Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
CUUPS Convo in Review

CUUPS Convo in Review

Last updated on: August 31, 2016 at 6:35 am by Maggie Beaumont

CUUPS Convo in Review 2016-08-31T06:35:21+00:00 Maggie Beaumont

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jerrie Hildebrand and Rev. Shirley Ranck at CUUPS Convo in Salem, MA. 8/28/2016

This past weekend CUUPS Continental held a Convo in Salem, Massachusetts – and …

people came from all around the country
we discovered a few of the amazingly diverse ways different CUUPS chapters meet and operate in different congregations
we found ways to share what we knew and learn from each other
we heard DYNAMITE speakers and attended kick-ass workshops
we started talking about where and when the NEXT Convo might be held …
and we started wondering what would be added if YOU had been there?

We heard from UU Minister (retired) Shirley Ranck, who was asked in the early 1980s to put together a curriculum on women in religion … and created Cakes for the Queen of Heaven … which pulled thousands of us into both Paganism and Unitarian Universalism, and which the UUA took five years to approve.

We heard from Byron Ballard, an Appalachian folk magic practitioner who shared wisdom about having the courage of our convictions.

We heard from John Beckett, a former vice president of the CUUPS Board who blogs about CUUPS, Druidry, and Paganism.

We heard from Gypsy Ravish, longtime leader of the Temple of Nine Wells.

We learned a lot this weekend. We learned that we CAN put on an amazing, successful conference, even if the team has to come from a two-hour radius of the conference location. We learned (again) that many hands make light work.

We met in small and large groups for a detailed look at several topics (in no particular order, honest):

Prison ministry, from volunteering in person to maintaining pen-pal relationships with inmates, supporting those who have found Paganism in prison as well as longtime Pagans who find themselves inside;
Daily practice for Pagans in the modern busy world;
Recognizing that this is no time to stop and gawk – we need to begin to move into the post-industrial age, creating cooperative, sustainable, resilient community;
Asking what our descendants are going to need from us, from our actions today;
Boosting the signal of those at ground zero, bringing renewing love;
Bringing peace and peaceful processes forward from ancient peaceful cultures;
Bringing old magic from Appalachia, and from the British Isles where many Appalachian families came from;
The integrity it takes to own the word Witch;
What a recent CUUPS survey can tell usabout UU-Pagans and UU-Paganism – and where the work is;
Pagan voices in UUism … and UU voices in Paganism … and how they became a book;
Being willing to step forward and do something for its own sake, and then recognizing the larger impact it develops;
Being willing to stand up for what’s important, even when that’s unpopular;
Speaking truth to power and braving the disapproval of authorities;
Salem – the Witch City – and how it became that;
How to create a classroom experience that serves experienced Pagans and newcomer seekers alike;
Land spirits, ancestors, and how you might work with them;
Herbs and herb magic;
Lessons of the Chambered Nautilus – for humans, for groups, for growth and change;
… and so much more.

A lot of networking went on; lots of cross-pollination of ideas and sharing of successes, failures, and learning experiences.

One thing we got wrong was … YOU weren’t there.

Some folks weren’t there because of scheduling – it was the last weekend before school started for some folks, and the first weekend after college started for other folks.

Some folks weren’t there because of cost – for registration, for lodging, for travel.

Some folks weren’t there because of job commitments, and the need to take at least one workday off for travel.

Some folks weren’t there because they weren’t sure they were invited – maybe Convo would be “only for chapter leadership,” or maybe “only for people who had a CUUPS chapter in their home UU congregation.” Or maybe, some people thought, it might be only for people of a certain skin color or a certain marital status or a certain lifestyle.

We’d love to hear some feedback from the folks who weren’t there, as well as those who were – through comments on this post, or via e-mail to [email protected] We’d also love feedback from the folks who were there, but there’s a more formal method for that.

Most important question, either way: What would you like to see in the next CUUPS Convo? What can we do to get YOU there?

Blessed Be

— Maggie Beaumont, August 30, 2016

Unitarian Universalism

Previous Post

August 30, 2016

Marcus Aurelius, from Exhortations to Himself

Next Post

September 1, 2016 Veneration Without Venom, Honor Without Hate

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Current Events CUUPS Press Release Interfaith liturgy Media Review podcast Religious Education Seasonal Reflection Spiritual Practice Summary Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 January 2026 December 2025 October 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz