public representations of wicca/paganism?

I've seen a lot of christian schools, churches and religious buildings of all religions... I was just wondering if there existed any pagan schools or other such forms of public displays of paganism?

 

There are several in the DFW/Arlington Texas area. I know there is a school run by pagans, and there are several community centers where pagans can meet and take classes.

 

There's a shop near my house called Hocus Pocus and the owners put on talks about Wicca and such. I'm going to go have a look round there on Wednesday. Should be cool.

There's a wonderful witchcraft museum in Boscastle (Cornwall)

Not sure about anything else.

BB
Sage

 

interesting....

 

Texas? Wow, much has changed since I lived there. Much of the city of San Angelo refused to accept the fact that I was married to an Asian. Of course, that was back in prehistoric 1988...

 

shops are usually the most visible and public representation of paganism, although many are purely commercial ventures, with little to do with the actual practice of the faiths.

probably the most impressive are the big pagan folklore centers, campgrounds, and nature sanctuaries. for example, this was the first place i'd ever heard of:
www.circlesanctuary.org/
they've been in existence for a long time.

this is the home of the starwood festival, and many others. a truly good vibe here, and in the summer it's almost like a little village:
http://www.brushwood.com

this place is in artemis, PA, and they actually have a modern stone circle! my son was passed through the motherstone of the circle for a blessing, when he was just a tiny baby and the circle was first being built.:
http://www.4qf.org

a friend of mine (who is actually buddhist himself) who used to post on some of the personal and political forums as 7river, told me that there's a big pagan center in the catskills somewhere near woodstock or new paltz, but i didn't ask him for more details at the time. since i'm going to be moving there, i guess i'd better track him down & find out about it.

there are many pagan groups that are forming smaller pagan centers and even intentional communities (which i'm surprised zoomie didn't mention!) i used to be active in one such group, that grew out of a CUUPs circle. they are forming an IC and earth-based religious center in clyde ny. they don't have a web page, but they do have a yahoo group. google the Web PATH & see what you come up with.

 

That'd be the Center for Symbolic Studies:
http://www.symbolicstudies.org/

Pretty cool place!

 

There is a shop near me called Shadows and Light. It is very nice.

 

Check out the Storyteller in the square at Five Points South in Birmingham... Well, him and Vulcan on the hill I guess
http://www.bhamonline.com/Storyteller/fleming03.jpg
http://www.crankreport.org/BigWinterTrip/images/StillMorePhotos/Storyteller5PointsSouthBham2.jpg

 

there is a wiccan church here in south mississippi.

and Fiona Horne was in playboy this month =P
thats pretty representational isnt it?

 

hehehe

 

www.willowscrystalcauldron.com is in Pomona, California holds classes as well as public esbats and rituals.
Touchstone Local Council is the I.E.'s Covenant of the Goddess sponsored group in San Bernardino, California that is very active and holds/sponsors Pagan Days and gatherings locally.
Ecclasia is another long time active teaching group located in San Bernardino. I worked with them back in the mid-90's as they were just a young group back then.

I bet witchvox.com has a large listing of schools/teaching groups too

 

There may be something in New Paltz. I'm pretty sure there's stores. New Paltz is interesting: it's a town that has a large population of very strict Christians and than a big and growing group of Buddhists. I know there are a lot of Wiccans who go to the college.

There is, I'm almost certain, a Wiccan private school in Poughkeepsie.

 

There are all kinds of activities for people into the TrekkieCons, Medieval Fairs and Wiccan Festival type things.
Every year in Glastonbury they were having these Wicca Camps ..several times a year with all kinds of RPG events, costumes and contests etc.
Lots of the kids dress up like Witches and Warlocks and some of them take it so seriously that they cant even distinguish from fantasy anymore.
But more are just having fun with it.
No different than the Trekkies really.
Local retailers make a small fortune off selling props and souveniers for them.
Personally I always thought it was fun to see how many guys were named 'Hawkwind' each year.
I think I counted six once - just that I know of lol.

'Heads Ups' for the girls - there are a certain kind of lecherous older male who has figured out this is a good way to get laid with college-aged girls by playing up as 'Druids' with magic powers and crap.
Its not a big big problem but just a little tip for would-be travellers to these Wicca RPG festivals.

 

Ive been out of School for quite a while now but doesnt just about every school have a group of Wicca keeners?
Im sure there must be some clubs and I think when I left school the big rage was 'Magik: The Gathering' Clubs.
Also... you can sign up on Everquest Online and join all kinds of Wicca type things.. even be a Magic Druid or whatever you want to pretend!
Only 10 bucks a month I think?

 

So general consensus is that our image revolves around flagrant commericalisation or is some kind of a game?
Ah the whole thing fills my heart with joy.

 

Heh I laughed at that.

Its sad the way things like that turn out

 

I hadn't realized there was so much...

it's what I hate about suburbia, there's virtually nothing here.