Category: Arts & Entertainment

Paganicon Opens Friday! – Interview

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Elysia, LLewellyn Senior Acquisitions Editor

Elysia is the Senior Acquisitions Editor for Witchcraft, Wicca, Pagan, and magickal books at Llewellyn. She spoke with me about the new Pagan Conference this weekend, Paganicon.

You are representing Llewellyn Publishing at Paganicon, what is their role in the event?

We are one of the sponsors. This is the first time that we are stepping in as a sponsor for an event. What generally happens with regard to Pagan conferences, is sometimes I will be sent to them, and we’ll have a table or a display. We often provide items for a raffle or a charity cause. For many years I have been going to Pagan conferences, and it has been a loss that we haven’t had one here, in the Twin Cities.

When I heard that there would be one here, I let the management at Llewellyn know, and said, “We really should get involved in this”.  It is our community, and we want to support it, and hope it grows to be huge!  For myself, I want to be involved in the future so it is just as much a success as others I have gone to.  This year we are supporting by bringing John Michael Greer as Guest of Honor.  We are providing his transport and meals, and Twin Cities Pagan Pride (TCPP) is providing his housing during his stay.  This was a great way that we could work together, getting someone really interesting, and a “Big Name Pagan” (BNP) into the Twin Cities.
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John Michael Greer – Interview with Paganicon Guest

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John Michael Greer

John Michael Greer is the Guest of Honor at the launch of Paganicon this weekend. He will be giving a keynote address at 8pm Friday night, to open the event. I got the opportunity to interview him, and listened spellbound to his articulate thoughts. I first asked about the path that brought him to be Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA). He treated me to his personal history from age 10, fascinated with UFO’s, Unexplained Mysteries, Magic, and reading the Lord of the Rings. He said he was a boyhood, “Geek before being a geek was fashionable.” His many books are references that are a must for every bookshelf. He is a gentle, polite, and soft-spoken man, but one with a passion, clarity, and eloquence that show through his writing, and promises a keynote address, not to be missed! His areas of mastery and expertise are lengthy, varied, and impressive. If anyone can be called a Pagan Visionary, I would say it is John Michael Greer.

What can you say about your keynote address Friday night at Paganicon?

There are two ways you can take a talk about Paganism and the future. One is what is going to be the future of Paganism, the other is how is Paganism going to deal with the broader future, that is breathing down our necks at this point. I will be talking about both. We are moving into a future that a lot of people are going to find very challenging, especially if they have bought into the attitude, that “Our ancestors were stupid. We are smart, and we are going to go zooming off to the stars.   We know the truth, and no one else has ever done so.” Continue reading →

Alt for Norge – Episode 4

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Alt for Norge (All for Norway) is a reality program that pits 10 Americans of Norwegian heritage against one another for a prize of $50,000 and a chance to meet their Norwegian relatives.  The episodes have been airing at Merlin’s Rest Pub on Lake street.  Twin Cities performer and Völva, Kari Tauring, was a contestant on this show.

There is one word that describes this episode – disturbing.

Kari Tauring, in Alt for Norge

This is not a spoiler, it’s well known that this was the last episode that Kari Tauring was a part of.  So I was prepared to feel a bit sad.  I’ve enjoyed watching the program and having Kari tell us the inside scoop on how real the show was and what the contestants were like as people so I was looking forward to another pleasant evening at Merlin’s rest.  What I was unprepared for was the disgust I would feel throughout this episode.

I felt bad for Kari, not because she got the boot, but because of what she experienced in this episode and yet still had to keep smiling.

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Book Review – A Guide to Pagan Camping

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I’m lucky.  I have read Lori Dake’s Pagan camping tips on Livejournal for the past year.  I was one of those who encouraged her to compile all these ideas and suggestions, which she has been writing for over ten years, into a book and get it out there so others can benefit from her experience.  And now she has.

A Guide To Pagan Camping: Festival Tips, Tricks, and Trappings does an excellent job of going beyond the basics of camping and addresses the special needs of our community as we head off to Pagan festivals.  This book would be of most value to anyone who is either new to camping in general or new to Pagan festicals, but readers who are moderately experienced in camping or festivals would be glad of some of the tips.  After all, anything that allows for greater comfort while camping or saves you money is worth checking out.  (see the Not-So Hidden Costs of Pagan Festivals chapter)  I can’t say I’m an old pro at festival camping, but I’ve been to Pagans festivals for just over five years and have been camping since I was a child.  I consider myself an experienced camper, yet I still learned a great deal from Lori.  I can’t wait to try out the recipe she says is a sure-fire for the festival potluck!

Can’t decide what Pagan festival to go to?  Read the section on choosing the right festival for your needs and budget.    Wondering what gear to pack?  Lori will walk you through that.  I appreciate that A Guide to Pagan Camping is also concerned with helping you make your camping area stylish.  Gods, that is missing from so many camping books!  Really practical things like using the prevailing winds to help you decide where to set up your kitchen and packing three pairs of shoes are sprinkled throughout.  Considering being a vendor?  Lori covers how to decide if vending is really for you and tips on how to maximize profit.

Topics specific to Pagan festivals are tackled.  Things like sexuality, nudity, and personal boundaries.  I had to laugh when I read the bit about being kind to your neighbors by realizing that we can hear what happens in your tent.  We’ll try to pretend we don’t, but if we hear (like Lori and her husband did) you yell “Come on, Fuck me, Damnit” and your partner is yelling back “I don’t feel like it” over and over throughout the night, we’ll giggle at first and then lose all patience with you by 4am.  Also seeing ink are ritual etiquette tips and ideas on how to make your camp space a temporary sacred space.  Pagans are individuals and many have …. forthright … personalities.  How do you deal with that in a way that doesn’t ruin your festival?  Lori’s suggestion,  Refuse, defuse, and confuse – which she then explains with examples.   This gives you an idea of her easy to remember problem solving style that is seen through out the book.

I’m a big eBook advocate so I was thrilled that the book was first released in eBook format and is on sale for 50% off until March 12th. The print version of the book is now also available.  If you love Pagan festival camping, or are curious about going to one, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

For a previous interview with Lori Dake about her book, please go here.

Pantheacon Thoughts: Walking Your Talk

This years Pantheacon, in San Jose, Ca. had a thought provoking theme, “Walking Your Talk”. Rhetorically asked was, “What are we doing individually and as groups to take our vision of Earth Centered Spiritually out into the world?”. As Pagan sub-culture develops in communities like Paganistan, we may find ourselves asking the same question.

I asked nine attendees,  mostly presenters and authors, but also a couple involved partic ipants the same three questions hoping to get at the essence of west coast thought on the matter.  You may find their answers not far from yours!

Victoria Slind-flor (right) dressed for Poma Gira Devotional, Nels and Judith Olson(left)

1) What does ‘Walking your Talk’ (WYT) look like to you?

2) What aspect of WYT is most important for Pagans bring to their relations in the mainstream community?

3) What area of accountability in WYT do Pagans most lack, or is your biggest complaint in Pagans WYT?


Victoria Slind-flor – Victoria is a Dianic crone Witch and Artist. She is a journalist and teaches at Cherry Hill Pagan Seminary, and is a member of The Pagan Alliance.  She is known to many in Paganistan from a 2005  SHF guest appearance. Continue reading →