About the Temple of Ara

Letter of Introduction from Phyllis Curott
History
Core Beliefs
Ethics and Standards of Conduct
Role of Clergy
Organization of groups
Holidays
Reading and Other References

Letter of Introduction from Phyllis Curott
The Temple of Ara is the fulfillment of a vision and a promise. It is a tradition that has grown and flourished all over the world, an open and welcoming community of unique individuals with shared spiritual practices, principles and experiences. It is a spiritual home for those with the courage to journey into the realm of Divinity.

The Temple of Ara is neither a structure, nor a building. The Temple is its membership. You are the Temple of Ara. The name means the Temple of the Altar, for Ara is a constellation of stars also known as the Altar. Ara was exactly at the midheaven at the moment of my birth, but its full significance was not revealed to me until many years later. My first journey to Italy way back in 1987 included a pilgrimage to Paestum and the great surviving temples of Magna Graeca which were devoted to the Goddess Hera and, later, the God Poseiden. I was overwhelmed by their beauty and by the power still present in the structures and the land on which they stood.

I sat in the open field behind the largest temple and went on a shamanic Journey, seeking a vision for the future. My Journey was filled with powerful, mysterious and primal images. I asked for guidance and was instructed: "Build My temples."

Returning to New York where I lived and worked, I struggled with that charge. How was I, with my modest income, to build temples in one of the most expensive cities in the world? Several weeks later, during circle with the first coven in which I was High Priestess, the answer came to me. The way to build temples was to teach the practices that enable each of us to experience the Divine that dwells in the world and in us.

In the Mystery Schools and in the Old Religion, there were important rites in which the Priestess was the altar. And the altar has always been the center of the Temple. All of us, women and men, are an altar--the place where spirit and world combine--and our lives are temples where we embody our spirituality.

It was from my shamanic approach to Wicca, my experiences in Italy, and my revelations in New York that the Circle of Ara took its name. And the Temple of Ara has grown from that beginning. It is a family where each member is honored as a sacred altar, a joining of spirit and matter; a community where we can share our journeys, our gifts, longings and strivings with others in the creation of this living, dynamic spirituality.

Welcome to the Temple of Ara. I hope that you find it a source of inspiration, community and sustenance and I look forward to your contribution to our journey of discovery and development.

H.Ps. Phyllis Curott
New York, September 2003

History
The Ara Tradition is a non-dogmatic, innovative and progressive Wiccan tradition that was founded in 1983 by H.Ps. Phyllis Curott with the birth of the Circle of Ara. The Ara Tradition traces its roots to the Minoan and Gardnerian traditions in New York City; at the same time that she was training in the Minoan Sisterhood, Phyllis was studying core shamanism and actively participating in the first shamanic drumming circle based on the work of Dr. Michael Harner. As high priestess of the Circle of Ara, now one of the oldest and longest running Wiccan congregations in the United States, Phyllis deconstructed traditional and often patriarchal Wiccan teachings to distill a system of core practices and principles, then blended these with core shamanic practices. It is this model of teachings, referred to as core shamanic Wicca, that she has passed on to her students. After numerous daughter and granddaughter circles, lectures, workshops, and books, Curott and the Elders realized that their Tradition has grown and evolved into an international movement, and so the Temple of Ara was formed in order to formalize and maintain the Ara Tradition across the globe.

Core Tenets
According to Phyllis Curott, the leading theologian in our Tradition: "Ara is an innovative tradition of Wiccan spirituality based on the central principle, and experience, of immanent divinity. It reflects years of shamanic Wiccan practice and is intended to help us discover the Divine that dwells within, and all around us, and to rejoice in the ecstasy of that communion."

Witches in the Temple of Ara recognize that the Divine is immanent. We experience the interconnectedness between all things on this Earth, acknowledging that each are part of a greater whole and that each are inherently sacred. We celebrate the natural cycles of birth, growth, death and rebirth and practice rites that attune ourselves with the natural cycles of the Earth, including the Lunar and Solar cycles.

Ara Witches celebrate the equality of the female and male, which is manifest in all things, including the Divine -- known to us as the Goddess and the God. Because we celebrate the erotic and ecstatic dance between Goddess and God, Ara Witches value consensual sex as a source of pleasure and sacred communion, and the act that brings about all creation.

The Temple of Ara focuses upon the spiritual principle and practices of immanent, or embodied, divinity and personal communion with the Divine in Nature and in daily life. Rather than focusing on any single culture or pantheon, the Temple of Ara encourages individuals to cultivate their own areas of interest.

Ara Witches regularly practice magic, which we define as: "a dynamic process by which [we] co-create reality with Deity" and engage in dialogue with the Divine using various tools for divination.

Ara Witches acknowledge the right and responsibility of all individuals to take charge of their own spiritual development. We acknowledge the right of individuals to do what they will with their own bodies as long as they do not inflict harm on themselves or others nor infringe on the rights of others. Ara Witches show respect to each other and show tolerance for all beings regardless of race, gender, sexual preference, lifestyle choice, religion or species.

We acknowledge the existence of realities far greater than those apparent to everyday perception. We acknowledge that through ritual and other Wiccan practices we experience those realities and thus gain wisdom.

We acknowledge and experience Nature, and the Earth, as an embodiment or expression of the Divine, and so the natural world is treated with reverence and respect. For Ara Witches, Nature is the greatest of all spiritual teachers, and so we seek not only to live in harmony with the Earth, but to actively spend time in wilderness and other natural environments as a source of wisdom and spiritual transformation.

The Temple of Ara does not acknowledge the existence of an absolute evil, but we acknowledge that human beings commit cruel or "evil" acts when they become disconnected from the Sacred or Divine.

Ethics and Standards of Conduct
The core ethical precept of the Temple of Ara is: We seek to live in a sacred manner because we live in a sacred world.

The Temple of Ara does not have "rules" for practicing Witchcraft and magic. Ara Witches do not subscribe to the "Threefold Law" --whatever you send out magically will come back to you threefold--because it is a rule based upon punishment and fear and as such is not a true ethical precept. Witches in the Temple of Ara do not harm, use baneful magic or use magic to manipulate others, because we recognize the Divine in all things and strive to act in accord with this philosophy by treating all with reverence, respect, compassion, and gratitude.

We expect those attending the Temple Ara's Workshops, Groves, public Sabbats or other events to abide by our Code of Conduct in order to create a safe space at our events for all participants and attendees.

Role of Clergy
Priestesses and Priests in the Temple of Ara are not intermediaries between people and the Divine; rather, they are "teachers who lead by example, sharing their experience and wisdom with those who are committed to learning" the techniques to commune with the Sacred.

Those individuals who have completed the Temple of Ara Clergy Training Program may be ordained as Clergy and may perform all religious ceremonies and rites of passage, including initiations and legally-binding ceremonies of handfast marriage. Clergy may also teach various workshops required for Initiation to members of their own circle or to larger groups when certified by the Temple. Clergy who have proven through deep and continued service to the Temple that they are wholly merged with the Temple's ideals and principles and are thus trustworthy and capable of upholding its standards, may be named as Elders by the Temple and may serve on the Council of Elders. Elder Clergy members on the Council are responsible for overseeing the spiritual and secular aspects of the Temple and also have voting privileges within the Temple.

Organization of groups
The Temple of Ara is organized under officers of the Temple Board and the Council of Elders. The Board maintains and manages activities of the Temple and its members and is made up of elected and appointed officers. All Board members are Initiates of the Temple. The Council of Elders advises on spiritual matters and mediates any problems that might occur among Temple members when those problems directly affect the Temple's operation and reputation. Both members of the Board and the Council, and only such members, have voting privileges in the Temple of Ara.

Members are those who have chosen to join the Temple officially, completed a membership application, and have paid their membership dues. Members will receive:

An official Temple of Ara membership card
A subscription to the ARA QUARTERLY newsletter
A subscription to the ARA NEWS electronic announcement list
Discounts on merchandise and educational materials
Discounted admission to events and programs
Invitations to members-only events
Priority registration over non-members for all Weekend Intensives and Lectures

Initiates are individual members in good standing who have followed the curriculum of study prescribed by the Temple, which includes the satisfactory completion of designated Weekend Intensives and assigned personal work, and applied and been accepted for Initiation into the Ara Tradition. Members applying for Initiation will be subject to rigorous examination of both a spiritual and personal manner. Initiates are honored with a ritual of initiation and admittance to advanced level workshops. However, they may not initiate others in the Ara tradition, nor are they able to conduct spiritual or business matters in the name of the Temple. Members may follow the Initiatory path in two ways:

As members in good standing working with recognized Temple Clergy in one-on-one or group settings (which is similar to the traditional Coven model).

As members in good standing participating in the Temple's Training Program, either as solitaires or in group settings

Initiates may choose to continue on to become Clergy, but are not required to do so.

Clergy are members in good standing who have been initiated into the Ara tradition and who have chosen to follow the Clergy path, which requires perseverance through advanced study and practice beyond Initiation. Initiates choosing to follow the Clergy path will be subject to rigorous examination of both a spiritual and personal manner. Initiates who are accepted into and complete the program may be ordained as Clergy who perform all religious ceremonies and rites of passage, including Initiations and legally-binding ceremonies of handfast marriage. Clergy may also teach various workshops required for Initiation to members of their own circle or to larger groups when certified by the Temple.

Elders are those Clergy members who have proven through deep and continued service to the Temple that they are wholly merged with the Temple's ideals and principles and are thus trustworthy and capable of upholding its standards. Clergy who are named Elders by the Temple may serve on the Council of Elders.

Because Ara Witches are trained in techniques that allow them to directly experience and commune with the Divine, all Ara Witches, whether solitaires or group members, Initiates or Clergy, are expected to set aside time for personal spiritual work.

Important Note:
The term "Mother Coven" and the acronym "CoA" refer to the Circle of Ara, the coven out of which the Tradition and Temple of Ara has sprung. The Mother Coven, based in New York City, is currently active and is led by HPs Phyllis Curott, founder of the Ara Tradition and President of the Temple of Ara. Please note that, though closely related, the Temple of Ara is not synonymous with the Ara Tradition. The Temple is an organization that has grown out of the Ara Tradition and seeks to bring that tradition to a broader community through its various programs. However, those individuals and covens who trace their lineage to HPs Phyllis Curott, and who were taught and initiated into the Ara Tradition either by Ms. Curott or by her line of Initiates, are not necessarily members of the Temple.

The Temple, however, does practice and uphold the Ara Tradition and is the formal body created to maintain its integrity and consistency and to give it legal recognition as a religious non-profit organization by the government of the United States of America. Only the Temple and its designated members and Clergy have the authority to speak for the Tradition, to initiate into the Tradition, to change aspects of the Tradition and to represent the Tradition in the international community. Those individuals and covens pre-existing the Temple's foundation, while cherished as family, are not recognized as members of the Temple, Initiates of the Temple, or Clergy of the Temple under the Temple's Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation unless they join the Temple officially.

If you are an Initiate of the Ara Tradition and would like to join the Temple, please contact us to arrange for membership at an appropriately equivalent level.

Holidays
The Temple of Ara celebrates the eight traditional Wiccan Sabbats.

Samhain (October 31)
Winter Solstice (about December 21)
Imbolc (February 2)
Spring Equinox (about March 21)
Beltane (May 1)
Summer Solstice (about June 21)
Lughnasadh (August 1)
Fall Equinox (about September 21)

The Temple does not require its members to ascribe any particular mythological theme to the Sabbats. Instead, Ara Witches are encouraged to attune themselves to their natural surroundings and celebrate in accordance with the natural rhythms of their locale.

In addition to the solar holidays of the Equinoxes and Solstices, The Temple of Ara views the lunar cycles as equally significant, as a reminder of the ebb and flow of the natural world. Groups meet on the Full Moon or during the phase of the moon that is most appropriate.

Reading and Other References
Phyllis Curott, Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman's Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess (Broadway Books, 1998). http://www.bookofshadows.net/

Phyllis Curott, Witch Crafting: A Spiritual Guide to Making Magic (Broadway Books, 2001). http://www.witchcrafting.com

ARA News, the official electronic announcement list of the Temple of Ara http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AraNews/

ARA QUARTERLY, the official newsletter of the Temple of Ara
www.templeofara.org/newsletter