Excellent! Can't wait!

Howard

For those registered to come to LATP...

On September 25-27, 2009 heathens from around the Heartland will gather at Gaea Retreat. There are 124 people registered...83 adults and 41 children and teenagers. There will be Fainings, Symbels, workshops, feasting, viking games, a giant children's battle, a heathen auction, and a lot of good conversations and laughter. We wanted to send out a few reminders, before the event...in no particular order.

1. The Lighting Across the Plains (LATP) Informational Packetcontains a full description of the event, the location, the activities, the rules, and a schedule of the event. If you haven't looked it over yet, you might get more out of the event if you do. Its located here:

http://www.heathengods.com/lightning/lightning_pamphlet.pdf

2. We will begin checking people in at Noon on Friday. There is a registration table at the PAVILION. Do not pay money to anyone at the gate, or at any location...other than at the PAVILION. If you are stopped at the gate, tell them you are attending Lightning Across the Plains and then head for the PAVILION. Please check-in immediately upon arrival, so that we know you are there and can give you an armband. The armband lets the campground staff know you are attending Lightning Across the Plains. If you arrive late on Friday, ask for Jennifer or Jamie...so you can check in. For a map of Gaea, that shows where the Pavilion is in relation to the entrance, click here:

http://www.heathengods.com/lightning/gaea/gaea-map.pdf

3. There will be a Heathen Auction on Sunday morning. The auction helps pay for LATP 2009, and will help keep LATP 2010 as inexpensive as possible. A portion of the money also goes towards our fund to buy Hof land, and build a Hof here in the Heartland. We ask that everyone attending the event, please contribute at least one item to the auction. Though you can certainly contribute more than one. Some recommended items would be heathen books, statues, hammers, bottles of mead, horns, woven or hand-made crafts, garb, posters or pictures, mugs, candles, knives, axes, viking-oriented toys, games or anything else you think someone might be interested in bidding on. We'll be collecting auction items at check-in, though if your stuff is deeply packed, you can give it to us later in the event. I've already seen some of the items that will be in the auction, and trust me when I say you are going to want to bring a little extra money for the auction. Its going to be a good one.

4. One of the rules at the campground, is no firearms of any sort. Knives, swords, and axes are fine...if you are so inclined. But no guns are allowed on property. If you have a concealed-carry...or keep a gun in your car when you travel, it needs to stay hidden in the trunk of the car. No pulling it out to show it off, no wearing it, and no taking any chances that it will be seen, and thus violate this rule. We are all guests at this campground, and need to make sure we respect this rule.

5. Dinner on Friday and Saturday evening are provided by us. Both meals have meat involved in them. If you don't eat meat, bring some extra food for those dinners. We will not be providing Breakfasts, Lunches, or Snacks...so please bring these meals with you.

6. Most people attending LATP are tenting, while some have reserved cabins. If you are not one of the folks that reserved a cabin, make sure you bring a tent, and all the camping supplies you need to make it through the weekend. In case there is some rain, bring plenty of warm clothes...and be prepared for rain. A camping chair is an absolute must as well.

7. Those that reserved cabins, will need to pay the different to the Gaea Retreat Caretakers. Its $10 a person extra for the weekend ($5 extra per night x 2). The cabins are down the hill, and off the ridge from LATP itself. So, if you are staying in a cabin, make sure you spend time up on the Ridge with us...or you'll miss out on a lot of the event.

8. A limited number of LATP t-shirts are available for $10. They are maroon with white printing on them, and they look like this:

http://heathengods.com/temple/uploads/img4aa8df35ad8de.gif

9. There are children's activities throughout the weekend. Some of them are meant to teach, some of them are purely for fun, and some will accomplish both. These events should allow adults to go to some of the workshops and activities without having to watch their kids. But feel free to tag along with the kids on some of these children's activities and lend a hand. 41 kids of various ages is a lot of kids, and we'd welcome the help.

10. Gaea Retreat is a pagan campground. As such it is “clothing optional.” Lightning Across the Plains is NOT a clothing optional event. The ridgetop and pavillion have been reserved specifically for our event...and all of the activies of our event will take place in our reserved area. If you decide to leave the area reserved for Lightning Across the Plains, and walk into other areas of Gaea Retreat, it is possible you will encounter people observing the clothing optional rule. They are not to be harrassed, confronted, or bothered in any way...as they are well within their rights. If you do not wish to encounter people that are “clothing optional,” simply stay within the large confines of the area reserved for our event.

11. For a Google Map to Gaea Retreat, where LATP will be held, click here:

http://tinyurl.com/kur5ve

If you have any questions about any of these items or the event in general, please email me back. I'll be headed out to Gaea Retreat on Wednesday evening to begin setting up...so if your question comes up after Wednesday afternoon, you'll need to call me at 816-809-5601 as I won't have access to email after that. We're really looking forward to seeing all of you...Please travel safe...

Mark

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Mark Ludwig Stinson
Chieftain of Jotun's Bane Kindred
Heartland Hof and Hall Fund

Ah...of course. Three more things to bring up...

1. There will be a Hof set up at Lightning Across the Plains, a short distance away from the gathering. If you have objects or symbols you would like to bring and LOAN for display in the Hof throughout the weekend, please feel free. Objects or Symbols that honor our gods, goddesses, ancestors, or the Vaettir. We will note whose objects these are, and return them to you Sunday before you leave the event. If you wish to bring offerings to the gods, goddesses, our ancestors, or the Vaettir...please do. They can be left in the Hof...and our Godhi will ensure they are properly sacrificed.

2. We have an outdoor Ve at Gaea Retreat, that we built and maintain. There is a large oak tree in the Ve, that we call Forn Halr ("Old Man" in Old Norse). There is also a stone Stali with elf-cups in the surface of its top. If you wish to bring offerings to leave in the outdoor Ve, please do.

3. There will be a formal High Symbel on Saturday Night. If you wish to bring garb to wear during this Symbel...please do. Garb is not required, but if you have it...and want to wear it, feel free.

These are the final notes you will get from me...as we'll be heading out to Gaea Retreat tomorrow to start setting up. If you have questions, please call me at 816-809-5601.

We'll see you there on Friday!

Mark

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Mark Ludwig Stinson
Chieftain of Jotun's Bane Kindred
Heartland Hof and Hall Fund

Wow, what a weekend. We arrived home from Lightning Across the Plains last night. We had an amazing time. We honored our gods and ancestors. We showed our respect for the Vaettir. And 120 heathens from across the Heartland gathered together in Kansas in friendship and frith. Of the 120 in attendance...37 were children. That is a healthy sign. Hail!

There was good food, heathen workshops, kids activities throughout the weekend, viking games (Steal the Wench was so much fun), a fierce kid's battle with padded swords, two deeply meaningful symbels, and the gods and our ancestors must be pleased.

Strong tribes were present. Volkshof Kindred, the Franks, White Wolf, Hammer Tree, the Manhattan Kansas kindred, Jotun's Bane Kindred, and heathens from across the Heartland. It was good seeing old friends...and meeting so many people we had never met face-to-face. We'll be attending gatherings across the Heartland this year...and we're looking forward to seeing everyone again at next year's Lightning Across the Plains!

I'll be working on putting together a video of still photos and video footage shot at the event. If you have photos you took there, please feel free to email them to me at voidpulp@... in the next few days so I can include them.

Thanks!

Mark

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Mark Ludwig Stinson
Chieftain of Jotun's Bane Kindred
Heartland Hof and Hall Fund

The pictures that I took are here

Heathen friends are welcome to view and copy them, and to re-post those that they like so long as they say something nice about JBK and LATP alongside them.

-Max-

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The pics were great Max thanks for sharing them.

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Atli Kenneًsson (Daryl Beck)
Yfirmaًr (Chieftain)
Mississippi Fjolt Dalr Mogr
(Mississippi River Valley Kindred)

Excellent photos, Max...I downloaded them all, so I can use them in the movie I'm putting together. I appreciate it!

Mark

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Mark Ludwig Stinson
Chieftain of Jotun's Bane Kindred
Heartland Hof and Hall Fund

Well guys, what can I say, we did it and I know I had a great time.
Just the one night with a lot of rain, that tarp came in handy.

It was great watching the kids go at each other and Trolls with the Boffer swords. The kids making new and hopefully long lasting friendships and for myself getting to meet so many like minded people it was a great experience.

I just wanted to say great job people for making it a great experience for me.

ps. we will get our pictures posted very soon

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Hلvamلl 47:
Young was I once, I walked alone,
and bewildered seemed in the way;
then I found me another and rich I thought me,
for man is the joy of man.

Great pics!

I wish I could've gone to the event. It looks really fun.

It was lots of fun. But I am not sure who had more fun, the adults or the kids. I know that I had fun watching my kids having fun with other heathen kids.

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Atli Kenneًsson (Daryl Beck)
Yfirmaًr (Chieftain)
Mississippi Fjolt Dalr Mogr
(Mississippi River Valley Kindred)

Everyone seemed to have a great time from the youngest to the eldest. The only thing to improve the gathering would have been Rod, Jamie and myself not being sick through the entire event.

I am so looking forward to 2010!

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Susan Steveson
Heartland Hof and Hall Fund

Max, where was the canvas tent with the bindrune banner? Neither Jason nor I ever saw that tent?

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Be Trْ to the Gods and Goddesses,
Be Trْ to the Ancestors, Vaettir, and your Folk,
and most importantly,
Be Trْ to Yourself.
Simply be Heathen in all things.

Rod Landreth
Godhi of Jotun's Bane Kindred

That was the Hammer Tree Kindred camp, I think that's right. The kindred straight across from my camp.

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Mike
East Texas Heathens

It was Mary Ellen Rowe's tent.

Mark

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Mark Ludwig Stinson
Chieftain of Jotun's Bane Kindred
Heartland Hof and Hall Fund

Quote:

Ah! I didn't get a chance to talk to her! She's like a professor of something ... I wanted to pick her brain.

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Be Trْ to the Gods and Goddesses,
Be Trْ to the Ancestors, Vaettir, and your Folk,
and most importantly,
Be Trْ to Yourself.
Simply be Heathen in all things.

Rod Landreth
Godhi of Jotun's Bane Kindred

When my family set out on the 647 mile journey that would take us to LATP, we honestly didn't know what to expect. We've long been silent in the heathen community, watching from the sidelines but ultimately carrying on our faith as a lone family. We didn't truly know anyone going but we overpacked our little Ford Focus and made the drive anyways; and I would be less than truthful if I said there wasn't a little trepidation as we left out of Texas.

About a year or so ago I stumbled across this site. I've kept it bookmarked,checked in on it weekly and even occasionally posted here on the message boards and I've always liked what I've seen. A kindred who uses the tribal model. A kindred that talks about seeking out the similarities in heathen group instead of focusing on the differences (my wife has had to suffer my monthly rant on that topic for years now). A kindred that does instead of says. It all piqued our interest enough we had to make this trip.

LATP and all the good, true folk that made their way to this event did not disappoint. It was an experience like we've never before had and on saturday night in High Symbel I can honestly say I've never before felt such spirituality in all my life.

As we pulled away from Camp Gaea on Sunday morning I turned to Kati and said, "These mid-western folk are the real deal." She smiled and agreed.

Our only regret is that we remained so quiet through the weekend. It wasn't out of a lack of interest, its just that both of us are quiet people. We've been doing this for so long by ourselves, sometimes old habits are hard to break. But now we've tasted true heathen community and we left LATP with a hunger for more of it. That is a gift in and of itself.

Today I experienced another side effect of LATP, one that took me a bit by surprise. My parents have always took a "don't ask, don't tell" policy in regards to our religion. They always understood that we weren't christian, but that was always about as far as things went. They knew we were going to LATP, knew somewhat about what the gathering was for and my father even checked in with us daily; as he always does when we are out of state.

Today when I spoke with him he started asking questions, and was checking out the photos I posted to facebook. We had a long talk about heathenry and he asked how I came across it. I told him I came across it 12 years ago and the very virtues it teaches were the same things he taught me about being a man when I was growing up. He just chuckled and said, "Good, I'm glad you were paying attention and that it stuck with you." then he asked me for the names of some books he might check out on it.

Whenever I'm not working weekends, we usually gather at my parents house on fridays for dinner and family time. Looks like this friday I'll be taking some books with me.

LATP affected this family quite a bit. Thanks.

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Mike
East Texas Heathens

Mike...from what I saw of you while you were up here, you Texan Heathens are the real deal too. Only a real Heathen would drive that far to connect with other Heathens that they had never even met.
I look forward to seeing you next year.

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Quote:

It's always a great feeling when your family express an interest in something that is so close to your heart. I hope you have some great conversations with him. Keep us posted on how it goes....

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Atli Kenneًsson (Daryl Beck)
Yfirmaًr (Chieftain)
Mississippi Fjolt Dalr Mogr
(Mississippi River Valley Kindred)

Quote:

JBK certainly are that. It's a fine example and a lesson for everyone, and it's good to see that it has made the right impression and is sinking in to others.

Hail Jotuns' Bane Kindred!

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Mike,

We really enjoyed having your family there...and I'm glad you posted about what the event meant for you and your family. You post, and what it says, means a lot to me.

We will keep in touch, and I can't wait to see you next year...and here how things have developed for you down in Texas. I agree with Johnny...you guys were the real deal. 10.5 hours in a Ford Focus with kids to come up here...and you were excellent guest, and the times we did talk a bit...I was very glad you were there.

Mark

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Mark Ludwig Stinson
Chieftain of Jotun's Bane Kindred
Heartland Hof and Hall Fund