Spirit Haven (previously the Council of Magickal Arts) is a Pagan, 501(c)3 multicultural organization committed to fostering spirituality. The organization provides a haven for community and celebration to support and promote the well-being of its diverse membership.
Council of the Mystic Arts
Council of Magickal Arts
The organizational newsletter was renamed The Accord in Winter 1991. The Accord was the quarterly periodical of the corporation, and contains a wide range of articles by members. In the past The Accord was a medium quality magazine periodical with national distribution, but printing costs and the expenses of land ownership have caused CMA to move to a paperless, online publication
Spirit Haven hosts a Beltane and Samhain Festival every year. Beltane is generally held on the 3rd full weekend of April, and Samhain is generally held on the 3rd full weekend of October. This allows for members of Spirit Haven to celebrate the solar holidays in their own personal ways and to not compete with other pagan festivals and events that are of interest to their membership. Spirit Haven, Inc is known for their Beltane and Samhain Festivals.
For many years the festivals were held at a commercial camping property in the hill country of Austin, Texas. In 1999 CMA purchased land of their own located near the community of Cistern in Central Texas.
A typical festival starts with setup on Wednesday for vendors and early arrivals. The main attendees arrive on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Each night a public main ritual is held, presented by different volunteer members and their groups (covens, kindreds, groves, etc.), and, weather permitting, a bonfire (Revel) is lit. The bonfire serves as the main public area for those who wish to stay up late into the night, drumming, dancing, and talking. Personal and group campsites also host gatherings at night.
During the daylight hours of Friday and Saturday, a full schedule of workshops are presented, some by members and some by guest presenters which, in the past, has included such notables as Diana L. Paxson, Patricia Telesco, Fritz Jung and Wren (of The Witches' Voice), Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, and more.
Along with the workshops and the evening rituals and bonfire, the main stage is used to present regional and national Pagan artists, such as; Wendy Rule, Ginger Doss, Dreamtrybe (formerly Velvet Hammer), Canvas, Spoonfed Tribe, SONA, Lisa Thiel, Darwin Davis, Spiral Dance and others.
The corporation's business meeting, called Great Works, is held on Sunday after the festival.
Often referred to as, simply, "The Land", Spirit Haven Ranch is located in Flatonia, Texas. While improvements have been made, such as a water well and electricity, the land is mostly rough. The camping areas are wooded with native trees.
Maintenance between festivals, and the majority of the work to ready the land for each festival, is done by the volunteers of the Spirit Haven Ranch Team, and all members are welcome to come out on the Workend as part of the team, as well as interested persons wanting to learn more about Spirit Haven, Inc.
Tent camping is the primary form of lodging available at Spirit Haven Ranch. RV space is limited and with limited amenities depending on your RV's requirements. Members may steward campsites on a yearly basis, ensuring their group's placement during Festivals. These sites are reserved for the campsite steward and members they invite to camp with them.