We're finally back from Florida Pagan Gathering (FPG), the best one yet. See flapagan.org to learn the particulars of the sponsoring organization, Temple of Earth Gathering. The site is a fantastically beautiful one within Ocala National Forest. All praise to the hard-working, creative staff.
At FPG's bardic circle we enjoyed a lot of bass guitars. What ever happened to saxes? to trumpets? to drums? to all the other instruments? And by the way, what ever happened to intelligible lyrics? A respected music teacher once told Yvonne's glee club,
"Instruments can make music. Humans can make words."
The most beautiful singing voice on earth is meaningless and insulting if the words are indistinguishable.
We saw fewer children on site than in earlier years. Is that because the parents just want to party? Our kids are the future, in spirituality, in creativity, in play as well as in the whole mundane-world culture. If we don't bring them to festivals, we'll lose them to the Muggles and the conformists. Is that what you hope for your descendants (shudder)? Granted, they may see naked people--if they actively seek out the concealed area. And yes, they may get naked themselves. Quel horreur! Sometimes we grind our teeth in such frustration with American "morality"--that is, with inflicted cultural prudishness--that we want to bang our heads against the nearest wall. Didn't thinking "alternative" people learn anything at all from Prohibition and its fallout?
We're planning a trip to Europe this autumn. We'll get to be on a naturist beach in Brittany where gendarmes come down and run off anyone in clothes--the "textiles". It's a glorious feeling on a sunny autumn day to experience sea, sun, breeze on natural bodies. There's a picture postcard available (in Brittany) showing a nude man holding the hand of his nude daughter paddling in the waves. It is untitled; no title is necessary.
Let your kids have that gift at festival. Outgrow cultural assumptions when it is appropriate. Lay aside the shalt-nots of "normal" people. We've seen "normal"--and it's not for the faint of heart.
On our return to West Virginia the lawn was a foot tall, of course; and the snap peas (mange-tout) had grown about two feet. Because our daughter Jo had carefully covered the tomato plants, they in turn were not damaged by a late frost. We're looking forward to a heavy crop. This year again, we planted each with a Tums tablet at its base to furnish the calcium that prevents blossom-end rot. (All this is gardener-jargon. Ignore it if your interests lie elsewhere.) Adding a few tomato-leaf tips to your green salad will help with any lack of calcium; and we all know that a deficiency of calcium is the defining factor for osteoporosis in people of all genders. Don't add too many leaves, though. An excess can upset your tummy.
While we were away the asparagus buds did not get harvested, so more of it went to seed than we usually let happen. In one way asparagus resembles rhubarb: They both need infinite patience. It is best to wait two years before you crop either of them, even when you start them from good root stock.
Blessed be each one who seeks. Gavin and Yvonne
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4 comments:
Well, sometimes when singers try to make sure their words are understandable, it interferes with the natural rhythm and flow of the song. With a real good melody, it is best to just let that flow go where it will and not put any constraints on it.
I'll give you an example of what I mean. George Harrison's "Old Brown Shoe" is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and he sings it in such a way that the words tend to run together. If he took the time to enunciate the words clearly, it would actually distract from the song, in my opinion. That is true of a good many songs as well.
I'm glad to see you had an enjoyable event. You're definitely right about the social mores and prudishness, and you hit the nail on the head about the predictable results of such things as Prohibition. Why do people never learn from history?
If I ever go to an event like that, though, I think I'll keep my clothes on. Some things are just not meant to be seen with the naked eye.
The Florida Pagan Gathering forgot to include you on their list of headliners. But don't worry, they put up a page for you like they did for the other headliners, so that if anyone asked they could be directed there.
http://www.flapagan.org/gavin.htm
There's a curious change in your biography listed on the FPG page!
Suddenly Gavin is saying, "Gavin Frost, BSc, PhD, DD
Born, reared and formally educated in Staffordshire, England."
For about 30 years in all his biographical material, Gavin's been listing himself as having "BSc, PhD, DD" as his academic credentials. The Pagan biographers I've heard from so far all say that Gavin told them he got his B.Sc. through Ph.D from King’s College London. None of them tried to independently confirm it.
Yet when asked, Kings College London archives said they had no record of Gavin Frost or Sidney Gavin Frost ever attending that school. Their library database shows no dissertation by him.
According to Gerina Dunwich's book The Modern Witch's Complete Sourcebook, the DD degrees that the Frosts claim are ones they gave themselves. The Doctor of Divinity degree is the highest academic degree awarded in the UK, but is usually an honorary degree in the US.
I'm going to ask once again, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop stonewalling.
Gavin: Where did you get your B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D degrees? Under what name did you get them? What is the title of your Ph.D dissertation, and in what university library will it be found?
Gavin and Yvonne: From which institution did you receive the Doctor of Divinity degrees you've been claiming since the seventies? Yvonne, how did you jump to doctoral status, after having only an associate's degree from a junior college?
"qualifications": I double checked verifying college attendance with everyone of my institutions (no small feat). They refused steadfastly to give out information regarding my time at each. So... Ms. Maltby, with your usual flair, with whom did you speak? Does the archives have old transcripts or the registrar? Did you speak with a supervisor? Did you even call during the correct time frame. (yes, I'm familiar with your postings.)
It seems you continue to wish to breed doubt instead of real religious growth within Wicca. More gossip, keep your flame alive and get attention rather than relying on real research, real battles with the government and a humble lifestyle to get you through. When does the naysaying stop and the Wicca community actually come together? Not while you are a "pseudo-vigilante" "member". Are you a team player or the weakest link for the religion you purportedly support?
Gavin and Yvonne were offered honorary DD's in the late 80's to supplement their already lengthy list of credentials and they turned them down realizing even then that credentials were there to impress only people who cared about initials that the real accomplishments come from day-to-day work and living decent lives, not from spreading vicious rumors and lies. Following the Rede I can only pray for healing for people like you.
If you are were actually "familiar" with my postings, you'd know that I did not phone the university Gavin claimed to have degrees from, but wrote to it, and got a response in writing in return.
I've asked Gavin and Yvonne Frost numerous times on this blog to explain the contradictions regarding the credentials they claim. They have refused to do so.
Jo Frost (AKA Bronwyn), Gavin and Yvonne's daughter and chief administrator for many years of The Church and School of Wicca, has stated that she does not know who issued the DD degrees that Gavin and Yvonne claim to have. So I doubt that a pseudonymous poster who appears to have joined Blogger just to post on this thread knows about alleged and unspecified offers of additional credentials.
Given that they have written conflicting accounts about their credentials, it would be appropriate for Gavin and Yvonne to answer the legitimate questions about their claims themselves, rather than leaving it to pseudonymous surrogates to muddy the waters.
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