<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:b="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:publisher" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Arial Narrow";
panose-1:2 11 6 6 2 2 2 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Edwardian Script ITC";
panose-1:3 3 3 2 4 7 7 13 8 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#4F6228;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>You are welcome to attend either or both of these events. Tonight will be more about the history and folklore connected with the vernal equinox. Tomorrow night the time will be reflective and celebratory related to welcoming spring to our lives.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Edwardian Script ITC";color:#4F6228'>Brenda Stetson<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#4F6228'>for Soul Connections Group</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#4F6228'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><u><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Tuesday, Mar. 21, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>7 to 9:30 pm <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>1400 Washington Ave, Parkersburg, WV </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>(corner of Latrobe St./Washington Ave.; </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>1st Christian Church Basement) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Folklore Series – What Is Ostara?</span></u></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> (Speaker: Christopher Friend) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sponsored by Soul Connections Group<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>Could our modern day Easter Bunny and coloring Easter Eggs have links to symbols related to the Pagan celebration of Ostara? Come listen as Chris shares information about this festivals background.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>It coincides with the time of the spring equinox, when the return of spring is celebrated. It is believed by some to have been named for the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, also sometimes called Eostre, goddess of the east and the dawn...these goddesses possibly being later forms of more ancient goddesses. Two symbols for this celebration are hares and colored eggs (both associated with fertility and rebirth). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). This happens in the spring and the fall when night and day are approximately equal in length. This year, March 20, 2017 signals the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><u><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Wednesday, Mar. 22, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>7 to 9:30 pm <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>232 Third St, Marietta, OH </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>(UU Church Basement) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><b><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Spring Equinox-Ostara</span></u></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> (Facilitated by Rev. Kathryn Hawbaker)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sponsored by 1<sup>st</sup> Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta and Soul Connections Group<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>We will gather to honor the beginning of spring. Components that may be included are songs, readings and meditation. This is not a presentation about the background of the Spring Equinox or Ostara, but a time to quietly reflect on the changing of the season.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). We have an equinox twice a year—spring and fall—when Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays equally so night and day are approximately equal in length. The spring equinox (March 20 in 2017) signals the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. It marks that special moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator going from south to north. Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, it means sunrise comes earlier and nightfall comes later. Plants sprout, winds are softer and we enjoy being outdoors during the warmer spring days; while autumn begins for people living south of the equator. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'>The Pagan celebration called Ostara coincides with the time of the spring equinox, when the return of spring is celebrated. Believed by some to have been named for the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, also sometimes known as Eostre, goddess of the east and the dawn...these goddesses possibly being later forms of more ancient goddesses. Two symbols for this celebration are hares and colored eggs (both associated with fertility and rebirth). Could our modern day Easter Bunny and the practice of coloring Easter Eggs have links to these symbols?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"'>Events are open to the public. Love donations accepted (to cover group operating costs and allows offering free events.)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F6228'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>