Tag: events

Magus Books and Herbs – 19 years of Service – Interview

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Magus books is celebrating 19 years serving the Twin Cities this month. Join them tomorrow, Saturday Sept 17th from 10am-5pm for Customer Appreciation Day at Magus Books & Herbs.  FREE BBQ’d Vittles catered by Standing Stones Coven , Tea Sampling, Door Prizes, Grab Bags, Tarot, Aura Photos & other fantastic specials. Talks & Discussion will be happening through-out the day.

I talked to Roger Williamson about the history of the store. Provoking Thoughts and Expanding Horizons since 1992! is your website tag line, what does that mean to you?

 We feel that in society a lot of people aren’t encouraged to go out and pursue their dreams. They may not be aware of all the opportunities open to them. I would like to think Magus helps promote that idea, magical philosophy, that you can be anything you want to be. We try to appeal to open-minded people, who feel all belief systems are valid. We should respect all points of view, even if they happen to be contrary to our own.

Magus Books Storefront - Google Earth Streetview

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Labyrinth, a walking prayer at TC Pagan Pride – Interview

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Labyrinths

Paul Eaves, and often Teri Starnes, are found creating, tending, and dismantling outdoor labyrinths around the Twin Cities. I talked to Paul at TC Pagan Pride on Saturday.

How long have you been making labyrinths?

The Farm in the City Labyrinth, Concordia College

Nine years, well actually it started way back in 2000 with a kids group, and we created a labyrinth at a university as part of a summer gardening program. It was there for two years, and then the university decided they wanted to build a library on top of it. While I was bust traveling around the world, a group of volunteers dug up all the plants and moved them to the other side of the university. Now it is a perennial flower garden labyrinth. Continue reading →

Largest Upper Midwest Pagan Festival opens in 10 days! – Interview

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Sacred Harvest Festival (SHF), located in southern Minnesota near Albert Lea, opens Saturday, August 6th, The last day to register online  and before gate rates is Sunday, July 31st.  I had the chance to interview Bress Nicneven, festival site director and board member of Harmony Tribe , the event’s sponsor.

Why do people continue to return to Sacred Harvest Festival?

SHF has gained a national reputation for quality and timely speakers and musicians. Celia’s video for the song ‘ Symbol’ was filmed at SHF, before the Pentacle Quest  became a household Pagan word. It is known for having a defined theme each year, and presenting profound rituals and speakers that all build on that theme for a complete experience. One of the few festivals that does this each year. In stressful financial times, this festival offers the cheapest per day rates of any festival in the country for the quality of the programming and activities.

It is a really reasonable family vacation for Pagans. It is an upper Midwest tradition, going on 14 years. SHF is really a place for everybody. There is a Kid’s cauldron, operated by parents and volunteers, that keeps kids happy all week. Families get the time and space to worship together as a family. They get time together and also adults have time for individual experiences. It is really strengthening for both families, individuals, and our community relationships. We have a great location in a shady oak grove with easy access from Des Moines, Madison, and the Twin Cities.

What is this year’s theme about?

Forest Family, Roots and Branches Intertwined  is our theme this year. It encompasses the roots of the Tribe itself, the thousands of people who have grown this festival over the years. We come each year to celebrate at this magical grove, and this year we specifically want to connect with the marvelous shady and protective trees there. Trees are an appropriate symbol of how we are also all connected, and essentially like the forest that we camp under. Like the burr oaks, we are still growing, and changing, and each season together we reach out within the festival and our home communities to integrate our spiritual experience back into our foundation, our roots. Continue reading →

Sacred Fire Circle in Paradise 2011 – Editorial

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A while ago on a quest to the vision realm I found myself back at the Sacred Fire Circle. It seemed natural to be there. Sacred Fire Circle in Paradise is more a part of the vision realm then it is of normal reality.

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We are surrounded by darkness in a place of light which we created as a contained sacred space. We enter intentionally. We work intentionally. We spend night after night with focus in a ritual environment.

Rangoli Pattern for First Night

The sacred circle takes place from midnight until dawn for three nights. Every night, many people experienced divine possession, especially whilst dancing, but also whilst drumming, singing, healing, meditating, or other activities. The place just lends itself to it. Every religious path has some tradition of ecstatic connection to the divine and SFCiP is a place to experience it.

It is deeply experiential. Even without the connection to the divine, the experience is still powerful. The combination of all things, the drumming, the dancing, the holding of space, the singing, the mindful intention, all of it creates an environment which is conducive to profound experiences.

Tamara, one of this year’s participants described it,

“The ‘experiential’ can take you places that you cannot think your way to and fire circle is very experiential. The hugest part of ourselves is within … in those non-analytical places. Fire circle is a journey into that place. We do use our intellect to sort out our deeper selves, but, we are not, at our center, primarily intellectual creatures. We are emotional, spiritual creatures capable of thinking and reasoning. But, it isn’t our intellect that is the primary ‘can opener’ to the soul and to other realms. It is our deeper selves. Fire circle is a ritual experience that (I would describe as almost shamanic in nature) that assists in setting aside the intellect and, with the help of dance, song, chant trust, fellowship and more, can help people to transcend normal barriers and live, move, resolve and heal while walking through the ‘soul stuff’ within and between worlds.”

Tamara also described, “There are so many types of experiences that one can have at Pagan retreats! Some are focused on fellowship and connection, some workshops and information, some on ritual, some on a blending of all. I believe fire circle is rich in all those areas but has a deep and meaningful focus on immersion in a deep, penetrating, and powerful ritual experience that is built over days.” Continue reading →

Sacred Paths Center in Crisis – Broke, Closure Imminent

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From The SPC website: http://sacredpathscenter.com/  :

Sacred Paths Center, the Spiritual/Pagan Center, open to all, first of its kind in the United States, is broke.

“What, AGAIN?”

Yes.

“Now why?”

Simple: lack of YOUR support. This message will reach thousands and thousands, but how many of you will care enough to do anything?

A physical banner has been put in the ground here, proclaiming this area as sacred to us; SPC is that banner. “Pagan Community”, “Paganistan”…it seems they are just words. There are thousands of us here in the Twin Cities metro, and among us all, we can’t give $3000 a month to keep that banner standing open. What does that say—really say—about “Pagan Community”? Less than a dollar each, and yet… Continue reading →