Solstice blessings on this longest, darkest night! As the wheel turns once again toward the light, we give thanks for all those we love. <3

Join us for some holiday cheer at our annual Yule Party! Food, fun and even a visit from the Holly King! (new link!) http://ping.fm/e2O1t

Join us for some holiday cheer at our annual Yule Party! Food, fun and even a visit from the Holly King! http://ping.fm/S7wdk

Don't miss the Holiday Soap Making workshop - make some great handmade gifts tomorrow @1! http://ping.fm/Lea1R

Get ready to rumble at the first annual Chili Cook-Off!! Amazing prizes and lots of fun to be had THIS Saturday @ 5! http://ping.fm/aa0p8

Kitchen Witches, start your cauldrons!!! Grand Prize @ Chili Cookoff - $250 Gift Certificate to Sound Warehouse! http://ping.fm/SZWKO

Kitchen Witches, start your cauldrons!!! Grand Prize @ Chili Cookoff - $250 Gift Certificate to Sound Warehouse! http://ping.fm/aa0p8

The New Moon enters Scorpio on Weds. Oct. 26 - but today we celebrate the Crone Goddess together - Open Circle @ 3 http://ping.fm/VjrlQ

Have you ever tried your hand at the Cauldron Toss? Or gotten your nose powdered during Bobbing for Donuts? Join us! http://ping.fm/uY4BM

What will you be doing this Saturday afternoon? We will be hip deep in goblins, witches and fairies, oh my! Join us! http://ping.fm/An4X8

Did you know you can rent the Temple for your event? The staff keeper has booked it for SunStave Samhain on 10/30! http://ping.fm/GOUjb

Get your costumes ready and start the Halloween fun at our annual Samhain Carnival! Great for kids & kids at heart! http://ping.fm/YKq1J

Of Lughnasadh and Leo

Blessed Lammastide to you and yours!

Lammas is the English name of one of the historical Celtic celebrations of the seasons, Lughnasadh (the others being of course, Samhain, Imbolc and Beltane) and in the old tradition was celebrated from sundown on the previous night to sundown on the day of the 1st of the month. In Ireland, the month of August is still called Lúnasa (Lughnasadh - pronounced as loo-nah-sah) in the Gaelic language and is considered to be the beginning of the Autumn season. Lughnasadh is so called because it was thought to have been started by the hero Lugh in memory of his mother Tailtiu (tal-tyuh or tel-shuh). The legend regarding Tailtiu records that she expended so much energy in clearing the fields of Ireland so that they could be planted for agriculture that she died from sheer exhaustion. The funeral or harvest feast and games of skill and might were then held every year to honor her memory.

Lughnasadh is also a favorite time to contract marriages, which is interesting given that it falls exactly three months following the fertility rites of Beltane. A baby conceived during the Beltane festivities would have begun to be obvious by Lammas, with the mother giving birth at the time of Imbolc. Imbolc, or Oimelc was the celebration of the birth of the new lambs and also a celebration of the life-giving qualities of  milk, (both cattle and human) an important food source in the ancient Celtic world. Modern Pagan and Wiccan groups typically celebrate Lughnasadh through feasting and activities celebrating the harvest, and may also stage games and competitions in honor of the ancient holiday.

As we celebrate the First Harvest this year, we have a bit of a complicating factor in that Mercury enters stationary retrograde tomorrow night (August 2nd, 2011) and will be crawling slowly backwards all month, until it finally releases that energy in the early evening of August 26th. We have been moving through the shadow period of this retrograde since July 15th, so if you have noticed an increase in strange happenings, computer problems, car breakdowns or other Mercury-affected areas, this is why!

15 Jul 2011 02:15 am 1842' Enters Rx Zone

02 Aug 2011 11:45 pm 0112'Rx Stationary Retrograde

26 Aug 2011 05:55 pm 1842' Stationary Direct

09 Sep 2011 08:16 pm 0112' Leaves Rx Zone

(As always, huge thanks to Cafe Astrology for their great charts and ephemeris info!)

We will start out this retrograde with Mercury in the solid, stable sign of Virgo, where it will be for just a few days before it returns to fiery Leo. A common effect of Mercury retrograding in Virgo is that it can affect your health or physical well-being. Sometimes it will trigger old injuries or afflictions that you thought were gone to flare up temporarily. Since Mercury retro often brings up the past, be sure that you don't ignore or dismiss physical ailments during this period. This effect will be going away around August 8th, so this will be a factor for just for a few short days this time.

After August 8th, Mercury will move back into the Fire sign of Leo, and the effects will shift from our physical self to the manifestation of our wills. Normally, Mercury in Leo will allow us to step to the front of the stage, to bring the strength of our passions to the forefront and to be able to articulate very clearly what it is we want to happen. Mercury in it's retrograde stage in Leo slows everything down, and makes it hard for us to properly communicate about what we are passionate about, and to stand up for the things we believe in. We may feel the need to hibernate, to hide our true desires and to keep things under wraps for a little while. We may lose some confidence in our convictions or have a hard time with feeling sure about our path. However, this is not always or entirely a bad thing! This will also be a great time to reexamine what we are putting our energies into. Take some time out over the next few weeks (after August 8th) and have a good honest look at what you are putting your will toward. Are you spreading yourself too thin? Are you putting your energy into things just out of habit or a sense of obligation? Take a good look at these areas and you could find some insights that may help you refocus your time and attention toward the things that you really love.

The sign of Leo also governs our interactions with children, and so we may get some contact or information coming from the past that is either channeled through the children around you or has something to do with the children in your life, if you have them.

Finally, Leo is also the natural sign of the politician, and so the political grandstanding and games that we in the USA have witnessed in our government is no surprise to those who watch the dance of the planetary bodies. It is interesting how the spotlight on the most recent debates and the level of self-aggrandizing posturing increased markedly after the July 15th shadow period began, as Mercury was in Leo that whole time. This has affected President Obama very heavily as he is a Leo sun native. Remarkably, the small window that opened when Mercury entered Virgo on the morning Sunday July 31, combined with the forces of the New moon in Leo seem to have allowed some measure of stability to enter the political scene. Almost like a fever breaking, the heat of Mercury in Leo which was affecting communications in our leadership was taken away, replaced by a much more calm, soothing Virgo energy which began to encourage cooperation and sensibility regarding our financial situation. We can only hope that a reasonable solution will be found and implemented before the retrograde begins in earnest tomorrow night, and certainly before Mercury plunges back into hot-tempered Leo after August 8th.

Finally, here is a repost / edit of part of one of my earlier articles regarding what to do during a Mercury retrograde to help yourself survive the storm safely and sanely.

How to survive a Mercury Retrograde

As I have written many times before, you don't necessarily have to dread the energy of Mercury Retrograde. People born under a Mercury Retrograde period usually have a much easier time of it than those without that aspect in their natal charts, but the next few weeks don't HAVE to spell disaster.

That being said, here are some areas to keep a close eye on:

1. Computers and important data should be backed up frequently and protected with a strong firewall and antivirus set of programs. Hard drives do wear out, even external ones, so you may wish to review the ages of your hard drives, they only last between 3-5 years on average.

2. Get your car tuned up and your oil and filters checked. Check on your tires for wear and if you don't have one, get your AAA card in case of breakdowns. During this hot time, keep extra water, engine coolant and an umbrella in your car!

3. Double-and triple-check any and all travel plans, and make sure to bring a change of clothes and important medications in your carry-on in case of delays or changes in schedules when flying.

4. Delay signing legal contracts, buying a home or purchasing expensive electronics, at the very least until Mercury goes direct on August 26th, and if possible, until after the shadow period has passed on Sept. 9th. If you MUST sign any contracts during this time, make certain to read all the fine print very closely, make sure you have copies of everything and be sure that you understand what you are signing. Be detailed in keeping records of who, what, when, where and why, and even go overboard a little on the nitpicky details and don't let anyone pressure you into doing something or signing something you don't fully understand. 

5. Keep a close eye on your financial transactions during this time. Review your bank or credit accounts often, even daily, and keep track of all of your receipts for purchases and bank deposits.

(I know that I have posted these tips before, but the advice doesn't really change from one Mercury retro to the next)

Finally, during the next few weeks, try to approach any snafus, delays or frustrations with patience and tranquility. Cultivate and practice a "go with the flow" attitude. It can't hurt you and it might even help get you through this cycle with your sanity intact! This would be a perfect time to get yourself a set of meditation beads and learn how to use them. Remember to breathe and if it gets too much, you can always throw your hands up, embrace the chaos and say "Hail Eris!".

Happy Birthday to Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama! We wish him long life and much happiness! http://ping.fm/WhEQC

We thank Lady Liberty for our continued freedom to worship as we will! Thanks Selena 4 this great article! Happy 4th! http://ping.fm/M7rK6

Full Moon Concert with Celia

Join us under the full summer moon for a concert with our favorite wandering songstress, Celia! Bring a snack or drink to share and spend the evening enjoying her unique, uplifting and humorous blend of song and performance. $12 advance -$ 15 day of show suggested donation goes directly to this wonderful artist to support her in her divine work. Everyone is welcome, this event is all ages!

RSVP on our Facebook event here

Celia Concert Advance Tickets - $12 Donation

The Church of the Sacred Circle Web Store

We've dusted off our old web store and added tons of new and exciting items! The store is now available from our main site, on Facebook and on our blog.

We have added a lot of new shirts that are available in Earth-loving, soft, silky organic cotton, in sizes from men's to kids and even all the way down to infants.  There are also plenty of new styles to choose from like tank tops and baseball style raglan shirts.

Other new items to choose from include eco friendly drink options like Sigg brand and generic water bottles, a ceramic travel mug and a high quality pint glass. There are stickers, clocks, boxes and even this sweet logo pendant, one of the first times we have ever been able to offer official Church of the Sacred Circle jewelry!

Remember that everything here helps to generate operating costs for our Temple and other special projects. We don't get much, but every little bit counts, and it all adds up! Thank you for your support and your love throughout the years, and thank you all for being part of our family of the heart! 

Summertime Rolls

The Summer Solstice has finally brought us some gorgeous weather, and we are very excited about the full calendar of events that we have to share with you over the next few weeks! Get to clicking and let us know what you're excited about attending! (Click the headers to RSVP on Facebook)


**Cue Jane's Addiction music now**


Crystal Allies Gem & Mineral Club 
Friday, July 8th, 7 pm
Join us for our monthly workshop on the ins and outs of working with crystals and minerals, hosted by our amazing crystal lady Jennifer!

Crystal Goddesses 
Sunday, July 10th, 2 pm
Our monthly women-only gathering, Crystal Goddesses explores the relationship between Goddess energy and the abundant minerals and gemstones of our Mother Earth.

Full Moon Concert with Celia
Friday, July 15th, 7 pm
Join us under the full summer moon for a concert with our favorite wandering songstress, Celia! Bring a snack or drink to share and spend the evening enjoying her unique, uplifting and humorous blend of song and performance.


MoonCraft Full Moon Circle
Sunday, July 17th, 3 pm
A regular event, this is our monthly full moon crafting circle. Your priestess for this circle will be Medicine Wolf who will be sharing her herbal knowledge with us.

Paranormal Investigations
Saturday, July 23rd, 6:00 pm
We are an open group who invite others to come and join us as we seek out paranormal places and experiences. We use digital recorders, cameras, thermometers, EMF detectors, KVP detectors, and the like, as well as our intuition and talents to experience and investigate paranormal activities in both the public and private settings.

Annual Family Camp Out
July 29-31st
Every year we spend time in the great outdoors with our friends and families, soaking up the beautiful energies of our gorgeous mountains! Space limited, RSVP only!

Sacred Circle Annual Meeting
Saturday, July 30, 4 pm
This meeting is our once-a-year gathering where our members can help elect new Directors, vote on our budget and find out what our plans and priorities are for the next Wheel! We want to know what you think!

***Pro tip: Subscribe to our Google calendar to put all of these events right on your schedule! 

Turn your face to the sky & give thanks for the warmth of the Sun on this lovely Summer Solstice Day! Blessings of the Lord & Lady to you!

It's 13:13 PM on Friday the 13th! Make a wish! Good luck and blessings to you on this beautiful day. http://ping.fm/MDGh0

Happy Friday the 13th!

Friday the 13th is the luckiest day for Pagans and Witches!

Friday is named after the Goddess Frigga, who blesses marriage and fertility. The number 13 has many associations with luck and good fortune in pre-Christian or non-Christian cultures. From the Chinese to the Egyptians, and stretching as far back in time to the 27,000 year old prehistoric carving of the Venus of Laussel, the number 13 has been important.

"Lucky people generate their own good fortune via four basic principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectation, and adopt a resilient attitude that transform bad luck into good." - Richard Wiseman

Celebrate Friday the 13th by :

• Petting a black cat! Cats are sacred to Frigga, after whom Friday is named.
• Getting a "bakers' dozen" (13) donuts or bagels in honor of the sacred round "holed stones", the psychic gateways of the British Isles. Share with your co-workers or friends!
• Kiss your spouse 13 times to gain the blessings of Frigga, goddess of marriage.

More 13 lore to celebrate:

• There are 13 Moons in a year
• There are 13 witches in a traditional coven
• 13 Notches on the horn carried by the Venus of Laussel
• There are 13 Buddhas in some schools of thought in India
• 13 original colonies in America
• The known universe is currently thought to be about 13.7 billion years old, with an error of about one percent.
• There are 13 zodiac constellations, which consist of the 12 signs in the astrological zodiac and Ophiuchus.
• In Judaism, 13 is considered a lucky number. One explanation for this is that the word אחד echad, Hebrew for 'one' and thus a way of describing the unique God, has the numerological value of 13 according to the Gematria system
• The ancient Maya used the number 13 in the development of their calendrical science which served as the basis of their cosmology as well. The 13:20 ratio expresses the frequencies and cycles of Creation, now scientifically verifiable through the latest discoveries about the classical period Mayan Calendar.
• In Sikhism, the number thirteen (13) is a number devoted to the remembrance of God, therefore it is also considered lucky by people who practice the Sikh faith.

Beltane and the Royal Handfasting

Beltane is upon us and we celebrate the greening of the Earth our Mother, and the joyful union of male and female to create new life. All around us, the joy of Spring abounds, with flowers in bloom (and for some of us, the attendant allergies in bloom!).

Beltane is the traditional day for the joining of the King and Queen of the May. The idea of the fertility of the village or tribe being represented by a royal or sacred couple is very old, and goes all the way back within documented history to the Sumerians and the marriage of Inanna and Dumuzi. As the royal or sacred couple joins in the sexual act, they perform an act of magick, in order to ensure the fertility and prosperity of all of their people. Throughout the ages, this has been an important function of royalty itself. In the modern traditions of Beltane, the King and Queen of the May are crowned and then wrapped into the Maypole to receive the blessings and wishes of  the people, and then in a more private ceremony, consummate the wishes and hopes of their temporary "subjects".

In that respect, this portion of the Royal wedding of William and Kate caught my eye, when their hands were bound and they were proclaimed as joined. This tradition hearkens back to the old idea of handfasting, where the couple's hands are bound together and they are joined in marriage, and I find it fascinating that the idea has been so powerful throughout the ages that it is still represented in the Church of England's wedding ceremony. The choice of the royal couple to have their joining so close to the holiday of Beltane is an interesting one as well, and although we hesitate to pry into the lives of the newlyweds, we can wish them a happy and fruitful Beltane tonight indeed!

We WILL have our psychic fair booth at Earth Jam today, and there's warmer weather later, so come on down and see us in the Fire stage area!

Celebrate the full moon with us on Sunday @ 3 pm during MoonCraft Full Moon Circle! Families & kids welcome! http://ping.fm/1EeMC

Introduction to Astrology Workshop - THIS Saturday @ 3 pm http://ping.fm/mdntl

Memory of an Elephant UPDATE

The latest news about this suggests that Bob Parsons killed a young female elephant, not a "bull in musth" as he previously claimed.We are in the final phases of moving our GoDaddy accounts to our new hosting provider and domain registrar, which are imountain.com and namecheap.com, respectively.

---------------- From Discovery.com ------------------
In a widely circulated video last week, billionaire GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons brags about shooting a bull "problem elephant" in Zimbabwe, but one of the world's leading elephant experts has told Discovery News that the animal was likely a young female.

During the video, Parsons is shown shooting the elephant and then smiling while casually leaning against its dead body, gun resting on the animal's head.

"The 'bull' that GoDaddy CEO, Mr. Bob Parsons, brags about appears to be a young female," said Joyce Poole, an elephant researcher and conservationist who has studied the animals for over 30 years. Poole first worked at Amboseli National Park under the mentorship of elephant expert Cynthia Moss and is now director of research and conservation at ElephantVoices.

"The video is low resolution, but the elephant's very slender tusks and the lack of male genitalia, which would have been visible, leave me with little doubt," Poole said. "Was Mr. Parsons so ignorant that he was not able to sex the elephant he killed, or was his claim that the elephant was a bull just one more example of his macho arrogance and misjudgment?"

"The fact that he put out his video for the whole world to see shows both," she added.

The video suggests this is Parsons' second year of killing elephants in Africa. He portrays himself as a hero, ridding villagers of "aggressive" bull elephants that raid their sorghum crops.

Elephant specialists, however, believe that such hunters are actually putting villagers and others who encounter the pachyderms in more danger.

Read the rest of this article at http://news.discovery.com/animals/parsons-elephant-killing-110404.html

@godaddy CEO kills elephant, drives away customers, including us! Read our take on it here: http://ping.fm/s9dT6 @namecheap fail

The memory of an elephant

In keeping with our beliefs regarding the sacredness of the Earth and her creatures, our Board of Directors today authorized the transfer of all of our domain and hosting accounts away from GoDaddy.com. The CEO of GoDaddy, Bob Parsons, recently posted a video showing him killing a wild elephant at a village in Zimbabwe.

While we are not going to attempt to debate the validity of hunting vs. non-hunting vs. sport hunting, we do note several things.

1. Elephants are still endangered in many parts of the world, including Zimbabwe, who until the regime of the current dictator Mugabe, had an active and successful conservation program which protected elephants and  brought thousands of tourists (and brought economic support for the villages via their money)  to view the herds in their natural habitat.

2. There exist many other ways to deter elephants from populated areas. According to a Zimbabwean wildlife expert, shootings like this do little to deter negative interaction between human settlements and the elephant population.

3. Elephants are intelligent, sensitive, intensely social and will grieve for their lost family members. Causing harm to such a creature in the name of sport is not something that we can continue to support financially.

As we are currently in the process of transferring our sites and domains, if you see  any weirdness with how our sites operate, or if it looks like they are down, please be patient with the transfer process, and check back in a day or so. This blog will not be affected by the changes, so go ahead and bookmark it to stay updated on the transfer status.

All of our domain registrations are being moved to Namecheap.com, who is currently offering a great deal to GoDaddy customers to transfer their domains. Additionally, they will donate $1 from every domain transfer fee to savetheelephants.org.

If you would like to transfer any of your sites / domains and need help with this process, GOOD.is has a great step-by-step tutorial on how to leave Godaddy.com.

Additionally, we voted to move our hosting accounts to www.iMountain.com which powers all of their servers with solar electricity, generated onsite at their location. So this decision was an easy one to make, and one that is in line with our stated intentions to support the sacredness inherent in all things.

Huge thanks go out to all of our attendees, readers, vendors & volunteers who made the Spring Fling Psychic Faire a success! http://ping.fm/ndAyi

The moment of Spring Equinox in our time zone is 5:21 pm. May the bliss and blessings of spring surround you! http://ping.fm/8GLXG

Today is the first day of the shadow of Mercury Retrograde in Aries. What does that mean? http://ping.fm/aE69y

Spring Cleaning with Mercury Retrograde

It's here again! Mercury appears to go "backward" or retrograde in the sky relative to the Earth about three times a year. This year, it will be retrograding in the Fire signs, and the first one will be in the innovative and passionate sign of Aries.

Today, March 16 will begin what some astrologers call the "shadow" period, when Mercury passes through the degrees of the Zodiac that it will traverse three times total over the next several weeks.

16 Mar 2011 09:52 pm 1253' Enters Rx Zone
30 Mar 2011 04:39 pm 2421'Rx Stationary Retrograde
23 Apr 2011 05:58 am 1253' Stationary Direct
11 May 2011 06:22 am 2421' Leaves Rx Zone

Thanks to Cafe Astrology for the wonderfully simple graphic explaining why we have "shadow" periods before and after the actual retrograde, and for the ephemeris information. 


What does Mercury retrograde in Aries bring?

Mercury, being the planet of everything communication, also encompasses other areas which are ruled by the same energy. Computers, electronics, vehicles, modes of transportation, and travel are all highlighted for close attention when we have Mercury doing it's retrograde thing.

Being that this particular retrograde period is in the Fire sign of Aries, we should watch out for becoming too wrapped up in our own emotions, experiences and thoughts. Aries can bring a brash and impulsive energy, with a hot temper and equally passionate will. Emotions will tend to flare and senseless arguments can ensue. Be aware of the tendency that this time will bring to unearth old hurts and deeply buried grudges. Some of these may get resolution, but it could turn out to be a painful one. Take care and pay attention to how selfish or self-centered you may be during these next few weeks as Aries highlights a "me first" attitude.

The news isn't all bad!

This time could also bring a renewed passion for things we thought we had left behind, and might even prod us to finish projects left undone or unearth old hobbies or interests. Old flames returning are another possible manifestation of this energy. We may also be able to rediscover connections with those we once shared a common interest with.

Fire energy can also be very cleansing and transformative. This could be a great time to get rid of old habits or ways of being that no longer serve our higher purpose. At times, things that are painful in the moment can be greatly beneficial down the road, so be aware of your own transformative capabilities during the next several weeks. The firey cauldron of Mercury retrograde in Aries could be just the thing that we need to dip into in order to release the things that may need a bit of a boost to fully leave our lives. As with everything, a little self-knowledge can go a long way, so take some time to do some mental and emotional spring cleaning over the next few weeks.

How to survive a Mercury Retrograde

As I have written many times before, you don't necessarily have to dread the energy of Mercury Retrograde. People born under a Mercury Retrograde period usually have a much easier time of it than those without that aspect in their natal charts, but the next few weeks don't HAVE to spell disaster.

That being said, here are some areas to keep a close eye on:

1. Computers and important data should be backed up frequently and protected with a strong firewall and antivirus set of programs. Hard drives do wear out, even external ones, so you may wish to review the ages of your hard drives, they only last between 3-5 years on average.

2. Get your car tuned up and your oil and filters checked. Check on your tires for wear and if you don't have one, get your AAA card in case of breakdowns. Keep a heavy coat and boots in your car in case you get stuck in the cold. Even in the spring time, storms can be unpredictable and snow can still fall!

3. Double-and triple-check any and all travel plans, and make sure to bring a change of clothes and important medications in your carry-on in case of delays or changes in schedules when flying.

4. Delay signing legal contracts, buying a home or purchasing expensive electronics, at the very least until Mercury goes direct on April 23rd, and if possible, until after the shadow period has passed on May 11th.

5. Keep a close eye on your financial transactions during this time. Review your bank or credit accounts often, even daily, and keep track of all of your receipts for purchases and bank deposits.

(I know that I have posted these tips before, but the advice doesn't really change from one Mercury retro to the next)

Finally, during the next few weeks, try to approach any snafus, delays or frustrations with patience and tranquility. Cultivate and practice a "go with the flow" attitude. It can't hurt you and it might even help get you through this cycle with your sanity intact! This would be a perfect time to get yourself a set of meditation beads and learn how to use them. Remember to breathe and if it gets too much, you can always throw your hands up, embrace the chaos and say "Hail Eris!".

Ordinations & Updates

Congratulations to our three new clergy members who received their permanent ordination at our February Open Circle on Sunday, Feb. 6th. 2011.



Please welcome Rev. Demetria, Rev. Lady Avalon Starr and Rev. Elena Grayowl as they continue to grow and enrich the services we can offer to our membership and the community at large!

Each clergy member has to create a year-long project for the Church as part of their beginning ordination process.

Rev. Demetria chose to create the Crystal Allies Gem & Mineral Club as her project, and midway through the year also began another project, the Paranormal Investigations group.

Rev. Elena Grayowl has been serving the group as Office of Spirit, and has also taken on an external project where she teaches and ministers to a population of incarcerated youth. She meets with them twice a month and has been teaching and leading ritual both inside their facility. She is actively seeking volunteers from the community to bring their knowledge and experience to these youth.

Rev. Lady Avalon Starr chose to share her wealth of knowledge within the domestic realm, and has been leading monthly Kitchen Witchery classes which encompass many disciplines, including herbalism, growing and preserving food and crafting kitchen spells.

As one of their first official duties as clergy, they will  be joining Rev. Heron at Pantheacon in San Jose as representatives of The Church of the Sacred Circle. They will participate in rituals, workshops, lectures and bring lots of great knowledge back to our community! This is the  first time that Sacred Circle has had an official presence at Pantheacon, and we look forward to representing our membership with honor and dignity.

Please note that MoonCraft is NOT canceled! Our Office of Water, Emeralde, will be officiating and has a very fun craft for you to participate in.

Finally, the main Church of the Sacred Circle site has been updated with a brand new look and feel, and has a nice new slideshow running right on the front page!Please check it out, let us know what you think & look for more content to be added soon!

Our Annual Year Spell is tomorrow, plus there's this whole Master Number 11 thing - check it out here! http://ping.fm/ifaHe

The Year Spell 01/11

The Year Spell & the Master Number 11

Our Year Spell is held every year on the full moon closest to the beginning of January. This year is the first "Master Number" year - 2011 - of the 21st Century. Our Year Spell MoonCraft is being held on Sunday, January 16th starting at 3 pm. You can RSVP and get more info, including the address and directions from the link above.

What's a Master Number, and why is it important? 
In the study of Numerology, 11 is the number of
deep intuition, psychic ability and the first attempts at reaching outside of ourselves to gain knowledge of the numinous and unseen realms of the Spirit world. All throughout this year, the master number of 11 and it's 11:11 manifestation will pop up over and over again, encouraging us to leave behind selfishness and extend our hearts and souls in compassion and love. This is the first lesson of the number 11, because only by releasing selfishness can we begin to grow in spirit. 11 as a master number reminds us of our interdependence with all of those around us, and of the importance of treating everyone with kindness. It will also be a reminder to become more in tune with our sense of knowing and increase our innate ability to connect with the world around us. Everyone possesses the capacity for psychic awareness, if we can allow ourselves to think and feel without putting down or minimizing the messages we receive. This could be a great year for empowering your own inner psychic!

What exactly is a Year Spell?
In the tradition of Sacred Circle, what we call a year spell is something that is known by many names. A treasure map is the most common name, but sometimes it can be called a wishing picture, or a dream collage. A Year Spell is basically a visual collage which contains images, words and ideas that you wish to come true within the year.

So, how does it work?
The basic technique is that within a set time frame, you look through magazines, catalogs and other paper items such as journals or newspapers, and cut out things which grab your attention and which you think best represent your goals and dreams for the year. You then paste these items onto a collage and then hang it in your home where you can see it on a daily basis. There are a lot of articles and self-help books that promote different ways to do this. Our tradition is a little specific in the way that the year spell is created, which is what makes it such a powerful ritual!

Our year spell differs from many of these other techniques in a few important ways which you should know about. Firstly, our year spell has a time limit on it. It is crafted specifically for the year in which it is created, and the goals and images captured on it are visualized to happen within that time frame. Now this does NOT mean that if you put something on the year spell that does not come true within the year, that it will never happen! You may have to add some goals year after year until they finally manifest. However, keeping your goals firmly in mind will definitely help with the manifestation process! Coming back to your goals and dreams on a yearly basis can also be a great way to check in on yourself and your own personal progress.

Second, we highly recommend that you bring a photo of yourself to cut out and attach to your year spell! Some websites and books say that this is not as necessary, but we have found that putting your own image into the representation of your goals and dreams is a very strong bit of magic (and there's also some other magic to do with this part that is given out only through oral tradition!) Couples can craft independent spells, or if married or committed to one another, can craft a joint spell. Families can craft one spell for their family group. Children are encouraged to think about their own hopes and dreams, and very often become immersed in the creative process of cutting and pasting images for their own collages. You may also wish to consider what the content of the photos that you bring to the spell are, since you are setting the tone for your year, and should probably choose a recent photo where your emotional state is one of peace, happiness or contentment. If you don't want to cut up a favorite photo, you may wish to consider a simple color photocopy of it as an inexpensive alternative.

Finally, doing such a ritual with the support of a group and being able to access the shared energy, power and intention of the group makes for a very strong vibratory message that is sent to the universe. Petitions are always more powerful when they have more signatures, right? Well this is the same principle. More energy + more intention + more voices = more powerful manifestations. This is "the secret" behind coven and closed-group workings, only this time, there is no initiation required.

What do I need for a Year Spell?
As mentioned above, one of the most important items is a recent photograph of yourself, your family or you and your children. Besides this, you will want to bring your own pair of scissors, and it may sound strange, but if you have any magazines laying around your house, bring a few along. We have found that if your goals are in specific areas, you probably have some representations of these goals in magazine, journal or catalog form. For instance, if one of your dreams is to travel to a tropical paradise on vacation, you may already have purchased an "Islands" magazine or something similar, just on a whim. Or if you are interested, for instance, in buying new equipment for your photography hobby, it's common to have one or more gear catalogs handy. These items can make it much easier to represent your goals and dreams in pictorial format. Glue sticks and 12" x 12" cardstock will be provided. If you would like to, you may also bring a snack or beverage to share during this very social ritual.

Please plan for at least a three hour or longer ritual. This event often goes much longer than our average MoonCraft event, so we advise that you don't plan on rushing off somewhere else until well after 7 pm. Good magick takes time to craft, so give yourself enough time to finish your year spell completely.

What about bringing children? Children are welcome to come to this circle! We do try to provide some entertainment in the form of DVD's to watch or coloring pages for the younger set, but you will need to watch after your children, as we do not provide babysitting . If you feel that a multi-hour event in a confined space would be too much for your younger kids to handle, you might want to consider a babysitter or caretaker so that you can focus and enjoy the circle more. That being said, most children enjoy the cutting and pasting of the collage and can be encouraged to set goals for themselves on their year spells. If you want your child to create a year spell, you may want to remember to bring a photo of them that they can put on their own collage.

Finally, a checklist

By way of mental preparation, if you have done a year spell in the past, please spend some time with it, see what came true, what did not, and what you'd like to carry over into the new year. If you haven't ever done a year spell before, do a mental review of your year behind, and then look ahead a little and see what you might want to manifest in the coming months.

Magazines or pictures to cut out
Scissors or cutting implements
Photograph of yourself, your family or your children (or all three) that you can cut up.
Snacks or Drinks to share
Favorite games or diversions for your children, if you are bringing them

Project A.R.E.S. Letter

I wanted to share with everyone the wonderful letter that we just received regarding the Project A.R.E.S. ritual kits. Our Military liaison, Bill who is in charge of the project recently sent some kits out to some Pagan soldiers stationed in northern Iraq.

We are pleased and honored to support those in the military who wish to practice their earth-based faiths.
We will be working on creating some more kits for this project in the summertime, so if you would like to help or contribute to the project, make sure you contact Bill soon!

Read the full text of the letter below:

To all members:

I would like to thank all of you for the wonderful package of Field Ritual kits you sent to the Joint Base Balad Open Circle. It warms my heart to know that there are religious organizations looking out for us and supporting the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines serving overseas.

Who we are: The Joint Base Balad (JBB) Open Circle was established on October 31, 2004 by a small congregation of Pagan soldiers. In that time the Open Circle has seen many faiths and paths come across the doorway. We offer services, support, and private location for meditation, rituals and classes for all Wiccan, Pagan and Neo-Pagan paths and traditions. No Service Member or Civilian Contractor are turned away and we strive to bring awareness to our own small community, and the (? ed.-)

Myself: I am the co-Distinguished Faith Group Leader for the Open Circle. I have been serving in the Army  Reserve for 12 years. My faith is Wiccan (Nocturnal Path). I enjoy doing my job as the Faith Group Leader and will soon begin training my replacement. It's my intent to see the Open Circle going strong until the last day US Forces leave Iraq.

Again, I would like to thank you for your support. My co-leader Mike K. also sends his regards. As we prepare for our Yule all of you will be in our thoughts and we will try send a little of our energy your way!

Sincerely,
Andrew H. Lund
Sergeant, US Army