Wednesday, December 15, 2010

RED TENT TEMPLE DATES 2011

RED TENTS 2011

January 9

February 6

March 6

April 3

May 1

June 5

June 26

July 31

August 28

September 25

October 23

November 20

December 11


Friday, November 26, 2010

Artisan Bazaar ~ December's Red Tent Temple


Hello Dear, Beautiful, Women!

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Each Solstice we invite our creations to come to life and to be shared, presented, and abundant.

Welcome to......

Spiral Traditions Red Tent Sacred Artisan Bazaar!

We have some extremely talented women in our circle - it's time to share, celebrate, and bask in the shine of our Goddess-given creativity and nourishment. Share with us the gifts of yourselves and of your sisters,and be welcomed home to graciousness in our sacred space.

On December 5, at Auer Farm in Bloomfield, we will hold a limited Sacred Artisan Bazaar in conjunction with our regularly scheduled monthly Red Tent gathering. Strict guidelines will be in place to uphold the original intention of the Red Tent Temple.

Here are the guidelines:

~We will hold our fair officially until 1:00 - the rest of the day will be Red Tent Temple only, as usual. Come early to set up or to shop, 9 AM set up is open to begin. At 1:00, we will move our focus back to a more quiet, restful atmosphere, and shift the energies of sales to a gentler, more back burner presence.

~Participation is not a requirement, of course.

~We will not be allowing anything commercial (NO tupperware, or 'products' please, unless it's in regards to Women's empowerment or sustainability.)

~All pieces should be in alignment with Red Tent energies: HANDMADE items, art, music, herbals, or personal services are welcomed!

~If you are not certain, please ask.

~Your set up should take up small amount of space within our room, or you can set up a larger display in the entrance room, however please know that the main area will be shared with patrons of Auer Farm for the Christmas Tree season.

~There will be a silent RTT raffle! We ask that you consider donating an item or small service to the raffle, as this money will go directly to our RTT fund.

~All artisans are asked to donate a small portion of your profits from the day as well. We will not tag a percentage to this, as we are conscious of financial hardship and realize that some of you may be bartering with other artisans for holiday gifts, making money less available or are experiencing employment struggles. Out of your heart for the Red Tent we ask that you consider our value to you in your life, and make an extra donation that is right for you.

~The Red Tent Temple maintains our availability to women of all economic circumstances.

We hope that you will come take part in our venture, join us in creation, display, participation and celebration. The sacred space to offer you rest, rejuvenation, communion, peace, and love, will be carefully guarded.

DECEMBER'S RED TENT TEMPLE WILL BE HELD SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, AT AUER FARM. BLOOMFIELD, CT


It is time to gather together in a sacred space of safety, understanding, and blessings. Come to rest, to read, to eat, to drink, to commune, to listen, to be heard , to be healed, and to be loved... just as you are. There will be music, art, poetry, stories, and peace, and all you have to bring to the circle.

11AM to 5PM, soup and tea and candlelight. Sacred circle from 3PM to 5PM.

Come as you are. Reflect to see if you are called upon to priestess, or to bring items to enrich our time together. (See previous posts for ideas.) Please remember that we ask you to donate what you can to our rental expenses.


Love and Belly Blessings,

Spiral Traditions Temple Women

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Rewriting our Stories…November in the Red Tent


Rewriting our Stories…November in the Red Tent


It’s still autumn in New England on this November day and the trees proudly wear their deepening shades of russet, umber, burnt sienna, and darkening golden amber. The women arrive at the Red Tent wearing heavier clothing than just a month before, wrapped in sweaters and thick socks, and smiles. The harvest is in, winter nears, and we are all ready for abundance and our gathering.

We relish our free time; such a treat it is for each of us. We chat, share food, write, create art, ponder, rest, and feel the spirit of our shared reverie in the nurturing, healing power of the tent, for it is we, held in the arms of the Divine, who create it for ourselves and each other.
As free time comes to an end, we smudge each other and bless ourselves in preparation for our sacred circle and then we begin.

Ananda served as our Priestess this day and began by asking us to introduce ourselves in “the daughter’s way” choosing an element of the Earth or other natural element to claim as our ancestor. The power of those introductions was a wonderful way to open this circle.

Our theme was “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” and each woman, in turn, offered up a story of her choosing and, after the telling, allowed us to comment and suggest ways in which she might rewrite the story to create healing for herself. It is amazing to watch the changes that take place, the gifts we exchange, when we put ourselves in the hands of our sisters. The circle ended with much gratitude, joy, and love and, once again, we found ourselves sad that the day had ended.

Before we left, we talked about next month’s tent which is the day of our Sacred Artisans’ Bazaar – a time of sharing our creative energies and the resulting beautiful and wonderful gifts we make, the products of the soul-deep gift of creation. When we let Spirit shine through us, the results are truly beautiful. And this is how the simple offering of our creations becomes a sacrament as we relish our Divine gifts and rejoice once again in the Divine in each of us.

Thank you to every woman who contributed to the beauty of the November Red Tent Temple.
Please join us next month on Sunday, December 5th, and help us to assure that the wonder and magic continues. In addition to the Bazaar, we will also have a raffle to raise money for the Red Tent. Please bring an item you are willing to contribute for this purpose. We look forward to seeing you at our last tent of 2010 and as we look forward to the gifts of 2011.

So it is. So it will be.

~ Diana Powers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



In addition, please allow me to publicize an incredible documentary in the works! .......


Red Tent Sculpture

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Red Tent Temple 11-7-10, Bloomfield, CT



Dearest Woman.......

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

November 7, 2010, at Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT.
(Bear right at the fork on Auer Farm Rd and proceed to the 4-H Learning Center.)

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, your favorite mug and soup bowl, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend. Wear red if you like.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies). RSVP's appreciated.

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor
Set up time: 9-11 am
Break down time: 5-6:30 pm
Priestess (facilitate) our formal Circle
In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables
Soup, foods to share
Your own dish ware
Tea and honey

Supplies
Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar - not needed at this time -
*Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense")
*Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple
*Smudge shell to donate to the Temple
*Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple


TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for November 7, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9am, ongoing throughout the morning as women arrive.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!
Please forward this to other women who may enjoy attending the Red Tent Temple.

Belly Blessings

Monday, October 4, 2010

Red Tent Temple Invitation 10-10-10



Dear Woman.......

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

October 10, 2010, Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT. Bare right at the fork on Auer Farm Rd and proceed to the Learning Center.

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend. Wear red if you like.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies). RSVP's appreciated.

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor
Set up time: 9-11 am
Break down time: 5-6:30 pm
Priestess (facilitate) our formal Circle
In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables
Soup, foods to share
Your own dish ware
Tea and honey

Supplies
Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar - not needed at this time -
*Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense")
*Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple
*Smudge shell to donate to the Temple
*Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple


TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for October 10, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9am, ongoing throughout the morning as women arrive.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!
Please forward this to other women who may enjoy attending the Red Tent Temple.

Belly Blessings

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Red Tent Temple, September 5, 2010, CT



Dear Woman.......

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

September 5, 2010, Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT.

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend. Wear red if you like.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies). RSVP's appreciated.

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor
Set up time: 9-11 am
Break down time: 5-6:30 pm
Priestess (facilitate) our formal Circle
In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables
Soup, foods to share
Your own dish ware
Tea and honey

Supplies
Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar - not needed at this time -
*Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense") -*needed-
*Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple
*Smudge shell to donate to the Temple
Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple
*A new, large blank journal for the Temple community

TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9am, ongoing throughout the morning as women arrive.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!
Please forward this to other women who may enjoy attending the Red Tent Temple.

Belly Blessings
--
www.spiraltraditions.blogspot.com

Friday, August 20, 2010

Red Tent Memoir, August 2010

The Red Tent and Initiation by Fire
by Charleen Johnston

Walking into the room early in the morning, ready to set up the room for Red Tent, I feel like once again Ive come ‘home’. The sense of being in a space that is imbibed with so much sacredness, hope, surrender, power, and beauty is almost overwhelming. As the day proceeds, the kitchen becomes the altar of offering from the Women who come to rejuvenate their spirits in a circle of sister souls. Soups, breads, crackers, teas, fresh fruit and always some form of chocolate or other delicacy to stir the appetites and provide grounding for the space where so much energy is released and raised in frequency. Altars are set up, candles lit, books placed so that all who come may partake of their gifts of knowing. The color Red permeates everything and everyone, the palpable sense of mystery and blood and power, and feminine wisdom. Throughout the day more women arrive, some new, some returning after having been absent in previous circles, and many who are consistent devotees of the Circle…..all gathering and accepted and nurtured within the matrix of maidens, mothers, and crones who make the Tent the special and magical space that it is.

Tarot readings, collage making, journaling, and storytelling flow through the day and through the women in a woven fabric of Love and Trust that has become an important part of life for those involved. As the day progresses, poetry is read aloud from the storytellers chair, and a discussion takes place about how each and every sister in the circle can contribute in different ways to help make the Red Tent gathering as flowing and smoothly operated as possible. Ideas are put forth on many issues and suggestions given that will lead to an ever expanding sense of community and a continued undertaking of sacred sisterhood.

As the structured circle begins, again with no designated Priestess, the air outside is rumbling and the electricity is building, with a storm threatening to attend our circle. Sage smudging and silence and reverence leads to another magical web of personal stories, fears, hopes, blessings, and intentions. As one magical woman aligns her intention with the spirit of Fire and the initiation through it, its becomes clear that the theme resonates with everyone in the circle, and suddenly we know that the days undercurrent is touched by fire and by lightening. We are blessed with a magical message directly from the hands of Zeus, through a sister Shamaness, and once again we are all raised from our mundane experience of ourselves, into something cosmic and all-supporting. The Great Fire as Initiation seems to express directly what the circle experienced and focused on.

As the circle came to a close and those gathered begin to disperse and say goodbyes for another cycle of the moon, the energy became more grounded and we prepared to walk into daily life, with a larger heart and a more open consciousness………which is always bound to happen…..when you are blessed enough to spend time in a sacred environment with your Sisters of Spirit.

The conjunction of the planets Mars(masculine force, fire, energy, drive, action) with Venus(feminine force, air, balance, relationship, beauty)for the past month and on into the next, is offering us a collective boost for harmonizing our internal yin and yang, so that the purifying fire of Kundalini can move through us smoothly and pleasantly. Use this time to integrate both aspects within yourself so you can become a clear channel for diving inspiration.

Tarot Card drawn to represent and reflect the theme of the Red Tent Gathering for August 2010

(drawn at random from the Thoth Tarot Deck, with passages from ‘Tarot of the Spirit’ by Pamela Eakins)

ACE OF WANDS (The universe must agree on the theme of Fire…hehe)

*Force*
Divinitory meaning : You feel a sense of transformative high energy; inner blocks are falling away, freeing you to move into newness; you have the will to change and you feel the great energy of new beginnings; you have a newly discovered source of power; you are excited, you feel exhilarated ; if there is an undercurrent of depression, it is only because the future remains unknown at this time; if you feel like you are burning up with no channel or outlet for your emotions, do not worry, the way will very soon become clarified, you wills soon find someone or something to connect with.

Meditation

Cancer, Leo, Virgo
Raw Spirit, Raw Power, Raw Force
Breath in the Void,
All Possibility;
The Essence, the Soul, the Intent, the Potential
Holy, Cosmic, Sacred, Inspired;
Breathing Spirals Whirling
Galactic Coils: Spirit of Will; Will of Spirit;
Sprouts Spikes Stalks Towers
A Sexual, Erotic and
Phallic Burst of Courage, Vigor
Essence of the Search for Real Meaning
True Intent.


Interpretation

At the one of fire, your spirit grows restless. It is time for a change, time to engage in new activities, new relationships, new interests, a new treatment of the body. Your internal Fire, the driving force of change and movement, is burning. You must do something. You desire newness, you desire meaning. At this point, however, you are experiencing only a blind will to change. You need direction.


You are experiencing the raw and undirected force of the first stage of creation. Here, the force of your own will to act, produce, or create becomes a focused point in the realm of all the unfocused and infinite possibilities of the Universe. This is the force of Ether on the Tree of Life, the first sphere-the creative force-that emerges from the void of possibility.


While burning desire is the essence of focus and creativity, and you ought to be feeling very creative at this time, it is possible that you feel neither creative nor focused. In reaction to the surging fire within, you may feel a variety of emotions ranging from exhilaration to depression. You may feel like you are burning up with no outlet or channel for the endless yearning and energy. You may feel frustrated. Do not be tempted, however, to suppress the burning. Be advised that the Fire within is the source of all your movement and all your wisdom. It is the source of all growth and change, whether such change is spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical. This burning energy is the force that will propel you toward realizing or maximizing your potential in all of these areas. Focus on the excitement.


At the One of Fire, you have tapped the central and elemental point at which your deep internal spirit-the force behind all change-begins and ends. When this burning flame flares, your energy level increases. You experience raw and infinite energy, unleashed, unabashed and undirected. Understand that you are about to undertake a new project, love, adventure or spiritual quest. You cannot yet envision where you are headed, but you know you are headed somewhere. You feel the Wheel of Fortune beginning to turn.


At this time, your internal Will is powerful and driving,. It can take you to heights you never fathomed. The force you experience at the One of Fire is not only the spirit of your own will-the source of all action and movement- but the will of your spirit. The will of spirit seeks to focus ideas and bring them into manifestation. The challenge of the One of Fire is to understand how to achieve the best focus.


At the One of Fire you are meeting the yang energy pattern within yourself. You are dealing with Fire in its most uncontained form. Fire is the primal Male element: the universal yang force. Yang, in Chinese philosophy, is the active, positive, masculine force or principle. It is the universal emitting force: the source of all light and heat. The yang part of you is now rising up, challenging you, and moving you to peaks of growth and awareness.


Through proper attunement, the creative surge of the One of Fire will soon become directed and rewarding. The only way you will find what you are looking for, and thereby direct your vast and potent inner force, is by exploring the cosmic sea: your own inner depths.


Turn within. It is time for introspection. It is as if you are a blind and empty pupil in the center of an eye. Although your visionary owers for the new stage are forming, you are not yet able to see the path with clarity. Stated another way, in order to learn to See, you must become a student in the center of the I. This means it is time for a deep penetration of Self. You must open yoru deep, inner Self in order to understand the depth and power of your own will as well as the direction in which you are now moving.


At the One of Fire, to open your deep Self, you need to access your feminine, or yin, side. Your feminine side, which is fluid and free-flowing, will give you the permission, space, and freedom to open to new possibility. Using your feminine aspects will end the uncontrolled burning or yearning for change. A balance of male and female energies within will allow you to expand and grow with flexibility, creativity, and clarity.
May your days be bright with Smiles and Laughter,


Charleen Johnston

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Red Tent Temple, August 8, 2010, Bloomfield, CT

Women:

You are invited.

Come home to yourself within the safe container of the Red Tent Temple.

August 8, 2010, Auer Farm in Bloomfield CT.

Bring your nesting blankets, a pillow, and something special to place on the community altar while you attend.

$20+ suggested donation (for rental fees and supplies)

All other "things to bring" are optional, welcomed contributions which keep our Temple running abundantly. Shared labor for set up and break down are especially needed.

Contributions to consider:

Labor
Set up time: 9-11 am
Break down time: 5-6:30 pm
In kind volunteer time at Auer Farm, which earns towards rental fee. Call farm for details and notify us of your time spent.

Perishables
Soup, foods to share
Your own dish ware
Tea and honey

Supplies
Candles, unscented, with or in a dish/jar
Smudge supplies (sage, sweetgrass, or herbs - no "incense")
Smudge feather fan to donate to the Temple
Smudge shell to donate to the Temple
Small bells, drums, or rattles to donate to the Temple
A new, large blank journal for the Temple community

TEMPLE SCHEDULE

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, August 8, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~
Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-3 pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm

~ 5-6:30 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Additional Temple notes......

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

See you there!








Monday, July 19, 2010

A Priestess in Every Chair…July in the Red Tent

~A Priestess in Every Chair~
July in the Red Tent

On a juicy, sultry summer’s day, the earth rich with fertility and the sky ripe with moisture not yet released, the women came from the four directions. They came with their friends. They came with their sisters. Mothers and daughters, they came. Some came alone and knew they would not be alone for long. The light on the land was mystical. And so it should be on this day of a powerful solar eclipse which, though not seen by the naked eye in our hemisphere, was certainly seen and felt by the eyes of the spirit.

Every tent is different, unique, and special, and so we come in openness, ready for the gifts that will be given. This was the day of the Sacred Artisans’ Bazaar – a time of sharing our creative energies and the resulting beautiful and wonderful gifts we make, the products of the soul-deep gift of creation. When we let Spirit shine through us, the results are truly beautiful. And this is how the simple offering of our creations becomes a sacrament as we relish our Divine gifts and rejoice once again in the Divine in each of us.

So our free time was filled to the brim with the many ways that we nurture and rejuvenate ourselves and each other. Along with the joy and downright fun of sharing our creations, we continued with our many ways of experiencing the community of the divine feminine: conversation and quiet; music and laughter; stories and card readings; rest and movement; and nourishment that defies description at this fecund time of year. The berries and other fresh produce were exquisite. And what would the tent be without our soups, this month both hot and cold and all wonderful. Much gratitude goes to all the women who contribute their diverse gifts to the tent, each as she can.

We began our circle without a predetermined Priestess. This does not concern us for we have learned that there is truly a Priestess in every chair. All forms of priestessing have their value. When the leadership is shared by all, the energy flows differently and the gifts are as many and as beautiful as they are when one woman leads the way. This lesson is not lost on us. And so, as in everything, we remain open to the gifts Spirit has in store for us at any given moment and savor every one for exactly what it is. This is the way of Love and we know it and are profoundly grateful.

Here is a message from Spirit to the women of our beautiful Red Tent Temple. It comes to us through The Fifth Tarot, by Martien & Teressena Bakens:

The Elementor of Stones (excerpts)

The Elementor of Stones is the epitome of the Earth Mother. She is the fullness of the Pacha Mama, the embodiment of all creation. She holds the world in her loving embrace. Life flows from her life blood and the waters of her womb. At her heart is the tree of life, its roots forming her breasts that nurture and sustain all life. At her navel, the golden mean, the spiral of life, becomes the umbilical cord that give’s life to all earth’s creatures. The snow-capped mountains offer support to those who lay their head in her bosom. The cliffs form her hair, which creates a cloak of protection around all who reside in its folds. She opens her home to the pine trees, who climb on her back, in order to be close to her. We feel her strength in her legs that form the foundation on which the world rests. She is Mater familias, the mother of all Earth’s family; watching over her children day and night…

Symbolically, women are the carriers of life in their wombs. Men are the tenders of the garden of life after they have planted the seeds. All is honored and sacred when we hold it so. What comes forth from this union is miraculous new life. The Elementor symbolizes this sacred union of the divine masculine and the divine feminine and new life within the self.

The Earth Mother calls us to feel her heartbeat and allow her love and grace to pulse in our veins. The Elementor now understands that duality ceases to exist when we choose oneness with all our relations. We are the creators of our own reality here on this earth plane. In shifting the paradigm, we carry the light, not the weight, of the world on our shoulders.

Pacha Mama laughs a full-bellied laugh, delighting in the joy of life, encouraging all her children to find their joy as well. The ability to create is the power of the Earth Mother. Her capacity to love is her strength. The Elementor of Stones is the fullest expression of the beauty and abundance gifted in the suit of earth.

~~~~~~
Thank you to every woman who contributed to the magic of the July Red Tent Temple. Please join us next month on Sunday, August 8th, and help us to assure that the wonder and magic continues.
So it is. So it will be.

~ Diana Powers

Monday, July 5, 2010

Red Tent Temple July 11, Bloomfield, CT, 2010





Welcome to your sacred space, dear women, It's our time! This month is our special biannual Artisan Bazaar, details to follow.....

Let us gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ July 11 ~ Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, July 11, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm

~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Welcome to Spiral Traditions Red Tent Sacred Artisan Bazaar

We have some extremely talented women in our circle - it's time to share, celebrate, and bask in the shine of Goddess- given creativity and nourishment. Share with us the gifts of yourselves and of your sisters,and be welcomed home to graciousness in our sacred space.

On July 11, at Auer Farm in Bloomfield, we will hold a limited Sacred Artisan Bazaar in conjunction with our regularly scheduled monthly Red Tent gathering. Strict rules will be in place to uphold the original intention of the Red Tent Temple.

Here are the guidelines:

~We will hold our fair only until 1:30 - the rest of the day will be Red Tent Temple only, as usual. Come early to set up or to shop, 9:30 AM set up is open to begin.

~Participation is not a requirement, of course.

~We will not be allowing anything commercial (NO tupperware, or 'products' please, unless it's in regards to Women's empowerment or sustainability.)

~All pieces should be in alignment with Red Tent energies: HANDMADE items, art, music, herbals, or personal services are welcomed!

~If you are not certain, please ask.

~Your set up should take up small amount of space within our room, or you can set up a larger display in the entrance room.

~There will be a silent RTT raffle! We ask that you consider donating an item or small service to the raffle, as this money will go directly to our RTT fund.

~All artisans are asked to donate a small portion of your profits from the day as well. We will not tag a percentage to this, as we are conscious of financial hardship and realize that some of you may be bartering with other artisans for gifts, making money less available. Out of your heart for the Red Tent we ask that you consider our value to you in your life, and make an extra donation that is right for you.

~The Red Tent Temple maintains our availability to women of all economic circumstances.


We hope that you will welcome our second-time venture in this area, and join us in creation, display, participation and celebration. The sacred space to offer you rest, rejuvenation, communion, peace, and love, will be carefully guarded.



Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Drumming, music,
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,
The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Monday, June 28, 2010

May Red Tent Memoir



" A strong woman is a woman who is straining,
A strong woman is a woman standing
on tiptoe and lifting a barbell while trying to sing Boris Godunov.
A strong woman is a woman at work
cleaning out the cesspool of the ages, and while she shovels, she talks about
how she doesn't mind crying, it opens
the ducts of the eyes, and throwing up
develops the stomach muscles, and
she goes on shoveling with tears
in her nose..."

Nearly twenty in number the women gathered with shiny faces, tender hearts, and strength beyond belief. They came for comfort; they came for counsel; they came to reflect on who they are.

"...A strong woman is a woman in whose head
a voice is repeating, I told you so,
ugly, bad girl, bitch, nag, shrill, witch,
ball-buster, nobody will ever love you back,
why aren't you feminine, why aren't
you soft, why aren't you quiet, why
aren't you dead?..."
--

The women feasted on soup, and bread, and cheese, and fruit.There were teas, and herbs, and potions, honey , and chocolate.

"...A strong woman is a woman determined
to do something others are determined
not to be done. She is pushing up on the bottom
of a lead coffin lid. She is trying
to butt her way through a steel wall.
Her head hurts. People waiting for the hole
to be made say, hurry, you're so strong...."

The women wrote Six Word Memoirs, choosing carefully the words to describe themselves and/or their journeys in measured terms. Chants proclaimed connection to the universe, while an interactive people-bingo led to discoveries about others in community.

"...A strong woman is a woman bleeding
inside. A strong woman is a woman making
herself strong every morning while her teeth
loosen and her back throbs. Every baby,
a tooth, midwives used to say, and now
every battle a scar. a strong woman
is a mass of scar tissue that aches
when it rains and wounds that bleed
when you bump them and memories that get up
in the night and pace in boots to and fro..."

Working in pairs the women answered self-selected questions from a designated chakra chart. Statements were met with silent expressions of receiving, accepting, and understanding. Each woman felt "heard", in partnership, and later in whole group circle.

"...A strong woman is a woman who craves love
like oxygen or she turns blue choking.
a strong woman is a woman who loves
strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly
terrified and has strong needs. A strong woman is strong
in words, in action, in connection, in feeling;
she is not strong as a stone but as a wolf
suckling her young. strength is not in her, but she
enacts it as the wind fills a sail...."


An
d so the women embraced and departed, knowing that each was unique with strengths and weaknesses and valued for both. Knowing that in community we learn of others and of ourselves.Knowing that together we are beyond strong: we are invincible.

"....What comforts her is others loving
her equally for the strength and for the weakness
from which it issues, lightning from a cloud.
Lightning stuns. In rain, the clouds disperse.
Only water of connection remains,
flowing through us. Strong is what we make
each other. Until we are all strong together,
a strong woman is a woman strongly afraid."


Poem: "For Strong Women". by Marge Piercy
Summary by Danna




Monday, May 10, 2010

Red Tent Temple, 5-16-10, Bloomfield, CT



Welcome to your sacred space, dear women, It's your time!

This month we are honored to have Danna as our Circle Priestess. Thank you Danna!

Let us gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ May 16 ~ Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, May 16, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm

~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Drumming, music,
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,
The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Monday, April 19, 2010

04-11-10 Planting Abundance


Planting Abundance…April in the Red Tent


On a stunningly beautiful Spring day that only Gaia could create, the women made their way to the tent. From the four directions and so many walks, for this one day their paths converged and they followed each other into their special, light-filled, sacred space, not knowing what the day would bring, but knowing they wanted to be a part of it.


It occurred to me as we set up and adorned our space as only we can, that we are wonderfully unique, each from the other, and that we relish that diversity in a way that we need to bring back out into the world. Poems were shared, soups and other divine foods were offered and gratefully received, creativity honored, stories told, and, just before the circle began, the mood was beautifully set by Jessie Mayer who came for the tent, but generously shared her music and her heart as well.


Lucy was our Priestess and it was she who had called for the theme of “Planting Abundance” for this circle. At her suggestion, we brought items that symbolized abundance for us and created a beautiful Abundance Altar with these symbols and totems. When the circle began, Lucy led us on a journey to meet Lakshmi and to plant abundance for ourselves. When the journey was complete, each of us shared a bit of our experience on the powerful path to abundance and all that it offers.


It occurs to me as I write this summary each month, that it is a challenge to adequately express the beauty and wonder that we experience at every Red Tent and especially the power we all feel even as we create it. Every circle is delightfully different and an equally precious gift to each of us.


When I decided I would write this today, I asked Spirit for a special message to share with our Red Tent community. I did this while I was doing my morning devotions and this is the message I received for all of us. It comes from the “Healing Earth Tarot,” by Jyothi and David McKie:


Ten of Shields:

The Ten of Shields represents the Earth’s nurturing and sharing qualities within a group of supporting people. In this case, the group is all women from various parts of the world with the figure of the green goddess at their head. In the center of the circle are the ten shields from the women’s tribes or families of people.


In this sharing of strengths, much can grow and prosper. The women know that their combined abilities bring a wealth of understanding and experience to the entire group, which could not be achieved singly. This female circle reflects what is possible when we bring our uniqueness as individuals together, not to compete or compare, but to encourage or enjoy.


In a reading, the Ten of Shields is wealth which will nurture your growth to the fullest extent possible at this particular time. Look for opportunities to share your experiences with others of like mind or interest, for these are your family or community who can aid you in your forward movement.

~

I’d say that pretty well describes our amazing group and what we are to each other. In closing, I would also offer this: The very best way any of us can aid anyone else is by nurturing and loving ourselves to the best of our abilities. Each of us is a part of the Red Tent for what it gives to us and, in turn, because it gives so much, it then enables us to give to others.


Thank you for being an important part of this wonderful community and please join us on May 16th for the next Red Tent Temple.


So it is. So it will be.


Monday, April 5, 2010

Red Tent Temple ~ April 11, 2010, Bloomfield, CT




Welcome to your sacred space, dear women, It's your time!

This month we are honored to have Jessie Mayer bless us with her live soul music!

And our Priestess for circle will be Herbalist, Womb Healer and Wise Woman Lucy Mitchella who will be guiding our way through a spiral of creating abundance.

Let us gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Red Tent Temple ~ April 11 ~ Auer Farm, Bloomfield, CT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, April 11, 2010, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm

~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 or more are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity and community - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle
Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,
The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Spring Ahead…March in the Red Tent



Spring Ahead…March in the Red Tent

On the day the women turned their clocks ahead it was also the eve of the New Moon; a powerful day, filled with the promise of growth and change and new life. Mother Earth was saturated from much, much rain and Her rivers and streams were swollen and pulsing, flowing swift and full toward the sea much the same as the women made their way to the farm and their beloved Red Tent Temple.


On arriving, we were pleased to see the results of the completed renovations of our space that now has a beautiful window wall so that we may look out on the trees and the trees may watch us while we are bathed in healing natural light.


During our free time, we rested and rejuvenated and reveled in each other. There was a special energy in this day. Was it the power of New Moon, the perfect time for starting over, making good changes, creating something new? Or was it the energy of Spring, felt weeks before we actually see it, as the Mother births Her beautiful changes to our Earth home? Or, was it the women luxuriating in the easy comfort and joyful gratitude of being together once again? Clearly it was all of these and more.


The call for one priestess had resulted in two and Jaz and Lezley formed our Priestess Team for the day and the Circle was called. Lezley Two Bears told the story of why bunnies lay eggs. Any circle that begins with such delightful storytelling is bound to be specially blessed and it was, for when we open ourselves to story, magic happens.


Jaz shared that the current moon is known as “Geese Returning Moon” and we passed the talking bowl and gave the moon our own names, connecting powerfully with our personal Moon.


We divided into three groups and created phrases of deep meaning to us and, with the talented Jaz composing the accompanying songlines, we created a song together and sang it in a round:

~ loving dancing children laughing

~ we are planting love

~ we are opening to the wisdom of life


Lezley then offered a ‘spring planting’ exercise in which we were able to identify the crops we wish to grow this year as well as those that no longer work for us. The talking bowl was passed again and we shared our hopes for this planting season in our lives. We all look forward to our harvests.


Our deep thanks goes out to Lezley and Jaz for a job well done. Also, thanks to Ananda for the amazing owl calls.

And then our time was almost done. It was lovely to have a bit of daylight left in which to clean up and pack up and the work is gladly undertaken by everyone as it is another way to extend our time together.

Then finally, the cars are packed, the lights turned out and the women must leave each other again and so we do. But as we go out into our worlds and back into our lives, we are lightened and encouraged by the joy and support and the love that we have shared. And we know that we are blessed.


Please join us on April 11th for the next Red Tent Temple.

~ Diana Powers


Living Wide Open: Landscapes of the Mind

by Dawna Markova

I will not die an unlived life,

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible,

To loosen my heart

until it becomes a Wing,

a Torch, a Promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom,

and that which comes to me as blossom,

goes on as fruit.

~