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Spiral Moon Academy was founded in 2022 as part of a long term plan to build a network of Pagan schools and educational opportunities. Our founding organization, Spiral Moon Family Circle, is a family-focused Pagan circle in southeast Michigan, and is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit religious organization.
We want Pagan kids to have safe, inclusive opportunities where they can know other kids with similar beliefs, from families with similar religious beliefs. We want families to know that their religious beliefs don’t have to stand in the way of a quality education.
Vision
We want to build a school community where all families and all children are welcome and safe, and where all children are given the tools they need to learn and thrive. We want each child to find a love of learning and a love for the world around them.
Spiritual Philosophy
What makes a Pagan school Pagan?
We know what Christian schools look like – mandatory church services, with specific Christian beliefs woven through every aspect of curriculum. That includes the flavors of Christianity that believe that the Earth is only 6000 years old, and that there were dinosaurs on the ark in the Great Flood.
They have a single book (the Bible) that tells them what to believe. And we don’t – we have vast libraries, and we have personal gnosis, and we learn from others who have different beliefs
Here at SMA, our philosophy is that there are, however, some common broad strokes. We should care for the Earth and each other. People are equal – so much so that many of our groups make decisions as a group rather than a leader making the final call. Love is a sacred thing. Decorating our bodies (permanently or temporarily) is just part of everyday life. The world around us is magical.
Our founding organization is eclectic because Spiral Moon Family Circle’s goal is to be a place where all are welcomed with open arms, and where all can seek knowledge.
To that end, our plan for the next few years is to work with known secular curricula for core academic work. We will include projects that are more Pagan-ish where we can (i.e., mythology as part of language arts, or learning about stars & constellations as part of physical science classes). We will offer electives that allow exploration of Pagan faiths and beliefs. We will take the quarters and cross-quarters as holidays (while these are not common amongst all of us, they’re a good start, and we’ll add from there). And, as a matter of course, we will allow the questions and discussions that come up about beliefs to occur, because knowing more about the world benefits us all.