...and a good time was had by all

This year's Southwest Equinox Grove Gathering was deemed a rousing success by its participants. Although smaller attendance than last years, the workshops by Linda Costello, Gordon Cooper, and Kenneth Proefrock were both extremely educational and fun. I have also been told that my own workshop was well accepted.

Our hostess, Sandra Cauthron of Shanta Ista ULC, was fantastic and very gracious, a warm and open woman to say the least. The facilities at Shanta Ista's Sanctuary were fantastic, giving us plenty of choices for ritual space and workshop areas.

I will post a more detailed account of the weekend shortly, along with pictures.

A bit about the Hosts;

Gordon Cooper began his study of natural sciences, nature spirituality and magic in 1976 while serving in the US Navy as Cryptology technician. In the early 1980's he began his study of the poetic traditions of Ireland and Wales and their contemporary applications, taking instruction and inspiration from a number of teachers and friends, most of them pat of the NECTW family of the Craft. Along that mist-wrapped variegated green road he became one of the founders of the Celtic Reconstructionist movement and a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, where he holds the distinction of being one of their Mt. Haemus scholars. Due to a growing awareness of the viability and elegance of the Fraternal/Sororal Lodge systems and the desire to explore North American spirit ecologies he joined AODA shortly after its re-emergence in 2004.

His formal degree work is in anthropology and Turkish language studies. He has attained the rank of 3rd dan in Hsin Lu Tong martial arts school and continues to learn and apply lessons from this discipline. Current projects include a book on Physical Culture ("Hermetic Tension") with another druid author. He is a licensed amateur radio operator and resides on the shores of the Puget Sound.

Rev. Linda Costello earned her clergy credentials from the Fellowship of Druidism in the Latter Age. Linda has been studying about the ancient Druids since 1991 when she discovered the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. In 2002, she joined ADF, and has been active in leadership for the past six years, including the founding of the Grove of the Rising Phoenix. She went on to become a member of AODA, and soon after, FoDLA. She is also a first degree initiate of RDNA.

Linda is dedicated to teaching others more about history, lore, and application of this interesting and colorful culture, and to that end, in 2007, she founded EarthLove Fellowship: A Grove of FoDLA, in Scottsdale, AZ, where she presents public ritual and classes.

In addition to her involvement with Druidism, Linda studied ceremonial magic for two decades with the Servants of the Light, a mystery school founded by Dion Fortune. She has also studied shamanism with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.

Linda has worked in the field of accounting for 35 years, although her real love has been in psychology and teaching. She has an undergraduate degree in Financial Management, but her graduate degree is in Education and she also has completed a year of counseling/psychology at the graduate level. In addition, she completed the two year program at the Gestalt Institute of Phoenix, and has attended numerous workshops and courses sponsored by the Jung Institute of Boston as well as the Phoenix Friends of CG Jung. She currently works as a personal development coach, as well as co-owner and chief financial officer of a comic book store.

Kenneth Proefrock received his Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. Since 1996, he has engaged in the private practice of Naturopathic Medicine and is the sole owner/formulator for Vital Force Naturopathic Compounding, providing consulting services and therapeutic compounds for other Naturopathic Physicians and their patients. Dr. Proefrock serves as Vice-President for the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners and is chairperson for the biochemistry portion of the Naturopathic Physician's Licensing Exam.

He is a member of the Council of Elders and current President of the Order of WhiteOak, a Celtic Reconstructionist Druid Order, and has been a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids since 1994, achieving the rank of Ovate in 2001. He is also a member of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), and an instructor in the Nature, Deity and Inspiration department of Cherry Hill Pagan Seminary. He is married and has five children.

Tully Reill started out on a Druid Path in the late 1980's as a solitary. In 2005 he joined the RDNA and founded Arizona's first RDNA Protogrove. In 2006 he joined the AODA, being appointed to the Grand Grove in 2008, currently holds the position of Grand Almoner, and chairs the AODA's Inmate Correspondence Program.

He and his family currently reside near Winslow Arizona, enjoying the off-grid lifestyle on a ten acre ranch just outside of town.

Schedule of Events

Friday 10/2/09:
2:00pm-5:00pm_Arrival of guests and settle-in period
5:00pm-6:00pm_Grove Opening Ritual to begin the weekend's events
6:00pm-7:30pm_Dinner Break
7:30pm-???????_Social Mixer

Saturday 10/3/09:
10:00am-11:30am-Linda Costello's "The Sacred Center" Workshop
11:30am-11:45am-Break
11:45am-01:15pm-Gordon Cooper's "Closeted Spirits" Workshop
01:15pm-02:45pm-Lunch Break
02:45pm-03:45pm-Tully Reill's "Sustainable Living and More" Workshop
03:45pm-04:00pm-Break
04:00pm-05:30pm-Gordon Cooper's "Cycles and Seasons" Workshop
05:30pm-07:30pm-Dinner Break
07:30pm-????????-Social Mixer (musical entertainment TBA)

Sunday 10/4/09:
10:00am-11:30am-Kenneth Proefrock's "A Wildcrafted Druidry" Workshop
11:30am-11:45am-Break
11:45am-01:15pm-Linda Costello's "Lady of the Land" Workshop
01:15pm-02:45pm-Lunch Break
02:45pm-04:15pm-Gordon Cooper's "A Secret Lecture" Workshop
04:15pm-05:00pm-Break
05:00pm-06:00pm-Grove Closing Ritual
06:00pm-????????-Social Time, Clean-up, Pack-up and Farewells

Event Updates

Some updated information;

1) We do have an RSVP phone number available now. Please, if you are definitely going to be in attendance (and especially if you are going to be staying on-site) please let us know at;
623-977-0077 or you can e-mail me directly at myrddynemrys@gmail.com

We don't need detailed information about you, we merely need to know roughly how many people will be in attendance and who will be staying on site so adequate space can be provided.

2) There is a limited amount of space available for indoor sleeping at Shanta Ista in a sleepover-style (bedroll on the floor), so this will be on a first-come basis. There is camping available outside, but toilet facilities are inside, so a porta-potty is recommended (or jaunts inside when the need arises). For those not wishing to stay on-site, there is the Best Western Sawmill Inn nearby.

3) Shanta Ista has a strict DRUG -FREE policy, this will be enforced.

4) We will have access to the Retreat's full kitchen for all in attendance to use. For those not wanting to cook on-site, there are several small restaurants in town, reasonably priced and good food. We will not be doing communal meals as several in attendance have dietary restrictions. Plenty of meal breaks will be provided throughout the days.

5) Linda Costello of FoDLA joins us this year as co-hostess and will be holding a workshop. Subject matter will be announced in a future update.

UPCOMING-Southwest Druid's EGG 2009!!

Yes! We are going to be hosting a 2009 Equinox Grove Gathering.

Plans for this year's gathering are;

October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th

To be held at Shanta Ista Spiritual Retreat in the beautiful Ponderosa Pines of Heber/Overgaard Arizona. Their website is http://www.shanta-ista-ulc.com/ so you can see the fabulous facilities we will have at our disposal. Our hostess, Reverend Sandra Cauthron is a wonderful person that I've known for several years now and she is very enthusiastic about our holding this year's event at her Sanctuary. Cost will be $20 per person, per day, including lodging in the Sanctuary's main building (depending on available space) or camping outside on the Sanctuary grounds, but not meals. We are discussing the possibility of one or two communal meals, but nothing is confirmed yet.

Tentative list of guest speaker's for the event are;

Gordon Cooper, AODA's Archdruid of Fire (confirmed for the event)
Dr. Kenneth Proefrock (confirmed for the event)
Tully Reill (that's me!), AODA's Grand Almoner (confirmed for the event)
Linda Costello of FoDLA (not confirmed at this time)

Updates forthcoming.

For more information, please contact me at myrddynemrys@gmail.com

Photos II

L to R; Craig, Tully, Paul, Kenneth, and Gordon.
One of many wonderful conversations.
Paul Mitchell in concert saturday night
Kenneth's workshop on sunday.
Giving a gift of water back to the plant for its offering of itself.

Event pictures

As close as I was going to get to of the snakes
Somewhat shows them in the triple spiral
Group shot of opening ritual
During Gordon's workshop
Our ADF Rising Phoenix friends