Samhain tradition: Remembering the Dead Over Wine

If you're looking for something meaningful to do for Samhain, here's a suggestion:

Any evening over the next few nights (end of October/beginning of November), sit in a comfortable spot in your house, turn out the lights, light a few candles, and pour two glasses of wine (maybe a small cheese plate).

Then sit quietly and think about a loved ...one who has passed away, either in the past year or previous years. You can even just speak out loud to them as if they were sharing the wine with you. They will come to you in that moment, so just allow them to be there and take comfort in it.

When you're done, finish your wine, but take their glass and pour it out onto the ground outside. If you can, leave the glass outside with a candle burning nearby (then pour the wine out in the morning). That way, the spirit of your loved one will be able to find you easily.

About the Ritual at the Montreal Witches Masquerade Ball (Friday, October 30th)

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Touching Those Beyond The Veil
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The theme of the Samhain ritual is Touching Those Beyond The Veil. So start thinking what you want those you know on the other side to feel from you, not so much in words, but rather emotions. Perhaps a gentle touch of love, perhaps a wave of good riddance?

You are encouraged (but not required) to come masked to the ritual, adding to the Otherworldly ambiance. You can also bring mementos of your loved ones to put on an ancestors table.

At the Witches' Ball after the ritual, there will be a Diviner's Corner. If you are a diviner and want to do some free divinations for people, we'll provide you with table and chair. Tarot, runes, bones, scrying, whatever you use!

Remember that even if you are not a pagan yourself, or you want to bring a friend who is not pagan, you are all welcome to attend this public event. The ritual and the party is open to all people, irregardless of the spirituality they practice (or don't).

American Academy of Religion Conference in Montreal (November 7th to 10th 2009)

American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting 2009
Palais des Congrès de Montréal
201 Avenue Viger West
November 7-10, 2009
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
AAR Event Website
Program of Events (PDF)

Some 4,500 scholars converge on Montréal, Québec, Nov. 7–10, 2009, to review the latest research in the field of religion at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion. Accompanying them are more than 75 publishers, whose displays will create one of the world’s largest bookstores specializing in religion.

More than 400 meeting sessions are scheduled this year on topics such as Islam and modernity; the economy; biomedical ethics; politics; globalization and poverty; sports; world cinema; indigenous peoples; patriotism and the military; cognitive science; atheism and secularism; and more than 20 sessions with a special focus on Québec.

Among the hundreds of distinguished panelists are Tariq Ramadan, Thomas Altizer, Reza Aslan, George Elliott Clarke, James Cone, Gerard Bouchard, Diana Eck, Alanis Obomsawin, Charles Taylor, Emilie Townes, Cornel West, and Slavoj Žižek.

The publishers’ exhibits and the meeting sessions take place at the Palais des Congrès. Registration, which is required for admission to the sessions, is free for journalists, as is admission to the exhibit hall, and can be arranged in advance or on site at the Palais des Congrès.

The AAR, celebrating its 100th anniversary, is the world’s largest association of religion scholars with more than 10,000 members from some 1,000 colleges, universities, seminaries, and schools in North America and abroad. Its mission is to foster excellence in the study of religion by promoting research, publishing, and teaching about religion in academia. The AAR neither endorses nor rejects any religious belief or practice.
To find out more information or to preregister for the meeting, contact Susan Snider at ssnider@aarweb.org or 404-727-4725.

MPRC NOTE: there are several presentations about modern neo-paganism. Check the Program to learn more about them!.

REMINDER: Montreal Witches Masquerade Ball 2009 is next week!

The Montreal Witches Masquerade Ball 2009 is fast approaching! Mark the date on your calendars... this is going to rock!


A few people have been asking some questions, so let me be clear on a few points:

• The location for this Ball (6870 Terrebonne) is a community hall that can hold 300 people; it is not being held in a person's house.
• You don't need to bring anything to the ritual (except a little money for donation and a note from your parents if you are under 18 years old).
• The event is alcohol-free, which means we are NOT selling alcohol and you are not permitted to bring alcohol into the space. This was decided deliberately for a variety of good reasons. Please respect our decision and come and have a good time!
• No pictures, videos, or audio recordings are to be taken during the ritual ceremony. Please respect people's right to privacy during a spiritual event.

If you have any other questions, please let me know!

Pagan Sunday Brunch for October 2009

October 25th 2009, 10 am sharp
Chez Dustys
4510 avenue du parc
Montréal, QC H2V 4E3
(514) 276-8525
Breakfast: $5 - $10

Can you feel the veil thinning as we speak? Samhain is on its way, but breakfast never dies!

Come join your fellow pagans for brunch and socializing. No level of pagan experience is necessary, but as long as you can wield a knife and fork like a guru master, you'll be respected and admired by your peers.

This is a kid-friendly event, so feel free to bring your offspring.

If you have any questions, email me at jdhobbes @ yahoo.ca. If you don't know anybody, don't fret. We'll be in the room on the right of the door, in the centre of the room.
--
Hobbes

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DIRECTIONS

Chez Dustys is near the corner of Mont-Royal and du Parc, across the street from the Petro Canada. Google Maps.

BUS/METRO/WALK: Two options:
1. Go to Mont-Royal metro (orange line) and walk West on Mont-Royal until you get to du Parc (takes about 10 minutes).

2. Get to Place des Arts metro (green line) and take the 80 bus and get off at the closest stop to Mont-Royal and du Parc.

Volunteers for ZIP

On Behalf of Rakshann of the Comité Zone D’Intervention Prioritaire (ZIP) of Ville Marie

Greetings!
I am working for the “Comité Zone d'Intervention Prioritaire “ (ZIP) of Ville Marie. It is an organisation dedicated to the protection of water in which I’m actively looking for volunteers for a project called “My Own Beach”. http://www.mapropreplage.net/

The goal of this project is to encourage local citizens to organize shoreline cleanups and involvement in the early detection of riparian problems. We need to complete the first part of the program before November 1st, and that involves the confirmation of 5 volunteers. Groves, Covens, etc. are welcomed to come as a group inclusively. Supplies will be given such as gloves, bags, and lifts to and from the chosen location. All that is needed is leaders to coordinate their group.

If you are interested here is what’s needed:
- Minimum of 5 volunteers wanting to lead the activities;
- The clean-up day is yours to choose between May and June of 2010;
- A morning or an afternoon is all that is needed to make a positive impact for the environment and the community;
- We supply the necessary equipment for clean-up (gloves; bags; etc) ;
- We provide lifts to and from the chosen location (available on the website below);
- Deadline November 1st for confirmation

We’re looking forward to hearing from you at info@zipvillemarie.org
More information at our website: http://www.mapropreplage.net/

Sincerely,
Rakshann

This project is being carried out, in part, thanks to a contribution from the Community Interaction Program. Funding for this joint program, which is related to the St. Lawrence Plan for a Sustainable Development, is shared by Environment Canada and the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs du Québec. Fisheries and Oceans Canada also provided technical and financial support to the project.

The St. Lawrence Plan—For a Sustainable Development is managed by a Canada-Quebec cooperative agreement, whose objectives are to favour an integrated management of the St. Lawrence, to respect the environment within economic activities, to obtain the commitment of various community groups, and to achieve a clear, integrated and concerted governance of the St. Lawrence.

EVENT: Montreal Witches Ball 2009

Montreal Witches Masquerade Ball 2009
Bal masqué des sorcières de Montréal 2009
Friday, October 30th 2009
vendredi, 30 octobre, 2009
6pm - 1am
Visit the Facebook Event page!
See the poster!

6870, rue de Terrebonne, NDG
Vendome metro > 105 West/ouest until/jusqu'a Rosedale ,
walk North on until/ marche nord jusqu'a Terrbonne (2 blocks/coins de rue)

Samhain ritual/rituel (free/gratuit) : 6:30pm (18 years/ans +)
Celebration 8pm (open to all/ouvert à tous)

Tickets sold at/Billets en vente à:
Melange Magique
1928 Ste. Catherine Ouest
$10 ticket/billet, $12 at the door/à la porte

Outdoor Celtic labyrinth: open to all!
Labyrinthe celtique extèrieur: ouvert à tous!

Wear your wildest masks!/Porter vos masques le plus fantastiques!
Music spun by DJ / Musique par DJ
Bring your drums!/Apporter vos djembés!
Event is alcohol-free/Evenement sans-alcohole

Sponsored by/Presenté par:
Montreal Pagan Resource Centre
Centre de Resources Paienne de Montréal
www.paganuinverse.com/mprc/

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Questions asked and answered
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Q. Is this being held in someone's house?

This event is taking place in a hall in a community centre in NDG. The hall's capacity is 300 people and has a small kitchen where drinks and munchies will be sold during the evening.

Q .Should I bring food, drinks, or anything alcoholic?

Nope. Just bring your entry fee and some money to buy softdrinks, water, coffee, tea, or munchies. There is nothing alcoholic being sold at this event.

Q. Can I pay for my tickets by calling Melange Magique and using my credit card?

To purchase your tickets in advance, you need to go to Melange Magique in person and pay for them in person. If you pick them up at the door, it's an extra 2 dollars. But don't worry... there's lots of room for everyone.

Q. Are there prizes to be won?

There will be a few door prizes drawn throughout the night.

'Ocean of Wisdom' opens hearts

'Ocean of Wisdom' opens hearts

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Soirée discussion pour novembre : La Mythologie et les légendes : l'importance de raconter

Bonjour !

La soirée de discussion du CRPM se déroule le premier jeudi de chaque mois au Mélange Magique.

Prochaine discussion :

Sujet : La mythologie et les légendes : l'importance de raconter.

Date : Jeudi, 5 novembre 2009.Heure : 18h45-20h45Lieu : Au CRPM à l'intérieur du Mélange Magique, 1928 Ste-Catherine Ouest, MontréalCoût : Gratuit. Les dons sont les bienvenus.
Chaque religion, foi, ou système de croyance a ses mythes, ses légendes et ses histoires. Pourquoi sont-elles si attrayantes pour nous ? Comment est-ce que les histoires épiques du Roi Arthur, Noé, les douze travaux de Heraclès, Taliesin, la bataille entre Thor et les Géants, les aventures de Sigurd (Sigfried), entre autre, influencent-elles notre système de valeurs ? Comment nos ancêtres fut-ils influencés par de telles histoires ? Ces messages détiennent-ils des messages cachées que nous devons découvrir ? Qu'est-il arrivé de notre appréciation des histoires racontées et comment notre société d'aujourd'hui fut-elle formée par ces « vielles légendes » ? De quelle façon ces légendes se manifestent-ils dans les histoires racontées d'aujourd'hui ? Comment est-ce que pousser les limites de notre imagination nous aide à comprendre l'inconnu ?

Au plus grand plaisir d'entendre vos opinions,

Selena

(Traduction Jean-Philippe)

November Discussion Topic: Mythology and Legends - The value of storytelling

Greetings!

The MPRC discussion night is held every first Thursday of the month at Melange Magique.

November Topic: Mythology and Legends: The value of storytelling

Date: Thursday, Nov.05.2009
Time: 18h45-20h45
Location: At the MPRC in the Melange Magigue 1928 Ste-Catherine Ouest, Montreal
Cost: None. Donations welcomed.

Every religion, faith or belief system has their myths, legends and stories.
Why are we so attracted to them?
How can classic epic stories such as King Arthur, The Arch of Noah, the stories of Heracles, Taliesin, Thor’s battle with the Giants, the adventures of Sigurd(Sigfried), so on and so forth, influence our value system?
How were our ancestors influenced by such stories?
Are these legends, myths and stories, holding any secret messages for us to discover?
What has happened to our love of story-telling and how is our society shaped by the “old legends” today?
How have these legends manifested themselves in the story-telling of today?
How has pushing the limits of our imagination helped us understand the unknown?

Looking forward to hearing your opinions,

Selena