IT’S OUR 20th ANNIVERSARY YEAR!!!
Vancouver Pagan Pride (VPP) has been working hard since 1998 to grow a sense of community. We are a focal point for the various factions of our community where we can communicate, celebrate with, and learn from one another. We are also an educational point of reference for the non-pagan community.
Check out our events list:
Open to public 10:00 am – 5pm Workshops from 11am – 4pm All events are FREE for anyone to attend!
All Day Events (All Ages)
The Blue Tent – Soul Resonance Healing – 11 am to 4pm (with a break from 1pm to 3pm)
One on One Smudging Services – by The Healing Tribe – 11 am to 4pm (with a break from 1pm to 3pm)
Workshops and Ceremonies (All Ages)
Opening Ritual (15minutes) 10:00am to 10:15am
Mysteries of Vodou & Hoodoo Workshop (1 hour) 11am to 12pm
The Mystery of Mithras Workshop (30 minutes) 12pm to 12:30pm
Guided Meditation – Heart Centered (30 minutes) 12:30pm to 1pm
Harvest Ceremony (1 hour) 1pm to 2pm
Ancestral Forgiveness Ceremony (1 hour) 2pm to 3pm
Simple Sigil Workshop (30 minutes) 3pm to 3:30pm
Ascendant Workshop-What does Paganism mean to you? (30 minutes) 3:30pm to 4pm
**Last Call for Vendor Sales 4pm to 4:45pm
Closing Ritual (15 minutes) 4:45pm to 5pm
Workshops (For Youth and the Young at Heart)
NOTE Parents MUST accompany kids to participate in workshops
Magic Wand Making Station (1 hour) 11am to 12pm
-Visit Druid Dave for a “raw wand” 11am to 11:30am
-Decorate wands at the craft station 11am to 11:45am
-Consecration Ceremony-Bless wands with magic 11:45am to 12pm
Pagan Story Time (1 hour) 12pm to 1pm
Fairy Treasure Hunt- Self Guided (All Day) 10:30am to 4pm
Entertainment – Performances By
Sounds of East, the rhythms of Middle Eastern dance 11am to 1pm
This is a hand-on workshop where people of any skill level can explore the different drums used in Middle Eastern music, learn some of the most common rhythms used and join a drum circle as we drum for our talented dancers.
Akashik (By the artist Pablo Orellana) From the album: Long Forgotten 3pm to 4pm
Acoustic set of original Pagan/Spiritual Music performed on the 12-string Guitar.
ALL DAY EVENT DETAILS
These two following “events” are actually FREE services
Offered from 11am to 4pm, with a break to honor ceremonies taking place from 1pm to 3pm.
Services are generally one person at a time and operate as first come first serve or with a sign-up sheet.
Blue Tent Immersions and Soul Resonance
Blue Tent Immersions and Soul Resonance are in a sense private one on one ‘healings’. Soul Resonance (somewhat like the core shamanic practice of soul retrieval but more in-depth), we usually offer set sessions of 10 minutes per person. The practice is silent, so any necessary explanations will be give before each person or group enters. From time to time we may open the Blue Tent Immersion to more than one person and have certainly held 4 folks in the practice – this is hard work though! We may have 3 or 4 mini ceremonies to create ancestral ripples outward from the Blue Tent, to which folks can come and be present.
One on One Smudging Services – by The Healing Tribe
What is Smudging? Sacred smoke created from burning medicinal or sacred plants is an aspect of many cultures and religions the world over. In North America, it is a practice common to Indigenous Peoples and is called smudging. Many, but not all, Indigenous cultures in Canada smudge but may have different beliefs associated with the smoke, and different ceremonies and protocols. Smudging is traditionally a ceremony for purifying or cleansing the soul of negative thoughts of a person, place or situation, and transmuting them into healthy positive energy.
There are four elements involved in a smudge:
- The container, traditionally a shell representing water, is the first element.
- The four sacred plants (cedar, sage, sweetgrass, tobacco), gifts from mother earth, represent the second element.
- The fire produced from lighting the sacred plants represents the third element.
- The smoke produced from the fire represents air, the fourth element.
During a smudge plant leaves or stems are placed in the container and ignited (preferably with a wooden match). The flames are then gently blown out and the smoke, which heals the mind, heart and body, is wafted over the person, either by hand or with an eagle feather. The person being smudged pulls the smoke to them and gently inhales the smoke. The ashes traditionally are returned to mother earth by disposing them outside on bare soil – it is believed that the negative thoughts and feelings have been absorbed by the ashes. A person can smudge themselves, or, someone can lead a smudge by holding the container and directing the smoke over others.
CEREMONY DETAILS
Everyone at Pagan Pride Day is welcomed and encouraged to join in on the tradition of pagan ceremonies, free to attend and hosted throughout the day. We ask that everyone shows respect and remains silent for the duration of all ceremonies, regardless of participation. Each ceremony is unique in it’s intention. Participation merely requires your attention; any chanting lead by the ceremony’s host is optional and will be simple.
Opening Ceremony (10am to 10:15am) Hosted by Dave
Opening Ceremony is intended to set the “tone” for the day. Pagan Pride hosts, vendors and healers will join together with you the public, and as a collective we will align ourselves, thoughts, feelings, energy and actions, to the policies, purpose and intent of this great event.
“By Apple, Oats, Squash and Corn” Harvest Ceremony (1pm to 2pm) Hosted by Dave
As Summer comes to it’s close and the sustenance of mother nature’s harvest season draws closer, holding a ritual to acknowledge the bounty of food soon to be harvested in the fall is a tradition in Pagan Pride Day events across the continent. Join the circle and participate in gratitude for Mother Gaia’s abundance.
Ancestral Forgiveness Ceremony (2pm to 3pm) Hosted by the Blue Tent Group
This healing rite is one of surrender to the Ancestral Song, regardless of personal need. By this we use the Mora oa Croen to bring us into wholesome harmony, so that we can now use that blueprint to engage sympathetically with others.
From the time when the Great Grandmother sang to the One Above, and that song was answered by song, the concept of Song and Soul have been as one. In Animism the term Anima means both song and breath within; to be animated is to be alive with that breath and that song, which comes from both within and without. In totemic animism it is not that everything is imbued or contains the song, it is that everything is the song. To deepen this unified concept, the song is also a sacrament of relationship in that everything is the same holy (whole) song that is sung and at the same time everything sings that song. In this we are co-creators as well as the created.
The Great Song; Mora oa Croen is both the weaving threads and the eternal tapestry of the cosmos. In this every soul (anima) is a holographic representation of everything else. Within everything is the data, wisdom, knowledge, life, whatever word we want to us, of the entire consciousness of creation, though focused for the most on a particular destiny (weave). As practitioners, we work on maintaining wholeness, that oneness of the wild song, within ourselves or maybe as ourselves. The more we can be in that holy state, the more we can use our awareness of the holographic song to be aware or diagnose the loss of resonance, or song structure in others. The magic of this is that we may also work in reverse in that we can bring the non-resonance back into sympathy with the oneness of The Song using our wholeness as the model. The danger is that we can make assumptions that we are ‘OK’ and others are not!
Closing Ceremony (4:45pm to 5pm) Hosted by Dave
Closing Ceremony is intended to be our final farewells, thankyous, and acknowledgements, to the amazing volunteers that shed their skin and throw their bones into this event, and to the participation of the public and the motivation that they give to all of us.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
All workshops are free for anyone to attend and take place from 11am to 4pm.
The Mysteries of Vodou & Hoodoo (11 am to 12 pm)
By: Mamishie Kpemichi
Presentation Summary: Have you ever wondered what these wonderful traditions were really all about? What the practice is like today? How and if someone can start with these practices? I will share some of my personal experiences about being taught, attending ceremonies and meeting the Gods. Also covered will be the misconceptions of these paths, and a bit about what not to do.
About the Presenter: Over the years Mamishie Kpemichi has received teachings in these practices; while in Haiti, West Africa, and the USA. Recently, she was also formally initiated as Mamishie in Vodou and has practiced Western magics for nearly 30 years.
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Mystery of Mithras (12pm to 12:30pm)
By: Ram
Presentation Summary: This presentation on Mithraism will be largely based on the book The Mysteries of Mithras: The Pagan Belief that Shaped the Christian World, by Payam Nabarz. Two official Mithraic traditions will be identified. The more ancient one is in the East and was practiced by the Persians and Armenians prior to the advent of Zoroastrianism in Iran and Christianity in Armenia. It centers on Anahita, the goddess of Wind, Sleet, Rain and Clouds, as well as “life” or fertility, and her son Mithra who is the god of friendship, contracts, and the sun.
The censorship and destruction of Eastern Mithraism is discussed and we then transition to the god Mithras, lord of green pastures, and Mithraism as practiced in ancient Rome particularly by the Roman army. It is a uniquely classless religion, and much folklore develops around Mithras. He was born on winter solstice on December 21st with a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, from a virgin mother; he defeated the ruthless Sun, Sol Invictus, and gain the sun’s crown, the sun’s contract and friendship; he moved the cosmos away from the influence of the Taurus by sacrificing the Taurus, spilling the Taurus’ blood which symbolizes life, and the Taurus’ body which symbolizes bread, and other stories…
Similarities and differences between Eastern and Western Mithraism are discussed. The theory of the influence of Mithraism on Christianity is discussed. The symbolism of the Tauroctony and Mithraic communion will be discussed. Finally, modern Mithraism as practiced around the world today will be discussed including initiation and inclusion of all people and genders into modern Mitrhaism.
About the Presenter: Ram is a lawyer from Vancouver of Iranian descent with a background in Philosophy. Disillusioned by monotheism, Ram self-studied various pagan religions and became a follower of the neo-pagan and naturist views of DH Lawrence. He then began exploring the pagan history of Iran as he felt the need for a spiritual connection to his homeland and was influenced by the book by Payam Nabarz, The Mysteries of Mithras: The Pagan Belief that Shaped the Christian World. Ram identified with the God Mithras, who was an ancient Iranian god and the god of choice of the Roman army prior to the advent of Christianity. Ram will summarize Nabarz’ book and explain his own journey to identifying with Mithras.
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Guided Meditation – Heart Centered (12:30pm to 1pm)
By Tracy Rae Davies of Awakening the Healer Within
Presentation Summary: Guided meditation is when you are guided, by a narrator, to elicit a specific change in your life. You are first guided to relax your body and mind, to help you reach a deep meditative state before going on a journey, in your mind, to reach a specific goal. Heart Centered Meditation works through breaking past the limitations of the physical self, negative thought patterning, and triggers, to connect to divine source by way of the heart. Sometimes the heart and head do not align, and this meditation will work to relax the body and mind to easily access the Spirit in a relaxed and enjoyable way.
About the Presenter: Tracy Rae Davies is a teacher, alchemist, intuitive, healer, family constellation facilitator and certified counsellor. Many of her tools are taught to her internally. Her highest rule of thumb is to honor what wants to happen.
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Simple Sigil Magic (3pm to 3:30pm)
By Ryan Norwood, Coira Norwood, & Addisyn Norwood
Presentation Summary: Do you doodle?! Join this workshop to discover the magic of drawing and creating Sigils. What’s a Sigil you ask? Sigils are drawn or engraved symbols considered to have magical power. We will give you tools and guidance to create the perfect Sigil with your own specific intent and purpose. At the end of this workshop you’ll take home a medallion of your own creation!
About the Presenters: Your presenters for Simple Sigil Magic will be two sisters, Coira & Addisyn Norborne, accompanied by their Dad, Ryan. They are a deeply intuitive family who have practiced pagan traditions for generations and are excited to share their love of Magic and Mysticism as they grow and learn together.
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The Ascendant (3:30pm to 4pm)
By Tully Astromancer
Presentation Summary: Come join Tully Astromancer in a lesson on the Ascendant. The Ascendant is the mask that we wear, it is how we are perceived by others upon first meeting, as well as a lens through which we perceive. This is a fun and interactive workshop, with time to ask Tully questions on Astrology.
About the Presenter: Tully has always found deep connection to life through the mysteries of the Natural World. He now works intuitively with the Elements, Elemental Kingdom, and the Ancient Ones, to facilitate balance in his world.
YOUTH WORKSHOP DETAILS
All workshops, including workshops for youth (and the young at heart) are free for anyone to attend.
*NOTE: Parents must accompany kids to participate in workshops.
Magic Wand Making Station (11am to 12pm)
What’s not to love about making your own wand? Join in the magic so you can make a little of your own at home. This workshop has 3 stages; first visit the market for a “raw wand” as well as a discussion on how to pick the right stick, then transform your raw wand into a beacon of magic at the craft station, and last but not least, join the consecration ceremony to bestow your wand with magical powers!
(11am to 11:30am) Take your kids to visit “Druid Dave” at our mini market for a small tutorial on choosing the right stick to be your raw wand companion.
(11am to 11:45am) Once you and/or your child has a wand, go to the craft table where our volunteers Lauren and EJ will help you both decorate it with feathers, ribbons, glitter, and even crystals!
(11:45am to 12pm) We will hold a small consecration ceremony, where a spell is spoken by “Druid” Dave to bestow the wands with magical powers. Then they’re ready to take home and make some magic!
Pagan Story Time (12pm to 1pm)
Sit back and relax with your child while you’re serenated by tales of witches, magic, and other pagan themed stories for youth and the young at heart.
Fairy Treasure Hunt- Self Guided (11am to 4pm/ALL DAY)
After being lectured on how clean the park must be left after the event, our mischievous little fairies have littered the park with hidden treasures and we need your help finding them!
Parents, please accompany your kids around the park and be sure to let them know to keep their eyes open for hidden fairy treasure. They’re welcome to keep the gifts they find inside.
But be clever! Those fairies are up to no good!
ENTERTAINMENT DETAILS
Performances by
Sounds of East, the rhythms of Middle Eastern dance (11am to 1pm)
Presentation Summary: This is a hand-on workshop where people of any skill level can explore the different drums used in Middle Eastern music, learn some of the most common rhythms used and join a drum circle as we drum for our talented dancers. Brendan and his team cordially invite everyone to join in; from curious newcomers to the avid dance community, from those who have never held a drum to those who want to improve their skills. Everyone is welcome!
Lead Artist’s Bio: Brendan is the host of monthly Middle Eastern drum and dance sessions held at Tha Realm Dance Studio in Abbotsford, and at other locations in the Lower Mainland. These sessions provide an opportunity for musicians and dancers of all skill levels to share their passion for music and dance in an informal, relaxed setting. Brendan’s interest in Middle Eastern music stems from his many years as a photographer, exposed to the culture while covering anywhere from 35 – 40 Belly Dance events annually. From there, he picked up a drum and the passion began. As a believer in playing to practice, with an understanding and respect for the cultural background of Middle Eastern drumming, Brendan’s sessions are informative, hands on and fun for all skill levels.
Akashik’s Album: Long Forgotten Performed by Pablo Orellana (3pm to 4pm)
Presentation Summary: Acoustic set of originally composed Pagan/Spiritual Music performed on the 12-string Guitar.
Artist’s Bio: Pablo has been playing guitar since the age of 15. Starting on the electric Guitar, then the Classical Guitar, he finally picked up a 12-string Guitar in his mid-20’s. Over the years, his forte was the electric guitar and he played the lead in many rock bands, even recording a few albums. Pablo still liked the classical fingerstyle throughout those years but none of it ended up on any albums. As time went on he became interested in Indian & African instruments and decided to explore his interest in them further. In this he found a spiritual path that opened up the flood-gates of creativity, which was filtered through the 12-string where the finger-style in Guitar playing really came out. Also, there were lyrics that flowed out from his Spiritual practices, that inspired Pablo to explore the vocal field for the first time in his life. All this resulted in recording an acoustic album which is now being released. The songs performed for you today will be from that album.
Our goal is to debunk myths and normalize our faith.
Check out our “About” page for more information.
Join us August 11, 2018 from 10am-5pm at Trout Lake for Feast & Fun!
Proudly sponsored by:
More great sponsorship packages are available!!
