Month: March 2020

Stay connected with Frederick CUUPS: Robust online gathering schedule announced

On By ireneglasseIn Events, FCUUPS, Pagan, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Good afternoon my friends,

The Frederick Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (Frederick CUUPS or FCUUPS) is based in Frederick, Maryland.  As our fellow Maryland residents are already well aware, the need for physical distancing between people has brought our state to a standstill.  As of a couple hours ago, all nonessential businesses in the state are closing.  Other than a handful of first responder and vital service workers, many if not most of us are at home.

This situation is challenging, scary and unpredictable, but we do not need to walk through this upheaval alone.   If you have an internet connection, or even just a phone, you can stay connected to community.

The board of Frederick CUUPS is offering a dense programming schedule for the remainder of the month of March and the entire month of April.  We are offering a minimum of one online group gathering each week and weekend.  All online gatherings welcome donations but do not require them.  What we most wish is to keep each other connected, safe, sane and loved during this time.  Please feel free to attend any or all of our offerings whether you can make a donation or not.

We are using two primary platforms for online offerings – Zoom videoconferencing and Facebook livestreaming.  Below is a list of our upcoming activities (which may expand further).  All our offerings are open to everyone, not just members of the Frederick CUUPS community.

 

Weekly Recurring Events:

A Cup of Tea with Heliotrope. Mondays at 2 pm. Unstructured social time/discussion.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1279289122275085/

Yoga for Advancing Beginners with Irene, Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 am.
https://www.facebook.com/events/642814586544511/

Wednesday Night Book Club with TJ, Wednesdays at 7 pm.  The first book is Margot Adler’s ‘Drawing Down the Moon.’  TJ will read a section then facilitate a discussion/reflection period.
https://www.facebook.com/events/519665045646102/

Blackfeather Mystery School the first and third Thursday of the month at 7 pm.  Intermediate magickal training, drop-ins welcome.  Supplementary journey circle the second Thursday of the month at 7 pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2489709291285411/

 

Single Date Events:

Friday, March 27th, 7 pm: Legends Lodge Tavern. Open mic myth and story sharing.
https://www.facebook.com/events/626154151266838/

Friday, April 3rd, 7 pm: Stitch-n-Witch. Unstructured crafting gathering.
https://www.facebook.com/events/257453228610783/

Saturday, April 4th, 1 pm: Forging the Shield Workshop.   Advanced metaphysical/energetic shielding techniques with Jake.
https://www.facebook.com/events/205499274094725/

Tuesday, April 7th, 7:30 pm: Intention Setting Full Moon Ritual with Irene.
https://www.facebook.com/events/564285307520727/

Sunday, April 12th, 12 pm: Earth Centered Spirituality Service with Raven
https://www.facebook.com/events/494569037801126/

Wednesday, April 15th, 7 pm: Introduction to Tarot Journaling with Heather.  Improve your connection to your divinatory system.
https://www.facebook.com/events/3149927391692924/

Saturday, April 18th, 1 pm: Introduction to Heathenry with the Gothi of Elk Ridge Kindred, Chris Kackley.
https://www.facebook.com/events/215040559566044/

Wednesday, April 22nd, 7 pm: An Earth Day offering with Lora Powell-Haney.  Details coming soon.

Saturday, April 25th, 1 pm: Ogham: The Divination of the Celts with Tamara.  An introduction to the divination system of the ancient Celtic tree language.
https://www.facebook.com/events/198765488235999/

We will continue to expand our offerings to help everyone stay supported and connected at this time.  If you are interested in helping by offering a workshop, class, ceremony or facilitated/hosted gathering, I would love to hear from you.  We’d like to support fiber arts groups, study groups, even just wine-and-conversation groups.  We just need people willing to lead and organize them. If that’s you, please drop us a line.

We will get through this, my friends.  Remember, we are the descendants of the ones who survived.  Our Ancestors walk with us, our beautiful green earth holds us, and our strength as a diverse, inclusive community was meant for times like these.  Our blood is strong, and so are we. See you soon.

With great love,

Irene Glasse
FCUUPS Acting President

 

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Online-Only Ostara Ritual Tonight

On By ireneglasseIn Holidays, Pagan, ritualsLeave a comment

Join Frederick CUUPS for an online-only streaming Ostara Ritual! We will be focusing on drawing the blessing of Springtime into our hearths and homes.

For the ritual, please have ready:

A small bowl of water
Candles and a lighter or matches (if desired/possible)

This ritual will include a Pathworking (guided meditation). If you find that food helps you ground, you might consider having snacks nearby for after the ritual.

We will be using Zoom, a video conferencing platform, to celebrate together. If you do not have stable internet connectivity in your area, using the call-in function for audio only can be more accessible.

If you have not used Zoom before, you should watch:

1-minute “Introduction to Zoom”
https://youtu.be/vFhAEoCF7jg

8-minute “Zoom Demonstration”.
https://vimeo.com/397678793

Here is the Zoom link for our Ostara Ritual:

https://uuma.zoom.us/j/761854533

Meeting ID: 761 854 533

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Meeting ID: 761 854 533
Find your local number: https://uuma.zoom.us/u/abxl4iMbMP

Offerings till 4/1 Moving to Virtual Gatherings

On By ireneglasseIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

In response to the Coronavirus, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is advising UU congregations to cancel gatherings of 25 people or larger. The UUA is also encouraging us to make cancellations sooner rather than later to avoid a rapid spread of this disease.

Therefore, there will be no in-person Frederick CUUPS offerings now through April 1st.  We will reevaluate at that time to see what the best path forward is. We are closely observing the evolving information regarding the Coronavirus and will continue to make plans to support the safety of our community.

Our upcoming gatherings and classes will be moving to an online platform.  We will be using Zoom, YouTube and our Facebook page as outlets for live-streaming and virtual gatherings. Links will be posted on all our media and event listings prior to each event.

We are grateful for your patience with us as we learn new ways to connect, deepen and come together in this changing environment. As a community service organization, our compassion for and connection to each other is at the heart of everything Frederick CUUPS does.  Please stay in touch and help take care of each other.  If you have not joined our closed Facebook group, here’s a link to request to be added.  Let’s continue to check in, share and extend grace and compassion to each other and our wider community during this time.  Together, we can overcome anything.

May you be well,

Irene Glasse
Frederick CUUPS Acting President

 

 

Frederick CUUPS Ostara Ritual

On By ireneglasseIn Events, FCUUPS, Holidays, Pagan, ritualsLeave a comment

Blessed Ostara!

Join Frederick CUUPS for an open, family-friendly Ostara Ritual on Saturday, March 21st, at 7:45 PM! On the first day of Spring, when day and night are balanced, Pagans honor that balance and seek it within while rejoicing in the stirrings of life in Nature.

A snack/dessert potluck will follow the ritual. Please clearly label any contributions with the ingredients used so that people with food sensitivities and dietary restrictions can make safe choices for themselves.

Our theme this year is planting. Before the ritual, think about what you would like to begin this spring. You are welcome to put intention into and decorate a biodegradable seed cup before ritual and bring it along, or decorate one of the ones we will provide. We will also have seeds and dirt available, but you’re welcome to take your seed cup back home with you and plant whatever you would like in it. If you have a black thumb or do you not have the option of tending a plant wherever you live, you can simply plant the container as your “seed.”

You can learn the chants we will be using in the video below.

Health and Safety note from Frederick CUUPS

It is currently cold and flu season and as you know, there’s a new virus running amuck on the world stage. It’s always good to practice safe hygiene – this is an opportunity to cultivate good habits on that front.

Frederick CUUPS events are open to all and take place at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick. The UUCF shelters a robust, diverse community of all ages. As a result, it’s good to remember that the spaces we are using and events we offer are shared by many people. At this time, please err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting our beloved community. If you are feeling unwell, please do not ‘push through’ in order to attend an event. It’s better to miss an activity than run the risk of getting other people sick.

When you arrive, if you have not recently washed your hands, please do so. There are also hand sanitizer dispensers mounted throughout the building. Please feel free to use them. Try not to touch your face and cough into your elbow rather than into your hands if you need to cough.

We have historically been an affectionate community and hugs are a common form of greeting for us. However, I would like to encourage some different expressions of affection. Elbow bumps are becoming popular and I have long felt that the art of bowing is sadly underrepresented in our culture. If you do want to hug someone, please get consent first (this should be standard practice anyway). Remember that it’s impossible to tell by looking if a person is immunocompromised.

At this time, we do not have any plans to scale back or cancel any Frederick CUUPS events. However, we will continue to monitor the evolving news regarding coronavirus and adjust our offerings to best support the health and safety of our community.

May you be well, always.