The Story of The Grove of Phoenix Rising

By Lady Magdalena

I had not intended on starting my own group, but when one is married to a military officer, many opportunities (challenges?) present themselves. He was transferred to Austin, Texas in June of 1982 hence we packed up our cat, Phoenix, our dog, Rainbow, home, art studio, and temple and headed for the wild west. Arriving in Austin with a bright shiny new green Second Degree under my belt, or rather as my Witches’ belt, I thought that was about as far as I would progress. The Grove of the Unicorn and Lady Galadriel were just too far away for further study. Now this may seem strange to you young’ns born with a computer in your cribs, but back then we didn’t have e-mail or 5 cents a minute phone calls for cozy hours-long chats. To make Xerox copies one had to drive all over town to find a place and then feed precious quarters in the machine one at a time for a single copy. Long distance phone rates at any other time before midnight on the weekends was something over a dollar a minute when a dollar would still buy you a large cup of coffee (pre-Starbucks) with 50 cents change. Well, enough of “the good ol' days”.

After sniffing around for signs of witches, I was delighted to see a couple of notices posted at a hippie-ish bookstore downtown called Bookpeople. Soon my husband and I were being invited to a variety of classes, rituals and occult events all over town. I had no intention of changing traditions, but wanted to learn from many different teachers. However, my comfortable plan to be a life-long student and retire as a Second Degree ended suddenly with a phone call from a High Priestess from whom we had been taking Rune classes. She was going to have some surgery and wanted a sabbatical afterward so she asked if I minded taking on her students for about six months! After I picked up my jaw from its new resting place on my instep, I sputtered that I knew nothing about Runes, I was just a 2nd, I was just a newbie in town, and I had a gigantic case of scared shitless. “No problem,” said she, “you’ll do fine. I’ve already given everyone your phone number and address.” With that she hung up not to be heard from again for some time.

A long expensive phone call with Lady Galadriel, and an even looooonger conversation with Goddess, a couple of Texas margaritas, a million deep breaths and I was ready for my first class. After informing the group that I couldn’t teach Runes to them and asking what would they like to do, we decided to have a “comparative traditions” class. The next week twice as many folks showed up and the next week even more, with several Priestesses and Priests of different traditions in attendance. Soon the numbers were quite overwhelming. Then the Thirds began campaigning to take over the group with the makings of Witch Wars on the turf between my coffee table and the china cabinet. The following week I informed everyone that my home was no longer going to be the local Witch Tower of Babylon; I was going to teach Wicca more or less the way I had been taught and anyone who wanted to say or hear anything different was welcome to say and hear it someplace else.

The Grove of Phoenix Rising 1982

The next week over half came back, all wanting to learn together and form a cohesive group. Shortly thereafter they wanted to form a Grove, therefore with Lady Galadriel’s help and blessing I undertook the job as Priestess in training. While independently searching for a group symbol, all of the members had a similar vision of a Phoenix rising into the heavens. Making a commitment to each other, we gave birth to the Grove of Phoenix Rising in October 1982. I wrote and led our first grove ritual a few weeks later on Samhain. My husband, Myrddin, was one on my first students in the original class as well as Morrigan (now Lady River). Garanhir was also in this first Pagan class even though he had been a Priest in a defunct Austin group before my arrival in Texas. They and four others formed the first Dedicants in my new Grove on Imbolc 1983. I was busier than a “one-armed paper hanger,” giving seven Dedications that evening.  I knew that ritual by heart after doing it all by myself seven times!

That summer of 1983 Myrddin and I made a special trip back to Atlanta so I could receive my Third Degree initiation from Lord Elrond (now Athanor) and Lady Galadriel with Lady Rhea as Elder. Zipping back to Austin, I had a month to prepare to give my first initiations on August 23rd. On that full moon night I brought Garanhir in first and made him my priest; he in turn helped me initiate Morrigan (now Lady River) and then Dellia. What a night!!!!

By Yule, 1983 we had two more Pagan Dedicants including Gwyddion, my oldest son. Then Myrddin was initiated to first degree, Lord Garanhir was made High Priest of the Grove and we were already planning a new Pagan class to begin on Imbolc 1984. We had a powerful pagan Dedication for the eight people in that class on Beltane on a ranch out in Dripping Springs. I now had an experienced crew to help with the joyful task of dedicating these folks who included Parsifal (now Lady River’s husband) and my own mother, Rhiannon.

The Dreaded P.C.S. 1984

Just when I thought that the Grove was stabilizing with three more first degrees in place and Morrigan and Dellia coming up on their seconds, Myrddin

came home one day with the dreaded P.C.S. orders for Germany. For those of you so lucky not to know what this means, it is military speak for Permanent Change of Station.

Now for some reason the military has always felt it needed to incessantly move its members around at great expense to the public and great grief to the families. This unfortunate habit of keeping armies on the move goes way back to ancient times. I suppose the politicians liked to keep the rowdy troops moving around so they could pillage the local populace thereby supplementing their meager soldiers’ income, not to mention it could be dangerous having too many idle swords around headquarters that could be turned on you in a clever coup de’tat. But I digress.

For the next few months I copied, organized and left in the Grove’s possession all the appropriate lessons, rituals, directions, tools and calendar of classes and rituals for the next year. With Lord Garanhir as Third and Morrigan and Dellia as Seconds to lead the group, they were prepared to carry on until we (hopefully) could be transferred back to Austin. After many tearful goodbyes just after Lughnasah, 1984, I flew to Deutschland with my mom, Rhiannon, my dog, Rainbow, and my cat, Phoenix in tow.

We set up our temple in a tiny little upstairs room of our apartment in the small village of Ditzingen outside the city of Stuttgart. Since we were the only Americans in this village, my first priority for the next couple years was to try to learn the German language so I could converse with my neighbors and buy necessities in the local markets. I have great sympathy and respect for foreigners who come to this country and have to learn American English after the brain strain I experienced. The result of three years of real effort on my part allowed me to speak on the level of a five year old while my neighbors would fall over their fences in spasms of laughter at some comment of mine that was totally incomprehensible.

Der Hain dem Regenbogen Hexen 1985

A few months later I received a letter from the Wiccan author, Starhawk, whom I had met in a workshop before leaving Austin. She wrote me about a psychiatrist, Dr. Barbara Gissrou, who had invited her to do a week-end workshop in spring of 1985 at Arkuna Center, a women’s spiritual/ self development center in Stuttgart. Starhawk was going to do a tour of Europe lecturing, giving workshops and gathering information for her next book. She encouraged me to contact Barbara and come to the weekend so I could meet other interested women in the area.

Rhiannon and I both attended, looking forward to talking with Starhawk and hearing another American voice. Arkuna Center provided a professional translator for Starhawk so Mom and I listened to her and then watched the delayed reaction on the women's faces as they took in the information from the translator. Some of the German women did understand a fair amount of English and would look concerned about what the translator said. During the first break they had a heated meeting insisting that Starhawk's message was not being translated correctly.

The translator was a professional, but didn't have the vocabulary for Wiccan terms and/or personally objected to the content, so she was paid and sent on her way. That left Barbara and the other English-speaking women to do the translating, which got a lot worse before it got better. It deteriorated from friendly disagreement about word meanings to contentious hair splitting about who was the most precise as only Germans can get about being correct! Soon everyone in the room had an opinion and insisted on being heard so it was taking several minutes to agree on each sentence. Another major discussion during the next break saw a compromise in which the best English speakers would each take turns translating. I was relieved when the weekend was over by Sunday evening as my ears hurt and my brain was spinning from the confusion.

The next week Barbara called to say that all the women in the workshop had agreed that they wanted to know more about Wicca, and would I be willing to teach a course for them? I nearly fell off my broomstick in shock. She said that the class would be at the Arkuna Center while she and the other best English speakers would provide the translation. After thinking about it for a week I agreed, so that is how I came about teaching a Pagan class in Germany.

Meeting every week, it took about 26 weeks to cover the 13 week course since everything had to be said three or four times before they could get it all written down in German. I could only say six to seven words at a time, wait for the translation, questions, and discussion and then try to remember where I had left off in order to finish the sentence. Originally I thought that this would be a great opportunity to learn German, but I had to learn not to listen to the translator or I would totally forget what I had just said. The nighttime drive on narrow twisting roads from our small village to and from the Arkuna Center in the heart of Stuttgart became more challenging with snow and ice as the months wore on into Winter. The process did not get any easier during the 26 weeks, but we did have many priceless funny and touching moments as I learned to love these determined women who wanted to learn from this American Witch.

Eventually the class lost several students because of the difficulty of learning through translation and all the other reasons people have for dropping out. However, on Yule 1985 Lord Myrddin and I dedicated eight women in our living room, as our small temple wouldn't hold all of us. The German beer and French wine flowed long and late that night celebrating this unique milestone for both students and teacher. Most of the ladies were begging me to continue teaching them with hopes of becoming initiated Witches someday. I told them I would only continue with the Neophyte classes in my own house and they would still have to translate.

The women decided to call our group Der Hain Dem Regenbogen Hexen, or The Grove (home) of the Rainbow Witches. This was a beautiful description of the group’s diversity and the hope of the Rainbow symbolizing the ability to be a bridge of understanding between witches around the world as well as the present and the past. Over the next months, my German progressed slowly while they picked up American English at a fast pace. Consequently, less translation was needed so the lessons progressed more rapidly.

By Imbolc of 1987, two students were committed and confident enough to ask for First Degree, thus Soluna, or Barbara, was initiated in March and Deluciana, or Rosemarie, in April. My mom, Rhiannon had become a First Degree and Lord Myrddin achieved both his Second and Third during the years we lived in Germany. By then we knew that we were being shipped back to the U.S. that summer so my fledgling Regenbogen witches had to make the decision if they wanted to continue without a Priestess.

In the months before I left, I gave them as much material as I could while Deluciana and Soluna translated it to German. Their goal was to change all the teachings into German as soon as possible while adding to it aspects of Germanic witchcraft, paganism and magickal lore. During our final ritual together the Summer Solstice 1987, my eyes were filled with the sad tears of parting while my heart was bursting with love and pride for what we had accomplished together and the dedication they were putting into the future of our Rainbow Grove.

Lichtspinnen Grove 1988

In the year after Lord Myrddin and I left, some of the women dropped out, but a new Pagan class brought four more enthusiastic members. After Deluciana took over the leadership the next year, the inner core stabilized even as they brought in more members through another Pagan class. Since they were conducting the Pagan classes at the Arkuna Center as part of the overall curriculum of magickal studies, the classes could be quite large. Each new Pagan class spun off another group of loosely associated women practicing their own version of witchcraft. The remaining members of the original Grove were the teachers and ritual leaders of quite large public rituals.

Eventually the Regenbogan Hexen Hain decided their name was too bulky and didn’t really express their new vision. Duluciana called to tell me that they had decided to change their name to Lichtspinnen Coven. They worked with Light energy and were daughters of the Ancient Goddesses who spun and wove the fates of humankind on the loom of Life. Lichtspinnen, or Lightweavers joins two concepts together rather neatly. Deluciana worked on her Second Degree requirements while most of the others worked on their Firsts. A highlight of my visit to Germany in October 1990 was to initiate Deluciana to Second Degree. Eventually the Pagan classes left the Arkuna Center to be held at her home while she began work on her Third Degree requirements.

By 1993, Deluciana was ready, therefore a visit from her to Atlanta allowed both Lord Mryddin and I to administer her Third Degree. She changed her outer name to Avesta and after returning to Germany, she duly initiated members of Lichtspinnen who were ready for First Degree. They chose another secret name for their inner group initiate circle and are still together to this day. Meanwhile the spin-offs from Lady Avesta’s (and her initiates’) classes and workshops have spread all over southern Germany.

Reunited with the Phoenix Nest in Austin 1987

Following the three years in Germany, we were happily able to obtain a transfer back to Austin in July 1987. It was a shining moment when I learned that Lord Myrddin got his request for reassignment so that we could be reunited with our beloved Grove members. Lord Myrddin assumed the role of High Priest in Phoenix Rising completing a dream and a goal started ten years earlier for us to work together as High Priest and Priestess. In 1988 our next Pagan class was dedicated on Beltane, several of whom went on to receive their First Degree initiations. By July 1989, when Morrigan and Dellia completed their requirements, Myrddin and I initiated them to Third Degree. They were ready to hive off and started their own grove, Earth Haven, shortly thereafter. One of my initiates, Hathor hived with them. Earth Haven Grove reformed in the fall of 1990 with Lady Morrigan as High Priestess and Hathor as Maiden. Eventually Hathor was initiated to Third Degree in 1992 and became Lady Persephone. Many years later in 1999, Lady Selkhet hived from them and started her own Austin group, Phoenix Moon Grove.

However, by the end of 1989, the military was downsizing so, for that and other good reasons Lord Myrddin left the Air Force in order to join the airline business as a pilot. He was sent to Pittsburgh, PA for training and then was unfortunately officially stationed in Charlotte, NC. There were very few of his east coast-based airline flights to Austin, and even these dwindled over the next few months. While our original plans were for us to live in Austin while he commuted, this soon became impossible. The best option was to move back to Atlanta so he could reasonably commute to work and where we had a network of old friends and family.

Preparing to leave my chosen home in Austin again was heartbreaking, since this time I knew that we would not be able to move back. Therefore the Grove members had to be prepared to take responsibility for themselves. Lord Garanhir did not want to lead the group alone so it was decided to employ a leadership by consensus of the initiates. At that time everyone was at least a First or Second Degree initiate with good training and ritual experience. Lord Garanhir was High Priest, while everyone else would alternate in priest and priestess roles for the rituals.

Again I copied, organized and left in the Grove’s possession all the appropriate lessons, rituals, directions, tools and calendar of classes and rituals for the next year. Everyone volunteered for different areas of responsibilities enthusiastically taking on their new roles of leadership. I did not want the Grove to dissolve just because we had to leave. It had a long record (by Pagan standards) of eight years in existence and had eight strong, talented initiates to carry on. I realized that Covens were springing up all over the country with far less talent, training or stability and yet doing quite nicely. In other words, I felt that I had given birth to a beautiful and healthy child who had matured and was now able to grow into its own unique self. I made it plain that I was not taking the Grove of Phoenix Rising with me, but leaving it in the capable hands of it’s Austin family.

Leaving the Nest 1990

In the spring of 1990 we took down the energies in the Covenstead Temple at our home in Austin and did a ritual to install them at an initiate’s home. Coven members kept the Grove tools in a box to be brought to ritual either there or out at our outdoor circle at Lord Garanhir’s place. After Lord Myrddin and I moved into our Atlanta house in May of 1990, I set up our own temple space with our own tools, where he, Gwyddion and I celebrated our small family rituals linking up astrally with the Austin Circle. For the next year or so we kept in close contact by phone and letter, with me counseling various members on personal or spiritual matters. For a few years I was able to use non-Revenue passes with Myrddin’s airline and fly back to Austin several times. The Grove members asked me to come as often as I could afford to bring new material, teach new lessons, participate in Sabbots and special occasions, and in general keep our friendships alive with my presence.

By the end of 1992 many personal changes had taken place leading to dwindling Grove of Phoenix Rising participation. Two had moved away, and two of the women were brand new moms struggling to meet the demands of work, family and Grove commitments. During my visit we held a Grove meeting which was the turning point that eventually led to dissolution. The general consensus was that while everyone valued the Tradition, teachings, rituals and group support, no one wanted to step into the role of leader and so the energy was dissipating. No one was meeting for lessons, and in fact the only ritual held for months were the ones when Lord Mryddin and I came to visit. Everyone felt bad about the situation, but did not know what to do.

They told me that they wanted to be relieved of their duties and move on into other areas of their spiritual growth individually. I was very disappointed as I had high hopes that the Grove would survive, evolve and thrive in Austin for a long time. I told them that I would keep the energy of the Phoenix going for them to connect with on the astral level and any other time they wanted to come to actually visit in Atlanta.

The Phoenix Rises Again 1993

Only when I knew that the Grove of Phoenix Rising was irrevocably and forever dissolved in Austin, did I feel it was my right and responsibility to

revive, care for and serve the Phoenix, the Guardians and the Temple Egregore in a new Temple. Therefore, I finally drew the energy field to our active Temple in Atlanta. It was then and only then that I considered working with a small group of people who had been asking me to teach them for some time. After being very private and practicing only with Lord Myrddin and Gwyddion for three years, I brought the Phoenix to rebirth with a new Pagan class in March of 1993. The Grove quickly expanded with Pagan classes, Initiate classes and our First Degree initiation for Maya in 1994. By 1996 she had attained Third Degree staying on to assist first as Maiden and then assistant Priestess. In 1998 Lady Maya and three others left to form Harvest Wood Grove here in Atlanta. However, that group has disbanded with Lady Maya moving to North Carolina and teaching a few students there while the others have become solitaries.

Since the Phoenix’s rebirth here in Atlanta, Lord Myrddin and I have initiated a couple dozen people to First Degree, a dozen to Second Degree and four to Third Degree. In a whirlwind of activity, Lady Eliana attained her third in May 2000, was handfasted by us in late June to Thoth who we had brought into our Pagan Dedication on the New Moon a week earlier. Right after the wedding they moved to England. Thoth has since received his Third Degree and they founded their own Circle of the Sphinx. Sophia, who became Lady Galaetea, achieved her Third Degree initiation in August 2002. She graciously stayed on for over a year as Assistant Priestess and just recently hived in October 2004 to form the Grove of the Ancient Echoes. The Grove of Phoenix Rising continues as a closed group, occasionally opening our doors to selected applicants when we are ready to begin another Pagan class.

The Grove of Phoenix Rising has been an affiliated congregation with the Covenant of the Goddess since 1997 and Lady Magdalena (with several other Grove members) has traveled around the country to attend the annual national convention called Merry Meet. Our Third Degree Initiates are credentialed legal ministers through this organization. Since that time, the Grove has also been a member of the Dogwood Local Council of the Covenant of the Goddess serving Georgia pagans and witches. Lady Magdalena served as First Officer on the Dogwood board and has held several positions. We have been participating in Autumnfest as a group for the last nine years where we enjoy the fellowship of other witches and like to wear our bright Phoenix shirts so we don’t get lost in the woods. :<)

The last 26 years on this Path has been a long and winding road; furthermore I suspect the journey has a few more surprises in store for me.