Paganicon 2025

The Christianization of Slavic lands from the late ninth century CE onwards took root in established major cities and the administrative hubs of empires. For the common people living in rural areas, however, attuned as they were to natural and agricultural cycles, the Eastern Orthodox Church's campaign of trying to displace indigenous Gods and spirits was a much slower, more complex, centuries-churning affair. A robust "Dual-Faith" tradition emerged with a rich catalog of spirit Beings and folk beliefs and magical practices that proved consistent across Slavic lands. This workshop gives an overview of the various classes of spirits found in Nature as well as within and around the home--spirits that are not only widely believed in, but whose influences are actively courted today across the global Slavic Diaspora. From guardian spirits of the natural world to spirit helpers in the home, there are many Beings Who continue to animate the soulscapes of the Slavic peoples. Sit for a spell and learn about Them from a first-generation Serbian-American who was raised in Dual-Faith folk ways.