The Pagans at Pantheacon

Today is the start of Pantheacon, the only annual modern Pagan convention in the western US (and probably the biggest indoor Pagan convention in America). A veritable smörgåsbord of talks, panels, workshops and rituals  (click here for a full list), this year features plenty of my fellow Pagan bloggers in attendance (and leading workshops) including M. Macha NightMare, Deborah Oak, Lupa, Erynn Laurie, Thorn Coyle, Virginia Beach, and newly-minted Beliefnet blogger Gus diZerega.

While meeting together we will have a rich smorgasboard of workshops before us,  on history, ritual, music, interfaith, herbalism, politics, different traditions, healing, and much more, including just celebrating our being together.  I’ll share some of the presentations with you. It is wonderful to see British Traditionalists (like me), Celtic, Asatru,  African Diasporic folks, Druids, Erisians, and many more come together to celebrate the many ways human beings have to honor the Divine. The Sacred spins out its beautiful abundance and we respond in kind,  Many old friends practice these other paths, and it is always a joy to see them again as we gather from all over the west, and sometimes even farther away.

In addition to the authors, BNPs (big-name Pagans), academics, and religious leaders, Pantheacon also features an interesting mix of musical selections for convention-goers. This year you can check out everything from the classic Pagan-folk of Holly Tannen and Ruth Barrett, to the ritualistic word-fusion of Pandemonaeon, to Heathen-metal band Hauk (you can read a recent interview with the band, here). So really, a little something for everyone.

I only wish I could be there to experience and report on it all, but sadly it wasn’t to be this year (I’m looking to have my first Pantheacon experience next year), so be sure to check out the bloggers who are attending for reports and updates (attendees are also welcome to leave comments here as well). Good journey to those attending, I hope you all have a wonderful time*.

* Oh, and I hope some of you out there attended the pre-Pantheacon Cherry Hill Seminary Winter Intensive on power, politics, and religious pluralism featuring talks from Patrick McCollum and attorney James L. Bianchi. If not, be sure to seek out some CHS faculty and staff and ask for more info about the school’s future, there’s a lot of exciting stuff going on (full disclosure, I’m on the BOD of CHS).