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Note : This page will be constantly updated over the weeks before the Solstice : it is FAR from complete or comprehensive! If you have anything to add, please mail bobcat [at] druidnetwork [dot] org. Explanatory RamblingsChristmas ... those of the Christian faith who truly believe and walk within that tradition's tenets, find Christmas in modern Western society a wholly blasphemous riot of consumerism and secular greed. Apart from the stars (ironically, usually pentagrams) that lead the mind back to that one star that guided the shepherds to the Messiah's birth stable, and the occasional carol singers at the door in suburban parts, there isn't much displayed that links Christmas with Christ. For Pagans, the clues are more evident. Celebrating the birth of a new cycle, a new year, the stars hang from the evergreen Yule trees, the greenery we bring indoors, and in shop windows. The mistletoe reminds us of the gifts of the gods, of the magic of conception, rebirth and regeneration. But still this time of year is seething with so much that goes against the deep ethics of our spriritual tradition. The festival is about darkness, the womb of nature, and the first new light of a new cycle, yet Christmas lights and neon plastic Santas fight with the beauty of the darkness. While the festival of family, community and friendship is so important, the consumerism which expresses Western complacency and greed is far from ethical in modern Paganism. While I live in a sufficiently rural environment to avoid the worst of it,
few are unaffected by the Christmas season in our society. Too brightly-lit
shops and carols blast from every doorway reminding you that this is the time
to buy, buy, buy, and eat and drink till you burst with the close
loving family we are all supposed to have. Presents Without ConsumerismTo begin with, it isn't necessary to buy more stuff this Yule. There are hundreds of ways in which we can give to each other while giving too to those who most need our energy, money and other resources. Many charities have schemes they promote at this time of year. Check this site ideas : http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/index.html listed in alphabetical order ACTION AIDIn poor communities all over the world, children face a miserable and uncertain future - simply because they are poor. Dirty water, insufficient food and a lack of healthcare leave them vulnerable to disease. And with no chance of an education, they'll have little chance to break out of poverty and build a better life. You can help change this situation - by sponsoring a child today. For just 50p a day, you'll make a real impact on the life of a child and their community. Your monthly gifts will help local people plan and complete projects such as wells, health centres, irrigation schemes and schools. And you'll be able to see exactly what your support has achieved through regular updates from overseas.
ActionAid THE DRUID NETWORK Plant a Tree for Midwinter SCHEMEThe Druid Network offers an opportunity for a marvellous and supremely Druidic Alban Arthan gift : Send money to our tree planting scheme, and you receive a beautifully created certificate specially dedicated to the person in whose name you wish us to plant trees. Send your own name and address, the name of the person for whom you are buying the trees, together with their address if you'd like us to send the certificate direct to them. Cost : £6 for one tree (£11.50 for 2, £28 for 5, £55
for 10) Enquiries : admin [at] druidnetwork [dot] org GOOD GIFTSHere is an interesting site called Good Gifts. It is a one stop online shop which works in partnership with lots of charities to send aid nationaly and across the world to both people and animals. Gifts start at £10.00 for some Lion Catnip (for lions in zoos) to £300 for a washing machine to equip a needy family to £2,500 to turn an acre of rainforest into a reserve! You can buy bundles, and boxes and bags too, for unspecified aid to go where it's needed. They also do a Wedding List! The site is a registered charity and was started by a woman who got married and was fed up of receiving gifts she didn't need. They guarantee the following: The gifts are always wanted.
OXFAMThis charity has a marvellous scheme called Buy A Good Gift. For £10 you can buy a brood of 10 chickens, £15 buys maize grain for an African Farmer, or even a goat. £16 buys 50 fruit tree seedlings. £30 - £80 buys buckets, emergency shelters, and more. You can buy education and training too. This is a truly wonderful idea and well worth exploring in full. Check http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com/ TREE AIDTreeAid's vision is to see thriving, self-reliant communities in Africa's drylands by reversing poverty and envirionmental degradationfor some of the most threatened people on Earth, through skills transfer and community forestry projects that include income generation. This is a sound charity to donate to for anyone who hold nature as sacred. They have no special gift/certificate scheme, but that shouldn't stop you creating your own. Buy someone a warm feeling of having shared this festival of gifts. THE WOODLAND TRUSTThe Woodland Trust is the Britain's leading conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. To dedicate a tree, check their website THE WORLD LAND TRUSTSave an acre of endangered wilderness through this charitable organization. You can choose to donate for an acre of rainforest in Ecuador, or Patagonian coastal steppe, or Indian elephant corridor. As well as a gift certicifcate, there is the option of twice yearly newsletters or monthly email updates from the trust. One acre costs £25 or equivalent in other currencies. To donate money for an acre, check the site:
Some Ethical Present IdeasEven when we do feel we'd like to give to others at this time, it isn't necessary to do so without thought for those in the world who have less. NOTE : If you are worried about what you can buy that is not supporting companies you wouldn't want to support, check the constantly updated list of those to boycott at : http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycotts_list.htm And JOIN THE DRUID NETWORK CHALLENGE to buy ONLY FAIR TRADE GOODS this Yule. Or take it further, make your whole life FAIR TRADE! listed in alphabetical order ANIMAL AIDThe British Animal Aid gives ideas for a Yule experience that is completley without any cruelty to animals, including toiletries, clothes, animal rescue centres, and vegan fayre. For a free copy of their information pack about Christmas, check the link below. http://www.animalaid.org.uk/campaign/vegan/xmaspack.htm AVEDACosmetics and beauty products from a company that builds its business on environmental sustainability and respect for the natural world. BISHOPSTONE TRADING COMPANYThis is a Fairtrade Workers' Co-operative set up in 1985 to create employment
in the South Indian village of KV Kuppam and to strengthen the village's long
link with Bishopston in Bristol. Bishopston designs beautiful and affordable
clothing – check the website its no more expensive than the highstreet
shops! They sell lots of organic handwoven cotton, though also noil silk,
denim and lighter weight cotton. They have five shops in the south west of
England (Bristol, Glastonbury, Stroud, Totnes and Bradford-on-Avon as well
as a mail order catalogue. All profits are used to benefit the people of KV
Kuppam through our registered charity, the South Indian Rural Development
Trust. THE BUCKWHEAT HULL PILLOWBuckwheat hull and herbal pillows for sleeping, travelling, working and relaxing and hugging ... We have developed a range of therapeutic pillows made wherever possible with organic materials. Conventional cotton production today uses nearly 25% of the world's total output of insecticides. We are committed to furthering the use of organically grown cotton and other ecotextiles. Tel & fax : 00 - 44 (0) 207 254 1220 ETHICAL CONSUMERhttp://www.ethicalconsumer.org/christmastips.htm ETHICAL GIFTSFAIRTRADE GOODSWhy Give
Fairtrade? The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) is a network of independent Fair Trade or World Shops across the UK. It promotes Fair Trade retailing in the UK and seeks to raise the profile of Fair Trade on the High Street. To find your nearest fair trade shop click on the address below for a list of shops. http://www.bafts.org.uk/buyingFairtrade/shops.htm British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) Check the Fair Trade cards below. FRIENDS OF THE EARTHhttp://www.foe.org.uk/living/merry_christmas.html GREEN BUILDING STOREFor that DIY buff in your household ... Green Building Store's commitment is to supply products that promote healthier and more environment-friendly buildings. Whether you are specifying for a large development, or renovating your own home, they have well researched, cost-effective solutions. Green Building Store, 11 Huddersfield Road, Meltham, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
HD9 4NJ, England. GREEN FIBRES Greenfibres makes and supplies natural textiles and other products which
are 99 High Street, Totnes, DevonTQ9 5PF, England MAKING PRESENTS YOURSELF This is a page with a few good ideas : mini gingerbread houses for kids,
bath soap crayons, ragdolls and some other ideas: JUSTICE CLOTHINGOptions for clothing that is clearly ethical. http://justiceclothing.com/thereis/justice/index.html NATURAL COLLECTIONAt Natural Collection we pursue a positive vision by selecting our range
with the environment very much in mind. We hope to demonstrate that the products
we choose are just as appealing and effective as their counterparts in the
wider marketplace. Tel : 0870 3313333 NATUREWATCHThe focus of Naturewatch is the ending of animal cruelty, particularly in terms of animal experimentation. This useful little booklet, regularly updated, called Compassionate Shopping Guide, gives information as to how to buy what you need without being complicit in the abuse of animals. Their website offers the opportunity to buy online cruelty-free products for bath/shower and skin-care. Naturewatch Email :info [at] naturewatch [dot] org PEACE ONE DAY
Check the gifts available on Peace One Day’s website at http://www.peaceoneday.org/icat/shop, including the Peace One Day T-shirt by Stella McCartney. Any purchases made will support Peace One Day to continue its work in raising awareness of the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, on 21 September annually. PEOPLE TREEPeople Tree is a company selling very fashionable but more expensive Fair Trade clothing. Click on the weblink to see their goods. People Tree works with groups in 20 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, helping marginalised producers to improve their lives, by giving design and quality skills, a fair price, regular orders and advance payment as needed. People Tree's collection is made with organic cotton and handwoven fabrics to promote natural farming that is safe to the environment and safe to the wearer, and create much-needed incomes in rural areas. Fair Trade delivers benefit to where it's most needed and helps empower the producer and the consumer. http://www.ptree.co.uk/catalogue.html PERMACULTURE MAGAZINEA great subscription to give to someone interested in the
land and sustainable living. PLANET FRIENDLY GIFTShttp://www.planetfriendly.net/gifts.html RESURGENCE MAGAZINESince 1966 Resurgence magazine has been one of the pillars of environmental thinking, generating an ecological awareness essential for human and planetary well-being and survival. We believe you that will find it a valuable source of information and inspiration. Why not give someone special a subscription for next year ... Subscriptions Manager - Jeanette Gill, Rocksea Farmhouse, St Mabyn, Bodmin,
Cornwall PL30 3BR, England. SHARED EARTHA group of shops in the North of England selling lovely and affordable fair trade products, including bright and funky jewellery, stylish wooden homeware and elegant silk accessories made in Vietnam. Shops in Birmingham, Manchester, York, Leeds and also Cardiff. http://www.sharedearth.co.uk/index.html TEARCRAFTTearcraft has been trading for nearly 30 years, selling traditional and modern gifts for which a fair price has been paid to the craftspeople who made them. Tearcraft exists to benefit skilled artisans from some of the world’s poorest communities, helping them to create and market products of the highest standard and ensure that a fair price is paid for their work. That means that every purchase you make has a real positive impact. You can buy on-line at : http://www.tearcraft.org TRAIDCRAFTTraidcraft works with more than 100 producer groups in over 30 countries around the world to fight poverty through trade. It does this by selling fair trade goods, campaigning and supporting producers overseas. Traidcraft sells the largest range of fairly traded products in the UK. If you buy form them this Yule you will be making a genuine difference … look for their products in churches, community centres, Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Co-op, Safeway and Booth's supermarkets and in health and wholefood shops nationwide. Shop online by clicking http://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/ TREES FOR LIFETrees for Life, The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres IV36 3TZ, Scotland A well-reputed Scottish conservation charity dedicated to the regeneration and restoration of the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands of Scotland. Sell greeting cards, calendars and diaries. THE WOODLAND TRUSTThe Woodland Trust is the Britain's leading conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. For gifts from their catalogue, check their website
Ethical Food, Cards and DecorationsFOODSome foodie ideas can also be found on our Yule
Food page. This needs extendng and we'd be pleased ith any ideas you can supply, or indeed photos! VIVAChristmas is a time for love and laughter, celebration and indulgence, good food and fine wine. It’s also a time for compassion - and what better way of spreading peace and goodwill than by making your feast vegetarian so that nothing need die for your day of pleasure! Check out the recipe ideas here. http://www.viva.org.uk/christmas/index.html CARDSHere's a list of card sites that sell Pagan and ethical Yule cards. Don't expect them to be as cheap as the mass produced ones you can find, even those sold by charities. Some of the sites below sell the same cards. http://www.martinherbert.com/cardsales.shtml This year why not make sending Yule cards an act that depends your global relationships as well as showing your love for the friends and family you don’t often see. Pledge to only send Fairtrade recycled paper cards! These are available at all good charity shops on your local high street. These will cost between £2.50 and £3 for a pack of cards – money well spent! Here are a few websites where you can buy them as well… http://www.tearcraft.org/cgi-bin/tcraft/index.html
DECORATIONSThis site gives information about making your own Yule decorations. http://community-2.webtv.net/tala--/YuleDecorations/ Pomanders are sweet-smelling traditional house decorations
- tie a ribbon around an orange and cover the rest of the surface with cloves.
Some sources suggest using dried bay leaves as well, and attaching them to
the orange surface with the cloves creating the leaf's shape. You can find
information on ... Popcorn strings can be used to decorate trees or around
your house - you can make them yourself and they're fully biodegradable (if
you use degradable string!) - probably not so nice to eat after hanging around
for weeks but the birds will eat them, and your compost will still break them
down (no salt, please). Check out Mistletide Joy, written by Kris Hughes (Chief of the Anglesey Druidic Order and Welsh Co-ordinator of the Network), sharing his ideas for wreaths, garlands, yule incense and oils, and more. It can be found on Kris' Yule page. Gillian's Yule page of Solstice Creativity gives information about evergreens, dried flower decorations, the traditional Welsh calenig, kissing balls, kissing boughs, fir cone figures and much more.
Giving of OurselvesThis season is a time when care for our community, our neighbourhood and those struggling in our society is most needed. It can be a desperately lonely time. Although the organizations listed below are London based, it is easy to have a look in your phone book, find local charities (particularly those of the elderly and homeless), and ask what you can do to help! CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERINGEven if you don't usually get involved in physical conservation work, why not spend a day tree-planting or scrub-bashing in your local area over Yule or New Year? You can make a real difference for your local wildlife, and work up an appetite for all that festive food at the same time. A number of organisations organise day-long work parties to local nature reserves and wildlife sites being restored: they are well supervised and usually no experience is required. You will need protective clothing, sturdy footwear and gloves, and prepare to get muddy! Find the links to practical work days in your area through these websites: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org (go to 'Local Trusts' and then 'Get involved' or 'Volunteers' depending on the Wildlife Trust in question) http://btcv.org.uk (BTCV also organise longer working holidays doing practical conservation tasks) http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk (for tree planting days in particular) CRISISDuring the week of 23 - 30 December, Crisis opens five shelters across London for homeless and vulnerably-housed people. They offer a range of services but above all companionship at a time when exclusion from family and community is often most painful. To find out more on the Crisis Open Christmas : http://www.crisis.org.uk/projects/crisis_open_christmas.php Volunteer for Crisis Open Christmas Crisis Open Christmas team: QUAKER OPEN CHRISTMASAnother project based in London. The Quakers are a Christian movement with a sound foundation of tolerance, inclusivity, care and equality. SHELTERVolunteering opportunities, GIVE A “PROMISE”One thing that money cannot buy… your time and effort! Instead of giving a present, write out a “promise” to a loved one, a parent, partner or child : I promise to pick up my dirty washing off the floor for the next six months, or I promise to clean the hamster’s cage for six months without needing to be reminded or shouted at! I am sure that you can think of many more that are personal, useful and which will be profoundly appreciated. Or there are the promises that you can give outside the family, perhaps to neighbours: to help someone elderly keep their garden tidy, or pick up their shopping, or walk their dog occasionally, or to help someone locally with their recycling, or to visit the lonely but bad-tempered man who lives alone down the street. Perhaps the most important “promises” that we can make are the ones that no one else is going to be directly aware of, promises for which we may never be thanked or credited: to try and stay cheerful in the face of someone who is permanently miserable; not to loose your temper when your child or partner annoys you for the zillionth time that day, to allow yourself some time and space, each day (even if it is only 10 minutes), to look after the kids so that your partner can have a regular break as well. I am sure that you will be able to think of lots of simple but vitally important little “promises”. They won’t cost any money at all, yet perhaps they are some of the most valuable gifts we could ever give ...
Not Being AloneIf you aren’t blessed with a loving, living family with whom to share the festive season, then have a look at our suggestions for sharing warmth with others who are in similar situations. We have included the numbers for some helplines, too, in recognition of the fact that this time of year can be the most desperate, lonely season if you are bereaved, or have lost an important relationship. You need not be alone. SAMARITANSTel (UK) : 08457 909090 If you’re feeling lonely, need an ear for your troubles, try the Samaritans. PAGAN GATHERINGSPagan and Druid gatherings around this time of year can be found on the Pagan Federation website. http://www.paganfed.demon.co.uk/ RETREATSAlternatively, get away from it all. Treat yourself to a full retreat whilst the rest of European humanity goes crazy, in your own home or at one of many beautiful retreat houses. Check out the following ... http://travel.guardian.co.uk/askatraveller/story/0,8915,537936,00.html Osho Leela in Dorset-big, beautiful house, meditations, good food, a small
bar(!) and the warmest people I know. The Bradford Dale Retreat - small cottage on the edge of a Peak District
village where you can be on your own, with great walking and someone to talk
to if you need it. Pureland Relaxation & Meditation Centre - smallish house in a Nottinghamshire
village with an incredible Japanese garden and an impressive Zen shrine room.
Whalebone House on the north Norfolk coast. Peaceful village setting, excellent
food in the attached tea-room and restaurant, and a garden meditation room.
Midwinter RitesDruids celebrate the darkest point of the year during this festival period, and particularly on the night of the solstice itself, often on 21 December. Many consider this darkest time ('solstice' means sun-standing still) to last three days before the rising of the sun finally starts to swing back north again, bringing us a little more light every day from midwinter's day, usually considered to be 24 or 25 December. It is on midwinter's day that Druids will celebrate the start of the new cycle or solar year, honouring the 'rebirth' of the sun. Amidst the bustle of parties and lights, find a little time to consider what this time of year means for you. If you would like advice or suggestions for creating a ritual yourself, get in touch with the Network, on rites [at] druidnetwork [dot] org. The Gorsedd of Cor GawrThe Druid Network's Gorsedd rite at Stonehenge is held on the Sunday before midwinter's day in the late afternoon, at dusk. Tickets cost just £2 and there is a limit to the number, so book early. For more information and booking details, see http://www.druidnetwork.org/events/index.html#corgawrmidwinter CarolsAnd for some added cheer, Gillian Monks offers some alternative words to well known Christian carols.
General tips for an Ethical Festive SeasonThis list was sent to the Network and we pass it on here. Our advice is to go through it and think clearly what you are able to do. If you can manage them all, tick them off as you head through the festivities, but if all 15 are too much, commit to less, but commit! Encourage others to do the same ... * Send e-Christmas cards, buy recycled ones or make your own
from recycled materials.
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