There are expressions in our language: "a cake walk," "a piece of cake," and "that take's the cake."

In the 17th century, France was the cultural center of the western world. The dance of the nobility was the Minuet, done by one couple at a time in a slow, graceful and ceremonial style in 2/4 time.

The dance was performed by the wealthy in the American Old South. It was then mimicked by their slaves, parodying the styles and weaving in music from there own African rhythms. This all was so entertaining that the plantation owners enjoyed the show too. Prizes were offered in the French tradition: "let them eat cake."

The cake walk and it's music evolved in minstrel shows and then into compositions in the 1900's. What's all this got to do with the Craft? In our Rituals, our callers walk the circle in their own special steps. We are part of a tradition extending back to Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. Who says we don't have roots!

This Thursday in Study Group we celebrate Roman Bacchanalia and learn something about this festival of Dionysus. Consider wearing a toga.

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4/26/10

Thank you to everyone who made our Beltaine Festival a wonderful success. Thank you to Ash the Silent for her Druid ritual, now online at moonpathcuups.org/rituals/belt10.htm

This Thursday in Study Group we have more Chaos Magick with MoonDay and we expand and contract time. Sounds serious.

Wednesday, the night before is Full Moon. Time for energy raising and a little howling?

This weekend, some of us are off to Florida pagan Gathering in North Florida. We go to a group of 800+ people and we are still called solitaries? Go figure. Festivals are one more way the pagan community connects. We will see a few BNPs (Big name pagans who publish) plus people we know from all over the state. Yes, there will be some workings of magick.

I see a busy weekend coming.

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4/20/10

This Thursday we share stories of Beltaine and prepare for our Beltaine Festival this Thursday.

Beltaine is the major festival second only to Samhain six months away. It is the major fertility ritual in the ancient world and fertility was a big deal. These were agricultural societies in which many births were good. Fertility among the animals and crops.

In Mesopotamia, this was the time when the king got it on with the High Priestess of the temple to ensure prosperity for another year. The political leader must connect this the representative of the Goddess in order to rule in prosperity.

And so our festival will run from noon til dark. See www.MoonPathCUUPS.org/beltain10.htm There will be drumming and vendors, a May Pole and at 5 PM an Open Beltaine Ritual. We make a big tadoo about raising our May Pole. The subtlety will be obvious.

Before that we have our annual Sadie of the Hawk Race. The men paste paper leaves onto their bodies, line up, and then the women chase them. We women want the leaves. The men may be warned that they work in packs.

'Tis the season for fertility!

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4/13/10

Coming up we have many celebrations of Earthday on this Saturday closest to April 22nd. Let us think of the Hevea brasiliensis tree that the Aztecs utilized in their ancient games.

In something similar to hockey, they would bat about the head of a fallen adversary. The head would bounce nicely, but by half time, it was becoming less "compact." The tree-hugging Aztecs would wrap the head in wide leaves and the game could continue.

And so they learned that the Hevea brasiliensis sap was a natural rubber latex and from it they could fashion a bouncy ball on occasions when no adversary had been captured. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Europeans had only stones for balls. They would slide them across sheets of ice in games like curling.

Enter the Conquistadors! They brought this New World treasure home and at last football, baseball, basketball, tennis, and golf were possible. The rest is history. Sports are well-known as a war-substitute for competitive males. Whatever the horrors of history, they would be far worse without the bouncy ball, the discovery of those Native Americans living closer to Nature.

Think of this on Earth Day and whack something Green.

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4/7/10

This week in Study Group Spelcastor presents on "A Witch, A Wizard, and Never a Warlock."

We have many labels we use in the Craft. They can be loaded with multiple meaning from different traditions, politics and cultures, Muggle and Craft. We will explore origins and histories, and probably not agree on everything.

We have a quiet weekend coming up. The following week there will be many Earth Day Celebrations

And then Saturday April 24, we celebrate Beltaine at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. See www.MoonpathCUUPS.org/beltain10.htm

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3/30/10

Next month we come upon Earth Day. This event was not founded by Peter Fonda, riding across the country with Jack Nickolson on the B_seat and a bong tucked into his leather jacket. It was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson. OK, so at least he was a Democrat.

The idea of Earth Day came to Nelson in 1962 and the idea bubbled around until it grew into a movement starting in 1969. So now it's a time of awareness of all the damage we are doing to the Earth. We can get reverent and work to do better.

So in April we will see Earth Day's popping up around the country. The official day is April 22 and that falls on a Thursday this year. Saturday is a better day to go out and do things, so expect to see more happening on Saturday. It's like with our sabbats: we look for the nearest Saturday to celebrate.

This Thursday in Study Group, we do Tantric Sex, or at least talk about it. Each week is a different topic and in a year there is little that we miss.

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3/23/10

Thanks, to HPS Moonday and all her cast who produced our Alice in Wonderland Ostara Ritual. The costuming was magnificent, and the ritual is now online at http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/ostara10.htm

Thanks for all who made the Spring Equinox Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle so wonderful. See www.tequestadrum.com

This Thursday in Study Group, we deal with both the dark and light sides of magick and how a Witch must know both to work her full power. We mark the Return of the Fuzzy Bunny and we shall hold forth on what to do with this saccharine creature of one dimension.

This Monday, the Moon waxes full. Here is the Storm Moon. Where do you think all those March Winds come from bringing the April Showers?

Speaking of Darkness, for those lapsed Catholics out there who are troubled by the unraveling of events in the news, there is a website in Ireland: countmeout.ie

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3/16/10

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Spelcastor will be at McGuire's Hill 16 this afternoon. I hear the bands have changed, but the authentic Irish Cheeseburgers will be the same.

Thursday In Study Group we swap stories on Ostara and make the final plans for the Ritual Saturday.

Meanwhile Friday it's Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle. See http://moonpathcircle.org/tequesta.htm Remember that the gates close at 10 pm. The city noise ordinance is being enforced so the drumming will stop at 11 PM. If one hour is not enough time for you, come earlier.

Come earlier at 6 pm at hear Serpentine Arborvitae present her “Voices Of Gaia” Singing Workshop. $20.

Saturday is our Ostara Open Ritual. We gather at 7 pm and the ritual starts sometime around 7:30 pm Dress in bright colors and bring food and beverage to share at the potluck feast to follow.

Then Sunday there is the Pagan Picnic at Snyder Park. Such a busy weekend we have.

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3/9/10

This Thursday at Study Group, our topic is Snakes in Religion. In honor of Saint Paddy, bring your favorite Snake Story from the Outer Court of your tradition. Time to thaw out your python.

This Saturday is your last change for the Ren-Fest plus Moonday and Big Daddy are leading a workshop on Rituals. Tip: if there are 100 people present, anything you do takes 15 minutes. That includes worshipful nose picking and tush scratching.

Sunday begins Daylight Savings. This is a big problem for church goers when most people show up an hour late. For us, we are planning a Re-Mulching Party on our labyrinth at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. If you are just getting up at that time, be sure to reset your clock. There will be some hot dogs and beer for the worker bees, but if you are an hour late, maybe they will be gone.

Wicked is playing in Miami this month. What can I say? I had to go again, and tickets were a little cheaper. They are making subtle changes in the staging and the flow of the plot. Perhaps this way the story will make more sense to the people who have neither read the book nor seen the play two times before.

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3/2/10

This Thursday in Study Group, we learn about Spirit Guides.

If you are a shaman, do you have a spirit guide? If you are not a shaman, might you still have a spirit guide. Does your cat believe the she already is your spirit guide. Do birds follow you around? Does your cat chase them away? Come and learn from Iasis Kalliope more about spirit guides.

Looking for a job? There are opportunities to work on the upcoming census. See http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/how-to-apply/local-office-map.php

Have you ever heard of the Wiccan Interfaith Council? It's an international organization of Wiccan, Pagan, Witch, and Heathen practitioners and friends, working together to build awareness and appreciation of Wicca through education, service, and activism. WICI has recently expanded their operations into the state of Florida and are eagerly looking for individuals who wish to take part in its mission of raising awareness and meeting the spiritual needs of our community. Anyone interested may visit WICI's website at: www.wiccaninterfaithcouncil.org, or write directly to the Florida Chapter and contact papa.lobo at yahoo.com.

Me, I've heard the name for years, but I have never worked with these people. And yes, it's helpful for us Pagans to have organizations beyond our local groups.

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2/23/10

Mindful Meditations coming up this Thursday at Study Group. This doesn't sound like anything a Buddhist would do, but we are being visited by the Luna Road Fairie Troupe.

As for those of you being really mindful, we have moved our Mabon Pagan Pride Day to Saturday September 25. What self-respecting pagan plans that far in advance? Well, those of us who need to coordinate people into the same sought-after space. We will continue to watch our calendar for issues and fix them long before they appear on the horizons of others.

Ren-Faire continues this weekend with a theme of Pirates. Plus there is a Full Moon for those into piracy, drumming, of just personal pillaging.

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2/9/10

'Tis the season for love potions. Perhaps Love Potion #9 and maybe a shot of #1 thru #8. And then there is chocolate. And then there is the sweet aroma of flowers.

Need I mention soft lights, fluffy pillows, and candles? The card shops are full of shoppers. Some people actually read those words on those cards. How about outfits? Something beyond the flannel pajama top. Lace is nice, but not with too many wires.

Quiet escape is good. Cast a magickal circle. Drown out the bothersome noise. Draw a hot bath. We witches put the Gee in Glamour. Let your imagination be your eyes.

This Thursday at Study Group, we shall hear about potions from Barlow. He can tell his own stories. I won't make anything up here. I'd never make anything up. Is illusion part of romance? Was it Ben Franklin who said, "Enter a relationship with eyes wide open. Stay in a relationship with eyes half closed."

Feel the magick!

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2/2/10

Solon, the law maker of Athens, first heard of the lost continent of Atlantis from the priests of Egypt and translated the story into Greek. These were a legend of a great civilization somewhere to the north west of Egypt that sank violently into the sea,

The Greek civilization was a collection of city states on the mainland and also the islands around Greece. Some say Atlantis was among the islands of the Santorini.

This Thursday in Study Group we will share the legends we have heard of Atlantis and then do a magical ritual.

This week end we have much drumming around town and the Super Bowl for those who care. We had talked about creating a competing event, but we would loose too many of our key people.

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1/26/10

Thanks to everyone who made our Imbolc Ritual a big success. Thanks Sandra, her people and everyone who participated. Thanks to for all the help with cleanup. I heard no complaints the following morning.

I was thinking about the Eleusinian Mysteries. These ceremonies started around 1600 BC in the Greek Islands and lasting two thousand years, were a major festival during the Hellenic era, later spreading to Rome. They were based on Demeter and legends about grain. They were secret but so many participated. The festivals crossed class barriers and dealt with the continuity of life.

There must be stories somewhere of what went on. There are masons who have broken their oath and published. There have been Gardnerian leaks too. Why not here? In the old catholic Mass, there is a golden sun-shaped thing called a monstrance that hold the sacred bread, a wheat product. I am wondering if this is a remnant of the altar object that held the sacred sheaf of grain of Demeter. Watch our catholic friends. The wine is an after thought compared to their sacred bread. I suggest that the old ways are alive among us if we just look. Meanwhile in the cold, Iguanas have been falling out of trees and baby sea turtles are in big trouble. See www.friendsofbirchstatepark.org/turtles.htm for what is going on at Gumbo Limbo in Boca.

Meanwhile this Thursday at Study Group, re re-empower the protector of our property. Do bring your drums for this one.

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1/19/10

This Thursday in Study Group, we share stories of Imbolc and plan for our sabbat this Saturday. The celebration is the First Light of Spring. Sandra Cheryl Richardson is our guest High Priestess and we will do a casting call and walk thru. See www.moonpathcuups.org/scr/ This is Sandra's 6th Imbolc with us.

Sandra has been in the Craft 25+ years. The traditions that came to her from her teacher are more formal that what we see more often nowadays. She includes formal passages of statements of power and faith that may be too familiar for our Recovering Catholics.

For those who use common incantations in each circle, the rhythm of the words takes on a meaning of its own. Others make each ritual different. The appeal of this sameness is comfort, centering and strength. Some people like this and some don't. If you really like it, there is a website at www.vocationsplacement.org that tests your aptitude to become a Catholic priest.

Meanwhile this weekend, there is labyrinth stuff going on and the Pagan Picnic. And don't forget the Ren-Faire. I hear the CUUPS promotion code saves you $3 on a single-day adult ticket. Dress up and act out: knight, knave, monk, priest...it's all good.

B*B, Spel

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1/12/10

This Thursday In Study Group we hope to hear Jingles tell us of his visit to pagans in a state prison in the Florida Panhandle.

Our Christian neighbors are much more interested in prison ministry. In their sacred texts, they are told to do it. There are many more of those folks than us, so when someone turns up interested in visiting our kind, it's like interesting.

Actually, there are lots of contractors involved in prison support. It is a difficult market to enter. Your tax dollars are at work and the majority religion is in charge. It's one more reason why its helpful when we are public to not give Pagans a bad name and thus make things more difficult for the next person to come after you.

Every wondered what others might do to give pagans a bad name? See http://www.cogcoa.ab.ca/fun/bad_name.php

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1/5/10

So now it is time for us to get back into our worlds.

This Thursday at Study Group, Eve will show us something about conjuring.

This weekend, the Ren-Faire begins in Miami Beach area. Later this month, they will be at Quiet waters Park. Buy your tickets in advance online and save some money by using CUUPS as the promotion code. The Scottish Festival is on too, and it's Japanese New Year at the Morikami. Why stay home?

Sandra Cheryl Richardson has agreed to lead our Imbolc Sabbat. Her visits have become a tradition and we will get to experience a different style in Ritual. MoonDay will lead our Ostara Sabbat and I suspect that there may be some Chaos Magick.

And then there is drumming and more drumming. There will be cold nights for fuzzy capes, and everything should be stable until the solar eclipse mid-month, but what can you expect?

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12/29/09

This Thursday, our Study Group will not meet.

However, it's a Full Moon and a Blue Moon. Our folks will be on the beach til all hours. We don't publicize the exact location because we don't want to attract drunken teenagers and drug dealers. Both of these attract the police. We who are serious about drumming do not want our events shut down because of those with a different agenda.

The Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle went very well. This program continues to evolve. The Park has been pressured into following the Fort Lauderdale Noise Ordinance. Thus, now we must stop drumming by 11 PM.

We have found that closing the gate at 10 PM keeps out the party crowd. We meet for serious drumming and must maintain peace with the Park to continue meeting here. Muggles who cell phone their drunken buddies "to come to the great party" are not the people we welcome. They can go find a saloon.

Boundaries are important. On the lighter side, when the moon will be full, the air will be cold. I see more opportunities for Fuzzy Cape Night in the coming month.

Have a happy and safe Gregorian New Year! We Celts celebrated ours at Samhain.

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12/22/09

Thanks you Max & Marcus and everyone who made our Yule Celebration such a great success.

Thank you everyone who made our Winter Solstice Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle such a great success.

And so we move further into the Dark Time of the Year. Ok, so it is not so bright for everyone. But we still move on. There will be no CUUPS Study Group this Thursday. Over at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale, they will be doing their annual Holiday Service. They start at 6 PM, not 7 PM. They will strive to be inclusive. It's good to hang out with the church folk. We get to do all that we do because some of us have relationships with them.

In the spirit of the season, you might go caroling. There is a neat set of Pagan Yule carols online at http://member.tripod.com/~Willow_Firesong/YulCarls/index.html My favorite is:

Faunus the Roman Goat Foot
Words by Morven, Jennifer, Roger, Chip, & BG
Tune: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Had a very rigid prick
And if you ever saw it
You would say it's quite a trick
All the other deities
Used to leer suggestively
They always wanted Faunus
To Join in the revelry

Then one frosty Saturnal
Juno made this call
"Faunus since you're hung so well,
Won't you ring my solstice bell?"
Then all the others pouted
And they muttered jealously
"Faunus, the Roman goat-god
Better save a turn for me!"

OK, we might choose to be serious, but laughter heals.

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12/15/09

Here we are at Yule. This Saturday we will gather for a Yule ceremony followed by a pot luck. This Thursday at Study Group, we will have a casting call and perhaps even a rehearsal after we share some stories of our Yule traditions.

Yule is the time to hunker down. The harvest has past. The departed have gone back to the Summer Land. Now we get through the cold and await the first light of spring. Sounds like the economy.

Monday is the Winter Solstice and we do the Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle. Here we light the grand fire to set an example and to turn the Sun around. Henceforth, the days will begin to get longer. That's how it was done in the old day (up north) and that's what we are doing.

So come Thursday and plan with us, and then come Saturday. Wear colorful garb and bring a dish to share. We are a gathering of community.

Blessed be,

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12/9/09

This Thursday in Study Group, we make stuff. Bring a forked stick to make a systrum and a long one to make a staff. A systrum is an ancient form of rattle. We have found that Heineken bottle caps work best and 20 is a good number. If you start consuming the beer now, you might be sober by tonight.

We are in the Yule season. Our celebration is coming up Saturday December 19. There will be ritual followed by a potluck.

Check out U-Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp0t8FxIz_c and see how the Palm Beach Episcopalians do it. These are the people God goes to to borrow money. They do their thing Sunday January 3. They have a much bigger costume budget than we do and don't allow audience participation. They are the one's who invented Boxing Day. That is to celebrate the day after Christmas when the servants who worked so hard get presents and time off.

Their are many traditions associated with this time of year. Look to the old and then make up your own.

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12/1/09

Tomorrow night is the Full Moon. Folks will be out drumming

This Thursday at Study Group. Bring your drums and sacred cremora. Hopefully, the Goddess will not rain upon us. A dedication is a celebration or a formal announcement of a life passage. We have some in our Pagan life that are not covered in the Muggle World, like when we keep the same religion but change our Goddesses and Gods.

This ends the harvest season, and we move on to Winter, as much winter as we get in South Florida. We can wish for a Fuzzy Cape Night when we can wear some of the heavy garments we keep at the rear of our closets. There are only two months each year when we might hope for a Fuzzy Cape Night.

Another sign of the turning of the Wheel is that I post next year's events on www.MoonPathCUUPS.Org/coming.htm I add only the major events and leave off the repeating ones like Study Group until the month before. Otherwise, the page gets so cluttered.

This calendar started 12 years ago and listed only our CUUPS events. I since add others that either look witchy or are of interest to me. My broadcasts go out to some 600 people and I don't recall who most of them are. I have heard this calendar helps folks fill their events. Great! It's a service to the community and helps bring us together.

Occasionally, someone gets obnoxious or unkind in pushing their events on me. That is what the Delete Key is for. The Rule of Three is alive and well, and we in the Craft realize that there are consequences for our actions. As the Gregorian New Year approaches, remember that you too have a Delete Key. It's a gift from the Goddess.

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11/24/09

There is no Study Group this Thursday. Stay home and do your own Turkey Ritual and Sacrifice. On TV there will be gladiatorial combat.

This Thanksgiving Thing is the last of the harvest feasts on this cycle of the wheel. It is a manufactured holiday to bring different sorts of people together. It rose in popularity after the Civil War as part of a national healing. This would be a good time to invite a Muggle to dinner. What with all the anguish going on out there, now is a good time to share with others.

This Saturday, a special treat will be at the SpidersWeb: Ash The Silent will offer an Evening of Potions and Enchantments. It only $20 per Sorcerer. Drum Circles continue. Coming up in December, we have a Blue Moon, the second Full Moon in a month, or the fourth Full Moon in a quarter, depending on how you count.

Last week I mentioned the St Lazarus Botanica on Federal Highway. They are south of Sample at 3231 N Fed in Pompano. See http://www.courant.com/health/wellness/sns-health-botanicas-santeria-priests-pg,0,7368093.photogallery

Have a blessed Turkey Day, tofu or real, Spel

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11/17/09

This Thursday at Study Group, we learn about the Greek Goddess Hekate, the Queen of the Witches. The Romans adopted her into their pantheon in the same role. Some say she had first appeared in Egypt at HekTet, Goddess of Magick. You can't keep a good girl down.

Back by popular demand, Lord Cuchulain will present his Working Wicca 2009. He has new topics this time around for those who want to come back. He is a coven-trained elder of third degree, if you happen to be looking for that sort of person. And there will be a bunch more of that sort at Turning the Tides, Dec 4-6. Registration has been extended til this Sunday. Sorry, no walk in's.

As we plan next month's Study Group topics I plan to visit the St Lazarus Botanica on Federal Highway south of Sample. Let's see if an Anglo can convince any of them to come over and speak to us. They are big into prosperity magick, which is quite timely. Does anyone know them? They do speak English See http://www.courant.com/health/wellness/sns-health-botanicas-santeria-priests-pg,0,7368093.photogallery

There's all sorts of magick in this town.

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11/11/09

I am back from Florida Pagan Gathering and had a wonderful time there. Festivals are part of the larger Pagan world were we meet each other, learn, network, and ritual.

Coming up this weekend is Renaissance Days in Hollywood. This month the Pagan Drum/Picnic will be there. There is the Mind Body Spirit Faire at Crystal Fantasy. Also, this is the last week to register for Turning the Tide Festival that happens in North Miami December 4-6. This event is not a drop-in.

This Thursday we have a "spontaneous" at Study Group. Our own Silver TigerLilly is putting together some thoughts, words, and stuff. Bring your drums and Sacred Creamora. We will get to act out.

Yes, this is our season for festivals. In olden times, we would be preparing for the dark night of winter that would follow. There would be feasting on the animals that would not survive the winter. Provisions, ale and mead would be stored. Getting through the winter was not a sure thing.

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11/3/09

Thank you everyone for making our Witches Ball a big success. Thanks everyone who parked cars, worked the gate, read the fates, sold raffle tickets, and participated in the many rituals. For those who missed the Samhain Playlet, the script is now online at http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/sam09.htm

This year we saw more new people at the Ball. These are the curious and the seekers. Our article in the Sun-Sentinel may have helped bring them in. See http://moonpathcuups.org/Sophia.mht

Next Thursday, some of us will be off to Florida Pagan Gathering. At Study Group, the Dark Times are not over. We shall learn about Unfinished Business with our Departed.

There are still festivals to attend. There is a Mind - Body - Spirit Faire at Crystal Fantasy on November 14th.

Coming up in December is the 3rd Annual Turning the Tides Festival in North Miami. This one is sponsored by the Local Council of Covenant of the Goddess. See www.moonpathcuups.org/ttide

There are many witching events open to us in this time of the Final Harvest.

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10/27/09

This Thursday we do our casting call for our Samhain Rituals, both our Druid's Ritual planned for 10:15 PM and our Midnight Ritual. We need quarters, casters, spirits, smudgers, and more. Yes, we will rehearse.

We start Study Group with Stories of Samhain. This is the third and final harvest on the Wheel of the Year. The veil between the words is especially thin. The dead pass back and forth delivering messages and taking care of unfinished business. These traditions can be found all around the world.

At 6:15 pm before Study Group I am looking for a few strong bodies to help me setup tables and chairs for the Ball.

Saturday at 9 pm, we will attune with the dead. At 10:15 with much ceremony a rune will be drawn. At midnight we tie ribbons onto a wreath and toss it into the fire. Elsewhere there will be lights on the labyrinth. Inside we will have deejay music by Izrafel and then live music by Witchs Mark.

There will be a costume contest. We will make up the categories after we see what shows up.

Doors open at 7:30 pm this Saturday. See www.MoonPathCUUPS.Org/wball.htm  Do come out and play, for here there may be Witches!

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10/21/09

As I listen to tapes on anthropology, I hear how humanoids were distinguished from the apes by the ability to learn speech. Now, they followed not just the programming in their genes but the stories of their ancestors.

Think of a tribe of hunter-gatherers returning to a far-off valley they had not seen for years. Their road map would be a legend of the local goddess. Perhaps the story included three sons, one of whom had a bad attitude. The sons might be three rivers, one with dangerous rapids. This would be so much more information than what a returning heard of buffalo might carry. Stories are so easy for us humans to remember.

At Samhain this year, DeepSea and Sarasavati will again be our guides in attuning to the ancestors at 9 PM. They will be in our Memorial Garden. On the Wall, we have some of our own departed. There is Andrea, who chose to leave this world early, http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/andrea.htm There is the Lady Mikal who was a teacher to more than one of us http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/mikal.htm

This Thursday in Study Group, we hear about Kwan Yin. Perhaps she is a little upbeat for this time of year? Along with compassion, she has much to do with sorrow.

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10/13/09

Samhain is the time we renew our individual and chapter CUUPS memberships. I'll do it. I encourage others to do it at http://www.cuups.org/content2/chapters/

'Tis the season. Samhain events are popping up all over. At Birch State Park on FtL there is the Howling Hammock Walk October 22-23. See www.FriendsofBirchStatePark.Org/howling.htm

Do you have money to spend? See Celtic Crossroads below.

Planning continues for our Witches Ball. The Midnight Ritual is nearly written. I've bought our candles from the Catholic Outfitters. They have lot's of neat stuff and some of it does not have crosses on it. We have a decorating committee. I will be gathering prizes for our costume contest. Ash the Silent is working on her Druid's Ritual. I have reconnected with our midnight cleaners. Once again, they'll show up and put the church back together while the rest of us are too tired to join in.

This Thursday I present on Defense Against the Dark Arts. What with all the spooks running around, you can't be too careful. So here will be a few tips, defensive, mind you.

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9/21/09

Thanks to everyone who made our Pagan Pride Day such a success. Thanks for setting up, showing up, cleaning up, and being friendly. Witch's Mark thrilled us with their music. Our Weather Witches kept up the bubble that held away the rain. Thank you Valan and cast for our Ritual. Thank you young one for drawing the Prosperity Rune. Open Rituals are a time when many of us come together.

Someone left a rather nice camera. If it is yours, tell me about it.

Tuesday is Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle over at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. Remember the gates open at 7 pm and then close at 10 pm. We continue drumming til midnight. Our gate keepers are gathering $7 for admission. Be nice to them. They make our event possible.

Next Thursday at Study Group, bring your favorite book. Share what you like about it. If you are done with it, offer to trade it. Then we will go outside for a spontaneous ritual and a consecration. Do bring drums and rattles

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9/15/09

This Wednesday, Hollywood CUUPS is scheduled to resume. I have heard no confirmation, but they are such an asset to our community.

This Thursday at Study Group, we share stories of Mabon, the Second Harvest, and then move into planning our Saturday Pagan Pride Day. We will do a casting call for the Ritual so do show up if you want in.

This Pagan Pride, we will have live Music by Witchs Mark and catering by the King of CUUPS. Last Beltaine, they sold out of their Irish Stew. The promise to make more this time, but I am getting in line for mine early. Do plan to join us from noon til dark for our outbreak of Pagan Pride. Wear your favorite garb. Bring a picnic. Be dazzled by all our doings. The posters are all over town.

Sunday, there is the mellow afternoon of the Pagan Picnic at Snyder Park.

During the week: you wanted a Wicca 101 class? Check it out! Then Tuesday, there is the Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle. Remember, we close the gate at 10 pm to keep the drummers in and the drunks out. If you are challenged by tame/space relationships, find a designated driver with a watch.

We are coming into our big season. There will be festivals local and around Florida. You really can do Pagan emersion.

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9/8/09

This Thursday we hear from Jingles and his adventures visiting Pagan inmates at a prison in west Florida and holding a worship service. He is gathering Pagan books that include the word "Bible" in their title. Prisoners are allowed to take books that meet that requirement into the infirmary or solitary. Do you have such a book to donate? So go the rules.

There are many witchie/pagan things going on this weekend. Take a look below. Pee Wee Pagans are starting up again, so it is time to enroll your tyke.

There are some folks doing a survey on those of us in the Craft. Follow this link and enter your story. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WYCq4kaxG_2bYrJ8xnemeR3A_3d_3d We need lot's of studies done on us. The more people know about us and how much we are similar to them, the better off we are.

Are you really out of the closet? Here's an opportunity for you to show yourself in public. There will be a breakfast, with speakers, at the Signature Grand in Davie. Subjects re: hate groups, InterfaithSecurity, etc. sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League. For INFO, contact Robert Tanen at rtanen at adl.org or 561-988-2923. Be sure to wear your pointed hat.

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9/1/09

This Thursday at Study Group, we learn about "The Story of Numbers" from Jerry.

At the beginning of each Study Group, we do a round of self-introductions. This helps the first-timers and presenters see what they have wandered into. They we do announcement and talk about coming events. This is the time to share openly how you feel things are going at Moonpath CUUPS.

There is a push that we be more formal in describing how we decide things. For years, the people doing the work, guided by church members, set the direction. This Thursday I invite you to adopt this linked-to resolution at www.MoonPathCUUPS.Org/structure.htm. We strive for consensus and don't waste a lot of time in business meetings.

Looking for a Wicca 101 Class? Back by popular demand for the fifth time Lord Cuchulan will begin his eight-part series Monday September 21. It is difficult for solitaries to find a 101 class and here is a real live 3rd degree coven-trained person offering one. He even has a pedigree, but that is a secret to the uninitiated. See www.MoonPathCUUPS.Org/class.htm.

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8/25/09

This Thursday at Study Group we learn some about the Tarot. Sounds good to me. Aleph always buts an interesting spin on things.

I see no witching activity this weekend on the calendar. I will be out walking labyrinths. Folks who like these ancient meditational tools will cross religious boundaries to walk one. It is good manners to be nice to whoever owns the property. If they are Christian, I just tell them I honor the Blessed Mother. That works for the Catholics, and Baptists don't build labyrinths.

There are at least 20 labyrinths in Southeast Florida. See uucfl.org/list.htm. Yes, our liturgical Christian friends do have a bunch of them. There's one on the Broward College North campus and another at the Florida Atlantic University School of Nursing. I shipped lights, and stakes and tapes to Virginia and build one at the UU Summer Institute.

I just be nice, show up, and walk. Going in, I let go. At the center, I ground and center. Walking out, I reclaim. There is a labyrinth at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. People find it online in the labyrinth Locator and just show up. Others discover it at Coffee Hour. There was someone coming around doing a class on it a while back. There is more about our labyrinth at uucfl.org/labyrin.htm.

If you haven't done it yet, walk a labyrinth sometime.

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8/18/09

Last Saturday I showed up at the UU Church Buildings & Grounds Work Day. I chopped back the branches overhanging the Memorial Garden and tossed them into the Fire Circle.

It is good when we CUUPS people do something else for the good of the church that is not immediately related to CUUPS. It is good that folks active in MoonPath join the church and pay money towards its support. The other members of the Church look to the members active in CUUPS to keep our group running in good health. And the more of us that are church members, the more credibility we will have. Yes, I am setting an example.

Speaking of that, this Thursday at Study Group, our own Rev Gail will present on "Pagans and the Unitarian Universalist Umbrella." She is freshly back from the UUA General Assembly, and UU ministers do talk amongst themselves, just like everybody else. There are 120 CUUPS chapters among the 1,000+ UU churches. UU Congregations provide meeting space and a rallying point for those looking to explore the Craft.

Then this Sunday, there will be the Goddesses & Gods 4th Sunday Monthly Discussion Group at the Goddess Dance & Yoga Studio in Hollywood. These are good people.

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8/12/09

This Thursday in Study group, we learn about "Chakras from the Top Down." See the flyer at www.MoonPathCUUPS.Org/chakras.htm

This Friday there is the Power of the Sacred Drum Ritual at New Age Books & Things. I have not heard any feedback on this yet, but it has been going on for a while now.

This Sunday there is the Pagan Picnic at Snyder Park.

Last week was the Bon Festival at the Morikami. It's how the Japanese do Samhain. Lanterns were dedicated to the departed and turned loose on the lake at sunset. I listed it on the calendar but did not push it this time. This is the time of harvest festivals in the Northern Hemisphere and I like to see how people do things around the world. It's all part of being Earth-centered.

Earth-centered is the new politically correct label. Not everyone likes being called Pagan. Probably the New Age folk don't. Buddhist's don't like it. Hindu's are nor amused. But then, not everyone who gets called a witch likes that either. Thus continues the quest for labels that please everyone.

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8/4/09

Thanks to everyone who made our event possible and special thanks to all of you who helped with cleanup. Leaving a Sunday Morning Mess is the surest way to get the church folk displeased

We had appropriate drumming and chants. We danced around the fire. We discarded elements from our past that no longer serve us. At the feast, we had Native American faire. Have you tried Fry Bread? It's corn bread fried in lard. It's so bad for you that if it had not have been a traditional dish, the cavalry would have served it up.

Our next sabbat is Mabon in September which we celebrate with Pagan Pride Day. This is a noon til dark festival with vendors, workshops, food and stuff ending in our 5:30 pm ritual. By 5:30 it's cool enough for everyone to want to come outside.

This Thursday in Study Group, we dedicate the panda to his deity. First we will share stories of initiations and dedications. They are not that different from ordinations. Then we will go outside, build a fire and have at it. Do bring your drums and rattles. We already have enough rope.

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7/28/09

This Thursday at Study Group at 7:30 PM, we celebrate our Annual Chocolate Ritual. It's online at http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/chocolate.htm Some think it as a satire. Others see it as deeply spiritual.

This Saturday starting at 6 PM we celebrate Lammas, the First Harvest, Native American Style. We are starting early to make time for story tellers and perhaps a couple native vendors. Then we will share some native American ceremonies for the First Harvest. Then we will follow up with a pot luck feast. Bring Native American dishes. See http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/cornfeast.htm

Last year, this event attracted additional folks from those who usually show up for our Rituals. Not everyone is into Celtic. I know of one CUUPS Chapter that does everything Native American.

I still get inquiries from folks looking to explore the Craft. My advice is to search around, read, talk to different people for a while before joining anything, especially a coven. There is much variety in the Pagan world, and not everyone is wholesome. See http://spelcastor.org/teacher.htm. One bad experience can send you off in a different direction. You might even end up a Methodist and always wonder about the Full Moon.

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7/21/09

This Thursday in Study Group, we learn about Native American Harvest Traditions and plan for our Lammas Ritual for August 1st. We will hold a casting call, so if you want to get involved, this is the time to show up. See MoonPathCUUPS.Org/rituals/corn.htm

Last year our Native American ceremony attracted folks who don't generally come to our open rituals. Guess not everyone sees themselves as Celtic?

On another topic, looking around I see a Pagan Laity immerging within the Craft, In the coven traditions, everyone is a priestess or priest. When they earn first degree, they are able to lead there own ritual. But some people don't want to lead rituals. Participating is fine. Not everyone wants to perform legal marriages. Not everyone can legally marry the couples they would want to.

Not everyone wants to do community outreach. Not everyone wants to be a leader. So, just like our Christian, Islamic and Jewish neighbors, we evolve a laity. Laity are still good. They can make the casseroles, otherwise help out, and show up at Circle. As we grow as a religion, we grow extra roles where people can belong.

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7/14/09

This Thursday in Study Group we learn about Anubus. Maybe we'll go outside and burn stuff, just because we have not done that for a while.

Saturday, there's a Psychic Faire at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. Come out and play. Then Sunday there is the Pagan Picnic at Snyder Park.

We have a couple of folks visiting us looking to take some notes on how the Craft works out for solitary males. In the Craft, 2/3 of everyone are woman and half the males are gay. That makes for a bit of sub-grouping. Not everyone plays nice with everyone else. This is a male question and not one of orientation. How does everyone come to find meaning? How do we work together when there are others on the outside who would like to burn us all at the stake?

You can contribute to the survey at Study Group. Here is a fascinating issue, and the answer to it probably crosses the boundaries of political correctness.

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7/07/09

I looked at the Moon around 6 am this morning. That wasn't much of an eclipse. Better luck next month when it happens again and at a more convenient early evening hour.

I hear magick gets a little flaky during an eclipse. Eclipses always occur at a Full Moon. That's when everything lines up.

This Thursday at Study Group, we hear about the "Other Kin." That's sort of like changelings but we'll learn more Thursday.

This Saturday, there is a Mind-Body-Spirit Faire over at Crystal Fantasy. There is more information at http://www.crystalfantasyfla.com/ Support your local metaphysical store.

A week from Saturday there is a Summer Psychic Faire at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. There will be Tarot, Runes and Past Life Readings.

We have no sabbats in August, but Lamma is coming August 1st.

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6/30/09

It was like I was conjuring up a Dark Goddess.

I would get my incantations polished. I would use lots of rhyme. I would go outside and wave my hands about. Doing this in an oncoming storm would be especially powerful.

In the corner of eye, I would see lightening flash around me. Then black things would swirl about, looking like a clutching hand or black hair in water. That would be quite an experience!

This did sort of happen to me, but I wasn't conjuring. I was sitting in a classroom. What was going on, the docs now tell me, was vitreous detachment and hemorrhage. It was good it wasn't a torn retina. That is very good. The docs said I should have gone to an emergency room (no a doc-in-the-box) without delay.

So I am fine, but I share this so you will know that if you experience such lighten-like flashing and black swirlings, waste no time. Get to an emergency room. Just because you are a witch, it's not your spell work.

Speaking of spells, this Thursday at Study Group we hear about Marie Leveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. She was real and quite a person.

July 5th is Spelcastor's birthday. Blessings are welcome.

July 7th at 5:38 AM, if you are up or on your way home, there will be a Lunar eclipse going on. An hour later, the Moon will set and the Sun will rise at 6:35 AM During an eclipse, the Moon and Sun are at opposite sides of the sky. You knew that...

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6/23/09

Spelcastor has been in Charlottesville, Virginia, all weekend for a family wedding.

Meanwhile I hear that the 7th Annual Faerie Rite (AKA Litha) was a great success! This was followed by the Tequesta Drum Circle celebrating the Summer Solstice and 350 people showed up.

This Thursday, the Moon is three nights off Dark Moon. The sliver in the sky is called Diana's Bow. It is a time for new beginnings. We will talk about this at Study Group, and then go outside, build a fire, and celebrate.

And here we come to July. We have no sabbats in this month, but August 1st we celebrate Lammas or First Harvest in Native American Traditions. This was a big hit last year. In Charlottesville, the CUUPS Chapter has a very Native American focus. Perhaps this keeps the locals from complaining about the practice of Witchcraft. The two are really quite similar. Even here, folks who are not into Celtic, liked the Native American angle. Hey, it's all the same Goddess.

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6/15/09

This Saturday we celebrate the Summer Solstice, sometimes called Litha.

For this ceremony, we gather at 7 PM for the feast first. Bring plenty of food and beverage to share. Then at dark around 9 PM we begin the ritual. Also, for this ritual please ladies wear white and gentlemen wear black and all bring a flower offering for the ceremony and a donation of non-perishable food or clothing for the Cooperative Feeding Program.

This Thursday at Study Group, we will share stories of the season and then do a casting call. Yes, there will be rehearsals. Last week we had a couple visiting who want to interview solitary males with the Craft. Sexual orientation did not appear to be a criteria. If they come back, I'll invite them to introduce themselves.

Speaking of surveys, the folks on the national CUUPS Board would like to know more about what is going on at MoonPath. Email your thoughts, the good, the bad, the ugly to Rev Ann Marie Alderman at amalderman at uuma.org I have known Ann Marie for years and she is good people. We have circled at the UU Winter Institute. She is the settled UU minister in Greensboro, North Carolina, www.uugreenvillenc.org, and quite credentialed.

Meanwhile, there are several interesting programs going on this the week. Do check them out.

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6/10/09

Spelcastor is back from Alaska and slowly re-entering his mundane world.

Yes, Alaska is beautiful and, yes, it is a shock to be back working for a living.

There is Study Group this Thursday. The Celtic Medicine Woman was a big hit last time and I look forward to her return.

B*B, Spel

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6/3/09

Greetings from Skagway, Alaska. We are leaving port now. A nearby mountain has blocked our line-of-sight to the satellite uplink. At last, we have Internet again. Civilization!

I am learning that the label "Eskimo" is no longer politically OK.

There are at least five tribal groupings in Alaska. They can tell each other apart, and this distinction is very important to them. They have shown the Anglos how to dress and survive in these climates. They have been oppressed by their new overlords and ravaged by European diseases.

What with our dawning age of diversity, tribal dress and ceremony are now honored. These people lived close to the earth amid forces of nature that can be far from kind. Now they have permits to hunt the totem critters that are otherwise endangered.

There is a carving of Abraham Lincoln atop a totem pole in Skagway. It is there as a mock and not as an honor. The locals in the (Southern) part of Alaska used to do a brisk business of enslaving their neighbors. This was ended with the arrival of the United States and the 14th Amendment. Here is yet another example of the invading Anglos refusing to tolerate the time-honored traditions of an indigenous population.

So much for the "Noble Savage."

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5/25/09

Greetings from Fairbanks, Alaska.

Last Sunday, the UUs at the local fellowship danced the May Pole. They used to do it May 2nd, but there was still too much ice and slush. And so they now follow what the Earth is doing, like the Ancients.

Here in Fairbanks on Summer Solstice, the Sun sets briefly in the North. At Winter Solstice, the Sun rises briefly in the South. So moves the sky just below the Arctic Circle.

This Thursday In Study Group, Valan and Voodoo Lady present on Potions and hexes. If you want a bit of a hexing potion, to bring a SMALL vial or bottle. Also, if you want some dry ingredients (graveyard dirt, "Do my will powder," etc.) do bring an envelope.

The Daughters of the Morrigan meet this Wednesday. Their location changes so email them to find out where they are meeting.

This Saturday, Elaine Silver is singing in Boca.

Meanwhile, I will continue to explore Alaska. More to follow.

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5/20/09

This Thursday at Study Group, we talk about Dragons. Is anybody bringing one?

Dragons appear in many cultures all around the world. Sometimes they are "good" and sometimes they are not so good. Did people make these stories up? Did they find dinosaur bones? Is there a giant lizard eating Tokyo at this very moment?

Come share your stories and dragon books.

This weekend there are events going on around South Florida. We don't have a Sabbat this month. Bummer! We shall have to plan something.

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5/14/09

The song is sung to the tune of Amazing Grace. The words were put together by Verna Knapp. Enjoy!

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5/7/09

I am just back from Florida Pagan gathering.

Margot Adler was one of the big name presenters. She wrote Drawing Down the Moon, a book many of us read as we entered the Craft. It is now out in a second edition.

Margot is a very down to earth person. I reprint her story at www.moonpathcuups.org/margot.htm

She did a workshop on the part, present and future of the Craft. She led another one on chants. Chants are neat. I am looking to get her chant list. Festivals have planned a large roll in the Craft in bringing people together. The Internet is a factor now, but face-to-face is special. Way back when, there weren't as many books around.

This week in Study Group we hear about UFO's, Unidentified Flying Objects. What's this got to do with witchcraft? We shall see.

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4/29/09

It's rough taking an English literature class if you know nothing about Shakespeare or the Christian Bible. The great works of words are filled with references from these sources.

And where did these sources find their sources? Shakespeare wrote in a time when the belief in Witchcraft was common. There are ghosts, stirrings of cauldrons and curses. And then the Christians have all this material that they carried off from the Jews who used, once upon a time, to have a Goddess.

So where are these Pagan trappings turning up in our modern and secular culture? Take a look at the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and see ancient temples. Look at the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor and see the Colossus of Rhodes. Take a look at the coins in your purse. Take a look at the door to the US Senate.

Come to Study Group this Thursday at 7:30 pm. and hear about Pagan Symbols All Among Us, Oh My! Oh My!

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4/22/09

This Saturday we celebrate Beltaine at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale.

Beltaine is the most sacred event after Samhain. We greet the beginning of summer with many encouragements for fertility. We build fires. We dance the May Pole. We set a good example for the crops and animals.

Our doors open at noon. There will be workshops and vendors. We have an alternate food vendor. Brenda is at another event. We will have our annual Sadie of the Hawk Race. The men will don leaves. On signal, the women will chase them. The woman who gets the most leaves wins. This is a sight to behold. Straight or gay, shy or bold, these women want you for your leaves. What the pact dynamics unfold. Paramedics are standing by to evacuate any wounded males.

Witchs Mark will be providing live music for us. We will dance the May Pole. The men will demonstrate the raising of the pole. This always requires a lot of encouragement from the women. Then we dance, counting off odd to the left, even to the right. Over then under. It's a dyslectic's nightmare, but somehow it happen. Perhaps someone will get ribbon-ed to the pole.

At 5 PM, we celebrate our Beltaine Ritual. Valan and Spelcastor will priest. The casting call will be this Thursday at Study Group. Show up and claim a part. Also at Study Group, we will share stories of Beltaine. The more we understand the season, the more meaning it holds for us. Do bring your own story too.

So dress in garb. Bring a picnic and your favorite beverage. 'Tis the season for mirth and madness.

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4/13/09

This Thursday, 7:30 PM in Study Group, our topic is "On Becoming Clergy, Pagan or Otherwise."

Some clergy are monks. Monks follow a rule of life. I am thinking more about Pagan Priesthood. Priests, among many other things, preside at life passages. Many Pagans get into this clergy thing when they are asked to perform a legal handfasting. There are simple ways to get credentials that will keep the marriage clerks happy.

What about the many ways of becoming Pagan clergy? Can you write a "Statement of Practice?" What about other people's expectations? How do you get other Pagans to take you seriously? How to get Muggle clergy to take you seriously? Just why are you doing this anyway?

There are legal obligations placed upon those who present themselves as clergy. Mainstream Muggle clergy likely have graduated from college and gone on to seminary to earn a Masters' degree, maybe a PhD? What have you done? Do you know what CPE, Clinical Pastoral Education, is?

Do you want to do prison ministry or hospice counseling? Being recognized as clergy gives you certain privileges concerning touching others and also if you get sent to jail.

Come share your experiences. We have many experiences among us.

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4/8/09

And who has heard of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church? No, it's not Mormon. It's Wiccan. See www.aquariantabernaclechurch.org.

The ATC came into being in Washington State in 1979. It has never been what might be called “an initiatory order”. They are a church corporation with both a secular and spiritual side. The secular matters rest with the Board of Directors and Corporate Officers who administer the worldly affairs of the church corporation and deal with legal matters. The Archpriesthood of the Keepers of the Gate, the innermost circle of this tradition, together with the Council of Elders (the tradition’s Judicatory), administer the spiritual affairs of the larger church body according to the Ordains.

The primary focus of the ATC is service to the Pagan/Wiccan community. Among the many things they do are clergy credentialing and the spinning off of churches under their group tax ruling.

The local groups that I know about that are connected to ATC are Florida Pagan Gathering and the Church of the Iron Oak. The founder, Pete Pathfinder has been at FPG. There is much more on the website than I can paraphrase her. I share this to show that there really are establish Pagan/Wiccan organizations out there beyond what we see in our local community.

We have a Full Moon on top of Study Group this Thursday. Not a problem for those of us who can be in more than one place at once. Me, I will be hearing about Shamanism from Marta. I missed her Sunday presentation at our UU Church.

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4/4/09

Here is a quiet weekend. It's a time to slog through taxes and catch up on reading. I wonder what else I have been putting off.

There will be Beltaine and festivals later. There will be Earth Day and time to do good works in the local parks. Over at Birch State Park, they have received a grant to rebuild the old train trestles into walking paths. Twenty years ago there was a small train that rode the kids and tourists all around the park.

That project will come into full blossom later. Meanwhile, we Earth People can go and explore what's there.

I look at the clouds darkening the sky. The rainy season is beginning. Florida wasn't always like this 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age, Florida was a dry savanna plain like the Serengeti in Africa. Sea level was lower and so the Florida land mass was larger. Conditions supported large animals like mastodons, giant armadillos, and saber-toothed cats.

What happened to the big mammals? Was it a comet, disease, or a weather change? No, popular thinking now is that it was the Humanoids. The Humanoids ate them. The males had invented the "Business Trip," back then called a hunting expedition, and all these giant beasts became tasty snacks.

There are all gone now, but we still have each other.

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3/24/09

Thank you to everyone who made our Ostara Ritual wonderful. Everything went smoothly, even cleanup. The Ritual is now online at www.moonpathcuups.org/rituals/ostara09.htm For a different twist on the season, we drew upon an earlier tradition and challenged the Minotaur and our inner demons on the Labyrinth.

The evening before, our Weather Witches worked valiantly to hold off the rain while the Tequesta Drum Circle unfolded. A few folks did not get the word that we now close the gates early to limit attendance and Muggle carousers. At midnight, our Weather Witches went off duty and the rains pours at 12:10.

This Saturday we have A Walk Within, an Annual gathering of Women at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. Over at New Age Books & Things, Janus Montuori is starting up her Astrology Series.

This Thursday in Study Group we deal with the Fuzzy Bunny one more time. This will require fire and drumming, so be ready. There are some who call us "Fuzzy Bunny" saying we have no dark aspect! What do they know. A Witch who cannot kill, cannot heal. However, we may be not quite serious about this very serious matter.

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3/18/09

Spelcastor has recovered from St Paddy's Day. The beer, rather Smithwick Ale, was fine and so was the music at McGuire's Hill 16.

We have a big weekend coming up. Thursday we do the casting call and rehearsal for our Ostara Ritual. We will start with the stories of celebrations around the fall equinox and then move on to the fine points within our ritual script.

Friday is our Tequesta Fire/Drum Circle. Remember to come early and bring $7 to get it. We start at 7 PM and close the park gates at 10 pm. We continue drumming until midnight. The idea is to reduce our numbers and to separate the drummers from the Muggle partiers. We want to stay welcome at the park. There used to be drumming on Fort Lauderdale Beach until Muggle drunks messed it up for everyone.

Saturday, we celebrate our Ostara. Our Ritual takes us back to Crete, Knossos and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur. Wear colorful ritual garb and bring food and beverage to share at the feast to follow.

Sunday morning ,.11 AM, Marta Dominguez will be speaking on Shamanism at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. Yes, we have a full weekend. This Wednesday morning, there is much needed rain, but that ought to be gone by the weekend.

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3/11/09

This Thursday at Study Group, our topic is Bring Back The Snakes. It is said that Saint Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland. We know that snakes are a symbol for Paganism.

From the Minoan Snake Goddess to the Delphi Oracle to the Christian Eve, we find stories of snakes. And they are not all bad guys. Snakes are a symbol of immortality because they shed their skin. They live in the Earth and bring back wisdom from the Oherworld. In bellydancing, there is an undulation movement called The Snake. So bring your stories of snakes and we'll make a program out of it. One of our folks used to have a python but she has not been around lately.

This Saturday, Witchs Mark plays at MoonFaire. This Sunday at 3 PM we remulch the Labyrinth at the UU Church of Fort Lauderdale. We need strong backs. Yes, there will be beer. Come maintain our sacred space. Our Ostara Ritual the following Thursday includes a snake dance on the labyrinth of Knossos. This Thursday, we will have a casting call for Quarter Minions.

And on Tuesday, March 17, Spelcastor plans to pass the afternoon at McGuire's Hill 16 in Fort Lauderdale and will be available to be bought beers.

'tis great to be Irish.

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3/3/09

This Thursday at Study Group we hear from Tigerlilly Morningstar about healing. That has to do with ourselves first and then others.

What with the economy tanking and the end of Western Civilization as we know it, our topic is timely. We don't make things better by making ourselves crazy with all this insanity and thus destroy our health. Breath deeply, press your fingers together, look around and decide: maybe I should walk out of this room and go next door?

This weekend we can heal the environment, go to the dogs, or take one more shot at living in 1533 and go to the Renaissance Festival. Next Monday, There are real live covened witches meeting over at New Age Books and Things and then Tuesday is the Full Moon.

A Full Moon has got to help! There is that drumming on the beach or maybe I'll just sit out on my roof. My condo has rules about cook stoves on the balconies but nothing about open fires on the roof. The trick is to build it in my clay thingie and to be in the center of the roof where they can't see me from below. Sirens mean the ritual must end early.

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