Category: News

Memorial Day event honors Pagan Veterans

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Area Pagans gather tomorrow at Ft. Snelling to honor Sgt. Jason Schumann and Specialist Daniel Schrankler as part of a Memorial Day observance.  Other fallen soldiers are also remembered and honored in a ceremony at their gravesites at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The ritual is conducted by Joe and Tracy Jarvinen of Gista Anundr and their kindred.
  • Monday, May 28 · 9am
  • Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • For more information about the ritual, contact  rhavyn_moon@yahoo.com
Jarvinen requests that people arrive at Sgt. Schumann’s grave by 9am. The ceremony includes the speaking of his name and the placing of flowers. Participants are invited to bring one or more fresh flowers to place at each soldier’s grave and Pentacle headstone.There is a potluck and a pool party at a private home following the ceremony. Pagans of all paths are invited to take part in the ritual.  To RSVP for the event, please go to the event’s page on facebook.

SPC Ancestor shrine and library find new home

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With the impending closure of Sacred Paths Center the local Pagan community stood to lose access to two very important community owned resources, the Ancestor shrine and the lending library.  Keys of Paradise, a metaphysical store located in St Paul, agreed to house both the shrine and the library.

Ancestor Shrine to move to Keys of Paradise today

The move began on Monday and Tuesday with volunteers clearing space at Keys of Paradise to make room for the shelves, boxes, books, DVDs, and the shrine.  Today volunteers move the items from Sacred Paths Center to Keys of Paradise.  SPC and Keys of Paradise are asking for anyone who is available to help with the move from 4:45pm today to 7:45pm.

Sacred Paths Center
777 Raymond Avenue
St Paul, MN
(There is no phone)

Keys of Paradise
713 Minnehaha Ave E, Ste 111
Saint Paul, MN 55106-4441
612-293-5397

Zoning secured, PSG continues at Stonehouse Park

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Pagan Spirit Gathering still has its festival location – but according to the DeKalb County  Board, they (and any other people attending festivals at the park)  better behave.

From the DeKalb Illinois Daily Chronicle:

“The DeKalb County Board voted Wednesday to keep Stonehouse Park open with a “short leash” attached.

County Board members voted, 13-8, in favor of the permit, but they warned owners that even a single violation could lead to revocation. Paul Miller, director of DeKalb County Planning and Zoning, said the board never has revoked a special-use permit in his 16 years, but if complaints from county law enforcement or neighbors warrant revocation, the board can take action.“

While the owners of Stonehouse Park had hoped to increase the number of people allowed in the park to 4000, a petition circulated by 200 DeKalb county residents asking the park be shut down ended that possibility.

Sharon Stewart, a Pagan who attended the zoning hearing, says that the permit passed in part thanks to local Pagan Spirit Gathering attendees speaking out.  “During the meetings I attended it became abundantly clear we needed local Pagans involved. So, John Dickerman, our Sacred Fire Keeper, Barbara Andree and Ana Bledschmidt with the Crone Temple of Wisdom, and Jim Bledschmidt who will be working with the Sages at PSG this summer came on board and their work was invaluable in this. Then at the meeting last night, my assistant Brian Sather and another local PSG’ers Shawn Skau and John’s wife Caroline were there in support.”

Along with attending meetings, Pagan stakeholders in the zoning hearing wrote letters, met face to face with board members, and worked with the Northern Illinois University Pagan student group to coordinate action through yet more letter writing and email campaigns.

MAY DAY! The Belated Heart of the Beast Parade

The Heart of The Beast May Day Parade took place last Sunday. It had been delayed from last weeks traditional date because of flooding in Powderhorn Park. Many wondered if attendance would be down because of the date change. Fantastic weather and a dedicated audience brought out the masses! Each year the costumes, puppets, floats, and performers get more creative. This years parade was worth the wait!  If you missed it, enjoy the slide show.

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After the obituary, a post-mortem on Sacred Paths Center

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“At 6:25 pm (April 25th) the Executive Director dissolved the board of directors,” reads the last entry in the minutes of the final board meeting of Sacred Paths Center, a Pagan community center in Minnesota. A few days later, on Beltane, Executive Director Teisha Magee sent out an email saying the center closes May 31st.

“Why is Sacred Paths Center closing?” is a question asked by Twin Cities Pagans after reading the announcement.  That question is quickly followed by, “What can we learn from their experience?” by Pagan organizations such as Solar Cross Temple in San Francisco and the Open Hearth Foundation community center in Washington DC.  PNC-Minnesota spoke with past and present Sacred Paths Center (SPC) board members, volunteers, and their last financial auditor, looked over financial records and minutes of board meetings, and interviewed Teisha Magee to answer those questions.

Sacred Paths Center cc wikipedia

In short, most everyone interviewed says the center’s Director and Board were not functional, the finances were in disarray, the building was too expensive, and the resulting drop in income after  two years of  road construction right outside their door didn’t help matters.

Despite that, they are united in saying the center almost made it due to the efforts of the Director, Board, volunteers and the most importantly, the community support.  According to the  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics only 66% of new businesses make it past two years and only 44% celebrate their fourth anniversary.  Sacred Paths Center made it three years and three months.

What Happened?

The public perception of Sacred Paths Center is that it is a non-profit community center with a board.  And normally with something like that the director would report to the board and the board would have something to do with the operation of the center and would have fiduciary responsibilities.  That’s not the case.  – Ciaran Benson, former SPC board member and current volunteer

What happened, the successes and the failures, are of prime concern to Sean Bennett, Vice Chair of the Open Hearth Foundation.  Four months ago they opened a community center and he says his board has been following news of Sacred Paths Center closely. “Even though the center in Minnesota has a different environment and a different dynamic there are lessons we could learn.”  He says they were concerned and disappointed to hear of SPC’s closing, “We wanted to see it succeed.  We want to know more about what happened and we will gather together as a board and see what lessons we can learn.”

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