EARLVILLE, Illinois – As the 35th annual Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG) got underway June 14, attendees found themselves grappling with unusually wet weather. Earleville, located 70 miles west of Chicago, has seen an above average amount of rainfall since May, with more than double the monthly average falling in the first half of June alone.
![Flooded ritual greens at PSG [Photo credit: L. Dake]](https://wildhunt.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/11406795_10204583893937106_822946289893502363_n.jpg)
Flooded ritual greens at PSG [Photo credit: L. Dake]
Rainbow, the LGBT area, was the first to flood and, as reported, the waters rose so fast that attendees had to “quickly grab their stuff and run.” The parking area is also completely flooded. On Monday, attendees joined with PSG staff members in a muddy attempt to rescue remaining vehicles. Some cars did sustain water damage, and a few reportedly wouldn’t start. Additionally, there have been limbs down throughout camp, and unconfirmed reports of trees falling on tents and campers.
Many PSG attendees have taken to social media to report on their experiences and on the damages. Blogger Lori Dake has posted a video:
A small number of attendees have left permanently; most are staying. Of those staying, some people have taken refuge temporarily in locals hotels, and others have moved into their cars. Despite these adverse conditions, spirits remain high, and nobody has been hurt. The community is cooperating with the PSG staff, who have reportedly worked efficiently and effectively to make the best of the situation. Praise has been pouring in specifically for the work being done by the PSG security team, known as the Guardians, as well as the medics. Some people are going so far as to call them, “heroes.”
Today’s weather reports call for part sun and only a 10% chance of rain. Although the waters have not yet receded and very little has dried out, today’s prospect for clear weather brings with it the hopes of assessing damages and reorganizing the week’s activities. Unfortunately, the weather reports are also calling for more rain tomorrow through Sunday. As a result, there may be little drying out, more water soaked tents and more rescheduling in PSG’s future.
We are in touch with the Staff. We will share more as reports come in and the story unfolds.
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One of my fellow ADF druids was there, and his camper met an unfortunate accident with a tree branch.
So, when are Pagans going to start honoring the Planet by doing something tangible, collectively about climate change?
Or are we just going to sit with our thumbs
up our asses and let more “freak weather” cancel our events? How long will we continue to pray to the Gods and Goddesses to do the work for us?
How strongly do we need to be affected, how bad do things need to get before the situation accrues sufficient motivation to act?…
Here’s a beginning action you can take:
http://besom.blogspot.com/2015/06/on-pagan-community-statement-on.html
Pardon, it’s not “freak weather,” it’s unusual weather.
If someone tells you that your best friend is coming in a red car, then you notice more red cars. If someone tells you we have “freak weather,” then you notice when the weather doesn’t do as expected.
tr0798,
Interesting idea, now what do you personally plan to do about it? Plan to give us some suggestion about what we can do to change the situation? We stand breathlessly eager to hear your ideas. My first magic was weather magic and I can tell you there are limits to what one can do with weather magic, and ways for it to go wrong.
I might point out that some very dedicated Pagan civilizations were bought down by climate change, including the Mayans, the Greeks, the Chinese several times over, India, and many more. They were probably far more dedicated than we even know how to be. Once climate change starts, nothing stops it, not appeals to the gods, and not by magic. During climate change freak weather becomes the normal until a new balancing out takes place.
For our ancestors in the Scandinavian countries the area went from snowy glaciers, to dense forest, to grasslands and even desert, and back again. Our acceptors did exactly what we are going to do, change to fit the conditions or die out. A great many died out, several times over.
Our technological society is just as vulnerable as any past civilization because the first thing that is affected by climate change is food production. Having excess food for is the only thing that allows people create civilization. Otherwise you only have people scampering desperately trying to get enough food to survive.
So like all those humans before us, we will have to ride this period of rapid and violent weather change and invent new ways to survive with, or without, our present day science and technology. It will be interesting to see which survives the best, us spoiled first world people, or third world people, or perhaps none of us at all.
This was a June flash flood. This wasn’t an event like the western drought or the lengthening of the hurricane season. I watched it rain real hard that day here at Stonehouse and I can tell you this was not the apocalypse. It was a scary time for us but tragedy was averted due to good decision making by those in charge and by community coming together.
Why do you think many haven’t? Many of us quietly work in mundane ways on the issues of climate change. I don’t know how many covens or groups do magickal work for ameliorating what’s coming, but we all have different methodologies and work within those.