Pagan Community Notes: A. J. Gooch, Judicial Watch, Taylor Ellwood and more!

It was announced yesterday that Senior Druid A.J. Gooch had died suddenly upon arriving at Sunday’s Winterstar Ball, a yearly fundraising event to honor the legacy of Jeff Rosenbaum. A.J. was a longtime member of the Rosenbaum’s Starwood Community, as well as the Barony of the Cleftlands, the Cuyahoga County, Ohio chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). A.J. was also member of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF) and the Ohio-based Stone Creed Grove. He regularly attended Cleveland Pagan Pride. Along with his many community roles, A.J. devoted much time to his position as “the Senior Druid of Stone Creed Grove, and was serving as the Assistant Senior Druid at the time of his death.”

Military Pagans to be Honored at Colorado’s Beltania Festival

On Saturday, May 10, Military Pagans will be honored at the yearly Beltania Festival in Colorado’s Florence Mountain Park nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Special guest Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary will be leading a Military Service Ceremony that honors “Pagans who are serving or who have served in the US Military.”

In 2011 Rev. Fox, Pagan Air Force veteran Rev. Dave Sassman and others on Circle’s Military Ministry team developed a special tribute ritual. They also designed and produced a symbolic ribbon to be awarded to each individual during the ceremony. At the ribbon’s center is an acorn sitting in a blue field surrounded by six red and white stripes. Circle Sanctuary explains the symbolism:

The Golden Acorn represents Paganism and the enduring power, strength, protection and magic of the Oak, held sacred by many Wiccan, Druidic, Heathen and other Pagan traditions.