The Passing of FyreDancer

Click here for story or here for more.

Jan O'Rourke was a lovely woman. She was very active in our local chapter of CoG. She was a member of the board, contacting the media when they aired articles that were wrong about pagans. She was active in the Democratic Party on the west coast of Florida. She used to be a committee chairwoman there. She was co-president of her local UU. She was loving, kind, and smart as a whip.

We knew her as FyreDancer, member of Coven Fangorn.

I had just seen her the weekend before. The EMLC had a retreat and she did a workshop about how to make mead. I've got the handouts at home, and her copy of the brewer's catalogue that she let Doug have so that he could order up the supplies to make a batch. She always did workshops. She always had time for others. She danced around the fire with us, having a ball Saturday night.

At the Religious Freedom Festival, she gave a presentation about being Pagan. She wasn't in the broomcloset. She was at the forefront, fighting for our rights.

I can't believe that her brother killed her. I can't believe that someone would break to the point where they would raise their voice to her, let along their hand in anger.

I've been reading some of the reports, trying to figure this all out. He was afraid that people were tracking him to take away his workman's comp money. He thought his friends took him on a trip to video tape him doing things that would get him in trouble with the insurance agency.

That he did this when people were in the house (it was used as her office as well). They heard her scream. They heard the thump. They thought he was hitting her, so they ran to get help and call 911.

I can't believe she's gone. Such a peaceful, peaceloving woman to go in such a tramatic way. We're all trying to make sense of this. Maybe there is no sense to make of it. It happened, and we must move on.

Tonight I'll be lighting candles for her at my lare shrine. She's become part of my extended EMLC family. I was looking forward to her next presentation at the next meeting. She was planning the psychic fair at the UU March 20th. People were volunteering to go and do readings. She was trying to figure out how to do tea leaf readings.

Blessings to you, FyreDancer. May you dance with the Lord and Lady and shine with a brilliance that would outdazzle the sun. I know that you are watching us and helping us even more than you could here on Earth. Hail to you.