Attention, Pantheacon Shoppers!
I’ve been home from PantheaCon since Monday evening, and I can still hear Thalassa’s voice over the vendor’s room microphone, cracking jokes and telling people to leave because the room is closing. Is this some weird sign of stress or lingering sleep deprivation? The answer is probably yes on both counts, considering that I only finished the post-con bookkeeping for Serpentine Music earlier this afternoon.
I only went to two scheduled events this year: a talk on evil by Sam Webster, and a talk on “divine embodiment” by Ivo Dominguez. Both were interesting and thought-provoking, and together were about as much as I could handle of the con festivities. Yet in spite of my severely curtailed conference schedule, I had more fun at the con this year than ever before.
It turns out that if you have a great idea for a badge ribbon, you really do need to create it. 
In my case, it was the “Ask Me About My Feminist Rage” ribbon, in red ink on a bright pink piece of satin. I had several hundred made, and we gave away almost all of them. In the last hour of the con there were still people coming up to the booth begging us for a “feminist rage” ribbon.
Imagine if you will calling out to random people milling about the convention hallways and vending room, and asking them if they’d like a ribbon for their badge. These people ran the gamut of age, ethnicity, gender, and every other orientation. Then imagine the looks on their faces as they read the ribbon message! Now I wish I’d taken a poll of all the intriguing, entertaining responses we got.
My favorites were the women and men who laughed hysterically and took two—one for themselves and another for a friend who just had to have one. Some men looked confused or sheepish, saying that they didn’t want one but thought their wives or girlfriends would. Some women gently said that they were over their rage and were pretty comfortable with how things were going, and at least two said they wouldn’t take them because “it all looks like trash to me, and I won’t send another thing to the landfill.” Killjoys.
My response to nearly everybody was that you don’t have to identify as a feminist or be in touch with some sort of rage to wear a ribbon. The ribbon only invites people to ask you about your feminist rage, and whatever answer you have is a perfectly valid one to give. I even counseled one older single gentleman (among the confused and/or not enraged) that if some attractive woman were to ask him about his ribbon, and if he were to answer that he had no feminist rage but really liked strong women, that might be a decent pickup line. That was the first time I’ve ever seen him blush in the many years I’ve known him.
My daughters took special delight in handing them to all the young boys and girls looking for ribbons to add to their collection, and I made sure that every prominent Pagan I knew had one as well. The most notable encounter I had was with an instructor at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), who took a ribbon but said she wasn’t going to wear it, she was going to bring it to her class as a conversation starter. Apparently her Women’s Spirituality students feel no need for feminism or anger of any sort, a stance we both agreed was troubling.
In the end, it was deeply satisfying to bring the word “feminist” into the con in such a lighthearted way. We should be able to laugh at ourselves, and also admit our strengths, outrages and longings.
I already have a slogan picked out for next year’s special edition ribbon, a sentiment that I heard expressed by several others at the con so I know it’s not just me. It captures the state of mind you get into after attending several years of PantheaCon, when you know you’ll be back but realize that next year you may only get to one or two events in a weekend packed with presentations:
OVER IT—And Yet, Still Here.
And that about sums it up. Except for this hilarious little video of my great helpers Lyra and Jojo, rocking out in an ironic rendition of Wendy Rule’s “Deity.” You do get punchy, sitting at the music booth listening to the same music all weekend.
February 19th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
The looks on their faces are so marvelous!!!!!
February 20th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Dibs on next years ribbon..save one for me!!! I LOVED THE PINK RIBBON!!! My favorite thing at Pcon was sitting with you and others in the lobby Saturday night and eating dark chocolate.
February 20th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
David and I are giving in… we’re thinking of ribbons for Fields next year (having been asked by several people whether we had any to give out!).
I know how you feel about making it to few, if any presentations. I did go to my Lodge’s (OSOGD) ritual and to the Feri Revival. Plus, there was a Table Lodge of the Illuminati (shhhh! we’re taking over the world!).
I’d be interested in hearing how Sam’s talk was in delivery. I heard him riff on a theme or two the evening before, but don’t know how the talk or discussion ended up going. And sorry I missed Ivo’s talk, though he and I had quite the discussion about retail strategies while he was signing books at our booth.
February 21st, 2009 at 7:33 am
This event has always seemed to me like the California State Fair for Pagans. I love State Fairs. I do hope I can join you some year.
By the way, Winter Witch Camp was great.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:23 am
Oh good, I will happily wear a Field’s Books ribbon next year! (The nice lady from Llewellyn twice gave me one of their ribbons, but I could never quite make myself add it to my badge.)
Sam’s talk was good, though it tended to veer without warning between discussions of psyche/spirit and societal ethics. He did a good job of eliciting comments and then picking up the thread of facilitation, yet I found his ending comment a little glib: the idea that Pagans carry the shadow of Western (Christian) culture. (I believe he actually said we are the shadow, which may be stretching the case farther than it can go.) I’d love to hear how the ritual went the following day.
And I am so glad to know who to blame for all the ills of the global conspiracy! Can I put you down for Scapegoat of the Month, say in May or June?
Deborah, you bet there’s a ribbon waiting for you next year! And yes, our Saturday evening hang-out in the lobby was the best non-ritual ritual I went to the whole weekend.
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I am one of the killjoys who thinks the same regarding landfills – except your ribbon. Dang! For me that was the first time in years that I even heard feminism mentioned. And to have it acknowledged as an ongoing issue for men and women, well BIG TIME kudos to you! It was one of the ribbons I wore proudly.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Jutta, thanks so much—you just made my day!
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:16 am
I loved your ribbon and the wonderful music you provide. Love the video, that is one of my favorite songs. I was thrilled to find Wendy Rule’s Lotus Eaters – new music to me, yay! Next year I hope they will spell my ribbon correctly and I will actually hand them out.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
It was really really interesting hearing everybody’s responses to the ribbons. I tried to give people ribbons a couple times outside of the vending room, and got a lot of weird responses; often I got some angry tirade about militant feminists, and once somebody started going on and on to me about Z Budapest’s ritual and how offensive it was to men. There’s nothing really to do once these conversations start besides smile and nod, but it sure was interesting, if uncomfortable. It seemed like many people were glad to have feminism brought up, but a number of people were also totally pissed, figuring my recruitment of man-haters was the last straw.
March 4th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Lyra, that is really interesting. I never got any angry tirades—maybe they were more afraid of me than they were of you? Curious why they didn’t consider Z’s ritual offensive to women, too. The feminists I know never considered going.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:13 am
Oh wow, that was your ribbon? I was very envious of the folks I saw with them – definitely my favorite this year.
Your idea for next year is pretty awesome too.