PaganSquare.com - WitchesAndPagans.com

Recently I had an opportunity to visit all kinds of fascinating Pagan shops throughout Western Canada when I was on a book tour, so I'm writing about them to share them with others.

Penticton, BC is a small city in the southern Okanagan Valley; but still a weird combination of retirement community and bohemian hipster haven (don't get me wrong, I love it.) White Lioness Metaphysics, which is located in the heart of Penticton's downtown, is a collective that’s only been around for a few months, organized by the indomitable Jennifer Innes and a team of dedicated and clever women (and a handful of men) offering a variety of metaphysical services and products.  If you go on a Saturday you will also be able to enjoy Penticton’s fantastic Farmer’s Market, where you can spend the whole day tasting local wine and eating exotic vegan food while you tour art galleries and shop for handmade treasures.  Yes, White Lioness keeps a booth there as well and they offer deals on psychic and Tarot readings every Saturday.

It's a lovely little storefront with a clean, clear layout, usually dominated by a couple of different crystal grids in the middle of the brightly-lit shelves.  What's available for sale doesn't differ significantly from other metaphysical stores and there's a strong focus on crystals, so if that's not part of your practice, your primary attraction will be the original artwork with Pagan themes.  Many Pagans will find the New Agey atmosphere a little cloying, but others will love it.  Their prices are reasonable and tend to be on par, or even a little less, than what is typical for the Okanagan Valley; which is neat because they do not buy any stock and all of their stock is on consignment by members of the collective. (Full disclosure: I've got a small amount of leftover stock from when I owned a metaphysical store on consignment there as well.)

It's kind of neat when you read things that matter to you and you know all the people involved. This wonderful article about a commitment to environmentalism and one of the most important such issues that affects my country at the moment was written by my friend Dodie, about my friends Sparrow and MoJo, who are the hosts of the Wigglian Way podcast. THIS is what Pagan leadership should look like. Bless you, Sparrow and MoJo, for your wonderful work; and bless you, Dodie, for telling the world about it.

Earth Warriors Vs. Kinder Morgan

Recently I had an opportunity to visit all kinds of fascinating Pagan shops throughout Western Canada when I was on a book tour, so I'm writing about them to share them with others.

Enderby is the tiny sort of town that you usually drive through on your way to somewhere else.  It's just on the north side of my home city, Vernon, BC, along Hwy 97; which is already 45 minutes north of the big urban center in the Okanagan Valley, Kelowna.  The first thing you notice when you come into town is a giant building with a Super Save Gas station in front, operated by the Splatsin First Nation, followed immediately by a dedicated site for a huge ongoing Farmer's Market and a large powwow center, also owned by the Splatsin.  Just past that, right along the highway, is a Kingdom Hall, a small cluster of apartments, then an antique shop with an elaborate mural, a community center with giant First Nations' wooden sculptures, a 50's retro diner, and a few quaint little coffee shops and tea rooms.  This should give you an idea of the unique cultural stew that is Enderby.  You would think they would rest together uneasily, but you never hear about any of that, and the town itself feels peaceful and the people are always friendly.

Travelling around the country on my book tour gave me an opportunity to explore some of our lovely Pagan shops.  So I'm starting a new feature; once a week or so, I will profile a new shop for your perusal.

Gaia Rising is located in the heart of beautiful downtown Nelson, BC; a pretty town in the Kootenays with heritage homes that hearken back to Victorian times, vast and amazing scenery, and a large and prestigious arts college.  Needless to say, metaphysically oriented people are attracted to this area in droves, so finding ways to meet "our peeps" is not difficult!

From the Wild Hunt:  Robert Rudachyk is seeking the nomination to become the Liberal Party of Canada‘s candidate for the federal riding of Saskatoon West. What makes this run for office unusual is that Rudachyk appears to be the first openly Heathen candidate to run for public office in Canada.