Gay Liberation Manifesto

Festive Litha

LITHA (Summer Solstice, June 20-23, dependent on actual astronomical event)

Held on the longest day of the year, the Solstice is the celebration of lights triumph over darkness and that of the bountiful beauty that light brings into life. Flowers are common in the circle, roses and bright cheerful wildflowers are upon the altar and usually worn by all. It is the changing point of the year, and the celebration of the spiral dance of the year is common among Wiccans. It a celebration with much joy, and much feasting. Many Wiccans will attire themselves in bright colours and equally bright adornments of flowers. Usual food fare may include honeycakes or cornbread. Litha is not celebrated by all sects nor in the same way.

We celebrated Midsummer Day (St John's Eve) yesterday at Columcille.

It was a grand occasion with all the stops pulled out. I wish I had brought my camera along - there were so many colorful people there.

First off, let me tell you how hard it is to convince an ex-Priest that he would have a ton of fun at a Pagan Solstice Festival... LOL.

Finally, he went for it and we got there a bit late - just in time to see NNDT.

My favorite performance of the day would be hard to pick...

• Native Nations Dance Theater was pretty awesome.

Delwin played the flute at the top of the mountain. (pictured above left) Man, it sounded incredible. It brought the whole vibe together.

I wish my Son would have been able to come along so he could have seen some of his heritage in action. The Hoop Dance was very involved and totally inspiring and also Drew's Prairie Chicken Dance (pictured on the right). This performance lit the flame of the Solstice for me.

The Lady who narrated (I think her name was Vaughnda) was very keen to present a concise history of the dances and what they represented. It was marvelous.

• Vicki Doney — Her beautiful voice followed us through the park as we left the circle of stones to explore the wondrous nature of the park at the edge of the Appalachian Trail...

• Next up was Circle of Stones Ritual Theater - also truly awesome.

• Jack McGavin did his two-tone chanting with the shruti box while I meditated - Butch thought I was crazy, but I didn't care. ;o)

The day was magical - especially in the beautiful setting of Columcille. Butch and I wandered off a few times to visit the megalith formations. I thought of Sister Sorrow as I walked the Labyrinth.

I'll make my way back up there again soon and take some pictures...

Happy Jāņi Everyone.

शांति
इंद्रधनु राक्षस


Link: Pocono Record Article - Celebrating Summer
**note: If you read the comments in the newspaper article, it will remind you that some people are just never satisfied unless they can feel superior to others.

Current Events

Looking for a new job at my age is really frustrating. Especially at this time of the year when the market is flooded with young people...
Sheesh. Fagedda bout it.

Truck driving is looking more and more attractive. Even though I'll be out and about on the road - away from here (I'm a homebody at heart) I do love to drive. Picking a "company" to drive for is getting to be a job in itself. Soon, I'm just going to close my eyes and let my finger fall on the page - as a way of deciding. That's called being definitive I suppose.

In other news, my nephew decided (rightly) to get back together with his girlfriend and move back to Indiana. we are happy for them.

We nearly lost part of the house on Monday. falling trees, lightning and high wind have a way of reminding us that Mother Nature is a force that sometimes cannot be reckoned with. Our thoughts are with the people in the Midwest at this time.

BU$H has ignored disaster victims once again. The Katrina Debacle has taught his administration absolutely ZILCH. Gallivanting around Europe like a lost little schoolboy on summer vacation - he should be ashamed of himself.

Then when he does return - pushing Congress to legislate for offshore drilling like the mad idiot he is. This is just what the Big Oil Corporations needed as an excuse to push their agenda on the American People and the Planet...

Let's all bet on oil speculations like the big boys do and make billions off the little people (see Enron Loophole) fudging their possible 'futures'...

Rock's Forever 27 Club... Top Ten

1. Jimi Hendrix: Asphyxiated in his own vomit after an OD on sleeping pills. Ask Eric Burdon what actually happened...

2. Janis Joplin: Heroin overdose, a magical singer, originally with Big Brother and the Holding Company, her version of "Summertime" is an incredible example of her work...

3. Jim Morrison: Listed as dying from heart failure but almost definitely Heroin OD, massively influential, including inspiration for Iggy Pop...

4. Brian Jones: Drowned in his swimming pool under mysterious circumstances; one of the most dangerous characters around if you were his girlfriend, lots of domestic violence and paranoia overshadowed his brilliance as a musician. Predicted the world music scene with his Moroccan experiments...

5. Kurt Cobain: Made into a popular saint after his death from a 'self-inflicted' gun shot wound in 1994. Ironically he expressed a desire to join the 27 club as a young teenager...

6. Robert Johnson: Pneumonia from strychnine poisoning, 1938; the Father of the Blues would never see 30... Inspiration of a great British Blues movement in the 60s and 70s. Such great bands as Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and Climax Blues...

7. Alan Wilson: Possible suicide, leader of blues outfit Canned Heat...

8. Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan: Alcohol related gastrointestinal hemorrhage, founding member & keyboard / vocalist of the Grateful Dead...

9. Gary Thain: Bassist of Uriah Heep...

10. Peter Ham: Keyboardist and singer from Badfinger, suicide by hanging...

Wave that cross on high

I've about had it up to here with radical evangelicals...
...who insist on calling themselves 'Christian Conservative'.
I swore also not to blog about it here, but goddam it it's got to be heard.

My nephew has been thrown out in the street by his mother because he said he believes in global warming at a church meeting. She was embarrassed when the whole church laughed at him...

She said to him that Jesus is teaching him a lesson. She left him to sleep in his car in a parking lot somewhere in Florida's panhandle - leaving it in "god's hands"... thus absolving herself of any guilt. What a perfect excuse that is...

After inviting him from Indiana to come and stay with her after the breakup between his girlfriend and he (of which she was the major cause) she pulls a stunt like that... at the demand of her 'pastor'. Mommie Dearest indeed. So much for "family values". The whole kit and kaboodle are evil bastards.

At the request of his father (my brother, who has been divorced from her for a number of years now - and who's job is on the road); we have opened our house to him - until he can get back on his feet.

If being "CHRISTIAN" means abandoning your family in their time of need - I'm so glad I'm Pagan. I use the "X" to identify these people - they are X-tians in my book...
They don't deserve to be associated with the name of The Christ.

Wait til she finds out he's coming here to stay in our Gay Household. She'll be going off the hook, I guarantee it. Absolutely bonkers.

Stay tuned for the soap opera which will be ensuing, I'm quite sure...

Supreme Court of California says it's on...

...some Hippy Music

Peace, Pot & Microdot