Lammas 2006

Although for many the hottest days of the summer are yet to come, the daylight hours are starting to shorten. The morning sky is darker a little longer each day.

The Grove is definitely into a 'production' mode at the moment as our Sabbat newsletter will attest. There is plenty going on and plenty more to do.

Announcing the Greenman Festival 2007

A pagan gathering in the Western Bay of Plenty/Waikato, New Zealand that has been set for February of 2007.
The Greenman Festival will run for the first time in 2007 with a view to growing it into a popular annual event.

More information about the event will soon be posted on our website - www.greenmanfestival.org. but please feel free to have a look around.

We are still very much in the planning stages now, and much needs to be finalised but we wanted to get the word out that the Greenman is coming.

However, we are currently taking registrations of interest from people who may wish to present a lecture or workshop, run a stall or, most especially, perform on one of the evenings for the entertainment of the festival-goers.

Our website will contain information as it comes to hand. We have also set up a Greenman e-list to help facilitate communication about the festival.

Getting Married or Civically United?

We now are able to provide specialised Celebrant services to New Zealand Pagan for marriage and civil union as well as all other rites of passage. Email us for more information.

We are pleased to announce that our Shop is now open again and our interactive software product launched at the Magick Earth Festival in November is now available via the website. The software has been designed to be interactive takes you through the Witchaven homestead and garden includes magic room, library, grimoires, candle magic, divination room, potions room, herb garden and heaps of other great information.

We are still offering our 2006 Calendar in a downloadable eco friendly Pdf format for $5.00; orders can be placed by emailing calendar@witchaven.com online payment via paypal or internet banking.

Places to visit, Books and Magazines to look out and other items of interest.

BeWitched - 38 Glen Mall Place, Glen Eden, Auckland ph 09 818 0030

BeWitched is a personalised business situated in the mall at Glen Eden, Auckland. They provide a range of products from crystals to Marto swords. It has been located in Glen Eden for a number of years. Both Igrewl and Asrteia have visited recently and our wallets were definitely lighter when we left the store. A stunning range of ornaments, crystals and other accessories. It is definitely well worth a visit. It is great to be able to support a great pagan resource. (Check out some pictures on the website - under Resources places to visit)

As their name may suggest they are witches and warlocks however their business is about providing quality products and service at an affordable price.

The owners Shanon and Kim Mckenna are both involved in the business on a daily basis.

Mystical Crafts - 15 Shirley Road, Old Papatoetoe (Near corner of Shirley Rd & St George Street)...Mob: 021 969 096

Mystical crafts is a new shop just opened we'll have more information and photos soon but look out for their website which will be life in the next few weeks www.mysticalcrafts.co.nz

Please go and have a look at both these fabulous shops, our local Pagan shopkeepers need your support.

Traditions Magazine

Polli tells us there's been a delay with the latest magazine and it will now be available in March. We'll keep you up to date when we have them in stock again.

Volunteers Needed!

Do you live in New Zealand? the Auckland/Counties area? OUR VOLUNTEER DAYS START ON 26TH FEBRUARY FROM 11AM - 4PM if you are able to volunteer for this day or part of the day please email volunteer@witchaven.com and let us know. Please do rsvp, so we can cater and give you directions. (NOTE: For security reasons, we have a policy of refusing entrance to those who just turn up at the homestead without either an rsvp being acknowledged or an invite.) There will be a BBQ lunch provided. We'll be seed saving and weeding/cropping/hanging herbs, cataloguing the library, and office admin. When you RSVP well send you all the details you'll need.

We are still keen to invite anyone who is interested in assisting the Grove and to help us with our work to be a Grove Volunteer. We're setting aside each Sunday as "Volunteers day" if you can spare 5 plus hours a month and would like to come help us further our Mission we'd love to talk to you

Grove Membership News

For those of you who have joined as a member of the Grove, fear not you have not been forgotten. Over the next month, we anticipate being able to fully activate this service and will be in touch soon. Please accept our apologies for the delay.

Witchaven is getting bigger

New Witchaven sites coming soon.....................We've just purchased www.witchaven.org and www.witchaven.co.uk they will be new Witchaven sites we'll be working on over the next few months. The plan is to have them up and running by Yule.

Lammas Greetings

Lughnasadh, or Lammas, - 2nd February Southern Hemisphere

Lammas is a day which marks the beginning of the harvest season.
Lammas was the medieval Christian name for the holiday, when loaves of bread, baked from the first wheat, were laid on altars as offerings.
Lammas is a time of joy and fulfilment and the celebration of creation

We give thanks for the ones who create the diverse abundance of life

This Sabbat is also known as the Festival of First Fruits, as the harvest season begins. The first of the harvest festivals, it also marks the waning strength of the God; the nights grow longer and the days moderate their warmth.

The Goddess, now fully enveloped in her Mother aspect, watches in sorrow at his diminishment, but finds comfort and strength in the realisation she carries the seed of the new year's Sun God within her.

This is the time of Thanksgiving for those of us in the Craft; a time to give thanks for all the forms of bounty the earth gives to us - the bounty of the harvest; the bounty of the bonds of love found among our family and friends; the bounty of our spirit. It is a time to recognise the lineage from which we come, and to honour the dying God's coming sacrifice.

Associated Deities: Ceres, Demeter, Corn Mother, Lugh, John Barleycorn, the Green Man
Associated Herbs: All Herbs and all Grains
Associated Crystals: Tiger-eye, Golden Topaz, Opal, Citrine, Ametrine

Decorate Altar with sheaves of wheat, barley or oats, fruit and breads, perhaps a loaf fashioned in the figure of the Sun or a man to represent the God. Corn dollies, symbolic of the Goddess, can be present as well. Appropriate Foods include bread, blackberries and all berries, acorns (leached of their poisons first), crab apples, all grains and locally ripe produce. A cake is sometimes baked, and cider is used in place of wine.

Ways to Celebrate:
• Kindle a fire of herbs and wood to commemorate the Sun’s passing.
• Bake magical bread in celebration of the harvest. Use a normal bread dough but knead in a tablespoon or two of fresh herbs.
• Perform a prosperity spell for the coming months by making a Witches bottle. Gather together a small bottle with a tight fitting cork, a fishhook, some clover, a bit of cinnamon, and a few coins. As you place the items in the bottle visualise money coming to you from all directions. Cork the bottle and seal it with a bit of wax from your altar candles. Bury the bottle near your front door.

“Money come alive and grow,
Pour down on me from high and low,
by herb, and hook, and glass and coin,
Let prosperity and I now join,
Paper money and coins that shine,
Come to me, for you are mine.”

Coming up:

02/02/06 Lammas
13/02/06 Full Moon - Leo
28/02/06 New Moon - Pisces
15/03/06 Full Moon - Virgo Lunar Eclipse
21/03/06 Mabon

Other Events:

New Spirit Festival 13th February - Alexander Park, Auckland

Mind Body Spirit - Sixth Sense Expo's

18-19 March - Western Springs Garden Hall, Western Springs, Auckland $5.00

1-2 April - Mt Albert War Memorial Hall, Mt Albert, Auckland $5.00

29-30 April Convention Centre, Palmerston North $5.00

Magick Earth Festival will be held during Easter, 14-17 April. Check out the website at: http://magickearth.nzgate.com

Well on that note we will end this newsletter. Please let us know your thoughts and comments.
Until next Sabbat

Merry Part
Igrewl and Asrteia

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Postal address PO Box 203003 Waiau Pa, Auckland, 1852, New Zealand
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