One event we at TAPA have come to look forward to every year is the Festival of Legends. Is it a Renaissance Fair? A steampunk party? A costume ball? The Festival of Legends is all of the above, and more! Their website says: “The Festival of Legends is a celebration of the mythic arts and the magic of life itself. It is a playground for the imagination – for children as well as adults – and an escape from the mundane world. It is a journey to the romantic by-gone eras that never were, and an exploration of the fantastical realms that have always been. The natives are magicians and musicians, acrobats and comedians, artists and crafters, proud knights and fairytale creatures. Step into the Festival of Legends, and step into a place of wonder.”
We’ve attended the Festival of Legends a few times over the years, and knew right away that this was a Triangle community event we wanted to support in as many ways as we could. We’re so thankful that they’ve accepted us back for a second year, and we’re looking forward to gathering at The Elysium Field to meet with community and to honor the earth.
TAPA tries very hard to not schedule events that other groups are already offering. One of the reasons we don’t host high day or full moon rituals is because we don’t want to compete with local groups – we want to support them! But we still enjoy hosting and facilitating events and gatherings, trying hard to bring the Pagan community something a little bit different, something they can’t get anywhere else. In the past we’ve brought 4th of July rituals and Spirits of Place workshops, and later on this year we’ll introduce you to our friend Shawn Shadow, we’ll learn about The Queen of Herbs, and maybe we’ll enjoy a few rituals along the way, too.
Aside from supporting community in many ways such as connecting people to groups, connecting groups to people, and listing Triangle Pagan events in one handy-dandy place, TAPA likes to expand its vision to include many types of community, including our global, Earthly community. We love our Mother Earth and try to be environmentally sustainable and supportive in as many ways as we can. This is a task we work on every day and we’re continually trying to improve upon! We recently made the decision to invest in some reusable cups, plates, and utensils, but we can help the Earth magically, too. We designed our ritual as a way to not only honor the earth with our prayers and offerings, but to invite each person to ask themselves what intention they can set in regards to Earth Day. Last year Heather from the Steerage Committee wrote and shared a lovely Earth Day meditation, and this year we continue that spirit of asking ourselves “what is my hope, dream, and wish for myself and for the Earth, and what can I do to make that hope, dream, and wish come true?” And in the sacredness of our Earth Day ritual, surrounded by community, celebrate and joy, we will plant our seeds of intention, nurturing those prayers with drums, dancing, and song.
Not only will this be a great ritual, but the Festival of Legends is a spectacular event, too. We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow, Sunday April 26 at 1030am at the Festival of Legends. The ritual of course is free, but the Festival of Legends is not. Check out their website for ticketing prices, and prepare yourself for food, games, vendors, music, dancing, entertainment, people watching, and fun!
See you tomorrow, everyone, and happy Earth Day!