What does it mean to be Pagan? (11 photos)

When SooToday.com arrived for today's Pagan Pride at Bellevue Park, we found event coordinator and Sault Pagan Pride Association founder Amanda Zuke deep in discussion with a young couple.

Jeremy, a born-again Christian, told Zuke that they came to the event to find out what being a Pagan was all about.

"I appreciate that you're teaching religious tolerance and that you practice what you preach," he told Zuke after she'd explained what being a Pagan meant to her.

"It's really unfortunate that people don't understand what you're about."

So, what does it mean to be Pagan?

According to the official Sault Pagan Pride website, a Pagan or NeoPagan is someone who self-identifies as a Pagan, and whose spiritual or religious practice or belief fits into one or more of the following categories:

- Honoring, revering, or worshiping a deity or deities found in pre-Christian, classical, aboriginal, or tribal mythology; and/or

- Practicing religion or spirituality based upon shamanism, shamanic, or magical practices; and/or

- Creating new religion based on past Pagan religions and/or futuristic views of society, community, and/or ecology;

- Focusing religious or spiritual attention primarily on the Divine Feminine; and/or

- Practicing religion that focuses on earth-based spirituality.

"Paganism is highly individualistic," Zuke explained. "Pagans are not scary. Pagans are your neighbours. Paganism means practicing a life-affirming and positive religion."

Zuke, a registered clergy member with the Province of Ontario, founded the Sault Pagan Pride Association in 2005 and hosted the first pride event later that fall.

Association membership fluctuates, Zuke said, and a lot of people join out of curiosity.

"We can usually tell when a movie or TV show about the occult is popular, because our membership will jump," Zuke said. "Some who join, stay, while others decide it's just not for them."

Today's Pagan Pride festivities included a variety of workshops, demonstrations, tarot card readings, reiki, traditional ceremonies and vendors.

The event was open to all and donations were collected for both the Sault Ste. Marie Soup Kitchen and the Animal Assistance Group.

For more information about the Sault Pagan Pride Association, visit the website here.