Reports from the Pagan Pride Days
years, Kalamazoo Pagan Pride Day returned to beautiful Milham Park, located at the edges of both Kalamazoo and Portage, MI. “I really love this location, with the huge trees and the stream,” said Pat Camarena Rose, ritual coordinator. “All day long, people have been dipping their toes in the water. It really helped cool things down.” Despite temperatures that topped 90o and severe storms to the North, weather-workers held off the rain until an hour after the festival closed on Saturday, Sept. 3rd, in the midst of Labor Day weekend. 
at around 200 people,” co-Local Coordinator Anna Pecora said. “Seventeen vendors said they’d return next year”. Three rituals were held, facilitated by Ms. Rose, including the opening, “Building Bridges, Not Moats”, and the closing, “Crossing the Bridge, back to day-to-day life”, which incorporated the theme of this year’s Pride event. The other ceremony, “The Red, White and Blue Ritual”, honored members of military service, first responders, and those who had passed during the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001. This powerful rite had many attendees feeling strongly emotional, as quarters were called and passages were read by former and current military personnel. 
Food was collected for Loaves and Fishes and two animal charities, eye glasses were deposited for the Lion’s Club, and cell phones for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 
dancing to Medieval sword fighting provided by Swords of Valor, to Pagan musicians, face painting and a Pet Psychic. “You can bring your animal, or some of his or her hair, a collar, or a photograph,” said Jackie Mae Ledger, a young lady who learned her craft from Chaz Hall, “Pet Psychic to the Stars”. 
“It helps you to know what your friend is thinking or feeling.” Ms. Ledger could also learn information about pets “who have crossed the rainbow bridge”. Gina Newsom painted faces to resemble animal totems. A choral performance by Bell Book and Canto, and a festival of song by bard Doug 
Peterson kept attendees musically happy. 
into a participant’s eyes; The Prince’s Medieval Emporium, offering Renaissance and Pagan garb; Moore Relaxed Massage, who helped relieve stress with various forms of bodywork; Lunabelle Photography, who does portraits in nature as well as traditional poses; and Blue Raven Books and gifts, who brought wares all the way from Lansing. Michigan Paranormal Investigation and Magickal Media gave demonstrations of their respective organizations. 
Ms. Rose, and Native American shamanic drummer Spirit Wolf, who also drummed for the rituals. “My father was a drum maker, and he taught me the beats and the songs,” which were in several Woodlands Native American languages. “The drum is the rhythm of the Earth.” For children, Bear told stories, there was a hula-hoop dance, and boffers provided by the MERCS, or Michigan Entertainment Renaissance Curiosities Society. 
explained Jodi of the MERCS, who was clad in apparel which was appropriate to the season. “In spring, there’d be more pink and purple, and as we move toward fall, there will be more dark green, orange and yellow”. 
prior the Pagan Pride Day itself. “We couldn’t have done this without our volunteers and sponsors,” said Jennifer Passavant, co-Local Coordinator. Individuals, churches and covens also lent their sponsorship or approval. Sponsors raised over $350,oo which was needed for paying insurance fees and renting the park. Despite only having three months to “pull things together”, the various committees performed admirably. Only one protestor showed up – a young lady who commonly evangelizes and passes out literature in that area – and she was quickly dealt with by security, who informed her that while she has the constitutional right to freedom of speech and religion, she is not allowed to place tracts on vehicles. All in all, Kalamazoo Pagan Pride Day was a success. 
Chicago 
Pagan Pride Day
CPPD was held on September 17th at the beautiful Pleasant Hill Home and Mill Park in Oak Park, Illinois. It was attended by over 500 pagans who enjoyed a beautiful day building community, catching up with old friends and making new ones.
The entrance fee to the event was a canned good to be donated to the Chicago Food Depository. The event collected over 1100 pounds of food, enough to feed a thousand people. They also collected old ink cartridges (59) and cell phones (27) for recycling.
Magickal Media was there, represented by our webmistress, Cheryl Feyen.
The kids had a great time with workshops especially for them: a sing-a-long; make a stick pentacle; face painting; and story of the First Stone Soup.
Adults had many workshop choices as well. The Elements of Magick and Ritual; Correspondences in Magick; Sacred Sound: Drumming and Chanting; Working With Crystals; Handbook of Light: Essentials of the Chakra System; Meditation Made Easy; Community Building: Astrology for group Dynamics; Tibetan Singing Bowls; A Forgotten Monopoly: Pagan Monotheists; Research Into The Afterlife; What is a Heathen: Asatru 101; and Astrology: Not Always What You Think. With four time slots and three workshops per slot, the problem was trying to narrow down which class to attend in each slot.
Then there was the entertainment;
with a drum circle; belly dancers; Tibetan Singing Bowls; and other various performances throughout the day. Later in the afternoon was the Equinox Ritual of Balance, followed by the silent auction and raffle.
Thirty-eight vendors gave the attendees a wide variety of wares to shop for. From jewelry of all sorts, classic altar and ritual supplies, to beautiful embroidered towels, shirts and altar cloths. There were non-profit organizations, authors presenting their new books and even a paranormal team that investigates local hauntings.
Andrea Jones, author of Hook and Jill, a novel of Neverland for 'grown-ups'.
Center of the Elemental Spirit: A Congregational Wiccan Community
Chicago Reclaiming, Inc.
Researchers Investigating the Paranormal
Spirit in Nature
Original art & Jewelry by Liz Lytle
The event chairperson Autumn commented: " Our Pagan Pride Day in Chicago this year was so amazing, virtually drama free and everything went off without a hitch. There were a few small details that we could have done better, but we will strive to improve those for next year. We have been so blessed and it has been a wonderful learning opportunity.
What a wonderful day. So many thanks to all the vendors, entertainers, volunteers, workshop teachers, and to everyone that came out to celebrate Pagan Pride. It takes all of us to make it work.
We look forward to seeing and celebrating with everyone again next year."
Rapids Pagan Pride Day
tooling provided by Chris Howard, manager of the Tandy Leather Factory of Grand Rapids. Not only could children make and take their own leather wrist bands, coasters and other crafts items, they also received a catalog of Tandy products. Said Mr. Howard, “This is my first ever Pagan Pride. Usually we do things with youth groups, Scouts… I am having a great time, and I am thinking about coming back next year!” Amber of Magickal Media made me a lovely coaster at this workshop, stamped with magickal symbols. There were many wonderful children’s activities to be found at this event.
prosperity, land craft, a poppet spell class, a high ritual magic workshop, a discussion on the prevention of bullying, working with water, the main Mabon rite, a course on potions, and the opening and closing rituals. We attended the workshop about using water, which featured a discussion by Swan FaerieWater on the significance of the element, uses and spells – an important consideration for those of us who are surrounded by the Great Lakes. Raynbow of Magickal Media attended “The Female Experience and Belly Dance,” given by members of the Steel Lotus dance troupe. This workshop explored dance movements and their role in personal expression, childbirth, and other traditional and non-traditional women’s rites. “They talked about the history of the dance, as well; movements that were from India, Turkey and what was unique here in America,” said Raynbow. Another unusual and valuable workshop was the “Weed Walk”. Participants went on an hour-long hike around the park with guide Kathleen, finding various native plants and herbs and learning about their uses. 
led by Red Thorian, who also facilitated the anti-bullying workshop and assisted with security. The ritual was for the purpose of “inspiration to make it through the lean times to come, with the onset of the winter months and the passing of summer”. All paths were encouraged to attend and toast the Gods, ancestors and heroes. The children’s ritual was well-attended also, with the youngsters invited to assist in all parts of the ceremony, from cleansing to closing. A craft was created as a talisman during the rite. Ribbons were used to symbolize connection during the main Mabon ceremony, which was also large, over 50 people in circle. At closing, attendees were requested to turn and thank one another for a lovely event.
We at Magickal Media encourage you to attend a local Pagan Pride Day or Pagan Awareness day. Meet your neighbors, get acquainted with others on the Earth Spirituality path. Enjoy the shopping and restock your ritual supplies. Become more in touch with your spiritual side during the rituals and workshops. Go to 
