Augusta – the founding place of Southern Baptists, mind you – celebrated it’s first Pagan Pride day.
It’s no surprise this story got more than a few comments. 420 some, I believe.
Proud to be Pagans
By Kelly Jasper| Staff Writer
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Theoretically, there are two types of witches.
“There are those of us who live in the broom closet and then there are those of us who” are more visible, said Joe Zuchowski, a Wiccan high priest. A festival, he figures, just might help that.
In actuality, there are several varieties of pagans, a few of which will be represented at Augusta’s first Pagan Pride Day, today at Lake Olmstead Park.
“We want to let people know there are pagans out there,” said his wife, Jezibell Anat. She’s a Wiccan high priestess and a coordinator of Pagan Pride Day.
The event includes music, dance, children’s games and information sessions such as Ask the Wizard. “We want to invite people in,” Mrs. Anat said. “We want to explain what we are.”
And what would that be?
“We are real people. We are about diversity,” Mrs. Anat said. “We believe there is no one-size-fits-all religion. We are a genuine spiritual path.”
Paganism is a family of faiths with ancient roots united by a reverence for nature and harmony with the earth, one another, and one’s self. Modern paganism takes many forms, but the faiths it encompasses have been around for ages, said Carolyn Jones Medine, an associate professor in the University of Georgia Department of Religion, whose work includes an emphasis on religious theory and thought, women’s spirituality and writings.
“Paganism has been a legitimate path for a long time,” she said. “If you look at Western religions, you find the influence of paganism. It underlines our major traditions. Things like the Christmas tree, that’s early incorporation of a pagan tradition.”
Events to raise the profile of Paganism and recognize its influence are growing. The first Pagan Pride Day was held in 1998, with 17 celebrations in the United States and one in Canada. This year, more than 120 events are planned in 10 countries and 41 states.