More Goddesses
Women of Berrien UU Fellowship in St. Joseph, Michigan did a Cakes intensive — 5 classes in 5 nights, with the direction of DRE Teresa LaPlante. On the fifth evening we dressed in Goddess garb. Here’s Teresa as Spring Maiden with flower headdress made from tissue paper. She also made the Easter dragon recipe. We decided that for the egg to be really red, raw beets were probably needed instead of cooked ones. Every session began with a chalice lighting. This one is from the last evening. Teresa brought in some extra video presentations about women’s experiences. including one based on Yoko Ono’s WOMAN POWER.
Sue is dressed as Crone of Winter and Summer with woolen shawl and bright rayon pareo/skirt. Some of our clay creations are placed on the altar. We borrowed a computer slide projector from BUUF’s Membership Chair, Emily. TIP: figure out the setup BEFORE the first class! 
Teresa plans to offer Cakes: Part II in October, with Part I repeating in May 2009 and II in October 2009.
Kim said,
May 28, 2008 @ 8:10 am
Hi there! I have a question about the Easter Dragon bread. I am currently in the Cakes class being offered at BuxMont UUF (PA), and will be making the bread for our last class. The recipe isn’t clear to me, does this yield two? If not, why do you need two cones?? Any help (and tips) will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Teresa said,
May 28, 2008 @ 10:11 am
I had the same problem. It says “2 cones” but never tells you what to do with the second one. I decided to keep them as one cone and it worked fine.
Teresa
Nancy said,
May 28, 2008 @ 11:31 pm
I recently went through old family photos and found one from Easter 1963. Our table is decorated with dyed hard boiled eggs for placecards, a centerpiece with chocolate eggs hanging from a tree branch and a very long bread dragon down the middle of the table!!
No wonder I am a pagan today!
Nancy said,
June 6, 2008 @ 12:11 am
I just studied the recipe and interpret the two cones to mean that you make two dragons. It is common for a bread recipe to make two loaves. Did this recipe make enough dough for two? I’m still unclear about the hard boiled egg. Does the dragon bake with the egg in its mouth? Is the egg okay in the oven? It sounds strange to me.
Thanks!
Shelby Meyerhoff said,
June 9, 2008 @ 8:33 am
Hi! I’m so pleased to see a Cakes for the Queen of Heaven blog — what a great way to facilitate women leaders and participants sharing their wisdom.
Donna Pereira said,
June 24, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
The recipe makes two loaves/breads. Two members of our group made it and it was so good that we all requested the recipe!
Nancy said,
July 11, 2008 @ 7:49 am
Okay, one more bread dragon comment. . . .
Teresa told me that she dyed her hard boiled eggs in the shell, but only got weak color from the beet juice. I suspect that the eggs should be peeled first, and then soaked in the juice, like picked eggs rather than Easter eggs. . . . So, I tried it! Though, I cheated a bit. . . . I bought a jar of pickled beets rather than preparing my own. Putting the beets aside, I was able to fit six peeled hard boiled eggs into the jar with the beet juice. I let them soak overnight in the refrigerator and they were beautiful!
I have not tried baking the peeled eggs in the mouth of the bread dragon. However my friend says she makes a recipe with peeled hard boiled eggs baked in bread dough, so it would probably work.
Try it and let us know!
Ruth said,
July 23, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Hello!
I’m a UU seminarian (at Meadville/Lombard) and a “Cakes” supporter from long-back. Currently, I’m home visiting my mom in Anchorage, Alaska, where she and our incoming interim minister are in the middle of offering Part 1 of the new “Cakes” curriculum. It’s going well, with lots of enthusiastic women.
I’m trying to find some information on how to make a Goddess of “Woolendorf” doll. I saw one at the “Cakes” facilitator training in Oak Park, IL in June, and after describing it to my mother, she fell in love with the idea. We’d both like to make one (or buy one, if need be), but I have had no luck finding any real references through a Google search.
Does anyone have any info. or any ideas of who you might refer me to? Apparently, the 2001 WomanSpirit camp, at Camp Ronora, had a workshop on how to make these dolls, and the person offering the workshop was named Nicola Danks.
Any info. or ideas appreciated!
Blessings,
Ruth
Gretchen said,
July 24, 2008 @ 7:57 am
Hi, Ruth!
I don’t have an e-mail address for Nicola, but I’ll try and get ahold of her to answer these questions.
Peace!
melissa gatica said,
June 3, 2009 @ 4:21 pm
I saw the name Nicola Danks on your blog. Over 30 years ago I had a close friend in Midland, Mich. named Nicola Danks. Making dolls and women’ spirit camp sounds like my Nicola. If anyone has contact information for her or knows her, please forward this note. My former last name was “Halstead”. Thanks.
Melissa