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Nov 15, 2004
I am deeply sorrowful today as I read the news of the latest offensive of US troops in Falluja.
Quote of the day:
"....the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq...will surely go down in history as one of the most
cowardly wars ever. It was a war in which a band of rich nations, armed with enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world several
times over, rounded on a poor nation, falsely accused it of having nuclear
weapons, used the United Nations to force it
to disarm, then invaded it, occupied it and are now in the process of selling it."
-Arundhati Roy
Nov 4, 2004
Well, it's official. Kerry has conceded and Bush is president again. This
is a hard reality to accept, I know. I do think that many of us are in shock, which is a stage of the grieving
process. I must say though, I
am very encouraged this morning by the many emails with messages of hope in my email box. I am also happy
to hear that over 3,000 people marched through the streets of San Francisco yesterday to denounce Bush's war on Iraq
and his pandering to corporate greed. Not only in San Francisco but all across
the US, marches and rallies for peace and justice took place.
Even though I do think we need to allow a time for grieving, I am encouraged by an article
sent to me by United for Peace and Justice "DON'T MOURN, ORGANIZE" You can access
this article on their website at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2626
Please join me as I seek new ways to wage peace and work for global justice.
I would like to share my thoughts from yesterday morning with you all:
Nov 3, 2004
It is hard to write anything this morning. The headlines are celebrating a Republican victory while the votes for the presidency
hang in the balance in Ohio. So many have worked extremely hard to get Bush out of office. I have never seen such a massive
mobilization of dedicated citizens to get the vote out in my lifetime. People who never have been activists before got out
and canvassed, traveled to swing states to do poll watching, and got involved at a whole new levels of activism and participation.
Something powerful and new has been awakened in the lives of thousands of Americans. I am so proud of all of you. I thank
all of you who have walked the neighborhoods, phone-banked and marched with the masses in the streets. Thank you so much for
going the extra miles. Let's keep this momentum going.
And, I do feel weary, as I am sure many of you do. I am deeply concerned and disappointed that Bush seems to be grabbing
the presidency and the Republicans are carrying most of the Congressional Power. However, I know this is not the time to waver
or to concede. I still believe in the power of WE THE PEOPLE! We mustn't stop here, we must continue to mobilize to reverse
the madness.
Take heart my fellow patriots and lovers of freedom. The polarization has only become sharper and more clearly outlined.
We must stand up to the monster of corporate imperialism and seek new and creative ways to bring the empire down. We must
continue to make the changes in our lifestyles that demonstrate that another world is possible. I will not give up the struggle
for freedom and truth. This is the time to stay tuned and stay united. This is the time to take heart and pour our soulforce
into the call for a real revolution of consciousness.
I will post more very soon. Thank you all so much for caring.
October 8, 2004
Vice President Cheney came to town yesterday and some of us, who do not support the Bush/Cheney regime of
terror, came out to let him know how we feel. There were 40 or 50 of us and the crowd was diverse.
It was a good day, considering the police state of post 9/11 and Patriot Act(s). With many threats of arrest
and commands to disperse, only one of us was detained for 45 minutes and released. Some folks were frightened by the
police threats and left before Cheney arrived with his entourage. It was very effective to read the First Amendment
aloud. (My throat is sore today) Nancy and I read it over and over and then others joined in. I handed out copies
to everyone there. It was difficult to get our little group to chant anything else together at the same time. I
did a lot of interviews, including one in Spanish.
I have received many phone calls today from around Lee and Collier Counties. Strangers looked my phone
number up in the phone book and called to thank me. We made some new friends from the Haitian community. I think
NPR did a story and WINK and Channel 2 had some coverage of us. Fox and CNN avoided us, though. AP was there,
I don't know if they printed our interviews or not.
I believe Bush will come back to town in the next few weeks. I hope more of you can participate in
saying no to his war, policies and administration then. I am sure they will not announce it till the last minute so
that we can't plan and have a big crowd. This thing about having to have a permit really stinks.
Check out the online coverage.
News Press:
Story:
Photos:
NBC Channel 2:
Wage Peace!
Holley
September 26, 2004
I awoke early this morning to the roar of mighty winds
and rain as Hurricane Jeanne made her presence felt here in South West Florida. I wanted to share part of an email I
received yesterday from my friend Oannes Pritzker, an Native of the Wabanaki people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Oannes
has lived here on the edge of the Everglades for many years. I had the honor of spending an afternoon with him
the other day, and was interviewed for his Radio Show "Honoring Mother Earth-Indigenous-Voices" program on Radio Peace International
( http://rfpi.org/webcast.html )
This is what he Wrote:
'Aquay' Hello
everyone: Afternoon rain & wind gift us this day, as the trees outside begin to sway from the approaching Hurricane. Hope
everyone comes through OK.
These "Storms" are gifts from the Creator, the Great Spirit. Not only do they gift the land
with water, trim old trees & branches that are ready to return to the earth, but also Reminds us Humans that we must respect
nature, that true power is not human, but is from the earth.
These "Storms" should Humble us 2-legged humans, who
in our arrogance, try to Control everything, rather than learn to be flexible & sway with the wind, as our tree relatives
do.
Most of the Birds have flown away, & there
are no butterflies or dragonflies in the grass/weeds out side my home, so I know tonight we will have strong wind & rain.
Again,
I hope everyone 'weathers' the storm. I always look forward to comments or suggestions from what I write/send out.
Sincerly;
Oannes--Yat Kitischee Native Ctr
* Oannes is working in a Coalition with me and a handful
of others here in Lee and Collier Counties to produce a progressive TV show for SW Florida. I will write more about
that soon.
Bright Blessings,
Holley
| Sprial Dancing in SF |
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| Photo by Scott Dubble |
September 21, 2004
Fall Equinox
Today, as the rain falls here in SW Florida, I am quietly celebrating the Fall Equinox.
Today the day and night are equal, and longer nights lay ahead. We Neopagans celebrate this day as our Thanksgiving, and the
first day of fall.
I am grateful today that we have survived a number of devastating hurricanes. I am also grateful
that I have had the opportunity this last year to raise my voice with others to say no to the escalating war and insanity
that ravages our Earth and Her people. I give thanks that I have danced Spirals of Hope and Transformation in the streets
of Miami, San Francisco and New York with magical activists and allies of the Earth. I have had the opportunity to celebrate
the other world that is Possible.
Today, as the night begins to lengthen, the aging Goddess begins to pass from her aspect Mother
to being the Sacred Crone. This, for me as the days begin to shorten, is a time to embrace the darkness. It is a time to bless
the past, and thank the ground, the trees and waters as well as the faery folk. The Druids call this celebration,
Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Many call it Mabon.
At this Equinox time, my ancestors brought in the final harvests and prepared them for storage and
for the end of the year-Samhain (Our Halloween). I gather the fruits of my magical learning and prepare for new initiations.
It is a time to pause and take the time to enjoy the fruits of our harvests as well as to plan for the winter. It is also
a time of letting go and sorrow.
Various other names for this Lesser Wiccan Sabbat are The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast
of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. Some Symbols of the fall equinox are wine,
gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, and horns of plenty. Herbs associated with Mabon are Honeysuckle,
Marigold, Milkweed, Sage, Solomon's Seal, Tobacco, and Thistle.
Now is the period of time we must think about balance in our own lives and that within nature. This
is a good time for making wine, gathering and drying herbs, collecting nuts and seeds, walking in the woods or by the sea,
scattering offerings in our gardens and fields, and offering libations to trees. I will walk along the river here in
Fort Myers, as I reflect and offer drops my own libation, the Waters of the World collected from many rituals over the
years.
Today as I reflect on the past year, I am filled with mourning, for the loss of my partner's mother,
for the violence the police in Miami inflicted on me and thousands who cared enough to come out in the streets for justice
and fair trade, and for the damage the hurricanes did to so many of us, our crops and our homes. I mourn the direction our
country and world has taken with greedy and power hungry leaders at the controls. But, as the light begins to fade, I sink
deeper into myself, looking for strength from the Earth and the power and hope of Her peoples that dedicate their lives to
Her goodness and the powers of regeneration. I have been melancholy these past few days, remembering happier more innocent
times.
From these depths, I am reaching out to the powers of Earth, Fire, Air and Water, and to the Great
Spirit of Life and Truth that abides in each one of us. This is a good time to gather these eternal forces with myself and
to regroup, heal and prepare for the work before me and us. I am looking for a new job now. I am asking what is next. I hope
you can join me in the sincere questioning of our deepest selves. What can we do to save the earth, indeed, to save our souls?
For me it begins here at home. To reexamine my lifestyle and my attitude and to love more from wherever I am. I still believe
in a revolution of consciousness and want to fan its flame to new life in these perilous times.
I am most grateful for you, my friends who join me on this path to peace and justice for all. I am
grateful to all that have taught me along the way. A Blessed Equinox to you all!
Much love,
Holley
September 6, 2004
WELCOME friends!
I have survived two hurricanes, protesting at the Republican
National Convention all in the last month. I attended a fabulous family reunion and am finally home
with some time to regroup and recharge. To read my Hurricane
Charley story click on the link below.
I hope to be writing more about being in New York City for the RNC protests over
the next few days so please keep coming back. Your emails, letters and support for me going there have meant a lot.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
To read the Call to Action for those protests click on the link below:
| Me in Times Square |
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| Headlines behind says Hurricane Frances Creeps Closer to Florida |
A REPORT FROM NEW YORK
September 4,2004
Hi friends,
I got home last night completely exhausted with a bad cold and a hurricane brewing.
We will probably loose electricity by the end of the day and I have a lot of work to do to protect our stuff, so I may not
be able to be online much for awhile.
I loved New York and the diversity of all the people and points of views. I
felt very welcomed. Many New Yorkes expressed their resentment of Bush and the Republicans for exploiting their
city and 9/11 as a way to promote their agenda. I was a part of a group called the Pagan Cluster who practice Magical
Activism. For me , being a part of the Pagan Cluster and the huge mobilization of so many people ("all walks of life')
protesting at the RNC was one of the most powerful and incredible experiences of my life. It was intense, sad, hopeful,
revolutionary and effective. IMHO.
22 witches in the Pagan Cluster and many many more Pagans were among the estimated
1700 folks arrested and imprisoned by the massive police force. Most were doing nonviolent Civil Disobedience on the
evening of the 31st...our True Security action. Some were just nabbed and swept up by the police. All were taken
to an old deisel Bus warehouse at Pier 57. It has now been named "Guantanimo on the Hudson" and was a real
horror for all that were arrested and held illegally there. One person told me how she tried to dig with a plastic spoon
down into the black petroleum layered floor and got down at least 2 inches...no one could lay down or sit on the ground because
it was so toxic. Those who did used white bread and bologna sandwiches as pillows! There were only a few benches
and portapottys and no way to wash hands. Pens were separated by chain fences and razor wire. My friends I was
with were detained up to almost 50 hours and still kept up a positive spirit.
They were then moved to the Courthouse for processing and shuffeled around from
one place to another. The guards kept TVs blairing all night with the convention speeches and Jerry Springer reruns.
There are so many stories of what happened. I thank the gods that I was asked to do other support tasks at the last
minute ( I had been willing to be arrested that night with my affinity group. The "Legion of Crones") as I am very
allergic to petroleum and it's byproducts. I would have had a hard time because of my allergies and asthma. the
idea (according to a Homeland Security memo) was to detain as many protestors as they could untill Bush was nominated.
Many of the police were decent though, and even expresssed support for the protests. Others... not so nice. It
was not at all like Miami. So, in the end, I did not risk arrest in order to give legal,
communication and healing support for the cluster from the outside.
I participated in a few actions and vigils, especially in front of the courthouse,
demanding that the prisoners be released. I was so moved when each of my friends in the Cluster came out onto Center
Street. We sang this song loud in front of the jaihouse and snaked around and through the protestors, supporters and
police:
We will never, never loose our way
To the Well of Liberty
And the power of her living flame
It will rise, it will rise again
More soon,
Holley
| The Living River |
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| Pagan Cluster in Miami 2003 |
An Appeal For your Support:
Help the Pagan Cluster Protest at the Republican National Convention in New York!
Many of you have told me how grateful you feel that I have been willing to get out in the streets
to protest injustice, war and globalization. The Pagan Cluster, (who I consider my affinity group and spiritual community)
needs your financial support now to take our next big step. I’m asking for your help, so that I and my fellow
activists (and Beloved Community) are able to make our voices heard loud and clear at the Republican National Convention this
August 29-September 2, 2004. We will be there to defend our right to protest the unjust policies of our wayward government.
Your donations, sent to The RANT Collective, will greatly aid us in this endeavor.
Our intention is to bear witness to the world: we will not support this president or this illegitimate
government. Help us confront the eroding of our civil rights and and reclaim our sacred rights to speech, freedom, and privacy.
Help us bring our stories, our voices, and our gifts of healing, of listening, of nurturing, and of forming community to the
other protestors, to delegates in New York and to the world.
We need staff for the convergence center and healing space.
We need artists, painters, writers, healers and peaceful activists in the streets. We need people to answer phones, answer
questions, provide legal support, cook and clean up. All of this takes money.
You can help us by putting out the word
about our intention and contributing money for our action. I know a lot of you do support the street actions we do, but cannot
come yourselves for a variety of reasons. Contributing a little (or a lot) of money is one very practical way you can help
get those activists who can go, get there and be housed and fed. A $10.00 donation apiece could go a really long way for us.
$100.00 each, even better.
This is a time of great challenge and great hope. But hope is not enough. Hope does not
put bread on the table. Hope does not win permits; hope does not protect civil liberties or keep tanks off our streets. Your
contributions will us help do just that.
You can link with us in a protective circle of magic; hold the vision; and help the Cluster to speak
for you in New York this August by donating to our Pagan Cluster RNC fund. If you can contribute, your financial support is
deeply appreciated. Checks can be made out to RANT and earmarked "PC for the RNC". Please mail them to:
RANT Collective
1405
Hillmont St.
Austin, TX, 78704.
We all thank you in advance for your generous support,
Holley
Welcome to my blog page.
My original site "Holley's Hollow" contains my first
blogs, "Holleyblogs" where I last posted in March 2004. Unfortunately, I am unable to update those pages. Do pay
a visit there, when you have a little time, and read my archives. Just click on the photo of me on the right.
Lots of good reading and information. Enjoy!
MAGICAL ACTIVISM
I have connected up with the Pagan Cluster, an incredible group of Pagan Global Activists, over the
last year and have participated in a number of actions with them. It has been such a relief to finially have a Magical
Community to focus with spiritually and politically for the good of the Earth. It is powerful to use the power
of our combined magic to help acheive our shared intentions. To see some of my photos from the Pagan Cluster
at the FTAA protests last November in Miami go to:
Pagan Cluster Photos
Click on the Link Below to read our Call to Action for the Upcoming Republican National Convention.
June 26, 2004
Hi friends,
Thanks for visiting my new blog page.
Yesterday I saw Michael Moore's movie Farinheit 9/11. Stunning! I highly recomend that everyone I know
see this documentary. Moore did an incredible job of exposing the lies and deceit of the Bush administration.
It was heartbreaking and enlightening at the same time. We laughed, cried and were enraged. I am happy to say
that the theaters that showed the film sold out all over Florida for the opening days. Liz and I both felt a new
ray of hope that we can defeat Bush in the November elections.
Below is an account of the last political
action I was involved with, Reclaim the Commons. Enjoy!
Much love,
Holley
Reclaim The Commons
From June 4- 10 2004, I was in San Francisco and was thrilled
and honored to participate in Reclaim the Commons, a mobilization structured around the Biotech 2004 Convention,
the annual convergence of the Biotech Industry. I took photos of
the events and they can be viewed at:
The mobilization was a call for the coming together of many issues, uniting the Racial Justice, Peace, Ecologocal and
Global Movements. We used the metaphor of plants as our allies, the gift economy as part of the solution, and an
inspiring Convergence Center where we experienced that another world is possible.
Everywhere Biotech meets, environmental activists have also
gathered to call attention to the harm the bio industry is causing by putting corporate greed before human needs in the
areas of agriculture, food (GMOs), pharmaceuticals and biological warfare. This year Bio 2004 chose San Francisco
for it's week long meeting. Delegates were met daily by hundreds of protesters. There were marches, rallies,
teach ins and direct actions to blockade the entrances as delegates gathered at the Moscone Center in downtown SF.
The organizers of the mobilization sought to offer a new paradigm to organizing with an incredible Welcome Center and Convergence
Space fueled by the creativity of terrific working groups: Housing, Healing Center, Medical, Legal, Food (daily by Food
not Bombs and seeds for Peace) Media, Communications, Childcare (by the Radical Family Collective) and gardens, (Green Bloc
and Pagan Cluster).
I participated in most of the actions, beginning with the
huge march and rally sponsored by ANSWER on Saturday June 5th where 8,000 to 10,000 protestors took to the streets to say
Stop the War in Iraq and End the Occupation in Palestine. I also volunteered in the Convergence Center to work
in the healing space and in the clinic with the street medics on the days of direct actions. I loved helping
with the greening eco-actions and helped plant gardens in the Mission District and a community center in Bayview/Hunters
Point. I was part of the Pagan Cluster (working magic with activism) and worked with the Green Bloc for most of these
days and got very close to those in the Cluster who were there. We had huge Spiral Dances in the streets during
and after almost all the actions. We met in the Spokescouncil every night to assess our actions of the day and plan
for the next. There were many opportunities to grow and learn, including on-going eco-projects, live video feeds
from Iraq and the G8 mass protests in Savannah, strategy sessions, trainings in permaculture, consensus process, facilitation,
spokescouncils, wildly creative actions, screenings, street parties, a Biodiversity Cafe, and eco-actions.
The organizers were hoping for more of us to participate,
especially on June 8, the day we had set aside to "Shut Down Biotech." Even though there were hundreds of us instead
of thousands on the direct action day, Tuesday, I believe we all felt really good about the actions and how our message got
across. I, myself was completely uplifted by the experience and have renewed hope and faith in the power of We The People.
Many of us agree that the challenge now is to show that the paradigm can be used to bring out large numbers and drive for
social change rather than just respond to particular events. Many others, including my friend, witch and organizer
Starhawk, have written very eloquently about each of these days. The links to her reports of Reclaim The Commons are
at:
The final report she wrote about our last day of eco
gardening actions will be posted soon on the following page:
Well worth reading.
More photos and a great short account can also be viewed
at:
For more info go to:
Welcome to Possible!
-Holley Rauen, June 20, 2004
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