President's  Message
The
God Moons ~ The Energy of Trees
This summer,
we experience both a solar and a lunar eclipse in unique mythic positions.
The total Solar Eclipse took place on July 21/22, the Dark Moon of Holly
in the Celtic Tree Calendar as propounded by Robert Graves. The Lunar Eclipse
took place on August 5/6, the Full of Holly. These occurences, as well
as some rather unusual GA Programming, some amazing votes on issues of
vital interest to Pagan UUs, a new and promising face in the President's
Chair of the UUA, and renewed interest on the part of CUUPSters in creating
programming, resources, and new foci for CUUPS, nationally and locally.
This seems to me to be directly connected to the lunar energy of this time
of the year, which in my magical tradition is directly associated with
the two faces of the God, the Oak Lord and the Holly Lord. At this writing,
in July 2009, we have just left the realm of the Oak Lord, and the Dark
Moon we experienced Tuesday evening was the Dark Moon of Holly. So here
is some lore and some possible applications on that topic, for your use.
This information is a chapter in my forthcoming book, Moon Tree Mysteries,
so feel free to use it yourselves, but don't reproduce it or share
it without full attribution, please.
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Treasurer's Report
Period covered:
Jan. 1 - Dec 31, 2008
Revenues:
Memberships & donations:
$5,013.00
Expenses:
Total expenses: $2,569.34
Surplus for 2008: $2,433.66
As of 9/14/09
Combined Balances: $6,931.77
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Please light a candle for...
Isaac Bonewits came home this week from the hospital where he had been treated for what turned out to be colo-rectal cancer. Fortunately, it appears to be in the early stages, and he is currently having chemo and radiation treatment as an out patient. Please keep him and his wife, (former CUUPS Board member) Phaedra in your thoughts. For more up-to-date information on this keep an eye on Isaac and Phaedra's blog. they've also been quite active on Facebook.
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| Help Wanted
Website Design - CUUPS is looking for a website redesign to create a site that will serve as the primary point of entry for its members and supporters across North America. Experience with CiviCRM and Drupal is necessary - as we are moving our membership management to that software, and any Joomla! content management experience is a huge plus. Please provide examples of your past work when you contact us thru the bulletin@cuups.org address.
We intend for the design phase of this project to be complete by the end of this calendar year.
Website Maintainance - The people who have been doing this for the past few years need to focus their energy elsewhere, so we're looking for individuals who would be interested in maintaining a newly designed CUUPS website. This would involve making sure that the front page is frequently updated with new content, and to actively solicit content from a variety of UU Earth-centered sources. Please provide examples of sites that you currently or have recently done this for when you contact us thru the bulletin@cuups.org address. |
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CUUPS Bulletin is a publication of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, Inc.
The CUUPS Bulletin is available for free to anyone interested in UU-Paganism. To subscribe visit the CUUPS website and fill in the form at the top of the webpage.
Corporate Officers:
Pres. - Maureen Duffy-Boose,
Vice Pres - David Pollard,
Secretary - Michael Walker,
Treasurer - Dick Merritt
At large Boardmembers: Rev. Ann Marie Alderman, Carol Bodeau, Ollis Hughes, Niko Tarini and Michael Walker.
Readership:
Oct. 2009 - 2,624
Jun. 2009 - 2,514
Mar. 2009 - 2,456
Sep. 2008 - 2,352
Jul. 2008 - 2,332
May 2008 - 2,309
Apr. 2008 - 2,263
Mar. 2008 - 2,112
Feb. 2008 - 2,028
Jan. 2008 - 1,720
Dec. 2007 - 1,408 | |
| Dear Unitarian Fellowship,
A caveat: Much of the following was written late this summer, but is still quite relevant - so we didn't throw it out. We're already working on a December/Yule issue of this Bulletin, so if you've got something related to the holidays that you'd like to send in please do so before Thanksgiving. Back to your previously schedule Bulletin: One of the things I hear a lot of in the news these days is President Obama going around and talk about "hopeful green sprouts" refering to signs of a beginning to the end of this Great Recession. Well, we were seeing quite a bit of that at General Assembly as well - at least where it came to Earth-Centered Spirituality and even CUUPS role in its future. The Principles and Purposes Revision: In short, we won. But just barely and just for now. The UUA Bylaws are extremely restrictive when it comes to amending this section of them. The required that the entire revision could not be amended and could not be voted in by sections. There were enough people who have problems with different pieces of it - which, because it could not be amended made them oppose the entire revision. There was some excellent material in the revision that does need to be incorporated into our Principles and Purposes, but now will have to wait at least two years. And hopefully, next time they won't mess with the Sources - or at least not as badly. The best way to get a firm grip on many of the various aspects that went into play with this revision is to watch the streaming video of the Mini-Assembly the was held on the Bylaw Revision. The text of CUUPS Secretary Michael Walker statement at that event is written below in its own article. Unfortunately, the extended debate on the revsion eclipsed the CUUPS Annual Meeting However, do have an alternative place and time in such instances - though we didn't meet quorum this year. Still, board members were able to have conversations with lots of different folks over the stretch of GA.
Good News - Archives Available. Archive issues of this Bulletin are available on the CUUPS Website - right now! Furthermore, if you enjoyed the UUA's streaming video of GA events - you'll be glad to know that the person responsible for that, Lance Brown, is installing a content management system for CUUPS. This will involve getting as much of our old media up on the web as possible, and getting our membership renewal process put online. We should have most of this done by the end of the calendar year.
Welcome to the tenth issue of the CUUPS Bulletin where Aisling shares from her upcoming book, we look at our successes from General Assembly, and our evolving positions on a couple of the hotter issues and also give some info on the on-going CUUPS Elections.
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The Pagan Census - Revisited
We are conducting an international survey of
contemporary Pagans. If you are a Pagan we would appreciate your taking
the time to complete this survey.
This survey builds on an earlier one completed over twenty years ago,
primarily in the United States, which was conducted by Helen A. Berger
and Andras Arthen (of the EarthSpirit Community) entitled the Pagan
Census. At the time it was hoped that we could do a census of the
entire Pagan population. Although that was not possible the data that
was collected was the largest of it type and served as the basis of a
book, Voices from the Pagan Census
by Helen A. Berger (with Evan Leach and Leigh S. Shaffer). The survey
data is now available on line at Murray Research Archive at Harvard
University.
A number of scholars have noted that it would be helpful to have a
follow-up of that survey to see if and how the community has changed or
remained the same. The survey that follows uses many, although not all
of the same questions that were in the original survey to provide that
comparison. There are also new questions, for instance about the
Internet, something that was of little interest 20 years ago but is
now, and some from other studies, that again permit a comparison. This
has resulted in the survey being somewhat long--we appreciate your
taking the time to complete it.
We realize that the categories found in questionnaires like this one
frequently do not do justice to the complexities of real life. For this
reason, a number of open-ended items have been included that allow for
more nuanced responses. You are also welcome to contact Helen A. Berger
directly at HBerger@wcupa.edu
Please inform other Pagans about this research
project and feel free to pass it along via e-mail or to post a link on
appropriate blogs or websites.
Thanks for your help.
Helen A. Berger
James R. Lewis
Henrik Bogdan To take part in this Pagan Census click here!* editor: We should also note that Helen Berger was the theme speaker at the 1998 CUUPS Convocation near New Orleans, LA.
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2009 CUUPS Election are Happening Now
This year we have three individuals running for three positions on the CUUPS Board of Trustees, as well as a proposal to amend our bylaws to allow for online voting. Current voting members of CUUPS should have already received their ballots via postal mail. Please vote and mail them in the enclosed envelope as soon as you can, so that the San Antonio, TX chapter (who are serving as our polling committee this year) can count them. Here's some brief info on the candidates: Dr. Christa LandonCUUPS has been close to my
heart since GA of 1985, when I canvassed many hundreds of people, asking
them if they knew ANY UU who was interested in Nature Worship, the Goddess,
or pre-Christian Western religions. I collected about 3 dozen addresses
which I gave to Linda and Leslie, who introduced themselves as knowledgeable
UU organizers. This began the CUUPS mailing list.
I had just completed my first year of seminary at Meadville/Lombard
where I was on the A.M./D.Min. track. Before that I had been an HPS
for 12 years before I came to seminary; my original goal was to study
UU polity and community organization with the hope of adapting it to
a model for congregational Paganism. I also wanted to develop the skills
to facilitate that.
At Meadville, I encountered James Luther Adams' work on covenantal theology;
this is key to moving to a deeper and healthier covens and larger Pagan
institutions. For that reason I insisted that the new organization include
the term "covenant" in it's name.
By GA '87, I had completed my internship and was approved for preliminary
fellowship by the MFC. I remained on the CUUPS Board, but the very strong
Exec allowed little opportunity for my participation. Meanwhile, I co-founded
and served Panthea (first Pagan congregation admitted to the UUA in
1990). Also in 1990 I finished my doctoral (D.Min.) dissertation, "Sacred
Cosmos: Implications of Ancient Pagan Traditions for Modern Theology
of Nature."
In 1995, I was ordained as a UU minister; I served 4 years in 3 congregations
as an Interim minister. Since then, I have lived in Minnesota, and with
my spouse am a member of First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, which
has been the home of CUUPS-Twin Cites for many years. Since 2000 I've
been "inactive" as a UU minister. Dick MerrittDick Merritt grew into paganism through the influence of eco-feminist
spirituality in the 80's. It was a natural fit, given his agrarian background.
Dick is an eclectic neo-pagan and Unitarian Universalist. He characterizes
himself as a Joseph Campbell pagan because of his conviction that religion
is metaphor. Strongly influenced by the Creation Spirituality movement,
he describes himself as a panentheist. Dick enjoys frequent rituals
and purification ceremonies. A techno-pagan, he is a retired UNIX technician
and massage therapist. Dick is a charter member of the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of Hillsborough, NC. Dick has been a member of CUUPS
(Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) since its inception in 1987.
He attended the meeting at the Little Rock UUA General Assembly when
the initial CUUPS bylaws were approved. Upon his return to North Carolina,
Dick was one of the members of Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
in Durham that conceived of creating a CUUPS chapter in what was then
a decidedly anti-Pagan congregation. Celebrate the Circle was the result
and has been continuously active since 1991. See http://www.celebratethecircle.org. Dick is completing his first term
on the CUUPS Board and is currently the Treasurer.
Niko Tarini
My name is Niko Tarini and I am running
for reelection to the CUUPS Board of Trustees. I have served on
the board for several years as secretary, chapter coordinator and membership
coordinator. I hope to continue lending my energy to this group
that means so much to me. As CUUPS continues its re-visioning
process, both internally and externally, I feel that the experience
I've gained while serving as a board member will help to guide the organization
to better serve its members. Internally, the board continues striving
to streamline operations. Though we've been able to make some
advances with the tools we already have, we hope to have new software
in use soon that will enable more efficient record keeping and allow
members to update their membership information completely online (rather
than the current system that allows payments online but still requires
someone to do data entry off line) and truly revolutionize how we do
things. Externally, we have found ourselves recategorized by the
UUA Board, changing from an independent affiliate of the UUA to a UU
theological interest group. With the election of a new president
for the UUA, we may find ourselves in yet another new category.
Despite changing labels, CUUPS remains an organization that exists to
ensure that the earth-centered theological perspective continues to
be a part of the UU tapestry.
I am an artist and performer in New Bedford,
Massachusetts, a city of 100,000 people with a long history of ethnic,
racial and religious diversity. I first started down the Pagan
path in the late 1980s. I have been a local CUUPS chapter member
since the summer of 1992. My local chapter, Greater New Bedford
Circle CUUPS, has been an extension of my family for nearly eighteen
years. The rituals I have shared and led at GNBC CUUPS have helped
me to form my UU Pagan theology. My chapter also served as my
gateway to Unitarian Universlism. As I became acquainted with
the members of the congregation and their values, I found that UUism
and Paganism working very well together. When the church had the
occasion to choose a new minister, I wanted a voice in that decision
so I officially joined my church eight years after joining my chapter.
Nine years later I am serving as a trustee on the church's board in
addition to serving on my chapter's Council of Elders.
The other issue in this election is a change to our bylaws that would allow members to vote online in CUUPS elections. Please see the postal ballots for the exact wording on the amendment as well as the full candidate statements. |
Nancy Veder-Shultz Blogging for Tikkun Daily
Nancy Veder-Shultz has begun blogging for Tikkun Daily (http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily).
This is a really exciting opportunity for her (and potentially for you)
to interact with an interfaith group of progressives, a group that
hopes to create a Religious Left presence in the blogosphere. The site was launched in July.
From the first posts,
it is a vibrant, multimedia site that sparks conversations about
religion, culture, politics, private life, and spirituality. The blog
site is based on Michael Lerner's radical understanding of the current
spiritual crisis in the US and our need to move beyond the me-first,
consumerist society to a sustainable future based on community and, as she understands it, the interdependent web of all existence. Nancy hopes to
write about a variety of ecofeminist topics that so many of us are interested in.
Nancy's first post on the site (http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/) -- "The 'Eco' of My Ecofeminism."
Please go take a look, write a comment, or even "vote" about your take
on the post. She wants to start an ecofeminist discussion, a feminist
discussion, a Wiccan discussion, a UU discussion. Hope to hear from you.
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Hearing on the Proposed Amendment to Article II of the UUA Bylaws, the Principles & Purposes
UUA General Assembly, Salt Lake City, UT, 26 June 2009 at 6:45pm
Statement made by CUUPS Secretary Michael Walker
MW:
Good evening, my name is Michael Walker, and I serve as an officer of the National Board of Trustees of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (commonly called CUUPS).
Moderator:
And what congregation are you from?
MW:
I am a member of the First UU Society of San Francisco.
We are concerned with a trend we are seeing more frequently, since this proposal was released -- in close proximity to the unrelated announcement bythe UUA Board of Trustees to change the Independent Affiliate status of many organizations. The reports we are receiving are that CUUPS chapters and/or UU Pagans (I mean individuals) are more often recipients of hostility in their UU congregations. Alas, the Principles and Purposes proposal, conflated with the unrelated Independent Affiliate issue, has given some
justification to be less welcoming to UU Pagans. On behalf of the CUUPS Board of Trustees, I wish to counsel the Commission on Appraisal, the UUA Board of Trustees, and the Delegates of the General Assembly, to be aware of the unintended consequences, and possible misinterpretations, of your carefully crafted words. This is our message and we thank you for listening.
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