Paganistan Weekly; January 24-30

** EVENTS THIS WEEK **

MONDAY; January 24

  • 6pm weekly Community Potluck at the Sacred Paths Center
  • 7pm Mindful Mondays (meditation) mvanavery@yahoo. com for details

TUESDAY; January 25

WEDNESDAY; January 26

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Midwest Author to Release Pagan Camping Book

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.

A dining area set up at Sacred Harvest Festival - Photo credit, Cara Schulz

PNC – Minnesota interviewed Ms. Dake about her up coming book, why she wrote it, and the photo she is looking for as cover art.

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Twin City Pagans needed for Documentary and Survey

Author Diana Rajchel is asking Pagans who have experienced a divorce, and it has been one year or more since the dissolution, to participate in a survey.  She has already had 115 Pagans respond to the survey, but would like to have at least 230 respondents to capture the spectrum of Pagan diversity.  Diana said she is just starting to see threads of common experience. The survey results will be released as part of a book she is writing on Divorce and Neo-Paganism.  Diana requests that you pass along the link  to the survey – http://survey.dianarajchel.com –  on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Along with the book, she is directing a documentary on the same subject.  She would like to interview on camera Pagans in the Twin Cities area about the spiritual aspects of their divorce experiences.   If you would be interested in talking to Diana about this project, please email her at di@dianarajchel.com

For further information about the book, the survey, and background on Diana, please see this Witchvox article – Divorce, An Initiatory Path.

 

Paganistan Weekly; January 17-23

Paganicon has a guest of honor: John Michael Greer! They also have a bunch of high quality workshops lined up, with impressive presenters … like me 🙂 They also have a few musical guests lined up including Drew Miller from Boiled in Lead, Kari Tauring , and Murphy’s Midnight Rounders. Be sure to register at http://tcpaganpride.org/paganicon/registration

Next Saturday there’s going to be a healers’ event at the Sacred Paths Center, which looks to be quite impressive. With all the attention given to the great events at the Sacred Paths Center, sometimes their healing center gets overlooked, which is unfortunate. They have some outstanding healers. Next Saturday from 5-8pm, you can check them out for only $1 per minute.

The Upper Midwest Pagan Alliance is planning a huge 4th Anniversary Celebration, February 26th. More information is available at http://www.umpaganalliance.com/schedule.shtml

Jaime Meyer, author of Drumming the Soul Awake, will be offering classes on Personal Shamanic Soulwork, from Feb 12-May 7. For more details, check http://drummingthesoulawake.blogspot.com/ or email drummingthesoulawake@gmail.com
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** EVENTS THIS WEEK **

MONDAY; January 17

  • 6pm weekly Community Potluck at the Sacred Paths Center followed at 7pm by Shamanic Journey Practice for those who know how to journey and want a safe place to practice.
  • 7pm Mindful Mondays (meditation) mvanavery@yahoo. com for details

TUESDAY; January 18

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Better Living Through Chemistry? – Editorial

Almost unnoticed in the national media was the implementation of an emergency ban by the DEA and schedule 1 classification of many synthetic cannabinoid chemicals Dec. 24th. From the Huffington Post:

The synthetic weed, known as “K2” or “spice” and generally sold in head shops, is popular among police officers, members of the military and others looking to avoid failing a drug test, said one hemp store owner who sells the product. The high from marijuana is created by its main active ingredient THC, but also by the plant’s several dozen poorly understood cannabinoids. The DEA had banned any drug containing natural or synthetic THC, but has not addressed the cannabinoids. ….DEA will publish in the Federal Register a Final Rule to Temporarily Control these chemicals for at least 12 months with the possibility of a six-month extension. They will be designated as Schedule I substances, the most restrictive category, which is reserved for unsafe, highly abused substances with no medical usage.”

Many Pagan and Shamanic traditions have traditions of mind altering aids to spiritual journeying, and I dare say, some continued practices exist. The development of synthetic cannabinoids presents challenges to all the issues and arguments surrounding consumption of mind altering drugs.  Similar to THC, the active agent in marijuana, many chemicals are just different enough to remain unclassified legally even today, after this DEA ban.
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