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ByTimKarstens
senior editor
A group of people gather in a
park for Bice painting, picnick
ing, Bin and a religious, educa
tional experience braks out
On Saturday, approximately
400 people Bom Nebraska, Iowa
and Kansas gathered in Lincoln^
Antelope Park for the Earth
Religions Awareness Day. The
event, which began in die Capi
tol’s Rotunda and ended at P.O.
Pears, was intended bring togeth
er pagans of all stripes and ulti
mately educate the public on
earth-based religions, Jason
Blodgett-McDeavitt, High Priest
for Lincolnls Order of the Red
Grail.
“There are many misconcep
tions about earth-based reli
gions,” Blodgett-McDeavitt said,
“and what we wanted to show
was that we are normal people.”
Blodgett-McDeavitt said this
weekend was significant to
pagans, a blanket term that
includes earth-based religions
such as Wiccans and Druids,
because it is the Summer
Solstice, or the turning of the
light half of die year to the dark
half.
The day’s activities began
with a ceremony held at the state
capitol building where a blessing
was bestowed on the state’s
drought-stricken crops, and a
U People are taught to believe that
all religions except theirs are evil,
that is quite sad."
flock of doves was released.
The festival continued at
Antelope Park where area hands
Slow Burn and Circadian
Rhythm played in addition to the
body painting and picnicking,
Blodgett-McDeavitt said. The
day was concluded with a concert
at P.O_Pears by Austin, Texas
bands The Raft and Dreamtrybe.
y Linda Harris, high priestess
Linda Harris
high priestess, Chalice Cirde
of Lincoln^ Chalice Circle, said
the event was particularly helpful
in that it might have helped peo
ple overcome their misunder
standings of earth-based reli
gions. It is something she
; believes could be unfortunate.
“People are taught to believe
that all religions except theirs are
evil,” Harris said. “iW is quite
sad.”