Weekly Meeting Schedule

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Monthly Drum Circles

(this page last revised, February 27, 2006)

Meetings for Fall 2006-2007: Regular weekly meetings are currently being reset, and activity of the fellowship is low.  When the fellowship is meeting regularly, you may click above for the meeting/speaker topic schedule, possible time changes, and other event information.  Contact us at any time (tprewitt@uwf.edu or 474-2186) if you have questions.  Meeting times vary for regular meetings, circles, and speaker meetings, but we try to keep to the set schedule. We are no longer hosting Drum Circles at the full moon each month, but sometimes incorporate drumming into our other sessions. Sabbat circle meetings can occur about every six or seven weeks, at the times of the solar holidays.  Solar circles are combined with lunar observances when they fall at either the New or Full phases of the moon.  Our most usual Sabbat celebrations are at Imbolc, Midsummer, Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain. 

Our circles are open to all persons of any faith or background.  They are meditative and celebratory gatherings intended to express our wonder and joy in the the beautiful world we have been given.  The celebrations are organized around the directions and elements, an actual circle within which we participate as equals.  Individually, we also recognize deity in many forms, including the Goddess and the God in their many manifestations.  Within our circles we share our commonalities as seekers, taking turns in our service to the whole assembly, and working to recognize the unity of humanity with all the other living creatures of our experience.  In the circle, applying the principles of equality and open-minded sharing, no individual view takes priority.

Most of our circles include a group meditation, blessings, communion, discussion, and observations for individual or community needs.  Our liturgy is very eclectic, though it broadly follows the European neo-pagan cycle.  As we work through this year's cycle, we will be posting followups on our actual sessions together with some complementary information about the seasons and holidays.  You may scroll through this page or click on the holiday names above. There is both standing information and notices about recent or planned activity.

2006-2007 Brief Circle information:

Yule (2007):

Our Yule celebration is usually a small gathering before leaving for the Winter break.  Try the following links for three historical correctives on the relationships of Yule and Christmas:

Witchvox's Yule essay provides a nice sense of where our wider pagan community is on the solstice holiday.  This site is  an essential web-stop for those new to the craft, or those simply interested in what we are really about.  (You can also go the main page Witchvox site from our links page.  Religioustolerance.org offers a "neutral" representation on the origins of Christmas celebrations and practices.  Finally, just when you thought it was safe to celebrate a good old fashioned Christmas, in steps  Biblical Discernment Ministries continuing one element of the Protestant Reformation to condemn your "Popish" and "pagan" ways.

Imbolc (2007):  No event planned yet.

On or around February 1, most years, we hold a small observance somewhere on campus, usually the Oak Grove.  Since hurricane Ivan the Oak Grove has been generally unavailable, so there was no observance this year. 

Ostara:

The Ostara-Easter page edited by D. L. Ashliman at University of Pittsburgh provides useful history and folklore links concerning modern Easter and the pagan traditions of Ostara in Europe. Because this holiday falls near Spring Break, we usually do not celebrate it on campus.

Bealtane:

Bealtane represents the first of the three great summer "fire" ceremonies, linking the waxing young son/sun (or solar god) and the beginning of "summer" in the European seasonal system. It is also widely known as May Day, associated in much of Europe with the May pole and a variety of other "fertility" references. American pagans typically adjust the beginning of Summer to the next solar holiday, "Midsummer" (or in its Christianized form, St. John's Day).    No matter the form of observance, the Bealtane holiday celebrates the reproductive maturity of the "year" through such images as the "Flower Bride" or "May Queen" and the "Oak King." This holiday usually falls on or near final examinations, and so we do not host a public Bealtane circle.

Midsummer (2006): No event planned yet.  We are hoping, however, to rededicate the Oak Grove this year, and if we can will hold that dedication at Midsummer—watch here for more information.

Lughnasadh (2006): No event planned yet.

Mabon (2006): No event planned yet.  We will, if possible, host a circle for new and returning students at the Oak Grove.

Samhain (2006): No event planned yet.  Samhain is our most consistently celebrated circle--watch here for information on the public Samhain circle. 

In 2005, the fellowship members participated in a small group memorial circle at a private ground. This is typically our most solemn circle of the year. It does not, in general, emphasize or reflect the Halloween traditions of Irish Christian or secular American practice.  The circle is a recognition of harvest/renewal and death/rebirth, and a remembrance of departed friends and loved ones.

Monthly Drum Circles

Drum Circles are not currently being held on campus.  There are several other active circles in the area.