Tag: Sacred Harvest Festival

Harmony Tribe Meet and Greet – Sat. Nov. 13th

HT Meet and Greet,  Saturday,  November 13, 2010,  4:00-6:00 pm at the Sacred Paths Center 777 Raymond Ave. St. Paul MN .  All are welcome.  Come and meet the new Harmony Tribe Council and find out what we are all about. The Meet & Greet includes a Pot luck feast and social time to converse with fellow pagans.
Express  what you would like to see and experience at the 2011 SHF. Tell us what you liked about other SHFs or even what you liked about other festivals you’ve attended. Help us select the 2011 Sacred Harvest Festival theme. We promote a community experience and focus our energy on providing a unique spiritual experience.  You can obtain information about becoming a member of Harmony Tribe and join at the M&G. We will have information about submitting art work for consideration for the 2011 festival.

What brings us together:

While many among us explore diverse and various Pagan religious paths including Shamanism, Wicca and other Earth-based and Earth-friendly beliefs, we all share the same common ground philosophically and spiritually. Come and experience creating something beyond yourself: the building of a tribal community! We welcome all who embrace nature spirituality in some form. Acceptance is our desire; tolerance, respect and love is our rule.

Hope to see you there,   Jude K,  – Marketing Director of HT

Festival Virgins Find Community

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Below are interviews of two new attendees to Sacred Harvest Festival. What they both found on arrival was that unique sense of community created by our experienced Minnesota festivants. Zach attended as a practicing Lutheran, Rachael as a dedicated Gardnerian student.

Click to listen to Zach’s interview.

Zach, –  Festival Virgin, Practicing Lutheran
I identify my self as a Lutheran. I teach Sunday school and do a lot of volunteer work there. I don’t make it every Sunday, but I try to be active.

This is all completely new to you?
Well it kind of started out with me asking a friend of mine about it, I asked him what he does for his religion. I’m kind of a religious nerd I guess. I have gone to Native American reservations, gone into Islamic Mosques, and talked to people. I just like to gain perspective I guess. I was curious to begin with and when invited to attend, I said , “Sure, sign me up!”. I’ll see what it is all about.

What has your experience been like?
I was a tiler  for The Hunt last night. That was really awesome to see the breakdown of how it went. I have never really done a ritual like that before, never one that was that in-depth for people. A friend was a hunter, and so it was fascinating to see the three days fasting and the change from then to today. I don’t know if I can feel the ‘energy’ and stuff that people talk about, but I could definitely tell that spiritually there was a lot going on. Continue reading →

SHF Series – Came a Lutheran, Left a Pagan

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Eric Newes works on his project in a workshop led by Judy Olson (right)

Not all interviews go as you expect them to go. This interview, with Eric Newes, was supposed to be about the perspective of the Sacred Harvest Festival from someone who was attending their very first Pagan festival. Yet, by the time I had asked a few opening questions, I realized this interview was about something far different – it was about the powerful, transformative nature of festivals when a person is ready and open to the experience.  It’s about how Eric came to the Sacred Harvest Festival as a  (nominal) Lutheran, but left as a Pagan.

Below is a partial transcript of the ten minute interview I conducted with Eric at the Sacred Harvest Festival. At the end is the actual audio interview and I urge you to listen to it. It is fascinating to hear about his conversion from Lutheran to Pagan during the course of the festival, especially when he talks about the life changing ritual in the sweat lodge.

Continue reading →

Meet Harmony Tribe

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A “Meet Harmony Tribe” (HT) event was held at Sacred Harvest Festival on Wednesday Aug. 11th.  Present for most of the meeting were the members of the HT board, referred to as the “council”, as well as several past and present members, and 3-5 folks interested in Harmony Tribe. Introductions were offered by the Board and those present. Elected chair, (now “president” in the new bylaws) Benjamin Davis summarized what he believes some of the accomplishments of Harmony Tribe were this year. He elaborated regarding the state non profit incorporation filing and new bylaws adoption, by amendment, by the HT board.  The sweeping and fundamental changes were made, Benjamin stated,  “to protect Harmony Tribe members from potential liability”. Other incorporation questions were deferred until the end of the presentation.

Each Board member reviewed their defined duties in turn, and prospective members asked about the process of getting involved.  Examples were given of individuals that contributed through committees or other methods to Harmony Tribe.  It was clarified that a person does not have to be a member to work on a committee. A prospective member asked about communication and response difficulties with Harmony Tribe over the past year.  Registration Director Sean Nilsen assured the meeting that, “All communication issues have been resolved and any information prospective members need to find is on the Harmony Tribe website. ” When asked how prospective new members find out about meetings, locations, times, etc.,  it was explained non-members must directly contact HT via the website, rely on posted past minutes ( May is the last meeting minutes currently posted online),  or join Harmony Tribe to receive current meeting minutes via the membership email list. Continue reading →

Cherie Sampson – International Artist at SHF

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Cherie Sampson is a visual artist working in environmental sculpture, performance and video, exhibiting her work in the US and abroad.  She currently resides

Cherie Sampson

in Columbia, Missouri and is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Missouri where she coordinates the Foundations program and teaches Foundations and Video Art. She contributed as a national guest at Sacred Harvest Festival and offered a series of workshops on “Embodying Sacred Space”, and a Thursday night performance piece multimedia premier, entitled “One of Many Limbs”. This interview is in its entirety, but somewhat edited for flow. You can listen to the whole interview here.

What was your experience like this year, coming to Sacred Harvest Festival and presenting to a bunch of Pagans camping out?

It has been really good, really great, and I haven’t been to this festival. This is the first time.  I am familiar with many people who have been really close for a long time, Alvin and Lila, and I’ve known you for probably twenty years. I still remember many of the songs from the ritual you did years ago, so I feel certainly a part of this community, although there are many people I don’t know.

Set Created for Cherie's performance

Set Created for Cherie's performance photo: jtouchette

Well, when Judy emailed me in February, I just felt really honored to be asked to come as guest artist.  I have been kind of reflecting on how in some ways in my work, career, especially in an academic environment at a research university, there are certain expectations to be showing your work, and doing your research. It becomes very externalized, the work becomes part of this career chase. I knew this would give an opportunity to connect with a community that understands the deeper spiritual dimensions of my work. Also for me to reconnect with those dimensions as well, which are always present. When I am seeking the gallery venues and that art world sort of channel,  it (spiritual dimensions) becomes quieter. Continue reading →