Friday, October 29, 2010

The Coming of the Peace Maker

My youngest is getting quite excited about celebrating Halloween this weekend. He is torn between wearing last year's Jedi costume and the previous year's Grim Reaper costume. I think he is going to wear the Reaper's cape with his Jedi costume and pretend to be Anakin Skywalker after he switched to the dark side.

I hope you are all enjoying helping your favorite little Trick-or-Treaters prepare for their night of festivities. Whatever you have planned, stay safe.

take care,
Skye Thomas

Tomorrow's Edge
inspiring leaps of faith
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life coaching, & horoscopes.

It's Time to Come Together

It's time to come together against discrimination of all kinds. The recent rash of suicides by our young people who were gay or perceived to be gay must stop.

We must be a fighting force against all discrimination. We must talk to parents, teachers, members of our local, state, and federal governments.

Most importantly we need to talk to parents. I am of the crowd that believes that sex should be taught at home. I am a parent of two boys and I have much against my EX husbands wishes. It is up to parents to stop this bullying in schools.

Its not a gay issue, its not a black issue, its not a Muslim issue.....it is a HUMAN issue. We must fight for the rights of all and allow them their constitutional right to pursue happiness.

Those of the GLBT community can no easier change their "lifestyle" or choice then those of us who are heterosexual. It's time we all got past that and allow them the same respect and rights that we have. As a person who has fought for religious rights for the last 25 years, I can not ignore their fight for the right to be treated equally, to be allowed to love and raise families.

Many already do, under the radar...which is sad. But if we as a country want to preach equal rights then we are obligated to ensure that our brothers and sisters in the GLBT community can Marry, can Serve in the Military, Can come out of the closet.

It's time to walk our talk. I stand behind this battle, always have. Let us all work for the equality. Those of us who are Pagan and know what discrimination feels like join in this battle.

Let us join hands with our GLBT brothers and sisters and put an end to discrimination once and for all.

BB
Laura

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Classes

I have been asked a few times to hold classes for the New Generation of Teen
Witches that wants to learn Wiccan Ways. Well let me say, those of yous who
want to learn or if you know of anyone who wants to learn. Please feel free to
contact me. If I can get enough students so we can do the buddy system it should
work out quite well. Also please note these will be later afternoon classes.
Blessed Be
Daughter of the Moon

Ok I have a Question for Everyone

Okay i was born with a family that was pagans and Wicca. but i was also born with LDS family to.
and the lds family always say that pagans believe in one then one god. but i always was told from my family the pagans and Wicca that pagans belive in one god and the wicca's belive in many. so just so i have it right i was wondering if you could tell me the truth about if pagans bleive in one god or many gods.
thanks, marj

Rev. Patrick McCollum

Rev. Patrick McCollum is currently engaged in federal litigation in the US 9th Circuit (McCollum, et al. v. CDCR, et al., C 04-03339 CRB) challenging the California Department of Corrections' "Five Faiths" policy which recognizes only five major world religions for inclusion in California's prison chaplaincy program.

Watch this short video, just released, as a way to learn more about this quest & to send him & his attorneys support & success:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5GWdgmzc98

Use photos at his Lady Liberty League support page as a way to connect with him: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/pmccollum

Read well-wishes expressed there. Add your own if you haven't done so already.

Please forward this email and links widely. Thanks!

In Liberty!
Lady Liberty League staff

Monday, October 04, 2010

Druid has Been Recognized

LONDON (AFP) – Britain has recognised druidry as an official religion for the first time, thousands of years after the Celtic pagan faith emerged in Europe, the country's charity commission said Saturday.

The Druid Network, an organisation representing the religion in Britain, was granted charitable status in a decision that not only gives it tax breaks but also lets the religion take its place alongside more mainstream beliefs.

"This has been a long hard struggle, taking over five years to complete," the Druid Network said in a statement after its application to be registered as a charity had been accepted by the Charity Commission.

In its ruling on the group's application, the commission said it accepted that druidry was an "ancient pagan religion" in its own right involving the worship of nature, particularly the sun and the earth.

Druid rituals involve "commonality of practice" across the faith including solar and fire festivals, ceremonies at various phases of the moon, seasonal festivals and rites of passage in life.

There had also been some official recognition already, it added, including a provision by Britain's Prison Service for the practice of druidry and the attendance of a pagan chaplain at services.

"The board members concluded that The Druid Network is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the advancement of religion for the public benefit," the Charity Commission said.

Druidry emerged in ancient Ireland and Britain and spread further afield during the Iron Age, especially into France, but became largely supplanted as Christianity took hold across Europe.

It has gained recent popularity because of its pantheistic nature and concern with ecology.

Pagans United

This group is here to be what you the members make of it. While we have many activists who are out front and vocal about religious freedoms and the environment, this is also a place to learn, share, and grow.

So whether you are vocal or prefer to work behind the scenes here at Pagans United, you are welcomed with open arms.

We do ask that you post an intro telling us a little bit about yourself and what you hope to get out of membership in Pagans United. There is always something going on so feel free to jump in whenever the mood strikes you.

Many will come here seeking more knowledge or guidance. Some will come to aid in providing knowledge, some will bring their soapboxes and stand on them quite often. There is a place and a purpose for all those who wish to join. Welcome and thank you for choosing Pagans United.

Blessed Be,
Laura Roberts

Our Troops Need Supplies

Camp Arifjan Open Circle is looking for Oils, Candles, and God figures for our community altar, as well as any of the books on the SWC "Required" reading list...

Mailto:
SGT Joshua M. Dery
c/o Camp Arifjan Open Circle
HHC, 1SB
APO AE 09366

Please send any supplies you can to this group.
BB
Laura

"All Gave Some,,, Some Gave all, and for those who have fought for it,, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know."

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm!"
~ George Orwell

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete". –R. Buckminster Fuller

Comment

Comment


Now, if she were today go out on the campaign trail and attempt to spread
inaccurate information on earth based religions, then I'll be the first one out
there makeing noise. I've not heard anything current that merits attention from
us. We need to stop letting these selective "sound bites" get us distracted from
the mission at hand. And that is to find a candidate that can best represent us
and this country. This was a short clip taken from an old show of a silly
schoolgirl thoughts. Please, we have more important issues to pay attention to.
BB Laura

Milwaukee Pagan Pride

Greetings Wisconsin spiritual seekers,
Apologies if you've already received notices for Milwaukee's Pagan Pride. My partner Mark and I are excited to present at Milwaukee's Pagan Pride this Sunday. We'll be facilitating the opening ritual, and before that, a Ritual Arts workshop starting at Noon or 12:30. Workshop attendees can take speaking or silent roles in the opening ritual or just observe some ritual tools in action. We'll also offer a community building workshop addressing some of the more difficult parts of community building and leadership.

There's a lot of great presenters, entertainers, and rituals planned for the day. I've included basic event info is below, and detailed descriptions of the workshops Mark and I are offered since those are the ones I could answer questions about :)
I hope to see you soon! Harvest blessings,
-shauna

Milwaukee Pagan Pride Day
Sunday, Oct. 3
Wil O Ways Underwood, 10602 Underwood Parkway, Wauwatosa, WI.

Rituals:
Opening Ritual: The Harvest Fires
Mark Mandrake and Shauna Aura. Before the ritual, we'll offer a Ritual Arts workshop and participants can take speaking and nonspeaking roles in the opening ritual to practice skills.

Closing Ritual: Table and Stranger: An Ingathering Rite for Harvest Home
Ruby Sara and Johnny Rapture.

Workshops:
Shauna Aura & Mark Mandrake--
--Raising Sacred Fire: Skills for Facilitating Rituals & Building Energy (starting at 12 noon or 12:30
--Underworld Shadows: Advanced Skills for Community Builders and Leaders

Ruby Sara--Makers of Edible Light: Honeybees in Myth, Spirituality, and Ecology
Johhny Rapture --' A Tale of Two 'Theisms,' A guided discussion on terms like monotheism, polytheism, henotheism, nontheism, etc.
Author Alan Leddon --Gods of Sun and the Underworld

Entertainment
Amy Christensen of Chicago's Terra Mysterium theater group will perform 2 sets of her own songs about various Goddesses
Jeannette and Shelby, GypsyMoondance return with 2 sets of Bellydance performance
Performance Artist, Presenter and Liturgist, Ruby Sara, brings a solo version of a song from the Terra Mysterium show "Finding Eleusis," which ran in Chicago's first Fringe Festival.

-------------------------------------


Raising Sacred Fire: Skills for Facilitating Rituals & Building Energy

Shauna Aura and Mark Mandrake

(time: noon or 12:30 pm)




Imagine the most magical ritual you've been to, or wished for. Learn to lead or support rituals that are magical, memorable, and facilitate deep spiritual transformation.





Through discussion and exercises, this workshop explores what works and why, ritual structure and energetic flow, logistics to keep energy moving, common pitfalls, and engaging participation with chanting, movement, rhythm, and connection. Experienced ritualists will learn to facilitate more potent rituals; new ritualists will learn foundations. Workshop participants are encouraged to practice skills by taking ritual roles for the Opening Ritual. Join us to harness the sacred fire within!