SolSeedMovement

August 2020

• Ben and Eric performed the Lammas double ritual over Skype. After the second meditative period, they held the Festival of Saints for the first time in which they discussed and approved nominations for the elevation of Servants of Gaia.

June 2020

• Ben and Eric performed the Litha double ritual online. Both Ben and Eric performed the Yay Life Tri, Ben in Seattle and Eric at Grey Cliff with Michelle and three guests.

May 2020

• Ben and Eric performed the Beltane double ritual over Skype. Eric ritually transplanted 7 hydrangeas in order to spread more complex life and flowering across the lawn around his house.
• Eric visited the Gaia Statue at Buckleberry

March 2020

• Ben and Eric performed the Ostara ritual over Zoom with a group of Star community members (at Ben's end of the call). We also shared stories on the call as is our tradition on Ostara. Both Ben and Eric wrote one for the occasion. Before hand, Eric and his family enjoyed a home made sushi feast, hand rolling the sushi at the table together using sushi rice prepared by Eric's wife, Michelle. Afterward, Ben and Star community enjoyed sushi also.

February 2020

• Ben and Eric performed the Imbolc ritual over Zoom

December 2019

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Ben and a few guests came together to celebrate the Solstice with a Pagan-inspired play about the rebirth of the Sun.

November 2019

• Eric and Ben performed the double crossover ritual over Skype.

September 2019

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Eric gathered to celebrate the Equinox by walking through a dark cold lava tube under Mount Saint Helen's and then walking an equal distance in the light and warmth above ground.

August 2019

• We created a Patreon account for the Metaphoriuminomicon

July 2019

• Eric and Ben performed a ritual to celebrate Moon Day 50.

March 2019

• Brandon, Eric, Ben, Patrick, Nick and Michelle gathered in person in Potland and Eganville with a connection between the two sites via Skype and shared Sushi and Storytelling.

December 2018

• Ben and Eric celebrated the moment of Solstice on Skype
• Ben and Shawn joined the Sanders family Solstice celebration in Portland

October 2018

• Shawn, Eric, and Ben, inspired by Tolkien and our Habitica party with Patrick, started calling ourselves Gaia Vision Fellowship

September 2018

• The founder of the Reform Pagans joined Eric and the Sanders for a Fall Equinox celebration on Skype

August 2018

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Eric, Ben, and Ben's parents came together for the Resilient Communities Mini-Unconference in Portland, Oregon
• Brandon and Shelley announced that they're step back from participation in the business calls and most SolSeed Services
• Eric, Ben, and Shawn began to explore collaboration with the Reform Pagans

April 2018

• The Sanders family participated in an Earth Day mulching party on a wetland riverbank, leading Brandon to reconsider his role in SolSeed and as a parent.

March 2018

• The Sanders traveled to Seattle for the 2018 Spring Equinox Storytelling and Sushi Feast

February 2018

• We went on Imbolc/Riverrain hikes in Portland, Seattle, and Gatineau, and held Mexican dinner outings in both Portland and Ottawa

December 2017

• Shawn joined SolSeed and participated in the Sanders' Solstice party, featuring the third annual performance of The Rebirth of the Sun.
• Ben and Brandon held the third annual Space Elevator Solstice at the Sanders home.

September 2017

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Ben and Eric painted Eric's Gaia Statue at Buckleberry.
• Beginning of the experiment to try calling ourselves Gaia's People

June 2017

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, and Ren celebrated the Summer Solstice on June 20th with a canoe trip to Ross Island, including Drumming the Eons.
• Eric did a YayLifeTri in separate segments on June 23rd, 24th, and 25th, including the Perth Kilt Run as the running segment.

May 2017

• Workbee in Hoyt Arboretum, Tree planting at Buckleberry

March 2017

• 2017 Spring Equinox Storytelling and Sushi Feast in Seattle and Ottawa

February 2017

• Riverrain hike in Tryon Creek State Park in Oregon, Skating outing in Ottawa on the Rideau Canal, Mexican dinner outings in both Portland and Ottawa, Terra Mystica - Fire and Ice in Ottawa.

December 2016

• We held our second annual Space Elevator Solstice in Portland and Gatineau. This time we built two climbers and a conveyor-belt elevator.

October/November 2016

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren and Ben gathered in Portland for the Saturn Holloween event while Eric and his family celebrated Samhain in Gatineau a week later. At both events we played the Xtronaut boardgame to celebrate the space program.

September 2016

• We participated in the Earthseed Festival of Changes, part of John Halstead and Tony Schlisser's new Earthseed Wheel of the Year.

August 2016

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Ben, and Eric gathered in Portland for the Shiny Green Acorn Festival from the 12th to the 14th, joined by friends of SolSeed including Eric's wife Michelle, Ben's father Steve, and Ted Sarvata.

July 2016

• On July 1, we joined John and his daughter Katya for the first event in the new Earthseed Wheel of the Year, the Festival of the Teacher.

June 2016

• [[Brandon and Ben joined Earthseed Shaper John Halstead to attend the Shaping Change Conference in San Diego from June 3-5.
• On June 18th, we joined John Halstead and fellow Shaper Tony Schlisser for an Earthseed Rite of Remembrance for the Orlando shooting victims.

April 2016

• Ben was a speaker at the Contact Conference in Silicon Valley from Friday the 1st to Sunday the 3rd, presenting a talk on Friday expanding on Eric's vision of Biospheric Communionism.
• On Saturday the 30th, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben joined a work party to clear English ivy from trees in Marquam Nature Park in Portland.

March 2016

• On Sunday the 20th, we held the 2016 Spring Equinox Storytelling and Sushi Feast in Redmond and Gatineau, including the board games Evolution and Terra Mystica: Fire & Ice.

February 2016

• On Saturday the 6th, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben went on a Riverain hike in Portland with old and new friends, including Ted and his family. Then we went to dinner with Ben's parents and Keith Lofstrom at a Mexican place that serves deep-fried ice cream.

January 2016

• Brandon, Eric, and Ben became Shapers of John Halstead's Earthseed and Eric started contributing posts to its blog.

December 2015

• On Saturday the 19th, we held the first Space Elevator Solstice in Redmond, with all of our Contributing Members (Eric and Patrick joined via Skype from Gatineau), space-elevator luminaries Michael Laine and Bryan Laubscher, and people from Ben's sci-fi book club.

November 2015

• Eric, Michelle, and Patrick moved to a new home in Gatineau, right next to the immense urban forest of Gatineau Park.

October 2015

• On Saturday the 31st, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben turned the Seed Village into a space colony for A Martian Halloween.

September 2015

• On Sunday the 20th, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben had a "Shiny Green equinox" in Portland, featuring a visit to the Industrial Cafe, a Pagan Pride Day festival, and Oaks Amusement Park.

August 2015

• On Saturday the 8th through Monday the 10th, we held our first annual Shiny Green Festival in Portland with all of the SolSeed Contributing Members and friends both old and new, including Michelle Saumur, Keith Lofstrom, and John, Ruth, Katya, and William Halstead.
• We started developing a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of human-sized versions of Oberon Zell's Millennial Gaia statue.

July 2015

• Eric started work on his concept for a tree-climbing robot that could graft fruit-tree limbs onto existing trees in a forest.

June 2015

• On the weekend of the Summer Solstice, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben visited Maryhill State Park and its Stonehenge replica for YayLifeTri, Drumming the Eons, and stargazing.

May 2015

• Eric participated in two Ottawa tree-planting events as well as the 2015 Multifaith Housing Initative Tulipathon.
• On Saturday the 2nd, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben participated in a Hoyt Arboretum work party and were joined by Ben's parents for a showing of the movie Planetary.

March 2015

• Ben started working on the SolSeed History page to help share the story of our first ten years with members and friends.
• We celebrated the Spring Equinox with our third annual SolSeed Storytelling and Sushi Feast. (Eric has been holding these for much longer.)

February 2015

• Brandon attended the big Pagan convention, Pantheacon 2015 in San Jose on President's Day Weekend.
• Ben visited the world-famous Biosphere 2 closed-ecosystem research facility near Tucson on Friday the 20th.
• On Saturday the 28th, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Ben and his parents held the SolSeed 10th Anniversary Celebration, featuring a canoe trip to Ross Island in Portland.

December 2014

• Brandon started the Gaia Wiki project, and Ben and Eric helped create content for it.
• On Saturday the 21st, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Ben and his parents, and Ted and his family participated in the Longest Night Masquerade, featuring a blend of SolSeed and Pagan elements such as the "Holly King and Queen."

November 2014

• Brandon got his blog entry about Gaia's Heartbeat posted on the Humanistic Paganism website.

October 2014

• On Sunday the 5th, Eric presented a service about SolSeed for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ottawa.
• SolSeed became a partner of the The Spiritual Naturalist Society

September 2014

• On Saturday the 20th, Ben gave a talk at the Seed Village about global warming and ways to fix it, attended by Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Ben's parents, and three new acquaintances. Then we made protest signs which we brought to the climate rally the next day.
• On Friday the 26th, Eric got his blog post Why I'm Religious but not Spiritual posted on the Humanistic Paganism website.

August 2014

• Ben traveled with Lion, a long-time friend of SolSeed, to visit the Windward intentional community in southern Washington State.

July 2014

• Ben finished a short music video using the chorus of The Seed.

June 2014

• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, Ben, Eric, and Patrick got together on Mt. Hood in Oregon for Sol 2014.

March 2014

• In Portland, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben celebrated the Spring Equinox by planting bioswales in the Lents neighborhood, then joined Eric via Skype to tell stories about life in the Phanerozoic Eon.
• The SolSeed Movement began an experiment with a system of governance called Holacracy.

February 2014

• Eric created our second orientation email.

January 2014

• Brandon created the first SolSeed orientation email.
• John completed the Gaia's Heartbeat music video, working through several drafts and incorporating our feedback.

December 2014

• John completed the Gaia's Heartbeat song and started work on the accompanying video.
• For the Winter Solstice, we invited two teachers from a company called Music Together to lead us in a series of sing-alongs, including dancing and instruments such as drums and “jingle bells” that everyone could play.
• We returned to the first liturgical season, Genesis, which uses the original opening ritual developed back in 2010.

November 2013

• We started celebrating the eighth liturgical season, Viventibus Galaxia (Living Galaxies).
• Brandon started working with John Boswell on a new song and music video called Gaia's Heartbeat.

September 2013

• On the Fall Equinox, Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ren, and Ben went on a hike and had a picnic dinner at Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbia Gorge.
• Eric's family had an equinox dinner where each food item combined dark and light colors to represent the balance of day and night on the Equinox.
• We established a SolSeed "liturgical year" that will have eight separate rituals for our Weekly Service Calls, and started using the new ritual for Viventibus Mundos (Living Worlds), the seventh of the eight "liturgical seasons."

June 2013

• We held the Sol 2013 retreat in Ottawa.
• We sponsored a Portland State Aerospace Society rocket launch!

May 2013

• John and Will completed the final draft of the SolSeedSong!

April 2013

• John and Will completed the first draft of the SolSeedSong.

March 2013

• We held the 2013 Spring Equinox Storytelling and Suishi Feast‎ in Portland and Ottawa.

January 2013

• We held the 2013 Vision/Purpose Retreat on Skype to talk about what SolSeed is all about and what our primary statement of purpose should look like (or if we should have more than one!)

December 2012

• We held rocket launching events for the Winter Solstice, one in Portland and one in Ottawa.

November 2012

• Ben finished the SolSeedSong lyrics and sent them to John and Will.
• Brandon got partial a hard copy of the SolSeed book printed so we could see what it would look like.

October 2012

• First Seeing Nature - Reading & Practice in Ottawa

September 2012

• We built tabletop biospheres on the Fall Equinox. Unfortunately they didn't last very long.
• Eric held an Equinox in Space celebration in Ottawa.
• Completed the pedal powered water pump

August 2012

• We helped fund John Boswell and Will Crowley's original album of songs about science, Terra Lumina. In exchange, they're writing the SolSeedSong !
• Ben presented a paper called "Why go to space?" at the 2012 Space Elevator Conference.
• Started weekly "Seeing Nature" reading and practice meetup events in Portland

July 2012

• The beginning of the pedal powered water pump

June 2012

• Ben is presenting a talk at the We the People Power Festival on the 16th in Seattle.
• We're holding our fifth big unconference retreat, Sol 2012, starting on the Summer Solstice at the the Oregon coast.
• We're also holding our first ever Summer Solstice triathlon in Portland, YayLifeTri, along with Eric's companion event in Ottawa.

April 2012

• We visited the Silverton area for Earth Day 2012.

March 2012

• We had an awesome Spring Equinox Festival at the Seed Village in Portland, Oregon, featuring lots of activities for kids, music and dancing, and brunch.
• We also told stories and shared sushi in Ottawa, Ontario, home to new active member Eric and his family.
• Ben met some famous scientists and had a great time helping to design an alien culture at the Contact Conference in Sunnyvale, California.

January 2012

• The first SolSeed Meetups involve a sit-down dinner and then a Symphony of Science movie-watching party.

December 2011

• We held our third Winter Solstice celebration, featuring a hike up Mt. Taber in the dark, followed by a candlelit dinner.

October 2011

• We created the SolSeed Meetup group and quickly got several interesting people signed up.
• We started cultivating kindred Topical Communities.

September 2011

• For the Fall Equinox this year, we're participating in the Moving Planet worldwide climate action event by holding a group bike ride to the big Portland event.
• Brandon, Shelley, Sequoia, Ben, and Boni are all going to Orlando, Florida for the 100 Year Starship Symposium!

August 2011

• Ben and Brandon attended the Space Elevator Conference in Redmond to promote SpaceWiki, and Brandon gave a talk about building a railway to space for the 150th aniversary of the transcontinental railroad.

June 2011

• To celebrate the Summer Solstice this year, we went on a hike to beautiful Wahclella Falls in the Columbia Gorge, followed by dinner at the Seed Village.

May 2011

• On Memorial Day weekend, we held a Vision Workshop at the Seed Village.

April 2011

• We once again attended the City Repair Earth Day festival as exhibitors, this time with a triple-wide booth where we also hosted Mathew and Molly with Cloacina and Gus with the Green Granges.

March 2011

• We hired Swift Architecture to start designing the "Seed Pod," the backyard cottage that will be the second home added to the Seed Village.

February 2011

• We held our fourth Open Space event, Seed 2011, on the slopes of Mt. Hood!

January 2011

• We had a Music Festival on the 15th featuring local singer, songwriter, and pianist Lori Henriques!

December 2010

• Join us for the Longest Night Festival, Tuesday December 21, 2010 at the Seed Village. Email Shelley for details.

November 2010

• Brandon and Ben went to the student-run SpaceVision 2010 conference in Sunnyvale, CA to promote the SpaceWiki project.

October 2010

• Molly took us on an EcoVillageTour, visiting five intentional communities around East Portland.
• Brandon quit his job at AboutUs and founded the first SolSeedBusiness, quickly obtaining contracts to do consensus polling for the Meyer Memorial Trust and a follow on contract with AboutUs continuing work he was doing before he left.

September 2010

• We held a SolSeed Service celebrating the Fall Equinox at the SolSeedVillage.

August 2010

• SolSeed helped sponsor the Buckman Neighborhood Picnic and held another mural painting there.

July 2010

• Brandon and Ben went to the NewSpace 2010 conference in Sunnyvale, CA to promote the new SpaceWiki project.

June 2010

• We officially decided that Brandon and Shelley's house is the site for the SolSeedVillage!
• Then we held a Longest Day Party in their backyard on the Summer Solstice.

May 2010

• "Lettuce" Bring Life -- the seeds planted at our Earth Day 2010 event are germinating!
  

  

  Milky Way Lettuce Day 11

April 2010

• We had a great time at Norwescon 33 and met lots of awesome people, 9 of whom have become FriendsOfSolSeed.
• We had a double-wide booth at the Portland Earth Day event, "Re-Seeding Our World", with fun activities including actual seed planting!

March 2010

• We reserved a table at Norwescon!
• We held the second SolSeed Service, featuring an equinox-themed celebration and discussion of Balance, including a fun children's activity and followed by a potluck.

February 2010

• The first SolSeed Service was a big success, with music, poetry, and discussion centered around the idea of Empathy.

January 2010

• Ben finally posts notes from sessions he attended at Sol 2009 more than half a year ago!

December 2009

• A warm welcome to all the great people we met at OryCon 31!
  • Interested in joining and participating in some of our exciting projects? See JoiningTheMovement
  • Just want to sign up for our monthly newsletter, but didn't get a chance at the con? See FriendsOfSolSeed
  • Want to track the progress of our new virtual Parable of the Sower book group? See SolSeed Book Program

• Longest Night Festival
  • When: Dec. 19-21, 2009 (Saturday-Monday)
  • What: OpenSpace event followed by a Solstice Party on Monday night

November 2009

• Planning has begun for our next face-to-face event, the Longest Night Festival, to take place in Portland December 19-21!
• Ben has belatedly uploaded some Sol 2009 photos to start the Sol 2009 Photo Gallery. Who knows, he might post his handwritten notes from the sessions anytime now.

October 2009

• We now have a OnePagePlan for the last quarter of 2009 and beyond.
• We have reserved a table at OryCon!

May 2009

• Beach Outing and Cleanup this weekend May 23. Join us!

April 2009

• Sol2009 is definitively scheduled for June 27-29 (see the Invitation)
• Jesse joins the movement.

March 2009

• Jillian joins the movement.
• Paul joins the movement.
• Sol 2009 is getting close to being scheduled for July 4 to 6, 2009 (change of tentative dates).

February 2009

• Bertie joins the movement.
• "SolSeed: Pick a Future" music video trailer posted (currently down while we wait for permission to use the music)

January 2009

• Alex joins the movement.
• Ted joins the movement.
• Joy joins the movement.
• It's the final day for Seed 2009. We've had LOTS of amazing discussions, met some remarkable people, and as we come to a close we are refining our vision for the future of The Movement. Notes from our open sessions are available here if you'd like to read, reflect upon, or remember our time together.
• Seed 2009 is underway! Most of us have arrived, and we are gearing up for the official opening ceremonies - as well as preparing for our first OpenSpace sessions. You can check out the Seed 2009 Photo Gallery and view the happenings as we post some pictures.
• Seed 2009 is just days away. It's a new year, a time for new beginnings, and hopefully lots of new friends!

October 2008

• Seed 2009 registrations coming, and folks are buying plane tickets!

September 2008

• Seed 2009 dates moved to Jan 9-11
• Brandon creates the http://SolSeed.org site

August 2008

• Shelley, Boni, Ted, Ben, Kevin, and Brandon agree to be CoConveners for Seed 2009

July 2008

Planning has commenced for Seed 2009, a retreat and openspace event for SolSeed members and friends. Email Brandon to join the planning process. Tentative dates: Dec 31, Jan 1-3 in Government Camp, Oregon. Stay tuned for details!

June 2008

• AJ Adair joins the SolSeedMovement!
• Brandon commissions Mark Nilsson to create a painting to illustrate the SolSeedMovement

March 2008

• SolSeed now has a lounge. This is great place to discuss your half-baked (or fully baked) schemes and ideas. By joining you will be up-to-date on any announcements, group messages, or upcoming events. Come hang out at the lounge!
• Kalvin joins the SolSeedMovement!
• Chris Dawson joins the SolSeedMovement!
• Brandon has started making SolSeed related claims. Come join the fun!

February 2008

• Brandon is looking to commission an illustrator to create an illustration of SolSeed with potential for follow-on illustrations of core concepts. If you'd like to help me think about the concept and find an artist contribute to SolSeed/Artists.
• Check out this user-generated SolSeed video for a little inspiration!

Solseed Movement

• I would like to bring to the attention of the members of the Solseed Movement, the Space Settlement section of the website of the National Space Society. Nearly all material concerning Space Settlement (almosty 20,000 pages), that is not proprietary or classified, is included. http://www.nss.org/settlement/

Mark Hopkins

January 2008

• Kevin redirects the Earthseed reference to SolSeed on Wikipedia to its new home on AboutUs.
• Brandon redirects solseed.net, com, org, and us to the SolSeed page on AboutUs.
• Kevin sparks some barnraising
• Kevin James Daniels joins the SolSeedMovement!

August 2007

• Benjamin Sibelman and Brandon CS Sanders begin moving the content over from the original group on the now defunct Omidyar.net

Quick links

SolSeedCreed:

• TheDestiny
• Starfarers
• SelfLove
• Empathy
• Wisdom

Group Experiences:

• SolSeedCalls
• SolSeed Services

SolSeedProjects:

• Media
• SolSeedVillage
• Stories!
• Videos

Kindred