Mother Goose Circle

Once Upon a Time…

The Story of Mother Goose

The historical Mother Goose figure has several theories of origin including a 1697 printing of children's stories by Charles Perrault entitled “Tales of my Mother the Goose”. Perrault's book included the stories of “Sleeping Beauty”, “Cinderella”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and others. There is a gravesite of “Elizabeth Goose” in Boston (1860) and another of “Mother Goose” in England (1586) raising the question of whether Mother Goose was a real person.

Salt Lake City's Mother Goose is indeed real. Personified by TaMara, this project is a community service offering for anyone who has an interest in children's storytelling. TaMara has been walking a Pagan path for more than 10 years, beginning as an eclectic solitary Witch and is now an Initiate in the tradition of Ced. Dedicated to community involvement, she is an organizer of the Salt Lake Valley Witches Meetup and Aspen Grove Sabbat Circles, a hostess for the Utah Black Hat Society, and a Local Coordinator for Salt Lake City Pagan Pride.

One of TaMara's proudest creations was “The Story Witch”, offered as a monthly children's circle in conjunction with a local Pagan church. After TaMara opted to leave this church, the Story Witch sadly stopped appearing, leaving a void to be filled in the hearts of young Salt Lake City children. With the help of Kayote Wolfrose and Aisling the Bard, the Mother Goose circle was born in November of 2007.

During the last several years Mother Goose has appeared in monthly children's story circles at the Salt Lake County Public libraries, regional Pagan festivals such as Dragonfest, the Earth Jam festival in Salt Lake City, and the Universalist Unitarian Church in Ogden. This year we are also proud to again offer Mother Goose circles at Salt Lake City Pagan Pride Day.

Karen & FoobleOn each anniversary of the Mother Goose circle, we pause to honor our friend, Karen, who was the original Mother Goose in Salt Lake City appearing at the Earth Haven coven sponsored Aspen Grove Mabon Festival. Karen passed away in 2007, leaving her wonderful goose, Fooble, in the care of TaMara. The inspiration of her story circles and the gift of her goose allows us to keep a storytelling legacy alive in Utah. It is for Karen, and the children of the community that we continue this tradition.

Mother Goose circles include a story appropriate to the season or cycle of the year as well as a craft for small hands. There is never a charge for this event.

come & join us >>