THE WITCH REPORT: PAGANS' MEETING PLACE IS A CITY CAFE

Full page article in today's Leicester Mercury about the city's Pagan community and their meeting place, The Dark Side cafe in Cank Street. The article isn't on the Mercury website right now. As soon as it is, I'll copy and post the text here. In the meantime, here's a photo of the page with the article. Don't try and read it here though - you'll do your eyes in!

LIGHTEN UP ON THE DARK SIDE

Today's Leicester Mercury carries an article about financial difficulties at The Dark Side cafe. I'd like to publicise that here. I hope lots of people can help Lucie Belikova, who runs the cafe (photo above). It's great to have somewhere like this in our city centre - the venue, its staff and clientele add to Leicester's spiritual vibrancy and diversity. Come on, faithful reader: I've bought my raffle tickets - have you?

Fans fight to save cafe for "geeks"

Groups using Leicester's first "alternative cafe" are trying to raise funds to save it from going out of business.

Lucie Belikova has run the Dark Side Cafe, in the Silver Arcade, Cank Street, for the past 10 months.

It is a meeting place for role-playing gamers and science fiction fans.

Now she fears she may have to close down unless she can find another source of income.

She said: "There is nothing like this place in the city – my customers say it is a home from home."

The cafe, which includes a basement for parties and functions, can cater for around 120 people.

It is used by a mothers and children's group, craft groups, Leicester Pagan Alliance, a Dungeons and Dragons club and the Star Base Leicester fantasy and science fiction club.

Sam Eld, from Star Base Leicester, said: "Everyone is rallying to help. There's a raffle, and prizes are being donated for it. It's the only cafe in the city that makes 'geeks' and gamers welcome."

Regular customer Su Clement, an environmental health officer for Leicester City Council, said: "It is a fantastic place and it would be a great shame if Lucie had to close down."

The next fund-raising event for the cafe is a Christmas craft fair on Saturday.

BIFFY (1)

Playing host today to a visit from members of BIFFY (Blackpool Inter-Faith Forum for Youth). This is a group of a dozen girls (aged 12-15) with three support workers, who've been active in Blackpool for the past few years, raising awareness of different faiths, challenging prejudice and embracing diversity. They've been given some funding for a weekend away and they've chosen to come to Leicester! Anna Elgee, in charge of the group, phoned me about a week ago and asked if I could organise some visits and activities for them while they're here.

The group arrives by train early afternoon; I meet them at the Premier Inn at 1430 and lead them down into the city centre. Our first stop is at the Dark Side cafe, in Cank Street, a popular spot with some of Leicester's Pagans, Wiccans, Goths and Emos. I ask Lucie Belikova, the manager there, to say a little bit to the group about who uses the place and what goes on there. They've recently renovated the cellar, which they're intending to use for writing events, live music and so on, so we nip downstairs for a quick look.

Next we pop into the Cathedral, where the pledge to stand together against extremism, signed by followers of different faiths (and those who follow none) is on display.

Then, to the Nagarjuna Buddhist Centre, where they are treated to a drink and some cake, as well as a short meditation session and talk from Chogma, Education Officer at the Centre. During a brief Q&A, Chogma says that the day she put her hair-straighteners in the bin was the greatest moment of liberation she'd felt in her life.

From there, we head out to Belgrave Road. The girls want to buy saris, jewellery and other Indian regalia. The evening concludes with a meal together in Sokani's vegetarian restaurant.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FAIR AT LEICESTER UNIVERSITY

At the University of Leicester this afternoon, for its International Student Fair. This is being held in the new O2 Academy in the Percy Gee Building (at the Students' Union). Julie-Ann Heath, from the University's International Chaplaincy, has asked me to bring all nine banners in our exhibition.

In terms of our reason for being here, we're sort of piggybacking on to the Chaplaincy's display, but in terms of the visuals, our banners rather dominate things. But they are not overwhelming, which I feared was the case when we used the whole exhibition at the Leicestershire Cares event at the start of this month (see blog entry, Thursday 2 September). In fact, the banners look bloomin' lovely here today!

As well as providing information about the diverse faith communities in Leicester, we're offering a more personal service today, by helping students newly arrived in the city to find an appropriate community with which to become involved. I've brought with me our list of places of worship in Leicester and it helps us find the right places for a score or so students from abroad. As well as those looking for the right church, gurdwarara, mandir or mosque, there's one student who is hoping to make contact with any local Pagans. She's sure I won't be able to help her but I'm delighted to be able to point her in the direction of the Dark Side cafe on Cank Street, where she'll be able to meet all the Pagans and Wiccans she could want. Mustn't forget to mention that there are also a (smaller) number of students asking how they might contact local Buddhist or Jain communities.

Some of the folk from the Chaplaincy are so impressed with the Council of Faiths display that they ask if I can bring it back on Monday, for the start of Freshers' Fair. I'd gladly do that, but Julie-Ann isn't sure there will be room this time to accommodate everything. She'll figure it out and let me know by Monday morning.

come to The Dark Side (we have cookies)

An invitation to attend the monthly Leicester Pagan Moot this evening at The Dark Side, in Cank Street. The Dark Side is a new cafe in the city centre, which describes itself as Leicester’s first alternative cafe and information centre. It prides itself on having a welcoming, warm and relaxed atmosphere, with friendly, if "rather strange looking" (in their own words) staff. Music is a big part of the alternative identity at The Dark Side, varying from rock to emo, goth to metal. I can personally recommend the coffee and walnut cake. That's Lucie Belikova, who runs the place, outside the cafe in the photo above, cutting the red ribbon for the cafe's official opening.

At Leicester Pagan Moot, all pagan paths are welcomed and treated with fairness and equality. it's an occasion when people can meet and exchange ideas with others who look deep inside for the answers to those awkward questions everyone is dying to ask. The theme for this evening is "Candle Magic". We hear, ask and talk about colour, size, fragrance, their use and significance for different spiritual purposes. The evening ends with a "pathworking" exercise, with Angela Langrick leading a guided meditation using a candle flame.

The Leicester Pagan Alliance is not itself a member of our Council of Faiths. However, our contract as Host Organisation with Leicester Partnership requires us to develop positive working relations with the different communities of religion, faith or belief in the city - not just those who make up our membership. Working with the Pagans doesn't feel like an obligation, I'm glad to say. I've become good friends with a few of them and I won't forget how supportive they were of me in the earliest days I was in this post.

Visit the facebook page for The Dark Side:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leicester-United-Kingdom/The-Dark-Side-Cafe/320417872612

Visit the facebook page for Leicester Pagan Moot:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Leicester-United-Kingdom/Leicester-Pagan-Moot/298422108418