Spring Mysteries XXVIII Early Bird registration rate ends on February 4th!

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Don’t miss the discounted rate!

You can register online up until midnight on February 4th, but you can only call the church until 9:00pm that night.

The next tier for the sliding scale is: Adults (13 & up): $220, Children 4-12: $120. If you have registered, but have not paid or made arrangements, your fee automatically increases to the next level–$220. Call the church at 360-793-1945. Don’t lose your Early Bird Fee! Secure your space today.

Merchants, we’d love to have you join us and show off your wares! Email Gina, our Merchant Coordinator at walkerofplanes@yahoo.com! 

If you do not want to register online, you can request a PDF version of the registration form from festivals@aquatabch.org and mail the form along with your payment to:

ATC-SMF
PO Box 409
Index, Wa 98256

Vancouver Meet and Greet & Spring Mysteries Monologues

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Do you live in the Lower Mainland and want to know more about the ATC?

Perhaps you would like to know what it takes to affiliate your circle our you want to know more about our tradition and degrees? Maybe you are interested in being a cast member at Spring Mysteries?

Here is your opportunity!

ATC Canada Arch Priestess Michèle Favarger and ATC Int’l Arch Priestess Belladonna Laveau will be in Vancouver on Saturday, January 19th to host a meet and greet Q&A as well as the Spring Mysteries Monologues.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this rare opportunity to meet, greet, ask questions and learn more at the ATC.

Please take note of the location and time change!

Unfortunately, we do not have kitchen access but coffee and tea will served and you are more than welcome to bring a light snack.  

An after gathering dinner meetup is also in the works with final plans being hammered out at the meet and greet.

Please join us at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 949 49 Ave W. (49th St at Oak St).

12:20 – Introductions from (Michele and Bella)
12:30 – About the ATC Canada and ATC Intl (Michele and Bella)
1:00 – 1:30ish Q&A (Michele and Bella)
1:30ish to 2:00 – Social time, casual meet and greet over tea/coffee/snacks
2:00 to 3:30ish – Spring Mysteries Monologues

 

Are you interested in being a cast member at our Spring Mysteries Festival?

You now have the opportunity to declare this desire while Bella is in Vancouver for this special visit. On Saturday, January the 19th, please come to honor the Gods in ritual, through invocation.

Requirements for the Monologue:

Choose a deity that you wish to invoke, research this deity, and prepare a costume. In a prepared sacred space, draw down (invoke) and deliver a 3-5 minute monologue, introducing yourself as this deity to the ritual participants.

This will be done in sacred space, as an act of honoring and worshiping the Gods. This is not a traditional audition, but a sacred demonstration of your abilities as a Priest or Priestess to carry the energy of deity for the community at Spring Mysteries.

There will be opportunities for those who are not able to come to all the rehearsals to still participate in the Adult Affirmation of Path, or as some of the supporting roles that
have smaller parts. Please let Bella know, at that time, if you are able to attend rehearsals, or if you would like to be considered for a less demanding role.

For more information please contact info@atccanada.org, or for questions directly related to the Monologes and Spring Mysterites, contact Bella at: bella@aquatabch.org

20th Annual General Meeting of ATC Canada

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You are cordially invited to attend the 20th Annual General Meeting of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada.

The meeting will be held at Ravencroft Farm, 925 Langtry Road, Duncan, BC, 11am on Sunday, December 9, 2012 and will be followed by a late lunch pot luck.

Click here for a map

Please feel free to share this with individuals who wish to participate in the ATC Canada family.

Please RSVP to info@atccanada.org and to request any items be added to the agenda.

A draft agenda can be downloaded by clicking here.

Yours in service,
Rt. Rev. Michèle Favarger
APS, Aquarian Tabernacle Church CANADA

SMF XXVIII Event Registration Is Open!!

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CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Are you traveling from Canada and would like to car pool?

From the lower mainland: http://www.facebook.com/events/379089038840167/

From Vancouver Island: http://www.facebook.com/events/382199598529745/

The Spring Mysteries Festival is a recreation of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the ancient initiatory rites of classical Greek Paganism which were conducted in secrecy for over two thousand years before the common era. The ATC brings you this continuing initiatory cycle, now in its 28th year of continuous presentation, including the Rites of Passage for youngsters coming into their adulthood in our community; the Purification Parade to the Sea (see picture below), with the priestesses making cleansing offerings to the sea on behalf of the Mystai (The Greeks’ name for the participants), all who will undergo the Lesser Mysteries.

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Spring Mysteries XXVIII – Lets Start Planning!

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Spring Mysteries XXVIII is still several months away, but this time of year we like to put the festival back in our thoughts for just a moment so we may plan ahead.

Many from Canada make the yearly pilgrimage to Washington State to experience the ancient initiatory rites and every year our numbers grow.

Spring Mysteries has room for approximately 300 attendees and last years festival came very near to selling out.  Now is a good time to start putting those pennies in a jar and save up to be ready to jump on that early registration (and discounted price!) when it opens up.

If you are traveling form the lower mainland or Vancouver Island ATC Canada has set up two Facebook events to help coordinate ride shares.

From the lower mainland: http://www.facebook.com/events/379089038840167/

From Vancouver Island: http://www.facebook.com/events/382199598529745/

Part of the Spring Mysteries experience is the pilgrimage to the grounds and we encourage everyone to share that experience with others in the Pagan community. We also encourage as many ride shares as possible to lessen our footprint on our mother and make transportation costs more affordable for everyone.

Audition for Spring Mysteries in Canada

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Please join us for the Spring Mysteries Monologues on Sunday, November 11th at the Glenora Community Association in Duncan, BC (click for map). We’ll be sharing a potluck dinner at 6:30 pm with ritual to follow.
demeter-statueFor those of you who wish to participate in the amazing ATC Spring Mysteries Festival, you now have the opportunity to declare this desire while I’m in Canada. On Sunday night, please come to honor the Gods in ritual, through invocation.
Requirements for the Monologue:
Choose a deity that you wish to invoke, research this deity, and prepare a costume.  On the night of ritual, please come to ritual, dress up as your deity, draw down (invoke) and deliver a 2 -3 minute monologue, introducing yourself as this deity to the ritual participants.
This will be done in sacred space, as an act of honoring and worshiping the Gods.  This is not an audition, but a sacred demonstration of your abilities as a Priest or Priestess to carry the energy of deity for the community at Spring Mysteries.
There will be opportunities for those who are not able to come to all the rehearsals to still participate in the Adult Affirmation of Path, or as some of the Olympians that have smaller parts.  Please let me know, at that time, if you are able to attend rehearsals, or if you would like to be considered for a less demanding role.
*The workshop that I am offering will help prepare you to do this work, however you do not have to attend the workshop to participate in this ritual, and there is no fee to attend.  Donations are welcome.
I look forward to seeing you there,
Bella

Accelerated Wicca Class Registration Open

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The Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada welcomes ATC US Arch Priestess and dean of the Woolston-Steen Theological Seminary, Belladonna Laveau in a three-day intensive class, Accelerated Wicca. The class will be held over the long weekend, November 10th, 11th and 12th in Duncan, BC.

Bella’s book, Awakening Spirit, is used by US Military to help chaplains minister to Wiccan troops, and is part of the freshman core curriculum in the seminary. Bella is a navy veteran, a mother of three, and a professional spiritual councilor who has been a full time Wiccan minister for ten years. Her ministry helps professionalize Wiccan clergy and provide resources for existing Wiccan ministers to be more effective in serving a modern congregation.

This is a rare opportunity to participate in face to face classes and Bella’s first trip to Canada to share her knowledge and experience!

ATC Canada will be charging the minimum cost to cover expenses so this experience can be accessible to as many people as possible.

Come and learn the foundational principles of magic and Wicca, to organize your thoughts into spiral thinking patterns of the initiate. Journey to the magical realms of the elementals.

Click Here To Register!

Friday, November 9th

  • 6PM – Meet and greet
  • 7PM – Pot luck dinner and drumming circle

Saturday, November 10th

12:00PM to 5:30PM

  • Relative Truth, Grounding, Religion v/s Spirituality, Personal Responsibility & Karma, Sacred Energy, The History of Witchcraft,Creating your own Reality, and Manifesting your Will, Shielding, Understanding Thought-forms, Connecting with your Patron God/dess, Channeling, The Power of Myth, The Human Energy Field, Seeing Auras, The nature of Dis-ease,Reincarnation, Space, Time and the Eternal Now, Past Life Regression, Utilizing Past Life Information

6:00PM to 9PM

  • Pot Luck Dinner followed by ritual

Sunday, November 11th

1:00PM to 5:30PM

  • Celebrating the Sabbats, Harmonizing with the Seasons, Turning the Wheel, Celebrating the Moons, Recognizing Patterns, The Path of the Initiate, Creating your Personal Temple /Clearing Negative Energy, Sacred Tools/ Blessing and Consecrating, The Power of the Circle/ Casting

6:00PM to 9PM

  • Pot Luck Dinner followed by ritual

Monday, November 12th

12:00PM to 5:30PM

  • The Four Elements/Calling the Quarters,The God and The Goddess/Balance and Polarity,Invoking Deity/ Drawing Down the Moon, The Eight Paths of Power/ Raising Energy and Directing Power, Letting the Magic Work/Cakes and Wine and Banishing

6:00PM to 9PM

  • Pot Luck Dinner followed by ritual

 

Pagans show their pride in Surrey

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From The Surrey Now: Pagans show their pride in Surrey


High Priestess Michele Favarger and Priest David Malinski of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada shown during a ritual performance Saturday afternoon at Pagan Pride Day in North Surrey.
Photograph by: GORD GOBLE, NOW

The 17th annual Vancouver Pagan Pride Day, held Saturday in Surrey’s  Hawthorne Park, drew 350 people from all religions and walks of life, up from  last year’s turnout of 250.

Kerr Cuhulain, Preceptor General of the Order of Scathach and organizer of  the event, said it was very successful and well-received by locals and the city.  Surrey-Whalley MLA Bruce Ralston was in attendance and spoke in support of the  pagan community.

“He seemed to be very pleased with how our community was growing and how  supportive we are of various charities in the community,” said Cuhulain, adding  the event collected about 30 pounds of food for the Surrey Food Bank.


Spooky witches at Pagan Pride Day? Not really. This is merely one part of a rather grand ritual by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada.
Photograph by: GORD GOBLE, NOW

Cuhulain read an address from Mayor Dianne Watts, who was out of town at the  time.

“Surrey is proud to be a culturally, ethnically and spiritually diverse  city,” read the statement. “We view this as one of our greatest strengths and  thank the pagan community present in Surrey and the Lower Mainland region for  openly sharing their rich religious background.

Cuhulain said he plans to keep Vancouver Pagan Pride Day in Surrey next year,  though the location may change.

Priest David Malinski of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada leads church members in song during Saturday’s Pagan Pride Day in North Surrey.
Photograph by: GORD GOBLE , NOW

“There are a lot of people using Hawthorne Park, and with the numbers and the  merchants expanding, we may start looking for a larger venue within the city,”  he said.

http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/PHOTOS+Pagans+show+their+pride+Surrey/7124381/story.html#ixzz24Ifmrr48

ATC Canada Visits Vancouver Pagan Pride Day

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We would like to extend our heart-felt thanks to the event organisers, vendors and all the attendees of Vancouver Pagan Pride Day!

ATC Canada was given an opertunity to present a dark moon ritual with Arch Priestess Michele Favarger and Priest David Malinski and was well received by the community.

Much of the day was spent fielding inquires about Hecate’s Sickle Festival, Spring Mysteries Festival, Woolston-Steen Theological Seminary as well as to groups interested in affiliation with ATC Canada.

Vancouver Pagan Pride continues to grow and is getting better with each passing year and we cant wait to come back next year.

Brightest Blessings from ATC Canada

 

Spiral Scouts In The News

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Spiral Scouts offer highest rank to gay men that returned Eagle Scout medals

Here is the video from ABC News:  Spiral Scouts on ABC News

SpiralScouts in the News (ABC.Com)

From http://www.examiner.com

The recent issue with the Boy Scouts of America upholding the gay ban within their organization is a striking blow to the LGBTQ community with which the iconic club was urged to reconsider its decision. A request that fell on deaf ears even after so much support and positive change has occurred for gay Americans within our country.

The media stream has been buzzing about Eagle Scout medals being sent back to Boy Scouts of America by gay men showing their pride in protest. A symbol that no doubt carries more than just a show of achievement but fond memories of a childhood for each gay man that chose to give back their mementos. Well, the organization Spiral Scouts International has stepped forward to show the gay community that great acts of sacrifice is not totally thankless.

View slideshow:Spiral Scouts

Spiral Scout International is being seen as an organizational equivalent to the Boy Scouts of America but without the discrimination. The Spiral Scouts started in 1999 after the BSA would not allow liturgy of certain faiths into their religious emblems program. Afterwards, the Aquarian Tabernacle Church answered, what they felt as, a much needed calling to give children of all creeds and backgrounds the opportunity to gain rewards and life lessons to carry throughout their lives.

Here is an excerpt from the organization’s website concerning the recent events unfolding between the BSA and the LGBTQ.

We would like to extend our admiration for those who have stood boldly in light of the recent events surrounding the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to uphold their policies regarding gay leaders, and scouts.

SpiralScouts International respects the leadership, and responsibility demonstrated by these brave men, who have returned their Eagle Scout badges over this disagreement. We offer each of you the honorary status of ‘PathFinder’, and the Award of ‘Founder’ (our Eagle Scout Equivalent) within SpiralScouts. This is our highest rank, and as you have set forth to hold to the ideals of understanding, equality, and leadership, that we strive for within SSI, it would be our honor to extend this to you.

Although it cannot repair the hurt that has been caused, we hope this gesture lends support to those who are struggling, and helps us take a step forward into a future that embraces all of us as the sacred beings that each of us are.

Whether the Spiral Scouts seems too good to be true or using this opportunistic moment as an opening to succeed where the Boy Scouts of America is failing in equality; these words may carry weight with parents seeking an organization that can teach their children tolerance and acceptance of others. A quality that many Americans are grasping too now that the gay community is slowly becoming part of the mainstream.