Now in its sixth year, Nanaimo Pagan Pride Day continues to reflect a growing Pagan community on central Vancouver Island and across North America.
“The growing numbers are no surprise,” says Temple of the Green Cauldron clergy person Kam Abbott.
Earth-based religions are just that, we hold the earth as something sacred and as something that should be protected. With recent environmental catastrophes such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, global climate change, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and dozens of others in the media recently, consciousness has been shifting towards the impact we have on this fragile sacred sphere we all share.
I believe people are finally starting to realise how interconnected we are and how much our actions, even the smallest ones, have on the environment and others around us. This is something that earth-based, or Pagan religions, have always held as one of their highest moral priorities. But for Pagans, that moral is interwoven with our spiritual practice.
To many people, a spiritual path that combines responsibility for ones own actions, along with love and respect for the world around them, is very appealing indeed.”
This year’s main event will be a Wiccan ritual presented by Nanaimo’s Temple of the Green Cauldron.
Wiccan rituals are rich with symbolism and metaphor. In this ritual, the temple’s clergy will guide and explain each step along the way, and take you into the world of modern witchcraft.
The day will be full of workshops, live entertainment, dance, music, drumming and celebration. A food concession will be open throughout the event and vendors from around the province will have their wares on display.
The sixth annual Nanaimo Pagan Pride day is Saturday, August 28th. The day starts at 11AM at the Kin Park on Departure Bay Beach and runs until 6PM.
