Caitlin Coughlin/Collegian

It is 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and the druids of Oakstone Grove are gathering on the lawn in front of the W.E.B DuBois Library. The eight druids, men and women dressed in white robes are leading a group of about 50 people in a public ritual celebrating Western Massachusetts Pagan Pride Day.

After the ritual ended, people began meandering back into the Student Union Ballroom, where the main events of the annual celebration were being held. The event, which went from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, showcased a variety of workshops, musical performances and area vendors selling pagan books, crystals, jewelry, wands and robes.

Pagan Pride Day celebrations occur around the country in the beginning of the fall. Local celebrations are overseen by the Pagan Pride Project, a national non-profit organization whose main goals are “the advancement of religion and elimination of prejudice and discrimination based on religious beliefs” according to the Western Mass. Pagan Pride Day Web site.

Micah Schneider, the local coordinator for the seventh annual Western Mass. Pagan Pride Day said the celebration was timed to coincide with Mabon, a pagan holiday that celebrates the fall equinox.

“In honor of the harvest holiday we collect food, blankets, clothing, some pet food and we donate to charity,” said Schneider.

All donations went to the Western Massachusetts Food Bank. Charitable giving, along with the public ritual, are central aspects of most Pagan Pride celebrations.

This year, the Pagan Pride Day coordinators collaborated with SPIRALS, a UMass RSO which holds educational rituals and workshops to teach both pagans and non-pagans about paganism, said sophomore SPIRALS officer Josh Berkowitz.

“It’s a good opportunity to see what other people are doing,” said Berkowitz of the celebration.

Planning for the event began between five and six months in advance. Each year, the celebration invites a different local group to lead the ritual portion of the celebration to introduce people to different ways of exploring paganism. Those in attendance came from a variety of pagan traditions and did not necessarily share the same rituals or customs with others in attendance. This year was the first time Oakstone Grove led the ritual. In past years it has been led by the Sacred Space, Kitchen Witch Collective and the Society of Elder Faiths, among others.

Lyle Gray, a druid from Oakstone Grove, explained his ritual robes and what they symbolized.

“Our group has a tradition of wearing white robes, but not all groups are the same … Four of the druids wear tabards,” he said, pointing to the red mantle over his robe. “Their colors are linked with the four traditional elements: air, fire, water and earth.”

The white covering on his head showed Egyptian influence, the medallion around his neck symbolized fire.

“You see this symbol in a lot of chemistry books,” said Gray, pointing out the up-turned triangle enclosed in a circle. Although he has identified himself as a pagan for the past 25 years, Gray said that he still attends church. “For me it works, I’ve referred to myself as a hedge witch.”

Several people attending the celebration agreed that dabbling in different religious traditions was a fundamental part of being pagan.

“I was raised Roman Catholic, but I didn’t really connect with it. I’ve studied a lot of different paths: fairies, druidism, Celtic traditions. I just started looking for other things,” said Karen Powers, one of the vendors at the event.

Schneider said that though many pagans identify with the Celtic pagan tradition, they also draw freely from religions from all over the world.

“I’m an Egyptian pagan,” he said. Just as Catholics may identify with a particular patron saint, Schneider said that most pagans feel drawn to one or two particular “images of godhood.”

Pagan Pride Day is meant not only to educate the public about paganism but also to provide a place for other pagans to connect with one another. Today, many pagans connect via the Internet, but they may not know many pagans in person. For teenagers like Hannah Laird, 13, of Williamsburg this may be one of the few opportunities to connect with the broader pagan community. This was Laird’s first Pagan Pride Day.

“I really like the public ritual, and I really like the cloaks and hats.” she said.

“It rules,” agreed Allie Martineau, 13, of Florence. This is also her first time attending the celebration.

Schneider refuted the stereotype that all pagans wore black clothing and pointy hats, though several people at the celebration were dressed all in black, and at least two pointy witch’s hats were spotted. “We’re not all that different from everyone else. We’re lawyers, doctors, schoolteachers. That stereotype is really not who pagans are.”

Carol Fairbank, local coordinator for Eastern Mass. Pagan Pride Day held last weekend, praised the Western Mass celebration. “Great entertainment and awesome vendors – the whole thing is beautiful.”

Niina Heikkinen can be reached at [email protected].