To Meet, To Learn, To Grow

Section: Capital Region
Page: B3
Date: Friday, September 30, 2005

Festival mixes education, enjoyment
Local pagans hope fall event helps public gain understanding of beliefs

By JENNIFER PATTERSON
Staff Writer

Caption: TIMES UNION ARCHIVE A CEREMONY to purify the space takes place at the 2004 Pagan Fall Festival at The Crossings in Colonie.

SCHODACK - Workshops, craftspeople and vendors will showcase the diversity of the area's pagan community at a Pagan Fall Festival.

Earth Religions in Service will host the Oct. 15 event at the Schodack Island State Park. The organization was formed in Janu ary by a group of pagans who became disillusioned with the lack of local pagan events.

"The Capital District has a vibrant pagan community," said committee co-chairwoman Tina Martinez. "There are many small groups within the community that have quiet events for established members. Events for people who are not established and just simply looking to learn more about paganism are hard to find. We hope that our event bridges this gap and provides some insight into what we're about." The group's mission is to promote tolerance by providing information on pagan lifestyles and practices. Recognizing that paganism is still widely misunderstood, members see education as a way to help dispel misconceptions.

An opening ritual at 9 a.m. will start the day, and a closing ritual will be performed at 4 p.m. Among the hourly workshops will be Introduction to Paganism, an open forum allowing audience members to have all questions regarding paganism answered; Druidism: Ancient and Modern, which traces the history of the Druids in early Celtic periods through modern day; and Who's Your God and Goddess, which explores how deity affects peoples lives and spirituality.

There will be entry-level classes for beginners and nonpagans as well as advanced classes for those familiar with the beliefs.

"This is an event for the whole family to enjoy," Martinez said. "Anyone can sit in on a workshop and hopefully walk away with a better understanding of who we are - doctors, lawyers, teachers - we're just like everyone else in the community." At noon, author Laura Wildman and other writers in the pagan community will share stories from the recently released collection, "Celebrating the Pagan Soul."

"We've been networking with the pagan community in the immediate area and beyond to plan this event," committee Co-chair Janean Sylvester said. "We're pleased with the number of big-name pagans conducting workshops, especially since this is our first event."

Admission is free, but the park, which closes at dusk, has a $6 parking fee. For more information, go to Earth Religions' Web site, http://www.erisny.org.

[UPDATE: The park is no longer charing this fee, admission is now totally free!!!]

Jennifer Patterson can be reached at 454-5340 or by e-mail at jpatterson@timesunion.com.