Blog Archives

"Come, Come, Whoever You Are"

4/28/2015

Come, come, whoever you are,
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow a thousand times
Come, yet again, come, come.

Happy Earth Day, everyone! One year ago TAPA facilitated our very first public ritual over at the Festival of Legends in Chapel Hill. This past Sunday we were so pleased to return to the same venue with an updated ritual and a whole year’s worth of ritual experience beneath our belts. Despite being wet and SO COLD we had a great time. A lovely group of people joined us – family and friends, old and new. We prayed, gave offerings, and danced together, offering our voices and intentions in a lovely ritual devoted to our Mother Earth.

Our friend helped us with dancing and drumming, teaching us the sacred circle dance “Caravan”, which is inspired by the Sufi mystic and poet, Rumi. “Even if you have broken your vow, yes, even TEN thousand times, you are welcome here,” she said as we gathered in a tight circle, freezing against the cold but still excited for the ritual and festival. She reminded us to keep these words in our hearts as we offered our intentions to the Earth. We may have the best intentions for this Earth Day season, but sometimes our vows may be hard to keep (less waste, buying local, recycling more, reducing spending, planting a garden…) Even if we don’t follow through with our Earth Day intentions, it doesn’t matter. We can always return to our vows, yet again and again.

Like the mystical Sufis, Neo-Paganism welcomes the wanderers and the worshipers. We are not in a caravan of despair, but together in one of community, love, and fellowship. We support one another as we return to our vows and our intentions, and we are thankful for the blessings we receive in this caravan of support and encouragement.

Many, unending thanks to those who came out to our ritual, and a huge THANK YOU to the kind folks over at the Festival of Legends. It’s a fabulous event, and we’re so proud to have been part of it. Thanks to the steerage committee members of TAPA, and thanks to our friend who helped us with dancing and drumming – you’re a true gift.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

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Join TAPA at the Festival of Legends!

4/25/2015

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TAPA Earth Day Ritual, 2014

The weekend is here! Spring has sprung! Beltane is a week away! This is a favorite time of year for many, and it’s no wonder why. There are so many beautiful things to look at, so many fun things to enjoy!

One event we at TAPA have come to look forward to every year is the Festival of Legends. Is it a Renaissance Fair? A steampunk party? A costume ball? The Festival of Legends is all of the above, and more! Their website says: “The Festival of Legends is a celebration of the mythic arts and the magic of life itself. It is a playground for the imagination – for children as well as adults – and an escape from the mundane world. It is a journey to the romantic by-gone eras that never were, and an exploration of the fantastical realms that have always been. The natives are magicians and musicians, acrobats and comedians, artists and crafters, proud knights and fairytale creatures. Step into the Festival of Legends, and step into a place of wonder.”

We’ve attended the Festival of Legends a few times over the years, and knew right away that this was a Triangle community event we wanted to support in as many ways as we could. We’re so thankful that they’ve accepted us back for a second year, and we’re looking forward to gathering at The Elysium Field to meet with community and to honor the earth.

TAPA tries very hard to not schedule events that other groups are already offering. One of the reasons we don’t host high day or full moon rituals is because we don’t want to compete with local groups – we want to support them! But we still enjoy hosting and facilitating events and gatherings, trying hard to bring the Pagan community something a little bit different, something they can’t get anywhere else. In the past we’ve brought 4th of July rituals and Spirits of Place workshops, and later on this year we’ll introduce you to our friend Shawn Shadow, we’ll learn about The Queen of Herbs, and maybe we’ll enjoy a few rituals along the way, too.

Aside from supporting community in many ways such as connecting people to groups, connecting groups to people, and listing Triangle Pagan events in one handy-dandy place, TAPA likes to expand its vision to include many types of community, including our global, Earthly community. We love our Mother Earth and try to be environmentally sustainable and supportive in as many ways as we can. This is a task we work on every day and we’re continually trying to improve upon! We recently made the decision to invest in some reusable cups, plates, and utensils, but we can help the Earth magically, too. We designed our ritual as a way to not only honor the earth with our prayers and offerings, but to invite each person to ask themselves what intention they can set in regards to Earth Day. Last year Heather from the Steerage Committee wrote and shared a lovely Earth Day meditation, and this year we continue that spirit of asking ourselves “what is my hope, dream, and wish for myself and for the Earth, and what can I do to make that hope, dream, and wish come true?” And in the sacredness of our Earth Day ritual, surrounded by community, celebrate and joy, we will plant our seeds of intention, nurturing those prayers with drums, dancing, and song.

Not only will this be a great ritual, but the Festival of Legends is a spectacular event, too. We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow, Sunday April 26 at 1030am at the Festival of Legends. The ritual of course is free, but the Festival of Legends is not. Check out their website for ticketing prices, and prepare yourself for food, games, vendors, music, dancing, entertainment, people watching, and fun!

See you tomorrow, everyone, and happy Earth Day!

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The Sanctuary Moves to Thaumaturgy 777!

4/17/2015

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Not too long ago we made the official announcement that the Triangle Area Pagan Alliance was given the gift of having use of an office space in a townhome office complex in Durham. The Sanctuary was part of a great collective of artists, writers, translators, yoga teachers, and awesome, talented and friendly people. We called our space The Sanctuary because we wanted to provide a safe and comfortable gathering place for the community. We used The Sanctuary for rituals, meetings, workshops, and study groups. What started as an empty room soon grew, with a community altar filling with statuary and candles and a bookshelf filling with donated books. Comfortable floor cushions, comfortable lighting, and other little details soon made The Sanctuary TAPA’s home. We loved our little Sanctuary at Shared Spaces, but we are pleased to announce that we will be moving to a larger space, one that we feel will serve the Pagan community in improved and better ways.

It is with great excitement that we officially announce that The Sanctuary will be moving to Thaumaturgy 777! We’ve partnered with Magus and Thaumaturgy 777many times over the past few years. Way back at Pagan Pride Day in 2012, we went from booth to booth, introducing ourselves and handing out fliers. Magus was immediately excited and supportive of our ideas, and that next February we gathered at his space to meet and greet the community. Since then, we have been proud to host monthly events at TThaumaturgy 777. Meeting in a public Pagan space has allowed us to grow and expand, to make friends, to acquire supplies, and to connect with the Triangle Pagan community in ways we never imagined.

As of April 12, 2015, all events hosted at The Sanctuary will be hosted in the TAPA space at Thaumaturgy 777. In the next few months we have rituals, guest speakers, and hands-on workshops planned for the space, and we’re really excited to have such a great, friendly place to gather in. We’d like to offer many thanks to Magus at Thaumaturgy 777 and many thanks to you, our community, who keep on supporting us in our endeavors. Be sure to check out the Events page on our website for Sanctuary events and for other Triangle Pagan events. And please be sure to check out Thaumaturgy 777, where exciting things are always happening!

Check out Thauamturgy and TAPA events! http://www.thaumaturgy777.com/calendar.htm

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Come Join Bull Moon Hearth at the Pagan Ethics Salon!

4/5/2015

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from https://www.etsy.com/listing/128993214/durham-bull-statue-downtown-durham-north

Along every religious or spiritual path you inevitably come across the discussion of ethics. Until recently, this has not been a huge discussion within the general Pagan Community. Instead, small groups of dedicated covens, kindreds, or circles of friends have taken it upon themselves to engage this part of the path, while the general public focused on the how-to parts of our path.

However, TAPA is now bringing the ethical discussion out into the open for everyone to participate in. Come join the symposium, deepen your connection to the Old Ways, and make new friends.

The Pagan Ethics Salon will happen every second Saturday of the month at the TAPA Sanctuary. The first text which we will be discussing is the Norse Hávamál. Unlike other reading/discussion groups, this one does not require you to do any reading outside of the meeting to be on the same page as everyone else there. We will be reading the text as part of the get-together, and then we will discuss it together.

Please bring a pot luck dish to share. If you RSVP, post your intended contribution in the comments below. Discussion is always better with food. Don't you think?

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