Around Circle Sanctuary
by Selena Fox

We celebrated the return of Springtime on March 18 with our Welcome Spring Festival, coordinated by Meadowyn. I began the day by guiding a Community Spring Magic sharing circle. Then we attuned with Spring's balance through a series of magical crafting experiences. In the afternoon, Community members of all ages joined in the fun of our annual Ostara Egg Hunt. Minoan Brotherhood High Priest Garan du joined us from Ohio and spoke about the Spring Magic of Dionysus and ancient Greek Spring traditions. Our Community Spring Equinox Ritual was held in late afternoon and included the consecration of our newly expanded and surveyed Circle Cemetery area. The day ended with a potluck feast.

This year's Earth Day Festival, coordinated by Joey, was held on Earth Day itself, Saturday, April 22. In the morning, Reed talked about prairie restoration and supervised a burn of our new prairie. After a midday potluck, Wisconsin artist Geri Schrab presented a slide talk on ancient Native American Rock Art. She described her experiences visiting and helping to preserve ancient rock art sites as well as talked about her own rock art inspired paintings. See her article and photos on rock art in this issue (page 44).

Our neighbor Richard of Raptor Ridge talked about his work rehabilitating birds of prey. He brought along a rehabilitated red-tailed hawk, which we nicknamed Freedom. We released Freedom during our Earth Day ritual, along with prayers of support for church member Roberta Stewart of Nevada. We also honored her husband, Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who was killed in combat in Afghanistan last September. In addition, we focused our spiritual intentions on religious freedom work and environmental preservation during the ritual that followed. Professor Joe Elder, of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, attended with his class of international studies students.

We began our Beltane Festival, coordinated by Angie, with a Welcome Circle and the unwrapping of our Maypole. In mid-afternoon, I conducted a memorial for “The Bear”, a Korean War veteran whose cremains were interred at Circle Cemetery on Sunday, January 29 of this year. We also did a Cemetery blessing that included a Native American pipe ceremony led by Shine. I led the evening Festival blessing ritual and then guest author Orion Foxwood, from Maryland guided a Faerie Mediation. Throughout the weekend, we raised funds for improving the Circle Sanctuary driveway and surveying it in connection with the zoning of our expanded church cemetery. We also had a Magical Merchant Faire.

On Saturday morning, Drake Spaeth spoke about Morris Dance traditions and then the Oak Apple Morris Dancers performed. After lunch, Orion presented a Faerie Teaching workshop and Karen led a Children's Head Wreath and Ritual Toga workshop, followed by a Children's Circle. Penny Goody presented a Ribbon Dancing workshop in late afternoon. Our Community Beltane Ritual, facilitated by Angie, Drake, Tessa, Aspen, Ursa Luna, and others included Maypole dancing and balefire leaping. I guided a Beltane baby blessing as part of this rite. In the evening, after a special dinner coordinated by MoonFeather and WillowHawk, breeze facilitated a Drumming circle. The festival concluded on Sunday with a panel and closing ritual.

We celebrated the start of Summer with a Full Moon Nature Circle on Friday night, June 9 and on the following day with our Welcome Summer Festival, coordinated by Lori. Lori and I facilitated rituals and projects, including the making of Spirit Bags for this year's Pagan Spirit Gathering. At dusk, we had a Full Moon bonfire and barbecue. The following day, I conducted a memorial service for Vietnam War era veteran Jeff Koslow, which included the placing of his cremains at Circle Cemetery by his widow Mary, with the support of her sister.

Our Green Spirit Festival was held July 28-30, coordinated by Windwalker. On Friday evening, we blessed our new Spiral Labyrinth as part of our opening ritual. Later that night we had concerts by Celia and special guest Andras Corban Arthen of the EarthSpirit Community in Massachusetts. On Saturday morning, I presented a workshop on Herbs for Home Blessings, which was followed by our Mugwort Harvest, led by Whitewolf. The afternoon was filled with the fun and games of the Pagan Pentathalon, created for this Festival by Windwalker. In the evening, we made merry on the Green with karaoke singing and a brief but refreshing water balloon barrage. On Sunday, Dr. John guided a community discussion on wellness, followed by our closing ritual led by Windwalker and me.

Pagan Spirit Gathering

This year's Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG) went well. We are hoping to have an on-line feedback form available soon for those who attended who wish to share comments. Dates have already been set for next year's PSG: June 17-24. It will again be at Wisteria near Athens, Ohio.

Passages

I have conducted many Rites of Passage in recent months. In addition to the Beltane baby blessings and the memorial services for deceased veterans this Spring, I said farewell and did a crossing over, funeral, and burial for my long time companion and 20 year old Circle temple cat Barn Kitty, who died in my arms on June 5. On June 7, Dennis and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and this inspired us to create the new Spiral Labyrinth area on Circle Land. At PSG, I conducted Croning and Coming of Age into Young Womanhood Rites. PathWalker conducted the Men's Mysteries Rite of Passage, and later in the week was ordained as a Circle minster by me and others. In late July, I conducted the wedding of Jessi and Dave in Madison. More information about these and other Passages will be included in our next issue.

Veteran Pentacle Quest

We are continuing our efforts to get the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to add the Wiccan symbol, the Pentacle, to its National Cemetery Administration list of emblems of belief that can be included on VA issued grave markers for deceased veterans. Circle Sanctuary's Pentacle application is still pending, as is that of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, which applied nine years ago. This Veteran Pentacle Quest has been in national media since March as our work for equal rights intensifies.

Circle Sanctuary now has the cremains of two Wiccan veterans interred in our church cemetery in graves that remain unmarked because the VA still has not agreed to permit the use of the Pentacle on the grave markers they furnish. In addition, the place for the memorial plaque for Sgt. Patrick Stewart on the Wall of Heroes at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery remains blank for the samereason. At the end of May, I flew out to Nevada to give support to our church member, Roberta Stewart, who is Sgt. Stewart's widow, and to speak at a special Memorial Day Service she organized to honor her husband and to support religious freedom for all. In early July, Roberta and I flew to Washington, DC and spoke at a Religious Rights rally, had strategy meetings on Capitol Hill, and met with officials at the VA headquarters all as part of this Quest to get the Pentacle approved. On August 1, we selected Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a national religious freedom group, to represent Circle Sanctuary and Roberta.

For more information about this Quest, see the special Lady Liberty League section in this issue and also visit our Veteran Pentacle Quest website: www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle