Ah! We are listed, sooner than expected.

A note as we go in : this is an exclusively heterosexual group, for adults in generation X, and the millenial generation. "You mean, you EXCLUDE people?" someone asks in amazement. "Yes", we reply. A gasp is heard from the audience. Such is life.

The 1990s are over. Welcome to the 21st century.

Universal inclusiveness was tried as a philosophy. It failed, and failed long enough for history to pass judgement on it. Here's the new reality. We have the wisdom now, to know that no one group can be all things to all people, and that it is better to build well, than quickly. We exclude people, here, not to be exclusive, but because they would have no role to play here, or because their being here would detract from our purpose in being here.

Yes, we exclude gay members. We are exploring the spiritual aspects of our sexuality. (Let us not confuse sexuality, with sex. One's sexuality is all that is part of one, as a result of being male or female. The maternal instinct is very much a part of one's sexuality, as are romantic feelings). Gay sexuality, as it can not lead to childbirth, even in theory, is not in our area of interest. No apologies are offered or owed for this fact.

Yes, we do exclude older people, born before 1960 (when generation X is generally agreed to begin). It is our hope that by doing so, we will spare our membership the presence of the holdovers from the "sexual revolution". Real liberation calls for us to recognize that "no" means "no", not "let's have a debate about whether or not that would be yes, if you knew what a spiritual experience it would be, baby !". Those born after 1960 are too young to have known that era, as adults, and this tends to show in their attitudes. Also, let's face it : the local "elders", by and large, have been dragging their feet when it has come to respecting our right to live our own lives on our own terms. It will be pleasant to get away from them for a while.

One question that may have occurred to you, as you read our group description, is why we insist on people joining as couples. "Oh, this is some sick swinging, wife swapping group?", somebody is bound to say. No, absolutely not. A "swinger" group would admit unaccompanied women. We will not.

The problem is the tiresomely predictable behavior we will see if we do not. Let me explain.

A fertility festival, as we have said, is one devoted to easing the bringing of new life into the world. And of bringing forth the passion that leads to that, we would argue. It is a little hard to picture honoring Pan, without doing that. For this reason, one must have both men and women present, and they should be there in equal numbers.

Gods, being people too, have their quirks and needs, which we don't always understand. One of Pan/Faunus', is that he insists on his male worshippers paying their respects to him in the nude. Whether this is reasonable or unreasonable on his part, is beside the point. If we wish to ask to be in his good graces, we must have the sense to appreciate that we do so on his terms, not on ours. The understanding of that simple truth, is where piety begins, and as Hellenists, we should have an appreciation of the mingling of piety and pleasure into one harmonious whole.

This poses us with an immediate problem. If we view things in a superficial, hasty manner, we might say that to be fair, is to be even handed. We might say, that if the men must, on some occasion be skyclad, surely as a matter of fair play, we must insist that the women be skyclad as well. But how foolish we would be, to do so!

Let us close our books of philosophy, and logic for the moment, and look to our own life experience, and common sense. If we were to establish such a rule, few, if any women would attend. "Yes", somebody will pipe up, "but if you do it with love and respect, and honor the dignity and value of women, they will have no problem ..." This is so much wishful thinking. The reality is that women have emotional needs very different from those of men, and if one truly loves and respects them, one will honor those differences enough to take them into account as one sets policy.

Let us continue.