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The Groovy Eye Gazette • Issue #1 • August 2026
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“You are my equal.
And I am yours.”
Our Declaration of Truth
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Welcome to the very first
Groovy Eye Gazette — our monthly letter to the union. Every month we’ll gather here to share what’s growing, invite your art and your words, answer the big questions, and keep the Big Truth loud together. We are so glad you’re here. Pour something nice, settle in, and let’s get groovy. ☼
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There is power in a union — and ours is growing! ♥
Turns out there are
A LOT of people who think equality is a thing of true beauty! It’s good to know we are not alone out there. New members
and newly-ordained clergy are joining all the time, and every single one of you makes this movement stronger. There is power in a union — we have one, and it’s growing. Thank you for being part of it.
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A quick reminder of the groovy ways to get involved — there’s a place here for every kind of talent:
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✍ The Groovy Eye Journal
Our members’ magazine of art & writing. Be a founding contributor to Issue #1.
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◉ The Groovy Eye Gallery
Our community wall of photos. Help us fill it — details below!
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✉ The Groovy Penpal Program
Make twelve new friends this year — one new penpal a month.
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☼ Ordination & Training
Get ordained, learn the ropes, and officiate with heart.
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Call for Art & Words
The Groovy Eye Journal wants YOU ✍🎨
If art and writing are your superpowers, we want to hear from you! We’re building Issue #1 and looking for
founding contributors to help launch it. This month’s theme:
“Equality and Me”
What we’re accepting: up to 3 poems • one personal essay (1,500 words max) • three pieces of visual art (any style) • plus a short artist bio.
📅 Due date: August 15, 2026.
🏆 Bonus: the piece chosen for our cover wins a
$40 prize!
📧 How to submit for consideration: email your work to
submissions@templeofthegroovyeye.org (or send a Drive/Dropbox link with viewer access on).
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Dress Up Our Walls
Send us your photos! 📷
The walls of our website are a little bare — help us dress them up with your images. We’d love pictures of you
standing up for equality, shaking hands, building relationships, exchanging our creed, or
showing off your certificates. Every photo makes our home warmer and our union more real.
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Not Ordained Yet?
Answer the call — get ordained ☼
If you’re a member who hasn’t taken the step yet, this is your invitation. Ordination with the Temple lets you officiate weddings, stand up as clergy, and carry the Big Truth into your community with a title to match your conviction. It’s simple, it’s meaningful, and we’ll walk you through every step.
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Your Voice Matters
We want to hear from you! ✉
This union is built by all of us — and now you’ve got a direct line to TOGE staff. Have an idea for a program, a thought about this newsletter, or a dream for what we could become? A question, a suggestion, a little encouragement? Send it our way. We’ve opened a brand-new members-only inbox made just for your voice — and we read every single message. Tell us what’s on your mind; it helps shape everything we do.
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Mark Your Calendar
Our 1st Penpal Exchange is
August 1! ✉
The very first round of Groovy Penpals goes out
August 1 — and you still have time to join. On the
first of every month you’ll be paired with a fellow member for letters, friendship, and understanding — and here’s the best part: your penpals don’t expire. You’ll get a new match each month while keeping every friend who came before, so your circle only grows. Begin your first note the way we always do:
“You are my equal. And I am yours.” Want in? Sign up on the Penpal page before the pairings go out.
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This Month’s FAQ Spotlight
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Who We Are & Who Belongs
Each month we’ll take one corner of our FAQ and sit with it a while. We’re starting where everyone starts — with the four questions we’re asked most often. Read together, they tell a single, simple story.
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✦ Is TOGE really a religion?
✦ Do you have a creed?
✦ Do I need to leave my current religion to join?
✦ Can I be an atheist and join?
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Ask us the hardest questions first — we love them.
Is this really a religion? Yes: a registered non-profit religious institution and a unique Philosophical Union, with no god and no afterlife required — only a holy place to stand together.
Do we have a creed? We do, and it fits in one breath:
“You are my equal. And I am yours.” We call it our Declaration of Truth.
Must you leave the faith you already carry? Never. We are not here to compete with anyone’s god, or anyone’s doubt.
Can an atheist belong? Absolutely — believers, seekers, and skeptics alike are very much at home here.
Notice the thread running through all four answers: there is no door here that opens only for some. The single requirement is a belief you can hold in the palm of your hand — that no human being is born above another. Everyone is included in equality. That is the beginning and the end of the test. If you can speak the Big Truth and mean it, you belong. Full stop.
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⏰ Save the Date
Our First Online Gathering — Coming in September
Save the date — we’re making this a monthly tradition! Our online gatherings will land on the
first Sunday of every month at 7:00 PM EDT. Save the date for our very first one, coming in September. We cannot wait to meet you face to face — so bring your ideas and your questions, and let’s dream out loud together.
Zoom link coming in your next update. ♡
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Standing Together
Equality doesn’t stop at a border
The Big Truth is for everyone, everywhere — no exceptions, no borders. When we see attacks on immigrant families, we answer the way we always do:
you are my equal, and I am yours. We stand in solidarity with neighbors, families, Temple of the Groovy Eye members, and other protesters who put their voices on the line for the dignity of another. That takes real courage, and we honor it.
And we hold fast to how we do this work:
we are, always, a non-violent union. Our great weapon is the Big Truth itself, spoken plainly and lived out loud. We encourage every member to take positive, non-violent action in their own community. Follow your conscience and know your rights.
Two-sided — one tap saves both. Download it, print it, share it, keep it close.
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$5 off your certificate — all month long!
A little thank-you for being you. Two groovy coupons, good through August 31.
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For Members
Membership Certificate
$14.99 $9.99 with code
GROOVYMEMBER5
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$5
OFF
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For Ordained Clergy
Ordination Credential Certificate
$14.99 $9.99 with code
GROOVYCLERGY5
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$5
OFF
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No purchase is ever necessary to belong — membership and every program are always open to you. But every order helps keep our all-volunteer union going, and we appreciate you more than words can say. ♥
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For the Record
A Note from the Legal Department
We’ve received inquiries about the Temple’s legal status as a Pennsylvania non-profit religious institution. Filing information is publicly available through the
Pennsylvania Department of State business search — just search for “Temple of the Groovy Eye.” Unlike other non-profits, religious institutions in the U.S. are automatically considered tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue (Tax) Code. Because of that, donations are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.
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Until next month — keep making sacred trouble, and keep the Big Truth loud.
You are my equal. And I am yours.
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TEMPLE OF THE GROOVY EYE
An Equality Union • Philadelphia, PA
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Technical Notice
Heads up: we’re seeing a glitch when some folks sign up through the mobile
Shop app — it’s skipping the first- and last-name fields. If that happens to you, please send us a separate email at
hello@templeofthegroovyeye.org with your full name, or just sign up on our website directly (desktop or mobile) — our own site works like a charm. Our tech team is looking into a fix, but for now we’ll work around it. One important note: we can’t match you as a Penpal unless we have your name on file, and you can’t get ordained without completing the training and providing your info. Sorry for the hassle — and thank you for your patience!
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© 2026 Temple of the Groovy Eye — a Pennsylvania non-profit religious institution.
