Aquarian Tabernacle Church Launches Affordable Housing Initiative in Washington
The Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) has announced a new step in its effort to provide affordable, sustainable housing for local families. Founded in 1979, the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) has grown into an international Pagan organization with a focus on spiritual development, community service, and environmental responsibility. The church’s new Affordable Housing initiative reflects its broader commitment to finding practical responses to social and ecological challenges.
The church confirmed it has closed on its first lot of land and is now accepting applications from families interested in designing their own environmentally friendly homes.
The initiative centers on dome-style houses built with locally sourced materials. According to ATC, the structures are designed to be both resilient and eco-conscious—fireproof, flood-resistant, and earthquake-safe, while also capable of supporting off-grid living.
Families who join the program will work directly with ATC to customize their homes. “Our community’s biggest challenge is access to affordable homeownership, which is vital to family security and stability,” said Belladonna LaVeau, Archpriestess of ATC. “These aren’t just homes; they’re a promise of safety, sustainability, and belonging.”
Located in western Washington, the project places families near the Mother Church while emphasizing environmentally sound construction. ATC officials say interest is already high, with a waiting list already full, and the first development phase set to begin soon.
The Corn Moon is a Blood Moon This Year
This year’s September full moon is known as the Corn Moon. While many people associate September with the Harvest Moon, that title belongs to the full moon closest to the autumn equinox on Sept. 22. In 2025, that honor shifts to October’s full moon, rising on Oct. 6. This calendar quirk occurs about once every three years, according to Time and Date.
Our last full moon of summer in the Northern Hemisphere will appear on Sunday, Sept. 7, reaching peak illumination at 2:10 p.m. EDT (18:10 UTC). The best time to view it, however, will be later that evening as it rises in the east just after sunset. During this five-hour spectacle, the full Corn Moon will slip into Earth’s shadow, gradually darkening until it glows a copper-red.
This year, the Corn Moon will also host a lunar eclipse, widely and colloquially called a “blood moon.” The Earth’s shadow will engulf the moon for 82 minutes, turning its surface a deep red and being the longest total lunar eclipse since 2022.. Lunar eclipses are visible from anywhere on Earth’s night side, and this time, the best views will be across Africa, India, China, and Australia.
Western Europe may catch a partial glimpse of moonrise, but North America will largely miss out this time. Still, that’s 71% of the world’s population will have a chance to see the blood moon.
The Corn Moon is also known by other seasonal names, including the Wine Moon, Song Moon, and Barley Moon. Among the Anishinaabeg, it is called Wabaabagaa Giizis, or the “Changing Leaves Moon,” reflecting the transition of the natural world as autumn approaches, according to the Center for Native American Studies.
For observers in the Americas, the next opportunity for a blood moon will come in 177 days, on March 2–3, 2026, during the next total lunar eclipse. The March blood moon is expected to last 58 minutes.
Faun logo [courtesy
On August 8, 2025, Pagan folk band FAUN premiered the release of their new single, “Nimue,” from their forthcoming album Hex, arriving September 5th. Today they released their new song, Belladonna, a song of Hecate and Witches.
“Hecate is the queen of all witches. Her realm is known as the ‘Garden of Hecate’. Since she was closely associated with plant lore the term ‘Garden of Hecate“ was also used for the plants of the nightshade family.”
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Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Le Tarot de Marseille-Waite, by Emmanuelle Iger, art by Alice Laverty, published by Editions Trajectoire.
Card: King of Cups (Roi de Coupes)
The week ahead is likely to be centered around being considerate and sensitive, but not so overwhelmed by emotion as to be unable to make well-reasoned and solid decisions. Self-mastery and the ability to remain emotionally balanced and in control, particularly when navigating troubled waters, will likely be the key. Refusing to buy into or participate in the drama of others has the potential to prevent getting distracted or embroiled in unnecessary controversy.
In contrast, the possibility of being triggered by having one’s buttons pushed so hard could result in completely losing composure. Beware of those who would exploit and manipulate the emotional turmoil of others to their own advantage or benefit. Recognizing and avoiding toxic individuals should be a priority this week.
Hungry Ghost Festival With Rituals of Reverence
Imitation paper money (issued by “天地银行”, “The Bank of Heaven and Earth”) and yuanbao burnt at ancestors’ graves around the time of the Ghost Festival. (Jiangsu Province) [Photo Credit: Vmenkov CCA-SA 3.0
This weekend, streets in many Asian cities will be filled with the smoke of burning paper, the scent of incense, and the haunting strains of Chinese opera performed in temporary bamboo theatres. Many believers refrain from going out after dark, fearing an encounter with a ghost, and avoid bodies of water, as the spirits of those who died by drowning are considered especially troublesome when wandering the living world.
The full moon will mark the arrival of the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yulan Festival, observed this week on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Rooted in Chinese Buddhist and Taoist traditions, the festival is dedicated to appeasing restless spirits who are believed to roam freely during “ghost month.” According to belief, the gates of hell remain open throughout the lunar month, but are widest on this night, when hungry and wayward ghosts visit the world of the living.
Rooted in Chinese Buddhist and Taoist traditions, the Hungry Ghost Festival is dedicated to appeasing restless spirits who are believed to roam freely during “ghost month.” According to belief, the gates of hell open throughout this lunar month, but are at their widest on the festival night, when hungry and wayward ghosts visit the world of the living.
To comfort and guide these spirits, families prepare offerings of food, incense, and paper money. Intricately crafted paper objects, from daily necessities to elaborate boats, are burned to provide for the ghosts in the afterlife. At temples, large paper boats are set alight, symbolically carrying lost souls across the sea of torment toward Nirvana.
The festival also includes vibrant public rituals. Community groups stage Chinese opera performances, said to entertain spirits as well as audiences, while offerings are placed on street corners and outside homes. Lantern parades are another hallmark: boats and house-shaped lanterns are carried to the water, lit, and set adrift. Their glow is believed to guide lost souls toward the offerings before the lanterns catch fire and sink. In Keelung, Taiwan, families inscribe their surnames on sponsored lanterns — the farther the lantern drifts, the more fortune the family is thought to receive in the coming year.
Parades also play a role in the observances. Lanterns in the shape of boats and houses are paraded through the streets, then released onto the water, glowing softly before catching fire and sinking. The lanterns are intended to guide lost souls toward the offerings. In Keelung, Taiwan, families even inscribe their surnames on lanterns; the farther a lantern drifts, the greater the fortune believed to await that family in the coming year.
Here are a few things we understand we should never do during the Hungry Ghost Festival!
-
Don’t hang clothes outside overnight
Spirits may be drawn to human-shaped garments and “borrow” them, leaving behind misfortune. -
Don’t stick chopsticks upright in food
It resembles incense offerings and can be mistaken for an invitation for spirits to join your meal. -
Avoid standing too close to walls
Walls are thought to harbor yin energy, making them gathering spots for ghosts. -
Never open umbrellas indoors
Ghosts are believed to shelter under umbrellas, so doing this at home risks inviting them in. -
Skip the last bus or train
The final runs of public transport are thought to carry invisible “passengers.” -
Don’t swim in open water
Ghosts of the drowned may linger and may try to pull the living under. -
Keep slippers pointed away from the bed
Pointing shoes toward the bed guides spirits directly to where you sleep. -
Avoid whistling at night
Whistling is thought to attract wandering ghosts looking for company. -
Don’t disturb roadside offerings
Food, incense, and burning paper left outdoors are for spirits. Touching or stepping on them is seen as disrespectful. -
Never sit in the front row of performances
Chinese opera and street shows during the festival are staged partly for spirits. The front seats are symbolically reserved for unseen guests.
Of course, some would approach those “don’ts” as opportunities for chats. The choice is yours.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is more than ritual observance. By nourishing the dead, tradition says, we invite blessings, protection, and fulfillment into their own lives, maintaining a cycle of care that bridges the living and spirit worlds.
Hail the Travelers!
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