News

Boundary-setting training to be offered at Paganicon 2018

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Twin Cities Pagan Pride will host Paganicon 2018 in the Minneapolis area from Mar.16 -18. This indoor Pagan conference will have workshops, rituals, and music. Becky Munson, its programming director, emphasized its community aspects. “It’s the community coming together, teaching, and sharing.” This year will differ from past Paganicons; conference organizers will introduce a training program, “Healthy Boundaries.”

Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: Solar Cross helps, solstice in Iceland, conference season begins and more

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During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, members of Solar Cross Temple took some time out to offer assistance and comfort to others within the Portland community. Hosted by Direct Action Alliance and Rose City Black Guards, the event brought people together to support “those most in need.” The two groups invited people “to come out to [Battleship Memorial Park] and support each other in the best way we know how, by helping.” They offered hot meals, and were collecting living essentials and clothing to give to the houseless.  The gathering was held between 12-3pm, which happened to be the scheduled time of another event: Patriot Prayer rally. In the Facebook event invitation, DAA and RCBG said, “They are trying to hide their hate fueled fascist ideology behind a banner of Jesus and religiousness.

News

Paganicon attendees focus on personal healing

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – While the official theme of Paganicon 2017 was A Journey into the Underworld, a sub-theme of healing ran throughout the entire Midwest 3 day conference. There was, of course, the expected workshops covering such things as Reiki, but there was also a class on healing through movement, a round table on Pagans with cancer, and a room set aside specifically for healing work. The unofficial sub-theme theme wove its way through the art selections in the gallery and the songs sung by musicians.Paganicon Director of Programming and Entertainment, Becky Munson said the healing sub-theme wasn’t created by design, “Everything happened pretty organically; everything that was presented was submitted in the public call for submissions.”

Ms. Munson says each year there are submissions for presentations that seem to cluster around a topic that is simmering in the community consciousness. “I think it’s a by-product of what’s going in in our society right now,” said Munson.

Paganism

Pagan Community Notes: Pagans for Trump, Starry Nights, conference season and more!

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UNITED STATES — After the widespread attention given to a binding spell action against President Donald Trump, members the Facebook-based group Pagans for Trump began talking about doing a counter-spell. At the same time, it was reported in various media outlets that a group of Christians were planning to “pray the hex away.” In describing her own work to counter the binding, Lori Lyttle, a member of Pagans for Trump said, “It’s a blocking and protection spell.” She used black and white candles, incense, and “many, many gems,” which were all laid out on her altar. Trump supporter Katie Roberts was also planning to work against the mass binding spell.