Tag: tolerance

Better Living Through Chemistry? – Editorial

Almost unnoticed in the national media was the implementation of an emergency ban by the DEA and schedule 1 classification of many synthetic cannabinoid chemicals Dec. 24th. From the Huffington Post:

The synthetic weed, known as “K2” or “spice” and generally sold in head shops, is popular among police officers, members of the military and others looking to avoid failing a drug test, said one hemp store owner who sells the product. The high from marijuana is created by its main active ingredient THC, but also by the plant’s several dozen poorly understood cannabinoids. The DEA had banned any drug containing natural or synthetic THC, but has not addressed the cannabinoids. ….DEA will publish in the Federal Register a Final Rule to Temporarily Control these chemicals for at least 12 months with the possibility of a six-month extension. They will be designated as Schedule I substances, the most restrictive category, which is reserved for unsafe, highly abused substances with no medical usage.”

Many Pagan and Shamanic traditions have traditions of mind altering aids to spiritual journeying, and I dare say, some continued practices exist. The development of synthetic cannabinoids presents challenges to all the issues and arguments surrounding consumption of mind altering drugs.  Similar to THC, the active agent in marijuana, many chemicals are just different enough to remain unclassified legally even today, after this DEA ban.
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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 →

The Fourth Estate – Political Opinion

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(…. is given a condo in Plymouth as severance pay, and retires)

An article about the press is a good place to start political opinion writing at PNC-MN.

The term Fourth Estate has its origins in 17th Century England. It was originally used to describe ‘mob rule’ but mutated to describe the press as the fourth branch of parliament. As an independent entity, the press was presumed a force to keep parliament from straying to far from the truth in its propaganda.

The tradition of the press as ‘independent’ followed democracies around the world. The assessment of a true democracy became synonymous with a country’s press being able to write freely from its experience. This country began with a grassroots, locally based and owned news system. The “Colonial newspapers are unsung heroes of the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War.”

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