Pagan Community Notes: Deborah Maynard, Wisconsin Invocation Video, Margot Adler Day and more!

Priestess Deborah Maynard [photo from facebook profile]

Priestess Deborah Maynard [Courtesy Photo]

Wiccan Priestess Deborah Maynard successfully delivered an invocation before the Iowa State Legislature on Thursday, April 9. With reportedly two-thirds of the representatives present, Maynard stood before the government body and asked for the blessings of “God, Goddess, Universe, that which is greater than ourselves.” To benefit the day’s legislative work, her invocation called to each element, asking for support with things such as balance, compassion, reason, and strength. Then, she called to spirit and ended with “Blessed Be, A-Ho and Amen.”

Her invocation was met with backlash from some visitors and lawmakers. Several conservative Christian organizations called for silent protests and prayers during her invocation. Visitor Rieke Plecus, for example, told a local news reporter that he was attending to “pray for her salvation.” Others reportedly prayed to protect the legislative body from the Wiccan prayer. A number of lawmakers, such as Rep. Rob Taylor, turned their backs in silent protest, while others simply did not show up.

Despite the backlash, Maynard remained upbeat. She told The Wild Hunt, “There were some individuals in the audience that closed themselves off to hearing the words on my invocation. For the majority of those present that were open to at least listen, I think my words showed the positive message I had for the legislative branch. I hope more states learn to honor the diverse faiths of their constituencies as Iowa has begun to do.”

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Circle Sanctuary logo

In similar news, the video of Rev. Selena Fox’s 2009 invocation before the Wisconsin legislature has been recovered. Circle Sanctuary has purchased rights to show the video and has made it publicly available. Fox’s approach was different than Maynard’s. She called for a day of effective collaborative work through recognizing a connection to Wisconsin’s land, history and diversity. She used inclusive language, allowing all people present to connect with their own “religious, spiritual or philosophical” beliefs in the name of that work. The video is no longer publicly available.

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margot-adlerThe Firefly House has proposed a worldwide celebration of a new Margot Adler Day on April 16. As described, it is a day to “celebrate the birthday of legendary priestess, journalist, and activist Margot Adler.” She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on April 16, 1946. After a long battle with cancer, Adler died in July 2014.

On the first birthday after her death, Firefly members are calling for this annual day of remembrance. They have set up a Facebook event page, on which people are already sharing their memories of Adler or how her work touched their lives. Organizers offer suggestions on various ways to celebrate and honor Adler’s life. They say, “contribute writing to your favorite publication; preserve your community’s history by interviewing or archiving stories from your tradition; donate to your favorite Pagan or secular media outlets; learn about the growth of the Pagan movement and what you can do to get involved.”

In Other News

  • The Church of All Worlds (CAW) and the Morning Glory Zell Memorial Foundation have launched a new campaign to raise money for the purchase of a large property in northern California. As organizers explain, “Morning Glory’s & Oberon’s lifelong Dream was for a permanent sustainable Eco-Village where people would honor our Mother Earth through community gardens, green technology, seasonal celebrations, and passing on their skills and traditions to future generations. A place where residents could live, Elders could retire, students could study, and visitors could enjoy.” CAW has identified an ideal property, once used as a children’s camp, and is now turning to the greater community for financial support to make this dream a reality.
  • In a related story, Four Quarters Farm, located in Artemas, Pennyslvania, announced that it has just recently purchased another 110 acres of land adjacent to its current property. The Farm now owns 250 acres that are all dedicated to its mission: “to provide safe harbor for the practice of both indigenous and modern Earth Religions, and to help preserve their spiritual roots into the future.” The new property was purchased with the help of member loans and donations. Organizers added that “43 acres of this new land will be used in the coming years as altar sites and additional space for members camps.”
  • For those who watch the Fox Network show “Backstrom,” you may have caught Circle Magazine at the beginning of the April 9 episode called “Love is a Rose and You Better Not Pick it.” The magazine appears in full close-up during the credits within the first 10 minutes of the show. Its appearance had nothing to do with the episode itself, and was a complete surprise to Circle Magazine staff.
  • Erin Lale has written a short two-part history entitled “Early Net Experiences.” In these blog posts, she discusses her introduction to the early MSN Asatru group, and how she became its moderator. She then goes on the discuss how that work lead to the writing of her book Asatru for Beginners. She added, “Since I first wrote it, Asatru has experienced some generational change, and some change sparked by the changing technology of the internet. I’m working on a new edition to reflect these generational changes, which I hope to publish in 2017.”
  • Singer-Songwriter Celia Farran is currently traveling in Ireland, where she stopped to visit the broken Manannan statue at sculptor John Stutton’s studio. While there, she performed her “Song for Manannan.” In addition, Farran was invited to speak on BBC Radio Foyle. She played a portion of the same song and spoke with Mark Patterson about her work. The interview begins at about 1:38:40.

That’s all for now! Have a nice day.


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3 thoughts on “Pagan Community Notes: Deborah Maynard, Wisconsin Invocation Video, Margot Adler Day and more!

  1. Thank for that bit of information of exactly where to find the interview of Celia Farran on the recording of the Mark Patterson show. That allowed me to go straight to the part I wanted to listen to. Like many I have been following that story, and it is the first time I got to hear her song.

  2. Good for Rev. Maynard in the face of the wilfully blind to an expression of faith not their own.
    I’m glad to honor Margot Adler come Thursday, and every year after.

  3. Absolute respect for Deborah Maynard’s invocation. Absolute respect for Representative Bennett, for having opened this door. Bewilderment for the Representative who turned his back during the invocation (as reported in an article from the Washington Post, he did this because he believed turning his back on another human being is what Jesus would have done). Amusement for the pastor in the audience who wants to keep the occult out of the government, as if it’s not already been there all along. And solid appreciation for the courageous lady who showed up just to lead a counter-prayer, so that she could prevent demonic influences from getting into her government – I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time! I guess demons must be like ninjas … you never know where they might be hiding, you can never be too careful.