Orange Coast CUUPs celebrated midsummer with Shakespeare, fairy wings, and ladybugs. From our beautiful hilltop location overlooking the coast, we joined together in a ritual to bless the earth and celebrate the coming of summer.

First, our fairies put on their wings.









Then they helped us bring in the summer through dance and song.













We blessed ladybugs and released them all over the OCUUC property to bring their gifts to our sacred space. May these tiny insects, part of the web of existence, bring us a season of life, love, health, and joy.

Our Midsummer celebration is just around the corner. Come and join us at 7:00 p.m. on June 19 as we celebrate the longest day of the year - the day of the sun's greatest strength and the night of Shakespeare's mischievous fairies.

The sparkle of those Midsummer fairies will be with us on this magical night. The ritual will be at the church, on the grass outside the Gillan Classroom Building. Wear comfortable, colorful clothing and bring a dish to share for the potluck afterward.

This will be a fun and family friendly event. Come and celebrate the strength of the sun, the growing bounty of the earth, and the love of life! Titania and Oberon are waiting.

Today's Beltane ritual and picnic was fun and frisky. Christine invited Aphrodite and Pan to join us, so love and merriment were in the air.









Clover and I were crowned Queen and King of May, so we got into the spirit of the season.


We had a scarf dance - like duck, duck, goose but more fun for kids of all ages.





Then we did the limbo - under a broom. What else would Pagans limbo under? Bill showed off his talent at tandem limbo. Have you ever tried going the limbo while holding a toddler? Hats off.


On to a game of the very aptly named "weenie in a bottle." Once again, Bill showed off his skill.












And then, of course, there was the Maypole dance. It was a little chaotic, but then is Maypole dancing ever clean? It's not about how pretty it is, it's about having fun in the springtime. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.








And a good time was had by all!

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Blessed Be!!!!

Join CUUPs for a celebration of the beginning of spring! The Spring Equinox marks the day when the dark and light of spring are in equal balance. It heralds the end of winter and the beginning of spring’s new growth. It’s a great day to be outside! Come and celebrate with us after services on Sunday March 21, right across the street from OCUUC. Please arrive at 12:45 for a 1:00pm ritual. Instead of our usual potluck, we will be meeting for lunch directly following ritual at Ruby's in South Coast Plaza, in order to support the all church fundraiser.

Please RSVP to Christine Hernandez at cuups@ocuuc.org.

What are the Eight Festivals?
Orange Coast CUUPs joins many modern Pagans in celebrating a seasonal calendar of festivals known as “The Wheel of the Year.”  The Wheel recognizes the ever-cycling seasons of nature and contains eight celebrations:




3. Ostara (Spring Equinox; on or around March 21): The equinox is the first day of Spring, when the day catches up and reaches equal strength with the night.  On this day we plant the seeds we wish to grow in our lives.

Join CUUPs for a celebration of the beginning of spring!  The Spring Equinox marks the day when the dark and light of spring are in equal balance.  It heralds the end of winter and the beginning of spring’s new growth.  It’s a great day to be outside!  Come and celebrate with us after services on Sunday March 21, right across the street from OCUUC.  Please arrive at 1:00 for a 1:30 ritual.  Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after the ritual.

Celebrating "The Interdependent Web of Existence"

The seventh UU principle is “respect for the interdependent web of existence, of which we are a part.”  For Pagans, that principle resonates strongly.  As Unitarian Universalists, we believe in all seven of the principles.  We work with our fellow UUs for the respect and dignity of every person, a just, free, and peaceful world, democracy, a free search for truth, and the responsible search for truth and spiritual growth.

As Pagans, we have found our “truth and meaning” in the UU principle of the interdependent web of existence.  We look to nature for spiritual growth.  We celebrate the natural cycles of the seasons, honoring the spiritual meaning of each one in turn.

To do this, we organize rituals and festivities for each of the eight seasonal festivals.  All of these rituals are open to the public.  It helps if reservations are made, and donations for our events are always accepted.  Join us for any of our upcoming celebrations!