Egyptian Summer Solstice

Saturday, June 20
gathering begins at 7:00 PM, ritual begins promptly at 7:30 PM
at the Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
1111 Cordell Street
Denton, TX 76201

Chaos rules the land,
disorder and strife have overtaken our lives,
and has for days and years and lifetimes.
— the Westcar Papyrus, 1700 BCE

As it was before, so it is again.  The ancient Egyptians had rituals to rebuild the temples and to re-establish the ways of Ma’at, the Goddess of Truth and Justice.  For our 12th annual Egyptian Summer Solstice, we will adapt these rituals to our place and time.

We will honor the Neteru, the Gods and Goddesses of ancient Egypt.  And we will commit ourselves to live in harmony with the land, with the blessed dead, and with the ways of Ma’at.

Please bring an item of food or drink to share after the ceremony. Donations of 2-3 dollars to help offset expenses will be appreciated but are not required.

For more information, please contact John Beckett at JohnFranc@aol.com or 972-948-9211.

Egyptian Summer Solstice 2015

Beltane – Saturday May 2

Denton CUUPS Beltane Circle

Saturday, May 2
Gathering begins at 7:00 PM
Ritual begins promptly at 7:30 PM

In the ancient Celtic lands, Beltane marked the end of Winter and the beginning of Summer. Here in North Texas, it’s our celebration of Spring in all its lusty fullness.

Please join us as we celebrate the season and honor the Gods, ancestors, and spirits of the land. We’ll dance the Maypole to weave good fortune for the coming season, and we’ll dance the Spiral Dance to energize our intentions and work our Will, as we work to protect the Land from those who would exploit it.

This will be an outdoor, family-friendly circle.

Gathering begins at 7:00 PM and the ritual begins promptly at 7:30. We’ll be outdoors for the entire ritual unless it’s raining.

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.

See you there!

Beltane flyer 2015

Communicating With Your Neighbors

  • Communicating With Your Neighbors – Land Spirits and UU Pagans
  • at the Denton UU Fellowship
  • three class meetings:
    • Saturday, January 10
    • Saturday, January 24
    • Sunday February 15
  • 2:00 to 5:00 PM

Before Europeans came to Texas and before the First Nations arrived, they were here.  Some call them fae, some call them vaettir, some call them land spirits or just the spirits of this place.  Some see them mythically and some see them mystically, but in our age of hypermaterialism most don’t see them at all.

Whatever you call them, they are our neighbors and it is polite to be neighborly towards them.  It’s also wise – we share the land with them and we have a common interest in honoring and protecting the land.  This will be a three-session experience-oriented class in communicating with the land spirits.

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.

04.19.14 04 darker

An Introduction to Modern Pagan Religion

  • Introduction to Modern Pagan Religion
  • Saturday, January 17, 1:00 to 5:00
  • at the Denton UU Fellowship

Are you curious about modern Pagan religion?  Would you like to hear about it from people who’ve been practicing it for years?  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?  Have you outgrown the many Wicca 101 books but are unsure how to move on?

This will be our 5th time holding this popular class.  We’ll cover the beliefs and practices of our ancient ancestors, the origins of Wicca and other modern Pagan religions, basic spiritual concepts and how different Pagans understand them, the role of Nature in our beliefs and practices, and the essentials of personal spiritual practice.

flyer for Paganism class 2014

Yule – The Winter Solstice

Denton CUUPS Yule Circle
Saturday, December 20
Gathering begins at 7:00 PM – Ritual begins promptly at 7:30

Please join the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans as we celebrate Yule, the Winter Solstice. Gathering begins at 7:00 PM and the ritual begins promptly at 7:30. On this longest night, we turn our minds to the waning of the dark and the rebirth of the Sun. As we celebrate this season of tradition with new beginnings, new hopes and new dreams, take a moment out of the cold and dreary winter to embrace the possibilities of the year to come.

Children 10 and older who can participate respectfully are welcome to attend with a parent/guardian. Childcare WILL be provided for younger children.

Please bring a dish to share for the potluck after the ceremony. Donations of a dollar or three to defray costs are welcome but not required

For questions or information, please contact John Beckett at JohnFranc@aol.com.

Come experience the mystery of the Winter Solstice!

Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
1111 Cordell Street
Denton, TX 76201

DIRECTIONS: From I-35, exit US-380 (University Drive) eastbound. Go approximately 1.8 miles east on University, then turn right (south) onto Fulton Street. Go three blocks, turn right (west) on Cordell. DUUF is on the left, on the southwest corner of Fulton and Cordell – our illuminated sign is on the corner.

Yule flyer 2014

2015 CUUPS Calendar

Last Sunday we held our annual planning meeting and set the calendar for 2015.  Most of our events will be held at DUUF and they’ve now been loaded on the DUUF building usage calendar, meaning they’re firm.

Our calendar is now available on this website.  Rituals and service projects are here:

http://www.dentoncuups.org/calendar/

Classes and special events are here:

http://www.dentoncuups.org/classes-and-special-events/

We do our best to keep you informed via our e-mail list and on Facebook, but please remember you can always find the current calendar on the website.

thanks,

John Beckett
Coordinating Officer
Denton CUUPS

Samhain Circle

flaming cauldronAs we celebrate the night of the final harvest festival when Celtic lore says the old year ends, please join the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans in sharing a brief moment of time outside of time to recall those who have gone before and to embrace the Otherworld.

Our Samhain Circle will be Saturday, October 26.  Gathering begins at 7:00 PM and the ritual begins promptly at 7:30 PM.  We will be outdoors unless it is raining, so please dress appropriately.

Children 12 or older who can participate with reverence are invited to attend with parents or guardians.  This celebration contains imagery that may be frightening to younger children.  Childcare will be provided if requested by Tuesday, October 22.

For questions or information, please contact John Beckett at 972-948-9211 or JohnFranc@aol.com.

Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
1111 Cordell Street
Denton, TX  76201

DIRECTIONS:  From I-35, exit US-380 (University Drive) eastbound.  Go approximately 1.8 miles east on University, then turn right (south) onto Fulton Street.  Go three blocks, turn right (west) on Cordell. DUUF is on the left, on the southwest corner of Fulton and Cordell – our illuminated sign is on the corner.

Shielding and Warding Class

pentaclefour Wednesdays, 10/9 through 10/30
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
1111 Cordell Street, Denton, TX 76201

Shielding and Warding are basic magical operations helpful to anyone following a Pagan, Wiccan or other magical path.  The theories and techniques are not complicated, but putting them into practice is best learned in a person to person setting.

The Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans is offering a four week course in Shielding and Warding.  We’ll cover basic energy work, the nature of psychic attacks and how to distinguish them from ordinary stress, basic and advanced defensive magic, and maintaining a healthy spiritual life.

The classes begin Wednesday, October 9 and run for four weeks.  Classes begin at 7:00 PM and will end by 9:00 PM.

There is no charge for these classes but donations will be gratefully accepted.  Older children who can participate maturely and respectfully are welcome to attend with parent / guardian.  We are unable to provide childcare for younger children.

For more information contact John Beckett at JohnFranc@aol.com or 972-948-9211.

DIRECTIONS:  From I-35, exit US-380 (University Drive) eastbound.  Go approximately 1.8 miles east on University, then turn right (south) onto Fulton Street.  Go three blocks, turn right (west) on Cordell. DUUF is on the left, on the southwest corner of Fulton and Cordell – our illuminated sign is on the corner.