Exploring a New Pagan Community-St. Petersburg Florida

Relocating from Indiana to Florida

As many of you have probably seen or heard, on October 2nd 2017, I left my birth place-Fort Wayne, Indiana for the vibrancy and cultural experiences of a diverse metropolitan area and endless beauty found in nature.  We live on a small peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  My parents have been coming to St. Petersburg for over 10 years and my sister moved here 3 years ago so I have some family already established here which is a huge help!  I spent my first three days job-hunting and running mundane errands while awaiting the Harvest Moon and the arrival of my husband and fur-babies.  Now that I write this, every one is here and reunited.  Upon arrival we witnessed a beautiful rainbow that we saw from the south and my sister saw from the north at the same time, which I though was pretty cool.  In the picture above, I was literally on the other side of the rainbow seeing the same one from a different perspective.

City of the Arts

There are so many new places to explore that make for such a rich experience culturally and spiritually.  There are numerous park of course; in-land nature preserves, the Sunken Gardens, wetlands, beautiful parks in down town St. Pete and beaches everywhere!  There are many new land spirits in the local area to get to know.  New spirits of sea and sky that ebb and flow, flitting around like tiny sprites and slow moving beings as vast as the sea.  The moon also plays a prominent role here holding sway over the tides.  The moonrise here is unbelievable as well.  The architecture is incorporated into the natural landscape creating a peaceful symbiosis with the land, sea and sky.

(pictured above is the Book of Summoning- a grammarye of pagan evocation by Ian Corrigan-awesome book!)

I look forward to experiencing the difference in the seasons here in the south compared to my hometown in Northern Indiana, where it is commonly below freezing all winter.  I come from a land locked area near the Great Lakes with fields and forests as the main scenery.  The land and its spirits here are totally new to me.  Not only are the spirits here different beings altogether, the human community is different as well.  Energy workers, alternative health spas and wellness practices are very commonplace, and there are many independently owned businesses being operated by alternative practitioners.  There are many individuals and larger businesses offering services from reiki to Medical Cannabis Centers.  There are many groups locally that hold regular meditations, rituals, and nature based meetings.  The pagan community here seems to be thriving, and there is a large Florida Pagan Gathering at the end of October, which lasts four days.  There are numerous covens and local pagan groups holding regular meetings and full moon rituals.  Many of these events are open to the public and are held outdoors at local parks and preserves, including the local Universalist Unitarian Churches.

I look forward to exploring all of the book stores, shops and festival events that I can especially leading up to Samhain.  The awesome thing here is that although there is a strong pagan community and many other diverse groups represented; everyone seems to be integrated belonging to multiple groups and different areas of interest.  So expect another more detailed article very soon about all of the awesome magical things St. Petersburg, FL has to offer!