“Witch’s wisdom is universal because we are all children of Mother Earth. Witchcraft offers us a path back home. It’s a practice of embodiment.”
Temple of Ara
The Ara Tradition is an international shamanic Wiccan spiritual tradition devoted to experiencing the divinity that dwells within Nature and in ourselves.
Founded by H.Ps. Phyllis Curott, the Ara Tradition began in New York City as the Circle of Ara in the early 1980s. At the same time that she was training in the Minoan Tradition to become a Wiccan Priestess, Phyllis was practicing core shamanism with the Brooklyn Group, the first drumming circle based on the work of Dr. Michael Harner. Uncomfortable with dogmatic and patriarchal remnants within traditional Wiccan teachings, she began to deconstruct elements to distill a system of core principles and practices. Weaving core shamanic techniques into these essential Wiccan practices, the Ara Tradition was born. It is a spiritual path and a community that is rediscovering the wisdom of our ancestors and creating a new relationship with our Mother Earth and with one another. Our central spiritual and ethical precept is that we live in a sacred world and so we seek to live in a sacred manner. Our mission as a tradition is devoted to helping you experience, rejoice in, and be guided by that immanent divinity.
Tempio di Ara
The Tempio di Ara is an initiatory spiritual tradition inspired by the tradition of the ancient mystery cults and the wisdom of the ancestors to awaken one’s deepest spiritualty. The Tempio di Ara was founded by Phyllis Curott, who combined the parallel paths of Wicca and Shamanism to create a tradition the brings one into direct contact with the spiritual world to receive inspiration, revelation, and wisdom that can guide on in weaving the spell of life.
Ara is first of all a path of personal responsibility, because when we recognize that the world in which we live in is sacred, we can only behave in a sacred way. It is a path towards the Divine.
Parliament of the World’s Religions
The Parliament of the World's Religions is the oldest, largest, and most inclusive interfaith event known as the mother of the interfaith movement. By bringing together thousands of people of over 80 nations, 50 faith traditions, from the centers of mosques, gurdwaras, cathedrals and synagogues to sharing a global event, participants celebrate the beauty of faith, get to know, understand, and appreciate the gifts of others, and commit together to face the world's critical challenges in harmony and bring the heart of faith to life.
Phyllis Curott served as the Vice Chair of the Parliament for the 2015 Parliament held in Salt Lake City. At this historic event, Phyllis created the Inaugural Women’s Assembly and introduced The Declaration for the Dignity and Human Rights of Women, which stated that “The justification of discrimination against women and girls on the grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable.”
Phyllis is currently serving as a member of the Executive Board of Directors, as well as the Program Chair for the 2021 and 2023 Parliaments.