It’s the Great Pumpkin Project, Salem town! Started during the COVID-19 pandemic as a contactless means of spreading the joy of the season, the Temple is proud to continue our Autumnal, Samhain-season tradition: from Monday, October 23rd until the 31st, we invite you to join us once again in the Temple’s Great Pumpkin Project! To help our community feel connected during Samhain we welcome you to bring a carved pumpkin to place on the front garden wall on the Temple grounds in Salem, NH:

We are open for you to drop off of your pumpkin during the daylight hours the week before Samhain: October 23–31. Your carved pumpkin will be lit by the founders for the week of Samhain. We will light them all at dusk and put them out in the morning.

The founders will take photos of the carved pumpkins to share on the Temple’s social media throughout the week and you are welcome to do the same! Everyone is encouraged to drive by at night to see the pumpkins lit up even if they didn’t place a pumpkin.

Those who come by to drop off a pumpkin or just visit to see the carved pumpkins are also welcome to take an envelope with a tarot card and a Witchy wisdom saying for your fortune for the coming year. You’ll find them in a box on the porch of the main house. Please help yourself!

Though this Great Pumpkin Project is focused on our local community we encourage distant members to also share their carved pumpkins on social media and with the community using the hashtag #TOWpumpkin

Rules

• We are a 501(c)3 religious nonprofit and can’t legally have political endorsements or commentary at the Temple, even in pumpkin form. So please don’t bring them.
• The Temple founders reserve the right to remove any contribution that is problematic for any reason. Spooky, witchy, and fanciful pumpkin carvings are welcome, but please keep them in good taste.
• All pumpkins will be farm-fed to cattle after the week is done. So please don’t use any chemicals on your pumpkin that would harm the cows! (No, this is not where pumpkin-spice lattes come from, but we like the way you think…)

The cows love the treat of our pumpkins!

• Place your pumpkins only in the daytime before sunset. Anyone who comes after dark could be considered a pumpkin smasher and the police may be called!
• The three best carved pumpkins selected by the founders will be displayed on our social media. Winners receive year-long bragging rights.

The Capricorn Ministry is excited to announce Michael Usher will be coming on as a deputy minister. Capricorn Ministry is looking to build a stronger presence in the wider community of the Temple of Witchcraft, with plans to start a men’s group, series of classes on various Divine Masculine Godforms and even Rites of Passage training!

In addition to his role as Capricorn Deputy Minister, Michael helps in the Sagittarius Ministry as a mentor, works under Pisces Ministry offering public sabbats in south Florida, served as a Light Bearer for Aries, and is a member of Team Templefest.

It is our pleasure to announce that Sellena Dear has been confirmed as the new Aquarius Lead Minister for the Temple of Witchcraft. Sellena has been an active force in the Temple’s Mississippi community as a teacher, ritualist, and leader, as well as involved in our community online. She has worked as a deputy within Pisces Ministry and an online moderator and mentor. We look forward to her guidance of the ministry. For more information on Sellena and her work, see her profile.

It is our pleasure to announce that Scott K. Smith has been confirmed as the new Aries Lead Minister for the Temple of Witchcraft. Scott has been a very active Temple teacher and leader in the Los Angeles area, as well as incredibly involved in online and distant communities. Through his teaching and art, he is outspoken and faces the challenges of our modern world with compassion and boldness. We look forward to his plans for the ministry and his work of protection and guidance in the community. For more information on Scott and his work, see his profile.

The Temple board of directors, council, and community give deep thanks to High Priest Michael Cantone, Aries Lead Minister since the founding of the Temple and someone who has served on the Board of Directors himself. Michael has been a stellar example of community leadership and cooperation and the Temple would not be where it is without his great work.

The Temple board of directors is pleased to announce that High Priest JT Mouradian has accepted the role of lead minister of Capricorn Ministry. JT previously served as lead minister of Aquarius Ministry and will be taking over leadership of the Father ministry at Yule. Previously a deputy in Capricorn Ministry, JT has taught classes in the Male Mysteries and is well-suited to the work of leading the ministry moving forward. Please welcome him to his new role in the Temple.

As 2022 comes to an end, we want to take a moment to thank you, our community, for your kindness and support of the Temple of Witchcraft. Your donations have helped the Temple to continue to fulfill its mission to strengthen the connections between spirit and matter through inner transformation, education, community, and public service.

Even as we reflect on the year that will soon be behind us, we can’t help but focus on the future as well. Please consider donating to the Temple during the month of December to help us end 2022 strong. Even in the face of rising costs and inflation we hope to enter 2023 ready to provide education, community experience, and public service while continuing to work toward building our community center.

Please know that no donation is too large or too small and that every amount is greatly appreciated. You become an integral part of this work through volunteering and donating and we are immensely grateful for each and every one of our volunteers, donors, and supporters.

You can donate now right from our web page!

Thank you for your support of the Temple of Witchcraft!

The Temple is pleased to announce open registration for Encountering the Witch Soul Through the Witches’ Pyramid. This five-part series offered through the Sagittarius Ministry over Zoom will involve exploring the Witches’ Pyramid and how it relates to accessing the Witch Soul. Each class will include a ritual lead by Debbie Stellhorn, a meditation lead by Dawn Costorf, and healing/energy work guidance by Oceana LeBlanc, all High Priestesses in the Temple of Witchcraft.

See the class page for details and links to registration.

The Temple of Witchcraft board of directors is pleased to announce it has appointed High Priestess Deborah Stellhorn as lead minister of the Libra Ministry. Debbie is also Temple Fundraising Coordinator and a board member, teaching classes within the Temple’s Sagittarius Ministry. With her qualifications in higher education and psychology, we look forward to having Debbie’s expertise guiding the Libra Ministry.

The Libra Ministry is responsible for conflict mediation and arbitration between individual members, or between ministries within the Temple. The ministry will be posting an application for new mediators soon. In the meantime, if you would like more information about becoming a mediator, please contact [email protected].

Applications are open for a new Queer Spirit working group, which will be creating online rituals together for the Sabbats from Yule 2022 through Samhain 2023. We will be using Steve Kenson’s work on the Queer Mysteries through the Wheel of the Year as our jumping off point. Each member of the group will be responsible for leading one of the rituals, recruiting other members to take various roles as needed. We will gather on Zoom for each ritual, followed by some time for checking-in, sharing experiences, etc.

All the meetings will be on Sundays from 7:00 – 8:30 pm Eastern. The dates are:

• December 4, 2022 – Meeting and getting organized
• December 18, 2022 – Yule
• January 29, 2023 – Imbolc
• March 19, 2023 – Ostara
• April 30, 2023 – Beltane
• June 18, 2023 – Midsummer
• July 30, 2023 – Lammas
• September 17, 2023 – Mabon
• October 29, 2023 – Samhain

We are asking participants to commit to attend all of the working group meetings (barring serious illness or emergency or the like). This group is for people who identify as Queer using an expansive definition: gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, non-binary, intersex, asexual/aromantic, polyamorous, and potentially other queer identities we haven’t listed here.

Apply to be part of this program by filling out this online application form no later than November 30, 2022. If you have questions about the Queer Spirit group, please email [email protected].