ColumnsI'm
a Good Witch - Honest! Ok, put up your hand if you've ever skinny-dipped at the cottage. Or, if you've ever been to a really great concert under a starry summer sky? Sat around a fire telling stories and making music with friends? All across Ontario, festivals are happening where you can do all this and more… If you've ever talked to your plants, have a special relationship with your pets or feel best out in nature - hold onto your pointy hats, folks…you just might be…a Pagan! If you have pagan tendencies, don't worry, you're in good company. There's lots of 'em. Gina Ellis, at age 67, is one of Canada's longest-practicing Wiccans, having practiced for over 30 years. Gina says that according to the most recent Canadian Census (1991), Paganism is listed as Canada's fastest-growing religion. They've grown an incredible 280% since the last census, with over 20,000 practitioners estimated for 1991. It's not a new idea…lots of my German ancestors were burned at the stake for knowing a little herbal medicine and dancing around a firepit. Come to think of it, the ancient Witchcraft Law from the 1800's is still on the Canadian books, according to Ellis. So much for religious tolerance in Canada. Yet, according to Ellis, there's nothing more natural than being a pagan. "From the time there were preachers identifiable in humans, we've gathered around fires, danced and told stories," says Ellis. "We've been doing this for hundreds, if not thousands of years, then it got shoved aside especially in the industrial society. It's atavistic and basically human to get together and sit around fires." But what's a Pagan, anyway? If you think of someone running around in a cloak and hood, presiding over circles of chanting people, lighting incense and passing around a flask (chalice) of wine, it's gotta be either a Catholic or a Pagan. The big difference is one group likes sex on Marriage while the other likes sex on May Day (otherwise known as Beltane). Or any other day, for that matter. One thinks it's a sin and the other, a sacrament. Now, which group would You rather belong to? I thought so… Another difference is while non-pagans tend to work on brownie points for the after-life, neo-Pagans focus on their relationships in the here and now. But in a country as huge as Canada, it's difficult for Druids, Wiccans, Shamans and all the other pagan-oriented types to get together. E-mail and chat rooms just don't cut it when you're trying to create ambience, call down the Goddess, or dance around a fire until dawn. Not to worry - that's what festivals like Spirits of the Earth Festival (July 8 - 13, 2003) near London, Ontario, Kaleidoscope Gathering (July 31 - Aug. 4, 2003) near Ottawa, and HarvestFest (Oct. 3-5, 2003) just outside Shelburne, Ontario are for. Party on, pagans! "It's very important for people to get together at these big gatherings, to meet other people or find out what other people are doing," says Gina. "And it's great for them to see a whole lot of people like themselves. For a little while, it's like a whole other place - just for a little while, we are just among ourselves. We can be ourselves. It's like a little village - and we hardly ever get to do that we're so scattered. …We're such a big country..." Spirits of the Earth Festival is a relatively new addition to the pagan festival scene. Their manifesto echos the spirit of pagan gatherings in general: "…to bring like-minded individuals together to form a sense of community. We welcome all who are of earth-based spirituality (Pagan, Druid, Wiccan, Shaman, Buddhist, Taoist, Native American, etc) and other open-minded individuals to join us in a sacred space where communication of life, love and spirituality is available without fear or prejudice." So, for those of you thinking of exploring an earth-centred spirituality, or for those of you who just want to have fun and meet some great new people, here's a pagan primer to help you feel at home at your first pagan festival. 1) If you're going to the sky-clad beach, bring sunscreen. LOTS
of sunscreen. Enjoy!
BACK TO SOCIAL ISSUES PAGE |