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0 First Patreon Goal Reached
We just met our first funding goal on Patreon!
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us in this way. Your support means we can keep our memberships free and still cover essential running costs.
www.patreon.com/pagancollective
You can support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month to help us bring future projects to life, such as:
– Website hosting/maintenance fees.
– Guest speakers for our meetups.
– PCV Merchandise.
– A podcast showcasing viewpoints and issues in contemporary Australian Paganism
– Concerts with Pagan acts (*cough* Spiral Dance Melbourne Concert *cough*)
– An annual Pagan art exhibition.
– Venue hire for events such as rituals, community dinners/potlucks, film nights, workshop days, markets, etc.
0 Photos: Yule Museum Outing 2018
For Yule this year, we teamed up with the good folks of the Melbourne Heathen Moot for an excursion to the Vikings exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. This was followed by a lovely dinner at a local pub and a brief sumbel to mark the occassion.
Many thanks to PCV committee member Dean for organising this wonderful event!
At the 2018 Yule museum outing with the Melbourne Heathen Moot. Photo by Dean.
At the 2018 Yule museum outing with the Melbourne Heathen Moot. Photo by Dean.
At the 2018 Yule museum outing with the Melbourne Heathen Moot. Photo by Ryan.
At the 2018 Yule museum outing with the Melbourne Heathen Moot. Photo by Ryan.
At the 2018 Yule museum outing with the Melbourne Heathen Moot. Photo by Ryan.
At the 2018 Yule museum outing with the Melbourne Heathen Moot. Photo by Ryan.
At the 2018 Yule museum outing with the Melbourne Heathen Moot. Photo by Ryan.
A Public Statement from the Pagan Collective of Victoria
It recently came to our attention that, ever since joining the PCV and the wider public Pagan community approximately twelve months ago, an individual has made their racist, transphobic, sexist, homophobic and otherwise bigoted views quite clear. This individual has also thoroughly harrassed two respected female elders and gone out of their way to cause unrest throughout a number of groups.
At our committee meeting on the 2nd of June 2018, the committee voted unanimously to expel this member and cease promotion of their group and its events, effective immediately.
The Pagan Collective of Victoria remains unapologetic in its stance against intolerance, harassment and threatening behaviour. As a Collective, we owe it to our members to continue to provide queer and trans-friendly spaces, and spaces that are welcoming and nurturing to all paths and levels of experience, people of all genders and sexualities, of all races, skin colours, cultural identities, and of all abilities.
Comments on this post have been disabled. Anyone wishing to know more is welcome to contact us directly or to read the minutes of our June committee meeting.
In peace,
Your PCV Committee
0 Meeting Minutes: June 2018
0 Community Safety Month 2018: Pagan Ethics and Etiquette
March is Community Safety Month for the PCV. Throughout this month we will be promoting safe, sane and inclusive Pagan community for all through the sharing of information, discussion topics and more.
This month we’ve shared important advice for new Pagans, along with tips and suggestions for finding and joining a group. We’ve also looked at the need for a consent culture within our community, and how that can be achieved.
Our final topic for Community Safety Month is Pagan Ethics and Etiquette. These articles have been collected and discussed by the PCV committee: some share some common-sense views on ethical issues within our community, while others offer advice on how to mind your manners in the public Pagan scene.
Building Fences – Vouching, Communities and the Internet: In this piece, US author Thorn Mooney discusses the online Pagan community, and how the advent of the internet has changed the vouching process for lineaged/initiatory Pagan traditions.
Should You Pay for Online Spellcasting Services?: There are lots of people out there on the internet offering all kinds of spells, but US Pagan Patti Wigington points out there are better alternatives that won’t leave you hornswoggled.
How to Spot a Terrible Coven: Thorn Mooney shares some important, no-nonsense advice for anyone joining a new coven or group.
Your Responsibilities in Ritual: In this piece, US writer and high priest Jason Mankey discusses the responsibilities of all ritual participants, from the fluffiest bunny to the crustiest elder.
Screw Your Aesthetic: Despite what witches on Instagram might have you think, “real” witchcraft does not have to be blood, skulls and sex. Thorn Mooney explains.
Spiritual Treatment is No Substitute for Mental Health Care: It seems all too common for Pagans to treat their spiritual practice as an alternative to mental health care. US author and Druid John Beckett points out the dangers and fallacies of this.
Five Signs You Shouldn’t Run a Pagan Group: Thinking about starting your own Pagan group? Thorn Mooney has put together a few things about yourself you should consider first.
The Witch’s Guide to Etiquette – Avoiding Witch Wars: For our final Community Safety Month resource for 2018, we chose this gem by author and witch Laura Tempest Zakroff.
0 Community Safety Month 2018: Consent Culture and Dealing with Abuse
March is Community Safety Month for the PCV. Throughout this month we will be promoting safe, sane and inclusive Pagan community for all through the sharing of information, discussion topics and more.
So far this month we’ve shared some important information for those new to Paganism, as well as some handy advice on looking for and joining a group. Now we move on to consent culture. For many Pagans, sexuality and the body are sacred. Unfortunately, this is not always enough in and of itself to prevent sexual harassment and abuse.
As well as the resources listed below, we strongly recommend anyone involved with the public Pagan scene read the Pagan Consent Culture anthology, which is edited by Christine Hoff Kraemer and Yvonne Aburrow.
Promoting Consent Culture in the Pagan Community: This is a summary of a model outlined in the Pagan Consent Culture anthology, which is edited by Christine Hoff Kraemer and Yvonne Aburrow. It outlines some preventative measures, as well as strategies for creating consent culture.
We recommend anyone involved in the Pagan community take a look at this book when they get a chance.
Pagans, Hugging and the Fine Art of Consent: An important reminder from Thorn Mooney about consent and touchy-feely Pagans at festivals.
The Curse of Pagan Niceness: (Content Warning) This piece from Canadian witch Sable Aradia looks at the pitfalls of Pagan “niceness” and how attitudes such as this are detrimental to creating a consent culture in our community.
Abuse Happens in a Culture that enables it: (Content Warning) Yvonne Aburrow has written widely on creating consent culture within the Pagan community. In this piece, she discusses some of the cultural changes that need to take place within the scene to minimise the risk of abusers and abuse.
Responding to Abuse in the Pagan Community: (Content Warning) Psychotherapist Cat Chapin-Bishop discusses what the Pagan community can do to protect victims, and to keep perpetrators from using our communities to find and access victims.
Do our Stereotypes Keep us Safe?: This article by Aussie Pagan blogger Bekah Evie Bel examines just how safe modern Pagans are in today’s society, pointing out that we may be doing more harm to ourselves as a community by staying “hidden”.
0 Meeting Minutes: Special General Meeting – March 2018
Thankyou to Mark for putting together the minutes of Sunday’s Special General Meeting, which was held to elect a new Vice President following the resignation of Nickole, who has taken on increased teaching and leadership duties within Reclaiming. The committee would like to once again thank Nickole for her many contributions to Pagan community building in this state, and wish her all the best with her new duties. 🙂
Pagan Collective of Victoria
Special General Meeting
Meeting Minutes 18/02/2018
Present: Josie, Dorian, Alex, Sarah, Mark, Ryan, Shaz, Seamus, Ang, Dean
Apologies: Elkie and Fran
Meeting Location: Bimbo’s, Fitzroy
Meeting Open: 3.39
President:
We are legally required to hold a special general meeting and elect an interim Vice-President who will hold this position until the next AGM. This meeting is specifically to elect a new Vice, any other business will have to wait until the next meeting. Thank you and best wishes to outgoing Vice President Nickole, who has taken on increased teaching and leadership duties within the Reclaiming community.
Nominations:
We had two nominations for the position – Shaz and Alex, both of whom were seconded readily.
Results:
A show of hands was used to vote with the two nominees having left the room temporarily. Shaz was the winning candidate and is to be announced as the new Vice-President.
Side-bar:
It has been mentioned several times before that it would be a great idea to train up other people in how to do the various jobs done by the committee and at the next meeting we will discuss how to implement this and if Alex is willing he can be amongst the first to benefit from this.
President:
Thank-you everyone for being willing candidates and committee members to work through this quickly and efficiently.
Meeting Close: 3.44
0 Meeting Minutes: February 18, 2018
Many thanks to our secretary Mark for putting these minutes together. 🙂
Pagan Collective of Victoria
Meeting Minutes 18/02/2018
Present: Josie, Nickole, Dorian, Elkie, Alex, Sarah, Mark, Ryan
Apologies: Seamus, Ang, Shaz, Dean
Meeting Location: The Last Jar, Melbourne
Meeting Open: 12.38
- President’s Report –
We are now back into things again after the Christmas break. The committee dinner was a great opportunity to get to know each other better and we will try and do these a few times a year to help strengthen our bond as a team. Patreon is up and posting more to come later in the meeting.
- Secretary’s Report –
There isn’t a lot of new news on this front at present, we are overhauling the membership sign-up process and database to make things more efficient.
- Treasurer’s Report –
We currently have about $17 in the account, the first of the Patreon payments won’t come through until the start of the next month.
- Meet-up Reports
Hills
The Hills ritual went really well and they are hoping to be able to do something like this again in the future. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
CBD
The numbers continue to go well for the city meetup, with a good regular attendance, there is going to be a slight change to the discussion format as it moves forward this year. They are contemplating doing a Facebook live at a future event.
Ballarat
Ballarat meet-ups are still in discussion with the possibility of running four a year on the table at present.
Frankston
These meet-ups are still continuing on and are going well with some regular faces as well as new faces turning up each meeting.
Swinburn
The first Swinburn pagan event will be coming up soon, it is very exciting.
5. Morris Report
The side is still continuing on in 2018, working on getting the skills up ready to be performance ready. They are attending English Ale in May. They have begun learning a second dance (Dilwyn) and are practicing processionals.
- Patreon
Patreon is now live and posting. Thank-you to everyone that has supported, contributed to and worked on getting it live. Also a big thank-you to everyone that has become a backer, or been helping share it around.
7. Website
The overhaul is well underway and now blog posts immediately post to the Facebook as well. The site is getting anywhere from 50 – 200 hits a day. That is frankly amazing.
- Facebook
The stats are up really well, so please continue to share and interact with it to help keep this up. -
Membership
We are updating the form so that when a member signs up it sends it straight to our database (which is being overhauled) We will be contacting members to confirm their details and to ensure they know their membership number. - Community Safety Month
Have a lot of articles lined up ready to go throughout March so that our social media will be posting something every day designed to provide the community with access to information that will educate and inform in a variety of aspects of safe community.
- Spiral Dance
Yes they are still coming to Melbourne, no we don’t have the date yet but will be posting more about it when we do. This will be branded as a PCV presents event.12. Pagan Pride Day
The date has been selected as April 7th.
Sarah will be drawing up a list of speakers and presenters for the various traditions and paths in Victoria as well as the various groups currently running events open to the public.
It has been proposed that we have a Druids v Witches Kubb game on the day, it will be a light-hearted thing, designed to be entertaining.
13. Seasonal Celebrations
Yule – this was to be organised by Dean? We will need to clarify
Autumn Equinox – we currently don’t have someone running the equinox now that Pagan Pride Day is in April.
-
Instagram
We now have an Instagram that is being run by Dorian at present. It can be found by looking for pagancollectivevic. -
Workshops
It would be great if we can start announcing some of the dates for workshops, so could the committee members who have volunteered to run workshops please start trying to work out the dates for their workshop. These will probably be 1 – 2 hours in length and $10 – $15 for non-Patreon backers.16. Chat Bots
Ryan is investigating chat bots with involves direct engagement content with users. He is currently learning about how to use them and will run it when this gets off the ground.
- Inclusive Language
It was raised that we should consider changing some of the language on our website and social media to make it more inclusive. It can sometimes come across as slightly Wicca or eclectic witchcraft centric and it would be a shame if that made people from other paths feel left out.
Meeting End: 1.50 PM
0 Community Safety Month 2018: Finding and Joining a Group
March is Community Safety Month for the PCV. Throughout this month we will be promoting safe, sane and inclusive Pagan community for all through the sharing of information, discussion topics and more.
We started the month by sharing advice and information for people new to Paganism. This week we’re moving on to tips and advice on finding a joining a group. These articles have been shared daily on our Facebook page.
Your First Pagan Event: In this article, NSW group The Pagan Fringe share some helpful dos and don’ts for anyone attending their first public Pagan event.
Paganism for Beginners – Group Dynamics: This article by Yvonne Aburrow looks at some of the most commonly used structures of groups, as well as how and why some groups can find themselves failing.
How do I find a Coven?: This article by The Pagan Fringe offers advice on finding a coven or working group in Australia.
How to Find and Join a Coven: The last few articles we’ve shared have been about seeking out and joining Pagan groups of a range of traditions. This piece by US Gardnerian writer Thorn Mooney offers advice for those drawn to traditional, hierarchical, coven-based forms of Craft.
Cult Warning Signs: This resource is a handy checklist written by cult specialist Rick Ross. These warning signs can help you identify safe and unsafe behaviours in a group and its leader/s.
Pagan Relationships – Building Lasting Community: This piece examines and discusses some of the factors needed for building healthy, sustainable Pagan community.
Wiccan Deal-Breakers: In this article, Thorn Mooney outlines some of the signs that you should re-examine whether the path you are seeking is the right one for you.
0 Spiral Dance Melbourne Concert: back the PCV on Patreon and get 50% off your ticket!
Multi-award winning Pagan band Spiral Dance is returning to Melbourne in July 2018, thanks to the Pagan Collective of Victoria.
Late 2017 saw the arrival of a new member of Spiral Dance! Alice, a virtuoso violinist and talented flautist and pianist, adds depth to the melodies as well as considerable experience with musical arrangements.
Back the PCV on Patreon before May 1 and save 50% off your ticket! www.patreon.com/pagancollective
Spiral Dance’s new album, Land and Legend, on sale now!
www.spiraldance.com.au
