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Update on Morning Glory Zell Memorial Foundation Plans

By Oberon Zell
Saturday, September 19, 2015

This is in reference to Terence Ward's Aug. 5 article in Wild Hunt, titled "Morning Glory Zell Foundation Plans Delayed by Pending Eviction"

People have been asking, why the eviction?, and I'd like to give some explanation, as folks should know it had nothing to do with any malfeasance on my part. The rent was always paid on time, the place was kept nice, etc. Nor was the eviction unexpected, for completely independent reasons having to do with the owner's plans to sell the property. In fact, the only thing the eviction has affected is the time-frame for a move that had been long intended.

At the time Terence was researching for his Wild Hunt article, things were all kinda crazy around here. We'd put so much energy for six months into trying to manifest a grandly ambitious project of buying land and establishing a Pagan village! But none of the many places we looked at were suitable (the last one was totally consumed in Lake County’s Valley Fire!), and we couldn't raise nearly enough money, and there weren't nearly enough people who wanted to be part of such a community to make it happen. We came to realize that the idea of buying land for a Pagan eco-village was not really feasible. But I still really needed to find a new home for both me and the Library/Museum collections, for which I'd been searching for so long.

But during the 10 years MG and I have lived here at RavenHaven, the owners were always trying to sell the place. They wouldn't give us a lease for more than one month at a time. We had prospective buyers coming through on a constant basis. After MG died last year (May 13, 2014), the owners reminded me again that they intended to sell the place, and to do so they would need to have me out so they could do major repairs and renovations (the 60-year-old pine deck is completely falling apart, and so is the pool) in order to make it more salable. But they said they would give me a year or so after MG's death to mourn and get myself together before they would ask me to leave. I thought this was generous of them. I didn't really want to continue living in a big empty house with so many memories, and I was already looking for another place to go. And so, true to their word, on June 23, 2015, a little over a year after MG died, I received a 90-day eviction notice. The owners have since extended the deadline—at my request—until Sept. 30, when I and everything of mine and MG's must be gone.

Meanwhile, however, several of us had already been making other plans. With the land project fizzling out, the Board of Directors of the Morning Glory Zell Memorial Foundation (www.MGZMFoundation.org) came up with the idea of opening a storefront gallery in Santa Cruz for the Museum/Library, with a Temple in back for meetings and rituals, and a little gift store in front to help support the place. We decided to call it "The Academy of Arcana," as it will also be a physical classroom space for the Grey school of Wizardry (www.GreySchool.com) —something we've dreamed of for years. And my dear friends Anne and James invited me to move into a cottage on their property in Bonny Doon, only ten miles outside of Santa Cruz. This is not a "short-term plan," as was stated in Terence’s article, but a major exciting commitment: "The Next Big Thing." This will be a great benefit and legacy to the entire Pagan community, and we will appreciate all the support you can give! For more info, see: AcademyofArcana.com

For the past month, a number of wonderful friends have been coming over to RavenHaven and helping with the move—sorting, packing, organizing, cleaning out and hauling away junk. I cannot tell you all how much I appreciate this! Also, there are a number of items I just cannot take with me, and I am selling or giving away lotsa cool stuff—including a 1983 Chevy Winnebago Brave RV and an 8’-square hot tub. Please check the list at http://oberonzell.com/itemsforsale.html