The Crow’s
Nest…
Fall/Winter 2008 Edition…Volume IV
Editor: Bronwynn Forrest Torgerson
The Crow’s nest is a networking publication for the Phoenix-area pagan community. We eagerly accept submissions which fit our seasonal theme, but do reserve the right to edit for length and content. While submissions receive no cash remuneration, knowledge shared is a prize beyond measure Submission deadline for Spring ’09 issue is 3/15/09. The Crow’s Nest is also happy to publish your transitions, rites of passage, joys and concerns.
Email: BronwynnTorg@yahoo.com
As the Crow flies…Community Events and Gatherings
Saturday, October 25th, Arizona Witch’s Ball. Held this year at the Arizona Grand Resort, 8000 S. Arizona Grand Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85044, this event features a catered dinner, entertainment, a Samhain Ritual, vendors and more. Tickets are $40 per person if purchased in person at Dragonstar Books & Gifts in Mesa, AZ (ph: (480) 985-1308). Tickets are also available for $45 each through the website: http://www.arizonawitchesball.com/tickets.html Event runs from 7 p.m. until midnight.
Friday, October 31st – November 1st, a Houndish Samhaine, hosted by Clann C’hoinn Fiorr. This event is an overnight camp-out at Usery Park in Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa and features a balefire, entertainment and ritual. Park has shower facilities and new indoor toilets. Cost is $10 per person overnight camping, $6 day use only. (480-226-3702 for more details).
Saturday, November 1st, Samhain/Winter Nights Celebration. Hosted by the Norse Wolf Pack, at Mighty Cup Coffeehouse in downtown Glendale (7021 N 57th Ave Glendale, AZ 85301) this event features a Celtic Samhain ritual presented by Grove of the Rising Phoenix, children’s activities, raffle for a local charity, entertainment, vendors, rune and tarot readings and a Norse sumbel honoring of the Ancestors. Free admission.
Sunday, November 2nd, Samhain Ritual and Labyrinth Walk at West Valley UU Church, 5904 W. Cholla Street. Ritual at 6 p.m., followed by Labyrinth walk. Participants should bring an unlit white candle in a windproof, safe container. Guests will meet the Norns, keepers of the threads of Past, Present and Future, and have an opportunity to see what the New Year holds. Light refreshments served afterwards. Because of the meditative nature of this gathering, adults and children trained in Circle etiquette are welcome. There is no admission cost, but a love offering will be accepted for WVUU. Email BronwynnTorg@yahoo.com for further information.
Fridays, November 7th and December 5th, Phoenix EPIC Meetings. 7 p.m. Held at Denny’s Restaurant at Northern & I-17 in Phoenix, EPIC gatherings are an outstanding place for networking, presentations on special topics, raffles and more. Guests pay for their own food and beverage.
Saturday, November 15th, Second Annual Phoenix Faerie Festival, Estrella Mountain Park (14805 West Vineyard Avenue in Goodyear, AZ) $10 per person admission, $6.00 per car donation to Park. Gates open at 10 a.m. The day will include storytelling and children’s activities, unique vendors, a way array of entertainment. Food and beverage available for purchase. See their website for more information: http://www.westerngatesfaerierealms.com
Sunday, December 21st, Yule Ritual, Raffle and Drum Circle by the Fire at Dreamy Draw Park (2421 E. Northern Ave in Phoenix) 7-9 p.m. Hosted by the Norse Wolf Pack, http://www.thenorsewolfpack.com. Guests should bring chairs, non-alcoholic beverages and some money for raffles. Children accompanied by their parents or legal guardians are welcome.
Introductions…Coven of Eriu
The Coven of Eriu is a small Wiccan
coven with a home base in Tempe, Arizona. Founded at Imbolc 2007 its British
traditional Wiccan roots come from the
Coven of Danu, a Phoenix coven that has been practicing Mohsian Wicca for more
than 25 years. It operates on the precept that all life is sacred, and is
a
work in progress, drawing from an eclectic mix of spiritual practices to refine
its own identity.
Currently there are three working members of the coven and
three students.
Coven goals include classes and training, public education and community
outreach, and eventually sponsorship of other covens or circles of
like-minded folks.
The Coven of Eriu has made small strides toward community involvement,
such as
presentations on paganism to non-pagan organizations, public rituals next to a
pond in a Scottsdale park, Wicca 101 classes and active participation in
planning and carrying out Phoenix's Pagan Pride Day 2008. Future open
events,
classes and presentations will be publicized in Witchvox and through the
EPIC_magic Yahoo group.
The Birth of Forest Moon Grove
Welcome to Forest Moon Grove. What is Forest Moon Grove you ask? Well let me tell you. Forest Moon was birthed as a support structure for Desert Moon, our combat group which was founded February 2004 in Balad, Iraq when it was deemed necessary since there was no Pagan group formed on the base. When first formed my intent was to meet every Thursday night; but the Soldiers enjoyed the coffee, camaraderie of other Pagans, and spiritual support that they showed up nightly and this started the nightly tradition of Desert Moon that carries on now as a network formed under Forest Moon. Desert Moon held all Sabbats of the wheel, nightly protection rites against mortar attacks and rockets, and emotional healing for those who lost comrades and leaders due to combat. Desert Moon carried on through 2005 when I found a new leader in Balad on the internet after I had already come home. She left end of 2005 as we came back, and Desert Moon was moved to Tal Afar, Iraq November of 2005 to November 2006. Desert Moon had approximately 50 Troops throughout 2004 and approximately 50 more in Tal Afar in 2005.
We also support Pagan Soldiers in Afghanistan, Kyrgystan and throughout Iraq. Mid-tour in 2004 I had such an overwhelming response from our civilian sector in America of Pagans wanting to support the troops that I thought it would be great to start a joint civilian/military group to support us when we redeployed back to combat, and thus Forest Moon Grove was founded in Tacoma, Washington. It is solely an online group and has a membership of 300 plus Nationwide and some International.
We are a mix of Wiccan, Druid, Shinto, Asatru, Shamans, and Eclectic Witches which makes for a very interesting night of discussion. Being a Celtic Shaman myself, I lead Sabbats or Rituals openly meaning there is no closed circle. Everyone celebrates in their own way and honors there own deities. There is no discord between us as to how things must be done, as everyone recognizes the differences between the traditions. Everyone just enjoys themselves and forgets where they are for a time.
I have been Pagan my entire 39 years this existence. I was born and raised on a 40-acre beef farm in the mountains in a little town called Big Lake, Washington. I was raised Assembly of God but never fit into that religion and as soon as church was over was out grounding in the woods, following the animals around and talking to the trees. When I turned 18 and was able to study on my own started reading metaphysical books and finding my way. I joined the Army November 1989 and my first duty station was Germany where I was introduced to new cultures and lived a very metaphysical life and lived a general witchy life. I did 2 combat tours as a medic one in Doha, Kuwait in 1991 and the other in Somolia in 1993. I exited the Army in 1994 where I met my wife who was raised a witch and lived as a witch.
I rejoined the Army as a mechanic and went back to school January 1995. We went back to Germany where my studies in witchcraft intensified and I lived Wiccan for several years but didn’t care for the dogma and ritualistic aspects of what I saw. We checked out a couple Covens or witch groups but didn’t care for them so kept to a solitary life until we saw intense discrimination in Kitzingen, Germany in 2002 where we started our first group. This opened us up to group work, and military regulation and politics. The group dissolved when we left February 2003 but this was a learning experience for us with Pagan politics. Morrighan, my Goddess came to me just prior to deployment to Iraq when we were prepping to go in October 2004 and thus started my Celtic Shaman path which I know I belong on. Morrighan has always taken care of all my needs, mundane and magickal. This is my Pagan life in a nutshell, I may write a book one day, destiny will lead that.
I have studied all primary paths intensely and personally over the last several years and worked with many of them in group work. I became Ordained through Universal Life Church March of 2005 in between deployments to Iraq to help with the political loopholes needed as a Pagan Clergy..
Obstacles to overcome as Pagans in the military are many and varied depending on the support of your immediate command. Due to the lack of a Pagan chaplain we don’t have the support of main-stream religions so to start with is finding a place to worship. If you have no support you wind up meeting in the group leaders trailer like we did in Tal Afar. The regulations which govern the Lay-Leader status are so vague and non-existent it leaves room for closed-minded bigoted chaplains to throw there prejudices at you and give you no support which is bad in a combat environment. If a Pagan Soldier dies as has happened and always happens in war, there is no support for the dead or dying Soldier who is Pagan, as some chaplains use this to their advantage and will tell the Lay-leader it is not their duty and they are not allowed to minister to the Soldier.
Soldiers should also be allowed to worship freely without fear of reprisal or harassment as all other religions are allowed. It is almost as if we are here to fight for the religious freedoms of others but not our own which angers us. Educating the ignorant only works to a degree; if they don’t want to listen to the truth then they won’t hear the truth when it’s presented to them anyway. We had issues in Tal Afar with an Equal opportunity representative and when I presented to the chaplain here to have an education day was told it would only cause problems and wasn’t necessary so when you have no support your hands are tied.
Worshipping in a desert environment is a unique experience and one not balanced. I missed the mountains and ocean for one immensely being an earth element, and I missed the power of the ocean and the energy of the waves pounding on the surf. Air element was all around blowing around the sand in sandstorms and there was a hostility with venomous beasts. One benefit was the sunrises, sunsets, and full moons which were breathtaking. The history of the land is powerful with Ancient Babylon being the ground we walked on. You could feel the energy from the old Priests and Priestesses of Ishtar from times long ago.
Pagans technically need no tools, but they are nice for focus, for the altar, and for morale. Tools we use would include the Athame, or energy knife which my sword is used for this in my case which I brought with me. The censor is used for holding incense whether its stick, cone or resin and used for the element of Fire or Air depending on your path or tradition. The type of incense you burn is also dictated by deity or desire and intent you are doing. Examples would be dragons blood for protection or peppermint for prosperity. I use a lot of stones as well which once again type is dictated by need. Hematite would be used for grounding energy, Amethyst for peace and emotional healing and Morrighan uses Bloodstone and Moonstone. I had over 100 types of herbs in my cabinet there all used for differing intentions whether its tea, medicinally or magickally. Candles are a constant use and once again in this case colors are important dictated by need and all deities have there own colors so those are important as well. Tealight candles are used in oil burners and the other common candle is the four inch spell candle. The last tools I will discuss are divinatory which includes Tarot cards, pendulums, Runes, and scrying mirrors depending on your taste and what you’re drawn too. The library is our final touch and is an extensive collection of all areas of Paganism and includes over 100 books all donated and many I purchased prior to deploying. Our stock was, and still is for our troops constantly replenished as we have over 100 sponsors to include authors, artists, musicians, communities and stores throughout America and around the globe who support there Pagan troops. We greatly appreciate each and every one of them and plan on meeting many of them upon the reality of Desert Moon Sanctuary.
Iraq is dominantly Muslim as everyone knows; however, the region we were in contained a sect of Pagan culture called the Yezzidi which is a triangle of land within Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. This land is known as the Ancient Babylon and is the old race of people from beyond time. They are the ancient followers of Ishtar and Marduk. They have also been incorporated into the new Iraq Constitution. The Yezzidi were as excited about finding us as Pagan Americans as we were about finding them and wanted to know all about Pagan Americans as well. I will write an article about them for Pagan Pages one day.
There is a lot of flack being a Pagan Soldier by Soldiers of mains-stream religions as they feel we need to be converted and proselitize towards us. This ranges from the snide comments, to flat out assault which was one case in Baghdad in 2004 when Wiccan Soldiers were conducting a ritual and fellow Soldiers pelted them with rocks and bottles and hospitalized them. This is why many Soldiers feel it necessary to keep there beliefs hidden as in the days of old and I find it pathetic that in this day and age some need to do this as I would think we as a people could get beyond this bigotry. Our country was founded on religious freedoms not on the dominance of one over the other as many feel America was founded on Christianity but I say look again at history. Even our founder of the Declaration of Independence was not a Christian but a Deist. What is a Deist? A Deist is one who believes in a higher power and the reverence of nature. Wow, doesn’t sound Christian to me. Many of our founding fathers were deists as you can look back in history, take another look. Those who insist in a Christian nation are so blinded and brainwashed it makes me sad. Ask a Native American who was on this nation before the puritans arrived if they were Christian, they will tell you about Mother Earth and the Great Spirit.
The military will not accept a Pagan chaplain in the Armed Services even though they have had several choices for several years now. There excuse is lack of a proper Ecclesiastical agency or degree program even though we have shown them otherwise so they just change the policies and regulations to adjust so we can’t have one but that’s just my opinion. To me, there shouldn’t be an issue, come on people lets take better care of our Soldiers and not just the main-stream religions. If all our Pagan Soldiers stood up and walked out you really wouldn’t have much of a military and your recruiting would definitely go down. Pagan faiths make up a majority of your Warrior Paths. What is in place is the DFGL program which to me is a band-aid for what should be a chaplain. The regulations are so vague like I said before that it leaves room for a chaplain to discriminate still based on his prejudices and still leaves the Soldier suffering. To fit the criteria for DFGL status for Desert Moon I’m endorsed by Pete Davis founder and Elder of Aquarian Tabernacle Wiccan Church which was founded in the 1970’s and is a federally recognized Wiccan Church internationally and Headquartered in Washington State. I’m also ordained by Universal Life Church based of Modesto, California and is in the belief that all are Ordained through birth. I utilize my Ordainment to visit sick and injured Soldiers outside of visiting hours as clergy and to handfast or marry off Pagans which I have done on a few occasions. As to the question in the military, Wicca has been recognized as a religion since February of 1998 and is in the chaplain’s handbook and can be added to the Soldiers dog tags now known as Identification Tags as well as inscribed in the Soldiers Enlisted Records Brief. I have been allowed to also add Pagan in place of Wiccan as that is my preference.
As of this writing the Pentacle is the only emblem allowed to be placed on a Soldier's headstone which now we are fighting for the Druids and Asatru eventually. We fight for religious freedoms for this country and in turn get stepped on; however, if I’m and Atheist there is an emblem. The Christian faiths have 16 different allowed symbols but Pagans none. The symbol asked for is the Pentacle or 5-pointed star symbolic of the 5 elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit a pagan symbol. This has been an on-going battle at many levels and is disgusting as it is another prejudice and needs to be corrected, I would encourage everyone to call there Congress men and women if they really cared about their troops to right a wrong which has been a fight for many years, it’s a symbol, people, not a big deal. .
The future of Forest Moon will be with Desert Moon Sanctuary to be located in Northern Arizona as a safe haven for Pagans of all paths and traditions military and civilian. I want it to be approximately 1000 acres which is what the original vision was with a lake in the West, a fire pit in the South, an open-air stage for Full Moon concerts and workshops in the East, and the Grand Lodge called, “Valhalla” in the North. It will be a working farm with a community garden for sustainment, and eventually be powered by solar and wind power. We will support our civilian community with a food bank and it will also be an animal rescue for stranded animals due to disasters. This has been the vision since 2005 when we first started planning this while sitting over coffee in Iraq.
We are currently 501c3 in Arizona and have the legal groundwork set but still need a physical location so my wife Michelle and I will be touring Arizona the month of January 2009 looking at land and visiting many Pagan communities in Arizona. I hope this article answers many questions feel free to email any questions you do have. Our website is http://desertmoonsanctuarycharitabletrust.org/ feel free also to email me at medicine_eagle@yahoo.com Brightest of Blessings.
Eric Cooper
Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Pagan Pride Day…by Bronwynn Forrest Torgerson
Well, okay… maybe not everything. But in 7 years of PPD, I have learned quite a lot – some of it the hard way! The birth year of Phoenix Pagan Pride Day, 2002, saw a small but enthusiastic core of volunteers stepping forth in support of Dan Poland, who had taken on the endeavor when the original PPD coordinator’s life exploded and she was unable to continue. We quickly learned the security at Steele Indian Park was none too keen about vendors driving over the grass to get their wares to the allotted sites. We learned that small, sapling trees provide no shade on a 116 degrees day, and that sunstroke is ever close at hand. Our PPD ‘mascot’, the Snowball Wagon guy, strolled through and made a killing! He has been with us ever since! I became aware that although great in theory, having a ‘traveling minstrel’ run from tent to tent, teaching the opening chant like some frenzied relay race, actually took forever to accomplish. We also learned the immeasurable value of community. When the day grew hot and the one slated to lead the closing ritual grew cranky and peevish and begged off, merchants and guests immediately stepped forth to make a closing ceremony happen. In echo to the opening ritual, in which deities and qualities were invoked and invited to share the day, the closing ritual had attendees calling out those things about the day of which they were personally thankful. Having no ‘cakes’ to share, we pulled a Pagan version of the Biblical ‘loaves and fishes’ story, and when one man remembered a loaf of cheese bread in his car, we frantically tore it to pieces and fed the sunburned masses! Afterwards, we wearily but exuberantly lugged the day’s many bags of trash into dumpsters, and tried not to touch one another’s scorched skin as we hugged goodbye. The custom of an appreciation potluck a couple weeks later was implemented and gratefully received.
By PPD 2003, we had smartened up and a committee member had purchased inexpensive hand-held personal fans. Man, those sold like hot cakes! We also realized that we couldn’t depend on the ‘ice man’ to cometh until nearly 3 hours later than scheduled. Many runs to nearby gas stations and grocery stores for bags of ice to cool our water and soda were made. A tattoo artist and piercer, who had his own enclosed tent, came as vendors and had a steady trade. Alas, any minimal bleeding from a piercing does not clot well in the searing desert heat though…live and learn.
PPD 2004 brought an awareness of differing – and intense – attitudes about the use of helium balloons. They had been proposed both as festive decorations and give-aways to children. I had previously attended pagan wakes, which used a bunch of balloons in the departed’s favorite color to signify the giving of their spirit to the winds. I’ve used helium balloons in my own releasing rituals, whether for a person or an issue. What I came to know, in a most vivid way, is that some pagans are deeply concerned about the potential impact of helium balloons upon the environment and any creatures that may encounter them and be harmed by them. At PPD ’08, balloons will be used to draw attention to the information booth. However, they will be responsibly popped and disposed of afterwards.
2005 was our last year at Steele Indian Park. Another tough lesson was learned: in our frantic quest to snag food service – always, it seems, our PPD event’s iffiest area – we had to acknowledge that having an unsupervised food vendor who was rumored to sell liquor on the side (in violatation of the ‘no alcohol’ Park policy), was a detriment to the family friendly nature of Pagan Pride Day and endangered our relationship with the park or facility we reserved for the event. There were triumphs that year too though. We had increased media coverage and great attendance. That year, our appreciation gifts at the dinner which soon followed, were blue and silver ‘Success’ candles, custom-made by Fantasia and cherished by those who received them.
Phoenix College housed us for the first time in 2006 – huzzah! We could have access to both the cafeteria and lounge areas for vendors and workshops and use the grassy courtyard outside for rituals! Excellent! Dan & I worked diligently into the night, writing a harvest ritual which included the use of oatmeal cookies to symbolize one’s harvest. Mmmmm, those cookies were good when first unveiled – absolutely mouthwatering! However, we sat the aluminum baking pan, with remaining cookies, outside on an altar table in the heat all day long. By 4 p.m., those things were like adobe clay! You could’ve played checkers with them!
PPD 2007 was a handicapped awareness experience for us. As the college is walker and wheelchair accessible, we had at least two dozen differently-abled folks. (The terrain at Steele Indian Park had been hard and uneven and only good for ambulation.) An ‘express lane’ was created in the midst of the opening ritual’s huge attendance, and a joyful day was had by all. We implemented the Spirit Room, where guests may obtain a free mini psychic reading, abbreviated reiki or chakra balancing session, and could, if they wished, write out a petition and tie it onto our Wishing Wreath. That was a humbling experience. After six years of crafting Wishing Wreaths, which are ceremonially offered to the Gods and the Ancestors at Samhain, I had never stopped to think about the offering…only the creation. By noon of ’07, there were so many wishes affixed to the Wreath that we had to turn it over, so folks could tie their papers on the other side. So many prayers, so many hopes…
This Pagan Pride 2008 is our seventh one. We hope each one of you who attends, will find a moment of merriment, inspiration or introspection to take away with you. We hope you will find one workshop that makes you go, ‘Ahah! I want to know more about this!’ or that certain vendor with the elusive something you’ve been searching for forever. So Merry Meet, heartfelt thanks to you for coming, and All Gods Bless!
Why a Pagan Church? The Sacred Spiral Pagan Church of Arizona
By Nancy Allocca, Sacred Spiral Church of Arizona Member
The Sacred Spiral Pagan Church of Arizona is slowly but surely becoming a reality. Rosemary Szymanski decided last spring that she wanted to found the church and presented to her coven mates the idea. I will not pretend that everything went smoothly and easily, it has been a rough ride and we know we still have a long road ahead of us.
The idea is to place Paganism in a position to be accepted as much as any mainstream religion. We want to have the same rights and respect as any other religion. Gone are the days when we needed to hide because we feared for our very lives because of our faith. We know there are still closed minded people out there who will never accept us but we also know that the majority of the population would be able to accept us if they only knew more about us. We want our children to grow up in a world where they don’t have to worry about what people will think when they tell them they are pagan, or wiccan, or a witch. Where they don’t have to worry about if they will lose their job because their boss found out they followed an alternative path.
So we want to create a place for people to come to learn what it means to be a Pagan, be that Witch, Wiccan, Asatru, Shaman or any other flavor of Pagan. We want them to realize that we are as much a part of society as they are, and that we have just as much to offer the community and society as whole.
Along the path we have to follow the legal precedents set out before us by any church of any flavor. We are in the process of filing for Incorporation within the State of Arizona, and after that we need to file for 501c3 status with the federal government. We hope to have the first part of that done by Imbolg '09. The second part can take up to a year after that.
In the meantime we are fundraising to cover legal fees, and the many programs that the church is already offering. We hold rituals for full moon and new moon at Falcon Field Park each month. We also offer celebratory rituals for all the 8 major holidays on the wheel of the year, most at that same park, but a few are held at other locations. We sponsor discussion group meet ups twice a month, the first Tuesday and the third Wednesday of each month, as well as a variety of social events. All of these can be found on our website www.thecovenofthesacredspiral.org on the calendar page.
Creating a pagan church has raised a lot of questions about what it would be like and what we should expect from the church as well as what we should expect to give to the church. One of our members posted this response and with his permission it is included here.
What one Should expect from a Pagan Church
Based on an original article
by Peter Gold.
Re-Written by James McDonald
As the Neo-Pagan community
grows and matures, the expectations are changing. At present, there are numerous
public contact points and a few Wiccan and other Pagan groups holding public
religious services. In the near future many Neo-Pagan groups may be offering
religious meetings that anybody can attend. Not only will anybody be allowed to
attend, but the group will offer most of the activities and services that
current mainstream churches offer. To fulfill all of these commitments, these
Neo-Pagan groups are going to have to raise money and have full-time paid
Neo-Pagan clergy. Certain things from this now mainstream Neo-Pagan church will
be expected.
There will be religious meetings. The rituals will start on time, and happen on
a regular and recurring basis. This could be every Saturday night, or every new
and full moon, as long as it is regular. One should be able to predict when the
ritual will be without having to get on a mailing list or call the priest each
time. There should be a regular place to worship, not hiring a different hall
each meeting, or a different person's house. The ritual could be inside or
outside, but each outside ritual is on the same piece of land, and inside
rituals in the same building.
One should receive religious training for themselves and children. Children
need to be taught how to worship, and to a lesser extent, why to worship the
way one does. The organization should provide the materials, resources and
lesson plans for the program. One should expect to pay for children to attend,
but shouldn't have to buy every re-usable textbook that my kids will use only
once. Children should be able to attend classes, without parents staying with
them. Adult courses should be offered so they can learn more about the
religions and practices, but not with the exclusive goal of becoming clergy.
Expect the clergy person(s) to either lead, organize or do various rites of
passage for the individual and family. When a child is born, coming of age
ritual as the kids become adults, appropriate funeral rites, and marriages. The
marriage should be legally binding as done by the clergy person(s), and not
have to be re-done by a town clerk..
The clergy should be well trained to help in time of spiritual or emotional
crisis. When a family member, friend or Grove member dies, expect help in
working through grief.
The priest/ess has to be able to supervise volunteers. The volunteers can do
most of the work, but it is up to the clergy person to ensure that projects get
completed. They might reasonable delegate specific projects to members, but the
priest/ess still has to check on them. The clergy person should be a decent
administrator, or the Grove to have a non-clergy office manager/treasurer. This
person needs to be able to present a budget to the Grove and then stick to the
budget. They have to be able to balance a checkbook and pay the bills in a
timely fashion. Their other jobs might include printing the newsletter and
ordering supplies.
As fellow Grove members expect to be kept informed about what is happening.
This means regular communications. This means open records, both financial and
of meetings.. We do have an expectation of knowing about decisions made, and
why they were made.
What One Should Offer to Their Church
It is understood many live very busy lives in this day and age. Many do not
have a lot of time, do to working long hours during the week, and have to spend
at least one day during their free time doing things around the house. Yet many
have time to read news letters, and write replies to email.
One should expect to attend worship services every week, and on the High
Holidays. Be willing and joyfully participate in ritual as a member of the
congregation. Consider it to be an honor to help in running a ritual. If asked
or nudged, occasionally lead a standard ritual. It will be understood you have
little time or knowledge to write rituals. After the ritual, it would be
gracious to volunteer to help with the social by providing food, prepping it
and helping with the cleanup. If something has to be done around the Grove, and
won't take more than an hour or so, help after the service. Be willing to
volunteer to teach the children if the Grove supplied the materials and lesson
plans. Given sufficient lead time, may be even assist with field trips
occasionally.
Since the Grove has a paid clergy person, denotations are crucial ingredient to
overall success. Expect to do this as a regular (weekly, monthly), annual or
one-time fee. I could make offerings at the ritual or discretely through the
mail. Additionally said Church may have fund raisers and or other means of
income one would like to help and support such as a Day Care or Retail Shop.
Children have more time than adults. Encourage them to participate in Grove
organized activities. These activities could include litter pickup, tree
planting or other community service. If the Grove puts on a play, they will be
asked to help if they are capable.
What Does This Mean For Us?
The goal is a united community even while beliefs, practices and personalities
may differ. We will build on courtesy and mutual respect to create a welcoming
and friendly atmosphere for all involved. The church would be more for common
ground for all. A place to feel comfortable no matter what from prying eyes of
doing public ritual at a park. The goal is to support and encourage each other,
share experiences, studies, and inspirations with others so we can all learn
the different aspects of the pagan community. In the end we will strive to
become a strong, united community even while beliefs, practices and
personalities may differ.
Do not "cringe" at hearing the word "church," because that
word itself has it's origins in the original Celtic, Anglo, Teutonic and
Scandinavian Pagan religions and disciplines predating Christianity by
hundreds, if not thousands of years and is yet another concept adopted by Christianity
in it's early days. The concepts of clergy as we known them and the original
structure proposed and as seen in Christianity again has its origins in the
Ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Pagan temples. A church, in this
instance would be a return to the old ways and is not a foreign concept to
Paganism at all.
The public must be reminded that a return to Paganism also means a return to
structure, discipline and community involvement, and concepts adopted by later
Christians, although many times not properly administered or activated. It is
unfortunate that so many use their solitary status or their protestation of
Paganism as their excuse for lack of discipline and community involvement. It
is time to step up and take responsibility.
The "pagan" religion is growing while other religions are losing
members. It is time to set some standards, because when you have standards, the
initiations you give mean something. A true initiation is not a ritual, it is
not entrance into a club, and it is not just a dedication. An initiation is a
spiritual step to a higher stage in spiritual growth. There are many such
steps. Such "initiations" are not given by High Priest/esses. They
are given by the Gods. An initiation ritual is an acknowledgment by a coven
leader that the Initiate has, in that leader’s opinion, reached a certain stage
in spiritual growth. All of them must find their own ways of determining
whether their students have achieved this growth. They must also give what
guidance they can to those attempting to achieve it. While it's customary to
dedicate yourself to the Goddess and God when you begin a new spiritual
journey, a formal ritual is just an outward confirmation of your beliefs, and
does not in itself make you a Wiccan or Witch or any other title except for
what you choose.
A church can help reach these goals. Be a place for newcomers to come for
information and guidance. To help educate society what we are truly about and
contribute to said society instead of hiding in the "broom closet".
If we are to be taken seriously we must demonstrate that even in our different
ideas and beliefs we can be organized and positive contributors to the
community we are in. It is time to show in our eclectic beliefs we are still an
influence in the community we live in, and no matter the belief system, our
goals of learning, teaching, and making the world a better place through our
own actions is what truly matters.
Bless this House…
Bless this house and all who dwell
Within its walls, pray ward it well
Against all stresses, ills and strife.
Grant that here be joyous life!
Enough for all who gather here,
Kith and kin and friends so dear.
Bound by hand and heart,
Nevermore to part.
Pray grant, O Guardians of the East
Dreams to share and cares released.
We ask of you, Guardians of the South,
Good food, good words in every mouth.
Guardian Watchers of the West,
Tranquility is our request.
And ye Guardians of the North,
Grant refuge when the winds blow forth.
By Goddess grace and Horned One’s might,
Keep us safe both day and night.
Bless this house and all its features,
Wee folk, grown folk and little creatures.
Bless this house and ward it well,
We pray, who weave this Harvest spell.
So mote it be!
Bronwynn Forrest Torgerson, Harvest ‘08
How I am Celebrating Autumn this Year …By Mama Strega
With the Autumnal Equinox tomorrow, I am baking my 'Happy Autumn Apple Blessing Muffins' to take to work and for my family.
I always do my best to observe the turning Wheel. Sometimes, I am able to do it in a full group open Circle, other times it has been a intimate get together of a close friend or two, others time a close group of kindred spirits, often family celebration, and sometimes it is a as simple as changing my altar set-up and home decor to honor the season .
I have in the past been famous in my family for my Solstice and Equinox brunches, fully equipped with my knowledge of 'kitchen Craft' used to bless seasonal dishes. Of course, many an unsuspecting guest marveled at my 'Spring Bounty Quiche' or my 'Apple Nutmeg Cider' without knowing it was also charmed and blessed to bring the bounty of the particular season. I have not been able to do this for a few years; instead I kitchen Craft and bless muffins and yummy treats and dishes for family and friends, my own special way of celebrating the turning Wheel.
I feel that living The Craft and expressing it via my personal spiritual beliefs is the way for me. Sure, I will perform a ritual to honor Autumn in a traditional manner solitary between me and my deity, but my real magic comes in the form of family and close friends.
The warm apple muffins, the lovely autumn flower arrangements, the cornucopia of squash and apples sitting on the dining room table, the warm yellow, orange and red candles glowing through the evening and smell of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting through the house, these are the real magical energies I bring to myself and family.
The Autumn gifts of small red , yellow, and orange blessed tea lites gifted to the unsuspected family member, friend, or co-worker are what drive me to create and manifest the turning Wheel. The magic I see is in the eyes of those who did not expect something wonderful to mark the season, the twinkle and subtle happiness my silly little fall party favors will bring is what makes me appreciate life, service, and the nature of the Goddess and love of Christ consciousness.
For me, what is life if not for the fleeting moments of happiness, appreciation and recognition we bring to others? I do this with the turning Wheel, focusing on the seasonal energy at hand in each person.
So, this evening, I will be celebrating Autumn, Mabon, and the season of fall by putting my heart, spirit, magic and blessings into one rocking batch of moist cinnamon, nutmeg, apple muffins. I do this knowing full well that these lovely yummy labors of love will be devoured by children in no time and a few of my co-workers will think me insane for bringing them to work along with an explanation of what Autumn means. However, I am certain my four year old will tell me I am the best mom ever, my 11 year old will moan with delight as he gorges himself on fall goodness, and I know more than a few co-workers will be appreciative; even a few who do not let on. I take joy in knowing, and I will have succeeded again, in spreading some love, blessings, seasonal energy and knowledge of the Old Ways……………
The Good the Bad and Just Plain Freaky…The Dos and Don’t of Psychic Faires
By Mama Strega
In my 20 plus years of being part of the alternatively minded spiritual community I have seen my fair share of psychic faires. As a seeker, a reader, an organizer and just a voyeur, the psychic faire circuit certainly lends itself nicely to raw entertainment. From the role of an organizer however, these events can be everything from a community service, a profit venture, a freak show, an over-fluffed drama, a dark and deviant affair and at times; just good fun.
From the cattle call three ring circus with clowns and Ms. Cleo, to the honest genuine Appalachian granny with bare feet and a possum tail dangling from her neck, I have seen the good, the bad and the just plain bizarre at these events. I have witnessed commercialism at its finest and service at its most honest. I have observed a self proclaimed Guru of Light setting an egg timer to go off every 15 minutes in an effort to alert his client it is time, once again, to ante up another $20 into his “donation” basket. Likewise I have seen the genuine service of doing readings for donations, which were turned over to a family in need for burial expenses.
I chuckled at the Avon Tarot Lady who gives away free Avon samples along with a catalog with each reading and cringed at the gal selling “messages from loved ones in the grave”. I have seen them come and go and come back around again. I have witnessed drama, crisis, greed, envy, love, healing, counsel and of course the almighty dollar at psychic events across time and locations. So, what makes a psychic event a good event? You think you want try your hand at some event organizing? Well, I think it starts with the intention of the organizer.
After the intention of the organizer has been established… for profit, for fun, for community service, for experience, for sexual trolling of prospects, or for free lunch, the presenter then must set about the task of organizing. Like any event, a psychic faire takes some savvy, persistence, talent and resources. Often it takes a thick skin and tenacity not to give up after the first event. Once the motivation and personal ability has been established, the task of finding a venue, recruiting readers, setting rules, creating legal waivers and disclaimers (yes, it is not all fun), marketing, deciding on the type of faire; to charge at door or charge readers per table and finally hosting and being different than the other 25 psychic events this month can have any well intentioned organizer pulling out their hair in frustration! Add to the mix the eclectic and often eccentric personalities that flock to these events and you have one of two things -- an energy filled day of enlightenment and entertainment or a room which at best is a huge temporal disaster and astral bloodbath.
The best resource is someone who has already done it. A fellow organizer who knows the drawbacks and strong points will be your best friend. Collaborating with someone who has organized such an event would be in any aspiring Psychic Event Organizer’s best interest. If you are not lucky enough to have someone who can verse you on the best venue to rent, the legal aspects, the psychic melodrama, the cat fights over who is taking the best space in the room, the Diva entertainment of who has incense that are causing a vibration leak for another’s crystal garden and the liabilities of the entire affair, then keep reading for a mini crash course in Psychic Faire 101.
Get your Legal Eagles out. From the largest to smallest each and any public event needs waivers and disclaimers. You can search online for templates and samples. The key point to be mindful of is; “cover your own butt”. Disclaimers and waivers are for both the Readers and the attendees. Disclaimers for those attending can be placed on ads or literature about the event. Waivers need to be signed and filed for those who are giving readings.
Set clear rules. Cover everything from how Readers are able to charge to maximum amount of charges. Determine if candles and incense are permitted at the venue and if Readers may sell goods. Clear rules included in your waiver will save a lot of headaches later.
Scout out your venue. This takes a lot of diligence. You want to be sure your venue flows with your overall energy and ideas for the event. Areas to ask about are fees, deposits, refund policy, maximum capacity, what is and is not allowed at the location. You also want to be clear to prospective venues about what the nature of your event. I would not suggest renting the First Baptist Fellowship Hall, because it was a bargain, for your Psychic Freak Show. Be certain your venue is in acceptance of your event, or you may lose your deposit.
Decide on your financial structure. Will you charge readers for table space?
Will you not charge readers but take a percentage? Will you charge a nominal
fee at the door? Have clear ideas of what you need financially to at least
break even and cover the cost of the event. Then put these terms into writing
as part of your waiver. BE CERTAIN EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON THE TERMS AND GET
SIGNATURES AS ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS.
Recruit Readers. This can be fun and frustrating. Decide on what you’re willingly to be flexible on and what you are not. Set up interviews and use your intuition when it comes to choosing Readers. Ask for references and what method they use. Talk with them to assess how they will fit into your event. One of the most important tasks is to follow-up with the readers. It is not wise to recruit a reader and then not contact them for 5 months with the expectation that they will show up to your event with Tarot cards in hand. Networking is often the best source to find readers which suit your flow and energy, get into the community and sell your event.
Marketing, marketing, and more marketing is the way to generate attendance. Make use of the free resources in the community. Network with different groups, market to genres you may not think would be interested. Create a buzz about your event. Add a unique aspect to your event that will make it different from others. Contribute to charity or a cause as part of the event. Advertise free raffles and readings.
These simple basic steps should help you on your way to organizing that successful Psychic Event. Remember, organization and structure may be the difference between an enlightening service to the community and a headache that leaves your name marred for years to come. However, to be successful, to be irreplaceable you must be different. So, along with the legalese and fundamentals find that which makes your event different, find your passion and use it in your event. I promise it will make the difference between mediocre and fabulous.
For more information on organization a Psychic Event you can sign-up for Mama Strega’s free E-Course “So you wanna be a Psychic Agent” at mamastrega@FreeAutobot.com this course gives an in-depth look at the steps above and a few more not touched in this article. If you are a Reader looking for an event to participate in visit http://www.myspace.com/artofbeing and message Art of Being for information.
Pagan Humor
Q: “What do you call a dating club for unattached Witches?
A: “Craft Singles.”
Q: “What’s the best thing about having Pagan friends?”
A: “They worship the ground you walk on.”
Q: “What’s the difference between a New Ager and a Pagan?”
A: “About $500 a weekend.”
Q: “What is a Witch’s favorite snack?”
A: “PAN pizza!”