So I went to this thing called the Toronto Pagan Conference yesterday. It's a weekend-long event, but I could only make it to the second day.

At first I was hoping it would be good, but I was pessimistic... But woah, it was awesome.

Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone were the keynote speakers, they spoke on progressive witchcraft and sat in a panel discussion on the existence of, and future of the pagan community. they had some hilarious stories to tell about the origins of witchcraft and in particular the men involved.

I didn't think I was going to like Janet, but actually, she turns out to be a really awesome person. Which was a nice surprise for cynical little me. She's charismatic and right on the nail with what she says. Amazing.

The other speakers had a lot to contribute as well, and I feel that the whole experience was enlightening, enriching, and fulfilling, in a way that perhaps only the academic pagan can understand.

I saw:
Brendan Myers - Celtic Spirituality from a Philosophical Perspective
Brian Walsh - Bealtaine: The Feast of Life
Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone – Progressive Witchcraft
Dr. Shelly Rabinovitch - Ethics from a Pagan Point of View
Panel #1 – Helmut, Gavin Bone & Tamarra James: There really does not seem to be a Pagan community in existence with any unity of purpose or goals. What would it take to build one?

I took notes, which I plan on typing up eventually... and the lectures are available on mp3-cd from deo's shadows, I think they might be podcasts too. not sure.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

http://www.torontopaganconference.com/
http://www.deos-shadow.com/

sounds interesting,

we haven't gotten up to anything like that around here, yet...just a psychic fair in the spring and a pagan fest sort of gathering that happens around fall...where the local new age store sponsors various people to talk about paganism locally...but it's growing.

there's apparantly some circle that people around here go to...but i hear more stories about it that sound like a high school "she says she did this" type of girly popularity and weekly assigned energy work? *shrugs* I'd probably frighten them.

energy work isn't really my style...

Hahaha... small communities are small communities, no?

We're actually really lucky to have anything big like that here, it's all a very few very ambitious people who organize anything worthwhile. we have "pagan pride" days which sound a bit like the talks you mentioned more than the wild orgies people would like them to be, though. I think it's just a matter of being in Toronto, the biggest city in canada, therefore the biggest population of pagans who want something to do.

the after parties break out in the orgies...we considered moving up to canada...but they got real anal about the border through here, i'm sure there's a few back ways through the northfork, but those are probably closed.

That sounds so cool, Ren! We don't have really exciting Wiccan/Pagan things to do here (due to the fact that everyone hates everyone equally in each Pagan circle.......sad, really)

I will have to steal some notes from you when I can

apparently there's still an unguarded crossing in the mountains, but not for long. and next year, canadians won't be able to cross the border at niagra falls to spend a day shopping, without a passport. silly but true.

as for the internal conflict in pagan circles... a lot of the time i don't understand that at all, but it happens everywhere.

i'll share what i've got when i get the time

i'd imagine this area is too cold for most terrorists...

i think the internal conflicts are a cause of the difference between a wiccan, a witch, and how it's all represented by popular media and the books on a bookshelf...

not too mention all the traditionals crawling around...

Nah.....here it's more like Desperate Housewives with magick attached.

Sad really........

you may have a point, that's why i prefer solo practice...

Me too, but I miss human interaction (sometimes.)

i have children, a husband and work frequently, i get all the human interaction i need...