A Paganesque Moveable Feast - The Pagan Pride March of London

A run-down of the pagan gatherings and pagan-like festivals from other parts of the world.
I wrote this article June 2006 for 'Screaming Mandrake' zine, but it was never published. I never kept a copy of it and the zine editor did not send it back to me until over 5 years later in December 2011 - now its here for publication!

The Pagan Pride Parade & the Beltane Bash

London, May 2006: Two Days of Merriment

by Tania Poole

The Pagan Pride Parade

On the morning of Tuesday 23^rd May, I immediately jumped onto the computer to check when the Pagan Pride Parade was on in London. Thanks to some back-issues of Pagan Dawn, I noticed it always seemed to be held on the final weekend of May, and sure enough it was. So it seemed perfect timing that I was travelling down to London from Leeds that day. Not only that, but the Pride March was being held on 28^th May - my Birthday! 

I emailed a fellow pagan, Gemma, whom I was planning to meet in London, and we organised to meet on Sunday morning. It had been her birthday the previous day, so I gave her a toy wombat. We made our way to Red Lion Square and Conway Hall, and saw two large Giants standing by the Park garden with men in Green with drums. Excitement set in! In the hall were some fantastic stalls, and the stage was covered in more Giants. 

After I purchased a Wicker Man badge, we gathered outside for the parade. The sun was out and glaring, and we could suddenly hear drums. Around the square came drummers followed by the two Giants we had seem earlier, Herne and Selene. They danced to the drums while the other Giants were carried out of the Hall. People all around us held banners, representing their towns or pagan groups. There were people covered in foliage, painted green faces, Green Man masks and antlers crowning them, people all smiling in their array of pagan greenery. Drummers wore top hats or bowler hats with ribbons and badges all over them, and they wore tattered tunics.  

Out came the main banner – a black one titled 'A Merry May Pagan Pride Parade' with a green man face on it. And behind the banner came Jack-in-the-Green. Years earlier I had seen a picture of this very Green Man and wanted to make my own! He was covered head to toe in laurel and ivy leaves, and crowned with antlers.  

The Giants were the Morrigan, dressed in green with a white veil and crowned in a wreath of flowers. She was accompanied by two tall raven giants. Herne was horned and wearing a brown tunic and hood.  Selene was blue skinned and in a blue dress. She had a green shoulder cape, a white veil and flowery wreath, also crowned with a silver cresent. Both Herne and Selene came from the Eastbourne Pagan Group.

Old Man Thunder had red hair and beard. He wore a red cape and a flowery wreath with gold stars. To me, he looked like a Yule King. Old Dame Holda had grey plaited hair and a leafy wreath on. She wore a black dress, Viking necklaces and a blue cape. Bran was bearded and wearing a green tunic and dark green hood. He wore a huge golden sun amulet. All the Giants were accompanied by drummers.

We began the march – we let the Jack-in-the-Green walk first with his followers – the Green Lady, a woman who had a fantail of peacock feathers behind her head. There were also the Bogie drummers covered in green tatters, and the Naughty Fairies. We let a few of the Giants pass before we joined the march ourselves. 

I was ecstatic and having so much fun! Gemma was likewise, both of us were so glad we found out about this weekend. I wore my orange felt witch’s hat, and realised I was the only one with a witch’s hat on. The Parade proceeded to head into the Bloomsbury area. The police were out and blocking the roads for us – I was not sure how long the march was – perhaps under 1km long. People in the traffic stared. I recall waving to people on red double decker buses, and even saw some of our Green men twirling and dancing with shop owners who had come out to see what was happening.  

We soon reached our destination – Russell Square Gardens. The procession was still led by the Jack and he headed straight for the centre of the Park to the fountain – and walked right over it! Soon all the Green men and Bogie drummers were walking through the water. I joined a spiral dance, and with the drummer playing, we circled the fountain, sometimes running through it. Youths were volunteering to get pushed into the fountain by Green men. People were drenched everywhere. I saw someone in the crowd twirling poi, so I pulled mine out of my bag and joined in. 

At about midday, we turned back to leave the park and walked around via the British Museum. Crowds of people still gathered on the side of the road and stared, looking a little perplexed at what they were viewing, the drummers still playing, and the Giants walking as if they owned the streets. Arriving back at Conway Hall, we let the Giants walk in before we all piled in. Thus ended the Pagan Pride Parade of 2006.

The Beltane Bash

The rest of the weekend was the Beltane Bash. The hall had five rooms for traders, stalls and lectures. The foyer was named the Earth Hall, and had stalls selling cloaks and aura photographs. The Water Hall had tarot and rune readers, and the Air Hall was a small room for lectures. The Spirit Hall was upstairs where lectures were held, and Gemma and I attended a Rune workshop, mainly to avoid a terrible band that was playing in the largest hall – the Fire Hall, where the entertainment and main stalls were. 

Wendy Rule was arriving to perform at 5pm, and I found her in the foyer setting up her CDs. She was surprised to see me there, asking me what I was doing on this side of the world. She, her son, and her boyfriend had just flown in from the US, so had missed the Parade. Gemma and I found seats on the upstairs level of the Fire hall and watched her sing, feeling our weary bodies relax. 

On the way home on the Underground, we met a grey bearded pagan named Ian who, after calling out to us from the other end of the carriage and pushing his way through, asked us how our day had been. He must have recognised us in our pentacles, green jackets and badges. He was carrying two Irish drums, wore a huge pentacle, and a large black hat.  (A week later, we met him again at the Ealing Pub moot.) 

On the Monday, the event did not begin until midday, so we took our time getting there, window shopping in Covent Garden, and meeting a friend near Holborn station. On the way to the Hall, we saw Ian walking along with friends, waving and calling out to us. We were back for Day Two. In the Fire Hall, there were a fantastic drumming group called 'Barking Bateria.'  I recognised Ronald Hutton sitting two rows ahead of me, watching the performance. After a little while, Gemma and I, grinning like Cheshire cats, approached Ron and asked him to sign his books for us. I had bought his book, 'Stations of the Sun' the previous day, so was very happy to have my favourite Hutton book signed. We then waited to hear him talk about 'Love, Sex and Death', which was an all-round enjoyable talk. 

The popular place for guests and lecturers to end up was 'The Dolphin' pub, down the side lane. Later, we went for a drink, and perhaps to chat to Ron. I didn't stay long, as I had something I wanted to do before he left. I went back to the Hall and bought one more of his books, then went back to get him to sign a book for my friend David. When I told him Dave's name, he said instantly that he knew him and wrote the loveliest message in the book for him. It made my day - I couldn't stop grinning. We spent the next few minutes discussing mutual friends.

The Ritual

At 6pm the ritual was about to start. The theme this year was the jovial play/ritual of 'The Land of Oz' and the 4 quarters were elemental Munchkins. Dorothy and a person in a dog suit – Toto - came into the circle and travelled to each quarter to meet the Scarecrow, Tinman and the Lion. Even the Wicked Witch appeared with a 4 year old kid dressed as a winged monkey. Jack-in-the-Green had a small role in the ritual, there was a brief appearance of the Wizard himself, and even a woman dressed exactly like the Good Witch, directing Dorothy's path. At the end of the rite, Jack was stripped of his foliage to die for the following year, and we all got to take home a branch of laurel. 

On my way home, the Central Line was closed for maintenance, and while waiting for a bus to North Acton station, a rail worker who was directing passengers asked me what the laurel was for. I simply announced that it was “a part of the Green Man”, ready for his perplexed reply. It was then that he told me he was a Morris Dancer! It’s amazing who you meet in the City of London. 

All proceeds of the Beltane Bash go towards the conservation of Ravens Wood, a 25 acres area of woodland situated in the hills of the Chilterns. The forest is made up of Oak, Ash, Beech and Hazel, and foxgloves and bluebells carpet the forest floor in spring. The organisers of the annual Beltane Bash and Halloween Festival purchased the forest by putting their house up as collateral, and every year, money from these events goes towards the upkeep of the woods. 

The highlights of my weekend were the Pride Parade, meeting new pagan friends, surprising Wendy Rule, meeting Ronald Hutton, and making a new friend in Gemma, who moved in with for the summer. This was a wonderful birthday!

Autumn in Malmsbury

Another Central Victorian town not far from Mount Franklin is Malmsbury, a popular destination for travelers along the Calder to and from Melbourne. Since the town was bypassed in 2008 it has reclaimed something of its rural feeling, but it can still be very busy, especially on weekends and holidays.

One of its finest features is its botanical garden, which sits right on the Coliban river and visitors can enjoy walks around the small lake, through stands of some exceptional European and native trees and plants. You can also make your way up to the Malmsbury Viaduct, Victoria's largest masonry bridge which is over 150 years old and a stunning example of stonework, using beautifully dressed local bluestone blocks.

Like the Harcourt oak forest, the gardens in Malmsbury are very lovely in the autumn, so you are encouraged to come and take a look!

Of Summer's End........

(Jack'O'Lantern courtesy of Ariana & Robin)

Halloween, Samhain, Samuin, Calends of Winter, the Heroic Journey, the Feast of the Dead, Hollantide, Allantide, the third Harvest. Here in the time of the death, when the Lady and Dread Lord are seated in the Great Halls of the Dead as equals. Where matter and spirit are intertwined and the veil is thin. Where ancestors call upon the living and the living reach out to the ancestors. Life and Death make visible the fine blade upon which we all dance. Yet we fear not knowing that the seed of promise lays within the Lady's womb....silent and alive. One of the Great Sabbats, one of the Fire Festivals.

To understand Samhain is to journey back into a time removed from our own. Where our lives depended upon the hunt, fairweather, good crops and bountiful harvest and animal husbandry. It is easy now to remove ourselves from the inevitability of death and distance ourselves from the awareness that somehow death is beyond us. Death remains an unknown companion silently keeping step, casting shadows every minute, every moment. Major fairs, festivals and preparations were made for the winter stores and the division of the pastoral importance in this time was notable as meat was referred to as 'winter food' and dairy produce 'summer food'. Grain surplus was rapidly turned to mead, ale, beer and brose. Important events were thought to have been held at an auspicious time such as Samhain. Bettina Arnold notes that “According to the Irish sources, the Assembly of Tara, the seat of the High King of Ireland, the most important of the oneachs, or fairs, was held on Samhain” (Halloween Customs of the Celtic World)

Although it is seen and observed in the Wheel of the Year with regards to Wiccan practices it is not specific to Wicca and has its roots in Celtic and Germanic spiritual practices. Although the current threads remain, no doubt it bears little resemblance to its native origins. Indeed there evidence that indicates Druid involvement and direction over Beltane and Samhain festivals in some locales. Ronald Hutton ascribes this to the advance of romanticism and neopagan eclectic practices ( Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles). Equally, it could be said and successfully argued that our lives are vastly divergent from those ancestors of old and we have become distanced from ourselves as humans and from the spiritual world. Instead our beliefs rest heavily in the modernisation and technological 'switched on' era and generation. A light is but a switch away, food is but a short trip to the supermarket and so forth.

In Samhain however, we journey with our Gods to consciousness. We find within and without the Anima and Animus. The One Light. The Spark which lights the Path. We learn this in watching the God struggle in his exploration of his own unconsciousness. In realising our mortality we understand the joyfulness of life. In embracing the dark we reach out for the light and in doing so evolve towards the divine. Crowley describes the process thus “ he can (the God) move to a wider stage and begin to embrace the and participate in the wider collective unconscious” That is, we have and are, moving throughout the process from a part towards the greater whole and therefore Divinity. Whilst we mention the God, the journey for the Goddess is much as the God. She too must seek out her Animus, her male self in the path to oneness and supreme Divinity (The Old religion in the New Millenium-Wicca)

Samhain in varying forms is seen widely across many European countries with some similarities observed throughout them. An example of this is the “dumb supper” (ed note: for the purposes of political correctness this will not be altered as it is not the intention of this article to enter a debate regarding the appropriateness of the term-call it the silent feast if it please you). A feature of setting out an extra place for the departed or spirit guest and a meal eaten in silence. In Italy a chair is often set out by a bonfire for a spirit to sit and enjoy the fire in their honour. Water is considered the conduit of the unconscious and to the ancient Greeks was considered the epitomal symbol for metamorphosis and philosophical recycling. The ancient eygptians considered the Nile the canal for birth and existence. Water, shares some of the same attributes of fire and can be considered the symbol of transformation, subconsciousness, fertilisation, reflection, introspection, intuition and renewal. Sustenance, motion and life. So too did the ancient Celts look to the water as a sacred vessel to carry spirit and gifts back and forth from the underworld to the living. Hence scrying using water and early records of the veneration of pools, lakes and wells. Anthropology is now starting to discover some compelling evidence which links certain festivals such as Samhain with lakeside activities believed to link the two worlds together (Anne Ross-Pagan Celtic Britain) The bonfire, the symbolism of sacrifice, transformation, heat, life, renewal and regeneration of course features heavily with some scholars suggesting herds were driven between these fires as perhaps sacrificial offerings.

(Bonfire picture courtesy of  www.squidoo.com/wicked-bites-at-halloween)

Common activities occur with the observance of Turnip Lanterns (Neep Lanterns-Scotland) used throughout the British Isles and also known to have been utilised in countries throughout the continent. Turnips and swedes (rutabagas ) are carved into faces which allow for a ember or tealight to sit within them, these essentially are designed to ward off any unwelcome 'guests'/and or according to Christina Hole “Instead of the simple holes for eyes and nose of the usual Hallowtide ‘face,’ quite intricate flower-, ship-, or animal-patterns are cut on the outer skin of the mangold.”. ( A Dictionary of British Folk Customs ) In later times post immigration the United States, pumpkins became more widely used. Turnip Lanterns are thought to have been derived from an old tale of a miser drunk “Stingy Jack” who attempted to bargain with the Devil and ultimately lost, doomed to roam the earth with only a lantern. Scarecrows disguises and masks were worn as decoys to the spirits. Yet the fire, water, lantern and'tattie-bogle' (scarecrow-Scotland) are relics of a time which acknowledged the existence of the otherworld. The Scarecrow is described as he who cannot walk yet knows everything of the worlds.

(Scarecrows courtesy of lunasisters.com)

Our Samhain ineviatably features grain and root vegetables as part of the post ritual feast. Here to follow is my pumpkin, neep and tattie soup:

One kilo of chopped pumpkin (I prefer Kent or Jap but go for butternut or Qld Blue if you fancy)

I diced onion

I chopped clove of garlic

2 stalks of celery chopped

I Neep peeled and chopped

2 good sized spuds peeled and chopped

Vegetable stock to cover

Fresh grated nutmeg

Seasoning

Small amount of cream/sour cream or milk

Place all veg in a large pot and just cover with enough stock and allow to cook through. When cooked blend ingredients with a hand blender or food processor or simply mash if you like. Season to taste and add grated nutmeg and a small amount of cream sour cream milk to the soup. Serve with crusty grain bread I prefer home made bread but thats me.

Elsewhere on the blog is a recipe for Brose, that most unctuous fermented oat brew delicious cold or warm.

If you begin by thinking seasonally, that is what is naturally available now your Samhain menu is endless. Divinitory games can be played such as bobbing for apples but remember use commonsense if children are about and dont forget the towels! And lastly but not least leave some food for the Fey lest you be tricked and fooled.

So from sunset to sunrise, whatever you do on Samhain and however you chose to celebrate, remember your journey to consciousness is shared by many and your walk along the path shadowed by the ones gone before. “We shall meet, and remember and love them again”

Mary L.

Bettina Arnold (Halloween Customs of the Celtic World)

Vivianne Crowley (The Old religion in the New Millenium-Wicca)

Anne Ross (Pagan Celtic Britain)

Christina Hole (A Dictionary of British Folk Customs )

Ronald Hutton ( Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles)

The Oak Forest

Not far from Mount Franklin is her sister, Mount Alexander. At the base of Mount Alexander, near the township of Harcourt is an oak plantation. It was created in 1900 for the purposes of tannin production and to increase local employment, and today there is a wide variety of well established oaks forming a forest the likes of which is rare outside of Europe.

Of course, a fantastic resource such as this has been enjoyed for more than just picnics for many years now, and you are all encouraged to come and visit Harcourt and see this wonderful place for yourselves. Autumn is an excellent time to make the trek, here are some pictures I took today:

Autumn Equinox

So Autumn Equinox has come and gone. Many people ask what is the significance and inclusion of the Solstices and Equinox's within Witchcraft. Simply speaking,  they are sympathetic magical observances and acknowledgement of the the passage of our Gods, the acknowledging of the astrological phenomena and the passing of the seasons. 
The Autumn Equinox (derived from the latin word aequinoctium which means 'equal night') marks one of the two occasions in the year where the sun crosses the celestial equator or the imaginary line which crosses the sky dividing the northern and southern hemispheres) the other of course being the Spring Equinox. In the wheel of the Year it is considered a lesser Sabbat.

(Altar set up courtesy M. Lancashire)

To Pagans and Witches it is also know as Mabon. The second Harvest  (post Lammas) and the preparatory phase for the coming of Winter and the end of Summer. 
To some, this is a Sabbat of balance and harmony. To others,  of deep preparation both physically and psychically. There are those Traditions which hold that this is a time where Our Lord lays 'in state' and our Lady makes ready for his ascent as the 'conquering hero' to claim her.  Together they will descend to the underworld and we mortals wait in silence, reflection, introspection and readiness, yet travel with our Gods within the inner landscapes. Some Traditions do not observe this Sabbat. Some non Traditions and Traditions only observe the harmony and balance and reflective qualities the Sabbat elicits. We reflect upon what has come to pass, and what is yet to come. 
More practically it turns our attention to the work of our ancestors and farmers who at this time look toward the harvest of apples, pears and the last of the vine harvests in readiness for pressing for cider and wines. This was also common to the ancient Greeks with their harvest Oschophoria and across other cultures similar observances are noted.

The name Mabon is also known as the welsh "Mabon ap Modron" or Mabon vab Modron, Son, son of Mother, a male personified as youth. He is know via his mothers line. Ross (1996) states that he does not appear to have a father  in the traditions which appear in the mabinogi but another Mabon-Mabon vab Mellt is referred to 'in medieval contexts and may have originally been the same deity'. She relates that this may refer to Maponus however son of Matrona. Although no seemingly evidence proves the existence of worship there is suggestion that Maponus was worshipped within the Southern parts of Scotland into Cumbria, known as both the Hunter, concerned with poetry and music,  the wooded lands and Exalted Prisoner snatched and incarcerated as a newborn as featured in the Mabinogion. Although resting in folklore,  Ross suggests certain evidence certainly points toward earlier mythology.

For us Autumn represents the time of the Heroic Quest of the God and his journey toward the Dark Lord resplendent in his authority and assumption of Godhead at Samhain. His Queen sitting beside him within his realm. Our rituals reflect this inner reality which according to Vivianne Crowley was also practised by our ancestors. To use a quote from Vivianne 'the method of portrayal was to use allegories found in Nature; for t was in part through observation of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in Nature that human beings understood that this too was their fate".
However you celebrated Mabon, we hope you celebrated in keeping in honour of our ancestors, in truth and happiness for yourselves and the future of our children.
Blessed Be

(Courtesy M. Lancashire)
References: Mary Jones "Celtic History"
                   Anne Ross "Pagan Celtic Britain"                   
                  Vivianne Crowley 'Wicca: The Old Religion in a New Millennia'