Who We Are
Our Ways
We acknowledge the spark of Divinity common to us all.
We acknowledge our responsibility for our lives and for our lives’ effects.
We acknowledge the diverse experiences of Divinity, within and without.
We acknowledge the flow, balance and impermanence of our world.
We hold that each one of us has their own path to follow to truth and spirit.
We hold that each one of us is responsible, shaping and nurturing the world in its flow, as it, in turn, shapes and nurtures us.
We gather to honour, respect, support and uplift each other.
We gather to share, in giving and receiving, in teaching and in learning, to search for the wisdom that is true to each of us and to create together.
We gather to celebrate life, love and spirit, in reverence, humour and joy.
We gather in service to our Mother Earth and each other.
We gather for our mutual growth, in the upward spiral that is life.
We welcome all who come with an open heart and an open mind.
Our History
Pagan Presence Committee was created by Earth Spirit Society of Nova Scotia (ESSNS) in January 2008 to apply for participation in World Religion Day. It was created as on open committee: we accepted anyone who wanted to participate, not only members of ESSNS (pronounced ‘essence’). From its original inception our purpose has expanded to include Pagan participation in all multifaith events as well as educational presentations. Our involvement includes: World Religion Day, Festival of Lights, World Interfaith Harmony Week, Pride, King’s County Historical Society, and events of ecological support. Earth Spirit Society began in 2006 as a means of supporting Pagan involvement. It was organized as a roundtable; all had a voice; the only fees were time and energy. We registered under the Societies Act in 2009 with bylaws consistent with our original purpose, leaving the roundtable intact. Our community has many roots with as many histories. Other organizations have preceded us and before them we were stigmatized and secretive. Paganism is an umbrella term and includes Druids, Eclectics, Heathens, Wiccans, Witches, and many others and like other religions; we have varieties of each.
Our traditions come from varied sources such as Greek, Celtic, Egyptian, or Norse. Many follow The Wiccan Rede, an ethical principle, the short version being “An it harm none, do what thou will.” Respect and reverence for nature is very common. Pagans may be pantheists, dualists, or other. Many are solitaries. Between one and two percent of those you see and know are from our community. Today, Earth Spirit Society is composed of individuals from multiple Pagan spiritual paths. We provide public rituals such as Imbolc, Yule, and Beltaine and support for Pagans, as well as hosting social events and interfacing with the media. We gather for our mutual growth in the upward spiral that is Life.
A community of spirit; not of geography. We came together seeking kindred spirits and common causes. We come together, electronically and in person, seeking involvement with those who value Earth and Spirit. We share ideas and points of view. We act to make a difference as we can.
John
… a group of individuals from a mix of religious traditions and spiritual paths largely composed of neo-Pagans and eclectic individuals that work together to serve and educate our communities. [Activities include] arranging neo-Pagan ritual[s] based largely on the eight Indo-European seasonal celebrations. … We gather to work together and learn from each other…
Adam
… Pagans, believers in the earth which we live upon, and the skies which we look up to. We try to make this earth, the Mother of all creation, a better place for all that reside here… We… embrace our talents, beauty, and uniqueness. We are all connected… we are all one.
Maeve
