Pagans from a variety of countries and traditions are among those who
have gathered in Melbourne, Australia for the 2009 Parliament of the World's
Religions, one of the world's oldest and largest international interfaith
gatherings. The Parliament is taking place December 3-9. Leaders and
practitioners of a wide range of religious and spiritual traditions and from
eighty countries around the world are participating. Organizers expect up
to 8,000 participants.

Pagans are among the presenters at this year's Parliament. View
the list of Pagan ceremonies and panels, plus presentations that include
Pagan speakers: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/interfaith

As at previous Parliaments, Circle Sanctuary is among the religious
organizations supporting this year's Parliament. Circle Sanctuary Community
members and ministers at the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions
include Rev. Patrick McCollum of California, Rev. Shel Skau of
Wisconsin, CIRCLE Magazine reporters Dave and Sylvia Linton of Wisconsin,
and Rev. Drake Spaeth and Angie Buchanan of Illinois. Rev. Angie Buchanan,
who is the Director of Gaia's Womb/Earth Traditions, is an Executive Board
Member, Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions.

Having attended and been a speaker at previous Parliaments (1993 in
Chicago, 1999 in Cape Town, and 2004 in Barcelona), I had hoped to
also attend this one, but instead I am participating via cyberspace
communications and by spiritual attunement. My Sacred Solstice Sites and
Celebrations ceremony which was selected to be part of this year's
program will still occur. Patrick, assisted by others, will be taking my
place as the ritual leader. Among the ceremonies of different religions
included in the Observances track of the schedule, the rite will be held on
Saturday morning, December 5, from 8-9 am (Melbourne time).

As at previous Parliaments, Circle Sanctuary also is supporting this
year's Parliament with media coverage. Dave and Sylvia, reporting for
CIRCLE Magazine (our in-print quarterly) and Circle Times (our
e-bulletin) are among the credentialed journalists in the international
press corps covering the Parliament in Melbourne. I also will be reporting
on the Parliament through emails and telephone calls with participants and
by monitoring religious and secular media coverage on-line. Follow
my tweets on Twitter (@Selena_Fox) and my posts on my Facebook Fan Page
(http://tiny.cc/selenafoxfbfans).

We will be sending out Parliament updates via Circle Times (free,
sign-up: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/network) and our new Circle
Interfaith News blog: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/interfaith created
by Circle Sanctuary minister Bob Paxton.

Please join me in sending well-wishes to the Pagans of many places and
many paths who are part of this 2009 Parliament of World's Religions as well
as to the Parliament as a whole.

May there be sharing, caring, respect, understanding, and collaboration
among all those who are part of the Parliament.

May the Parliament be a source of inspiration and a force for positive
transformation to bring about more peace and cooperation among humans the
world over and more well-being in the greater community of life, the Circle
of Nature, of which we are all part.

Blessed Be,

Rev. Selena Fox
Senior Minister, Circle Sanctuary

1 pm Thursday afternoon, December 3 in Wisconsin, USA
6 am Friday morning, December 4 in Melbourne, Australia

Circle Times: Thursday, December 03, 2009

e-bulletin published by Circle Sanctuary
international Shamanic Wiccan church
serving Pagans worldwide since 1974
http://www.circlesanctuary.org
(608) 924-2216
circle@circlesanctuary.org

Sustainability/Ethical Eating and Paganism/Witches

So, a heated discussion ensued on our Circle Yahoo Groups page. The Circle decided to have topics of discussion during our potluck. We'd have a different topic each month and a lead to keep the discussion track.

We have our Ritual first, then our potluck/gathering time.

Someone generously offered to speak to our group about ethical eating and sustainability. Boy, did that ever open a can of worms!

Now, I know how I feel. I feel that sustainability/ethical eating has a lot to do with being Pagan. But I now pose the subject to you all, my Pagan/Witchy friends.

Do you feel this is an appropriate topic of discussion and has relevance to Pagan religion?

Cool!

One of my friends from my Circle posted this. I adore the images and the folklore.

Orkenyjar

I feel such a pull. :ile I did visiting the castles and druid rings in England.

I'll be revamping my blog soon. Adding more witch-y pagan goodness. If you're not listed on my sidebar anymore, your probably still on my Google reader list. I'm spending so much time reading other blogs I have neglected my own!

ALos, if you love Uggs like I do, head over to Mrs B's and enter the contest. I'd love to win, but I do have a pair (even though the inside has been a bit chewed by previous dog), and I can't wear pink with everything! lol!

I keep forgetting to post this. I went to my church's Pagan Circle. There are 2 men so it is not ladies only, but that is OK. The ritual was to honor a group member's cat who recently crossed. We all were able to like a candle in honor of our pets/familiars. After, we told tons of pet stories and then closed the circle.

Yummy food and fellowship followed and then it was time to go home. All of the folks are warm, generous and the most calming set of people I have met in a long time. Some of them are very involved in the Unitarian Church we all attend. All in all it was great and I'll be there for the monthly get togethers!

And who says Monster Job.com doesn't work. My hubby just got a call for an interview. He never even applied! They do look people!

Today

was a better day. Not normal but better. I felt I had been, I don't, "talked to" at work today. My boss was concerned about something I messed up. It's relatively new to me and I can see how it could concern him, but I also just learned it in my own self defense. I guess I am just still feeling sensative because of the BIG problem we had yesterday with the electricity and our landlord, blah, blah, blah. That's another HUGE story I won't go into right now.

So my boss talks about Pagan things kind of frequently. He's a hippie working for a big company. And I like him and his wife (artist). It's funny how people react to Pagan things.

To me we all came from a Pagan religious background, especially if we are decended from England, Scotland etc. (My opinion)He commented about my Stonehenge wallpaper on my computer. I told him I've seen every Druid ring in England. Not really, but at the time it felt like it! lol! My favorite was Meg and her Sisters.

Anyway, with my glass of Alice Whiter Merlot (not bad). I'm feeling better and have a couple of new magazines to look through.

Penny Lane is another good merlot, in case you are interested.

I am excited to receive the reading my friend has so generously said she will do.

Breakfast

We went out to breakfast today with current and former co-workers from my place of employment. The Princess brought the Pea with her. She is getting sooo big and so cute! The Republican was there with the news that his wife is pregnant! Due in March.
Pattycakes showed up, even though her dad is very ill. Bad Janet of course was there, SuzieQ, Mrs. Executive and us. This will probably be the last time Bad Janet and I will see The Republican, SuzieQ, and The Princess. Definitly me. Bad Janet is going to Austin too the middle of September. Mrs Executive and Pattycakes still work in the same place a we do.

It was fun and we took a bunch of photos of our little "family" as we like to call it. At Mrs. Executives wedding, 2 years ago, we had a "family" photo taken with her.

Finally, sun today and this afternoon a cloudless sky. Mrs. Executives brand new house was hit by a microburst this past week. She said the pressure was so great it sucked the attic door into the attic.! She was home and thank heavens is OK. One of their PLASTIC lawn chairs was blown into a neighbors house and it made a hole in the siding. Not too many other houses were affected, which is why they think it was a microburst.

Off to finish my wine, read my current issue of Circle Sanctuary and relax.

I forgot

Happy Lammas!