Everglades Moon Local Council hosts another successful Turning of the Tides Festival

"Everglades Moon Local Council (EMLC) hosted the 7th Annual Turning the Tide Festival this past weekend. The musical headliner was the fabulous Mama Gina, who played a soul-stirring concert on Saturday and held impromptu small-group jam sessions throughout the weekend. Nearly 70 attendees gathered for the Yuletide event, which includes rituals, workshops, shared meals and community building."  - Pagan Newswire Collective Florida

To read more about EMLC's yearly event go to:

Reflections on EMLCs 7th Annual Turning of the Tides Festival

Yuletide with Cog #3: Traditions from Circle of the Moonlit Sea

Submitted by Kasha, National First Officer and member of Everglades Moon Local Council (EMLC)

Each year, my coven, Circle of the Moonlit Sea, plans a Yule Celebration and invites friends, family, and members of the community. The specific theme of the ritual varies, but one thing doesn't change-the preparations and the food! A huge cauldron of vegan soup, home made bread and butter, and apple cider.

Preparations used to start in the middle of the night, with HP Forest Butera firing up a brick oven in the back yard and starting the process of making dozens of loaves of bread-Olive bread, Rye, Whole wheat, and the Crowd Favorite, Cheese Bread! Now Forest does that work the day before. We are all willing to have bread that it not hot from the oven in order to have a better rested Forest! 

We gather early the day of celebrations to wash and chop vegetables, and then gather for our Soup Ritual, a rite at the cauldron with the women and men who are present that creates the beginning of the soup. A fire is built under the cauldron and tended by HP Joe Butera, making sure that dinner will be ready at the appointed time. During the late afternoon, guests begin to arrive and we continue with preparations, churning butter (we try to recruit enthusiastic children for this!) grinding peppercorns for the soup, and visiting and preparing for ritual. Just before dark, the women gather in the kitchen to make ritual cakes, and when the time is right, coveners and guests process through the back yard, past the cauldron where the soup is cooking for its last hour, to the ritual circle and celebrate the darkest night of the year and all it symbolizes. We send each ritual attendee home with a handmade token of our Rite and what it symbolized that year.

After ritual, we gather at the cauldron, where many years, a covener will recite the "Bubble bubble toil and trouble" verse from Macbeth, just because its witchy and fun, and then we all eat! Even though we are in Florida, most years, its a little cool, and sometimes, its downright cold, so soup is perfect on a dark, damp evening.  The Yule log, which has stood in the South of our circle since it was our Maypole at Beltane, is burned in the fireplace, not far from the Yule tree, which will become our next Maypole, and some years, later in the evening, we are visited by the Mari Lwyd, the Grey Mare, telling riddles and nipping people with her horsey teeth.

Our Coven Yule celebration is a time to be together and celebrate family, friends,our craft, and community. Each year, there is a different-and perfect-mix of people, and the incredible opportunity to celebrate the light which is about to come.

Registration Opens for EMLC's December Turning of the Tides

THE HEART'S TEMPTATION

Everglades Moon proudly presents Turning the Tide, a three-day celebration with workshops, rituals, music, food, camping and building Pagan community in South Florida!

Come celebrate the 7th year of this great South Florida gathering of Witches and Wiccans with this Yuletide festival. This year’s theme is the 7 of Cups: The Heart’s Temptation. Perhaps you’ll discover the path to your desires as we dive deep into the element of Water.

This weekend festival features workshops, rituals, drumming and more! We will have our annual drawing for witchie goodies, contests, and a concert featuring Mama Gina! Check her out here: http://www.reverbnation.com/mamagina

DEC 6TH - DEC 8TH

Registration is now open! Please fill out the attached registration form and mail it in with check or money order by November 22nd to get the discounted, early rate. Space is limited, so sign up now!

Keep up to date on workshops and additional activities on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/EvergladesMoon

Or follow us on Twitter for special events:

@EMLCtweets

Learn more about us at http://www.emlc.net

BLESSED BE!

Everglades Moon Local Council's (EMLC) Inaugural Podcast

by Sirona, PIO of EMLC

We've been busy Witches!

Check out the inaugural episode of the EMLC podcast: Reaching for the Moon

In this first show, you'll hear about our Turning the Tide festival in December, some great music from local and guest artists, and the first Pagan Parenting segment.

With more to follow each sabbat, this podcast will keep you up to date on what EMLC "Moonies" are doing, find great blurbs on various forms of divination, Paganism in the news, learn about the different traditions our Florida members practice and all kinds of Witchy stuff.

Find it on iTunes or go to our web page www.EMLC.net where you can click on the iTunes link, subscribe to the feed or stream right there on the site.

Look for Episode 2 around Ostara!

Yuletide with Cog #4: Music of Lady Bridget

Yule in Twilight

by Lady Bridget

Everglades Moon Local Council

National Membership Officer

This song was originally performed by Lady Bridget and the Belladonnas for their second album "Voices of the Goddess."   Below are the lyrics and chords.  

Listen to the song. 

Chords and Lyrics for Yule in Twilight

by Lady Bridget

             

C                 Am      G7           C

Yule in the twilight, candlelight flickering

C            Am        G7        C

Softly reflecting on ivy entwined

C                   Am    G7                    C

Robes rustle quietly, incense smokes silently

C                   Am          G7             C

All mundane matters are now left behind.

F                                       G7

Welcome the Sabbat, the circle is cast

Am                                F           G7

Once more we enter between

F                                     G7

Here where the future is one with the past

       Am              F           Am      G7     Am   F    C   (repeat last line)

And all that was hidden is seen.

C                   Am        G7                    C

Call forth the elements, come now and celebrate

C              Am            G7               C

With us as we seek the Sun Kings return

C                Am        G7              C

Honor the Goddess, seeking Her bountiful

C                   Am             G7             C

Guidance and wisdom, so much yet to learn.

F                                       G7

Welcome the Sabbat, the circle is cast

Am                                F           G7

Once more we enter between

F                                   G7

Here where the future is one with the past

       Am              F            Am      G7     Am   F    C   (repeat last line)

And all that was hidden is seen.

C                 Am     G7             C

Yule in the twilight, candlelight flickering

C            Am         G7     C

Softly reflecting on ivy entwined

C                   Am    G7                    C

Robes rustle quietly, incense smokes silently

C               Am         G7          C

Listening closely, we wait for a sign

C                   Am           G7                 C

Here come the Mighty Ones, a chill is beside us

Am                                 F                 G7

Shadows are leaping as candle flames burn

F                                 G7

Goddess is immenent as we all realize

Am                  F                     G7          C  

Here we shall witness the Sun King's return.

C                 Am     G7              C

Yule in the twilight, candlelight flickering

C            Am        G7       C

Softly reflecting on ivy entwined

C                   Am    G7                      C

Robes rustle quietly, incense smokes silently

C                   Am      G7           C

Darkness of winter is now left behind. 

EMLC Statement on the Florida Freemason Policy

For Immediate Release

Media Statement

December 4, 2012, Miami - Everglades Moon Local Council, Florida Chapter of Covenant of the Goddess, a national organization of Wiccans, is saddened and disappointed to learn that The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Florida has stated all Pagans, and specifically Wiccans, must resign their membership. We respect the right of groups such as the Freemasons to make choices regarding their membership, and pray that Wiccan Masons can find a way to continue their contributions towards making good men better.

Sarah Vargas, Public Information Officer
Everglades Moon Local Council
Covenant of the Goddess