Around Circle Sanctuary - Summer 2003

Festivals

On Saturday, March 22, we held our Welcome Spring Festival on the land. It began with a workshop on spiritual gardening by Mari. In the afternoon, we had our annual Eostre Egg Hunt, followed by storytelling by Jean. I facilitated our Spring Equinox ritual. The festival ended with a potluck feast.

This year's Earth Day Festival at our Nature preserve was held on Saturday, April 19. Nature Conservancy's Steve Richter and Circle Sanctuary naturalist Reed Cockrell guided a Nature walk and talk at midday and then Karl Schroeder presented a slide show on Natural Landscaping in small spaces. In late afternoon, we joined together in a Mother Earth ritual, facilitated by myself and some members of Circle's Ministers Training Program, and the ritual was followed by a potluck feast.

Our Beltane Festival, held May 2-4, was the largest event we have ever held at our land with more than 200 participants. It also was a transition festival for us, with Gwyn and Angie taking on festival coordination, Kim coordinating Safety for the first time, and our merchants' faire moving to the edges of the Green. The Festival began on Friday afternoon with a Cat Shrine Blessing facilitated by Carol and me. Reed then guided a Nature Walk. Colleen and the kids decorated the Fairy Shrine and then SilverDrake, StarSong, Jessica, and I guided an Honoring the Fey rite there. In the evening, our festival community joined together in an opening ritual at Festival Circle which culminated with the kindling of a spectacular balefire on a high hill by Reed and Spike. Angie gave a presentation on Labyrinths, and then festival participants walked a candlelight labyrinth under the stars.

Early on Saturday morning, some of us hauled trash as part of Circle's participation in the local town's Clean Sweep Day. After breakfast, Shel and Amra facilitated a meeting for newcomers. In late morning, we selected by lot and crowned our May Court, which consisted of Annie as May Queen, Jim as May King, and Jose and Maryl as May Couple. Nicole trumpeted for the crownings and then the Oak Apple Morris dancers performed. In the afternoon, Isis Panthea presented a workshop on Belly Dance as Birth Ritual and Self-Transformation. Angie, SilverDrake, and I facilitated the Beltane Ritual and Maypole Dance in late afternoon. The ritual included Maypole dancing and music by members of LUPO (Lawrence University Pagan Organization), EarthSong Sanctuary, Tessa, and Turner. We also celebrated Rowan, whom I initiated into the Craft on the evening of May 1. The ritual culminated with Isis and dancers from her workshop doing a birthing blessing dance for Shel, Julie, and Robbie who had with them the medicine bags we created during the festival for these pregnant women in our community.

The ritual was followed by community drumming and bonfire leaping at Festival Circle, and with members of Brigit's Circle placing an amethyst crystal at Brigid's Spring. We then joined together in a delicious potluck feast facilitated by WillowHawk, MoonFeather, and other kitchen Witches. In the evening, Pagan bard Turner Collins gave a short concert of Celtic music, Shel and Shawn did the Beltane Raffle drawings, and Helen guided community drumming and dancing. On Sunday morning, Amra honored the ancient Roman Goddess of Flowers, Flora, in a Floralia ritual at Circle Cemetery and the festival ended at midday with our closing ritual and lunch.

Staff Transitions

This Spring has been a time of staff transition. In mid-April Mari Powers, a Circle priestess for many years, joined our office staff and Theresa left her staff position in mid-May. Dennis became interim editor in mid-May. I became office manager. In addition, StarSong and SunDogStar have been helping with office work. We are thankful for Theresa's service over the years and wish her well in her new endeavors. We are now accepting applications for the Editor-Administrative Aide position. More information is available on-line at: www.circlesanctuary.org/staffopening. Dennis and I plan to conduct interviews by phone and in person in June and July. If you are interested in applying, please contact us right away.

Buildings and Grounds

Farmhouse renovation work has continued at our monthly work days and other times. The painting of the Magic Room on the main floor of the farmhouse was finished this Spring. The farmhouse bathroom also has a new, water efficient toilet, and more electrical outlets have been added to rooms on the main floor. Painting preparation work has begun on the upstairs hallway, and just prior to Beltane, the audio visual archives room was cleaned and reorganized. In addition to house projects, the tool room in the barn has been reorganized as has some other parts of the barn basement. Bulbs planted by the Garden Circle last Fall are now blooming. Brush cutting and trail work continues. Thanks to our volunteers for their work on these and other projects.

Ministries & Networking

In March, Circle Sanctuary priestess Angie Buchanan became the first Pagan appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions. On March 18, PATHS (Pursuers of All Things Holy and Sacred) got chartered religious group status at Southern Methodist University in Texas and became the first Pagan student group to achieve this status at a Methodist affiliated college/university. Congratulations to Angie & to PATHS! On February 19, I spoke on Pagan culture at Oregon High School in Oregon, Wisconsin as part of the school's diversity week. On February 23, Circle Sanctuary took part in an interfaith gathering in Madison, Wisconsin. In March, Shel was guest minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and SilverDrake spoke at the Interfaith Center at Lake Forest College in Illinois. I have done a variety of press and radio interviews in recent months and in April, I spoke to classes at Edgewood College in Madison. In recent months, we have been doing the Military Pagan Prayer Card project to provide spiritual support for Pagans serving in the US military and their loved ones (see page 43).

Teaching

Craftway Circle, our monthly study group for women and men, continues to meet monthly, as does Goddess Circle, which is open to women. Men'sCraft will be taking the Summer off, but will resume meeting in the Fall. In March, Mari began presenting monthly workshops in Madison. My recent speaking travels have included presentations at Gaia's Womb Imbolc retreat near Racine, Wisconsin in February; at Singing Wolf Center in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in April; and at the Florida Pagan Festival's Maiden Fest in St. Petersburg, Florida in May. Dennis and I will be speaking at PSG in Ohio and at the Sacred Space Conference in Maryland in July.