Welcome to the November 2008 edition of the Laconneau
Monthly Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

• Featured Article
• Upcoming Festival
• Regional Events & News
• Contact Laconneau


FEATURED ARTICLE

Feminism and Ending Suffering

Excerpted from “Feminism: An Agenda,"in Letters from a War Zone
by Andrea Dworkin. 

...[The women’s movement] is a movement against human suffering.  There is no
way to be a feminist and to forget that.  If you are a feminist, and if you have
forgotten that our purpose is to end the suffering of countless unnamed and
invisible women from the crimes committed against them – and yes, we may also
end the suffering of men who are committing the crimes, yes we probably think
we can – then your feminism is hollow and it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t count. 
This is a movement against suffering.  So in between the lines when you hear
people say that this is a movement for freedom, for justice, for equality – and all
of that is entirely and deeply true – you must remember that we are trying to
eliminate suffering too.  Freedom, justice and equality have become slogan
words, Madison Avenue words, so has revolution.  Nobody tries to sell suffering:
in America, suffering is barely acknowledged.  Suffering does not fit into the
advertising scheme of things as a goal for a happy American.  So it is a good
measure of your own commitment to understand that in the end, in the end, the
positives that we are searching for have to be measured against the true condition
of women that we know and that we understand. ...

There is nothing that feminists want more than to become irrelevant.  We want
the end of the exploitation of women; but as long as there is rape – as long as
there is rape – there is not going to be any peace or justice or equality or freedom. 
You are not going to become what you want to become or who you want to
become.  You are not going to live in the world you want to live in.  And so you
have to organize an agenda...My agenda is everything I can think of, everything I
can think of doing, all the time: movement, movement, physical and intellectual
and political confrontations with power.  You have to write the picket signs,
march, scream, yell, write the ... letters.  It’s your responsibility to yourselves and
to other women. 

There is one thing that is not practical, and it’s the thing I believe in most, and
that is the importance of vision in the midst of what has to be done, never
forgetting for one minute the world that you really want to live in and how you
want to live in it and what it means to you and how much you care about it =
what you want for yourselves and what you want for the people you love. 
Everywhere in this country now people are told to be complacent because change
is impossible.  Change is not impossible.  It is not impossible.  Many things have
to be changed in the world.  It is time to change the condition of women, finally
and absolutely and for all time. 


LACONNEAU SPRING FESTIVAL



Laconneau Spring Festival
Friday, May 1 - Sunday, May 3, 2009
Artemis House, Greenville, NC

Spring Festival marks the beginning of summer.  As with the Autumn Festival,
this is a time between dark and light, night and day, winter and summer.  We are
holding the Spring Festival in full accord with the principles of our Tradition.
Come join us at Artemis House in Greenville, North Carolina for this wonderful
weekend of council discussion, workshops, feminine spirituality and festivities.
Lend your voice to the power and love of other sisters such as yourself who feel a
burning need to see change in this world.

The fee for the festival is $275.00. Please also budget for $20.00 per day to cover lunches and
expenses. Housing is available in the homes of the Greenville sisters and in hotels
in the area. Please contact Elaine at greenville@laconneau.org for more details.

For more Information on the Spring Festival:

GEORGIA: November Events



Monday, November 3, 2008
Meditation 7:30PM
Marietta, GA
 
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Meditation 6:30PM
East Decatur, GA

Monday, November 10, 2008
Meditation 7:30PM
Marietta, GA
 
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Women’s Circle 7:30PM
Gainesville, GA,
For students who have completed the Level I Course
 
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Meditation 12:30PM
Gainesville, GA
 
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Meditation 5:30PM
North Decatur, GA
 
Monday, November 17, 2008
Meditation 7:30PM
Marietta, GA
 
Monday, November 24, 2008
Meditation 7:30PM
Marietta, GA

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Women’s Circle 7:30PM
Gainesville, GA
For students who have completed the Level I Course

Atlanta Calendar Online: http://www.laconneau.com/CalendarAtlantaGA.html

Atlanta Region Coordinator: Lorrie  - georgia@laconneau.org

NORTH CAROLINA: November Events



Friday, November 7, 2008
Young Women’s Dinner & Book Discussion 6:30PM
Give Me Liberty, by Naomi Wolf
Greenville, NC

Sunday, November 9, 2008
Meditation 12:00 Noon
Hike & Picnic Lunch 1:00 PM
Artemis House
Greenville, NC

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Women’s Circle 7:30 PM
Artemis House
Greenville, NC
For students who have completed the Level I Course

Thursday, November 25, 2008
Women’s Circle 7:30 PM
Artemis House
Greenville, NC
For students who have completed the Level I Course

PENNSYLVANIA: November Events



Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tea & Discussion 7:30PM
Topic: Election Results!
Philadelphia, PA

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Women’s Circle 7:30PM
Philadelphia, PA
For students who have completed the Level I Course

Monday, November 17, 2008
Meditation 6:30PM
Philadelphia, PA

Sunday, November 9, 2008
Meditation & Afternoon Tea 3:30PM
Falls Church, VA

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Women’s Circle 7:30PM
Washington, DC
For students who have completed the Level I Course

Friday, November 14, 2008
Film Screening 6:30PM
Secret Files of the Inquisition, Parts 1 & 2
Followed by Dinner
Washington, DC

Sunday, November 23, 2008
Meditation & Afternoon Tea 4:00PM
Washington, DC

France News:

Sentier des Cathares: September 25 to October 8, 2008

A group of six members of Laconneau hiked the eastern half of the Sentier des
Cathares in the Languedoc region of Southern France from September 25th to
October 8th.  Members of Laconneau who participated in the trip were Anna
Berez (Philadelphia, PA), Alex Guyol (Princeton, NJ), Lorely Halici (Washington,
DC), Jan Salstrom (Greenville, NC) and Carol Orndorff (Atlanta, GA).  The
women trained for six months prior to the trip in order to achieve an appropriate
level of fitness.  Jehanne de Quillan, an experienced climber and mountaineer
who has climbed all over the world, led the trip. Participants learned how to read
topographical maps, how to use a compass and basic mountaineering skills such
as scrambling and basic climbing.  They hiked the Sentier from Tuchan to the
Gorge de Galamus, with ascents of LaQuille, Col d’Auroux and Pech de Bugarach. 
Each day’s hike built on the experience of the previous day and allowed the
participants to practice their new skills with increasing levels of confidence. 

The following are reflections of the women who hiked the Sentier des Cathares:

"I had spent so long preparing for and expecting a physical journey, I had not
anticipated it being such a spiritual experience. Just walking along the paths
was a meditation in itself. Trying to conquer my fear of heights was not easy.
Sometimes I was so scared I could hardly breathe, and I didn’t make it to the
last mountain.  But I know it is possible, and one day I will overcome that fear
because  it’s just a limitation I place upon myself.
 
Just as I scaled the heights of the mountains and exalted in the feeling of joy that
it brings, I also realized the need to delve into the depths of myself to confront
and overcome the darker side. It’s something I had been avoiding, but this trip
has made me realize the importance of facing it and the courage to begin to do
it.
 
This is such a different sort of trip: I love the pilgrimages, they have helped me
know Her through Jehanne, but this trip has helped me know myself. That is
truly a priceless gift. Thank you Jehanne, for everything."
~Lorely Crewe Halici

"It gave me an opportunity to physically confront some of my fears of
inadequacy and limitations in which I had boxed myself, this allowed me to
push forward, gain confidence, break barriers and expand my horizons
(literally). To have a setting where I could embody the teachings we have been
learning, to know them on the physical level is a true gift. To walk in meditation
for hours, for days, priceless. And to do this all in one of the most beautiful
places on earth, beyond words. Thank you again, Jehanne."
~Jan Salstrom

"At the beginning of the Sentier, Jehanne told us that each woman on the trip
would be different when she returned home. But when she said it, I couldn't
imagine how and I didn't understand why. Returning to my life here, I know the
simple truth of her words. Strength found that no one can break.
 
The weather was incredible the entire time we were in France, perfect hiking
weather through an unbelievable landscape. And hiking the ridge to a 4,000
foot peak made me feel more alive than I have ever experienced. There really is
so much that the mountains teach. Jehanne said that you never conquer a
mountain, you conquer a part of yourself. That is absolutely true. I found
strength that I wasn't sure I had. Knowing that I had to just keep going, no
matter how much my feet hurt. With each step forward, the landscape and the
mountain took me outside of myself until I was no longer aware of the pain, or I
chose not to be.
 
And then everything stops. Breath and stride synchronize. There is silence and
wind. To be on a mountain with the blowing wind makes my heart sing. The
way the wind feels against my body, finding my balance and bracing that.
Feeling the silence that the wind carries in its strength. It feels like Her.

The Sentier is a very different kind of trip, and I am so grateful for being able to
go. What stays with me most, right now, is the amount of fear I overcame while
I was there. Limitations that I learned were never real. Being able to let go of
more and more, to be present and to stay present. "If you stay in the present,
there is no limit to what you can accomplish," Jehanne told us on the last night,
knowing that we now had the experience to know that what she said was true."
~Anna Berez

"After months of preparation, I boarded my Air France flight with rucksack and
roller board in tow.   Within a day’s time, I joined up with the women with
whom I would spend the next 11 days on a rigorous mountain expedition in the
Pyrenees; listening, learning, exploring, and reaching new heights in ourselves. 

Each day, as we walk with rucksacks on our backs and maps in hand, I am
present to the beauty and the harshness of my surroundings. Every step we take
is either an ascent, a descent, or over rugged rocky roads...

[We had a] lovely walk up to Pech d’ Auroux … thought we were on the final
home stretch…the long (but fairly level) walk along the jeep trail…when we
were called upon by a “mama dog”, crying out for help.  She was terrified and
disoriented.  Six women…over a two hour stretch of time…carried her to the
main road…and within minutes of our arrival, her owner found us and her…she
had been missing for a week. Whew!…that was an amazing experience…we took
turns, working together to carry her, prop her up (she was heavy and kept
slipping through our arms), and carrying each other’s packs.  All of our aches
and pains of the day were gone. 

Jehanne has structured each day to build on the previous day’s
accomplishments…and there were many….Each day we moved into new
dimensions of our selves; each day, there was less chatter in my head as I found
myself moving gracefully past vineyards, up and down the pech’s, and around
the valley. My lungs screamed at times….and my legs tightened and cramped,
but I kept my feet in good shape and each night’s sleep was ample rest for the
next day’s journey…..which climaxed with our walk up Pech de Bugarach
……what a rush……all there was…was my next breath and my next step……
what more could there be?"

After Thoughts; “There is freedom in losing my mind….staying focused on the
future destination….and taking life one step at a time.  That is pure JOY."
~Carol Orndorff

"My experience of the Sentier des Cathares was invaluable.  Hiking the Sentier 
was a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, taking one step, then the
next, being determined to continue, finding the rhythm between stride and
breath, choosing my reaction, choosing to focus on the beauty of the scenery and
the rhythm of the stride and the breath rather than on thirst, or tiredness, or
pain, plumbing the depths of strength and discipline that allowed me to
continue.  Time stops.  There is just the next step, the next breath.  There is no
pain, no fear, no tiredness.  There is only now." 
~Alex Guyol

As you can see from their reflections, the Sentier des Cathares was a marvelous
experience for the women who participated.  The Sentier des Cathares will be
offered again in the Fall of 2009.  If you would like details, please contact Alex
at alex@laconneau.org. 

As was mentioned in the October newsletter, a 30 kilometer portion of the hike
was dedicated to Lonnie DiCarlo, a member of the Laconneau community who
was diagnosed with cancer over 2 years ago. It is still possible to contribute to the
fund to assist Lonnie.  If you would like to do so, please send a check made out to
Lonnie DiCarlo specifying “Sentier des Cathares” on the note line, then send it to
Carol Orndorff at 1438 Hamptom Glen Court, Decatur GA 30033.  Please include
your name and email address with your donation.  Many of you have already
supported Lonnie through your contributions.  Thank you very much.  Your
generosity will go a long way in assisting Lonnie and her daughter, Michelle.


News from the Carolinas:
Over the past several months, participants in the young women’s group have
focused on learning more about the political candidates for the recent election. 
They have also addressed the issue of how to become more involved in the
political process in our communities.  To support these efforts, there will be a
discussion of the book, Give Me Liberty: A Handbook For American
Revolutionaries, by Naomi Wolf at the next young women’s dinner, scheduled for
Friday, November 7 at 6:30 PM.


Georgia News:
On October 4th, the Georgia circle held its third annual Yard Sale in Marietta to
support the scholarship fund and the Chapelle de la Madeleine in Greenville

A member of Laconneau Georgia, Carol Orndorff, participated in the recent
Sentier des Cathares in southern France. Carol shared shared her experiences on
the Sentier with the Georgia circle, complete with photographs and maps. 

Upcoming December events in the Georgia Circle will include a Magdalene
Seminar on December 5th and 6th and a Level I Beginner’s class on December 7th. 
If you are interested in attending, please contact Lorrie at georgia@laconneau.org 

The Laconneau Georgia circle continues to support women in their spiritual
development through local meditations and activities in Decatur, Marietta and
Gainesville.  Please refer to the newsletter calendar for details. 


Pennsylvania News:
Women in the Philadelphia circle have worked with the Obama campaign
doing voter awareness and education to empower citizens to use their rights
both in the voting booth and following the election.

The Philadelphia circle will host a Level I class on Sunday, December 14 at
10:00AM. The Philadelphia circle continues to build and strengthen our
community through regularly scheduled gatherings in which women come to
share their ideas and experiences. All women are welcome and invited to attend
classes, meditations and discussions. The tools we learn enable us to conquer our
fears in order to build a foundation of strength within ourselves, which is the base of our community.


Washington, DC News:
Washington, DC Coordinator Lorely Crewe-Halici returned from France in early
October after ten days of memorable and enriching experiences on the first trip of
Le Sentier des Cathares in the Languedoc.  Beside mountain guide Jehanne, the
group included sisters from Atlanta, Greenville, Philadelphia, and Princeton.

November activities in Washington, DC will include a meditation and afternoon
tea in Falls Church, Virginia, and another in Washington, plus the screening in
Washington, DC, of the Secret Files of the Inquisition documentary, Parts 1 and
2, during which a light supper will be served.


CONTACT LACONNEAU

Please contact your coordinator with questions or updated regional information.

In France:  Jehanne jehanne@laconneau.org

In Georgia: Lorrie georgia@laconneau.org

In California:Alex alex@laconneau.org

In the Carolinas: Elaine Greenville@laconneau.org

In Pennsylvania: Anna Philadelphia@laconneau.org

In Washington, DC: Lorely dc@laconneau.org    

Contact Information Online: http://www.laconneau.com/Contact.html

Please visit our website, www.laconneau.org, for the complete calendar,
further articles, Laconneau’s history and additional information.

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