PORTLAND, Oregon – At the end of April I drove 12 hours (with stops) to the very northernmost part of Oregon to teach a workshop at Spirit Northwest, a Pagan conference in its second year. I had two boxes of my books, materials for my workshop, my Witchiest outfit, and then scream-cried to Noah Kahan and Stevie Nicks for the better part of four hours toward the hope that hanging out with Witches would make me feel more grounded in the wake of the world falling apart.
I joined 250 other attendees at the Embassy Suites in the wooded weirdness of Portland, Oregon. I braved parking in the Old Town neighborhood to join in Pagan community, learning, and fellowship.
Yes, I hit the Voodoo Donuts.
Thrice.
A Voodoo doughnut. (Editor’s note: TWH could not independently confirm whether or not this doughnut has been blessed by the lwa.) [L. Parker]
“We more than doubled our first year attendees,” said organizer and author Courtney Weber. Weber is part of a three person organizing team, including Silent, a death doula and member of the Cherry Hill Seminary, and Kanani Soleil, a Witchcraft author and podcaster. Spirit Northwest’s mission is to combine the ancient and modern to suit current practitioners of all Pagan paths. I ran into Heathens, Druids, Thelemites, Wiccans, and Urglawwe practitioners, just in the first two workshops.
I’ve worked at conventions and attended conventions, and watched many go down in flames through real time Twitter posts (Dashcon, anyone?), but Spirit Northwest ran so smoothly. The staff and volunteers were unshakable and endlessly helpful. I didn’t even stumble into a volunteer crying in the bathroom. I was deeply impressed.
The three day conference was packed with fascinating workshops, events, and rituals. While workshops started at 9am and ran until 4:30pm, evenings had fun and engaging community events like a movie screening of Horror Hotel commentated by the Broomsticks and Bloodshed Podcast, a board game night, and a mixer to encourage networking.
The presenter lineup featured keynote addresses by Laura Davila and Ivo Dominguez Jr. and workshops with Portland’s own Madame Pamita and J. Allen Cross. In addition to expansions on astrology and tarot, the schedule featured creative and thought-provoking talks like “Sacred Shelves: A Divine Re-Imagining of Libraries, Librarians, and the ‘People of the Library,’; “Psychic Sleuthing: Skills for Psychic Investigation,” “The Alchemical Magick of Lucid Dreaming,” and “Becoming a Good Ancestor.” My largest frustration, like any Witch, was that I couldn’t be in more places at once.
The author showing off her presenter badge. [L. Parker]
Pagan community is something that’s been on my mind since we started the cultural u-turn into hyper-conservatism. With any increase of misogyny, anti-Witch and, by extension, anti-Pagan sentiment comes marching into town. Not only was the weekend an opportunity for Pagan congregation, but in the wake of the country’s crackdown on anyone that isn’t white and Christian, it was radical. It was a lobby full of Witches filing into brunch to enjoy sauvignon blanc and compare notes from things they learned.
I met many self-identified “baby Witches” and established practitioners mixing and mingling and getting to know each other. While I was signing at the author’s table, I had the same conversation over and over, discussing that throughout the country, there’s spiritual loneliness. Spirit Northwest was allowing people to make connections with other community members and exchange phone numbers, agree to meet up at other events, or visit each other.
I was lucky enough to present at Spirit Northwest, teaching a generative writing workshop using automatic writing to create poetry and contact the ancestors. I was also lucky enough to walk into the room full of encouraging faces and a few identified poets. Members of my workshop leaned all the way in, building this magical poetry salon that crackled with good energy.
The vendor floor featured both Llewellyn and Weiser book presences, an author signing space, Pagan vendors, and even a tattooing corner where attendees could choose from flash or custom pieces. There was something for everyone, including spooky pottery, handset stone jewelry, mounted bone hangings, and always candles and soaps.
At the vendor fair I tripped and fell and all my money ran away laughing. But I got this great mug from Gaean Allusions pottery.
The author with a skull mug from Gaean Allusions Pottery. [L. Parker]
Since Pantheacon’s demise in 2020, the West Coast has been feeling the loss of a Pagan conference, and Spirit Northwest may be just the answer Witchy seekers are looking for. In the era of Discords and government control of internet spaces, in-person congregation remains the most important, which makes events like Spirit Northwest a public good.
Missed it this year? Well you’re in luck. Before everyone had shown up for the first day, 2027’s dates – April 22nd through 25th – were announced. See you all next year!
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