Earth based magical activism

People’s Climate March

Over 40 Reclaiming Witches and friends gathered in the streets of NY as the Pagan Cluster as part of the 400,000 person Peoples Climate March. They came from Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Virgina, bringing their music, voices, stories, and magic to the streets.

The group decided to participate in the “We Have the Solutions” part of the march, bringing the earth-based energy to the midst of the food justice and big NGOs section. Another contingent of pagans organized by the Peoples Environmental Coalition marched as part of the faith block. Midway through the march the pagan groups ran into each other, played with each other’s energy a bit, but ultimately brought different energies to the streets and separated out again. The Pagan Environmental Coalition had a boisterous, high-energy vibe dominated by drums. The Pagan Cluster intentionally brought an energy deeply grounded and expressed through chants, carrying the sacred woad-dyed cloth of the Living River that has been at countless actions over the past 15 years. Both energies were needed in the march and valued by those around them. At the end of the march the Pagan Cluster, having been on their feet for over eight hours and 2.5 miles of pavement, ended with a spiral dance, bringing in bystanders and raising sweet energy to feed the work needed to fight climate change.

A smaller contingent from the Pagan Cluster, those who were able to, stayed over until Monday to join the #FloodWallStreet action, to try to hold accountable the corporate, capitalist system that is responsible for climate change.

Some of the chants from the streets:

The Earth is alive
She is not for sale
When her people work together
Yes we will prevail!

(chant credit: Chrys Ballerano)

We’re all the rising sun
We’re all the change
We’re all the one’s we’ve been waiting for
And we are dawning

(chant credit: Ravyn Stanfield, modified by Ruby for inclusiveness in the streets)

We are at a crossroads
Hecate show us the way!
Where is the good road
To a bright new day?

We are at a crossroads
Leaders need to act!
May our voices be heard
Remove denial from fact!

(chant credit: words by Zay Eleanor Watersong, tune in development by Martin)

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About the Pagan Cluster

The Pagan Cluster is a loose gathering of individuals and affinity groups who bring an earth-based spirituality to global justice and peace actions. With courage and friendship, our community strives to create a better world. We practice the art of changing global consciousness by incorporating music, drums, ritual, myth, humor and magic into our actions.