Dear Friends in far away Vancouver: greetings from Berlin. While you are at OSonOS IX Agnes and I are facilitating the open space-wedding of Bettina and Ali in the union retreat center where OSonOS IIIV took place last year. Yesterday afternoon guests arrived for extensive hallos and Persian barbecue and music...the os started this morning at 11 am and is presently in full swing. The 100 odd guests (people keep coming and going) amongst them many children and youth (one of the 3-year olds walked the circle with us as we passed through the phase of "focusing the group") and people from all over the world came up with 23 "issues", here a sampler: -I want to produce a short film while here (two 11 year olds are now busy interviewing people) -a discussion on love and marriage (a larger group of some 20 guests in intensive interchange) -facepainting and making fotos of the products (all kinds of animals and creatures running through the center) -a walk in the forest -creating a fresh fruit bowl with wine and champagne for the evening party (its already been created and just awaiting the final touch of champagne later in the evening) -a meeting of all women guests and parallel -a meeting of all male guests -a meeting of both groups for a ritual of public witness for bride and groom (be ready to be surprised a member of the planning group for this event just told me) -singing songs -getting the rooms decorated for the big party tonite -mouthings of Martin Luther, who was a pretty direct and straight fellow, on love and marriage -Reiki blessings -spontaneous theater
well, you get the gist. What turns out to have been very helpful was the planning os that was conducted on June 30 - also at the union site - with 12 participants and the hired staff (a couple of other pannwitzes and friends). This helped a great deal with the logistics and preparation for the various "givens" (housing, travel, catering, music, decoration...practically everything selforganized). Now we just had the marvellously executed ceremony of the men giving away the groom and the the bride giving away herself with much joyous clapping and kissing and hugging and tears and intoning the elements of earth, air, water and fire. It was brought to a close by everyone singing "Travellin a day/travelling a year/travelling a lifetime/to find my way home/home is where my heart is/my heart is with you" with a guest playing the tune on a clarinette while walking the inner circle in the earth mode. While I was witnessing the ceremony I kept remembering all the good wishes that Father Brian, Harrison Owen, Robert Chaffee, Alan Stewart and a number of others who had been part in open space-weddings had sent over the last months giving witness to our communal ties spanning the oceans and continents. Ali and Bettina are sending special thanks to all of you whose thoughts of encouragement supported them in holding their wedding in this mode. This open space is being documented in the form of an album (various boxes, folders and envelopes filled with photos, paintings, documents, videos, tapes, etc.) which will be presented to the couple in the traditional closing circle tomorrow morning where my canadian oak talking stick I was presented at the OSonOS in Toronto will round the circle. For us, Agnes and Michael, this was another very special event in our relationship as colleagues and friends spanning three decades of learning and professional adventures. I know you are having a grand time in Vancouver michael and agnes Michael M Pannwitz Draisweg 1 12209 Berlin, Germany FON +49 - 30-772 8000 FAX +49 - 30-773 92 464 www.michaelMpannwitz.de To subscribe to the oslist, send the following message (and nothing but the message): "SUBSCRIBE OSLIST" to lists...@listserv.boisestate.edu SUBJECT field should be left BLANK * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
