Happy Summer Vacation! The staff and faculty wish you health and safety.
You might have heard that the students will be moving their rituals off Sacred Cauldron, our Student Campus on SecondLife. Please do not be alarmed, Sacred Cauldron is being opened up for a public ministry, while the needs of students continue to be the school's top priority.
Sacred Caldron is a beautiful, magical 'tween space. Because Wiccan Seminary is a state regulated college, having our campus on Sacred Cauldron imposes regulations that we must adhere to that we do not control. Without the state's restrictions, Sacred Cauldron can be a public sim open to all pagans. Workshops, classes, rituals, and events can be scheduled by members of the community instead of "reviewed by school officers for approval" and then maybe scheduled maybe not. Now Sacred Cauldron can operate much more freely, like a permanent pagan festival space.
The changing needs of our social distancing world has opened the door to different challenges. WSTS must continue to grow and adapt with the changing technology and teach our students how to serve the Pagan Community online in the way the community asks for it. Pagans are wanting online rituals with webcams (zoom, teams, messenger, hangouts). Our students need to develop the skills to serve in this way. Secondlife rituals, although visually rich and powerful are not accessible to everyone. Before there were plenty of rituals that people could physically attend. Now, we need to reach a world of pagans that have very limited ways to worship.
Ten years ago when we moved the school to secondlife, we had a calling to do so. We feel we have completed that calling, and now the calling has changed. Secondlife is still a barrier for many. The interest dwindles as video meetings become more accessible. You would think that people would have flooded to SL during the Pandemic, but instead, you still can't purchase a webcam in the store, because they are all sold out.
We will continue to keep Sacred Cauldron as long as it's financially supporting itself. I believe that SC will become a powerful magical place for all pagans on SL, who can share and enjoy the space. We encourage all who wish to offer workshops, psychic fairs, healing clinics, yoga or tai chi events, sacred swims, and morning coffee's to please come get on the schedule and be part of a newly thriving community that is more open to all.
For those of you concerned that Sacred Cauldron will go away, we encourage you to get involved in keeping it going. We are happy to continue to support the sim and include everyone in the worship,
Blessed Be,
Belladonna LaVeau, APS
Dean