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!
Happy 17th Birthday!
Wow! Covenant of the River has been a very special place for 17 years. (Thanks Jean!) Tonight we plan to do something to thank everyone and celebrate what a great community we have. So for now, come at 4:00
We will have fun games, a roast and lemon cake and whatever folks bring. There will be a pinata and general fun and silliness.
Join us for one or both of th events today: Park Cleanup at 3:30pm at Landings Park and later, potluck at 5:30pm and a Full Moon celebration. You can attend either or both. You aren’t obligated to do both.
We meet in the Landings Park shelter house to begin at 3:30. It’s a fun and easy walk picking up litter and talking and usually takes less than an hour. We provide a big trash bag to share and gloves if you forget to bring your own. More information on the park location.
We have been taking care of Landings Park for over 10 years and hope that you can join us. It’s just north of Harmony on Boardwalk.
Later, we will hold our usual 5:30pm potluck dinner at the Hall. Please bring something to share if you can. If not, please know that you are welcome to share with us. The food is for everyone. After dinner, announcements and yahoos/prayer requests, Jean will be leading us a Full Moon activity!
This will be a more quiet (ruminant*) observance of Ostara with Jean. Arrive at 7pm, activities begin at 7:30. The ritual is expected to be quiet and personal. 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.
The Goddess Eostre from Germany or Saxony lends her name to the word that finally became “Easter”. But this image – it’s perfect. Here we have those hopping fertile hares seeking the balance of the Equinox on an egg. The Spring Equinox is on the 19th at 9:06pm.
Join us this Sunday for the fun holiday where think about balance as the light and dark even out. And we can wear flowers in our hair and hide eggs for the children. Spring is emerging and you can feel the Beltane energy starting to grow.
Join us a little earlier today, with your kiddos, if you can and we will first hold an egg hunt. Plan to arrive around 4:30 for this part of the fun. If you don’t have kids or don’t want to participate or just can’t come until the usual time – that’s totally fine!
At 5:30 we will hold our usual pot luck. Bring something if you can. If you can’t, we always have plenty and welcome you to eat with us from the food people bring to share with everyone.
Around 6:15 we will begin the ritual for Ostara. Hopefully in the Sanctuary if weather allows. Kids are welcome to stay with us or play in the kids area if they are too excited. I mean, they just found eggs, right? Three months ago we were drumming up the sun so the light would return. It has! Let us celebrate! (woooo!)
Ritual garb encouraged but not required, just something that makes the time seem more sacred to YOU! Clothing, cloak, jewelry, staff, athame, head wreath, bells, face paint, etc.
Eostre by Hrana Janto, Goddess Oracle
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 plan to gather at 3:00 pm and plan to hold space until around 7pm. This could change so please check as the time gets closer. 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.
This is not an open meeting. But we sure want your 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
** Don’t forget it’s Spring Forward day** Yeah, that’s why your phone and computer just went ahead and did it for you but if you have any analog time keepers, make sure you arrive at the new “summer” time.
We are very excited tonight to have member Nate step up to share his interest in Sigils and how you can use them in your life and in your practice.
From Nate: “Books on magic can be found in any public library, but they necessarily speak in generalities. How can we transition from passive consumers of magic to active wielders of it?
Join Nate for a presentation on constructing Sigils for personal use, followed by a discussion. We will explore the philosophy behind contemporary sigil techniques, and methods for creating the Sigil, powering the Sigil, and using the Sigil.
These techniques are associated with Chaos Magic, but this presentation will be focused on practical Sigil usage, and is applicable to any path.”
We will have a potluck at 5:30 so plan to come and bring something to share. If you don’t have anything, come anyway! We mean it. There is food for all, plenty. Around 6pm we will begin with announcements and yahoos/prayer requests.
The Dark Moon Group is going to try a rare Saturday get together. We will gather at the Hall at the usual 7pm time for conversation and lighting the cauldron of candles. The cauldron is full and messy and so, in keeping with the rising of Persephone it will be starting over this month ready for new candles.
The Dark Moon group is usually small with a variety of people coming when it works for them but often only 5 or so people on a given month. If you have never been to a Dark Moon Group, you are very welcome, even if it is your first Covenant activity. It’s dark with low lighting and usually quiet.
Around 7:30 we will talk about Persephone in the Spring. Everyone seems to identify with the darkness of Persephone in the fall as she descends into the Underworld. But what does it mean to be the Queen of the Underworld, called back each Spring from your husband and children and your kingdom, back to your childhood, to making flowers, to being with your mom to bring the world back to life? Perhaps there are things to learn about dichotomies in this month of balance with the Equinox coming on the 19th. Can you be a “dark goddess” or a person who feels dark sometimes and identifies with the darkness and still bring life or light to a dark world, including to yourself? Let’s find out. I’d love to hear what you think.
Northern Colorado Covenant of the River will host an open Board meeting. The Board meetings are typically not open for folks to attend so that the work can get completed. But we do like to have feedback from all of you about what you like or don’t like, what you want more of and things like that. It helps us to plan our finances and activities. We will also be sharing with anyone who attends what the financial status of our church is. So, come on over to the Hall. Maybe it sounds boring or too “businessy” but it’s the structure that keeps us going. We will open at 7:00 pm. We will start the meeting at 7:30pm.
Zoom is also available. The Zoom Room will open around 7:15pm. Instructions for Zoom is on our front/main page. It’s only once a year and we would really like to see as many people attend as possible.
Bring snacks!
