Universal Gnostic Church News: New Bishop

[ecosophia]

I'm delighted to announce that Claire Schosser has completed the course of study assigned to prospective ordinandas in the Universal Gnostic Church. As she received ex offico episcopal consecration in the UGC lineage when she became an Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America in 2019, and has since also qualified as a priestess in the Gnostic Celtic Church (a descendant of the UGC), I have formally confirmed her status as a priestess and bishop of the UGC. So there are now two of us.

I've known Claire for well over a decade now; she joined AODA back when I was still its Grand Archdruid; she was also a student of the Dolmen Arch system when I was teaching it personally as a correspondence course, and worked her way straight through that rather challenging course to the highest degree of Gwyddon Rhydd (Free Loremaster). I am very pleased to be able to confer on her this additional rank -- and the responsibilities that go with it.

Please join me in congratulating Bishop Claire!

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations!
-Cliff

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[jenniferkobernik]

Congratulations!

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[fringewood]

Congratulations Bishop Claire! May you and the ẃork you do now and in the future be blessed. :^)

[slclaire]

Thank you for the congratulations and the blessing!

Congratulations!

[forturso]

Congratulations!!!

Strongbear

Re: Congratulations!

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[open_space]

Bishop Claire, congratulations! It's an inspiration for me to hear this success stories.

[slclaire]

Thank you!

Congratulations

[linden_matryoshka]

Dear Claire,
What a wonderful achievement! May you serve happily, successfully, and honorably!
Best of luck,
Inna

Re: Congratulations

[slclaire]

Thank you for your words! It is a privilege and a responsibility to serve as a priestess and bishop of the UGC.

[milkyway1]

Claire,

Congratulations! That's wonderful. :-)

Milkyway

[slclaire]

Thank you!

Congrats

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Claire,

I salute you and offer my congratulations on your achievement. Thank you for helping to spread Light and Healing into this world.

Humbly yours,
Courtney Coleman

Re: Congrats

[slclaire]

I'm touched by your words. I do want to say, softly, that I prefer not to be addressed with humility. I'm just trying to do the best that I can in my own way, as I think most everyone is in their own way.

[jprussell]

Congratulations slclaire! Well-deserved!

Cheers,
Jeff

[slclaire]

Thank you! It has been hard work but very rewarding.

[randomactsofkarmasc]

Congratulations, Bishop Claire!!!

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations Claire!
Your comments and postings are always appreciated.
S.

[slclaire]

Thank you! I'm really grateful for your comment!

[frankrhartman]

Congratulations!

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[kayr]

Congratulations, Claire and good fortune to you as you settle into your bishopric.

[slclaire]

Thank you! It will take quite some time to settle into it and to learn in what ways I can best serve.

[(Anonymous)]

Congrats, your bishopship!

—Princess Cutekitten

[slclaire]

Thank you, and best wishes to you and everyone in Kittenville! "Your bishopship" sounds a little like the name of a boat ... I saw many amusing boat names during past trips to Florida when my parents were still alive.

[prayergardens]

Fantastic! What an achievement. Congratulations.

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[jbucks]

Congratulations, Claire! That's great to hear!

[slclaire]

Thank you! I'm still in shock. It'll be some time for it to sink in.

Congratulations

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations Claire!!
Thanks for all of the work you do!

ian

Re: Congratulations

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

This is wonderful news! Congratulations!

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[nebulous_realms]

Congratulations Claire! More spiritual leaders in the world are always welcome.

- Psychedelic Racoom

[slclaire]

Thank you! I look forward to seeing more spiritual leaders arising from the UGC and elsewhere!

[slclaire]

Thank you for your kind words! It is a great privilege and responsibility to serve as priestess and bishop in the UGC.

This morning, following the SOP and meditation but before I read your email, I made the usual daily three card draw from the SGO. I drew 29 Transcendence, 3 Extension, and 22 Alternation (reversed). If that isn't TSW, I don't know what is.

[kylec]

Congrats Claire, I'm glad to see someone from this class finish the seminary. It's very inspiring!

[slclaire]

Thank you! I'm looking forward to more people from this class completing their priest and bishop curricula!

[ecosophia]

I want to make a passing comment here, if I may.

I feel no particular call to the ministry. I accepted ordination and consecration in the UGC not because I wanted to become a priest and a bishop, nor because I felt it was appropriate for me to do the work of those offices, but (a) because it was an ex officio requiremnt of becoming an archdruid in AODA and (b) because I had an uncomfortable sense, even then, that I might well end up as the only person willing and able to invest the work to keep the tradition alive.

In other words, just as I handed over AODA, the Druidical Order of the Golden Dawn, and the Order of Spiritual Alchemy to others, and turned the Dolmen Arch, the Modern Order of Essenes, and the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose into independent traditions with no hierarchical leaders, I'm looking forward to seeing new leadership take over the Universal Gnostic Church so I can focus on the work that matters most to me. Claire's elevation has therefore cheered me up no end. Especially now that I no longer have Sara to manage the secretarial end of things, as she did so capably for so many years, my notional headship of these traditions is a burden I'm quite eager to lay down. Once there are a few more bishops, that'll be the next logical step.

(BTW, with that in mind, is there anyone with graphic arts skills who's willing to design certificates for ordination to the priesthood/priestesshood and consecration to the UGC episcopacy? I have several people patiently waiting for certificates now, and my attempts in that direction have been frankly ugly.)

Symbols on certificate

[emily07]

Dear JMG,
What kind of general idea do you have for the certifcations? Regarding Symbols and the technical side (Like Are you looking for someone who letters these things and sends it, Ort Are you looking for a template etc.)

Congratulations

[emily07]

Dear Bishop Claire,
Absolutely yaw-dropping, congratulations on all your achievements!
Best wishes and godspeed on your journey,
Emily07

Re: Congratulations

[slclaire]

Thank you!

Congratulations!!

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations Bishop Claire and all the best for you.

Re: Congratulations!!

[slclaire]

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations, Claire! What an achievement. You've been a real help to me in AODA. Perhaps we will exchange Healing Hands at MAGUS again.

Karen

[slclaire]

Thanks, Karen! I am looking forward to exchanging Healing Hands with you at MAGUS 2025! I've been practicing most days since we were at MAGUS 2024, so I hope that means I have improved my ability to wield the energies in a beneficial way.