Pagan Community Notes: Deborah Schoenfeld, Circle Cemetery, Academy of Arcana and more

It has been reported that the Air Force Equal Employment Opportunity office at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, has dismissed Deborah Schoenfeld’s religious discrimination complaint. In a story we brought to you in October, Schoenfeld had allegedly been subjected to verbal harassment by co-workers, and after lodging a formal complaint, was fired from her position. In response, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) stepped in as her advocate and filed its own complaint with the EEO.

Military.com is now reporting that this “witch” complaint has been rejected. According to the article, the office said that “she filed too late and … the individuals she claimed discriminated against her are not Air Force employees.”

However, the MRFF disagrees. Spokesperson Mikey Weinstein called the dismissal “specious, outrageous and scandalous.” He is quoted as saying, “This is gross malfeasance … We will help her find a litigator for this.”  They have 90 days to file a lawsuit.

We have reached out to Schoenfeld and will update this story as it develops.

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Circle Cemetery is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this month. The “green” cemetery was established in 1995 on the Circle Sanctuary nature preserve in Barneveld, Wisconsin. As explained by Circle organizers, “The 20 acres of Circle Cemetery include a Restored Prairie & Ridgetop for cremated remains, plus a Wooded natural burial ground, plus our Stone Circle.”

Initially, the original cemetery was small and only had space for cremains burials. But soon it expanded to the 20 acres it now holds. In 2006, Veterans Ridge was opened, which is specifically reserved for military burials. U.S. Army Veteran Jerome Birnbaum became the first person honored there. In 2010, the cemetery was recognized as the first green cemetery in Wisconsin, and in 2011, it saw its first full body natural burial. Additionally, in 2014, it became the first green cemetery to be part of the “Wreaths Across America project” that honors the country’s fallen heroes.

This Samhain, philanthropist and Priestess Deborah Ann Light became the 40th person interred at Circle Cemetery. As noted on the Cemetery’s facebook page, “Her ashes interment rite including Dennis & Selena offering Chardonnay Wine she give us in 1982 from her Quail Hill Estate Vineyards on Long Island, New York.”

To celebrate the Cemetery’s anniversary and to discuss Green burials, Rev. Selena Fox did a Tuesday podcast on Nov. 3. You can find that recording on Pagan Talk Radio Network. 

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Oberon Zell recently announced that the Academy of Arcana project is now moving forward. On Oct. 14, organizers were granted “approval for a lease on the storefront.” The Academy will be located at 428-A Front St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. The spaces 2,080 square feet will hold a gift shop as well as an “enormous library of myth, magick, science, history, sci-fi, fantasy and lore … a vast museum collection of more than 350 Goddess figurines, magickal tools and artifacts, Books of Shadows, devotional items, altar setups, theatrical and costumes and regalia, seasonal decorations, etc.”

On Nov 4, organizers and volunteers began moving the entire collection from its former location at RavenHaven to the Front Street store. The move has continued as others begin the renovations and unpacking of the new space.

The Academy is a joint project of the Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart Foundation, The Grey School of Wizardry and the Church of All Worlds. As such the Front Street store will also “house the international headquarters and business offices for the Foundation, the School and the Church,” and will serve as a “physical campus for the Grey School,” bringing in teachers for workshops.

The grand opening date has not yet been announced. Updates on the progress can be found on the Academy’s website and Facebook page.

In Other News:

• Many Gods West has made its second big announcement for its 2016 event. The Polytheist conference will be held at the Red Lion in downtown Olympia, Washington. The room code is MANY0805. Starting today, organizers will begin accepting presentation proposals with a March 1 deadline. Tickets and registration are now open as well.
• Paganicon has announced more of its upcoming lineup for the 2016 event. As previously shared, the guests of honor will be T. Thorn Coyle, Ivo Dominquez and Tamara L. Siuda (Mambo Chita Tann). Additionally, it was announced that additional speakers include activist and author Crystal Blanton, educator Nsasi Vence Guerra, author Jane Meredith from Australia, and Wild Hunt editor Heather Greene. As a side note, the Wild Hunt will be at Paganicon in force this year, hosting both a panel and social. Joining Blanton and Greene will be writers Cara Schulz, Terence P. Ward, Manny Tejeda-Moreno, and Dodie Graham-McKay. Paganicon 2016 will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from March 18-20.
• For fans of Peter Dybing’s blog Pagan in Paradise, it will be moving to Patheos. Scheduled to launch in December, Dybing is currently working with Patheos technicians to finish up the move. Why is he making this digital leap? Dybing said, “[Patheos] provides a platform that allows an inter-religious dialogue among well meaning people of many faiths. The Parliament of the Worlds religions was a graphic lesson for me in how people of faith coming together have the potential to make a global impact in spreading compassion and justice around the world.” The blog will still be called “Pagan in Paradise” and, Dybing added, “People can expect the blog to have a radical Social Justice agenda that pulls few punches!” Look for the launch next month.
• The Aquarian Tabernacle Church is also undergoing some change. Organizers have a launched a new website that is part of a project to bring “the ATC together as a whole. From [its] legally recognized Wiccan Seminary, to [its] work helping pioneer Pagan prison ministries, and access to [its] catalog of churches across the country and globe alike.” At this time, the old site is currently still accessible. The Aquarian Tabernacle Church was founded by Pete Pathfinder Davis in 1979, and is currently led by ArchPriestess Lady Bella and High Priest Dusty Dionne.
• Nature’s Path, a Patheos Blog devoted to UU Paganism, has published an article that may interest many readers who conduct rituals for people of different Pagan and Heathen traditions. Erica Baron writes, “One of the things I find most challenging in preparing ritual for UU Pagans is the wide variety of Paganisms that UUs bring to these rituals. In the rituals in UU contexts that I’ve either led or attended, participants have included devotees of a wide variety of pantheons and specific deities, people with a strong grounding in Wicca, Heathenism, Asatru, and other specific traditions, and people with no prior experience of any kind of Paganism.” Baron goes on to discuss the challenges and offer tips.

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