Special Edition Long Dance Newsletter # 3
In This Issue
About This Newsletter
For Everyone to Read Now
If You Are in Thunder Lodge

Personal Message from Hua:

Hua Anwa, Metis Elder

     Wow I am getting excited to see you all at our annual ceremony. Some I'll see for the first time, some are old friends I only see at Long Dance. When Pikita and I started this, we could not have imagined how beautiful the Long Dance would become. She is 21 this year.  

 

     I will celebrate with the knowledge that we can continue as a community, growing and weaving all our separate circles into one in this place we call Long Dance. Please know that we are open to your creative participation.  

 

     Feel free to enroll new folks from your circles, wherever they may be: friends, family, and young adults especially. Bring your shields and staffs that represent your circle.  

 

     To the leads of other circles, please know you are invited. Just show up, it's on us. I've been traveling to other circles and it's so great to be able to just show up and participate :)  

 

See you soon in ceremony!     .................    Blessings, Hua

 

Quicklinks
  

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About This Newsletter 

 

Long Dance is less than a week away!  Yay!   

 

This newsletter is the final of three Special Edition Long Dance newsletters that we will publish leading up to Long Dance.  The idea is to provide important information that will help us as we transition to a larger, more diverse leadership that will lead the way to the next twenty years of Long Dance.    

 

You can read any newsletter you want in our newsletter archive - they have good tips as you prepare to arrive in sacred ceremony.  (You know you're already in ceremony, right?  LOL) 

 

Please contact our new event coordinator Hawk Woman with any needs, leads or questions you may be sorting thru.  Her number:  805 801 2911  

 

Thank you for all you do to honor the sacred traditions of our Earth Mother and to safeguard the future for the next seven generations.  AHO!  

 

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For Everyone to Read Now:

 


This is the right time to think about Trade Circle, making any giveaways you want to bring for special friends and Elders, and thinking about Beauty Way for any Lodge you are in.

Please also be sure to bring some cash/checkbook with you for Trade Circle.  An Elder reminded us that every year people say to her "I wish I had known!"

Salud to all the healthy ones out there!  We need some donations of fruit, vegetables and a big box of avocados.  Got any leads for us?  Please contact Hua or Hawk Woman with your fresh produce leads.  These donations are tax deductible!  Hua:  805 489 0892  Hawk:  805 801 2911.

And please note that this year will be a dark moon so flashlights are a must for everyone!  We will be in camp on the Autumnal Equinox which happens Friday evening September 23rd.  Join us as we celebrate this sacred occasion with a concert from 7:30 - 9:30 pm. 

You can invite friends and we are asking a suggested donation of $10 for those who come to share community with us on this special day.  See an abbreviated schedule of events under "What to Expect" at www.longdance.org  Check in with Hawk about the number of people you are expecting to join us.  We need to be sure that they have all the information  they need and encourage them to carpool.  Of course they need to sign the Waiver as well.


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We are still looking for more help in our new Take Down Lodge.  Take Down Lodge is where the community helps us to set up and take down the Village.  We had an excellent turn out at Village Building and it was a special time.  Thank  you everyone who helped!!  See pictures if you missed them last week.

During the 4 days of Long Dance, these helpers are invited to be part of Community in every way except the Dance itself.  So they can come to our Thursday night Brothers' Sweat, our Friday Pipe Ceremony & concert, and more!  Then instead of dancing, they come in Sunday morning, fresh as daisies and help us take down, pack, transport, unpack and put away the Long Dance equipment in the garage at the Church grounds.  Please use the email below to invite friends to become a part of Take Down Lodge.

"Dear friends & community,

Please help us with your strong arms and legs to add Beauty to the world with our special Circles of Empowerment.  Every year we sponsor a Long Dance from sunset to sunrise for over one hundred women to pray to make the world a better place for everyone. Brothers in Thunder Lodge add their prayers as well - safeguarding the future for the next seven generations.

We could really use your help for taking down our Village. It's become a bigger task as we add more and more people every year, with more teachings and ceremony for everyone.  If you can help us with a day of your time, we'd be truly appreciative.  You are more than welcome to join us for community events such as the Brothers' Sweat Lodge on Thursday night, the Sacred Pipe Ceremony and an evening concert on Friday with special guests & friends.

The date for Take Down is Sunday Sept 25th.  Ideally we'd like to see a crew of twenty or more, which means it would probably be less than 8 total hours to get it back into our storage area in Arroyo Grande.

Please let us know if you can help.  You can register by contacting   Hawk Woman at (805) 801 2911 or White Heart at (805) 203 5183 for details.  Thank you so much and thank you for all you do to make the world a more beautiful place.  AHO!"


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If You Are In Thunder Lodge


Thank you for your commitment!  As we reported, we are making concerted efforts to improve the organization of Long Dance so that it is not such a burden on the Brothers Lodge.  This year we are adding a new Take Down Lodge whose members will come in with fresh energy to help everyone take down the Village. 

Please see the box above for text that can be cut & pasted into an email that you can send out to any folks you know who could help with the Take Down portions of Long Dance.

Thunder Lodge is dedicated for the spiritual enrichment of the Brothers, who also act as Sentry and hold the Sacred Space of Long Dance during the long night of ceremony.  We offer a Sweat Lodge for Brothers, as well as participation in the Sacred Pipe Ceremony, Trade Circle and all the other community activities of the four day Long Dance celebration to our Brothers.  Only the dance itself is for Sisters only.

If you decide to enroll in Thunder Lodge this year, you will find the sparks of new leadership forming under your nurturance and guidance.  We continue to reach out to Elders who can bring their wisdom to Thunder Lodge, while acknowledging that the Brothers must also get some rest on Saturday night, in keeping with their sentry and other sacred duties.  Elders, please contact us if you would like to lend support to this Lodge.

This year will also see improved cooking and latrine facilities for Thunder Lodge.   We want to suggest that you look at the updated Thunder Lodge page on our website to see what you should bring with you to ensure a good & safe time for all.  This will be a dark moon so flashlights are a must!

Blessings on our Brothers - we love you & appreciate all you do!


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Remember: Twenty One's ALREADY Fun!

 

As a final word, please remember that NOW is the time to show up for ceremony.  Please join us as we gather together in unity to offer prayers for gentle and balanced change.  Change is always with us; let us come together to celebrate and honor the cycles of transformation in a good way.

 

Contact Info

 

Clan Mother Hua Anwa and Circles of Empowerment

750 Carpenter Canyon Road, Arroyo Grande CA 93420 

805 489- 0892

 

 www.circlesofempowerment.org and www.longdance.org