Our History

It was a dark and stormy night...

Ok, okay, so it wasn't dark or stormy. Matter of fact it was a warm summer evening, and the sky was as bright as could be thanks to the glow from the bright blue moon. What better setting for the first official gathering of the UU Pagans?

It all started when two friends, and fellow UU'ers began a discussion on the lack of family friendly pagan groups. Anita Carney and Dawn (Rayn) are those two friends. These long time friends and even longer time pagans were both in the same Coven at the time. And while this coven was a safe place where Anita's then 3 year old grandson could roam in and out of circle, it was one of the only places he could do so. But this was only one factor that bothered the two witches.

After church one day, during a conversation with another UU pagan, Anita and Dawn had their eyes opened to yet another issue in the community. See, the person they were talking to was gay. He had attempted to attend a UU pagan type event run by a women's group. He was denied access because he was a man. He pleaded with them ont he grounds that he was a "gay" pagan, yet in the end was just not allowed to attend.

So here were two types of pagans with nowhere to celebrate in a community setting. Now Anita and Dawn knew there were plenty of groups for gay pagans, as well as pagan children. None however were local (that they knew of) and none offered open doors to both groups at the same time. To add yet another twist, none could boast to be both a drug and alcohol free haven. So what was a pagan to do? Well just what Anita and Dawn did. If you can't find a group that fits you needs, you create one!

So the UU Pagans of Cherry Hill were born. The first official ritual was held on June 30th of 1996. And what better way to kick off the maiden ritual then to do it on a blue moon. Since the church was still a little leery of pagans, as the pagans were of the "church" the first ritual was held at Dawn's house.

When everyone had arrived, they set the stage and began the nights events. The ritual ws actually officiated by two pagans from out of state. They volunteered to drive from their home states, some as far as Maryland, with their families in two to be part of this historical event.

As the ritual began, the circle represented life at it's best. The tapestry of diversity was a gift to the eyes. Anita and Dawn knew it was meant to be. As the ritual progressed, children toddled up and down the steps from the sanctary downstairs, to the living room upstairs and everywhere in between. No one cared if the hand they held was that of someone who was old, young, gay, straight, married single, druid, wiccan, strega, eclectic or whatever else you can think up. All that mattered was that place, that time, and that bond.

Since then our group has grown. Our doors have opened to welcome all races, religions, creeds, ages, and sexes. True to the UU principle, "we prespect the inherent worth and dignity of every person." If you have ever attended a UU Pagan event you have to see that to be true. And in addition to providing this safe haven for pagans to meet and partake in ritual, this group has served many other functions through the years.

During those years when Hollywood seemed to produce an endless string of witchcraft movies our group became a place where parents felt free to ask questons. Many of them were afraid because their teens had turned to "witchcraft" as their chosen path of faith. We did more than just explain that it was impossible to change your hair color by swooping your hand over your hair. We offered those parents the ability to actually see a real pagan ritual in a safe environment. Some of them to this day allow their teens to attend our events, and some have even become members themselves.

In addition to having an open door policy to the curious who seek us out, we have taken proactive steps towards educating the community within our church. We have performed rituals for the entire congregation, as well as hosted other services throughout the years. We took on projects, such as our harvest garden and groundskeepers of the Bell garden. And while some of our projects did not turn out as we had planned, they did serve to bridge the gap just a bit more between pagans and other faiths.

It is our future goal to see our group continue to grow. Just like the ocean we ebb and flow. People come in and people go out but our core group remains constant. One thing we would love to see is more famiies involved.
Although Anita's grandchildren rarely attend now, Dawn's children now take their place and we welcome any others that might grace our hearts with their laughter.

So, what started as a vision of two friends has become a circle of many friends. We hope that you will join us in celebration!

Pax Deorum,

Anita & Dawn