FAITHFUL JOURNEYS
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children
SESSION 7: CREATE MAGIC, CHANGE THE WORLD
BY BY ALICE ANACHEKA-NASEMANN AND LYNN UNGAR SUSAN DANA LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR JUDITH A. FREDIANI, DIRECTOR OF LIFESPAN FAITH DEVELOPMENT
© Copyright 2009 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 11/7/2014 3:18:52 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
SESSION OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Whatever you think you can do, or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it. — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Any ritual is an opportunity for transformation. — Starhawk
In this session, participants explore the third Unitarian Universalist Principle, acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. Children hear a contemporary story about Aisha, a pagan Unitarian Universalist girl, who celebrates the harvest holiday Lammas at a peace rally. During the celebration, she finds the courage to take the stage and lend her voice to the gathering.
Participants learn a concept of "magic" based on focusing one's energy on purposeful, positive action to change the world in a positive way. We discuss ways our spiritual practices, such as the pagan practice of magic, lead us to involvement and faithful action in the world. We add the signpost "Create Magic" to our Faithful Journeys Path.
Review the materials list for Activity 6, Creating Wands, well in advance of this session to obtain all the materials you will need.
GOALS
This session will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
SESSION-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Opening | 2 |
Activity 1: Faithful Footprints | 5 |
Activity 2: Move It! Spiral Dance | 8 |
Activity 3: Story Basket and Guided Meditation | 5 |
Activity 4: Story — The Perfect Peace Harvest | 10 |
Activity 5: Defining Magic | 5 |
Activity 6: Creating Wands | 15 |
Activity 7: Blessing of the Wands | 3 |
Faith in Action: Magic Month: Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty | |
Closing | 7 |
Alternate Activity 1: Meditation Paintings | 25 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
If it would be helpful in creating sacred space, light a candle or chalice. Read the guided meditation in Activity 3, Story Basket and Guided Meditation. If possible, find someone to read the guided meditation to you while you close your eyes and experience it. Otherwise, read it a few times and then meditate while imagining a flame that moves through you and guides you as you engage in the work you love best.
SESSION PLAN
OPENING (2 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the children in a circle. Light the chalice. Point out the chalice-lighting words on the newsprint and invite the group to read together:
We light this flame for the light of truth, the warmth of love, and the energy of action.
Indicate the poster(s) of the Unitarian Universalist Principles. Or, give each child a copy of the handout. Ask a volunteer to read the third Principle in the adult language. Ask a second volunteer to read the children's version of the third Principle. Then, say:
Today we will learn about this Unitarian Universalist Principle — what it means, and what kinds of actions show it. Let's get started.
Collect handouts for reuse.
Including All Participants
If not all participants are fluent readers, take the time to teach the group to say the opening words from memory.
If the group has children who are sensitive to perfumes or other chemicals, use unscented candles or an electric or battery-operated flame. An electric flame is also recommended if you may not use open flames or if any participants are afraid of fire.
ACTIVITY 1: FAITHFUL FOOTPRINTS (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity reinforces children's learning as they model translating faith into action for one another. To strengthen children's Unitarian Universalist identity, help participants see how their own behavior demonstrates specific Principles.
Gather in a circle. Point to the Faithful Journeys Path and say:
Together we are taking a journey to learn what it means to live as Unitarian Universalists. Each time we meet, we talk about ways our actions show our beliefs about what is right and good. This is called "putting our faith into action."
When you share about something you have done that shows what you believe, you can choose a footprint or wheelchair to put on our Faithful Journeys Path.
Hold up the footprint you made of your own faithful action. Tell what you did and how it represents your Unitarian Universalist beliefs. If you can connect your action to a Principle, briefly explain. For example:
Ask the children to think of an act they have done, since you met last, that reflects Unitarian Universalism. You may wish to prompt:
As participants name their actions, write a word or phrase describing the action on a footprint or wheelchair cutout. Invite children to write their names on their cutouts and post them on the Faithful Journeys Path. Have them progress along the path over the course of the program.
To stay within the time frame for this activity, use these guidelines:
It is very important to avoid judging participants, either with criticism or praise. Avoid phrases like "Great job!" or "You're fantastic!" which might suggest that acts of faith vary in their value or encourage children to compete to share the "best" act.
You should, however, respond to each child's contribution. Listen carefully to what a child tells you. After each child shares, say something like, "Thank you for sharing," followed by a summarizing sentence, such as:
Identify the Unitarian Universalist Principles each act represents; refer to the Principles poster if the room has one or indicate a relevant signpost on the Faithful Journeys Path. By responding specifically to each child's faithful actions, you will help them feel pride, a sense of accomplishment, and their own empowerment as agents whose actions and choices reflect Unitarian Universalist beliefs and values.
Including All Participants
Along with cut-out footprints (Session 1, Handout 3, Faithful Footprints), provide wheelchairs (Session 1, Handout 4, Making Tracks for Faith) in the same colors of paper. Encourage all the children — not just those who use wheelchairs for mobility — to sometimes use a wheelchair instead of footprints to represent their faithful actions.
ACTIVITY 2: MOVE IT! SPIRAL DANCE (8 MINUTES)
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Have group stand in a circle. Explain that a spiral dance is often used to raise energy during pagan rituals and festivals.
Introduce any guest(s) who will lead the spiral dance and invite them to briefly tell when, where, and why they have done this dance before.
Ask volunteers to distribute percussion instruments or to control the music player. Lead the dance.
When you have finished the spiral dance but are still holding hands gathered in the center of the circle, say something like:
Can you feel any energy? Imagine that the energy we just raised is flowing like light through our circle. We are going to take that energy and throw it into the air for peace.
Tell children you will count to three, and when you reach "three" they may raise their arms into the air (still holding hands) and imagine peace flowing like light from your circle into the world. Lead the group in chanting, "Peace, peace, peace ... " Start the chant at normal volume, get slowly louder, and then get slowly quieter, allowing the sound to fade away altogether. Close by saying, "Blessed be."
While still in a circle, briefly ask:
End the activity by saying something like:
Many Unitarian Universalists believe that we can change the world when we send energy for good things. Pagans call this "magic."
Including All Participants
A child with limited mobility may be able to participate in the spiral dance. Make sure there is adequate floor space for wheelchair/crutches to execute the turns, and guide the entire group to dance slowly. Or, give a child who cannot participate in the dancing a role in leading the activity, such as controlling the music player.
ACTIVITY 3: STORY BASKET AND GUIDED MEDITATION (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the children in a circle in your storytelling area. Show them the storytelling basket. Say something like, "Let's see what's in our story basket today."
Tell the group the items in the story basket will be placed on the altar or table after the children have passed them around the circle. Take the story-related items from the basket, one at a time, and pass them around. Objects that are fragile or should not be passed around for any reason can be held up for all to see and then placed directly on the altar.
Briefly name the various objects. As items come back to you, display them on the altar for children to look at as they listen to the story.
Explain that some Unitarian Universalists are pagans. You might say:
Pagan religious practices involve celebrating nature's rhythms and seasons. In our congregations, we celebrate this way sometimes, too.
If you can, give some examples from your congregation the children will recognize.
Explain that Lammas is a pagan holiday celebrated on August 1. It is a holiday to mark the harvest time — when the crops have grown and people are gathering the food that will feed them. Talk briefly about agricultural seasons that children know about in your local area. Ask the children to name crops that are harvested to eat in your area or elsewhere.
Remove the sound instrument from the story basket. Tell the children that every time you tell a story in Faithful Journeys, you will first use the instrument to help them get their ears, minds, and bodies ready to listen. Tell them that today you will use a new centering exercise that comes from the pagan tradition. Settle the children so they are sitting comfortably, not touching another child. Invite them to close their eyes (if they are comfortable doing so).
In a calm, slow voice, say:
Take a deep breath and imagine a fire starting down at the base of your spine [on your back.] It feels warm and soothing through your belly. It is like sitting, relaxed, in front of a bonfire, but the fire is you; it is your spirit. Keep breathing deeply as the fire begins to spread across your back and up through your chest, filling you with energy. Take another deep breath as the fire continues to move up through your neck and out through your head. Imagine this fire clearing your thoughts and allowing you to feel comfortable and sure of yourself and what you believe. You are able to listen and learn from others and share what you know with strength. As you continue to breathe, imagine this fire spreading down your arms and out your fingertips. Imagine doing the work you love most with your favorite people. Imagine all that you create and all that you touch becoming moved by your fiery spirit. Let yourself sigh. Imagine your fire moving down past your hips and through your feet. This is your spirit and the wise spirit of the Goddess. You are part of what is sacred in the world. This fire guides your feet and helps you know what path you are meant to walk. Still taking deep breaths, see yourself as glowing with this fire within. How will this fire move into the world? Where will it take you? Imagine yourself doing what matters most to you, something you feel will make a difference in the world. Let the picture form clearly in your mind. Watch what it looks like, who you are with, what you are doing, what you smell, what you hear, what you feel. This is you. You have this power within you. Breathe deeply. Allow the fire to move back up your legs, back through your arms, down from your head and chest, until it glows at the base of your spine again. Sigh out all the extra energy you don't need and imagine it sinking back into the Earth, which knows what to do with it. Breathe deeply and return to this room.
Now you are ready to listen. When I hit the chime (turn the rain stick over), listen as carefully as you can. See how long you can hear its sound. When you can no longer hear it, open your eyes and you will know it is time for the story to begin.
Sound the chime or other instrument. When the sound has gone, begin telling the story.
Including All Participants
If anyone in the group is unable to hold or pass items, or cannot see the items, make sure you or a child in the group offers the person a chance to see and touch each object, as needed.
Some people do not feel safe closing their eyes in a group. If any children resist, respect their resistance and suggest that they find a single point of focus to look at instead.
If you have a basket of fidget objects for children who may listen and learn more effectively with something in their hands, make the fidget object basket available during this activity. Remind children where it is before you begin the meditation part of this activity. For a full description of fidget objects and guidance on using them, see Session 2, Leader Resource 2.
ACTIVITY 4: STORY — THE PERFECT PEACE HARVEST (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
In the story "The Perfect Peace Harvest," a pagan Unitarian Universalist child describes what is going on inside her and around her as she takes the stage and leads the gathering at a peace rally on the pagan harvest holiday, Lammas. In the story, Aisha and the others gathered with her demonstrate our third Unitarian Universalist Principle, acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.
Teach the children the refrain that repeats through the story:
On Lammas you've gotta stomp your dancing feet,
On Lammas you've gotta raise your voice and speak,
Lammas is the harvest, we've gotta harvest peace.
If possible, create a drumbeat to use each time you chant the refrain.
Before you begin, look around the room and make eye contact with each person. Read or tell the story.
Sound the instrument to indicate that the story is over. Then, guide a brief discussion using these questions:
ACTIVITY 5: DEFINING MAGIC (5 MINUTES)
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group in a circle. Ask the children what they think magic is. Take a few answers. Then say, in your own words:
Many people think magic is tricks, like pulling a live rabbit out of a hat or making a quarter disappear. But some people in our Unitarian Universalist congregations believe in a different kind of magic. They believe magic is something people can do and there are no tricks to it. Magic can happen when you bring all your attention and focus on one intention, something good you want to have happen, and you raise energy, like we did in the spiral dance earlier, or like Aisha did in the story when she banged cymbals and chanted about Lammas at the peace rally.
This means you can be a magic maker when you think of something positive you want to do and you create some energy to help make it happen.
Magic has consequences. A good consequence was when Aisha found the courage to speak in front of the crowd. But a bad consequence could happen if your focus is not on something positive, or if you create lots of energy with no purpose. It is really important that you create magic for good, by focusing on intentions that hurt no one and are healthy and good for everyone.
ACTIVITY 6: CREATING WANDS (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather children at work tables. Tell them they will make their own wands as a symbol for the kind of magic they want to create. Remind them that good magic starts with a good intention. Ask them to take a moment in their own heads to develop an intention — a positive change they want to make. You may ask children to share their intentions with the group.
Now ask if they remember what else is needed to make magic the Unitarian Universalist pagan way. Affirm: focus and energy. Tell them they will have about 15 minutes to focus on their intention and raise some energy by decorating their own wand.
Distribute wands and set out decorating materials.
At least one co-leader should make a wand in order to lead the next activity, Blessing of the Wands.
Children who finish quickly can be invited to make a second wand if there are sufficient supplies.
ACTIVITY 7: BLESSING OF THE WANDS (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather participants in a standing circle holding their wands. Explain that they will take their wands home with them today, but first the group will raise energy to bless the wands and put some of the energy from the group into them.
Teach the participants the blessing words:
Never shall this wand do evil! Always shall its magic rise from love! Bonitas!
Note: Bonitas is Latin for goodness, especially moral goodness, kindness, and integrity. It is pronounced bo nee tas.
Have all participants hold their wands straight out in front of them. Then, take your wand and hold it above the wand of the person on your right. In a confident voice, lead the group in saying:
Never shall this wand do evil! Always shall its magic rise from love! Bonitas!
Then tap your wand on the other person's wand. Go around the circle, with the group blessing each wand individually until all have been blessed.
CLOSING (7 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity helps children get used to practicing a closing ritual as a way of affirming their belonging in the faith community.
Gather the group in a circle. Thank the children for participating and sharing their stories and ideas in this session. Tell them something you liked about the way they worked together as a community.
Point out the Faithful Journeys Path. Say, in your own words:
Our Faithful Journeys Path shows our journey to live our lives and act in ways that reflect our Unitarian Universalist beliefs and faith. The signposts direct us by reminding us about our Principles.
Today's signpost is "Create Magic." It is for our third Unitarian Universalist Principle: We affirm and promote acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. It means we believe it is good to learn and grow spiritually — to grow in our hearts, not just our bodies. It also means Unitarian Universalists have many different ways we take care of our spirits, like walking in the woods, doing rituals, helping other people, or praying. When our spirits grow, we become more loving and we can work to make the world a better place. That's how we can create magic.
Attach the signpost to the Faithful Journeys Path.
Remind the children that the next time they meet they will have a chance to add Faithful Footprints to the Faithful Journeys Path. Encourage them to try to do an action during the week that shows their acceptance of one another or encouragement to spiritual growth. Brainstorm some actions together. You might suggest: learning yoga poses and trying them with family members or friends; combining focus, intention, and energy into a prayer for the well-being of others; thinking about something that is important and raising energy for it; putting some "magic" into planting a garden or potting indoor herbs; or doing "magic" that is good for the world by being kind or helping someone.
Point out the words to the UU Principles Song. Tell the children it is sung to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm." Lead the children in singing the verse about the third Principle. Then, sing the entire song together. Explain that you will learn about all of the Principles during the Faithful Journeys program.
Distribute the Taking It Home handout. Thank the children, tell them you look forward to seeing them next time, and dismiss the group.
FAITH IN ACTION: MAGIC MONTH, RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS AND SENSELESS ACTS OF BEAUTY
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Choose a month during which all members of your congregation will be encouraged to make "magic" by practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty in your congregation and/or local community. Launch the month with a presentation by the Faithful Journeys children during Sunday worship. Offer ideas for magical acts at that presentation and through your congregation's communication network. You might approach worship leaders about inviting volunteers to share about their random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty during worship services this month.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Take a few minutes to evaluate the session with your co-leader immediately afterward, while it is fresh. Share your thoughts with any other team co-leaders and your director of religious education. You might find it helpful to consider these questions:
TAKING IT HOME
Whatever you think you can do, or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it. — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Any ritual is an opportunity for transformation. — Starhawk
IN TODAY'S SESSION... We heard a story about a Unitarian Universalist child who celebrates the pagan harvest holiday, Lammas, by going to a peace rally every year. To illustrate our third Unitarian Universalist Principle, acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth, we learned about magic as a spiritual practice we can use to work for the good of the world. We created our own wands and did a spiral dance. Our signpost to help guide us in faithful action was "Create Magic."
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about... We defined magic today as combining focus, intention, and energy. Many other spiritual practices also combine focus, intention, and energy. Tell your child about a spiritual practice you are familiar with and explain how focus, intention, and energy are involved. Tell what the practice means to you and how it affirms one or more of our Unitarian Universalist Principles.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try... Pay extra attention to times when your child creates magic by combining focus, intention, and energy, such as making and carrying out a plan to recycle plastic and care for the Earth or making a get-well card for a relative or friend. Point out instances of your child acting faithfully in a way that reflects the Principle of acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. Your child will have the opportunity to tell how they "created magic" the next time Faithful Journeys meets.
FAMILY ADVENTURE
Pay attention to the evening skies for a few months, including the waxing and waning of the moon. On a clear night when the moon is full, take a family walk, preferably in a natural setting that is familiar to you and safe, with well-marked trails. When you return home, finish the evening with sparkling fruit juice or hot cider, cocoa, or tea or to celebrate the seasonal harvest in your locality or somewhere far away.
A FAMILY RITUAL
As a daily practice, say "Thank you" to the Earth for the food, shelter, and very life it gives us. A natural time to do this would be at mealtime, but it also could be a bedtime ritual. Enhance the ritual with prayers or blessings from the book Earth Prayers from Around the World, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, or another like it.
A FAMILY GAME
In "I Spy," one person says, "I spy something the color (fill in the blank)." Others take turns guessing the item and the person who guesses correctly is the next "spy." Play "I Spy" in a natural setting. Instead of identifying items by color, say, "I spy something that is a tree/a plant/an insect/a rock/made of wood."
FAMILY DISCOVERY
Learn more paganism through the fictional Aisha in the book Aisha's Moonlit Walk, by Anika Stafford. The book Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions, by Starhawk, is appropriate for parents of any religion who wish to encourage a love of nature in their families.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: MEDITATION PAINTINGS (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Instead of using the guided meditation to help children get centered for hearing the story, use it as a lead-in to this activity. Trace an outline of each participant's body on the paper and help children cut out the outlines and write their names on the back. If children will use paint, spread newspaper under each body outline.
Then, gather children in a circle where they can sit comfortably, with their eyes closed if they so choose. Read the guided meditation to the group.
When you are done, direct the children to paint their vision from the guided meditation, painting flames or pictures of things they imagined themselves doing. Optional: Display the meditation paintings in your meeting space.
Including All Participants
If any participants cannot lie on the ground, represent all the children with a standard head-and-shoulders tracing.
FAITHFUL JOURNEYS: SESSION 7:
STORY: THE PERFECT PEACE HARVEST
From the book Aisha's Moonlit Walk: Stories and Celebrations for the Pagan Year, by Anika Stafford ( Boston : Skinner House, 2005).
Tell the children you will signal them with a drumbeat (or another signal) when it is time to join in the refrain.
Every year on Lammas, we clamor our way to City Hall with posters and placards to picket for peace.Every year since I was a baby we have a big rally.Speakers and singers, dancers and screamers, we all gather to say that we want "peace now, peace now."Lammas is a time to raise your voice, even when it's hard. It's a time to say no to war and to anything else that hurts anyone, anywhere in the world.
Most of the people at the rally aren't pagans, but they all yell, "Peace now, peace now," which is as much of a Lammas celebration as anything I can think of.
We carry drums to bang and cymbals to clang.Since I've been coming here all my life, it's not too hard to get ready to clang and bang.I come ready to make some noise.
On Lammas you've gotta stomp your dancing feet,
On Lammas you've gotta raise your voice and speak,
Lammas is the harvest, we've gotta harvest peace.
This year there are at least a hundred people, maybe more.There are people with canes, people with crowns, people draped in crazy costumes, yelling, "Peace now, peace now!"
There are people with puppets taller than the treetops and people holding signs that say "No War."Standing in back are people watching in silence until we all yell, "Peace now, peace now!"Then everyone yells together.
My family and I meet people under a banner that says "Pagans for Peace."There are pagans we know who greet us with big happy hugs and pagans we don't know but we all yell, "Peace now, peace now!" for Lammas.
On Lammas you've gotta stomp your dancing feet,
On Lammas you've gotta raise your voice and speak,
Lammas is the harvest, we've gotta harvest peace.
There are babies snug in their snuggly carriers and toddlers toddling on the grass.They yell, "eace, now, eace, now," which is definitely close enough to "peace now" for any of us."That's how you used to say it when you were little," my dad tells me.My brother Eli yells and sings, and I swing him up onto my shoulders.
There is a stage at the front of the rally with microphones and banners.Huge flags with doves and peace signs wave in the August wind.There are old women in crazy hats who step up and sing for peace. But there are no kids up there.There are teenagers in silly skirts and socks who step up and cheer and chant for peace. But there are no kids. Everyone speaks out, but there are no kids at the microphones.
"This is ridiculous," I burst out to my mom."I have been coming here my whole entire life and I've never seen a single kid on that stage!"
"Aisha," my mom says, "what a great idea! Run up and tell them you want to speak.Hurry!"
I freeze.I hadn't meant me.Just some kid.My heart thuds in my chest.I just meant someone, anyone else.I look at the crowd: a hundred people, maybe more.I am ten years old.I do not want to speak in front of all of them.
But I have been coming here for ten years, and for ten years I've chanted the same words:
On Lammas you've gotta stomp your dancing feet,
On Lammas you've gotta raise your voice and speak,
Lammas is the harvest, we've gotta harvest peace.
My stomach is fluttery.My legs are jittery.This feels nothing like peace, but I've got to do it.I know I do.So I slowly lift my brother off of my shoulders and put him on the ground.
"I'm going to go up," I tell my mom, and she grins her biggest grin. "I'm going to go up!" I exclaim loudly to everyone around us under the "Pagans for Peace" banner.Our friend Alex comes over to me."Hooray!" he yells.He picks me up in a big bear hug and swings me around."Good for you!" our friends cheer. Now I have to do it.
I run all the way up to the stage before I can lose my nerve and run back.There are organizers standing next to it."I am here to speak," I tell the grown-ups on the stage.
One man looks at me."There isn't enough time," he says.
I want to run back but I don't.Instead, I take a deep breath and try again. "There are never any kids speaking," I tell him.Then I turn to the other organizers."What if I only say just four quick things?"The organizers look at each other and shrug."Okay," they say."Just four quick things."
I stand at the microphone with my fluttery stomach and jittery legs. I have been coming here since I was a baby, but raising my voice in front of the whole crowd is one of the hardest things I've ever done.Even though I don't feel the littlest bit of peace, I take a deep breath and begin.
"War doesn't help anything," I say."It doesn't give us clean water."
Everyone yells back, "No!"
"It doesn't give us land to grow our food!" I say.
And again, the crowd yells, "No!"
"It doesn't let kids grow up healthy!"I call out.
"No! No!No!" everyone yells.
"We all need the Earth and the water, and we all need each other." I raise my voice loudly into the microphone."So," I finish,"what do we want?"
And the crowd goes wild, yelling, "Peace now, peace now, peace now!"
I look down and see that our "Pagans for Peace" group is starting a big, snaking, twisting, spiral dance through the crowd.I run down and grab hands with them as more and more people join us, taking each other's hands and singing.
We sing and smile, dancing our way through the crowd and around the buildings.Our song fills me with bouncy gleefulness.With my legs strong and sturdy again, I imagine our song is like water splashing us.
On Lammas you've gotta stomp your dancing feet,
On Lammas you've gotta raise your voice and speak,
Lammas is the harvest, we've gotta harvest peace.
I have come here every Lammas since I was a baby, but speaking in front of the whole entire crowd is the most perfect peace harvest I've ever made.
FAITHFUL JOURNEYS: SESSION 7:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: SIGNPOST FOR SESSION 7
Cut out the signpost to add to your Faithful Journeys Path.
FAITHFUL JOURNEYS: SESSION 7:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: HOW TO LEAD A SPIRAL DANCE
Adapted from the Dream Roads website, which also provides an animated illustration of a spiral dance.
For use with Activity 2, Move It! Spiral Dance.
Stand in a circle holding hands. Leader drops the hand of the person to their left and begins to move to the left, passing just in front of that person. Participants follow as they are guided by the leader.
Spiraling toward the center of the circle, travel one full time around the circle and then move halfway around the circle. Without dropping hands, turn toward the person on your right and move past this person and continue spiraling to your left past the other people in the circle, facing them. Continue until you pass the last person in the line.
Now continue to spiral facing out one full circle. After a full circle, turn again to face the person to your right without dropping their hand. Spiral to your left past the other people in the circle, facing them. Go a small distance past the last person in the line and begin to spiral in toward the center of the circle, making increasingly small circles as you go. Keep winding toward the center until you are huddled close together in the middle of the circle.
FAITHFUL JOURNEYS: SESSION 7:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: MAGIC MONTH LETTER TO PARENTS
Customize this letter and provide to Faithful Journeys parents well ahead of the children's Magic Month presentation to the congregation.
Dear Parents,
In Faithful Journeys, we have been discussing magic as a pagan spiritual practice that combines energy, focus, and intention to effect positive change. We would like to involve the congregation in spreading magic in our local community by practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty by proclaiming our own Magic Month in (insert month).
The children will present Magic Month to the congregation (insert date, place and time). Please bring your child a half hour early so we can practice our presentation together.
You can also help by completing some homework by (insert the deadline): Make a family plan for an action you can take during Magic Month. Be sure to involve your Faithful Journeys child in the planning and have them practice explaining it briefly. Your child will have the opportunity to present your family plan during our group presentation.
These ideas may help you choose an action for your family to do:
We hope you and your family will be creative, have fun, and most importantly, help us create magic in our community.
In Faith,
(Co-leader names and contact information)
FIND OUT MORE
Paganism and UUism
To learn more about paganism read Drawing Down the Moon by Unitarian Universalist Margot Adler, or any books by Starhawk.
To explore resources for pagan Unitarian Universalists, visit the CUUPS website (at www.cuups.org/).