Sacred Harvest Festival is this week. For many people around here, Sacred Harvest Festival is just the big local Pagan festival. Many do not realize how uniquely important Sacred Harvest Festival is.

Years ago, I traveled to many Pagan festivals. I wanted to explore what it was to be a Pagan, and meet as many Pagans as possible. What I found was that at many Pagan festivals, people drank mead, drank other alcohol, had sex, and generally had a really good time. Sure there were workshops and rituals, but they were rarely well attended. Mostly Pagan festivals seemed like fun social gatherings.

Then I attended Sacred Harvest Festival. I didn’t attend the ritual, and what I saw was a mostly empty camp. Almost everyone else had gone to the ritual. People actually attended workshops also, and the quality of workshops was excellent. I saw children with families, where they were actually behaving as families. There was some mead, but very little drunkenness, despite the fact that the quality of the mead was superior to what was found at many other festivals. It was clear that Sacred Harvest Festival was special. I found it to be so significant that I wanted to be a part of the community which made this festival happen, and moved to the Twin Cities because of this experience.

By the time you read this, I will probably be at Sacred Harvest Festival. There are many in this community whose lives have been positively impacted by Sacred Harvest Festival. Many things have begun there, local political movements, friendships, events, and pregnancies. It is a fertile place for many purposes. Many seeds are planted and much grows. It is an important event. http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year

Change of topic: One thing which grew out of the experience at Sacred Harvest Festival is the local Pagan community calendar at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TwinCitiesPagans/ After December 21st of this year, the focus will return to the Yahoo group as this newsletter ends. The Yahoo group has always been the source for this newsletter, and it is time to return the focus to the source.

** EVENTS THIS WEEK **

MONDAY; August 6

Sacred Harvest Festival; http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year

Cross Quarter (Lughnasad) at 9:26pm

TUESDAY; August 7

Sacred Harvest Festival; http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year

7pm Living Astrology Chart Clinic; http://www.meetup.com/Minneapolis-Astrology/events/vqtnqyqlbkb/

7pm Twin Cities Solitary Practioner’s Tea Time at Magus Books & Herbs; http://www.meetup.com/Twin-Cities-Solitary-Practioners-Tea-Time/events/52904872/

WEDNESDAY; August 8

Sacred Harvest Festival; http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year

6:30pm Minnesota Heathens Moot at Diamond’s Coffee Shop

8pm Introduction to Thelema at the Eye of Horus; http://shop.eyeofhorus.biz/Thelema-Class-p/cls-25.htm

THURSDAY; August 9

Sacred Harvest Festival; http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year

5pm Community Drum Jam at Living Waters Market; http://livingwatersmarket.com/Events.html

6:30pm Briar Patch American Tribal Style® belly dancing classes at the Eye of Horus; http://shop.eyeofhorus.biz/ATS-Belly-Dance-Intro-p/cls-cw100.htm

7pm Minneapolis Astrology Meetup; http://www.meetup.com/Minneapolis-Astrology/events/64824212/

7pm Bi Salon, A New Bi Discussion Group; http://www.facebook.com/events/269035426525954/

FRIDAY; August 10

Sacred Harvest Festival; http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year

Breath of the One: 5 Rhythms Tribal Experience at The OM Collective; http://www.meetup.com/Shamantra-Meetup-Group/events/73907052/

8:30pm Irish Fair of Minnesota; http://www.facebook.com/events/343225962402133/

SATURDAY; August 11

Sacred Harvest Festival; http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year

10am Shamanic Forgiveness; http://www.meetup.com/lhsc-mn/events/63555232/

10am Million Women Drum Circle at the Women’s Drum Center; http://www.womensdrumcenter.org/wdc/classes-and-workshops/million-women-drum-circle

7pm Eye of the Boar Healing Circle at the Eye of Horus; http://shop.eyeofhorus.biz/Healing-Circle-p/cls-healc.htm

SUNDAY; August 12

Perseids Meteor Shower

Sacred Harvest Festival; http://harmonytribe.org/content/sacred-harvest-festival-2012-our-fifteenth-year