PENWITH PAGAN NEWS
This page is for all Penwith Pagan news. If you know of any news that would be of interest to Pagans in Penwith please let us know
Next Moot Ritual
PENWITH PAGAN MOOT IMBOLC RITUAL
Time and location to be arranged. Keep checking!
For further information regarding our moot rituals, please contact –
Eve on 793905 meadowsweet1-@tiscali.co.uk
Sarah on 787522 vivianatfarwest@supanet.com
Dave on 787230 tarewaste@yahoo.co.uk
Sacred Site Clearances - please see 'Dates' for our 2009 clearance list.
For more information on helping out with this or any sacred site clearance call Dave on 01736 787230
PENGLAZ
Penglaz - Penwith's very own 'Oss appears during the solstice festivals of Penzance Golowan (midsummer) and Montol (midwinter). Cassandra Latham, Penglaz's Teazer during these festivities, formed the Penglaz Co-operative to ensure the continuation of the Penglaz tradition in Penwith. Visit the Penglaz website where you can find out more about this intriguing character, and purchase Penglaz related items to help raise funds for the tradition's survival: www.penglaz.co.uk
Here is a video of Penglaz taken during the Penzance Montol festival 2008:
NEW LOCAL BOOK:
Traditional Witchcraft - A Cornish Book of Ways
Gemma Gary
Explore the living practices of Traditional Witchcraft in Cornwall with a collection of Traditional, established ways and new innovations relating to the rites, spells, charms, working tools and magical recipes of the Cornish Craft. This book covers such areas as the gathering and use of land sprowl, the Cornish spirit world, Bucca, gathering and fashioning the tools of the Cornish Craft, conjuring the Compass, celebrating the Troyl, working with places of power, Crafting powders, suffumigations, oils and charms, working with the moon, celebrating the Cornish ritual year and more.
Visit www.cornishwitchcraft.co.uk for details
New Monthly Drop-In Healing Clinic
From January 2nd 2007
St Just WI Hall
1st Tuesday of each month 7:00pm-9:00pm
For more details call Fiona: 01736 362611
Carrying Ritual Blades & The Law
The Pagan Federation have added a new 'Guidance & Advice' section to their website. This contains some information on where Pagans stand with the law with regards to carrying a ritual blade of any kind. It is useful to know and should be read by all Pagans who carry ritual blades with them to rituals: Blades & The Law
The PF have also added some useful advice on seeking to make contact with other Pagans, Moots & groups: Contact Guide
Lammas Loaf Recipe
The loaf used in the libation for the moot's Lammas ritual was so delicious that the recipe has become quite sought after! The Loaf was made by Kim and she has kindly given the recipe which is as follows:
Ingredients
The following ingredients are mostly measured in quantities of "cups". Unfortunately my weighing scales aren't up to accurate measurements. If you're wondering what counts as a cup, my cups can take 250ml of water, but there's no need to be too worried.
1/2 cup warm water (boiling water with enough cold water added to be hand hot) 1 teaspoon of sugar 2 tablespoons dried active yeast (we use Allinsons ) 1 1/2 cups of milk (we use organic full cream jersey milk) 2 cups porridge oats 3 tablespoons honey (we use "Tropical Forest" organic forest honey) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (we use organic cold pressed sunflower oil) 1 teaspoon sea salt 3-4 cups of strong wholemeal flour (we use Marriage's organic stoneground strong wholemeal flour)
Method
First, wake up the yeast: place the warm water in a medium sized bowl, add the sugar, sprinkle the yeast over it, and whisk thoroughly. Stand in a warm spot until the yeast bubbles (about 5 minutes).
Next, heat the milk until it just starts to bubble, and place in a large bowl. Stir in the oats. Add the honey, oil and salt. Cool the mixture to luke warm, and add two cups of the flour. Mix well with a wooden spoon, add the yeast mixture, and then stir some more.
Add as much of the remaining flour as you can successfully incorporate to make a soft dough. I only usually manage to add slightly more than one more cup (three in total).
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead for about ten minutes until it's smooth and elastic. Whilst kneading, we believe it is crucial for success to sing the "Lammas bread blessing" written by Diane Baker, and which appears on page 251 (with musical notation) of "Circle Round" by Star Hawk, Diane Baker and Anne Hill. The words are as follows (you could always make up your own tune):
Bless the earth that grows the grain;
Bless the water that gives us rain.
Bless the wind that helps seeds spread;
Bless the fire that bakes our bread.
We also like to get as many people involved in the kneading as possible (a bit like stirring the Christmas pudding).
When finished, place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, turning it so that it is oiled all over. Cover it with a clean tea towel, and leave it to rise in a warm spot for about an hour, by which time it will have grown substantially.
Punch down the dough, divide it into three, and leave it to rest for ten minutes.
On a floured surface, roll each portion into a long sausage shape about 40cm long. Join the three strands at one end, and then plait until you reach the end, joining them at the other end as neatly as possible.
Place on a lightly-oiled baking sheet, cover, and leave it for 40 minutes, by which time it will have risen quite considerably again. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C, so it will be hot at the end of the 40 minutes.
Bake your loaf for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
Remove from baking tray, and cool on a rack.
If you don't wish to do a plaited loaf, you could instead just make one large round loaf, or multiple small loaves or rolls, as you choose.
Enjoy!
Sarah Vivian & Dave Munday's Handfasting