An Intro to Modern Paganism!
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October Events!
Dear PaganSoc Members and Friends,
Autumn is upon us in all of its glory, and October is finally here! As the days grow steadily shorter and colder, PaganSoc would like to invite you to a few events which are sure to warm hearts and minds alike!
We have three events planned for the month of October (and one more on the way!), starting with one this Thursday at 8 pm, our Divination and Social Night! Held at the house of our Treasurer and Vice President at 82 Boase Avenue, we will be providing baked goods, tea, and maybe something a little stronger, and we’ll be bringing along the tools we use in our personal divination practices. Do you work with divination at all? Would you like to learn how to work with tools to give you clues of what the future might have in store? Don’t know what to believe, but interested in good company and a night of intrigue? Then join the fun! We’ll be meeting outside the Union at 7.45 for those who need help finding the place, and all are most welcome! If you have any of your own divination experience to share, please bring it along! So far, we have Tarot, Crystal Balls, Tea Leaves, and Runes, but we would love to hear about what works for you! More info here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=243694265679018
Next up is our Besom, or Broomstick making workshop on Wednesday, October 19th, at 4 pm in the Mansefield Lounge! One of the most recognizable symbols of Paganism, the Besom, or broomstick, is a charictaristic element of the Samhain season for its symbolic ability to “sweep away” unwanted aspects of life. This workshop will begin with a short discussion of the symbolism of the besom, its use in ritual, and will enable everyone to get creative and design one of their own! More info here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=272866746078301
Third, we are very excited to announce our opening lecture, which will be held in School 6 in the Quad on Thursday the 27th of October, entitled “An Introduction to Modern Paganism.” Pagan Society has invited member John Macintyre, former head of the organization known as the Pagan Federation, to discuss what Paganism is, and the beliefs held by Pagans today. John is a speaker who is well-versed in interfaith dialogue, and the discussion is sure to be illuminating for both Pagans and those who would simply like to learn a bit more. More info here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222602644467468
Finally, please stay tuned for more information about our Samhain event, which is sure to be a great night out! More information will be available on this closer to the time, but we hope you are all excited for a night of music, good food, and Pagan merrymaking!
We look forward to seeing you at all of these fabulous events!
Warmest Regards,
Sabrina
President
New Members, New Year
Hello everyone, and a warm welcome to all of our newest members!
The Fresher’s Fayre was a busy day for all of us, but we were thrilled to see so many new faces there to support us. For all those who have become paid members, thank you very much, and welcome to PaganSoc! If you have not yet done so, fear not– there will be many other opportunities for you to join up as a full-fledged, card-carrying member. As a reminder, being a fully paid member enables you to:
- Attend our events at a discounted (and often free) rate.
- Receive a discount at the Crystal Shop on South street of 20% off your initial purchase, with 10% off subsequent purchases.
- Come with us to the Pagan Federation annual conference compensated by the society.
- Have access to borrowing books owned by the society.
On Tuesday, September 27th, we will be going on a walk to the St. Andrews Botanic Gardens. We will be meeting outside the Student’s Union at 3 pm and walking there as a group. This event is free to members, 1 pound for non-members, and 3 pounds for membership and the walk. Please do come along and take advantage of this great deal on membership. We look forward to seeing you there!
Fresher’s Week Events!
With Freshers Week drawing near, I wanted to take a moment to invite all of our members and friends to join us in our first events of the new Academic year! The flyer above is for our first event on Tuesday September 20th, Cake With Pagansoc! This will be a great event, and an excellent way to meet us, to ask us questions about what exactly it is we do, and to learn a little bit more about what we have in store for you this year. Oh, and to get some free cake, too! We’ll also be announcing our Mabon Celebration, which takes place the following evening in the Mansefield Chaplaincy. All are very welcome to attend, and we look forward to seeing you there! For more information on the events, please see their respective Facebook pages, Cake with Pagansoc! and the Mabon Celebration.
A New Home for the St. Andrews Pagan Society!
It is the start of a brand new academic year, and a time of change for all of us at St. Andrews! I felt that this would be an opportune time to introduce a new look for the Pagan Society of St Andrews, and personally welcome any new followers to our community!
My name is Sabrina (yes, that is my real name!), and I am the new President of Pagan Soc this year. I am a Third year this year, and I’ve been a member of this Society since my first week in University. Pagan Soc has played an immense role in my life at St. Andrews, but whenever I mention the Society to others, I am met with surprise that such a group exists. My goal this year is to help Pagan Soc flourish in whatever way I can. I am truly blessed to be working alongside a fantastic new committee, and we are all very excited for the year ahead, as it promises to be big and full of lots of exciting events. Just a few things you can look forward to this year include:
- A talk by John Macintyre, former President of The Pagan Federation, on Paganism today.
- Crafts events and socials
- Workshops on the beliefs of different Pagan paths
- The Beltane Medieval Reenactment Fayre Maypole
- Cake!
I am really hoping to integrate some of our events with other Societies around St. Andrews, as well as hopefully wok together with our local metaphysical bookstore, Psyche’s Garden, to bring you all a broader sense of what Paganism is all about. I want to be sure to make it known that all are welcome to our events– you don’t need to be Pagan to come! While some of our events are seasonal celebrations that honour our deities, we have tons of events that are fun for everyone, and pretty interesting, too!
I look forward to meeting you all at our first event, and joining my committee in welcoming you to a brand new year!
Bright Blessings,
Sabrina Russo
President