Author: Khalila RedBird

Simple Warning

Appropriate to beginning with all Participants seated in the circle:

Bard speaks:

We gather tonight to open the veil between the worlds, to seek the Lord and Lady, and to experience the Mystery of Their Love.Hear this warning. To be touched by the Lord and Lady is to be changed. If you open yourself to that touch, you put at risk your comfortable view of the world. You risk experiencing a sense of awe to which worship is the natural response. You risk discovering Deity as your Lover and your Beloved.

Bard lights Grove candle on North altar, then continues:

Let none remain who is unwilling to be changed by Their touch.

Claiming the Space

Claiming the Space consists of four balanced spells to prepare the ritual area for magical work. The four Claimings are normally performed immediately after the Circle is cast, before any invocations or welcomings.

Each of the four Claimings is performed by a person standing at the appropriate quarter and facing inward (not outward as in quarter calling).

The normal sequence is East, West, South, North, to emphasize the polarities and balance of the working.

The Claimings are spells and should be spoken with conviction and intent. The Bard and remaining Quarters respond So mote it be! to each Claiming.

If the Circle is cast with all participants present, replace the words Let all who enter with Let all within.

East speaks:

In the name of the Lady of Light, and in my own name, I claim this circle as a place of Men.  Let all who enter be bound to speak and hear the Truth.

So mote it be.

West speaks:

In the name of the Sacred King, and in my own name, I claim this circle as a place of Women.  Let all who enter be bound to Perfect Love and Trust.

So mote it be.

South speaks:

In the name of the Lord of the Greenwood, and in my own name, I claim this circle as a place of Nature.  Let all who enter be bound to the Sacred Web of Life.

So mote it be.

North speaks:

In the name of the Queen of Heaven, and in my own name, I claim this circle as Sacred Space.  Let all who enter be opened to the presence of God and Goddess.

So mote it be.

Planning for Autumn Equinox Grove

Updated 10/15/2020: It didn’t happen. Maybe I can pull it together for Samhain.

It’s time for the Grove to manifest itself anew in the age of pandemic. Tools are available and being used to meet in cyberspace, and we are forging ahead. The plan is to schedule our Sabbats for the coming year, by date and time, and set up Zoom gatherings for the observance.

Invitations to participate will include the ritual structure, and attendees will be offered the opportunity to Claim the Space, while the wording is made available on screen. Host will act as Bard and Priest, at least at first.

Invitations will be distributed, at least, by email and through the Facebook Grove page. Respondents by email will be sent the link.

Priestess will establish the Zoom meeting at the specified date and time, then admit attendees, who will be welcome to chat. Once Bard begins Warnings, no others will be admitted.

Still working on the particulars of the ritual. It will be geared toward the Wheel of the Year and probably, at least at first, be of a participatory Journey format.

Watch this space — more to follow.

Sometimes it needs to be said

Cleaning house, I found a Facebook post from ‘way back with a prayer that resonates with me and which I share because so many suffer from fear of Hell, even when their theology no longer supports the concept.

If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore you out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise.

But if I adore you for Yourself alone,
Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty.

Everyone prays to You from fear of the Fire;
And if You do not put them in the Fire,
This is their reward.
Or they pray to You for the Garden,
Full of fruits and flowers.
And that is their prize.
But I do not pray to You like this,
For I am not afraid of the Fire,
And I do not ask You for the Garden.
But all I want is the Essence of Your Love,
And to return to be One with You,
And to become Your Face.

Rabi’a al Basri, a Sufi saint who died 814 CE

On Ministry of Presence in Covid Time

For my fellow chaplains

I had a particular leading of Spirit that resulted in a reflection for Good Friday and the 7 Last Words. In particular, I was drawn to Mark 15:34, the Aramaic version of the cry of Jesus from the Cross to the God he felt had abandoned him to die in agony, alone. I wonder if we do not encounter this very human depth of despair, even unspoken, in our work or lives. We sometimes find ourselves in the presence of that despair that cries for reconnection to the Presence, and our hands, too, are tied.

So that reflection does not go to waste, you are my congregation. May Peace be with you.

Let me set the scene.

In the ritual of Holy Week, we reflect on the completion of the ministry of Jesus by joining ourselves in the experiences of that time. Good Friday relives his torture and execution for the crime of sedition, which was punished in those days by crucifixion. Jesus is tried by religious and civil authorities, scourged, with a crown made of thorny vines jammed into his head, and made to carry the cross on which he will be executed through the streets of Jerusalem to the place where many are already hanging in the hot sun.

Our reflection begins after his clothes have been stripped from him, he has been nailed through wrists and feet to the cross, the cross has been hoist upright and its base dropped into a hole. Above his head, a sign proclaims “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

We are present and stand witness to the completion of his three years of ministry.

“Eloi? Eloi! Lama sabachthani?” (“My God?  My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?”)

Mark 15:34

In our hearts, we can imagine the depths of pain and anguish of that prayer. We can hear his unspoken words:

“Where are you, Father? Why have you left me … hanging here all alone?

“Abba, what did I do? Wasn’t I good enough?”

“Where are you? Abba?”

No one else heard God’s reply, and some didn’t even understand the question. The Scriptures are silent.

But in our hearts, with Jesus, even now, we can hear echoes of his Father’s reply:

“I am here, with you, Son. In you, through you, now and always. You are my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

“The worst is over, Beloved. Just a few more breaths, and your mission is complete. You are coming Home.”

“Feel me here within you Breathe me in, now. With each breath let me fill you.”

“Exhale. Give me your fears. Blow out your pain. Give them back to me.”

“Inhale. Fill yourself again with my Presence.”

“Open your eyes, my Son. Look down. You are not alone.”

“Breathe in my Love.”

“Be here now. Just a few more breaths. See the others who suffer with you?”

“Behold, your mother, your beloved, who would not leave you here alone.”

“Fill yourself with me and let that Light shine on them.”

“Breathe in my Strength. You are my Voice. Lead them through this Hell.”

“You are my Beloved. Just a few more breaths.”

“We are One, and you are coming Home.”

Jesus finds the composure and strength to use the control he still has over his life and his words. He can breathe, with increasing difficulty. He can speak. He need not wait alone, in agony, for the slow approach of Death.

With Divine inspiration, he speaks:

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

 Luke 23:34 

Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

Luke 23:43 

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

Luke 23:46 

“Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!“:

 John 19:26-27

“I thirst.“

 John 19:28 

“It is finished“

John 19:30 

My Reflection on this Experience

After all the words and acts and turmoil of his ministry in Galilee and its endgame in Jerusalem, Jesus has been brought to a full stop. A sudden, devastating silence.

Last night, after a ritual and working supper with his followers, he had prayed fervently that he could be spared this suffering, but, if it must be, he accepted it. He had asked his closest friends to be with him in prayer, but they had fallen asleep and left him alone. And now he is alone, again. In agony and terror, bereft of meaning or hope. Is God mocking him, too?

In overwhelming pain and tormented by the wounds of trauma in the very recent past, Jesus is bewildered and powerless to help himself, to find any measure of calm or peace. He has only his voice, and with what breath he has, he calls for help. Not for physical help, taking away the pain, relieving the merciless strife between gravity pulling his body down and the nails through his flesh resisting that pull. He calls for hope that all this suffering is not a cruel joke, that the loving Father God who led him into this is still with him. His cry sounds almost angry, almost like he is accusing God of betrayal.

In my mind’s eye, giving voice to the question with Jesus, I was also hearing others in moments of pain and despair, breathing the shortest of prayers: “Oh, God!” Or even the newborn, suddenly exposed to light and sound and breezes and a totally changed world, crying out in shock and surprise. Or myself, once, as an overwhelmed mother with two messily sick babies and my own devastating case of the flu, whimpering quietly, “I want my Mommy.” Wanting Someone, somehow, to make it better.

Asking a question opens the mind to receiving an answer. And the God of Love, the Heavenly Father that Jesus had brought to the people who followed him through Galilee and Judea, would not have left him to suffer unto death alone.

But what would God have answered? What could Jesus hear in his heart that could help at all in that agony? What would I say, in all Love and Compassion, or what would I want to hear?

I fell back on the training I have had as a crisis response chaplain, on how to help when the unthinkable has happened. How do you approach someone who is in shock, when all meaning and hope for even the next breath have fled in the face of terror and anguish?

God reaches out to touch Jesus, to connect with Jesus, through the air, through his breathing. Jesus will feel the air he gasps into his lungs; let feeling that air become feeling God’s Presence; and let Jesus turn his attention to that feeling, to seeking more of that Divine inspiration. And give Jesus a way to unload the heavy burdens he no longer needs to carry; let him give them back to his Father; let him even throw them back at his Father. Which will trigger yet another inspiration of the Divine Presence.

Death will not come swiftly; crucifixion is intentionally horrible in that regard. How to help Jesus through the Hell ahead of him? Bring his focus back to this moment; not the past that got him here; and not apprehension of what is yet to come. Help him open his eyes to the moment. He is not alone. Somewhat refreshed, the old reflexes return. There are people at his feet with needs only he can fill. With the measure of reassurance that his Father is still with him, that he is Loved and accepted and has done well, and with the return of a small measure of personal agency, Jesus uses the last of his human life as his Father’s Voice to complete his mission.

Thanks be to God.

7 April 2020

Sandra Lee Harris, MDiv

On call chaplain, IFMC

Chaplain, Fairfax County Community Chaplain Corps

Priest, Sacred Grove Community Circle (SWC)

Where are the church ladies …

when we need them?

Haven’t we all heard someone say, in response to a very human need, “Well, where is the church in all of this?  Should they be stepping up to ….?”

And, of course, my head immediately answers for me, “Which church?  How is this _____’s problem?”

Sure, if you’re a decently-sized, well-funded religious organization and troubles descend on one of your own, you may well have a function established to come to the rescue with food, clothing, shelter, social support, advocacy, and the other things that help folks through a crisis.  Maybe you’ll even stretch your compassion to folks not of your particular belief system or at least who are your own but rarely show up or donate.

But the troubles of the world can fall on any of us, regardless of any other considerations.  There are government agencies and such set up to minister to those needs — complete with criteria, qualifications, paperwork, bureaucracy, delays — and denials.  People in dire need can fall through the cracks quite easily.  And no one or several decently-sized, however well funded religious or charitable organizations can rise in response to every need — although they are less hobbled by rules and regulations than anything governmental.

Where does Sacred Grove come into this rant?

We are exploring the role of the small, informally-gathered religious community filling the various roles expected of a church/ congregation/ circle, given no building, no secure funding source, no fixed membership, and only the choice to join with each other in appreciation of all that is real and personal and important about the divine connections in our lives — where the Divine lives and breathes in the infinite connections of the Sacred Web of Life.

This is a new persona for a church — this amorphous webspinning eclectic group.  It is not confined to a single place or area — we are scattered as widely as the internet, yet we are as personal as individual commitment and action or two people talking it over.

We have a few resources that empower us as a church that we would not have as individuals: We have an identity that has stood the test of time, at least on the East Coast: The Fellowship of the Sacred Grove has been a visible and respected contributor to the Pagan community since 1989. We have a legal and effective association with a larger and more widespread Wiccan organization — Sacred Well Congregation — that has successfully managed the bureaucratic requirements at the federal level for years, through which the IRS knows us as a 501(c)3 religious charitable organization.

In the name of Sacred Grove Community Circle (SWC), we can stand with other churches and participate in community activities, provide clerical credentials for clergy visiting hospitals in our name, accept charitable donations to support our service to individuals and communities, and maintain our Facebook page and this website as the hub of our web.

What has Sacred Grove been doing lately?

I’m so glad you asked.

We are providing social support, spiritual support, and random material resources to several individuals in crisis who have fallen through the aforementioned cracks — and learning more about the plight of the poor, abused, disabled, and homeless with every step.  We have helped a few others out, here and there.  We do what we can to help folks over an obstacle or through a critical door, then cheer as they continue on their way.

We support one chaplain volunteering in a Level 1 trauma center.

We are actively working with public safety chaplains in a county chaplain corps and in the Washington-Baltimore area alongside military and civilian chaplains in disaster readiness and resilience.

We are partnered with Rising Sun Outreach Ministry to provide care for the caregivers.

We hang out with the Religious Tolerance group on Facebook and contribute the services of one moderator, helping ease the tensions and build pathways of communication among people of all religions or none.

What can I do to help?

We have a Paypal account which will accept donations, which will be acknowledged with thanks and a receipt.  Other than the minor expenses of maintaining the web presence, our funds are disbursed directly and swiftly where the need is greatest.

Visit us on Facebook — start a conversation!   Express a need.  Share some ideas.  https://www.facebook.com/SacredGroveSWC/

Email me at RedBird@SacredGroveSWC.org

PM me on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/Sandra.Lee.Harris

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The Many Faces of Wiccan Divinity — Patheos, 7/2/2015, by Sable Aradia

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/betweentheshadows/2015/07/the-many-faces-of-wiccan-divinity/

Wiccan theology is actually very complex.  It is perfectly valid to interpret Wicca as duotheism, deism, polytheism, animism, shamanism, pantheism, panentheism, monotheism, agnosticism or atheism; and I know Wiccans who hold all of these views, often at the same time.  But to say, unequivocally, that Wicca is any one of these things incorrectly pigeonholes us.  Although we are most commonly interpreted by other Pagans as duotheists, defining oneself by that term is only one of many perfectly theologically sound ways to interpret and relate to our deities.  It is for that reason that we often describe ourselves as an orthopractic faith, one more concerned with our practices than our beliefs.

July 2, 2015 by Sable Aradia

Politely-Unasked Questions

What crazy kind of church is this, anyway?

Welcome, friend, and thank you for asking.  You have found our on-line door, which is always open to people of any faith, or none, or who wonder, as we do, what being a person of faith is.  The technical details are in the regular pages, of course, but this may be a new experience.

We are a bunch of people who share an urge to, in the words of an Elder, “Think cosmically; act neighborly“.  For most of us, this is the closest we come to organized religion.  We gather, physically or virtually, to do for ourselves what brick-and-mortar churches or temples or mosques do for their congregations and for their communities.

Cosmically, our underlying spiritual path is Pagan, owing no allegiance or submission to any particular texts or teachers.  Rather, we each bring to this community the fruits of our exploration, experience, and gathered wisdom, and we grow as we share.  We have a formal spiritual tradition that provides a default framework and liturgy for our rites, but we are also free to craft ritual from scratch or to adapt others’ rituals to the needs of our guests and the moment.

The BhaktiWiccan Tradition of Sacred Grove is a growing and living tradition, with deep roots in the past and branches growing into the future.

Locally, we have been recognized as one of the northern Virginia faith communities that serves needs outside our congregation, near and far, and participates actively with other congregations to support the wider community.

So who is running this outfit?

Hi, I’m RedBird.  I am the Community Faith Group Leader (CFGL) — to use the term derived from the military usage, Distinctive Faith Group Leader (DFGL), for persons authorized to work with the uniformed chaplain to meet the spiritual needs of personnel outside the religious mainstream.  I maintain this site and our Facebook page, handle the administrivia, and keep us in compliance with the requirements of Sacred Well Congregation.

I am a Dedicant of the Fellowship of the Sacred Grove, Priestess and Witch. I am also Ordained Minister and Cleric Priestess of Sacred Well Congregation. Locally I serve as hospital on-call chaplain and am part of the Fairfax County Community Chaplain Corps, mother of two, grandmother of one. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences from MIT and a Master of Divinity in Pagan Pastoral Counseling from Cherry Hill Seminary.

How many members are in your congregation?

Hm.  Good question.  We have not been keeping membership rolls of late, since our rituals are public.  People are fairly mobile these days, and we keep in touch through the web.  When we need to take more formal notice of affiliation, we handle that on an individual basis and recognize that each of us may be affiliated with other faith groups as well.

Donations

We get by. We are trying this way to receive contributions, which are tax deductible for 501(c)(3) religious organizations, as we are through Sacred Well Congregation.

Donate