What's New with Sylvan Circle?
A Croning Ceremony to Honor Amber
Sylvan Circle performed a new first in October: a croning
ceremony written by Aurora to honor our beloved Priestess Amber!
It was a very festive evening! Coven members spoke of Amber's many accomplishments and achievements. We expressed thanks for all the wonderful things she brings to our coven. And Amber was crowned with a stunning headdress hand-crafted by Amber herself -- fashioned out of paper, but looking exactly like beautiful feathers!
Many congratulations and honor to Amber for all the blessings she gives to our coven and our wider world!
Congratulations to Juniper, Our Newest Member
Sylvan Circle is very happy to announce that on August 9 Sylvan Circle initiated the soul formerly known as Kim into Reformed Celtic Traditional Wicca, as well as made her the newest
member of Sylvan Circle.
Her new Wiccan name is Juniper! And we are very pleased to welcome her into our coven family as our new sister!
Many congratulations to Juniper for all her hard work and dedication on becoming our latest First Degree initiate!
Congratulations to Lady Carnellia, Our Newest Priestess
With tremendous pride we are pleased to announce the elevation of Carnellia -- formerly known as Opal -- as our newest Priestess of Sylvan Circle!
Carnellia successfully completed her studies for second degree, demonstrating her knowledge and growth and contributing her great energy to Sylvan Circle. She also chose this time to change her name from Opal to Carnellia, as is done traditionally when a Wiccan advances and feels that a new name better expresses the person they're evolving into.
Carnellia is a gifted teacher who is adept at educating newbies about the ways of the Craft via our Intro to Wicca class. She is also a talented artist who has shared her skills, insights and magickal life experience with the coven via workshops.
Please join us in congratulating Carnellia on this great accomplishment! And wish her all the very best as she continues learn and grow and thrive on her Wiccan path, with her Sylvan Circle family cheering her on every step of the way!
All Hail Lady Carnellia!
Congratulations to Our New High Priestess, Lady Sereny
It is with great joy that we announce the elevation of Lady Sereny to Third Degree High Priestess!
Sereny has completed the course of study for third degree, demonstrated her growth and knowledge, and made significant contributions to Sylvan Circle.
She was coven theign for many years, taught several 101 classes, as well as workshops, led many sabbats and esbats, contributed storage for the coven closet, assisted petitioners, mentored an initiate, and even contributed to Sylvan Circle's Books of Shadows, among other things. She did all this while also working tirelessly to better herself in the seven years since her initiation.
We know she will continue to pursue the betterment of herself and others, as she moves into the next step in her role as a leader, a bringer of Light, as a High Priestess of Sylvan Circle, and of the Craft of the Wise.
Congratulations, Lady Sereny!
Meet Sereny's New Daughter Kiera
Please join us in giving a very warm welcome to Sereny and Nick's new little baby girl Kiera!
Sweet little Kiera was born the morning of October 8, weighing in at 7 pounds 14 ounces and measuring 20 inches. Everybody's doing fine.
Sereny also shared: "We are doing great and enjoying each other’s company. Thankfully the doggos are totally chill with her and seem to really want to take care of her :) "
Many congrats to Sereny and Nick on this beautiful new addition to their family! We wish them all many happy blessings!
Fall Equinox Pies
Sylvan Circle made some fine looking apple pies for Fall Equinox 2021 to
celebrate the Autumn harvest.
Lady Amber Elevated to Second Degree
We at Sylvan Circle are delighted to announce that Amber has become a Priestess!
On October 17 2020 Amber was formally elevated to Second Degree in Sylvan Circle's Reformed Celtic Tradition.
Amber has proven herself to be a devoted and joyful student of nature, as well as a champion of the environment. She's always willing to pitch in and contribute her time and effort and energy to help her coven brothers and sisters or members of our community.
Please help us congratulate Amber and wish her many blessings as she takes on this added responsibility serving our Sylvan Circle family as a Priestess of the Craft!
All Hail Lady Amber!
Sylvan Circle Welcomes New Initiates Vivianna and Violet
We not only have one new initiate -- we have TWO! And TWINS to boot!
The soul you knew formerly as Melissa has been reborn as VIVIANNA. And the soul known to you as Maggie has been reborn as VIOLET. Both have successfully earned their First degrees and initiated into the Craft as the newest members of Sylvan Circle!
We congratulate Violet and Vivianna on their accomplishments and warmly welcome our new sisters
to Sylvan Circle!
Sylvan Circle Welcomes New Initiate Opal
It is with great joy that we announce the birth of a BRAND SPANKING NEW WITCH!
On August 11 the soul known formerly as Desiree successfully achieved her first degree and initiated into Wicca. She is now known to the Spirits as Opal, AND as an initiate to Sylvan Circle!
Welcome Opal, and CONGRATULATIONS to our new sister!
Sylvan Circle Turns 20 Years Old!
The Turning of the Wheel to Lammas 2018 brought something extra special:
the 20th Anniversary of the founding of Sylvan Circle!
For a retrospective from our HPS Lady Aurora, please visit our
20th Anniversary page.
Sereny Elevated to Second Degree
It gives us great pleasure to announce that our own Sereny has been elevated to Second Degree!
From even before she became an initiate of Sylvan Circle, Sereny was always quick to step up and help out in any way she could. So it comes as no surprise that she's made the commitment to serve our coven and community formally as a Priestess... and has put in the hard work needed to achieve that goal.
So on January 16, 2018 Sereny was formally elevated to Second Degree in Sylvan Circle's Reformed Celtic Tradition.
Please join us in congratulating Sereny and wishing her great success as she begins the path to serve as a Priestess of Sylvan Circle!
All Hail Lady Sereny!
Rosemary and Ryan Handfasting
Many congrats to Sylvan Circle coven member Rosemary and her new hubbie Ryan! They said their vows in front of family, friends, and the rest of Sylvan Circle in a truly beautiful ceremony.
Rosemary and Ryan were handfasted by none other than our very own Aurora and Aldwyn, followed by an amazing reception and feast for all attending.
Please join us in wishing Rosemary and Ryan many blessings for a long and happy life together!
Sylvan Circle Welcomes New Initiate Amber
Sylvan Circle is very happy to announce that on Saturday April 8 we initiated beloved member of our community and former student
Terry into Reformed Celtic Traditional Wicca, as well as made her the newest
member of Sylvan Circle.
Her new Wiccan name is Amber and we are very pleased to welcome her into our coven family as our new sister!
Sylvan Circle Welcomes New Initiate Rosemary
It is with great pleasure that we get to announce that Lindsay stepped into the Garden October 15th
and was initiated into Reformed Traditional Celtic Wicca as Rosemary.
She has also joined our family of Sylvan Circle and we are delighted to have her as our sister!
All Hail and Welcome Rosemary
Sylvan Circle Welcomes New Initiate Aradia
Sylvan Circle is pleased to announce that on Saturday September 3 we initiated the soul formerly
known as Stephanie into our Reformed Celtic Wiccan Tradition, as well as made her a
member of our Sylvan Circle coven family.
Our new covenmante's new Wiccan name is Aradia. And we're very happy to welcome our newest sister to Sylvan Circle!
Kudos and congrats to Aradia for all she's learned and all she has accomplished to earn her First Degree!
Sylvan Circle Welcomes New Initiate Sereny
Sylvan Circle is very happy to announce that on March 12 we initiated the soul formerly
known as Hillery into Reformed Celtic Traditional Wicca, as well as made her the newest
member of Sylvan Circle.
Her initiate name is Sereny, and we are very pleased to welcome her into our coven family as our new sister!
Many congratulations to Sereny for all her hard work and dedication on becoming our latest First Degree initiate!
Lady Atalanta Joins Sylvan Circle
It gives us great pleasure to announce that Lady Atalanta,
a High Priestess and long time friend of the coven, joined the family of Sylvan Circle the afternoon of February 13.
Many congrats to Lady Atalanta! And a very warm welcome to Sylvan Circle!
Ferghus Elevated to Second Degree
It gives us great pleasure to announce that our very own Ferghus has been elevated to Second Degree!
Ferghus has worked hard to achieve this important milestone. In many different ways he's demonstrated his willingness and ability to serve and support his coven, students, as well as our community at large. We felt it was time to acknowledge all that he has accomplished. So on January 9 2016 Ferghus was formally elevated to Second Degree in Sylvan Circle's Reformed Celtic Tradition.
Please join us in congratulating Ferghus and wishing him well as he steps up to his new responsibilities as a Priest of Sylvan Circle!
All Hail Lord Ferghus!
Sylvan Circle Formally Recognizes Starspawn an Elder
Sylvan Circle is proud and pleased to announce that on September 18 we formally made
Starspawn an Elder of our coven, in recognition of the considerable contributions and support
he has given us over the years.
Starspawn is a High Priest and an elder of the Alexandrian tradition, with 43 years in the Craft. He founded Teachlach Gliocais, an Alexandrian coven. He also founded the pagan grove Weird Sisters and the eclectic coven SpawnFar. He is an elder to Lilac Coven and a teacher and mentor to many.
He has been a dear friend and ally to this coven since its inception. We have been
greatly blessed by the wisdom and insights he has shared with us. And we are deeply honored
that Starspawn graciously agreed to formalize this relationship with us.
Next Intro to Wicca Class
Sylvan Circle has decided to begin our next Intro to Wicca class in the Fall of 2015!
Our next Intro to Wicca class will begin starting on Sunday October 18.
We will meet approximately every Sunday morning (with a few exceptions) 10am - 12:30pm in Columbia MD.
Please see our Classes page for complete details about our class...
Battery Recycling Update
Used to be that old batteries could be terrible for the environment. In fact, for many years a long standing feature of most Sylvan Circle open holidays
was collecting batteries so they could be safely disposed of. However times have changed!
Thanks to the "Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery
Management Act of 1996", significant mercury no longer exists in
standard alkaline batteries. So alkaline batteries can now safely be
disposed of in household trash. However please be aware that rechargeable
batteries can still contain heavy metals and should be recycled.
For more details, please see
http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php
as well as
http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/recycling/battery.pdf.
Next Intro to Wicca Class
Sylvan Circle has decided to begin our next Intro to Wicca class starting Sunday October 5, 2014!
Please see our Classes page for more details...
Witches Brew
With help from our good friend Oliver, Sylvan Circle homebrewed our first coven beer!
Please see our Witches Brew article for more details...
Meet Hero's New Baby Duncan
We'd like to extend a very warm welcome to Hero and Brian's new little baby boy, Duncan.
Hero (former covenmate of SC) says Duncan was born April 17 at 1:08pm. She says he weighed in 6 lbs 11oz, 20 1/2 inches.
She also reports "So far Brian and I have managed to keep both boys alive. Connor seems to be adapting pretty well - he likes to rub and pet the baby's head just like he pets dogs."
When asked about plans to further expand the clan in future, Hero is rumored to have replied "There can be only two!" (OK, truthfully she said no such thing. But ya gotta admit it's a pretty decent line :-)
Many congrats to Hero's family on the arrival of this wonderful wee bairn!
Join Us for Earth Day 2014
WHEN: Saturday April 19, 2014 - 10:30am
WHERE: Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg MD, the Bobwhite Pavillion. (Note the park charges $3 for entry.) See Seneca Creek State Park site for more info.
WHAT: Come join Sylvan Circle as we celebrate the day by cleaning up the river banks at a nearby park. We will meet in Seneca Creek, carpool to the cleanup location, then return to Seneca for a picnic.
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THIS?
- Because you love the Earth
- Because you want to make our community a better place
- Did I mention the food? Sylvan Circle will feed you. We don't know what yet, probably hot dogs and/or hamburgers, but hey, it's a free entree ;-). And we can have a little time sharing what surely will be a beautiful day in a very nice park. Bring musical instruments, food to share (if you want), and an open spirit.
QUESTIONS or to RSVP: please write Scribe@SylvanCircle.org
Gwydion and Ed Married
Not too long after same-sex marriage was made legal by the lovely people of Maryland, coven member Gwydion and longtime love of his life
Ed decided to make it official and tie the knot.
The arrangements were made a bit hastily when they realized they could get married on March 1 (with Gwydion claiming that 3/1/13 was an anniversary date even HE oughtta be able to remember). There was a little nail biting about whether the rings would be ready in time, but they slid in under the wire with nearly a full day or two to spare.
Our own Aurora and Aldwyn once again performed a beautiful and moving ceremony. The venue was the happy couple's home. The music room was piled high with fresh flowers, candlelight and rose petals. Wedding music was provided by the player piano -- which was only occassionally drowned out by the snoring of pugs Bantha and Bellatrix sacked out smack dab in the middle of all the festivities.
So join us in celebrating and congratulating Gwydion and Ed in this exciting new phase of their relationship!
Same-sex Marriage Legal in Maryland
We at Sylvan Circle have always been proponents of lesbian and gay marriage in all its beautiful forms.
And we couldn't be happier that our own home state of Maryland voted to approve Question 6, making same-sex
marriage legal! Way to go, Maryland!!!
So we wanted to make sure that all our friends from the GLBT community know that the clergy of Sylvan Circle would be delighted and honored to perform ceremonies for same-sex couples who may be interested!
For more details, please refer to Sylvan Circle's gay marriage services. Or email our scribe at scribe@sylvancircle.org.
Carrie and Ferghus Married
Coven member Ferghus and his girlfriend Carrie got married May 26 in a lovely outdoor handfasting ceremony
in the beautiful courtyard at Chase Court in downtown Baltimore.
The bride looked gorgeous (naturally) and the dapper groom rocked his formal attire with purple Chuck Taylors. The traditional Wiccan handfasting was led with the flair and grace of seasoned professionals Aurora and Aldwyn.
The very wonderful gnoshes throughout the day and dinner were topped off by an awesome wedding cake by Charm City Cakes.
We wish Carrie and Ferghus bright blessings for a joyous life as they begin this new phase of their path together!
Tiffany and Oliver Married
On Saturday April 14, Tiffany and Oliver -- former students and members of
our SC community -- were married in a beautiful outdoor "Hobbit-themed" wedding.
After a lovely wedding ceremony -- performed by our very own Aurora and Aldwyn -- and a very sweet exchange of vows between the groom and bride (that left nary a dry eye in the wooded setting), there was a great party and lovely dinner that would have rivaled Bilbo's very own One-Hundred-and-Eleventieth Birthday.
We at Sylvan Circle have taken special joy in watching Tiffany and Oliver's relationship grow over the years, as their first official "date" was actually at one of our Lammas celebrations. We feel very honored, blessed, and grateful that we've been able to be a part of their lives.
We wish Tiffany and Oliver every happiness in their new life together... and we look forward to many more years with these very dear friends!
Meet Hero's New Baby Connor
We'd like to extend a very warm welcome to Hero and Brian's new
little baby boy, Connor.
Hero (former covenmate of SC) says Connor was born March 13 at 10:32. She says "He's a teeny li'l guy -- 4lbs 12oz -- but he's healthy!"
She also reports he's waking her up odd hours. Who'd a thunk it? ;-)
Many congrats on this beautiful new addition to Hero's family!
