On Feb 26th, Minerva and Rev Donna led an Imbolc ritual at Lakin Correctional. The ritual was originally scheduled to be held on Feb 11th, but Rev Donna had to undergo some emergency gallbladder surgery, setting our schedule back a bit. The ritual went quite well, with several of the ladies participating in various roles. This was the second pagan ritual ever to be held in a West Virginia state prison, and the active participation of the 45+ ladies who attended was incredible. The healing energy raised as we invoked and honored the goddess Brighid, was truly an experience beyond words. Prior to the ritual, Minerva taught the ladies hand symbols to use to represent the elements. This is part of our ongoing goal to teach our pagan inmates ways that they can practice on their own without all the bells and whistles accessible outside the walls.
We have also implemented a new course study for our pagan inmates. Heather Awen, our latest volunteer, has put together a Pagan Astrology Course to be done via mail. Heather will be using the lottery system to determine which five inmates to work with at a time. This is an amazing course, one that will teach astrology, as well as explain how astrology relates to the various paths one is on. As with the theme of all of our teachings, it is also a course that encourages study of one's self and personal growth.
