Lammas – the first harvest
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Gather at 6:30pm, Ritual at 7:00pm
Living Table UCC
3805 E 40th Street, Minneapolis 55406
https://goo.gl/maps/9aLbbLYrhK42
Pot-luck feast to follow the ritual.
Centered on the compassion and forbearance of Lleu Llaw Gyffes , the son whom Arionrhod cursed. The working is to bring that energy into our lives.
Buckland’s Museum
Estelle Daniels
Looking for things to do in Ohio, I found a list of 149 interesting things, and #7 was Raymond Buckland’s Museum of Witchcraft and Magick. Well, we had to go, so on a Sunny Tuesday we set out to Cleveland, to see the Cuyahoga National Park and the Witchcraft Museum.
The National Park was founded in 1974, at the same time as the Clean Water act, along the very river that spawned the clean water act, when it caught fire. It was a nice park, but mainly geared to hiking and biking along the old Ohio and Erie Canal. We stopped at a few places, and read plaques etc. The train was not running, which was a disappointment.
Then we made our way to the Witchcraft Museum.
It occupies a storefront along a business type street. At the front is a gift shop, with crystals, books etc. and in the back is the museum, which requires a fee.
The museum is eclectic in what it has on display, and is not all Gardnerian or even Raymond Buckland, though a lot of the stuff is geared to him. Steven the owner and guide has a nice patter about Buckland, Gardner, Crowley and the other notables and items in the museum. He is cheerful and enthusiastic about his subject and the stuff he has collected there. He is honoring of the craft and what it means. But his patter is somewhat selective and sanitized for the public, especially about Crowley. Still, he didn’t say anything wrong, and there is a nice collection of witchy stuff: Raymond’s ceremonial robes, various athames, cups, wands etc, a demon in a box caught by Buckland himself, a Crowleyana corner, various tarot cards, divination devices, and other witchy stuff. He has stories about most everything there. We chatted and he was interested in Minneapolis and Paganistan. I turned him on to Murphy’s book on the subject. And told him about my books. I was invited back to do a presentation in September, and I’ll plan on that for sure.
While we were there various people also came, and it was curious cowans. They seemed interested, but not weirded out or frightened. The Museum is a continuation of Buckland’s Long Island Museum, transplanted to Cleveland in 2016 (though how it ended up there was not mentioned). Buckland himself visited in 2017 and I was told pronounced the place good. He has an athame from Sybil Leek’s grandmother—craft grandmother—and a crystal ball that was Sybil Leek’s. There is a picture of Janet Ferrar, and she donated a funerary chalice of Yew.
It is not a big museum, the room is about 20 X 20, but what they have is interesting, broadly representative and well displayed. We stayed over an hour and it was well worth the trip to Cleveland.
******
Feast of the Strawberries celebrating Midsummer
Time: Gather at 6:30 pm, Ritual at 7:00 pm
Space: Living Table UCC
3805 E 40th Street, Minneapolis 55406
Midsummer is the time to kick back, enjoy the warm weather and eat the first fruits of the earth. The Wiccan Church of Minnesota will present a ritual celebrating Midsummer, and feasting on strawberries. Warning: If you are allergic to strawberries, stay away. You will not be able to avoid them. Just saying.
This ritual is open to the public and appropriate for well-behaved and controlled children. Gather at 6:30, ritual at 7. Please bring something to share at our potluck, though that should not stop anyone from coming. We will sing and dance and eat strawberries. That’s about it. Come join us and have fun.
For those bringing food/liquids to share an ingredient list for those with dietary restrictions is much appreciated.
The Turning of the Wheel
During my reign as Green Man, I served the Lady. I have been serving the Lady in my own fashion since I was 18 years old. It was an honor to serve her as a public function. Since my first encounter with the Goddess in a lonely, remote section of woods in Georgia so many years ago, she has always been my first concern. She has been the light that has guided my way through so much. She has taught me lessons, some joyful and some tearful. But I have always trusted in her. When she chose me in her Lottery on the magickal Beltane night, I was happy to take up her work.
But I have done my work. My time is over. I wish that I could have done more. I hope that what I have done is enough. And I am wondering who else out there places the Goddess first in their life? Who else will take up the work? Will anyone rise up to heal the community? Does anyone else out there put the Goddess first in their life?
For my last act as Green Man, my last use of the Green Man’s energy, I called down healing upon our community. All of you are shining souls and I am honored to have the chance to walk this path with every last one of you. My time as Green Man has come to an end. But, as the Green Man, I know the secret. The mystery of the God, is the mystery of the cycle of death and rebirth. Though I pass on the mantle and retire from service, in my act of passing, I summon forth my successor. In the name of the Goddess, I call you forth. Rise up Green Man, I look forward to meeting you at the next Beltane!
Ostara -Balance at the Crossroads: Finding Your Path
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Gather at 6:30pm, Ritual at 7:00pm
Living Table UCC
3805 E 40th Street, Minneapolis 55406
https://goo.gl/maps/9aLbbLYrhK42
Pot-luck feast to follow the ritual.
Items of note:
>>Due to the snow, parking is permitted ONLY ON THE ODD SIDE of the streets. Parking in the area – already stressed – will be extremely tight. Please park on both north-south and east-west streets. Please also consider carpooling or public transit if feasible.
>>This ritual might not be appropriate for children. Please plan accordingly.
Ostara is the Vernal Equinox – the time of equal dark and light – the time of balance.
This is a ritual that will challenge you to examine yourself, your thoughts, and feelings so you can take the actions that support who you really are, what you really want and need. The “impossible” becomes “I’m possible” – just by being who you are and are meant to be.
Lilith tells us to take back our power. She calls us to stand in our truth, embracing our darkness and our light equally. She tells us to stop playing small; stop being afraid of burning too passionately; stop being afraid of being misunderstood. “Our FIRE is not for them,” she tells us. “It is for us!”
Come join us in celebrating the balance of light and dark at Ostara and regain your power!
Even-side parking ban until April 1.
~GENEALOGY OF BRIGIT~
Adaptations made to account for Christian bias of the author’s time and for subsequent research.
Original at https://archive.org/stream/carminagadelicah03carm#page/n215/mode/2up
Adaptation at http://www.brigidsflame.com/brigidpoems.html ]
The genealogy of the holy maiden Brigit,
Radiant arrow of flame, noble foster-mother of Gods.
Brigit the daughter of the Dagda,
Dagda the Good God, the son of Ethlinn,
Ethlinn the daughter of Balor,
Balor the king of the Fomoire.
Every day and every night
That I say the genealogy of Brigit,
I shall not be killed, I shall not be injured,
I shall not be enchanted, I shall not be cursed,
Neither shall my power leave me.
No earth, no sod, no turf shall cover me,
No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn me,
No water, no lake, no sea shall drown me,
No air, no wind, no vapour shall sicken me,
No glamour out of Faery shall o’ertake me,
And I under the protection of the holy maiden,
My gentle foster-mother, my beloved Brigit.
* * *
Brigid (or Brighid, Bridget, Brid, Bride, Brigantia, etc) is a multi-faceted entity and Her essence can be found in the Goddess figures for most European cultures. She is typically considered a Triple Goddess, and fulfills that role as Maiden – patron of poetry and the arts; Mother – protector of the home and childbirth; and Crone – healer and wise-woman. She is also the patron Saint/Goddess of the Forge, often said to be a smith, sometimes said to be the wife of the Smith. (I would argue this would mean She is a four-fold Goddess: Maiden – Warrior – Mother – Crone, but that is my personal perception.)
All of those categories involve the use of tools: the pen and ink of writing (and it’s modern equivalents), and the tools for “homecrafts” and healing; the forging/fabrication of agricultural tools to feed the home and the livestock, and the healing crafts of herbalism and medicine.
ALL of human advancement can be tied to the use of tools – and it is on Brigid’s feast day that we seek Her blessings for those items which serve us in our service to Her, to our Community, and to ourselves. We do well to seek Her favor as we tend to our needs, as we tend to our dreams, as we tend to our spirits.
* * *
~POEM OF BRIGID~
< http://circleofthesacredmuse.com/celebrations/imbolc/ >
Brigid they name me
And three gifts of fire I bring:
First, the flame of inspiration,
Frenzy of poet and anguish of artist,
And passion of lover for union with the beloved;
Second, the fierce fire of the smith-craft,
Through whose testing all must pass;
And third, the most precious of all,
Which eases the second’s pain,
The undying warmth of healing,
The last and greatest gift
Of the ever-returning sun.
* * *
Let us remember, as well, that our minds themselves are tools – that we cannot manifest that which we cannot envision. So at this time of cleansing and purifying our physical instruments, let us also cleanse the cobwebs from our minds, cleanse the mud from our bodies, and cleanse the anger from our souls.
* * *
~SAINT BRIGID’S BLESSING~
< http://brigidine.org.au/reflections/hymns-prayers-poems/st-brigids-blessing/ >
May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell
Bless every fireside every wall and door
Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof
Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy
Bless every foot that walks its portals through
May Brigid bless the house that shelters you.
Moot to be held January 27th
Imbolc—the Blessing of the Tools
Late Winter is the time when we gather our tools and recharge them so they may serve us well in the coming year. On Saturday February 2nd, 2019 the Wiccan Church of Minnesota will present Imbolc at Living Table Church at 38th Ave and 40th Street South in Minneapolis. All are welcome, provided they are sympathetic to our message. Bring your tools, but keep it small. If you use a computer, maybe a thumb drive can symbolize that. If you draw or paint, bring a pencil or tube of paint. If you fix things or garden, bring a small tool. If you write, a piece of paper will do. Be creative; after all, that’s what it is all about! The tools will be placed on a separate table, and we will raise energy to charge the tools with creative energy for the coming year.
Gather at 6:30, ritual at 7:00, and please bring something to share for our potluck. The ritual will be done by Estelle, the Fool, and be prepared for foolish energy to break out. See you then!
Public Yule Ritual – Out of the Dark – The Light is Reborn
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Gather at 6:30pm, Ritual at 7:00pm
Living Table UCC
3805 E 40th Street, Minneapolis 55406
https://goo.gl/maps/9aLbbLYrhK42
Every year the world lives, dies and is reborn once again, as the sun gradually recedes to the darkest night of the year and then returns us back to light. In celebration of this annual transition, we invite the community to ‘honor the dark’ and ‘wake the light’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARA-wOaVW0s
Please join us on Saturday, December 22, 7:00 p.m. to help us turn the wheel – to keep the light of hope alive.
While the ritual is not “adults only,” it WILL have a short time of full darkness (as close as the exit signs will allow) and will involve candles/open flame. Please consider how your child/ren will handle the situation.
Should you choose to share your bounty, please consider comfort foods for the post-ritual feast.
We hope to see you all!
Welcome!
Welcome to the Wiccan Church of Minnesota!
The Wiccan Church of Minnesota is a Twin Cities based 501 (c) (3) religious organization that celebrates both Goddess and God. Our church was founded more than 35 years ago.
WiCoM sponsors group rituals for the Wiccan sabbats, as well as for other special occasions. Many of these rituals are open to the public or invited guests who are not members.
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