COLUMBIA — Cherry Hill Seminary decries the bomb threats made to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), churches and synagogues in recent weeks, particularly as they have occurred at the beginning of this country’s annual Black History Month. We support our communities of color around the country and call on all connected with the Seminary to do the same.
Executive Director Holli Emore took part in a national call on Tuesday which the FBI held with higher education and religious leaders. She said, “The FBI is providing special support to schools and religious congregations to both counter such threats and to help with prevention measures. While Cherry Hill Seminary operates from a digital-only campus, our values of embracing diversity and serving communities compel us to speak out on behalf of freedom and justice.”
The mission of Cherry Hill Seminary is to empower spiritual leadership, scholarship, and ethics through theological and pastoral education to nurture interfaith engagement in a diverse society.
“Growth, sustainability, and service.” These are the long-term goals identified by Dr. Margo Wolfe, Ph.D., the incoming Academic Dean of Cherry Hill Seminary (CHS).
Over the course of their history, the South Carolina-based institution has become a nationally known provider of education for individuals seeking training in leadership and ministry in Pagan and earth-based spiritual traditions. The Seminary offers degree programs, including graduate degrees, certificate programs, as well as courses for general interest.
“All work that we will be doing will be focused on the needs of the students and the faculty in order to strengthen the institution and maintain sustainability,” said Wolfe. “We are looking to complete our accreditation process and put additional support systems in place to make that happen.”
In January of 2022, Wolfe will officially take office as the new Academic Dean. Wolfe has been a part of the CHS community for several years, both as a student and an instructor.
Working towards accreditation
“I first started teaching some classes in 2014,” said Wolfe. “In 2017-2018 I served on a committee to begin the accreditation process. At the beginning of 2021, I was hired as a contractor to help realign the curriculum and develop an assessment plan. We are nearing the end of that project now and those processes will be instrumental in our accreditation self-study.”
Holli Emore, M.Div, Executive Director of CHS, described Cherry Hill’s mission as, “empowering spiritual leadership, scholarship, and ethics through theological and pastoral education to nurture interfaith engagement in a diverse society,” expanded further on the importance of Wolfe’s work on the project.
“Dr. Wolfe has been on our faculty for a number of years, first brought on by former Academic Dean Wendy Griffin,” said Emore. “In recent years she has volunteered with work on our accreditation materials. By year’s end, she will have conducted a complete review of all our curricula, degree requirements, and outcomes, including many meetings with our academic staff, faculty, and myself. She is finalizing this process by creating a handbook of standards to guide our ongoing program development. This is a huge step for the Seminary in strengthening all of our programs which will benefit all our students and faculty.”
Finding community at Cherry Hill
As Emore pointed out, Wolfe brings many years of experience as a practitioner in the Pagan community to her new position.
“I began practicing like a lot of my generation,” said Wolfe, “with secretly purchased books and reading them with a flashlight under the covers! From then I gravitated to solitary work, some work within a few local groups and groves, festivals in the eastern coast of the U.S., to finally becoming a member of the Sisterhood of Avalon in 2005. I was part of leadership for many years until taking some time to focus on my individual Avalonian practice and some artistic pursuits that grew from those practices.”
Wolfe indicated that working with CHS felt like a natural next step for her.
“I found the atmosphere at Cherry Hill inviting and rigorous,” said Wolfe. “They provide an avenue for scholarly inquiry while also addressing the spiritual needs of the students and faculty. I believe that Cherry Hill is a great bridge between experiential learning and a scholarly focus. They help to give credence to the Pagan spiritualities in a larger religious atmosphere.”
Even after several successful years with the Seminary, Wolfe did not immediately apply when the Academic Dean position became available.
“I had so many things on my plate, so it took me some time before even applying,” said Wolfe. “Once I realized that some of my other pursuits were no longer relevant to my life and that I wanted to continue scholarly pursuits, it became an easy decision.”
Development and connection focused
Emore speaks highly of Wolfe’s abilities and her commitment to Cherry Hill’s mission.
“Throughout her years of working with the Seminary, Dr. Wolfe has shown her strong support of what we offer. She has a deep understanding of Paganism from long years of practice, as well as involvement with several organizations. This year in particular, through the curricula review project, many of us got to spend hours with Dr. Wolfe, engaging in thoughtful discussion, brainstorming, and more. She is an outstanding collaborator, someone who leads by engaging others, and is generous with her extensive expertise.”
Wolfe listed course schedule development, filling open faculty positions, assisting new faculty members with developing coursework, and working with seminary administration to develop a budget as her day-to-day responsibilities as Academic Dean, duties performed with an eye toward the bigger picture.
“Overall, my focus will be to establish and maintain current connections between all members of the Cherry Hill family and assist our faculty as they mentor students through their educational process,” said Wolfe.
Executive Director Emore affirmed the importance of making progress toward achieving goals and expressed confidence in Dr. Wolfe’s ability to blend a fresh approach with respect for the work that has already been accomplished.
“As any good administrator will do, Dr. Wolfe will bring fresh eyes to the Seminary,” said Emore. “I have no doubt that she has new ideas to share with us, but she also appreciates and respects the foundation which has been built for nearly fifteen years by all who have come before her, including our retiring Academic Dean, Dr. Candace Kant.”
A signal of growth for Cherry Hill
Emore with members of Interfaith Partners of S.C. at a media event at the State House to announce January 2020 Interfaith Harmony Month – Image credit: Sekhmet99
In a break from tradition, however, Emore said that, for the first time at Cherry Hill Seminary, Academic Dean will be a compensated position.
“This position has been completely voluntary all these years,” said Emore. “By creating a modest salary for the new Academic Dean, the Board of Directors has signaled the importance of establishing this anchor position.”
With the new year, and the start of her tenure, right around the corner, Wolfe appears to be ready for the challenges ahead of her and looking forward to continuing her work at the Seminary.
“Cherry Hill is a welcoming home,” said Wolfe, “and I am honored to be of service to the school and the larger Pagan community.”
CHS will host a virtual meet and greet reception to welcome their new Academic Dean, Dr. Margo Wolfe on Sunday, January 23 at 3:00pm EST.
SOURCE:
Cherry Hill Seminary welcomes new Academic Dean By Jake C. Leibowitz | January 4, 2022
Cherry Hill Seminary is excited to announce that Dr. Margo Wolfe will become the Academic Dean effective January 1, 2022. Her appointment comes after several months searching and interviewing potential candidates.
About Dr. Margo Wolfe
Dr. Wolfe is an educator, writer, and Pagan with an earned PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University and a MA in English/Writing from Gannon University. With over 13 years-experience in post-secondary schools, Wolfe has written, taught, and assessed multiple curricula in a variety of subject areas and served as accreditation chair for programmatic and institutional teams.
With over 25 years-experience leading Pagan groups in Northwest PA and New York, she has served in leadership roles such as Administrative Director and President of the Sisterhood of Avalon, helping to develop policies for better governance and creating curricula for youth members. In addition, Dr. Wolfe has liturgical experience in the larger religious community, has presented at various festivals and conferences such as Sirius Rising and PantheaCon, and is published in several Pagan anthologies. In her spare time, she creates large-scale interactive and immersive art installations with her partner.
As New Academic Dean
“I am thrilled to be joining the administrative team at Cherry Hill Seminary as the new Academic Dean and I am thankful to Candace Kant for her guidance in this transition. In the past, I have served as an instructor and accreditation compliance officer for Cherry Hill. Most recently I have helped to guide the curriculum team through an alignment process in the effort to standardize our practices and prepare us for accreditation.”
“As Academic Dean my goal is to create connections between all members of the Cherry Hill family and, in particular, assist our faculty as they mentor students through their educational process. One of our values that stands firmly in my mind is ‘Advocate service to our communities.’ As a member of the Cherry Hill family, I will focus on service to our students, our faculty, and to the larger Pagan community and how we can see that value honored in everything that we do. I am excited to begin this journey with you and I am most humbly honored to be of service to our Cherry Hill family and to the larger Pagan community.”
Executive Director Holli Emore said, “Dr. Wolfe brings to her new role a background which is particularly valuable at this time in our institution’s development. I am confident that she will be a worthy successor to Dr. Kant, who has served the Seminary for so many years.”
Cherry Hill Seminary Graduates Present at Parliament of World’s Religions
A human need for support
Old notions of spiritual support or ministry have historically concentrated on one leader or location. Yet, even before the pandemic, traditional place-based spiritual communities and support services were subject to social changes. Most of these changes are the result of increased mobility, personal independence, generational change, and a growing number of people who identify as some variety of Pagan or who blend earth-based spirituality with one or more religious background.
Studies show that most Pagans are unaffiliated with a spiritual group, whether by choice or through lack of choice, but have the same human needs for support during life passages, crises, and personal growth.
Addressing Pagan spiritual support
Three graduates from Cherry Hill Seminary will present “The Changing Landscape of Spiritual Support for Contemporary Pagans” on Monday, October 18, 2021 at 3:45 PM Eastern US Time.
Carol Kirk, MDiv, a longtime Wiccan priestess and retired military nurse, will address wounded warriors and moral injury.
Professional hospital chaplain Wes Isley, MDiv, will share his experiences on the floor during COVID.
Holli Emore, MDiv, will speak about engage collaborative networks, cultivating horizontal leadership in our communities and providing compassionate spiritual support.
Parliament of the World’s Religions
The Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR) is the world’s premier interfaith convening organization, and has featured Pagan involvement since 1993. It’s mission is to “cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities.”
Previous Parliaments have drawn thousands of participants from around the world for conferences in Chicago, South Africa, Spain, Australia, and Canada. The 2021 Parliament is virtual and anyone may attend, but registration is required. You can view the agenda here and filter the sessions by selecting “Paganism” under the “Tracks and Tags” feature.
For more information about Cherry Hill Seminary contact us.
Race MoChridhe, MTS
Race received his Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with a concentration in Information Technology, building on a prior Master of Religious Studies degree from Nations University and undergraduate degrees in history and modern languages, both from the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is a member of Atla, where he serves on the Atla Press Coordinating Committee, and is also an occasional respondent for The Religious Studies Project as well as a former intern for Feminism & Religion. An Ovate in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids as well as a Dedicant in Ár nDraíocht Féin, he has twice presented at Paganicon in the Twin Cities, where he lives with his wife and son, and has been published in Academic Librarianship, Theological Librarianship, Implicit Religion, and other journals, in addition to contributing to the Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions and a variety of Pagan magazines and blogs.”
Valentine McKay-Riddell, Ph.D.
A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, Valentine earned a Masters in Counseling Psychology and a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology at the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology (now Sofia University). She has a private practice in shamanic healing and wellness counseling in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Carol Kirk, MDiv
Carol is a military veteran, having served in the U.S. Army as a trauma nurse from 1966-1986. During that time she served in various military hospitals around the world, including 18 months as an operating room nurse in Vietnam. She retired in 1986 but was called back to active duty for the duration of Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Carol became Wiccan in 1980 and eventually trained in the Oak, Ash, and Thorn Tradition, earning her Third Degree in 1996. She subsequently founded Tangled Moon Coven, a large Wiccan training coven, in 1996 and ran it with her husband until stepping down in 2008. In the fall of 1998 she entered training with a Gardnerian coven, subsequently earing her Third Degree in the Gardnerian Tradition in 2013.
Carol holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Michigan State University, a Master of Science from Murray State University in Guidance and Counseling, and a Master of Divinity in Pagan Pastoral Counseling from Cherry Hill Seminary.
Jenny Blain, Ph.D.
Jenny is an anthropologist and writer, Heathen, and with a strong interest in shamanism and the practice of Seidr, which is northern European shamanistic community-oriented practice, based in the accounts from the sagas and Eddas, developed as practice for today.
She writes about Seidr, and also Heathenry, or Northern Religion, generally. In addition to her book Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic (Routledge 2002) she has been editor with Graham Harvey and Doug Ezzy of Researching Paganisms (Altamira 2004), author with R J Wallis of Sacred Sites, Contested Rites/Rights (Sussex Academic Press, 2007) and numerous academic articles and chapters on Paganisms, Seidr, Heathenry, landscapes, Ancestors and wights, and lately on Scottish identities.
Rev. Ron Padrón, CMC
Ron (he/him/his) is a gay Cuban-American hedge priest from the swamps of Florida now living in the mid-Atlantic with his husband and their small cryptid dog. He has been a member of the pagan community for nearly two decades with specific interests in divination, Queer Ancestor veneration and necromancy, hedge witchery, and spiritual activism. He is the creator of White Rose Witching through which he manages a blog sharing Queer Ancestor Spotlights and rituals. He has presented at gatherings such as the Salem Witchcraft and Folklore Festival, Hallowed Homecoming, Free Spirit Gathering, various Pagan Pride Days, historic sites, and small museums on topics such as colonial witchcraft politics, spiritual activism, and queer-affirming spirituality.
Ron has completed the Community Ministry Certificate Program through Cherry Hill Seminary. He is a member of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), and has completed the Bardic grade through the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD). The nature-centered aspect of his witchcraft focuses on bioregional animism, permaculture, and (sub)urban homesteading. As part of his spiritual practice, he tends to his own productive garden and supports local farms when possible. Weather and ability permitting he can be found hiking in local parks as a means of grounding and connection with local spirits.
Ron has worked as an educator and administrator in higher education for nearly two decades. His work centers justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. He has presented locally and nationally on inclusive practices in education and the physical, embodied impact of diversity work. He is dedicated to the development, implementation, and assessment of equitable institutional practices that foster diversity and inclusion in both the for-profit and nonprofit sector.
He serves as Associate Editor for an academic journal, Including Disability, that centers the intersection of disability with other social identities through essays, academic research, poetry, and visual art. He is also a founder and co-editor of a punk spirituality zine, ALTAR PUNK, which is an interfaith project focused on reclaiming discourse around faith and spirituality from nationalist movements.
Lawrence Lerner
Lawrence is a Pagan priest, elder, and end-of-life doula dedicated to guiding others through life’s most transformative thresholds. With decades of experience in spiritual leadership and holistic care, he serves as a board director at Cherry Hill Seminary and is the President of Pagan Pride in Washington state.
His priesthood is more than a role—it’s a vocation rooted in sovereignty, Sumerian reconstructionist rituals, and modern spiritual insight. Through his work, Lawrence invites individuals to explore the magick within themselves and their connection to the world around them.
As a certified end-of-life doula trained by INELDA, Lawrence provides compassionate, grounded support for individuals and families navigating the end-of-life journey. His approach honors death as a sacred passage, offering rituals, legacy work, and presence that bring meaning and peace.
Outside of spiritual work, Lawrence is also a seasoned C-suite executive and digital strategist. He speaks globally—at the World Economic Forum and the Parliament of the World’s Religions—on the intersection of innovation, human connection, and spiritual wisdom.
Whether holding space at life’s edge or leading strategic change, Lawrence’s gift is helping others meet the moment fully—guided by clarity, compassion, and care.
Troy Robinson
Troy is a native Kansan with a lifelong connection to the agrarian landscape and a strong solitary practice within Germanic Heathenry. With over nearly four decades of combined service between the U.S. Marine Corps, Corrections, and Law Enforcement, Troy has extensive experience designing curriculum, building training and policy manuals, and developinginstructor certification programs. Presently Troy facilitates group therapies providing cognitive-behavioral interventions to enhance moral decision making and improve behavior through addressing risk, needs, and responsivity for justice-involved individuals.
A strong supporter and student of Cherry Hill Seminary, Troy completed the Community Ministry Certificate and the Writing as Spiritual Practice programs. He is a member of the Votaries Alumni Association and serves on the Board of Directors. He is an ordained cleric priest with Sacred Well Congregation.
Troy enjoys adventures with his wife, children, and grandchildren; exploring the less traveled, scenic backroads and educational opportunities available throughout the United States. A published author and artist, Troy uses his spare time to challenge his creativity to craft within a variety of mediums.
Tracie Mooneyham, BA, CMC
Tracie is a community weaver and digital strategist who blends technical expertise with spiritual grounding to foster resilient, heart-centered communities. As Director of Community Engagement at the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), she connects philanthropic technologists through resource sharing, storytelling, and intentional engagement.
Her background includes leading communications for the Cybersecurity Essentials for Philanthropy initiative and streamlining global messaging at Initiatives of Change.
An eclectic Pagan, Tracie brings a reverence for interconnectedness and sacred service to all her work.
Kathleen Rivers, Ph.D.
Kathleen is an educator with over 16 years teaching experience in public high schools, and eight years in corporate technical training and writing. Her doctorate is in Psychology with a concentration in Transpersonal Psychology and a specialization in Creative Expression from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Her Master’s degree is in Organizational Management (essentially an MBA for non-profits).
Kathleen is a practicing Wiccan and shamanic journeyer who is grateful for the opportunity to apply her experience, education, and passion for learning to Cherry Hill Seminary.
Kathleen contributed to the anthology, It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living. She has presented the topic and research method of her dissertation, Transpersonal Genealogy: An Autoethnographic Study Juxtaposing the Lived Experience of An Early Mormon Ancestor With Her Lesbian Descendant, at a myriad of conferences, and is currently co-authoring a book tentatively titled, Rescuing The Beauty: Healing Trauma Through The Ancient Art of Moxibustion.
Kathleen lives in San Jose, California, with her wife and three children.
Helene Grogan, MA, CMC
Helene earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994, then came back to school to study sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned a master’s degree in 2023 and continues to work on her Ph.D. She completed her CMC at Cherry Hill Seminary in 2024, and was ordained as clergy through Sacred Well Congregation.
Her current practice follows dual paths of Irish Pagan spirituality and Hekatean sorcery. She is a US Air Force veteran, and has worked in fields related to computer network security, technology consulting, office management and web accessibility.
As a queer, non-binary, and neurodivergent person, she has also been involved in advocacy supporting the value of disability and LGBTQIA+ perspectives.
Helene lives in the wooded mountains of western Massachusetts with her spouse, rescue dogs, and much surrounding wildlife.
Ryan Ridpath, MA, CMC
Ryan is the Treasurer of Cherry Hill Seminary’s Board of Directors. He has served on the Board of Directors since May 2023, graduating from the Community Ministry Certificate program in 2021. Since 2019, his religious calling has been as Ewart (senior minister) of Reginveg, a Germanic pagan fellowship located in Durham, NC.
In the secular world, Ryan has taught and advised secondary and post-secondary students in educational contexts. His passions include providing equitable access to education, offering compassionate spiritual support, and leaving this world a little better than he found it.
Michael McDermott, MD
Michael is a semi-retired physician and long time political activist. Raised an Irish Catholic, passing through Marxist atheism, he became a Pagan about 30 years ago. This spirituality has provided him with a way to see and be in the world that puts his mind and heart at ease and at the same time is endlessly challenging.
He has lived in rural Wisconsin and has land that is named for and dedicated to the Goddess Brigit. Brigit Rest is now the home of the Black Earth Institute (see www.blackearthinstitute.org) founded by himself and his wife, Patricia Monaghan. The institute is dedicated to using the arts to promote the causes of earth, spirit and society. It is set up as a think tank where artists can join together to address the secularization we see in progressive organizations.
In addition Brigit Rest can be a center for Celtic spirituality. Michael believes very strongly that Paganism offers a path for so many in our society and consider a seminary a crucial part in developing a truly Pagan infrastructure. He hopes to contribute to Cherry Hill Seminary so that it can succeed in this essential role.
Phyllis W. Curott, JD, HPs
Phyllis is an attorney, writer and one of America’s first public Witches. Her best-selling books, published in 14 languages, and her YouTube series What is Wicca?, with over 2,000,000 views, have introduced the world to Witchcraft.
An outspoken advocate in the courts and media, she handled or consulted on groundbreaking cases securing the legal rights of Witches, including cases of child custody, religious assembly, organization, expression, and free speech.
Phyllis is the founder of the Temple of Ara. She is the first Wiccan Trustee and Vice Chair Emerita of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, creator of the historic 2015 Inaugural Women’s Assembly and drafter of the Declaration for the Dignity and Human Rights of Women adopted by the 2015 Parliament, was the Wiccan representative to the Harvard University Religious Pluralism Project’s Consultation on Religious Discrimination and Accommodation as well as the Religions for the Earth Conference at Union Theological Seminary. She has spoken at numerous universities, churches, organizations and conferences.
Phyllis received her B.A. in Philosophy from Brown University and her J.D. from New York University Law School.
Michael Owens, JD
Michael is a 1988 graduate of New College of Florida and a 1993 graduate of Vermont Law School with Juris Doctor and Master of Studies in Environmental Law and Policy degrees. He has practiced environmental law for more than 15 years while volunteering time to Pagan organizations and earth religions rights groups. Michael has been involved with the Craft for over 23 years. He is a Georgian Tradition Elder with an eclectic practice, and has been active in the Covenant of the Goddess, serving as First Officer and Publications Officer on its national and local council boards, helping found the Everglades Moon Local Council.
Ronald Hutton, PhD
Ronald is professor of History in the University of Bristol, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, and formerly a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.
Hutton is a historian on the commission which runs English Heritage, and has published fourteen books on aspects of political, social, cultural and religious history, including a monograph on the English Civil War, a narrative history of the Stuart Restoration, a biography of Charles II, a survey of what is thought about the pagan religions of the ancient British Isles, two large-scale studies of the history of the ritual year in Britain, an analysis of Siberian shamanism, the first history of modern paganism in Britain, and a survey of the treatment of Druids in British culture over the centuries.
Hutton is perhaps best-known in wider Pagan studies circles as the author of the much-acclaimed Triumph of the Moon.
Tom Gordon
Tom has been active with nonprofit environmental boards for over 50 years. He coordinates soil and water conservation programs for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. Previously, he served as Executive Director of the Maine Association of Conservation Districts and was an elected Supervisor of the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District. He served for 19 years as Executive Director of the Cobbossee Watershed District, Maine’s first regional lake management agency, and directed the District’s innovative lake restoration programs. He is a founding member and Past President of the North American Lake Management Society, and Vice President of the Maine Lakes Society.
Tom graduated from Colby College in 1973 as its first environmental studies major and earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Maine. He has been active with Cherry Hill Seminary since 2005 and served on the CHS Board as Treasurer for two terms.
Diane Cacciato, MA
Diane is program coordinator for Writing As A Spiritual Practice. She holds a B.Ed in English and School Library Science from University of British Columbia and an M.Ed in School Library Science from University of Alberta. She is currently working on a second master’s degree in Theology and Religious History.
ADF priest Diane has 33 years of teaching in the public school system in British Columbia, and three years of teaching in private schools and colleges in Japan. Since retiring from the public school system in 2016 she has been teaching group and private writing classes, and facilitating writing groups.
Stacy Brooks, Ph.D.
Stacy received her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Mythology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology, her dissertation titled is Eco-Mythology of the Cherokee in Southern Appalachian Mountains: The Bedrock of Appalachian Culture. Her Bachelor’s in Elementary and Early Childhood education was earned from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She has lived the past 20 years in Boone, NC in the high country of the Appalachia Mountains.
Amy Beltaine, MDiv
Reverend Amy Beltaine is a spiritual mentor, providing a ministry of helping allies, friends and family of the marginalized and oppressed, whose hearts are breaking, but who wish to break open rather that break down, to mend themselves and the world.
When (spouse) Hawthorne and Amy are not pulling their little home behind them they live in Portland, Oregon with (son) Corey, (beagle) Zim, and (cat) Annie.
A graduate of Unitarian Universalist Meadville Lombard School for the Ministry, Amy is a professional Spiritual Director and Supervisor, serving on the coordinating committee of the UU Spiritual Directors’ Network, and recent President of the Covenant of UU Pagans.
Amy is a nearly life-long earth-honoring Process-Panentheist, with training in Gardnerian Wicca and Reclaiming, and ancestral roots in Scotland and Slovakia. Amy aspires to become a Love-Ninja.
Erica Baron holds a Master of Divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Thought and Political Economy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is an ordained Unitarian Universalist (UU) minister who has served UU congregations in Vermont and New York. She is a high priestess and ordained minister of the Temple of Witchcraft, centered in Salem, NH. When she is not leading religious communities and teaching, she makes quilts.
James Acken, Ph.D.
James Acken is a trained medievalist whose work focuses on the culture of poetics around the North Sea, particularly as it relates to Ireland and Scotland. Specializing in Gaelic and Norse literature, he has taught in Scottish cultural studies in both Canada and Scotland. His publications focus more on the poetic tradition of Ireland as illuminated in the didactic text, the Auraicept na nÉces.
Sushmita is an interfaith/interspiritual minister, educator and soul-companion, and a practicing biomedical research scientist. Her work emphasizes encountering the divine by living an “imaginal life.”
For her, image, imagination and creativity serve as portals to approach a lived sense of wholeness. In this space, apparent dualities of sacred and profane, light and dark, consciousness and the unconscious, cease. Instead, they emerge as dance partners, as members of an orchestra, or as colors of paint on the palette, interweaving and intermixing to create a rich, expansive and multi-faceted experience of life.
Sushmita’s soul-work involves engaging with the archetypes that arise from myths, dreams, poetry and art, to deepen an encounter with the divine. Her work is deeply influenced by Jungian thought, and post-Jungian thinkers such as James Hillman, Joseph Campbell and Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
Dana Doerksen, MLIS, CMC
Dana earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of British Columbia and her Bachelor of Arts and Certificate of Liberal Arts from Simon Fraser University. She has worked in public, academic, corporate, and special library settings doing research, teaching classes, and providing reference. She has been a long-time supporter and student of Cherry Hill Seminary and has served on the Board of Directors, the Votaries Alumni Association, and other committees. She completed the Community Ministry Certificate through Cherry Hill Seminary and was subsequently ordained through Sacred Well Congregation as a minister and cleric priestess. She is an elder and high priestess in the Georgian Tradition of Wicca and has studied and practiced ceremonial magick in the Golden Dawn tradition for 20 years. She is a member of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) and serves the community in her UU church and more generally in the Seattle Pagan community.
Wes Isley, MDiv
Wes holds a Master of Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a Master of Divinity from Cherry Hill Seminary (CHS). In addition to 20+ years in publishing, Wes is a Pagan and Interfaith minister with experience in grief workshops, LBGTQ Pride events and the spiritual dimensions of racial justice.
They have worked as a hospital chaplain and served as a volunteer chaplain with the American Red Cross and a local sheriff’s department. A CHS Faculty Mentor since 2018, Wes recently joined Starr King School for the Ministry as a Spiritual Advisor for its chaplaincy program. They have also served as founding Chair for the CHS Votaries Alumni Circle.
Wes is a kanzo initiate of LaSource Ancienne Hounfo and is ordained by Sacred Well Congregation where they also serve as Congregational Chaplain.
They live with their husband and black lab Harley in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Rev. Cynthia Cebuhar, MA, MDiv
Cynthia wears many hats. She completed an MA at Northern Arizona University and an MDiv with Cherry Hill Seminary. She serves as co-director for Temple of the Creative Flame in Arizona, on the board, and resident clergy for interfaith and Earth-traditions with the Shrine of Holy Wisdom, also in Arizona.
She also serves as a faculty mentor with Cherry Hill’s Community Ministry Certificate program and works in various ministerial capacities where she is called.
Liz Watkin, MA
Liz is a fiber artist and practicing witch in Western North Carolina. She has been hand sewing since a child and runs a small business called Open Coven selling embroidery kits based on her own artwork and teaching fiber art classes.
She has a Master’s in Liberal Arts from UNC Wilmington where she focused her scholarship on witchcraft and the occult.
Liz is currently training to be a Pagan minister through Cherry Hill Seminary’s Community Ministry Certificate and writes occasionally for the Wild Hunt.
Katharyn Privett-Duren, Ph.D.
Katharyn specializes in Goddess Theology, Feminist Rhetoric and 20th Century American Literature and has taught university courses (both undergraduate and graduate level) since 2000.
As a family traditional witch and priestess, she has led the Gangani Tribe of Alabama (a Southern Cherokee/Celtic coven) since 2008.
Both an academic and an ordained minister of Pagan faith, Katharyn has published in academic, peer-reviewed journals as well as Pagan anthologies and is a recurring columnist for Crone Magazine.
Ava Park
Ava is the Founder and Presiding Priestess of The Goddess Temple of Orange County, a “world sacred site of devotional pilgrimage, historical education and spiritual ceremony,” now in its ninth year of service to the spiritual community of Southern California, with Sunday Goddess Services both for women only and for all genders. The Temple, a permanent structure of 3,200 square feet in Irvine, California, maintains the “Goddess Antiquities Collection,” an ongoing display–open to the public, free of charge–of educational artifacts, statues and information telling the ignored, denied and suppressed 30,000 year history of goddess spirituality and women’s power on earth.
Aline O’Brien
Aline (M. Macha NightMare), Priestess and Witch, is a ritualist, both solo and collaborative, and a published author. Macha joined in the formation of Reclaiming Collective, to teach Craft and to perform public sabbats in San Francisco. The collective evolved into a Craft tradition, and eventually dissolved itself in 1997, to re-emerge as a much larger and more inclusive international entity.
Macha co-created with Starhawk The Pagan Book of Living and Dying: Practical Rituals, Prayers, Blessings, and Meditations on Crossing Over and is author of Witchcraft and the Web: Weaving Pagan Traditions Online and Pagan Pride: Honoring the Craft and Culture of Earth and Goddess. She has also contributed to several anthologies, religious studies textbooks, encyclopedia entries, and guest blogs.
Macha holds Elder and ministerial credentials through The Covenant of the Goddess. A member since 1981, she currently serves as one of the Covenant’s national interfaith representatives. She’s a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Nature Religion Scholars Network, and Marin Interfaith Council, a Cooperation Circle of the United Religions Initiative. She also serves on the Sacred Dying Foundation Advisory Council.
When the opportunity presents itself, Macha travels the broomstick circuit, where she enjoys immersing herself in the diverse community that is American Witchcraft.
Scott founder of http://www.modernheathen.com began his computer training in 1979. While he has developed many skills, including dancer, musician, lawyer, teacher, and others, he has always been drawn back to the technical fields, particularly with respect to educational endeavors. Scott’s technical background includes working for the University of Denver, owning his own Internet Service Provider, doing research and development on Video Conferencing, System Administrator for the National Weather Service, as well as serving as a technology consultant for various companies, being director of education, and ultimately President of the Capital PC User Group.
His spiritual upbringing was originally Methodist. Since that time he has migrated through various philosophies which ultimately brought him to heathenism, where he has been active for more than two decades.
He currently teaches courses about Asatru and Heathenism online, and provides instruction at pagan gatherings.
Scott received his B.A. from Beloit College in both International Relations and Music, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law.
He currently resides with his wife and her partner, in Germantown, MD.
Heather is a freelance editor, writer, and journalist in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also currently an acquisitions consultant with Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd, the former Managing Editor and writer for The Wild Hunt. She has served as public information officer for Covenant of the Goddess, Dogwood Local Council and has worked with Lady Liberty League as a media consultant.
Her writing has appeared in Circle Magazine and various online blogs. Her professional background is in advertising, public relations and information technology. She has a master’s degree in Film History and Criticism.
Michelle is an aromatherapist, Reiki Master, and Shamanic practitioner. She holds multiple certifications in aromatherapy, Shamanism, Reiki, ancestral healing, life transition coaching, and more.
Michelle attended Youngstown State University (Ohio) and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Michelle has studied aromatherapy with Katherine Graf, Shanti Dechen, CCAP, Bruce Berkowsky, Ph.D., and Aromahead Institute. She has trained with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, where she earned a certificate in Harner Shamanic Counseling™, and studies Shamanism with Valentine McKay-Riddell, Ph.D. She has studied ancestral healing techniques with Daniel Foor, Ph.D. and is a certified Seasons of Change™ transition coach.
Michelle is also a nationally recognized artisanal soapmaker.
Michelle’s journey through illness and personal trauma taught her that at the root of all disease is a disconnection of self and spirit, and the practices she has used to heal herself are the ones she offers to her own clients.
In 2015, Michelle has conducted research into the role of intuition in transpersonal aromatherapy practices, and how these practices impact well-being from a psychoneuroimmunological standpoint.
In her spare time Michelle can be found visiting her favorite hickory tree and revitalizing her property, converting it into a wildlife habitat and home for native plant species.
Justin Ferko
Justin is an interspiritual Spiritual Pathfinder and a 2022 New Contemplative with Spiritual Directors International. He is a Board Member of Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development, and instructor and supervisor in multiple spiritual direction training programs.
He and his spouse Craig live along the banks of the Susquehanna in East Pennsboro with their dogs Yeshe and Benny where Justin practices relationship with the More-Than-Human world. He celebrates the spiritual giftedness of the LGBTQIA+ community and provides spiritual pathfinding to individuals and groups as Earth-to-Earth Companionship.
He is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (August 2022), Spiritual Director (Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development 2021), professional chaplain (5 years), Tibetan Buddhist, and Carpathian Mountain spiritual practitioner.
Angela Farmer, Ph.D.
Angela has taught at the university level for over a decade and has mentored initiates since 2008. She is published extensively in in national and international peer-reviewed journals as well as writing several articles for internet-based Pagan and Heathen magazines (under her pen name, Ehsha Apple). Angela holds a Ph.D. in English-Gender Studies from Auburn University. She earned her Master of Arts in English from Saint Xavier University, where she also earned a Certificate in Pastoral Ministries. An ordained Pagan minister and Grove Steward, Angela is active in her local Pagan community.
Sandra D. Costa
Sandra is a founding member and elder of Treibh na Tintean in Joliet, IL and a lay community minister at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet. She is an artist, activist, healer, writer, and college instructor. She works for social justice and interfaith harmony. Her great loves are community organizing, rites of passage, her Dark Moon group the Seedling Seesters, and ritual choir.
Robin Douglas, Ph.D.
Robin is a writer and researcher based in London. His academic background (PhD, Cambridge) is in the ancient and modern history of Paganism and Pagan ideas. He is the author of The Pagan Revival (Equinox, 2024) and the co-author, with Francis Young, of Paganism Persisting (Exeter University Press, 2024). He has also published a growing series of articles on Pagan history.
Angela Chamberlain, MA
Angela is a speaker, researcher, and a perpetual student. She earned her first degree, a B.S. in Biology, Psychology, and Sociology from Drury University in 2010. She earned a M.A. in Counseling (with emphases in Marriage, Family, and Children) from Webster University in 2013. She earned a MA in Psychology from Fielding Graduate University in 2019. Angela is currently working on her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA.
Her theoretical orientation is Humanistic and she strives to be a whole, authentic, and congruent human in all areas of her life.
She is provisionally licensed as a professional counselor in the state of Missouri. She co-founded the Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling in the state of Missouri.
Angela is a 1st degree Correllian priestess and a Priestess Hierophant with the Fellowship of Isis. She is the founder of the Pulaski County Pagan Alliance in Missouri.
Angela is currently working on two pieces of research – her dissertation on the spiritual identity of Wiccan women experiencing infertility and a project using Archetypal Imagery with women who have experienced infertility.
In her personal life, she resides in the state of Missouri. She is the wife to the love of her life, Jeremy, and mom to their 9 children. She helps homeschool their children. She is also a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) who trains and competes with her dogs – a bunch of unruly Belgian Malinois.
Arnold Ramon Bustillo III, DBA
Arnold was born and raised in Southern California. Having lived in Mexico for nearly a decade, he writes extensively on the topic of Santa Muerte, the Mexican folk saint whose name in English means Holy Death.
Arnold is also the founder of Santa Muerte Ministries, which allows members to recognize and elevate those who do good work in service to others and in the name of Holy Death.
Apart from his spiritual work, Arnold is a gay military veteran of the Iraq war, having served in silence during the era of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and today he holds a doctorate in business administration, which he was able to earn thanks to the military GI Bill.
Alison Beyer, MFA
Alison received her MFA from Columbia College Chicago (2008) in Interdisciplinary Arts & Media where she currently teaches in the Television Department as well as teaching at Cherry Hill Seminary.
A working artist and an open Pagan educator, Ali was raised in an out Pagan family in Madison, Wisconsin, and her artwork is created from an inherently Pagan perspective. Ali is also a Pagan Minister and a member of Prodea Coven in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Kristal Barrywood, MA
Kristal is a recent graduate from the University of Chicago with a MA in Liberal Arts. Her research interest in Paganism through the lens of Cultural Anthropology is reflected in her master’s thesis: Inherent by Proxy: A Study of Intentional Environmentalism Within Pagan Rituals. Inspiration for her academic research stems from her personal Pagan path that she has been practicing and evolving since 2013. She intends to continue her career in Pagan Studies by enrolling in a PhD program for 2022. Until then, Kristal leads a small coven and resides near the Twin Cities in Minnesota with her fiance, Rich, and her furry baby, Mochi.
Michael York, Ph.D.
Michael has retired as Professor of Cultural Astronomy and Astrology with the Bath Spa University’s Sophia Centre. He also directed the New Age and Pagan Studies Programme for the College’s Department for the Study of Religions and coordinated the Bath Archive for Contemporary Religious Affairs. He continues to direct the Amsterdam Center for Eurindic Studies and co-direct the London-based Academy for Cultural and Educational Studies.
His major publications are: The Roman Festival Calendar of Numa Pompilius (1986); A Sociology of the New Age and Neo-pagan Movements (1995); The Divine versus the Asurian: An Interpretation of Indo-European Cult and Myth (1995); Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion (2003); Pagan Ethics: Paganism as a World Religion (2016); and Pagan Mysticism: Paganism as a World Religion (2019), and his latest book is Matter Matters: End of Life Reflections on Paganism (2023).
Margo earned her Ph.D. at Walden University in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment and has taught at several universities in her hometown. She has over 25 years-experience leading Pagan groups in Northwest PA and New York and has served in multiple organizations including the Sisterhood of Avalon.
In addition, Wolfe has liturgical experience in the larger religious community, has presented at various festivals and conferences such as Sirius Rising and PantheaCon, and is published in several Pagan anthologies. In her spare time, she creates large-scale interactive and immersive art installations with her partner.
Caroline Tully, Ph.D.
Caroline is a Pagan, Witch, and Archaeologist. Her interests include ancient Mediterranean religions, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Thelema and contemporary Paganisms, particularly Witchcraft and Pagan Reconstructionism.
Caroline is an expert on Egyptomania and the religion of Minoan Crete. She is the author of The Cultic Life of Trees in the Prehistoric Aegean, Levant, Egypt and Cyprus (Peeters 2018), and many academic and popular articles.
Caroline has curated exhibitions of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities, and regularly presents lectures and workshops on ancient religion and magic.
Francesca has a passion for the mythology and folk tales of the United States. She is a monthly contributor to Return To Mago, an online publication for women interested in the Feminine Divine and Women’s Spirituatity.
This year she joined the editorial board of S/HE: The International Journal of Goddess Studies.
For the past several years, she’s hosted a public radio program on green living and the organic gardening movement and has a large collection of books and articles on everything from homesteading to survivalists.
Outside of academia, she works as a museum educator for a small railroad museum in North East, PA.
She is also a published poet and short story author who enjoys scaring her readers just a bit.
Michael F. Strmiska, Ph.D.
Michael is Associate Professor of World History in the Global Studies Department at SUNY-Orange in New York State in the USA, and has also taught courses in Modern Paganism and New Religious Movements at Hampshire College in Massachusetts.
He was the editor and a co-author of Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives.
His research on Baltic and Norse-Germanic Paganism has been featured in a number of journals including Nova Religio, The Pomegranate, and the Journal of Baltic Studies.
In the fall of 2015, he was a visiting lecturer at Masaryk University (Czech Republic).
Dr. Strmiska is currently at work on a book entitled Unchristian Eastern Europe: Pagans, Jews and Gypsies.
His research interests involve the political dimensions of modern Pagan and Native Faith movements in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the United States, the interaction between popular culture and Paganism, and developing ethnically-rooted but non-racist forms of Paganism.
Deirdre Sommerlad-Rogers, Ph.D.
Deirdre has served as Cherry Hill Seminary faculty since 2011. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Jose State University, in Psychology and Sociology, and her Ph.D. in Sociology from Bowling Green State University, with minors in Women’s Studies and Social Psychology.
She had held the position of tenured professor and Department Chair in Sociology and Criminal Justice. She is currently consulting as a statistical and dissertation consultant. Her areas of focus and teaching have included criminal justice, inequalities, and social construction of difference.
Rev. Chris Rothbauer, MDIV, MALS
Chris (they/them) is a Unitarian Universalist minister, spiritual companion, and dreamworker based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They earned their Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Leadership studies from Meadville Lombard Theological skill.
Throughout over a decade as a minister, they have served in a variety of contexts, including parishes, religious education, hospital chaplaincy, social justice ministry, and spiritual direction. They are a member of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) and a dedicant in Ár nDraíocht Féin.
Chris lives in Lewisville, Texas with their partner; a senior rescue beagle; and a spoiled rotten cat.
Megan Rose, Ph.D.
Megan is an initiated ceremonial magician, Shakta Tantric practitioner, and is a senior apprentice to Orion Foxwood in the Celtic Faery Faith tradition of Faery Seership. She is also an ordained inter-faith minister through Seven Sisters Mystery School.
Megan Rose holds a doctorate in East-West Psychology from the School of Consciousness and Transformation at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and a master’s degree in Religion in Society from the Graduate Theological Union.
She has a private practice specializing in transformational psychology, holistic healing, divine embodiment practices, and eco-spirituality.
Jo Pearson, Ph.D.
Jo is a British academic now resident in Canada. She has a degree in early modern history, and gained one of the first Religious Studies Ph.D.s in Britain in the field of contemporary Paganism, with a thesis on Religion and the Return of Magic: Wicca as Esoteric Spirituality.
She previously worked at the Open University, Cardiff University, and Winchester University in the UK, before moving to Canada in summer 2012. She has organised two international conferences on Paganism, and delivered papers at international conferences over the past 20 years.
Her publications include Wicca and the Christian Heritage and Nature Religion Today, plus numerous articles. She is presently working on a study of post-Christian priest/esshood and contributing to explorations of disability in ritual contexts.
Robert Patrick, MDiv, Ph.D.
Robert resides in Lawrenceville, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. He holds a BA in Biblical Literature from Oral Roberts University, a Masters of Divinity from Emory University, and a PhD in Latin and Roman Studies from the University of Florida. His dissertation focused on the presence of sacred groves in the Metamorphoses of Ovid as nonlinear events, and he has continuing interest in sacred groves in surrounding European and near-eastern cultures, particularly Celtic cultures.
An active member of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett, he co-founded both the Oak Grove CUUPS and the Druid Order of Three Realms (www.druid3realms.org) whose mother Grove, Sylvan Sanctuary, meets at UUCG.
His religious and spiritual path is labyrinthine including ministry in the United Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and for the last twenty years, Druidry and Unitarian Universalism.
David Oringderff, Ph.D.
David is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University, and holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University (Maryland) and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The Union Institute School of Professional Psychology in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He is a retired Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor. He is currently a consultant and trainer in forensic and organizational psychology, and psychodiagnostics.
Dr. Oringderff is a veteran of over twenty-seven years in military and civilian law enforcement and intelligence work. Dr. Oringderff holds a Missouri and a Texas Peace Officer license with Master Certification, a Police Instructor license, a Forensic and Investigative Hypnotist license.
He retired from full-time law enforcement in 2021. Dr. Oringderff is a Subject Matter Expert consultant to the Department of Defense Armed Forces Chaplains Board on Alternative Religions, Sects and Cults.
He has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, NBC Dateline, VRT Television (Belgium), ZDF Television (Germany), and national and international printed media including Time Magazine, Texas Monthly and US News and World Report.
Thomas Nowlin, Ph.D.
Thomas holds a Ph.D. in leadership from the University of Central Arkansas. His dissertation title is Leaderships Influence Upon Muslim Identity Formation in Arkansas: A Qualitative Study. He also holds a Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, with an emphasis in Pastoral Care, and a B.A. from Charleston Southern University in Charleston, SC, with an emphasis in Religious Studies. He is a graduate of the International Institute for Japan Studies, Nigawa, Japan, and the Kansai Missionary Language Institute, Kobe, Japan. He is fluent in Japanese.
Dr. Nowlin completed 5 years of work toward a PhD in Theology, Church History and Missiology at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN. He also completed independent study in philosophy and Japanese at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN.
Dr. Nowlin has 23 years in Christian ministry – a pastor of four stateside churches in Kentucky and Arkansas (11 years) and a denominational missionary to Japan (12 years).
Having studied the Shinto paleo-paganism of Japan he became interested in studying the Irish Druidry of his family ancestry.
A graduate of the US Navy’s elite nuclear power school, and a former submarine nuclear operator during the Cold War, he later became a Conscientious Objector to the use of nuclear weapons.
He is currently an electric utility office manager and a farmer in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. He is committed to clean efficient energy use, sustainable agricultural practices, and whole natural foods.
Dr. Nowlin is passionate about the study of leadership, philosophy, theology, and ethics, and their disciplined practical application in facilitating the health and well-being of humanity, our planet, and our environment. He is a practitioner of the spiritual disciplines – simplicity, meditation, virtuous living, piety, study, service, etc.
Shane Nelson, MDiv, MA, BCC, LPC, NCC
Shane is the Executive Director of Sacred Well Congregation, a Board Certified Chaplain, and a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in working with trauma and addiction. He completed his Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bushnell University and his Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry. Currently, he is completing his Doctor of Ministry in Interreligious Chaplaincy at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
Shane serves in the Pastoral Counseling and Chaplaincy department at Cherry Hill Seminary. He is trained and ordained in GreenCraft Wicca, Asatru, and Druidry.
Cedar Monroe, MDiv
Cedar is a writer and chaplain. They hold a Masters in Divinity from Episcopal Divinity School and worked as an interfaith chaplain in poor communities for thirteen years. They co-founded Chaplains on the Harbor, a ministry for and with people experiencing homelessness, incarceration, and addiction, in western Washington state; co-founded Harbor Roots Farm, a supportive employment project supporting people coming out of jail to learn how to farm and connect with the earth; and is the author of Trash: A Poor White Journey (2024).
They have practiced earth centered spirituality and paganism for the past fifteen years and worked with young incarcerated pagans in opposing and countering the rising interest in white supremacist versions of heathenry in US prisons.
They live with their partner and two cats in the Pacific Northwest, and are a cheesemaker and a student of North American Indigenous studies and language, in preparation for a PhD in comparative paganism at University College Cork in Ireland.
Ben Luoma, MDiv
Ben first felt pulled by the Gods while wandering the pine barrens of New Jersey as a child. He eventually found his way to British Traditional Wicca, which he has been practicing for over a decade.
He has an M.Div from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and completed Clinical Pastoral Education at Norton Healthcare in Louisville.
Since 2018, Ben has served as a staff chaplain at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
He lives in North Providence with his wife, 2 children, 3 cats, and 1 dog.
Candace Kant, Ph.D.
Candace holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in history from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Ph.D. in history from Northern Arizona University. She has taught history, women’s studies, and religious studies courses at the College of Southern Nevada since 1976, including such classes as the History of Witchcraft, Goddess Traditions, Introduction to Modern Paganism, and Modern Pagan Thought, all of which she developed.
After 32 years of teaching Candace retired and was awarded the title Emerita. She developed and taught courses in practical Pagan and Goddess Spirituality at the Temple of Goddess Spirituality dedicated to Sekhmet in Cactus Springs, Nevada and through the College of Southern Nevada Continuing Education. A devotee of Sekhmet, she was ordained at the Temple of Goddess Spirituality in 2003 and has served as one of the temple priestesses from 2006 to the present. In 2023 she was presented the Hypatia Award for Excellence in Education by Cherry Hill Seminary.
Valerie Cole, Ph.D.
Valerie is a practicing Reclaiming Witch in Washington, DC. Previously Chair of the Pagan Pastoral Counseling Department for Cherry Hill Seminary, Valerie currently works as Senior Associate, Disaster Mental Health, at the American Red Cross. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and began conducting sabbat rituals while in graduate school. She taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the Department of Psychology and helped develop the Masters in Mental Health Counseling program at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY.
Valerie also maintained a private psychotherapy practice for several years, focusing mainly on relationships: relationship with the self, with one’s higher power, and with others. She uses meditation, guided imagery and ritual to facilitate personal transformation.
Her article “Healing Principles: A Model for the Use of Ritual in Psychotherapy” appeared in Counseling and Values in 2003.
Lynne Hume, Ph.D.
Lynne is an Anthropologist, Honorary Research Consultant, and Associate Professor (retired) in Studies in Religion at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. She has researched and published on Australian indigenous culture, contemporary Paganism, new religious movements, altered states of consciousness, and sensorial anthropology as well as magical experiences and religion and dress.
Her book publications are: The Varieties of Magical Experience: Indigenous, Medieval, and Modern Magic co-authored with Dr Nevill Drury (Praeger 2013); The Religious Life of Dress (Berg 2013); Portals: Opening Doorways To Other Realities Through The Senses (Berg 2006); Ancestral Power: The Dreaming, Consciousness and Aboriginal Australians (Melbourne University Press 2002); Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia (Melbourne University Press 1997); Anthropologists in the Field: Cases in Participant Observation (with Jane Mulcock) (Columbia University Press 2004); Popular Spiritualities: the Politics of Contemporary Enchantment (with Kathleen McPhillips) (Aldershot, England and Burlington, USA: Ashgate 2006).
She has also published work in numerous academic journals and several encyclopedias and supervised PhD students through to completion of their doctorates. Hume lives in Australia.
John is a Massage Therapist, a Reiki Master Teacher, a Tai-chi and qigong instructor, a Workshop Leader, and a Certified Life Coach specializing in Reinventing Work and Spirituality. He has written several books and articles on Practical Spirituality and at present he specializes in a mind, body and spirit healing practice as well as a radio show and forum he hosts on Podcast. Dr. John (Om Prakash) is a retired Unitarian Universalist Minister after more than 20 years in the parish and as a JUUST Change Consultant, and Director of Racial and Social Justice for the Joseph Priestley District. He has been a CUUPS member for several years and is now serving on the CUUPS (Covenant of UU Pagans and Earth Based Traditions) Board as Co-chair and Right Relations.
Padraic Fitzgerald, Ph.D.
Padraic is an adjunct instructor at the College of Charleston in their Religious Studies department. He graduated from the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology Joint Doctoral Program in Religious Studies (’23). His dissertation, titled Til Valhall!: The Formation of Nordic Neopagan Identity, Religiosity, and Community at a Norwegian Heavy Metal Festival, explores the Midgardsblot heavy metal festival as a temporary sacred space where people self-identifying as belonging to or adjacent to Nordic Neopaganism engage with manifold forms of Nordic folk symbolism to refine religious identities and achieve religious experiences. His research interests include material religion with an emphasis on the natural environment and religious musicology, the “greening” of religion, Northern European folk traditions, Neopagan movements, and the relationship between religion and popular culture.
James Fielder, Ph.D.
James (Pigeon) received his PhD in political science from the University of Iowa and researches emergent political processes inside game worlds. He has published and lectured widely on the psychology and ritual aspects of gameplay, including The Conversation, The Conference on Pagan Studies, Gen Con, Mystic South, Around the Table, Summerland, Enheduanna Journal, and as a TEDxMileHigh speaker.
He teaches at Colorado State University and is a roleplaying game content creator for Mobius Worlds Publishing. He has served as a Non-Officer Director of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF), is a member of ADF’s Denver-based Chokecherry Grove, and founded ADF’s Games & Play Special Interest Group.
Vivianne Crowley, Ph.D.
Vivianne a psychologist and was formerly a professor at the University of London, teaching psychology of religion at Master’s level and supervising PhD students. She is a Wiccan High Priestess and has been teaching Wicca and the Western Magickal Tradition internationally for thirty years. She is on the Council of the Pagan Federation where she focuses on interfaith issues.
She is the author of many books on Wicca, Paganism and spiritual psychology, including Wicca: A comprehensive guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World. The current focus of her spiritual work is in supporting and fostering the development of those who lead groups and teach others.
Holli is the executive director for Cherry Hill Seminary, Chair of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina, and was the first Regional Lead for Disaster Spiritual Care for the American Red Cross in South Carolina.
She is the founding priestess of Temple Osireion which has developed its tradition based on ancient Egyptian religions. Emore is the author of Constellated Ministry: A Guide for Those Serving Today’s Pagans (Equinox, 2021).
Keith Cates, Ph.D.
Keith received his Ph.D. In Counselor Education and Supervision from Auburn University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds state licensure in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. He currently works in private clinical practice and specializes in working with Military, EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Educational, and Medical personnel and providing clinical supervision for counselors seeking licensure. He is a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis where he has served in the role of Bodymaster as well as worked with the OTO’s Psychology Guild to serve the pastoral counseling training needs of the OTO’s clergy.
Mason Davenport, MA
Mason is the Student Services Manager for Cherry Hill Seminary. He has held a variety of roles in enrollment services and academic affairs over his 16 year career in higher education administration.
Mason received a M.A. in theology from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2013, and has served as a Steward of The Wilderness Between, a Druid-inspiried, nature-revering collective in the Washington, DC area since 2016.
Since graduating with CHS’s first cohort in the Spiritual Direction Certificate, he also offers spiritual accompaniment in private practice.
A member of Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD) and the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), Mason is seeker and aspiring mystic following a winding path of Druid wisdom and intuitive magic. When not in the forest or in his head, he can be found in the joyous company of his spouse and their cats.
Jeffrey M. Keefer, Ph.D.
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“I am thrilled to be joining the administrative team at Cherry Hill Seminary as the new Academic Dean and I am thankful to Candace Kant for her guidance in this transition. In the past, I have served as an instructor and accreditation compliance officer for Cherry Hill. Most recently I have helped to guide the curriculum team through an alignment process in the effort to standardize our practices and prepare us for accreditation.”