On Saturday, Sept. 19 Donald E. Davis Arboretum hosted Auburn Pagan Pride Day sponsored by the Church of the Spiral Tree.
The event lasted from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and was free and open to the public. A donation of a non-perishable food item was requested for the East Alabama Food Bank.
Vendors included: DreamScapes, Source Medicine, East Alabama Buddhist Fellowship, CatNip Dreams, Cody Jasper Art, Mountain Forest Wands by Patricia, Our Father’s House, Our Mother’s Cabinets, Patti’s Wood Art, PlanetShelly and The Southern Fried Witch.
Clothing, crystals, worry dolls and food items could be purchased among many other goodies.
The schedule included multiple types of educational seminars beginning with a seminar on The Sagram which is the Eastern equivalent to the Western solfege (do-re-mi…) in which spectators were encouraged to sing along.
Next up was a presentation entitled Pop Culture Misconceptions where the significance behind symbols such as black cats, brooms and wands that appear in movies and television shows was explained.
Lunch was provided for $5 as a fundraiser for the Church of the Spiral Tree.
The afternoon was governed by discussions of personal experiences in their religion.
A reiki workshop was held by Cam deWelles to explore the benefits of reiki healing.
The final discussion of the evening was led by Kathryn Privett-Duren, who taught at Auburn for 15 years, and Robert “Skippy” Von Allmen.
Von Allmen is a teacher of the Fairy Faith and several of his students were in attendance.
Privett-Duren taught English composition 1100, 1120, world literature I and II and advanced composition for seniors.
During this open discussion patrons gave their input on how Paganism is affected by living in the South.
Topics included how Christians and Pagans could coincide in harmony.
“Most of the things Pagans believe are not Satanic," Privett-Duren said. "It’s Earth-based."
Linda Kerr, founding member of the Church of the Spiral Tree, said many people ask what Pagans believe.
“That’s a big question," Kerr said. "Everyone believes different things."
The festival concluded with an open ritual to celebrate the harvest season.
More information can be found at www.spiraltree.org and on Facebook.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
