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January | January | January | January | 1 | 2 - Council Open Hours
7:00 pm-9:00 pm 02/02/2024 Hi Friends and future friends! Sometimes it’s hard to get out and go somewhere. Sometimes it’s hard to think about being with other people, especially if you haven’t met them. The best thing about Council Open Hours is that it is like a comfy pillow or your favorite PJs. We are just hanging out hoping you will come see us and to see anyone else who comes. There aren’t usually very many people with us and it’s totally casual – there’s nothing we have planned, nothing to accomplish. Bring something to talk about or just come to sit quietly and see what it’s like.
Maybe you haven’t been to anything in awhile and you feel a little outside and want to connect again. Or you just keep saying “I’m going to go to Covenant of the River “some day”.” Well, now is a great time! Council is here! First Fridays we set aside time to meet with people and talk to people. Casually, just hanging out. We usually all sit together but if you are in need of a private conversation, that can be arranged. This is why we are here. We are here for you. You will not be bothering us or interrupting us because we are here for you to talk to or hang out with. Stop by the Hall between 7pm and 9pm. See you soon!
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4 - Imbolg Sabbat
5:30 pm-8:00 pm 02/04/2024  The first hint of Spring. Brigid’s fire. – that’s what you might imagine. But Council is planning to pay homage to the Japanese February holiday of Setsubun. It is the first day of spring and celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of spring From japansociety.org: The festival of Setsubun—when people throw soybeans at demons—follows closely on the heels of New Year’s. The word setsubun means “changing of the seasons.” Because of the importance of the New Year in the Japanese calendar, the setsubun directly before the start of spring was by far the most important in Japan. When seasons change, people are at their most vulnerable to influenza, colds, or other ailments. The rituals for the festival of Setsubun are meant to purge ones house and surroundings of all bad things and to keep disease and misfortune at bay. Jordan has offered to play the part of the demon we get to throw beans at during the ritual! Whatever this first Sabbat of the returning light means to you, we hope that you will join us for this unique celebration. The potluck will be AFTER the ritual. Please arrive around 5:30pm, the ritual will begin around 5:45pm. The feasting will be after the ritual. The ritual will include an outside part and then return to the Hall so dressing in layers is advised. Ritual garb is encouraged but not required. Culturally reflecting items are also appropriate. The potluck will be AFTER the ritual. Bring something to share or simply come and share what we have. You are not required to bring anything to join us and eat with us. Please park on Swallow and follow the sidewalk around to the far side of the garage to find the Hall.
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 - Dark Moon: Ghyldeptis
7:00 pm-8:30 pm 02/08/2024  - The Dark Moon group meets at 7:00pm in the Hall to talk and light the candles in the Cauldron of Candles (this is casual and fun, not a formal ritual). Around 7:30 the evening begins with information about the topic and then a short ritual. Come when you can, you don’t have to be on time and leave early if that works for you.
This month we will be meeting Gyhldeptis, a Native American Goddess from the NW Coast of the US, from the Haida and Tligit tribes. She is not herself a Dark Goddess, but what she asks of you will still be difficult and the path might be dark. Her wish is that you whole yourself. This might mean shadow work. This might be confronting all of the parts of yourself that you have tried to discard rather than having to face them. To pull yourself together, as it were. To synthesize the parts you don’t like with those that you do so that you will become light and dark together and see the value in both. Dark Moon Group is a small group that gathers once a month to talk, light candles, and peer into the darker parts of mythology and ourselves and face the challenge. It is open to anyone. You do not need to have attended a Covenant event before. It’s very casual. You also don’t need to believe in any goddess or the monthly topic. Using mythology, even as just stories, can be an important part of a spiritual practice or just for the sake of learning. More on Gyhldeptis from Bluethunderhealing.com Known to the Tlingit and Haida peoples of Alaska and Canada. There was chaos in nature and she created a feast in her water domain to ask the wind, fire, earth, water and air to be kindred to the land the the humans in it. They agreed and chaos transformed with their assistance. Her name means long hanging hair and is a Native American Goddess. She asks that we gather our own pieces of self left in areas back into healing. The pieces that were left behind when you felt abandoned, unloved or unsupported or upset and allow these pieces to assemble back to its rightful place of honor in your body.
| 9 - Ruminant Observance of Imbolc
7:00 pm-9:00 pm 02/09/2024  This will be a more quiet (ruminant*) observance of Imbolg with Jean. Please dress to be outside. The ritual will begin inside and then move outside. Arrive at 7pm, activities begin at 7:30. The ritual is expected to be quiet and personal allowing space for the invocation of personal gods and the possibility of doing shadow work. It is the time when the earth is stretching and awakening, such quiet contemplation can help you wake yourself to the coming year. Comtemplative language appropriate for serious participants in expected. Bring snacks if you like. Fire will play a role in the activities. Welcome to the *Ruminant ritual explanation. In the past we have called these celebrations “adult” to indicate the contemplative quiet nature of the ritual that might not be appropriate for children or anyone who can not adapt to the quiet atmosphere. It never meant we engaged in activities intended only for 18+. To that end, Jean has developed the new term “Ruminant” to describe these follow up rituals held in the days following the Sunday, family friendly rituals. The dictionary defines Ruminant as: “a contemplative person; a person given to meditation. Not meant to indicate Imbolg but rather the ideas of what a Ruminant activity could be like.
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11 - Craft and NO Park Cleanup**
3:30 pm-8:30 pm 02/11/2024 This Sunday Jean will be leading us in a rock painting caft at the Hall after the 5:30 potluck Park Cleanup is cancelled Before we get together for the craft, it’s park cleanup time over at Landings Park. This has been our adopted park to take care of for well over 10 years and it feels good to be with friends while you give back to the community and the environment. We meet at Landings Park, off Boardwalk north of Harmony at 3:30. We provide work gloves and a trash bag
The evening’s event at the Hall (901 E Swallow) begins at 5:30 with the potluck. Bring something if you can. The activities begin at 6pm. Please park on Swallow, not the culdesac, and look for the yellow door on the far side of the garage.
| 12 | 13 - Council Meeting
7:00 pm-9:00 pm 02/13/2024 Ideas, please! Each month the Council, (Jean, Jordan and Chel), get together to schedule Covenant of the River events, write rituals, outline presentations and discuss general community business. This is when we find out all the exciting new ideas that folks in the community have for us about things to do and rituals they want to share! This community is not Council driven. We are here to facilitate the things others in the community have ideas about, want to do, or want to help with. You don’t have to volunteer to lead your idea, just share your idea. SO – Email council before 7pm tonight so we can see what you have! If you missed it, we will be doing this again next month so go ahead and send it and we will save it for then. We are still so interested in your ideas! Please submit them even if you don’t want to be responsible for the ritual or craft you are thinking of. Just so you know we are currently scheduling for Spring. We don’t just put your idea on the schedule. We will contact you to discuss your idea and work with you to finalize the idea. This is not an open meeting. The Zoom room will not be open. Please contact us during Office Hours if you need to speak with one of us
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18 - AfroDiasporic religion – Guest Presenter
5:30 pm-8:30 pm 02/18/2024  The presentation will be on Zoom Link to the Zoom Room The evening will begin at 5:30pm with our usual potluck. Please bring something if you are able. Plan to eat with us even if you can’t bring something. After the potluck, probably around 6:15 or so, we will begin the evening’s activities. Tonight Covenant will have a guest presenter, Leni Hester, speaking in the AfroDiasporic religion of Ocha or Lukumi (popularly known as Santeria). Much like Vodou, the AfroCaribbean paths of religion and magic are subject to a lot of sensationalism, misunderstanding and racism. I would love to come speak, to dispell the myths and to give an overview of the beauties and power of Ifa-derived spirituality, a tradition of over 5000 years, that continues to grow and evolve. Leni Hester is an Initiate into la Regla de Ocha (popularly known as Lukumi or Santeria) and into la Regla Congo ( aka Palo ). In addition to her decades of training in Wicca (3rd degree Gardnerian) , the Western Mystery tradition and Goddess Spirituality, Leni has been a devotee of the Orisas and has served the Mysteries and the Dead since the early 90s. She has presented on Orisa consciousness at several Pagan gatherings and cons, and her written work has appeared in Sagewoman, Pangaia, Witches and Pagans, and In a Witch’s Eye magazines. Leni serves her Spirits and raises her daughters in Centennial.
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 - Fireside and Full Moon
3:00 pm-7:00 pm 02/24/2024  The Full Moon continues to creep closer to the date of Fireside so this month, Jean has decided to combine the two. This will be a regular Fireside event and will incorporate the celebration of the Full Moon in ways that have not yet been decided. What is Fireside? This event is open to anyone and will take place in the Sanctuary (hopefully) which is the outdoor space at River Hall. If the weather is unfriendly for humans we will still meet in the hall with candles and such but we will not be able to burn things. Jean will be holding space for folks to discuss life and faith, to work on rituals or to be supported in releasing things/people/behaviors that no longer serve you.
Tis the season to clean out the corners and prepare ourselves to travel through the winter months. What do you need to release to move forward with grace?
What story of yourself or a relationship do you need to tell one more time for closure?
Fireside is a mostly casual gathering in the Sanctuary where we hold space for each other, enjoy respite around the sacred fire and reconnect with other Pagans and Pagan-friendly folx.
If you choose to burn something in the fire make sure it fits in a standard backyard fire pit, and is legal, safe, yours to burn.
This a great no pressure gathering for new folx. Come as you are, when you are able and leave when you need to. Tonight we gather at 3:00pm and plan to hold space until around 7pm. Please park on Swallow and follow the sidewalk around to the far side of the garage. We might be in the Hall, beyond the yellow door but most likely we will be in the Sanctuary. Enter through the gate then follow the dirt and mulch path around the house and through the archway entry of the Sanctuary. The times continue to change with the weather and turning of the earth so always check the calendar before heading over.
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25 - Ritual Writing Part 1
5:30 pm-8:00 pm 02/25/2024  Council gets a lot of questions about “how can I write a ritual”? This is something of interest to people on a personal level or perhaps they have a small gathering they are working with and maybe someone is thinking of leading a Covenant event. It sounds kind of daunting like maybe there’s a certain way to do it, maybe there are expectations and you don’t know what they are and you fear doing it “wrong”. Good news! Most personal rituals and Covenant of the River rituals don’t follow set rules or even guidelines. Some traditions that follow a set path may have this but at Covenant and certainly on a personal level, it’s about how you feel, what you want to say, what you want to share with the others present, what you are hoping to accomplish. So back to the original question: How can I write a ritual? We have lots of ideas and years of experience. So come by this Sunday and next Sunday to learn more. If you are experienced and feel you don’t need to “learn” please bring you wisdom to share with the others who are seeking. Potluck begins at 5:30. Bring food if you can. If you can’t there is always plenty so please join us to share in this special time with each other. The evening begins around 6pm with announcements, yahoos, and prayer requests (help us build community!). Please park on Swallow and follow the sidewalk to the far side of the garage. Push the yellow door and you’re here. We plan to have this event available on ZOOM for those of you who want to listen or participate remotely. There’s a clickable link on the main page or copy this: http://bit.ly/2LM7ata (it is case sensitive) to get to our Zoom room. We don’t turn it on at 5:30 because no one wants to stream eating dinner but start checking for the feed around 6pm – don’t give up sometimes it starts a little late.
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | March | March |
