Sacred Cauldron School of Wicca in SL -Seersha Heart Reporting...

It is 7:00 pm slt and a class begins.  Each student of Woolston-Steen Theological Seminary is represented by an avi sitting in the classroom.  “Earn Your Degree From Anywhere” is what Woolston-Steen emphasizes to their prospective students.  All of their classes are held online in their SL virtual classroom environment so that all students may participant from any location in the world.  If the student has access to the internet, they have access to the campus through SL.

            Sponsored by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, Woolston-Steen is recognized by the State of Washington as a religious seminary able to grant degrees in Wiccan Ministry.  You may earn an Associates’, a Bachelor’s, or a Doctorate in Wiccan Ministry.

The Dean of Seminary is Belladonna Laveau.  She is the Archpriestess of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church International.  She authored the book Awakening Spiritwhich is used by the U.S. Military to assist chaplains minister to Wiccan troops. 

            Today we get to hear from Dean Belladonna Laveau about the school and it’s connection to second life.

Dean Belladonna Laveau:  Thank you for the opportunity to talk to the SL Enquirer about what we do at WiccanSeminary.EDU, a real Wiccan College that holds classes in Secondlife.

Seersha Heart:  Happy to hear all about the college.  There are ways to make a class offering online, why did your school choose SL?

Dean Belladonna Laveau: We teach witchcraft at WiccanSeminary.EDU. Secondlife is a 'tween space where magic can be done and energy can be experienced. It's very similar to any other place "between the worlds". In this place we can teach magic easier, because we can generate the energy in the space with the students, and illustrate it. Students can see what we are doing energetically, and learn faster.

Seersha Heart:  Are any of your students veteran SL residents?  Are some familiar with SL before they begin school?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:We get a good bit of our student body through Secondlife residents. It's helpful to be familiar with, and a fan of Secondlife before starting school. Learning to navigate Secondlife can be an additional challenge for the student, who is not already adept with the software. Knowing how to shop, build, and edit makes it easier to turn in assignments and progress through the school.

Seersha Heart:  What training in SL do you offer students?  Do you have an orientation to SL?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:We take them to Caledon University, and accompany them while they go through. We also send them to Builder's Brewery, or provide a simple building class. We try to utilize the resources already provided on Secondlife, and be part of the greater community.

Seersha Heart:  How long has your school operated in the SL classrooms?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:Our school has been teaching classes in Secondlife since 2009. We first came in, when one of the students offered to let us set up on his private land. We then were offered to purchase Sacred Cauldron, which was already established. We couldn't resist such a beautiful and sacred offer. The Goddess provided us the funds for it in an immediate and miraculous way, and we were home.

Seersha Heart:  You list possible areas that need clergy on your website.  Does the school help students with job placement?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:  We do. The Aquarian Tabernacle Church sponsors the school. It has many departments where a student can work. You start out in intern positions that are volunteer, and learn the industry through experiencing it from the inside. We have a Career Counselor that is available for helping you map out your career path. 

Seersha Heart:  Is there a graduation ceremony?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:  Yes. It is held inworld in the spring.

Seersha Heart:  Do you know some rl jobs your graduates are doing now?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:  Most of our graduates continue in service as Ministers. They are running festivals and churches, writing books, and articles, being spiritual counselors, and serving to help Wiccans and Pagans all over the world. 

Seersha Heart:  Has SL proved to be a good location for your virtual classroom?  What are the good aspects and what are the aspects that challenge the school in SL?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:  We love working in Secondlife. We find it supportive of the many programs we have, and we continue to bring more programs inworld as we grow. The challenge is not having voice on cellphone viewers. We have started using Skype for Business for the voice chat aspect of the classroom instead of SL voice. It's more convenient for students on the go, and it allows us to record the class. We would be happier and more efficient if SL integrated with outside technologies.

Seersha Heart: Can someone apply to the school in SL from the campus?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:  Yes, just pop into the castle and as for help, or ask for help right on the Sacred Cauldron group list. There is almost always someone online to help. You do have to interface with a standard web browser to complete the forms and tuition requirements. The school does not accept Lindens for tuition.

Seersha Heart:  What do you want prospective students to know about the experience and the school?

Dean Belladonna Laveau:Sacred Cauldron is an open campus, come and see what it's like to do magic in a virtual 'tween space. There are so many layers that Secondlife brings to magical training, that I couldn't cover them within the space of this article. Having to create a world that changes with the seasons is a lesson of magical design that one wouldn't expect, and that is only one aspect to the depth of knowledge you will receive at WiccanSeminary.EDU. Another very important, but unexpected perk of working within secondlife is the exposure you have to the world-wide community of pagans. I have close friends all over the world, because of my work in Secondlife. These are the future leaders of Wicca, from all over the world. That's a networking perk that will prove to be invaluable to the students of today in years to come. Knowing each other across the globe, as you build your own churches, allows you to network, and form common goals, making it a stronger spiritual foundation for not only you, but for those who know you, and for the whole religion. 

Not only is it extremely valuable, it is a fun place to learn. Never discount the fun component when it comes to learning. Students that work in Secondlife can't wait to come to class. They spend more time on campus, more time focused on their studies, more time developing magical relationships, and more time learning. Our students advance faster, and become more accomplished, as their careers develop. We find Secondlife an invaluable addition to our online campus.

Seersha Heart:  Thank you so much for answering my questions.

Dean Belladonna Laveau:  Thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions. We at WiccanSeminary.EDU appreciate the chance to share our magic with you. 

            For more information, visit their website or visit Sacred Cauldron at the links below.  It is a magical experience.

Additional Information:

SURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sacred%20Cauldron/207/191/67

SL Group Name: http://www.wiccanseminary.edu

**This article has been updated on 2/27/17 to correct the mispelling of Dean Belladonna Laveau. The SL Enquirer apologizes for any inconvience it may have caused 

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The Winter Solstice: Interview with Kara Foxdale, priestess at Sacred Cauldron- Bimala Tagore Reporting

All around the world December is the most mystic month of the year. If you feel more spiritual or sentimental, maybe it’s the influence of the “Winter Solstice”. The behavior of our Sun and its influence on the Earth leads us down new paths.

The solstice will encourage us to do some depth searching about our directions. The Winter Solstice has historical, cultural and religious significance. Many cultures organize feasts and festivals around this time.  It was originally an important pagan feast. Christianity projected itself into the popular tradition of the birth of Jesus. We could delve into the mystery of this festivity at the hand of Kara Foxdale, priestess at Sacred Cauldron.   

Bimala: What is a “Winter solstice”?

Kara: “The Winter Solstice occurs astrologically, when the Sun reaches the coordinate of zero degrees Capricorn. The planet most resonant with Capricorn is Saturn.  Both Capricorn and Saturn symbolize the laws, boundaries, rules and operating manual of the culture. The Solstice it starts on December 20 or on 21st which the solstice falls on normally is called the festival of the year Yule, celebrated by burning the hearth fires of the Yule log”. 

“The word Solstice comes from the Latin word “Solstitum” being a combination of two words “sol” meaning Sun and “stitum” meaning stop.    The Solstice has been celebrated around the world centuries before the Christian holiday Christmas. However came about from Christianity which had taken over the holiday and moved it to December 25 to Jesus birthday”. 

Bimala:  Special attention should be paid to the cultural and religious significance of this time. Could you tell us about the relevance of the Solstice and Equinox in Spirituality?

Kara: “Many mythology stories of a God being born on December 21st is Horus the Egyptian God who was born from his mother Isis and father Osiris. His birth was like Jesus as Osiris was not alive when Isis became with child.   Other Mythology is about Odin who would represent the Holy King and also being known as Santa Claus.  In other religions such as: Pagans, Wiccans, Norse, Celtic, and others celebrate Yule, from December 21st and on wards in recognition of the return of the Sun. Significance of bringing home a Yule log is to be burn with their families”.

“Let’s look at the Sun for a moment here it's duty to shine in the universe and throughout time in ancient history.  History itself spreads across each country and has built on cultures and religion.  In Paganism which happens to become a wide variety of religions branching down such as Wicca, Celtic, Druidism, Shamanism, Egyptian, Norse, Heathern, and other new age spirituality.”

Bimala:    You were very precise and it was very interesting. The animism perceived the presence of the supernatural as integral to, and linked with, the physical world. Every mountain, river, spring, marsh, tree and rocky outcrop was inspirited.  In this sense, the sun had been worshiped by many cultures for centuries. It represents the main spiritual force.

Kara: “We know that the Sun is a source of all light and life it is the center to all spirituality and the journey of the Sun through the sky or even the planets with it.  It can be marked as, the four directions starting with spring, summer, autumn and Winter Solstice.  The Solstices also equal to the four cardinal points East, South, West and North and the elements (Earth, Fire, Water and Air).   Each of the Solstices are symbols across the Wheel Of The Year with the Sun at the center of the wheel.   As the Earth moves in the sky the Sun changes positions in the sky, which influences over the light and darkness, day and night and death of the passing of the seasons, but they also hold a greater spiritual significance”.

Mother Earth also known as Gaia heart beat slows down,  in us knowing that we have to remember to slow down as well.  Being balanced is always important as our energies and feelings can come out during this time we think of those who we have lost and have grief for.  The whole of the seasons also bring into mind the sense of life to continue a never ending cycle of death and rebirth also known as reincarnation.  There is a deep spiritual connection in all of this and our calendar holds the records all of these solstices or also called “Sabbath holidays” as they follow the Sun's cycles as the Earth moves around in a circle clockwise or called desoil.” 

Bimala:    So beautiful all you share. If we want to become more linked to our self, is The Winter Solstice” a great opportunity to develop and formulate our visions?

Kara: “How would you formulate your own ideas?  What actions are you working on to achieving what you say or how would you manifest these goals?  Look at it as, the God is waking up from his slumber sleep and the Goddess now is going to rest now.  So the solar aspect of the Sun shining down upon us we are the children of both God and Goddess, Lord and Lady.  Your own focus should be your life, what you should  you recognize and give sacrifice to the necessary?  Acknowledgment or validation of the changes going on around you during each season. The change of the world around us and how the seasons move from one to the other we can see each one how it falls into place along the way and in celebration.

Bimala    Your words were a great inspiration and encouragement for me. For such inspiration rituals are superfluous. Let us know about some ceremonies. They are so significant for us to sanctify daily life and for groups of people to bond. How can we participate in this rite in real life and second life?

Kara: “In real you can find a group that is open to all who can come and attend a Real Life ceremony. You can look for real life groups off of Yahoo groups, www.wtichvox.com, Meetup, Facebook and other sources.  You can also decorate your home with a pine tree, decorations, and a Yule log to burn using pine cones, ribbons, candles, incense, using a table or altar to put your decorations on, poinsettias, rein deer, Santa and other decorations.  Food can be hearty such as stews, bread, cider, mead, mince meat pie, soups, and other winter foods. In second life world you can come to our Sim Sacred Cauldron and we are holding a Yule Ritual on December 19, 2014 at 7pm SLT. 

Our rituals are open to the public and we welcome everyone who comes to our sim we are known as a safe haven and a place of worship and if you are seeking the Wiccan or any spirituality path. We are a Moderate Sim welcome all types of avies from Dragons, fairies, fae, dogs, cats, wolves, and more”.

Bimala: I will be there for sure. In fact, you are part of a Wicca study group in real life.

Kara: We are a real life organization and hold classes in world from our website (www.wiccanseminary.edu). We also are nonprofit and you can earn a degree in ministry from our school called “Woolsten-Steen Seminary located in Index, Washington”.    Our classes in world cover on a wide variety of Wicca, Ritual, Crystals, Sacred Sexuality, Sacred Dance, Wheel of the Year, Shamanism, Celtic, Norse, Egyptian, Meditation, Greek Mythology, History of Wicca, Pagan Parenting , Kabbalah, Tarot and divination, healing and other classes.  To take classes there is a fee of 39.00 dollars a month which goes to helping the school and our sim staying open as, we are a nonprofit organization as the teachers are volunteering their time some without payment.  

Our school and sim flourishes in helping those who are traveling a journey to wanting to learn and obtain knowledge.  If you visit our website you will all the programs and classes that I have mentioned above.  We have other programs in our school that helps with finance situations and there is an application for both processes.

More information:

Sacred Cauldron and the Wiccan seminary http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sacred%20Cauldron/213/166/33

http://wiccanseminary.edu/

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Into the Cauldron- Luc Fray Reporting...

[Hera and Zeus devotional]

 

Some weeks ago, I had accidentally come across the school Sacred Cauldron on SL search. The description interested me as it stated that it is a virtual pagan academy. Curious, I asked my editor if I could cover a story on it. When I finally got the go signal, I went on to request a short interview on Sacred Cauldron's Dean, Dean Belladonna Laveau, and two of the school's students,  Tea Tephi and Sapphire Chaosus. 

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