GOSSip

(Grove Of the Summer Stars – infinite possibility)

July 2016

Dear ‘Grovers’
If you enjoy hanging out with members of our community of the
Grove of the Summer Stars with no ritual and no working bee, come
along to our Grove Dinner on Saturday 16th July at 6.30pm.
There’s also no agenda – we may entertain the wonderful diversity of
thoughts and aspirations for our Grove, the land, engagement with
the wider community and anything else we have a mind to but, most
importantly, we can enjoy one another’s company and maybe learn a
little more about our individual hopes, dreams and aspirations. Our
lovely Pearl will also be joining us as she is over from Ireland for a
few weeks visiting he grandmother. Partners welcome – if you are a
Grover then so too is your partner. I hope to see you on the 16 th.

/|\

Our travelling banner is now back home at The Woolshed and I

received this photo and email from Rosemary:
Hopefully you will have received the banner back by the weekend.   I
couriered it so it is definitely on the way!   You may notice something
extra sewn into the back, I thought I would start a trend.....a little
memento of where she travels.  Mine is for visiting Taumarunui to do a
little Sound Therapy. Health-wise.... I am still very weak but I guess I
will just have to be patient with myself and also feel as though I have
been punched in the kidneys.   I would love to be with you for the
Winter Solstice but I honestly don't think I will have the strength.   Have
a happy time for me, lots of hot toddying....I managed to take a couple
of photos just to prove she has been in my circle....notice in my mind
that the banner is a 'she'.   Rosemary

/|\

I’m putting this request from SerpentStar at the beginning of GOSSip

rather than at the end so that if you never get to read to the end of
these newsletters, maybe you’ll read it here and be inspired to write
something!!
Greetings Southern Hemisphere OBODies
It's that time again! I'm looking for content for the Imbolc edition of
SerpentStar - articles, poetry, artwork, reviews, ponderings and
interviews, the more the merrier! Guidelines for submissions are
located here: https://serpentstar.wordpress.com/about/
The theme for the Imbolc edition is Honouring Our Modern Bards -
which as always could mean anything: reviews of modern books, music,
poetry, films or art which have inspired you; articles or creative works
in tribute to the work of a modern performer or writer; you could even
hunt down a fellow Bard and interview them. If you're feeling super-
creative, interview yourself!
Closing date for all contributions for Imbolc is Monday, 25 July 2016!
With all blessings
Mandy /|\

/|\

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To all of you who helped clear
the firewood off the driveway; to those (well Les really) who put
together the Earthquake Preparedness box and the Camp Equipment
box; to those who carried and packed items in said boxes in the barn;
to those who emptied bookshelves, removed pictures from walls, etc.
so that the painters could start; to those who make your donations to
The Woolshed in other ways; and to you all for being willing,
wonderful Grovers. I cannot thank you enough. Blessings be.

/|\

Rather than repeat everything here that we discussed at our Winter

Solstice Grove meeting, here is a list of the topics discussed and you
can find out more in the Minutes I emailed out to you on 22 nd June!
Druid Camp ((Thursday pm 19 January to noon-ish Tuesday 24
January 2017)
Spring Equinox and community Gorsedd
Library
Planting a Peace Tree
Te Araroa Track
2018 Summer Assembly, Glastonbury
Extension of The Woolshed car park
Labyrinth
/|\

The privacy issues for our path to the Grove are being resolved. Te
Araroa , Nga Uruora, Paul the track construction contractor, Verity
and Richard all walked and talked together and here is the update:

For the Grove 

• The track will be realigned as marked today to go from the gate to the
Grove going a lot higher than now and weaving through the trees to
maximise privacy but minimise disturbance of existing native plants. 
• A shorter track will also weave down to the pet cemetery
• The surface of the track to be sown with grass

At the cemetery;

• Agreed that windbreak material be put on the existing fence to the height of
the fence.  Approximately a 30 metre length of this.  It will help provide
a physical barrier as well as sheltering planting
• Around the cemetery and extending along the fence line behind the
windbreak a mixture of Ngaio, Akerahao, Corokia, pigeonwood, small
leafed coprosma and muehlenbeckia to be planted.  To be sourced by
NUKP but paid for by TA, budget up to $400.  Some plants may be
sourced from local school nursery for a donation.
• NUKP will arrange planting at no cost

To screen the  "Storytelling Tree" will source some plants from the school
nursery and arrange planting to fill in existing planting.  Preferred plants are
Griselinia, mapou, pigeonwood. Coprosma spp, Ngaio, Ake ake, cabbage
trees - generally a mix of windy hardy plants
NUKP will arrange planting

And then a further update from Malcolm Garnham at Nga Uruora

(NUKP):

TA (Te Araroa Trust) have paid $400 to NUKP for plants.  How are you placed
to go and source these e.g. from Leacroft and get the plants you want up to
this value and then we pay the money to you? I don't have the time to get the
plants so this would work well for me.  Once you have the plants I can readily
get some people to put them in the ground.

So now we need to get the plants!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday 16th July
6.30pm at The Woolshed
GROVE DINNER.
Bring food to share and come along for some stimulating dinner
conversation re our visions for Grove, the land, engagement with the
community and anything else we have a mind to. You don’t have to
have a ‘vision’ or a topic. If you’d just like to hang out with other
Grovers, come along! If you’re coming along could you please ‘Reply
All’ to the email I sent round letting others know what sort of food
you intend to bring.

Sunday 31st JULY

IMBOLC / FIRST LIGHT / BRIGHID / PAKAWERA
(Hongonui, First Light)
11am, Sunday 31st July at The Woolshed followed by a shared lunch.
Imbolc or Imbolg (pronounced without the ‘b’) “ewe’s milk”
represents the time of the quickening of the year, the first foetal
stirrings of Spring in the womb of Mother Earth, Papatuanuku.  It is
the only one of the eight Great Festivals given entirely to the Mother
Goddess under many names, Brighid being the central one of the
three, each representing a season. Not only the Celts and Druids, but
also the Aztecs, Tibetans and Greeks all recognised this time as being
one of great importance.
For Maori, First Light comes in the second lunar month of the year,
Pakawera, described as ruarua huangohingohi when the leaves of all
things become shrivelled by frost. However, the inanga (whitebait)
begin to swim upstream and can be caught and at sea the moki are
said to be growing fat.This is a call to venture forth from your winter
‘cave’ and celebrate. Brighid is the goddess associated with sacred
fire, the art of smithing, the fertile earth, healing and poetry so bring
your songs, stories, poems, music, dances, insights, etc. to contribute
to creating our own special ceremony.  
Bring a ‘pot luck’ contribution for the feasting.

PLEASE NOTE: The Quarter Festivals (Samhuinn, Imbolc, Beltane

and Lughnasadh) are for members of the Grove of the Summer Stars
only. The Sun festivals (both Equinoxes and both Solstices) are open
to all

Sunday 25th September

SPRING EQUINOX / ALBAN EILIR & COMMUNITY EVENT
(Oestre/Te Wha o Mahura/Te Koanga)
11am, Sunday 25th September at The Woolshed
The Spring Equinox ceremony of the Druid tradition is known as
Alban Eilir – ‘Light of the Earth’. Alban Eilir, at the point of balance
between Imbolc and Beltane, as it is at the point of balance between
day and night, is a time for festivity and celebration for it marks the
beginning of a new phase, the beginning of the triumph of light.
In Druidry, Spring is considered so important, that three festivals are
dedicated to this season: Imbolc, marking the first stirrings of Spring,
Alban Eilir marking its more obvious beginning, and Beltane marking
the time of its fullness, before it develops into the very different
quality of Summer.

In ancient Maori society the rising of the star Aotahi (Canopus)

announced the arrival of Spring, together with flowering of kowhai,
rangiora and kotukutuku, the plants of the fourth lunar month
spanning September and October. This was also a sign for kumara
planting to begin. A key event was the return of pipiwharauroa, the
shining cuckoo, from its winter stay in Hawaiki, the legendary Pacific
homeland of the Maori.
In Europe, Spring Equinox was the festival of Eostre, the Saxon
goddess of the dawn and Spring.
Bring your songs, stories, poems, music, dances, insights, etc.
appropriate to the season to contribute to creating our own special
ceremony. Please bring a ‘pot luck’ contribution for the feasting.

MEMBERS’ NOTICEBOARD
Wednesday 6th July
WELLINGTON MAGICAL MOOT COFFEE MEET
At Fidel’s Café on Cuba Street in the picnic table area Starting at
5.30pm. Hope to see you there. Polly (mistresspolly@gmail.com)

Wednesday 20th July

FULL MOON – DAUGHTER MOON / BIRTH OF THE GIRL CHILD
7pm at The Woolshed. For women only.

Sunday 24th July

ECOIL (ELEMENTAL CYCLE OF INVESTMENT LOGIC)
Session One: 1-4pm at The Woolshed
Cost: $45
To all those who expressed an interest in working further with
ECOIL, I am happy to run separate sessions to work with this
particular tool as part of the Second Grand Cycle of the Four
Elements/Four Seasons and The Wheel of Segais. It would be
desirable for you to also enrol for the 4ES Second Grand Cycle of 4
workshops and it would be my preference that you would teach this
segment in the ‘Water/Air/Integration workshop on 4th December.
ECOIL is an ‘Air’ tool that can be used by all Elements when your
Vision (Fire) strikes a problem. It doesn’t create new information but
it does create new thinking.
‘Investment’ can refer to an investment of your money, time, energy
or resources.
Contact: Pamela – 2399234 / 027206876
Email: pamela@thewoolshed.com

Sunday 28th August

PEMA CHODRON VIDEO WORKSHOP
GOOD MEDICINE
How to Turn Pain into Compassion
10am-4pm at The Woolshed
Facilitated by Pamela
3.5 hours of video with Pema Chodron interspersed with discussion,
writing up notes, breaks and lunch.
Pema Chödrön reveals the time-tested Buddhist antidote to
suffering—and shows how to apply it in your own life. The simple
and elegant meditation practice known as tonglen, she teaches, is the
perfect medicine for “ordinary people like ourselves.” Through
tonglen, we can use life’s difficulties as a way to befriend ourselves,
accept the past we have rejected, and widen our circle of compassion.
COST: $20. Bring lunch to share
Contact: pamela@thewoolshed.com

Sunday 11th September,

FOUR ELEMENTS / FOUR SEASONS SECOND GRAND CYCLE
FIRE / WATER / FORMULATION
10am-4pm at The Woolshed
Cost: $80
Bring lunch to share.
The seed having awakened to its potential and possibility in the time
of Winter, begins to explore its form, its season, its purpose and its
place in the great cycle of the Elements, the Seasons and the Wheel of
Segais.
This is the first workshop of four traversing the Second Grand Cycle
of The Wheel.
Other dates are:
Sunday 4th December – Water / Air/ Integration
Sunday 5th March – Air / Earth / Consolidation
Sunday 4th June – Earth / Fire / Decay & Genesis
These workshops are open to all – new people and ‘old hands’. At our
‘Potential & Possibility” free workshop in June all who attended
expressed the wish to ‘go round the Cycle again’ with those who have
attended the First Cycle exploring deeper aspects of the Elements
and Seasons while ‘refreshing’ previous learning. So the new people
will benefit from the wisdom of the previous ‘Elementals’ and the
previous ‘Elementals’ will get to do some sharing of what they have
learned with the newer ‘Elementals’! Ultimately we are all learners
and we are all teachers.
I am keen to build further on the basic understanding and philosophy
of The Four Elements/Four Seasons; to structure a learning/teaching
model within which we can consider in much greater depth the
Cycles and Patterns that inform all things - for the good of ourselves,
our relationships, our dreams and plans, and our planet.  
Elementally Yours, Pamela
To register your interest please contact me at:
pamela@thewoolshed.com or 2399234 / 0272068876

22-24 October (Labour Weekend)

Plus 2 follow-up sessions to be negotiated.
NAMAKOSHI SHIATSU TRAINING
At The Woolshed with Pamela Meekings-Stewart 
Cost $350
Shiatsu (literally meaning finger pressure) is a pathway to self-
healing and the healing of others.  Shiatsu applies manual and digital
pressure to the skin with the aim of preventing and curing illness by
stimulating the body’s natural powers of recuperation, eliminating
fatigue-producing elements, and promoting general good health
There are only six places available.  Course notes and diagrams will
be supplied. Contact: pamela@thewoolshed.com

STIRRING THE CAULDRON

The Grove of the Summer Stars is your Grove. This Newsletter is
your newsletter. So please get involved! I will be sending GOSSip
out every month so if you have anything that you’d like to go in it,
send it along!

OUR LIBRARY
Nicola and Les are doing a great job looking after the library at the
moment but more volunteers would be appreciated to help out with
putting ‘Returns’ away and entering new books. Our library also has
back copies of Touchstone – the journal of the Order of Bards, Ovates
and Druids and the current one or two copies can usually be found on
the coffee table. The library also has copies of Witches & Pagans
magazine and there are often articles in it written by OBODs or other
Druids.

BLOGS & MAGS: Our blog - https://summerstarsgrove.wordpress.com/.

Always something interesting to respond to or contribute.

You might also like to send your contributions to other blogs or

magazines. There is a blog – druidsdownunder.blogspot.co.nz:
“Druids Down Under has been set up for the purpose of exploring
Druidic spirituality in Australia. Through combining the inspiration
of our tradition in Druidry with the spiritual essence of the land we
live in, we aim to find a connection with the sacred landscape.”
Strange that it has a New Zealand blog address!

Druidic Dawn’s Spring/Fall Equinox issue of their free global

magazine, Aontacht, was published recently –
http://www.druiddawn.org/files/Aontacht - Volume 8 issue 2 pdf. Druidic
Dawn has been publishing Aontacht quarterly since 2008. The theme
for this issue is Death and Renewal.

There is also the Australian OBOD magazine SerpentStar which

publishes four editions a year – Lughnasadh, Samhuinn, Imbolc and
Beltane. Guidelines for submissions are located
here: https://serpentstar.wordpress.com/about/

Yours in the Awen /|\

Pamela (Modron)
2399234 / 0272068876 pamela@thewoolshed.com