Drawing Down the Moon (93 page)

Web site:
www.rcgi.org

The Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA).
Founded in 1963 after some Carleton College students in Minnesota challenged a mandatory attendance of religious services by creating their own “religion/philosophy” as a test. The requirement was soon thereafter rescinded, but the RDNA joyfully continued and deepened. “The RDNA is the oldest and largest (yet also the most simple and eclectic) of the modern Druid movements in America. The RDNA believes that the observation and contemplation of Nature can assist members of every religion and / or philosophy in the world, and it encourages honestly reviewing one's own beliefs. An optional modest splash of Celtic terms and trappings completes the picture. Numerous groups have schismed or descended from the RDNA over the years (e.g., NRDNA, ADF, Keltria, etc.) and have enacted sensible by-laws, praiseworthy seminary programs, achieved tax-exempt status, narrowed their base-pool of traditions, labeled themselves as Neo-Pagan, and run busy responsible central offices; but the RDNA has proudly remained protean, dis-organized with strong local autonomy. The RDNA still has a trademarked sense of humor and is respectfully irreverent.” After a downturn in the'80s, the RDNA is livelier than ever; as of 2006 there are about 51 groves and protogroves, with 450 grove-Druids and 3,300 solitary Druids in the United States, Canada, Japan, France, and beyond. Almost half of the RDNA have historically come from Carleton, but the Internet is now changing that. Overall RDNA membership is simple and free, although local groves may decide otherwise. Although the ancient Druids didn't write anything down, modern Druids love to write, and the RDNA has seven enormous online volumes of more than 3,526 dense pages of essays, stories, and liturgies. Its online magazine,
A Druid Missal-Any,
published eight times a year, is at
http://druidmissal-any.tripod.com
. Address: The Archdruid, c/o Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057 (Include a SASE). E-mail: [email protected]. RDNA's largest online conference is RDNAtalk:
http://groups.yahoo.com/
RDNAtalk.

Web site:
www.geocities.com/mikerdna

Religious Order of the Circle of Isis Rising (ROCIR).
Founded in 1981 by writer and paranormal investigator Lady Nicole Everett, the coven is established in Miami, Florida. Based on Druidic principles to a point, the grove then goes eclectic. Also incorporated are Hermetic and Egyptian traditions. Membership is represented by people of all ages from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The Coven's focus is on religion and individual spiritual growth. Community service is also stressed, together with a respect for the environment and interpersonal relationships. Sabbat celebrations are open to all Kindred Spirits. The priests and priestesses offer legal handfastings, funeral rites, Wiccanings, healing events, and other services to the community. The ROCIR is legally recognized as a not-for-profit corporation. The goal is to establish a coven sanctuary that all Pagans can use for religious group and personal rites. Address: ROCIR, P.O. Box 83-1196, Miami, FL 33283-1196. Phone: 305-265-2228. E-mail: [email protected].

Robin's Hood CommUNITY Center (RHCC).
A Kentucky Pagan community center that helps the homeless. When temperatures dip below 20 degrees, RHCC stays open around the clock as a warming center. During the winter one can find anywhere between 80 and 150 people drinking coffee, scanning want ads, searching apartment listings, and staying warm. In the summer, the CommUNITY Center is a respite from the heat. During the winter holidays it serves complete meals and gives out gifts. It has helped many homeless people find jobs and get off the streets. RHCC also holds workshops and seminars. Address: Robin's Hood CommUNITY Center, 501 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011. Phone: 859-743-6454. E-mail: [email protected].

Web site:
www.thefaerierealm.com/robins_hood_community_center.htm
'

Romuva.
Romuva is the reconstructionist Pagan tradition of Lithuania. Paganism was the state religion of Medieval Lithuania until 1387. Romuva was founded in 1967, but the Soviet Union suppressed it from 1969 to 1989. The name refers to a famous historical Old Prussian temple. Romuva celebrates the solar (the solstices and change of seasons), agrarian (the planting and harvest), and human (birth, naming, wedding, death) festival cycles that have survived to the present day, as well as fire rituals. It emphasizes the spiritual and religious nature of the ceremonies, discarding the Christian veneer and explanations that have been added. The rituals are unrelated to western Pagan models. A focal religious practice is singing dainas, ancient hymns that often have been called the Baltic Vedas. The religion reveres various goddesses, gods, and animistic spirits, many of which are anthropomorphic manifestations of nature, especially the heavens and flora, but not fauna. Some of the major deities are directly related to the Vedic gods of ancient India. Nature is sacred, and Romuva has a long-standing ecological commitment. Romuva avoids calling itself Pagan, and is a member of the World Council of Ethnic Religions. In North America, there are congregations in Chicago, Boston, Vancouver, and Toronto. Focusing on individuals of Lithuanian ancestry, they work in English. Romuva was incorporated in Wisconsin in 1992. Address: Romuva, c/o Kaze Kazlauskeine, Spirit Thomes and Treasures, 810 Cedar Parkway, Schererville, IN 46375. Phone: 219-865-8986. E-mail: [email protected].

Web sites:
www.romuva.lt
;
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romuva

The Rowan Tree Church.
An Earth-focused network of communities and solitary practitioners founded by Paul Beyerl and dedicated to a Wiccan tradition called Lothlorien. It has been a legally recognized Wiccan Church since 1979 offering spiritual growth through publications, rituals, and formal pathworking. The Education division of the church is the Hermit's Grove, which offers classes, workshops, gardens and woodlands, facilities for research, and a stone circle for meditation. Address: The Rowan Tree Church, P.O. Box 0691, Kirkland, WA 98083. Phone: 425-828-4124.

Web sites:
www.therowantreechurch.org
;
www.thehermitsgrove.org

The Sabaean Religious Order.
The Sabaean Religious Order (see Chapter 9) was founded by Frederic M. De Arechaga (Odun). The philosophy of Sabaeanism is “one of action that states human beings should live in the present, identifying with those principles that are unchanging even in the face of death.” Sabaeanism goes back to Egyptian and Babylonian sources. The Gods are called Am'n, a word said to mean the hidden, numberless point; it can be singular or plural, male or female, the source. Formerly located in Chicago, with a temple and store, the SRO moved to New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, the SRO moved to Denver, Colorado and the work of Sabaeanism continues. Sadly, Odun suffered a terrible stroke in 2005. As this book was going to press, he had still not recovered. Sabaeanism will continue. The priesthood of the Order will continue Odun's work, complete the books he was working on, and publish them in his name. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected].

Web site:
www.sabaean.org

Sacre Radici (Sacred Roots—formerly La Federazione Pagana).
Founded in 1992 and originally known as La Federazione Pagana, Sacre Radici is a national Italian Neo-Pagan network embracing all traditional Pagans: Greco-Roman, Celtic, shamanistic, etc. The founder of the group, Zoe Red Bear, considers herself very close to the California Reclaiming tradition. For Sacre Radici, polytheism represents honoring diversity in the fields of ecology, ethnicity, politics, religion, and sexuality. “Everything is sacred and everything is alive—the divine exists in all things.” It is not to be confused with another Italian group called La Federazione Pagana, with which Sacre Radici has cordial relations. Address: Sacre Radici, c/o Roberto Fattore, Casella Postale 54—Forlì Centro 47100 Forlì, Italy. Although Sacre Radici doesn't have a Web site, there are several Italian Pagan Web sites listed at the end of this resource guide.

The Sacred Well Congregation: An International Wiccan Church and Fellowship.
On Midsummer Day, 1994, in Hainin, Belgium, six Elders of the Greencraft Tradition of Wicca founded the Sacred Well Congregation. Greencraft is a branch of Traditional Craft Wicca that traces its lineage through the Alexandrian Tradition, although Greencraft Wicca has evolved to the point where it is recognizable as a distinct tradition of craft Wicca. In April 1996, Rev. David L. Oringderff, Ph.D., Rev. Tama L. Oringderff, and Rev. Dewey Oringderff incorporated the Sacred Well Congregation in the State of Texas as a non-profit organization and a legally recognized church. Headquartered in Converse, Texas, the SWC has some 1,200 members residing in 47 states and 19 foreign countries. Although the core leadership practices Greencraft Wicca, the SWC itself is universalistic in nature and embraces all spiritual paths into its membership. Membership is free and non-binding, and requires only that members acknowledge the Covenant of Five Tenets and request to affiliate with the Congregation. About half of the membership is either serving in, or affiliated with, the U.S. Armed Forces. The SWC provides Denominational Sponsorship and Leader Endorsement for some thirty Distinctive Faith Groups in all branches of service around the world. In 2002, the International Institute for Cultural and Religious Studies was incorporated as the educational, service, and outreach agency of the congregation. The Sacred Well Congregation has been a member agency of the Combined Federal Campaign since 2004. Address: The Sacred Well Congregation, P.O. Box 58, Converse, TX 78109. Phone: 210-658-9100. E-mail: [email protected].

Web site:
www.sacredwell.org

The Sanctuary of the Crescent Moon.
A Dianic Wiccan Temple and coven serving the Illiana areas of the greater Chicagoland and NW Indiana locations. As a mixed gender group, the Sanctuary honors the Lady Diana in her four aspects, through a Graeco-Roman tradition. The Temple hosts open sabbat rituals and social events, as well as conducting a devotee program (nondegree) for friends of the Temple, who wish to serve the Temple Gods in a more meaningful way. The Sancta Luna Coven offers a degree program for those who wish to be formally trained as Dianic Witches, as well as full moon rites and selected classes. The Temple is open to all women and men who wish to celebrate Wicca through the path of divine feminine empowerment. Phone: 219-308-3743. E-mail: [email protected].

Web site:
www.Sanctamoon.8m.com

Sekhet Bast Ra, OTO.
Founded in 1984, Sekhet Bast Ra is dedicated to the law of Thelema and promulgates that law by helping and encouraging those working toward their True Will, regardless of their affiliation—or non-affiliation—with Thelema. Sekhet Bast Ra's thelemic force is on the forefront of a magickal movement in Oklahoma and by becoming more involved in the community, they hope to promote peace, tolerance, and truth. Sekhet Bast Ra celebrates and encourages light, life, love, and liberty by performing the Gnostic Mass regularly, as well as providing a variety of classes, workshops, and discussion groups on various subjects, both publicly and privately. Sekhet Bast Ra has open public hours and is currently housing one of the few alternative belief lending libraries in the United States, Deep Root Community Lending Library (see page 527). Address: Sekhet Bast Ra, 2714 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73107. Phone: 405-816-5176, E-mail: [email protected].

Web site:
www.sekhetbastra.org

Sharanya.
A non-profit religious organization and Devi Mandir (Goddess temple) founded in 1999 by scholar and activist Rashani Chandra Alexandre, Ph.D., and dedicated to an embodied and engaged spirituality that facilitates the life-affirming transformation of individuals, communities, and the world. The SHARANYA community consists of individuals from many backgrounds, but the core is a tradition based on the tenets of the Craft and the Shakta Tantrick path (Goddess-worshipping path of esoteric Hinduism). “We call this blend of authentic east-west tradition Sha'can. Based in San Francisco, with offices here and in India, we serve a diverse community worldwide and are committed to the work of spirit in action across lines of difference, such as age, religion, ethnicity, gender or other distinctions.” The word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means “refuge” or “sanctuary.” The tradition and spiritual lineage of SHARANYA is dedicated to the mysteries of Kali, the Dark Goddess of India, who we celebrate as Great Mother, She Who Transforms, the Creatrix of the Three Worlds, the Churner of the Ocean of Milk. SHARANYA runs a teaching and training circle, Daughters of Kali, which offers a year-long course to men and women that can lead to initiation. They have offices in San Francisco and Puri, India. Address: SHARANYA, 859 36th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121. Phone: 415-505-6840. E-mail: [email protected].

Web site:
www.sharanya.org

Silver Cauldron Coven.
Silver Cauldron Coven is in the tradition of Circle of the Silver Cauldron, which was established at Samhain l994, and honors the sanctity of life, growth, death, and rebirth through respectful example and activity to bring balance and equality into our world. “We are a mixed (female and male) group who meet to do magic and ritual. We look to the Celtic Wheel of the Year for our Solar Rituals and Magic, which are often open by invitation. We look to historical, feminist and other traditions for our lunar Rituals and Magic, which are celebrated only by the Coven.” The coven is governed mostly by consensus. Each member of the coven is a priest or priestess and all are equals and share in the design and performance of magic and ritual. Members have given trainings, teachings and public service. Contact: Cynthia Jane Collins or Harry Spirito. Address: Silver Cauldron Coven, 86 High Street, Saco, ME 04072. Phone: 207-282-1491.