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From the President
In November I attended the American Acadimy of Religion's annual meeting. There were a several sections for Pagan study; however, I did not attend any of them. Each Pagan study section was interesting and worthy of attention. So, why did I not attend any Pagan study sections? My area of study is philosophy within a Pagan context. I chose instead to attend many sections on philosophy, ethics, and humanism.
One of the reasons I beleve in Cherry Hill Seminary so much is that it offers you the chance to pursue your work within a Pagan context. I remember in my philosophy classes on ethics and religion we only spoke from the idea of a single deity. My suggestions that there were other ways of looking at the problems of ethics or religious philosophy classes seem lost to both teachers and students. However, at Cherry Hill Seminary the student can, and is encouraged to, express their thoughts and scholarship within a Pagan context as well as studying Pagansim.
Spring classes will soon be here and I encourage all of you to take the classes you would like to enrich you life and provide for your community. I wish all of you a very merry Yule and Solstice.
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The Hypatia Society
 Join The Hypatia Society and become a part of the growing Cherry Hill Seminary family. A true passion for learning and service light these virtual halls. As a member of The Hypatia Society, you carry the light of knowledge further and higher.
Benefits for joining The Hypatia Society and supporting Cherry Hill Seminary are as follows:
$20 Astronomer - Vinyl CHS logo decal 5" square
$45 Mathematician - Enamel CHS pin 3/4" round, plus Astronomer benefits
$95 Philosopher - 10% discount on one Foundations course, plus Mathematician benefits
$150 Teacher - 20% discount on one Foundations course, plus Philosopher benefits
$250 Mystic - Free registration at any CHS one-day event, plus Teacher benefits
$500 Beloved - Glass Yule commemorative ornament, plus Mystic benefits
$1,000 Divine Guide - Online link as sponsor, plus Beloved benefits
Cherry Hill Seminary gratefully acknowledges the kind permission of artist Max Dashu to reproduce her haunting painting of Hypatia. Click here to order a printed poster of Dashu's painting.
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Important Dates
For Students
November 14 - Spring Registration Opens
December 17 - End Fall Classes
January 9 - End Spring Registration
January 16 - Begin Spring Classes
January 23 - Drop/Add Last Date
For Faculty
December 31 - Fall '11 grades due to office
January 1 - Summer '11 course information due to office
Foundations Courses
January 16 - February 11
Foundations 1
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CHS Faculty in the Spotlight!
 Scott Mohnkern, a faculty and staff member of Cherry Hill Seminary, has been selected to conduct rituals and classes at
in Darlington, MD, in October 2012. The Nine worlds festival focuses on the modern Neo-Pagan ways of honoring the Northern Gods. It is a place for diverse worshipers to come together and share. Many different Northern Gods will be honored at some point or another during the weekend, and while no one is required to honor any particular deity, we expect folks to be respectful of all differing religious practices, the Gods of everyone present, and all other attendees regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or lifestyle. Hospitality, and creating a safe, peaceful, and nonjudgmental space for everyone. Tentatively, Scott will be conducting three blots, one sumbel, and teaching a class on Nithing magic in the modern age. |
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Registration is open for Spring 2012
Master's Level Courses
Foundations Courses Spring 2012, Jan 16 - Feb 11
Pagan Community Education Courses |
Calling for Submissions for CHS Column
Students and Faculty may represent CHS and share your voice with the Pagan community. Share an article or column for publication in The Wiccan/Pagan Times.
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A Gathering of Faiths in SC
"Look at the joy in the faces of those in the spiral dance circle!" This was the comment by someone viewing photos of a recent South Carolina interfaith event, A Gathering of Faiths. Saturday, November 5 dawned bright, sunny, breezy and cold, but the wind did not deter the 200 or so folks from ten religions setting up their tents in the large country field surrounding Clayton Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church. A leader from each religion took part in an opening ceremony, lighting a flame of unity and peace. As the Pagan representative, I proudly rang out this passage,
modified from "A Pagan Ritual Prayer Book" (Serith, 2011).
The World, which speaks, The Goddess, whose words they are,
Whose body is the world, The Earth who gives our own bodies their birth, Is speaking to us. When nature speaks to me, may I hear. May I know the language of birds and animals. May I understand the sounds of swaying grass and the creaking of tree limbs. May I perceive the tiny sounds of stones as well as the roarings, the murmurings of water. May I come to know the music of the spheres sung in the empty space between the celestial bodies. May I hear in them the epics they have been telling each other since the beginning of time.
Why such pride? Only months ago I was being listed on the steering committee of this statewide group with the religion of "Other." By September 11, I stood on the stage of the Sotille Theater in Charleston, S.C., representing Paganism for what may have been the first time at such an event in our state. Then on November 11, other members of our Pagan community took the plunge with me, organizing the Pagan information tent and
four-minute talk, delivered ten times to roving groups of participants.
Two touching moments stand out in my memories of A Gathering of Faiths. One of them was during a talk-back after two short lectures inside the church building. A young Muslim woman stood to say that in spite of her fear of the unknown, she had taken her young son around to the talk at every tent that day. She said that she heard ideas, language, words, like "polytheist," which were unfamiliar and challenging to her. But she knew it
was important for her son to grow up understanding that there are people just like him who happen to have very different beliefs. She looked across the room straight into my eyes when she mentioned the word "polytheist," and I could feel the courage with which she stood in front of that crowd to bare her struggle.
The second moment was when all on the grassy hillside joined hands in a great circle and paused in silence as I began to lead them into our closing, a spiral dance. One of my closest friends, a native who lived in San Francisco for two decades, was one of the bits of color that moved towards me in the afternoon sun. She is the one who staked her reputation by recommending me to the sometimes overly-cautious interfaith group leaders.
She also happens to be one of the performers in a very early Spiral Dance; her old photo is often shown in videos about the original Spiral Dance event put on by Reclaiming. As we passed each other a shiver ran up my spine and we exchanged solemn glances. At our next pass she kissed me and I greeted her, "Thou art goddess."
I am not deluded that all in this region support or even tolerate my Pagan practice, not even all who attended A Gathering of Faiths. But for the first time since I have lived here, I did not feel invisible, did not feel negligible. I felt affirmed by others who honor spirit, by whatever name. On this occasion there was no cadre of voices to carry a song for the dance, so we plugged an iPod into an amplifier to play a chant by Michael Stillwater which seemed very apt: "One by one, everyone comes to remember,
we're healing the world, one heart at a time."
More photos of this wonderful event are available here
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CHS is on Facebook and Twitter
Cherry Hill is on Facebook and Twitter.
Please help us get the word out about Cherry Hill! Social Media is the #1 way to advertise in today's technological and global market. You can help us spread the word by following CHS on either Facebook or Twitter and "liking" posts as you see them. Every post you "like" or comment on, is seen by all of your friends and before long the message has reached thousands of people.
Thanks for your help and support in spreading the word about the awesome things happening at Cherry Hill!
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Student ID Cards are Here
 CHS Student ID Cards - You asked and we are finally issuing real student IDs! To receive yours please send your best head shot (close up of your face) photo to CHS@cherryhillseminary.org
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Thank you for your patience and support as CHS transitions to a new web platform. At the moment we are building the new platform, which is "parked" temporarily at www.cherryhillseminary.com. A very big thank you to Cosette for her hard work and dedication in getting us there!
You can register for class at the new website here
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