Good morning, Sisters!
MFR stands for Michigan Framily Reunion.  MFR is a women's music festival that is held the first weekend of August at Wayland Farm, Wayland, MI (lesbian owned family tree farm).  The idea of MFR was conceived at women's music concert as a "reunion/union" of L2L sisters (Lansing Lesbians group) and MWMF festie sisters.  We loved Michigan Women's Music Festival and were very sad that it was ending so we wanted to provide a space to come together during that time of year when we would be feeling the loss of Michigan even more acutely.
MFR values women's space as a respite from patriarchy and the heaviness of being a women in the world.  We value women's music, products, and services and each vendor and performer is a women.
We value being in the woods and BEING in women's space and hope you will too.
If you want to know more about MFR, please visit our website:
www.michiganframilyreunion.com
our facebook group:


https://www.facebook.com/groups/547248082126454/


L2L social group:
https://www.meetup.com/Lansing-Lesbians-L2L/
L2L hosts monthly dances, game nights, potlucks, and various other special events!


L2L Purple Prom with REINA WILLIAMS live!
Tickets $15 cash, check, or friends/family paypal (paypal.me/L2L), $20 at the door. You do not want to miss this!
For more information email [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/events/1772646076099806/

And our festival: August 3-6, 2018

Thank you, sisters! Have a blessed day :)
MFR Organizers
​


​

Anybody feel like getting cold and yucky but feeling super good about putting to sleep MFR 2017? We have a list of stuff to do on Saturday with limited time (830am-12pm so I can get to my son's football game) so if you are avaliable for a couple hours on Saturday, I would soooooooo appreciate it.  Thanks sisters!
Wayland 
Build and anchor Shelter
(Buy from menards)
Move golf cart and quad to shelter. 
Charge golf carts while there. 
Run cord from panel at pc to golf cart at new shelter. 
At shower location
Remove shower heads
Remove shower curtains, curtain rod and rod support
Add 2x4s (by pallets @ of) to shower frame to help support Angle we need for carpet drape. 
Cap shower vent
Blow out shower drains. 
Put grey water pipes (they are near pc on the ground) on shower pans to be stored through winter. 
Milk crate with pump and misc parts in shower space as well
Remove water heaters
Place in wooden box that are in washes garage. If memory serve correctly. Store at pc. 
Tarp associated gas and water piping at water heater board. 
Cap, drain, sump 

Thanks sisters!
If you can make it, please email [email protected] to confirm location & time!
Dawn

Good morning sisters! 
I have had several dreams about Michigan Framily Reunion.  No, I am not Martin Luther King but I have big dreams for women.  I have big dreams about my sisters, tribe, FRAMILY. 
This endeavor has always had the intention of bringing together sisters that have been to MWMF but also about bringing together women that have never attended a women's music festival but crave women culture and community.  Michigan Framily Reunion is an effort at reuniting long lost sisters that are yearning for their sisters and they didn't even realize what they wanted or needed until they were in that community and felt the difference.
We hope to continue to work towards that goal with that intention: Bring together sisters to enjoy community and love in a space that is safe from men and area 51.  To bring that dream into action, we cannot do it alone.  This year, 2017, was a big stretch for us.  We had a one day event in 2016.  We expanded to a weekend event for 2017. WHAT the HECK were we thinking???  Well, we did it but there were growing pains.  In our exhaustion from physically clearing the space (chainsawing, chipping, mowing, cutting, creating), producing the event, bringing together the community, promoting, and working our day jobs, my actions were not always reflective of my intention (create a loving, safe space) and for that I am sorry from all of my heart.  I'm sorry for reacting in anger or frustration at simple questions and requests.  It was dumb and not necessary and I'm sorry for my poor responses.   I am happy that the event was a good experience for most of the attendees.  I am sorry we missed things due to running out of time and resources.  We have learned more and we will do better.
In that spirit, we (us producers, dreamers, and schemers) know that we need more help.  My dream last night was of a beautiful festival.  The farm was beautiful and green.  The women were happy and smiling.  But the Welcome Center was under construction.  The Welcome Center is under construction.  Sadly, our Welcome Center supervisors will not be able to return and offer their services for 2018.  They were wonderful, overworked, underpaid, but greatly appreciated.  Thank you Elizabeth Glew and Cynthia Ricks.  You are amazing and wonderful and you will be greatly missed. 
We are looking for 3 women that are interested in running the Welcome Center.  If you are interested in more information, please email, [email protected] to find out if this is a position that will work for you.  Creating and being part of creating something bigger than you is wonderful for the soul and the community.  Be part of MFR.  Be part of the magic.  Be! Thank you sisters! I love you lots and lots.

​Sisters SHOW UP! SSU Wims sign up at signup genius!
Hello Sisters.
If you are interested in being one of the Amazons that comes in early on Thursday so you can be there to greet and welcome Sisters as they arrive at Wayland Farm, this information is for you.
You may enter the festival between 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Thursday August 3, 2017.  At that time you can set up your camp, get your wristband, and get settled.  In exchange for coming in early you will be working the Friday morning and/or afternoon shifts while other Sisters are just arriving.
We will need womyn working in the following areas:
Welcome Center
Parking
ARC Welcome Center/Pussy Central
Runners
Please sign up to be a Sister SHOW UP (SSU) here:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090448a9af2aa6fa7-sisters
 
Are you an Eager Beaver?  
An Eager Beaver is a womyn who is dedicated to creating a safe space for womyn with time, toil, and sweat.  An Eager Beaver is a womyn who has committed her sweat energy to coming in the week before Michigan Framily Reunion and putting the finishing touches on this jewel.  An Eager Beaver has been to the property for an Amazon Work Weekend and is familiar with the grounds’ layout and how to operate most of the tools.  An Eager Beaver is hardworking and willing to help other womyn.  If you are interested in being an Eager Beaver, please fill out an application below.  You must be willing to come in between the hours of 7-8am or 11-1pm on the day you designate for arrival.  If you arrive outside of these times, please wait until the next available window of opportunity.
Apply for Eager Beaver Status here:
http://www.michiganframilyreunion.com/eager-beavers.html
 
 
 
http://www.michiganframilyreunion.com/eager-beavers.html

Goddess Bata (Bat)
Bat (or Bata) was an ancient Egyptian cow goddess associated with Upper Egypt.
She was originally a deification of the Milky Way (which was compared to a pool of cows milk).
 
Her name is the feminine form of the word "ba", the name of one of the major elements of the soul.
 
She was associated with the ankh (the symbol of life or breath) and with the sistrum (which was also associated with Hathor.
 
Her cult center was in Sheshesh (the seventh nome of Upper Egypt) known as the "Mansion of the Sistrum".
http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/bat.html
Bata Forest--NW quadrant of South Woods/#5

Goddess Hathor
A wild horned cow goddess of eternal love, Hathor also signified happiness and good tidings, apart from acting as the custodian of women, dance, and music.
I the early images and paintings available, she wears the head of the cow or also as a woman wearing the wild horns of the cow. 
 
She was the mother of Horus; her name, Hathor means the “house of Horus”, which provides us a clue of her link.  The queen of Egypt identified very closely with Hathor, as the queen was the mother to the mighty pharaoh. 
Legend shows her immortal power: as soon as a child took his birth, seven important Hathors used to come near the bedsie to foretell the future and the hour of death of the just born child. 
 
Hathor was an Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood, and joy.  She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt.
http://www.landofpyramids.org/hathor.htm
Hathor Forest--NE quadrant of South Woods/#6
 

 
Goddess Mut (Maut, Mwt)
Goddess Mut (Maut, Mwt) was the mother goddess of Thebes (Waset, in the 4th Nome of Upper Egypt). The ancient Egyptians considered the vulture to be a protecting and nurturing mother, and so their word for mother was also the word for a vulture, "Mwt".
She was either depicted as a woman, sometimes with wings, or a vulture, usually wearing the crowns of royalty - she was often shown wearing the double crown of Egypt or the vulture headdress of the New Kingdom queens. Occasionally she was depicted as a male, in part because she was "Mut, Who Giveth Birth, But Was Herself Not Born of Any", and in part due to the superstitious belief that there were in fact no male griffon vultures (the male is almost identical in appearance to the female). In later times she was shown as woman with the head of a lioness, a cow or a cobra as she took on the attributes of the other Egyptian goddesses.
http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/mut.html
#8 South Woods Mut Forest—SW quadrant/South Woods 
 

 
Goddess Neith
Goddess Neith is one of the oldest deities in Egypt.
She is believed to be self-created at the time of creation. She is the goddess of weaving, and other domestic arts. More importantly, she is the goddess of war dating back as early as the Pre-dynastic period of Egypt. She is also believed to be the protector of gods.
Her name literally meant water that is associated with creation. Thus, this garnered Neith the title, “the Mother of all Gods” and “the Great Goddess”
In Upper Egypt, she was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness. She is also often seen as a woman holding a specter or two arrows or a weaving shuttle while wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.
She is described to be a goddess whose wisdom prevails over her other counterparts. In fact, the Greek goddess, Athena was modeled after her.
As a war and hunting deity, she was invoked upon for blessings on weapons for warfare and hunting. This made her attributes of the arrows and the shield. She also blessed the weapons that in early times were placed in tombs as protection from evil spirits. She is also seen as an arbitrary participant in many wars because of her military prowess and impartiality. She gained the epithet “Mistress of the Bow, Ruler of Arrows” because of this.
As a goddess of weaving and domestic arts, she was depicted as a protector of women and guardian of marriage.
http://egyptian-gods.org/egyptian-gods-neith/
Neith Forest--SE quadrant/South Woods #7
 
 

 
Goddess Nut
 
Ancient Egypt held the goddess Nut as one of the most loved goddesses. Known as the sky goddess, she held the title of “she who gives birth to the gods.” From birth to death, Nut played an important role in Egyptian mythology as the barrier between the order of creation and chaos.
In Lower Egypt, the Milky Way was viewed as the celestial image of Nut. She was adopted into the family tree of the Egyptian gods as the daughter of Shu, the god of the air, and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture. She became the sky, while her brother Geb became the god of earth.
In the creation story, Egyptians viewed Nut and Geb as passionate lovers. At one time, they embraced so tightly that nothing could come between them. Shu became jealous and separated the two. Shu became the air that moves between the sky and the earth. This story explained the separation of the sky from the earth. She gave birth to all of the stars and planets. http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/nut.html
Nut Kitchen—corner of West Thigh & LV Lane/#9 South Woods
 
Goddess Hippo
Hippo was a famous queen who helped found the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Cyrene, and Myrina.  She conquered the Asia Minor & Syria.  She then set up a wooden statue of Artemis next to a beech tree in Ephesus.  Amazons would often go there to perform rituals like the shield dance, beating the ground in unison to the accompaniment of pipes, playing a wild, warlike melody.  The name Hippo is the Greek word for “horse” and not surprisingly, appears in many Amazon names.
--- Path that curves around
Falcon’s workshop grove/South Woods/SE border
 

 
Goddess Chasca
 “Chasca’s themes are the sun, fire, divination and love. Her symbols are the sun, fire and flowers. In Incan tradition, this Goddess created the dawn and twilight, the gentlest aspects of the sun. She uses light to draw sprouts from the ground and inspire blossoms. Her tender nature give Chasca associations with love. According to lore, She communicates to people through clouds and dew in a type of geomantic observation.
In the ancient Peruvian Incan Festival of the Sun, Incans reveled in Chasca’s power and beauty around this time when the sun reached its zenith. People made offerings to the Goddess, followed by folk dances around ritual fires. So, if you can hold an outdoor ritual today, build a fire and dance come dusk. Allow Chasca’s inspiring, growth-oriented energy to fill you to overflowing.
Incans also burned old clothing in ritual fire to banish sickness and bad luck. Try this, or burn an emblem of your troubles instead. As the token is consumed, Chasca transforms the negative energy into something positive.
If you’re fortunate to have a semicloudy day, go outside and ask a question of Chasca (ideally about relationships). Then watch for an answer in some form. For example, a heart would indicate that love is on its way!”
(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)
https://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/goddess-chasca/
Amazon Acorn Grove/West of Bruno Shuttle Path/North of L2L Lounge
 

 
Mama Allpa
 
Andrean fertility Goddess depicted with multiple breasts.  Her name translates from Quechua as “earth mother” or “world womb”.
 
 
Workshop Way Trail from Hippo Trail to J-Walk
South Woods/SE border
 

 
Mama Kuka
 
The coca Goddess, her name in Quechua means “mother of coca”. 
 
She is associated with health & joy. 
 
In Incan mythology, Mama Kuka was originally a promiscuous woman who was cut in half by her many lovers. 
 
From her body grew the first coca plant, the leaves of which are chewed to boost energy and are used by the Andrean priests in ritual offerings known as k’intus.
 
#10 NE corner of South Woods kitchen at corner of Amazon Rising and J-Walk
 

 
Mama Quilla
Inca Goddess of the moon
 
She is the daughter of Mama Cocha, Goddess of the sea, and sister/wife of Inti, God of the sun. Mama Quilla was worshipped in particular by women, because she ruled over menstrual cycles and marriage.
While she was imagined in a human form, she was often represented by a disc made of either gold or silver—silver was considered to be Mama Quilla’s tears fallen to earth.
Their love for Mama Quilla made the Inca very afraid of lunar eclipses. They believed that the shadow on the moon was an animal attacking her, and they would throw weapons and yell at the animal to make it go away.
Mama Quilla’s name, which means “mother moon,” is also seen as Mama Kilya.
http://www.goddessaday.com/mayan/mama-quilla
 
Quillya Woods--SE quadrant of North Woods/#5
 

 
Goddess Macha
Wild Irish Goddess who battles against injustice for woman & children
“Macha’s themes are victory, success, protection, fertility and fire. Her symbols are red items, the acorn and the crow.  Macha means ‘mighty one.’ Macha used Her potency to clear the land for wheat, giving Her associations with fertility. She also used Her might to protect the Celts’ lands agains invaders, thereby becoming a war Goddess and guardian. Art shows Her dressed in red (color abhorrent to evil) and with blazing red hair, forever chasing off any malevolence that threatens Her children’s success.
Bonfire Night is May 22, Goddess Macha’s streaming red hair is honored through the red flames and it banished any evil spirits from the earth. So don any red-colored clothing today, or maybe temporarily dye your hair red to commemorate this Goddess and draw Her protective energies to your side. Eating red foods (like red peppers) is another alternative for internalizing Macha’s victorious power and overcoming any obstacle standing in your way.
Or, find some acorns and keep them in a Macha fetish bag (any natural-fiber drawstring bag). Anytime you want her power to manifest, simply plant the acorn and express your wish to it. Macha’s potential is in the acorn, ready to sprout!”
(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)
https://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/goddess-macha/
Macha Woods—SW quadrant of North Woods/#3
 
 

 
The Celtic Moon Goddess Rhiannon
Born at the first Moon Rise  and Divine Queen of Faeries
She is the Goddess of fertility, rebirth, wisdom, magic, transformation, beauty, artistic inspiration and poetry. Rhiannon manifests as a beautiful young woman dressed in gold, riding a pale horse, with singing birds flying around her head.  The singing birds can wake spirits or grant sleep to mortals.
Rhiannon teaches us that with truth, patience, and love we can create change no matter how bleak life seems at the moment.
Ideally, Rhiannon would be worshiped at night with Moon high in the sky, within a grove of trees, upon an Altar made from forest materials.  In the real world we can create an Altar to Her made of wood or stone, adorned with images of horses, birds, golden or white candles, and a bouquet of daffodils, pansies or pure white flowers. Soft music playing in the background would be a perfect offering to Her.
Call on Her to reveal the truth in dreams, and to remove the role of victim from our lives.  She teaches us patience, forgiveness and guides us to overcome injustice.  She will aid us in magic concerning Moon Rituals, fertility, prosperity, divination and self-confidence.
Rhiannon rings like a bell thru the night
And wouldn’t you love to love her
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover…
And who will be her lover…
All your life you’ve never seen
A woman – taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win…
She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark-
And when the sky is starless-
All your life you’ve never seen-
A woman – taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win…
Dreams unwind.
Love’s a state of mind.”
(by Stevie Nicks, sung by Fleetwood Mac)
http://sacredwicca.jigsy.com/rhiannon
Rhiannon Woods—NE quadrant of North Woods/#4
 
Goddess Danu
Danu is the most ancient of the Celtic gods. She was referred to as the mother of the Irish gods, which indicates that she was a mother goddess. In this guise she probably represented the earth and its fruitfulness. Many place names in Ireland are associated with her, most notable the Paps of Anu in Kerry, which resemble the breasts of a large supine female, part of the land. She is the ‘beantuathach’ (farmer), which reinforces the fertility aspect of the goddess. Rivers are associated with her, and represent the fertility and abundance in a land. There is a suggestion that Danu might have had dual characteristics, one being the beneficent, nurturing mother goddess, and another being the strong, malevolent side of the warrior goddess. The root “dan” in ancient Irish means art, skill, poetry, knowledge, and wisdom.
She is most associated with the Tuatha Dé Danaan, the people of the goddess Danu. These were a group of people, descended from Nemed, who had been exiled from Ireland, and scattered. It is thought that Danu offered them her patronage, under which they succeeded in rebanding, learning new and magical skills, and returning to Ireland in a magical mist. The mist is thought to be the loving embrace of Danu herself. She is seen as having influenced them, nurturing these broken people back to strength, and imparting magic and esoteric wisdom to them. The Tuatha Dé Danaan are the clearest representatives in Irish myth of the powers of light and knowledge. In this story we can identify aspects of the nurturing mother goddess, the teacher imparting wisdom, as well as the warrior goddess who does not give up.
The Tuatha Dé Danaan were associated with Craftsmanship, music, poetry and magic, as was Danu herself.
Danu was clearly a very powerful and fundamental earth goddess, from which all power, wisdom and fecundity of the land poured forth. She was a wisdom goddess of Inspiration and intellect (In this case she is very similar to the goddess Brigit, who is thought to be the same goddess with a different title). She was also a teacher, as she passed many of her skills on to the Tuatha Dé Danaan. She also had aspects of the warrior goddess. In Danu we find traces of the triple goddess, so commonly associated with Irish goddesses.
 
Danu Kitchen: Kitchen at the intersection of Penny Lane & Tata Trail
NE corner of Flidais Woods/North Woods/#1
http://bardmythologies.com/danu/
 
 
Goddess Flidais
(pronounced flee-ish)
A complex Celtic Goddess with many differing stories and aspects.  She represents both our domestic and our wild natures and is an appropriate Goddess to call on on this day of balance.  She first appears in the ancient mythological cycles as an Earth Mother. She was the  mother of the Irish cultivator heroes, Arden, and Bé Téite and the “she-farmers” Bé Chuille and  Dinand.   From Her they gained the power to cultivate and work the earth for the community.
She is considered a woodland Goddess by modern Celtic pagans. As Lady of the Forest she protects wild fauna and flora.  But in mythology she is equally connected to both wild and domestic animals.  In particular deer and cattle are Her sacred animals, both of whom she milks. She Herself called all the wild animals “her cattle.”
Through Her many children Her aspect as a Mother Earth Goddess is seen. By Her strong association  with milk and milking she can clearly be seen as a Goddess of Abundance. During the Cattle Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailnge) her magical herd of cattle supplied milk for the entire army every seven days.
In addition to her Earth Goddess aspect of nurturing and providing abundance, Flidais was said to be a shape-shifter, a Goddess of Sexuality, and a Healing Goddess.  She was part of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. (“peoples of the goddess Danu”) – believed to come from the pre-Christian deities of Ireland.  Similar to the Welsh Mabinogion, the Irish Ulster Cycles were first put into written form in the medieval period. In this Medieval cycle the “ Tuatha Dé” were morphed from ancient Goddesses and Gods into mortal queens, kings, and heroes..
She is often called Flidais Foltchaoin – Flidais the “Soft-haired” or “Fair- haired”. Some scholars believe that Her name  means “wet one” whereas Monaghan feels that her name means “doe” and that she is closely associated with Artemis, the Greek Goddess of the Hunt. 
 
Flidais Woods—NW quadrant of North Woods/#2
 
 
 
 

I know you have questions.  Here are some questions from a woman that is interested in camping in ARC.  If you have additional questions, please email:
[email protected]
I Have a few questions as I didn't want to clog up FB any more.
Is there an extra charge for electric in ARC for bi-pap?
No, there isn’t an extra charge to use your bi-pap in ARC.  This might change next year and donations for being able to have this access, would always be appreciated.  Send donations to
Paypal.me/L2L
(choose friends & family). Thank you.

Is there a shuttle to help me get my things from the parking lot to arc? Or a cart I could use?
I would recommend bringing a cart but ARC women will check in and drop their stuff right at the ARC Welcome Center.  You will then drive your car to ARC parking and a shuttle will bring you back to ARC to set up.
Also is there a sign up to help in ARc to the best of my abilities? I'm still struggling some w my knee and can assist w set up of tents at my pace and direct folks.
You will have an opportunity to sign up for your volunteer shift once you check in and get your wristband.  You will sign up for a 2.5 hour work shift.

Is there a pack in on Thursday for those volunteering? In arc or other spots? I can help in other areas, I thought I saw an area to sign up and can't find it again. Also when would I know if there is a spot in arc for me?
If you are interested in being a Sister Show UP and coming in on Thursday to set up and work an early Friday am shift, the sign up is available here:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090448a9af2aa6fa7-sisters
Keep in mind, if you have mobility needs, there might not be any SSU work shifts left that do not require moving and physical activity.
 
Yes we have electric at ARC approximately 50 total sites. Please submit an ARC application. See Sue Fitzgerald link. Please remember that women with highest needs will be placed in ARC. May need up to 200' cord. Cpaps 16/3 minimum. Scooters etc. 14/3 cords minimum.
 
ARC-Amazon Resource Center application:
http://www.michiganframilyreunion.com/amazon-resource-center.html
 
You will receive a confirmation email once your application is reviewed & accepted.