Pagan Pride Day

Last Saturday we attended Pagan Pride Day here where we live. The morning started at 10 a.m. with the opening ceremony. Several people gathered and joined in the circle. It was a moving experience and I enjoyed listening to blessings from people on different paths.

After the circle, we went and checked out the vendors. There were some pretty amazing items to be had, but in the end I purchased a handmade silk scarf with the Cho Ku Rei symbol on it. This scarf has some kind of energy, let me tell you.

As I shared in a previous post, I attended the Heathenry/Asatru workshop, which was informative and interesting. Let's just say that this is not the path for me. It's a little on the harsh side and doesn't fit with my sensitive sensibilities. However, if it's a path you follow, I totally respect that. It's just not for me.

I was going to attend the Green Burial workshop, but at the last moment changed my mind and attended a workshop on divination. I should have attended the Green Burial workshop. I was disappointed and quite honestly didn't take anything away with me. It seems as if this lady was collecting information for a book she's been writing for the last ten years (or was it two?) rather than offering anything valuable to the attendees. Lesson learned, listen to your intuition and attend your planned workshops.

All in all, it was an interesting day. The weather was gorgeous and I met some very nice people and even learned a little something too. A day well spent I'd say!

Pagan Pride Day

On October 1st Pagan Pride Day 2011 will be held here in Middleton at Lakeview Park. I'm so excited and am looking forward to attending my first 'pride day'.

The day begins at 10:00 am with an opening ritual. There will be vendors, workshops and entertainment. There are two workshops that I'm particularly interested in attending. The first is 'Green Burial & Green Cemetaries' presented by Kelly Dwyer. Kelly will lead a discussion on green burials and green cemeteries and what they consist of, how greening the end-of-life is both a personal and an environmental healing process, and how greening the end-of-life relates to Paganism. Kelly also provided support and service to Circle Sanctuary's, Circle Cemetery, and the cemetery's first green burial in the Spring of 2011.

The second workshop I'll be attending is 'Living Heathen 101' presented by Christine Ponder. Lately I've been interested in Asatru, particularly in regards to runes, so this workshop will provide some much needed information. Christine will provide a basic overview of Heathenry/Asatru, history, lore, values, and beliefs, and will provide clarification regarding some ideas and dispell common misconceptions.

There are a few other workshops that I'd be interested in attending, like the one on Dianic Wicca and the one on finding which form of divination is right for you, unfortunately they're at the same time as the other two.

So along with the workshops, strolling through the vendors and catching some of the entertainment, it will be a full day and one I'm looking forward to. And if you haven't already, maybe you'd like to catch Pagan Pride Day when it arrives in your area.