Cousins ISSUE #13 - August 1993

A place for the Witches, pagans, nature spirits, fey-folk, and assorted
elder kin of Sherwood to share ideas, challenges, dreams, and projects,
and to stir up a little magic of our own.

for more information about Cousins, contact Susan Gavula,
[email protected]

This Issue's Fun Word:  SARCASM
A form of humor utilizing exaggerated imitation to satirize vice or
folly.  (So when people start talking crazy - look for the Smiley-
face!)

LETTERS

Frances Quinn
Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa... sorry you could not understand my scrawl
last time, I'll try harder with my erratic calligraphy & graduate my
style from hieroglyphic to half-uncial or somesuch... by the way, the
word was "towery":  "They know all wonders for they pass/The towery
gates of Murias..."

Anyway, having (I hope) cleared that up, on to other thngs; have you
heard the latest Clannad tape, Banba?  There's one track in particular,
Sweet Dreams, that could have been written to fit in right after The
Greatest Enemy.  Great music, as usual.

Watching a programme the other night on BBC Northern Ireland, I was
fascinated to see them show Cromm Cruach - apparently still standing
intact in Belcoo, Co. Fermanagh, N.I.  According to a local historian,
it was moved to Ulster when Christianity was first introduced into
Ireland & threatened to swamp the cult.  The grooves cut into the top
of the stone (to enable liquid offerings to run down its length) are
still quite visible.  I don't know if the locals regard it with
suspicion or affection, but it appears to be left alone & untouched in
the midst of a clump of hawthorns.

Those Cousins whose interests lie in Celtic mythology might be
interested in a book called Keltic Folk & Faerie Tales by Kaledon
Naddair.  It goes through just about every correspondence & attribute
possible:  birds, beasts, seasons, directions... you name it, it's
mentioned.  The book is published by Rider, ISBN 0-7126-1679-9, Century
Paperbacks, Century Hutchinson Ltd., Brookmaint House, 62-65 Chardos
Place, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4NW.  The author tends to be rather
opinionated, but it's a fascinating read!

The 'Chippendale (Pre-Raphaelite) on the grey (not white, please!)
horse?'  Well, if the fate of some other characters played by Michael
is anything to go by, the horse probably sat on him...
Back to music for a moment; a friend of mine reminded me of a
marvellous album, 'Granvaile' by Shaun Davey & Rita Connolly.  It's
based on the story of the Irish chieftain & (sometimes) pirate, Grace
O'Malley.

[Second letter begins here.  -H]
Hi!  As you can see I've dug up the type-writer, so you can now tiptoe
through my typos... easier than reading my scrawl, anyhow.  I really
should have written sooner, but things kept cropping up.  My poor dog
did something to her near-hind and is on medication, which she objects
to strenuously.  The poor oul' divil is limping like Jake Lovell on a
bad day...

On to Issue 12:  Ruth Dempsey - a portrait of Vlad Tepes?  Do you have,
or know where I could get a copy?  The only pic. of Tepes I've ever
seen was a diabolical woodcut...

Tara O'Shea - on the subject of love-and-death songs, it seems to be a
Celtic trait!  G.K. Chesterton put it very well:
..And the great Gaels of Ireland are the men
       that God made mad.
For all their wars are merry, and all their songs
       are sad...
If you're looking for a few more for your collection, try "The woods of
Gortnamona," "She moved thro' the fair," "The fields of Shanagolden..."
The list is endless.  If you're interested, I could tape some for you.
And you might want to listen to a tape by a group called 'An�'una.'
Rather like Clannad, but not so ethereal.

Laura Woodswalker Todd:  I can't see any harm in ethnic identification.
What causes the problems are extremists and those who hide their real
motives behind the mask of so-called 'Nationalism.'  Just take a look
at Northern Ireland...  I'm Irish, and proud of it, but I don't go
around doing damage to people just because they happen to be a
different nationality to me... most of my friends are English, anyway
(and they're bigger than me!  Mind you, most people are bigger than
me...)  The problem with a homogeneous assimilation of ethnic groups is
that you end up with a bland mess.  As in all things, a balance has to
be found.

Louise Bath - I agree with what you said about the way in which
'mainstreamers' regard fanfic writers - and artists!  Unfortunately,
the only thing I can ever think of to say to those people is, to quote
Blackadder, "Sod off..."  O.K., so it's rude...  To tell the truth, I
can't say that I've noticed an emphasis on Celtic magic in RoS, unless
it was the bonfire bit, but a lot of cultures held that rite in common.
Didn't Gulnar use Nordic/Saxon runes?  And Robin and the merries don't
look very Celtic - they don't wear half enough jewellery, for a start!
Have you aver read Robert Graves' King Jesus?  It's a fascinating if
rather heavy book, with Jesus as the Sacred King figure, but with a
twist in the tail.  It's a wonder it hasn't been reprinted recently; I
got my copy about 10 years ago.

Another book well worth reading is John Romer's Testament.  Channel 4
did the programme this book is based on.  It traces the development of
the bible, and it's horrifying to see just what was left out for flimsy
reasons.  I love your vision of God proof-reading... have you been
reading Good Omens?  Hang on... black cats unlucky?  It's white ones
that are bad luck in Ireland.

('Crann Ull' means apple tree, Hilda.  It's Gaelic.)

Georgia Flaming - the proper way to hang a St. Brigid's cross is so it
looks like a +.  By the way, it's a solar symbol...  St. Brigid is
actually Brid, the fire-goddess, but the monks got their quills to work
on her.

Would someone please tell met the joke about "the knights who say
ni???"  Is this something to do with the Edgeware song?  (Remind me to
tell you about the time a friend and I ruined a film shoot with that
song...)

Well, that's all I have to say for the time being.  I'll screw the lid
back on my Tipp-ex bottle and hope you can make out my typoing.  In
here you'll find $5.00, sorry it's not more.  DV I'll meet you at
Greenwood, if I don't lose my way getting to Northants...

Sl�'an agus beannacht.  [Aha!  That's "health and blessings," eh?  Maybe
you can teach me to say it at Greenwood, but some spells are simply
beyond me...  -H]

Francie (Frances Selkirk)
About the value of FanFic:  I usually explain to people that working
with other people's worlds is relaxing, while working with other
people's characters is a form of mental exercise.  It is very easy for
the novice writer to slip into shoddy characterization, have characters
do whatever is expedient for the plot, and end up with none who are
really believable people.  Working with another author's characters
provides a known framework, and makes it easier to concentrate on how
character is expressed. There's that stretch, too, of working with
character types you would never have created.  Of course, like
anything, it's only good exercise if you do it right.  :-)

If they don't get that, try the following analogy.  Two people without
much culinary experience aspire to be chefs and create great new
dishes.  They go to different schools.  The first is taken, everyday,
to a beautifully equipped kitchen and told, "make something." The
second is brought to a similar kitchen, where an experienced cook helps
him through making a known recipe, explaining the preparation of the
ingredients ("The meat is pounded to make it tender and thin...") and
the proportions used.  At the end of every week, the second student is
told to invent a dish that uses the techniques he has just learned.
Which student do you think will produce good recipes first?

Ancestry: I was in Ireland, last fall, visiting a Viking site, and it
occurred to me that my mother's ancestors (the Scandinavian half,
anyway) had harried all of my father's (Irish and French).  I thought
that was kind of neat, in that it makes me the union of enemies.  I
like that.  I am a personalized European peace!

I don't hold much by nationalist stereotypes - my Swedish relatives are
bright, friendly, and appreciate the humor of everyday things, but my
older Irish-American relatives (the ones with Irish parents) were
reticent and hung up on image.  I find the idea that psychic ability
would be significantly more common in particular ethnic subgroups to be
a bit odd.  On the other hand, I'm quite sure that psychic ability
would more frequently be recognized in cultures with a psychic
tradition.  (Sort of like out gay men are mostly college-educated
whites; the tendency is probably equal across race and class lines, but
the more socially and financially secure the individual, the more
likely they are to be open about it.)

I was brought up on Norse myths and "History of the Vikings" and all
that.  When I started to read Greek myths, I became impressed with how
much more admirable than the Greek gods the Germanic gods are.  I can't
imagine Zeus giving up an eye to learn how to make the world last
beyond his own destruction!  Odin even considers himself bound by his
own law - and in that whole mess about the dead shapechanger he
concedes disastrously to the mortal over-valuing of money.  The
Germanic gods have a sense of honor, a valuation of hospitality, and a
sense of mutability that is entirely missing from Classical divinities.
They also have a god who goes from being a good guy to being the major
bad guy, and I've always found that fascinating.

My knowledge of Celtic folklore is considerably more recent and weak.
I confess - I'm intimidated by the names!  I don't think I'm even up to
the general conceptual level I have for Sumerian/ Babylonian stuff.  I
will keep trying, though.

About the glories of nature:  I live across from a State Forest, and
walk my dog there every day.  It is lovely to have all this green space
to ramble in, but we are currently in the thick of tick and mosquito
season, and my appreciation for the annoyance of living with bugs
(without Deep Woods OFF (TM), yet) is at an all-time high.  Walking is
okay on sunny days, but stopping?  Ai!

About Loxley vs. Huntingdon:  How limiting!  Though listing each one's
good points can be fun...  :-)  (For Michael and Jason, too - yum!) I
find Huntingdon a bit more interesting to write about, usually, because
he has vying emotional entanglements.  It provides wonderful
motivational complications!  I think if I ever did DS9 stuff I'd write
about Kira.  Lest people think I am just sadistic as an author, I
should point out that I empathize more with a character who is pulled
in different directions than with one who always knows what he or she
wants and should do.

Anyway, despite having restricted myself to just a few threads, this
got rather long.  Merry meet, y'all!  If I become a regular
contributor, maybe I'll be less verbose.  (Naa...  Couldn't happen.)
Cheers...

Kris Clark
In issue 12 I had a paragraph on M.P.N.N. & S.O.S. not replying to
people who had orders that they were taking awhile to ship.  I do feel
strongly on this issue, because I think it is only fair to your
members.  But, I do want to say that I do appreciate the job done with
the clubs & I do love the newsletters they send out.  And, as I'm sure
if anyone who does not believe me they can check with the people who
run these clubs can back me up, but I have written letters to both
clubs saying how much I enjoyed their newsletters.

Georgia - you got me... what is Bullwer-Lytton?  Means nothing to me.
Hilda - Thanks for telling me about the "joke."  It would have helped
to know this beforehand.

And, if we are right that everyone loves the Star Wars trilogy, let's
acknowledge it.  I see a lot of Star Trek listed in the "Who We Are"
section.  Let all of us Star Wars fans acknowledge it!

Siannan:  Hey buddy!  No one could ever accuse you of being shy!
Now... you know that was a joke.

Wyvern:  it's Anakin Skywalker.  One "n."

Anyone with a Star Wars trilogy question or reference you want checked
should ask me since I seem to be the only "listed" fan & collector.
I've been collecting for 13 years so I should be able to answer anyone.
Oh, since we all know now that I'm in Cousins because I'm a fan of
Michael's, we know who gets my vote for "best buns."

Janet R.:  I do agree with you on being attracted by eyes or the whole
face.  (I hope that makes sense.)

Also, as it says in Who We Are section, I'm looking for videos on
Michael.  I am buying some from Bill Hupe, but if anyone else has
anything that I may be interested in please write.  I have no problem
with shipping blank tapes or paying for postage.

Tara O'Shea
Hallo everyone.  it's a lovely thing to come home and find a great big
envelope in the mail.  Always brightens up my day, getting a new issue
to give me things to think about.

Chris:  1) I think Robin didn't think that Meg was exactly outlaw
material, and therefore wasn't suited to life in the forest.  Besides,
it was useful to have her in Wickham, with Edward I suppose.  I suppose
Kip would be the person to ask...

2) Yes, I believe in reincarnation, and yes, I have deja vu.  It drives
me nuts I have it so often, but I think that has more to do with
precognition.  No past lives that I know about, though my friend Lissa
insists I was a cat.  Go figure.

3) I haven't interacted with any ghosts myself, but my friend Frank had
one in his family's home in New York.  Apparently the ghost had a thing
for Frank's wife, Rose.  And Frank's not the type to make anything up,
so I'm inclined to believe him.  More things in heaven and earth, as
they say.

As for Wild Frontier, I bought the CD in Poland, and have to agree with
you.  I especially like the ballad Johnny Boy in addition to Over the
Hills, and placed it on a cassette with Big Country's The Seer right
after it, so I can have them in some kind of order.  Enter Sandman by
Metallica is also very nice.

Linda:  Speaking of other countries having Robin Hood type legends, a
friend was telling me a while back about the Japanese versions of Robin
Hood and Little John.  I wish I had been taking notes, because now I'm
blanking on the names, but I think one of them was named Benkai.  Any
Cousins out there have any outlaw stories from someplace besides the
UK?  This could be a neat topic...

I don't think Robert was a knight.  No one ever says so in the series.
At least, I don't remember it being brought up.

As for fanfic and copyrights, I believe Misty Lackey had some legal
difficulties regarding a fanzine and one author that caused her to have
to abandon a book she was working on, and there were all sorts of legal
headaches, and in that case I side with Misty.  I can't blame her for
becoming wary.

MZB [That's Marion Zimmer Bradley to the uninitiated - be careful of
jargon!  Glad I knew that one...  -H] has of course solved this to a
certain extent by running her own zines and the anthologies (which to
me seem to be merely pro zines.  Wouldn't that be nice... to get paid
to write fanfic?)

Louise:  Well, if they are inclined, tell them about comic books.
Almost every title out today is no longer written by the author who
started it, and everyone takes turns at writing other writers'
characters.  Are these professionals real authors?  Hell, they get
paid, so I guess so.  Besides, some of them have won awards, so it must
be a valid art form.  [$ee, it'$ ea$y to $ee what count$ in thi$
$ociety.  :-(  -H]

Me, I'd love to work in comics or television, and it's almost always a
collaborative effort, so I'm considering it good practise writing
fanfic, to see if I can keep everyone in character while introducing
new experiences, thoughts, and adventures.  I find that as much of a
challenge as working on my own worlds and people.

I think Cousin Spur might be Cousin Sparrow, but I don't have that
Cousins issue in front of me, so don't take that to the bank.  In any
case, if it is him, Sparrow was the inept head of the watch in
Lichfield.

The English are all headblind?  Okay.  Whatever.  Mind you, I don't
believe that.  But a flame war would be pointless.
Can you suggest any good books on the Alfar?  It's about time I started
looking at the other kinds of fay running about, and it bothers me when
writers mix the Alfar and the Sidhe up, thinking they are the same.
Crann �'Ull means Apple Tree, near as I can tell.

Wyvern:  There are Maid Marion and Her Merry Men books?  Tell me more.
I always though haggis sounded rather tasty.  But then, I love black
pudding, which many people believe to be utterly disgusting, so maybe
I'm not a good judge of this sort of food.

Janet:  Would Aine count as a sort of Celtic love goddess?  I don't
know much about her, so I thought I'd ask.  From what I've head, she
was a Sovereignty Goddess, called one of the fairy queens, and is
somehow connected with the cult of St. Ann (isn't that supposed to be
Mary's mother, according to Christian lore?  I'm blanking.)  [Yes.  -H]
Irena:  I have been looking for Banba (the new Clannad album) in the US
for months now, and haven't had any luck.  Besides that gorgeous song
from Last of the Mohicans, what else is on it?  Is it all new material?
In the vein of Sirius (i.e. pop/ synth etc.) or more like the
traditional stuff that they've done recently on Anam?  That Aisling,
track 7, just kills me.  Gorgeous.

Stan:  Welcome.  Don't worry, I didn't discover RoS until recently
(well, 4 years or so), and never saw the original run, but caught up on
video.  And I've never taken any mythology courses (tho I have suffered
through 3 years of Latin), I just read lots.  And you'd be surprised
just where you pick up info.  It can come from the oddest places.
Anyhow, I met Hilda at a convention, my first having any RoS fen
attending, and a year later she gave me the first Cousins issue to look
at, and here I am today.

And I too tend to avoid daylight.  The sun hurts my eyes, and wide open
spaces make me jumpy, so I prefer to see things at night, when
everything seems closer.  At least, it seems that way to me.  But then
I'm an odd sort.  However grey weather, whether it be hot or cold,
depresses me to no end.  That's why I'm moving from Chicago to
Albuquerque this fall.

Linda:  See Tara drag out her Scottish history books in an attempt to
find out just how Scottish David of Huntingdon was:  (long pause, some
swearing as she wonders why they only list the fathers and not both
parents)  Okay.  David's great-great-grandfather was Malcolm III, son
of Duncan (who was MacBeth's successor), called Malcolm Canmore (Ceann-
mor).  He married St. Margaret (who was obviously not a saint yet when
he married her, and was the sister of Edgar Aelthing), who was the last
of a long line of Saxons it would seem.  They had the half Scot/half
Saxon David I, who then married Matilda of Huntingdon (daughter of
Waltherof).  From this pair issued Earl Henry (1/4 Scot, 3/4 Saxon),
who wed Ada de Warenne.

Ada is a problem, because all the books say is that she is English,
which does not tell me if she is Saxon or Norman.  So, if we assume the
worst (giggle) and she was Norman, that means dear Earl David was 1/8
Scot, 3/8 Saxon, and the remaining half could be Norman, or Saxon, or
any mix.  In any case, according to the bloodline, he wasn't much of a
Celt.  However, he was born and raised in Scotland, so he was a Scot
(if we're going to play at semantics), and depending on who you think
Robert's unspecified mother was, Robert could end up being almost
anything.  Well, that was fun.  Someone please check my maths, it's not
my strongest point.  Anyhow, from what I can tell, it wasn't just a bit
of Saxon thrown in.  But genealogy isn't my strong point either, and I
don't have a comprehensive library here.

I'd love to read your epic.  I had an epic.  Then a bad sector on my
hard drive ate 400-odd manuscript pages (which included 1 year's worth
of edits), and now since I can see but not touch the files, I will have
to retype the novel's first and fourth parts from an old hard copy, and
then type in the changes from the messed file.  So, if this doesn't
take me, say, another two years, you may see it in print.  I'm ever so
thrilled, as I'm sure you can tell.

Aunt Umbra:  eep.

Steven:  neat.

Georgia:  You know, I always got the biggest kick out of Yoda, as he
sounded just like Fozzie Bear, just with inverted word order.  "Throw
tomatoes you will not."

Only 16 Celtic nouns in Saxon speech?  Lemme guess what two of them
were:  iron (iarann) and whiskey (fuisce).

Hmmm... doesn't the f-word come from some old word for plow?  I don't
know where I read that, whether it came from Scots Gaelic, Irish, or if
it was even Gaelic in origin, but that's what I seem to remember.
Still, I think I'll live without the knowledge. :)

As for Lucifer, I prefer to believe that if there really is such a
person, that hopefully he really is taking sun on a beach in Perth, and
far away from me. :)  Good thing I'm only a Constantine when I want to
be.  (To any and all whom I may be confusing, this is Tara
contemplating a Neil Gaiman-like universe).  Thor I can do without,
alas.  He's never been my type of deity.

Evil puns.  I wish I could do things like that.  I'm surrounded by
punmasters.

Hilda:  You know, I don't know where I picked up Hecatae. When in
doubt, blame Neil.  Half the time, if it weren't for the annotations, I
wouldn't know what he's looked up and what he's made up that's found
its way into Sandman.

I'm glad my generic faith makes sense to you, because it's hell to
explain to most everyone else I've met.  I like your addition.  Maybe I
should start archiving these common sense goals in life.  You never
know, maybe someday I'll end up passing them out in airports with silk
poppies.  [giggle!  -H]

As for Julian, I live for tangents.  My dear friend Lissa insists that
being with me is like playing name that segue.  If it's any
consolation, I missed the grail/orb connection myself.  Thanks for the
reminder about Miach.  I always blank on the poor fellow's name.
The wacko from Waco really shook me up, especially when all those
children died in the fire.  The things that some people will do...
(shudder).

Walking is another great rhythmic motion, and it does wonders for
writer's block.  Try it, everyone.  I used to walk everywhere in
Champaign, and now I'm walking instead of taking the 'L' now that I'm
home.  It's very calming, assuming you do it in a relatively safe
neighbourhood.

To clarify something from my letter:  yes, I did indeed jump from
talking to Frances to mentioning Duran Duran, to then going back and
telling Frances she's brilliant.  Yes, boys and girls, it's time to
play "name that segue."

[Movie spoiler ahead!  Skip this paragraph if you haven't seen The
Wicker Man yet.  -H]

You know, I finally saw The Wicker Man.  My friend Elizabeth was
cheering for the pagans, but I felt kinda uncomfortable.  I mean, if
the village was convinced they needed a sacrifice to ensure the
harvest, from what I understand they should have gone for the fellow
from the manor house, not the poor trapped bobbie (who I will admit had
a rod up his, you know, but it was all semantics).  It only bothered me
because I had this vision of people seeing it and becoming sure all
pagans are like those in the film, and not understanding some of the
background.  It was very fun for the first 2/3, though, especially when
the schoolteacher was explaining the phallus symbol of the Maypole with
Edward Woodward doing his best Devout Protestant shocked to the core
bit outside the window.  Amazing how often this film pops up in
Cousins...
[End of movie spoiler.  -H]

As for Roman reports of fair-haired Celts, this might have something to
do with the Celts stiffening their hair with lime to look fierce in
battle, so it may have seemed fair to the confused Romans.
As for Celt versus Saxon, there's always the Welsh.  I'd like to think
they were something of an influence, even if it wouldn't really extend
that far into central England.  But it wasn't as if the Saxons never
came in contact with any Celts, what with the Cornish, Welsh, Scots,
even the Bretons, and so on hard by.  Who knows?  The Romans came to
Celtic Britain, and as the saying goes, turned their swords to
ploughshares.  Then the Saxons came and in a few generations likewise
went from soldier to farmer.  It's the way to things, to assimilate and
change your habits.  Medieval England is more of a melting pot to my
mind than the United States ever seems to be.

If "weird" doesn't sound right as an equivalent for "fey," try spelling
it with a "y" [wyrd - H].  It still sounds the same, but visually, it
calls up entirely different images.  I always think spelling influences
the way I think of things.  "Fairy" makes me think of Tinkerbell, while
"Faerie" calls forth visions of Titania, and the slightly different
"Faery" makes me think of pucas, bogeymen, brownies, and nixies.  All
very subtle, but concrete in my head.  Anyone else find themselves
fascinated by the subtleties of language, or am I just being anal?
According to my encyclopaedia (thing weighs a stone at least) Hereward
the Wake was thane of Lincolnshire in the time of William the
Conqueror, fought against the Normans as a resistance leader, and was
outlawed but kept on fighting from the Isle of Ely even after it was
captured, until he gained an honourable peace, and became an Anglo-
Saxon folk hero.

I have one thing I'd like to ask before I go.  Right now I'm working on
a novel/story idea that involves the Faery tiend to Hell.  All I can
tell is that lots of people have heard of it before, but no one knows
where it came from.  Best guess I've heard is that in trying to
reconcile the fay in a world where if you're that kind of spirit,
you're either an angel or a daemon, or in the very least, a ghost, the
fay didn't quite fit so this tithe thing was cooked up to show that
while the fay folk aren't angels, they do have ties to hell.  But is
there an in story explanation that anyone knows of?  I mean, surely
someone, if they were going to bring the tithe up, would have thought
of a good reason why Faerie would owe a tithe to hell.  Anyone have any
facts, ideas, or speculation?

I'm outta here.

Laura Woodswalker Todd
Dear Cousins, Greetings!  I read through everyone's comments and
scribbled little disjointed notes.  So I hope you don't mind disjointed
replies.  Hey, I notice these discussions are getting farther and
farther from RoS.  Which is fine with me, because RoS is only a very
small part of what's magical in the universe!  So, on to the incoherent
ramblings.

Amber:  Re:  Robin & Marion as a 'super couple.'  Yes, all the fanfic
portrays them this way.  Which is why unless one is into stories about
great sex... they're kind of boring to me!  I hate to say it, but
happiness is boring in fiction.  Robert & Marion's stormy & uncertain
relationship is much more interesting to me.  Perhaps that's why
there's relatively little Robin & Marion fiction as compared with
"post-Halstead."

Louise B:  "Robin Hood as a vampire?"  Of course!  Didn't you see Son
of Darkness?  We know Robin didn't really die on that tor...
Linda F. - I applaud your remarks about Robert's inner conflicts and
his sheltered life and his courage to become Herne's Son.  Excuse the
personal plug, but I do have a story in Albion 7, all about Robert's
tormented year of indecision and the ordeals he had to go through that
enabled him to empathize with the oppressed.  I just can't see Robert
as someone who moped in the castle all year and then answered Herne's
call out of some abstract sense of "justice" (or a crush on Marion).
I came up with this story concept that "something traumatic must have
happened to Robert" to make him feel and think so differently from the
other nobles.  My idea was that when he was a boy and his father was
away at the wars, maybe he was raised by a cruel guardian, perhaps a
priest, who molested him.  I got this idea after reading one too many
stories about priests implicated in child molestation cases.  It could
happen to any child, rich or poor, who was too young to fight back or
speak out.  I figured that of course Robert "repressed" the experience
but there was always that core of rebellion inside him which made him
want to defy "the powers that be."  The fact that his father did
nothing made his father's class seem like part of "the enemy."
This is not to down all priests, or Christianity in general.  It's just
that any time someone is given such power "in the name of God" there is
the potential for abuse.  I have special contempt for people who claim
to be speaking for God, or the Gods, and then abuse their power.  I
can't fit into any coven or spiritual circle because I refuse to accept
anyone else's "spiritual authority."  I learned my lesson back in the
70's when, believe it or not, I was a born-again Christian for a short
while.  I saw firsthand how something that started out really spiritual
could become an exercise in mind-control.  Not to down all Christians,
but to give you my personal example, we had this preacher who was
dynamic, inspiring, etc.  After a while he began calling himself an
"apostle" and preaching that everything he said came straight out of
God's mouth.  For instance, he took St. Paul's woman-hating literally
and preached that all the women in the congregation had to live under
the authority of some man.  Women who lived on their own had to move
back home, live with some Christian family, etc.  I had stopped going
by this time, but I heard rumors that the teaching devolved to the
point where he was preaching that "women should obey Men, any men, any
time."  Bleah!  And then there was the time in 1980 when I went to a
Messianic Jewish (read:  Jewish Christian) meeting and they prayed
"thank you Lord for the miracle which occurred yesterday" (the election
of Reagan.)  That's when I decided, hey, - God gave us brains, so s/he
must have wanted us to think for ourselves instead of joining a
religion that required us to "leave our brains at the door" when we
entered church.

Getting off the soapbox:  Someone asked why Celtic culture is more
popular than Saxon?  Well, I became attracted to Celtic culture not
because I have Celtic ancestors, but because I loved their art and
music.  Whereas (until I became a RoS fan) "Saxons" smacked of
politically incorrect WASPS & such.

On to Silly Topics:  Bull Gods!  Hey, there's a song by the band Green
Jelly ("the worst band in the world") called Obey the Cow God!  My
husband asked if it referred to the Golden Calf.

Okay, now it's time to talk about music.  I don't know a lot of the
music you folks mention, because I'm a very new fan.  I didn't really
latch onto it until last year!  I don't know if anyone here likes Black
Sabbath or if everyone thinks they're Satanic, but I did give them a
try and I found I liked their somewhat dark, fantasy-oriented music.
It had the feeling of a slightly creepy gothic horror movie, and I
liked its ominous intensity.  I picked up a tape of theirs called Tyr,
built around the Odin/ Valhalla theme.  The cover had runes and Celtic
borders and I just couldn't resist!  It may be a bit heavy for those
who like Clannad, but I like it!

I think heavy metal fits right in with the "blood & thunder" sort of
fantasy.  Surely Owen of Clun's men would look right at home on the
stage at a Metal concert.  By the way, do those Standing Stones have
anything to do with Rock Music?  (groan.)  [Only in the right
circles... -H]

Seriously, though.  Siannan says that "ritual is based on the dramatic"
and "rock concerts are a perfect example of energy exchange."  For
sure!  When I go to listen to a rock band, I feel as if we (the band
and the audience) are drawing up a kind of "Dionysian energy" from
Earth and the rocks below.  I call it "orgiastic," but it really
doesn't have anything to do with sex; it's the raw power of "life
itself"... a concentrated form of the power that causes trees to grow,
etc.

I guess I felt that same power at Pagan rituals when we'd drum and
dance.  That was probably the same energy that early peoples raised by
dancing around their "idols" or whatever.  (The Golden Calf?)  And
believe it or not, it was that same energy I originally felt at
Pentecostal or "spirit-filled" Christian meetings where everyone would
clap and shout and sing.  That was what attracted me to that brand of
religion in the first place.  Well, now you could say I went full
circle and switched to "the other side" (that Satanic Rock stuff. :-) )
I believe Hilda alluded to that when she said that "rhythmic motion can
become prayer."

Hilda:  Yes, you're right, Satanism is full of "crashing bores."  Like
Baron Belleme, and that Morgwyn character.  They were the most boring
characters in RoS!  I can't figure out why anyone would think Satanism
was cool.  As to Satanic Rick bands... I think most of it is just a
show, but there is a band called Deicide who say that they are "real
Satanists" and one guy branded an upside down cross on his forehead.
This guy talks about his "hatred for God," and I really wish he would
explain himself.  Perhaps he was raised at some repressive religious
school.  They say that Satanism and Black Masses and such were just a
way of rebelling against the all-powerful church in the Middle Ages.
Sometimes there's not all that much difference between the two sides.
After all, it was the Church who was responsible for the Inquisition,
witch burnings, etc.

I am afraid I am destined to be a total iconoclast who will never fit
into any movement and will constantly be taking swings at what others
hold sacred.  I don't even fit into SCA...  I once made the mistake of
confiding to someone that I don't give a hoot about bowing to the King
& Queen, getting a title, etc.  My SCA persona is a Sherwood outlaw,
after all.  I think this pisses some SCA people off.  Well, perhaps my
rebelliousness must be a result of "past lives" or "racial memory."
Being Jewish, all I "remember" about the Middle Ages were the bad parts
like the Inquisition and the pogroms & suchlike.  I don't identify with
the nice stuff like knighthood, courtliness, etc.

And now that I've offended everyone, it's time to shut up!  I'll close
with a wish that everyone has a great time at Weekend in Sherwood.
Sorry to miss you all!  (P.S.  If any of you Rock fans wants to write
to me, exchange/copy tapes, etc., please feel free!)

Wyvern
Greetings, Cousins; first things first, I guess.

Christine Haire:  Rope barrier?  I thought they had built a fence
around Stonehenge.  I may have heard wrong.

On Meg joining the band:  Robert did tell John in one episode that she
couldn't join them.  Frankly, I don't think she could have survived in
that environment.  She didn't strike me as the type who could lead the
outlaw life.

Yes, I believe in reincarnation.  What I want to know is, how can you
tell how old a soul you are?  I think I'm a young one relatively
speaking.  I can't prove it, but I think I've only had two lives before
this one.  I experience deja vu all the time.  Most of that is from my
dreams.  I have psychic dreams, then forget them until they are
happening.  I only seem to have these dreams about myself.

I have to believe in ghosts.  Too many people I know (including myself)
have seen them.  My grandmother knows when someone in the family has
died because their spirit appears before her for a moment.  One of my
brothers has a friend whose house has a ghost in the attic.  I saw a
ghost in the sanctuary of my parents' church.

Can we please get off the buns/bum issue?  I think we've run it into
the ground, covered it with dirt and tamped it down.  Personally, I
like voices and smiles.

Tara O'Shea:  No, the Pinis' tour isn't over yet, and no, I haven't
seen them.  The tour hasn't come to Washington.  I'm not sure I want to
meet them.  From what I have heard, Richard Pini has become an arrogant
jerk.  I hope that that is not true.  You're in for a real treat when
you do read EQ.  One piece of advice, read the original outsize comic
if you can. The DC version doesn't have the same magic.

Yay!  Someone besides me liked Outlaws of Sherwood.  I loved it.  Of
course, Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors.

The production company that put out Highlander:  The Quickening also
says that the movie doesn't exist.  For that matter, everyone involved
with it says it doesn't exist.  Here's hoping that all copies of the
thing meet a timely demise.

The ISBN on War for the Oaks is 0-441-87073-2.

Woodswalker:  Just because we have all the modern "conveniences"
doesn't mean we can't follow old spirit paths.  I think we do follow
them, just in a different way.  Besides, who says our way isn't a
"true" way just because it's modern?

I totally agree with you about being a "child of the Earth."  Perhaps
the world would be in better shape if we all thought that way.  Next
time someone asks you if you are (insert nationality) say "No, I'm a
Terran" and see what happens.

Kris Clark:  If everybody in Who We Are listed everything they were
interested in, that part of the zine would take up 20 pages all by
itself.  I could fill 2 or 3 pages myself.

Stan Gurlewski:  Put me in the Winter Lovers' Minority too.  I love the
quiet peacefulness of a snow-drenched (can snow drench?) night.  I also
find windy days invigorating.  There is so much power in the wind.
Just ask Pen about that.  Sorry, Pen, I couldn't resist.  By the way,
if you really love that kind of weather, you should move to Western
Washington.  We're the rain capital of the Continental U.S.
I would answer your questions, but the places I shop are local and
wouldn't do you any good.

Aunt Umbra:  I don't care if your letter is a joke, rape is never
funny!  Nor is it a "sexual response."  Rape has absolutely nothing to
do with sex!  It is violence, pure and simple.  For shame!
By the way, did you pick the name because you knew people would take
"umbra"ge to parts of your letter?  Just thought I'd ask.

On a personal note:  Pen and I keep finding birthday cards that would
be perfect for people, but we don't know when their birthdays are.
Help us out, please.  Could you send your birth dates to Cousins?
Purely optional, of course.  Thanks.

On cross culturing deities:  I see nothing wrong with it.  According to
Greek mythos, the Greek and Egyptian pantheons are one and the same.
The story goes that Zeus and the rest were running from a battle with
the Cyclops they knew they could not win.  They reached Egypt and
disguised themselves as animals.

The Romans just walked in and stole the religious beliefs of the
Ancient Greeks.  So who's to say that all of the multi-deity cultures
aren't worshipping the same deities?

Well, this has been a long one.  I'll close now.  Blessed Be.

Ariel
Dear Cousins, Hello one and all.  Sorry I've been quiet for so long,
but I got swallowed up by a big black hole of Mundania sometime last
year and it's taken me this long just to get back to fandom.

Issue #9:

Chris Haire:  I agree with you totally about the usefulness of Tarot
cards.  Sometimes doing a reading can just help clarify how I feel
about a confusing situation.  It can't tell you what to do, but
sometimes it makes your choices more apparent.

Actually, I had a great time at Weekend in Sherwood, and am looking
forward to Weekend 2 immensely.

Linda Frankel:  I like your point about re-mythologizing stories.  It's
great to have that little bit of wonder and romance rather than "just
the facts."

I don't necessarily believe that Marion "adopted a pagan lifestyle"
when she married Robin.  I think that having been raised as a
Christian, she might actually have been upset if Robin had been
involved with fertility rites with another woman.  It's equally as
feasible that he was monogamous to honor her wishes, rather than the
other way around.

I disliked your implying that Kip is somehow a hypocrite for writing a
series about characters who fight oppression, then requests fans not to
portray certain of those characters as homosexual.  As a writer, the
characters' sexual preferences (like everything else about them) is his
prerogative.

To the best of my historical knowledge, Earl David was survived by his
son John.  It's possible, given the vague timeframe of the series, that
Robert was already in Sherwood when John was born.

Georgia:  Wow.  I'm not going to take you up on the pros and cons of
the Teutonic path (tho' I was fascinated to read what you had to say
about it).  However, the idea of sacrifice still does nothing for me,
because so often it goes hopelessly awry (look at Waco).  Giving of
yourself is something entirely different - helping to combat AIDS,
homelessness, hunger, human rights violations, racism and intolerance,
ignorance, poverty, the destruction of the environment - all those
things require self-sacrifice on a much smaller scale.  And let's face
it, once you're dead, you're not much help to anyone, except as
fertilizer.

Was the object of your riddle an onion, by any chance?

Issue #10:

Kitty:  Rache's Casualties (Albion 6) has an excellent explanation of
1) why Albion originally looked different from the rest of Wayland's
swords, and 2) the reason behind the sword's metamorphosis between the
first and second seasons.

Wyvern:  I wouldn't dismiss Freud as "totally nuts."  It's important to
remember the era and the circumstances in which he was working.  I
don't think his theories are all 100% right, but neither is any other
type of psychology.  My opinion is that people gravitate towards
whatever school of thought personally suits their beliefs or their
needs.

Georgia:  Regarding Marion's behavior at the Ring of the Nine Maidens -
perhaps she was fevered, weak, incoherent?  Beyond vengeance?  Beyond
rational thought?  I've read fanfic pieces that have argued all of the
above and more.  You be the judge.

Julianne:  Thanks for your colorful, detailed summary of the Matthews'
presentation.  For those of us unable to attend, it was a real treat.
Linda Frankel:  I disagree with you regarding King John's willingness
to pardon Robert.  No matter how much money Earl David offered John, I
don't think that Lackland would have pardoned a man who had 1) insulted
and later killed a man whose favor John was trying to win (Owen of
Clun), 2) ran off with a bunch of outlaws, robbing the nobility and
stealing the King's taxes, 3) held King John at arrowpoint and insulted
him further, and 4) was involved with the killing of the man John had
chosen as DeRainault's successor (Philip Mark).  By this point, I
simply cannot imagine John pardoning Robert, especially given the
historically caustic relationship between the English and the Scots,
and the precarious position David often had between them.

Regarding "gay characters deserving to die":  plenty of characters get
killed in RoS, and to the best of my knowledge, none of them except
Philip Mark are gay.  In fact, their sexual preferences are irrelevant.
It would be nice if our leaders were so committed to their ideals that
they would be willing to die for them, but as I said earlier, once
you're dead, you're not much good to anyone!

Issue #11:

Georgia Fleming:  Maybe Herne's admonition to your son to keep his
pants up in the woods is a warning against getting poison ivy?
Woodswalker:  I also read Shadow of the Wheel and had a hard time with
what you aptly described as the "shoehorning" of the characters.  I had
a lot of problems with how Robert's character was portrayed in this
universe.  I really felt like he was second-best to Robin a lot of the
time.

Louise Bath:  Diane Stein, who writes books on feminist Wicca, strongly
encourages visualizing the Goddess as of any age and of many different
races, as a way of reminding yourself that all women are part of Her,
as well as embracing all the Earth's cultures.  Stein doesn't seem to
regard this as cultural piracy at all.  And what are you supposed to do
if you're a mix of cultures?  Which traditions do you use then?
I do agree with you, however, about letting members of a culture speak
out on their own behalf, especially when it comes to defining "what
they are."  But letting these people know you support them is also
important.

Grace M.:  Thanks for the translation of Nasir's name - "helper of men
and ally of the righteous" might well have been an accident, since Nas
was an "accidental" Merry to begin with.

I loved the "Scarrowfell" Lord's Prayer!

Your discussion of slash and literature is right-on.

Frances Quinn:  I always thought Albion's inscription said something
like, "Hasta la vista, Norman scum!"

Georgia F:  Being very familiar with Masonic orders, I'll agree with
you that there's a lot of mysticism involved...  ostensibly Christian,
but quite Pagan if you think about it.  The initiation is a symbolic
journey, there's a high degree of secrecy, you even have officers in
the four quarters that are "called" at each meeting!  It's all rather
interesting.

Donna:  Nice thoughts about finding meaning in the present.  Keep us
updated on the oak grove.  Herne bless!

Hilda:  I agree with your musings on the Earl 100%.

I also enjoyed your thoughts on Infinite Diversity in Infinite
Combinations and fanatics.

The Ancient Way of Mongrels - yes!  Or, "The Path of the Generic
Bostonians."  For those of us hybrids (aka "healthy genetic mixes")
whose heritage is such a jumble that if we tried to follow the path of
our "blood," we'd end up with one weird pantheon!  I agree with you
about working with a tradition you personally feel comfortable with, or
what seems appropriate under the circumstances.

Loved your musings on "white guilt."  Also your thoughts on
"civilization."  Hilda, you're just too durned funny!  Ditto your
comments on hunters "being what they eat."

Issue #12:

Christine Haire:  I agree with everything you said.

Aunt Umbra:  I moo at you.  A lot of people will think that your
opinions are pure bull, but they're udderly clear to me.
So many interesting letters, so little time.   Oh, no!  The Big Black
Hole of Mundania returns.  ARRRGGHH!

Gotta run!  See y'all at Weekend 2 (hopefully)!

Georgia Fleming
Hael & Howdy to All!

Christine:  It's nice to have some fresh ideas to kick around.  (1) I
think Meg couldn't join the outlaw band cuz she just didn't have that
Sherwood spirit, know what I mean?  The clearest example is in
Rutterkin, when she wanted to leave Mab to her fate.  She seemed a bit
peeved that John "bothered" to help, and said something like "we'll
never get to Hathersage at this rate!" I can't imagine Marion telling
Robin something like that!  Meg wants John, but not his cause.  I don't
think they'd have been happy for long.  (2) I know I remember things
from the past, but like I said in #11, I don't know if it's
reincarnation or genetic memory.  To date, I have recollections of four
lives (or ancestral lives), from approximately the 1st, 6th, 11th, and
15th centuries.  Apparently, somewhat like Halley's comet, I appear at
regular intervals and should be due back around 2400 AD.  (-:  I remember
how I died in only two of them, and my spouse's name in only two.  The
first recollection occurred when I was eight years old, the most
recent, a few years ago.  Out of curiosity, I bought one of those "past
life regression" tapes, and found it to be of no value to me.  All my
memories have been rather spontaneous - sometimes events acted as a
trigger, but I've never used hypnosis or meditation.  Hilda offered two
purposes for this continuity of consciousness in the last issue - one,
to define us and give us things to remember, and two, to offer lessons
we can learn from.  In my case, I'd have to say they serve both
purposes.  I can truthfully say that the greatest feelings of happiness
come not from the lives when I had the greatest wealth or the greatest
power - but from the two in which I found the greatest love, namely the
last one and the current one.  Both Christians, too - which explains
why I often take up the gauntlet in defence of Jesus and His people if
I think they're being put down.  I owe them.  I've only come across one
person I "remembered" from the past.  Would you believe, I got dumped
by the same person twice in one, er, millennium?  Sure enough.  (3) I
don't have any problem accepting the existence of ghosts (in the sense
of "the spirits of the departed") but I'd rather not run into any.  The
departed are supposed to end up, well, somewhere else.  Heaven, Hell,
Valhalla, the Elysian Fields ...  WHEREVER.  It would kind of bother me
to think they missed the 11:00 train.  Most of the sightings I've read
about involve the spirits of those who died tragically, usually by
violence.  Occasionally one sees the odd "friendly ghost" story, but
I'd rather not chance it.  Unlike the fools in the movies, if some
disembodied voice tells me to "get out of there" - this baby is GONE.
I'm not gonna say there's some logical, scientific explanation for the
fact that the books just flew out of the shelves and all the lights
went out.  (Ever notice, the guy who says that is the first one who
gets his head chewed off?)

I was more than "a bit out of line" if anyone interpreted my remarks as
a slam on Goddess-worshippers.  I herewith tender my sincere apology.
I may not understand the satisfaction derived from "peace, love, and
empowerment through the Goddess" - but if it helps certain people as
much as you say it does, well, more empowerment to y'all!  Regarding
Christians, I probably didn't make my point clearly enough.  I'm not
saying that the blood and suffering of martyrs "buys their way into
God's favor" - but that their acceptance of such a fate is evidence of
their faith.  "Rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that
you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.  " (1
Peter 4:13) "Praise the Lord if you are punished for doing right!  ...
This suffering is all part of the work God has given you.  Christ, who
suffered for you, is your example.  Follow in his steps." (1 Peter
2:20-21)  My objections were expressed primarily with televangelists in
mind, and I probably should have said so to avoid confusion.  They are
the ones I hear most frequently espousing the views that I was
referring to.  I heard one televangelist (in an enormous church, no,
cathedral!) say something like, "If you want a big car, just ask God
for it.  If you want a raise, or a better job, or a bigger house, pray
for it!  God wants you to be HAPPY."  I don't doubt God wants them to
be happy, but apparently, all you have to do to get these goodies is
"believe." Well, that ain't what Jesus said.  He said if you had lots
of goodies, you should give them to the poor, and even more commendable
is to give the last goodie you have in the world away (cf.  The Widow's
Mite).  The only thing he told folks to pray for was their daily bread.
He laid down quite a list of things he expected his followers to DO,
mentioning in passing that doing so was likely to cause them to be
persecuted - yes, even GET KILLED.  (Does this remind anybody of a
certain antlered forest being?) I think we can take the "higher evolved
form" only so far - and if the televangelical philosophy is evolved
Christianity, then I reckon I'm an evolved amoeba.  At some point, the
thing, or the philosophy, ceases being what it was and becomes
something entirely different.  It may be descended from the original,
but its form and content have changed so substantially that calling it
by its original name would be a misnomer.  At the risk of igniting a
Reformation debate, my o-p-i-n-i-o-n is that "faith without works is
dead" - whether the faith is Odinism or Christianity.

I don't think the killing of innocent people is exciting, either -  and
frankly, I don't remember anybody saying that it was.  I'm assuming it
was Linda's comments that you were referring to, since she did use the
word "exciting" - but in reference to the state of mind achieved
through SELF-sacrifice which we call "ecstasy."  (cf.  "The Agony and
the...")  If I may quote dear, gentle William Penn, "No pain, no palm;
no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown."  Woden
sacrificed himself to himself by hanging for nine days, which I imagine
was damn painful.  In return, he got the knowledge of the runes (which
he shares with us).  He also sacrificed one of his eyes for wisdom.
Jesus of Nazareth allowed himself to be crucified, which was probably
even more painful, though of shorter duration, and in return, he
conquered death, atoned for the sins of his followers, and bought for
all his faithful ones eternal life.  I find both these examples to be
noble gestures of great love.  Maybe I'm still misinterpreting what
you're saying - but it seems you are still holding to the point that
your way is "more intellectual" and "a higher form." If I'm wrong about
this, please tell me what you DO mean.  I think a lot of harsh words
could be avoided if everybody would be a little more careful to say
what they mean - and make sure the "offending party" actually said what
you think they said before you go ballistic.  Hey, I'm probably one of
the worst offenders - but I'll try to reform if everybody else will.
Blessed Be to you, too!

Have I read anything other than Linda Frankel's RoS?  (I'm gonna ignore
that "pseudo," OK?) Yes.  I have a fairly large stack of zines, and the
novelizations as well.  I've read and thoroughly enjoyed stories and
poems by many Cousins - Julie, Jacquie, Janet, Tara, Kitty, Todd, Pen,
Julianne, Grace, Laura, Sharon ...  (did I leave anybody out?  Oh yeah,
the Pseudonymous One) It's just that I happen to like Linda's best,
because I can relate to her work in a more personal way, by projecting
myself into the stories in a way that I find impossible with the above-
mentioned excellently-written and exciting stuff.  I enjoy almost all
the fanfic I've come across - but Linda's work brings a different level
of enjoyment.  That's the best description I can give of it.  Please
don't take my personal fandom for one author as rejection of the
others.  It's kind of like my saying that I love Michelangelo but I
adore Raphael.  You guys are all terrific - and hopefully you may see
one of my stories in print.  There's no sex in it - not even any
romance!  (Do I hear a collective sigh of relief?)

Linda Frankel:  I think Robin would have gravitated to Freyr myself.
The wildwood just isn't Tyr's milieu...  and Robin's roots are in the
Vanir framework.  If he hadn't been forced into outlawry, he'd be a
farmer, right?  Perhaps when he had to take up the sword and bow, he
would have opened himself more to Woden.

I enjoyed the Sweet Medicine story and found the symbolism very
thought-provoking.  (I also launched a fantasy career as chief
clinician of Dr.  Sweet Medicine's Herbal Emporium.  I'm bad.)
There is a cave-art depiction of a stag/shaman that I've been in love
with since I first saw it.  It's commonly called "The Sorcerer" and
comes from, I think, Les Trois Freres.  Have you seen Derek Jarman's
Edward II?  I was thinking of the symbolism of having the queen use the
stag's carcass as a target.  What did you make of that?  (If you
haven't seen it - everyone - do!  It's beautifully filmed.)
Can I steal your answer to Janet Reedman's question about what
attracted us to RoS?  I tried to formulate an answer myself, but it had
babies.  Sometimes I just can't BE succinct.  But that was it - the
combination of relationships, religion and politics.

One of the many attractions your Robert holds for me is that he has
distinct relationships with both Herne and Robin, and doesn't arrive in
Sherwood riding, as it were, Marion's kirtle-tails.  I like the Marion-
as-catalyst idea, and Herne's hand behind it.

Ruth Dempsey:  John is my favorite Gospel, and my favorite Apostle.
(What's an Odinist doing with a favorite Apostle?  Lord knows.) There
was something special about John - he was referred to as "the one Jesus
loved" and at the Last Supper is described as "leaning on Jesus bosom"
(a literal translation which some editions choose to render "sitting
next to him at the table."  !!!) Perhaps it was the special love that
Jesus had for him that exempted him from the violent deaths meted out
to the others.  I have no trouble believing he wrote the Apocalypse as
well.  What a poet!

Tara:  I got a big kick out of your bookstore's classification system.
The one here doesn't have a mythology section.  There's one book on
Greek mythology (it's on the high school reading list) - nothing
Arthurian, nothing Wiccan, and the few astrology titles are on the
bottom shelf of the psychology section.  Needless to say, I mail order
most of what I read.  From catalogs.  A previous effort at getting my
local store to order Edred Thorsson's Book of Troth brought instead,
Aleister Crowley's Book of Thoth (which the clerk handed me, looking a
bit ashen-faced).

Laura W.  Todd:  Re:  Guitar Gods Who Make Pacts With Demons (What a
topic, eh?)  The obvious candidate would be Jimmy Page, don't you
agree?  He bought Aleister Crowley's house back in the '70s, collects
Crowley memorabilia, and even had a bookshop at one time devoted to his
works.  Led Zeppelin shot to the top pretty quickly, had about a decade
of superstardom, then stuff started to happen.  Page's groundskeeper at
the Crowley house committed suicide, and a teenager was found dead at
another of his houses.  Robert Plant was almost killed in a car crash,
and his son died.  John Bonham died.  Maybe there's nothing to it, but
if I were David Coverdale, I'd be looking over my shoulder!  William
Burroughs compares rock to the trance music of Morocco, which is
magical in purpose.  In Morocco, musicians are magicians, and the
product is called Gnaoua - it's used to drive out evil spirits.
Burroughs says "the origin of all the arts is magical and evocative;
and that magic is always used to obtain some definite result." In a
rock concert (and Burroughs was specifically talking about the Zeps)
the goal would be the "creation of energy in the performers and in the
audience." He adds "this can be dangerous." Uh-huh!  P.S.:  If you
don't have a Vocal God, do hear Brett Anderson of Suede.  His voice is
truly from another realm.

Christopher Robin:  Thanks for pointing the way out of the box!  Have
you read Jung's essay "Woden as Archetype?"  Also - do you think some
authors take typology to the extreme?

Louise:  An argument-stopping retort for those who gripe about your use
of someone else's ideas...  You say, "Perhaps you could be so kind as
to offer me your suggestions." They'll probably just stand there with
their mouth open, but if they actually DO have an idea, you say "Isn't
that rather like something Eliot's already done?" and leave them
wondering if you meant George or T.S.  The whole notion of criticizing
work because it's not "original" is absurd anyway.  As Hilda pointed
out, West Side Story rips off Shakespeare - but let's point the finger
at the Bard as well, because he ripped it off - third or fourth hand,
at that! - from Luigi da Porto.

If anybody jumps on you for insisting on equal opportunity for Saxons,
I stand ready to defend you, battle axe in hand.  We can be shield-
mates, hm?  As far as Loxley's appearance/ethnic origin is concerned,
true!  Not all Saxons were blue-eyed blonds.  Loxley says he's a Saxon,
and his father had a Saxon name and was the guardian of a Saxon
artifact.  That's good enough for me.  Physical appearance isn't much
to go on anyway.  First, there was a big Danish gene pool for Saxons to
mix with, and the Danes were dark.  Second, the Normans were Teutonic,
too - descendants of Rollo the Viking.  Aside from dress and hair
conventions, I'd think anyone would be hard pressed to tell a Saxon
from a Norman from a Celt.  (Or even a Saxon from a Saracen, as Linda
once noted.)

I had to laugh when Hilda asked for a "more Saxon term" for "fey."  Fey
IS a Saxon word!  It's faege (fated); pronounce the ae like the a in
jazz, and the g like y.  Technically, it is not interchangeable with
"fay," which comes from the Old French "feie," ultimately from Latin
fata, and used to mean "a fairy."  "Fay" is a noun.  ''Fey"' is an
adjective.  A Saxon would have shuddered at being called "faege,"
however - the meaning was "doomed" or "accursed."  Over time, it came
to connote types of puckish or eccentric behavior, not unusual in
someone who was "fated."  If we want a more Saxon-sounding term, we
could say Robin was aelfsciene (beautiful as a fairy).

I have some theories on how we lost Robin to the Celts.  For starters,
the background music is Celtic.  I reckon it's not easy finding a Saxon
folk group.  I have some tapes of Saxon liturgical music, but I don't
think Kip would have considered it.  Also, to many people (including
other pagans), we're scary.  Essentially, we have an image problem.
Some of our folk have tried to overcome this by advancing Freyr and
Freya (rather at the expense of Odin).  These Vanic fertility deities
are perfect for the wiccan "Lord and Lady" roles.  People are certainly
free to create their own paths, but those who want to follow the Vanir
should do it in the proper way and not mess around with the Runes and
weapon rituals (unless they plan to undertake a serious study of galdor
in the process.)

What we have to do, Louise, is to rekindle the Saxo-mania of the
Victorian Age.  We've got to make it romantic, idealistic, and totally
alluring.  Pass out copies of Ivanhoe.  Resurrect the "Norman yoke"
theory of history.  Talk about how the Celts and Saxons were getting
along swell til the dastardly Normans showed up and conquered Ireland.
Give your kids names like Ethelbald.  And we've got to interest
Hollywood in that Hereward movie!  Was I complaining about distortion?
Shut my mouth!

Seriously, folks... there is a sad lack of materials, both ancient and
modern, on Saxon paganism.  Christianity did a pretty thorough job of
wiping out manuscripts, etc., that would have given us more information
on Saxon pagan worship.  We're dependent to a large extent on Viking
and Icelandic material.  I've often been asked why there aren't more
books on Saxon paganism - and it's simply because there isn't much to
work with that's specifically Saxon.  It takes effort for the
practitioner to isolate and define what a purely "Saxon" view of the
Teutonic path might be.  As I've pointed out before, I was not AT ALL
impressed with Raymond Buckland's efforts.

I continue to recommend the works of Edred Thorsson, although there are
some who are turned off by his "volk" approach.  My problem with him is
that he's a Dumezilian, and I'm not - but that's one of those
intrafaith theological disputes (it has to do with tripartition) that
no one else would be interested in.  Kveldulf Gundarsson's Teutonic
Magic is more my cup of tea, but Thorsson is still the rune-master
supreme.

Back to Saxon elements in RoS, and the brilliant question (thanks,
Louise!) as to whether it's the series or the fanfic.  My opinion:  the
series opens the door in a lot of ways (the music, the presence of the
Round Table, etc.) BUT fanfic goes way beyond...  probably because a
lot of fanfic writers seem to be themselves British Wiccans.  And from
what I've read of this faith, it's overwhelmingly Celtic.  There's a
wealth of books for them to draw on, even if they're not practitioners
- whereas, you have to dig to come up with Saxon elements.
One of the things that first attracted me to RoS was what I perceived
as the "Saxon" roots - and I recall being mildly disappointed, once I
grasped the "pagan" orientation of the show, that Woden didn't put in
an appearance.  I would've settled for Freya, Thunor, or Tiw.  Once the
show gets started with references to Aelric's rebellion, the word Saxon
isn't used much.  The Battle of Hastings is mentioned once, but the
ancient "defender of the realm" is obviously, from Kip's point of view,
Arthur - not Hengist or Hereward or Harold (any of which I, personally,
would have preferred).  So... what do we do, seriously, about this
state of affairs?  We write our own stories!!  And thanks to you, we
have a zine.  My story, hopefully finished soon, replaces Arthur with
one of the above three Saxon heroes, but I ain't telling which one.
Y'all will have to buy your own copy. (-:

On to other topics...  yes, Greenpeace would be on my list as well.
Militant resistance does not have to mean violent resistance.  Violence
should be the last option.  (I'm sure many of you believe it should
never be an option, but my faith does not preclude it).
Satan as God's employee:  See Book of Job, chapter 1.

Reality vs.  Fantasy, random thoughts:  I don't read gritty, realistic
novels.  I live in the gritty, real world and by the end of the day,
I've had my fill of it.  I sure don't want to turn on the TV and
attempt to "entertain" myself with a movie about David Koresh or
anybody named Buttafuoco.  I like to enjoy my writing as well - that's
why I do it.  I wouldn't want the onus of having to write with
"sellability" in mind, or have to worry about my characters or plots
being "realistic."  They are creatures of my imagination.  They live in
an unreal world, located, I suppose, somewhere over the rainbow, where
their wildest dreams CAN come true - and in my novels, they do.  (If
anybody wants to meet the "real" version of my literary heroes, well,
y'all know where I live.)  The mind is its own place, and can make a
heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven (paraphrasing Satan, or perhaps
Milton).

Wyvern:  Maid Marian and her Merry Men is on Playhouse Video,
distributed by Fox Video, Inc.  You can probably get your local video
store to order it for you - at any rate, next time I get a mail order
catalog from whoever I got it from, I'll send it to you.  There's at
least two videos out, each with 3 episodes.  Personally, I think the
Merries could use Robin of Kensington's touch - what a bunch of rag-
bags!  Living in the wild is no excuse for not dressing well.(-:
Janet Reedman:  On Nuada and Tyr - I think they may, in fact, have a
common Indo-European origin.  Tyr (Tiw) is also a ruler and lawgiver.
Tyr doesn't get a replacement hand - but since Nuada does, might this
have something to do with Celtic kings being unacceptable if they were
disfigured in any way?

Irena Armstrong:  Welcome!  I can see that you're going to add so much
to the circle - can't wait to read more of your thoughts.  The exact
quote is:  "He who bends to himself a Joy/ Doth the winged life
destroy;/But he who kisses the Joy as it flies/Lives in Eternity's
sunrise." From one of my favorite poets, William Blake.  Try admitting
in a college seminar that you like Browning and Blake - kind of like
saying your favorite artist is Raphael.  In school I was considered a
bit of a dinosaur, but I tried to be T-Rex about it.
OK, the Norman heritage wasn't all bad.  I'm trying to think of
something they built, or wrote, or did, that I like.  Honest to god,
I'm trying.

Stan:  Welcome to you, too!  I'm always happy to hear about the success
of a ritual (your stolen truck) because it reinforces my own view that
magic is not just a "feeling" thing - it's also a "control" thing.  I
like fall and winter and rainstorms, too.  Of course "winter" as
practiced in L.A.  (Lower Alabama) is in the 40-60 degree range.  The
"freezing point" of southerners is around 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Summers here are as hot as Musspelheim, which is one reason I'm not
eager for May to arrive (that's about when Summer starts here).
When I read what happened to your friend, I was angry.  No one should
be made to feel that they must give up something that adds meaning to
their lives because of someone else's bigoted stupidity.  Maybe some
folks don't care for my "in your face" reaction to such stuff, but I
think someone ought to ask the priest if he thinks Pope Julius III
should, by his own logic, be stricken from the official list of Supreme
Pontiffs.  Julius III founded the Jesuit college in Rome and was quite
conscientious in performing the duties of his office.  He also made his
teenaged lover a cardinal.  Nice, romantic gesture.
To answer a few of your questions - I get almost everything via mail
order.  Barnes & Noble is a terrific source for books on a wide variety
of topics, including lots of Arthurian titles.  (Phone 1-201-767-7079)
I don't buy much in the way of supplies, I prefer making my own.  I
grow my own herbs and tend them myself, because somebody told me a long
time ago (about 1400 years ago, it was) something like 'tilled by your
own hand, healed by your own hand.'  It's one of those fragmentary
past-life memories that I've never found quoted anywhere, but it works
for me.  I think one of my mamas said it.  I made my runes, my ritual
robes, my incense, even my spear.  Well, I didn't make the head, but
Brian won't let me have a forge.  I was raised to believe that anything
you make is better than anything you buy.  As a Jack of all trades,
you're ideal for this sort of thing!

Linda Goodall:  You asked for our verdicts on your writing of a 'Mary
Sue' - Technically, I'd say 'guilty as charged' -  but it shouldn't be
a crime to begin with!  Personally, I like sentiment, and hope you and
Naz live slushily ever after.

Cousin Shadow (-: : I do not take seriously your claim to be a joke.
Hiding behind your smiley-face does not relieve you of the
responsibility of answering my questions.

Aunt Umbra:  I suppose you think we'll just laugh you off as well?
Hmph.  As I'm sure you already concluded yourself, the Saxons are one
of the Lost Tribes of Israel.  Obviously, as the Hebrews don't write
vowels, the tribal name comes from Isaac's Sons.  (Saac's Sons).  The
Hebrew word for covenant is "beriyth," and for man, "iysh." You see
where I'm going, don't you?  Covenant Man = British.  Dan means "judge"
in Hebrew and "Dunn" means "judge" in Irish, ipso, the Tuatha De Danaan
are the lost tribe of Dan, and the founders of Donegal, not to mention
Denmark*.  What is the connection between Nuada, Tyr, and Captain Hook
(nemesis of Peter PAN), and do poachers figure into it?

*I stole the Hebrew stuff from Herbert W.  Armstrong, but I, Uncle Lux
Benigna, invented Mythmath on my own.  Polyphemus + Woden + Balor = the
Dalai Lama.

Hilda:  Re:  The Antichrist:  One excellent book on the subject is The
Antichrist by English theologian Arthur W.  Pink.  The concept of the
Antichrist is found in the Psalms and Prophets, but finds its fullest
expression in the Apocalypse.  Tradition says he will come from the
tribe of Dan, but Pink doesn't take sides in that controversy.  He does
believe that he will figure in both religious and political realms, and
will, as Christ predicted, work miracles.  He also believes the
Antichrist will be the physical son of Satan.  I think the first use of
the specific term "Antichrist" is in 1 John 2:22.  He has many other
"titles," such as The Beast, The Lawless One, and The Violent Man.  I
chose one Antichrist title, "The Adversary," to describe a character in
one of my novels who is the physical son of Loki and opposes Woden's
son.

Divine Dance:  I do this, although it cannot be said that I dance
divinely.  My literary self is much better at it - kind of a Nijinsky-
cum-runic yoga experience that ends with casting a spear into the heart
of the sun.

Animal archetypes and dream sendings:  Funny you should pick boar and
salmon.  Is that a Celtic set-up?  A Saxon dreaming of a boar would
consider it a sign from Freya; dreaming of a salmon would mean "it's
time for breakfast." I had a hard time coming up with an archetypical
animal.  Frankly, if I'm going into the wild, I want to go with my
opposing thumbs and full cranial capacity.

Thanks for saying we live in a tolerant age.  That's what I want to
believe, myself.  Every now and then, I have to ask my friends to
convince me that the sky isn't falling (usually after watching the
news).  I feel better.

Who is Hereward?  Glad you asked!  I'll try not to get carried away,
but I just freak when somebody shows an interest in dead Saxons.
Hereward was the son of a thegn who lived on the fringes of the fenland
in south Lincolnshire.  Charles Kingsley wrote a novel making Lady
Godiva his mother, but 'twasn't so.  There are many stories (probably
legendary) of his youthful exploits, but he earned his reputation by
his post-Conquest deeds.  He returned from abroad to find his home in
the hands of the Normans, and one night during a drunken revel, he
slays them all and impales their heads over his gate.  Eventually,
other disaffected Englishmen come to join him, and soon he's got a
full-scale revolt going in the fenlands.  Finding many of noble kin
among his ranks, Hereward feels he must receive knighthood in order to
command them, so he went to Abbot Brand of Peterborough for the honor.
(I mention this purely to point out that while Normans received
knighthood from the King or an overlord, the English equivalent was
obtained by laying one's sword on the altar to be blessed during Mass.
The priest then laid it on the honoree's neck, the idea being that true
knighthood came only from God.  The Normans considered these knights to
be somewhat in the category of "fakes.") At any rate, Hereward first
gathered his band of followers in the forest - quite a crew, with
colorful names, and very evocative of the Merries!  My favorites are
Wulric the Heron and the twins Duti and Outi.  Meanwhile, another band
of rebels had gathered in the Isle of Ely, and invited Hereward and his
gang to join them.  The first thing they did was sack the Abbey of
Peterborough with the help of some Danes and carry off all the
treasure.  I hasten to add that Hereward was merely keeping this vast
treasure out of the hands of the Normans!  The Danes took it home with
them, and for all I know it's scattered over Scandinavia.  The English
bishop did not understand the patriotic sentiment behind this bold
stroke and promptly excommunicated the lot of them.  Since Ely was a
great stronghold, it took William a while to get around to bothering
with Hereward.  He was persuaded to hire the services of a witch to
"drain away the courage of the rebels."  Hereward, disguised as a
potter, overhears all this.  The Normans build a causeway out to the
stronghold and set the witch up on a tower.  When she does her
incantation "for the third time," Hereward and his men, hidden in the
rushes, set fire to the whole structure, down comes the witch and
breaks her neck, and the Normans flee in terror.  William is said to
have placed the blame for the failure on, who else, the "Pythonissa" -
"her spells have rebounded on us, we deserve all that we've suffered."
So he said.  Accounts differ on the outcome of subsequent encounters
between the rebels and King.  Some say the monks of Peterborough were
persuaded to turn traitor.  At any rate, the Normans end up occupying
Ely, but Hereward got away.  He then becomes a forest outlaw, taking
his band into Bruneswald.  He does things like kidnap wealthy clerics
and hold them for enormous ransoms (sound familiar?)  One night (the
Chronicle says - no foolin' -"it was a dark and stormy night"),
Hereward and the band are lost among the woodland tracks.  A huge wolf
appears to guide them, and lights like glowing candles appeared on the
tips of their spears (faerie candles, or St.  Elmo's fire?)  The white
wolf is the symbol of St.  Edmund of East Anglia, protector of his
people.  No one is quite sure how Hereward ended his days.  One story
has it that he marries a woman of noble rank who secures his pardon.
Others say he was finally slain by a group of Norman knights who had
long wanted revenge.  One thing for sure, he was not "the Wake" in his
own day.  The thoroughly Norman family called Wake owned some land that
had once been Hereward's - and either through confusion or by
purposeful adoption, he was made one of them.  In the many tales we
have of Hereward, there are striking resemblances to the Robin Hood of
the ballads - comic mischief, duels with fellow Englishmen, and of
course the notion that the bad guys (one of whom is named "Guy") can't
find him in the forest no matter how many men they send out.

Everyone:  Parke Godwin has a sequel out to Sherwood called Robin and
the King.  I didn't like it nearly so much as the first book.

Most of you have used the phrase "Do as ye will, an it harm none."
I've often wondered if this was an extension of Rabelais' "They had
only one rule:  do what you will" from Gargantua, or does it have
ancient roots in wiccan tradition?

Siannan, Hilda, and other authorities of the subject of "Drawing Down
the Moon": I have only a vague idea of what this refers to, but it
sounds perfect for something I have in mind for a story.  Can you tell
me when, where, why, how, and by whom it's done?  (With my luck, it's
probably a trade secret).

HERNE PROTECT.

Nancy Hutchins
Dear Cousins:  Hi!  I know it's been a while, but I'm still here and
alive.  Just finished my master's degree at Syracuse and am working on
becoming a "real" person again.  I have a lot of catching up, so I'll
jump right in (feet first) without much further ado.

Issue #8:

Congratulations, Hilda, on having done such a wonderful job with
Cousins for the last year, and I hope the letterzine continues.  (Of
course, by the time you get this, you'll probably be working on your
second birthday!)  I think Cousins has provided the fandom with a forum
for all sorts of nifty discussions.  Also, I loved your story:  Who do
You Think You are, Adam Bell?  I particularly enjoyed the line, "If
he's so fond of feeling persecuted, why should I give him the
satisfaction?"  Well-put.

Hilda:  Re: music.  Yes!  Thanks for mentioning three terrific artists.
If I may get up on my soapbox here.  Those Cousins who have not
discovered Peter Gabriel, get thee to a music store and buy one of his
records - any one, it doesn't matter (I recommend Shaking the Tree for
newcomers).  Then be prepared for a listening experience that will
leave you laughing, crying, dancing madly, or wandering around in a
daze, running into walls and muttering "Yes!  Yes!"   Better yet:  if
you're lucky enough to get tickets, see him live!!!  I made it to one
of his shows in 1986 . . . went in a casual listener, came out a total
convert!  There is no experience I can compare to being in an arena
chanting Biko with a several thousand other people.  Incredible!
Woodswalker:  I strongly recommend PG's fourth album, Security.  It's
my favorite, and I think you would really enjoy the use of drums and
percussion on The Rhythm of the Heat and Lay Your Hands on Me.  Since
you enjoyed The Last Temptation of Christ, you might want to also check
out Passion, PG's soundtrack for the film.  This is an excellent piece
of music.

Kate Bush is also amazing, but Jan Fennick knows more about her than I
do, so I'll leave this soap box alone [take it away, Jan . . . :-)].
However, The Whole Story is as good a place to start as any.  I'm sure
there's someone out there who could give us the lowdown on Laurie
Anderson.  Another great act for the "thinking rock fan" is REM.  I'm
partial to their 1989 album, Green.  Their latest, Automatic for the
People is also a great listen.

What other types of music do Cousins like?  C'mon, get up on your soap
boxes and extol the virtues (and vices!) of your favorite acts!  Maybe
we'll get a chance to discover someone we never knew existed.

Issue #9:

Blythe:  Check out Laura Todd's cartoon "I hate you because you're such
a Motley Crue."  (I believe this was in Albion 6).

Chris Haire:  Regarding St. Helena, is this where Mt. St. Helens, the
volcano, gets its name?

I agree with you about a "good" villain being a good foil for the hero.
Somebody did an excellent humorous piece in Albion 4, where the Sheriff
tells Loxley's ghost, "without me, you guys would all be just a bunch
of back-to-nature freaks running around the forest."  In other words,
without a villain, they'd basically have no reason to be outlaws!

Janet R.:  Lucky lucky you.  England is on my list of places to visit
when I become a "real" person, working at a "real" job and making
"real" money.

The value of writing fanfic - or indeed anything - is remarkable.
Whether it's academic papers, or original fiction, I've found so many
times that writing fanfic (and having other writers offer constructive
feedback) has improved my style immeasurably.  Fanfic is an excellent
"writer's workshop."

Linda Frankel:  There's two fine stories dealing with homosexual
relationships in Forbidden Forest 2, "Raptors" by Rache and "The
Queen's Fool" by Ruth Dempsey.  Both are excellent historical pieces,
as well as delving into the psychology of the characters, and the
politics and social systems of the medieval period.
Woodswalker:  Most memorable RoS stories.  Yikes!  I could run on at
the pen for pages on this topic.  Hmm.  The following pieces are the
first to spring to mind:  Resurrection by Cindy Fairbanks in Longbow
IV, The Saracen's Tale by Jennifer Woodson in Longbow V, Laura
Chevening's Enchantment in Albion Special 2, Loss by Rache in Albion 5,
Julianne Toomey's Mixed Blessing and Jan Fennick's Visions of Love,
both in Forbidden Forest 1, and Circle of Fire by Linda Furey in
Huntingdon.

I would put funny pieces in a separate category:  the Robin in
Bunnyland series in Albion, Rache's "graphic stupidity" parodies, Laura
Chevening's The Earl's Fool, and High Hopes and Bad Dreams, from
Apocryphal Albion 1 and 2, respectively.  One of my favorite parodies
is Robert in the Hood, a wicked little vignette from Apocryphal 3.  For
an excellent take on Costner's Prince of Thieves, check out Sheila
Foley's Dances with Wolfsheads in Apocryphal 4.

Shameless plug time:  anyone looking for an excellent read, check out
Forbidden Forest 2.  There's a nice mix of story types - romance,
historicals, mystical pieces, adventures - plus great artwork and
poetry.  There's material dealing with just about all of the main
characters, so there's something for just about everyone.
What makes a story memorable to me?  The first is plot logic:  does the
story make sense?  The second is action:  does the piece keep moving?
Third is originality.  This is a personal prejudice.  I realize there's
a lot of themes that more than one writer have explored, but I always
enjoy reading something different.  Fourth is accuracy with the series
itself:  do the characters act and "sound" like their television
counterparts?  Fifth, I look for historical accuracy (or some semblance
thereof - I realize not everyone has access to extensive resources):
have the writers done their homework?  Miscellaneous:  use of language,
texture, small details, etc.

While one of the joys of fanfic is being able to explore the characters
in more depth than the televised series allowed, I have to agree with
Kip's letter that the best stories are those in which the characters
are true to what was shown on-screen.  I don't mind when an author
expands a bit on a character or a situation, but there are limits as to
what I'm willing to believe.

Issue #10
:
Kitty Laust-Gamarra:  Good points about Robert's upbringing.  He
strikes me as being fairly world-wise.

Morgana:  I second The Warriors of Arthur!  Great book!

Ruth D.:  Ha!  I experienced a similar experience with a character
demanding to be written.  After watching the videotape of Henry V,
Kenneth Branagh jumped out of the ether and yelled, "I'm Arthur!"  The
apocryphal idea I'd been tinkering with for a couple of years (what if
Arthur of Brittany hadn't died?) suddenly hit me with a huge "pow!"
[Why does this always seem to happen when you have a zillion other
things to do, like graduate school?]

Issue #11:

Anda:  Methinks that Marion would have gone for anyone after drinking
Gulnar's love potion.  (If I may be so vain as to plug one of my own
pieces, I did a story along these lines, "Just a Little is Enough" for
Forbidden Forest 2).

I agree with you about sacrifice every day.  I was acutely aware of
this when my brother was in the Navy during the Gulf war.

Woodswalker:  There is amazing power in creativity.  Maybe that's one
reason I never became an English major.  You spend more time tearing
things apart than creating them.  I loved your comments about the
strength of music (check out my comments on Issue #8).

Cousin Shadow:  You've confirmed what I've known all along:  Robert of
Huntingdon is God!  :-)   :-)   :-)

Kip:  You're having a lot of fun "slashing," aren't you?  I loved the
bit about Dorothy, the Tin Woodsman, and the monkey wrench.  OUCH!
Louise Bath:  For an excellent John and Meg story, check out Love
Conquers All Things, by Cindy Fairbanks in Albion 6.

Grace M.:  I loved your comments on science and mysticism.  Random
thought I can't fit in anywhere else:  anybody who hasn't already read
Jurassic Park, I strongly recommend reading it before seeing the film.
Not that the film isn't amazing, but the novel gives you a better
handle on the characters.  Both the movie and the novel will keep you
nailed to your seat!  In addition to a lot of neato dinosaur stuff,
Jurassic Park works in a warning about what happens when people try to
meddle excessively with Mother Nature.

Siannan:  I was also a "musical truant" - I spent every spare second
drooling over David Bowie for five years.  I drove my family bonkers.
However, I made a lot of friends in college when people stopped in my
room just to  admire my posters!  I got a lot out of my infatuation,
even if my infatuation took a lot out of my wallet!

I wouldn't make a good Merry either.  I'm too addicted to clean sheets
and flush toilets.  [Somewhere, Jan is laughing madly...]

Julianne:  Wasn't the blizzard just a joy?!  I ended up stranded in
Haverhill, my sister's wedding shower had to be postponed... if you
think it was fun in the Boston area, Syracuse got another snowstorm on
top of the Big One - something like five feet of snow altogether!  At
one point, we had like 45" of snow in one hour.  We got 191" total for
the entire winter, which broke the previous year's record of around
186".  Yeesh!  I sure picked two great years to attend S.U.!
Georgia:  Jagger as shaman for a fertility god:  actually, Brian Jones
came closer.  Check out Philip Norman's excellent biography of the
Stones, Symphony for the Devil, for more details.

I agree with you about hunting.  If people want to hunt, I think they
should have to do it with longbow and arrows!  No fancy technology.  I
think it would give people more respect for what they're going after -
and more respect for carnivores that have to hunt for a living.
Hilda:  I loved your thoughts on creativity and "escapism."  When I was
a kid, anybody creative was called a "faggot."  Lovely, huh?

RE Little John:  As Rache pointed out at last year's Weekend in
Sherwood, when you're his size, nobody's going to tell you, "men don't
cry!"

RE wordy Bostonians:  You've been hanging out around Hahvahd too long,
Hilda!

You "dig" archeology?!  GROAN!

Speaking of graffiti on stone circles and roads running through them,
check out "America's Stonehenge," in Salem, NH.  The area was actually
turned into a quarry, and much of the stone is now curbing in Lawrence.
Argh!  But it's still a neato place to visit.

The "Not Wheel of the Year" was good for a few giggles.

Issue #12:

Chris Haire:  1)  Why couldn't Meg join the outlaws?  I think for a
variety of reasons.  First, she doesn't strike me as being either
mentally or physically suited to a life of outlawry.  Second, she would
have to accept being childless, since having babies in Sherwood would
only have put the band in peril.  Third, she might have had family ties
that could ultimately be used against the merries.  Kip pointed out at
Herne's Con 2 that the outlaws are basically loners:  none of them have
really immediate family members.  Robert and Marion's fathers have
basically disowned them, Will's brother probably couldn't care less
what happens to him.  I'm kind of surprised that Gisburne didn't try to
use Much's mother as a hostage, but look what happened to Much in Adam
Bell for trying to visit his sick grandfather.

2)  Reincarnation.  I haven't had any personal inkling that I might
have lived before, but I'm not writing it off as totally implausible.
It's a fascinating idea.  Have you seen the movie Dead Again?  It's out
on videotape.  It makes reincarnation seem frighteningly possible!
I've experienced deja vu from time to time, but usually with mundane
activities I know I've done before!

3)  I definitely believe in ghosts.  I've never seen one myself, but a
lot of people I know have.  My own mother always experienced a creepy
sensation in the attic of our old apartment in Somerville, the feeling
that there was someone up there.  One day, she turned around fast and
thought she saw a man standing there.  After we'd moved out of that
building, she ran into the landlady while visiting Somerville, and the
landlady complained about not being able to keep a tenant in the third
floor apartment.  Jokingly, my mother asked "Did the spook scare them
away?"  The landlady responded that she'd seriously begun to wonder,
and had looked up the history of the house.  Turned out the original
owner had committed suicide by hanging himself in the attic.  Weird.  I
was too young myself to remember this, and I'm just as glad.  I think
it would have been scary for a little kid.  Anyone else have ghost
stories?  Kip told a couple of good ones at Weekend last year.
Ruth:  Fascinating Biblical notes.  I also liked your explanations of
the various types of crosses.

Louise Bath:  RE:  The people who ask "why write fanfic to begin with?
Why sponge off someone else's material?"  A fan raised this question a
couple of years ago in Herne's Stepchildren, and someone (I believe it
was Rache) wrote back with something to the effect that "it's the same
impulse that causes you to sing along with a song on the radio rather
than just listen passively or go away and compose something completely
new."  And as Kip has pointed out, in writing fanfic, we've taken
something that's essentially a passive activity (watching TV) and
turned it into a creative process.

The Hollow Hills is another piece by Ruth Dempsey, in Albion 4.  I only
remember it vaguely, and don't have my copy of the 'zine at hand.
Ruth...?  Can you maybe enlighten Louise on what she called "the mixing
of traditions?"

I've never heard of either Alone of All Her Sex, or The King is a
Witch.  They sound fascinating, though.

I love your notes to Julianne on Christianity, books missing from the
Bible, etc.  Well-put!

Siannan:  I think the reason that rock singers often throw themselves
into the crowd has a lot to do with the exchange of energy you
described.  Nobody does this better than Peter Gabriel... but I've
talked enough about him already!

Your story about the Fundie at the Scandinavian fair was hilarious.
The bit about the doves was awful.  That's not hunting, that's a
massacre.

Aunt Umbra:  I'm still laughing!

General random comment:  here's a poem I found in Syracuse and liked.
The Canticle of the Sun
St. Francis of Assisi, 1224
       Praised, O my Lord, with all your creatures be,
       most especially master brother sun,
       who dawns for us, and You through him give
       light:  and fair is he and shining with mighty
       luminescence, and carries, O most High, a
       glimpse of what You are.
       Praised be my Lord, for sister Moon and every
       star in heaven You have made them precious
       and clear and fair.
       Praised be, my Lord, for brother wind,
       for the air and clouds and every kind
       of weather by which You give your creatures
       nourishment.
       Praised be, my Lord, for sister water,
       which is so very useful, humble and precious
       and pure.
       Praised be, my Lord, for our sister, mother
       earth, which does sustain and govern us, and
       brings forth diverse fruits with colored buds
       and grass,
       So praise and bless and
       be subject to Him with great humility.

There's so many interesting discussions I wish I had the time to join
in, but I'm still enjoying reading other people's debates.  The reading
list keeps growing - I hope I have time to someday check these books
out!

Hilda:  keep up the good work!  Your efforts at keeping the letterzine
going, as well as organizing various other fun things like mummer's
plays are appreciated more than you will ever know!

That's all for now, folks!  Be sure to check out the new Mel Brooks
flick, Robin Hood:  Men in Tights.  As the posters say, the legend had
it coming.

Blessed be!

Judi Broeking
Hello Cousins - Thought it high time to get back into the lively
discussions of Cousins.  I am taking advantage of the relative peace of
night duty to catch up on correspondence.  (At least this particular
night is quiet! (-: )  Just one or two thoughts:

#11:  Janet V re:  Marion leaving Robert at the Ring of Nine Maidens.
Besides the fact that she was grief-stricken, I doubt she would have
been able to lift him up onto the horse!  I also agree that Herne "was
rather thoughtful toward Robert" at the cave, but I'd had the morbid
impression he had foreseen Robert's death as the Wheel eventually
turned again.

#10:  Morgana, Gerrie & Siannan:  Hi!  I've been reading Circle Network
News since 1989.  Re:  best buns?  Every time I think I've made a
decision I see another episode and oh well... maybe next time - it's so
hard to choose.  *sigh*

#12:  Chris, Linda, Hilda:  Meg not being able to join the band doesn't
make much sense.  Especially since Robin let Mark join in The Prophecy
and Robert tolerated Arthur for a short time.  They hardly knew those 2
characters and no questions were asked!  Robin once blasted Little John
for having been seen in Wickham.  He reminded him that "You can
disappear into Sherwood.  The people of Wickham can't!"  The Sheriff
knew that Wickham was in league with the outlaws but no one from the
village was actually in the band.  Maybe Robert felt that having a
known villager such as Meg in the band would put either Wickham or the
outlaws in greater danger?  Would Robin have let her join?

Re:  Clannad - In response to a recent query regarding Clannad fan club
address (courtesy of Queen's Own newsletter):
       CLANNAD c/o Muirrean ni Swinchatt
       72c Upper Grosvenor Rd.
       Tunbridge, Wells
       Kent, TN1 2BT
       ENGLAND
A SASE & IRC are kindly requested.

For those of you who haven't heard their newest release, Banba - it's
terrific.  Ring of Gold is from a live concert back in the 80's.  Has
anyone an address/source stateside that sells Atlantic Realm - it's the
only Clannad recording I can't find!
Herne Protect.

Blythe Esan
Greetings to Cousins one & all!  Great to be with you again.  Tardy
being my middle name lately (though in reality it's Marian - no joke!),
I've finally found time to put fingers to keyboard & begin this.
College is through & now I have time to sit & respond to some of you
wonderful people.

Regarding #11 - Woodswalker:  I can fully relate to your soul hurting
when developers wreck local fields & woods.  I had a Circle in a patch
of woods across from my deadend street, but due to the fact that
there's a bunch of folks who love concrete & siding but hate Nature,
there are now 3 homes where those lovely trees were.  I keep praying to
Diana, Herne, deities all to protect the remaining greenness around me.
They pointed out a new Circle area for my use while there, & I'm
forever grateful (even though the nearest house is merely a few yards
away).  Not to mention all the new subdivisions/condos going up around
my neighborhood as well.  It's true, a part of you feels pain just as
Nature does.  By the way, if we can't whine to each other, then who to?
Louise B.:  I went to England in '86 & felt very much at home!  I know
I experienced a connection to Stonehenge while visiting it; it's like
the stones said, "Welcome home!"  I'm the first to state that the Henge
has been horribly commercialized, & at times it's hard to feel
spiritual while there.  If one can get past that negative junk & open
themselves up to what the stones are saying, then the spirit of the
place can come through to those willing to listen.  (Though Stonehenge
is so far the only megalithic/stone circle I've visited in England, the
city of Bath was pretty neat & Pagan in itself!)

Lisa M.:  You may want to read Practical Celtic Magic by Murry Hope.
She says that the Book of Symbols puts fort that Annwn is half of 2
primary existences in Bardism, the other being God.  Annwn is also
Pwyll's Mabinogion kingdom; one version has it that Annwn is more like
Summerland or Elysium than "a purgatorial abode for the suffering
dead."  Also, there are two Celtic deities, the Lord of Light and the
Lord of Hades or Annwn.  Also that Annwn magickal workings are best
done at night, for obvious reasons!

To all:  it was great seeing family and new friends again at Weekend
II!  Some things were rather "onyx"pected, and a big round table of
thanks to Mark, Kip, Chris, & Denise for making it as memorable as last
year.  As long as we have more of that great mead, we gotta keep it up!
See you next rambling!

Julie Phipps
Dear Cousins... Hope you all had an enjoyable summer solstice.  As I
write it's really hot over here for once and the sun is setting in a
clear blue sky, which makes a change from typical English weather!!
(Bet Janet R. agrees with me here!)

Chris Haire:  Firstly I'll answer your questions.

       1.      Why couldn't Meg join the band?

Don't know, guess it would've been interesting to see how the
outlaws would react.

       2.      Do you believe in reincarnation?

I like to keep an open mind on the subject.  Have you heard of a
woman called Jenny Cockell, she lives in Kettering which is just
outside Northampton.  Jenny has just released a book on her
experiences.  I might try and get it from our local library.

       3.      Do you believe in ghosts?

Again I like to keep an open mind, but I'd like to say yes!  I had
an experience myself when I was nine years old.  My family and I
were on holiday in the Isle of Wight, staying in a guest house.  My
brother and I kept saying we saw an old man in our room.  My Mum
thought it was just our vivid imagination.  But then a few days
later she was talking to the landlady and she said it was haunted by
an old man.  Has anyone else had experiences like that?

There are a number of places in Northampton that are supposed to be
haunted.  Our local theatre (known to locals as the Rep) is
supposedly haunted by a 'Grey Lady' and several actors have told me
of their experiences.  Also in our local shopping centre is a
section built I believe on the grounds of a monastery which is also
supposed to be haunted.

The place I would really like to go to is Pluckley, which is
supposed to be one of the most haunted places in England.

Thanks also for the info re:  Robert Addie.  It's a shame he probably
won't be at any of the up-and-coming cons in England.  Hope to see you
and Denise at Greenwood.  Best of luck for Weekend!!

Tara:  How can I help bringing up the BUNS again.  I have a hard job
watching The Cross of St. Ciricus, I mean there's Ray, literally BARING
all and Robert in those sexy black undies!!  Oh, and Highlander II does
exist, I've seen it.  It's nowhere near as good as the first one!
Christopher Robin:  I'm also interested in the romantic angle of RoS.
And I believe that if Kip Carpenter had been given a later time slot he
would've aimed for an adult audience.  I also get the impression that
Judi Trott was more attracted to Michael Praed, but then I can't say I
blame her.  Although it would've been nice to see Marion and Robert
married.

Louise Bath:  I was interested in your discussion on Vampires, dare I
say it, necks please.  (Sorry, the awful pun was intended!!)

Oh, and I don't see what's wrong in writing fanfic.  I just wish I had
more time to write.  It's all done in fun after all.

Liked your saying from RoS.  Think mine should be the King John one.
At least that's what he'd think of me!!  Bet Hilda would agree on that
one.  [To make a long story short...  -H]

Irena Armstrong:  What did you think of Riders???  I thought Michael
was very good, but I thought the script was awful.  Did you know that
Jason Connery had been up for the part of Rupert Campbell-Black?  It
would've been so funny.  And I loved the scene between Michael and
Anthony Valentine.  It was like Robin and Belleme all over again.
I thought the script was better for the recent adaptation of D. H.
Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover.  The actor who played the
gamekeeper Mellors (Sean Bean) would've made a very good Robin, don't
you think??

Jacquie Groom:  Hello!  Welcome to Cousins.  I have that Video Gems
boxed set of season 3 also and noticed the mistake with Cromwell's
Crusades!!  Did they cut anything from the episodes you taped in the
Netherlands??

Hilda:  Hello!  Thanks once again for putting up with Rob and I!!  We
both miss you and Sam and Birdy!!  Please give them a stroke from both
of us.  We really enjoyed our stay, and I enjoyed meeting some of the
Cousins.  Please find enclosed a set of Michael photos for you to keep.
Hope you like them.

Found a poem I thought you might like.  It's from the book Robin Hood,
by J. C. Holt.
       Gone, the merry morris din
       Gone, the song of Gamelyn
       Gone, the tough-belted outlaw
       Idling in the 'grene shave';
       All are gone away and past!
       Sudden from his turfed grave,
       And if Marian should have
       Once again her forest days,
       She would weep, and he would craze:
       He would swear, for all his oaks
       Fall'n beneath the dockyard strokes
       Have rotted on the briny seas;
       She would weep that her wild bees
       Sang not to her - strange!  That honey
       Cannot be got without hard money!
It's one of Keats' poems.  I thought it was quite nice.  Janet and I
are in the process of reading poetry with our drama group.

Oh, did you know the Government over here were trying to do away with
May Day?  Of course all our morris dancers are up in arms over it!!
Well, it is an old English tradition.

Well, it's getting late and I think I ought close, so take care until
next time.  From your English Cousin... Julie.

Donna Meinking
Hello, Cousins!  Cousins #12 was so chock full o' goodies, it has taken
me several weeks to read it all.  But Louise Bath's delightful letter
has inspired me to sit down and share some things that have been
"brewing in my cauldron" for a while.

Louise:  You said that you worried about writing and not living in the
"real" world.  Lady, (all you lady-and gentleman-writers, fanfic or
pro) - please, oh, please, never stop writing!  As of right now, I do
not write stories.  I'm a social activist.  I've marched in Washington,
D.C. and New York.  I went on a delegation to El Salvador.  While
there, we were fired on with a group of homeless refugees.  When the
soldiers saw our North American faces, they quit firing.  I belong to
Amnesty International.  I've met and talked to Rigoberta Menchu, the
Nobel Prize winner from Guatemala.  I have seen the face of untold
suffering - torture victims.  I've seen the face of evil - the
torturers.  The greatest frustration in all my days was dealing with
Washington nincompoops, who only start investigating something twelve
years after it has occurred.

But I've been in fandom for over fifteen years.  Every fan group I've
met has a favorite charity or cause that they work on.  I was just at a
con where they had a blood drive and we brought food to the local
shelter.  There are many very active fans, and there are many who have
been through a lot in their own lives.  What inspires us?  And what
gives us courage?  Many people and many ideas.  People in the mental
health business say a rich fantasy life is essential to a healthy human
life.  I'm no expert in that field.  But I do know when I've called a
dozen folks and gotten two dozen excuses why they can't help with a
community rehab project, or when I've just received bad news from
Central America, I head for my private little retreat in the back
bedroom and pop in a video or grab a fanzine.  I discovered fanzines
ten years ago.  Since then they've been my remedy for the pains of the
"real" world!  After a few hours of "escapism" I can tackle another
project.  Bike hikes and nature walks help, too, but I think of what
I've read while I'm out exploring.  The fandom community is the very
group that inspires and gives me strength - not a sociology or
psychology book!

Also, isn't it mentally healthy to confront, appreciate, and deal with
the gods of light and darkness living in our psyches?  To do this, we
must develop our own stories; however, we can use other people's
stories, too.  That's how all the myths and legends developed.  The old
storytellers never worried about using someone else's ideas.  They knew
that their audiences would tell them if they were straying too far from
the original characters.  So take that, you elitists, who think you can
judge fanfic as a lower form of art!  I'd rather sit around fandom's
campfire and listen to our tales.

Those of you interested in North and South American indigenous peoples'
myths and legends should read Eduardo Galerno's Memory of Fire.  It's
not ponderous or pretentious.  The stories are short and delightful.
They span pre-Columbian to modern times, from the Arctic Circle to
Tierra del Fuego.  They are in three volumes, published by
Pantheon/Random House, ISBN #'s 0-394-74730-5, 0-394-75167-1, and
0-394-75726-2.  I'm listed in Who We Are if you want to borrow.
Blessings upon all who write!  You have blessed us who read!  Bye-bye.

Morgana
Sweet Cousins, Greeting!
Chris H:  Why couldn't Meg join the Outlaws?  Beats the hell out of me!

Sure, I believe in ghosts.  My grandmother's memory resided in my house
from when she died in '75 until only last year.  I often felt her
presence.  So yeah, I believe those who've crossed over are "alive &
kicking," so to speak.

Reincarnation...  I recalled a bunch of my past lives.  Most are not
very detailed at all, but some "inner knowing" makes them valid &
meaningful to me:  I've been Pagan & Christian; lived in Atlantis,
Malta, the US, England 3 times, possibly Sirius, France; been rich &
poor; a Native American, a Stonehenge Druid who consorted with the Fey,
a French street urchin who grew into a wealthy consort for men, a
panacea hawker in the 1860's South, I think a stone carver (don't know
where), & an Englishman who stole bread for peasants but was captured &
hung before some of those peasants could warn me of the trap (sounds
like someone we know, huh?  Mind you, this life was known before I ever
saw RoS.)  I was also hung once for Witchcraft (it was a witch-hunt; I
was accused of "consorting with the devil"), & died once on the dunking
stool accused of the same offence (Germany?  Anyone know?)  I also
believe I lived in the time period of the 1100's to the early 1200's.
At least that's the period to which my SCA persona corresponds & the
period where I feel most comfortable.  Society for Creative Anachronism
is a great outlet for living the past in the present.  Hey, that's why
this is called "the current middle ages!"

Linda Frankel:  Thanks so much for the Native American outlaw myth!
Since my two Pagan traditions are mainly Celtic & Native, this was very
much appreciated!  Would you happen to know which tribe this comes
from?

Debbi:  It's been told once, but deserves it again - many million
thanks for your gift of Lady of the Forest!!!  Chapter 30 gives a neat
definition of wolfshead:  "That there was as yet no price upon that
head did not matter; it would take but a moment for the sheriff to
learn the red-haired giant had aided Will Scarlet, and to declare his
capture worth the same as a wolf's bounty:  he would become... another
Saxon 'wolf's-head,' a proscribed man without recourse to the
protection of English - or Norman - laws."

Julie Phipps:  Nice to know of another comic collector!  The only comic
I've ever and still only collect is the 1987 revised version of Wonder
Woman.  With my leaning toward the Amazons & the Greek goddesses, this
was right up my alley. If anyone hasn't checked out the earlier issues
especially, do so.  Nice bits of Paganism/Earth awareness in them.
Woodswalker:  Are you as confused as I am about all this "Well, I
practice Norse Paganism because that's my ancestry, & I like the
Egyptian pantheon but I'm not Egyptian, so I can't worship Bast or
Isis"?  In the last issue there was a lot of discussion about ancestry
vs. spirituality.  I don't think anyone has to be of a certain cultural
background to worship the deities they feel drawn to.  I don't have an
ounce of Egyptian blood in me, but I draw upon Isis energies for
healing myself & others, & pray to Bast for protection over my cat
Tiffany.  I have a large percentage of Swedish & Romanian ancestry, but
don't feel very drawn to those pantheons at all, though I do
acknowledge them from time to time.  I'm an Eclectic Pagan/Wiccan; you
might say I take a little of this, a little of that whenever I need or
want.  Basically, whatever feels good at the time!  The point is that
while other folks may feel unfaithful to their ancestry if they deviate
in their worship, others may want the mixture that diverse ethnicity
provides.  If someone wants to stick with their particular spiritual
pantheon without "getting their feet wet" in another, more power to
them.  If another wants to invoke Woden one day, Ix Chel the next, and
Epona all next week, they should be able to without feeling they're
breaking ancestry or whatever.  If the Goddess' Cauldron helps us all
to find what we're looking for, be it one tradition of worship or
several, "that's all right, then."

By the way, I love your brand of Generic Paganism!  Reminds me of the
acronym KISS, or "Keep it simple, stupid!"  Blessed be to you!
Louise:  Is Sean Manchester nutty as Gulnar or what?  In reading his
description of the vampiric Robin, I got a vision of Jason wearing
those terrible teeth in Time of the Wolf ("I vant to drink your
blood!")  Lordy Lordy... I mean, Herney Herney... I have no idea of
where this guy's coming from.  Have you found out any more on his
theory?

I couldn't think of any kind of elegant, witty retort to those who
accuse others of ripping off RoS stories & myths for their own artistic
endeavor ("Bug off, you evil git!" wouldn't work, would it?)  If a
writer wants to take a basic premise & embellish it with their own
personal mythologies, so be it.  Every story or book has validity, be
it serious/comical, erotic or not, straight/slash, ancient/modern,
whatever.  If the author's pleased with what s/he's written, fanfic or
mainstream, then why should anyone gripe?  Maybe telling them to write
their own story is an idea.

No developments at all in my all-female Sherwood band.  You're welcome
to try!  (I'm into my NatAmer writing stage now.)  I too see nothing
wrong with a bit of escapism once in a while.  If I did, I never would
have seen Jurassic Park!  Why not get into another type of reality for
a while?  We get enough mundane reality in our everyday existence.
I'd love to have a copy of the Prediction article Winnaker or Woden?
Thanks!  [I'll pass it on. - H]

Stan:  Welcome, Brother!  I'm reminding myself to send you some copies
of Wicca-related stuff that I think you'll like.  In addition to
Cousins, I also receive Circle Network News (P.O. Box 219, Mt. Horeb,
WI  53572; sample copies are free & a year's subscription is $15), a
quarterly newspaper for Pagans/ Wiccans/Nature Spirituality.  A good
source of Craft supplies can be religious supply stores & even flea
markets & yard sales!  Books can be ordered from Borders Bookstore,
Waldenbooks, Circle above (same with music & meditation tapes).

Ladyslipper, Inc. (P.O. Box 3124-R, Durham, NC  27715) is a valuable
source for any kind of music you want!  Don't be put off by the title;
though it mainly carries women recording artists, some men are included
& there are large selections of New Age/Goddess Spirituality
recordings, Native Amer., Drumming, Folk, Celtic, etc.  It's well worth
getting.

Actually, my community college offers a course called "New World Magic
& Religion."  It's not where I first connected with the Craft, that's
been 13 years in the making!  I did give lectures on Wicca for that
class (mine at the time) & for my instructor's night class.  The
positivity was overwhelming for my "coming out of the broom closet!"
Being involved in different groups comes mainly by word of mouth,
though my introduction to Circle came from a local coven who sent me a
flyer in 1980.  Please don't ever feel you're being nosy!  As a good
friend of mine once said, "The only stupid question is the one that
goes unasked!"

So you also love cloudy, windy days?  I knew I liked you...
Georgia:  I don't know if Isis would be too jealous if I or anther
follower called on Athena once or twice.  Aren't all Goddesses One, as
are all Gods?  It's just the different aspects to which we all attune
that make us connect with that particular God/dess form.  Like I told
Woodswalker, I call on Isis for healing, and I may call on Athena to
guide my aim.  Not necessarily in archery (which I must relearn very
soon) but for my own goals for living.  True, Isis has been called the
"everything" Goddess, but there are certain life aspects that I feel
comfortable only in ascribing to certain deities.  Athena & Artemis for
Amazonian strength when patriarchy gets me down is an example.
Besides, an Isis altar was found Thames-side in London, so you know
those Celts/Saxons were sneaking in a little ol' different worship!
Hilda:  The first bear/deer culture that came to mind was (yes, again!)
the Native American.  Bear stands for introspection, the sweetness of
truth.  To enter the Western womb-cave to hibernate & reflect on the
year's experiences.  Bear contains receptive female energy to reside in
the Dream Lodge, or inner-knowing.  It's here we are presented with
alternate pathways to our goals.  Bear is intuitive, right-brained &
West-oriented.  It's the medicine of seeking answers once the internal
chatter is quieted.

Deer is gentleness, mostly the gentleness of spirit that heals all
wounds.  Light & shadow may be loved to create gentleness & safety for
those who need peace.  Deer medicine advises us to love those as they
are, & to use this medicine to connect with Sacred Mountain (centering
place of serenity) & the Great Spirit will guide us all.
Hope that helps!!

Wasn't Weekend II a trip?  Another worthwhile, full o' fun memory that
I won't soon forget.  Hilda, the ritual was much more meaningful for me
this time around.  Cousin Jennet heartily agrees with me!
Let my arrogant verbosity end here.  Remember:  Trust in God/dess, but
lock your car!

Ruth Dempsey
CALLING ALL COUSINS!  My daughter, Marirose, claims that when "scary
monsters and bad people" enter her dreams, a "beautiful lion with big
golden wings" comes, roars and scares them away.  This is not the
problem, as I feel she obviously has some heavy duty protection from
God in her corner.  The problem is, she wants a stuffy shaped like her
lion.

Anyone into soft sculpture who could suggest/provide a pattern and
assembly instructions?  I can get the material and do the sewing
myself, but I can't seem to find any patterns for winged lions...

Janet VanMeter
Merry Meet, Cousins!  The Cousins Circle at Weekend this year was
terrific.  It was good to see everyone there, including you, Kip; and I
want to send a special hello to my pavane partner Blythe!  Hilda, I
thought the Sherwood visualization was tremendous.  I haven't taken the
skiff across the lake yet, but I did see some comrades waiting there
for me when I do.

I'm glad that Kip explained for us at the guest panel as to why he
didn't want Meg to join the outlaw band.  The reasons he gave are what
I expected.  I also couldn't see Meg "duking it out" in one of the
forest battles, but her close ties to Wickham are the main reason that
Robert rightly forbade her to join.  As Kip stated, realistically the
village would have been razed probably after the second time the
outlaws were connected with it!  The village of Loxley should have
served as the precedent.  I also feel that Hathersage would have been a
poor choice for John and Meg. He was too closely associated with that
place as well.  I was surprised that he and Much were found there in
Herne's Son.  It seems a bit daft that if the sheriff knew you as John
Little of Hathersage, you'd go back there to hide.

Marion had a similar problem in going back to Leaford Grange.  Of
course, a king's pardon, even bought, would afford some protection.
Plus, the sheriff felt she was no longer a threat.  But when his
suspicions were aroused again, he wasted no time in putting Oliver to
spy on her!  We didn't see much of Sir Richard after Marion returned to
Sherwood.  I'd be curious to know what Kip would have wanted to do
about him in the third season.

Once Marion made the decision to stay in Halstead, I think she was a
bit better off.  Yes, I know that the Church could be corrupt, but it
would have made things a little more difficult for the Sheriff, in my
opinion.  Of course, the fanzines have really explored this issue
almost to death, but that's what they're there for, right?

As an update to one of my previous letters - at a local antiques and
collectibles show here in Columbus, I bought an old children's book
that included both the "Wooing and Marriage of Robin Redbreast and
Jenny Wren" and the "Death of Cock Robin."  I'd always wondered why in
the latter Sparrow shot him with his bow and arrow.  In the former, it
was because Sparrow meant to shoot Cuckoo and hit Robin by mistake!  On
Robin and Jenny's wedding day, no less!  What a story!

Until next time - Herne protect.

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