When making an inventory of local pagan persons and resources, a too oft overlooked group are pagan military members. That’s where Desert Sky Open Circle comes into play. Open to active duty military, reservists, retirees, prior service, civilian components, and their dependents, the Desert Sky Open Circle provides a place for military affiliates to get their “Pagan On”.
Desert Sky Open Circle meets every Saturday in the Spiritual Maintenance building on Luke AFB, just inside the south gate, between 7-9 pm. This is a place where people can kick off their combat boots, shed their rank, and get more in tune with the God and Goddess. They are primarily a teaching group, where you can brush up on your Pagan 101s and learn more about practices and traditions with which you might not be familiar. They hold ritual to celebrate the Sabbats. Most importantly, however, they offer a fellowship that one might not otherwise be able to get within the broad scope of military duties and traditions.
Currently, the Desert Sky Open Circle is being headed by Willow. Willow is certified as an Ordained Minister/Cleric Priestess by the Sacred Well Congregation of Texas. She brings to the group a wide scope of knowledge and the experience of having run the pagan groups on two of her prior stations, and is certified to lead the group by the base chapel. Besides Willow, each member of the group brings their experience and traditions to the table for a “knowledge-share”. Individual research and practice is encouraged so that you might share with the others for a greater understanding of all things Pagan.
As a USAF veteran, and a direct product of base open circles (I assure you, I wouldn’t be the witch I am today without them!), I highly recommended this group to all military affiliates. Attending their meeting was a breath of fresh air for me. I got to kick back, relax, and discuss issues with everyday working people who have families and jobs that come with great responsibility… who also happen to be Pagan. You’d be hard pressed to find a more open and accepting bunch of folks.
Interested in getting to know more about Luke AFB’s Desert Sky Open Circle? Check out their Yahoo! Group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/desertskyopencircle, or contact them via their Witchvox listing, http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_detail/dt_gr.html?a=usaz&id=30675.
