Circle Cemetery America's 1st National Pagan Burial Ground
Circle Cemetery is America's first national Pagan burial ground and
green cemetery. Founded in 1995 by Selena Fox & others, it is
located in southwestern Wisconsin at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve.
It is operated by Circle Sanctuary, a shamanic Wiccan church and Pagan
resources center which has been serving Pagans worldwide since 1974.
The newly expanded Circle Cemetery was dedicated as Wisconsin's first Green cemetery in a public ceremony on Sunday afternoon, October 31, 2010. The dedication was held as part of a public open house that followed the conclusion of this year's Samhain Festival at Circle Sanctuary land.
The Green cemetery dedication began with a sacred directions blessing rite in the tall grass prairie, which is now part of the 20 acres that makes up Circle Cemetery. The blessing was followed by the first community ceremony of cremains scattering in the new part of the cemetery.
Rev. Selena Fox, director of Circle Cemetery and senior minister of Circle Sanctuary, led the blessing. She and several close friends of Circle Sanctuary Community member Bruce Parsons scattered some of his cremains there. Also participating in the rite were some members of the Circle Sanctuary Community and several other spiritual communities and organizations in the area.
The ceremony continued with a Samhain honoring of the dead at the main altar and then at each of the gravestones and cairns in the original part of the cemetery. Then, cremains of Bruce Parsons were interred in a memorial service that included the dedication and placement of his US Department of Veterans Affairs pentacle grave marker. Bruce served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War and was a member of the Order of the Pentacle. His marker is the 8th VA-issued pentacle marker at Circle Cemetery.
An article and photos from the dedication and memorial appeared in the November 1, 2010 issue of the Wisconsin State Journal:
tiny.cc/WSJarticleNov2010
/>
More information about Circle Cemetery:
www.circlesanctuary.org/cemetery
/>
In Memoriam: Bruce Parsons photos & tributes:
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/memoriam/bruce_parsons.htm
The newly expanded Circle Cemetery was dedicated as Wisconsin's first Green cemetery in a public ceremony on Sunday afternoon, October 31, 2010. The dedication was held as part of a public open house that followed the conclusion of this year's Samhain Festival at Circle Sanctuary land.
The Green cemetery dedication began with a sacred directions blessing rite in the tall grass prairie, which is now part of the 20 acres that makes up Circle Cemetery. The blessing was followed by the first community ceremony of cremains scattering in the new part of the cemetery.
Rev. Selena Fox, director of Circle Cemetery and senior minister of Circle Sanctuary, led the blessing. She and several close friends of Circle Sanctuary Community member Bruce Parsons scattered some of his cremains there. Also participating in the rite were some members of the Circle Sanctuary Community and several other spiritual communities and organizations in the area.
The ceremony continued with a Samhain honoring of the dead at the main altar and then at each of the gravestones and cairns in the original part of the cemetery. Then, cremains of Bruce Parsons were interred in a memorial service that included the dedication and placement of his US Department of Veterans Affairs pentacle grave marker. Bruce served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War and was a member of the Order of the Pentacle. His marker is the 8th VA-issued pentacle marker at Circle Cemetery.
An article and photos from the dedication and memorial appeared in the November 1, 2010 issue of the Wisconsin State Journal:
tiny.cc/WSJarticleNov2010
/>
More information about Circle Cemetery:
www.circlesanctuary.org/cemetery
/>
In Memoriam: Bruce Parsons photos & tributes:
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/memoriam/bruce_parsons.htm
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