UMPA Annual Meeting and Anniversary Celebration

February 27, 2011February 28, 2011

The Upper Midwest Pagan Alliance celebrated it’s fourth anniversary Saturday evening with a capacity crowd at the Sacred Paths Center. Not only was the event packed with people, it was packed with activities. Attendees were treated to entertainment by the ever popular Murphey’s Midnight Rounders and tribal dancing by Kamala Chaand. UMPA held it’s annual meeting, where they ratified new by-laws and elected their officers for the next two years. New officers are Bonnie Hanna-Powers, Gary Lingen, Bress Nicneven, Grace Morgan. and Joshua Adam Blesi.

The community also settled a long simmering dispute – who makes the best red sauce, Don from the Coven of the Standing Stones or Mistress Judy Olson? Don won the competition handily, but many at the event said if you mix the two, it was better than each sauce alone.

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Hoodoo Pilgrimage to Lucky Mojo Curio Company

February 25, 20112 Comments

Lucky Mojo Curio Company

Pantheacon in San Jose, Ca was an intense and spectacular event, and PNC-MN will have several pieces coming up about that experience.

Most timely to publish is our pilgrimage, which took place after Pantheacon, to the Lucky Mojo Curio Company. The Proprietor, Cat Yronwode, is considered one of the foremost authorities on the one truly American folk magic, HooDoo. Timely because my wife, Mistress Judy (the motivating factor for our pilgrimage), and two upcoming national guests to the Twin Cities are all practitioners of the conjuring art of HooDoo. Orion Foxwood, offering his course in Faery Seership this weekend at Eye of Horus , John Michael Greer , honored guest at the upcoming Paganicon, and Judy are all also graduates of Cat’s HooDoo Rootwork course!

Hoodoo, also known as conjure or rootwork, is a form of predominantly African-American traditional folk magic that developed from the syncretism of a number of separate cultures and magical traditions.

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Malidoma Somé at Augsburg College Fri-Sat Feb 11-12th

February 10, 2011February 10, 20111 Comment

Malidoma

Malidoma P. Somé – Author, West African elder, professor will be speaking at Augsburg College, Haverstein Chapel, Foss Center on Friday, February 11, 3:30-5 p.m. and Saturday, February 12, Noon-1pm. More info about this FREE event at: www.augsburg.edu/convo or call 612.330.1104.

Malidoma Somé is an initiated elder in his village in Dano, Burkina Faso, W. Africa. He travels throughout the world carrying a message of hope, healing, and reconciliation through the powerful tools of ritual and community building. He holds a PhD from the Sorbonne in Paris and from Brandeis University.

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Tattoos: Skin Pictographs of a Journey – Editorial

February 1, 2011January 31, 20111 Comment

We all have seen them, Pagans sport them as decorative badges. Tattoo, (tatu) indelible ink inserted into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons.

Artist: Megan Wilson - Picture Machine SF

I had always thought of them as simply body adornment, something added as a whim and often regretted later. A few years ago I had a talk with Pagan friend Brett and heard the story of each of his numerous tattoos. I came to realize for many Pagans, they are the story of their spiritual journey. Each ink addition for him represented a step, or event, revelation or accomplishment along his spiritual path. A constant reminder of his journey.

My Tattoo

Recently I got my first tattoo, at age 57. It was an entitlement of initiation within my tradition. As a craftsman and artist, I have imbued my spiritual inspiration into my work. When I heard of Kore, a spiritual tattooist in South Minneapolis, I knew she could offer the experience I wanted.
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Midwest Author to Release Pagan Camping Book

January 20, 2011January 20, 2011

Lori Dake, Chicago author and Independent Record Label owner, is set to release a book on Pagan camping by Ostara 2011. The book is primarily focused on camping at Pagan festivals and gatherings, but also draws from years of camping at KOA’s and other non-Pagan camping and festivals. Ms. Dake is seeking one last detail for her book, the cover, and she is willing to pay for the perfect photo.