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Starhawk to support Occupy Minnesota Dec 5-6th – Interview

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Starhawk

Starhawk,  Pagan author, Reclaiming Tradition co-founder, and social justice activist will be visiting the Twin Cities in support of the Occupy Minnesota movement next Monday and Tuesday, December 5-6th. Starhawk will be appearing Monday, December 5th at Mayday Books, 301 Cedar Ave S, on the West Bank, Minneapolis from 5-7pm offering a meeting facilitation training session. The Occupy General Assembly begins after  at 7pm at the Occupy Minneapolis site, 300 S. 6th St, Mpls, MN.   This is a fairly spontaneous trip and further details of Tuesday’s schedule and further training opportunities will be updated.

I interviewed Starhawk by phone this morning about Pagans and the Occupy movement.

What do you see as your role for the Occupy movement in Minnesota?

My role with the Occupy groups has been trying to plug-in around training and meeting facilitation. That is where I have the greatest contribution to make, and I have seen the biggest need. Everyone suddenly decided to go out for large consensus in the park, but most people don’t have any training or experience with meeting facilitation. General Assemblies are not the easiest place to start in facilitating a meeting! I have many years of experience with consensus and with different forms of meetings and group process and with democratic and horizontally structured group organizing. I think this type of group is very familiar to us in the Pagan community.

What particular experiences and perspectives might Pagans bring to the Occupy Movement?

What Pagans bring is first, most of us have experience working collaboratively in circles or small groups. That is a form of organizing. We have a basic approach to life, spirituality, to the world, that doesn’t depend on an external authority, No, we are our own authority. Secondly most Pagans learn about energy and awareness, and that is really key in preparing for action and holding and maintaining non-violence in the face of violence. Facilitating a meeting is a lot of watching the energy and moving with the energy. Thirdly, I think we bring an ethic that we are supposed to take care of the Earth, and take care of our people. We are all interconnected. We have to live our lives and shape our society based on those values. That is why the Occupy movement is really exciting.

Occupy Minnesota March

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Essay Contest Gives Away Celtic Temple Library

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Image courtesy of Celeste

Temple of the River has closed its doors, but not before amassing a significant library. The temple’s book collection was built to help polytheists study Celtic religion and myth. The priest of the temple, Drew Jacob is now holding an essay contest to give away the entire library to one lucky winner.

Drew Jacob, the “Rogue Priest” helped found Temple of the River in 2004 and directed the temple through its seven years of community service, including the construction of an Irish cottage building as its final worship space. “We want to see the books go to someone who will actually use them,” Jacob said. “Putting them in storage just seemed like a waste, when they could be out there in the hands of polytheists.”

The library includes a moderate collection of respected, high-quality books on Celtic Studies, Celtic lore and traditions, Indo-European religion, and related topics. A total of 41 books are included in the library.

The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2012. Entries will be judged by Jacob and at least two others, including Humanistic Paganism editor B.T. Newberg. The panel expects to announce a winner by Imbolc 2012.

Contest details and a submission cover sheet can be found here.

Editor’s note:  the above article was submitted by Drew Jacob.

PNC Solstice Gift Picks – Kids, military, books, art

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Looking for the perfect Solstice gift for your favorite Pagan, Heathen, or Polytheist?  PNC-Minnesota’s 2011 Solstice Gift Picks with expert advice, reviews, and recommendations for the latest movies, books, and other holiday gifts and treats can help.  Today’s picks  include book suggestions from Elysia Gallo of Llewellyn, stunning art and jewelry picks, Solstice cards, kids gifts, gifts for Military Pagans, and ideas for the TechnoMages on your list.

Be sure to check out the section on sales and special gifts offered at local Pagan stores.  When possible, support your community by buying local or buying direct from the artist.

For Art Mavens

If you are looking for some thing WOW! that is also sacred, consider this White Wold Headress from Nature Punk.  At $1200 it isn’t inexpensive, but at least you can be assured the animal wasn’t killed for it’s fur.  Nature Punk  sources their fur, teeth, and claws from roadkill, Fish and Game, or second-hand sources – ensuring that no animals are needlessly killed for the sake of the art. The artist believes that no part of any creature should go to waste if a purpose can be found for it. Nature Punk has many other wearable works of art in their etsy store.

Red Tail Arts offerings run the gamut from jewelry to runes.  Each piece is handcrafted by Amber Roth, who splits her time between her artistic endeavors and co-hosting a Pagan Podcast.  I love her work and had a difficult decision to make on what item to grab a photo of.  The incrediblepainted feather earrings?  (I want those) The painted animal totems on quahog shells?  Antler runes?  Amber necklaces?  I’ll stay with the wolf theme and show you one of her painted feathers.  Her etsy store is brand new, she’s still loading it all up, so you can be sure the gift you buy isn’t something people have seen for years.  Painted feathers start at $20, earrings are $20, and totems are $5.

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PNC Solstice Gift Picks – treats, movies, music, nature

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Looking for the perfect Solstice gift for your favorite Pagan, Heathen, or Polytheist?  PNC-Minnesota’s 2011 Solstice Gift Picks with expert advice, reviews, and recommendations for the latest movies, books, and other holiday gifts and treats can help.  In part 1 film reviewer Peg Aloi’s offers her movie suggestions, we look at gifts for the foodie in our lives, music suggestions off the beaten path by Jason Pitz-Waters, and few ideas for the Eco-conscious Pagan by No Unsacred Place bloggers  John Beckett and Eli Effinger-Weintraub.

Be sure to check out the section on sales and special gifts offered at local Pagan stores.  When possible, support your community by buying local or buying direct from the artist.  Tomorrow we’ll get book suggestions from Elysia Gallo of Llewellyn, stunning art and jewelry picks, Solstice cards, kids gifts, gifts for Military Pagans, and ideas for the TechnoMages on your list.

For the Foodie

vegan and gluten-free lasagna

Pure Market Express
Pure Market Express is a small business located in Chaska, Minnesota that also ships food anywhere in the USA.  They specialize in gluten free and raw vegan, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts and snacks made from organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.  Even though I’m a meat eater I’ve had many of their items and they are spectacular – especially their stuffed portabella mushrooms.  Pricy, but worth it.  You can order specific items for the foodie in your life, or you can purchase a gift certificate online.

Persephone Lollipop

The Groovy Baker
7 pops of one flavor for $10
Amber Roth turned me onto this candy making genius and I’ve already ordered an insane number of lollipops.  Of special interest to Pagans, you can order a lolli with names like Bacchus (dried Bing cherries with a Merlot reduction) or Persephone (tart pomegranate flavor mingled with creamy, luscious vanilla  studded with dried sweetened pomegranate seeds).  Or you may opt for one of the other treats, such as the Orange blossom and Thyme sucker or the Pompeii lollipop, with honey and figs.

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