Editing Cosmic Circle of Fellowship (section)

== Founding and activities ==
[[File:The Space Age Religion, Cosmic Circle of Fellowship advertisement (cropped).png|alt=Black and white text advertisement reading: Streamlined like a rocket, its propellant is truth— The Space Age Religion. The Cosmic Circle of Fellowship, Inc., offers Instructions in Cosmic Knowledge. Get the New Revelation — $2.50 postpaid. Literal decoding of the Bible Revelation.|thumb|1961 advertisement for the CCF, printed in a UFO publication]]
In 1954, Ferguson founded the Cosmic Circle of Fellowship in Chicago that year, alongside Edward A. Surine and Edna I. Valverde (also Edna Vel Verde).{{sfn|Clark|2001|p=358}}<ref name="Ledig1992">{{Cite news |last=Ledig |first=Sean C. |date=1992-07-25 |title=Religious groups see flying saucers in a spiritual light |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-religious-groups-see-f/172409943/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |newspaper=[[The Tampa Tribune]] |page=4 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |issn=1042-3761}}</ref> The group was [[Incorporation (business)|incorporated]] in [[Illinois]] in 1955.{{sfn|Clark|2001|p=358}}<ref name="SanFranciscoExaminer1960">{{Cite news |date=1960-11-12 |title=Cosmic Circle to Meet Fridays |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-cosmic-circle/172407746/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |newspaper=[[San Francisco Examiner]] |page=12 |language=en-US |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |issn=2574-593X}}</ref>{{sfn|Melton|2009|p=783}} Initially founded in Chicago,{{sfn|Melton|2009|p=783}} Ferguson began traveling throughout the United States in 1958, founding other "circles" in other cities, including in [[San Francisco]], [[New York City]], [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Philadelphia]].{{sfn|Clark|2001|p=358}}{{sfn|Melton|2009|p=783}} There was also one in [[Siouxland]].<ref name="TheSiouxCityJournal1966">{{Cite news |date=1966-10-19 |title='Story of Creation' Will Be Subject |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sioux-city-journal-story-of-creatio/172407765/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |newspaper=[[The Sioux City Journal]] |page=B16 |language=en-US |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |issue=60 |issn=2689-5536}}</ref> Ferguson was the group's national president.<ref name="SanFranciscoExaminer1960" /><ref name="TheSiouxCityJournal1966" /> Ferguson lectured for the CCF throughout the U.S. lecturing on such topics as [[Flying saucer|flying saucers]], [[vibrational healing]], [[outer space]], also mentioning celestial beings and Jesus.<ref name="Browning1959" /> At one meeting Ferguson sold "joy cups" supposed to treat ailments through combating negative energies, which he said had been transported from Mars.<ref name="Browning1959" /> The CCF was associated with a group called the Cosmic Study Center, a Maryland organization led by a Cloe Diroll.{{sfn|Melton|2009|p=783}}

The Circle's second annual "Interplanetary Space Conference" began September 13, 1957 in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="SundayCall-Chronicle1957">{{Cite news |date=1957-09-15 |title=Coincidence? Saucers in Poconos Tied to Conference? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-coincidence-saucers-in/172409381/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |newspaper=[[Sunday Call-Chronicle]] |location=Allentown |page=19 |language=en-US |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |issue=1884 |issn=2641-3825}}</ref> A speaker at this conference was [[Wayne Aho]], who played audio which he claimed was "conversations of Venutians", who "described life on their planet and told of inter-planetary experiences"; this audience included some people from [[the Pentagon]], who the [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]]-based ''[[Sunday Call-Chronicle]]'' noted as "seem[ing] skeptical of the whole thing". The ''Sunday Call-Chronicle'' connected this meeting to the supposed sighting of several flying saucers in [[Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania]] that had occurred the same day, though said it may be "merely a coincidence".<ref name="SundayCall-Chronicle1957" /> As of 1960, the [[San Francisco]] chapter met on Fridays in the Bellevue Hotel in San Francisco, California.''<ref name="SanFranciscoExaminer1960" />'' 

Ferguson died in 1967. After his death the [[Chicago]] circle continued to publish his writings.{{sfn|Clark|2001|p=358}}{{sfn|Lewis|2000|p=92}} This was later done under the name Cosmic Study Center, with many of the books being published by Cloe Diroll.{{sfn|Melton|Eberhart|1995|p=253}} Ferguson's techniques of relaxation remained the main method to "consciousness-expansion".{{sfn|Lewis|2000|p=92}} Following Ferguson's death, Nancy K. Konkle of San Rafael was the spokesman for the group; she described the movement as "an order of celestial and immortal beings organized 12,000 years ago on Saturn in order to emancipate earth people."<ref name="DailyIndependentJournal1972">{{Cite news |date=1972-04-14 |title=Fellowship Plans Sunrise Function |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-independent-journal-fellowship-pla/172409567/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |newspaper=[[Daily Independent Journal]] |location=San Rafael |page=4 |language=en-US |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |volume=112 |issue=20 |issn=0891-5164}}</ref> In 1972, they planned to hold an "experience in expansion" at sunrise on April 16 at [[Mount Tamalpais]], with another meeting later that day.<ref name="DailyIndependentJournal1972" /> The group had roughly 20 members in 1992, who communicated through newsletters throughout the United States.<ref name="Ledig1992" /> In 2002 they claimed 41 Chicago-area members.{{sfn|Melton|2009|p=783}}