The Sherwood Crier - Sherwood Forest Faire

The Sherwood Crier
The Insider Newsletter of Sherwood Forest Faire
photo by David “Gunslinger” Stockton
What’s Inside
Sherwood Summer Camp p.1, Mysteries & Marvels p. 1, In the Limelight p. 2, Vendor’s Corner p. 2, Beach
Invasion p. 5, Elf ’s Corner p. 9, Poetry Page p. 5, UnClassifieds - scattered throughout in blue
Summer Camp
Mysteries & Marvels
by Corene Roberts
by Mab Middlin
This past July, Sherwood Forest Summer Camp
came alive! Sunday, July 8, we welcomed over 40
campers and their families into our faire. During
registration, Robin Hood thwarted the evil Guy
of Gisbourne’s attempt to tax the families by
challenging him to a sword fight. Robin Hood
quickly defeated Sir Guy and as penalty, Guy had
to give his silver to the campers. Then, after a tour
of the faire and meeting of all of the Craft Masters,
we politely kicked the parents out.
Then the camp festivities began! First, the campers
were introduced to their clans and the Lords and
Ladies who ruled them. Our youngest, the Sea
Dragons were ruled by Lady Rae, Lady Caitlin and
Lord Winston. The not-so-young Blue Knights were
ruled by Lady Stacy, Lady Amelia, and Lady Elisa.
Lord Arne, Lady Hilary, and Lord Terry ruled Red
Knights. The Green Druids and the Brown Druids,
our eldest campers, were ruled by Lady Kim and
Lady Valand and by Lord Mike, Lord Jeff, and Lady
E respectively.
“Oh, how lovely a swim would be!” I think as I fan
myself in the oppressive afternoon heat, “I think
I’ll wander over to Sherwood and take a dip in the
pond.” I grab my parasol and hurry out the door.
“Wait,” I think, and turn back to grab a length of
soft fabric hanging on the back of the door, “I must
have something with which I can dry myself.” The
sun is brutal today, but the humidity is curling my
hair, so at least I don’t need a visit to the beauty
shoppe before the sing-a-long at the Summer Camp
festivities tonight with Gil.
“Ah yes,” I whisper excitedly to myself, “we will
have so much fun singing with those sweet little
darlings.” The sing-along also means I’ll be able to
spend more time with my wonderful Gil Faire, so
my step quickens in time with my heart. I reach
the gates of Sherwood in surprisingly short order
and head directly for the pond, which I am thrilled
to find deserted. “All to myself,” I say with great
content, “it wouldn’t do for the Ace Reporter of
cont’d on p. 6
page 1
cont’d on p. 7
Vendor’s Corner
Medicine Stones
In The Limelight
The Rambing Sailors
Be it spiritual, emotional, or physical, Medicine
Stones is truly a shoppe for whatever ails you!
Macushla Hayden, the proprietress, is there to
welcome you. She is a Reiki Master, Crystal
Healer, and a Chakra Healer with a wide range
of knowledge in the healing energy of stones
and herbs. Her husband, Gary, is the old wise
empath with a compassionate heart who listens
and finds solutions to problems whether they be
health-related,
spiritual, technical or
personal.
Enter Medicine Stones
and you will find
much to delight
your senses. There
are herbs and
herbal
blends,
usable as teas and potions
for physical healing, spiritual and
magical assistance; herbal incense; natural
herbal handmade ph balanced lye soaps; healthy,
moisturizing face and body skin care products
that contain 100% of the naturally occurring
glycerine; books about crystals and minerals,
healing, and herbs; and even a small selection
of pet soaps. For your adornment, you will find
Macushla’s well-known handcrafted gemstone
jewelry: wire wrapped raw and tumbled minerals
and stones straight from the mines.
Healing information is posted throughout the
shop, and Macushla and her staff are on hand for
cont’d on p. 3
One spring day in 2004, Susan Hickey
strolled the lanes of Scarborough
Faire and heard the familiar melody
of a song. Susan followed the
sound and she found Gregg Csikos,
and at the same time, she found
true love and eventually, life as
part of the Rambling Sailors.
On that beautiful spring day in
2004, Gregg was singing Bessie
Quinn, a song Susan herself
wrote, and after performing it for some
years, she had decided to release it into the public
domain to see how it might come back to her. Wow,
quite a significant return on that long ago release.
Gregg had been performing
at Renfaires for over ten years
before he and Susan met. He
went to his first Ren faire in
1990, and immediately realized
THIS was what he wanted to
do with his life! Two acts
inspired him the most back
then: the Flaming Idiots and
Gibbon the Troubadour, so
for a while, he couldn’t decide
whether to be a juggler or a
singer. We are very lucky he chose the latter! Gregg
began as a cast member at Scarborough Faire, and
later, he started the shanty group the Corsairs.
Susan began with a degree in Communications, and
we are equally lucky she chose to leave that career
behind. Instead...she became a sailor! Mike Waters
played the part of a pub owner who was an old
sea captain at the Georgia Renfaire, but it turned
out that he really WAS an old sea captain. Mike
got Susan her first job on a historic schooner, the
Stephen Taber out of Rockland, Maine. Susan spent
the next five years working on boats in any way she
could. Though she was hired as a deckhand, the
cont’d on p. 4
page 2
Medicine Stones cont’d from p. 2
one-to-one consultation. Macushla uses her “Gifts
from the Creator” to help people by scanning their
body and prescribing a stone or herb according to
the issues she discovers in the scan. Macushla also
is very passionate about nutrition and healthy living.
Gary and Macushla are High Priest and High
Priestess in the Wiccan Path, trained and
initiated
in the GreenCraft
Alexandrian tradition
from Europe. If
both Gary and
Macushla are out
of the shoppe at
the same time you
will be sure to find
them at the Seven
Sisters
Stone
Circle with Teri
Van Horn, Sherwood’s
official Faire Wedding Coordinator, facilitating
a Wiccan or pagan wedding or handfasting.
Before Macushla came to America, she studied
sales psychology, salesmanship and marketing in
Belgium. When she and Gary met in 2003, she
spoke only a small amount of British-style English
and had no idea what that Texan, Gary, was saying
to her. Macushla spent the next three years learning
the English language and how to express herself in
both speech and writing.
Macushla began her American career in retail
marketing in 2006 as “Macushla’s Arts and Crafts,”
and her focus was semiprecious gemstone jewelry.
Macushla started with a 10x10 tent and 3 tables
of handmade jewelry and her first show was at
the Refugio
County Fair.
Macushla has
always had
an
affinity
with stones
and
rocks,
and
from
her
studies
of
the
metaphysical
properties of stones,
Macushla developed
her own personal
perspective
on
gemstones
and
their uses for
humankind.
M a c u s h l a ’s
mother made
her own herbal
potions and syrups to heal sick
family members and this knowledge was passed
on to Macushla. In Belgium, Macushla held many
educational workshops in crystal healing, herb
classes, nature, Wicca, and she brings this vast
knowledge and experience to any and all who enter
her shoppe.
In May 2008, Macushla participated as a vendor in her
first Native American Pow-wow in Fredericksburg,
Texas. Macushla found kindred souls with the Native
Americans who understood what she was trying
to say about the stones’ properties. Occasionally
Macushla’s views regarding a stone’s properties will
differ from that of a Native American but Macushla
has learned that personal tradition and culture is
the primary reason for the differences. At Medicine
Stones we always say “your own personal perception
and your ancestors’
teachings are always
correct for you, the
individual.”
The Native Americans
recognized Macushla
as a “wise-one.” The
name
“Medicine
Stones”
was
recommended by a
spiritual Medicine Man from the Chiricahua Apache
tribe when he met Macushla on one of her first
Pow-wows. In 2009, Macushla was given her name
“ Stone Woman” by a Kiowa Elder/spiritual healer
cont’d on p. 4
page 3
Rambing Sailors cont’d from p. 2
Medicine Stones cont’d from p. 3
who is the head of the “Black Legging Society.”
The Native Americans started to invite Gary and
Macushla to Pow-wows across Texas, Oklahoma and
Indiana. Medicine men and women, and spiritual
healers look to Macushla to share knowledge and
wisdom about stones and herbs.
Gary and Macushla’s lives took a drastic turn when
Gary fell off a roof and destroyed his shoulder, and
he could no longer work as a carpenter. However,
Gary and Macushla refer to the accident as a truly
beneficial, life changing event. “Doing Medicine
Stones full time is where we need to be, both for the
benefit of others and our personal education and
spiritual
growth.”
The staff of Medicine Stones
also includes:
Teri Van Horn - a reiki
master/teacher and healer
and the Sherwood Forest
Faire Wedding coordinator;
Lynn Rose Demartini - a
homeopathic practitioner,
a
licensed
massage
therapist and a registered
holistic nurse with an
impressive amount of training in many
health fields; and
Marci Fox - a licensed massage therapist and reiki
practitioner who listens well and cares deeply about
the welfare of each person with whom she deals.
Visit Medicine Stones this spring at Sherwood and
renew your spirit!.
You can find Gary and Macushla at their shoppe at
the Sherwood Forest Faire in the inner circle booth
#211. Or, visit them now at their web site: www.
medicinestones.net or on Facebook: www.facebook.
com/pages/Medicine-Stones/117866194923065
where Macushla has a page that will give you more
health related information. You can also call them
at (361) 543-3336.
captains soon discovered they had a gem on board...
someone who was pleasant and could sing to the
passengers. Susan’s first solo album, Water Meets
Sand, came out of her seafaring days, and features
several of her crew mates and captains.
As the Rambling
Sailors, it was
Gregg’s idea
to focus on
sea songs, a
natural
for
Susan who
has always
loved the
h e r o i c
energy, the
stories, and the work ethic
implicit in those sea songs. Maddie Prior from
Steeleye Span inspires her, but her first influence was
Mary Travers from Peter, Paul & Mary. For Gregg,
Gibbon The Troubadour, The Mystic Seaport
Chanteymen, Tom Lewis and Andy M. Stewart were
all sources of inspiration.
The best part of Gregg’s childhood was being in
the Boy Scouts. “My dad was the scout leader and
we went camping every month, had weekly meetings
and it was a lot of fun. My favorite part of camp was
when we’d have the campfire at night and tell stories
and sing songs.
I didn’t realize at
the time that I was
preparing for my
career,
because
Susan and I pretty
much spend all year
every year camping
out, telling stories
and singing songs.
It’s a great life!”
There are plenty of
cont’d on p. 5
page 4
The First Annual Sherwood Beach
Invasion
by Scott Rhamey
photos by David “Gunslinger” Stockton
The First Annual Sherwood Beach Invasion was a
rousing success! We all had a wonderful time! I
just wanted to let everyone know, the Surfside
Parks and Recreation Department contacted me
this
afternoon. They wanted to extend their
gratitude for the way we
conducted ourselves and
cleaned up after ourselves.
They have invited us
back, and have posted
in the local paper
about our invasion,
our consideration in
calling ahead, and and
kton the way we respected
c
o
t
S
r”
slinge
“Gun
id
the
habitat. Apparently, we left
v
a
s by D
photo
the beach in better shape than before we got
there and this was the CLEANEST group that
Surfside has had the PLEASURE of hosting in a
very long time! Since our group was representing
Sherwood, this is a very nice recognition from the
local authorities and from Parks & Recreation.
I appreciate everyone for treating Surfside like we
do our faire. I hope that more of our family turns
out for the next invasion... but I am still in awe with
the attendance of the first. . The sight from the
water was amazing. Thank you all!
I really think this is a feather in our cap! It truly
shows what kind of community we share.
Rambling Sailors cont’d from p. 4
opportunities to enjoy
the sea shanties of
the Rambling Sailors.
They start the year at
Sherwood Forest Faire
in February, a faire
that greatly excites the
Rambling Sailors because
it’s the first time they’ve had the chance to be
at a faire from its beginning, and they hope to grow
with it. Right after Sherwood is Scarborough, what
they consider as their home faire. Then they head to
Wisconsin for Bristol, and then three weeks at the
wonderful Maryland Faire: a port town that really
loves sea music is very exciting for the Rambling
Sailors. Finally, they finish up at Charlotte for the
Carolina Ren Faire, just before Thanksgiving, and
then home to St Augustine for a bit before starting
over again. Check out their website http://ramblingsailors.
com for more information and for an up-to-date
performance schedule!
Poetry Page
There Is Something
By Thorna
There is something about going to the joust,
something about walking through the trees, and
seeing things most humans never get to see.
There is something about those Seven Sisters, that
Great Chess Board, the Trip, and the balconies, all
being places I want to see!
There is something about Robin Hood, Lady
Rhoslyn, wild NyxxA, and all the other souls that
dwell within that make my heart call them kin.
There is something about this Forest called
Sherwood, something I treasure so, that has a firm
grasp upon my soul.
Let me be honest, I hope it never lets go.
There is something about the brotherhood of it all,
that makes hard work worth every hammer fall.
There is something about Sherwood Forest that I
can’t yet fully explain, but know that I’ll never leave
the comforting confine of the tree-line.
page 5
Summer Camp cont’d
from p. 1
The week was
packed full of
classes,
tutoring,
theatre rehearsals,
pool time, and
surprise
evening
activities. Campers
were taught by our
wonderful Masters:
Autouloucous and Lord Jonah taught our eager
campers the fine art of theatre.
Tiger spent his week pounding red hot steel with his
campers around forges for blacksmithing.
Lady Rebecca had the campers hammering out
pouches, masks, and mug holders in leather-working.
Lady Andrea kept the campers clean with her soap
making.
Tobar Tinker molded his campers into the workings
of clay in pottery.
Master Warren taught the campers how to shoot
arrows in archery.
Lord Dave kept the campers busy dipping candles
and hiding treasures in candle making.
Lord Oskar Hasselhoff taught the campers the
lesson of the sword in his sword play class.
Uilliam MacArtuir kept our campers knowledgable
of the land around us with his nature walks. Lady
Cat Dancing taught the campers the delicate art of
stained glass.
Lady Kaiden kept the kids safely guarded the pool
when it was time to cool off,.
Lady Amanda was our wonderful and very busy
nurse who kept our campers and counselors in good
health.
Drummers, Fairies,
Falconer
Singers, Magicians, and a
all graced us with surprise
evening performances.
Watching the children
dance in the rain
while the drummers
drummed
was
spectacular.
They picked up
instruments and
were swept
away with the
urge to join
in with the
magic
that
was
being
created. Mad
Man Maverick
entertained
the campers
with magic and fire. Though one camper ended
up with a sword through her neck and another
was punished with the guillotine, don’t worry,
no animals were harmed during the show. The
Sherwood faeries and Faire-to-Middlin’ brought
amazement and joy
to the campers’
hearts. There was
music,
singing,
dancing,
and s’more-making.
The Falconer and
his Birds of Prey
had the children
cheering
for
more.
And,
the campers
deemed the
fire
whip
show “epic” and “greatest
show ever.”
This summer camp was so much more than your
average summer camp. The children left speaking
in accents, they took home hand-made crafts, and
discovered life-long friends. I couldn’t have asked
for a better group of kids or a more excellent crew
of adults. Special thanks to our volunteers, Shawn,
Liz, Cheyna, James, and Tracy for all of your hard
work during this camp.
And as the saying goes, “Yes, Your Grace. Of
course, Your Grace. Always Your Grace’s way.” It
is my way to have many more summers committed
to bringing the trades and crafts of the Renaissance
back to life.
Your Grace,
Corene Roberts, Director
Sherwood Forest Summer Camp
page 6
Mysteries & Marvels cont’d from p. 1
the Crier to be seen in nothing but her shift.” I
remove my gown, hang it on a nearby bush, and run
gleefully into the water.
“Well, that was delightfully cooling,” I say, as I wrap
myself in the soft fabric, “I think a wee nap will
make the perfect end to my swim.” The heat is not
so strong here under the trees by the pond, and I
lay down under a tall oak and drift off watching the
dappled sunlight through the canopy of leaves.
A shriek disturbs my drowsing, “she’s drowneded
in the pond!” and I awake with a start as something
lands hard on my stomach. “What is...hey...
aaaaaaaaaaa,” my words suddenly stilled as the
breath is knocked out of me. I feel a small fist
pound on my chest and someone begins to blow
air into my mouth. “Stop,” I gasp, “stop” but my
words are nigh inaudible. The small fist pounds
once more just as air finally makes its way back into
my lungs, “get off me!” I shout, “get off me this
instant!” “Blimey,” a small boy
exclaims as he leaps backward
off my chest, “she’s alive! “You
saved her,” several young voices
shout excitedly in unison, “she
was dead and you saved her!” I
prop myself up on one elbow
and glare at the boys in high
dudgeon, “silly boys,” I gasp,
“I was NOT dead!” “Was,
too,” one boy says, “we learned
CeePeeArgh today and that’s what saved you!”
“Ok, ok, you saved me,” I say with a sigh, “you can
leave me to recover now.” The boys look at me
and I can see the disappointment in their eyes, I
guess they expected a recently dead person to be
more interesting. They run off. “Hmph,” I think,
“perhaps they’re planning to revive more of the
undead.”
I brush twigs and leaves from my shift as I struggle
to my feet, “I guess they’re teaching young boys to
torture Ace Reporters now,” I grumble under my
breath, “CeePeeArgh, indeed!” The sun has dipped
just below the tree line now and I must hurry if I am
to meet Gil at
the appointed
time. I dress
quickly, gather
my drum and
my flute, and
hurry toward
the
Seven
Sisters.
Something shimmers and glitters in front of
my eyes. I brush my hand across my face, but the
shimmering and glittering increases as I walk, until
it’s as if I’m walking through a twinkling fog. “What’s
this about?” I think as I look about me suspiciously,
“I’ll bet the Fae are near.” My head whips up as
I hear a laugh from somewhere above. “Aha!” I
shout, “I see you there!” Hanging upside down on
a branch directly above me is Gual. He shakes his
head and small sparks burst from the tendrils of
hair that hang about his face. Gual reaches into a
bag slung round his silver neck and with a grand
sweep of his arm, tosses a shower of faery dust
down onto me. Obviously, he has matched his
aerial trek to my earthly one by leaping from tree
to tree. “Hey, Gual,” I look up at him with a big
smile, “why are you raining on my parade?” “You
looked to be in need of a little glam,” Gual calls
down to me, “and glittering fae aura is just what
you need.” “Why, thank
you,” I say,” a girl just isn’t
right without her aura.”
I run my tongue around
my mouth as I hurry on
through the glittering fog,
“dang,” I think, “ I’ll never
get this stuff out of my
teeth.”
“Ah, there it is,” I call up to
Gual, “the Seven Sisters is
just ahead.” Gual throws
his head back and utters
a long, seductively sweet
trill that sends a tickle up
my spine. A chittering
answers Gual’s trill and
page 7
Mysteries & Marvels cont’d from p. 7
squirrels rush out of the underbrush toward the
new voice; Hazelnut Nuttela spreads her arms wide
to welcome her tiny minions. I look about me
anxiously, remembering the pond of sweet, sticky
goo into which she landed me the last time we
met. “Ah well, a pond of goo ‘tis naught,” I assure
myself, “since my Gil is near to pull me free.” Gil
stands waiting for me next to one of the sacred
stones and a smile lights my face as my eyes rest
upon him; many children gather around the fire
roasting sweet confections speared on the ends of
slim branches.
A grey mist creeps out from nearby thicket and
swirls around Gil’s feet. “What’s this,” I exclaim
with some alarm. Suddenly, I notice a seemingly
disembodied smile in the gathering darkness just
beyond Gil’s shoulder. A silver crescent hovers
above the smile, and I realize I’m looking once
more at Nyxxa, the night faerie and erstwhile
goddess of the night. “Gil,” I call out, “let us
begin!” Gil strums his guitar and magical music
fills the air. The disembodied smile broadens
as my flute joins the melody Gil weaves
and suddenly all manner of
faeries appear...
looks into my eyes and we share a secret smile. “I
think we are a resounding success” Gil says to me,
“what say you?” “Yes, my love,” I answer, “they are
swept away by our music, but honestly, I really think
we are only faire-to-middlin.” Our hearts swell and
our spirits become as one, intertwining with music
and with joy and with love.
unClassifieds
***********
spellbound by the
music. The grey mist begins to sparkle
and it weaves about the faeries’ feet as they dance.
We play on into the night while faeries and children
alike spin and twirl and dance around the fire. Gil
Now Open for Business!! Balthezar’s
Medical Emporium and Gift Shop. We
use only the finest medicines made from
local ingredients. All leeches for blood letting
are lovingly massaged before attachment to
ensure they are in happy moods and our trained
anesthetist will usually only require one good
whack to put you out for any operation. Ask
about our brain surgery special on Thursdays.
page 8
Elf ’s Corner
Centaur...adding another blue ribbon to our already
many-feathered cap! by Tamuri’l the Avarial Elf
HEAR YE!! HEAR YE!
ALL MEN, WOMEN and
FABLED of our Beloved
Woods!! Please gather round
for ye latest update of our
hard working Volunteer
Marketing Department!! We
hath much news to relay!!
*the Elf walks from the cooling shade of the trees
and gingerly unrolls a scroll that is almost too hot to
touch*
With 3 Parades under ye, it be not enough! Over
100 Sherwoodians descended upon and conquered
our lovely beaches with the hard efforts of Julia
Still... sun-kissed skin and peals of laughter and
playing in the surf kept everyone cool during the
famous sweltering summer temperatures of our
great kingdom of Texas.
A spectacular win for Sherwood was achieved by
none other than our beloved Rob Roy at the Keep
Austin Weird Festival...how could it have been
otherwise??
photo by Jimmy Peace
July hath been sweet with the spreading of our
news!! Round Top was a huge success for the 4th
of July with ye Marchers gaining the 3rd place
ribbon. McDade graciously accepting our antics
in their smaller Watermelon Festival Parade and we
wowed the crowd, as is our wont! I also tell of a huge
placing in the Bastrop Homecoming Parade with
over 43 Marchers and a guest appearance by our own
photo by Scott Rhamey
*the Elf tips her wings in awe of the Sherwoodians’
ability to stand the heat*
We grow closer to our upcoming Celtic Festival and
ye all be sure to mark ye Calendars! Until then, my
Comrades... until then...
*the Elf dabs gently at her brow and silently walks
into the embrace of the dark, cool shade awaiting in
her beloved Woods*
photo by Jimmy Peace
page 9
Subscribe to the Crier
Click here if you’d like to subscribe to the Sherwood Crier
http://sherwoodforestfaire.com/mailing-list/
Poets, Artists, Writers, Photographers
If you have something you’d like to submit for the Crier, email me at
[email protected]
Heartfelt thanks to:
Gregg & Susan Csikos, Harriet “Gypsy Songbird” Crockett, Autouloucous Crookfinger,
Gil Faire, Gary & Macushla Hayden, Jimmy Peace, Scott Rhamey, Corene Roberts, Joe
Spitler, David “Gunslinger” Stockton, Tamuri’l the Avarial Elf, and Thorna.
Sherwood Forest Faire
PO Box 10816
Houston TX 77206
visit us online at
www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
email us at
[email protected]
page 10