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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Yuletide with CoG #4: Catmas Carols

Submitted by Lady Magdalena, Temple of the Rising Phoenix

First Officer, Dogwood Local Council

Here is a favorite that our coven loves to sing during the after Yule ritual feasting. The first stanza came from the book Catmas Carols, 1993 by Laurie Loughlin.  Having 4 cats of my own, I was inspired to create the last two stanzas, imagining more mischief those funny felines can get into showing the spirit of the season.

By Adam from Phoenix, Arizona, USA via Wikimedia Commons

Wreck the Halls (melody of Deck the Halls)

Wreck the Halls with two cats running,               Fa la la la la, la la la la

Fur goes flying, lamps get done,                         Fa la la la la, la la la la

Tumbling swiftly down the stairway,                    Fa la la la la, la la la la

Woe to those who get in their way.                     Fa la la la la, la la la la

The feast is here with platters and bowls          Fa la la la la, la la la la

Roasted turkey and cranberry molds,                Fa la la la la, la la la la

Nibble each dish upon the table,                        Fa la la la la, la la la la

They’ll climb wherever their paws are able,       Fa la la la la, la la la la

Chew the presents and topple the tree,              Fa la la la la, la la la la

Whack the ornaments with glee,                         Fa la la la la, la la la la

Hide in attic, seek in celler,                                 Fa la la la la, la la la la

Christmas time is feline Hell-a.                           Fa la la la la, la la la la

Dogwood Local Council Participates in the Unity World Day of Prayer

For the third year in a row, Dogwood Local Council of the Covenant of the Goddess is attending the Unity World Day of Prayer held at the One World Spiritual Center in Marietta, GA.

The event is a collaborative effort between Reverend Sydnety Linquist, Reverand Stephanie Seigh and the One World Spiritual Center community. Members of a variety of faiths are invited to the center for this one day to share in prayer and to demonstrate the differing ways we pray.

Each faith is assigned a prayer alcove that its representatives can then decorate in accordance with their faith's spirituality. In addition, each faith supplies a written prayer that is placed in the alcove for use by visitors.  

Dogwood Local Council, Covenant of the Goddess Prayer Alcove 2013

The 24 hour celebration began yesterday at 7:00 pm on September 11th with an opening ceremony.  It will end tonight at 7:00 pm with a closing ceremony. During the entire 24 hour period, the chapel is open and anyone is welcome to enter, to engage in their own prayer and to experience how other faiths do the same.

Dogwood Local Council has been invited to participate as a representative of Pagan spirituality in Atlanta. At past events, DLC members have led group prayers and performed Wiccan chants and drumming during the interfaith concert. Thanks to Rev. Lindquist and Rev. Seigh, DLC has become a welcomed addition to this yearly multi-faith prayer event.

 

Dogwood Local Council Prepares for the Rites of Spring 2013

Dogwood is one of Covenant of the Goddess' local councils.  It covers Georgia and Alabama.  The Rite of Spring will be held in Decatur, just outside of Atlanta.  For more information about Dogwood LC, go to the website http://dogwoodlocalcouncil.com/

Yuletide with the Covenant of the Goddess

Yuletide is here once again.  

The greater CoG community has already begun planning, decorating, crafting and celebrating. Come celebrate with us. Over the coming 20 days, we will be sharing the recipes, songs, crafts and other Yule treats from the festive halls and homes of  CoG  members.  

     

To begin, let’s see what’s going on around the country:

This past weekend, Everglades Moon Local Council, hosted its sixth annual Turning of the Tide Yuletide festival.    

This coming weekend, on December 8^th, Touchstone Local Council will be hosting its Solstice Celebration in Calimesa, California.

On December 22^nd, the newest local council, Hills and Rivers, will be hosting an open Yule Ritual at the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church in Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Further to the south, Texas Local Council will also be hosting a Mayan Solstice/New Year ritual on Sunday December 23 at the The Center for Change, Discovery, and Support in Fort Worth. 

As a fundraiser, Dogwood Local Council has opened a Yuletide shop through Café Press that features a photograph of Dogwood’s own Holly King.   

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 

Turner Family Support Team at Bowdon Elementary School.

Several members of the Turner Family Support Task Force accompanied Stephanie Turner to the December 12, 2011 meeting with school officials.

(Pictured from left to right:)

* Rev. Charissa Iskiwitch, High Priestess, Coordinator of North Georgia Solitaries & Pagan Assistance Fund & Lead Chaplain for Church of the Spiral Tree Pagan Prison Ministry.

* Stephanie Turner, Mother of the Turner children;

* Rev. Ginger Wages (Hawk), National First Officer, Covenant of the Goddess.

* Lisa Palmer, Attorney working with the Lady Liberty League.

* Rev. Michelle Boshears, Major, US Army retired (Dawnwalker), Circle Sanctuary Minister & Military Circles Coordinator, Lady Liberty League Advocate, and Distinctive Faith Group Leader of the Fort Gordon Open Circle at U.S. Army Fort Gordon Garrison.

Other members of the Turner Family Support Task Force who joined the meeting in spirit: 

* Lady Miraselena, Public Information Officer, Dogwood Local Council, Covenant of the Goddess.

* Lady Arsinoe Meri Ma'at, First Officer, of the Dogwood Local Council, Covenant of the Goddess.

* Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister, Circle Sanctuary, and Executive Director, Lady Liberty League.

NOTE:  This situation has been resolved as of Dec 13 2011.  The wrap-up essay, entitled "A Week in Bowdon Georgia," is posted on several sites including PNC-Atlanta and Miraselena's Blog.  For more information on the case, go to the Turner Support Fan Page. 

Dogwood Local Council Members Interviewed on Local TV

In late September, two Dogwood Local Council members were interviewed for a local interfaith broadcasting station.   The current first officer, Hawk, and Grove of Phoenix Rising initiate, Cliodhna, sat down with local broadcaster, Audrey Galex, for a personal look at Wicca and Paganism today. 

Audrey's program, AIB Metro, is a 30 minute news program that highlights a variety of local Atlanta happenings.   The show airs on AIB TV which can be seen both on local cable stations and over the internet. 

To view the program:

 

AIB TV is broadcast over the internet via live-streaming on http://www.aibtv.com/.  Click on WATCH NOW (from the top menu) and, then, selecting AIBTV.NET from the drop down menu.   Or go directly to http://www.aibtv.net/

 

For all local viewers, you can also see the program on the following stations:   

• ch. 5 on Comcast 
• ch 22 on charter cable  
• ch 6 on AT&T Uverse

Remember, the internet link above takes you to a live stream which shows just like it would on the TV. You have to watch the program at the time it airs via that link above. The times are as follows (EST): 

• 10a Tuesdays 
• 6:30p Thursdays
• 12pm on Fridays 
• 7:30p Saturdays

The show will be shown through live-streaming until after the 1st of November.  At that point, the program may move into the on-demand format where we can watch it whenever we want.  Until that point, you must tune-in at the designated times.

  

The next airing is tomorrow at 7:30pm est. The next weekday airing will be Tuesday at 10am and so forth.

 

Blessings

Lady Miraselena

PIO, Dogwood Local Council

 

News and Notes from Dogwood Local Council

Here is some DLC news for the upcoming week and beyond:

 

Events:

 

• DLC Annual Meeting, Sun Oct 16th at 12:30pm at the House of Oak Springs. More information.
• DLC Leadership Institute Sun Oct 16th at 10am at the House of Oak Springs. "Through Magickal Eyes" Presented by Lady Magdalena, Eibhlean and Hawk. More Information.
• Athens Pagan Pride Day Oct 22nd hosted by Athens Area Pagans Inc.
• North Georgia Solitaries Samhain Registration has begun. More Information.

Notes:

• North Georgia Solitaries and Pagan Assistance Fund are collecting Toys of Tots this holiday season. More Information.
• GBG "Year and Day Calendar" available for purchase for $15.00. More information
• Ancient Wisdom Rising will be held in Atlanta in November of 2012.
• A Web-based reality Show called "The Young Witches of Salem" is gaining in popularity. Check this out and come to your own conclusions on its worth.
• Interfaith Interviews via TV and Radio. We are still waiting on the programming date for the TV interview. However, on Oct 31st at 8am, there will be a live broadcast with Lord Cheiron and Hawk. More information to come.

 Atlanta and Augusta Pagan Pride Recap: 

• Augusta: Hawk and Eibhlean were the DLC team in Augusta. The festival atmosphere included music, crafts and lots of joy. Young witchlings ran around joyously as people arrived in the morning and stayed to play all day. Noteworthy events included: Spiral Rhythm, A Persephone Mystery Play and Fire Spinners. 
• Atlanta: In Atlanta, the DLC table was maintained by a group of people, organized by Lady Arsinoe and Lady Miraselena. It was held partially inside and partially outside. People came and went all day to shop, listen to music and enjoy the community. Noteworthy events included performances by Emerald Rose and Celia, (Note: Celia's link is a sample of her singing one of her most popular songs.  One that causes many people to cry. This video was not filmed at APPD.) Here is a recap blog post by Lady Charissa of North Georgia Solitaries.

 Blog Postings and Other Notes: 

• Musings from :"Hawk Eyes."  Our First Officer - Hawk.  
• Lady Emrys will be attending a special Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Training for Cancer Clinicians. She was 1 of 40 peple chosen across the nation to attend this workshop in New York City. It is being conducted by leaders in the field and will provide clinicians with skills to help cancer patients and survivors combat the psychological impact cancer diagnoses can bring, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and fear of recurrence.
• On a personal note, I want to thank everyone that brought table supplies and decor, setup and "personed" the table at Atlanta Pagan Pride. I was very thrilled to see the DLC support from members outside of the dutiful officers. I originally was going to name everybody but, due to the sheer number of people, I won't do that for fear of leaving someone out. Those of you who did make a contribution of stuff or time were greatly appreciated. Your energy was very welcome and Dogwood Local Council is a better organization because of you. Thank You and Blessings!

 

Samhain Blessings to all! May you end the year with a bang and bag of candy!