My boyfriend came to visit me this past weekend and I really wanted to get some things at my local farmer's market, so we headed over and walked right into the middle of Pagan Pride! I had no idea this was going on that day but soon turned into a young child in a candy shop when I realized what was happening. I think I told my boyfriend about 10 different times throughout the day that "today is so awesome I can't even believe this is happening!"
He just kept smiling and we walked around enjoying the festival together.
This was the pamphlet handed to us when we came in. We also each got a ticket to enter into raffles....unfortunately neither of us won. Haha. Inside the brochure is a description of the festival, the vendors, and the activities.
Before I even begin I'd like to say that I thought this was a very nicely put together and organized event. The vendors were all set up beautifully and the schedule provided let you know what was happening and when.
I'm not Pagan but I very much enjoy the aesthetic, the culture, and the idea of it all, so even though I couldn't personally celebrate the day, I still had an amazing time, got some great items, learned a lot, and of course supported some small businesses and charities.
Here is an overview of everything I bought!
In total I left with two candles, two necklaces, a soap, a perfume, and a vial with a charm.
My boyfriend also purchased a knife and a t shirt.
I never actually ended up buying anything from the farmer's market either, haha!
There were some truly amazing items there, if I had more money I'd have bought about quadruple this amount. What really stuck out to me were the skull candles, the expensive but gorgeous jewelry, a black dragon candle holder, and a carved wooden sketchbook. There were A LOT of talented people at this fest and I'm very sad that I was not financially able to support each and every one of them.
So I want to review each of these items and talk about the shops I bought them from so you can support them too if you'd like!
The Mermaid & The Crow
This vendor sold perfumes, candles, incense, scarves, and other handmade items.
The owner was very kind and offered to help me out finding a perfume to buy based on what I liked. However I declined because I just really liked smelling everything! They also provided a laminated card that described every scent which was very very helpful. While I didn't purchase a candle they were all decorated beautifully with sparkles and glitter, and I was very very tempted.
After much sniffing, asking my boyfriend's opinion, and even more sniffing, I finally decided on Jadis.
"Base notes of sharp orange citrus notes, orange blossoms, deadly lily and dark moss blended with ice and fir trees. The haughtiness of fresh floral jasmine and rose petals and ylang ylang on base notes of sandalwood, deep woods and vetiver. The scent of the dark forest, snow in the air. The promise of of sweets and warmth after they have been snatched away. Use to take up space and be secure in your own power."
This perfume really commanded my attention because of how lovely the orange, floral, and earthy tones blended. From the bottle the orange is very powerful and sweet, which is transferred to the skin as well. As the perfume wears it becomes much more earthy and the fir trees take center stage. This is a gorgeous scent and is absolutely perfect for autumn and winter. Smelling it definitely does take me to an evening forest covered in snow.
I payed $10 for this at the event but on their Etsy they are $15, so if you want a discount try to catch them at an event!
Mystic Hollow Candles and Witchwares
This vendor had a very neat and dark set up, her stand was filled with beautiful candles, large and small. I especially loved the ones shaped like skulls. She had tall candles adorned with glitter and ribbons that were tempting as well. She also had room sprays and incense. I ended up only purchasing a small glass candle as it was my favorite scent, but I wish I could have gotten so much more.
The candle I chose was a small black candle called Banish. Every time my boyfriend teased me for the remainder of the weekend I threatened to light the banish candle, haha. Anyway unfortunately I have no idea what scents went into making this candle but oh my goodness is it divine. It is unlike any candle I've smelled before. It is very dark and deep with a soft but sweet peppery scent. I really wish I could describe it better because I just adore it. The owner was very sweet and because the lid for this candle was missing she let me have it for $5 instead of $6. I'm a bit bummed they don't have an easily accessible online store because I'd have loved to purchase this again.
The New Alexandrian Library Store
This vendor was very unique and interesting and the owner was extremely kind and good hearted. Everything at this stand was donated and all proceeds go to the Sacred Wheel's fundraising to help upkeep the New Alexandrian Library. It contains many pagan books pertaining to "esoterical, metaphysical, and magickal knowledge."
As soon as I walked into this stand, before I even knew the background, my eyes caught this gorgeous silver wire and purple beaded necklace. I fell in love right away and hoped beyond hope that it was within my price range. Luckily I got this for only $10 and my boyfriend absolutely loves how it looks on me.
It is highly adjustable and can go from being worn as a long dangle necklace to a higher up, a few inches below the collar bone length. It is so beautiful and I am so happy I was able to grab it.
While I was fawning over the necklace my boyfriend had his eye on something else. For sale there was this gorgeous dagger from Spain. We hesitantly asked the price, thinking it would be way out of our budget.....but it was only $30! He snatched it up without a second thought.
The details on the hilt and sheath are absolutely gorgeous, I think it is a great addition to his collection!
Peony Rose Apothecary
This was the first vendor I made a purchase at, and for a very good reason. First of all the owner was very welcoming and friendly, she quickly described her items to me and I started sniffing away! She sold an array of lovely handmade soaps, lotions, and balms all decorated in very attractive packaging which really helped to catch my eye and made everything look very professional.
All of her soaps come with a spell, which I thought was a super cute idea. It gives them that extra flair that really made her stand a cut above the others. You can tell she puts a lot of work into both her product and her presentation which is why I had no problem with the $8 soap price tag. Honestly this soap could have been $15 and I still might have bought it because the Prosperity Spell soap smells AMAZING.
“By Sun and Moon, By Stars and Sea, Health and Wealth, Come to Me!”
Infused with the freshness of essential oil of grapefruit and basil, Prosperity Spell Soap draws your unique definition of prosperity into your life. Wash with it anytime you want to manifest health, and a little extra wealth, or a lot."
The grapefruit is absolutely divine and basil is my favorite herb so its almost like this soap was made for me. She also includes little bits of actual grapefruit rind in the soap. This will be a great soap for morning showers to really invigorate and wake me up. I"ve used it to wash my hands so far and it suds up beautifully. I'm so glad she has an online store because I'm not sure I can live without this soap.
Strange Omens
This vendor had a very large array of products ranging from incense, to jewelry, to t shirts, crystal balls (which I really really wanted because they were so beautiful), candles, and much more. My boyfriend ended up purchasing a shirt from here, which I didn't get a picture of, and because of that we got a discount on a second item so I decided to make a last minute impulse buy here!
After much deliberation because their jewelry choices were ridiculously vast, I finally decided to get a Hylinian Crest necklace because I have always wanted a Triforce charm. This purchase isn't really pagan, its more nerdy than anything, but since I bought it at the festival I figured I'd include it anyway. I probably won't be using the black chord it came with as it is very very long, instead I can see turning this into a cute choker type necklace. Normally their jewelry is priced at $20, but since my boyfriend got a shirt I got it for $15. Which honestly still was a little pricey for me but the quality look good so I made the purchase anyway.
Trinity's Magickal Intentions
If I had no financial restraints I think I could have easily spent a ton of money at this shop. Her selection was so vast and everything smelled so wonderful and looked so pretty. She sells everything from candles, to room and linen sprays, to jewelry, and beyond. Out of all the candles I smelled that day (which was a lot) she had the largest amount of scents that I enjoyed. I could have bought like 20. One item that really stood out to me was a giant mug filled with brown wax, adorned with tiny white wax marshmallows. It was made to look like hot chocolate and smelled JUST like cocoa. Oh my goodness it was amazing and I kind of regret not buying it.
I decided on this cute little $5 tin candle in the scent Secret Garden. All of her candles come with a little stone inside them which is just so adorable. Once again I love the presentation and quality of this shop. I think they also add a little touch of love to their products that put them above the rest. I chose this candle because the scent is just unbelievable. Her site is currently down for a little while until she restocks from the event but I'm really hoping once its back up I can know exactly what went into this and if she makes other things with this scent. I want it as a perfume, soap, just...everything. To me it smells like a gorgeous mix of florals. Like she took all the best smelling flowers in the world and blended them together to make this candle. I had my boyfriend smell it and he said "yep, that's very you."
I definitely can see buying from their Etsy store in the future.
Annie's Stuff
So unfortunately I was an idiot and forgot to take note of where I bought this last item. I could seriously kick myself for it, because I really like giving credit where its due. :(
Based on where I remember its location being I am pretty sure it was at a stand called Annie's Stuff. The website associated with it doesn't really give much information about their products however so I can't confirm it that way.
It was a small booth with a small array of jewelry and magic items.
From this booth, whether it belonged to Annie or not, I got this adorable purple vial with an even more adorable owl pendent attached to it! This was actually the first booth I stopped at and I had my eye on this item right away. However the $7 price tag made me leave and walk around a bit to make a decision. I ended up coming back and buying it because the owl was just too cute. I plan on removing him from the vial and creating a necklace using him and some other materials I have on hand. The vial will make a cute decoration and a nice addition to my potential witch Halloween costume.
Besides buying stuff I also got to chat with a few of the store vendors and had a great time listening to them talk about their products and beliefs. I got to watch some of the Viking battle and also a bit of the main ceremony, which seemed interesting but unfortunately without microphones it was hard to hear what they were saying. I wish I could have sat in on a few of the little event tents that were scattered around but I did not get a chance. Art & Magick and Druidry Vs Wicca both sounded very interesting.
If I am still living in this area when this festival comes around next year I will definitely be attending and participating a lot more. I was really caught off guard by it happening as I had literally no idea until I stumbled upon it by accident while buying some fruit. Hopefully I can come again and be much more prepared. I think my mom would have really enjoyed it as well, so I'd love to bring her next time.
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