'm trusting that the opportunity will come in the not-too-distant future.

Early the next morning Wendy and I arrived at Long Beach State University's Student Union building for the all-day Isis 2000 FoI Convention, where the wonderful frame drumming group, Lipushau (named for High Priestess in the Temple of the Moon in ancient Ur, and the oldest named drummer in all of history), opened the event with drumming and a processional of attendees who'd brought goddess images to place on the communal altar. I silently snarled at myself for leaving my fat porcelain Eleanor Myers goddess in my suitcase, so instead borrowed a wee image of Sekhmet. If you ever have the opportunity to hear Lipushau, grab it - especially for the haunting voice of Berit Jordahl.

Each guest presenter was accompanied by a local hostess, mine being the charming Kris Fawcett. In addition, each of us received a delightful Isis 2000 tote bag filled with goodies - like emptying a stocking on Yule morn. Better yet, like digging around in Mother Bertcha's old bag. Elfkat enjoyed manifesting this project and all recipients had great fun digging into the bag for treat after treat.

My afternoon workshop, Meeting Death, Grieving Loss, went well and evoked some tears. An example of what a small world we live in - Loreon, keeper of Isis Oasis in Geyserville, CA and shelterer of exotic animals like ocelots, told us of her partner's liver transplant and the Pagan-sensitive doctor they encountered at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Turns out that the doctor, whom Loreon had said had "picked up on the fact that we were Pagans," told her of TPBOL&D and me, was my stepdaughter, Lee Wolfer, M.D.!

After the closing ritual, producers and presenters retired to Maria's house nearby for a catered meal, lots of enjoyable socializing, and indulgence in champagne and other substances. There I became reacquainted with Peter Paddon and his wife Linda, whom I'd forgotten that I'd met two years ago at a Clan of Tubal Cain/Roebuck Tradition/Ancient Keltic Church ritual I attended with Chas Clifton at the Finnans' house in Tujunga. Peter, the only male featured presenter, is Priest Hierophant of the Lyceum of Sekhmet and Ptah which meets regularly in North Hollywood.

Wendy and I returned to her hot tub under the stars, warded by her friendly new black dog, Tor.

Photo by Lunaea Weatherstone ©2000

Sunday MaryScarlett Amaris picked me up to take us to a rendezvous at a former Carmelite convent, now a Buddhist monastery, on Long Beach Harbor, where there remains, as a condition of the transfer of ownership, a beautiful white statue of Mary Mother of God, on the half shell, facing the harbor filled with oil derricks. There we arrayed Mary with ribbons, beads and flowers, lit candles at Her feet and Lunaea took photos of the five of us - MaryScarlett, Caroline Wise, Laura Janesdaughter, MaryScarlett, Isadora Forrest and me.

From there we went to the International Buddhist Progress Society in Hacienda Heights. This is a huge complex of temples and gardens used by many different Buddhist sects. We went because one of the Boddhisatvas enshrined there is a version of Kwan Yin, the only female image of the five. It also happened that the Buddha's birthday was on Saturday so the Sunday crowd at the temple was unusually large. We offered propitiations of various kinds (incense, bathing of statues, chants, flowers and offering trays) to the Buddha and Boddhisatvas both before and after lunch in the temple dining room. It was a gorgeous Southern California Spring day marred only by the murky air that obscured some of the panoramic view from the temple heights. This is the very temple where VP Al Gore got into campaign funding trouble.

Laura and I proceeded to Santa Monica to meet the ReWeaving folks who'd arranged a Chants & Enchantment workshop in the local UU church, in a room with a beautiful full-muraled wall depicting significant events and people in the development of Universal Unitarianism, from its origins in Transylvania to its contemporary manifestations on the West Coast of North America.

This particular workshop is a 'feel-good' one and the 30+ people who attended reconfirmed that. I was delighted to see Stacey, a former student of mine and recent participant (wearing Oshun) in the Goddesses Alive! ritual performed at PantheaCon 2000, and Pam, Callie and Jennifer from OCLC-CoG. (Pam and I experienced a bolt of lightning on the copper-ringed open dome of the Temple of Sekhmet in the Nevada desert when we shared a pilgrimage and ritual there in September 1998.)

Special thanks to Dori, Cheryl, Ilyana and Phoenix of ReWeaving for all the work they did to ensure a good turnout and to make me feel so very welcome.

Among FoI, ReWeaving and OCLC-CoG, I expect to return to present more workshops in the future. Lauren and Abby, seeds have been sown to bring the masks to So.Cal. Richard, this is the first trip in ages when I didn't have an opportunity to use a geologically correct grounding meditation. Patricia and Beth, the Irish goddesses will likely reveal Themselves in So.Cal. sometime, too. Mevlanen, your meditation continues to evoke meaningful experiences with workshop attendees.

After such an enjoyable working visit, I rejoiced in returning to Corby and the foggy, oak- and bay-covered, wild iris-strewn hills of Marin County.

Feeling blessed,
Macha

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25 October 1999 -- Columbus, Ohio

Hello Friends!

Sorry for delay in updating you on my travels. The day after I got home I had committed to work for an attorney full-time and I really needed the money. Traveling the broomstick circuit, though gratifying, is not necessarily lucrative, at least not yet. This is the first weekday I've had to work on my own stuff.

Shadowmas was an adventure. Sponsored by the Pagan Community Council of Ohio, it was held in a Camp Fire Girls campground in the beautiful Hocking Hills. As those camps are, the cabins were kinda moldy, and it rained hard most of the time so we were confined indoors. I had a raincoat, but no good shoes for mucking about in the mud.

On Saturday I did two workshops, both well received. Only when I arrived did I find out that I was essentially responsible for the main ritual! I'd offered to collaborate, the person I was supposed to collaborate with never contacted me, and I only met her about an hour before the ritual was scheduled to happen. So I worked out something with a lovely woman named Kim from the ADF in Cincinnati. We managed to conscript some Quarter-callers, of uneven skill. We found a large kettle in the kitchen and a wooden spoon, so we filled the kettle with water and consecrated it a Cerridwen's cauldron. I called Cerridwen and then led a walking meditation in the dim light into Her cauldron, where we met our ancestors - those in whom we take pride and those who shame us - and our descendants. Coming out of the cauldron, we did a slow spiral dance to the chant, "On the same wheel we spin, into life and out again, one is many, many one, brewing in Her cauldron." There were only about 45 people. I kept the spiral going for about 20-30 minutes. I could see that some folks were utterly entranced and really digging every second of it, but I was unsure about other people's physical condition and stamina.

Afterwards, one person said her hip was just about to give her trouble when I concluded the dance so the timing was perfect for her. Another said she could have gone on another half hour. It's a judgment call. I was flattered that one man, who's been practicing magic since he was 12 and is Gardnerian-trained (though not strictly Gardnerian at this point in his life), in his 40s maybe, told the PCCO organizers that the Cerridwen ritual was the best one he had ever participated in at any PCCO event, ever - and he attends most.

Back in Columbus, I met up with my friend from the Biodiversity Project, Joe Heimlich, who teaches environmental ed. at Ohio State University, and he took me to a great intimate birthday party in his home. We were entertained by a wonderful jazz pianist on Joe's baby grand, a drummer (brushes, actually) and jazz singer Jeannette Williams, who is simply fabulous! Not to mention hand-made chocolate covered strawberries made by a retired candy-maker Joe took me to see the sights of Columbus in the mornings before his classes.

I was surprised to learn what a sophisticated city Columbus is, second largest R&D city in the world, among other things. I also phoned my cousin Warren, a history professor at OSU for the past 30 years, whom I last saw and spoke with in 1959!!! That's right, no typo, 1959, 40 years ago. On my final night in Columbus, Joe and his partner Jim took me to dinner at an upscale restaurant called Out On Main for an exquisite meal and relaxing conversation.

On Monday night I gave a death and dying workshop at The Shadow Realm. There were about 25 people there, and all seemed to think it was well worth their while. On Tuesday I gave another one at Fly-by-Night. Attendance was smaller. One woman afflicted with breast cancer said she was so grateful . I'm always deeply touched when people in crisis come and feel they've gotten something of value from my work.

As soon as I returned, I was contacted by my friend Megory Anderson, founder of the Sacred Dying Foundation, to represent the Pagan faith traditions at a first-ever event called "Paper Money, Pyres, and Pigs' Heads: Multicultural and Multifaith Beliefs and Practices at the End of Life," an evening of discussion for funeral industry professionals and hospice workers co-sponsored by one of the oldest funeral homes in San Francisco and the Sacred Dying Foundation. I think this is the beginning of some very important work that will expand.

Plans for the mega-Spiral Dance, Samhain itself, and writing deadlines will consume the rest of this week. Now if I could only just sit down and get this book written . . .

Samhain blessings to all,
Macha

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4 October 1999 -- Vermont, Massachusetts and Upstate New York

Hello Friends!

This is a big one cuz it was a big, long, tiring and ultimately rewarding trip. Began with fouled up plane connections, arriving in Burlington, VT for Pagan Pride Day, booksigning and some workshops. Saved by the lovely and Functional Lilith Ravenroot, whose hospitality mitigated much of the strain.

Speech for PPD went well, I thought. I had tons of good material that can be improved by a more polished presentation. Overall, I feel good about it, and received positive feedback. I talked a lot about what's happening in American Pagan culture, mentioned artists and composers like Sparky Rabbit, Charlie Murphy, Holly Tannen, Ruth Barrett, Cyntia Smith, Serpentine, scholars Hutton, Harvey, Crowley, Magliocco, Frew, Orion, Salomonsen, Lewis, Griffin, Foltz, Blain, Gibbons, Dashu, Clifton. I thank Sparky, Laura Spellweaver, Judy Harrow and Finn for ideas incorporated into my speech.

Spent two days with Randy, Leonard, five horses, innumerable geese, turkeys and chickens, two dogs and six cats at Randy's farm in Plainfield, VT. Randy's built a stone circle, a labyrinth and a pond. She and I took advantage of the rare opportunity for us to do magic together the night before I left.

Arrived at Jerrie Hildebrand's for CUUPS Convo in Salem, Mass. Tripped around historic and tourist Salem with my old Goddard friend Virginia. Stimulating and informative panel discussion on contemporary Paganism with nine panelists - Jimmy Two Feathers, Ellen Evert Hopman (Druid), Lord Orion Foxwood, Deirdre and Andras Arthen, Phyllis Curott, Rev. Gail Seavey (Pagan pastor of host UU church), bruja Maria Hernandez, Joan VanBecelaere (Pres. of CUUPS) and me. It was recorded and photographed, not sure of a video.

The local Salem papers gave the Convo positive front-page coverage before it began, and then extensive Very Positive coverage, including front page and three large color photos. Grove and Donata from Germany checked out the CUUPS Convo on their way to the Witch Camp teachers' retreat in Seattle later that week.

At the Saturday night ritual we wove a web, using the weaving chant written by Starhawk for an action at Livermore in early '80s, and hung the web from the balconies in the sanctuary of the UU church. Making the Sunday morning service all the more memorable were Elements banners in the quarters of this structure built upon Masonic principles, according to Orion and church historians, procession lead by Mz Imani and the drummers of Circle, Skin and Bones, followed by the weekend's presenters, Quarter-calling by Orion, Andras, myself and Ellen, short talks by Andras, Ellen, Maria Hernandez and Gail, homily by Jerrie/Keisha, and - most meaningful to me - a beautiful concrete statue of a nude woman surrounded by flowers on the main altar!

One of the biggest surprises of the trip was on Sunday night after the close of the Convo when I walked Orion down to meet his dinner date, Laurie Cabot, and she invited me to join them. We enjoyed each other - well, who cannot always enjoy Orion! Laurie asked me to return to do a workshop, a possibility I'm open to if it happens. After all the stories I'd heard about her and sometimes mocking of her style, I have to say that whatever she may have done and whoever she may have been in the past, I experienced none of the things for which she's been criticized, and only experienced a gracious colleague.

Monday morning Jerrie/Keisha arranged for her, Orion and me to have a tour of the new Witchcraft exhibit at the Salem Witch Museum with Director of Education Alison D'Amario. You'll be hearing more from me about this, but for now let me just say that all three of us were choked up and moved to tears. We've come a long way, my friends.

Two death and dying workshops on Tuesday at Tarr & Feathers in Greenfield, Mass. were attended by people whose presence did me great honor, among them, Penny Novack and Joan Carruth. The afternoon workshop I didn't expect to be all that well-attended; it turned out that most of the participants were R.N.'s, some Craft and others not, and one was an Episcopal priest who is a hospital chaplain wishing to serve her Pagan patients better. I can't begin to tell you the many things I learned from these special people!

All in all, during my six days in Salem and on various car journeys with Keisha, we enjoyed many intimate conversations about both Pagan and personal matters. I'm grateful for the chance to deepen our friendship.

On Wednesday I had a great conversation with my hostess Cat Chapin-Bishop as she drove me out to visit with the extraordinarily magical Mark Roblee. Mark took me to their Hekate tree, we talked and talked, he and Jackie are expecting a Brigit baby that I feel will be a girl. Back at Cat's, Beth Carlson came to talk, we went to a booksigning at Karin and Emilie's store in Northampton, and in came an ailing Sylvia Brallier and her companion, Orion Stormcrow! After a delicious dinner spiced with fascinating conversation, followed by a heart-opening chants and enchantment workshop, Orion and I, Sylvia and Beth, talked in the local park for hours.

Mary Colleen MacDougall and I stepped on a stray sod on Thursday on our way to meet Rev. Robert Brown at a toll booth in Albany, NY, and I ended up having an unplanned but utterly delightful visit with my old friend Moose. Rob ended up driving back to Ithaca that night and picking me up at Moose's the next day.

Two workshops at Cornell. Magical pilgrimage to Taughannock Falls, a gorge of water and oil shale, with Rob and Jen Johnson. Learned lots about Druidry, plants, trees, fam-trads, initiations, and the sacred kava kava rite. Richard, the geologically correct grounding meditations for Burlington, VT and Salem, Mass. were much appreciated by Pagans in those places - thanks! I am so happy to be home with Corby for these next four days!!!!!

Love,
Macha

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14 August 1999 -- Between the Worlds (somewhere in the Midwest)

Hello Friends,

Just back from eight days at Return to Avalon, a private festival/retreat in the Midwest. What a fabulous time I had!!! Diana Paxson and I travelled and roomed together, as co-featured presenters. I had the honor of serving as her guide for her first seidh (Norse oracular tradition) session.

I presented five 90-minute workshop, one every day, to "elders of the Craft." What a challenge! I gotta admit I was really sweating it for weeks before, but just as my friend Sparky had told me, the Avalon Witches were very forgiving and seemed eager to hear what I had to offer. I did two workshops on aspects of death and dying, one each on the Pentacle of Iron and the Pentacle of Pearl, one on Earth Religion and the City. I read Pitch's meditations on the points of Iron during a meditation, and the Witches there just loved his poetry, asked where they could find more, if they could have copies of those poems. (Not at this time, per Pitch.)

The Earth Religion and the City workshop, title thanks to Chas, really stimulated everyone who came. Thanks to Richard Ely for help with a solid "geologically correct" grounding meditation; to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for a visual/tactile aid (an "Earth" ball); to Gus for perspectives on agriculture and diet; to Finn for perspectives on hunting and Herne's Law; to Rose Wise of Ozark Avalon for her pledge of allegiance to her Ozark bioregion; to Lynn Pacifico and others for stories of the little things they do to maintain healthy biodiversity in urban environments; to Andras and ESC for the great chant; to Estelle for the ancient, ancient local stone; and to all the knowledgeable Witches who had stories, URLs and other sources to share.

This was the workshop I was sweating the most, consequently the one I put most work into, and not surprisingly, really, the one people were most ready for. Enthusiasm was so great, eagerness to talk and share so palpable, that I found it necessary to claim time and ground to present the materials I had brought. We could easily have filled another session or more. Our communities are growing, and with that growth comes more concerns for where and how we fit into Her web.

Also lead an "elders roundtable" discussion on the concepts and reality of dedication/initiation/elevation/ordination. Very late at night, about 30 people, stimulating and just as confusing as ever.

Diana and I managed to find time for a tour of the onyx caves under the campground, so very different from caves I've been in in California. Not nearly as scary to me, but then maybe I've just overcome my irrational but intense fear. Anyway, I didn't panic and go into shock as I usually do.

Got to hang out and talk shop with my Midwestern Witch buddies - Sparky, Steve, Earthkin, Elvis, KJ, Sonje, Magenta. Got to meet cool new Witches like Beal, Ezzie, Caveman, Mel, Owl and kids, Judy, Robin, 'Dite, Sybil, Stephanie, Trish, Barry, Bacchus, Artemis the magnificent fire juggler, Alvin, Lila, Cerridwen, Lilith, and many others.

The highlight of the week for me was participating in Sparky Rabbit's wonderful ritual called "The Union of Earth and Sky: A Ceremony for Thor and Freyr." Leading the procession as Mother Sun with Mel, KJ and the wee ones Sonje and Archer was awesome. (I know that's an overused and misused word, but what else is it when awen is present?) This was an entirely new form of ritual for me, perhaps for several of us.

I'd looked forward to working with Sparky, Steve, Elvis and KJ, whom I already knew and cherished. I also got the extra kick of working with Owl and the Nighttime Stars, Keith/Thor, and rune-bearers Hope and Niniane. Following this with campfire discussions of how it came out, and then with Robin's and Steve's workshop on Giving Great Rite, creating effective large-group rituals, gave me many new perspectives on ritual that I'm eager to try out. We had points of disagreement about what can and cannot work, informed by our different experiences, successes and failures.

I came home exhausted and whammied into mundania by a broken alternator in my car, an accident my 88-year-old mother had in my absence, legal work demands, planning next trips (too many, it feels like).

All in all, my life and magical practice have been enriched. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to interact with these Midwestern Witches, so committed to Ma.

Love,
Macha

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22 March 1999 -- Orange County, California

Greetings!

Back from five days in Orange County, CA, guest of OCLC-CoG. Ritual collaboration with the youthful Circle of the Triple Goddess for Ostara at Chapman Univ. Enchanting dinner with Wendy, her circle and other friends in Long Beach - a real treat to hang out with such fascinating, accomplished and engaged women.

I'd so looked forward to a pot luck with OCLC and workshop on building Pagan community on Friday evening, but Fate had other plans. Little Ailin, 10 month-old daughter of the woman who set up this trip, Glynna, picked up a stomach flu the day before I arrived. By Thursday morning mama Glynna had it. On Friday we did the ritual at Chapman without her, where I was feeling kinda headachey, thought it was the bright Sun. My hostesses, OCLC-FO Sandy and her partner Darcelle (two of Ailin's other mamas) took me to lunch after the ritual.

On the way home, I started; about two hours later Darcelle, who'd been playing with Ailin during the planning meeting Wednesday night, began. By the time the 20 OCLC Witches arrived at Sandy & Darcelle's for potluck/workshop, Sandy was the only one standing. There was just no way I could meet those good folks, even for only 10 minutes, because I was either passed out or heaving. You know how those things are. :-(

Saturday dinner with Pam and two students, followed by Earth Religion & the City workshop in Riverside. Richard, as usual, the grounding was a winner. Three or four people asked for it. To anyone reading this, Richard Ely gets my gratitude once again for sharing geological foundation. (Same for the Chapman ritual.) Chas gets thanks for the title. Many of you (Anna, Sophia, Lynn, the Biodiversity Project Spirituality Working Group, et al.) for inspiring stories of eco-sensitivity and harmonious living.

Culminating death and dying workshop in Costa Mesa. Full house on a splendid Southern California Sunday afternoon (of the Oscars, even). Two women who are in the dying process, their caregivers and circles, attended, plus a woman who'd lost her sister mere days before. It's such an honor to be able to provide a forum for personal and community growth and deepening! The owner of Crystal Cave was happy with the large number of books sold, too.

Practical demands of earning a livelihood are temporarily interfering with further work. Holly and Beverly, I continue to sow your CDs in fertile ground. Peter and Denise, there are some potential buyers of your photo book waiting in Orange County. GCH, your meditation touches more people with each workshop.

Blessings,
Macha

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6 March 1999 -- Madison, Wisconsin

Dear Friends,

Well, after sitting packed 500 in a plane in the snow in Chicago-O'Hare for nearly eight hours, with no food and funky air, and after mended wiring, inspection, paperwork, de-icing, refueling, waiting for clearance and snowplows, two more de-icings and another refuel, I finally arrived at SFO 13 hours after I boarded that plane, only to be greeted by the fact that the airporter buses had ceased running for the night. Hungry and grumpy, I phoned a sleeping Corby, who rescued me. Bless him!!!

We got home after 3:00 a.m., and now I'm coming alive again. The travel was for The Biodiversity Project's Spirituality Working Group retreat at a Benedictine center in Wisconsin. I'll be writing more in detail elsewhere, but wanted to give you a sense of what a marvelous experience this was.

We were 15 invitees, running the full spectrum from an evangelical Christian who works for the environment ("saving God's glorious creation") all the way to yours truly, generally speaking for Craft/Paganism/Nature/Earth religions. One other participant, religious scholar John Grim, who works with mainly Ojibways and Crees and is adopted son in some of their families, spoke for spiritualities of immanence rather than transcendence. We were ten men and five women, three African-Americans (one of whom was part Cherokee), no Asians or 'others,' D.C. lobbyists and policymakers were prevalent.

The manager of the Backyard Habitat Program of the National Wildlife Federation; executive director of Center for Respect of Life & the Environment; president, North American Coalition on Christianity & Ecology; Coalition on the Environment & Jewish Life; president of The Wildernesss Society; Black Church Environental Justice Program, National Council of Churches; Yellowstone to Yukon, Canadian Parks & Wilderness; director of media relations, Defenders of Wildlife; editor of Sierra magazine; National Religious Partnership for the Environment; public liaison, US EPA; CoG and Reclaiming. The EPA representative was also Buddhist and African American/Cherokee.

I gotta say I was blown away. These were lovely, lovely people of depth and commitment. It was a privilege and a pleasure to work with them. I'm honored to have been invited to represent our growing Pagan population.

Love,
Macha

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25 February 1999 -- Massachusetts and New York City

Greetings, friends, I'm back from a crazy two weeks in the Northeast -- exhausted and exhilarated!!!

Besides hanging out at Glenwood Farm with the Arthens, I got to meet and hold baby Olivia; marvel at the growth of Donovan, Isobel and Alex; take a walk in the Berkshire snow with Mark Roblee; schmooze with Cat, Peter, Spellweaver, the Novaks, Phyllis, et al.; share a room Orion and fun with him, Imani, et al.; hang out with Jerrie and Wesley in charming Salem; chew the fat with Joann and Betty; Bob Stewart; do a stimulating workshop with the Gotham-CoG Witches; renew friendships with Rich, Singing Cow, Jonathan, Christopher; trip around the Village with Lynn (ran into Jone and family in a restaurant on Bleeker St. no less!); coffee & bagels with Margot; dine with Judy; tea with Ioenn and friends; share intimacies and dish with Grove (no, we won't tell you; it's a 3š secret); dine with Judy H.; lunch with Jennie D.; and sit in Eclipse's temple.

Sue C. gave me a helpful Tarot reading, and Lynn updated my chart (in anticipation of my birthday, which is today) and advised me on toxicities, nutrition and general body maintenance. I was sorry to have missed Deborah A.L. and Beth C.; Laura v.B., Debbie F-B., Moose, et al., drat! But hopefully another time.

Also got to turn folks on to three new CDs by Reclaiming Witches Holly Tannen, Beverly Frederick and Thorn Coyle. Since this was my first visit to Western Massachusetts, my last visit to Boston was in 1980, and my last to The Big Apple was way back in 1971, it was a rather big deal for me. Not only that, but the Greyhound from Boston to NYC passed the town where I was born and which I have not visited since I left in 1946 - a couple of generations ago!!!

The earliest I'm likely to be back is September, if things work out. That would be to Salem, Mass. Special thanks to the Arthens, Jerrie, Joann, Grove, Brightshadow, Gotham First Bat Susan, Marin, Beth, and Lynn. Surely I've overlooked people who've done me kindnesses, and to those I apologize.

When I left the East Coast, the maples were being tapped for sugar, an icy wind was blowing off the Hudson, and big soft snowflakes fell on us in Brooklyn. Aside from countless emails, I returned to a blossoming plum tree and big yellow daffodils in front of our condo. She changes everything She touches.

Love and blessings of the living land,
Macha

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Broomstick image adapted from "Woolbats" type by Elsa Die Löwin