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Earrach 42 - Oimelc / Imbolc 2004 - Vol.2 No. 2
www.mithrilstar.org
MOTHER
GROVE MOVING -- MARCH 1ST
The Mother Grove is relocating at the beginning of March. Ceridwen and Sybok are currently hunting for a new home and would greatly appreciate good vibes and successful house-hunting magick. As soon as we know where we are landing, a new address will be published on the website.
START
A PROTO-GROVE - GET FREE DUES FOR LIFE!
Well, the life of your grove anyway. :)
The deal is simple -- If you start a grove between now and Midsummer, you are exempt from dues for that year, and for each subsequent year your grove is in operation.
As with any "deal," there are some strings attached:
-You must be a paid up member of the Order in good standing and ordained to at least the 1st Degree.
-In addition to yourself, you need two warm bodies.
-You must file the necessary forms to register a proto-grove with the Clerk of the MG.
-After a year and a day, you must be ordained to 3rd Degree, and your two members must be ordained to First and paying dues (which makes your proto-grove a Grove) and you must file a Grove constitution with the Clerk of the MG.
-So long as your grove continues to exist and is in good standing, YOUR dues are considered paid.
-Offer applies only to the original Arch-Druid of your Grove (that would be you). Proto-grove registrations must be filed with the Clerk no later than sundown of Midsummer's Day (51 Samradh YR 42).
Forms may be obtained
by writing the Clerk of the
Mother Grove.
NEW
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS DURING Y.R. 42
By now everyone who has ever paid dues to us (and is still an active member) should have received their member's kit.
We began sending out member's kits beginning in November. The kits consist of:
--A membership card with expiration date (your dues "due" date).
--A membership certificate suitable for framing
--A VHS recording
of the documentary "Tree Sit: The Art of
Resistance," which documents Earth Firsts! on going campaign to save
the Redwoods in Northern California.
We've temporarily run short of the videos, but will be making more copies a soon as we can. Until then, however, we have had to limit who receives them to those members who have joined or renewed their membership since November 1.
If we owe you a
tape, you will get it before Midsummer. Waiting is!
AVALON
RISEN
A NEW ONLINE STORE RUN BY THE ORDER
We have just recently
launched our new online store, featuring
Order-related items, including "Mithril Star" pendants, ritual
cloaks, and T-shirts. We've become wholesalers with AzureGreen, and can
get anything in their catalog (www.azuregreen.com)
for you at 20% off their regular retail prices.
Our online store will be at http://www.mithrilstar.org/avalon and will feature a shopping cart powered by Pay Pal, so you can do all your shopping easily and conveniently.
Please keep checking that page, as we will be adding new inventory to the store every week!
Also, if there
are any items that you see on the AzureGreen website that you think we
should carry in our store, please write us and we will consider it.
Bride put her finger in the river
On the Feast Day of Bride
And away went the hatching mother of the cold.
- Carmina Gadelica
It was said: "from Brighid's feast day onwards the day gets longer and the night shorter." Although this refers to the time of the winter Solstice, the felt truth was that the goddess brought back the growing light. On the eve of Là Fhéill Bhrìghde (St.Brigid's Day), the Old Woman of Winter, the Cailleach, journeys to the magical isle in whose woods lies the miraculous Well of Youth. At the first glimmer of dawn, she drinks the water that bubbles in a crevice of a rock, and is transformed into Bride, the fair maid whose white wand turns the bare earth green again. *
http://www.chalicecenter.com/imbolc.htm
DRUIDCRAFT
101
The Samhain session of Druidcraft 101 is has 5 more lessons to go. Out of 77 that began the class, 29 have survived, and 5 have joined the Order. Lady Heart is doing a wonderful job teaching the class.
This is the first of the "share ware" sessions of D101, where students are being asked to contribute $100 to the Order if they feel they have benefited from the class.
The next online
Druidcraft 101 class begins March 21st, 2004. To enroll, send a blank
email to druidcraft101@yahoogroups.com
or enroll online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/druidcraft101
For more details, visit http://www.mithrilstar.org/d101.htm
1st
ONLINE ORDINATIONS A SUCCESS!
We held our first ever online ordinations in the mithrilstar chat room on the new moon of January 21st. This was a "three in one" ritual evening, with candidates for the First, Second and Third degrees participating.
Out of 44 Druids eligible for First Degree, 13 were ordained that evening.
Out of 11 Druids eligible for Second Degree, 8 were ordained that evening.
Out of 7 Druids eligible for Third Degree, 3 were ordained.
In the future, we will only be conducting ordination rites for one degree at a time, since this "mass" ordination seemed in retrospect to be rather factory-like.
The Arch-Druid is currently looking at dates for future ordinations. However, if you are in a hurry, you may make a private appointment with her for a phone or chat room ordination - or you can contact one of the three new Third Degree Druids, as they are empowered to perform the rites for First and Second degrees.
Write the clerk of the Mother Grove for a list of 3rd's.
ASTROLOGY FOR PAGANS
Ceridwen currently has two intermediate sessions going, and a beginning session which started on November 1st.
The next beginners session is slated to start on Saturday, March 20, 2004 (New Moon after Spring Equinox).
To enroll, send
a blank email to:
astropagan101-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or subscribe on
the web at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/astropagan101
If you are interested
in a private consultation about your
Astrological chart, please visit her home page at:
ALMANAC
Today is Imbolc / Oimelc, or February 2, 2004 CE.
It is the 2nd day of the Season of Earrach, as well as the 2nd day of the Month of MÌ na hOimelc.
It is also Tuesday, in the common tongue, or Dydd Mwrth in Welsh.
It is the Druidic day of the Holly tree.
It is also Groundhog Day.
FULL MOONs occur on 6 Earrach, 35 Earrach and 65 Earrach.
NEW MOONS occur on 20 Earrach, 49 Earrach and 79 Earrach.
The Sun enters Pisces on 19 Earrach.
Me·n Earraigh (March) begins on 30 Earrach (a Monday - Dydd Llun - Day of the Willow).
OMS conceived on 45 Earrach YR 33.
Oestar - Alban Eiler, Ostara, or the Spring Equinox occurs on 48 Earrach.
The Sun enters Aries on 48 Earrach.
Deareadh Earraigh (April) begins on 61 Earrach (a Thursday - Dydd Lau - Day of the Oak).
A Solar Eclipse will occur on 79 Earrach.
The Sun enters Taurus on 79 Earrach.
The Mother Grove wishes all of you a most blessed
Imbolc,
and abundant blessings throughout the season!
May you never thirst,
Arch-Druid
Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear, Managing Editor/Webmaster
Sybok Pendderwydd, Clerk
Cylch Cerddwyr Rhwng Y Bydoedd Grove, OMS
NEXT ISSUE WILL BE PUBLISHED ON BELTANE
Calen Mai -- 1 Samradh YR 42
WANT
TO JOIN THE ORDER?
http://www.mithrilstar.org/join.htm
WANT
TO DONATE TO THE ORDER? http://www.mithrilstar.org/donate.htm
The
Druids Egg -- 1 Earrach YR 42 -- Vol. 2 No. 2
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Published four times each year by
The Mother Grove of the Order of the Mithril Star
Cylch Cerddwyr Rhwng y Bydoedd Grove
"An autonomous collective of Reformed Druidry"
Copyright © 2004