Agora History

During its first year and a half, the Agora Anchorage was better known as the Agora⁴ community space. The Agora⁴ was established by three dedicated members of the Anchorage community as a feasibility experiment. The primary financial benefactor was to become High Priest of the fledgeling Temple of the Sleeping Lady, ATC (see open letter to community below). The remainder of the Agora's financial support was provided in large part by members of the former ToSL, ATC.

With the dissolution of the Temple, our community was left with a decision... do we continue with this test of community commitment? Apparently the answer was, "yes": the Agora rounds it's 5 year anniversary in December 2017.

An unbalanced, or biased experiment is no true test of feasibility. As this community has learned more than once, relying excessively on the strength of one member (or even a scant few) is unsustainable. Thus, we embarked on an new chapter of the Agora, one where shared accountability and ownership are the mainstay.... but let us not forget our history, lest we repeat it.

An open letter to community:

Welcome to Agora4

The very presence of this site came into being as a result of Magic -- and I dare say, Divine providence. It all began as I was thinking of renting an apartment in Anchorage, my reasons for which were twofold: to relieve me of the endless driving home to the valley (even though I knew I had to be back the next morning), and to satisfy my desire to have a place that I could teach and hold meditations, the price of which I was currently bearing. My thoughts went to Justine and Chris, as they own an apartment complex. During this same time, one of their tenants put in notice, opening up the larger apartment for their family, while making their smaller unit available. Justine called me to lament the loss of a valuable tenant and the forthcoming move (with necessary improvements), not knowing that I was wondering if a unit was available. Tell me if that is not Divine! I so LOVE magic.

Chris approached me with the idea of renting the apartment and I told them my thoughts for this space. Then, after they were able to move and prepare the unit, we came to an agreement. After further enlisting the support of Carol, we have arrived at what we hope will be an asset to the Anchorage community.

Our hope is that we can provide a comfortable, clean, private and spiritually neutral space for a diverse spectrum of users to engage in learning, sharing, exploring and simply being if that is what’s needed. This is a place to explore the mysteries, to find yourself, to connect with others and, if desired,to connect with the Divine. We hope this place will help you accomplish your goals. Please feel free to let us know how we might improve this gathering place to better serve your needs.

Now, a bit about our name, Agora4. Many grueling hours were spent in contemplation, discussion, deep meditation and even a little heavy drinking. Ok, maybe not so much drinking, but the result was what Carol, Justine and I feel is an appropriate name for this place. Agora is the Greek name for a gathering place. Here is a direct quote from the ultimate source, Wikipedia:

“The agora (Ancient Greek: Ἀγορά, Agorá) was a central spot in ancient Greek city-states. The literal meaning of the word is "gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life of the city.[1] The Ancient Agora of Athens was the best-known example, birthplace of democracy.”

What a fitting name for what we hope this place will become. As for the 4 in Agora4… Well, every Mystical place needs a mystery and that is true for this one too. Meditate on it. It may well be revealed to you. But even if it is, we won’t confirm it; it’s a mystery. (Yes, we have a dark side, hee hee.)

Please enjoy, and be welcome.

Blessings,

hank