NUUMOON

NOTE: This group is currently inactive, but interested people are welcome to join and participate in discussions on the NUU Moon ( spelled like that) page on Facebook. Or they can provide Hanusia Tkaczyk (hanusiat@yahoo.com) with an e-mail to be part of any future discussions about resuming activities.

Our pagan group has been part of Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship for over 20 years. We have no formal structure or leadership, but are a supportive collective of women and men that gathers monthly at the church and hosts a few services for the larger congregation.

There is a lot of variation in what pagans believe.  Wiccans are best known but there are many ethnic variations and most people have a solitary practice without labels. There has also been a strong resurgence of interest in Goddess spirituality.  The common thread is experiencing and revering the universal Life force, the Creator in the power and cycles of nature. Some pagans are reclaiming the historically feared term “witch”.  Satan is not part of the pagan religion in any way shape or form.

Pagans experience all of Nature as sacred, as God, Goddess, the Divine, the creative force. The cycles of birth – life – death – rebirth and the seasons form the basis for celebrations. Pagans generally have little interest in an afterlife, so they live this life to its fullest. As with Unitarian Universalism, there is no required creed or belief. Central tenets are “Do what thou wilt, but harm none” (including the environment) and that anything you do in the world comes back at you three-fold.

You are welcome to attend one of our gatherings, which will be held on or near major holy days : Summer Solstice , Samhain ( Halloween), Winter Solstice and Mayday. There may be additional gatherings throughout the year as time and energy allows.  These will be advertised on our Facebook group at  : www.facebook.com/groups/nuumoon/, or  announced in the EVENTS  tab of the church’s main website. You’re also invited to contact Hanusia Tkaczyk if you have any questions   hanusiat@yahoo.com or call 628-4657.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

There are countless sites and books, but here are a few to get you started.

• Drawing Down The Moon  by journalist Margot Adler – excellent source of historical and religious information.
• The Spiral Dance by Starhawk – a leading pagan source in North America , outlining beliefs and rituals.

• Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm. – excellent source of information about Wicca
• Pagan Federation International -Canada www.ca.paganfederation.org – about paganism in general  with many useful links, including to forums
• http://www.heathenhof.com– about the movement restoring pre-Christian Germanic religion
• http://declaration127.com  –  a multi-organization statement against racism, sexism, discrimination in Paganism/Heathenism

• Sagewoman www.sagewoman.com  -a quarterly magazine for pagans
• Witchvox www.witchvox.com –  pagan educational organization
•  www.goddess-pages.co.uk   -online journal of contemporary Goddess Spirituality