• New this year! Pagan Families at the HedgeWitch Shire booth

    For all of us pagan parents – there will be plenty to do at the Shire! Bring your family — bring yourself!

    PLEASE NOTE: this is NOT a drop zone. Any children left unattended will be fed to the dragons and/or a general page will be made that a child has been found and should be returned to a parent asap. Thank you! 

  • Schedule of Events for Pagan Pride Day

    We’ve got an exciting lineup of workshops and performers for this year’s event!

  • Pagan Information: Circle of the Sacred Muse, HedgeWitch Collective, Vancouver Island Druids and Garry Oak Proto-Grove

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes our island pagan groups!  

    The HedgeWitch Collective is a Victoria area coven and your host for Pagan Pride Day! We hold a regular monthly Brew HaHa coffee meet-up for newcomers. As hedgewitches, we are all individually used to practicing ‘outside of the hedge’ so many of our rituals are eclectic in nature. We became a registered non-profit last Hecate’s Day and are working our way towards affiliation with the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada. Drop by our booth meet us!

    The Circle of the Sacred Muse is an open Wiccan community serving Courtenay, Comox, Campbell River Circle of the Sacred Museand the surrounding communities on Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We celebrate the Sabbats and Full Moons – our rituals are open to the public to attend. We also have informal “coffee cauldrons,” where we can meet, share experiences, and have fun.

    Our circle is accepting of all, regardless of race, gender or orientation. Whether you are an experienced covener, new to the craft or just curious, you are welcome here. As we are told in the Charge of the Goddess, we bring “mirth and reverence” to our rituals. Circle of the Sacred Muse is an affiliate of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Canada. Visit them online, and then come visit them at Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day!

    The Garry Oak Proto-Grove is the meeting place for members of A Druid Fellowship (ADF) on beautiful Vancouver Island.  In this group, we practice the nine virtues of ADF – wisdom, vision, piety, courage, integrity, perseverance, fertility, moderation, and hospitality. Visit them at their website https://garry-oak.ca/ and you can meet them in person on Pagan Pride Day, sharing a table with the Vancouver Islands Druids.

    Vancouver Island Druids is a place for people on or near Vancouver Island who are interested in Neo-Druidry and friendly, informative and supportive discussions. The group hosts Sabbats up and down the island, recently at the Esquimalt Lagoon in Victoria and in Nanaimo. You can find them online or drop by their table in the Pavilion at the Sooke Region Museum on August 11th!.

  • Raffle Prizes Galore!

    Our community is very generous – we’ve seen it again and again. We have some incredibly generous prizes for this year’s raffle.

    Fundraiser-RaffleCheck out all of the amazing prizes!

    Deep Peace – Gift Certificate
    Studio Esoterica – Handcrafted cedar wand, pocket sized stone altar God and Goddess set, and a hand rolled cedar smudge wand
    Bat-Fish Studio – Tube*Bella pendant 100% up-cycled product made from the inner tube of bicycle tires & found objects
    Turner Art Pottery Studio – pair of stoneware cups
    Soul Gem Creations – Faerie Bottle, Dragons Vein Agate pendant, and swirl ring
    Walks Within – set of guided meditation CDs
    The Bandwagon Food Truck – 2 meals plus dessert
    West Coast Witch Wear – 4 hours of private sewing or quilting lessons
    Mystic Lotus – incense packs
    Ellen Rainwalker – Bead necklace with Goddess pendant
    Little Love Letter Arts – shining star necklace pendant
    Grey Owl Tattoo & Fine Art – One Hour of Tattooing
    Alicia Johnson Coaching – Chair Massage and Tarot Reading package 1.5 hour service
    Lovewinx by Shannon – Frisky Legs Trio
    Mystic Earth Creations – Himalayan Salt Lamp
    Changes by Jenna – Orgonite Cell Phone Charm
    The Romance Shop – Gift Certificate
    SuzannArt – Crystal anklet: Labradorite, Amethyst, Garnet and Smoky quartz with silver plated chain and leaf charm
    Lady Glitz – Swarovski earrings
    Intuitive Suzy – handcrafted scarves + online tarot reading
    Health Light Love – Set of three Inspirational Photo Notecards and a pen
    Balance BodyWorx – Reflexology Gift Certificate
    Epicure with Kyli – Epicure Cheesecake Bundle

    Raffle tickets are $2 each, or 3 for $5. You do not need to be present to win! All proceeds go to cover the costs of Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day so we can donate more to our charities, The Comox Valley Food Bank and Greenways Land Trust.

  • Today is 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 12th, Lewis Park will host the 13th 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 Greenways Land Trust and the Comox Valley Food Bank. Last year’s event saw $300 raised for both MARS Wildlife Rescue 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 13th annual Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day will be held on Saturday, August 12th 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 Greenways Land Trust are highly encouraged.

  • Let Us Entertain You!

    Part of the fun of Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day is all of the wonderful entertainers, and we have a fantastic line up for you again this year!roger helfrick

    Roger Helfrick Roger has been performing professionally since 1994 after the release of his first album “The Call”. Singing since the age of 18, Roger purchased his first harp in 1993 and taught himself to play. He has performed with many ensembles including the St. F.X. Chamber Choir, the Calgary Opera Chorus and the Calgary Renaissance Singers and Players. His expansive repertoire has included ancient Greek, medieval, and renaissance as well as fold music from Japan, Germany, Norway, Iceland, the British Isles and Ireland. Roger lives on Vancouver Island and is working more with improvisation and intuition to create new works that deal with the passing of seasons, joy, love, silence and living in the present. We welcome him back this year to perform as our headliner! Visit his website at www.rogerhelfrick.ca for more information.

    Amy Muloin Amy Muloin is a singer/songwriter who hails from Campbell River. She has been crafting original country folk tunes, for the past five years.she is a modest artist with a powerful voice. Last year’s Wood Stove Festival in Cumberland said “Amy Muloin will make you want to quit your job and sing songs around campfires full time. Her soaring vocals and groovy rhythm guitar take you on adventures through creativity, love, and the pursuit of passion.”

    Vic and Steve Ruskin with Blaine Dunaway! Vic and Steve have been a musical duo for over 30 years. They slide comfortably from ballads to blues, celtic to contemporary, ragtime (rock/rockabilly) to reggae and even a dash of Latin to add a bit more spice. Steve is a piano player but his portable keyboards have opened up a world of instrumental opportunity allowing him to choose the most effective sounds for each song.Vivian plays guitar, mandolin and does the lead vocals, with Steve adding choice harmonies. Blaine is one of Canada’s foremost improvising violinists. Performer, teacher, composer, conductor, Blaine Dunaway plays throughout Vancouver Island with a wide variety of friends, visit his website at www.blainedunaway.com

    Come and be enchanted by these fabulous performers live on Pagan Pride Day, August 12th in 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 Greenways Land Trust as the beneficiaries of this year’s event.headLogo

    The Comox Valley Food Bank distributes free emergency food to people in need. As a non-profit organization committed to reducing hunger since 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.

    Greenways Land Trust’s mission is to restore, sustain and protect natural areas and critical habitats, particularly ecological and recreational greenways, for the benefit of our community. Greenways Land Trust is a registered charity and conservation organization that works to enhance the community through creation and management of greenways networks, based on principles of stream and land stewardship. We act as an umbrella organization that works together with local stewardship groups, community organizations and local governments.

    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.

  • Not to be missed! The White Goddess Ritual at Pagan Pride Day

    White Goddess

    Belladonna Laveau and Dusty Dionne of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, Intl, join Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day to share the White Goddess Ritual.

    The White Goddess Ritual: The Bright Mother, the All Mother, Queen of Heaven, longs to speak with you and hold you in her arms. In her nurturing embrace, She will reminds you that life is full of challenges and victories, that you are precious to her, and by learning your lessons, and bringing that knowledge and awareness to light, you enrich the lives of all whom you might touch. By whatever name you call her, come to speak with She, whom we adore, the Great Mother, who gives you life, and blesses your path with those things that you need. You will be able to speak directly with the Goddess, as She is invoked through Her Priestess, Belladonna Laveau the Archpriestess of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church.

    Belladonna Laveau, APS
    Bella is the Archpriestess of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, Intl. and Dean of WiccanSeminary.EDU, the only formal Wiccan sponsored college. Bella’s book, Awakening Spirit, is used by our US Military to help chaplains minister to Wiccan Troops, and is part of the Freshman core curriculum in the Seminary. A Navy Veteran, Mother of three, and professional Spiritual Counselor; Bella is a full-time Wiccan Priestess. Her ministry helps professionalize Wiccan Clergy and provide resources for existing Wiccan ministers to be more effective in serving a modern congregation.

    Dusty Dionne- Dusty Dionne, HP
    Dusty is the High Summoner for the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, and High Priest of the Mother Church Congregation. Studying for 10 years at Pete Pathfinder’s knee, he has taken up Pete’s work as a civil rights champion and protector of religious rights, working with churches of all faiths all over the country, who find themselves hindered by their local law officials. Torn between stand-up comedian and a calling to serve Goddess, Dusty entertains us with humor and anecdotes, while revealing the mysteries of the path.

  • Info Booth Highlight: MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes back MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre!

    We are a non profit mostly volunteer run.  We rescue and rehab all native birds and mammals except bear, cougar wolves and adult ungulates.  Our goal is to release back to the wild.  We attend many community events and schools to share what we have learned and raise awareness of MARS.

    Visit MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre on Pagan Pride Day in Lewis Park, Courtenay!

    Online at MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre    

  • Vendor Highlight: DermaBudder

    Vancouver Island Pagan Pride welcomes DermaBudder!

    DermaBudder THC/CBD Topicals is proud to present our lab tested THC/CBD Topical Bath and Body line including Buzz Bombs (large singles or smaller sampler packs of 4), Doap on a Rope, Nice Dream Cones and our amazing Pain Away and Skin Save Creams.

    Each and every one of our products include locally sourced pesticide free Cannabis extract, Grape Seed Butter, Hemp Seed Butter, Shae Butter, Mango Butter, Aloe Vera Butter, Beeswax and Vitamin E. It doesn’t get much better than that!

    All DermaBudder THC/CBD Topical products are an extremely effective non psycho-active aid in pain reduction and skin repair.

    Visit DermaBudder on Pagan Pride Day in Courtenay!

    DermaBudder on Facebook