Spring Newsletter

Spring has arrived in Utah, and in celebration, here is our newsletter! Read on to find out more about what's happening at the Church of the Sacred Circle and in the wider world!

Happy Anniversary to our Temple! 

Yesterday, April 1st, marked the 7th Anniversary of the creation of our Temple space! We are so grateful to have this gorgeous space to call our own and to offer to the community.

We have a lot going on here, so if you haven't yet been around to check it out, please do attend one of our many upcoming events. You'll find a list of events at the end of the newsletter.

Spring Astrology Update

There is plenty going in in the sky this month, so we will start with the first one. On Tuesday, April 15th, we will see the first of four lunar eclipses that are part of a set known as a "tetrad". These four eclipses, occurring in 2014 & 2015 will all be visible in part or in full from the United States. Check out this link for all the astronomical data. 

This full Pink moon eclipse will be happening in the sign of Libra, and it is just the first bump in the road for April. Lunar eclipses tend to bring up things from our subconscious that haven't seen the light of day for, well, many moons! Be aware that it can be a little uncomfortable to reveal things about yourself that maybe you are not even fully cognizant of, but whatever happens, it needs to come up and be dealt with. Libra is concerned with balance and harmony, so if you are out of balance, stressed out, or needing a nudge in the right direction, this eclipse could do a lot to push you to correct whatever is wrong. Lunar eclipses are also traditionally about things coming to fullness or completion, so whatever karmic harvests the Universe may have in store for you, you might see that as well. If you have put something in motion, particularly if it is governed by the forces of Libra, you might see the end of it very soon! Astrologer Susan Miller says that these April eclipses are governed by the "angry" cardinal cross formation, but I see it as less angry than stern. You won't be fooling anyone during the three days surrounding the full moon eclipse, so adopt a pose of "honesty is the best policy" and you'll fare much better. You can get your specific sun sign forecast for April from Susan (and I highly recommend that you do) by going to the link here Susan Miller's Guide to Surviving Eclipses and clicking through the pages to find your sun sign forecast.

Next up - the 2014 Grand Cross which I wrote about in my last blog post. The planets Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto will all be within 1 degree of exact formation during the days of April 20-24th - and note that this configuration is exact both five days after the lunar eclipse and five days before the solar eclipse. It is powerful stuff! As noted then - no planetary configuration is either harmful or helpful.  It all depends on how each of us responds to the energies at play. This Grand Cross puts us literally at a crossroads, a decision point, and how we respond to it is up to us. Where will we go? Which road will we take? These four days will be a critical time for our year ahead, no matter what else goes on. So make sure to take some time to acknowledge this, and don't forget to breathe. By the end of May, this configuration will have eased off significantly, so if you are having a tough time of it, remember that the end is in sight. 

Finally,  the solar eclipse of April 29th in the sign of Taurus will bring us an opportunity to make a positive change and to allow us to plant the seeds of future growth. All eclipses bring about major changes, but solar ones tend to affect us a bit more strongly than lunar ones. To put it another way, lunar eclipses tend to focus us more on our inner selves and how we feel about things, whereas solar eclipses move us to action on an external plane. The realm of Taurus is the earthy, green and growing forest, and relates to all things in our material plane. So this is a good time for a move, to acquire land, to plant our gardens, both physically and metaphorically. Whatever secrets have been revealed by the lunar eclipse, and whatever decisions we make during the Grand Cross formation, the Taurus solar eclipse then gives us fertile soil to make those changes grow and thrive!

The Amazon Smile Program

Speaking of growth, we are very happy to announce that we are part of the Amazon Smile! program. This program will allow us to receive donations from Amazon, every time you shop on their website! If you shop on Amazon, you can choose The Church of the Sacred Circle as your designated charity, and then we will get a quarterly donation from Amazon, based on how much you spend with them! This program is exciting because it is implemented at NO cost to you! Find out more about this wonderful donation program and how to sign up for it on our Amazon Smile page. Or you can start giving right away by simply updating your preferences on the Amazon website.

Spring Psychic Faires

In case you want even more information about your future, we have two upcoming Psychic Faires for you!

Psychic Tent at Earth Jam 

Come out and see us at Earth Jam! We will have our normal setup and will be offering readings throughout the day on Saturday. These readings are being offered for a minimum suggested donation of $5, so it is a great way to get a quick check on what is happening with your energy. 

Saturday, April 26th - 11 am - sundown

Liberty Park, Salt Lake City

Rites of Spring Psychic Faire

Saturday, May 17th - 3-9 pm  
The Sacred Circle Temple
3464 W. 3800 South, SLC

Enjoy the growing green energies of Springtime and explore the mysteries of the unknown at The Church of the Sacred Circle's Rites of Spring Psychic Faire.

Join with our energetic healers, Reiki masters, mediums and readers for an afternoon of awareness and awakening! Bring your aura to be massaged and cleansed, bring your questions, bring your thirst for knowledge, bring your friends!

Our Rites of Spring Psychic Faire hosts everything from healers to vendors to mediums and card readers. Get a Tarot card or Oracle reading, get a birth chart done, and ask your guides what's up in your future!

NEW for this year - 10 minute crystal bowl aura cleansing session!

Free entrance, readings are a $15 donation.

Readers & Vendors please contact Avalon at 801.661.1710 for more info.

Special Events & Announcements

 

 Mead Making Workshop & Drum Circle - On Saturday, June 28th we will host a special Mead Making workshop with our own very talented Mead master, Ed. The workshop will start at 3 pm and is a free event to show you how to get started with making your own mead. Following the workshop, we will have a potluck barbecue dinner and then a drum circle around the campfire to round off the evening! Please bring a dish to share for the potluck and your own seating (camp chairs) and any beverages you may wish to consume. 

Family Campout Time!  Our annual Family Campout will be held over the 4th of July weekend this year. Get up in the mountains and out of the haze of fireworks for some time in nature! This campout will be held in Big Cottonwood Canyon this year to enable people to pop in for the day if they do not want to camp overnight. We will go up on Friday, the 4th and return on Sunday afternoon. Watch for a Facebook or Meetup RSVP link as we get closer to the date.

We need you! - Want to know more about how Sacred Circle works? Would you like to be involved in our day to day operations and make a difference in our community? We are looking for a couple of very talented and motivated people to help out in the following areas: 

Office of Air - Takes meeting notes, sends out agendas, acts as a secretary to the group. Requires good skills with email, text and communications.

Office of Fire - Organizes events, activities, volunteers, and generally helps put on our biggest events such as the Psychic Faires. Requires great people skills and organizational talents. 

Let us know if you would like to be considered for either of these positions by emailing us at info () sacredcirclechurch dot com or through our Facebook page.

Ongoing Events

 

MoonCraft Full Moons

Sunday, April  13th - 3 pm - SLC

Sunday, April 13th - 3 pm - South (Orem)

Sunday, May 11th - 3 pm - SLC

Sunday, May 11th - 3 pm - South (Orem) 

Sunday, June 15th - 3 pm - SLC
Sunday, June 15th - 3 pm - South (Orem)

Open Circle

Sunday, April 25th - 3 pm - SLC 

Sunday, May 25th - 3 pm - SLC

Sunday, June 29th - 3 pm - SLC

Divination & Intuitive Oracles 

Friday, April  18th - 7 pm - SLC

Friday, May 16th - 7 pm - SLC

Friday, June 20 - 7 pm  - SLC

Charmed Goddesses

Sunday, April 20 - 3 pm - South (Orem)

Sunday, May 18 - 3 pm - South (Orem)

Sunday, June 22- 3 pm - South (Orem) 

 

New Year's Day SuperMoon of 2014

New Year's Day SuperMoon (New Moon) of 2014

The world hasn't seen a new moon on the day of the New Year for 19 years - the last one being the first day of January, 1995. Then, as now, the moon and sun were conjunct in Capricorn. Normally a New Year's Day is full of excitement and anticipation. Everyone is looking to the future and laying out plans for a whole new year ahead - but this time, we may not feel like celebrating quite as much.

The heavy emphasis of this day is centered on the four planets clustered together in Capricorn. The Sun, The Moon, Mercury and Pluto are involved, and at the time of the new moon at about 4 am MST on January 1st, they will all be within one degree of each other, a powerful and important aspect called a stellium, that lights up the sky with portents and omens.

Most critically, this stellium is part of the formation of the Grand Cross of 2014, a force which will bring about incredible activity and changes on both a personal and global level.

The Supermoon Stellium (bottom left) and the Cardinal Grand Cross of 2014 (red box)

More about the planets in Capricorn

If you're already feeling this energy, you're not alone! Pluto has been in deep, dense Capricorn for a few years now, and this slow to move planet is in no hurry to leave. The other planets have been approaching Pluto for several days now, and the formation is about to come together very closely!

Capricorn is the final Earth sign of the Zodiac. It is governed by the planet Saturn, which gives us a lot of information about it's basic nature. Saturn is the teacher, the taskmaster and the keeper of everything that is traditional. Saturn keeps us on the path of our destiny, even when we would like to slack or shirk, it is difficult to escape his influence.

Steady, calm and determined, the Capricorn sun asks us to follow the path of the status quo, keeping everyone in line and frowning on impulse and gaiety as inessential to the practicalities of life.

With the New Moon in Capricorn, we may not feel up to confronting the sometimes messy and complicated landscape of our emotional lives. Capricorn moon shies away from confrontation, wanting only to retreat into a hermit cave and release any responsibility for the wild rush of the lunar tides. Capricorn moon dreams of things that are predictable and avoids speculation. It will take cold, hard facts over dreamy intuition any day, thank you. While the energies of full moons are more celebratory and fulfilled, a new moon heralds new beginnings and is best spent in quiet contemplation, something that may be a bit difficult on New Year's Eve!

Capricorn image courtesy Josephine Wall

Mercury in Capricorn wants us to communicate with deliberation and apply cold reason and logic to all of our thoughts and decisions. Mercury in Capricorn steers us towards thinking of everything in practicalities and helps us to cut out anything that is unnecessary or frivolous in the ways that we think and talk. Capricorn Mercury says to slow down and think before we speak!

Finally, the dark form of Pluto at 11 degrees of Capricorn anchors the stellium and sends messages through the subconscious of psychic import and hints of secrets left buried, sometimes for decades. Pluto always calls for transformation in some way, and at this time, the Lord of the Underworld will willingly receive that which you wish to shed, if you are strong enough to let go.

More positively, and with all of these planets, the influence of Capricorn can provide a stable base for making plans for the future. Along with the New Year, the Capricorn New Moon can help us put seeds of possibility into the dark rich earth of our psyches, allowing us to make lasting change possible. During this transitionary time, we may become more focused on our concrete goals and our duties to ourselves and to others in our lives. This would also be a great time to start on any goals relating to long term career changes, buying property or making investments.

The Grand Cross of 2014

Another piece of this powerful planetary puzzle, the Cardinal Grand Cross of 2014 is activated during this time of change and upheaval. From December 27, 2013 - January 14, 2014 the planets Mars, Pluto, Jupiter and Uranus will be within 8 degrees of aspect to one another, and throughout the coming months, and until the end of May 2014, this pattern will wane and wax, coming to an apex when they are all within 1 degree of each other from April 20-24th, 2014.

Although the influence of this aspect will begin to fade after the end of the year, it will leave lasting echoes of it's influence throughout 2015. Events and decisions made now will continue to reverberate through the energies of the Grand Cross for some time, so be cautious and conscientious about any plans you put in place in the next two weeks. Be careful what you ask for, as you may get it!

The following excerpt is from the article on discoveringwisdom.com - Cardinal Grand Cross 2013/2014

A grand cross is formed when four planets are 90 degrees apart in the sky and is composed of two oppositions and four squares. This is a cardinal grand cross because  each of the four planets are in cardinal signs which means they initiate action – so a very active configuration.  We will be compelled to resolve four different areas of our lives:  our self-identity (Aries), relationships (Libra), home life (Cancer) and work (Capricorn).

Planets are in constant motion in the sky above us.  Sometimes they appear to move backwards due to the movement of the earth relative to the movement of the planet.  We call this apparent backward motion retrograde.  That’s why this grand cross sort of comes and goes into and out of configuration over the next several months.

The position of the planets in the sky is measured by degrees of a sign.  The closer these four planets get to the exact degree of the grand cross the more intense the transformational energy will be felt.  Here are the dates when they will be the most exact:

1.  December 27, 2013 through January 12, 2014 all four planets will be within 8 degrees of exact aspect with one another.

2.  April 20 – 24, 2014 they will be within 1 degree.  April 7 – May 14 within 8 degrees.

3.  There is also a total lunar eclipse at 25 degrees Libra on April 15, 2014.  It will last nearly an hour with the Moon turning dark red.  It will be visible from anywhere in North and South America.  Eclipses are the exclamation points – they enhance or ramp up planetary energies.

4.  Finally a solar eclipse at 8 degrees Taurus on April 29, 2014 may bring another wave of intensity.  Taurus is an Earth sign, so it may also bring some stability and calm as this grand cross begins to move out of aspect.

No planetary configuration is either harmful or helpful.  It all depends on how each of us responds to the energies at play.

Most astrologers feel this grand cross signals a very challenging time period for most of us.  As you can see from the above dates, the cross will form in December 2013 and cycle out by May 2014, with the most intense time period being April 2014, followed by January 2014.

This grand cross will bring us plenty of energy and lots of chances to make changes in our lives.  How we choose to use the energy or respond to it is the question for each of us.  To what extent are we mature enough to work with these energies?  How clearly do we see ourselves?

Summer Newsletter 2013

As we approach the Summer Solstice, we wanted to give you all an update on the events of  the past few months as well as an overview of things to come!

About the Summer Solstice

The celebration of Midsummer's Eve (St. John's Eve among Christians) was from ancient times a festival of the summer solstice. Some people believed that golden-flowered mid-summer plants, especially Calendula, and St. John's Wort, had miraculous healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. In later years, witches were also thought to be on their way to meetings with other powerful beings. The solstice itself has remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since Neolithic times. The concentration of the observance is not on the day as we reckon it, commencing at midnight or at dawn, as it is customary for cultures following lunar calendars to place the beginning of the day on the previous eve at dusk at the moment when the Sun has set. - Wikipedia

Celebrate the Summer Solstice with Sunstave - Saturday, June 22nd

Mercury Retrograde in Cancer

The upcoming Mercury Retrograde, since it is in the watery sign of Cancer, will have us focusing on our emotions, and it may be quite the roller coaster! During the time of the retrograde, and most specifically, the days during which Mercury appears to travel backward, our moods may run the gamut from simple reminiscences of our childhood to a highly emotional inventory of our past, present and future. Depending on the placement of Mercury and the emphasis on your Fourth House, this could be a time of soul searching and reflection. Some people may experience an intense emotional connection to their mothers at this time, for good or for bad, and could either resolve past feelings about them or rekindle a relationship that has gone flat. For most everyone, these next few weeks could have our emotional states in some sort of turmoil, so remember to breathe and take some time out if you start feeling overwhelmed. Since this is the second of three retrogrades in the Water signs of Pisces (February), Cancer (June) and Scorpio (October), our  emotional coping skills will get a big workout for much of 2013.  You can also click here for more tips on how to survive a Mercury Retrograde.

Mercury is Retrograde from June 26 to July 20, 2013 in the sign of Cancer.

Details:

09 Jun 2013 08:54 pm 13CA22' MERCURY Enters Rx Zone

26 Jun 2013 09:03 am 23CA07'Rx MERCURY Stationary Retrograde

20 Jul 2013 02:17 pm 13CA22' MERCURY Stationary Direct

03 Aug 2013 07:49 pm 23CA07' MERCURY Leaves Rx Zone

As always, huge thanks to Cafe Astrology for the chart and graphic

Church News & Milestones

Temple Improvements - We have purchased two Lifetime convertible benches for the front of the Temple and have planted several new varieties of herbs and flowers around the firepit area. These herbs will be used in our rituals and spells, so we look forward to having them growing all summer!


Feb. 10, 2013 -  Rev. Emeralde was ordained as a permanent clergy member of the Church of the Sacred Circle, having successfully completed both her year and a day and her year long project.

March 10, 2013 - Sacred Circle South, the very first official extension of the Church held their first ritual, led by Lady Rev. Avalon Starr.

May 4, 2013 - Jonas Quinn was blessed at the Temple by Rev. Heron and his proud parents, April and Andrew.

Summer Events

June
Friday, June 14th - Pagan Movie Night, Sacred Circle South
Friday, June 21st -  Divination & Intuitive Oracles Meetup
Sunday, June 23rd - MoonCraft - Sacred Circle Central
Sunday, June 30th - Teen Grove Geocaching Event

July
Sunday, July 7th - Open Circle - Sacred Circle Central
July 12 - 14th - Annual Family Campout
Friday, July 19th - Divination & Intuitive Oracles Meetup
Sunday, July 21st - MoonCraft - Sacred Circle Central

August
Sunday, August 4th - Annual Meeting & Potluck Picnic
Friday, August 16th - Divination & Intuitive Oracles Meetup
Sunday, August 18th - MoonCraft - Sacred Circle South
Sunday, August 18th  - MoonCraft - Sacred Circle Central

The Real Wisdom of 12-12-12

There is a LOT of interest around the numerical sequence contained in today's date. Just like the other sequential dates in the past decade such as 7-7-07 and 9-9-09, people seem to love these sequences and the energies contained in them. Many people choose to get married or plan significant events around them, and I wanted to write a post about some of those interesting things, both good and bad, that have swirled around this date today.

The Bad Stuff

First, let's address the bad stuff. World-ending, terrible, bad kinds of stuff. There are all kinds of apocalyptic predictions about the world ending, and 12-12-12 along with the date of the Solstice, December 21, 2012 have both been kicked around by various prophets and gurus as days to fear. Indeed, just this morning we had a bit of a close brush with an asteroid. However, there are literally thousands of asteroids that come close to the Earth on a regular basis, (NASA even has a program to monitor and catalog them) and if one of them hit, we would probably experience some kind of damage. Very rarely, one of them is big enough and scary enough that it could potentially do even more damage. However, we do a pretty good job of spotting them before they can get too close - and asteroid 4179 Toutatis is a good example of this. So I believe that if we were ever seriously threatened, we could come up with a way to deal with it before it happened.

Secondarily, people always have questions about things such as the "Mayan Calendar" ending. When I am asked about this, I always try to point out that the Mayan calendar in question is actually round, it doesn't really "end". It just keeps on turning. Even extremely large catastrophic events such as the Christmas Tsunami of 2004 or the 2011 earthquake in Japan don't do much to impact the entire world and the billions of people upon it. So yes, localized events are possible, but the world as a whole keeps on turning as well.

Another thing that has come up in discussion in recent weeks is the idea of the Galactic Center alignment. From a spiritual perspective, this sounds like a really neat thing, and I hate to be the one to burst any bubbles. However, from a purely physical standpoint, we have to look at the facts. The center of the Milky Way galaxy is a bulge of stars, gases, and dust which is approximately 100,000 light years across. Even if we really do manage to pinpoint the exact center of that place, it is much more likely that we have been "aligned" to that point for quite some time, and will be for years to come. Even a very small, minute fraction of a degree of that large of a distance would take hundreds of years for the Earth to cross. So while it is an interesting idea, it doesn't have a lot of grounding in physical reality. What does have a basis for physical reality is  that on the eve of the Solstice (and this happens every year) we seem to be lined up with a dark line within the body of the Milky Way. However, this does not have anything to do with any predictions of death or destruction, and is simply a product of the seasonal axial tilt of our planet.

The Good Stuff

The first good thing to note is that 12-12-12 is the last sequential date of this century, which is pretty cool. The world won't see sequential dates like this again until the next century, starting January 1, 2101. I saw posts from people around the world celebrating 12:12 on 12/12/12 as it happened in their time zone. The human brain is programmed to recognize and connect to patterns and symmetry, and this is true regardless of religion or culture.

The bigger picture here is that the meaning of the number 12 has been connected by thousands of years of mythology to specific types of ideas and energies. It is significant in mathematics as well as in astronomy, astrology and in many worldwide cultural mythos and experiences. The ancient astronomers in the Middle East used a system of dividing the sky into 12 equal segments, called the Zodiac, that is still used today. The idea of the number 12 as holding the energy of completion may come from this ancient system. That ancient system, known today as astrology, has influenced the world quite strongly for thousands of years.

The 12th sign of the Zodiac is the sign of Pisces, and when talked about in terms of human development, refers to the development of the intuition, and of the development of altruistic human emotions such as compassion and empathy. Thus the energies of the number 12 can be said to contain these lessons as well as those of completion.

Looking at some even newer mythologies, in the Tarot, the card bearing the number 12 is called "The Hanged Man", and this enigmatic picture can be a little bit difficult for people to decipher and relate to. A man hanging upside down by his foot, from a branch on a strangely angular tree (which is often described as an actual gallows) does not seem to offer much to our modern worldview.

The traditional meaning of this card is one of delay or sacrifice, but we have to go somewhat deeper to reveal its true nature. In the Rider/Waite deck, the picture of the Hanged Man is meant to be a depiction of the mythology of the Nordic God, Odin and his trial by which he received the knowledge and wisdom of the runes. It is said that he hung upside-down on the Yggdrasil, or the World Tree for nine days and nights and finally glimpsed the secret and sacred power of the runes, after which he died. However, the story goes that the knowledge of the runes was so powerful that he returned to life immediately, thus echoing other resurrection stories that are contained within the world's cultural spirit.

The Hanged Man really represents the ultimate sacrifice, that of dying to an old way of being in order to be reborn anew, and also speaks of the wisdom and self-knowledge that is required in order to undertake such a journey.  I find it fascinating that the day of 12-12-12 also falls on a Wednesday, which of course is sacred to Odin (Wednesday=Woden's Day)

Finally, I would like to touch on another 12 that is significant to most individuals, and that is the Jupiter cycle. Jupiter has an orbit around the Sun of approximately 11.86 years, or just shy of 12 years exactly. Within human development, we are well into the changes brought by puberty at the age of 12, and roughly every 12 years we experience Jupiter returning to the same place in the sky as it was when we were born. The ancient ones thought of Jupiter as a very powerful planet, and tracked it's movements to predict the rise and fall of kings and countries. Jupiter is the great Teacher, bringing about life lessons and new ways of being in the world.

12-12-12 Meditations 

So on the day of 12-12-12 and throughout the days to come, I would encourage individuals to look into their own lives and find the lessons of the energies of 12 that are with us at all times. When did you last bring something important to completion in your life? When have you exercised wisdom and self-knowledge? What have you sacrificed for, and what were the results? When have you shown another person compassion and empathy, or listened to your intuition?This would be a great time to do some self-examination about your own goals and life path. Write down some things you would like to bring to completion, and some steps you can take to get there. The keywords of completion, wisdom, compassion and the cycles of life are of greatest importance right now. Building for the future is a far better response than planning for the end.

How to Survive a Mercury Retrograde

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, and if possible, until after the shadow period has passed. 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 finicky details. 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.

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!".

The Pagan Olympics

Along with around 1/7 of the entire world's population, I watched the Opening Ceremonies of the thirtieth modern Summer Olympics with great interest. Thanks to a friend, I was able to watch the uncut BBC version of the ceremony, fortunately, free of NBC's cuts, commentary and commercial breaks. If you can find this version online, it is well worth the effort to view, and is a much more enjoyable experience.

The historical Olympics were of course a tradition that began in ancient Pagan Greece, and were held every four years for over a thousand years, until the reign of good old Emperor Theodosius who of course put a stop to anything with Pagan origins. Despite some popular misconceptions,the games actually began as a footrace for young women to become the priestess of the temple of Hera!

The resurgence of the Olympics in modern times have been marked by the preservation of some of the most ancient traditions from the original Olympics. The most visible and interesting of these traditions is the lighting of the Olympic flame, which has been followed in modern times since 1936. The lighting takes place IN the Temple of Hera, in Olympia, Greece, and is carried out by a circle of priestesses and priests, led by a High Priestess of Hera. The God Apollo was called upon, and the flame was lit using a mirror to generate the heat to light the torch. If you have time, you really should watch the ritual itself. It's an incredible example of a reconstruction of an ancient rite, undertaken with seriousness and power. Finally, from the time that the flame is lit at Olympia until it is delivered to the Olympic Stadium and then extinguished at the end of the Games, the flame is carefully guarded and is never allowed to go out, in the tradition of eternal flames from ancient Goddess temples worldwide. Blown out flames are relit from a "mother flame" that is kept close to the torch and was lit from the main flame at the lighting ceremony. Additionally, an olive branch is retrieved and carried by a young boy, and is then  ritually presented to the Olympic torchbearer.

Returning to the Olympic opening ceremonies themselves, I was literally astonished when the initial scenes showed us a pastoral countryside, complete with meadows, sheep, and... Glastonbury Tor. Glastonbury Tor?! My jaw dropped. The inclusion of the Tor was a great omen that these ceremonies were going to be memorably mystical indeed!

Additionally, although the Tor is currently topped by the remains of an medieval Christian church , the modern Olympic version was crowned instead with a representation of a magnificent old tree. Of what kind I could not tell, but being that a lot of the imagery was so very, very pagan, I'm going to go with the very druidic Oak (This article seems to confirm it was an Oak). So this beautiful, pregnant and magical Goddess belly of a mound of Earth, the Isle of Avalon, this place of intense spiritual significance was not only a highly visible part of the Olympics' opening ritual, but indeed, served as a platform for a significant portion of the ceremonies, including important speeches and the hosting of each country's flag. Most likely, the intersection of both Pagan and Christian belief and popular mythology at the Tor made it palatable for mainstream viewers, if they were aware of the Tor's significance at all. Just seeing the prominence of this homage to the Goddess in all of the footage made for a most enjoyable evening, and the contrast of the softly waving green turf (apparently, quite real!) to the later industrial and urban scenes was quite a striking reminder of the presence and resurgence of the worship of the Divine feminine even today. 

Then, quite soon after I had seen but not yet fully processed the impact of the inclusion of the Tor, I noticed something else that was quite shocking as well. Maypoles! And as I was later to find out, there was not just one or two Maypoles, but indeed, there were four of them. Creative Director Danny Boyle was quoted as saying that the four Maypoles represented the four countries of Great Britian, but I noticed something else that was just as interesting. Once I had time to do some research, I found some very very significant things that may have passed many others by at first glance. 


Firstly, I looked at a satellite photo of the Olympic stadium in London. The first thing that struck me is that the stadium itself is surrounded by water on all sides. You can clearly see here how the network of canals provide it an island effect. In many mythologies around the world, islands are often seen as places of mystical significance themselves, as in the mythology of Glastonbury Tor itself. 


Secondarily, I noticed that the stadium is oriented quite nicely to the directions, with the north-south axis being the longer. Zooming in, Google maps has provided a very recent picture of the inside of the stadium, showing the construction of the Olympic stages. Most noticeably, the largest blank area, where the Tor will be constructed later on, is directly in the North end of the arena, placed prominently in the position of fertile, strong and grounding Earth. 

After looking around a little bit, I discovered several photos of a mockup of the Opening Ceremonies' stage, and saw that the Maypoles are placed precisely in what modern earth-based folk would consider to be the Four Directions. 

Each Maypole was topped with four different flowers and colors, which this article informs us are the "national flowers of all four home nations – the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales and the flax of Northern Ireland." Now, while they are not quite exactly the placement of the "traditional" colors and elemental correspondence, they are definitely close enough for me. In fact, I was so excited about this that I could not decide which picture I wanted to feature here, and so came up with this slideshow of collected photos of the Maypoles instead. 

Finally, although the "Industrial Revolution" segment that followed the pastoral scenes was intended to be a celebration of progress, there was also a palpable sense of grief that was portrayed at the destruction of the natural world, and very concretely symbolized how the progress and wealth came at the expense of the removal of green grass and clean air. I found it interesting that part of the destruction was done by workmen and women who actually emerged from beneath the druidic Oak tree at the apex of the Tor. Although it was a little unclear to me what this was intended to symbolize, after some reflection I came to the conclusion that perhaps it meant that even those of us with the best of intentions toward preserving the natural world can contribute to this type of destructive influence. Admittedly, this is pure, unbridled speculation on my part! 

All in all, it was very well done and although there were many other mystical and magical symbols present during the Opening Ceremonies, (pyramids which were lit on the Winter Solstice, sacred Geometry, white doves)  I wanted to specifically catalog the inclusion of two very prominent and important ones. I also found it intensely fitting that the Games at which women were finally represented from EVERY single country were the ones which contained symbols of the Great Goddess herself.

Summer Newsletter

Lughnasadh Blessings!

The wheel turns past Summer Solstice once again, and we approach the Solar cross-quarter Celtic holiday of Lughnasadh, coming up next week. In the modern Irish language, the month of August is still called Lúnasa, after the name of the god Lugh and his feast in celebration of Tailltú. The customs surrounding the first of August are varied, but many of them involve food in one way or another. In the early Anglo-Saxon church, the loaf-mass was a blessing of the first bread of the season (and is also thought to be the root of the modern word "Lammas" ) and was celebrated as the feast of the first fruits. This celebration is all about the first harvests of the year, and in modern times is often signalled by the first mysterious arrival of zucchini or tomatoes upon the front porch. 

Folklorist Máire MacNeill has described Lughnasadh as "A solemn cutting of the first of the corn of which an offering would be made to the deity by bringing it up to a high place and burying it; a meal of the new food and of bilberries of which everyone must partake; a sacrifice of a sacred bull, a feast of its flesh, with some ceremony involving its hide, and its replacement by a young bull; a ritual dance-play perhaps telling of a struggle for a goddess and a ritual fight..." Source: Wikipedia 

Although we no longer depend on the amount of food that we alone can grow, modern people who celebrate earth-based spirituality often mark the day with a feast of foods gathered from their own gardens or grown within their local community. Even if we do not grow some portion of what we consume, we can give thanks for our sustenance, and mark the harvest of our labor in other ways. If you would like to mark the First Harvest on your own, a simple way is to prepare some food for yourself, and recite this prayer before you begin. As you eat, think about all that has gone into making your meal possible, from the seed to the harvest to your table. Include an intention of thanks for all of the people and energy involved in making your food ready for you. You can also consider what you have done in the past year that has now come to fruition. If you would like, you can read this page for some traditional Irish dishes to prepare. 

Prayer for Lughnasadh

Now is the time of the First Harvest,when the bounties of nature give of themselves so that we may survive.

O God of the ripening fields, Lord of the Grain, grant me the understanding of sacrifice as You prepare to deliver Yourself under the sickle of the Goddess and journey to the lands of eternal summer.

O Goddess of the Dark Moon, teach me the secrets of rebirth as the Sun loses its strength and the nights grow cold.

by Scott Cunningham

Mercury Retrograde in Leo

Are you feeling the effects of this Mercury Retrograde? The planet went into retrograde on the evening of July 14th, and we are about halfway through the main retrograde period, which ends on August 8th. The shadow period afterward will last until about Aug. 21st. But what does Mercury retrograde in Leo mean to you?

Firstly, if you are a native (Sun) fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) or have these signs strongly represented in your personal planets - you are probably feeling this one a bit more intensely than other people. All of the retrogrades in 2012 affect the fire sign natives, starting with Aries in April, Leo (July/August) and Sagittarius in November.  

In this hot summer retrograde, tempers are highly prone to flaring up intensely over real or imagined slights, and arguments can be sparked over seemingly minor issues. Since Leo is the sign of fatherhood in general, the relationship between fathers and their children (of any age!) can be highlighted by this phase. Since retrograde periods often affect buried feelings or emotions, you may get a chance to re-examine your relationship, whether good or bad with your father.  

All is not negative with this retrograde cycle though, and there are many positive qualities that may be present. For instance, Leo represents leadership and strength of will, so during this time, you may be able to uncover a hidden talent or latent strength. You may also rediscover passions that have been dormant or find a new interest in something you once enjoyed. 

Leo is also considered to be the ruler of the heart, and so some may experience the rekindling of old flames or begin a new passion with someone from the past. Whatever you experience during this time, try to be aware of the pitfalls of arrogance and self-centeredness, instead highlighting the higher realms of compassion and generosity that are hallmarks of the evolved Leo spirit. 

Regardless of what this retrograde brings you, you should always try to approach the sometimes distruptive influences of the retrograde with calm, patient humor, a go-with-the-flow attitude, and keep in mind this advice about things to do, along with some past advice about Mercury in Leo) in this post Of Lughnasadh and Leo from last year.

Sacred Circle News

We have just finished our Annual Meeting, that scintillating event where budgets are approved, Offices filled and any other official yearly business is handled.

We have been focusing a lot of energy on the beautification of our Temple, and our next  improvement coming up will be the building of a front porch area which will include space for benches and shoe storage. We will also be looking to rebuild or improve our access ramp for those who attend who may be unable to navigate stairs. 

In the realm of our Officers, we are very pleased to welcome back our friend Clove into the Office of Water. She has always brought a sense of calm and peace to our Board Meetings, and we thank her for returning to the circle! 

We would also like to thank Rev. Lady Avalon Starr for fulfilling a full three year term in the Office of Fire! She has done an amazing job as our Events coordinator and we extend our gratitude to her for all her hard work and organizational skills. Although Avalon will continue to serve the Church in an unofficial capacity in the interim, we are in need of a new Office of Fire. If you or someone you know is great at organizing events, throwing parties, arranging workshops or get-togethers, and is interested in filling this position, please contact avalon@sacredcirclechurch.com or attend any of our upcoming Board meetings. The Offices are one-year terms, renewable for up to three years. 

Upcoming Events

Astrology Cafe - Friday, July 27th  - 7 pm

The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

Teen Grove Rockhounding Trip, Sat. July 28th - 1 pm

Meet at The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

MoonCraft - Sunday, Aug. 5 - 3 pm

The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S. 

Charmed Goddess Campout - Aug. 10-12th

Contact heron@sacredcirclechurch.com for more info 

Astrology Cafe - Friday, Aug. 17th  - 7 pm

The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

Open Circle - Sunday, Aug 19th - 3 pm

The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

See more upcoming events or subscribe to our Google calendar

Special Announcement

Psychic Faire & Yard Sale - Oct. 13th

We are actively seeking readers, volunteers and vendors for our Fall Psychic Faire. We also need donations of gently used in items in good condition for our concurrent Yard Sale.

Contact Avalon at avalon@sacredcirclechurch.com for more information. 

Spring News

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day greetings to all the mothers, sisters, wives, grandmothers, aunties and best friends out there, and most importantly, thanks to the Great Mother, our Earth for Her sustenance of our bodies and spirits! This Mother's Day, make sure to give thanks to the Great Goddess for her love and abundance, as well as thanking the women who have helped to nurture you in your life.


Psychic Faires

In April, we had two very successful and fun Psychic Faires! Our Spring Fling Psychic Faire was wonderful, despite the drizzly spring weather, and we had a great time at Earth Jam in our booth. The good news is that if you missed us in April, we will be in Liberty Park again this weekend, Saturday, May 12th to participate in the  UNITESLC festival! Look for our festival booth with the Psychic Fair banner! Even better, we are now set up with a Square account, so we can accept debit and credit cards for donations! We have been very impressed with our neat little Square and we hope you will be too!


Spell Kits

Spell Kits are back! Each kit was created with a specially formulated set of organic herbal ingredients, chosen to resonate with the energies of love or prosperity. The kits were crafted entirely within the Temple and were made on the day of the full moon. The crafting was guided by our Priestesses and were created with magick and intention. These popular, magical and delicious smelling kits will be available at the Psychic Faire, at any Temple event and now you can order them online too!


Temple Improvements

If you haven't visited the Temple for a while, you're going to be wowed with all the changes that have come about this Spring! The Temple's 5th Anniversary was on this past April 1st, and in celebration we have been on a fixing-up spree like no other! From interior renovations to a brand new gravel path, you won't believe your eyes! Inside the Temple, we have added a  fabric covering to the roof and enhanced the decorations with draperies in the Elemental colors. Much gratitude and thanks go out to all the hard working, dedicated people who made this all possible!

The crown jewel of our recent renovations is a massive tawny sandstone boulder fire pit set in a gravel area surrounded with five large bench boulders. We look forward to sharing many years of laughter and stories around the light of this gorgeous piece of our Mother Earth. The firepit was formally dedicated during our MoonCraft full moon circle of May 5th. If you can't travel to see our Temple in person, you can take a look at our Facebook page and our Temple Improvements photo album.

Announcements

Community Yard Sale Fundraiser - We will be having a multi-family Yard Sale on Saturday, May 19th. If you have items that you would like to donate for the Yard Sale, you may drop them by the Temple at any time prior to the Yard Sale. If you would like to help with the Yard Sale, our sale coordinator, Jen is accepting any and all help! You can email her at air@sacredcirclechurch.com

Lending Library - We are also accepting donations of pagan, wiccan, magickal or occult themed books for our lending library.

Family Campout in July - If you would like to attend the campout with your family, please contact Heron at heron@sacredcirclechurch.com to RSVP for your space.

Upcoming Events


Mini Psychic Faire - Saturday, May 12th 11 am - 7 pm
Liberty Park, Salt Lake City

Teen Grove - Tuesday, May 15th - 7 pm
The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

Community Yard Sale Fundraiser - Sat. May 19th  - 9am - 2 pm
The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

Astrology Cafe - Friday, May 18th - 7 pm
The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

Open Circle - Sunday, May 20th - 3 pm
The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

MoonCraft - Sunday, June 3 - 3 pm
The Sacred Circle Temple - 3464 W. 3800 S.

Did you know? An annular solar eclipse will pass right over Southern Utah on May 20!

Thank you to President Obama for personally affirming the civil right of marriage for all Americans.

Blessed Beltane Eve everyone! Remember to light your bonfires & greet the Ancestors with love tonight as the veil thins. beltane pagan

8th Annual Year Spell is today!! Don't forget your photo, scissors & magazines! http://ping.fm/5ccfu