Gathering Spirit: A Magical Church Community
Meeting Place: Inner Path Jewelry and Bookstore
7673 Shelby St.
Indianapolis, IN 46227
Phone: 317-603-0026
Email: wooglett@gmail.com
Location
Gathering Spirit: A Magical Church Community meets in The Inner
Path jewelry and bookstore located in Greenwood Place Plaza. The
group meets the first and third Wednesday of every month from 7-8
p.m.
Institutional History
Gathering Spirit was formed in September of 2007. A core group
of about 15-20 people have been practicing rituals and supporting
one another since about 2004 and they felt that it was time to
establish a formal outreach for the rest of the Indianapolis
community. The classes were formed as an attempt to reach out to
the community and the meeting spot was chosen because of its
central location between Indianapolis and Bloomington and also
because Inner Path is an outlet for supplies used in some religious
or personal rituals.
Demographics
Gathering Spirit is a diverse community with attendance from all
over Indianapolis. The group is a mix in terms of education and
profession, but all seemed well informed and articulate about their
religious beliefs. Interestingly, Gathering Spirit has attracted
members from a variety of different religious traditions, from
Wicca to Voodoo and Christianity. Because meetings have very
different topics, attendance varies from week to week but there
seems to be a stable group of about five to 10 people on a weekly
basis. The community's members are mostly Euro-American, and its
members are employed in a variety of blue- and white-collar
jobs.
Service Style
Gathering Spirit meets on Wednesday nights in the back room of
Inner Path, a store that sells jewelry and religious paraphernalia.
The group meets after hours so it is likely that someone will have
to unlock the door for you and you will be directed to a small room
in the back of the store. The room is dimly lit with a fountain
hanging on one wall and a small table that serves as an altar with
statues of religious figures such as the the Buddha, Jesus, and
Ganesha as well as candles and prayer beads. A small group gathers
in a circle of folding chairs and discusses the topic of the week.
Topics vary from week to week including discussions on magical
ethics and spell work. The group was eager to ask questions and
hear the opinions of others. Generally there was a dynamic of trust
and understanding although many different faiths were
represented.
What to Expect
The Gathering Spirit community meets twice a month to discuss
different issues that are important in their community, such as
magical ethics. Visitors are very warmly welcomed but visitors
should call before making an appearance to make sure that the group
will be meeting. Guests should try to arrive on time because the
store's owner will have to show the guests where the group meeting
is. There is no required dress for the members of the group; most
members wear jeans and t-shirts. The group talks of some things
that a common person would not know very much about, but questions
are not looked down upon in the least. Gathering Spirit's mission
is education. The discussion group's goal is to share traditions
and experiences as well as to educate seekers about current and
historic practices. Visitors should feel more than comfortable
engaging in the discussion with the rest of the members. Every
member is personable and very open about his or her opinions. The
group members are also very informative about different sources and
other outlets that interested people can look to for more
information.