Welcome to CASHEW!
Our Mission
Children’s Astral Sanctuary of Healing Earth Wisdom performs all of the functions of a Pagan Church: to honor and to worship the Ultimate Universal Force through its aspects, the Goddess and the God, and to promote and practice Pagan religions. All activities of the Church shall be carried out in accordance with the philosophy: An ye harm none, do what you will. Neither the Church nor its members shall ever condone the use of energy to neither harm another nor dominate another, curtailing free will.
CASHEW – ABOUT THAT NAME
CASHEW – Children’s Astral Sanctuary of Healing Earth Wisdom. WHERE did we get that name???
We’ve been asked if this is a group for children. Do we do astral projection? Is there a sanctuary? Are we healers? (Are we wise????)
People have asked about our name for a while. Recently a couple of members suggested we might want to change it, because it is not a group for children, we don’t do astral projection (at least not officially), and so forth.
Where did that name come from???
Well, we are a bunch of Pagans, and you just never know what Pagans will do. Here’s the story, as we recall it from distant antiquity (maybe 30 years ago). Our foremother Oz, a wonderful witch, as all would agree, had the inspiration that we needed to be at least a New Mexico non-profit, if not a fully recognized church. (The church recognition came a little later.) She and some other New Mexico Pagans were attending a Pagan gathering in the Midwest, and the story goes that they were sitting around a campfire late at night discussing the potential non-profit or church, and the need for a name. Apparently there was a can of cashew nuts being shared, and some wine may possibly have been imbibed. There was also a bottle of club soda. The idea came up, surely from Divine inspiration, that the non-profit or church should be called cashew, after the nuts. An acronym was devised, the one that you see here: Children’s Astral Sanctuary etc. Following that, it was perceived that a CASHEW initiation ritual or ceremony should be devised. Well, they had some cashew nuts and some club soda, and the CASHEW initiation was created, either then or in the coming time at the gathering. This sacred ritual is only occasionally performed, always with great mirth and reverence. There is a chant, which you will learn if you should perhaps be initiated into CASHEW, or attend an initiation.
Actually, to join CASHEW one only need pay $5 annual dues – no tithing or ongoing requests for donations, and no need to be “initiated.” Membership is not required to attend our events and gatherings.