The Druid Grove

by **Alferian** » 17 Nov 2007, 20:03

Dear friends, brothers and sisters of the order:

It is with great and heavy sadness that I pass on to you news which I think has not yet reached the Druid's Head. Our own Piastra, also known to me as Chalcedoni, has passed away to the Summerlands. Her daughter Kersanda wrote to me and a few others of her e-mail correspondents. Many of you knew and loved her. She has been a strong and fiery presence on these forums for many years.

Some of you will know that Chalcedoni and I were good friends, even though we had never met each other in person. Chalci's wit and her remarkable life of helping others, especially her many foster children, was an adventure well-lived. She knew this and her health problems in recent years prepared her for the next great adventure, passing the veil and taking on a new life elsewhere. I am confident in this belief and can see her and feel her excitement as she takes new form. Maybe we will meet again among the stars. We will certainly always see each other amid the trees of the sacred grove. Indeed, she is one of those strong souls who you imagine, like Obiwan Kenobi or Gandalf the Gray, must only grow stronger by taking the step from her fleshly manifestation into a higher plane.

I won't write my usual long-winded post but will invite all of you to add your memories and love for a great druid who has left our order to apply her considerable energies to that eternal order of druidry. She passed away on November 4th, just at Samhuinn, indeed the same day that I was celebrating the final harvest with my grove in Minneapolis. She went, I am confident, taking the Cailleach's hand proudly. I trust that she is at peace and resting now, free of physical pain, and enjoying a nice bath and some chocolate ice cream.

As always when death occurs, it is hard to really believe she is gone and I will continue to feel her presence. There will be a memorial service on Dec. 29th which I plan to attend. Think of her especially and light a candle, or better yet, a bon fire, on that day.

From the North,

Alferian

/|\

by **Beith** » 17 Nov 2007, 21:07

Oh God no.

Alferian. I can't believe it. I hadn't heard. She was a dear friend. I can't believe it. utter shock.
I loved her very much as a friend I felt I'd known throughout ages. You are right that her eloquence and wit and her raucous humour will live on though her body does not. I am so sad and shocked to read this. I thought she was getting better. I thought...it doesn't matter.

If you are in touch with Kersanda, will you please pass on my sincerest sympathies to her and the rest of Chalci's family. Their mother was a fine woman and a deep and talented soul and touched so many lives with her great spirit. I can't believe it.

I will pm you. Please keep me posted on details of the service.

I think we should ask for a special service at OBOD in remembrance of her. I will write to Phil to ask if she can be included in the December gathering. Perhaps we can put a memoriam notice on line here too.

I hope indeed wherever her soul is, she's swathed in crushed velvet of many colours, surrounded by ice-cream and "rubber ducky" cocktails and chocolate and laughing because she now knows what is beyond.
Chalcedoni/ Pepper Scott/ Maria was - is- a wonderful person, a great spirit and her vibrance will remain even when the light of life is extinguished.

Thank you for letting us know. I'm so sorry to read your notice though. I can't believe it.

love Beith

by **Ebelaar** » 17 Nov 2007, 21:24

My humble greetings [bow]

:candle:

(Though I have not known her for long)
M'lady Piastra, may you be at peace. :roses:

Farewell...... :awen:

[bow]

May she be Blessed on her Journey / l \

by **Kat Lady** » 17 Nov 2007, 21:36

I sit her with mixed feelings, knowing the pain she had suffered in recent years. I will miss her wry wit, her creative spirit, her way of getting to the point with just the right amount of sacrasm, her enthusiasm and the generous nature that lay underneath it all.

So, with sadness, I toast a great lady-cougar whose courage was an inspiration to us all. As Alf said, may she now be at peace admist the bubbles and dark organic chocolate reading a good book. :candle:

by **Ghostrider** » 17 Nov 2007, 22:13

by **katsu** » 17 Nov 2007, 22:26

(lost for words)

by **lupiana** » 17 Nov 2007, 22:54

I got the email from Rita this morning, and promptly wrote Selene, begging her to tell me it was a hoax. Chalci was prepared for the next life... but I was not prepared to let her go. Alferian's words... "heavy sadness"... fit exactly what I'm feeling now. She was a bright soul in a sometimes dim world, and I'll miss the long phone calls I once enjoyed. I'll miss Chalci.

by **LadyCelt** » 17 Nov 2007, 23:14

by **Dryadia2** » 17 Nov 2007, 23:32

Piastra emailed me on Nov. 1, telling me that Samhain was her spiritual birthday.
Since the veil was thin, I hope she passed over easily.
Her wit and wisdom always brightened my day.
I miss you, Pepper :puma:

Rest Peacefully.

:dryadia:

/|\

by **Petrichor** » 17 Nov 2007, 23:38

Piastra my Priestess ........... my anam cara .

I am grief stricken & shocked at this news .
This solves my confusion over all the unanswered messages to you lately .

The event has slipped passed me without notice - as I have not felt your life force leave this plane . I thought you were just having busy times with your move to Ohio .

It has left me with great guilt & pain that I could not have been there more for you as the moment came .

My heart is heavy Priestess but I will continue to provide my energies to you as you journey to your next task ........

Be well - be strong my Mage .
The twin bond between us is eternal - from Atlantis to Omega .

I will follow Seeker's words - "Face the Winds" & look for you m'lady safely in Brighid's arms ....... free of pain .

I miss you .

Aracos .

by **City Druid** » 17 Nov 2007, 23:53

I didn’t know her personally but I can see that she has left a pretty big hole

All my love and blessings on her safe passing. :candle:

by **Crow** » 18 Nov 2007, 00:13

I remember when I first arrived on this message board, some 4,300 posts ago, and trying to get the lay of the land. I found gentleness and intelligence and support, but at first I didn't find any of those things in Piastra, who back then was known as Carragh.

And then one day I was chatting with some friends I don't often see anymore, and we were discussing something or other that we didn't understand, and I said, half jokingly, "I'll PM Carragh and ask her!"

My plan was met with utter shock. "You're going to do what???

She'll kill you! She'll eat you alive! :duck:

"

Well, I knew I was taking a risk, but after such a juicy reaction to my plan, I couldn't back down. And so I contacted Carragh and asked her my question, and I got back much, much more than a simple answer: I got a friend.

Chalci, Carragh, Piastra, Pepper, friend. By whatever name you knew her, she could be a handful, but you knew you had something that was real. Piastra was the fire element. You could feel her burn easily enough, but the more you explore that element, the more you learn about its different aspects -- about how it warms the soil and nurtures the seeds that grow. To know Piastra was to know passion.

Piastra never did anything in half measures, and to die in the month of Samhuinn would be just as she wanted it. We'd talked about death on a couple of occasions, as she'd been quite ill for a long time. I was alarmed by some of her words -- by just how ready she seemed to die. She was not one to tiptoe up to the veil, lift one corner a little and peer into the Otherworld before gingerly stepping across. No, Piastra, I'm sure, marched right up to the veil, tore it asunder and stepped boldly through. She's with her beloved Aunties now, and our loss is their gain.

Goodbye for now, my friend. I'll see you next Samhuinn and for as many others as I have in this life. And when it's my time to step across, may I follow your example and do so without fear, but with panache!

:candle:

by **Donata** » 18 Nov 2007, 01:04

I'm in shock. I loved her dearly, and enjoyed our correspondence. I knew her first as Chalci, then as Pepper.
She was in my daily healing candle. I'm too saddened by this news to be eloquent. We never met in person - we were planning her visit here with me after her move.

Dear one, I'll miss you.May you rest peacefully in the Summer lands. I'll see you there one day.

Donata

by **Wraithian** » 18 Nov 2007, 01:27

I must have read Alferian's post 3 or 4 times...

She was the embodiment of the creed, "Never stop fighting." I had much corespondance with Chalci over the years, I grieve that I lost a friend, but am happy those in the Summerlands gained one.

Alferian, please pass my condolences to her family. That old soul will be missed.

by **Beith** » 18 Nov 2007, 02:13

Hi,
I think we are all feeling the mixture of abject shock, disbelief and sadness. Like you Wraithian, I sat stupefied reading Alferian's post a few times when I saw it. And then came the tears. The utter shock and even now it seems unreal. But through it all comes the realisation that hers is a life to be celebrated, not mourned. Sadness now has it's right and proper place. All who knew her, loved her, were friends or acquaintances of her, need time and space to express their grief if they wish to do so. But there is more we can do for her too.

I talked with Crow earlier and would like to propose this:
In perhaps a few days, when people have had a chance to share their feelings and express their grief here, we create an "Ever-living flame" for her - perhaps the In Memoriam area. I started a thread there but rather than one of sadness, I think it would be better to have a tribute thread - a celebration of her life. Chalci would want to be in the midst of a party, not in the midst of grief.

I was thinking along the lines of a thread where people can share their good memories and fun anecdotes and remembrances of her, of times we had, of silly pub crawls and wacky posts and laughter and all the things she'd enjoy to be remembered for. As Crow put it - a sort of "best of". I think it would be nice for her family to see that, if they look in here, or we can print the posts and send them if they would like to have them to see how well their mother was thought of, how fondly she is regarded and will always be.

Chalcedoni, Piastra, Carragh, Pepper, Maria, by whatever name you knew her, was a woman of great heart, great courage and great passion. As Crow and Alferian wrote above, she met life head-on and rose to every challenge placed before her. She was mother, writer, druidess, poetess, friend, confidante, "pride mother" to all her "cubs", creator of the "rubber ducky" cocktail, signed up life member of The Foggy Duck and there at its inception, lover of chocolate (dark, over 55% cocoa solids or forget it!), she lobbied for environmental causes, she moderated message boards (Father Oak), took care of old neighbours and family and friends and she engaged fully in life around her. She touched many lives and those of us who were privileged enough to know her in some way, will never forget her - that lionheart of a woman.

So I would like to propose that we celebrate all that she was and all that she will contine to be remembered for, starting perhaps in a few days time when people have gotten over the first shock of her passing on. Chalci deserves a good send off, the best wake one can have for a friend and bandraoí.

To all of her family and relatives, our sincerest sympathy. We knew and loved your mother, cousin, aunt too.

To everyone here and at Father-Oak and The Foggy Duck, we all shared a part of her life and we can find empathy in each other in the sadness of her passing and in the celebration of her life.

go dtéígh tú slán anois mo chara
go mbeidh tú saor ón triblóid
go gcaithfidh tú saol eile i Maigh Meall
go mbeidh muid beo aimsir arís.

Go safely now my friend
May you be free from trouble
May you spend another life in the Fair Plain
May we all be alive again another time.

le meas is le grá - with respect and with love to her and to all of you who knew her and called her friend. Perhaps above all titles, all names, that's the most fitting one of all.

Beith

by **Twig** » 18 Nov 2007, 02:56

I feel somewhat out of place, but I am writing here because I had shared some pm's with Piastra when we were both in the Liason's Liar together. I wrote telling her that I admired the way she had the courage to stand up for what she believed. We exchanged a couple of other pm's, and she wrote that she had health issues and was moving.

It was my turn to write to her, and I meant to do it every time I sat down here at my computer. But, of course, I never did. I didn't take "health issues" to mean life-threatening, and I thought I had all the time in the world.

And that is the lesson for me. I let someone so entertaining and interesting (and who wrote in purple ink) slip right through my hands because I thought there would be more time. How often we think that there will be more time....

I knew her only briefly, but I feel immensely sad that I didn't not get to know her better. It seemed that she had a soul that shone very brightly. I think it fitting that we light an ever-living flame for someone so "brilliant."

My heart goes out to those of you who had the good fortune to know her more intimately than I.

:candle: