Introduction to Modern Pagan Religion
Saturday, July 20 – 1:00 to 5:00 PM
Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1111 Cordell Street, Denton, TX 76201

Are you on a Wiccan, Druid, or another Pagan spiritual path and would like some live instruction to complement your reading and other solitary practice?  Are you curious about modern Pagan religion and would like to hear about it from people who’ve been practicing it for years?  Have you outgrown the many Wicca 101 books but are unsure how to move on?

The Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans will present An Introduction to Modern Pagan Religion on Saturday, July 20.  The class will start at 1:00 PM and run until 5:00.  We’ll cover the beliefs and practices of our ancient ancestors, the origins of Wicca and other modern Pagan religions, basic concepts and how different Pagans understand them, the role of Nature in our beliefs and practices, and the essentials of personal spiritual practice.

The class will be led by Cynthia Talbot, an anthropologist who’s been a Wiccan high priestess for 20 years and is our CUUPS Treasurer, and John Beckett, the Coordinating Officer of Denton CUUPS and a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.

There is no charge for this class, but donations are requested.  This class is “family friendly” and is appropriate for older children.  We are unable to provide childcare for younger children at this event.

If you have any questions, please contact John Beckett at JohnFranc@aol.com or 972-948-9211

Denton CUUPS has always been an adult-focused group, but we’ve tried to be friendly to families with children.  Our efforts to offer childcare haven’t always worked out.  Many times we’ve hired childcare workers and had no children at the circle.  Other times we’ve announced “we are unable to provide childcare at this event” only to have families arrive expecting someone to watch their kids.  And of course, as anyone who has kids understands, finding qualified childcare workers on a Saturday night isn’t always easy.

Recently we’ve tried announcing “childcare will be provided if requested by the Tuesday before the circle.”  At Beltane, we had four responses, only one of which was before the deadline.  We were unable to find a childcare worker, so one of our members volunteered to skip the circle and watch the kids.  Then nine children showed up.  Our volunteer was overwhelmed.  We found another volunteer to help with childcare, but that was a person who had come to Beltane expecting to experience the ritual, not watch children.

At Summer Solstice on June 22, childcare will be by reservation only.  If you are planning to attend with children too young to participate in the main circle, let us know no later than Tuesday, June 18.  One way or another, we’ll find childcare workers to manage those children.

If you show up with children without making a reservation, you will be responsible for watching your own kids.

We’d love to have a full nursery and kids RE program at all our events, but we are a small group with limited resources.  We will do what we can to accommodate families with young children, and we ask for parents’ cooperation in helping match our resources to actual needs.

Our “calendar” page on the main menu above has been changed.  The old calendar page is now called “circles and service.”  There’s a new page called “classes and special events” where we’ll list small group classes, movie nights, camping trips, and other events.

The list of classes and special events is shown in the post below.

Small Group Classes

• This June we will begin holding small group classes on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 PM.  Classes will be held in a variety of locations – contact the class leader for details.
• Introduction to Tarot, taught by Dolores Nabors.  Will run for seven weeks, from June 5 through July 17.  Will be held at Dolores’ apartment.
• Introduction to Herbalism, taught by Michi Harper.  Will run two weeks, July 24 and 31.  Will be held at Michi’s house.
• Circle Planning, taught by Michi Harper and John Beckett.  Will run four weeks, August 7 through August 28.  The participants in this class will plan and lead our Mabon circle on Saturday, September 14.
• Small group classes will continue on Wednesday nights in September and beyond.  Current plans are for classes on Basic Spellwork, Chants, Shielding, and Magical Tools.  The order of topics and locations will be determined when we get closer.

Pagan Movie Nights

• Saturday, June 15 at John’s house in McKinney.  Gather at 5:00 for cookout and potluck, followed by showing of The Spirit of Albion.
• Saturday, August 17.  Details TBD.

Other Events

• Introduction to Modern Pagan Religion:  taught by John Beckett and Cynthia Talbot.  Saturday, July 20 from 1:00 to 5:00 at DUUF.
• Fall Camping Trip:  October 18-20.
• Fall Social Gathering:  Friday, November 8 at 6:30 at Cynthia’s house.
• Book Club:  now taking recommendations for a book for us to read and discuss.

The Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans invites you to join us for our Beltane circle. We will celebrate with music, dancing, procession, and the traditional Maypole. Our main working will be a dramatic interactive retelling of the story of Morrigan and her dealings with the Dagda and Cú Chulainn. She offered her love and her aid to both, but only one accepted.

Our circle will be outdoors unless it is raining – please dress for the weather.

Please bring an item of food or drink to share after the ceremony. As always, a donation of a dollar or three to help defray costs are appreciated, but not required.

Children 10 and older who can participate maturely and respectfully are welcome to join in. Childcare for younger children will be available if requested by Tuesday, April 30.

Come celebrate the Rites of Spring with the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans.

As the wheel of the year turns we mark Ostara, the Spring Equinox, with a joyous celebration of fertility in all its glorious forms. Please join us on Saturday, March 23 for our celebration. We will gather at DUUF at 7:00 pm and begin promptly at 7:30 pm.

Prepare for new beginnings!

Please bring an item of food or drink to share after the ceremony. Donations of a dollar or three to help defray expenses will be appreciated but are not required.

Children who can participate maturely and respectfully are welcome to join in. Childcare will be provided if requested by Tuesday, March 19.

If you have any questions, just ask here in the comments.