rochester's flower, the lilac
this site was last updated:
April 8, 2006

Donate to RPPF
info

look Support RPPF
look Staff & Ways To Help
look Distribute Flyers
look Fundraisers
look Guest Speaker

    - Gavin and Yvonne Frost
    - Patricia Telesco
look Workshops & Rituals
look Children's Activities
look Merchants
look Notice to Minors
look Schedule and Map
look PRESS KIT
look ALTARS PROJECT

more
look RPPF Merchandise!
look Other NY Events
look Tempest's Pledge
look The History of RPPF
look Photos of Past Events
look Article on RPPF 2000
look Article on RPPF 2004
look Article: Pagans on Parade
look Pagan Pride Int.

return home

THIS YEAR'S CHARITY


support rppf with a purchase from cafe press

Recieve RPPF Announcments
Powered by groups.yahoo.com

Meetings

look All of the below meetings with take place from 7:30-9:30PM at

Psychic's Thyme
1344 University Ave., Suite 230
Rochester, NY
unless otherwise noted.

~ June 2nd

(meetings in July, August, and September are TBA)

Pagan News
look PaganNews.com
look Witchvox.com
bigbold.com




moon phase
 


Content copyright © 2003-2005 Rochester Pagan Pride Day Festival unless otherwise noted.
Logo, site design, maintainance, and hosting provided by and © 2003-2005 LM Hutchings. All rights reserved.

Pagans Show Pride At Autumnal Rally
by Staff Writer
Jay Tokasz

Sage incense wafted across the grounds of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester yesterday as high priest Alan Braden asked the circle of fellow pagans to chant the following: "Although many, although different, we stand proud together and call out 'Welcome.' "

Each of the 32 participants - some dressed in T-shirts and jeans, others wearing black or purple robes - was blessed with a sprinkle of water.

they drank apple cider from a glass bowl and chewed on rice cakes. They grabbed handfuls of bird seed, and ended the half-hour ritual by tossing the seeds into the center of the circle -- symbolic of taking and giving back.

Later, they went home and live their lives in much the same fashion as many people in Rochester do.

"After this, I'm getting a couch for my living room and having a few drinks at a bar." Braden said after the ceremony. "There's nothing scary of hidden in my life."

Braden and other pagans gathered to celebrate Pagan Pride Day and honor the autumn season, but also seeking to improve attitudes toward Earth-based spiritual practices.

Pagans don't worship the devil or cast black magic spells, yet are still often discriminated against because of their beliefs, organizers of the event said.

"There are still ministers in Rochester who will preach against us." said Cindy Glaze, a pagan clergyperson who holds a divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School. "They're scared. They don't know what we do. They still have old stereotypes."

The festival started with a talk by Barbara Mahooty, a Mohawk elder from the St. Regis Indian Reservation. It also featured workshops, including one led by Sgt. Dan Magill of the Rochester Police Department who discussed his efforts to educate officers and the public on the difference between Satanism and pagan faiths.