• Photos! Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day 2016

    Were you here? Or couldn’t you make it? Either way, check out this small sampling of Bill Jorgensen’s gorgeous photos for a quick recap of the day!

    VIPPD 2016 bj 9

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day 2016

    The sun gods smiled on us – we had amazing rituals, a spiral dance, fantastic food, marvelous vendors,
    VIPPD 2016 bj 12        VIPPD 2016 bj 4       VIPPD 2016 bj 13

    awesome readers and healers, inspiring workshops, a chance to get up close to Brinley, the ambassador owl and all of it was accompanied by sensational musicians!

    VIPPD 2016 bj 6 VIPPD 2016 bj 10 VIPPD 2016 bj 17VIPPD 2016 bj 5VIPPD 2016 bj 2

    VIPPD 2016 bj 14       VIPPD 2016 bj 16       VIPPD 2016 bj 1       VIPPD 2016 bj 8

    All these fabulous photos are shared with permission from Bill Jorgensen with HUGE THANKS from Vancouver Island Pagan Pride! You can see his complete collection of pictures and much more of Bill’s artistry at Bill Jorgensen on Zenfolio. It was a glorious day – and we can’t wait to see you all again next year!

  • Today’s the Day! Hip, Hip, Hooray!

    This is it! It’s so exciting! We’ve been working for months, and the day is finally here.

    vippd poster 2016Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day Gives Back to the Comox Valley – On Saturday, August 13th, Lewis Park will host the 12th Annual Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day.

    Vendors, artisans, and spiritual groups from all over Vancouver Island will come together to celebrate diversity in spirituality. Pagan Pride Day is an international project that promotes tolerance and understanding between people with different belief systems through education, activism, charity and community.

    The time of year is carefully chosen to celebrate the harvest and share the fruits of our efforts with our community. Each year the Pagan Pride committee chooses charitable organizations that have a positive effect in the community and dedicates its hard work and energy towards raising donations for those organizations.  This year Pagan Pride is excited to be collecting donations and non-perishable food items for Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society and the Comox Valley Food Bank. Last year’s event saw $300 raised for both LUSH Valley Food Action Society and the Comox Valley Food Bank. Vancouver Island Pride Day aims to show the public what Paganism is about through a daylong collection of workshops, rituals and demonstrations.

    It’s also a time for the Pagan community to come together and celebrate our diversity with live entertainment and vendor tables with goods and services from pagan or pagan friendly businesses and organizations. “It’s going to be challenging to top last year’s event, but we have a great team.

    We’re all looking forward to connecting with and contributing to the community,” says Mary Malinski, High Priestess of the Circle of the Sacred Muse and Maiden of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada.

    The 12th annual Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day will be held on Saturday, August 13th at Lewis Park from 10 am to 4 pm. The event is open to everyone and admission is free, though donations for the Food Bank and MARS are highly encouraged.

  • Vendor Highlight: SuzannArt

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes SuzannArt!

    I’m a fine art teacher from Quebec. I’ve always be drawn to art as far as I remember. suzannartI paint on canvas, and on many objects made of fabric and glass. My style ranges from very realistic to abstract, incorporating fairies and symbols like sacred geometry (flower of life, Sri yantra…), elvish writing and so on. In every painting, my goal is to portray the light that surround us, whether it is it’s reflection on a car, in the eyes of someone or the rays of colors that characterize emotions, persons, places… Light can also transform the most ordinary object into a stunning painting. Nature is the best at playing with colors and my paintings are a tribute to the beauty that surrounds us. I make clothes by recycling and modifying second hand ones. I also create jewelry with stones and crystals (rings earrings, bracelets, anklets) and dreamcatchers.

    ”I think people should trust more their instincts when it comes to art, travel in the paintings and let themselves go with the flow of any emotions that rises within them.”

    See more of Suzann’s work at www.suzannart.com and visit her on Pagan Pride Day.

  • Vendor Highlight: Sarah Clarke Tea Leaf Reader

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes Sarah Clarke, tea leaf reader!

    tealeafreaderOnce playfully employed as a Magician’s assistant, Sarah Clarke has nonetheless always felt the presence of magic in her life. Sarah grew up traveling to many countries, delighting in the beauty & diversity of nature, cultures & faiths.

    Sarah has been an Intuitive all of her life. She has used intuition throughout her work, bringing sensitivity & wisdom to her work in the healing process for children, adults & elders through Rehabilitation Therapy, Collaborative Art & Spiritual Direction.

    Sarah extends her healing work through Tea Leaf Readings.

    Visit Sarah at Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day!

  • Info Booth Highlight: AIDS Vancouver Island

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes AIDS Vancouver Island! avi

    AIDS Vancouver Island serves the needs of people infected and affected by HIV and hepatitis C on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. We take evidence-based action to prevent infection, provide support, and reduce stigma.

    On Facebook at AIDS Vancouver Island and the Courtenay office is on the web at avi.org/courtenay

  • Share the Harvest! Remember to bring your donations

    harvest The theme of Pagan Pride all around the world is to Share the Harvest. Many of us have been blessed with abundance in various areas of our lives. Part of the mission of Pagan Pride Day is to give back to our communities.

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride has selected the Comox Valley Food Bank and Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society as the beneficiaries of this year’s event.

    The Comox Valley Food Bank distributes free emergency food to people in need. As a non-profit organization committed to reducing hunger since headLogo 1983, The CVFB gathers food and cash donations to support food distribution and collection programs. The CVFB reaches a wide range of urban and rural populations in the Comox Valley, from Oyster River in the North to Cook Creek in the South, including Hornby and Denman Island residents.

    mars Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society MARS is the local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre. They are located in Merville and serve the Comox Valley and north island including the outlaying islands. Yearly they average 800 patients. MARS has purchased nearly 11 acres of land off of Williams Beach Road and are due to move by May 2017. The property where they have been for the past 20 years is for sale as well as they have outgrown the current location.

    We need your help, too! When you come out to Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day to learn, to celebrate and to have fun, remember to bring your donations of food, household goods, and cash donations! Help us SHARE THE HARVEST! Our committee has been working hard to raise funds to host Pagan Pride Day and be able to give back to these important organizations that contribute so much in our community.

  • Featured Ritual Presenters: Serendipity Celestial College

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride is honoured to have Dallas Mangnell and David Zunker of Serendipity Celestial College as our Ritual Presenters.

    dallasDallas is a Black-Cord Priestess of the Thirteenth House Mystery School, in Victoria, BC Canada.

    A practicing Witch, Dallas integrates her knowledge of Wicca, Ceremonial magick, and Animism, to create transformative sacred spaces for inspiration and healing. She has been instrumental in organizing public ceremonies in local parks, at private events and music festivals in the US and Canada.

    As a seeker of wisdom herself, she enjoys engaging with others who are looking to find the rich potential within themselves through the use of sacred space, meditation and ceremony in their daily lives. In addition to her private students, Dallas has presented workshops and installations at BassCamp Music Festival, Vancouver Island, Shambhala Music Festival, Salmo and Lucidity Music Festival, Santa Barbra, California

    promo photo - David ZDavid is a writer, Astrologer, Tarot professional, and Inner Plane Initiate Pagan Priest, in addition to his career in community services.

    David dedicated himself to the mystic path early in life, learning to meditate in his mid-teens. He began studying Astrology during the 1970’s and followed soon afterwards with Tarot and Palmistry readings.  Further occult knowledge was shown to him in the 1980’s through the practice of Ceremonial Magic and Wicca during the 1990’s.

    David has presented workshops at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver BC (Face to Face conference), Shambhala Music Festival, The Gathering for Life on Earth and the Lucidity Music Festival, Santa Barbra California, as well as other various team building/ training events for private employers.

    He conducts classes in Tarot, Meditation, Ceremonial Magic, Spell Craft, and Wicca though local community centres, continuing education programs, and privately. Currently, his weekly Astrology forecast can be found at WebVictoria.

    We are excited to participate in their Ritual on Pagan Pride Day!

  • Info Booth Highlight: Comox Valley Red Tent

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes Comox Valley Red Tent!

    This group is connected to monthly gatherings of women at Red Tent Events in the Comox Valley of Vancouver Island. The group on Facebook shares quotes, books, information, articles… that honour women, speak of our cycles, rhythms, concerns, etc, as well as being relevant to gathering in sacred space to build community, nourishing and empowering women.

    The local events and this site are part of a grassroots global movement, started by Alisa Starkweather based somewhat on the book The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. The aim of the Red Tent movement is to help build a woman-honouring culture. The aim of the local Red Tent events is to offer an opportunity for local women to come together to be nourished, supported, heard, as we explore together who we are, authentically, from deep inside.

    Drop by their booth at Pagan Pride to learn more or at Comox Valley Red Tent

  • Info Booth Highlight: The Heathen Freehold Society of BC

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes the Heathen Freehold Society of BC! heathen

    Heathen Freehold Society of BC, a universalist heathen organization dedicated to the study and practice of the ancient faith of the tribes of Northern Europe.

    Visit the Heathen Freehold Society of BC on Facebook and you can learn more when you drop by their booth at Pagan Pride!

  • Vendor Highlight: Mara’s Henna

    henna

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes Mara’s Henna!

    Practicing the ancient ritual of henna. Natural & temporary body art.