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