The UMass Pagan Students Organization (UMPSO) was found in the fall of 1987 by Lewis Stead and Alyxx Bergler, two Wiccan undergraduates who were dissatisfied with a lack of public Pagan groups in the area. The group is open to all members of different Pagan faiths, as well as people who are interested in earth-based spirituality.
UMPSO changed its name to SPIRALS (Student Pagans Integrating Religion and Life Spiritually) in the fall of 1998.
During the Fall of 2003, we participated in Pioneer Valley Pagan Pride Day hosted by the Pioneer Valley Pagan Association (PVPA). Pagan Pride Day is a day for Pagans in the local and surrounding communities to get together to celebrate and connect with one another. Along with yearly participation in this event, we collaborate with PVPA on other events.
In 2005 we were invited to join the Center For Symbolic Studies in New York for their Beltaine ritual. This has become a tradition and helps us build community with pagans outside of this state.
With the help of the PVPA, SPIRALS was able to host its first annual Yule festival in December 2006. It was a resounding success. In Spring 2007 we revamped our efforts to connect with the other Pagan groups in the five college system.
And we continue to make history…