Progress Continues…

If you haven’t been able to make it down to Raven-Wolf yet, you might wonder what, if anything, is happening there. Progress, that’s what’s happening – slow, steady, progress.

It would always be nice to have lots of hands to help, but the group at Raven-Wolf is dedicated to the upkeep and continued progress of improving the Land. These past several weekends down there were an example of that.

There are four cabins on the Land, besides a trailer or two, that have to be maintained just like a house needs upkeep. A couple of the cabins are maintained by permanent members but there are a couple that are also unoccupied. The upkeep of these falls to those who maintain the Land and any volunteers who are willing to lend a hand.

The first cabin that you see, when you drive up the hill, is the one called the “Elder” cabin. Named for the last permanent resident, an Elder in the Craft, it was the second one to be built on the Land close to 20 years ago.

After the Land officially reopened in the Spring of 2015, sites had to be cleaned of trash and leftovers from previous occupants. Later that season, the buildings were given a new coat of paint and basic repairs have been made since then. Not much else has been done, due to lack of funds and the capable hands of volunteers.

Over the course of the last several work/camping weekends down on the Land, and thanks to the hands of a number of wonderful people, the old shingles were taken off, new paper was tacked down, and new shingles were put in place on the Elder cabin. This past weekend caulking was done to seal up gaps and seams.

A big “Thank you!” goes out to: Mary Borden, Jennifer Borden, Aleda Borden, Rhonda Savage, Brian Nichols, Jacquie Daugherty, and especially Brian Daugherty, who you see in the picture putting the shingles on. We are very grateful for all your time and efforts!

This past weekend, they also got the kids involved in helping on the Land. Even the smallest were taught how use the manual log-splitter to split wood and then shown how to stack wood. Practical knowledge is a good thing.

There are still five work/camping weekends left in the season down at Raven-Wolf. The next one is September 14th – 16th. Free camping is still being offered to any who are willing to lend a hand however they are able. If you think you would be interested in spending a weekend, or even an afternoon, in Nature on a beautiful site, contact the Coordinator, Mary T. Borden, at 740-241-9340. You can call or text. If you do text, please put “Raven-Wolf” on it. She can tell you when the gates will open and even give you directions, if you need them. Come to the forest, you’ll be glad you did!

Love & Blessed Be

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!

A Hush Falls Over the Land

Last Wednesday, my High Priest and I went to the Land to retrieve his medicine bag and to do our traditional “Closing” ritual for the Land. It was a somewhat dreary day, mostly cloudy with some drizzle here and there on our 2- hour drive. We parked outside the gate, not wanting to disturb the energies of it being closed for the season, and walked in.

It was so quiet and still. The trees are mostly bare now and the walk up the hill was reminiscent of childhood, walking through ankle-deep fallen leaves. The first thing we noticed, as we rounded the bend at the top, was a tree getting ready to fall next to the first-aid station. A common occurrence on the Land, I wonder how many more will fall during the Land’s Winter rest.

We walked back to the Ritual Field, past the Feast Area, now deserted, but where a wonderful feast took place at Summer Solstice and Goddess Gathering Reborn. Another wonderful memory of this magickall place.

Even the pond seemed deserted of all the lively frogs that occupied it this year. So quiet and still…not a ripple to be seen on the surface of the water.

As we walked through the woods, past the Coordinator’s camp site, there was a loud rustling sound. As I looked up, there was a white-tailed deer running away from us to the back of the property. An awesome sight to behold!

We continued our walk through the campsite, checking for damage, from weather or intruders, and began our descent down the hill once more, heading for the gate.

Normally, the Closing Ritual is held in the Lower Ritual Circle with at least five people in attendance. Things change. So, with only two of us to do this rite we decided to do it at the gate. I would like to share that with you now:

All stand with lighted white tapers.
A single candle is lit in the center of the Circle.

East:   The wheel turns again. The Lady has gone to join the Lord, Her Consort, in     the Underworld. All growing is done.
So Mote It Be.

The East taper is extinguished and East steps to the Altar and waits.

South:   Though the heat of the Sun declines, the passion in our hearts for life on this Earth does not. It is this passion that will warm our souls through the Winter months.
So Mote It Be.

The South taper is extinguished and South steps to the Altar and waits.

West: The lakes and streams will freeze thus ceasing their flow, but the flow of our emotions and spirits will continue on. Nothing can prevent this if we will.
So Mote It Be.

The West taper is extinguished and West steps to the Altar and waits.

North: The flowers fade, the cold winds blow and the snow falls. The wisdom of experience has taught us that all that dies will be reborn. We carry the joy of that wisdom in our hearts and, turning inward, we wait.
So Mote It Be.

The North taper is extinguished and North steps to the Altar and waits.

After a moment of silence, all say:

And the wheel turns,
And the wheel turns,
And we are all bound to the wheel.

Pause 3 beats and intone:

  I          A       O
(EE) (YAY) (YO)

The Center taper is extinguished.
The Circle is closed. The rite is ended.
And so it was that we stood at the gate and turned toward each direction – I did East and West and my High Priest did South and North. It was an emotional rite.

We walked back around the gate, doing a final Pentagram for protection, and left the Land to rest for the Winter.

Love & Blessed Be

Elder Maya

A Very Productive Weekend!

We got a lot done this weekend at The Land. Special thanks to those who showed to help, Rhonda, John, Owen & Toby, and of course myself & Dragon with Sean. The boys add a touch of comic relief, even if their antics are not always so funny at the time things are happening. – How many rinses to get the dish soap out? “Cheez-its” are still good when they have been dumped from their package into my lap & the ground -right mom?

A shared meal on Saturday night with a wonderful introduction to 2X4 soup. I think that is a keeper for cooler weather camping. Warm food is best and this had enough spice to keep it interesting. Thanks Rhonda for sharing it & the homemade butter with bread to go along with it.

A very special thanks to John for using his mechanical expertise and replacing the mower drive belt on the tractor. It ran like a champ for a last mowing of the season of the most used spaces on Sunday. A special thanks to Dragon (& Sean for his supervisory skills) for using the log splitter and taking wood up to the community fire at Elder Cabin.

Extra special kudos to Dragon & Rhonda for bagging up another truckload of the SHRINKING pile of trash. Some of which went to Sarah’s dumpster –Thanks Sarah, and some came home to go into the recycling here and at my mom’s. I think we can get most of it gone the last weekend.

The last weekend of the 2016 season if fast approaching. Plan now to attend & help get our spaces ready for the long winter nap. The dates for that are October 14th-16th. Hopefully some of the tighter schedules will allow for peoples attendance as extra hands can always be used. I’d love to get the trees that are dead marked with their “red for dead” ribbons so we can tell come spring which ones need felled where we want them to fall, not where they choose to lay down. Tying ribbons is a task many of our not so sound of body folks can do! It is really important to spy out those trees while there are still leaves (or the lack thereof) to help identify the ones that need to come down. Hoping to get a good sweeping of the leaves from roof tops to help keep shingles in good shape. Just an FYI the early weather reports have the overnight temps down in the 40’s for that weekend. Warmer clothing options are definitely in order.

Hope to see many of the faces we have missed this season here for the last weekend!

Can’t make it to the Land? – There is always the “Go-Fund Me” link if you can contribute to our much needed funds. Some of the things needed for next season are the Comprehensive First-Aid kit, paint and other supplies for the preservation of our buildings and structures, everyday needed items, like T.P. and cleaning supplies for latrines, and gasoline & oils for the power tools. All the myriad of small things that cost us money and of course the larger ones like our land taxes! Even if it’s only $5-$10, every donation helps.

Blessed Be,
Vesta
Raven-Wolf Coordinator

At a Snail’s Pace

This past Labor Day weekend was a three day weekend down on Raven-Wolf Land. There are only 3 or 4 more work weekends before the Land is closed down for the year.

Progress is still being made, albeit much slower than we had hoped. You see, we really thought more people, especially of the Pagan/magickal variety, would see the value in bringing back to life, and use, this wonderful piece of sacred space that has seen so many gather there in years gone by. Such has not been the case – and I mean to lay guilt-trips on any one here, just a statement of fact.

It’s kind of a puzzlement to me. You see, I hear lots of Pagans and others say they would love to have a place to go, a place to “unplug”, a place to gather with other like-minded people. One would think, with all that desire, there would be lots of folks contacting us for the specifics on how to get there, what needs done, how can they help. The silence is deafening.

So those of us who want it to see it restored, go when we can and do what we can. Progress continues. Whether there will be a 2016 Summer Solstice Gathering will depend on those willing to help and the amount of work that still needs doing. We’re not giving up hope, but more help would sure be appreciated and would make the possibility of that 2016 Summer Solstice Gathering more attainable and realistic.

This year, for helping, we are offering discounts on next year’s membership fees. This can still amount to 30% to 40% off next year’s fees, with the weekends that remain to do the clearing and repairs still to be done.

So what still does need doing? Well, there’s more painting to be done, more paths to be cleared, mowing continues, and there’s an outhouse to finish rebuilding. We’re clearing trash to a localized place so that in the Spring a large dumpster can be rented and the trash hauled away. Also, as the weather cools, there’s lots of dead wood to be taken down, cut and stacked. There are also signs that need repainting.

Our coordinator, Mary T. Borden, has been working to get our garden tractor/mower running again. By process of elimination, she’s come to the conclusion a new carburetor may be in order. With the tractor fixed, a lot more grass would be cut a lot quicker. That would free up hands for other projects.

Once everything is brought back to where it once was, then maintaining it will be much simpler and less time consuming. Have we made progress this year? Hells yes! Is there more to do? Without a doubt. Is it worth putting blood, sweat and tears into it? Well, for me, I would have to give a resounding “Yes!!!” Raven-Wolf is a place dedicated to the preservation of Nature and the preservation of the human spirit. It is here, close to Nature, without the distractions of everyday mundane life, that healing begins and the gentle voice of ones True Self is heard much more clearly. This alone makes it sacred space and this alone makes it well worth the time and effort it takes to restore it.

So I call out to you now and ask you to come away from the city, away from your computer, your phone and all else that is a distraction. Come experience what Raven-Wolf has to offer you. I truly believe you will be glad you did. 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. Ask for the next dates someone will be down there and request a map to the site. We will be very happy to meet and greet you and the Land will appreciate your help.

Blessed Be

Elder Maya