Raven's friend tchipakkan is working on a book about how ordinary Pagans live their faith. She has a set of questions, and would appreciate answers to any number of them from folks. (You don't have to answer them all! There are a lot.) Send replies to her directly (not to me), at tchipakkan@tds.net.

Thanks,

-- Joshua

( The Questions )

These classes are (mostly) being offered as part of the Brigantia program of Asphodel. They are open to the general public and are free for members of Asphodel, $5 for non-members.

This coming Sunday, the 8th of July: Asphodel Church Doctrine. 1-5 pm (with half-hour break). This is a Ministry Degree class. It is open to the public, but really only likely to be of interest to ministry students. Taught by Josh & Raven.

Cassandra's 13th Birthday party will be held at Cauldron Farm, July 13-14th. Caz's band Silent Mind will be playing on Friday night. We'll be having a few Brigantia classes on Saturday and Sunday. Of most general interest, at 12 noon on Saturday the 14th of July, there will be an Order of Willowroot class on Basic Energy-Work Theory and Technique, or something along those lines, taught by some combination of Tashlins.

4 pm on Saturday the 14th of July: Folk Storytelling. If you wish to attend this class, you must bring with you a story that takes less than 8 minutes to go through from beginning to end. (Read it first and time yourself.) We will be learning about the basics of public storytelling and working on various people's performance from 4-6, then taking a break for dinner. Everyone will perform their stories around the bonfire at 8 or so. Yes, actually performing is required to finish the class. If you cannot stay until 8, you can perform your story at a future Asphodel event, and receive the credit then. Taught by Raven.

1 pm - 3pm on Sunday the 15th of July: Alchemy 101. Taught by Josh. A basic introduction to the historical and modern practice of Alchemy.

4 pm - 7pm on Sunday the 15th of July: Asphodel Ritual and Liturgy. This is a Ministry Degree class. Again, it is open to the public but designed for our ministry students. Taught by Raven and Josh.

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We will also be hosting Binding Intentions: The Art of Rope and Fiber Magic and Rope Magic Ritual taught by Lee Harrington (passionandsoul), August 15th at Cauldron Farm. Class: 6-8:30; Ritual 8:30-9:30pm. This is sponsored by the Ancestor Threads Guild, not Brigantia. There is a materials fee of $5 per person, for both members and non-members. Contact Jess O (snowmoon3) for details.

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Lastly, I will be leading an online discussion group on Tantric Sexuality, History and Practice. Full participation in the class will count as the Tantric Studies requirement in the Brigantia masters degree for Dark Moon Rising. Must be 18+ to participate. Group runs from Lammas to Samhain (Aug 1 - Oct 31). Required text is The Essence of Tantric Sexuality, by Mark Michaels and Patricia Johnson. It is available for $6 used on Amazon and elsewhere. (ISBN:0-7387-0900-X; 240 pages)

This is a masters level class and does involve a certain time commitment. Participants will be expected to maintain a daily practice of 15-30 minutes meditation and journaling. A chapter in the book will assigned each week, with discussion questions to be posted to the group. All exercises can be done solo. Complete confidentiality of group discussions is required. Contact me before July 20th to sign up.

-- Joshua

Raven and I are not affiliated with this book project. It has nothing to do with Asphodel Press. I'm just passing along the information.

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WHY ARE FAGGOTS SO AFRAID OF FAGGOTS?:
flaming challenges to masculinity, objectification and the desire to conform

• CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS •

As back rooms are shut down to make way for wedding vows, and gay sexual culture becomes little more than straight-acting dudes hangin' out, where are the possibilities for a defiant faggotry that challenges the assimilationist norms of a world that wants us dead?

Masculine ideals have long reigned supreme in male sexual spaces, from the locker room to the tea room, the bars to the back alleys to the beaches. But is there something more brutal and dehumanizing about the calculated hyperobjectification of the internet? How do we confront the limits of transaction sexuality, where scorn becomes "just a preference," lack of respect is assumed, and lying is a given? How can we create something splendid and intimate from that universe of shaking and moaning and nervous glances turned inward now groaning?

I'm especially interested in essays about community-building experiments, public sexual cultures, faggots not socialized or presenting as male, cruising, HIV, consumerism, transfaggotry, polyamory, feminism, sexual safety and risk-taking, norms for faggots outside of the US, and gender transgression (of course). I'm looking for essays that expose hierarchies of gender, age, race, nationality, class, body type, ability, sexuality and other identity categories instead of imposing fascistic definitions based on beauty myth consumer norms. That's right, honey -- I'm talking about interventions that are dangerous and lovely, just like you.

Mattilda a.k.a. Matt Bernstein Sycamore is the editor, most recently, of Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity (Seal/Avalon, 2007) and an expanded second edition of That's Revolting! Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation (Soft Skull, forthcoming). Her second novel, So Many Ways to Sleep Badly, will be published by City Lights in 2008. For more on Mattilda, visit www.mattbernsteinsycamore.com.

The basics:

*Submit non-fiction essays of up to 6,000 words. All submissions must be typed and double-spaced, and sent by post (no email submissions, but feel free to contact me with queries, mattilda@sbcglobal.net). Please include a short bio.

*Deadline is November 31, 2007 -- but the sooner, the better.

*Send submissions to: Mattilda a.k.a. Matt Bernstein Sycamore 537 Jones Street, #3152 San Francisco, CA 94102

Asphodel's Lammastide Open Circle - Sunday, August 5th

The Corn King is grown high, and it is time for the first harvest. Come celebrate this time of sacrifice and gratitude with us. We will once again be honoring Frey and Gerda on Lammas. Our Lammas circle is Sunday at 2 p.m. at Cauldron Farm. If you want to camp overnight before or after, bring your gear. This event is free and open to anyone of any faith who wishes to attend.

Please bring a potluck dish or drink for dinner afterwards. If possible, bring something that you made yourself or that you got from a small local restaurant or bakery, rather than packaged food from big corporations. This is the sacred time of grain and beer, so for this one event, all alcoholic beverages must be local brew or homebrew. (No Miller Lite, okay?) Think about your food, and what went into the making of that food, before you bring it for this feast. If you have any questions, call the farm.

Etin-Moot: Honoring the Jotun of the Northern Tradition - Friday-Sunday, August 10-12

More and more we hear from people being contacted, and working with, and revering, the Rokkr and the Jotunfolk of the Northern Traditions. Often they get little hearing or sympathy from others in the various northern-tradition religious groups, and too often they think that they are the only ones having this experience. The fee is $15 per adult; children are free. Click Here for More Information.

If you have any questions email event coordinator and gythia of the Iron Wood Kindred, Elizabeth Vongvisith, at evongvisith@gmail.com. Prior to Etin Moot, the Iron Wood Kindred will be meeting Thursday the 9th at a beach on the coast of Maine, to honor the nine daughters of Aegir and Ran, and interested individuals should email Elizabeth.

Official Announcement: Northeast Regional FTM Campout July 20-22

Please forward this widely to wherever you think it ought to go!

It's that time again! Cauldron Farm is hosting the Northeast Regional Campout for FTMs, Friday July 20 - Sunday July 22 in Hubbardston, MA. This gathering is FTM-only, but you can self-identify - we are not the gender police, and if you are on the female-bodied-to-male spectrum and say you're FTM, we believe you. Price is $15 for the weekend, as always - affordable, and a chance to hang out with the guys for a whole weekend. Donations of drinkables (non-alcoholic) are much appreciated, especially spring water, as we tend to run low by the end of the gathering.

You may use the following form to pay by credit or debit card online, or send a check by mail to Raven Kaldera (12 Simonds Hill Road, Hubbardston MA 01452), or pay cash at the door. If you plan on arriving or departing at odd times, we ask that you call ahead (978-928-4198) or email cauldronfarm@hotmail.com to be certain this is okay.

Number of Adults ($15 each)
(You do not need to have a PayPal account to register.)

This is a camping event, so bring your tent, bedding, flashlight, bug repellent, sunscreen, and enough food for the weekend. Please bring a potluck dish for the Saturday night dinner - we can store refrigerable food up at the house. There is a latrine and, this year, both cooking-fire and bonfire pits. We will be scheduling at least two trips to the local ponds for swimming - one daytime trip to Asnacomet Pond at the town beach, and for those who prefer a more private swim (since people are no longer allowed at Asnacomet at night), a nighttime trip in more rustic Moose Horn Pond across the road. So bring swim gear, whatever that involves for you. And again, don't forget the bug dope!

If anyone would like to give a workshop or run a discussion group, please email Raven at cauldronfarm@hotmail.com. Ditto if you have questions. Cauldron Farm in in Central Massacusetts, about 45 minutes north of Worcester. Directions to Cauldron Farm and information about camping there can be found at:

http://www.cauldronfarm.com/directions.html

Thank you, and we hope to see you there! -- Joshua

Please distribute as you find appropriate

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Baphomet's Sanctuary

An Exploration of Third Gender Sacred Sexuality

Friday August 17th - Sunday August 19th

Cauldron Farm, 12 Simond's Hill, Hubbardston MA
978-928-4198 / cauldronfarm@hotmail.com

Online Registration Available

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I am quite proud to announce that Asphodel's own Fish Fishman has won an NBC-sponsored talent contest on the virtual community Second Life with a magic act performed by his avatar, Tuna Oddfellow. For those of you who don't know, Fish is one of our nobels in Asphodel and a stage magician in real life.

Tuna will appear on NBC's "America's Got Talent" at 8pm today, so please tune in.

-- Joshua