Whidbey Pagans celebrate pride

The Whidbey Island Pagan Pride Festival brings an array of vendors and workshops open to all.

By Luisa Loi • July 25, 2023 1:30 am
A communal altar displaying, among different things, a statuette of Dionysus, a decorated skull to remember death, a chalice and three tarot cards divining the past, present and future. The altar represents different Pagan beliefs. (Photo by Aaron Taggert)
A communal altar displaying, among different things, a statuette of Dionysus, a decorated skull to remember death, a chalice and three tarot cards divining the past, present and future. The altar represents different Pagan beliefs. (Photo by Aaron Taggert)

After debuting in 2019, the Whidbey Island Pagan Pride Festival returns to Coupeville Saturday, July 29, bringing an array of vendors and workshops that are open to all, pagans and non-pagans.

The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Town Park.

“It’s nice to be back,” said Aaron Taggert, founder of the Eternal Spring Church on Whidbey Island, which sponsors the event. “Especially because the first event was so successful that there was a lot of interest in having the next one.”

Historically, “pagan” is an umbrella term that referred to people whose beliefs and traditions didn’t fall under the realm of Abrahamic religions — Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Today, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the once-derogatory term has been reclaimed by those communities, and is used interchangeably with modern pagan or neo-pagan to refer to groups that take inspiration from non-Abrahamic religions from around the world.

For example, Taggert is part of the Shoshone Tribe, a North American Indigenous group, and is a shaman. His faith has also been influenced by Wicca, Hinduism, Greek mythology, Italian witchcraft and more.

Though religious freedom is protected under the First Amendment, pagans may still face discrimination as they’re stereotyped as dangerous or are not taken seriously. With the risk of unemployment and relationship issues, many choose to keep their faith private, according to Taggert.

This pride event offers pagans the chance to freely express themselves with like-minded people, to build community and to learn more from one another. It is also an opportunity for non-pagans to challenge their own stereotypes and better understand their neighbors.

“Part of the whole purpose of Pagan Pride is to educate not only our own community, but the rest of the community,” Taggert said. “I think our modern lives isolated us, way more than we should ever be isolated. So coming out and seeing people that think differently or act differently enriches all of us.”

Pagan experts will hold workshops on polytheism, old Irish spells, Wiccan traditions, alternative burials, unlocking healing abilities and cord magic — a practice that consists of trapping an intention or desire in a knot and releasing it by untying the knot.

The event also features 13 vendors selling handmade art, beauty and wellness products and games.