When I first found Paganism, I stayed fairly solitary. I practiced entirely by myself, except to celebrate holidays. Even then, I spent the Sabbats with only a handful of friends. At one point, there were four of us who regularly got together but we knew we wanted to have the experience of doing a ritual with a larger circle.
We visited a few different groups within our area, but we had a very hard time feeling accepted. This was because, at the time, we were only about 14 years old. Most people don't take a group of four 14 year old girls seriously.
Eventually, two of us found a coven in Arlington. We were amazed by how accepting all of the members were. Lucky for us, our High Priestess had a son just a year older than us. So, she knew that, in spite of our age, we were dedicated to follow the path of the Goddess. I enjoyed all of the time I have spent with this group, and I know I have learned so much. However, our coven only really met for Sabbats, and, due to life's commitments, we were unable to gather for many of those.
Lately, I have begun to realize how much I miss truly celebrating the God and Goddess with a circle. I have also felt that DFW Pagans are truly missing the sense of community.
It is because of this that I was inspired to start The Grove. I would love to create a group of like-minded Pagans to do anything from worshiping to learning to eating dinner together. I have been inspired by organizations such as Pagan Night Out and The Open Hearth Foundation.
It is my dream to one day have a Pagan community center, where we all may gather for rituals, drum circles, classes, parties, whatever! Of course, I'm starting small. I'd like to set up bi-monthly meetings, open to the public. Anyone interested could join us and revel in the joy of a group where they can be accepted no matter what their race, age, gender, or sexual orientation may be.
What would we do? Whatever we want! In addition to just holding rituals for the Sabbats, we could also eat dinner together, go see movies, or just sit around a discuss a variety of topics.
So I am inviting you to join me in helping this dream come true. Come to a meeting, see what we're about, meet some new people. You never know, this may be just what you were looking for. Whether you consider yourself Wiccan, Druid, eclectic, or whatever, you are welcome at The Grove.
Blessed Be,
Haley K.
Founder
April 2008
