Here in the Okanagan Valley, the signs of spring are everywhere.
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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
- Police officers using tear gas during the first wave of the Ferguson unrest. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
I was twenty-one when I took a Greyhound across the country into Maine. It was a long and brutal trip, and I was travelling from BC; so I was on the bus for five full days. Needless to say, on Day Five, when I went through Niagara Falls and Buffalo, NY, I was exhausted and hoping to get some sleep, so I pretended that I was sleeping and guarded the seat beside me jealously.
But the bus was really crowded; packed like sardines. And so eventually, because I present like a tough cookie but am actually a marshmallow, I invited a young man to sit beside me.
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I could not agree with you more. We have to be taught to hate and fear and no one wants to kill others, until taught. Our white ex -
It sure would be nice if we could remember how not to want to kill each other. Thanks for your thoughts! -
Sadly it is becoming apparent that violence is an increasing part of our lives in North America. Even if you haven't been personal -
When I was six, I used to take off on my bike to the beach in the summer with a couple of bucks in my pocket to buy lunch at the c
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.
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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!
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Hello there, hope you all had a good Remembrance Day (or Veterans' Day in the US). I though I would drop a quick note to share a link to an article I wrote at my other column, "Between the Shadows," because I figured this was definitely relevant to a Canadian Pagan's perspective.
"Spontaneous Ritual": Sable and a small conglomeration of local Pagans went to the cenotaph in their city to honor their war dead in a Pagan way. Instead they were witness to the birth of a communal ritual that brought their city together. Lest we forget.
