Fort Lauderdale, FL - Its 7pm in Oakland Park, Florida and the damp hot air makes cigarette breaks uncomfortable. But addiction wins every time so I head out of the Unitarian church to light one up. A 21 year-old girl with blonde hair and brightly colored tennis shoes is sitting on the pavement with what appears to be her boyfriend. He looks significantly more cautious and aware of his surroundings. He looks up at me inquisitively but I don’t have the information he is looking for.
The girl, Courtney, tells me that this is her first time going to a CUUPS meeting and so I disclose myself as a newbie as well. I had been to the meeting a few times before but only as a spectator who really wasn’t “there”. As a spiritualist and a non-drinker, I found the relaxed atmosphere to be “too crazy” the first couple times and I explained as much to Courtney… her companion looked satisfied that it was an accurate criticism.
Courtney has just moved out on her own and is on a quest to find a way to “spiritually express herself”. She is exactly like so many other young Pagans I have met. She has a kind of innocence about her that does not quite border on naiveté. It is the paradoxical “knowing innocence” that is a learned behavior among Pagans... a way of being polite without committing to anything.
Pagan discussion groups and social events (and perhaps the faiths involved) tend to attract intellectuals, outcasts and those who fall somewhere in between... I can't quite get a handle on who is supposed to be who. The wise folks at CUUPS have learned to embrace all sorts of wanderers and curious would-be practitioners. The informal setting seems to encourage social immaturity at times... But the participants don't really seem to mind. The group is, after all - supposed to be fun.
CUUPS is an acronym for the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans. The Covenant is actually much larger than what you might imagine - there are anywhere between 2 and 10 CUUPS chapters in most states and each group draws more members than your average AA meeting.
(Speaking of AA meetings, the CUUPS meeting is not necessarily the place you want to be if you are afraid of a little liquid merriment… Members are encouraged to bring their own beverages but not to be “drunk”.)
The focus of every Moonpath CUUPS meeting seems to be on education… members who participate regularly are encouraged to lead a seminar on a special topic each week. On this particular Thursday evening, Kami would be leading an active seminar on voice projection as it applies to participating in ceremonies and rituals. On prior occasions, members have lead discussions and presentations on everything from “The Number 13” to “Sex Magick”.
Kami has been rather nomadic in her lifetime and is not yet as much a fixture in the group as some of the other characters. Having lived and studied in Miami, Maryland, Vermont and now Fort Lauderdale, she has learned to take initiative and engage others to participate. In her adopted philosophy, “We are all priests and priestesses of the Gods because if the function of a priest is to make a connection to the Gods… well, as Pagans we already have that.”
There were 22 people present at this meeting and almost everyone seemed completely involved and eager to participate… almost everyone… but not every topic seems to be every Pagan’s cup of brew. This is a side-effect that stems from the eclectic paths that are represented at the CUUPS meetings. There are almost as many paths followed as there are participants – everything from Asatru to Zen Wicca. There is a woman who follows the Druid path, a man who considers himself simply Agnostic and a co-chair of the group (Sophia Linus) who follows the deities native to Egypt.
The man who calls himself Spelcastor is the much admired chair of the group. He was not present on this night but Sophia assured us all that he would return next week. Spel and Sophia are presently at the heart of Moonpath CUUPS and are two of the kindest and welcoming people you would ever want to meet.
The MoonPath chapter was first incorporated by a woman by the name of Nora Lee as a women’s study group. The group became rather inactive prior to the Witches Ball of 1998 and then Spel restructured the group as a discussion group for men and women together.
Membership and participation has risen over the last 9 years and now the annual Witches Ball (on Samhain) boasts a draw of anywhere between 300 and 600 people. Membership is largely unstructured and no names are officially listed anywhere. The level of a person’s involvement with CUUPS is entirely up to the individual and most members are comfortable knowing each other on a first name basis. 
The environment at all CUUPS events is as informal as it can be while still existing in the realm outside of chaos. As Kami puts it, “When you try to offer or suggest a uniform standard to Pagan leaders, they tend to reject any hint of an imposed or overarching authority.”
According to Sophia, there is “positive growth in the South Florida Pagan community” and “scheduling problems are the only thing preventing CUUPS from becoming as active and sizeable as the rituals they facilitate” which presently draw between 100 and 300 people. The group holds drumming circles, Pagan Pride Day festivities and rituals for every holiday commonly celebrated by Wiccans.
After the meeting had dispersed, I met up with a few of the stragglers at One Tea Lounge and we discussed philosophy, politics and religion for an additional 2 hours. While I don’t know that I would be able to dedicate my every Thursday night to such an event, the experience was overall wholesome and educational. The new comers to the group seemed to have a similar experience and vowed to return.
