Echo Sherman: We’re doing the Yule Ball to help Sphynx and South find housing. They’re incredibly resilient, strong youth, but they have no support system. This Yule Ball is about Octopus Inc. showing that through collaborative events and mutual aid, we can catch people who are falling through the cracks.
Speaker This winter solstice in Eugene, First Christian Church will host a reflective and supportive interfaith ritual honoring the Sun and the Son. The ceremony starts at 5 p.m. and will include both Pagan and Christian rites. Echo Sherman:
Echo Pastor Zane (Ridings) of First Christian Church has opened up their doors on equal ground and said, ‘Hey, come on to our land and do something sacred alongside us.’ And that is not a thing you hear every day as a Pagan. The reason why this is so historic is because it hasn’t happened before, that a church, specific denominations haven’t said, ‘Hey, this is our sacred ground. But you know what? We see you. Come join us.’
Paganism goes all the way back to shamanism. It’s an umbrella term. Much like if you’re a Christian, you can be a Baptist or a Presbyterian or a Catholic, and you have similar beliefs, but different. The core beliefs remain the same in Paganism, but it can include shamanism. It can include witches. It can include Odinists. It can include Voodoo. It can include Santeria…