The last newsletter went out on the same weekend that we were at
the Elf Fantasy Fair in Arcen, Netherland. That seems a lifetime
away now! We had the most amazing time there at the castle, with
our own room which we decorated with Stonewylde artefacts - our
Green Man, the bronze labyrinth, a beautiful display of corn dollies,
and many other lovely things. Sorcha, one of our loyal Dutch
readers, had organised the whole event for us, and she helped us
on the Friday and Saturday, working really hard. On Sunday we
were ably helped by our dear Ebany, and his ladyfriend.
The costumes at the fair were out of this world, and everyone was
so friendly. Mr B and I dressed up too and met literally thousands of
people, because nearly everyone came through our room in the
castle. I gave a talk on both days in the Throne Room, and on the
Sunday was honoured to be on the balcony with the King and
Queen of the Elves for the opening ceremony. Altogether we had a
truly incredible time, and we’ll be returning to the next Elf Fantasy
Fair in April 2010. More details here - many Stonewylders have
already said they’re coming and it will be incredible.
The following weekend saw us up in Harrogate for a big Health and
Healing Festival. Again we had a great time, and I shared a long
authors’ table with three other authors. We were busy all weekend
selling books and the new Stonewylde Green Labyrinth T-shirts,
and it was great to meet many Stonewylders there.
October has been equally busy, with a massive Mind/Body/Soul
event at Olympia in London. We were again hosted by the Magik
Thread and sold a vast number of books. I gave a talk on the
Sunday which was a bit nerve-wracking as it was in an open lecture
area and I had to wear a head-set! The weekend was exhausting
but really good, and again we met many lovely Stonewylders who’d
come along specially.
The next event was another MBS festival at Gorton Monastery in
Manchester, organised by Angie of BSSK. This was the most
beautiful setting (an awful lot better than Olympia!) with a calm and
peaceful ambience. My talk was sold out (it was free but ticketed)
early on and many people were turned away. The Stonewylders
really were out in force, with so many of them meeting up by our
stall that I felt quite overwhelmed. Do read Lisa’s hilarious acount
of her meeting with a Lama, which I’ve put up on my blog. For the
first time ever we had Stonewylders wearing the four different T-
shirt designs (both colour Green Man T-shirts and the Harvest Moon
Gathering and Green Labyrinth ones too).
The end of October saw a trip back down to my lovely Dorset. I’d
been invited to present the awards at the annual Dorset
Volunteers Award Ceremony, and do a little talk. I was delighted
to give copies of Magus of Stonewylde to several young volunteers,
meet the staff of the Volunteer Centre and also the current Mayor of
Dorchester. It was a great evening and a real honour to be there.
I now blog regularly so you can read more extensive write-ups and
see more pics on my Moongazygirl blog - click here.
Breaking Stonewylde news
The new Stonewylde Green Labyrinth T-shirts
have been on sale since our trip to the
Netherlands and we’ve already sold over half
of them! They’re pretty cool (even my son Will
wears one so they must be!) and the labyrinth
is a very striking design. It’s also relevant to
Stonewylde because it was in a labyrinth on
Oct 31st that I had my moment of truth - when I
knew I had to write Stonewylde. On sale in
four sizes at £9.99 plus P&P - click here.
We’re still running a very special offer in the
Stonewylde Store that just might solve all your
Christmas/Yule present problems! You can buy
the trilogy of Stonewylde books, personally
dedicated and signed by me, and also a
beautiful Stonewylde Wheel of the Year
greetings card (blank for you to write in) for
only £19.99 with FREE P&P!!! The first fifty
orders will receive a free bookmark painted by
Helixtree. What an offer - your gift nightmares
solved in one fell swoop! Details here.
I’m delighted to have been invited by the
people of Monkton Wyld to lead a course there
next May at Beltane. It will be a three night
event - Friday April 30th to Monday May 3rd.
This is not another Gathering but maybe the
next best thing, for Monkton Wyld is the most
beautiful place and especially so in May. I will
be leading the course (with Mr B to help me),
entitled “The Green Man at Beltane”, and it will
be brilliant fun. We’re doing lots of creative
things - art, poetry, making masks, wands,
models, guided meditations and journeying,
tree energy, walks, a bit of green magic but
most of all - seeking the green spirit within and
without. Do book early if you’re interested in
coming as places are limited to only 25, and
open to the public. Click here for full details.
I’m now on Twitter so please follow me!
Stonewylde Newsletter 24
October 31st 2009
Bright blessings at
Samhain
to all Stonewylders
What’s been going on ...
Samhain
Samhain (pronounced Sowain)
is one of the Celtic festivals and
is the last day of the year in the
pagan calendar. Traditionally it
was the time for remembering and
honouring the dead - a custom
found in many other ancient cultures.
When Christianity superceded the old
religion, it became All Hallows' Eve, the
day before All
Hallows when the saints were
honoured. But the idea of a festival for the dead remained,
although this has become completely transformed by
Hallowe'en with its skeletons and ghouls, and the spiritual
side forgotten by many.
Samhain is the time when the veil between the realms of
the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Departed souls
may find a way to contact the living. It’s a time for
remembrance of our ancestors, and those we've loved
who have passed on to the Otherworld (or whatever name
you give to the afterlife). It’s a time of letting go of the old
and getting ready to embrace the new, with the start of the
pagan new year the next day.
At Stonewylde all fires are extinguished at dawn and
people fast until sunset. A great labyrinth is built on the
Village Green, with white pebbles from the beach
depicting the cursal path. In the centre is a wicker dome
where the only fire at Stonewylde burns, and crows'
feathers and bones hang inside from the roof. Every
member of the community, Hallfolk and Villager, walk this
Green Labyrinth dressed in a black cloak. Once inside the
dome they drink a heady brew of elderberry wine and
meditate – some may say hallucinate.
Dates for your diary ...
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6th - from 7 to 9pm The Big Green Bookshop , Wood Green, north London.
I’m invited to this famous little bookshop to present a Stonewylde evening. I’ll be giving
a talk about my writing and the magical events that inspired me, talking about the Wheel
of the Year and reading from the books. Afterwards there’ll be a chance to ask
questions, and buy signed copies of the books at a discounted price. T-shirts, greetings
cards and posters will also be on sale. Please come along - this event is free and there
are refreshments too! You can also meet celebrity bookseller Simon Key - and the press
will be there! Details here
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26th - Judi Spiers on BBC Radio Devon
I’ve been invited back to this lovely radio station, situated in Exeter, for another interview. Judi is a huge
Stonewylde fan, incredibly enthusiastic, and she especially loves the idea of moongaziness, which she
confesses to being herself. I’ll be on air at around 10.30 for a while, and hope you can tune in. This show can
also be heard on the Internet. Click here for the link.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27th and 28th - Kernowkopia Festival,
NEWQUAY, Cornwall
This event promises to be really special, crammed full of exciting
workshops, performances and stalls and all at the lovely Sands
Resort, Porth in Newquay. The festival opens on the Friday and I
shall be there on the Saturday and Sunday. My talks are at
12.30pm Sat and 11am Sun, both lasting an hour. Mr B and I will
be selling the trilogy of Stonewylde at a very good price (ideal
presents for Yule!) along with greetings cards and Green
Labyrinth T-shirts. Many Stonewylders are planning on coming
to this event including our famous Cornmother and Carp, two of
our very original members of the forum! I’m really looking
forward to this final Stonewylde event of the year. It’s been a busy one!! Click here.
Stonewylde Community news ...
It’s been wonderful this past couple of months to meet so many members of the Stonewylde Community. As
reported in the last newsletter, fifty of us met
at Monkton Wyld for the Harvest Moon
Gathering which was truly magical.
Since then Mr B and I have had the pleasure
of meeting many more members who’ve
come along to events where they know we’ll
be. Sorcha and Ebany were absolute stars
at the Elf Fantasy Fair in the Netherlands -
we could never have done it without their
help. We also met many community
members at Harrogate, Olympia and Gorton Monastery. The Stonewylde T-shirts are proving very useful as
fans can spot each other easily and avoid the embarrassment of approaching the wrong stranger! The cries of
delight and massive hugging that goes on when members finally meet each other, often having chatted every
day on the forum for months, is really lovely.
Congratulations to our beautiful Faerieface and the hunky Chappie on their handfasting in September. They’ve
been married for years but decided it was time to jump the broomstick for real. Many Stonewylders attended
their moving ceremony and the big party afterwards. Mr B and I send them our very brightest blessings.
We’ve officially appointed Where the Wild Roses Grow as our Stonewylde jeweller, and she’ll be
licensed soon to create our Stonewylde pendants, as described in the books. These will not be
available yet, but do take a look at her truly exquisite jewellery and grab some while she still has
time to make it. She’s going to be very busy soon making beautiful silver pendants for
Stonewylde! Wild Roses is exceptionally talented and we’re over the moon to have her with us.
We’ll let you know just as soon as the pendants are on sale. Visit Wild Roses here.
We’re still welcoming new members so do come and join us - click here to visit the community.
The elder and the yew are the trees sacred to this
festival, the elder as it's the tree of the crone, and
the yew because of its association with death and
rebirth. The crow is the symbol of Samhain, and is
painted as the main symbol in the Stone Circle.
Carved Jack o' Lanterns and papier mache skulls
decorate the Great Barn. At sunset an enormous
bonfire is lit in the Playing Fields adjoining the barn,
its flame sparked by the one fire burning in the
Labyrinth. Everyone dances in great circles around
the fire, symbolising the never-ending turning of the
wheel of the year. Then the feasting and dancing
begin!
In the Stone Circle the Stone Labyrinth is built, along
with a huge funeral pyre. The third book, Solstice at
Stonewylde, explains all about the strange rituals
that take place here, when the Dark Angel is
summoned. This is the stuff of nightmares.
Take time at Samhain to remember those who've
died. This is the day of remembrance. Also take time
to reflect on the year that’s passed, and learn from it.
Look ahead to the coming winter and new
opportunities, and think of what you hope to achieve
Kit’s diary for 2010
I shall not be attending so many events in 2010. This year has been very hectic indeed and I need to
concentrate more on writing. However I’ve already agreed to speak at the following events:
Fans in Stonewylde T-shirts in unusual places!
Sat March 6th - Cornwall & Devon Pagan Federation Annual Conference, Bude
Sat March 20th - East Midlands Pagan Federation Annual Conference
April 24th - 25th - Elf Fantasy Fair, Netherlands
April 30th - May 3rd - Green Man at Beltane, Monkton Wyld, Dorset
July 10th - 11th - Quest at Newton Abbott, Devon
© Steve Pallant
Nick in his Green Man T-shirt
snapped in the Bay of Angels, Nice.
Cornmother’s OH
bell-ringing in his new
Green Labyrinth T-shirt
Dervla, who was our youngest reader
for ages but has now grown up a bit,
was photographed in Venice during the
summer. She now has a new Green
Labyrinth one - watch this space!
