Category: Editorial

Sacred Fire Circle in Paradise 2011 – Editorial

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A while ago on a quest to the vision realm I found myself back at the Sacred Fire Circle. It seemed natural to be there. Sacred Fire Circle in Paradise is more a part of the vision realm then it is of normal reality.

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We are surrounded by darkness in a place of light which we created as a contained sacred space. We enter intentionally. We work intentionally. We spend night after night with focus in a ritual environment.

Rangoli Pattern for First Night

The sacred circle takes place from midnight until dawn for three nights. Every night, many people experienced divine possession, especially whilst dancing, but also whilst drumming, singing, healing, meditating, or other activities. The place just lends itself to it. Every religious path has some tradition of ecstatic connection to the divine and SFCiP is a place to experience it.

It is deeply experiential. Even without the connection to the divine, the experience is still powerful. The combination of all things, the drumming, the dancing, the holding of space, the singing, the mindful intention, all of it creates an environment which is conducive to profound experiences.

Tamara, one of this year’s participants described it,

“The ‘experiential’ can take you places that you cannot think your way to and fire circle is very experiential. The hugest part of ourselves is within … in those non-analytical places. Fire circle is a journey into that place. We do use our intellect to sort out our deeper selves, but, we are not, at our center, primarily intellectual creatures. We are emotional, spiritual creatures capable of thinking and reasoning. But, it isn’t our intellect that is the primary ‘can opener’ to the soul and to other realms. It is our deeper selves. Fire circle is a ritual experience that (I would describe as almost shamanic in nature) that assists in setting aside the intellect and, with the help of dance, song, chant trust, fellowship and more, can help people to transcend normal barriers and live, move, resolve and heal while walking through the ‘soul stuff’ within and between worlds.”

Tamara also described, “There are so many types of experiences that one can have at Pagan retreats! Some are focused on fellowship and connection, some workshops and information, some on ritual, some on a blending of all. I believe fire circle is rich in all those areas but has a deep and meaningful focus on immersion in a deep, penetrating, and powerful ritual experience that is built over days.” Continue reading →

NorDCOG Lammas Ritual – Editorial and Interviews

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I attended the Northern Dawn Covenant of the Goddess (NorDCOG) Lammas Ritual with about 45 other people on Saturday July 23rd in Hidden Falls Park in St Paul, MN.  The ritual was written by  Veronica Cummer and presented by Veronica and Janus, with a cast assembled from the community. Titled “LAMASU: SACRIFICE AND BLISS” , the ritual was concise and powerfully presented. A variation of classic Lammas stories, this ritual was described as invoking, “the age-old themes of Life, Death and Rebirth, and will contain both Wiccan elements and elements of the Sorgitzak Path. Sorgitzak is based on interaction with and the teachings of a pantheon of Gods from the Old Forest.” The ritual told the story easily, and seemed to translate clearly to those present.

I remembered back to a time when, to many folks, public events like this might be their only Sabbat ritual experience. I wondered whether that has changed. I asked two questions:

Why was it important to come to a public (open to all) ritual?

Do you also celebrate Sabbats in private?

The Dark Lady of Mercy photo:Paul Rucker

Rachael Goodman,

Personally I think it is important for the community to come together publicly in a situation where maybe some people don’t understand exactly what we are doing in a ritual, but to let them experience it.

In private? I do.

Janus,

To build and share community and get to know each other. To know and worship together with those of like minds.

In private? Yes.

Jack Green,

To serve the community. To help present this sequence of Sabbats that are important to us, That help us relate to the cycles of nature. I like ritual outdoors, and don’t mind Non-Pagans witnessing it. They need to know that we are out here.

In private? Oh yes. Continue reading →

SPC Launches “Change and Grow Fundraiser”

The Sacred Path Center has raised $6275 of their $12,000 goal. They have instituted immediate plans to aid raising the remaining $5725 of their goal though a  “Change and Grow Fundraiser”.  This list from their website  includes;

  1. The gift shop will have a “Change and Grow Sale” to eliminate slow-moving stock and reduce overall stock for targeted re-stocking. The sale will be announced July 22 and run to July 29. On July 29, we will also have food available for sale as a whoop-te-do to end the sale.
  2. We will auction on EBay a very valuable personal item CJ Stone has donated from Loui Pieper’s estate. We hope not only to get a good price for the item but to garner national attention from many different kinds of people. Continue reading →

Sacred Path Center – Update – Interview with CJ Stone, Board spokesman

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The Sacred Paths Center (SPC)  Board met for their regularly scheduled meeting last night, however all scheduled business was tabled to focus on the financial affairs of the Center. A board quorum was present, and several Board members contributed to the discussion by phone.  The SPC website now has installed a fund-raising thermometer to depict their progress toward the immediate $7500 goal, of which half will be matched by other donations. They are currently at 20% of this goal.

*NOTE.  The Sacred Paths Center is continually updating their website with fund raising progress and new events.  Please check their website for updates on their current situation !

 

 

CJ Stone, Board member, has been delegated spokesman for the Sacred Paths Center. I was able to interview him last night,  Friday July 8th, after the Board meeting.

What is the financial status of the SPC?

CJ Stone, Board Member, spokesman:

The immediate needs to keep the doors temporarily open were covered. The Center needs 7500 dollars to continue to operate through this month. The Board has decided that 12,000 was what we needed by midnight of July 30th or we will close the facility. If we can secure that 12k dollars, we can pay our bills to zero and have a positive balance to keep the center open and by able to steer the Center in a direction that will be financially viable.

What changes would make it viable? Continue reading →

Sacred Paths Center in Crisis – Broke, Closure Imminent

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From The SPC website: http://sacredpathscenter.com/  :

Sacred Paths Center, the Spiritual/Pagan Center, open to all, first of its kind in the United States, is broke.

“What, AGAIN?”

Yes.

“Now why?”

Simple: lack of YOUR support. This message will reach thousands and thousands, but how many of you will care enough to do anything?

A physical banner has been put in the ground here, proclaiming this area as sacred to us; SPC is that banner. “Pagan Community”, “Paganistan”…it seems they are just words. There are thousands of us here in the Twin Cities metro, and among us all, we can’t give $3000 a month to keep that banner standing open. What does that say—really say—about “Pagan Community”? Less than a dollar each, and yet… Continue reading →