The Mother Goose Circle Interview

- By Christopher Blackwell
of the Alternative Religions Educational Network

The storyteller had an important place in ancient times, for they told the ethics of the tribe, the history and even stories of the gods. We are seeing the old tradition come back as some modern Pagans tell the stories that will guide our children.

One such storyteller is TaMara in Salt Lake City who tells the stories of the season for the young Pagan children and she does it for free. Always a sucker for a good story, I asked for an interview to get the story behind the Mother Goose Circle. She graciously gave me some of her time.

Christopher: What is the story behind the Mother Goose Circle and a bit of the history of how it started?

TaMara: The Mother Goose Circle is a blending of two previous children’s story circles in Salt Lake City. In 2002, a wonderful woman named Karen offered children’s stories as part of a Mabon Festival called Aspen Grove. Karen had a delightful goose puppet who went with her to the events and the children were amazed to see it come alive in her hands. Aspen Grove carried the Sabbat festivals for two years and then ended.

In 2005 I started another children’s story circle as part of a clergy project for a local Wiccan church. This circle was called “The Story Witch” and the monthly stories, based on the season, Sabbat or moon cycle quickly became popular with local Pagani. About a year later, I opted to join a local coven and left the Story Witch in the care of those I left behind. Sadly, the Story Witch circles were not continued, leaving a void for children’s storytelling. With the help of two dear friends, we created the persona of Mother Goose, adding songs and children’s crafts to the circle. A li’l wig, gold glasses, touch of apron and the appropriate story for the season is the recipe for happy little Witches!

Christopher: How did you come to carry on the tradition?

TaMara: Last year Karen passed away after a long illness. Her goose was set aside in the care of friends who weren’t sure what to do with it. When they heard I was doing Mother Goose, they offered the goose to me to help carry on Karen’s magic. To honor her connection to the children and the community we have made the goose, Fooble, part of the Mother Goose Circles.

Christopher: This is not your first role as a storyteller. Can you tell me about that earlier portrayal as the Story Witch?

TaMara: The Story Witch was a wonderful introduction into the world of Pagan storytelling. It allowed me to use fables to tell the stories of the cycles of the seasons, the mythos of creation and the turning of the Wheel and the many changes in our world. Our children have so many questions about what they see…the changes in the Moon, the seasons, and it’s very easy to share our creation myths and other mysteries through the stories we tell.

Christopher: What makes a good story so magical? Certainly our Pagans ancestors gave respect to the storytellers of their day.

TaMara: The magic comes from making the connection between our minds and our spirits. When we see a rainbow and wonder how it comes about, a story about Rainbow Trolls validates those questions and helps us connect to our inner spirit. In the springtime when we watch the world wake up, the Root Children help little imaginations grasp hold of the connection to our magical Earth Mother. It’s absolutely correct that our Pagan ancestors revered the storyteller or the bard. These people were the keepers of the lore and voices for people. They were the verbal “books” for those who couldn’t read or write. Everyone remembers hearing fairytales that touched them in their youth. These children’s circles are a way to use these stories to teach our lore and our beliefs.

It’s also a great introduction to the power of poetic myth and the powerful symbolism that can be found in ancient prose like “The Battle of the Trees” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”.

Christopher: How long have you been in love with stories?

TaMara: As long as I can remember! As soon as I learned to read I found solace in books. They’re portals into a magical realm called history and imagination. They’ve helped me constantly push the envelope of my beliefs.

Christopher: Most active people are busy with many things. What are some of the other things that you do?

TaMara: My first priority is my family, which includes three grandchildren. I work full-time as a manager of a 100-seat contact center. I’m also a local coordinator for Salt Lake City Pagan Pride, an organizer for the Utah Black Hat Society, the Salt Lake Valley Witches Meetup and the new iteration of Aspen Grove, the public Sabbat circle offered in the Salt Lake Valley.

Christopher: Where can people find out more about Mother Goose Circle, and where and when to see you in action? Also, what ages are your stories appropriate for?

TaMara: Our stories are appropriate for all ages and are mainly selected for those in the two to12 range. We have children as young as 18 months who love to come and pet Fooble and watch him nod off to sleep in Mother Goose’s arms.

Where to see us? With the help of Frog Lace Studios, we’ve just launched our new Mother Goose Circlewebsite at www.mothergooseutah.com Inside there are calendars, photos and links to our Yahoo! Group.

Christopher: Anything else you would like our readers to know?

TaMara: Mother Goose loves to be where the kids are! I’ve done circles at the Unitarian Universalist churches in Salt Lake and Ogden and have just returned from Dragonfest Pagan Festival where Fooble and I did circles for Youthfest. We hope that all Pagan communities are inspired to have a local storyteller for the children. They are our legacy!

(from the ACTION Newsletter - Mabon 2008)

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