ABOUT US

Precepts (Our Purpose)

Create a place for ritual and ceremony in which followers of Earth centered religions can gather for holy days, marriages, handfastings, coming of age celebrations, funerals, blessings, dedications, and other such events.

Promote understanding and education for those of alternative beliefs and for the community in general.

Unite the community in times of need towards making our community and the entire planet a better place to live.

COTE is a registered 501(c)(3) organization established exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes. 

Tenets (Our Beliefs)

We respect all persons and paths. We celebrate the diversity of the many human and spiritual experiences.

We love the Earth. The Earth is our sacred home, and we cherish and protect our planet.

We regard the old ways. Our spiritual and religious practices are enriched by combining both old and modern wisdom.

We are accountable. We are each responsible for our own actions. Our thoughts and actions have consequences, both physical and spiritual. 

In the late 1990's, Cosmic Lemniscate put on an Imbolc dinner at a fireman’s clubhouse on Six Forks Road. About 60 guests attended the first gathering. One of our founding members asked if anyone was interested in forming a Pagan worship group which would be open to the respectful public. Meeting attendees became our first board of directors. We became an official nonprofit shortly thereafter. 

Church of the Earth of NC began hosting rituals and social events like Pagans' Night Out, and Gaia's Gardens was built on a public easement as the official church location. Our events have evolved over time to meet community needs. In 2017, we outgrew the physical space and transitioned to meeting in public parks, and in 2020, we added online offerings due to the pandemic. We continue to host a mix of online and in person events which are led by our members.