For immediate release
CONTACT: Oberon Zell: oberon@mcn.org
January 28, 2025
American Pagans stand in solidarity with other religions in opposing draconian deportation policies.
Modern Pagans, who embrace a Nature-centered spirituality, comprise a significant constituency in America, with dozens of denominations, hundreds of organizations and millions of adherents.
The following people from American Pagan organizations stand with the Right Reverand Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington in her invitation for our government to uphold the values of justice, mercy, charity, hospitality, and compassion.
At the inaugural prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral on Tuesday, Jan. 21 Bishop Budde said: “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. … Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were once all strangers in this land.” –Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
We offer solidarity with Rt. Rev. Budde’s sentiments and those of other religious bodies opposing President Trump’s campaign of persecution and mass deportation of innocent immigrants seeking asylum in our country. We embrace the poem by Emma Lazarus on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty:
“…Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Signatures
- Ven. Oberon Zell, Founder, Primate, President
- Rev. Judith M. Barnett, ThD
Founder, Pagan Preservation
Publisher, Green Egg magazine
Administrator, Church of All Worlds - Rev. Jacqueline “Omi” Zaleski Mackenzie, PhD, Priestess
- Ret. Captain Donald James Mackenzie
Church of All Worlds
www.CAW.org - Rhiannon Zell, High Priestess
Serpentstone - Jo Carson, Lead Priestess and President of the Board
Feraferia
https://feraferia.org/ - Ellen Evert Hopman, Founder, Archdruid Emerita
- Rob Smith (aka Jazz Smudgeson), Archdruid
Tribe of the Oak (Tuatha na Dara) Druid Order
www.tribeoftheoak.org - Orion Foxwood Elder High Priest, Founding Elder of the Foxwood Temple of the Old Religion
Founder of the House of Brigh, Faery Seership Institute - M. Macha NightMare, National Interfaith Representative
Covenant of the Goddess
“Assuring Pagan Rights Since 1975”
www.cog.org - Cat Gina Cole, Owner/Creator
Haven Sanctuary
Haven Sanctuary | Central Point OR - Rev Mary Hawk, Co-Coordinator
- Lucia Jameson, Co-Coordinator
Nashville Pagan Pride Day
www.nashvillepaganprideday.net - Melissa Anderson
Aikenhall School
Circle of Ancient Sisters, Inc
Dynion Mwyn, The Association of Cymry Wiccae
Houses of Khemet - Jim “Raven” Stefanowicz, Founder & High Priest
South Street Circle
www.SouthStreetCircle.org - Tamara von Forslun
Clan of Boskednan Church of the Old Religion Inc. Australia and US.
Https://clanofboskednan.org - Eric Cooper
Forest Moon Grove
https://www.facebook.com/groups/146047182249413 - Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess & The Fifth Sacred Thing
Http://starhawk.org/ - Toni Rotonda & Steven Intermill
Buckland Museum of Witchcraft
www.Bucklandmuseum.org - Rev. Starr RavenHawk HPs
WitchsFest USA - Nirav Parinama
Venusian Church - Amber K and Azrael Arynn K
Ardantane - Rev. Jeff Fager
Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca - Maeve Awen, leader
Flame and Well Druid Grove
https://flameandwellgrove.org - Diana Paxson
Fellowship of the Spiral Path - Rev James Sayers, Podcaster and founder
Earthweb Initiative - Pete Jennings, Retired President
The Pagan Federation
www.gippeswic.org - Samina Oshun, Priestess
Desert Moon Circle
Church of All Worlds - Kerr Cuhulain, Past Preceptor General
Order of Paladins - Jack & Kim Ingersoll, Clergy
Sweetwood Temenos - Debi LeFaye
Academy of the Ancient Arts
www.academyoftheancientarts.org - Francesca De Grandis
The Third Road Tradition
www.stardrenched.com - H.E. Reverend Patrick McCollum Executive Director, the Mccollum Foundation for Peace
President, Our Lady of the Wells, Church
Vice President Children of the Earth
www.Patrickmccollum.org - Raven Digitalis, Pagan author & Priest
www.ravendigitalis.com - Michael R. Gorman, MA, Founder
Sacramento Grove of the Oak - Michael York, author of Matter Matters
- Merlyn Hern, Founder
Witchfest
www.witchfest.net
Children of Artemis
www.witchcraft.org - Rev. Dr. Ahriana Platten, HPS
Mountain Rose Grove
www.asoulfullworld.com - Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone, authors
- Deborah Lipp, author
www.deborahlipp.com - Ruth Barrett, High Priestess and co-founding Elder
Temple of Diana, Inc.
www.templeofdiana.org - Abigail Spinner McBride
The Vegas Vortex
Www.vegasvortex.com - Kadira Belynne, Director
Grey School of Wizardry
www.GreySchool.org - Patricia Telesco (Author 365 Goddess & The Kitchen Witch’s Cookbook)
- Gus diZerega, author, Gardnerian High Priest and Elder.
www.dizerega.com - Holli S. Emore, MDiv
Cherry Hill Seminary
https://cherryhillseminary.org/ - Christian Day
Author, Retailer, Event Coordinator, Publisher
www.ChristianDay.com - Max Dashu, founder, Suppressed Histories Archives
