Your Advocacy Council

Written by Jess Jones

November 29^th, 2014 a small group of people came together and determined to create the Advocacy Council as an answer to the needs of people struggling in their magical journey.  It was thought that having a group that would respond to people who were seeking some form of assistance would provide support to many who would often slip between the cracks unheeded and without notice.  With this as the founding purpose the Council soon set up a mentorship program and turned its focus to education with the establishment of the Learning Annex.

The Learning Annex has instructors taken from among the groups who are members of the Council and affords opportunity for both the student and the instructor alike.  The instructors are provided the chance to test their knowledge and learn teaching skills in a structured and supportive environment.  Students have the opportunity to learn in a classroom where their desire to acquire Occult learning is matched with curriculum, volunteer tutoring, and open enrollment without cost.  The fundamental principle of the Learning Annex is meeting the responsibility of teaching what we have learned.  

The Council itself is made up of general members who are elected to their position as well as representatives from the constituent groups, each group having a Representative who sits on the Council and gives voice to their group.  Each Representative has a vote.  The various program directors also have a seat on the Council.   The Council maintains direct oversight of any programs or projects authorized and so these programs are collectively mandated which means each group has a portion in its operation and a say in the way it functions.

The Advocacy Council is an ongoing work in progress and continues to seek opportunities to connect the occult groups in cooperative endeavors.  The Council serves as a meeting place for inter-group dialogue and creates a space where the concerns of the wider community may be considered.  The Council has viewed as its purpose the creation of activities and programs that knit the member groups together and provide mutual support. 

The Learning Annex was created to provide instruction and education in occult concepts and classes and seminars are made available for every member of those groups who participate on the Council.  Offering instruction and mentorship remains a fundamental purpose of the Council.  This is reflected by the recent creation of a second and independent School of Intuitive Magick where focus is given to the more interpretive and individualistic expressions of magick grounded in the oral traditions. 

Aether Media was authorized by the Council and is an on-going publishing and media concern that will focus on the newsworthy trends within the magical community and feature articles on art, craft, and social issues particular to our Occult community.  It will have a ongoing focus that will seek to highlight the people and projects within the constituent groups of the Council.  The underlying thought behind this undertaking was to provide an informational support and platform to promote the individual groups within the Council and to encourage the membership to participate. 

As the Council moves forward new groups are added to its membership as there is a desire to expand the general make up of the constituent members to be more inclusive of groups from all magical backgrounds and traditions and ensure a wider representation on the Council itself.

The Council operates in accordance to orderly rules of procedure where issues are brought forward, discussed, and deliberated on before decisions are made.  The structure ensures that none of the myriad of details that must be attended to in order to operate the various programs and undertakings of the Council are overlooked.  From the details of student registration, curriculum scheduling, the management of selecting and assisting instructors, student aids, mentoring program, publication deadlines, to providing the required mechanisms for Council oversight there is an Administrative staff member who attends to the logistics of completing them. 

There was no way of knowing when we began this journey that the Council would be what it currently is and that may indicate that as we move forward it may not be possible to fully perceive its potential and what it may become.  From the instructors to the executive assistants to the writers working on this publication the structure of the Advocacy Council is made up of committed and determined individuals spending their time and effort to give back to the community.  I have no doubt that such people will continue to achieve more.