THE CALL:
YOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO
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Come
gather round the Hearth of the Faeries at Featherstone Castle to dance,
play and create a celebration of Imbolc – Festival of
Awakening Light, Healing and Renewal.
The
deep inner dreaming of Winter comes to an end. Candles sparkle, poetry
is spoken and we look to the new growth of the months ahead.
This
gathering is open to adult Faeries of all genders. |
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THE
VENUE:
 Featherstone Castle lies in the
stunning Northumberland countryside,
close to Haltwhistle, centre of the sacred Isle of Albion. The castle
is near to Hadrian’s Wall. It is very atmospheric
with log fires, mysterious nooks and crannies, a magnificent room for
our heart circles, and an excellent kitchen. The old tower is over 700
years old and like any self–respecting castle, this one has a
ghost – in fact a whole wedding party of them, hunted down
and slaughtered by the bride’s secret lover!
THE
FOCUS:
 The
Faeries started with the vision of a space where queer people could
come and create our own culture. To find out who we are. To
open our hearts with one another, find the treasures within and take
them back into society to bring greater balance to our world.
And all with a sense of style that hasn’t be seen this side
of Venus!
As
the energies shift and flow in these turbulent times of great change on
our planet this gathering is an opportunity to connect with community
and with our deeper selves, to share our visions & passions and
strengthen ourselves to meet the challenges we all face.
This
will be a time to sit in heart circle and build community. To come into
greater alignment with our home, this great being –
Earth. To have space to find what is calling us for the
coming year. To love, laugh and play.
The
gathering will feature:
log fires
love temple
meditation space
rituals of light
nature walks
faerie feasts
bodywork
drumming and singing
and whatever you bring to it
THE PRACTICALITIES:
Corridors and bedrooms can be cold - be
prepared.
Mattresses at the
castle are rather old, and extra mat/airbed to sleep on is worth
considering if you are a comfort faerie.
 We
will be asking for
volunteers to come forward in advance to plan dinner menus so that good
planning can be made (shops will be shut much of the time we are
there). Please let us know with your booking if you would like to cook
for the
group - you will be given full support from our kitchen goddesses and
chopping crews.
Dogs: We have places for a maximum
of 3 dogs at the castle. So if you
are a dog lover and can’t bear to be parted from your beloved
pooch, book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Owners must
provide food for their animals and some areas of the gathering will be
designated as dog-free.
GETTING
TO
FEATHERSTONE CASTLE:
By
air:
Easy links from all European countries. Take a flight to
Newcastle - or Newcastle via London if coming from further a field -
then a train to Haltwhistle.
By train: Train
to Carlisle or Newcastle. Then change to Haltwhistle.
By car:
Featherstone Castle is three miles south-west of Haltwhistle on
the A69.
THE
COST:
The price is set on a sliding scale and
intended
only to cover costs.
Silken winged faeries
£160
Silver winged faeries
£200
Golden winged faeries £240
Platinum winged faeries £250 +
The Faeries have a policy of never turning anyone away for lack of
funds so if the lowest rate is still too much for you please contact us
to organise something.
The cost of staying at the Castle is going up so if you are able to pay
the higher rates we greatly appreciate it as this helps us keep the
gathering accessible to all.
The break even point for this gathering is £200 for the eight
days.
If you can make the full gathering this helps build the dynamic
smoothly. However you are also welcome if you can only make
part of it. For costs on attending part of the gathering
please contact the email address below.
To make a booking or for more information
please contact
MORE ABOUT
FAERIES:
The AlbionFaeries are
the
UK EuroFaeries.
Faeries are queer folks of all genders. We come from all
walks
of life in all parts
of the world. We are drawn together by a desire for deeper connections
to others, to ourselves, to nature and the cosmos. We hope to open
ourselves to new experiences, healing, and celebration of the joy and
creativity that is our faerie nature.
EuroFaeries
Yahoo
Group groups.yahoo.com/group/eurofaeries
EuroFaerie
website: www.eurofaerie.eu . Note that this is the new
address for the EuroFaerie website. The old
address, ending with .org, that you might have, is nothing to do with
EuroFaeries now (17 October 2008).
Radical
Faeries
website, www.radfae.org
This is mainly USA-based, but has some links worldwide, and
is a place to read more about what Faeries are about.
Folleterre
Sanctuary
website, www.folleterre.org
Folleterre is a faerie-owned property in France.
Join the Albion
Faeries Announcements Yahoo Group
uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/albionfaeries-announce
to be kept in touch with the latest from the Albion Faeries.
Albion Faeries Picture Gallery
OTHER
LINKS:
ECC - Edward
Carpenter
Community of Gay Men www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk
GayToZ Events
Guide www.gaytoz.com/bevents.asp
ScotsGay
listing of
groups and organisations www.scotsgay.co.uk/listings/groups.html
Gay Pagans UK
groups.yahoo.com/group/Gay_Pagans_UK/
OutUK www.outuk.com
Gay
Communities UK on Gay
Web
Directory gaywebdirectory.net/links/gaycommunitiesuk.html
GALHA - Gay
and
Lesbian Humanist Association www.galha.org
There was no Faerie Yule
event at
Featherstone in 2008...
BUT
The
Edward Carpenter Community
did hold
an
event over Christmas 2008
for gay men at Manorbier youth hostel in Wales. Details
of ECC events can be found at:
www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk |
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