From the webpage (http://avalonseminary.org/)

The aim of Avalonian Thealogical Seminary is threefold:

1 - To Remember … Through Service to Self – We provide  a centralized, uniform foundation in the Avalonian Tradition to reveal a practical road map for undertaking the  journey towards personal evolution and self actualization.

2- To Reclaim … Through Service to Sisters -  We cultivate the art of Empowerment Midwifery, present training in pastoral counseling and  the facilitation of rites of passage in accordance with local laws and scope of practice.

3- To Renew … Through Service to Goddess – We  encourage the growth of this work  by requiring that each student complete a comprehensive neoteric Thesis relating to the Avalonian Tradition. We ensure that sisters become fully grounded in the Avalonian Method of Wisdom Transmission, so that the ever expanding circle grows ever stronger.

Registration for the first level of seminary (Seed One) is open to members of the Sisterhood now through July 1.

Some women that join the Sisterhood of Avalon are drawn to the path and to the structure of the seminary as a path for training, support, and avocational development. There are many paths of service, and the Sisterhood of Avalon is so very pleased to see this particular path grow and evolve.

Blessings!

Please visit sisterhoodofavalon.org for more information regarding the Sisterhood. Please RSVP Jocelyn at jocelyn_russell@ yahoo.com (sans spaces) by April 30th.
In case of inclement weather we will meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. More specific information about the meeting will be emailed closer to the date to those who have RSVP’ed.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!
In Service and Sisterhood,
The Afal Mawr Hearth

Greetings,

The Sisterhood of Avalon is pleased to announce that the Calan Mai membership portal is now open. It will  close May 10, one week before our holy day of Calan Mai, May 17.

For more information visit the  membership pages on the SOA website.

Thank you for considering walking the path to Avalon with us!

Applications to membership will be accepted until April 19, 2010. The next Membership Portal won’t be until this fall, in the month leading up to Calan Gaeaf.

For more information, please visit the Membership pages on the SOA website.

Thank you for considering walking the path to Avalon with us!

The Sisterhood of Avalon has been sponsoring Avalonian Training Intensives around North America and Great Britain since 1998. These four-day residential Intensives allow women to learn Avalonian ritual, techniques, tools, and philosophy in an experiential and supportive environment. Come to connect with the Goddesses of Avalon, immerse yourself in the transformational spiritual traditions of the Celtic Britons, and learn how to heal and empower yourself as you align with the Cycles of the Universe.

This year, our intensive offerings have undergone an exciting re-visioning, and include the presentation of deepening layers of the Avalonian Tradition which have never before been taught in this format. After the foundation of the work is laid with Seeking Avalon Within (formerly our L1 Intensive Calling the Barge) we will explore the wisdoms of Avalon through the Celtic cosmological paradigm of the Three Realms – Land, Sea and Sky.

SOA Intensives are always incredible opportunities to become immersed in the transformational work of Avalon and to build sacred community with Sisters; we hope you will be able to join us! For more information and a detailed registration packet, please email our Intensives Coordinator.

SISTERHOOD OF AVALON INTENSIVES CALENDAR 2010

Ninth Wave Press is pleased to announce that the Sisterhood of Avalon 2010 Datebook will be available soon! It is a beautiful visual companion for the Avalonian journey, complete with Moon Phase information, Holy Days, Goddess Times, and gorgeous writings and images of and about creating Sacred Space.

Covering Calan Gaeaf 2009 through December 2010, the SOA Datebook is a wonderful resource that supports the work of the Sisterhood, and can be used by any who walk Celtic, Druidic, or Goddess Paths! We are excited to share this with you, and thank you for your support!

Purchase information will be available soon!

Seasons Blessings to all!

The Sisterhood of Avalon is pleased to announce that the Calan Gaeaf Portal will open tomorrow, on Monday, September 28.

Please visit www.sisterhoodofavalon.org and click on “Community,”then “Membership” to access the membership information and application.   Please note that there is a time limit to apply for membership. The Portal will be open from September 28 to October 26.  Applications ***WITH DUES*** MUST be postmarked no later than October 26, 2009 to be considered for membership during the Calan Gaeaf Portal.

Any applications post marked after this date will need to be resubmitted for the Calan Mai 2010 portal.   Please be sure to complete all portions of the application. Essay questions should be answered in, at minimum, a basic five paragraph format.

We look forward to the opportunity to share community with you!

Bendithion Afallon,
Ann Marie
Sisterhood of Avalon
BoardSecretary @ sisterhoodofavalon . org (without the spaces)

Click here for a larger version of this flyer.

Hope you can join us!

Blodeuwedd Anthology
Published by Ninth Wave Press
Submission Deadline — May 31, 2009

We are seeking educational, celebratory and inspirational works in honor
of the Welsh Goddess Blodeuwedd. These works should be in the form of
short stories, essays, poetry, chants, rituals, meditations, photos, and
art.

Suggested Topics, as related to the Goddess Blodeuwedd:

- Herbs, stones, and symbols
- Sacred Sites
- Totem Animals
- Songs and chants with notation
- Mythology, folklore and beliefs
- Personal experiences with the Goddess
- Meditations, workings, rituals
- Images of altars, crafts, gardens, sculpture, masks and other
creations dedicated to, or inspired by, Blodeuwedd

Copyright and Compensation

All proceeds from the sale of this devotional anthology will benefit the
Sisterhood of Avalon Land Fund. There is no direct compensation for
publication, and authors retain copyright of their work. We ask that you
consider your participation in this project as an offering to the
Goddess it celebrates, and a way to support the sacred land and women’s
sanctuary the SOA seeks to manifest for all who are drawn to the Holy Isle.

Submission Requirements

All written work should be in Arial 12 point Word Document format and
sent as an email attachment to: submissions@ninthwavepress.com

All images should be 300 dpi or higher, in either .jpeg or transparent
.gif format, and sent as an email attachment to:
submissions@ninthwavepress.com

We look forward to working with you on manifesting this project in honor
of Blodeuwedd.

We know that your time is precious; many of you don’t have a lot of extra time after the demands of your day-to-day lives and we appreciate that you take the time to read The Barge. It is our sincere hope that you find the information in The Barge useful and informative, and we look forward to a continued tradition of bringing you the latest SOA news and updates. If there are any topics, or information, you would like to see included in The Barge we would like to hear from you. Please email Kim Davis directly at avalonwomon@hotmail.com with your suggestions.

Sincerely,
The Barge Newsletter Staff

Calan Mai
Solar Observance – May 1st
Lunar Observance – First Full Moon when the Sun is in Taurus (May 9th)

By Jhenah Telyndru

In direct opposition to Calan Gaeaf in the yearly cycle Calan Mai, or Beltane, marked the beginning of the Light Half when the summer began and the world was green and growing. Good weather and the good health of animals and humans alike were anticipated and the flocks and herds were put out to pasture. Communal ceremonies included driving cattle between two ritual fires to bless, protect and purify them from any disease-causing vermin left over from their long winter confinement. At the clan central places, weather and marriage divination was performed, furious trading occurred, grazing land contracts were made and rents were paid. Between the long winter and the preparation and planting of the crops, this was the first real opportunity for the tribe to leave their isolated farmsteads and travel for any sort of communal gathering. Trial marriages made from the previous summer were given the long isolation of the winter to test whether they would work out; if this were not the case, the couple would come before the judges at Calan Mai to have their union dissolved. Calan Mai was a celebration of the fertility of land, animals and humans alike, and was one the greatest feast days – not surprising for an agricultural people for whom the abundance of the land dictated their ability to survive.

Goddesses of Avalon

The Goddesses of Avalon are the heart and soul of the Sacred Landscape, each weaving a transformational energy into the matrix of the archetypal realm. Once we have successfully made contact with the landscape areas and established a good working relationship which each of these places of power, we can use them to connect with the
Ladies of Avalon.

Blodeuwedd is the Lady of Initiation. She calls us to cast off the garments of expectation and to peer into the darkness of the self to find, and ultimately live, our inner truth. She teaches us to fly where others would see us grounded.

-Mythological Sources for Blodeuwedd:  The Mabinogion – “Math, Son of Mathonwy”; Hanes Blodeuwedd

SOA Pilgrimage

Come join with Sisters of the Spirit on a ten-day Pilgrimage where we will explore both inner and outer landscapes and balance conscious sightseeing with ritual, Imram and Avalonian teachings. We will immerse ourselves in the energies of the sacred landscapes of the Avalonian Tradition, bringing to life the legendary lands of The Mabinogion and connecting with sites held sacred to the ancient Britons. Stand in Druid Groves and chant in Stone Circles. Bathe in holy springs, explore ancestral barrows, and climb ceremonial hills. Experience first hand the mystical energies of Cymru and the Sacred Island of Avalon, portal to the Otherworld and Temple Center of Holy Women.

We will spend five days in Wales, visiting sites associated in literature and ancient folk memory with Ceridwen, Blodeuwedd, Rhiannon, Arianrhod, and Branwen. We will then travel to Glastonbury, believed by many to be Avalon of old, where we will spend the next five days of the pilgrimage visiting this “holiest erthe in Englande.” Time will be spent in experiential workshops, sharing in ritual amidst the sacred landscapes, and immersing ourselves in the spiritual energies of sites associated with the Goddesses of Avalon and the priestesses of old who are our spiritual foremothers.
For more information and a detail registration packet, please contact our Pilgrimage Coordinator: pilgrimage@sisterhoodofavalon.org.

Offerings from SOA Sisters

Candle Charms

Hand-poured pillar candles made from all natural wax and a mixture of oils chosen for their magickal properties and personally mixed by Anita, an SOA member.  Animal Totem and Nature’s Spirit Candles, Elemental Candles, Zodiac Candles, God and Goddess Candles, Full Moon and Dark Moon Candles are available. Custom orders welcome.  Please contact Anita at candlecharms@comcast.net for more information.

SOA Hearths & Learning Circles

These groups of sisters gather to celebrate the Divine, to support each other in their growth and transformation, to learn the ways of the Avalonian Tradition, and to serve their greater communities in many ways. If you would like to find out more about joining or starting an SOA Hearth, Novice Hearth or Learning Circle, please contact our Hearth Matron at hearthmatron@sisterhoodofavalon.org for more information. Most groups host Informational Teas locally to connect with women interested in making the journey to Avalon in safe sister space. Watch this list for periodic announcements.

The Silver Moon Cauldron Hearth of Central Massachusetts is hosting an Open Tea on Saturday, May 16th at 2pm.  This will be an informal gathering for local women interested in learning about and seeking membership in the Hearth and the Sisterhood of Avalon.  Please contact Hearthmother Diana at silverspirals@gmail.com for more information.

The Sisters of the Western Shore

The Sisters of The Western Shore Hearth Aelwyd yr Arfordir Gorllewin met at the San Jose Rose Garden to enjoy the roses and discuss herb lore. We were fortunate to find several hawthorn trees surrounding the park and took several moments to work energetically with the hawthorn and collect hawthorn blossoms. We also worked energetically with the roses in the park and discussed the five trees sacred to Avalon. The Hearth plans several open meetings each year, and is happy to meet other women in the San Francisco Bay Area and its environs. We are also excited that our Hearth Mother will be attending the Level 3 Intensive in May, making us a full Hearth! We look forward to welcoming the SOA to the Bay Area at the Level 1 Intensive September 3-6.