Our Fourth Year Begins!

Come one, come all and join us as Beans, Leaves and Deities kicks off its 2009-2010 season!! Once again, we will be doing an opening ritual in order to “light the hearth” before engaging in the first topic of our FOURTH year: Storytelling.

Storytelling is and always has been an excellent way to communicate family lore, impart a life lesson or just plain entertain. Do you have a favorite story that you love to tell over and over again? Was there someone/something that you heard or read that struck a chord? Is your preference for stories oral or written? Both?

We invite you to comegather round the hearth to listen and bring a favorite tale or two to share. It can be a favorite childhood story, a retelling of an ancient myth, or perhaps a tale of your own experience in which you learned a valuable lesson. No need to memorize your tale, reading from a book is perfectly okay!

September 12, 2009
2:00 - 5:00 pm

Portland New Church
302 Stevens Avenue
Portland, ME 04101

November Beans, Leaves & Deities

November Beans, Leaves & Deities

When: Saturday, November 8th, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Where: The Portland New Church, 302 Stevens Avenue, Portland

Join us for coffee, tea and meet other pagans in Southern, Maine. All pagan traditions are welcome. We will have a one hour
topical discussion followed by social time.

Bring yourself, and if you like, a snack to share.

Cost: Free (donations are welcomed to help cover costs)

November Topic: Chants

Are you a Chant Collector or a new comer to chanting? Does humming a nifty chant improve your mood? Ever raised energy by belting out a chant when no one else was listening but Spirit? Another popular topic from previous coffee chats, please join us as we share our favorite chants be they old, new and/or made up in the moment! We invite you to bring any drums, triangles, bells, singing bowls and other percussion instruments, as well as any CDs you feel will add to the merriment.

October Beans, Leaves &

Beans, Leaves & Deities

Date: Saturday, October 11, 2008

Time: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Portland New Church - 302 Stevens Avenue

Notes: Join us for coffee, tea and meet other pagans in Southern,
Maine. All pagan traditions are welcome. We will have a one hour
topical discussion followed by social time.

Cost: Free (donations are welcomed to help cover costs)

Topic: Divination

This was on one of our most popular and talked about talks last year. Divination is used in nearly every Pagan tradition and there are nearly an infinite variety of tools and methods: tarot cards, astrology, runes, geomancy, bones, reading omens and signs, and the list goes one. Please join us of a one hour discussion on the topic of divination.

Be sure to bring your favorite divination tool for a reading swap to take place after the discussion. We will have tables set up for readers to use.

We look forward to seeing you there!

What do you love about BLD?

Beans, Leaves & Deities is approaching the beginning of it's third year. We are working on creating a brochure to be used at events like Pagan Pride Day, the Common Ground Fair and to put out at friendly locations like local pagan bookstores. We would love to include some statements from folks who have attended and enjoyed the BLD talks. We may also use a few statements on the website.

What is your favorite thing about BLD? Why would you recommend some one attend?

Let us know so we can help spread the word!

Beans, Leaves & Deities 2008 - 2009

Lughnasadh is nearly upon us. This morning as I walked into work the Farmers’ Market was full of people taking advantage of the bounty of first harvest. Soon summer will pass and Autumn will arrive, the air will begin to cool, winter squash and potatoes will fill the market and the coffee pot will be set to brew…

That’s right! In just over a month the 2008 – 2009 Beans Leaves & Deities season will begin! September 13th at 2:00 pm the Portland New Church, 302 Stevens Avenue folks will gather to kick off another year of community, conversation and caffienation.

What will we be talking about? Here is a list of the 2008 – 2009 topics. More details will be posted soon…we hope to see you there.

September 13th: Lighting of the Hearth
Working With Groups

October 11th: Divination (bring your favorite divination tool for a reading swap!)

November 8th: Chants

December 13th: Ancestors & Heritage Potluck

January 10th: Making the Wheel of the Year Personal

February 14th: Pagan Parables and Personal Mythology

March 14th: Plants

April 11th: Community Ritual
Pagan Celebrations and Rites of Passage


We have lots of other exciting news to share, so please stay tuned for more updates.

See you in September!

April 12 - Beans Leaves & Deities (last one of the season!)

Beans, Leaves & Deities

Date: Saturday, April 12, 2008

Time: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Portland New Church - 302 Stevens Avenue

Notes: Join us for coffee, tea and meet other pagans in Southern,
Maine. All pagan traditions are welcome. We will have a one hour
topical discussion followed by social time.

Cost: FREE! (Donations to help cover costs are welcome)

Please join us for the last BLD of the season until September.

Topic: BOOKS

Remember when you first discovered Paganism (or maybe it discovered
you)? You had so many questions and at first probably did not have
people you knew well enough to ask. So you turned to the source many
of us turn to...books. Gone are the days when there were only three
or four well known tomes to choose from. Today the choices are many,
some say too many. Join us for a discussion of books on Paganism.

What are your favorite introductory books? Sources for mythology and
ancient cultures? How about tradition specific books like those
about Wicca, Asatru, Hellenic paganism or kitchen witchery?

Also, this is is a chance to share those books that you no longer
need or want. Bring your used pagan and metaphysical books for a
BOOK SWAP.

Finally, since this is the last BLD of the season, as we did last
year we will have a final ritual to close the hearth until next
September when we all return.

FMI: beansleavesdeities@yahoo.com

Our goal is to provide a safe, fun and welcoming space for local
pagans to meet, network, share ideas and enjoy a cuppa. Coffee, tea
and light snacks will be provided.

Children are welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Next BLD

2007 - 2008 Beans Leaves & Deities Coffee Chats

Join us for coffee, tea and meet other pagans in Southern, Maine. All pagan traditions are welcome. We will have a one hour topical discussion followed by social time.

When: 2nd Saturday of the Month, 2 -5 p.m.

September 2007 – April 2008

Where: Portland New Church 302 Stevens Avenue

Cost: FREE! (Donations to help cover costs are welcome)

FMI: beansleavesdeities@yahoo.com

Our goal is to provide a safe, fun and welcoming space for local pagans to meet, network, share ideas and enjoy a cuppa*. Coffee, tea and light snacks will be provided.

Children are welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Upcoming Discussion Topics:

September 8, 2007 - Welcome to the Hearth

We kick off a new year of Beans, Leave & Deities with a Blessing of the Hearth ritual. During this rite we consecrate the hearth that is set up for each coffee talk. We light the hearth flame anew and invite you to take a bit of the flame home with you. Food and socializing to follow.

October 13, 2007 - Chants

One of our most popular chats (singings) last year. Learn some popular pagan chants and bring some new chants to share. Folks are welcome to bring drums and other instruments to accompany the chanting.

*In accordance with our goal of creating a safe and welcoming place for all Pagans, photographs are not allowed at Beans, Leaves & Deities events. Any members of the press who wish to learn more about the Beans, Leaves & Deities coffee chats are asked to contact the organizers. Thank you.