Sacred Grove Information and Guidelines
Dearest Sisters of the Sacred Grove,
These are Happy Healthy Guidelines for a Happy Healthy Grove. There are only a few, so please read this and familiarize yourself with the guidelines of this space. These guidelines help to keep this space Sacred. Please respect ALL of them. If, for some reason, you bend or snap one of the guidelines, do not be startled nor offended if a moderator contacts you.
1. The minimum age for membership in the Sacred Grove is 21 years. Unless a sister joined before this guideline was put into place, we will NOT make an exception. In some places around the world (and the state of Mississippi) the legal age of an adult is 21. Since some discussions do include sexuality, we prefer not to jeopardize the Grove by accepting under-aged members. This is not ageist. It's merely... safe! If we discover you to be below the age limit, we will ask you to part with the Grove until your 21st birthday.
2. Only current members of Sisters of the Sacred Grove are allowed to join Grove classes and spaces.
3. Only "woman-born women" are allowed within the Grove. Obviously we'd have a difficult time proving if you were born male. However, since honesty is important amongst sisters and friends, we assume you all members have been honest. This guideline is in place due to the blood mysteries we all share. Many women feel uncomfortable sharing this part of their lives in the presence of someone who does not (or has not) menstruated. Please accept our apologies if you find this policy offensive.
4. Regarding Grove Privacy: Anything you write and post in Grove groups is private. We expect this privacy to be respected. Please keep sisters' private information and messages to yourself, and do not share outside the Grove without first gaining permission. Some sisters are not "out of the broom closet" in their personal lives. Others are uncomfortable sharing if they feel strangers may also read what they say. Privacy is VERY sacred to them, and must be respected by all. :) If privacy is violated, we will manage the situation on a case by case basis. Usually we ask the sister to be mindful in the future. If a sister continually violates this policy, she will be asked to leave.
5. Please, if a sister posts something that upsets you, do NOT engage in bickering on the list. Either write to that sister privately, or contact the moderators. The Moderators will talk to this sister on your behalf (without naming you, if that's also your wish). Once negativity/bickering erupts on the list, it's VERY difficult to extinguish and heal. Even if it's a clear, ethical violation, please try to keep the confrontations off the main list as much as possible. The moderators are here to help, so please do not hesitate to call upon us. If a sister repeatedly instigates conflict and hurt within the Grove, she will eventually be asked to leave. Again, this is dealt with on a case by case basis. We do not tolerate behavior which makes our Grove feel "unsafe."
6. The Grove functions poorly with non-participating members. All are asked to stay connected and involved, posting and sharing. However, everyone grows quiet sometimes. That's both fine and natural. If life causes an extended silence of your voice in the Grove, then please send us a note, ok? We will try to contact you if there is due concern (months of silence). If, after many attempts, we do not hear back from you, there is a slim chance you will be unsubscribed from the Grove. (you can easily re-enter without having to re-submit the application) Some sisters feel unsafe around "lurkers" (sisters who read but do not write), which is why we might unsubscribe those whom we cannot reach. This rarely happens though. :)
7. If something or someone upsets you, tell a moderator! Silently holding onto hurts does not heal, it merely festers. There are witches here who can sense when something is "off", so there is no use hiding your unease. ;) Share with a moderator. We can and WILL try to help you. You're a valued member of the Grove, our sister. Your well-being is important to us.
Jenai (Grove Mum):
janukanu@gmail.com
Again... chronic violations of any of these guidelines can lead to being asked to leave the Grove. This does not happen often. We're all human and err... Usually violations of Grove policy are accidental oversights. We're such a silly lot of witches; it's easy to forget we have any guidelines! :)
Smiley Blessings,
~Jenai