The  New York City Wiccan Family Temple

8TH ANNUAL BELTANE CELEBRATION IN CENTRAL PARK

Saturday MAY 4th, 2013 
2:00 - 5pm

Great Hill, Central Park - Central Park GR Hill, New York, NY 10025 
Transit: 103rd St Station (0.2 mi) C or B trains

It's May, It's May, the Lusty Month of May! Welcome, welcome one and ALL

Charmed By Starr and the Wiccan Family Temple are pleased and proud to once again host this gathering of Paganfolk and their loved ones, as we come together to share in the May Day festivities. 
In ye olde tradition we will have a MAYPOLE DANCING, JUMPING THE CAULDRON, and a GUIDED MEDITATION. A VERY BARDIC BELTANE. 
Purpose: Desire, sensuality, passion, may poles, flower garlands, love magicks, protection of animals.

As we welcome Beltane one of the most important festivals of the pagan year traditionally marking the arrival of summer in ancient times. With its counterpart Samhain, Beltane divides the year into its two primary seasons, Winter the Dark and Summer the Light. 
Beltane, or Beltaine, is the celebration of two powers joining to bring creation, in this case, the Goddess and the God. The two form a sacred union, from which comes creation, growth and harmony. The God, now grown, becomes enraptured with the Goddess and from their love, all of nature grows and flowers. It is a time of sensuality and sexuality, the reawakening of the earth in vivid colours, vibrant scents, fresh greenery and the sheer joy of summer after a long dormant winter.

It?s the festival of fertility, celebrating beginnings and reproduction, the height of Spring and the flowering of life. Beltane is also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night.

It?s a ?between time? when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest and most fragile. The two worlds intersect at the crossroads of Beltane where they intermingle and unite and anything may happen. It?s the time when the Faeries return from their winter respite, and people placed rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection from the otherworld. It?s a time of divination and communion with Faery Folk and all Nature Spirits

We plan to take full advantage of the abundance of fertile energy with not only one, but at least *two* maypoles! We will have a Beltane ritual, complete with songs and chants for everyone to join in on. 
If you plan to dance the maypole, please bring *at least* 25 feet (30 is better) of ribbon in a color that reflects what you would like to weave into your life this year.

*Everyone* is welcome, of all races, creeds, genders, ages; solitaries, covens, families & friends, et al. We are respectful of all spiritual paths and all people. We only ask that the attendees show this same level of respect towards others so that we can all relax and enjoy ourselves, each other, the rites, the festivities and the great beauty of Nature all around us. 
We respectfully request a fee of $10.00 in person $11.00 via online payments. (please bring receipt of online payment) , which helps defray the costs of hosting this event.

*Please* RSVP us as soon as possible so we can get an accurate estimate of the attendees -- so we can bring enough supplies! You can RSVP us through events@charmedbystarr.com, and payments via online at www.wiccanfamilytemple.com,www.wftacademyofpaganstudies.webs.com under events/activities or at meetup:http://charmedbystarr... .

BRING FOODS AND DRINKS TO SHARE: wines, juices, cakes, seasonal breads, fruits, grapes, cookies, veggies and dips, etc... 
BRING HAND INSTRUMENTS -- drums, flutes, tambourines, claves, maracas, etc.

COME AND ENJOY.

Attire: Suggested colors are pink, yellow, green, violet, red, white (not required for attendance). 
Celebrants can draw a spiral on foreheads or cheeks (black eyebrow pencil) or draw a flower on cheek or Triangles for the triple Goddess (makeup for faces. Or even draw a complete spring mask or wear a mask on face. (In case of media people ? you can hide in plain sight) 

Email:events@charmedbystarr.com. Phone: (917) 378-5012

$10.00 charge per person and $11.00 via paypal. 

THANK YOU, BLESSED BE.

EVENTS BELOW ARE FULL MOONS AND SABBATS FOR 2013

Full Moons 2013: 4/25   5/25  6/23  7/22  8/20  9/19  10/18  11/17  12/28

FULL MOON RITUALS 2013

$10.00 charge per person and $11.00 via paypal. 

Attire:  suggested attire color white or black (not required for attendance).

EVERYONE OF ALL AGES ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US. 

PLEASE ALSO BRING WINES, JUICES, CAKES, COOKIES FOR US ALL TO SHARE.     

IF ANYONE HAS HAND INSTRUMENTS PLEASE bring them, as we create our own music.

Brief Explanation of the Moon Phases 

The phases of the moon are caused by the relative positions of the earth, sun, and moon. The moon goes around the earth in 27.3 days, or 27 days 7 hours 43 minutes, on average. This measurement is relative to the stars and is called the sidereal period or orbital period. However, because of the earth's motion around the sun, a complete moon cycle (New Moon to New Moon) appears to earthbound observers to take a couple of days longer: 29.5305882 days to be exact. This number is called the synodic period or "lunation", and is relative to the sun. 

The sun always illuminates the half of the moon facing the sun (except during lunar eclipses, when the moon passes thru the earth's shadow). When the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth, the moon appears "full" to us, a bright, round disk. When the moon is between the earth and the sun, it appears dark, a "new" moon. In between, the moon's illuminated surface appears to grow (wax) to full, then decreases (wanes) to the next new moon. 

The edge of the shadow (the terminator) is always curved, being an oblique view of a circle, giving the moon its familiar crescent shape. Because the "horns" of the moon at the ends of the crescent are always facing away from the setting or rising sun, they always point upward in the sky. It is fun to watch for paintings and pictures which show an "impossible moon" with the horns pointed downwards. 

(some of above information courtesy of ASA http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov)

UPCOMING EVENTS:

8th Annual NYC
OPEN SAMHAIN RITUAL

Tompkins Sq. Pk.
Avenue A and East 9th Street
Middle grassy area

All Hallow's Eve
By Starr Ravenhawk
Halloween.
Sly does it. Tiptoe catspaws. Slide and creep.
But why? What for? How? Who? When! Where did it all begin?
'You don't know, do you?' asks Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud climbing out
under the pile of leaves under the Halloween Tree. 'You don't REALLY know!'
by Mike Nichols --Ray Bradbury
from 'The Halloween Tree'

Friday November 1st
7-9PM
Samhain. All Hallows. All Hallow's Eve. Hallow E'en. Halloween. The most magical night of the year, Samhain is the best-loved Sabbat for many of us, sometimes called 'THE Great Sabbat.'
Exactly opposite Beltane on the wheel of the year, Halloween is Beltane's dark twin. A 'spirit night', as they say.

The dark half of the year commences on this night. The Witches' New Year's Eve, as well as the third and final harvest festival in the Wheel of the Year.
A night of power, when the veil that separates the worlds of the living from the Otherworld of the dead, becomes its thinnest. A night to remember deceased loved ones and honor ancestors.
Samhain is a night that exists outside of time and hence it may be used to view any other point in time.
Not only is Samhain the end of autumn; it is also, more importantly, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. These two themes, celebrating the dead and divining the future, are inexorably intertwined in Samhain, as they are likely to be in any New Year's celebration.

Witches leave out a candle to guide loved ones home, a glass of wine to remind them that they are loved and remembered and a cake to remind them of the sweetness of life that we shared together. But this is not a sad time, for we have our loved ones back for a little and so love and laughter, song, dance and drama, are the order of the season, a time to celebrate.

All are welcome of whatever path you follow, to share together the power of The Goddess and God, if you are a newcomer, whether Pagan, Witch, Druid or Shaman or have as yet not found your path.
Bring with you pictures or such of your loved ones and come ready to do your Paper of Regrets, to place into the cauldron to be burnt, ready to start a new page in your book of life. For this is a time to ponder on and celebrate the Dark Mysteries of ourselves and nature, reflected in the wonderful salve of the Crone and the God of the Underworld.

Samhain is also known as Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, Hallowmas, Day of the Dead, Third Harvest, Hallowstide, and Celtic New Year.
Spell/ritual work: astral projection, past life recall, Dark Moon mysteries, mirror spells, scrying, protection, inner work, clearing obstacles, transition, culmination, transformation. Releasing bad habits and toxic relationships, illness, failure and poverty; everything you do not want to carry into the new year.

BRING HAND INSTRUMENTS -- drums, flutes, tambourines, claves, maracas, etc. AS IT IS A GREAT TIME FOR DANCING AND MERRIMENT.

Attire: suggested attire color white, black, yellow, orange (not required for attendance) .

A fee of $15.00 in person $16.00 via online payments is required. (please bring receipt of online payment) .
Payments online www.wftacademyofpaganstudies.webs.com under events, www.wiccanfamilytemple.org .
THANK YOU, BLESSED BE!      917-378-5012

15.00 charge per person and $16.00 via paypal.  

(please bring receipt of online payment).

THANK YOU, BLESSED BE

$15.00 charge per person and $16.00 via paypal. 

(please bring receipt of online payment).

THANK YOU, BLESSED BE.

New Moon

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full Moon

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waning Crescent

Free Daily Moon Phases Website Module