An eclectic group of Pagans gathered Saturday at Clapp Park to raise awareness and celebrate the Pagan religion for the fourth annual Pagan Pride Day.
“Paganism is a blanket term,” said Denise Guinn, co-coordinator for Pagan Pride Lubbock chapter. “It’s pretty much everything that is not the major three religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A lot of people consider Pagans to be those that are nature-based, but that is not the case for everyone.”
The all-day event began with an opening ceremony by a local group, Yew Leaf Willow Grove.
“We had a midday ritual that was by a local eclectic group,” Guinn said. “We have had quite a few children’s activities. We had a workshop for corn dollies, they are dolls made of corn husks and they symbolize the goddess.”
Aaron Brocklehurst, adviser for Tech Pagan Student Union, said a guest speaker spoke at the event about Moroccan magic.
“The Moroccans have a lot of folklore about the Djinn and the evil eye,” Brocklehurst said.
During Pagan Pride Day, the group collected canned goods for the South Plains Food Bank. Guinn said the group sponsors the food bank every year.
The group hosts Pagan Pride Day to show people they are just like everyone else, Guinn said.
“I have had people ask some of the strangest questions when I told them I was Pagan,” Guinn said. “I have had a lot of people ask me if I have sacrificed animals. We just want to say we’re just like everyone else, and this is just what we believe. We are not here to convert, but to educate.”
Brocklehurst said the misconception of Paganism began with the book “Malleus Maleficarum,” which translates to the witch’s hammer.
“It was what started the witch hunts basically,” Brocklehurst said. “There is a lot of stuff that is spouted about modern Pagans that originated from that book.”
Katie Garlington, a sophomore biochemistry major from Farmington, N.M., said people from across Lubbock came out to celebrate Pagan Pride Day.
A characteristic of Paganism is that multiple gods are worshiped, she said.
“Pagan is having more than one deity,” Garlington said. “Choosing a god is all very personal. My personal god is probably (Aphrodite) because I am a nurturing, caring person and I take on a motherly role. This is about celebrating the goddess within me.”
The event had twice as many people in attendance as it did last year, Brocklehurst said.
“Every year, is seems to be growing,” Brocklehurst said. “We want to let other people know that we are here and we offer support to each other. Also, we are here to get information out there about our religion because there are a lot of misconceptions about Paganism.”
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