What kind of church are you?
We are a non-denominational church, supporting and exploring many different earth based faiths. We do recognize both masculine and feminine deities in our ceremonies. Our values include a strong emphasis on Sustainable Values and Earth Stewardship. We are not a coven, we are congregational, and anyone may attend our services at any time, with no need of membership or initiation.
Do I have to give up membership in my other groups or traditions?
Absolutely not. We have no loyalty pledges or oaths of secrecy. Our membership is open to all who share the common vision of working together and creating a community of like-minded individuals. We do not demand nor expect exclusivity. We support openness, sharing of resources and networking between both leaders and laypeople alike. We encourage and support diversity as critical to a healthy community.
What is Earth-Based Spirituality?
When we talk about Earth-based or Earth Centered Spirituality, we are talking about many traditions, paths and even indigenous cultures that share common themes of reverence for and connection to the Earth and the cycles of the seasons, the knowledge of the phases of the moon, sun and stars, the wisdom of the planting and harvesting or hunting/gathering.
The term can encompass everything from ancient, unbroken cultures, old traditions that have been lost and revived, to new spiritual paths born on the winds of change. Typically, those who follow Earth-based paths do not see themselves as separate from the world, but rather as an integral part of the larger whole.
Because the Earth has so many different bio-regions, seasonal cycles and variations in land and populations, it stands to reason that there is an attendant enormous variation in the way that different Earth-based traditions or cultures have evolved over time. It makes sense that if you are in a tropical area which has only two or so perceptible seasons, that your history, mythology, and connection to the land will be very different than those of a culture based in an entirely different area.
For this reason, we define Earth-based or centered cultures merely on the example above, and do not give specific examples of traditions – they are simply too numerous!
What are Sustainable Values and Earth Stewardship?
We define Sustainable Values and Earth Stewardship as the value system which suggests that we should take care to use and preserve the natural resources of the Earth in a way that supports future generations’ use of those resources.
Some examples of this would be the support of recycling programs, wind and solar power generation, fuel cell technology, and environmental preservation and protection. This area is very broad so we cannot possibly list every avenue that you could take on this path. We encourage our membership to make use of sustainable technologies wherever possible, and we also seek to demonstrate these values in the choices that we make as a group.
As of 2022, all power requirements of the Sacred Circle Temple are met through on-premise solar energy. Prior to 2022, sustainability was achieved through the use of wind and solar programs such as Blue Sky and Subscriber Solar.
What does your logo mean?
The star in a circle is a representation of a pentacle (a five pointed star surrounded by a circle). This motif is used in countless spiritual and cultural traditions worldwide. The star is made up of five interlocking hearts which symbolize the interconnectedness of our community. The colors represent the elements of Air (yellow) Fire (red) Water (blue) Earth (green) and Spirit or God and Goddess together (purple). The logo can also be seen to represent five human heads/torsos with their heads together which symbolizes the diversity of the human race coming together as one. There is much more to the logo, however the themes of love, interconnectedness, diversity and community are foremost.