The July 2012 blog is posted a wee bit early for a reason. I am trying to qualify for a grant (see details below) and need 250 votes of confidence in my “small business” (teaching, writing and selling books from my online bookstore, etc.) I hope everyone will consider helping out with a vote.
Its been a weird summer so far. First we had record heat then a few days ago I came home to a carpet of hail stones all over the lawn. Tender leaved plants like comfrey took quite a beating, every leaf is now Swiss cheesed with tiny holes. It actually went down to the 40’s in my neck of the forest.
Its amazing to think that the light is already disappearing, now that Solstice is past.
Below you will find the usual collection of archaeology, nature, Druid and religion news.
Enjoy!
BOOK NEWS
- Upcoming Radio Show!
Sunday July 8
I will be on, after the musical break, approximately 8:25-8:30. - A nice little review from Mike The Fool of Reformed Druids of North America;
Mike wrote: “Finally got my copy of book 3 of Ellen Ellen Evert Hopman’s trilogy taking place in the 4th/5th century AD, during the time of the Druid/Christian transition. Only up to chapter 3, but her skill with words matches her folklore knowledge, simply loved this phrasing:
“It was as simple as that. The world of my childhood melted away like the mist on a lake at sunrise.””Priestess of the Forest” and “Druid Isle” were great stand-alone novels too, and for an immersion, as-if-I-were-there, experience, I have enjoyed her series far more than the more racy, less scholarly, novels of Morgan Llywelyn. They would be in the required reading for any Druid course I teach. I especially like the dynamics of religious transition, societal tension and her emphasis on sticking in little customs, herb lore, festival tidbits, Irish terms, and archeological items. You often get the feeling that she has so much more lore to convey, but this is not a textbook, so she teasingly moves on to the story again. It’s entertaining with the right bit of education. She has plenty of guidebooks available to follow up with”.
Reminder: you can order all my books and DVDs from this website! Just surf over to my wee bookstore….if you order from here (via PayPal) you get a signed copy and a personal note. If ordering from outside the USA you will need to add another $6.00 per item for postage.
And now a favor….
I am applying for a grant. Just to be able to submit the application I need 250 votes by June 30. It won’t cost you anything and I hope you will consider helping!
Thanks to a program sponsored by Chase and LivingSocial called Mission: Small Business?, your support could translate into a $250,000 grant. But I need at least 250 votes at www.missionsmallbusiness.com BY THIS SATURDAY (June 30, 2012) to qualify. To vote for my business:
- Go to www.missionsmallbusiness.com click ‘Log In & Support’ and log in using Facebook.
- Search for my business by name (Ellen Evert Hopman) OR filter by my State (Massachusetts).
- Click on the blue Vote button next to my business name to show your support for my business.”
If I get the grant I can travel back to Europe to do more research and can offer scholarships and free classes on herbalism and Celtic spirituality.
thanks so much!
And now for this Moonth’s recap of the news….
DRUID NEWS
- The first ever female Archdruid for the Welsh Eisteddfod
- In honor of the Solstice – Stonehenge decoded (video)
- How the Tuatha De Dannan became the Fairies
- A blast from the past…the Archbishop of Canterbury is a Druid
- Desperate Druids Episode 13 – preparation for Lughnasad
- Austrian Druids use trees to heal
RELIGION NEWS
- Russians are reviving Kupala Night (Summer Solstice)
- The Pope’s war on the Catholic Church (and what to do about it)
- The fastest growing religion in America is…
- What is human intelligence? Tibetan wisdom.
CELTIC NEWS
ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS
- Knowth, 50 years later
- So glad they finally figured out what Stonehenge was for (being ironic).
- Summer Solstice in Ireland
- Solstice at Tara
- At Carrowkeel in the west of Ireland, Cairn G is aligned with the setting sun at the Summer Solstice
- Iron Age fashion in Denmark
- Arthurian Britain re-examined
- Coronation Stone at Tara vandalized (is nothing sacred in this degenerate age we live in?) More…
- British long house that pre-dates the pyramids found
- data base of Pictish stones
- How did the ancient Gauls live?
- Bronze age had refrigerators, central heating, saunas.
- Young lovers eternal embrace – for 5000 years
- Were the first Native Americans Europeans?
NATURE NEWS
VAMPIRE NEWS
ARTS
- The Fifth Element – Love (film)
- Song of Aimhirghin
- lovely nature footage and classical music More…
- Simon’s Cats
POLITICS/ETHICS
I agree with him. However I am old enough to remember how we stopped Nixon from dropping an atomic bomb on Hanoi because we turned out by the hundreds of thousands (some say a million people showed up) to protest the inane war in Vietnam. There IS a place for marching, camping and protesting. But without political action OWS cannot become a powerful movement in this nation’s history.
Please take some time to stop and enjoy the fireflies, summer stars and sunsets. Life is short and the dark is already drawing nigh.
Summer blessings on all who read this!