Things have FINALLY calmed down after our three weekends on the road
in January. At last, I get to do my laundry (though Fowler's Dry Cleaners
did my cloak). See Reviews further on regarding the Pagan
Event we attended. Ursulmas, the weekend it snowed in January, was
COLD! Rustycon
was fun and there wasn't nearly enough time to do everything we wanted
to. Kyros, however, was at two gift shows, soooo, look for lots of new
lines in the store in the next two months, as all his orders start arriving.
See What's New for a preview of coming
attractions.
Our Wednesday evening Discussion Group just keeps growing! For
our folding party in January, we had 25 people collating,
folding, taping, and sorting, and we had a lot of fun doing it,
too. March's folding party will be on the 20th.
Have you met the snakes yet? Kali and Q have taken up
residence in the store (in their glass tank, of course). Kali,
Kyros' snake, is a Mexican boa constrictor female, while Q,
Chad's snake, is a Colombian Red Tail boa, male. We sometimes
have them out during the day and during discussion group. Freya,
my cat who thinks she owns the store, has a developed a
fascination with the snakes and sits for hours just watching them
(as do a lot of children). I think she's trying to stare Q down,
not knowing that he doesn't have eyelids and therefore isn't
going to blink!
I received a newsletter in the mail from L.E.A.P., Lesbian
Excursions and Potlucks. Among the interesting information was an
announcement of a 30-Something group organizational meeting. Call
me for the contact number. (There already exists a 40-Something
group for which I also have a phone number.) Other events include
hikes, card parties, and a support group for incest survivors..
Don't forget COUPON DAYS. One Monday a month, anyone purchasing items for over
$25 (total) will receive a certificate for a FREE TAROT OR RUNE READING.
See WHAT'S HAPPENING for specific dates. Since
Kyros isn't often in the store and has to make special arrangements to
give a reading, his fee has gone up to $20. An appointment is necessary
for his readings. Late afternoons and evenings are best for both of our
readings.
We received sad news recently, that Widdershins, the Pagan
store in Bellingham, has closed. We wish Nora Cedar the best of
luck.
Remember that sale we were going to have in January? Well, it
finally surfaced the second week of February! I'm slow, okay?
Anyway, stop in and check it out. The new stuff Kyros ordered is
already coming in, demanding shelf space, thus we needed the
sale. Some of the things on sale include Silky Wrap, pewter
miniatures, children's books, shrine starter kits, Levitrons,
hourglasses, tee shirts, some powdered incense, Leaning Tree
greeting cards, and the Jacob's Chimes (cats, hummingbirds, and
planets) and lots more!.
The Get-Ready-For-The-Millennium Science
Fiction Book Sale for the benefit of the North Puget Sound
AIDS Foundation was such a success that we have made it an
on-going sale. So far, we have passed on $53 to Joe Sharp for the
foundation. To say he was pleased would be an understatement. All
books are $1.00 and go directly to the foundation.
I just received an announcement from the Gay Men's Outreach
Project (Snohomish Health District) of a new HIV Prevention
Program for Gay and Bisexual HIV-Negative Men. Meeting on Tuesday
nights starting in early March at 6100 200th St. SW (one block
east of Hwy 99) at the Snohomish Health District's South County
Office, the group will address issues of identity, life
expectations, dating, safer sex, isolation, multiple losses and
grief, and the future. Co-facilitators are Michael McKee and
Charlie Walsh. Call 339-5251 or 1-800-344-2437 for more
information.
People are asking for connections to various groups or
individuals. Therefore, if you wish to be known as such, please
give me a call if you are a Pagan minister (we're asked about
baptizings and handfastings, mostly), have a circle, discussion
group, class or coven, or have class space available. If you have
anything else in the line of connections, please tell us. Let's
NETWORK!
And speaking of networks, if you have Internet access, you
might start looking for those addresses in magazines you read and
television shows you watch. For example, Hecate's Loom, Canada's
International Pagan Magazine, has a world wide web site at http://www.hecate.com. It used
to be that we could "vote" for a TV show by buying
their sponsor's products. Now, though, we can interact with the
shows themselves and make our opinions known directly. If you
find a show that treats Pagany or gay characters poorly or well,
let them know about it. Even our elected officials are getting
on-line. Now if they'd only LISTEN to our opinions!
Speaking of access, Heather Alexander, our favorite musician
and vocal performer, has two upcoming concerts in our area, in
Seattle and Olympia (see What's Happening for dates). To find out
about other things she's up to, and for upcoming tour informationgo to http://www.heatherlands.com/.
Her e-mail is seafire@heatherlands.com.
Snail mail address is
Sea
Fire Productions, Inc. PO
Box 777
Banks, OR 97106
USA
phone:
503.789.2639
Whew, is that lady connected!
By the way, our personal and store e-mail addresses will be
changing in the near future, so keep an eye on them. Also, if
you've found some really good places for Pagan or gay information
on the Internet, drop us an e-mail with the address and a little
bit about it, so we can share with our readers.
OPINIONS? I GOT MILLION OF 'EM!
(This area presents my personal opinions,
which may or may not be held by my partners.)
One of the symbols of our way of life is the Pentagram. Many
of us wear them constantly, for much the same reasons that
Christians wear their crosses. However, WHERE do we wear them --
inside or outside our clothing? I choose to wear mine outside,
proudly, for all the world to see and, if they wish, ask about.
In this way, I expand others' knowledge of us and open a dialog
with them that could lead to a better understanding of us. (Then
too I have to educate some that FIVE points doesn't equal a
Jewish star!) Another reason I wear mine openly is for the
future. I feel a need to push the comfort envelope about us and
about others, in an attempt to educate, yes. But more, so that in
the future what we're pushing for now will be accepted and
unchallenged tomorrow, when our children are grown up. (This same
argument, of course, applies equally to being gay or any other
alternative lifestyle.) Hazard? Yes, there are hazards involved
with this stand. I've found myself in situations where I felt
threatened for simply wearing my pent openly. I can also
empathize with those who feel that it would jeopardize their
jobs/housing/family. That's a judgment call we all must make, on
the individual level and on a case by case basis. But, when you
are deciding, try to PUSH your own comfort envelope just a little
bit. You might be surprised by a good reaction instead of the
feared reaction.
Enough of this soap box. We now return you to your regularly
scheduled newsletter.
What's Happening?
August 16-18, 1996 - VikingCon 16 - Bellingham, Washington
I don't even know where to start! Kyros attended the Portland
and Seattle Gift Shows in January, and now all those orders are
coming in, almost daily.
CANDLES! We've got votive candles back in, in new and
marvelous colors and scents: amber, leather (wow!),
wisteria, sea breeze, lemon (very intense), strawberry/vanilla ,
eucalyptus, sea scape, orange/clove, French vanilla (you can gain
weight just SMELLING this one!), tuberose, and lavender. They're
supposed to be even more intense when they are burned, too. And
they're the right colors for the Pride rainbow flag. Kyros found
some smudge feathers that are used to waft smoke about during
rituals and cleansings. The feathers are white and black, with
beads and/or muskrat skulls for adornment. We also got leather
wrapped Dream Catchers.
We've had the pillar ritual candles for awhile, but we've
added a new line of them from Spiritual Essences. Popular right
now seem to be Consort (lover), Ability to Change and Reform,
Prosperity, Protection, and Tranquility. The candle are designed
on the principles of horoscopes, lunar cycles, aromatherapy,
herbalism, color magick, knot magick, and numerology. Knot magick
and numerology are seen with the three-fold spiral wicks and
wrapped into a second spiral is seven knots to represent the
principle of new beginnings. Also, the height of nine inches
incorporates the numerology principle of full circle. These new
candles have the loveliest scents!
You've seen our incense sticks. Well, be prepared to meet
mega-stick in the form of our new Party Sticks. These remind me
of slender cattails and are about 19" high. They burn
between 3 and 4 hours, so they are a bargain at 3 for $1. Flavors
include vanilla, cedar, money, and rain. Also, we're getting a
new lign of incense sticks from Astral Sea, soon.
We just got a new shipment of Celestial Glassware and cobalt
votive holders and square jars to add to our blue glass
collection. Also we have expecting new colored glass bottles in
blue (triangular), red (oval), yellow (like turbans) and green
(indescribable), with stoppers shaped like suns, moons, and
stars.. BOOKS! Always, new books. Look for Gems, Crystals, &
Minerals, with the lushest pictures of stones I've ever seen;
Homeopathy: The Principles & Practice of Treatment; Black Elk
Speaks; and the Birthday Book (Remember how dead on The New
Astrology was? This one is just as accurate on birthdates.). A
new series we are carrying is from Church of Divine Man,
including Clairvoyance, Healing, Meditation, Chakras and Cosmic
Energy, both in tapes and book form. A large order of new books
just arrived, including 500 Formulas for Aromatherapy, To Stir a
Magick Cauldron (sequal to To Ride a Silver Broomstick), Celtic
Mandalas, Feng Shui Handbook, and Falcon, Feather & Valkyrie
Sword. Whew! And that's only the tip of the iceberg, too.
They haven't arrived yet, but we are expecting refrigerator
magnet sets of words that you can rearrange into sentences. The
sets come in these subjects: X-Files, Astrology, Dirty, Gay,
Mythology, and computers. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Also, we
will soon have Eye Pillows, filled with lavendar and flax seeds,
that relax the eyes and relieve tension.
Our Get-Ready-For-The-Millenium Science Fiction Book Sale to
benefit the North Puget Sound AIDS Foundation is now on-going.
Stop in, donate some, buy some, enjoy the browsing, all for a
good cause.
Starr Gazing
Hello all. Sorry that I have missed you all lately, but I have had to move on short notice and started
a new job, so I have had little time to devote to the store (or the newsletter). But hopefully soon my life
will slow down a bit and I will be back (but I have thought that before....). Next month I plan on having
some new ideas and maybe a new column for you, so stay tuned....
Peace,
Kyros
Freedom in Paganism
by Kevin Walder
In the weeks since I was asked to write this article, I have made several
valiant attempts to define the term Paganism. I have diligently researched the
meanings assigned by various religious authorities, some secular scholars and
the trusty Webster’s Dictionary. I found myself back at square one each
time, because in nearly every case there were contradictory meanings and
explanations given by all these “authorities”.
Pagan is defined by Webster’s variously as: “one who has no
religion”, or “anyone not a Jew, Christian, or Moslem”, or “a
heathen, follower of a polytheistic religion”. With definitions like these
it is not surprising to find that most people don’t know what to make of
Pagans and Paganism. We seem to represent an unknown quantity, and nothing
frightens the logical, rational mind more than the unknown.
As one who is just beginning to learn about Paganism and its various
paths, I have come to appreciate how deeply personal its practice, and intensely
private its manifestations. So with a little twisting of the original intent of
this piece I have finally come up with the following, decidedly subjective and
personal definition of Paganism. It seems to me that each individual is more or
less selected by his or her own path, and it is only up to us to allow ourselves
to be guided in that practice.
If there is a single word which could define Paganism it would almost
certainly be FREEDOM. Spiritual freedom. This concept requires some reflection
for most of us who were brought up in strict fundamentalist homes. We have been
programmed to believe that we must spend our entire lives making inhuman
attempts to achieve impossible goals, to receive our reward in another life. We
are taught that anything which occurs to us naturally, without tremendous
effort, must be a temptation away from our goal. We have been taught to ignore
our intuitions, and insights, and to adopt those passed down by ones more
learned than we. The concept of freedom is foreign to most organized religions
of the world.
Freedom from a rigid set of religious dictums and doctrines is indeed part
of the being Pagan, but that alone will not give you the insight to be a
practicing Pagan. In order to complete the equation we must add morality,
ethics, and ultimately complete responsibility. Without these vital ingredients
we become anarchistic and thus self destructive. This is what separates those
who only wish to be rid of the rules of a religion without replacing them with
the necessary reflection and introspection to accept true spiritual freedom.
This also can explain the fear many people feel toward the Pagan
community. They are only seeing the lack of formal structure And are equating
this with an anarchistic, moralless society. They cannot comprehend a system
which truly allows each individual to practice and be accepted in his or her
own way. Rules make up such a great part of our lives that letting go of them
can be extremely frightening.
Paganism is not for everyone. It requires a great deal of work and study,
and total responsibility. We do not have a convenient set of doctrines and
church laws to direct our lives. We have accepted that true spiritual openness,
unencumbered by dogma. This is a powerful concept, one which puts a tremendous
accountability on each of us, but also gives us the freedom to fully appreciate
life.
Sometimes this freedom feels so strange that we tend to reject it without
considering the implications. To think of ourselves as not only possessing but
truly commanding such divine qualities can, at times, seem profanely absurd. Our
early programming taught us to distrust ourselves And never question the
doctrines, and that we were incapable of directing ourselves morally and
ethically. We were taught that it was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil which brought about the downfall of the first humans, so our
guidance as to good and bad, right and wrong, could not come from within. This
is powerful programming designed to “protect” us from our own
spirituality.
Even as we learn to develop our spiritual connections, there are times
when those old ways of thinking will still try to pull us back and “save”
us from going too far. Well, I am just beginning to see that “ going too
far” is what it’s all about. In order to break those bonds which bind
the mind and spirit we must keep stretching them by “going too far”
until they finally fall away. Then we will have achieved the freedom we seek, a
spiritual freedom which in turn demands divine action from within. At that
point we are just ready to begin a lifelong journey of learning and teaching.
Paganism is for me true spiritual freedom. It requires tremendous effort
to learn to release yourself and allow your guidance to come naturally. This
freedom is not the goal, it is the vehicle, and we have to work to obtain the
vehicle before the journey can begin. This freedom is based in action, and
responsibility, and we have much to absorb before our goal is even known to us,
but until then, we make the journey our singular focus.
OSTARA
(SPRING OR VERNAL EQUINOX)
Come fill the cup, and in the fire
of spring your winter-garment of
repentance fling: the bird of time
has but a little way to flutter-and
the bird is on the wing.
-Omar Khayyam, in Witches Almanac.
Equinox is celebrated on March 20 this year. Physically, this is the day of balance, when the dark hours
and the daytime hours are equal. Mythologically, it is a time of celebration for the return of Persephone from
Hades, god of the underworld. Her mother Demeter, earth and grain goddess, was so grief-stricken by her
daughter's abduction, she caused six months of the year to turn to autumn and winter. Demeter's joy at
Persephone's return caused the earth to bloom again.
The ancient festival of Eostara or Eostre, named for an Angle-Saxon goddess, was adopted by the
Christian invaders as Easter, complete with Pagan fertility symbolism: eggs and bunnies and chicks and the
"Easter" lily (a female sexuality symbol).
On a purely physical level, it marks the crossover from the earth element of winter to the air element of
spring. And air is the natural element of birds. Ever notice how you've missed them during the winter? To
celebrate birds and their return, take the kids to the library to get a good field guide and learn some of their
names and look for them around your area. Find out about their nests and eggs, too. Put out hair from
brushes and lint from dryers for them to make nests of.
Coloring eggs, symbols of the fertility of Spring, is an old Pagan custom. Instead of neon colors, though,
how about using natural dyes, like onion skins, which produce yellow eggs. For baskets, use Spanish moss or
alfalfa sprouts or other natural materials. Share the coloring with your children and select the most marvelous
one for your Ostara altar.
Other additions to your altar might be blown down birds' nests, bird feathers, home-made incense,
children's Spring-related artwork, and any outdoors treasures found while birding.
For your family Ostara meal, concentrate on eggy things, like quiche, egg salad, custards, or egg-shaped,
decorated cookies (a fun family project usually relegated solely to Christmas or Yule).
On Ostara (or a weekend day near it), gather the kids and watch the sunrise in silence. All will enjoy its
beauty, as well as have fun watching the early doings of birds and animals. Celebrate the dawn with juice.
Children expect egg hunts, but how about hiding other things this time? Like, crystals, small toys, healthy
sweets from the local health food store, and maybe an unhealthy chocolate bunny (can't be proper ALL the
time!).
Or, try laying a trail of raisins or M&M's, leading your child to her Ostara nest/basket of goodies. Then,
or instead, go on a field trip looking for signs of Spring, like buds and sprouts and bugs and bird nests.
For Ostara ritual, allow children to dress in whatever garb makes them feel special, with maybe added
flowers or garlands. When you come to the feasting, share with each other what you'd like to see "Blossom
and Grow" within your family and area and world in the next few months.
A fun note: a raw egg will balance on end at the equinox (and several hours on either side of it).
Editor's Note: This information comes from Celebrating the Great Mother by Cait Johnson and Maura D. Shaw. This
is a purely marvelous collection of information, ideas and activities aimed at sharing Mother Earth with your children
all through the year and on the Sabbats.
YULE 1995
BRAVO! ENCORE! WELL DONE!!!
Oh...!Merry meet, ladies and lords. I guess you can all probably tell from that, that I
thoroughly enjoyed myself at Yule Feast VII. And that old adage, "Anything worth having, is worth
waiting for," certainly applied in this case. For even though it had to be rescheduled due to a wind
storm, all turned out well. It was a short festival (Saturday morning to noon Sunday), but for me
there was never a dull moment. From Saturday's Opening Circle to Closing Circle Sunday the
energy raised was fairly constant throughout. Overall it was a very nice celebration, and with a
moderate amount of snow on site (most of which melted away the second day), the setting was
just right, considering the nature of the event. Although it rained a bit, it ceased in all the right
places, and even cleared up to reveal some stars at the appearance of the Goddess during the
Main Rite. I must say, the ritual staff did splendidly...from the God and Goddess right down to the
fairy attendants.
Serious with a generous amount of humor, the Main Ritual flowed beautifully...From the death
of the God of the Waning Year and his rebirth from the Goddess (which the children attending
greatly assisted in) to the ensuing feast, and our return to the Yule Fire to receive the blessing
from the God or Goddess before casting our wishes, needs, and our desires for the coming year
into the flames.
Now let me tell you more about the feasting part of the fest...The feast was spectacular, with
many and sundry dishes, salads galore, and desserts to satisfy even the sweetest of tooth. It was
a time to eat, drink, and be merry, to be sure!
If the atmosphere was supposed to be one of renewal, rebirth, hope and promise, then I think
this was accomplished quite splendidly.
Now for..."THE NAUGHTY BITS!" No, not "those" naughty bit...! I mean the parts that weren't
so great. Well, there aren't any. At least none as are worth mentioning. Where there might have
been a problem with the use of "cue-cards," there wasn't because everyone seemed to be familiar
enough with their parts as to prevent this from becoming a distraction.
All in all a very nice and enchanting weekend, and an event that I plan on making a part of my
yearly celebrations.
Bye for now, and may the turning of The Wheel bring you all you need and/or desire! Marry
Part, Merry Meet Again, and always and ever, Blessed Be!
Amber Crow
SYMPTOMS OF DRUG USE
In the interest of informing our readers, we will occasionally publish items of interest to many of you that do not, strictly, come under the heading of metaphysical, New Age, or Pagan information. This time the information is on DRUGS.
We at Orion at Twilight try to provide a drug-free (as well as smoke-free and discrimination-free) environment, and feel that many of our patrons wish to establish or maintain the same environment at home. So, we are reprinting the following drug-use symptoms chart from a promotional brochure published by Supervisor's Guide to Employment Practices:
MARIJUANA--fatigue, dry irritated coughing, sore throat, red eyes, and dilated pupils.
COCAINE--irritability, decreased attention span, restlessness, paranoia, hallucinations, increased blood pressure and heart rate, blurred vision, muscle tension and tremors, slurred speech, thirst, excessive perspiration, dizziness, headaches, nausea and diarrhea.
OPIATES--drowsiness, constipation, nausea and vomiting, constricted pupils, depression, apathy, lethargy, watery eyes, muscle cramps, and loss of appetite.
PHENCYCLIDINE (PCP or angel dust)--lack of coordination, confusion, agitation, severe mood swings, and erratic and violent behavior.
The article goes on to say that, since many drugs have similar symptoms, don't bother trying to diagnose which specific drug is involved. Instead, first talk to the person in question, although this usually results in denials and hostility. Next, seek aid from drug abuse professionals (phone numbers are usually available in the phone book). Also remember, you don't have to go through this alone. There are support groups available, too.
One other thing you can do about drugs: educate your children on their effects on a person, both short and long term. It's never too early to begin this education. Drugs are available in and near schools even in the primary grades! EDUCATION, not RE-EDUCATION is the key here.
THOUGHTS OF LOVE.....
Reprinted from Gift From the Sea, by Ann Morrow Lindbergh.
When you love someone you do not love them all the time, in
exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an
impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is
exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the
ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the
flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it
will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on
continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in
love, is in growth, in fluidity--in freedom, in the sense that
the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners
in the same pattern. The only real security is not in owning or
possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even.
Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what
it was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or
anticipation, but living in the present relationship and
accepting it as it is now. For relationships, too, must be like
islands. One must accept them for that they are here and now,
within their limits--islands, surrounded and interrupted by the
sea, continually visited and abandoned by the tides. One must
accept the security of the winged life, of ebb and flow of
intermittency...
View from the Other Side
"And It Harm None...Do Unto Others"
They may not be the same, but there are very definite similarities.
Recently, I found myself discussing this very thing with an acquaintance. He had remarked that friends of
his, he thought, took the exhortation "And it harm none, do what you will" to the extreme of refusing to bring
'harm' to anyone or anything.
The question here is, of course, just what is harm? By strict definition, killing anything could be
considered harmful. But, what if the bee that is threatening to sting you could kill because you might be
allergic to it? Is acting in self-defense considered harmful? What about killing the bee that is threatening your
child? Even if the child is not allergic, we're talking degrees of harm here. And if that's the case, who makes
the decision as to which harm is all right, and which kind is not?
Vegetarians can argue that killing animals for food is harmful because it takes a life. Non-vegetarians
(Christian and Pagan alike) counter that God or the Goddess put animals here for our use and to not avail
ourselves of those gifts is to insult the intelligence and judgment of whatever deity you choose to follow. Of
course, I don't believe in killing for sport, but of necessity only.
I read somewhere that Gandhi tried very hard not to kill anything, from insects all the way up the food
chain to man. This is also true of St. Francis of Assisi. That would indicate that the premise does not belong
to one sect or another, but crosses over very nicely and is proof of both adages, seeking to harm nothing, and
treating all life with respect that you would wish to be treated with.
I'm not at all certain where this is going, or even where it SHOULD go. It will, however, give us all
something to discuss with our brothers and sisters who follow different faiths than our own.
(Come to Discussion Group on Wednesday nights in the store and let's carry this on in person.)
Robin White
Just Squeezed In
Hello again everyone. We have not written a letter to the newsletter in a very long time, and since we now
live at the store we decided to write once again to introduce ourselves. I am Kali, and this is my mate
Quetzalcoatl. I am a Mexican Boa Constrictor and Q is a Red Tailed Boa Constrictor (he always has to be a
show off...) We are enjoying all of the attention we are getting now that we live here, but everyone keeps
commentting that they did not know that we had moved into the store, so we decided to write this little bit
for the newsletter to let everyone know that we are indeed here. So please come visit us. We are not
"slimey" as many people have commented. And we DO love to give hugs to people. So come on in and visit
with us. Hope to ssssssee you ssssoon....
Kali & Quetzalcoatl
Free as a...Cat?
"Free as a bird, Smart as a fox, Wise as an owl, Morals of an alleycat."
I HATE cliches! And who says foxes are smart or owls are wise? I know of some birds who enjoy being
in their cages, and as for alleycats...
Just what is freedom, anyway? I'm allowed to come and go, inside and outside as much as I want to, for
the most part. My neighbor's puppy, however, has a fenced yard and can only travel inside his enclosure. I
was feeling sorry for him, until I realized, the fence is just as much as for his protection as to keep him
contained. I, on the other hand, have no such protection and have to be careful when I'm outside, to watch
for cars and big dogs, while Fritz the Puppy can bark to his heart's content at the Doberman from across the
street, in the knowledge that he is protected by his fence.
I do get annoyed sometimes at night, when I want to roam and my two-legged refuses to open the door,
saying "It's too cold." Technically, she has curtailed my freedom, something that is my right, as a cat, to have.
However, I know she is only trying to protect me from things that could hurt or even kill me. (But I still don't
have to like it!)
So...freedom is an important thing, but responsibility is the other side of that coin. If you grant freedom
to someone or something, you have the responsibility to educate that person/thing to what could be harmful,
and, I think, you also have the responsibility to curtail the freedom to keep that person/thing from harm.
(Editor's Note: Read View from the Other Side, for another viewpoint on this.) I guess that means if you
want to be REALLY free, you must be prepared to accept the consequences of freedom.
I sometimes wonder just how free my totally housebound feline colleagues are, but then again, they could
be more free than I am, not having to worry about the Doberman across the street, or the snow, or the rain. I
also feel sorry for my street cat friends, who think they are free, because they have no responsibilities, but
don't know where their next meal is coming from.
August 24- Community
Full Moon - Site to be determined.