Contribution from Jennie Pratt - a new member -
Welcome Jennie!

Jennie recently attended one of the Earth Spirit Network weekends as a "newbie".

I was a little nervous and excited as Kathy (Beckett) and I pulled into the car park behind Nightingale House. It was my first time at a Unitarian Earth Spirit Network weekend. I needn't have worried. After settling into our room we had a lovely buffet supper in the dining room and were able to meet the other group members, all of whom had been before. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. Later that evening, Linda (Haggerstone) conducted an uplifting opening ritual in which we all participated by calling the quarters and bringing objects to talk about. They ranged from a conker found in Tony McNeile's pocket to a felt stone holder to stones and pendants. As I have been a solitary Pagan for some years, it was extremely interesting to meet other people walking a similar path. After the ritual, we invaded the Queen Anne pub in the village where the lively discussions continued, aided by alcohol.

The next day Tony McNeile led a session on the Pagan Year. We formed small groups and made our own Moon Calendars. This was followed by an interesting talk by Rosemary Arthur on angels, fairies and earth spirits.

After a lovely lunch we had some free time to explore the beautiful Derbyshire countryside. A group of us walked to the neighbouring village of Foolow to see some well-dressing. I was amused to see that there was a childrens' display there depicting The Hungry Caterpillar!

Ritual planning for the closing ritual the following day took place before and after dinner.

After this, Nickie Aspeotis led a guided meditation. We then discussed what we had seen and felt during ourjourneys. I found this experience most refreshing after what had been a busy day. Another visit to the Queen Anne was then enjoyed by some of our number. The final day came and Kathy and I participated in a Celtic Awakening the Dawn ritual with David Arthur. After this we had breakfast and attended the Closing Ritual. As it was autumn, seasonal berries were used to focus our attention on the coming "dark" part of the yearly cycle. After a visit to the Unitarian Chapel opposite, we all came together to discuss our experiences (largely positive) and decide when we would meet again.

After lunch, it was time to go our separate ways, refreshed and motivated by the weekend's events.

Personally I liked the fact that the group was a small one as it gave me the chance to speak with everybody. I also enjoyed meeting like-minded people and "shutting out" everyday life for a couple of days. The weekend really helped me "recharge my Pagan batteries" and I can honestly say that although this was my first Earth Spirit Network weekend, I don't intend it to be the last!