Next Sunday is the huge May Day celebration in Powderhorn Park. There is nothing else on the calendar for that day. Really, what could possibly compete with the Heart of the Beast May Day celebration? There’s a huge parade which is scheduled to start at 1pm, but will most likely start later. There’s a pageant across the lake, to the stage. There are vendors and booths galore. It is the return of summer to our land.

Traditionally, Paganism was always the religion of the place it is practiced. With that in mind, the May 6th May Day celebration at Powderhorn Park is a huge part of how our community celebrates this festival on the wheel of the year. Hopefully you’ll be able to make it.

There’s a mixer for Heathen Men & Wiccan Women at Merlin’s Rest Monday May 7 at 7pm. Yes this event does have heteronormative love-connection overtones, but for many years heterosexual Wiccan women have had a difficult time finding spiritually like-minded heterosexual men. Also, the Pagan movement is very Wiccan-centric, so it’s important for Wiccans to mix with people of other paths to remember that this movement can accommodate many views.

Many Heathens are looking at modern Paganism and finding that it does not reflect who they are, and they are declaring that they are not Pagan. Historically, there are few people who have more claim to the Pagan label then Heathens, so losing them is significant. The Pagan movement is large enough to accommodate many different religions.

The character of the local Pagan community should be able to accommodate the Heathen community. We are the Northern folk. We are people of ice and water. Heathens should have a place in this Pagan community, and if they don’t feel like they do, then maybe more effort needs to be made to make sure that they do.

So hopefully next Monday’s mixer will be well attended, and hopefully there will be many more events which attempt to integrate Heathens and other Pagans. The loss of the Heathens could be the single greatest schism taking place in the Pagan community.