As the Temple of Witchcraft has grown, spreading roots and branches across the country and around the world, we want our growing community to be able to know who we are—and, in many cases where we are.

Towards that end, we offer our newly organized profile pages, which can be found under the About menu of our site (or by clicking the link in this article). When you investigate, you’ll see the profiles can be sorted using a drop-down menu in the upper right corner. Categories include our various ministries, as well as ministers, deputies, our board of directors, and ordained Temple ministers as well as teachers in our Mystery School. Additionally, the Mystery School Teachers and Ordained Ministers categories offer the opportunity to further sort the profiles by state in the United States, so you can find the Temple ministers and teachers nearest you.

We hope the community will find this resource useful and we’ll continue to add to it as the ranks of the Temple’s ordained ministers and teachers continue to grow.

A monthly musing of Kitchen Witchery

Autumn blessings to all of you! (well, if you are on this side of the Equator). I wanted to start off by thanking all of you who attended our last ritual. The amount of food that was brought to our post-ritual potluck was impressive to say the least. This awesome spread led me to this month’s topic: Potluck Pointers. I also think it is an excellent time to post about this with the holiday season approaching. Most us will get invites to family and work gatherings, and these tips might be helpful.

Make what you like

If you are anything like me, you try to be as inclusive with your menu choices as possible when hosting a dinner party or attending a pot luck. It is good to be thoughtful, but it is just as important to make a dish that you would enjoy. There is a chance that some of it will be coming home with you. If you make a dish you love, you can use it for work lunches or as a side to your evening meal the next day.

Variety is the spice of life

Most of us lean towards veggie platters and dessert. They are easy and really yummy.  When attending a potluck, it is good to check in with the host, or in the Temple’s case, read over the potluck guide. We post a guide based on your last name in the ritual announcement. When you pop on to preregister, take a glance over it and see what category is recommended. When in doubt, a beverage is good. Also simplicity rules. Dressed greens,  a grain, or a veggie side are always winners.

No muss no fuss

Make serving and clean up as simple as possible. Think about how people will be eating your dish. If you made a soup, consider bringing bowls. If you made a roast or a large casserole, slicing it can help when it comes to serving time. The same goes for your famous oven-fresh bread. Cut it up and place in a bowl before the event. Your host will thank you. This will also make it easier when it comes to breakdown and clean-up. Remember to claim your leftovers and dish before heading out. We can occasionally get people to take remaining items with them, but it would help your hosts tremendously if you could take it with you or find it a home before you leave.

Carry in. Carry out.

If you are a camper, you are familiar with this saying. When planning your potluck contribution, think about the container and serving utensils. When possible, use a piece of tape or a tag with your name on it to make sure you are  able to track down your items. The host (or in this case, the Temple) doesn’t necessarily have the space to store serving vessels and utensils. We also are very conscious of the amount of waste we produce and would prefer not to throw out a number of disposable containers. When you do bring a reusable container, we do our best to return it to you clean, but no promises.

Location, location, location

Just like in the outside world, real estate is precious and most places you go will have limited electrical outlet and oven or refrigerator space.  I generally try and think of a dish that would be okay to be served at room temperature if needed. If you do decide to bring a crock pot, I recommend bringing a power strip as well. That way you can help your hosts extend their space. Remember to label it so you can get it back.

Fingers or fork?

Finger foods are great, but when making them, consider the amount of space they need for serving. Can they be stacked? Even though they are finger food, does their size or shape allow them to be picked up with spatula or tongs? When large groups of people are eating, it is a bit more sanitary to use a serving utensil even with finger foods.

Timing is everything

Potlucks seems like a very easy way to host a meal or gathering, but even potlucks have their logistical issues. Some of them we have mentioned above. Another is timing. Whenever possible, drop off  your dish in advance. Also wait until the designated time or announcement is made to start eating (yes, even the dish you brought). We know you worked hard and we thank you. We also know you are starving and the selection looks SOOO amazing, but it is considerate to wait until everyone is ready to eat. In our case, we usually give those who have led ritual a chance to recoup their energy and ground by getting a bite to eat first. We also know that you are going to want to thank them and chat about your experience. Allowing them to have full bellies and to return to a mundane mindset will allow them to be present.

Go Green

Since environmental sustainability is an important initiative for the Temple, we are trying to create as little waste as possible. By bringing a dish in a container that you will take home afterward, you are helping the Temple limit what ends up in our landfills. If you can go the extra step and bring your own eating dishes and cutlery, that’s even better!

Breathe easy

If you are like me, you have a few people in your close circle who have food allergies. The reality is that the number of people who have them is growing. Because of this, it is a good idea to label your dishes and list the ingredients. At our rituals, we have labels available for you if you forget. I personally also try to avoid the big ones like shellfish and nuts when I plan my dish.  Labeling also helps our friends who have removed items from their diets such as meat, soy,  gluten, or dairy for health, ethical, or other reasons.

Now don’t panic. I can tell you from personal experience that anyone who hosts a potluck is grateful for whatever your contribution is. Please don’t let this list cause you any stress or prevent you from bringing a dish to your next potluck. These are just some things to consider while planning for your next event.

Again thank you all so much for your contributions.

Samhain Blessings,
Ryan

Ryan is an ordained Minister, Seminary Graduate of the Temple of Witchcraft & Deputy Minister of the Cancer Ministry. Ryan is passionate about Kitchen Witchery, the creatures of the Green World, working with Plant Spirits & making magick in daily life. Crafting herbal infusions, candles, and sacred tools, Ryan is co-creator of Drops of Three. You may visit his website at www.dropsofthree.storenvy.com.

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Stevie Grant, a high priestess and ordained minister of the Temple of Witchcraft, is Dean of Students of its Mystery School and Seminary. Also a high priestess in another tradition, she brings knowledge from her career in psychology and many years of experience as a teacher of the psychic and metaphysical, a healer, spiritual counselor, and Reiki master to her work with the Temple. A retired university professor and clinical psychologist, Stevie was active for many years in the academic subfields of hypnosis, past-life therapy, and women’s studies. Stevie lives in the southeastern part of Washington state, and to balance her role as Dean, enjoys meditating in her garden where she and her husband grow herbs and exotic hard-shelled gourds that they transform into magically-inspired art. [continue reading…]

The Ritual Series, sponsored by Myths and Maidens and The Temple of Witchcraft, provides opportunities for all people regardless of faith to explore their spirituality and to encourage ecumenical collaboration with other spiritual groups. There is no cost to attend, but voluntary donations are welcomed to help defray the costs of preparing and performing the rituals.

High Priestess Aurielle Nazro has performed rituals at Myths and Maidens since 2007 with the assistance of the Ritual Team. Rev. Aurielle is Deputy Minister of the Pisces Ministry of the Temple of Witchcraft, initiated in the Temple Tradition by Christopher Penczak, and an Ordained Minister in the Universal Life Church. Aurielle, a chemistry teacher at a local high school, has served on the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahai Faith of Nashua, on the Board of Nashua Area Interfaith Council and the Board of Uncannunuc CUUPS of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester. She has followed the Mystic’s Path all of her life and her Ministry is to help others experience the Call of the Divine Spirit.

To help make the events inclusive, members of the Ritual Team change for each ritual to include different people in the community and encourage participation of various local spiritual groups. To receive information and updates on the Rituals and other events, please visit Aurielle’s Ritual Series on Facebook or see the Temple’s online events calendar.

Merry meet! I’m a Witchcraft V graduate of the online mystery school, one of the Temple’s Southernmost members (I currently live in the Lowcountry of Georgia, along the Atlantic coast near Savannah). In my nine-to-five, I’m a mystery writer (my fifth book was released in March) and I also serve as co-editor of The Temple Bell, along with the astute and talented Raye Snover. When I’m not making words out of thin air, I enjoy playing golf and eating sushi and reading tarot for myself and others (you can read about that work at my tarot blog, which focuses on using the tarot as a creative tool, especially for writers). I’m also a non-fiction writer, currently working on a book of collected essays exploring the Major Arcana of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck as a series of pilgrimages.

My religious path began in a white clapboard Primitive Baptist church in rural Georgia, where I learned the concept of unconditional divine love. I also learned how to be a heretic, although my mother recoils at that notion. Eventually the restrictions of that faith set me looking in new directions, leading me eventually to the local Unitarian Universalist fellowship, where I got the first inkling that I might be a Pagan. The UUs were cool with that.

I’m also a former academic, so my first impulse at this point was to do a lot of reading. One of the books I picked up was Christopher Penczak’s Inner Temple of Witchcraft. My intellect was impressed with the impeccable research, but it was my heart that kept me reading. I felt as if I were coming home, a phrase I hear often from other Temple members. The teachings were more than information; they were a framework for me to explore my own talents and strengths, to ask the questions that would help me understand my beliefs and create a sustainable practice. And that was just in the first book!

I signed up for the Witchcraft I weekend intensive taught by Christopher, and I was happy to find the materials from the book deepened and intensified as we worked one-on-one with each other and with him. I applied for the Mystery School the second I got home, which has turned out to be one of the most profoundly rewarding decisions of my life.

Another thing I’ve often heard Temple members say is, “After a while you stop doing magick and start being magick.” That’s the process I’m in right now, dissolving that separation between the mundane and the magickal and realizing that everything I do is sacred. For me, ritual – whether solitary or with others, whether improvised while cooking dinner or organized for a sabbat – is simply a way of bringing my full attention to that understanding.

It’s an understanding I’ll be bringing with me to UU Womenspirit (a women’s group organized through the Unitarian Universalist church that explores the divine feminine). They have invited me to be on the planning committee for their fall retreat, which means I’ll be in charge of designing and leading worship for the six circles offered during the five-day gathering. And since the worship leaders get to choose the “flavor” of the circles, my co-leader and I are creating something very witchy.

After that, I don’t know! And for a very Virgo Virgo like me, not knowing is the greatest adventure of all. As soon as my travel schedule opens up again, I want to attend Templefest and participate in some of the retreats offered through the Temple. And I want to keep connecting with new members of the Temple – I am excited to see so many talented and lovely witches coming together under our beautiful umbrella.

Jameson is a High Priest of the Temple of Witchcraft.

After taking a deep interest in religion and spirituality from an early age, Jameson began to explore witchcraft and divination in his teen-hood. After completing Witchcraft I and II as a solitary practitioner, he began Witchcraft III with the Temple in 2011, and was ordained in 2016. After several years in San Diego, Jameson now lives in Maine.

Contact: [email protected]

High Priestess in the Temple of Witchcraft. I work with the Scorpio Ministry for crossing over, end of life issues and ancestor work.

Astrologer and Tarot card reader with 30 years experience. I offer Natal Charts, Event Charts, Transits, Synastry, Business consulting, life coaching, career counseling, divinations and time forecasting. I like to do readings with both the natal chart and Tarot cards for the most accurate predictions and outcome.  I also teach astrology and the tarot.

I am a fiber/textile artist, and my medium is quilting. I accept commissions, and can work from either your ideas or my own.  I specialize in wall hangings, but also do bed quilts.  My specialty is an “art quilt” made from original designs or patterns; I like to mount the finished pieces on a canvas, and hang them on the wall like a fine art painting.

Contact: [email protected]

Nicole D. is a 2003 graduate of the Mystery School and a member of the Temple community since its inception. Raised in a fairly progressive household, Nicole began her spiritual shift away from the Catholicism of her youth in her early 20s, starting with a correspondence course in Wicca. (This was in the infancy of the Internet and before beginner witchcraft books were so easily found in your local Barnes & Noble.) During this year-long course, Nicole read assigned books about magic and the history of the craft, learned elementary Tarot, and studied Buddhism as a class assignment. She wrote in her journal at the time: “Wicca is such a realistic religion – God is in nature, what you do comes back to you in one form or another, heaven is here on earth, everything that happens is natural.”

After five years of solitary practice and learning by doing, Nicole saw a flyer in a New Age store in central New Hampshire advertising a class with Christopher Penczak. Excited to finally find a local pagan community, she began to attend a variety of workshops and public Wiccan rituals, and eventually enrolled in Witchcraft I. Nicole self-initiated as a witch at the conclusion of this course and continued on through Witchcraft V, meeting the members of her first two covens among her classmates.

Nicole’s witchcraft practice is now a combination of solitary and group work, typically marking the Sabbats by attending the public Temple rituals. She is a Reiki master and High Priestess, and, although she has studied Witchcraft at many levels, she resonates most with the simplest forms of magick and spell work: candles, chants, and working with stones and minerals. Over the last few years she has also informally studied Buddhism and just this year re-dedicated her daily meditation practice using a combination of Buddhist and Wiccan styles. Nicole served as the Temple’s Libra lead minister for many years.

Nicole strives to embody the qualities of balance, insight, and diplomacy in her life using the spiritual tools of Witchcraft.

Krista is available for services that require a vocalist. Mirroring inclusiveness found in pluralism, Krista’s approach allows an affirming space for a multitude of beliefs. Krista’s ministerial experience is shared over various faith traditions: as high priestess in Pagan ritual, as youth director (grades 9-12) for a Unitarian Universalist church and interim music minister in a Southern Baptist church.

Krista is a classically trained lyric MezzoSoprano, and is able to be a vocalist for sabbat/esbat ritual as well as for transition rituals such as weddings and funerals. To honor blended families, Krista is able to sing standard hymns of the Pagan and Christian faith traditions, as well as learn songs of other faith traditions when requested. Krista is also able to lead in circle chanting or congregational singing as desired in the particular ritual or service.

If a celebrant is needed for the full ritual or service, Krista is also able to lead sabbats and esbats. Her approach is usually eclectic and adaptive to the community being supported in circle.

Krista is local eastern Massachusetts, and is willing to travel to Southern New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Fees are dependent on the service(s) performed and travel required. Signed agreement is expected for certain services such as weddings.

Contact: [email protected]