Cross-posted from http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/Irelands-top-ten-haunted-destinations-PHOTOS.html?page=1
Kayla Hertz @irishcentral August 15,2014 12:45 PM

With his last breaths, Puck the jester swore he would forever haunt Malahide Castle in Malahide, Co. Dublin.Photo by: Wikimedia Commons

With a long, long history rife with wars and massacres, Irish land is bound to have a few ghosts here and there. That is, assuming you’re a believer in the paranormal.

From castles to beaches, here’s a list of our top 10 supernatural destinations in Ireland. Spanning the country, these destinations are supposedly haunted by ghosts of all sorts – soldiers, brides, court jesters and more.
1. Ross Castle

On the edge of Lough Lane in Killarney, Co. Kerry, this five bedroom stone castle built in 1536 is currently run as a B&B. Visitors have reported supernatural activity both in and out of the castle: apparently every May Day for hundreds of years, a Medieval knight named O’Donoghue rides along Lough Lane past the castle, accompanied by a group of spirits who play music behind him. Inside the castle, visitors have reported waking up in the middle of the night to sounds of screams or doors repeatedly opening and slamming shut. One of the spirits is believed to be Myles ‘the Slasher’ O’Reilly, an Irish folk hero who spend his last night in Ross Castle before dying in battle in 1644.
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Reprint from Huffington Post 8/13/14

Did NASA Capture An Alien And Its Shadow On The Moon?

The Huffington Post  | By Andy Campbell

Here’s a recent youtube find: A Gnome watching kids playing in their basement, runs and hides off screen.

2014 Fairy Human Relations Congress
* June 27-29, 2014 * Skalitude Retreat * Twisp, Washington * www.fairycongress.com *

Every year around the Summer Solstice in June, Fairies and Humans gather together to network, communicate, co-create, and bridge relationships on Planet Earth. Specifically focusing more on Nature Spirits, Devas, and the Faery Realms rather than on the Sidhe, Fae, and Faerie, the more human-like races also attend this spiritual gathering. The Congress was first held in the early 1950’s by Daphne Charters in England, but migrated to the United States under directorship of Michael Pilarski at Skalitude near Twisp Washington. The first American gathering was held in 2001 and became an annual event ever since. It was the early ones that I first attended and then with my travels around the world and moving away from the Pacific Northwest, I haven’t had the chance to return until this year. Amazingly it has retained its same beautiful community natured cohesion, peacefulness, center of love and harmony I remembered from 2003-2004. It has grown a bit with more attendees, but never infected with the riff-raff you get at most other festivals. It still has the trustworthiness and balance I remembered loving about the first Pagan gatherings and festivals I went to. Not having to worry about theft, violence, disorderliness, nor people with ulterior motives. The Congress is like the very first spiritual Rainbow Gatherings (before Rainbow fell apart and decayed with riff-raff) meeting a Pagan academic conference. Peace, Love, Healing, and Community empowered the grounds the entire space of the event. I felt recharged and rejuvenated albeit it I was unable to attend many workshops or rites since I was chasing around our little one and watching our festival booth The Tree Leaves Oracle.

As the world has been seeing a full blossom of Fairy and Faerie festivals popping up around the globe, this is the only one that I’ve ever attended that is primarily knowledge and spirituality based unlike some of the others that are music festivals wrapped around the faerie cloak, commercial malls, fantasy dress-up balls, role-playing game conventions, and what-not on a different level than you experience here. This is a true community with more rituals than a normal human can handle and great workshops abound. The music scene is primarily drum circles, although some bands and entertainers will take the small stage in the evenings. The entertainment is drumming, dancing, meditating, yoga, frolick, and education. Of course all the fairy / faerie festivals I attend all have a spiritual nature and rites/rituals embedded in their fabric, but many you have to be “in the know” or hunt around for those aspects if you seek them. Not here, they will be an essential part of your experience. It was good to be back after a 10-12 year hiatus.

Every year, world renown authors and experts on faerie/fairy wisdom hold workshops and classes at the event. Next to the rites and rituals, this is the prime purpose of the Congress. This year, the congress secretly began on thursday and ended on monday as opposed to the flier posted dates – with a special immersion workshop thursday evening by Michael Dunning on “The Dragon Body”. Friday Morgan Brent did “songs from the Garden”, Kirsten Sogge did Eurythmy, Aimee Ringle a Meadow Walkabout, followed by a communal breakfast, opening ceremony and morning circle, Joanna Schmidt on “Opening and Nurturing Your Intuitive Gifts”, Diane Pepper “Meeting Your Multi-Dimensional Selves”, Maia Klevjer “Introduction to Shamanic Journeying for Young Adults”, Joseph Freeman on “Animal Communication”, Ellen van de Viss on “Gardening with the Joyful Devas and Nature Spirits”, Saphir Lewis on “Standing Up as a Human in the Co-Creaetive Relationship”, followed by a communal lunch, then David Spangler on “Understanding the Subtle Worlds: A Foundation for Partnership”, Orion Foxwood on “Growing the Tree of Enchantment: A Journey of Fairy/human Co-creation and Companions”, Laurence Cole: “Listening Deeply to the Emergent song of Now”, Michael Dunning: “Standing in the Power of the Spiritual Stream of Human Becoming”, Creeksong: The Taoist 5 Element(al)s: Using Ancient Sounds as Invocations”, Bridget Wolfe & John Curtis Crawford: “The Alchemy of Unity: When the Whole is more than the Sum of its Parts”, Evening Yoga with Kat Allen, Integration Hour, Circle, a communal dinner, Ecstatic Dance and Drumming with Burke Mulvaney and Friends.

Saturday saw repeat performances and presentations of Friday morning, with added in the afternoon Jacqueline Freeman: “Shrines: Doors to the Fairy World”, Michael Dunning: “21st Century Grail Stream and its Guardians”, David Spangler: “Partnering with the Subtle Worlds: Rules of the Road”, Flora LaRayne and Fransisco: “Blossoming: A Soul’s Longing”, Deborah Koff-Chapin: “Bringing the Subtle Beings into Form Through Touch Drawing”, Shoshana Avree: “The Essence of Existence, Essence of your Soul”, followed by communal lunch, and then
Rj Stewart: “Elizabethan Fairy Magic”, Orion Foxwood: “Clearing the Soul Cage: Cultivating Presence, Clarity and Wonderment”, Saphir Lewis: “Attunement for Powerful Co-Creative Communication”. Ellen Vande Visse: “Gardening with the Joyful Devas and Nature Spirits”, Bridget Wolfe & John Curtis Crawford: “Being in the Other: A New Perspective o Co-Creation”, followed by repeat activities from friday night of yoga, integration, and communal dinner. After dinner was the main Ritual and Fairy/Human Parade, Acousitc Concert in the Lodge with RJ Stewart, Drumming/Dancing/ and Merriment all night long. Sunday had repeat activities from friday and saturday morning, but after Circle held the spectacular “Angel Wash” in the meadows, and the afternoon presentations of Anastacia Nutt on “Celtic Fairy Traditions: Herbs, Charms and the Wise Ones Who Made Them”, Creeksong “Cernunnos: Lord of the Forest, Lord of the Wild Things”, Orion Foxwood: “The Re-Sourcing Prayer: A Technique for Attunement and Alignment”. Jacqueline Freeman: “Honeybees: The Vibratory Voice of Transformation”, Dolores Nurss:”Dreaming with Fairies”, Closing Circle followed by Yoga, Integration Hour, and communal Dinner. Monday had a special Immersion workshop by RJ Stewart of “The Four Cities of the Tuatha de Danann: Beyond the Hidden Crossroads”. It was a most spectacular weekend with clear weather, good sun, fun nature, and a charming community. All meals were communal and included in the festival fees – good wholesome vegan, vegetarian, and free-range organic foods. The food alone was worth the 12 hour drive we had entering this realm.

In previous years, the notable speakers and workshops were done by Peter Tompkins (Secret Life of Plants), Findhorn co-founders Dorothy Maclean and David Spangler, and teachers in the Celtic Faery tradition RJ Stewart, Caitlín Matthews and Orion Foxwood. Other presenters also included flower essence specialists, animal and plant communicators, shamanic practitioners and herbalists, wildcrafters, fairy seers, intuitives, geomancers, Bards and Druids, and Native American storytellers.

The founders and organizers feel this event is very important as the Congress affects the planet by joining with the nature, devic, and other higher realms to bring more peace, love, and understanding into the world with a goal of not escaping the outer world but to positively affect it. It is a time on the globe wheras multiple crises are affecting humanity and they feel it is very important to seek alliances with as many light forces as possible in other realms. Although many deny their existence, the fairy realms and Mother Earth are big players in what is happening on the planet and this vanguard event bring these people together with an intent for communication and cooperation for ourselves and humanity. They feel that the event has more fairies, devas, and light being in attendance both seen and unseen, albeit registration for 2014 was over 250 in attendance, with a feel of close to 300+ frolicking in the meadows. It was a perfect sized event and one I hope to return to again and again for years to come. It has been a long time since I’ve had a good recharge like I did at this event which makes it worth all the more.
~ Leaf McGowan, Druid, Ovate, Faeid, & Healer
founder of the Faeid Fellowship, Tree Leaves Folk Fellowship & Pirate Relief
www.technogypsie.com/chronicles

Photos from the Event:

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Malificent (Rated PG – Released May 2014)
Starring: Directed By: Robert Stromberg, Written by Linda Woolverton, Charles Perrault, and others. Starring: Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Elle Fanning as Aurora, Sharlto Copley as Stefan, Lesley Manville as Flittle, Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass, Juno Temple as Thistlewit, and many others. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/..

I’m really digging the fact that Walt Disney and other major film companies are starting to get on track with depicting fairy tales with “real faeries” as is becoming the artsy trend these days in media, film, and music. They were golden with how they manifested Snow White and the Huntsman I didn’t think the film wizards could do any better with the classics – wrong was I. “Malificent” is in that tradition, embedded deep into the faerie realms and the struggles between humans and the fae, following true folklore about faeries and iron, and much of historical folklore as accurate as they could go. It is the classic retelling (and most probable more authentic of the Sleeping Beauty myth if there was one in history). A young powerful faerie girl well respected in Faerieland as “Malificent” goes and befriends a young human mortal who stumbled into the protected realms. They begin a long childhood friendship which leads up to the guise of “true love” only to meet the ever-told fate between fae and humans that humans will always cross the fae. This throws Malificent into a darkness after she loses her wings and seeks revenge on the wrongdoer. She curses his child into a “sleeping beauty” enchantment that not even she could break, only to be broken by a kiss of true love – which she believed did not exist. As time passes she falls for the young cursed one only to despair that she couldn’t break the curse she cast. Battles between the humans and the magical folk build up high action and turmoil leaving you on the edge of your seat. Ents, Dryads, Pixies, Elves, Dragons, and other magical folk animate your imagination as malificent finds her way back to the fate of her beautiful wings. Just how I would have imagined “Sleeping Beauty”. Rating: 5 stars out of 5 [rating:5]

Join us at our new storefront at 33 North First Street, Suite 1, Ashland, Oregon 97520 as we embark upon our newest phenomena as

The Leaf and Dragon

The combined efforts of The Tree Leaves Oracle and The Jelling Dragon bringing together their hordes of treasures from their travels around the world specializing in Viking, Pirates, Faeries, Fantasy, Folklore, and Medieval Re-enactments, supplies, gifts, clothing, jewelry, herbs, oils, candles, art, crafts, and sundries.

Now open – Mondays through Saturdays, 10 AM until 5 PM excluding holidays and Faerie festivals we attend.

Web shopping carts open 24/7. Toll free: 1-800-605-9705.

Pluto’s Cave
* Shasta, California * Article by Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions © 2014: Written March 31, 2014.

During our fabled quest for Telos, we decided to head off in search of Pluto’s Cave. In the heart of the high desert just 12 1/2 miles north of Weed, California. “Pluto’s Cave” is not really a cavern, but a lava tube dating to over 190,000 B.P. (before present) from early eruptions of Mount Shasta. It is located on the northern outskirts of Mount Shasta in the high desert. Segments of the tube are collapsed, while other portions are buried. There are about three segments one can access reliably. Unfortunately the entrances and walls within many sections of the early part of this lava tube has been vandalized with graffiti from locals partying at the location. Some of the graffiti is historic dating to the early 20th century. The cave floor is very dusty and too much activity will cause a cloud burst of fine powder that will take a bit to settle. The tube has a strong stench of bat guano. The early part of the tube has some flat level walking areas, but the deeper you go the more shambling and climbing you’ll need. Bring water, good hiking boots, long pants (I wore shorts and had received a bit of scrapes), and make sure you have a good head torch and several reliable back up lights. It is recorded that visitors can safely hike into the cave approximately 1200 feet. The tube varies from 20-50 feet in height at points. There is evidence that the cave was used by Pre-Columbian peoples. The tube was discovered by Westerners in 1863 by Nelson Cash, a local rancher looking for stray cattle that he believed wandered into these fields. He named the cave “Pluto’s Cave” after the Greek God of the Underworld. Pluto’s Cave is often described as a “classic lava tube” as it was a tunnel formed by molten lava passing through tubes in older, hardened lava. It was discovered because sections of the roof collapsed exposing the inner chamber. This desert contains numerous lava tubes and caves in the region. It is believed that there are over 778 caves and tunnels in nearby Lava Beds National Park, and over 150 documented caves in the Marble Mountain Wilderness that Mount Shasta is part of. Many of these have not been explored.

Local mythology: Pluto’s cave is not without its share of mythos. Some believe it is an entrance to the ancient Lemurian city of Telos – whether they be races of aliens, faeries, or other people. No scientific evidence supports these claims and is therefore classified as local legends, lore, and superstitions. In the 2008 edition of Fate Magazine, an article tells the story of “The Shaver Mystery” – depicting bizarre accounts of his abduction by subterranean beings known as “Deros” made into a low-budget movie called “Beyond Lemuria” by a California based Church of Hermetic Scientists that was filmed in Pluto’s Cave. The film’s plot encompasses a sinister Draconian Society that has secretly funded the development of a Intragravatron device and plans to open the vortex at an inter-dimensional convergence point deep in the lava caves on the northern slopes of Mt. Shasta. This was based on a original story of a 17 year old boy named Frederick Spenser Oliver who in the early 20th century published a telling of his channeled story of Phylos in his book “A Dweller on Two Planets” which eventually became an occult classic tale. Some believe it was this book that has triggered many of the myths of the area about Phylos, Telos, and the Lemurians. In 2011 there was a recording of a local boy disappearing. This tale is full of childhood imagination, aliens, and abduction theories. [see details here: http://www.messagetoeagle.com/oddunexdismtshasta_p2.php#.Uzw5ACjDU2c ] That same year, a tourist from Los Angeles claimed to have heard a beautiful woman’s voice coming from the direction of Mount Shasta as he was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. He followed the voice, became lost, and found his way to Pluto’s cave where he claims to have been abducted, stripped of his clothing, greeting by a beautiful tall woman with unnatural blue eyes, and given a gift as well as secret information. After being lost for several weeks, he was found and he claimed to be “Lord Kalki” – the incarnation of a messianic Hindu god. Legends of a spectral lady appear to haunt the caverns, appearing as a spiritual guide, alien, a Lemurian, or Faerie queen. Online articles also claim there is a Native American legend of a red-headed female who used to live in caverns beneath Mount Shasta, some believe was at Pluto Cave. Some claim this lava tube as well as other tubes, caves, and tunnels in the region interconnect southern Oregon, Mount Shasta, and the upper coasts of California. Some writers online claim that Native American tribes admit to these locations and entrances, but that they are a closely guarded secret never shared with the outside world. Others believe the St. Germain foundation secretly guard the entrance of a lava tube above Mossbrae Falls in Dunsmuir, south of Mount Shasta. It is believed that this Mossbrae Falls tube is the secret entrance to Telos, not Pluto’s Cave. While meditating in the darkness at the end of the tunnel, in the pitch black silence there was a split second I thought I heard a moan, though that could have been my comrade’s stomach. There was another un-determined noise we both heard during our meditation. Other than that, light scratchings of the bats above on the lava rocks was all that permeated the silence.

How to get there: Drive approximately 12.5 miles north on Highway 97 from Weed to A12 (the Grenada turnoff), turn left, go past the “Juniper Valley OHV area” signs approximately 3.25 miles to a small sign post saying “Pluto’s Cave”, turn on that dirt road follow to parking lot at hiking trail head. Hike 1/4 mile down the trailhead, following the red lava rocks outlining the trail to a small white arrow sign pointing down into Pluto’s Cave.

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Naiad John William Waterhouse (1849-1917):
”A Naiad” or ”Hylas with a Nymph”. 1893
(first exhibited at the New Gallery, London 1893)
This work is in the public domain in those countries with a
copyright term of life of the author plus 90 years or less.

Naiads
http://www.naiads.org/well/?p=857

A Fresh water nymph that lives along springs, holy wells, rivers, waterfalls, and fountains known to be a guardian of the waters in her domain. Depicted as an attractive nude bathing woman, they are known to entice and lure men to their waters. Sometimes this is to seductive folly, a love affair, or a dangerous end. Derived from the Greek word ?????, or Naiás, meaning “to flow” or “running water”. The Naiad is a female water nymph or spirit that guard over wells, springs, streams, brooks, fountains, and fresh water pools or lakes. Some say the Undine is the salt water variant while the Naiad is the fresh water variant. They are not to be confused with River God/desses who embody rivers or inhabit still waters of ponds, lagoons, lakes, and marshes such as the pre-Mycenaean Lerna described in the Argolid.
They belong to Greek mythology but have spread throughout the European world-view. Although they are most believed to be associated with fresh water, since the Greeks believed that all of the world’s waters were one, flowing through a cavernous aquifer and inter-connected, they could be in more than one place at the same time. This is also their explanation in relation to Oceanids, Nereids, Undines, and Mer-folk. In the Greek myths about Arethusa, a water nymph of a spring, that could make her way from Peloponnesus to surface on the island of Sicily. They were worshiped by water cults who often made offerings into the waters or along its edges with such things as bins, coins, cloth, clothes, sandals, jewelry, treasures, figurines, flowers, and/or sacrificed animals to the waters in hopes the Naiads would bring them healing, inspiration, gifts, magic, blessings, or passage. In some practices, boys and girls that werre coming-of-age would dedicate their childish locks to the local Naiad of the spring. In Lerna, ritual cleansings utilized the magical waters from the Naiad’s spring or well that were believed to possess certain healing or medicinal properties. In ancient Mythology, Hylas of the Argo’s crew was lost when he was captivated by Naiads who were in awe of his beauty. They are known to be jealous fae folk – as in Theocritus’ tale of a Naiad’s jealousy when the Naiad Nomia or Echenais who was in love with Daphnis, the Shepherd. He was unfaithful to her on numerous accounts and she blinded him out of revenge. Hermaphroditus was forced into sex with the Naiad Salmacis, and when he sought to escape her, she fused with him, giving birth to hermaphrodites. In the mytho of Aristaeus, The Naiad Chlidanope marries Hypseus, the King of the Lapiths and giving birth to Cyrene. Aristaeus also consulted the Naiads when his bees died and his aunt Arethusa invited him below the water’s surface where he was washed with the waters from a perpetual spring and given his advice. Throughout Europe, magical springs and holy wells were at first attributed to various Deities and/or water nymphs before they were converted to wells and springs associated with Saints. It was a very common practice in Celtic cultures.

Related to Undines, Oceanids (salt water), Nereids (Mediterranean), Water Nymphs, and Mermaids and Mermen.

Written, researched, and Copyrighted (© 2013) by Leaf McGowan, Thomas Baurley, Technogypsie Productions: www.technogypsie.com ~ http://www.naiads.org/well/?p=857.

Bibliography, References, and Recommended Reading:
• Burkert, Walter 1985 “Greek Religion”. Harvard University Press.
• Graves, Robert 1955 “The Greek Myths”.
• Homer “Odyssey” and “Iliad”
• Poe, Edgar Allen 1829 “Sonnet to Science”.
• Silver, Carole B. Silver “Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness”. ISBN 0-19-512199-6.
• Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. undated “Naiads”, “Undines”. Web site referenced on March 8, 2014.

Arthur Rackham ~ Undine by De la Motte Fougue ~ 1909 Soon she was lost to sight in the Danube.

Undines
http://www.naiads.org/well/?p=853

Ondines or Undines is the modern English term for Water elementals, spirits or nymphs. The term is derived from the Latin term “Unda” meaning “a wave”. Undines are seen as the true essence or spirit manifestation of waves in water. It is believed to first have derived from the Greek alchemical works of Paracelsus as the elemental spirits of water. It also is descriptive in some meanings and works for the focus of attention for water magic, whose course and function the undines control. They are believed to exist within the waters themselves and not usually able to be seen with normal human vision, unless the human has an artifact, charm, or spell to allow them to see faerie folk or unless blessed by the undine to be revealed. Some believe that they live in the coral caves along lakes or on the banks of rivers. Smaller Victorian imagery of the undines depict them living under lily pads. When seen, they resemble human beings, except for those of Victorian description living in smaller streams and ponds fit more with the “Disney”-esque Tinker bell humanoid forms. Their clothing is usually described as being shimmery and green in color though reflective of all the shades and colors found in water. Undines are also centered in European folklore, as a type of water nymphs that become human when they fall in love with a human male and is doomed to die if he is unfaithful to her. Her essence is believed to have come from the Nereids, the attendants of Poseidon, the Sea god. Paracelsus first wrote about them, calling them spirits who inhabit the element of water. They are believed to dwell within every body of water in existence from streams, ponds, rocky pools, marshes, rivers, lakes, rivers, and ocean waves. Every waterfall, fountain, or well is believed to have an undine living within its waters. These also describe the Naiad, a female water nymph or spirit that guard over wells, springs, streams, brooks, fountains, and fresh water pools or lakes. Some say the Undine is the salt water variant while the Naiad is the fresh water variant. Sometimes they are confused with Mermaids and Mermen. They are also sometimes confused or entwined with Oceanids. Most mythology places Undines in salt water environments like the Oceanids and these creatures overlap and combine in folk tales around the world as either Nereids, Mermaids, Oceanids, Naiads, Undines, Ondines, or Water Nymphs. Some say they have interbred and there exists combinations, half-breeds, and mutations of these in watery realms. Since the Greeks thought of all the world’s waters as one biological system (blood stream and veins of Gaia, the Earth mother – Gaia Hypothesis) which perculates in from the sea through the cavernous aquifers within the earth, the waters would mix and inter-lap. They explain this in tales of such nymphs like Arethusa, the spring nymph, that could make her way from her spring through the subterranean flows from Peloponnesus to surface on the island of Sicily. It is through this manner that Undines and Naiads often get confused. They became objects of local water cults and worshiped in various ways with requests for healing, blessings, magic, or passage. Sometimes people would offer them pins, charms, cloth, clouties, flowers, plants, or ritually drowned animals into their waters. In hopes that they might communicate prophesy, oracles were situated by ancient springs or wells. As they were seen to be a jealous lot, they could endanger seamen, explorers, or boats passing within their realms.

Related to Naiads.

Written, researched, and Copyrighted (© 2013) by Leaf McGowan, Thomas Baurley, Technogypsie Productions: www.technogypsie.com ~ http://www.naiads.org/well/?p=853.

Bibliography, References, and Recommended Reading:
• Burkert, Walter 1985 “Greek Religion”. Harvard University Press.
• Graves, Robert 1955 “The Greek Myths”.
• Homer “Odyssey” and “Iliad”
• Poe, Edgar Allen 1829 “Sonnet to Science”.
• Silver, Carole B. Silver “Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness”. ISBN 0-19-512199-6.
• Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. undated “naiads”, “undines”. Website referenced 3/8/2014.

Elf Fest 2013
Lothlorien Nature Sanctuary * 559 McFadden Ridge Road * (Bloomington / Bedford / Needmore, Indiana) * http://www.elvinhome.org/event.php?EventID=2 *

Every year the Elf Lore Family (ELF) and Holy Order of Mother Earth (HOME) put on the Elf Fest at the Lothlorien Nature Sanctuary just south of Bloomington. A great community-based festival, small and family sized event in the heart of the 100+ acres of sacred woodland in Indiana. It takes place late May annually. (In 2014 it will be May 21st through 26th) It is billed as a “Community Fertile Earth Folklife Festival” open to all. This 2013 event I attended was their 30th year of existence celebrating community and sanctuary. The event consists of theatrical and musical performances, drumming, vending, camping, meetings, workshops, may pole dances, seasonal rites and ceremonies, Paganism, Earth Spirituality, primitive camping, fellowship, kid’s activities, bands, discussing circles, dancing, feasting, and revelry. It is a annual fundraiser for the Lothlorien Nature Sanctuary and Elvin Home, Inc. (401(c)3 non profit) The site has altars, temples, circles, shrines, camping areas, a feasting hall, lending library, self-composting toilets, hot showers, dish washing station, drinking water, fire wood, fire pits, drumming circle, hiking trails, stages, and performance space. It is the largest event held at Lothlorien annually as a Spring festival with rituals, fire dancing, drumming, dancing, shopping, workshops, rites, and celebrations. In the past, they’ve had may pole dancing, a labyrinth, blessing of cars, spiral dancing, saunas, sweats, plant walks, women’s circles, magic shows, comedy, puppets, bands, theater, with a variety of workshops. Swimming is also available in the creek. During Elf Fest there is the Cauldron Cafe open for breakfast and lunches. Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

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