Another Weekend Approaches!

Have any plans for this coming weekend? The second weekend of the 2019 season at Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary takes place this coming weekend – April 12 – 14.

According to our coordinator, Mary T. Borden, the first weekend went well. They got some things done and scoped out what the Winter’s weather created that needs fixing up and repairing before this year’s Goddess Gathering Reborn happens at Summer Solstice in June.

As you can see from the pictures below, there are benches that need scraping and painting along with a lot of downed wood to be cleared and stacked. For those who can handle a chainsaw, or even a manual saw, there will be plenty to cut up. There will surely be other projects that are discovered that could use some help in completing.

 

Although the temperatures have come up since the last weekend there, it’s April and the weather is unpredictable with dips in temperature, wind, and rain always a possibility. (You know, “April showers bring May flowers.”) It’s always advisable to dress in layers and bring clothes for warm and cold or rainy weather. Sturdy shoes or boots along with gloves and a hat are advised.

If you decide you want to come out and help, please contact Mary T. Borden for directions and gate opening time information, You can reach her at (740) 241-9340. You can either call or text, but if you do text, be sure to put “Raven-Wolf” on it.

It’s also time to mention Goddess Gathering Reborn and getting registered for this event. Registration forms can be found on the web site under “Goddess Gathering” and then click on “2019 Festival Registration Form.” If you register before April 30, 2019, you can save some money!!! If you register for the whole event, June 20 – 23, 2019, you save $10 per person. Even if you can only attend for a day or two, you can save by registering early. It’s $15 per day per person instead of $20 after April 30th or at the gate. A savings of $5 per day per person. Children under the age of 18 are always free!

Vendors are most welcome and there are no additional fees or charges, other than admission, to come and sell your wares or offer your services to those in attendance.

We encourage people to participate by presenting workshops or entertainment. Just like in previous years, if you’d be willing to do two 1-hour workshops or one hour of entertainment, you could get free admission! If you think this is something you might be interested in participating in, there’s a Workshop and Entertainment Application on the web site that you will need to fill out and mail in to be considered. You’ll find the link to it on the left side of any page toward the bottom. Questions concerning workshops and entertainment should be directed to Krista Hanson either by email at kmagicnrgs@aol.com (Please put “Raven-Wolf” in the subject line.) or by phone at 513-349-9197.

One last thing to mention, for now, is that there is one cabin available for renting on both work/camping weekends and during the festival. Referred to, by us, as “Morrigan’s Cabin,” it will be available on a first come, first serve basis, at a cost of $10 per night for weekends and $20 per night for the Goddess Gathering festival. If you are interested, contact Mary T. Borden either by email at vesta13.mb@gmail.com (Please put “Raven-Wolf” in the subject line.) or you can call or text her at 740-241-9340 (If you text, please put “Raven-Wolf” on it.)

If you decide to come out and join us, camping (other than the cabin) is free. We hope you’ll decide to come out and join us!

Raven-Wolf Opens This Weekend!

Well, Spring has finally arrived and with it comes the opening of the gates at Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary this weekend! This is the first of several weekends that are used to not only clear away the vestiges of Winter but prepare for the upcoming 4th Annual Goddess Gathering Reborn to be help June 20 – 23, 2019.

If you don’t have plans for this coming weekend and feel the itch to get back out in Nature, why not come out and join us? It looks to be a fairly good weekend with temperatures in the 60s on Friday and Saturday. If this sounds like something you would like to do, please contact Mary T. Borden, our coordinator, at (740) 241-9340. You can either call or text, but if you do text, be sure to put “Raven-Wolf” on it. She can tell you when the gates will open for sure and give you directions, if you’ve never been there before.

In case you’re not aware, or don’t remember, if you come out and help with the work that needs to be done, you can camp for free! It’s just our way of saying, “Thank you.” for helping us out. It also will go toward a discount on the 2020 GGR admission fee. All kinds of perks just for coming out to be in Nature!

The nights will be chilly so, if you do intend to camp, be sure to bring plenty of warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, etc. There are fire rings for building fires to cook and keep warm. Even if you just come out for the day, wear sturdy shoes, layer your clothing to stay warm, and bring gloves to protect your hands.

If you can’t make it this weekend, the next work/camp weekend will be April 12 -14. You can find a complete list of the work/camp weekends on the web site under “2019 Calendar of Weekends – at a Glance” We hope you’ll find some time to come see Raven-Wolf and meet the folks who are regularly there working to make it a wonderful place to be close to Nature.

Hope to see you soon!

A Note from the Coordinator

Hey everyone,
Spring has sprung in Ohio. That means we are starting up our work weekends to get the Land ready for visitors. As always there is PLENTY of chainsaw work to be done. The Goddess was kind to us this Winter/ While there are several newly fallen trees, there was no structural damage to any of our buildings. She laid a tree down just missing the outhouse at the bottom of the hill. There was minor damage to one of the benches around the lower community fire circle. A new board and some fresh paint, once the weather warms enough for painting, and it will be just fine.

Look for the Calendar of Events on the left of this page and click on it to see when those work weekends are happening. You can double check with me about doming down to help either overnight or for a day trip via email at vesta13.mb@gmail.com or by phone or text at (740) 241-9340.

Please also be reminded that NO One is to be down at the Land ALONE! While it is tempting to just pop in and walk around the gate, this is a DANGEROUS practice, hence the rule! I don’t want t come open the gate to find any human casualties.

Be advised that while it is Spring, we ARE in Ohio. Nighttime temperatures can still drop down into the LOW 30’s! If you plan on staying overnight, we highly recommend WINTER-RATED gear! There is also the option of a Cabin for the weekend. It is on a “First-Come, First-Serve” basis for the small fee of $5 per night. If your not sure your gear meets those requirements, give me a call and I can help you check or give some pointers on making a warm bedroll. Be sure to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. It is even more important in colder weather because you don’t realize how much water you are losing during the day.

ANNOUNCEMENT: There will NOT be a work weekend May 11-13, 2018! That is Mother’s Day Weekend! Go enjoy some time with your mother if she is still on this earthly plane!

Until I see you at the Land, Be Safe,
Lady Vesta

 

And the Earth Awakens…

The New Moon has just occurred, as I write this, and in just three days the Vernal Equinox takes place and the return of the Goddess to the northern hemisphere begins. That’s such a pleasant thought – trees leafing out, flowers beginning to bloom, birds singing, and, best of all, warmer temperatures!

With the Sun shining more, it’s time to get outside. How wonderful to breathe fresh air again and feel the warmth of the Sun on our faces! That also means the first weekend at Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary will be happening soon. March 30th – April 1st to be exact.

The first weekend on the Land is always on of investigation and exploration to see what work Winter has left us to be done before Goddess Gathering occurs at Summer Solstice. Are there trees down? Roads blocked? Buildings damaged? Sometimes Winter is kind to the Land. Other times, not so much. Either way, the Raven-Wolf crew will do their best to take care of it. Your help is always appreciated and welcome.

Camping for these weekends is free. All that is asked of you is to give us a hand, however you are able. Come for a few hours, a day, or stay for the weekend. If you decide to stay, know that this first weekend is a cold one. Be sure to dress warm and bring plenty of blankets, bed rolls, sleeping bags, etc. to keep warm during the night.

Should you decide you want to be part of the first weekend on the Land, you can contact Mary T. Borden, the Coordinator, by email at vesta13.mb@gmail.com Please put “Raven-Wolf” in the subject line. You can also reach her by phone or text at (740) 241-9340. If you text, please put “Raven-Wolf” on it. See can tell you what time the gates will open and give you directions, if you need them.

I mentioned Goddess Gathering and Summer Solstice earlier. This third annual event has been scaled back to four days this year. Mark your calendars for June 21 – 24, 2018. Come join the rituals, workshops, drumming and just getting to know the others who have come to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

There’s a registration form on the web site and if you fill it out and postmark it before April 30th, you receive a discount on your admission fee. As always, children under 18 are free!

Speaking of those workshops, if you’d be interested in giving one, just fill out the “Workshop and Entertainment Application” form on the web site. If you’d be willing to do two 1-hour workshops or one hour of entertainment, you could get free admission!

Raven-Wolf and Goddess Gathering also welcomes vendors. Other than your admission fee, there are no extra costs or fees. We hope you will consider coming to vend at our event.

If you’ve never visited Raven-Wolf, you should be aware we are a primitive site. There’s no electricity and only a hand-pumped well for water. Our bathrooms are latrines for the time being. This is truly a “back to nature” experience.

So, as Spring approaches, we hope that you will decide to join us for a weekend or two as we prepare for the next Goddess Gathering and Summer Solstice. We think you’d love the Land and we’d love to meet you!

Love & Blessed Be

Awaiting Spring…

The weather here in Ohio is taking us all for a roller-coaster ride as we await the coming of Spring. As I’m writing this, snow is falling out my home office window. Two days ago, I went grocery shopping without a coat as it was 68 degrees. Such is the tale of the turning of the Wheel.

My thoughts drift to the Land we call Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary and I wonder what the Winter has brought for us to discover when the last of Winter is behind us. The winds and frigid cold have probably caused some older and less healthy trees to shed limbs and even fall entirely. Will the road be blocked by a fallen tree on that first weekend down there?

Winter leaves many with the sensation known as “cabin-fever”. When the warmth of the Spring Sun is finally here to stay we open windows and can’t wait to get outside. The sunshine and warmer temperatures motivate us to go out into our yards and clean up the debris left by the harshness of Winter.

For those without yards, we hear the call of Nature and go out into local parks to smell the fresh air and feel the warmth of the Sun on our faces. It feels so good to be free of the cold and begin to see Mother Earth come back to life once more.

Such is the tale of Raven-Wolf as well for it is a place, resembling a park, and yet like a home to all the creatures who call it their home. Humans find sanctuary there as well. It’s a place away from the crowds and noise of the cities. It’s a place to turn off your computer and your phone and just “be.” It is here that you can reconnect with Nature and the spiritual side of your own nature. It is here you can take a deep breath, exhale, and just relax away from day-to-day stresses.

Being part of Raven-Wolf is one of those “win-win” situations. You get to reconnect with all that your “normal” life keeps you from, and Raven-Wolf gets your help in becoming all that it was and is meant to be. This is a sanctuary for all creatures – human and beast alike.

Spring is still a month away and the first weekend at Raven-Wolf is about six weeks away. We hope you will consider coming and being a part of a very special place. Come add your energies to the energies of the many who came before and created a wonderful haven for so many so that it will be that place, once more, and even more.

Love & Blessed Be

Opening Weekend is Nearly Here!

It’s hard to believe another Winter has passed and the gates to Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary are about to open again! In about two weeks, people will gather again to begin the work of caring for the Land and preparing for the next Goddess Gathering at Summer Solstice.

Nature calls to many as the last of Winter disappears. Feeling the wind on your face and the Earth beneath your feet can be very satisfying and very healing. This particular piece of Mother Earth is truly sacred space. It offers much and only asks for a little TLC in return.

Much has been accomplished in the last two seasons: buildings have been repaired and painted, camping sites and paths have been reopened, fallen trees have been cleared and cut into firewood, signs have been repainted, and sacred sites have been restored besides the normal maintenance that’s done each time there is a work weekend. There’s plenty more to be done to rebuild and improve this wonderful 16-acre site.

April 7 – 9, 2017 is the first work/camping weekend. We’re still offering free camping to anyone who is willing to come and lend a hand in the work that needs to be done. It doesn’t matter what your work skills or physical capabilities are, there’s something for everyone to do from running chainsaws and weed whackers to stacking wood or picking up sticks for kindling to sitting at registration to greet people coming in.

If you think this is something you’d like to check out and try, you can contact Mary T. Borden either at marymom1@earthlink.net or you can also message her on Facebook for gate opening times and/or directions to the site. REMEMBER: any help you give this year will count toward a discount to Goddess Gathering next year!

A new season is about to begin, filled with infinite possibilities. Who knows where the road may lead and what joys may be found along the way? Are you up for an adventure? Come join us and be part of the recreation of something spiritual and special!

The Earth Awakens

 

Here we are…only one month from the opening of Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary for the 2017 season! Wow! It hardly seems like any time has passed at all. Soon it will be time to assess the damage done by the winds, rain, and snow of this Winter and begin the work to ready the Land for the season and especially for Goddess Gathering 2017 – “Solstice with the Goddess”

That first weekend will be April 7 – 9, 2017. It’s still free to camp, if you are willing to help and you will need to check with Mary T. Borden, the Coordinator, for gate opening and closing times. No matter what your physical abilities may be, there will be some way that you can be of help, if you are willing. Remember, any help you give this year will count toward a discount to Goddess Gathering next year!

Being down on Sanctuary land is a very healing experience. That healing goes both ways – as we do what we can to take care of this wonderful sacred space, the Land heals us in return – mentally, emotionally, and physically. There’s a lot of love that resides on this Land. You feel it the moment you step out of your car onto it. We were meant to be here – to heal and be healed.

The coming together of like-minded people who care about the Earth, creates a joy that’s hard to explain. The “work” that needs doing doesn’t seem like work at all. For some, it becomes a blessing to be part of taking care of this Goddess-given land. You begin to feel a real connection with the Earth here. Mundania seems far, far away when you are here. It’s a whole other reality that exists on Raven-Wolf land.

There are many who have said they seek to find a place where they can openly express who they are and be able to practice their rites unencumbered. That’s one of the many reasons this Land was established 27 years ago. A new generation of people is being sought who want to be part of something like Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary and Goddess Gathering. Here, we can be stewards to the Earth, healing it and ourselves; we can meet others who follow similar paths and rejoice in our similarities; and, here, we can openly be who we are.

A new season is about to begin. Time to plant seeds, both physical and spiritual, for the growing season ahead. What do you wish to grow and harvest this year? We hope you will choose to come grow with us as we begin yet another season of caring and sharing in Nature!

Be sure to check out the Calendar of Events here on the web site. If you can’t make the first work/camping weekend, perhaps there’s another that will allow us to meet! See you there!

Blessed Be

Elder Maya

Spring Approaches…

It’s a new year – a number one year – a time when all things are possible. Spring is in the air, even though the calendar tells us that there are 5+ weeks of Winter.

As the Earth is slowing awakening, we humans are feeling the urge to be outside with the sun shining on our faces and the wind gently blowing through our hair. Nature is calling to us. You can hear it, can’t you?

And so the land known as Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary begins to whisper to those who can hear its call. The Opening Weekend is still almost two months away, but still…She calls because She needs us.

Although Winter hasn’t been as harsh as ones in the past, there will be downed trees to clear, debris to be gathered, and buildings to be checked for damage. This is all besides an outhouse to convert to composting and a tool shed to organize. That first weekend will be April 7 – 9, 2017. It’s still free to camp, if you are willing to help. Check with Mary T. Borden for gate opening and closing times.

With a new year comes the planning and preparations for another Goddess Gathering. From Opening Weekend to Summer Solstice is only a matter of 10 ½ weeks. Obviously, your help would be greatly appreciated.

This year’s Goddess Gathering has been titled “Solstice with the Goddess” and, as stated after our meeting, we had heard the voices of many say that the prices we were asking were too expensive, and now reducing the festival to a five-day event, we decided to take a look at what could be done about that. Please note the following changes:

ENTIRE FESTIVAL : JUNE 21-25, 2015 (5 days)
Before April 30, 2017 – $50 per person
After April 30, 2017 – $60 per person

FESTIVAL DAY RATES:
Before April 30, 2017 – $15 per day per person
After April 30, 2017 – $20 per day per person

***Children under the age of 18 are FREE!***

MAIN RITUAL POTLUCK FEAST:
Bring a dish or pay $10 per person

***The new Registration Form can be found by clicking on the title to the left on this page ***

VENDORS: While you still have to pay the regular registration fee to attend Goddess Gathering, there are no additional registration fees for vendors and we DO NOT ask for a percentage of your sales!!! We will, however, be asking you to donate a sale item for an auction to raise money for Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary that will be held during the festival.

We are actively seeking Workshop Presenters and Entertainers. If you have a subject that you would like to present in the format of an hour long workshop or you have a talent that you would like to provide enjoyment for others with, we invite you to go to the Workshop & Entertainment Application form (click on that title to the left of this page), fill out the form and send it back to us. We will then confirm whether you have a spot for Goddess Gathering 2017. Here’s your incentive to get involved: If you are willing to put on two one-hour workshops OR give one full hour of entertainment, we will give you FREE admission to the Gathering!!!

So you can see there are many reasons to become part of the awesome experiences at both Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary and Goddess Gathering.

Although there is a Calendar of Events that tells you about the weekends on Raven-Wolf and there are forms for registering for Goddess Gathering and also for being a presenter at the Gathering, we know that sometimes there are questions that still need other answers. This year, we’ve added a “Contact Information” page. You can find the link to it on the lower left-hand side of the web site right under “About”. We hope you will find it useful.

So, you can see that as the Earth begins to warm and awaken, we’ve started planting some seeds that we hope will grow some excellent experiences for all the magickal and Nature-loving people who might choose to come and join us. We sincerely hope you will accept our invitation!

Love & Blessed Be

Elder Maya

The Gates Will Open Soon

Can you feel it? The first stirrings of the Earth have begun as it wakes from the sleep of Winter here in Ohio. Can you hear that? It’s the Goddess whispering of Her return. She’s calling to us, asking us to help Her.

Soon the first work weekend will take place at Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary and preparations begin for the first Gathering at Summer Solstice to be held there in many years.

April 8 – 10 the gates open for the year and work on a long list of things that need to be done will start. I won’t lie. We need help. The more hands to do the work, the quicker it gets done and the more pleasant Goddess Gathering Reborn will be for all who attend. You may believe you have nothing to offer, in the way of help. Don’t sell yourself short. There’s things for people of all capabilities. Yes, we need help from people who can run a chainsaw, weed whacker, etc., but we also need people to clean and paint. We even need people who can cook or just sit the gate to greet new arrivals. If you want to add your energies to this revival of Pagan celebration, there’s something you can do, no matter what your physical capabilities. We could use your help.

Goddess Gathering Reborn is a gathering for Pagans, Wiccans and all other magickal people walking a positive path. It’s about coming together with like-minded people and celebrating our spirituality. It’s a safe place to come and become who you truly are away from all that’s mundane in your life.

We invite you to come and add your energies to ours in the rebuilding and rejuvenation of this wonderful Pagan-owned site and event. We look forward to seeing you and so appreciate anything you are willing and able to do to bring this dream back into manifestation!

Be sure to check out the “Calendar of Weekends” by clicking on the link at the left. You can contact us on our Raven-Wolf Nature Sanctuary Facebook page, or email us at RavenWolfNature@aol.com. You can also contact me either on Facebook (Samantha Herron) or email me at Durga1974@aol.com to obtain a map to the site or ask any questions you may have.

Blessed Be