Q: What is the Kingdom of Asphodel?

We are pagan religious community, legally incorporated as the First Kingdom Church of Asphodel. We hold regular services, holiday celebrations, events and classes. As a service to our members and the greater pagan community, we can facilitate dedications, rites of passage, and other personal rituals for members and non-members. We have legally ordained ministers among our membership who can perform legal weddings as well as handfastings and rituals to sanctify a wide range of relationships between two or more people which are not legally recognized. We have a program for Pagan Ministry, and we strive to provide counseling & aid to any who ask, to the best of our ability.

We also provide a place for pagan spiritual studies and craftwork, and service to others. We do a lot of research, and we hold study and discussion groups. We also listen to the Gods that we serve, and dedicate ourselves to them. We rely as much on divination, dreams, and divine messages as we do on research.

In case you had wondered, an asphodel is a small white flower, and it is pronounced as-foh-del.

Q: Where is the Kingdom of Asphodel physically?

Asphodel does not exist in space like, say, France or Yemen or Madagascar. Anywhere a subject lives is Asphodel soil. Our households are its anchors. It is a metaphorical rather than land-based kingdom, if you will. Of course, reality being what it is, most of us live in Massachusetts. We do have members in other states, but it's hard for them to attend events. (Unfortunately, we do not have any members in Asphodel Township, Ontario. That would be neat.)

Most Asphodel events are held at Cauldron Farm, a small organic homestead in Central Massachusetts, where we have a large dedicated ritual field with a labyrinth and fire pit, and plenty of room in the woods for camping in fair weather. We have a small chapel under construction, and we hope to finish it in 2010. If you or your group need use of private outdoor sacred space for a gather of less than one hundred people, please contact Raven.

Q: What tradition are you? Are you witches? Are you Wiccans?

We have built an eclectic mythopoetic polytheistic tradition, studying the stories and rites of many cultures and creating from them something new. In learning the myths of our ancestors, we learn how we live those myths, and in living them we create new myths and new ways of being in the world. Our worship is inspired by our research of past traditions, shaped by our present circumstances, and guided by personal revelation. We have much in common with most folks in the Neo-Pagan movement, and a few things that seem rather unique to us. For a comprehensive description of the core beliefs of Asphodel check out our Charter of Faith.

We make use of sacred theater in our holiday rituals, and take pride in powerfully crafted liturgy. We have completed our Book of Hours project, which contains short daily rituals for over five hundred deities and themes. These are the rituals our weekly/monthly worship services are drawn from.

A number of our members identify as witches, but the teaching and practice of magic is not central to our faith. We are not a Wiccan group, nor are we strongly Wicca-inspired. However, as various interpretations of Wicca have become the ritual lingua franca of the Neo-Pagan movement, we have found certain aspects of Wiccan practice resonate strongly with our members. Most notably, the celebration of the eight turning points of the year and the practice of opening rituals with four elementally themed prayers or invocations. Theologically and organizationally, however, we are substantially different from most Wiccan or Wiccan-derived groups. We tend to be strongly polytheistic, often with heretical reconstructionist tendencies.

Q: What gods do you honor or work with?

All of 'em are welcome. Asphodel's many subgroups have a variety of patron deities, and many of our members have their own patrons that they work with. We are polytheistic and proud of it. We sometimes have a specific cultural focus for a given group ritual, but members are encouraged to work with whichever deities, spirits or aspects of the divine that they feel called to work with, in any pantheon or combination of pantheons.

Q: Who can come to your events? Do I have to be a pagan?

We do not discriminate by religion, or by race, color, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual preference, relationship status, educational background, socioeconomic status, social aptitude, appearance, psychic development, physical or mental ability, height, weight, hobbies, or taste in clothes. We welcome anyone who is willing and able to behave politely and respectfully. All of our holiday celebrations and nearly all other events we hold are "open circles". No pre-registration or membership is required. New folks are always welcome to attend, including those who are just starting to explore Paganism, those who are unsure of their path, and those who have a firm commitment to another path (such as Christianity) but wish to explore certain elements of earth-based spirituality. If you'd like to chat with us before coming in order to get a better idea of what it is that we do, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Teenagers are welcome to attend most events with parental permission, and we frequently have families with teens and young children at our holidays and campouts. If there is sufficient interest, we may be able to arrange for childcare during some events, for kids too young to participate. If you are interested in using or providing childcare, contact Josh.

Q: Do I need to be initiated? Do I need to become a member?

No. Asphodel is a non-initiatory tradition. Anyone is welcome to participate in nearly any event, ritual, program or workshop we run without becoming a member or making any commitment to Asphodel. (Occasionally study groups within Asphodel will host private events, but very rarely.) We will help interested people in crafting and performing dedication or initiation rituals of various kinds, but none is required for participation in Asphodel ritual, or for membership. We offer courses of study in a range of pagan and occult topics, but not as part of a set initiation pattern that all members are expected to follow. We require nothing of our members and guests but courteous behavior.

Q: How do I get to be a member of Asphodel?

Attend three official events and request membership and it will be granted. We charge no dues or fees of any kind for membership. Official events are listed on the Asphodel website and announced on the Asphodel Events email list. This includes Brigantia classes held at Cauldron Farm or privately hosted by an Asphodel member, but not those held at commercial venues. It does not include any of the interfaith or secular events sponsored by Cauldron Farm.

Q: Are there any limitations on who can become a member? Do I have to be a pagan?

Membership is open to anyone who asks, provided they are at least 18 years old, or at least 14 with parental permission, after they have attended at least three events. This makes sure they have a good idea that Asphodel is something they want to be involved in. If you really want to become a member, we'll generally let you, regardless of who you are or what you believe in. However, this is a Pagan community, and you should have at least some familiarity with and be willing to participate in pagan ritual. If you are new to paganism, that's all right. If our sort of neo-paganism not your first spiritual allegiance, that's all right too, provided your beliefs do not cause you to disrupt our rituals or treat any member or guest disrespectfully.

Q: Can I be thrown out? Can my membership be revoked?

Yes, but to do this you have to tick off a whole lot of Asphodel's members with blatantly inappropriate behavior. We don't boot members on mere rumor or accusations of heresy. If a complaint is brought against any member, we will hold mediation on the subject. Any member can make a request for mediation if they have a grievance. If you refuse to cooperate with mediation or if there are repeated long-term grievances, we reserve the right to boot you out. Repeat: the only criteria you can be thrown out for is behavior. No one will be removed for holding unpopular opinions or disagreeing on points of theology or politics.

Q: What about priesthood? Can I become a priest or priestess through your group?

Asphodel recognizes a number of different roles that might be considered clergy positions.

A minister is someone officially ordained through Asphodel, and who has specific duties to the church and the congregation. It is a position both of service and leadership. A minister is expected to provide basic pastoral counseling, teach the fundamentals of Asphodelian theology and worship, fulfill basic administrative duties, and officiate seasonal rituals and rites of passage such as weddings, funerals, births, coming of age, etc. To become a minister, you must complete the degree in Pagan Ministry in the College of Brigantia, and be ordained by the approval of the Church Council. To maintain their ordination, ministers must fulfill a minimum service requirement of six hours a week or 24 hours a month to the church and congregation.

There are also church elders who have been given titles of nobility in recognition of their service to Asphodel. These folks are primarily responsible for holding to an appropriate code of honorable behavior, and taking on the burden of manifesting the spiritual archetypal role appropriate to their position.

The roles of a priest or priestess are defined in reference to a specified path, the service of one or more specified deities, or the running of a specified temple or other ritual space. There is no generalized priest of priestess role, only specific ones. No official procedure is required to take on this role. It is a matter of a person's personal calling to serve the divine in the way they feel most appropriate, and thus needs no formal recognition. That said, if a member wishes to have their title of Priest or Priestess formally recognized within Asphodel one may do so by completing a year-long course of study, largely of their own design but approved by the church council, and agreeing to create and run at least one group ritual per year.

Q: Why do you attract so many strange members?

Because we don't turn them away.

As an organization, we are committed to providing spiritual community to all who seek it. Many folks have felt unwelcome in one group or another because they had the wrong politics, the wrong gender identity, the wrong relationship status, the wrong educational background, the wrong social status, and so on. Others have felt they had to hide parts of themselves or parts of their lives in order to be accepted. In Asphodel, many of our core members have been in that position, and we have created Asphodel, in part, as a safe space for the folks who often don't fit in anywhere else. That is why you will find many GLBT folks and other sexual minorities in Asphodel, as well as poor folks, folks with mental or physical disabilities, folks with low social skills, and general oddballs of all stripes. Of course, we welcome entirely "normal" members as well, provided they treat our more unusual members with courtesy and respect.

The College

Q: What is the College of Brigantia? Is it a legal, accredited college?

The College of Brigantia teaches religious and magical arts of all kinds. It is made up of eight Orders, each of which concentrates on a different subject. Brigantia is not an accredited college, although it does offer certificates and degrees in a number of disciplines.

Brigantia is run by a council consisting of the heads of each of the teaching Orders. This council elects one of its members to serve as Dean of Brigantia for a period of one or two years. In September 2007, the position was handed to Fireheart Tashlin (nicolekore@gmail.com). Anyone who wishes to offer classes or find out more about the programs offered should contact the Dean.

Q: May anyone take classes?

Yes. You do not need to be a member of Asphodel to take classes or to obtain a certificate or degree. You do not have to be enrolled in a degree program to take most classes, but preference is given in scheduling to enrolled students. A small number of advanced classes may be restricted to students enrolled in an advanced degree program or students who have demonstrated a certain level of proficiency in the area.

Q: When will you offer a class in...?

Class offerings are based on student interest and instructor availability. Priority is given to offering classes for students enrolled in degree programs. If you are interested in a specific class, please contact the Dean, the usual teacher of that class, or Joshua (josh@cauldronfarm.com). Our goal is to offer all classes in the Basic Certificates on a two year cycle.

Q: How much do classes cost?

As of October 2007, the fee for any single Brigantia class taught by a Brigantian instructor is $5. An additional materials fee may be charged for "hands on" classes. Classes by an outside instructor may require a higher fee, but we endeavor always to keep class prices as low as possible. A class longer than four hours or held over more than one day may be considered to be more than one class. Non-credit or non-degree classes sponsored by Brigantia may be free at the discretion of the instructor.

Brigantia classes taught during free Asphodel events are free. Brigantian Orders may host weekend retreats where multiple classes are taught for one fee, not to exceed $25. Organizers of such events may allow individuals who are not staying for the weekend to pay per-class.

Q: Where are the classes held? Can you give a workshop at my location or event?

Many classes are held at Cauldron Farm in Central Massachusetts, but others may be held at the home of the instructor, or at Bones & Flowers in Worcester. We welcome the opportunity to teach at other venues. Please contact the Dean for further information.

Q: What sort of degrees do you offer? There are three types of programs offered:

• A Certification from an Order appropriate for someone who wants a thorough overview of a certain discipline, such as divination or healing, and it provides a background against which further study in the field may develop. These programs are generally 15 to 20 class hours.
• A Degree in the Magical Arts is awarded with completion of all eight basic certificates. It gives a great breadth of information on a wide range of Pagan arts. It allows a person to find which paths among all of those presented call to them for further study, and gives them a basis for understanding and communicating with those on different paths of study. Under ideal circumstances, a Magical Arts degree can be earned in two years.
• A Master's degree in one of the Orders may be pursued by applying to the head of that department. A Magical Arts degree or solid background in the subject is preferred, as well as a suitable demonstration of aptitude for the subject. Obtaining a Master's Degree requires a series of ten to fifteen classes and demonstration of a certain level of mastery over the discipline. In order to be given a Master's Degree in Divination, for example, one must not only know a good deal about Divination, but be able to successfully practice divination in a variety of forms and show a clear aptitude for the art. We also offer the Asphodel Ministry Program as a Master's Degree.

These are in no way comparable to initiatory degrees, and none of the teaching within Brigantia is oathbound, secret, or restricted to members. The class requirements for each program are on the Brigantia website.

The Kingdom

Q: Who runs Asphodel?

King Raven runs Asphodel, with the assistance of the Queen and his Council and the support of his people. As a legal entity, Raven Kaldera is president of The First Kingdom Church of Asphodel, and Tannin, Wintersong and Vinnie form the Board of Directors. Vinnie is the treasurer, and Joshua is the clerk. The Board of Directors forms the core of the Church Council which meets with Raven to determine church policy.

Q: So what is with this "Kingdom" stuff?

Unlike most pagan groups, who organize as a coven, or a grove, or a study group, or a circle, we have chosen to organize as a metaphorical kingdom. Many of us are romantics, drawn to the medieval archetypes of chivalry, noblesse oblige, and knightly codes of honor. Others simply find a well defined leadership structure with a clear code of honorable behavior suits them better than a consensus oriented nonhierarchical group.

We work a lot with archetypes as ways to improve ourselves and connect with our deeper spirituality. Specifically, some folks in Asphodel have taken on a roles as knights and nobles and so forth, just as others here have taken on roles as Priests and Priestesses in service to particular deities. Both are just as much about making a spiritual commitment to fulfill an archetypal role as they are a personal commitment to fulfill certain responsibilities in the community.

THE DISCLAIMER: Much of the terminology used on this website reflects our metaphorical kingdom structure. These terms are understood among members, and are never assumed to have legal standing outside of Asphodel. It is understood that "citizenship" in Asphodel refers to voluntary membership in a religious organization and in no way affects one's citizenship status in the United States or any other nation. Asphodel does not encourage or in any way require members to reject any of the laws, responsibilities, or privileges associated with United States citizenship, and strives always to operate in complete compliance with the laws of the local, state and federal government.

Q: Are you a historical recreation group, like the SCA or LHA?

No. Although we are inspired by both ancient and medieval eras, we do not attempt to recreate them exactly. We may use a flavor of a particular period in order to create an atmosphere more conducive to our goals, and we also use antique practices and traditions as a way to connect with our ancestors, but we might mix and match, or draw from completely nonhistorical or fantasy sources. We're quite open about that fact. Most of us are romantics, in the sense that we find certain ancient aesthetics appealing, but we are not trying to experience the lives of those people as they were exactly. We are trying to reclaim what we find beautiful and useful, creating a modern pagan community that is nonetheless connected to its roots. We call this reinterpretive sacred theater. Reclaiming, not recreation, is our intent.

And no, this isn't a LARP or any other sort of role-playing game group either.

Q: The Middle Ages were Christian, mostly, right? Aren't you trying to rewrite history?

For your first question: That's correct. Throughout most of medieval times, most people had converted to Christianity, and life rotated around the Christian calendar. We are not recreating history, we are creating the image of a time that never was. We're quite clear on the fact that it never was. We aren't claiming that what we do completely resembles the way it used to be. Parts of it do, but the ways in which they are arranged are entirely our invention. We are choosing to reinvent our personal roles in ways that perhaps could have developed, had Christianity not taken so completely over our past, but only been one of many religions.

Q: Isn't all this King and Queen stuff a bit pretentious and silly?

It can look rather strange, especially when we break out the silly hats. We are well aware that to an outsider it is just a bunch of floofy titles and silly hats, but within Asphodel, we know how much responsibility comes with each silly hat, and how much work went into earning every floofy title. We don't expect anyone else to care about our titles, but we do take it all quite seriously. This hierarchy provides the structure for both our religious practice and our relationships with each other, even if we only bother with actual titles on certain formal occasions.

Q: So can I be "Lady MoonDragon" (or "Sir Walter" or "Queen Esmerelda" or "Emperor Steve"...)?

Official titles are not awarded without reason, and membership in Asphodel does not grant someone the right arbitrarily to take any title that they choose. Bella does grant rank to militiamen liberally, so colorful and enthusiastic participation in our twice-annual militia drills is perhaps the quickest route to getting some manner of title. Militia titles, however splendid they are, do not have status outside of the militia.

Titles taken or awarded outside Asphodel may or may not be recognized as legitimate "foreign" titles, depending on individual circumstances and/or the issuing agency. If you have a good reason for using a title, and take the title seriously, we tend to respect that. (And, yes, we generally consider "my gods told me to" as a good reason, even if your word is the only thing we've got to back it up. The gods rarely provide documentation for that sort of thing.) Under no circumstances, however, will titles awarded outside Asphodel be considered to automatically confer on the bearer the equivalent status within Asphodel.

If there is a specific path you would like formally recognized, or would like to study while a member of Asphodel, please suggest it.

Q: I'm still uncomfortable with this king and queen stuff. This is America! We don't have royalty here. Isn't royalty just an opening for potential tyranny and abuse?

Any kind of leadership can be an opening for tyranny and abuse, and sometimes the worst offender is unspoken leadership. Here, the leaders are clearly seen and can be held accountable. Certainly, in past centuries, kings were responsible for rather horrid abuses. However, this is not an Iron Curtain kingdom. Anyone who feels that the royalty of Asphodel is abusive can vote with their feet and leave. It's a check-and-balance situation. Pagans, on the whole, (and Asphodelians in particular) are an independent and cussed sort, and don't tend to act like doormats when it comes to their spirituality. If the King abused his power, he would have no kingdom in short order. Like everyone in Asphodel, the King and Queen are using the archetypal/spiritual power of their roles to improve themselves as people, rather than to exploit others.

Q: But why use the words king and queen and nobility, when they're so laden with negative connotations from years of tyranny and abuse?

For the same reason that many pagans use the word witch. It's an act of reclaiming and reframing. It's because these words have strong connotations that they have power. By reclaiming the archetypes, we can use that power in a positive way. We do not believe that all power corrupts. If that was really the case, then the only good people would be powerless ones, and that would be a terrible thing. We believe that people can be better and stronger than that, at least with each others' help.

Q: I hear members referred to as subjects sometimes. Isn't this demeaning?

Not to us, it's not. As members of Asphodel, we function as a sort of constitutional monarchy, and as such we are subject to the Crown and the Crown's laws.

Q: What are the Crown's Laws?

The First Law is: All members of Asphodel shall endeavor to treat each other with fairness, courtesy, and respect at all times. In other words, don't be a jerk. It all basically follows from there.

Q: What if I'm still not comfortable with a hierarchical group?

Then Asphodel probably isn't for you. That's all right; no harm, no foul. There are plenty of nonhierarchical pagan groups out there. You are welcome to attend our rituals, classes and events anyway, if you like.

Would you know more?