Bring on the sun.

Sunrise was at 7:35am and Sunset is a rather annoying 5:07pm

Anyone know any pagan rituals that don't need much organising?

>> Anyone know any pagan rituals that don't need much organising?

Dance around a tree....naked.

excellent, the ddc is just across the road from the mcg parkland.

or maybe the fairy tree at fitzroy gardens.

the correct terminology for nekkid is skyclad I do believe gentlemen.

All we need now is a virgin. I'm not sure where we'd find one of them though.

woohoo longer days!

hah, skyclad, i love it
chuck some sage in there too, it always comes in handy

The Collingwood Childrens farm are having their annual winter solstice bonfire this Saturday nights. I go every year and it's fantastic. You bring a picnic and it's all toasty and they sell mulled wine.

was thinking about going to that, may see you there.

Cool, will look out for you! Killerkitty is meant to be coming along too.

mulled wine. mmm nice.

The Collingwood Children's Farm annual

WINTER SOLSTICE BONFIRE

A spectacular fire event

SAT JUNE 24th

4:30pm - 9pm

Lantern parade, fire twirling, fire pictures, music, hearty food and bar

The Collingwood Children’s Farm is holding its winter solstice celebration on Saturday June 24th from 5:30pm 4pm– 9pm. The annual winter solstice bonfire is a spectacular community celebration. Our bonfires have been very popular family events in the past – please help us promote this important fundraising event by passing this information on to as many people as you can (by email or word of mouth).

The main features of the event are a big bonfire, a lantern parade at dusk, fire art and live music. We invite you to participate – join in the lantern parade. BYO lantern.

THE DETAILS

Date: Saturday 24th June

Time: 4pm – gates open

5:pm – event starts

5.30pm – lantern parade at dusk

6pm - bonfire lit on dark

Lantern parade begins at dusk, bonfire lit on dark, food from 5pm.

Cost: $16 family $8 adult $4 child (concession available)

(free entry for children who have made a lantern)

Numbers limited – be sure and buy tickets through Farm reception. Please note, tickets can not be reserved or booked over the phone.

Food: food stalls selling hearty food from 4pm

Bar: beer, wine and mulled wine, hot drinks and cake

If you need any more info please contact the Farm: 94175806.

About the event

Close to the shortest day and longest night of the year we gather to welcome back the sun with a lantern parade and a bonfire. The lantern parade will begin at dusk (~ 5.30pm). A large bonfire has been built in the middle of the paddock. The audience gathers around the bonfire (not yet lit) while people who have made lanterns begin a procession to the bonfire. The big bonfire will be lit to the sound of live music and fire twirling. People can then eat, drink, fire gaze and socialise until 9pm. Hearty food, tea, coffee and cake will be served from 4 pm; the bar will serve mulled wine and beer.

Join in the lantern parade

Everyone is welcome – the more people in the parade the more spectacular it will be.

im loving winter. best winter ever. so crispy cold in the mornings. its been a winter of new friendships and good times.

ooh solstice...mulled wine

the bonfire is tomorrow afternoon, for those interested

funny anon, i was just planning our summer courtyard plans...
bring on summer!

Summer is over rated in the north. But the days are bloody long...

Tonight

or tomorrow

It's also very middle class and a bit charming, artistic, intellectual as well. What a crazy mix

My mother lives in the mountains by the way and everyone I meet there for the most part are charming and friendly. It disturbs me about the snow town thing.

schizophrenic town!

I had some 40-something divorced dude going on about how he and his mates go to the backpacker night on Thursday and try root the backpackers that frequent the place. They had brown and missing teeth and shit. Noone notices when the odd backpacker goes missing.

They also showed me photos of some body painting party that they had above a shop that got orgy-like.

And this and this.

And they weren't big fans of the Sydney gays that came up and built there nice weekend houses there.

But how does having brown and missing teeth, equate to being Ivan Milat? What makes you think they actually kill the backpackers?

I mean the guy that I met, was kind of going on about it like it was completely acceptable kind of behaviour, I remember I fled in horror.

more chance of snowing in Katoomba than Snowtown, too.

They may just lock them up in a murder house in the bush.

It is only clear 77 days a year on average in the Blue Mountains. Plenty of rain to wash away the evidence.

As a regular visitor to the Blue Mountain, I agree with the desperado vibe of the locals, but have found that this element varies depending on what part of the mountains you are talking about. It's pretty low in Leura (or ''Mosman in the Mountains''), but increases as you head into Katoomba. And there's even variation within Katoomba, north side seems as lot more despo than south side. I'm currently digging the vibe at Blackheath (''Bleakheath''). But I will be avoiding the festival this year.

Actually, they say serial killers are predominantly white and middle class.

But all the creepy killer types (I have no real evidence that that's what they are) that I've met have been more of the type to be on the make...like knocking off post offices that kind of thing.

The house I stayed in was next to a crematorium. And I slept in the bed of the on again off again boyfriend of the chick I was staying with, and we even did a drive by of her husbands house (she was still married). I got to jam with her junky step-father and twice that weekend I was left looking after locals kids (one was severely handicapped) and noone really knew me from a bar of soap. It was a fuckin' weird few days.

It's really bad to be around that stuff, it can send you a little bit mad.

or as mad as bat shit actually.

How did you feel after your ordeal?

need to take this to the katoomba thread. We're bumming the winter solstice out.

Like a survivor.

Yeah me too, I looked really wild eyed and crazy for a while there, I was in a deep state of shock, still recovering, this year has been kinder to me. Anyway, enough in this thread.

Crazy how quickly it starts to lighten up - a little sun remained when I left work yesterday, was pretty nice!