A day of magic and mystery is in Sooke’s midst.
Vancouver Island Pagan Pride will hold its 14th annual festival at the Sooke Region Museum on Aug. 11.
Who are Pagans?
Candy McKivett of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada, and an organizer of the event, compares paganism to Christianity.
“Christianity includes a variety of religious groups with very different practices, like Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans and Baptists,” said McKivett in a press release.
“Paganism is an umbrella term that encompasses a diverse group of spiritual beliefs and practices; some people are Wiccans or Druids, and others follow Heathen, Nordic or Celtic traditions. Most Pagan beliefs are based on a reverence for the earth and others also include worship of a goddess or a god in their tradition.”
The festival will feature live entertainment from local musicians and performers, rituals that the public is invited to engage in, as well as workshops, information booths, a children’s activity booth, vendors of food, clothing, jewelry, artwork, pottery, organic soaps and skin care products, and almost every Pagan item and supply there is.
There will also be a variety of healers at the event, including astrologers, psychics, tarot and oracle card readers, reiki practitioners, crystal therapists and spiritual healers.
“Pagan Pride Day is a part of the global Pagan Pride Project. Our mission is to foster pride in Pagan identity through education, activism, charity and community; these four inspirations align to the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth,” said McKivett.
“We embrace charity by collecting non-perishable food items and financial donations for our Share the Harvest Cauldron, as our way of giving back to our local communities. This year’s recipients of donations collected through Share the Harvest are the Sooke Food Bank and Wild Wise Sooke.”
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the public is encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate. For more information, please go online to www.vipaganpride.org.
editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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