Circle Sanctuary
| Formation | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Type | New Religious Movement, Wicca |
| Headquarters | Wisconsin, US |
|
Founders
|
Selena Fox, Jim Alan |
| Website | www.circlesanctuary.org |
Circle Sanctuary is a non-profit organization and legally recognized Neo-Pagan Church based in southwestern Wisconsin, US. Circle is the publisher of Circle Magazine, which has approximately 15,000 subscribers. It aims to encourage community celebrations, spiritual healing, research, networking and education.
Circle was founded in 1974 by Selena Fox, and sponsors gatherings and encourages nature conservation, nature meditations and workshops at a range of locations, with the primary site being a 200-acre (0.81 km2) site near Mount Horeb, Wisconsin set in forested hills. Circle Sanctuary's land is fully owned by Circle Sanctuary Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit.
The organization has been prominent in the campaign to permit the pentacle to be displayed on the gravestones of Wiccan members of U.S. forces, and Selena Fox was one of the plaintiffs in the successful action to obtain this permission. Nine of the gravestones are displayed at the Sanctuary's cemetery at Barneveld, Wisconsin, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Madison.
Since its creation in 1974, Circle Sanctuary has provided support to Neopagans in several ways, chiefly as a networking resource. For many years, Circle was the only national networking resource available to most Neopagans, especially those who were not located in major cities with large Pagan or Neopagan populations (such as New York City, Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco, California). Circle Network News, originally a newspaper-like quarterly and now a quarterly magazine, provided a method for Pagans in less populated areas to find others of like mind. Networking support remains one of Circle's core functions.
Circle sponsors many gatherings, the best-known of which is the Pagan Spirit Gathering, held annually at Litha (Midsummer). Other major festivals on Circle Sanctuary land include Beltane (near May 1), Green Spirit (Lughnasadh, around August 1) and Samhain (around October 31). Additional smaller gatherings, classes and celebrations are held year-round.
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Wikipedia