A New Era

by Rev. Cathryn Platine

 

America’s apparent descent into a fascist state means a re-evaluation of our work at the Maetreum. Although our resources have suffered from the pandemic followed by the betrayal of one of our priestess, we are still here and functioning. As in our beginnings, we are a sanctuary for all women and transpeople. Now, more than ever, this is a mission we must undertake as a Mother Goddess religious organization. As I write this I fear the realities of our collective future are not understood by those who will suffer most under it. History shows this is normal as shock has crippled all but the most aware who see things as “better the devil I know” rather than time to flee.

Many people think of “prepping” as amassing dried food, MREs and weapons in some sort of bunker and in the short run that will work for individuals in emergency situations but not for long term survival and even thriving in a totally changed reality. It is my belief that the coming administration will screw the pooch to the point that the world, as we have known it, will be a thing of the past. Already during the course of my lifetime I have witnessed a redistribution of wealth and resources that staggers the mind when you step back and look at it as a whole. Effective “prepping” is gathering resources and people together in groups that compliment each others abilities. It means a return to the world similar to the one our grandparents and great grandparents knew following the last major redistribution of wealth accompanied by a pandemic and the crash that followed, the Great Depression of the thirties.

Although, like myself, the Maetreum buildings are old, due to visions I was given when I moved here, we have amassed resources that will be needed in a SHTF world. We have some solar and wind generation equipment, a greenhouse, gardening tools both powered and hand powered, kerosene lamps, a couple of generators, heirloom seeds and some long term foodstuffs. We have a hand-powered grain grinder. Our hot water does not require electric, our well can be run from an inverter for short times. What we lack is younger, able bodied women to utilize these things. Although we had to give up our chickens when I had to undergo heart surgery, the needed equipment is mostly here.

For about two decades now, the world of our future was one I called “techno-Amish” were groups lived together growing their own food and using renewable energy and the older ways of living that worked for thousands of years while holding on to technology that is non-destructive such as the internet and communications networks. The Maetreum has been set up already to foster this reality. We even have a FCC licensed low-power FM community radio station.

I know that blogs such as this no longer get the exposure they once did in the post pod-cast world but those who still read things rather than having it spoonfed into your head with gee-whiz videos are exactly the kind of people we need to rebuild in a world gone mad. Come and visit. Contact me about living here.

The Third Time is the Charm

   

                                              by Cathryn Platine

Over the course of the twenty two years the Maetreum has been in New York we have had to start the first time and then start over after what we called the Insurrection five years in. About three years ago we had another “Insurrection” by a formally trusted priestess who grew impatience with me not dying and leaving her in control of everything. The past five or so entries here have been our response to the war waged against myself and the Maetreum. I took direct action last October against the rouge, defrocked ex-priestess and her married lover. Since then the attacks seem to have stopped.

It is now time to reboot the Maetreum yet again. The three other active priestesses live a distance away from the Maetreum. One in Canada and two others in Erie Pennsylvania. We need some fresh, young Novicates and the times almost demand we do a complete reboot to take up the fight for women’s and trans rights in the face of the rising tide of fascism all around us.

The first “Insurrection” took place shortly after we had properly incorporated and the Maetreum property deeded over directly the the newly incorporated Cybeline Revivial. We did seek and get a property tax exemption at that time. The attempt to take over the property was through the corporate structure by people who had no idea what our structure actually was. Our organizational model is fairly unique. We are a consensus based organization and the take over was made trying to use Robert’s Rules which absolutely no not apply. In a scotched earth upon that failure, the primary actor of the first Insurrection told the town we were an illegitimate religion and allowed the town to do a phoney inspection designed by and with the town attorney to justify removing our exempt status and refusing for years afterward to reinstate it in open defiance of New York law.

The second reboot required us to engage in an eight year long legal battle seeking our equal treatment under the law. We were forced to go to the highest court in the State after winning at the Appellate level unanimously. We won there .unanimously again and this time set a precedence now used across the country for the legal property rights of minority religions. At the same time we won the case, we applied for a low power FM radio license built the station and went on the air with the nations first and still possibly only, Pagan owned radio station. My health went to hell, the rouge priestess showed her hand and then Covid did an absolute number on us.

At this time we have an aging former Catskill resort inn, a caretakers house that serves as the primary studio for the radio station and a fifth wheel camper/mobile home that has three season water supply, waste hookup and 30 amp electric service. We have three plus acres of land, and an outdoor Temple. We have survived the past few years because we own the property outright so our expenses are exactly that, our expenses to maintain the property and utilities. At a time when the cost of housing, especially in our area, is simple out of reach of regular people, we are uniquely situated to house new Noviciates at a fraction of the going rate. Living communally is a bit different than most folks think of but really is just living as a family. You have your room and you share the other resources such as the kitchen, common areas and in our case, our large multi media library. You are expected to respect the personal boundaries of everyone else, which in retrospect, has been the source of most the past friction along with not understanding that the whole thing works only if everyone pulls their weight in the maintaining of the property understanding that living at the Maetreum is NOT a tenant/landlord situation. The expected share of expenses is just that, a share of the expenses, not a rent.

The property is deeded to the incorporated religion meaning no one or group of individuals can personally profit from it any in fashion under both State and Federal law. Both attempts against the property were to try to own it. That is not possible under our Organizational model.

If you feel the call to the Goddess, contact me at firstchurch@gallae.com.