Hi everybody. Just a quick thing I have to comment on! Did anyone else see the programme on TV on Sunday night about Stonehenge? It was about English Heritage allowing access to the stones on Summer Solstice to pagans and druids and though it was interesting it also IRRITATED me. Isn’t it just really annoying how they always make the equation pagan = weirdo?! The focus was on two sets of people – the EH representatives who were all upper-class, conventionally dressed etc, who were trying to control the anarchic pagans, and the only ones of us lot they chose to focus on were the ones with hair and beards down to their chests and/or pink dreadlocks etc. I know it doesn’t matter what we any of us look like but wouldn’t it be nice if just for once we weren’t stereotyped in quite such an obvious way? Does anyone work in television or know anyone who does?! If so couldn’t we suggest they make a programme about how pagans are really quite diverse and you can’t always tell our beliefs from how we look? Sorry. Rant over…
24/5/2005
Shared Calendar Now Available.
Event Calendar entries are now available in ‘vCalendar’ format. This means that you should be able to view them through you desktop calendar program. It works on iCal for the Macintosh. It should work on newer versions of Microsoft Outlook too.
The calendar is at this address: http://www.theraven.org.uk/vcalendar.php
Let me know if you like this feature, or if you have problems.
Beltane Offerings
Trui sent this picture of the offerings we left after the Beltane ceremony. It was a beautiful spot, a beautiful ceremony, and a beautiful (and bio-degradable) offering of thanks.
Click on the image for a full size version.
Chelsea Physic Garden
Daniel took this picture of us a the Chelsea Physic Garden. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time looking at and chatting about plants, getting to know the local cat and having tea and cakes. All extremely civilised. The short guided tour we had was led by a volunteer gardener who was brimming with enthusiasm. At the end she said that, even though she was not a religious person, she thought of the Physic Garden as a sacred place, and that she was walking on hallowed ground. A Druid at heart?
Click on the image for the full size picture.
An invitation
Anna says:
“I have a new pamphlet coming out – from a decent poetry publisher!! To celebrate I am having a bit of a do. I hope you can make it – there will be food and wine at the do and we will go on to a pub after.”
27/5/2005
Canal Boat Trip 3 July
Amelia is organising a canal boat trip on 3 July as our Summer social event (do please note the early meeting time!) If you want to come, please reply to this post by 23 June, so that we have an idea of numbers and Amelia can book some seats. It would be a shame if a lot of people turned up and found there was no more space in the boat!
This is the plan:
Meet at Perivale station at 12 noon, since the trip starts on that side of Horsenden Hill.
The boat leaves at 12.30 pm for a 1 hour 45 min trip. The trip costs £5.50
There is a bar on the boat and you can pre-book a ploughman’s lunch, with ham or cheese, which costs £4.50
So if you want to come, order your lunch at the same time.
I’m really looking forward to this one.
P.S. I have also posted this in the “Events” section to make our calendar complete and up to date
