In a first-ever joint presentation ceremony, Covenant of the Goddess and Circle Sanctuary honor Military Pagan men and women.

The Covenant of the Goddess

P.O. Box 12193, San Bernardino, CA 92423 

Circle Sanctuary

P.O. Box 9, Barneveld, WI 53517

                                                               

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATLANTA, GA - On Aug. 22, 2014, the Covenant of theGoddess (CoG) and Circle Sanctuary together presented medals and ribbons to a number of Pagan men and women, recognizing them for their military service. For years, both organizations have been presenting separate military service awards to Pagans. Last Friday's ceremony marked the first time that the two national Pagan organizations came together to honor veterans and active duty military. Several awards were accepted on behalf of veteran and active duty service members unable to attend. Three awards were received by family members on behalf of deceased Pagan veterans.

Representing CoG was the National First Officer, Kathy Lezon. She presented each recipient with CoG's new Military Service Award Medal. During the ceremony, Lezon said:

It is an honor to recognize the service of our military Pagans. For your sacrifice of time, safety and service we are grateful, so on behalf the Covenant of the Goddess, I present to each of you CoGs award for military service.

Representing Circle Sanctuary was Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister, and Rev. Dawnwalker, coordinator of Circle Sanctuary’s Open Circles on U.S. Military installations. They presented recipients with the Pagan Military Service Ribbon. Rev. Fox said:

On behalf of Circle Sanctuary’s military ministries, the Pagan Military Association, and other endeavors, we present the Pagan Military Service Ribbon to you and thank you for your service. We are thankful to you and to other Military Pagans who are serving and who have served. Thank you for your contributions to our nation and the larger world.

The ceremony was held during CoG's 2014 annual meeting at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia, in Atlanta. Circle Sanctuary members were invited to this year's meeting as guests of Dogwood Local Council, the local Southern CoG chapter hosting the meeting. Once plans were finalized, the two organizations felt it was an opportune moment to honor Pagan military men and women together. Jack Prewett, a Vietnam Veteran and former Sergeant United States Air Force, said:

As a Vietnam veteran, I didn't get much of a homecoming. So I felt both honored and humbled to be recognized by both Circle Sanctuary and Covenant of the Goddess for my service to my country. To have both these organizations recognize servicemen both past and present is truly a gift from the Gods and I know from personal experience how much it means those that do and have served.

Covenant of the Goddess awards its own Military Service Award Medal every year during its annual meeting called Grand Council. The current award was designed by longtime member Amber K in 2012. Circle awards its Pagan Military Service Ribbon at a variety of festivals around the country each year and has also done so via its weekly CircleTalkRadio podcast on Pagans Tonight Radio Network.

For more information about the Military Service Award Medal or Covenant of theGoddess, contact Heather Greene, pio@cog.org.

For more information about the Pagan Military Service Ribbon and Circle Sanctuary's Military Ministries, visit www.circlesanctuary.org/militaryministries.

The Covenant of the Goddess is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that has represented Witches and Wiccans for 39 years. Beginning in 1975, the Covenant of the Goddess has worked diligently to secure legal protection for Witches and Wiccans, provide minister credentials, offer education through interfaith outreach or collaboration, and foster community within its membership. For more information go to www.cog.org

Circle Sanctuary, also known as Circle, is a nonprofit Shamanic Wiccan church and international Pagan resource center serving Wiccans, Druids, Heathens, Pantheists, and other Pagan and Nature religion practitioners and organizations worldwide since 1974. Circle Sanctuary’s services include public education, events sponsoring, interfaith endeavors, publishing, Pagan civil rights activism, and other work. Circle Sanctuary helps people from many spiritual orientations connect with each other as well as with the spiritual dimensions of Nature. For more information go to: www.circlesanctuary.org

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Covenant of the Goddess prepares for its first Merry Meet conference in Atlanta

For Immediate Release

In two weeks, Covenant of the Goddess will be hosting its yearly convention, Merry Meet, in Atlanta Georgia, from Aug. 21-24. The event is not only a festive learning experience; it is also the all-important annual business meeting for the 39-year-old nonprofit Pagan organization.  

The first Merry Meet was held in 1981 in California. At that time, the organization was still young and building its network. Since that time, Merry Meet has been held in a variety of different cities and venues across the country. The exact location is chosen by a bidding process two years in advance. Last year, the event was held in the historic city of Salem, Massachusetts. Next year, Merry Meet will be in Ontario, California. 

The event's organizers are typically members of a CoG local council or simply area members. This year's event is being organized by Dogwood Local Council (DLC), based in Atlanta, GA. Coincidentally, 2014 marks DLC's 20th anniversary as an organized local CoG representative, supporting Wiccans and Witches in Georgia and Alabama.

Merry Meet 2014 will be hosted at the Crown Plaza Ravinia in Dunwoody, a northern suburb of Atlanta. Outside of the CoG business meeting, Dogwood has planned two days worth of workshops, a drumming ritual, a masquerade dance, and a Kirtan concert. Local vendors will be also be on hand with a variety of products ranging from handmade soaps and besoms; to tie-dye clothing and crystal potpourri. 

In addition, DLC is hosting a Leadership Institute, as is traditional, on the day before the conference.  Held at the beautiful Chattahoochee Nature Center, the program, called "Standing on Common Ground," will focus on the importance of interfaith work. During the day, several of CoG's Interfaith representatives (including, Rachael Watcher, Don Frew and Macha Nightmare), along with members of Atlanta's interfaith community, will be sharing their experiences and wisdom.

DLC has also invited special guest, Circle Sanctuary's Rev. Selena Fox, to attend the leadership institute and conference. She will be sitting on the interfaith panel, speaking at the hotel during dinner, and offering a workshop on Saturday called Pagan Death Passages.  

In conjunction with Merry Meet, Selena will also be offering a second workshop on cauldrons at Phoenix & Dragon bookstore in Sandy Springs. Although this is not an official part of CoG's conference, bookstore owner Candace Apple, has invited Merry Meet guest to attend the Thursday night event. She is also giving every registered Merry Meet guest a $10.00 gift certificate to be used in her metaphysical store.

Members and non-members are invited to attend. Passes for Merry Meet are still available through DLC's website. Tickets to Thursday's Leadership Institute are $50.00 and include lunch. Day passes for the conference are $100.00 per day and are all-inclusive. See the site for more details on each day's events.

For more information about DLC or the upcoming Merry Meet Conference, go to its main website. 

For more information about CoG or any of its local councils, go to www.cog.org

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Midwest Regional Local Council at Pagan Pride Day 2013

 

Written by Oberon, Public Information Officer 

and Elaine Coleman, Recorder of MRLC

With four states in their boundaries, the Midwest Regional Local Council (MRLC) has a number of local Pagan Pride Days (PPD) to attend. It’s fairly impossible to attend them all, let alone more than a few, but Coven members of the Midwest Regional have attended and represented the Covenant in Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis in recent years.

Detroit’s PPD is presented each year in a nearby suburb, Hazel Park. The event was held August 10, 2013. Circle of Wondrous Stories members reported a nice day, new vendors and the theme of Pagan Unity. Proceeds from a raffle were given to community members struggling with various medical situations and no health insurance.

The Chicago Pagan Pride event was held on September 8, 2013 this year at the Historic Pleasant Home in Oak Park, IL, which two member groups, Shekinah Triad of Wicca and Wiccan Temple of the Celtic Way, of the MRLC attended.  Pleasant Home is situated on seven acres of land, known as Mills Park, and was truly magical setting for this annual event. The event was well attended; the day held beautiful weather, rituals, workshops, storytelling tree, wonderful vendors, face painting, and delicious boxed lunches were also available.

Circle Sanctuary’s Selena Fox, officiated the opening ritual. Selena held a well attended workshop on ‘Celebrating Fall Equinox & Harvest Home.’ The workshop included contemporary ways of welcoming in autumn in personal, household and community practice. Her workshop included meditations, short rituals, chanting and other experiences.

In years past, members of the MidwestRegional Local Council have also attended and participated in the IndianapolisPagan Pride Day several times. In 2009, members from Illinois and Michigan joined with the Indiana members for a very memorable event.

Covenant of the Goddess Military Medallion Arrives

The new Covenant of the Goddess Military Medallion has arrived!

This brand-new medallion, honoring Pagan veterans, will be sent to CoG members who are awarded the Order of the Pentacle by Lady Liberty League and Circle Sanctuary. Any CoG members who have already received this honor can purchase the new medallion for small fee.  

Contact our First Officer for more information.

Touchstone Joins Effort to Support the Military

Touchstone Local Council will be joining with Dogwood Local Council & Everglades Moon Local Council in supporting Circle Sanctuary's Operation Circle Care, a program that sends care packages to Pagan soldiers on active duty, deployed in war zones.

Touchstone members will be collecting donations of new and gently used items at their Yule ritual in Calimesa on Saturday, December 8th.  

If you plan on attending, please supporting Touchstone's work and consider bringing any of the following items for our brothers and sisters in the Military:

• Pentacles

• Ankhs

• Awen symbols

• Thor's Hammers

• Sun symbols

• Moon symbols

• Goddess and/or God symbols

• Green Man/Woman symbols

• Wheel of the Year symbols

• Pagan Music, Meditation (CDs & DVDs)

• ATT phone cards

• Crystals

• Small God and Goddess statues

• Pagan Books (No nudity)

• Incense

• Oils

• Herbs

• Small Wands

• Small travel chalices

• Altar cloths

• Gift cards from store that ship overseas (for example Barnes and Noble or Amazon). Gift cards can be used for online holiday shopping so deployed soldiers can send gifts home to their children from overseas.

Dogwood Local Council Joins Circle Sanctuary’s Operation Circle Care

It was during the "Barr Wars" of the 1990's that Dogwood Local Council, the Georgia-based branch of Covenant of the Goddess, first partnered with Selena Fox, Circle Sanctuary, and Lady Liberty League in the battle for Pagan Military rights.  Later, the Covenant of the Goddess, as a whole, joined with Circle Sanctuary, Lady Liberty League and other organizations in what is commonly known as the”Pentacle Quest.”   Their efforts succeeded in getting the Pentacle added to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs list of accepted emblems of belief available for VA-issued grave markers that honor deceased veterans.

Now, Dogwood Local Council is proudly leading the way towards a new partnership with Circle Sanctuary and Lady Liberty League called:  Operation Circle Care.   Every year, Circle volunteers gather select items from the Pagan community to be packaged and sent to Pagan soldiers deployed in hot zones across the globe.  Dogwood Local Council, as a partner organization, will be simultaneously collecting similar items in their own regions of Georgia and Alabama.

To kick-off its Operation Circle Care drive, Dogwood will have a donation station setup at its annual Spring Picnic on May 19, 2012.   All guests and visitors are encouraged to bring both Pagan and non-Pagan items, as listed below, for the cause.   All items will be shipped directly to the Operation Circle Care coordinators in Virginia for distribution throughout the year with special packages sent at Yuletide. In addition, Dogwood will have a letter writing and drawing station available for visiting children to contribute their own personal messages of support.

As noted by its officers, Dogwood Local Council hopes its efforts in Georgia aid in expanding Operation Circle Care’s reach as well as raising local awareness.  But, most importantly, Dogwood hopes their contributions, however big or small, bring joy to the many Pagan soldiers deployed around the world, who are far from where they call home. 

Suggested Pagan Items include:

Sacred Gem Stones and Crystals

Tarot cards, Oracles, etc.

Magazines

Jewelry

DVD audio recordings of meditations and music

Suggested Non-Pagan items include:

Black socks

Baby wipes (best equipment cleaner)

Sunscreen

Lip Balm

Hygiene items

Unopened pre-packaged food

Notes from home