For Immediate ReleaseContact: Skip Tarrant – 417-623-4877

PAGAN PRIDE HARVEST CELEBRATION IN THE PITTSBURG/JOPLIN AREA

The public is invited to the fourth annual Joplin/Pittsburg area Pagan Pride Celebration on October 1, 2005 from 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM in Lincoln Park at Shelter House #2 in Pittsburg, KS. The Pagan Pride Project is an organization focused on educating the public about Earth-based spiritualities in order to allay misconceptions and promote religious freedom. The local celebration is coordinated by PJ Graham of Pittsburg.

The celebration’s primary focus is a ritual in observation of Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, a time of thanksgiving in many Pagan traditions. The ceremony will be a simple expression of thanks combined with wishes for continued abundance. Participants are encouraged tobring percussion instruments for drumming with chanting, and families are welcome.

Pagan Pride Day ordinarily adopts a local charity to donate any cash, non-perishable foodstuffs, or other supplies to. This year, our charity will be the Kansas Food Bank. KFB feeds an average of about 32,000 people every day across the state of Kansas. While they will accept donations of non-perishable food items, their buying power allows them to acquire about three times as much food per dollar as retail purchases, so they ask that as many as can provide donations in cash.

Speakers at the celebration will include Avatar de Dannan, lately of Elvendrums, a Celtic/folk/percussion band that plays delightful and thought-provoking original music. Avatar is a nationally-known lecturer on the Faery Faith, Faery Magick, and related esoteric subjects. He will present one talk specifically on the Faery Faith, and another on the subject of Pagan Pride.

Workshops will be presented on Poi spinning and hand drumming. Poi and drums will be available for those who are not able to bring their own. A community drum circle will be held after the concluding ritual.

Modern Paganism, or Neo-Paganism, is a growing religious movement based on combinations of ancient polytheism, modern eco-spirituality, and reverence for the Divine as both masculine and feminine. Some of the more common traditions include Wicca or Neo-Pagan Witchcraft, Asatru, and Druidic spiritual paths. Misconceptions about these religions range from the belief that they practice devil-worship to concerns about casting ‘black magic.’ In reality, most practitioners don’t even believe in an entity of all evil. They are found in all walks of life from professionals to homemakers, and simply enjoy celebrating a religion that emphasizes respect for nature, humanity, and oneself.

In 2004, the Pagan Pride Project sponsored Pride events gathered nearly 15 tons of food for local charities, and had over 40,000 attendees, and donated nearly $10,000 to worthy causes in six nations. For more information about the event or about Pagan religions, call Skip Tarrant at 417-623-4877, or email [email protected]. More information is available at www.paganpride.org, [email protected], or 317-916-9115.

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