Paganism

Pagan Spirit Gathering Moves to Illinois

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Pagan Spirit Gathering, one of America’s oldest and largest outdoor Pagan festivals, has announced that it has moved its base of operations from Missouri to Illinois. This is the festival’s second move since cutting ties in 2009 with Wisteria (and Ohio-based Pagan-friendly campground). “We are looking forward to having the Pagan Spirit Gathering within a short drive from the greater Chicago area again,” says PSG’s founder Selena Fox.” We haven’t been this close to Chicago since PSG 1983 when our site was on private land along the Rock River. This is the first time that PSG will be in Illinois, and we have been getting very positive responses to the news from Illinois Pagans as well as Pagans from around the country.”

Paganism

Missouri’s Camp Zoe Faces Government Seizure

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The Riverfront Times reports that Camp Zoe near Salem, Missouri is facing asset forfeiture (in short, the seizing of the land by the federal government) after a four-year investigation by the DEA, Missouri State Highway Patrol and U.S. Attorney’s Office. The complaint alleges that [owner Jimmy Tebeau] — who has not been charged with a crime — and other Camp Zoe staff members were “in the immediate area” when the drug deals went down and “took no immediate action to prevent the activity.” … the U.S. Attorney’s office alleges that Camp Zoe was “knowingly opened, rented, leased, used, or maintained for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing or using controlled substances.”
The formal complaint, filed on November 8th, paints a picture of a drug-taking-and-dealing wonderland. “Pursuant to information revealed through law enforcement surveillance, undercover operations, source information, bank records, and interviews, law enforcement agents have learned of the extensive use of and sale of numberous drugs and controlled substances at Camp Zoe by attendees of the festivals held at Camp Zoe. Over the past several years, law enforcement agents have specifically observed the open sales of cocaine, marijuana, LSA (acid), ecstacy, psilocybin mushrooms, opium, and marijuana-laced food products by individuals attending the music festival and have made multiple undercover purchases of illegal drugs. Undercover purchases have been made on the defendant property as recently as September, 2010.