The News from Four Quarters

November 18, 2022

Full Moon & Winter Solstice Service
By Carrie Krystek & Kurt Griffith

Join us on a Four Quarters' Winter's Day...North Copse in Winter.

Please come home for the holidays as we celebrate the return of the Light with a light-hearted celebration of this joyous season! Celebrate with us the Rebirth of the Sun; Exchange with us Gifts of Love and Laughter, and Remember with us that the Wheel does turn, and soon the Sun’s light will once again warm our faces.

You can look forward to a birthday celebration for the new-born Sun, a groaning board feast, sugar cookies to decorate, and a hand crafted gift for everyone! Reunion with friends and family, ceremony and celebration. Blessed Solstice Greetings to One and All! 

Schedule of Activities
12pm    Festively Gather Together with Cookies, Punch, Cider, and Fun  --  Office
1pm      Cookie Decorating Activity  --  Office
3pm      Bardic Singalong Wassail  --  (Outside or Loft)
5pm      Blessings from the Gifting Tree  --  Office
6pm      Groaning Board Feast  --  Farmhouse Kitchen
7:30      Ritual: Facing the Cold and Dark, we Choose Light  --  Stone Circle
(Please plan to dress warmly for this outdoor ritual)

Note: subject to change due to weather etc. Check back on Dec. 9 to confirm the schedule.

Groaning Board Feast menu!
Spiral cut ham
Vegetarian roast
Roasted Root Vegetables
Blue Lake Green Beans
Dinner Rolls
Garden Salad

November 7, 2022

Samhain 2022
By Orren Whiddon

Samhain 2022: A Photo Essay
          This year's Samhain was remarkable in many ways. Attendees experienced three major ceremonies on Friday evening, Saturday  afternoon, and Saturday evening, in addition to a focused Feast of The Dead. The season's last Sweat Lodge Ceremony was held, a workshop discussion focused on our Ancestors had lively conversation, and kids of all ages enjoyed the Pinata, Pumpkin Carving, and Crafted Flying Skeletons! 
          For the first time ever we included all four meals as part of the registration, without a separate charge for a meal plan. As hoped this had a strong impact on our community and presages developments for Church events in the 2023 season.
             But what was truly memorable was the profound beauty of our new architectural landscape lighting and how it enhances the ceremonial experiences. This photo essay has over twenty-five gorgeous photos, please take your time and linger.
              With much thanks to Michel Lehmueller and Mike McConnell on the technical side and Pamela Alexander, Kailin Miller, Carrie Krystek, Mary Murphy, Beth Thomas, and Kurt Griffith on the planning and ceremonial side.

October 13, 2022

Grid Power Project
By Orren Whiddon

The Grid Power Project of 2022.
4,500 feet of buried 3" High Voltage conduit, six transformers running at 15,000 volts, 1,800  Amps of power.
Yellow line marks the route. This became a monsterr project, begun in late Winter/early Spring of 2022.

September 16, 2022

A Stones Rising 2022 Photo Essay
by Pam Alexander
Photos by Pam, Kurt, Mike and Ashley

Stones Rising is at the core of everything we do here at Four Quarters. As we gather together to raise the Stones that make up the Stone Circle, we share in purpose, ceremony, and celebration.

September 15, 2022

Stones Rising 2022 - Raising A Stone
Mini-Documentary By Kurt Griffith

Stones Rising 2022 - Raising a Stone Mini-Documentary.

Part of the ceremonial activities at Stones Rising, is the annual adding of monumental stones to the Sacred Circle of Standing Stones we have been building since 1995 here at Four Quarters Interfaith. It is a determined work of years, executed by a dedicated community of Spirit. Stone by Stone.

July 6, 2022

Camping Happy on The Land
By Walter Bachteler

Tents and canopies of every kind appear on the Land on festival weekends. Big Dub 2019.

“...stories of great adventures, not catastrophes.”

Camping is one of the things most people do while they’re at Four Quarters. Here are some helpful hints about camping on The Land.

Always prepare for rain & cold
Take it from a long-timer: this is hard learned wisdom! The environment of Four Quarters, a mountainous valley in the central Allegheny foothills of south-central Pennsylvania has notoriously wildly random weather conditions... sometimes within each day!

Tents & Tenting
You get what you pay for. Try to stay with the national brands. A four-person tent holds two people and a minimal amount of gear. If you look at the diagram you will see four small people laying head to foot next to each other. You may want to set up your new tent in the backyard before trying to set it up after you’ve driven several hours and it’s close to sunset. Remember when you put your tent away it needs to be folded slightly smaller than the length of the bag it came in before rolling it up.