Atlanta Pagan Pride 2016

Over the weekend my husband and I attended our very first Atlanta Pagan Pride Festival! Years ago we went to a North Georgia Solitaries festival and it ended with my husband having a foul taste in his mouth. We were told the class we were going to was on ghosts but some how or another ended up in a sex magic class. Yeah...not something my very prude husband needed to be a part of. He was extremely uncomfortable and it turned him off from going to other festivals for quite sometime. Honestly, it made him react poorly to witchcraft and paganism in general. However, I believe as time has passed he has become open once again, at least to understanding what I am doing and why.

Anyway, Saturday was an absolute blast! We got there early in the morning so it was still nice and cool. We shopped around at some of the 42+ vendors attending the event. I ended up buying a sea glass necklace first thing. I'm not even into wearing much jewelry, but this piece spoke to me; well, more like yelled...from across the parking lot...with a megaphone. I couldn't NOT buy it.

Pretty beautiful right? I've enjoyed wearing it thus far and the feeling of calm it gives me.

We walked around some more, saw some people I went to college with who were selling their artwork, pulled some batteries out of a dying smoke detector (well my husband did), drank some hot chocolate, and bought a really great grapefruit bath bomb. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of said bath bomb before I used it. I'll explain why this got used the night I bought it in just a few minutes.

After shopping for a bit we attended a Druid Magic class. It was supposed to be on talismans, potions, and herb usage, but due to the teacher's recent move, most of his belongings were still in boxes. Instead, he taught us a visualization technique that combines the three elements of the druids, sky, land, and sea, to bring forth change within your self. Each of these elements corresponds with a different aspect (emotion, physical, and mind), color (white/light blue, green, and dark blue), and shape (square, circle, and triangle). Now none of these are in order. I honestly can't remember which go together other than ocean is emotion and is dark blue while land is physical and green. Anyway. you envision beams of light transecting through your body before having them rotate to form circles then spheres of protective energy. Depending on your goals you either bring them within yourself or use them as a protective "skin." It was quite interesting. I love that the method could be adapted to work as a protective shield, something extremely valuable while hedge riding.

Finally we participated in the auction, which not only raised money for the event, but also the community. I ended up purchasing a purple besom to hang in my bathroom for $10. Excellent deal considering it is hand made. Unfortunately the druid class ran over so I miss the beginning of the auction and some pretty cool items. I'm happy nonetheless with my wonderful besom.

I am so glad I was able to attend this year and so look forward to attending next year. They said this was the largest turn out yet, and I hope next year is even better!

So, why did I use the bath bomb Saturday night? Well, my husband and I went out with my best friend and her new husband (they got married last week in secret), to dinner and then go karting. Well, in the first 2 minutes of go karting my husband decided he didn't like losing to me so he attempted to push me out of his way and in the process spun me out into the other cars. I was hit by a couple other drivers and flung around like a rag doll within the kart. I ended up with a mild concussion, bruising on my back, leg, and knee, whip lash, and some cuts. I had to be pulled from the kart and could barely walk for 2 days. It was terrible. Sometimes he sucks the fun out of everything. Needless to say I am banged up and sore, but doing fine. No broken bones and the concussion has gotten significantly better. No need to worry.

So yes, that was my wonderful and dramatic weekend! How was yours?