Volunteer

Pop Up Pagan Choir for Dec Black Cat

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holly king by wendy andrew

(Art is “Holly King” by Wendy Andrew)

Would you like to be part of a beginner friendly “pop up” Pagan Choir for Yule? Mystic Grove and friends are going to perform 3 songs at the December Black Cat Cafe Open Mic Nite on Dec 14, 2018.

You can learn them at home and/or come learn them with us!  Practices are Sundays after church in Room 1 unless otherwise indicated. Show up Dec 14 in Gore Hall at 7 PM for a quick practice and then perform.  Wear your Mystic Grove shirt, 1U shirt, or a plain blue shirt with whatever santa hat or other pagan head wear you might like to put on on performance day.

We will also be decorating the Yule Log that day. 

This year the Winter Solstice Service is Friday, Dec 21 at 7 PM in the Sanctuary. The All Nite Yule Vigil goes from 9 PM to 7 AM the next day!

You can come for all the December fun or just the bits you like best.

Songs

Here is the PDF of lyrics you can print — Dec 14 Pop Up Pagan Choir Lyrics.

A lead sheet for any pop-up musicians coming soon!

Dancin’ in a Wiccan Wonderland (Karina Skye, Lyrics by Alexander and Archer)

Pagans sing, are you listenin’
Altar’s set, candles glisten
It’s a Magickal night we’re having tonight
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland

Blades held high, censer smoking
God and Goddess we’re invoking
Through Elements Five we celebrate life
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland

In a Circle we can light a Yule Fire
And await the rising of the Sun
It’s the Great Wheel turning for the new year
Loaded with abundance and great fun

Queen of Heaven is in Her place
Triple Goddess now the Crone face
Above and below, She’s the Goddess we know
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland

(pause)

Later on by the fire
Cone of power
Getting, getting higher
It’s a magical night we’re having tonight
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland

Drumming,
Cauldron stirring
While the fire’s burning
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland

Jingle Bells, Cast Your Spells (Karina Skye)

CHORUS

Jingle bells, cast your spells
Make the whole world gay
Oh how fun is is to fly
on broomstick with the fae

Jingle bells, cast your spells
Make the whole world gay
Oh how fun is is to fly
on broomstick with the fae

Flying through the snow on broomstick with the fae
With our wands we go, casting all the way
The spells out loud we sing, to make our spirits bright
What fun it is to fly and make
the whole World smile tonight

Oh…

CHORUS

Oh how fun is is to fly
on broomstick with the fae…

Oh how fun is is to fly
on broomstick with the fae…

One day or two ago
I thought I’d work this night
and soon Miss Fairy Bright
was flying by my side

The World was sad and down
Misfortune all around
We mix Love and Compassion dust
to spread all over town

Oh…

CHORUS

Now the World is Bright
Every one Old and Young
Boys and Girls tonight
Will sing this spell in song

Just get a child to smile
Mix in a sunny day
Stirring for a while
put your love in all the way
And…

CHORUS

Santa Claus is Pagan Too (Emerald Rose)

Oh, Santa Claus is Pagan too
Just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch
He’ll bring you all the best

So get that star up on the roof
And bake those cookies too
Cause Christmas time is really Yule
And Santa’s Pagan too

He’s got that Buddha belly
And his Pops the Holly King
You’ve dressed him in that British Coat
The caps a Nordic thing

You took the horns right off his head
And stuck them on his deer
But he still flies high like Jupiter
With a belly full of beer

Hey, Santa Claus is Pagan too
Just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch
He’ll bring you all the best

So get that star up on the roof
And bake those cookies too
Cause Christmas time is really Yule
And Santa’s Pagan too

Now history says Christ was likely
Not a Capricorn
But if you want to share our Yule
We don’t care when he’s born

Come celebrate the dawning
Of the sun king’s bright rebirth
And if you practice what you preach
We’ll all have peace on earth

Hey, Santa Claus is Pagan too
Just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch
He’ll bring you all the best

So get that star up on the roof
And bake those cookies too
Cause Christmas time is really Yule
And Santa’s Pagan too

Now, Santa’s way more jolly
Than some Christians would require
And if he weren’t so busy
He’d be dancing ’round this fire

Yeah, you can call it Christmas
You’ve got us way outgunned
But just you wait ’til Beltaine
Then we’ll see who’s havin’ fun!

Hey, Santa Claus is Pagan too
Just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch
He’ll bring you all the best

So get that star up on the roof
And bake those cookies too
Cause Christmas time is really Yule
And Santa’s Pagan too

Hey, Santa Claus is Pagan too
Just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch
He’ll bring you all the best

So get that star up on the roof
And bake those cookies too
Cause Christmas time is really Yule
And Santa’s Pagan… TOO!

 

MORE SONGS

If your group needs songs, here’s one set.

http://cauldronofages.com/wp_cauldronofages/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Yule-Carols.pdf

And here’s the two we use.

https://spiralwound.wordpress.com/yule-books/

 

 

 

June News

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Thanks to those who attended the June 3 monthly meeting! Here are the notes if you missed it.

Delicate Mystery by J. Moore 300pixPHOTO

This month’s photo is called “Delicate Mystery” by J. Moore who writes

What practices light up my inner fire?
Being in nature, making photographs of nature, and creating art with those images.

If you want to share what lights you up for the Midsummer service slides and/or the monthly news, email it to mysticgrove@orlandouu.org and tell us about it!

CALENDAR & IMPORTANT DATES

The calendar has been updated again with all our Summer Semester dates so far.

The July 1 Meeting will includes VOTING for the 2018-2019 officers. We also have to vote on a date for the Guang Ming Temple group field trip (July 22 or July 29) and set the date for the annual Teacher Meeting to map out the 2018-2019 list of ideas for classes and craft circles.

MEMBERSHIP

 

Are you thinking about becoming a Mystic Grove Member or Friend? You can learn about the path to membership here.  The annual membership window is coming up in August-September at the monthly meetings.

solar wheel of year

MIDSUMMER  RITUAL

Our next solar ritual is Summer Solstice Morning Service on Sunday June 24, 2018.  It will be held at 11 AM in the Sanctuary.  The general theme revolves around “reigniting the spark” in your spiritual practices.   It should be a feast for the eyes and ears!  Fellowship time to follow in Gore Hall at noon.  For those interested, there is also the Pagan Pride Planning meeting in Room 1 at 12:30 PM.

After today’s meeting we have identified some easy volunteering jobs if anyone would like to help out:

  • Kitchen Helpers. Show up around between 10 and 10:30 AM on the day to ask the kitchen folks if they need help setting up the snacks.  Helpers to linger to help clean up also welcome. 

  • Community Altar Items. If you wish to display your “spiritual practice” item on the community altar rather than in digital photos on the service slides, please bring your item with a name label on it.  This way in case it gets forgotten so we can get it back to you.  Please limit items to about soda can size or smaller if possible.  Show up early between 10:15 – 10:45 AM to place your item on the front altar.
  • Extra drummers.  To help carry a simple beat on several songs.
  • Water Corner person.  To stand at the Water banner and shake a rain stick when cued.
  • “Fire in the Head” shouters  interspersed in the pews.  We will be doing  a rendition of Emerald Rose “Fire in the Head” as a “call and response song.”  We need some voices in the pews  ready to yell “Fire in the Head!” in the right moments.
  • Potluck finger food. For coffee hour after the services in Gore Hall.  As a courtesy to allergy people, please label dishes with name of cook and any allergy ingredients.
  • “Stations Helpers.” At social hour we will have 3 areas for making god’s eyes, coloring pages, and a music corner.  Doing simple activities encourages people to get to know each other and actually ASK their neighbor — “what spiritual practices to you enjoy doing?”

 

LUNAR RITUAL

Registration for the new July – Dec block will open July 1!  We will continue our study of various deities and esbat celebrations based on Gathering for Goddess by B. Melusine Mihaltses.

TEACHING CRAFT CIRCLES

This month on Friday June 15, we learn to make personal God’s Eyes.  At Midsummer we will make a great, big community effort God’s Eye!

Plan ahead:  July 20 we will learn how to make various origami patterns Some practical (envelopes and paper cups) and some decorative (various animals and a heart shape.)

Are you interested in hosting a craft circle? Tell us your idea!

MOVIE NITE

Come join us each month on 3rd Sundays for movie night fun. It’s BYO dinner, watch, and discuss! This month we watch Spirited Away on June 17th.  In this fanciful adventure, a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro discovers a secret world when she and her family get lost and venture through a hillside tunnel. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, Chihiro must fend for herself as she encounters strange spirits, assorted creatures and a grumpy sorceress who seeks to prevent her from returning to the human world. She must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirited_Away

On July 15th we screen a reprise of “Something Wicked This Way Comes.”

What do you want to see in August? Let us know!

PAGAN PRIDE

Mystic Grove is co-hosting Pagan Pride 2018 on Sept 29th at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando! If you want to help out contact either Orlando Pagan Collective or mysticgrove@orlandouu.org.  The next planning meeting is on July 24 from 12:30 PM – 2:30  PM in Room 1 at First Unitarian.

BOOKS WANTED

Mystic Grove was given several collections of pagan interest books from folks who are moving away and from a dear member, Mary Ellen Mayo, who passed away.  We will be having a book table at Pagan Pride.  If you have books you have outgrown, considering donating them at any Craft Circle on 1st or 3rd Fridays or at the monthly meeting on 1st Sundays. If you cannot make it at one of these points, call the First Unitarian front office and see if you can bring them by at during business hours. (407) 898-3621.

We will be accepting them all summer.

SUMMER “HOUSEKEEPING” DATES

Mystic Grove aligns its business year with the First Unitarian business year.  Summer on our “Typical Calendar” is the time for doing all of the “winding it down/cranking it back up” work of our group.  While you can see the details on the PDF, the big summer highlights are

June:

  • Midsummer Service
  • Renew our CUUPS chapter membership.  You can also be an individual member of CUUPS.
  • Start getting ready for the officers to change smoothly.

July:

  • Officer Elections.
  • Annual Teacher Meeting to plan out 2018-2019 offerings
  • Start preparing PR materials and membership drive materials.
  • CUUPS Annual Meeting.  (We will host “Tea and cookies” in the Assembly Room for anyone wanting to attend this video conference call as guests.)

Aug/Sept

  • Classroom Clean Up
  • Annual Member Dinner to welcome back old members/greet new ones
  • Host Pagan Pride

 

MYSTIC GROVE LINKS TO KNOW

Questions or more info?  Please email us at mysticgrove@orlandouu.org

Beltane Jobs

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elements

Beltane 2018 is coming up soon!

We have our Green Man and Flower woman and will be celebrating their “wedding” and dancing around the maypole.

Ritual is 7 – 8 PM. Potluck is 8 – 9 PM. We try to be out and done by 9:30 PM. Many hands make light work! 🙂

Would you like to volunteer with Mystic Grove? “On the Day” volunteer jobs are simple. You can come at 7 PM on May 4 and/or on May 5 at 6 PM for orientation/reherasal and get your job explained to you.

Here are the jobs that are open. Email mysticgrove@orlandouu.org interested.

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