Page of Pentacles

Congregationalist Wiccan Association of BC 5196 Moscrop Street Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 2G4 www.cwabc.org

C.C.C.C.C.W.W.W.W.W.A.A.A.A.A.B. C.B. C.B. C.B. C.B. C.

#20- December 2006 c.e.Book Review Alice Walker: The Temple of My Familiar

By Isabella Mori

$12/yr, included with membership.

Copyrighted in 1989, this book is anything but new, atleast to our way of thinking. To Miss Lissie, one of the book’s main protagonists, the 17 years that haveintervened since then would be but a barelynoticeable blip, seeing that she can remember livesback to the times when we were still living in trees.This book is definitely not about witchcraft, Wicca orpaganism. It is about how infinitely complicated,painful and inspiring human relationships are, humanrelationships of all stripes: mother/daughter, man/ woman, woman/woman, black/white, black/black. Itis about the possibilities we have for forgiveness andrenewal.For those of us to whom relationships are at the coreof our human experience, what topic could be moreimportant? Many people start their walk on a spiritualpath because they are confounded and hurt by whathappens between people.And while this book is not about paganism, most of the characters are pagan, in one way or another.Their pagan ways are a natural part of their lives.This is one of the reasons why The Temple of MyFamiliar has been so important to me all these years.It shows real people suffering, loving, laughing,cooking, eating, doing normal and strange things, anddoing all of this in the presence of Spirit, a presencethat is just as normal as cooking gumbo, gettingmassages and sewing dresses. This is a Spirit whodoes not make it all better. It does not promise abetter life in the afterworld like the Christian God thattried to comfort the slaves whose lives leave theirtraces all over this book. It’s also no fluffy-bunnyNew Age Spirit who promises all the sparkly richesof the world if we just say the right affirmations. It’s just there. And it’s that there-ness that keeps on

National News

The CWA-BC is the only established provincialbranch of a federally incorporated church. This maybe about to change as two groups have started upserious organizing efforts in Alberta and Manitoba. Itis likely that, early in the New Year, they will beestablished along the same lines and with the sameconstitution and bylaws as ours. Watch This Spot formore news of these exciting developments!Canadian National Pagan Conference – GaiaGathering #3 in Winnipeg is coming up fast (see ad inthe rear) . It’s over the Victoria Day long weekendeach year and $90 prior to December 31

. In 2008it’ll be in Vancouver, last year it was in Halifax andthe first year in Edmonton. It brings together Paganactivists, scholars and leaders from around thecountry to discuss the directions of the Paganmovements, to exchange information, to network projects and get to know one another. Since a numberof these folk are very experienced and Elders in thecommunities, the quality of the discussion etc. is veryhigh. Anne and Sam, both part of the ’08 committee,will be attending, and we hope for a few more CWApeople as well, including some of the Alberta andManitoba organizers.

A few Yule thoughts

Yuletide is a time to celebrate with family andfriends. I don’t think it’s a time for restraint, but a timefor excess - to eat a great deal, give each other gifts,and do the best we can to “drive the cold winteraway” as the song puts it.I used to be sort of down on the elements of excess, thinking we should be more sober andrestrained in our celebration. But that was my cynicalside getting the worst of my better self. Truly, this isthe time to celebrate that “eat drink and be merry, fortomorrow we die”!

2and realize a partnership in the creation of theUniverse that keeps them responsible andcheerful.Helped are those who love all the colors of all thehuman beings, as they love all the colors of animals and plants; none of their children, nor anyof their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves,shall be hidden from them.Yes, that-which-has-no-name helps.

Isabella Mori is a practising psychotherapist inVancouver. She welcomes comments and questionsthrough email at moritherapy@shaw.ca, through her website at www.moritherapy.com, or through her blog at www.moritherapy.org.

speaking to me, the presence of Spirit that shows thatthere is no other choice but to keep going, that wehave to fight for justice, that we need to look for theways in which we can understand each other.It’s a Spirit of which Mama Shug, a self-proclaimedpriestess, who some of you may know from TheColor Purple, said “that there was only one thinganyone could say about … and that was – it had noname.”And what about familiars? In her casual explanationof the origin of that word, Miss Lissie first points outthat there might be a reason why fairy-tale witchesare always dressed in black – maybe they actuallywere black, those dark-skinned goddess lovers of Africa who used to live somewhat peacefully inEurope before the witch hunt. Then she tells us thatthey never really forgot from their previous lives thatpeople and animals used to be friends.So there we were, the dark women, mutteringfamiliarly to every mouse or cow or goat about theplace … The animals and our children were ourworld. Foolishly we thought the animals and ourchildren, at least, would not be taken from us. Butthe Inquisitors, set in place to control us, declared‘consorting’ with animals a crime … There wassomething about the relationship she had withanimals and her children that deeply satisfiedwoman. It was of this that man was jealous. Theanimals can remember; for, like sight, memory isrenewed at every birth. But our language they willnever be able to speak; not from lack of intelligence but from the different construction of their speaking apparatus. In the world of man,someone must speak for them. And that is why, ina nutshell, goddesses and witches exist.And Mama Shug, who never invites anyone into herhouse again if they step on an ant without apologizing,takes her witchy mutterings further and writes downtwenty-seven beatitudes, each starting with “Helpedare those …”:Helped are those too busy living to respond whenthey are wrongfully attacked; on their walks theyshall find mysteries so intriguing as to distract themfrom every blow.Helped are those who love the entire cosmosrather than their own tiny country, city or farm, forto them will be shown the unbroken web of lifeand the meaning of infinity.Helped are those who create anything at all, forthey shall relive the thrill of their own conception,And the commercialism, that’s much more in tunewith the true spirit of the season than anything moresober. Mulled wine! Turkey and free-range chicken,plum pudding! Singing songs of Yuletide And may theGoddess and Holly King bless us all, every one!And so, a couple of suggestions for Yule giving:Jaiya;

Firedance; Songs for Winter Solstice

(2003).Jaiya is a Pagan band formed by three veryaccomplished musicians out on British Columbia’sMayne Island.On Firedance many songs are traditional songswith Jaiya’s arrangements, although there are severallovely originals here. I do want to begin by contrastingJaiya’s version of “To Drive the Cold Winter Away”with the more well-known version by LoreenaMcKinnett – while McKinnett’s is ethereal and cold,serving to showcase her voice, and I think with lessattention paid to the lyric of the song, Jaiya is warmand jolly, singing of the little community gatheredtogether in celebration to keep the cold outside andthe celebrating community within. Jaiya’s version issuperior.The first song, “Dance to Your Shadow’ is anupbeat and joyful song about accepting life, adaptedfrom a Hebridean folksong : “Dance to your shadow,when it’s hard to be living, lad / … and let fate to herfiddle / … when there’s nothing better near you.”“Yule is Come” by Lael Whitehead is astraightforward and joyous song of praise to thereturning sun. “Gaia’s Lullaby” is a beautiful song of the Goddess’s eternal gifts of renewed life, even as

Yule thoughts

3Gaia GatheringThe 3

Canadian National Pagan ConferenceUniversity of Winnipeg - Winnipeg, ManitobaMay 18 – 21, 2007For Registration forms and more information –visit www.gaiagathering.ca or emailinfo@gaiagathering.cahumankind squanders and destroys Her gifts;“Lullaby my dear one/ My tender child of earth / How fragile, how lovely / This moment of thy birth …And she grieved for the dark world / that knew nothow to thrive / That knew not how to love / This giftshe freely gave.”I am delighted to have encountered their music.Wonderful music, particularly for this time of year.Please, their two CDs can both be ordered off of their webpage www.jaiya.ca.

Chalice & Blade is a pagan vocal

Chalice and Blade,

Wild Hunt

and

First Degree

.Chalice and Blade is a Pagan vocal group fromVancouver, Canada. They perform traditional Craftsongs and original pieces based on the beliefs of Wicca and Paganism. Their music reflects the moreBritish Traditional side of the Wiccan spiritualtraditions - they sing songs which show reverence forthe earth and the balance of the God and Goddess.They also draw on themes such as: the wheel of theyear, chants that invoke the elements, ballads inspiredby a delight in life, magick and the playfulness of imagination.They currently have two CD’s available - orderfrom the webpage www.chaliceandblade.com

Temple News

Vancouver-Burnaby Temple

The New Year will bring a new schedule for ourOpen Circles. Since our experience and that of otherTemples suggests that many people prefer to gettogether to celebrate the Sabbats, Temple meetings inthe New Year will happen on the Monday before theSabbat (Thus, eight times a year rather than monthly.)The themes of the rituals will be tied more closely tothe themes of the yearly cycle.The dates will be: December 11th, January 29th(Brigid), March 19th (Oestre), April 30th (Beltane),June 18th (Midsummer), July 30th (Lughnasadh),September 17th (Mabon), October 29th (Samhain),December 17th (Yule). All are planned to be held inBurnaby at Metrotown Mall’s Community Room nearOld Navy, unless some other arrangement has to bemade. Time: 7:00 pm.We continue to host the monthly coffee meets fordiscussion and fellowship at Sacred Space bookstore/ café on the last Friday of the month. We hope tofinally be able to undertake a Wicca 101 seriesbeginning in mid-January.The November Temple Open Circle, combiningthe Remembrance of fallen soldiers and Samhain,brought out a few regulars, a number of new faces aswell as a few people we hadn’t seen for severalmonths. Although the topic was sombre, ourdiscussion and remembrance of our dead was lively,caring and insightful. Sam spent the central portion of the ritual reading Tarot and Daniel cast the runes.Stories and memories were shared.For December 11th we will offer a ritual to helprelieve some of the stress of the Yule-Christmas-NewYears period, calling Santa, Frau Hulda, and Scrooge.We will also anoint candles to take home and to helpground us when dealing with challenging aspects of the season.An interview with Sam will be featured on thestudent radio station of BCIT later this month. In mid-November, Anne and Sam met with a young couplewho are planning to be married next July. We