Spiral Traditions

RED TENT TEMPLE CT 2012 DATES!

2012-01-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

Wohoo!

We're heading into our New Year of amazing women empowering ourselves and each other, through the simple act of DOWN TIME and reciprocal nourishment.

This year make a commitment to your deepest Self and join us at the beautiful Auer Farm in Bloomfield Connecticut, for a Temple Day of beauty and connection.

Here are the current dates, only one of which is pending.

RED TENT TEMPLE DATES 2012

1/22

2/19

3/25

4/22 - Earth Day

5/20

6/24 - solstice month/fair

7/15

8/19

9/16

10/14 - arrive early to ensure clean space after AF fair

11/11

12/9 - Solstice month/fair

-----------------

See you there!

Red Tent Temple ARTISAN FAIR 12/11/11, Bloomfield, CT

2011-12-05T07:23:00.001-08:00

"The world within me is restored in beauty.

The world around me is restored in beauty.

The world behind me is restored in beauty.

The world before me is restored in beauty.

The world above me is restored in beauty.

The world below me is restored in beauty.

My body is restored in beauty."

--Patricia Lynn Reilly

Greetings Women!

Let us gather together at this turning point in the year, when we begin to call back the sun light, and celebrate the gifts of each other and of the year.

Let us sit in sacred circle and soak up the warmth and magic of sisterhood! This weekend is our

SOLSTICE ARTISAN FAIR!!!! Don't miss it!

We have a crazy talented group of women among us: artists, poets, clothing genie's, herbalists, jewelers, musicians, even a laughter yoga teacher!!! (who gave us side-splitting hysterical joy last month when she led our circle - thank you Laura!!!)

What better way to truly engage in the essence of giving and receiving, than taking a day of nourishing time for yourself, and by choosing gifts that are local, handmade, and ethical. We support each other so profoundly this way!

Our Red Tent Temple is:

this Sunday, DECEMBER 11, 2011, from 11:00 am- 5:00 pm.

If you are vending your handmade items, please come at 9 am to set up your space. All handcrafted goods and services are welcome (Tupperware, for example, isn't. please keep items in the spirit of women's empowerment. Questions? email me)

Sacred Circle from 3-5 is closed, only available to those are present. Please try to arrive before 3, as the doors are locked at 3 to protect our time.

We need more women to attend - help us spread the word! On facebook, by forwarding this link to others, using our fliers, or by bringing a friend. Thank you!

This Sunday we need women to come with:

1) Soup to share, or simple foods for the kitchen table

2) your own dishes and mug

3) your blanket, pillow, and slippers

4) a donation for the space ($5 - $30+)

5) an object for the community altar (you take this back home afterwards)

ADDITIONALLY THIS MONTH WE NEED DONATIONS OF:

6) Red Candles that are unscented and contained in a heat proof jar

7) Durable plastic storage bins with fitted lids

8) HELPERS in the morning for set up, 9am!

PLEASE RSVP IF YOU ARE VENDING GOODS and let me know how much space you will need.

Please RSVP by replying to this email if your ARE attending, and if you will be able to arrive before 11 am to help with set up. (Thanks!)

Where to go: Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT

Beauty Blessings,

Ananda--

www.spiraltraditions.blogspot.com

RED TENT TEMPLE ~ November 20, 2011, Bloomfield, CT

2011-11-15T06:59:00.001-08:00

Greetings Women!

Let us gather together at this quiet, rooting time of year, when the land pulls sweetness back into her rocks and soils, and sleep is replete with dreams and dark hours.

Let us sit in sacred circle and soak up the warmth and magic of sisterhood.

Our Red Tent Temple is:

this Sunday, November 20, 2011, from 11:00 am- 5:00 pm.

Circle from 3-5 is closed, only available to those are present. Please try to arrive before 3, as the doors are locked at 3 to protect our time.

We need more women to attend - help us spread the word! On facebook, by forwarding this link to others, using our fliers, or by bringing a friend. Thank you!

This Sunday we need women to come with:

1) Soup to share, or simple foods for the kitchen table

2) your own dishes and mug

3) your blanket, pillow, and slippers

4) a donation for the space ($5 - $30+)

5) an object for the community altar (you take this back home afterwards)

ADDITIONALLY THIS MONTH WE NEED DONATIONS OF:

6) Red Candles that are unscented and contained in a heat proof jar

7) Durable plastic storage bins with fitted lids

8) HELPERS in the morning for set up, 9am!

Please RSVP by replying to this email if your ARE attending, and if you will be able to arrive before 11 am to help with set up. (Thanks!)

Where to go: Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT

Beauty Blessings,

Ananda--

www.spiraltraditions.blogspot.com

2011-10-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings Women!

Let us gather together at this beautiful time of year, when the land turns to jewel colors and the cozy sweaters come out. Let us sit in sacred circle and soak up the warmth and magic of sisterhood.

Our Red Tent Temple is this Sunday, October 23, 2011, from 11-5.

Circle from 3-5 is closed, only available to those are present. Please try to arrive before 3, as the doors are locked at 3 to protect our time.

We need more women to attend - help us spread the word! On facebook, by forwarding this link to others, using our fliers, or by bringing a friend. Thank you.

This Sunday we need women to come with:

1) Soup to share, or simple foods

2) your own dishes and mug

3) your blanket, pillow, and slippers

4) a donation for the space ($5 - $30)

5) an object for the community altar (you take this back home afterwards)

Please RSVP by replying to this email if your ARE attending, and if you will be able to arrive before 11 am to help with set up. (Thanks!)

Where to go: Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT

Blessings,

Ananda--

www.spiraltraditions.blogspot.com

Equinox Red Tent Temple ~ Making Herstory

2011-09-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Women

We are changing the world

By the simple and profound action

of coming together

and telling our stories.

Resting

Holding Space

Welcoming our wholeness.

Come to the Red Tent this Sunday and be a part of something beyond beautiful, healing, forgiving, and real.

September 25, 2011 11 am - 5pm

WHERE: Auer Farm Bloomfield, CT - bear right at the fork on Auer Farm Rd, and proceed to the 4-H learning center building where the archway is and the sign pointing to the restrooms. Drop your bulky items at the door and then park in the designated lots.

WHEN: Sept. 25, 2011

Set up: 9am - 11am

Sharing/resting free time: 11am - 3pm

Closed circle for all who are present: 3pm - 5pm

Breakdown, 5pm - 6:30 pm

PLEASE RSVP if you will be attending.
--to this email : spiraltraditions AT gmail DOT com

See you there!

Belly Blessings,

Spiral Traditions

please share this! facebook, twitter, email, are all appreciated <3

NO TEMPLE DUE TO HURRICANE IRENE

2011-08-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

There will be no Red Tent Temple tomorrow (August 28, 2011) due to the hurricane. Please stay safely indoors, everyone!

Love and Light,

Ananda

August 28, 2011 is Your Red Tent Temple

2011-08-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Women,

Let us gather in sacred space.

Can you smell the sweet aroma of Sage and Copal? Can you hear the soft chanting of sisters voices? Can you feel the warm, welcoming hug as you enter the scarlet room? That is for you, my dear.

Let us honor one day out of the moon cycle to rest. Let us fill our bellies with nourishing soup, fill our hearts with quiet compassion, and share our authentic thoughts and truths in safe space if we choose to. These are the gentle actions that create powerful change. This is our healing, our reclaiming, and our empowerment.

The Red Tent Temple is not mine. It is yours. Ours. It belongs to women.

What could be more important than showing up for yourself?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Logistics:

WHERE: Auer Farm Bloomfield, CT - bear right at the fork on Auer Farm Rd, and proceed to the 4-H learning center building where the archway is and the sign pointing to the restrooms. Drop your bulky stuffs at the door and then park in the designated lots.

WHEN: August 28, 2011
Set up: 9am - 11am
Sharing/resting free time: 11am - 3pm
Closed circle for all who are present: 3pm - 5pm
Breakdown, 5pm - 6:30 pm

PLEASE RSVP if you will be attending.
1) to this email : spiraltraditions AT gmail DOT com

Belly Blessings,

Spiral Traditions

Empowering our Red Tent Temple, JUNE 26, 2011

2011-06-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings Women!

Happy warm weather - finally - despite some frightening storms!

Before I get to the Juicy details - Go grab your pen and calendar right now, and mark the date: JUNE 26: RTT. I'm only being bossy because I know you won't want to miss this extremely special day devoted to you! :)

Electricity is in the air for certain ~ our Earth is changing, our economy is changing, and we need every bit of health and empowerment we can store in order to be strong, authentic, and resilient enough to weather the changes.

The Red Tent Temple is your space for just this. Your one sacred day a month to recharge your vital energies in a safe, supportive, honoring environment.

Enjoy the quiet company of sisterhood, the elegance of red candles and beautiful community altars, the inspirations of our resource table, and the nourishment of homemade soups and herbal teas.

And something extra special is afoot for this coming Temple (as if you needed more incentive)

JUNE 26 is our bi-annual Sacred Artisan Bazaar!

At the Winter and Summer Solstices, we hold space to share our talents with each other and help raise money for our RTT. Sell your arts, crafts, or homemade items and enjoy stocking up on unique gifts for your own holiday preparation, or simply to nurture yourself.

You will find beautiful artwork, handmade herbal medicine and beauty care, jewelry, and more. A raffle will be held (for which each vendor is requested to donate an item) and winners will be delighted! ANY woman with an art/craft to sell or empowerment service to offer/promote is invited to participate, yet it is totally optional, come either way.

If you've been on the fence about attending a Red Tent Temple - this is a perfect time to jump in. While we will still hold our space for our Circle time (3-5pm), the energy of the day is light, inspiring, and empowering.
~~

Logistics:

WHERE: Auer Farm Bloomfield, CT - bear right at the fork on Auer Farm Rd, and proceed to the 4-H learning center building where the archway is and the sign pointing to the restrooms. Drop your bulky stuffs at the door and then park in the designated lots.

WHEN: June 26, 2011
Set up: 9am - 11am
Sharing time: 11am - 3pm
Closed circle for all who are present: 3pm - 5pm
Breakdown, 5pm - 6:30 pm

PLEASE RSVP
1) to this email and indicate *vendor* or *attendant* so we can gauge the number of spaces to leave for sellers.

2) If you are a *vendor* - please include the nature of your craft (clothes? paintings?), and the name of your business (if relevant)

(Basic Information on the Red Tent can be found on this blog HERE)

See you there!

Clips from the Red Tent Temple Movie

2011-02-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

Did you know there is a movie being made? This could be the driving momentum the Red Tent needs - and even more, the confirmation that women need. Here are some incredible excerpts.

Visit the official website for more on the Red Tent Movie: Things We Don't Talk About

More.... http://www.redtentmovie.com/media_gallery.html

Belly Blessings,
The Spiral Temple

Red Tent Temple, 2/6/11, Bloomfield, CT

2011-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Please join us in honor of the Feminine Divine. (You.)

We will gather for your Red Tent Temple on February 6, 2011.

our Priestesses for circle will be Charlene and Liberty!

Please see our new topic-specific pages for easier access to foundational information!

Bring with you very cozy-warm clothes and blankets, it's a cold winter!

xoxo

Red Tent Memoir, December 2010, Going Inward

2011-01-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

Going Inward: The darkness of Winter as Passage to Self

Sunday. Red Tent. Artist Bazaar. The looming solstice and the longest night of the year. Christmas on the horizon. Expectations. Family. Community. Drawing inward…..being pulled outward….the dichotomy. So many things became woven together in the circle at this Red Tent meeting. The morning started as it usually does, a few early arrivals working diligently to set up a cozy, sacred and alluring haven for the group to play and laugh and be silent, and share and dig deep and speak openly. More women trickle in, each bringing something sumptuous and nourishing to share with the rest of the goddesses present. Soups of all kinds, chocolate, teas, fruit, nuts, kombucha. Books are laid out, candles lit, pillows arranged around the periphery of the circle that was promising to be large and full.

The mood of anticipation of the holiday season was made even sweeter by the fact that many women brought handmade creations to sell, barter or gift. It was a delight for the eyes and for the senses, wandering from table to table voyeuristically observing the fruits of so many fellow journeyers. From paintings to cards, jewelry to clothing, honey and jam, and a delicious array of herbal remedies and tinctures, the displayed treasures were honored, respected, and enjoyed by all. As women stretched, talked, ate, shared stories, read tarot cards and just accepted each others gift of presence, it became clear that another beautiful gathering of special talented souls was being created and that it was touched by the hand of the seasons and what that means to each and every woman attending.

The storytellers chair was put to use, with the reading of a poem.

Persephone's Decent by Charleen Johnston

It began it began it began
The spin of things misunderstood
The underpinning of the disturbed mood
Mistaking music
As the magic food
To take us there
The take us there where
The river runs and hides
Its floods beyond our eyes
Where the beginning grin
Wakes our minds to the
Saltwater seas we left behind

Does the we make me less of a me?

My memory takes my hand
And leads me to the other land
Where seasons sing
And singers see
All the reasons that learn to flee
From the proud forlorn dance
Of the echo of the trance
Where-in I lie, awake
Waiting to take the terror away
Away from the thoughts that pester me
Deepening into desperate dream
And I cannot fly
I cannot fly
My wonders amaze my wandering eyes
And I am taught to seize the skies
And gather them in
Gather them up into a system
A method to cope
Amazing the size and the sight and
The scope of the demon in dream
The demon in me
The little black devil spilling the seed
Bruising the smooth white satin
Sheen of a world uncovered
But never seen

And all this all this all this
Still made me free

I tell you now in poetry
The song that was sung to me
Thought I asked not for the
Bludgeoning the bruising
The bastardly using
Of a silver shining thing to cut
Me raw to carve me out
To risk the shiver and shame the
Shout and all about me
The monotony whispers
‘do you see, can you see, will you see’
But the beckoning just mesmerized me
And I collapsed
Futile attempt to read the maps
That covered me
Beautiful white flakes snowdrops
And dreamcakes and outside
I hear I hear the chorus repeat
Just sleep just sleep just sleep

Down down to the desperate deep
Layer I stumble I crumble
I forget the player I was meant to be
I forgot the flower that was forbade me
As the earth shakes
And caves in upon me, caves in
And crushes me, till I am reformed
Into a darkened thing
With melancholy whisperings
Escaping my lips
No light visible no silver ships
Slipping silently over the clouds
No weaving of life down here
In the ground
Where the master of puppets
Takes my hand cuts my strings
And makes this land
My home for eternity
He offers me the fruit, the
Red dripping juice the blood

Ripping loose from the
Pomegranate the seeds
Bleeding wet as I lay within it
Tasting of the underneath
Testing shadows with my teeth
But never satiated never full
My heart still hungers as
The fiery heat cools

I am offered as the bride
I am offered as the mistress
I am offered as the scapegoat
For the pain and the misery
And I accept this tale
I make it mine I wait to weave
Myself alive
Again
In time
Again
And the thunder breaks and
Hades stakes are
Turning white with innocence
The lightening bolt from Zeus
Is sent the ground is cleaved
And the underworld bent
Into a refraction just an abstraction
As I am lifted with him
Gathered in by the glorious glow
That speaks from his fingers
In a violent blow
A vicious attach on my torment
A godhead laying dormant
Waiting under the mud
Hands tied drinking blood
Bleeding life into my soul
Giving me back the right to life
Of which was stole cut with knife
From my lips from my thighs
From my heart and from my eyes
Giving me back the sight to fight
Against these fleas
These parasites that torture me
From underneath the realm

Of the dead
The home I have fled in the
Arms of Zeus
Delivered to the mother
Who set me loose with passion
Aflame with integrity to
Learn the game
And as a child I descended down
To return again to the ground
Where form would claim me once again
And then I rose to ascend
Taking with me the knowledge of sin
The knowledge that fear
Is the only sin within which
We are called to grow in light
To sew the life into faces and names
Into dreams and games
Into darkness and pain and laughter
Again
Knowing its all part of the plan
Part of the wheel that turns
Itself over again

I am turned over made braver
Opened like a sieve but no
Longer enslaved
To the masks that haunt my
Childhood grave
I rise awake aware alive
Molding the map from the inside
And the song it ends
The melody descends into my skin
Into my veins into my past
Of shadows and pain
And it remakes me it shakes me
Up and forces me to see
That I am a dream
Waiting to bleed.

After the poetry reading, the women took turns wafting each other inside the room with pine fronds and the like, passing on blessings and intentions for wholeness. The typical routine of smudging with sage outside in the fresh air was passed up in favor of remaining warm inside the circle, so the change in ritual was appreciated by all!

The structured circle saw the exit of four beautiful young girls who were taking part in the day by enjoying the energy and light of the many older goddesses of various ages and generations. To revel in their spirit of youth and potential is always a delight!!!!!! There were so many women present that the bowl was passed around the circle only once, with the theme of the darkness of Winter and how it affects each woman.

There was a mixed reaction among the women in regard to the way Winter manifests for them. After hearing from most that this season is fraught with depression and anxiety, it was gradually agreed upon that the main reason for this is the expectations that come with the holidays and the antithetical relationship with our own cycles that is set up because of the desire to meet outer obligations and yet the need to draw into oneself and ‘hibernate’ thru the winter season, assimilating all the outward growth of the previous 9 months.
Each woman released necessary feelings associated with the theme, and when the structured circle ended with an intention for the new cycle, more food and conversation followed as well as dismantling of the sacred space that had been created for the day.

I have drawn a tarot card to read with the Intention of: What will the Return of Light and the Sun mean for us collectively in this new year, this new cycle.

The deck is ‘ The Tantric Dakini oracle’.

CARD: 12 Slay the Ego -associated with the Hanged Man card of the traditional tarot deck

-fruition, breaking thru bonds of the Ego, the breaking of habits, self-surrendering

Interpretation:

Slay the ego bears the number 12

Way out in limitless space the goddess Kali is depicted wearing a milky nebula, her dark body reminding us of the vastness of outer space. She is known as Kalaratri, the “Night Of Destruction” the event which will happen at the end of the world, and which is necessary before a new world can be created.
Forsake the particularization of self for participation in the universal dance of life. Dissolve the veil which separates the self from the one divine unity. With courage and insight cut thru the bondage of the ego. Renounce all that impedes progress, break with habits and habit-forming thoughts. Self-surrender, leading to personality transformation.

May each find a way to flow with the cycles.

RED TENT TEMPLE DATES 2011

2010-12-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

RED TENTS 2011

January 9

February 6

March 6

April 3

May 1

June 5

June 26

July 31

August 28

September 25

October 23

November 20

December 11

Artisan Bazaar ~ December's Red Tent Temple

2010-11-26T05:44:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear, Beautiful, Women!

Each Solstice we invite our creations to come to life and to be shared, presented, and abundant.

Welcome to......

Spiral Traditions Red Tent Sacred Artisan Bazaar!

We have some extremely talented women in our circle - it's time to share, celebrate, and bask in the shine of our Goddess-given creativity and nourishment. Share with us the gifts of yourselves and of your sisters,and be welcomed home to graciousness in our sacred space.

On December 5, at Auer Farm in Bloomfield, we will hold a limited Sacred Artisan Bazaar in conjunction with our regularly scheduled monthly Red Tent gathering. Strict guidelines will be in place to uphold the original intention of the Red Tent Temple.

Here are the guidelines:

~We will hold our fair officially until 1:00 - the rest of the day will be Red Tent Temple only, as usual. Come early to set up or to shop, 9 AM set up is open to begin. At 1:00, we will move our focus back to a more quiet, restful atmosphere, and shift the energies of sales to a gentler, more back burner presence.

~Participation is not a requirement, of course.

~We will not be allowing anything commercial (NO tupperware, or 'products' please, unless it's in regards to Women's empowerment or sustainability.)

~All pieces should be in alignment with Red Tent energies: HANDMADE items, art, music, herbals, or personal services are welcomed!

~If you are not certain, please ask.

~Your set up should take up small amount of space within our room, or you can set up a larger display in the entrance room, however please know that the main area will be shared with patrons of Auer Farm for the Christmas Tree season.

~There will be a silent RTT raffle! We ask that you consider donating an item or small service to the raffle, as this money will go directly to our RTT fund.

~All artisans are asked to donate a small portion of your profits from the day as well. We will not tag a percentage to this, as we are conscious of financial hardship and realize that some of you may be bartering with other artisans for holiday gifts, making money less available or are experiencing employment struggles. Out of your heart for the Red Tent we ask that you consider our value to you in your life, and make an extra donation that is right for you.

~The Red Tent Temple maintains our availability to women of all economic circumstances.

We hope that you will come take part in our venture, join us in creation, display, participation and celebration. The sacred space to offer you rest, rejuvenation, communion, peace, and love, will be carefully guarded.

DECEMBER'S RED TENT TEMPLE WILL BE HELD SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, AT AUER FARM. BLOOMFIELD, CT

It is time to gather together in a sacred space of safety, understanding, and blessings. Come to rest, to read, to eat, to drink, to commune, to listen, to be heard , to be healed, and to be loved... just as you are. There will be music, art, poetry, stories, and peace, and all you have to bring to the circle.

11AM to 5PM, soup and tea and candlelight. Sacred circle from 3PM to 5PM.

Come as you are. Reflect to see if you are called upon to priestess, or to bring items to enrich our time together. (See previous posts for ideas.) Please remember that we ask you to donate what you can to our rental expenses.

Love and Belly Blessings,

Spiral Traditions Temple Women

Rewriting our Stories…November in the Red Tent

2010-11-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

Rewriting our Stories…November in the Red Tent

It’s still autumn in New England on this November day and the trees proudly wear their deepening shades of russet, umber, burnt sienna, and darkening golden amber. The women arrive at the Red Tent wearing heavier clothing than just a month before, wrapped in sweaters and thick socks, and smiles. The harvest is in, winter nears, and we are all ready for abundance and our gathering.

We relish our free time; such a treat it is for each of us. We chat, share food, write, create art, ponder, rest, and feel the spirit of our shared reverie in the nurturing, healing power of the tent, for it is we, held in the arms of the Divine, who create it for ourselves and each other.
As free time comes to an end, we smudge each other and bless ourselves in preparation for our sacred circle and then we begin.

Ananda served as our Priestess this day and began by asking us to introduce ourselves in “the daughter’s way” choosing an element of the Earth or other natural element to claim as our ancestor. The power of those introductions was a wonderful way to open this circle.

Our theme was “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” and each woman, in turn, offered up a story of her choosing and, after the telling, allowed us to comment and suggest ways in which she might rewrite the story to create healing for herself. It is amazing to watch the changes that take place, the gifts we exchange, when we put ourselves in the hands of our sisters. The circle ended with much gratitude, joy, and love and, once again, we found ourselves sad that the day had ended.

Before we left, we talked about next month’s tent which is the day of our Sacred Artisans’ Bazaar – a time of sharing our creative energies and the resulting beautiful and wonderful gifts we make, the products of the soul-deep gift of creation. When we let Spirit shine through us, the results are truly beautiful. And this is how the simple offering of our creations becomes a sacrament as we relish our Divine gifts and rejoice once again in the Divine in each of us.

Thank you to every woman who contributed to the beauty of the November Red Tent Temple.

Please join us next month on Sunday, December 5th, and help us to assure that the wonder and magic continues. In addition to the Bazaar, we will also have a raffle to raise money for the Red Tent. Please bring an item you are willing to contribute for this purpose. We look forward to seeing you at our last tent of 2010 and as we look forward to the gifts of 2011.

So it is. So it will be.

~ Diana Powers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition, please allow me to publicize an incredible documentary in the works! .......

Red Tent Temple 11-7-10, Bloomfield, CT

2010-11-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Dearest Woman.......

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

November 7, 2010, at Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT.

(Bear right at the fork on Auer Farm Rd and proceed to the 4-H Learning Center.)

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, your favorite mug and soup bowl, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend. Wear red if you like.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies). RSVP's appreciated.

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor
Set up time: 9-11 am
Break down time: 5-6:30 pm
Priestess (facilitate) our formal Circle
In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables
Soup, foods to share
Your own dish ware
Tea and honey

Supplies
Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar - not needed at this time -
*Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense")
*Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple
*Smudge shell to donate to the Temple
*Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple

TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for November 7, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9am, ongoing throughout the morning as women arrive.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!
Please forward this to other women who may enjoy attending the Red Tent Temple.

Belly Blessings

Red Tent Temple Invitation 10-10-10

2010-10-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Woman.......

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

October 10, 2010, Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT. Bare right at the fork on Auer Farm Rd and proceed to the Learning Center.

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend. Wear red if you like.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies). RSVP's appreciated.

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor
Set up time: 9-11 am
Break down time: 5-6:30 pm
Priestess (facilitate) our formal Circle
In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables
Soup, foods to share
Your own dish ware
Tea and honey

Supplies
Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar - not needed at this time -
*Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense")
*Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple
*Smudge shell to donate to the Temple
*Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple

TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for October 10, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9am, ongoing throughout the morning as women arrive.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!
Please forward this to other women who may enjoy attending the Red Tent Temple.

Belly Blessings

Red Tent Temple, September 5, 2010, CT

2010-08-31T06:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Woman.......

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

September 5, 2010, Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT.

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend. Wear red if you like.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies). RSVP's appreciated.

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor
Set up time: 9-11 am
Break down time: 5-6:30 pm
Priestess (facilitate) our formal Circle
In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables
Soup, foods to share
Your own dish ware
Tea and honey

Supplies
Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar - not needed at this time -
*Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense") -*needed-
*Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple
*Smudge shell to donate to the Temple
Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple
*A new, large blank journal for the Temple community

TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9am, ongoing throughout the morning as women arrive.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!
Please forward this to other women who may enjoy attending the Red Tent Temple.

Belly Blessings
--
www.spiraltraditions.blogspot.com

Red Tent Memoir, August 2010

2010-08-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

The Red Tent and Initiation by Fire

by Charleen Johnston

Walking into the room early in the morning, ready to set up the room for Red Tent, I feel like once again Ive come ‘home’. The sense of being in a space that is imbibed with so much sacredness, hope, surrender, power, and beauty is almost overwhelming. As the day proceeds, the kitchen becomes the altar of offering from the Women who come to rejuvenate their spirits in a circle of sister souls. Soups, breads, crackers, teas, fresh fruit and always some form of chocolate or other delicacy to stir the appetites and provide grounding for the space where so much energy is released and raised in frequency. Altars are set up, candles lit, books placed so that all who come may partake of their gifts of knowing. The color Red permeates everything and everyone, the palpable sense of mystery and blood and power, and feminine wisdom. Throughout the day more women arrive, some new, some returning after having been absent in previous circles, and many who are consistent devotees of the Circle…..all gathering and accepted and nurtured within the matrix of maidens, mothers, and crones who make the Tent the special and magical space that it is.

Tarot readings, collage making, journaling, and storytelling flow through the day and through the women in a woven fabric of Love and Trust that has become an important part of life for those involved. As the day progresses, poetry is read aloud from the storytellers chair, and a discussion takes place about how each and every sister in the circle can contribute in different ways to help make the Red Tent gathering as flowing and smoothly operated as possible. Ideas are put forth on many issues and suggestions given that will lead to an ever expanding sense of community and a continued undertaking of sacred sisterhood.

As the structured circle begins, again with no designated Priestess, the air outside is rumbling and the electricity is building, with a storm threatening to attend our circle. Sage smudging and silence and reverence leads to another magical web of personal stories, fears, hopes, blessings, and intentions. As one magical woman aligns her intention with the spirit of Fire and the initiation through it, its becomes clear that the theme resonates with everyone in the circle, and suddenly we know that the days undercurrent is touched by fire and by lightening. We are blessed with a magical message directly from the hands of Zeus, through a sister Shamaness, and once again we are all raised from our mundane experience of ourselves, into something cosmic and all-supporting. The Great Fire as Initiation seems to express directly what the circle experienced and focused on.

As the circle came to a close and those gathered begin to disperse and say goodbyes for another cycle of the moon, the energy became more grounded and we prepared to walk into daily life, with a larger heart and a more open consciousness………which is always bound to happen…..when you are blessed enough to spend time in a sacred environment with your Sisters of Spirit.

The conjunction of the planets Mars(masculine force, fire, energy, drive, action) with Venus(feminine force, air, balance, relationship, beauty)for the past month and on into the next, is offering us a collective boost for harmonizing our internal yin and yang, so that the purifying fire of Kundalini can move through us smoothly and pleasantly. Use this time to integrate both aspects within yourself so you can become a clear channel for diving inspiration.

Tarot Card drawn to represent and reflect the theme of the Red Tent Gathering for August 2010

(drawn at random from the Thoth Tarot Deck, with passages from ‘Tarot of the Spirit’ by Pamela Eakins)

ACE OF WANDS (The universe must agree on the theme of Fire…hehe)

*Force*
Divinitory meaning : You feel a sense of transformative high energy; inner blocks are falling away, freeing you to move into newness; you have the will to change and you feel the great energy of new beginnings; you have a newly discovered source of power; you are excited, you feel exhilarated ; if there is an undercurrent of depression, it is only because the future remains unknown at this time; if you feel like you are burning up with no channel or outlet for your emotions, do not worry, the way will very soon become clarified, you wills soon find someone or something to connect with.

Meditation

Cancer, Leo, Virgo
Raw Spirit, Raw Power, Raw Force
Breath in the Void,
All Possibility;
The Essence, the Soul, the Intent, the Potential
Holy, Cosmic, Sacred, Inspired;
Breathing Spirals Whirling
Galactic Coils: Spirit of Will; Will of Spirit;
Sprouts Spikes Stalks Towers
A Sexual, Erotic and
Phallic Burst of Courage, Vigor
Essence of the Search for Real Meaning
True Intent.

Interpretation

At the one of fire, your spirit grows restless. It is time for a change, time to engage in new activities, new relationships, new interests, a new treatment of the body. Your internal Fire, the driving force of change and movement, is burning. You must do something. You desire newness, you desire meaning. At this point, however, you are experiencing only a blind will to change. You need direction.

You are experiencing the raw and undirected force of the first stage of creation. Here, the force of your own will to act, produce, or create becomes a focused point in the realm of all the unfocused and infinite possibilities of the Universe. This is the force of Ether on the Tree of Life, the first sphere-the creative force-that emerges from the void of possibility.

While burning desire is the essence of focus and creativity, and you ought to be feeling very creative at this time, it is possible that you feel neither creative nor focused. In reaction to the surging fire within, you may feel a variety of emotions ranging from exhilaration to depression. You may feel like you are burning up with no outlet or channel for the endless yearning and energy. You may feel frustrated. Do not be tempted, however, to suppress the burning. Be advised that the Fire within is the source of all your movement and all your wisdom. It is the source of all growth and change, whether such change is spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical. This burning energy is the force that will propel you toward realizing or maximizing your potential in all of these areas. Focus on the excitement.

At the One of Fire, you have tapped the central and elemental point at which your deep internal spirit-the force behind all change-begins and ends. When this burning flame flares, your energy level increases. You experience raw and infinite energy, unleashed, unabashed and undirected. Understand that you are about to undertake a new project, love, adventure or spiritual quest. You cannot yet envision where you are headed, but you know you are headed somewhere. You feel the Wheel of Fortune beginning to turn.

At this time, your internal Will is powerful and driving,. It can take you to heights you never fathomed. The force you experience at the One of Fire is not only the spirit of your own will-the source of all action and movement- but the will of your spirit. The will of spirit seeks to focus ideas and bring them into manifestation. The challenge of the One of Fire is to understand how to achieve the best focus.

At the One of Fire you are meeting the yang energy pattern within yourself. You are dealing with Fire in its most uncontained form. Fire is the primal Male element: the universal yang force. Yang, in Chinese philosophy, is the active, positive, masculine force or principle. It is the universal emitting force: the source of all light and heat. The yang part of you is now rising up, challenging you, and moving you to peaks of growth and awareness.

Through proper attunement, the creative surge of the One of Fire will soon become directed and rewarding. The only way you will find what you are looking for, and thereby direct your vast and potent inner force, is by exploring the cosmic sea: your own inner depths.

Turn within. It is time for introspection. It is as if you are a blind and empty pupil in the center of an eye. Although your visionary owers for the new stage are forming, you are not yet able to see the path with clarity. Stated another way, in order to learn to See, you must become a student in the center of the I. This means it is time for a deep penetration of Self. You must open yoru deep, inner Self in order to understand the depth and power of your own will as well as the direction in which you are now moving.

At the One of Fire, to open your deep Self, you need to access your feminine, or yin, side. Your feminine side, which is fluid and free-flowing, will give you the permission, space, and freedom to open to new possibility. Using your feminine aspects will end the uncontrolled burning or yearning for change. A balance of male and female energies within will allow you to expand and grow with flexibility, creativity, and clarity.
May your days be bright with Smiles and Laughter,

Charleen Johnston

Red Tent Temple, August 8, 2010, Bloomfield, CT

2010-07-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Women:

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

August 8, 2010, Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT.

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies)

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor

Set up time: 9-11 am

Break down time: 5-6:30 pm

In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables

Soup, foods to share

Your own dish ware

Tea and honey

Supplies

Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar

Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense")

Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple

Smudge shell to donate to the Temple

Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple

A new, large blank journal for the Temple community

TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, August 8, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!

A Priestess in Every Chair…July in the Red Tent

2010-07-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

~A Priestess in Every Chair~

July in the Red Tent

On a juicy, sultry summer’s day, the earth rich with fertility and the sky ripe with moisture not yet released, the women came from the four directions. They came with their friends. They came with their sisters. Mothers and daughters, they came. Some came alone and knew they would not be alone for long. The light on the land was mystical. And so it should be on this day of a powerful solar eclipse which, though not seen by the naked eye in our hemisphere, was certainly seen and felt by the eyes of the spirit.

Every tent is different, unique, and special, and so we come in openness, ready for the gifts that will be given. This was the day of the Sacred Artisans’ Bazaar – a time of sharing our creative energies and the resulting beautiful and wonderful gifts we make, the products of the soul-deep gift of creation. When we let Spirit shine through us, the results are truly beautiful. And this is how the simple offering of our creations becomes a sacrament as we relish our Divine gifts and rejoice once again in the Divine in each of us.

So our free time was filled to the brim with the many ways that we nurture and rejuvenate ourselves and each other. Along with the joy and downright fun of sharing our creations, we continued with our many ways of experiencing the community of the divine feminine: conversation and quiet; music and laughter; stories and card readings; rest and movement; and nourishment that defies description at this fecund time of year. The berries and other fresh produce were exquisite. And what would the tent be without our soups, this month both hot and cold and all wonderful. Much gratitude goes to all the women who contribute their diverse gifts to the tent, each as she can.

We began our circle without a predetermined Priestess. This does not concern us for we have learned that there is truly a Priestess in every chair. All forms of priestessing have their value. When the leadership is shared by all, the energy flows differently and the gifts are as many and as beautiful as they are when one woman leads the way. This lesson is not lost on us. And so, as in everything, we remain open to the gifts Spirit has in store for us at any given moment and savor every one for exactly what it is. This is the way of Love and we know it and are profoundly grateful.

Here is a message from Spirit to the women of our beautiful Red Tent Temple. It comes to us through The Fifth Tarot, by Martien & Teressena Bakens:

The Elementor of Stones (excerpts)

The Elementor of Stones is the epitome of the Earth Mother. She is the fullness of the Pacha Mama, the embodiment of all creation. She holds the world in her loving embrace. Life flows from her life blood and the waters of her womb. At her heart is the tree of life, its roots forming her breasts that nurture and sustain all life. At her navel, the golden mean, the spiral of life, becomes the umbilical cord that give’s life to all earth’s creatures. The snow-capped mountains offer support to those who lay their head in her bosom. The cliffs form her hair, which creates a cloak of protection around all who reside in its folds. She opens her home to the pine trees, who climb on her back, in order to be close to her. We feel her strength in her legs that form the foundation on which the world rests. She is Mater familias, the mother of all Earth’s family; watching over her children day and night…

Symbolically, women are the carriers of life in their wombs. Men are the tenders of the garden of life after they have planted the seeds. All is honored and sacred when we hold it so. What comes forth from this union is miraculous new life. The Elementor symbolizes this sacred union of the divine masculine and the divine feminine and new life within the self.

The Earth Mother calls us to feel her heartbeat and allow her love and grace to pulse in our veins. The Elementor now understands that duality ceases to exist when we choose oneness with all our relations. We are the creators of our own reality here on this earth plane. In shifting the paradigm, we carry the light, not the weight, of the world on our shoulders.

Pacha Mama laughs a full-bellied laugh, delighting in the joy of life, encouraging all her children to find their joy as well. The ability to create is the power of the Earth Mother. Her capacity to love is her strength. The Elementor of Stones is the fullest expression of the beauty and abundance gifted in the suit of earth.

~~~~~~

Thank you to every woman who contributed to the magic of the July Red Tent Temple. Please join us next month on Sunday, August 8th, and help us to assure that the wonder and magic continues.

So it is. So it will be.

~ Diana Powers

Red Tent Temple July 11, Bloomfield, CT, 2010

2010-07-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your sacred space, dear women, It's our time! This month is our special biannual Artisan Bazaar, details to follow.....

Let us gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ July 11 ~ Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, July 11, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Welcome to Spiral Traditions Red Tent Sacred Artisan Bazaar

We have some extremely talented women in our circle - it's time to share, celebrate, and bask in the shine of Goddess- given creativity and nourishment. Share with us the gifts of yourselves and of your sisters,and be welcomed home to graciousness in our sacred space.

On July 11, at Auer Farm in Bloomfield, we will hold a limited Sacred Artisan Bazaar in conjunction with our regularly scheduled monthly Red Tent gathering. Strict rules will be in place to uphold the original intention of the Red Tent Temple.

Here are the guidelines:

~We will hold our fair only until 1:30 - the rest of the day will be Red Tent Temple only, as usual. Come early to set up or to shop, 9:30 AM set up is open to begin.

~Participation is not a requirement, of course.

~We will not be allowing anything commercial (NO tupperware, or 'products' please, unless it's in regards to Women's empowerment or sustainability.)

~All pieces should be in alignment with Red Tent energies: HANDMADE items, art, music, herbals, or personal services are welcomed!

~If you are not certain, please ask.

~Your set up should take up small amount of space within our room, or you can set up a larger display in the entrance room.

~There will be a silent RTT raffle! We ask that you consider donating an item or small service to the raffle, as this money will go directly to our RTT fund.

~All artisans are asked to donate a small portion of your profits from the day as well. We will not tag a percentage to this, as we are conscious of financial hardship and realize that some of you may be bartering with other artisans for gifts, making money less available. Out of your heart for the Red Tent we ask that you consider our value to you in your life, and make an extra donation that is right for you.

~The Red Tent Temple maintains our availability to women of all economic circumstances.

We hope that you will welcome our second-time venture in this area, and join us in creation, display, participation and celebration. The sacred space to offer you rest, rejuvenation, communion, peace, and love, will be carefully guarded.

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

May Red Tent Memoir

2010-06-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

" A strong woman is a woman who is straining,
A strong woman is a woman standing
on tiptoe and lifting a barbell while trying to sing Boris Godunov.
A strong woman is a woman at work
cleaning out the cesspool of the ages, and while she shovels, she talks about
how she doesn't mind crying, it opens
the ducts of the eyes, and throwing up
develops the stomach muscles, and
she goes on shoveling with tears
in her nose..."

Nearly twenty in number the women gathered with shiny faces, tender hearts, and strength beyond belief. They came for comfort; they came for counsel; they came to reflect on who they are.

"...A strong woman is a woman in whose head
a voice is repeating, I told you so,
ugly, bad girl, bitch, nag, shrill, witch,
ball-buster, nobody will ever love you back,
why aren't you feminine, why aren't
you soft, why aren't you quiet, why
aren't you dead?..."
--

The women feasted on soup, and bread, and cheese, and fruit.There were teas, and herbs, and potions, honey , and chocolate.

"...A strong woman is a woman determined
to do something others are determined
not to be done. She is pushing up on the bottom
of a lead coffin lid. She is trying
to butt her way through a steel wall.
Her head hurts. People waiting for the hole
to be made say, hurry, you're so strong...."

The women wrote Six Word Memoirs, choosing carefully the words to describe themselves and/or their journeys in measured terms. Chants proclaimed connection to the universe, while an interactive people-bingo led to discoveries about others in community.

"...A strong woman is a woman bleeding
inside. A strong woman is a woman making
herself strong every morning while her teeth
loosen and her back throbs. Every baby,
a tooth, midwives used to say, and now
every battle a scar. a strong woman
is a mass of scar tissue that aches
when it rains and wounds that bleed
when you bump them and memories that get up
in the night and pace in boots to and fro..."

Working in pairs the women answered self-selected questions from a designated chakra chart. Statements were met with silent expressions of receiving, accepting, and understanding. Each woman felt "heard", in partnership, and later in whole group circle.

"...A strong woman is a woman who craves love
like oxygen or she turns blue choking.
a strong woman is a woman who loves
strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly
terrified and has strong needs. A strong woman is strong
in words, in action, in connection, in feeling;
she is not strong as a stone but as a wolf
suckling her young. strength is not in her, but she
enacts it as the wind fills a sail...."

And so the women embraced and departed, knowing that each was unique with strengths and weaknesses and valued for both. Knowing that in community we learn of others and of ourselves.Knowing that together we are beyond strong: we are invincible.

"....What comforts her is others loving
her equally for the strength and for the weakness
from which it issues, lightning from a cloud.
Lightning stuns. In rain, the clouds disperse.
Only water of connection remains,
flowing through us. Strong is what we make
each other. Until we are all strong together,
a strong woman is a woman strongly afraid."

Poem: "For Strong Women". by Marge Piercy
Summary by Danna

Red Tent Temple, 5-16-10, Bloomfield, CT

2010-05-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your sacred space, dear women, It's your time!

This month we are honored to have Danna as our Circle Priestess. Thank you Danna!

Let us gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ May 16 ~ Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, May 16, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Drumming, music,
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

04-11-10 Planting Abundance

2010-04-19T12:48:00.001-07:00

Planting Abundance…April in the Red Tent

On a stunningly beautiful Spring day that only Gaia could create, the women made their way to the tent. From the four directions and so many walks, for this one day their paths converged and they followed each other into their special, light-filled, sacred space, not knowing what the day would bring, but knowing they wanted to be a part of it.

It occurred to me as we set up and adorned our space as only we can, that we are wonderfully unique, each from the other, and that we relish that diversity in a way that we need to bring back out into the world. Poems were shared, soups and other divine foods were offered and gratefully received, creativity honored, stories told, and, just before the circle began, the mood was beautifully set by Jessie Mayer who came for the tent, but generously shared her music and her heart as well.

Lucy was our Priestess and it was she who had called for the theme of “Planting Abundance” for this circle. At her suggestion, we brought items that symbolized abundance for us and created a beautiful Abundance Altar with these symbols and totems. When the circle began, Lucy led us on a journey to meet Lakshmi and to plant abundance for ourselves. When the journey was complete, each of us shared a bit of our experience on the powerful path to abundance and all that it offers.

It occurs to me as I write this summary each month, that it is a challenge to adequately express the beauty and wonder that we experience at every Red Tent and especially the power we all feel even as we create it. Every circle is delightfully different and an equally precious gift to each of us.

When I decided I would write this today, I asked Spirit for a special message to share with our Red Tent community. I did this while I was doing my morning devotions and this is the message I received for all of us. It comes from the “Healing Earth Tarot,” by Jyothi and David McKie:

Ten of Shields:

The Ten of Shields represents the Earth’s nurturing and sharing qualities within a group of supporting people. In this case, the group is all women from various parts of the world with the figure of the green goddess at their head. In the center of the circle are the ten shields from the women’s tribes or families of people.

In this sharing of strengths, much can grow and prosper. The women know that their combined abilities bring a wealth of understanding and experience to the entire group, which could not be achieved singly. This female circle reflects what is possible when we bring our uniqueness as individuals together, not to compete or compare, but to encourage or enjoy.

In a reading, the Ten of Shields is wealth which will nurture your growth to the fullest extent possible at this particular time. Look for opportunities to share your experiences with others of like mind or interest, for these are your family or community who can aid you in your forward movement.

I’d say that pretty well describes our amazing group and what we are to each other. In closing, I would also offer this: The very best way any of us can aid anyone else is by nurturing and loving ourselves to the best of our abilities. Each of us is a part of the Red Tent for what it gives to us and, in turn, because it gives so much, it then enables us to give to others.

Thank you for being an important part of this wonderful community and please join us on May 16^th for the next Red Tent Temple.

So it is. So it will be.

Red Tent Temple ~ April 11, 2010, Bloomfield, CT

2010-04-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your sacred space, dear women, It's your time!

This month we are honored to have Jessie Mayer bless us with her live soul music!

And our Priestess for circle will be Herbalist, Womb Healer and Wise Woman Lucy Mitchella who will be guiding our way through a spiral of creating abundance.

Let us gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ April 11 ~ Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, April 11, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle
Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Spring Ahead…March in the Red Tent

2010-03-16T08:02:00.001-07:00

Spring Ahead…March in the Red Tent

On the day the women turned their clocks ahead it was also the eve of the New Moon; a powerful day, filled with the promise of growth and change and new life. Mother Earth was saturated from much, much rain and Her rivers and streams were swollen and pulsing, flowing swift and full toward the sea much the same as the women made their way to the farm and their beloved Red Tent Temple.

On arriving, we were pleased to see the results of the completed renovations of our space that now has a beautiful window wall so that we may look out on the trees and the trees may watch us while we are bathed in healing natural light.

During our free time, we rested and rejuvenated and reveled in each other. There was a special energy in this day. Was it the power of New Moon, the perfect time for starting over, making good changes, creating something new? Or was it the energy of Spring, felt weeks before we actually see it, as the Mother births Her beautiful changes to our Earth home? Or, was it the women luxuriating in the easy comfort and joyful gratitude of being together once again? Clearly it was all of these and more.

The call for one priestess had resulted in two and Jaz and Lezley formed our Priestess Team for the day and the Circle was called. Lezley Two Bears told the story of why bunnies lay eggs. Any circle that begins with such delightful storytelling is bound to be specially blessed and it was, for when we open ourselves to story, magic happens.

Jaz shared that the current moon is known as “Geese Returning Moon” and we passed the talking bowl and gave the moon our own names, connecting powerfully with our personal Moon.

We divided into three groups and created phrases of deep meaning to us and, with the talented Jaz composing the accompanying songlines, we created a song together and sang it in a round:

~ loving dancing children laughing

~ we are planting love

~ we are opening to the wisdom of life

Lezley then offered a ‘spring planting’ exercise in which we were able to identify the crops we wish to grow this year as well as those that no longer work for us. The talking bowl was passed again and we shared our hopes for this planting season in our lives. We all look forward to our harvests.

Our deep thanks goes out to Lezley and Jaz for a job well done. Also, thanks to Ananda for the amazing owl calls.

And then our time was almost done. It was lovely to have a bit of daylight left in which to clean up and pack up and the work is gladly undertaken by everyone as it is another way to extend our time together.

Then finally, the cars are packed, the lights turned out and the women must leave each other again and so we do. But as we go out into our worlds and back into our lives, we are lightened and encouraged by the joy and support and the love that we have shared. And we know that we are blessed.

Please join us on April 11^th for the next Red Tent Temple.

~ Diana Powers

Living Wide Open: Landscapes of the Mind

by Dawna Markova

I will not die an unlived life,

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible,

To loosen my heart

until it becomes a Wing,

a Torch, a Promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom,

and that which comes to me as blossom,

goes on as fruit.

Red Tent Temple ~March 14, 2010~ Bloomfield, CT

2010-03-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

Spiral Traditions Red Tent Temple
Sunday, March 14, 2010
11AM to 5PM at Auer Farm, Bloomfield , CT

A time to come into sacred space... to rest your soul and restore your spirit. A day to heal, as it should be, near the Dark Moon, as our fore-mothers did.

The Feminine Divine is rising. We need to nourish our energies and pay attention to our inner callings. We need time

to go within.

We need time, together.

We need sisterhood.

Please join us. Remember to bring a back jack, or pillows and/or a cover, so that you may "nest" within our shelter.Your donations, both monetary and material are welcome. (Check February's post for ideas.) For planning purposes, let us know if you plan to attend.

Special Request: We ask each woman to bring one red column candle in a glass container to help us replenish our supply. A fun prize will be given to the woman who finds the lowest price. Grocery stores often carry these candles for relatively low prices. Thanks. If you haven’t got time to pick up a candle, do not fret.... come anyway! See you on the 14th.

***REMEMBER THE TIME CHANGE***

02-21-10 Out With the Old

2010-02-24T16:00:00.001-08:00

Out With the Old…February in the Red Tent

On a February day so beautiful it seemed to promise that Spring is not far behind, the women came from the Four Directions. Women of the Elements they are - Earth and Air and Fire and Water – and they carry those elemental gifts within and without. On this day they brought their diverse and unique spirits to the farm to join their sisters in the Red Tent Temple. As if some tribal drums had broadcast the message, they continued to come until hearts and spirits and the tent itself was thrumming with the energy of good women.

For several hours, we relaxed. Some wrote in journals, did artwork, or rested. Others shared stories, sought counsel, offered counsel, bore witness, and welcomed newcomers. There were tears and laughter and learning and love. We all nourished ourselves on wonderful soups – I think I counted six different pots – teas, fruit, salads, and finally, one amazing woman’s amazing fudge. Our special thanks to the Soup Artists and all the cooks as well.

Jaz brought an art project for us and we each made a heart card for ourselves and then wrote wonderful, magical messages in each other’s cards. It was good, loving fun and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who sniffed the construction paper to be delightfully brought back to a childhood where making cards was a frequent, joyfully uninhibited, and creative activity.

When it was time, Jaz, a princess of light and laughter, also our Priestess for the day, called the circle together. We began by naming into the circle our ancestor-women and any others we chose to place and hold within the rim of our sacred space. Jaz then led a meditation in which we identified, honored, and then released anything we had been holding within us that happened in the last year, in order to make space and new energy for the fresh life experiences to come in the current year. It was a moving and healing journey, and a powerful privilege to be a part of that circle. It was clear, as we then passed the talking bowl, that the women had felt the magic and gained much insight and gratitude from our circle that day. We ended in song and couldn’t help but notice that, unlike last month, it was still light outside, and just like last month, there was much light inside of each one of us.

After a bit more soup, much more laughter, always, much more laughter, and finally, cleaning up, the women said their goodbyes with hugs all around, and headed back out into the Four Directions to return home until the next Red Tent. Please join us there on Sunday, March 14^th at 11:00 a.m.

Special Request: We ask each woman to bring one red column candle in a glass container to help us replenish our supply. A fun prize will be given to the woman who finds the lowest price. Grocery stores often carry these candles for relatively low prices. Thanks. If you haven’t got time to pick up a candle, do not fret.... come anyway! See you on the 14^th.

The Red Tent

by Diana Powers

Today we came together in a specially blessed place,

for laughter and for wisdom, for sisterhood and grace.

Some came with long-felt longing, some, curiosity;

but each was drawn to be there in sacred trinity.

Our trinity, the Feminine, of Maiden, Mother, Crone;

so powerful, it helps us know that we are not alone.

We shared in conversation, and caring company,

and filled again our well of love with sweet community.

We drew the sacred circle and filled it from the heart;

the bold, the shy, the in-between, we came to do our part

to send the power up and out while healing from within,

and this bright ring of healing is where we all begin.

We bless each other with our trust, respect our right to be,

because we understand the gift that’s given when we see

that every path is sacred and every walk is true,

and so we honor our own paths and all those others too.

Red Tent Temple, February 21, 2010, Bloomfield, CT

2010-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings Wonderful Women!

Soon, again, it will be time to gather in our Temple to rest and replenish our energies.

Before I list the standard information, I'd like to bring your attention to our current needs.

Our Red Tent is in need of more support around supplies and monetary stability. Please consider contributing in one or more of the following ways, so that we can continue this vital work of healing and reconnection.

We need donations of:

~CANDLES. Tea lights are too little to work for the day. We need larger ones that are contained in a holder or jar. They should be unscented. We need many.

~BACK JACKS. only two of our women own these floor chairs, and bring them when they can, but sometimes they cannot attend, and often there are not enough. This would be an exceptionally helpful and generous gift that we would be immensely grateful for.

~LARGE RED CLOTHS. For the floor covering, the larger and sturdier the better. We spend a little too much time on many small cloths.

~STORAGE BINS with LIDS. Our things are stored graciously by the farm, but often get dusty or stale in between tents. We need to store them in covered bins, to keep them protected, and so we can easily stack them.

~PLASTIC WARE - Either re-usable dishware for those who need it, and/or tupperware to pack extra foods to go home. Some need this bounty and we would like to be able to give it.

~SIGNS - some have trouble finding the building we are in due to lack of markings. If you can provide us with a large self standing, weatherproof sign, that would be awesome!!!

~MONEY - Obviously a cornerstone of any organization, we need to stabilize ourselves with at least a little bit of a safety net. If you don't want to bother with material items, or you have had some abundance as of late and are called to contribute to our cause, we would be so grateful!

Money is needed not just for supplies (as you see above) but to help provide for the rental fees of the space, and to begin to plan the future of our Temple.

DONATE ONLINE - using the easy Pay Pal button on the right sidebar of the blog!

*** If you desire to be honored or recognized in some way for your contribution, please LET US KNOW *** As such a new movement, we will begin to find the right ways to do this; for now you will be recognized and thanked verbally on the day of the Red Tent, following your donation, unless you specify another preference. Thanks!

See you on the 21st!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RED TENT TEMPLE

February 21, 2010

Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT

11 am - 5 pm

RSVP: spiraltraditions AT gmail DOT com

Formal Circle at 3, with the vibrant JAZ as our Priestess!!!! (pictured above)

(What IS the Red Tent Temple? Read HERE, or HERE. )

Shield Workshop 2010

2010-02-06T08:56:00.001-08:00

When: Friday, March 19th

Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Where: Virginia’s home

-contact for address-

West Hartford, CT

Cost: $75.00 per person

Includes materials for a 12 – 18” shield. Lunch provided

Bring feathers, crystals, and beads for decorating your shield

RSVP: Virginia 860- 523-8943

www.ElandraArts.com ~ 860-523-8943

Create your own personal power shield, family shield, or gift shield.

During this full day workshop of interpersonal exploration and creative adventure, Virginia will guide you using Native American techniques that have been passed down to her to share. Connect with your own personal power animals, guides, totems and sacred symbols through guided journeying. We will create sacred space together and receive inspiration from Spirit on this special day. You will be creating the hoop with branches or vines and painting your vision and inspirations on leather that is strung onto the hoops. The shield will then be decorated with sacred objects that will be provided, or that you choose to bring from home. Together, we will share our shields, and ceremony with them to seal in the energies.

No art experience is necessary, only the willingness to fully participate in this Sacred Hoop of Life…come and let Spirit lead the Way!

After registration, you will receive instructions for creating your shield hoop from a branch or vine. Please register no later than March 12th by mailing full payment to Virginia.

Maidens, Mothers, and Crones – Januar...

2010-01-30T16:01:00.001-08:00

Maidens, Mothers, and Crones – January in the Red Tent

It was a silver gray day, clouds pregnant with something, Mother Earth at rest in the winter deep. The naked limbs of the trees seemed to beckon the women, “Come in, come in, and we will watch over and bless you.”

And come in they did, to the first Red Tent Temple of the new year and the special occasion planned for the day. The women were looking forward to this tent even more than they usually do as it would be a day that we would honor one of our daughters whose Moons have carried her into her Maidenhood.

Joy and anticipation informed the creation of the tent. Many hands made light work of draping fabric, lighting candles, creating altars, heating soups and water for tea. Every woman looked forward to providing McKenzie and Mia, friends and goddesses-in-training with the honoring that few of us were blessed with when we began our Moon times.

Once the tent was ready, we relaxed into our soothing communal energy and shared with the girls what the Red Tent is and what it means to each of us. Some drew, some told stories, others read cards or wrote. Throughout this time of peace and laughter, warm, winter food, and sharing, the girls and the women – maidens, mothers, and crones alike – received the gifts of the Red Tent community, creating an easy comfort and a soft, gentle magic away from the cares of the world and our daily lives.

As we gathered in circle, we passed the talking bowl and offered our gifts: gifts of advice, of elder-wisdom, of gratitude, and of prayers. The women also shared some of their stories and feelings that are always spoken among us into the safe container of the circle. The girls listened carefully and we know they will remember what they heard that day. Their shy, simple “thank you” was enough for us to know.

As our time together came to a close – how does a whole day go by so quickly – the rains came. The cleansing, healing waters were the closing sacrament as the Earth Mother took part in all the blessings of our very special day.

Please join us at the Red Tent Temple on Sunday, February 21^st, and help us to rest and rejuvenate, explore, and create yet another very special day for women. The trees wish it to be so and have promised to continue to be our welcoming guardians.

To My Daughters

by Corey Alicks

I’ll tell you about power:

We are born with the potential

for every daughter we will ever have

embedded like pearls in the dark flesh of our ovaries.

You were already there, in me,

while I was yet curled within my mother, as she was,

inside my great-grandmother;

each mother birthing her grandchildren, through her pelvis,

ivory cradles protecting secret worlds within our own seas,

worlds of fierce hearts and minds beyond knowing.

Is there a greater power than holding the entire

universe in your belly?

All of Creation? What about our own galaxies pouring forth?

The summoning of all that is love

and alive into our very breasts, our marrow,

our coursing blood, a luminous milky way

so bright it blinds, with all the power and force of life,

heaven meeting earth, giving to those worlds we hold,

that we see in the irises of our daughters’ eyes.

Red Tent Temple, January 17, 2010, Bloomfield, CT

2010-01-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to your new year, dear women, It's your time!

Let us gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ January 17 ~ Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, January 17, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle
Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Walk in Beauty ~ Women's Empowerment

2010-01-07T12:40:00.001-08:00

~Walk in Beauty~

Dear Beautiful Womyn,

First of all, New Year Greetings to you all! I am excited to start gathering in the name of sisterhood, as we get deeper and deeper into this winter season.

I feel the pull to go inward, to nurture and love myself and put self care first and still find the time and motivation to keep Walk in Beauty gatherings going during these very cold months. I find this to be a difficult balance to achieve because my energy is hard to muster at times, and my reserves are a bit low these last few weeks.

The lodge feels like a burden this time of year, yet she stands tall and sturdy even while being pelted with such severe weather… there she stands in all her glory, rising up to meet the morning sun in spite of what she endures…a beautiful message for all of us. She needs some TLC and warmth but I find it difficult to make time for her, to tend to the fire that warms her womb and brush off the cold hard snow that settles on her skin. I welcome anyone who has the desire to visit and commune with her as it would be a beautiful thing for her and you! Please let me know if you feel called to stop by and start a fire, and sit, relax and just be in the sacredness of her belly.

With all that said, thank you to the handful of womyn who check in with me frequently and gently nudge me in keeping these circles and gatherings going! Because of the cold weather, the next few gatherings will be in my living room, unless the weather is somewhat warm and there is a good supply of wood on hand, we can switch back to meeting in the lodge. Circles are $5 donation, unless otherwise stated.

Here is what is coming up:

Open Womyn’s Circle, Friday, January, 15th, 2010, 9am-11am

I am excited to announce that Fran Corona will be leading this circle and the theme will be “The Blessings of Being Womon”. Fran would like the participants to bring a token of womonhood to symbolize the wonderfulness of a woman to validate the celebration!

Imbolc Celebration, Monday, February 1st, 2010, 9am-11am

I am also thrilled to share that Vix Church will be our Priestess for this wonderful Earth-based celebration! More information to follow….but here is a brief explanation of Imbolc….

Imbolc literally means “in the belly of the mother”, while its original Celtic name, Oimelc, translates as “ewe’s milk” or “the feast of ewe’s milk”. Both refer to the turning of winter to spring, as marked by the first milk of ewes as lambs begin to be born.

Imbolc is the special day of Brighid, the Celtic goddess of fire, and therefore is deemed a fire festival. Its transformative powers of the flame signify change and the setting of new goals. As the Crone of winter gives way to the Maiden of spring, this festival of light cleanses to make way for the new. Nature starts to come back to life, and the new agricultural season begins!!

Sacred Supper, Thursday, February, 4th, 2010, 6pm-9pm, $25 includes vegetarian meal!

A holistic version of a Girls Night Out! You're in store for a special evening of great food and feeding your soul. Join with fellow sisters for a special night of sitting in circle, sharing, laughter and dreaming together! Dinner will be prepared and served up by Stephen Tarver, Holistic Health Counselor and Vegetarian Chef Extraordinaire! Recipes and nutrition advice will on hand if you would like to chat with Steve prior to circle! The circle is open to all womyn, (Steve will be not be joining us for circle!) so please pass this information onto friends and fellow sisters!

Also, I am happy to announce that I am doing Life Coaching and am offering up a free session to anyone who is interested in meeting to discuss the role of a Life Coach and the multiple benefits you can achieve with having a personal motivator and mentor! We will work together to identify ways in which you can move ahead by getting into your own life’s flow with the help of varies techniques and personal ceremony! Start off 2010 by eliminating the binds that keep you stagnant and learn new ways to call in JOY, PASSION and PURPOSE!! Please contact me if you are interested in getting started!

Please RSVP!

Walk in Beauty,

Monica

From Artisans’ Bazaar to the “Next St...

2010-01-01T07:50:00.001-08:00

From Artisans’ Bazaar to the “Next Steps Journey” - December in the Red Tent

On a day that began in sunshine, the clouds and the grey came in quickly, but they could not dampen the glow emanating from the heart of the farm. The women had gathered again and their love and light can illumine even the darkest of days.

There was a lighthearted and joyful energy as they went about the business of creating and decorating their Red Tent. And because the day’s activities were to begin with a Sacred Artisans’ Bazaar, the women turned their attentions and their energies to helping each other set up their displays. The day was to be a special one, although every tent is special, and the women felt it.

It was exciting to see the fruits of the creativity of so many talented women. There were jewelry and greeting cards, fine art and poetry, herbal skin products and elixirs, all crafted by our very talented and creative women. Several members donated prizes for which a raffle was given to raise expense money for the Red Tent. And all that was only the first part of our day.

When the bazaar was over and the women had shared their soups and teas and company, they began their circle time together.

Virginia led a journey meditation in which the goal was to find one’s “next steps” on the path, in her life, in this world. The drum accompanied us on the journey and, when the meditation ended, we shared our experiences, where we had each gone, and what we had learned. The talking bowl was passed again and again as story led on to story and shared experiences resonated around the rim. On a very dark and rainy afternoon in December, the light glowed brightly as it emanated from within the heart of each woman and out into the circle and then the world, so in need of more illumination, more love.

In the Red Tent, we are learning how to nurture that love and light and share it with all who seek it, for we know that it is in this way that we can help to save ourselves and the Earth, and so we will continue to gather and shine that light and contribute all we can to the healing so needed by each of us and all our relations.

Please join us at our first Red Tent of 2010, on January 17^th, and see what new magic we can create together. Aho.

(Special!) Red Tent Temple - December 13 - 2009

2009-12-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear, Beautiful, Women!

Can't wait to tell you our latest Red Tent Project!

Welcome to Spiral Traditions Red Tent Sacred Artisan Bazaar

We have some extremely talented women in our circle - it's time to share, celebrate, and bask in the shine of our Goddess-given creativity and nourishment. Share with us the gifts of yourselves and of your sisters,and be welcomed home to graciousness in our sacred space.

On December 13, at Auer Farm in Bloomfield, we will hold a limited Sacred Artisan Bazaar in conjunction with our regularly scheduled monthly Red Tent gathering. Strict rules will be in place to uphold the original intention of the Red Tent Temple.
Here are the guidelines:

~We will hold our fair only until 1:00 - the rest of the day will be Red Tent Temple only, as usual. Come early to set up or to shop, 9 AM set up is open to begin.

~Participation is not a requirement, of course.

~We will not be allowing anything commercial (NO tupperware, or 'products' please, unless it's in regards to Women's empowerment or sustainability.)

~All pieces should be in alignment with Red Tent energies: HANDMADE items, art, music, herbals, or personal services are welcomed!

~If you are not certain, please ask.

~Your set up should take up small amount of space within our room, or you can set up a larger display in the entrance room, however please know that the main area will be shared with patrons of Auer Farm for the Christmas Tree season.

~There will be a silent RTT raffle! We ask that you consider donating an item or small service to the raffle, as this money will go directly to our RTT fund.

~All artisans are asked to donate a small portion of your profits from the day as well. We will not tag a percentage to this, as we are conscious of financial hardship and realize that some of you may be bartering with other artisans for holiday gifts, making money less available. Out of your heart for the Red Tent we ask that you consider our value to you in your life, and make an extra donation that is right for you.

~The Red Tent Temple maintains our availability to women of all economic circumstances.

We hope that you will welcome our new, one-time venture, and join us in creation, display, participation and celebration. The sacred space to offer you rest, rejuvenation, communion, peace, and love, will be carefully guarded.

DECEMBER'S RED TENT TEMPLE WILL BE HELD SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, AT AUER FARM. BLOOMFIELD, CT

It is time to gather together in a sacred space of safety, understanding, and blessings. Come to rest, to read, to eat, to drink, to commune, to listen, to be heard , to be healed, and to be loved... just as you are. There will be music, art, poetry, stories, and peace, and all you have to bring to the circle.

11AM to 5PM, soup and tea and candlelight. Sacred circle from 3PM to 5PM.

Come as you are. Reflect to see if you are called upon to priestess, or to bring items to enrich our time together. (See the blog for ideas.) Please remember that we ask you to donate what you can to our rental expenses.

Love and Belly Blessings,

Ananda, Danna, Diana, & all of the Spiral Traditions Temple Women

From Water Blessings to Birthday Bles...

2009-11-30T04:02:00.000-08:00

From Water Blessings to Birthday Blessings – Inside the November Red Tent

On a gentle day that began with mists worthy of Avalon, the women returned to the farm and the Red Tent. It was warm for November and the breezes were soft like the curves of the farmland; and the geese called to us that, while our time had come to gather, theirs had come to fly and they welcomed us as they departed over the cornfields.

The women had returned and with them came the stuff of which wonderful Red Tents are made: beautiful fabrics and pillows with which to adorn the tent; art supplies for those who feel the delightful urge to create something beautiful, candles, food, pillows and blankets. Once our tent was adorned, we spent our free time relaxing, chatting, creating art, napping, journaling, doing readings, sharing nourishing food, and learning.

From the Storyteller’s Chair, Virginia shared the Water Blessing she recently learned, and gave us each a supply of this blessed sacred water so that we might take it home and continue this practice, sharing it with others as she had so generously shared it with us.

When it was time for our circle, Caterina gathered us and served as our Priestess for the day. She led us in meditation and guided exercises and sharing that helped us to open ourselves to the healing afforded by the circle and the power of the love of the women who sit within it. The energy of trust and healing and love that Caterina created was a gift to each who attended that day.

At the end of the circle, the women offered their individual birthday blessings to Diana on the eve of her 60^th birthday. She was deeply touched and moved by the simple power of the blessings she received from each of the women of this loving community. It was a beautiful ending ceremony for our circle.

As we left, to return to our homes and our daily lives, we carried with us the powerful bond of sisterhood that we have created and nurture for each other every time we gather. We have learned of the beauty and treasures in our differences and found the joy of sharing our common experiences. And each month, when we gather, we know there will always be more gifts and blessings than we can count. For this, we are grateful, and we invite you to join us on December 13^th so that you may find these gifts for yourself. Blessèd be.

Red Tent Temple ~ November 15, 2009

2009-11-14T05:52:00.000-08:00

Women,

Our November Red Tent will be wise and wonderous, please join us.

All the details are the same as previous months, please read below.

Blessed Be.

Red Tent Temple, October 18 2009, Bloomfield, CT

2009-10-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple. The autumn harvest is upon us and what better way to honor the fruits of your own labors, than to take a day to honor your needs.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ October 18, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle
Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

The New Moon and the Autumnal Equinox...

2009-09-23T17:38:00.001-07:00

The New Moon and the Autumnal Equinox – September in the Red Tent

On a beautiful, mild, almost-Fall day, the land was full of light, the corn picked, and the women came together to celebrate. Two days after the New Moon and two days before the Autumnal Equinox – exquisite timing – we met at the farm to greet the new season and each other. The tent was especially beautiful and welcoming in that way that seems to happen when the harvest is almost done and the leaves begin their annual rainbow display. Thoughts turn to shorter days, the warmth of a fire, and all the gifts of Nature so abundant at this time of year.

Not the least of those gifts is a community of women who share a common bond: the wish to honor themselves and each other and the Divine Feminine in their own unique, diverse, and open ways. During our informal time, there was much laughter and listening as we shared our many stories…who we are, where we’re from, married, single, grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. Over delicious soups and teas, salad and bread – indeed the sideboard groaned – we took our time to relax into who we really are and who we really want to become. And we know that this time we give ourselves each month helps us to do that.

The energy is always special and as we enjoyed it, we gathered in circle. Ananda called in the four directions, then Danna, our priestess for the day, asked us to think about being lost, getting lost, feeling lost, and how we experience it in our lives. The stories ranged from getting lost while driving the car to feeling lost after the death of a loved one. We listened deeply and honored each other’s experiences and feelings. The circle was alight with the energies of compassion and caring, joy and sadness, trust and wisdom.

We left the Red Tent that day with feelings of peace, nurturing, and having been renewed in uncountable ways. All the women know that we are each wonderfully different and yet have those common bonds of sisterhood with which we can celebrate each other, enjoy a quiet, peaceful day together, and return home a little bit more ready to face the challenges of our daily lives. We hope that you will join us next month, on October 18^th, and take part in a day of sustenance, renewal, and celebration. Namaste.

Red Tent Temple, September 20, 2009, Bloomfield, CT

2009-09-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

~This photo was taken by my Mother, Lucy, at the 2009 Women's Herbal Conference in New Hampshire. It is (left to right) the beautiful and inspiring ALisa Starkweather, with me (Ananda) and my daughter McKenzie. It was amazing to see ALisa again and gave me a rekindled hope and passion for a sustainable future of Red Tent Temples around the world. Thank you to the women here who have dedicated so much time and heart to keep our Temple stable and sacred.

and Thank you ALisa. Indeed, we do it for our daughters. ~

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ Sept. 20, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle
Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

August 16, 2009 - Red Tent Temple, Bloomfield CT

2009-08-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ August 16, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle
Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Healing your way into the Diamond Heart ~ Medicine Woman hosted by Four Winds Lodge, Northfield, CT

2009-08-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

~ INTO THE DIAMOND HEART~

We are excited to announce a wonderful upcoming open circle on Sunday, August 30th at Four Winds Lodge in Northfield, Connecticut. Eileen O’Hare, an amazing medicine woman, healer and Shamanic Practitioner will be leading a healing circle, “Healing Your Way Into the Diamond Heart”.

PLEASE read on and forward to any interested parties! Space is limited so reserve your space soon by emailing Monica at mondyer@optonline.net.
Give yourself a gift of an unforgettable experience of Unity Consciousness!!

Come and birth into the higher frequencies of Diamond Heart Love!
We invite you to explore deeper and higher aspects
of the Sacred Heart center.
Our intent is to unearth bits and pieces of
ourselves that are holding great power.
Who/what/when/where/how do we hold ourselves back?
We will track them. We will heal them.
They are already healed in this infinite moment of now.
This is a time of profound change.
We are all being invited to move deeper
into our Heart of Hearts for the highest good of all.
And we are being asked to raise our vibration into Unity Consciousness.
Be prepared to step into your power.
Be prepared to love and be loved!

Circle held on:
Sunday, August 30th
2pm-5pm
Facilitated by Eileen O’Hare,
Practitioner & Teacher, Andean Shamanism
Four Winds Lodge
Northfield, Connecticut
(Sliding scale $33-$44)
For more information-
Call Monica Dyer, 203.518.1398 or
Email mondyer@optonline.net
Space is limited please rsvp by Aug. 15th

About Eileen:
Eileen O'Hare is a legacy carrier in the Andean (Peruvian) Medicine Tradition.
She is in the lineages of Don Manuel Quispe and Don Benito Quoriwaman.
She has sat with many teachers both in the US and in Peru.
Eileen has been studying and practicing Andean Shamanism for 10 years.

She is loving and serving Unity Consciousness by enacting the mission of the
Chacaruna - the bridge person, assisting others in achieving altered
states of consciousness for the highest good of all.
Her greatest love is her sharing of medicine songs and the use of sacred sound
for healing and transformation. Eileen has a private practice in Beacon, NY and NYC.
She and her husband Tom offer to students The Mesayok Medicine Spiral,
a shamanic intensive for deep personal healing as well as world service.

Poetry, Art, and Story: Inside the J...

2009-07-29T19:02:00.001-07:00

Poetry, Art, and Story: Inside the July Red Tent

Creativity abounds in the Red Tent and our July gathering was no exception. We are all creative beings and it wasn’t long after we arrived that we were expressing it in many different ways.

During our open time, we continued to explore diverse forms of creating visual art in our beautiful atmosphere of support, encouragement, and fun. There were almost as many different projects being created as there were women while we exchanged stories of where we’d been and what we’d been doing since the last tent. While enjoying the nourishing energy that flows from the act of creating beauty, we spontaneously shared poems and stories and smiled at our great good fortune to be in such a magical place for the day.

For our circle time, Diana served as Priestess and led a “Story Circle” in which each of us shared a personal story of our choice. There were tales of learning and wisdom, of discovery and of gratitude, of joy and sorrow, of pain and of healing. We offered a sacred and safe space in which to share a bit of our selves with each other and gave each of our sisters, in turn, the focused listening that welcomes and cherishes each story, each person. When we were done, each of us had given and received many gifts. This is the power of story.

And so ended our rejuvenating day of poetry, art, and story. It turns out it was even more than all of that – much, much more. Join us next month and see.

Red Tent Temple ~ July 26, 2009

2009-07-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Our beloved Diana has offered to Priestess our circle on this day. Thank you Diana.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ July 26, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, July 26, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle - Diana
Set up - Danna,
Break down - Danna
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Pam
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Ananda
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers- Danna
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Red Tent Temple, June 28, 2009

2009-06-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Our beloved Danna has offered to Priestess our circle on this day. Thank you Danna.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ June 28, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, June 28, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle - Danna
Set up - Ananda,
Break down - Ananda
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Ananda
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Creativity and Truth: Inside the May Red Tent

2009-05-28T19:06:00.001-07:00

Important Notice: The date of the June tent has been changed to the 28th so that we may all honor the fathers in our lives. See you then.

Creativity and Truth: Inside the May Red Tent

The day dawned cool and gray and was filled with the kind of mist that suggests that magic must be in the air and on this day the women gathered. Several arrived early and together we made reverent fun and joyful effort out of setting up the tent.

We eased into our open time with gentle conversation, checking in with each other. We then created pages for Manifestation Journals or Vision Boards, using collage clippings and color, pictures and words and, most importantly, our own creative energies to express our dreams. We shared wonderful feelings and insights on the subject of creativity as we relished the supportive environment the tent affords, where we can express ourselves in so many ways in a safe and nurturing place. As important and deep and spiritual as all this sounds, and is, we also had fun. And we were thankful to be reminded that there is fun in the Divine and Divine in the fun.

For our circle time, Lucy served as Priestess and led a powerful exercise called “The Circle of Truth.” It also uses a form of collage in tandem with written affirmations about truth and how we relate to it. For these collages, we used a different type of “clipping” – wildflowers and plants gathered by Lucy and Ananda right outside our tent and spices and herbs brought by Danna. We found there to be a special sort of energy that evolved as we paired each plant we chose with a different affirmation about truth. Now, almost a week later, I am still gaining insights into the truth that are popping up for me like the Johnny Jumpups.

When our Circles of Truth were completed, there was still time to pass the talking bowl and the sharing seemed extra blessed as a result of the wonderful energies we evoked as we created meaningful and very beautifully personal art.

And when it was over, we worked together to clean up and put away our wonderful Red Tent. Please know that, for those of you who were not able to join us, we saved sacred space for each of you and we hope that you will be there next month to fill it with your own creativity and truth.

So it was. So it is. And so it will be.

RED TENT TEMPLE: May 24, 2009, plus an important announcement

2009-05-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings Wonderful Women!

Most importantly, our next Red Tent Temple at Auer Farm will be taking place on Sunday, May 24.

For the complete details what our Red Tent Temple is, please read the March entry following this one.

Secondly, I am announcing to the community that effective immediately, I am looking for a replacement coordinator for our Spiral Traditions Red Tent Temple, in my stead.

There are many details in order to explain this undertaking, which will be written into a comprehensive document and available to anyone who requests it. I can say from my personal experience that it is deeply rewarding, transformational, and important.

I am not withdrawing from the Movement, but rather re-organizing my priorities to better serve my own needs and those of my families. The Red Tent is a huge passion of mine, yet one which needs more attention and nurturing than I can currently provide.

I, with the consult of my Temple Sisters, will be choosing who is best suited for this volunteer position based on commitment level, spiritual openness and vision, organizational skills, and Public Relations/computer savvy. Informal style applications will be in the form of email conversations. Those interested can email me. Please be prepared to be thorough and honest with your strengths and weaknesses.

The Woman who's calling this is and who takes my place, will have direct access to communication and coaching from me in order to facilitate an effective, smooth transition, as well as the backbone of 5 or 6 other members of our Temple who have the experience of the last year under their belts.

In Love and Light,

Ananda Wilson

Red Tent 4-26-09 CANCELED

2009-04-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to announce that our Red Tent Temple for tomorrow, April 26, 2009 is canceled. We did not reach enough attendance, and in addition I am home sick.

Enjoy the sunshine to it's fullest!!!!

~ Belly Blessings ~

RED TENT TEMPLE ~ 3-29-09 ~ Bloomfield, CT

2009-03-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple. The wheel of the year has turned it's glowing face toward spring and the sunshine is bringning new life.

Who would like to Priestess for us? All styles are welcome in the spirit of inclusiveness and open heartedness.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ March 29, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, March 29, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle - ?

Set up - Ananda,
Break down - Ananda
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda,
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Ananda
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

Red Tent Temple ~ March 1, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT

2009-02-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple, and in honor of the turning of a new year. What will you invoke for your own health and well being?

WHO would like to Priestess for us? All styles are welcome in the spirit of inclusiveness and open heartedness.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ March 1, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle - ?

Weave Your Life

2009-02-15T19:25:00.001-08:00

An Earth-based workshop series offered by our Red Tent Sister, Audrey.........

Weave Your Life

Earth Based Workshop Series

This workshop series will focus on learning ways to honor the earth in various ways throughout the spring and summer seasons. You will learn to open sacred space, practice mindfulness exercises and participate in earth honoring ceremonies to bring you into a deeper relationship with the Earth and all its inhabitants.

Each workshop from 10:00 - 11:30 has a focus on one of the elements (earth, water, air, fire). There will be education about tribal, First Nations and eastern cultures. We will discuss ways to notice reciprocal ties with either human, animal, mineral or plants (all our relations).

We will explore a mindfulness exercise (which focuses on one of our senses: sight, touch, smell, etc) and end with an earth based ritual/ceremony.

Bring a bagged lunch and soft drink/water. We will break for lunch from 11:30-12:00 noon. The last hour will be ceremony. Dress in layers and according to the weather as we will be both outside and indoors.

You can attend one or all. These workshops are meant for people who are seeking a greater connection to the natural world around them and to develop a spiritual understanding of the Natural Way.

Saturday March 28 10:00 am-1:00 pm

Early Spring-The Color of Mud and Straw-Sight-Earth-Human

Our earth seems dormant and un-alive during the winter. We look forward to Spring to welcome back new growth and life. In this workshop we will take a walk out in nature to observe the changes in the natural world since the Winter. We will also discuss various ways First Nations peoples around the globe honor the changing of this season and talk about what inner work we may have done within during the winter. We will hold an earth honoring ceremony and practice a mindfulness exercise which you can continue on your own time to come into greater harmony with the Earth.

Saturday April 18 10:00 am- 1:00 pm

Spring-Welcoming Evidence of Hope -Hearing & Touch-Water- Animal

Now that Spring has fully arrived, we are able to see and observe the natural worlds changes. The buds are on the trees and some species of birds are seen daily (Like the Robin) This workshop is focused around tuning our mindfulness skills into the unobserved changes, to look deeper into the ways Spring has been continuing to become. We will walk in nature and observe a natural setting around a water source. We will hold an Earth honoring ceremony making natural prayer sticks and discuss ways First Nation peoples use prayer sticks and ties.

Saturday May 30 10:00 am-1:00 pm

Getting Ready For Summer-Taste & Smell-Air-Winged-Mineral

The ending of May and bridge into summer. We will walk in nature and learn a mindfulness practice which focuses on using our taste and smell senses to notice subtle changes. We will discuss ways First Nations peoples honor the great Mystery in the air and the ethers. We will hold an Earth honoring ceremony to bid good-bye to Spring and welcome in Summer sending our intentions into the air.

Saturday June 20 10:00 am - 1:00pm

Summer -Developing Intuitiveness- Energetic Body-Fire-Plant

This workshop will focus on an inner journey and basic skills development of intuitive awareness. We will discuss various cultural ideas about the energetic body we have and we will hold an Earth honoring fire ceremony. (location to be announced)

Each Workshop $30.00 pre-paid by the 7^th of March , $40.00 thereafter

All (4) workshops $120.00 pre-paid by the 7^th day of March $160.00 separately.

Locations: Blue Trails, Plymouth/Harwinton & Flanders nature Center in Woodbury.

Contact: Audrey Bennett LCSW, LADC. (860) 819-8570

For your payment convenience you can visit my web site and utilize Pay Pal

http://audreybennett.vpweb.com e-mail: weaveyourlife@audreybennett.vpweb.com

Youth Welcome

We are growing!

2009-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings Sisters!

It's been a looong time (too long) since I have been able to post anything here aside from our regular invitations. Upon updating our email database and opening a yahoo group for us, I decided to see how the google search option has evolved since I tried it last year.

Wow! What a delight. Upon searching "Red Tent CT" or "Red Tent Temple" we now get localized, applicable links to Red Tents and groups that are actually useful! Not to mention totally inspiring. It's so cool to watch this incredible movement blossom. More and more, the temples are rising. The first ones are paving a path for the new ones, and the word is OUT. Women, we ARE DOING THIS!

It's deeply empowering to know that we can come together and unite our common vision of a whole and healing culture that truly honors women's time, mysteries, and cycles. We must declare this for ourselves, and when we do, we are heard.

If you are one who has been coming all through 2008 - THANK YOU

If you are on the fence and hoping to come - We Welcome You!!

If you are going to start your own Temple in your area - A-HO, sister, let me know if you need help. Use the resources here, and be in contact with ALisa Starkweather, our founder.

For 2009 we anticipate an exciting evolution. Our emphasis will be on stability, laying an efficient and simple groundwork for communication, marketing, and of course our actual days.

We have women who are great writers to offer words of inspiration for articles and fliers. We have a women with a fire in her belly to write a GRANT, and do some PR. We have women with huge hearts who will call others and connect with them over the phone, sister to sister. We have women who research and come organized with visions and tangible ideas. Women, you are remarkable.

The time is here, and we are loving it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEWS:

if you are in the Bristol area, there is another RTT:

http://www.redtentmlfdct.blogspot.com/

Red Tent Temple Movement ~ 1-25-09 ~ Bloomfield, CT

2009-01-17T09:18:00.001-08:00

Welcome to 2009! Can you believe we are heading into our second year?! Wow!

I DO hope that many of you will decide to transfer your hibernating selves for the day from your home to our Temple space. I ask NOT that you dress up and change for the day.... but that you just show up - as YOU. That's all. Just show up!

I read recently in a wonderful book by Jamie Sams, that keeping a regular appointment with yourself for this sacred dream time, is vitally important because it builds trust. How can you trust yourself if you aren't showing up for YOU? Yup, it's a hard truth - you come first. Your energy, your time, your peace, and your commitment to yourself to live from your center. Show your Self that you mean it. Once a month, we are creating a space for you to do this.

The STRUCTURE OF THIS TEMPLE IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT

Please read.

To the attendants, please scroll down. To the Organizers, and women who would like to be more involved in the co-creation of this : Set up will begin at 9 am. Please come then if you have space materials to lay out. We will hold our meeting from 10:30 to 12:30 to brainstorm, reflect, and co-create our newly birthing year. This will be both a productive meeting as well as a meeting that honors our diverse creative processes and our ceremonial space.

The remainder of the day will then be our red tent time.... unstructured Self time from 12:30 to 3, and formal circle from 3-5.

Our soulful sister Audrey will be Priestessing our Circle. (thank you!)

Below is the traditional invite with the tweaks. PLEASE FORWARD to all the special women in your life! On the blog there is also a public flier you can print to post at your coffee shop or library, just hand write in the date. Thanks!!

On the blog there is also a Donation button.... all donations go 100% to the Temple, and we do have to pay for our space. All donations welcome and deeply appreciated!

)0( )0( )0( )0(

Women, IT IS TIME

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple, and in honor of the turning of a new year. What will you invoke for your own health and well being?

Please join together. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ January 25, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

---Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!--

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, January 25, 2009, from 12:30pm to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be at 9 am, with a New Year's organizer's meeting from 10:30-12:30
~ 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5 pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember. Please email me if you can bring soup.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful. Just send me a quick EMAIL.

Priestess for Circle - Audrey

Set up - Ananda,
Break down -
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Ananda,
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider- Melissa,
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers, art supplies -

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

RED TENT TEMPLE ~ 12-28-08 ~ Bloomfield, CT

2008-12-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple, and in honor of the turning of a new year. What will you invoke for your own health and well being?

WHO would like to Priestess for us? All styles are welcome in the spirit of inclusiveness and open heartedness.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ December 28, 2008 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, December 28, 2008, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle - ?

Set up - Danna,
Break down -
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda,
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers - Katy

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

RED TENT TEMPLE ~ 11-30-08 Bloomfield, CT

2008-11-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

It’s time again!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

WHO would like to Priestess for us???

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ November 30, 2008 ~ Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, November 30, 2008, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle - ?

Set up - Ananda,
Break down -
Providing Soup/s- Lezlie, Virginia,
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda,
Welcomer, Greeter - Danna, Virginia
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Ananda
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers- Virginia,
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. - Audrey
Massage Table -
Markers - Katy

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

Red Tent Temple ~ October 26 ~2008, Bloomfield CT

2008-10-21T14:43:00.001-07:00

It’s time again!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

WHO would like to Priestess for us???

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ October 26, 2008 ~ Bloomfield, CT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Red Tent Temple of the Spiral Traditions Chapter.

~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, October 26, 2008, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested but not mandatory. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Set up - Ananda,
Break down -
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda,
Priestess for Circle -
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Ananda
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers,
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost.
Massage Table -
Markers - Katy

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original Red Tent Information: http://www.alisastarkweather.com/

RED TENT TEMPLE ~ SEPT 28 ~ Bloomfield, CT

2008-09-24T04:12:00.000-07:00

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

WHO would like to Priestess for us???

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ September 28, 2008 ~ Bloomfield, CT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Red Tent Temple of the Spiral Traditions Chapter.

~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, September 28, 2008, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested but not mandatory. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Set up - Ananda,
Break down -
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda,
Priestess for Circle -
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Katy
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers,
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost.
Massage Table -
Markers - Katy

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original Red Tent Information: http://www.alisastarkweather.com/

The 4th Alternative ~ Couples workshop in Newtown

2008-09-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

Dr. Paul Dunion and Connie Jones Dunion invite you to empower your relationship this fall:

A One-Day Workshop for Couples

The 4th Alternative

Saturday October 4, 9 AM - 4 PM
Sticks and Stones Farm, Newtown CT 06470

When couples face challenges in their relationships, they commonly resort to 3 ways of interacting:

~attempt to influence others;
~become adaptive;
~avoid or withdraw physically and/or emotionally.

This workshop focuses upon strategies for
interrupting each of these intimacy-reducing patterns.
Couples will have an opportunity to identify which patterns are most active in their relationship,
and how to provide themselves with the safety necessary to deepen intimacy.
They will also be given specific skills for creating and maintaining
individual and collective empowerment.

Facilitators: Dr. Paul Dunion and Connie Jones Dunion
Fee: $180 per couple - includes lunch! Please send a $75 deposit to hold your space.
For complete information, directions, and registration form, please see
http://www.pauldunion.com/schedule.html

Red Tent Temple ~ Bloomfield CT, Aug, 31 2008

2008-08-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

>It’s time again!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple. This month Melissa will grace us with her velvety presence as our circle Priestess. Thank you Melissa!

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ August 31, 2008 ~ Bloomfield, CT

Please read this invitation thoroughly so you know exactly what is happening and how you might participate. Each month there are variations. Founder, ALisa Starkweather has recently updated much information on this Movement, be sure to visit her site and read all about it!
~~~~~~~~
The Red Tent Temple of the Spiral Traditions Chapter.

~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, August 31, 2008, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested but not mandatory. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Set up - Ananda,
Break down -
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda,
Priestess for Circle - Melissa
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Katy
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers,
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost.
Massage Table -
Markers - Katy

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original Red Tent Information: http://www.alisastarkweather.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Auer Days ~ Auer Farm, Sept. 12, 13

2008-08-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

September 12, 2008

4:30 - 7:00 pm

Farm art by local artists

Bake Sale

Sunset Hayrides

Author Virginia Hale, reading from her biography of Beatrice Auerbach

September 13, 2008

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Fun for the whole Family!!

Hayrides and barn tours

Garden treasure walks

Hay Play

Cider and Ice Cream Demos

All funds raised at these events benefit the care of our rescued farm animals and agricultural education for the children of Connecticut.

Auer Farm: 158 Auer Farm Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002

*And a special message from Katy .... to our community of Auer Farm supporters and the Women of the Red Tent Temple:

I am also inviting you to come and enjoy the events and/or volunteer your services for the events.

We could use people to:

-distribute marketing materials ( the flyers) from now until event
-give garden and plant walks
-make ice cream or cider
-bake for the bake sale
-have an informational table or sell your wares on 10/4-food prep and service
-be a farm ambassador and help people park, find things, etc.
-anything else that jumps out at you as you read the flyers-come and enjoy and bring all your friends
-sponsor an activity-donate an item for a "teacup raffle" fundraiser

Katy L. Vicchitto
Lead Teacher
4-H Education Center at Auer Farm
158 Auer Farm Road,
Bloomfield, CT.
860.242.7144 Ext.14

A Personal Announcement

2008-08-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends, family, and readers!

The cauldron of something new has been brewing. Yes, Hecate has had her hands full with me lately.

I am truly thrilled (the thrill quieting the accompanying fear) to announce to you all my new role as the Homeschool Program Coordinator. And what better way to give everyone a window into this amazing place, than to give it a friendly www portal! (I hear Kiva laughing now, thinking back to when I couldn't come to open a blog at all - now I run three).

So for all of you curious ones, come and check out what I am diving head first into at

Great Hollow Wilderness School

and while you're at it? Wish me LUCK!

If you are local - I hope to see you at the Hollow soon!

Red Tent Temple ~ August 3, 2008 ~ Bloomfield, CT

2008-07-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

It’s time again!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ August 3, 2008 ~ Bloomfield, CT

Please read this invitation thoroughly so you know exactly what is happening and how you might participate. Each month there are variations. Founder, ALisa Starkweather has recently updated much information on this Movement, be sure to visit her site and read all about it!
~~~~~~~~
The Red Tent Temple of the Spiral Traditions Chapter.

~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, August 3, 2008, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested but not mandatory. We do have to pay for the space.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a greivance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Set up - Ananda,
Break down -
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s- Ananda,
Priestess for Circle -
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal - Katy
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers,
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost.
Massage Table -
Markers - Katy

Love and Light,
The Red Tent Temple Team

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original Red Tent Information: http://www.alisastarkweather.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red Tent Temple Movement: Universal Flier

2008-07-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Women,

There seems to be a need for a simple, universal flier for women to use anywhere.

Please print this or copy paste and upgrade it to your liking, so you can distribute the information you need to. Or you can print it as is and hand write your temple info as needed.

Enjoy!

OPEN FLIER HERE

Intensive Journal Workshop, New Fairfield, CT

2008-07-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Progoff Intensive Journal Program of Self-Development

with Dolores Mitch

Introductory Workshop: September 6-7, 2008, 9:30am - 5pm

Great Hollow Conference Center

Begin a Journey in Your Life.....

Experience a life-changing process to give your life greater direction, vitality, and purpose.

Developed in 1966 by Dr. Ira Progoff, our nationally recognized program has helped 175,000 people lead more fulfilling lives.

Discover resources and possibilities you could not have imagined.The Intensive Journal method can help you:

~Gain a foundation and perspective to realize the continuity and direction of your life. Build a solid basis for future decisions.

~Connect more deeply with your personal relationships, career and interests, and body.

~Use dreams and imagery as a guide in your unfolding process.

The Journal can be your honest friend in the creative process of shaping your life.

Life Context (Part One):

Gaining a Perspective on Life

Learn how to use the Intensive Journal method through a direct experience in your own life.

Connect with the continuity and movement of your life. Develop awareness as you explore prior events, memories, and feelings. Realize possibilities and interests.

Gain insights about major areas of your life:

-Relationships with others

-Career and special interests

-Body and Health

~Your facilitator will guide you, step by step, through the exercises.

~Your writing is private; no one comments or judges your life.

~Use the method on your own afterwards.

Helping you in many ways.....

~Decision making, Self Esteem, Energy and momentum, Healing, Intuition, and Creativity ....

Two days of deep self discovery in a beautiful setting at the Wilderness Sanctuary in New Fairfield, CT. Great Hollow's beautiful landscape will put your spirit at ease as you journey through your own inner landscape!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Details:

Cost:$195

Non-refundable deposit: $50

Make payments easily using the buttons at right - be sure to contact me with your registration information as well, (or to pay by check).

I will need your:

Name

Address

Phone

Refreshments served but participants must bring their own lunch. Lodging can be found nearby in Danbury CT.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Help with Navigating this Site

2008-07-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone!

I have been in the process of transferring over to Wordpress for this website, particularly to offer you the convenience of a Navigation bar at the top so you can easily read the main information regarding the foundational content here; The Red Tent, Empowerment Workshops, Women's Gatherings and healing, The Circle of Maidens, and Spiritual Reflections. Unfortunately, Wordpress does not offer the combination of elements that I need in order to design the site in the needed manner through using their free options. So for now we remain here at blogspot, and I thought I would give you some helpful hints on how to find what you need here without a Navigation bar.

1)Take advantage of the search box in the upper left hand corner. Use specifics, and then click on "search this blog". Search examples would be:
Red Tent Temple dates, or: Workshops, CT, or: Temple Share list July 2008

2)Use the side bar. I have helpful links there for the people involved in the Movement, for paying for workshops, making donations, subscribing to a feed, and the almighty Calendar to view the integrated schedule of events. If you use Gmail you can very easily add dates to your own calendar.

3)Subscribe to a feed. If you keep up on all of Spiral Traditions and wish to not miss a beat.... subscribe using your google reader or whatever feed service you use. Then you will always know when a new post has been made ... but you will have to come directly to this site to take advantage of the side bar tools (and the pretty red ambiance). Subscription buttons for this are on the lower side bar.

4)Use the tags. At the bottom of each post there are categories. Find one you like and click on it to list all the posts under that category.

Have FUN!

~Ananda