KW Pagan Temple

Recently, one of my infinite Gucci sneakers-fan friends has come up to me and told me a story he experienced the day before.
Well it really attracted my attention during the whole story and that’s why I want to share it with you guys. Without further ado, here it goes:
“As a traditional practice, we the Turkish people usually leave our “gucci sneakers” behind the entrance door of our houses.

That’s being said, it means we usually do not enter to our homes with footwears put on. Unfortunately, my mate had done this at the day of the incident, too. Having lunch at that time, my friend wasn’t aware of the two gypsies wandering inside the apartment building, maybe for begging some food or money from the residents.
To their surprise, they should have seen the pair of yummy Gucci sneakers, which belonged to my friend and had cost him 550 bucks not long ago. Probably knowing these facts, they stole the beauties.

After the lunch, no sooner realizing the absence of his sneakers, than my friend cries in pain. They sent for police and explain the details about the Gucci men shoes which my friend owned. In the mean time, the gypsies rushing towards their houses, start off an argument about whom to wear the shoes first, or whom they would belong to. The argument goes harsh and they keep on fighting with each other on the street, while the stolen goods were smiling them somewhere near the street. Soon after the patrols come and arrest these gypsies as they were informed about some valuable sneakers being stolen just a few hours ago.”

My friend, then, meets with his stuff and never leaves them anywhere further away than 2 meters =).

The spiral in our group’s symbol is greatly representative of who we are – as it is a timeless universal patter of creation, growth and evolution. Spiral patterns appear over and over again in the natural work (snail shells to the milky way). The living spiral does not end or begin – it is an ongoing process of discovery, community and the essence that connects all things.

Our group is an open Pan-Pagan Organization located in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada who is devoted to serving its Members, as well as the public in and around the region. We are always accepting new Members, Volunteers, and Workshop applications. We are made up of people of all ages and from various paths – solitary or in groups. The temple is run by its Members, for its Members, and our focus is on participation, celebration, education and community. We offer Open Circles, Workshops, Mens/Womens groups, as well as a variety of other events for Members and Guests to participate in. We encourage member involvement, and our Members may not only attend and participate in our events, but help plan and implement them.

Welcome to our new site. We suggest you take some time to browse through the menu to learn more about who and what the K-W Pagan Temple is as there is a plethora of information available here. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments or concerns.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Pagan Temple (KWPT) is devoted to fostering a strong and stable Pan-Pagan community within this region. Our main objective is to create a safe, comfortable environment where our members can learn, teach, participate and explore their own spiritual paths as they wish. We strive to help strengthen the local K-W Pagan community, as well as to network with Pagans and Groups of similar interests in provincial, national and global forums.

The KWPT defines itself as a Pan-Pagan organization, devoted to this area’s Pagan Community. We are a loosely knit group of Pagans from a variety of paths who have come together in order to fill a need expressed by others within the community. Our founding members have all been involved in the K-W Pagan Association to some degree and have participated in, or helped facilitate the social and networking atmosphere surrouding it. We are comprised of all ages, paths, backgrounds, and personalities.

What do we mean by Pan-Pagan?

We refer to Pan-Pagan as encompassing all self-declared or established Pagan Paths.

How do we work?

Our group is open to anyone to join, no restrictions based on sex, age, religious background, beliefs, or lifestyle. We operate on a Membership Participation basis – that is – what we do and how we do it is directed by the needs, wants and skills of the Membership of the Temple .

What do we do?

We offer a number of events to Members, as well as to the general public. Primarily we offer Open Circles, Workshops, Temple Update Meetings, Mens/Womens groups, Potlucks and Social Events. What we offer in the future will be determined by what Members in our group have to offer one another. Please see our Goals for what we plan to do in the near and far future!

Why a KWPT?

Our founding members took inspiration from the London Pagan Temple, and with their blessing, headed out to forge our own Pagan Temple in this region in April of 2004. Both Pagan Temples are completely autonomous, and KWPT is an independent group. We are thankful for the mentoring and lessons we have received along the way, and continue to learn as we grow. We are designing the KWPT based on the needs of the Members and of the local Pagan Community. We felt that the KWPT would be an excellent method to bringing more emphasis on the spiritual side to the Pagan Lifestyle in the area.

When do we meet?

We meet at least once a month for an Workshop (open to the public), to be followed by a members-only Temple Update Meeting. We also meet for our Mens/Womens group once a month (also members only). We also meet for each Sabbat, eight times per year, for an Open Circle and Potluck. Please see out Events Section for more details, and for other events!!

Where do we gather?

At this time the Temple does not own it’s own space. We will meet at the Waterloo Unitarian Congregation unless otherwise stated. They have been generous in renting us space for our rituals and workshops, which we pay for through membership dues and guest fees. We also plan to hold outdoor events throughout the summer months.

We respect all persons, their privacy, and personal beliefs.

We respect all personal boundaries – physical, emotional, and spiritual. The Temple endeavours to create sacred space where all in attendance will feel comfortable. All Temple Members and Guests have the right to voice their concerns and discomfort and to ask offending parties to desist. Concerns should also be related to the Event Greeter or written on a feedback form.

It is up to each individual to choose when and with whom they share their religious affiliation and/or spiritual beliefs. To this end, members and guests are asked to never “out” anyone in the community. The Temple also disapproves of all forms of proselytizing and the defaming of any religion.

Individuals can only speak from their own perspective. They do not represent other Pagans or the Temple . Anyone speaking on behalf of the Temple may only do so with the consent of the Membership.

For the sake of people with allergies, please do not wear perfumes or scented products to events (natural oils are acceptable). Please mark all potential food allergies in a potluck dish. No pets permitted (except service animals).

Children of Members and Guests are welcome unless otherwise stated on the event announcement, but remain the responsibility of parents. For the safety and comfort of all in attendance, no running or horseplay will be tolerated and children are expected to respect circle etiquette. There is space for a children’s play area in the basement if parents step forward to volunteer to supervise this space.

We respect the commodity of time.

Temple events start at the time posted. Doors open approximately 30 minutes before an event. Attendees are asked to arrive during that half-hour period. Early arrivals disrupt event preparations; late arrivals disrupt the event and will find the doors locked once an event has begun (unless otherwise noted).

We respect the planet.

We ask that all members and guests bring reusable dishes to potluck events. We also have access to recycling and composting bins that we expect attendees to use. If the bins are not visible, please ask the Greeter or place items at one end of the table.

We also respect the space that we rent and endeavour to leave it cleaner than we found it. Please clean up any mess you create.

We respect all civil laws.

No drugs or weapons are permitted at events. Alcohol is prohibited unless otherwise specified.

The Temple is committed to providing both Members and the public with Open Circles celebrating the eight “common” Pagan Sabbats of the year. The circles are designed by Temple Members, who are empowered and encouraged to write, perform, set/clean up and participate in the rituals. Our Goals are to provide Pan-Pagan rituals for the community and our Members, to celebrate and represent as many different Pagan paths as we can, and to encourage creativity and diversity in ritual preparation. See the Gallery for some of the Open Circle we have offered in the past.

Members will not have to pay for the open circles as it is covered in their membership fees. Non members and Guests will be expect to pay $5.00 per open circle to help us pay the rent for the facilities we use and cover the cost of supplies. We also need to leave the space looking as clean as it did when we got there, and as a result are always looking for volunteers to help clean after each event. We need to ensure we respect their space if we wish to continue using it.

We ask people not wear their shoes in circle for a variety of reasons – it can be uncomfortable to those barefoot people who may get stepped on, and we would like to keep dirty outside footwear from the congregation room. Please feel free to bring soft-soled shoes or socks if you are uncomfortable being barefoot during circle. Also, essential oils instead of perfumes are always appreciated for those with environmental allergies.

About our Open Circles:

The Open Circles offered by the Temple community have an eclectic Pan-Pagan feel to them. This is because the rituals we provide attempt to encompass a variety of traditions and paths. Each Circle will be unique and run by different Temple Members.

Each format of Open Circles is as follows:

Gather at 7:00 PM, get ready/changed, short social time
Doors Lock at 7:30 PM
Ritual begins
Celebration, social time
Clean up

Please note that we will have the doors open from 7:00 until 7:30pm only. At 7:30pm sharp we will be locking the doors for privacy and going into ritual. There is NO Pagan Standard Time. Out of respect for the ritual organizers and attendees, we not leave the ritual to open doors for people who have arrived late. Similarly, we do not open the doors before 7:00pm out of respect for the ritual organizers who are setting up for the evening’s ritual.

Open Circles are advertised on our calendar and through the KW Pagans e-list (as well as the Members e-list).

Who can attend?

Any Temple member in good-standing (free)
Non-Temple member or Guest ($5)
Any Pagan or Non-Pagan
Persons under the age of 18 are allowed with Parental/Guardian accompaniment or written permission only.
Please ensure that you have read and understand the rules and regulations .

What to Bring:

Yourself, friends, children and family
Ritual Robes, special items to have with you for circle
Comfortable soft-soled footwear (or barefoot if you wish)
An open mind, open heart, and community spirit!
$5 contribution for rental & supply costs for Non-Members and Guests

What not to Bring:

Athames and other blades
Pets (with exception of animals to help with disabilities)
Alcohol, drugs, firearms, etc

Permanent (Annual) Roles

1) Treasurer and a second Signing Officer

Criteria:

• Member in good standing for a period of one year prior to term.
• Able to balance finances and prepare monthly financial reports.
• Must attend most meetings.
• Due to legalities, must be of legal adult age.
• Responsible for paying rent for all events.

Selection Process:

Shortly after Yule there will be a call for volunteers for positions of treasurer and signing officer. At Imbolc, a private pole will be posted online to choose treasurer and second signing officer. Chosen persons will begin work at Ostara (new membership year).

Treasurer and signing officer to be chosen or confirmed yearly.

2) Records Keeper

The Record Keeper holds all Temple documents in trust. These include membership forms, copies of meetings minutes, blank forms, feedback forms, and so forth. The Record Keeper is the only member with access to membership forms.

Criteria:

The Record Keeper must be a member in good standing for a period of one year prior to taking up this role and must attend most meetings
.
Selection Process:

The Record Keeper is chosen from among the regular attendees of the general membership meetings and serves for as long as he/she volunteers or until the membership selects a new Record Keeper.

Rotating (Event-Specific) Roles

1) Event Greeter

The Event Greeter is responsible for welcoming guests and maintaining a congenial atmosphere at events wherein all in attendance are comfortable and the Temple Statement of Principles is respected.The Greeter will wear a ribbon signifying their role.

The two ‘roles’ for the Greeter include:

a) Greeting people at the door and makes pre-ritual announcements if requested.
b) Acting as “warden” when necessary (being always aware of what is going on during event in case of breaches in rules). Notably, if another person notices a breach of the Statement of Principles, they are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the Greeter.

The Greeter is a rotating volunteer position for each event. The Greeter role is open to all Members; all are encouraged to volunteer for this role.

The Greeter’s role as rule-enforcer is expected to be minimum as all Members are expected to know and respect the KW Pagan Temple Statement of Principles. If the Greeter is uncertain how to address a problematic situation, she/he should speak with other event planners.

2) Members Meeting Minute Taker

Responsibilities:

a) Gather and prepare the agenda for the upcoming meeting.
b) A draft of the agenda should be completed at least one week in advance of the meeting (i.e. 7th of the month) and sent out to Members for further additions to be made.
c) The final agenda should be sent to membership two days before meeting.
d) Take minutes at meeting and e-mail them to membership list as well as post them in the Yahoo! Group files.
e) If not chosen at the end of the meeting, send out a request for volunteers for the next meeting.

3) Members Meeting Chair Person

Responsibilities:

a) Open and close the meeting.
b) Keep meeting on track (with regard to time and focus on agenda items)
c) Has the ability to call an end to debate/discussion, to hold the debate until the end of meeting, or to move the debate to online forum
d) Provide space for all members to be heard and voice their opinion respectfully
e) Stop discussion if it is getting too heated or out of control – particularly if there are personal attacks
f) Collect and read the opinions/comments of members who are unable to make it to the meeting.
g) Give reports on behalf of Members not in attendance. (Such as treasurer’s reports).

In regards to the question of whether or not the Chair should be able to express his/her opinion at meetings and during debate, the decision has been made that, as a fellow Temple Member, the Chair should be allowed to briefly state his/her opinion on a topic, provided that she/he also observes the above described responsibilities of providing space for all members to be heard and respected.

In the event that a Chair is not upholding his/her responsibilities, another Member should remind him/her of these responsibilities.

Additional Notes regarding Minute Taker and Chair:

If more than one person volunteers to take Minutes or Chair the next meeting, it should be decided among those persons who will take the responsibility and who will volunteer for a following month.

At least one position of either Chair or Minute Taker should be selected before the end of a meeting to ensure that there is someone responsible for the next meeting. This person will temporarily take on the responsibilities of both positions of preparing the agenda and gathering input from members until a second volunteer is found. It is in the best interest of the first volunteer to help locate someone to act as Chair/Minute Taker as soon as possible.

Either the Chair or Minute Taker for the next meeting will create an open online pole on the Members e-group so that Members can indicate whether or not they will be attending the meeting. A “vote” can be changed until the poll closes (after the meeting) and Members are encouraged to “vote” as soon as they know their availability.

4) Ritual Planning Volunteers

The planning of Sabbat rituals is conducted by volunteer Members of the Temple who meet twice or more prior to the ritual. Through a collective effort, volunteers choose a theme/focus for the ritual, write ritual scripts, and/or perform during the ritual.

Additional Volunteer Roles

At any time a Member may step forward to take responsibility for one of multiple volunteer roles. These may include coordinating a specific committee, event, or activity. Suggestions should be raised at Members Meetings.