MIAMI – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) unveiled its 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative this week, proposing major changes to state parks across Florida. The plan includes adding new recreational amenities, including resort-style hotels, golf courses, pickleball courts, and disc golf courses, to nine state parks.
The department reported that Florida’s 175 state parks welcomed nearly 30 million visitors during the 2022-23 fiscal year, contributing $3.6 billion to the economy and supporting over 50,000 jobs. The administration of Governor Ron DeSantis has also prioritized the conservation of natural landscapes, acquiring more than 260,000 acres of land since 2019. The FDEP asserts that these efforts will allow Floridians to enjoy conservation lands both now and in the future,
The announcement has sparked a backlash among environmental groups. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) noted that rising tourism has prompted plans to expand outdoor recreational opportunities in state parks, including the addition of campsites, cabins, lodges, and activities like pickleball, disc golf, golf, and paddling. Critics worry that the expansion of recreational facilities may endanger sensitive habitats within the parks. Groups like the Florida Wildlife Federation warn that increased development could undermine the natural landscapes these parks were created to protect.
The release of the FDEP proposal prompted Covenant of the Goddess’ Everglades Moon Local Council to release a statement in opposition.
For Immediate Release: Everglades Moon Local Council opposes expanding private interests and concessions on State Parks
Everglades Moon Local Council (EMLC) is a regional council affiliated with the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), a national organization dedicated to defending the religious practices of Wiccans and Witches. EMLC serves as a local chapter within the larger CoG structure, primarily operating in Florida. Our focus is on supporting and uniting practitioners, offering opportunities for networking, education, and community-building, all while being deeply committed to protecting the Earth.
We feel a profound responsibility to emphasize environmental awareness, particularly concerning Florida’s unique ecosystems, with a special focus on the Everglades. This responsibility aligns with the nature-based spirituality that is central to our traditions.
In that spirit, we express our skepticism regarding the current plan announced by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expand privately-owned concessions in Florida’s state parks. Particularly troubling is the speed at which these changes are being proposed.While we recognize the potential benefits of expanding economic opportunities, we believe that any changes to our environment should be guided by scientific principles rather than political or exploitative interests. The DEP’s plan appears to promote the expansion of infrastructure at the expense of the natural environment. State parks are vital conservation areas that allow the land to remain untouched, and preserved as a gift for future generations. In this time of climate crisis, and given Florida’s vulnerability to the demonstrable and debilitating effects of climate change, we demand that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection honor its role as protector of the land. We strongly recommend that state parks and lands remain untouched.
Happening This Weekend: Southern California Divination Conference (August 24, 2024)
This year’s speakers include a diverse range of experts such as Thalassa, Jennifer Morris, Orion Foxwood, Juliet Kurth, and many more. Whether you’re drawn to Tarot, astrology, runes, or other forms of divination, this conference promises to ignite your intuition and deepen your connection to the unseen forces guiding our lives.
Info is available on COMPASS.
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Upcoming Conferences and Events
Enchanted! Metaphysics & Mystics Market (August 23- 24, 2024)
Artists, crafters, makers, readers, energy healers, witches, fairies, dragons, and oddballs… join us for a weekend of MAGIC in Fayetteville, AR! Learn about esoteric and healing arts, and metaphysical practices, and meet mystic-minded friends. Discover a world of spiritual tools, paths, and wisdom. Ask questions about yoga, tarot, crystals, and energy healing. Support unique, uncommon artists and crafters, and live musicians! Everyone has a little bit of magic inside… come and discover yours! This is a family-friendly, indoor, rain-or-shine event!
Swamp Mystics (September 7, 2024)
The Temple of Limitless Light has been serving the Tallahassee area by teaching the basics of magical energy techniques. We strive to empower people curious about the unseen and mysterious depths of the world and present ancient concepts as tools that can be used to consciously cultivate an abundant life out of the malleable material of energy. We focus on grounding, creating sacred space, and the elements. We offer our services freely.
Magic is alive and rising out of the humidity of the Southeastern USA. We call together Mystics, Witches, Sorcerers, Spellcasters, and Practitioners of the Ancient Paths for a Convocation! Magic will be the focus of all of our presentations culminating in the Mass of the Goddess Community Ritual. This year’s featured headliner is Frater Barrabbas.
Since 2000, Western MA Pagan Pride Day is one of many Pagan Pride Day events that take place worldwide. As a nonprofit organization, we strive to establish awareness of earth-centered spiritual traditions in our local communities. People of all faiths (or none) and walks of life are invited to join us on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 10:00 am through 6:00 pm. There is no admission fee to the event; however, we ask that you bring a cash donation for our charity drive. We will be collecting cash donations for our favorite charity the Northampton Survival Center.
You can come expecting to find information about paganism in many of its forms, experience an open harvest ritual, musical entertainment, workshops (classes), and many vendors for a fun, family-friendly, community-driven event. There are several restaurants and cafes in the area so plan to come and stay a while! Check out our website for more info on workshops, performers, and ongoing events. 
This year we will be in downtown Northampton in the plaza at Kirkland Ave where the Tuesday Farmers Market takes place. This is between the Parking Garage and the back of Thorne’s Marketplace. There are new parking rules for the City of Northampton. Please see here for updates.
Note that the Armory Street lot which faces the plaza no longer has a 3-hour limit Mon-Sat. You can also park in the garage that overlooks our site; the cost is only .75/hour and the first hour is always free.
More info on Facebook and Instagram.
Twilight Covening (October 11-14, 2024)
The Earthspirit Community announced the Twilight Covening event last month and that they “have already filled more than half of the available spaces! Thank you. It feels good to know that so many want to attend again this year.”
They said “Again, we are prioritizing Clan assignments by week so that everyone has a reasonable chance of getting into one of their top choices. The first week filled up one Clan already, but there is space in many others – and frankly, all of the Clans that are on offer will provide something special to those who attend.”
The Earth Spirit Community wrote,
Twilight Covening is a continuous 3-day ritual that holds and shapes an intensive learning experience of Earth spirituality and a time to develop our collective wisdom in a shared sacred space as we move into the dark time of the year.
Each year since 1986, members of the EarthSpirit Community gather deep into ourselves and into communion with this time of year and with all of Nature. We explore the depths of a range of spiritual practices, learn new skills together and experience the joy and power of a living community ritual. We invite you to join us.
Twilight Covening is held in the autumn during the strong natural transition taking place all around us from light into dark, summer into winter, and outward focus to inward contemplation. During the gathering, we use this current of change, along with our focused practices, to find inspiration and insight that can feed us in the dark months to come and motivate us to make changes that we can use to deepen our own spiritual practice.
The intensive work of Twilight Covening takes place in practice-specific Clans of 10-15 people and in full-community rituals that flow together through the weekend.
More information is available on the EarthSpirit website.
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: The Wild Unknown Tarot (Pocket Edition), by Kim Krans, published by Harper One, an imprint of HarperCollins Publications.
Card: Major arcana IV (4) – The Emperor
The week ahead has the potential to highlight both the systems that provide structure and boundaries and the leaders who uphold and enforce those values. There are also likely to be reminders of standing up for what is right and helping to guide oneself and others by tapping into the inner wisdom that is tempered by experience.
Contrarily, expect situations that invite reflection on the proper use of power. Those who abuse their positions of authority are likely to be challenged, and even deposed or removed.
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