Pagan Community Notes: Florida Pagan Alliance, Ásatrú Ibérica, Global Wicca Conference and more

FLORIDA — The Florida Pagan Alliance president has removed Florida Pagan Gathering and its host organization the Temple of Earth Gatherings from its community initiative roster. Alliance president Michele Webster wrote, “It is our determination, based solely upon facts, that Temple of Earth Gathering/Florida Pagan Gathering is in direct violation of the community not competition initiative,” created by the alliance members in 2017 unify “the community, both Pagan and non-Pagan,” and foster ways to “to work together towards common goals.” Organizational leaders sign on and agree to certain terms.

The alliance board reportedly discovered that, while the FPG organizers had signed the initiative, they had not complied. One reason cited was the changing of the dates of the organization’s big Samhain event, which now conflicts with other local events. The location of the Samhain celebration was recently changed, according to the TEG board, due to construction at the old site; this shift required a date change as the new location was booked up.

Pagans working in interfaith ecology group in Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. — Pagans have participated in, and provided leadership for, Marin Interfaith Climate Action since it began in March, 2017. Marin Interfaith Climate Action is composed of Bahá’ís, Buddhists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Pagans, Progressive Protestants, Unitarians, and members of the Unity Church. Aline “Macha” O’Brien of the Covenant of the Goddess has provided the Pagan presence in this group. In the aftermath of the 2016 election, congressman Jared Huffman of California spoke at a town hall meeting, urging the roughly 800 people attendees to build local leadership on the issue of climate change.

Eyeing an independent California

CALIFORNIA — A new proposal to cut California loose from the other 49 United States has been getting more traction than most similar past suggestions, prompting the question of what consequences of an independent California might be for Pagans. Under the banner of “Yes California,” proponents of the so-called “Calexit” have secured the right to collect petition signatures. If they succeed in obtaining 365,880 by October, there will be a vote in 2020 on whether or not to open a secession discussion. A second vote a year later would be to declare California an independent country. The Pagan residents of the state reached for comment have no expectation that the measure would ever pass, but some of them were willing to imagine what it might be like.

Pagan Community Notes: Marin Interfaith Climate Action, update from Caroline Kenner, Beltane is coming, and more.

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. — A new interfaith initiative made its debut Sunday, April 22 — Earth Day — in northern California. The Marin Interfaith Climate Action (MICA) was founded by Pat Carlone in the fall of 2017 and has been building its foundation since that point. It is part of the larger Marin County Interfaith Council, which was originally founded in 1982. Working with Carlone on MICA’s steering committee is Aline O’Brien, also known as M. Macha Nightmare.

Wendy Griffin retires as academic dean of Cherry Hill Seminary

COLUMBIA, S.C. –After serving as academic dean at Cherry Hill Seminary since 2011, Wendy Griffin retired from that position on Jan. 31 and has been proclaimed “academic dean emerita” by that institution’s board members. During her tenure at the seminary, a number of new programs introduced and behind-the-scenes infrastructure changes were made, and important steps taken on the difficult path to accreditation. When she was readying to retire from the California State University system after more than 30 years in higher education, Griffin did not intend on taking a new position. However, she experienced one of those coincidences that make some elders nod sagely.