Ancient Ways Newsletter
4075 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland CA 94609
(510) 653-3244; fax (510) 653-3269
www.ancientways.com
Volume 13 Issue 4 Fall/Rainy 2008
News from the Store
We have a huge inventory for Yule shopping. I went overboard with wonderful cloaks, robes & shawls, new statues, Turkish protection charms, and so much more.
More pagan chocolates arrive soon and I ordered a lot of black and white basic robes along with beautiful cloaks and capes. Look for our newly up dated Oil list in this newsletter and on the website. Sorry, we had to increase the prices for the first time in 15 years, but at mostly $2.00 a dr. they are a deal. We still do mail order too.
The 15th annual
PantheaCon 2009
Feb 13 – 16, 2009
San Jose Double Tree Hotel
2050 Gateway Place, San Jose CA
Admission: $65 (till Jan 15); $75 on site
Carbon offset donations can be made at the Registration desk.
We have all the function room space with 4 ballrooms full of wondrous vendors and 4 ballrooms for rituals and workshops along with 10 additional rooms. Parking at the hotel is $5 a night for attendees with their badges. Only hotel guests get in-out privileges.
Theme: Gods and Goddesses and families
Important Dates for PantheaCon
On line and mail Registration for the Con is open, but closes Feb 1. Register on site after that
www.pantheacon.com
On line Programming applications are closed.
Vending applications are closed.
Hotel Accomodations for PantheaCon
* Our main Overflow Hotel is the Holiday Inn San Jose (Formerly Hyatt San Jose) at 1740 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95112 (408) 793-3300 We have a block of 75 rooms. It is just a 10 minute walk from the Doubletree. They have free parking and two restaurants. Please mention PantheaCon when booking. The rate at the Holiday Inn is $79 a night for Friday, Saturday and also Sunday.
* We also have a block with the Marriott Courtyard. The Courtyard San Jose Airport is at 1727 Technology Dr., San Jose, CA 95110. They have rooms with kingsize beds for $89. Call the hoell to reserve a room at (408) 441-6111
Other Overflow Hotels:
* Extended Stay America Deluxe (2 1/2 stars—has kitchens) 55 E Brokaw, San Jose CA 408-453-3000 Includes breakfast www.extendedstayhotels.com; $95/night Friday and Saturday nights and $135 Sunday
* Homestead SJ (2 stars) 1560 N 1st St., SJ $89/99 per night (info from 06)
Please Note: The Doubletree has paid parking. Con attendees can park for the reduced rate of $5.00 per day. Present your ID badge to the parking attendant to receive the discounted rate. Only hotel guests have in and out privileges.All the overflow hotels have free parking and you can reach the hotel by cab or a short walk. We expect to have a shuttle bus or van go among the hotels. Whent he Holiday Inn is full we will post other “contracted and designated” hotels on line. Carbon credit offset donations can be made at the Registration desk on site.
Details on the program should be available on the website by Jan 15.
Special pre-PantheaCon Intensives
Ardantane and Cherry Hill will both have Thursday intensives at the Double Tree. You sign up separately from PantheaCon for the Thursday event you wish to attend.
Ardantane Pagan Learning Center
To Be a Priestess, To Be a Priest: a pre-PantheaCon day-long intensive presented by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K of Ardantane Pagan Learning Center, on Thursday Feb. 11, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel San Jose. Join us and take a good look at your spiritual calling, with the help of Amber and Azrael Arynn K, authors of True Magick, Ritualcraft, Heart of Tarot, Covencraft and other highly regarded books. The program fee is $75, which includes lunch and all program materials. Make check payable to Ardantane and send to Ardantane, P.O. Box 307, Jemez Springs NM 87025... or register online and use Paypal. Go to www.ardantane.org, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or mail your check to the address shown above. Do it today, while there's still room! For more information, call 505-469-7777 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Cherry Hill Seminary
At Cherry Hill Seminary’s 2009 Winter Intensive, meet three activists who have shaken the earth with their footsteps, devoting their lives to ensuring religious freedom for all: prison chaplaincy expert The Rev. Patrick McCollum, attorney and Druid James Bianchi, and "A Hero Denied" filmmaker Dr. Todd Berntson .
Learn from McCollum the importance of religious pluralism, from Bianchi on the intersection of religion, law and activism, and from Berntson on the story of the Veterans Administration's refusal to approve the pentacle as a religious symbol, and eventual out of court settlement. Hear a panel discussion moderated by M. Macha NightMare. See the West coast premier of the movie, "A Hero Denied."
Time: 8am to 5 pm Price: $125 before Feb. 6 ; $95 before January 6; $75 before December 6. For full details go to their website.
Cherry Hill Seminary students receive credit for one intensive towards their certificate, (only for attending the full day). Registration fee covers intensive workshop and materials. For more info contact: Cherry Hill Seminary; "Distance Education for Professional Pagan Ministry" P.O. Box 5405, Columbia, SC 29250-5405 www.cherryhillseminary.org
The Ancient Ways 26th Anniversary Festival
will be May 13 – 17, 2009, the weekend prior to Memorial Day. The theme is “Seeds of Change”.
Join us this year with T. Thorn Coyle for the main ritual and workshops, more workshops with experts in tarot, for music we have drumming and HobbyHorse for their 3rd year, and more vendors than ever. Join us in the stone circle dancing half naked by the firelight under the moon and stars to live music. Join us at the Pirate party at the 3 boats planted in the ground.
Join us in this wonderfully secure, safe and “just us” site. There was an inflatable pool for us to cool off in along with a hot tub. If you have any comments, or feedback about the festival, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Web site
We are currently working on log-in forums to expand and improve them. Give us your suggestions. The forums will allow people to seek roommates and rides to PantheaCon. (Please remember that we cannot screen people for you. You must a wary buyer in that respect.) The forums will also include a Pagan interest Political page. (This will be moderated to keep out obvious ads.)
Save Trees – switch to our Online Newsletter We are starting a switch to an email list for people who wish to just be reminded that the new info for the quarter is ready and not waste trees on a snail mail hard copy. I hope to have a sign-up area on the forum for that. But you can do that sooner by sending your email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it along with your snail mail address to delete.