10.31.2008
A Blessed Samhain
Tonight and tomorrow is when most modern Pagans celebrate Samhain. Samhain is the start of winter and of the new year in the old Celtic calendar. This is a time when the ancestors are honored, divinations for the new year are performed, and festivals are held in honor of the gods. It is a time of final harvest before the long winter ahead. It is perhaps the best-known and most widely celebrated of the modern Pagan holidays.
Samhain candlelight labyrinth.
Photo by Readerwalker, CC License
It is a time when some communities acknowledge the Mighty Dead.
"The Mighty Dead are said to be those practitioners of our religion who are on the Other Side now, but who still take great interest in the activities of Witches on this side of the Veil. They have pledged to watch, to help and to teach. It is those Mighty Dead who stand behind us, or with us, in circle so frequently."
This has been a heavy year, as many notable members of the broader Pagan community have crossed the veil, including Sequoia Greenfield, Tara Webster, John Lyon Burnside III, Tom K. (Phoenix), Frederick McLaren Adams, Denessa Smith, Sgt. Joseph A. Ford, Paula Gunn Allen, Cora Anderson, Alan Miller (aka Dr Christopher Hyatt), Susan Grace Falkenrath (aka Susan Wolf), and Brenda Henson.
"I love that story about Susan Anthony that Zsuzsanna Budapest tells in her book. Some journalist asked Susan Anthony, because she didn't believe in orthodox religion, I suppose, "Where do you think you're to go when you die?" She said, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay around and help the women's movement." So even if I don't live long enough to see these things, I'll be around to make a nuisance of myself." - Doreen Valiente, the Mother of Modern Witchcraft.
Below you'll find an assortment of quotes from the media and from fellow Pagans on the holiday.
"Samhain. All Hallows. All Hallow’s Eve. Hallow E’en. Halloween. The most magical night of the year. Exactly opposite Beltane on the wheel of the year, Halloween is Beltane’s dark twin. A night of glowing jack-o’-lanterns, bobbing for apples, tricks or treats, and dressing in costume. A night of ghost stories and séances, tarot card readings and scrying with mirrors. A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest. A “spirit night”, as they say in Wales." - Mike Nichols, The Witches' Sabbats
"This night brought excitement to our European ancestors. They believed that this night was the time when the "Veil Between Worlds" was at its thinnest, and a time when the love of the living and the dead could transcend through that thinned Veil, and each side could reach to the other, to express that love." - Terry Smith, The Town Talk
"Halloween's constantly evolving traditions originated about 2,000 years ago in the Celtic culture that thrived in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. Oct. 31 marked the end of the Celtic year and the annual ancient festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). This event celebrated the end of both the summer and the harvest. It was a pivotal time for early pagans whose lives were so closely linked to the land." - Laura Krawczyk and Eric Sever, The Cauldron
"In A.D. 43 the Roman war machine rolled through Britain and conquered a large chunk of the Celtic population. But the Romans, always the master conquerors, cleverly blended two of their own holidays with the Celtic Samhain to make the transition to Roman rule more seamless. One holiday was a celebration of the dead -- easy enough to mix with Samhain -- and the other was a celebration of the Pomona, goddess of fruit and trees, where, apparently, the tradition of bobbing for apples takes root." - Streeter Seidell, CNN
"Set up an altar in your home to honor departed loved ones and ancestors, or, if you already have such an altar, place offerings and light a candle there. As done in ancient times, set a place at your table for your spirit friends and relatives, and serve them some of the food and drink you share at your Samhain feast. Throw a Come as You Were Party and have everyone dress up as they were in another life. Set lighted carved pumpkins around your home to bless it. Magically make a resolution to break out of a negative habit pattern and begin a healthier way of being. Do divination on the year ahead." - Selena Fox, Celebrating the Seasons
May you all have a blessed Samhain, blessings to you, and your beloved dead on this season. Let this new cycle be one of great blessings for all of you.
10.30.2008
Honestly, There Are Too Many Jokes Here
Several blogs, and a couple fine souls, have alerted me to this story. I don't think I can really improve on the blistering, soul-destroying irony on display here. So I'll let you, dear readers, append your own punchline in the comments.
Exodus, Chapter 32.
"For these and other reasons Cindy [Jacobs] is calling for a Day of Prayer for the World’s Economies on Wednesday, October 29, 2008. They are calling for prayer for the stock markets, banks, and financial institutions of the world on the date the stock market crashed in 1929. They are meeting at the New York Stock Exchange, the Federal Reserve Bank, and its 12 principal branches around the US that day. “We are going to intercede at the site of the statue of the bull on Wall Street to ask God to begin a shift from the bull and bear markets to what we feel will be the 'Lion’s Market,' or God’s control over the economic systems,” she said."
If the economy does any worse, we may just see some temples to Pluto, Kubera, and Lu Hsing pop up soon.
Labels: Bible, Bull, Christianity, economics, Golden Calf, idol worship, Paganism, Wall Street
Temple of Artemis to be Rebuilt
"I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, 'Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught [anything] so grand'" - Antipater of Sidon
Word has come from Turkey that the famous Temple of Artemis at Ephesus is going to be rebuilt and restored to its former glory.
Artemis of Ephesus
"With support from Austrian scientists, [Dr. Atilay] Ileri [founder of the Selcuk Artemis Culture, Arts and Education Foundation] had Swiss architects prepare a plan for the reconstruction of the temple. Ileri, who has dreamed of reconstructing the temple for 10 years, said: 'When completed, the temple will not be a copy or an imitation of the original Artemis but the Artemis itself. And its sisters of the past will set their eyes on it with pride and emulation.'"
The project will cost an estimated 150 million dollars, and will involve sculptors from around the world. The government of Turkey, while not directly financing the project, is supportive of Ileri's efforts. The new temple will be 1,500 meters from the original temple, and is expected to break ground once official permission is granted. Ileri hopes the rebuilt temple will become a new "center of world sculpture".
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and was initially destroyed by the world's first fame-seeker (who shall not be named here) in 356 BCE. The temple was rebuilt in 323 BCE, only to be destroyed once more by Goths (the Germanic tribes, not the clove-smoking black-clad subculture) in 262. The Ephesians rebuilt it once again (you have to admire their dedication), only to have it dismantled by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom in 401 CE. Some of the columns were then used to build the Hagia Sophia.
While I'm certain the new temple will be a hive for tourism and the arts, I can only imagine how rebuilding one of the most famous goddess temples will resonate culturally around the world. Will it become a place of pilgrimage? Will a new cult to the Ephesian Artemis revive? Will it signal a new trend in not simply preserving old temples and landmarks, but actually rebuilding them to their former glory? Could we see a new Delphi or Colossus of Rhodes? An embracing of our pre-Christian heritage slipped through the side-door of "tourism", "art", and "culture".
Labels: Archaeology, art, Artemis, Ephesus, goddess, Paganism, Temple of Artemis, Turkey
10.29.2008
The Witches Come To Slate.com
Slate.com contributor Lee Ann Kinkade (she previously wrote a piece on intentional communities) outs herself as a Witch, and reveals the less glamorous side of practicing Paganism.
"This picture leaves out an important detail, and I don't mean the whole human-sacrifice-and-stealing-Christian-babies thing. Planning a ritual, whether it's for Halloween or any other holiday, is a conflict-filled battle. It's like trying to herd jack rabbits on horseback. Those who practice witchcraft tend to be strident nonconformists, and the very nature of paganism, which has no unifying body or text, means that we have no obligation to believe the same thing or listen to anything beyond the dictates of our own consciences to unite in perfect accord. Often we flow together, achieving unity in which we are transported beyond ourselves, connected with the earth we love and the energy we feel from it. And just as often, we don't."
Kinkade shares some personal ritual mishaps from her past, and her annoyance at those who want to be "Pagan for a day" come Samhain.
"It seems like half the people I know want to be pagan on Halloween. I have no problem with a little religious tourism. I'm a bit of a spiritual slut. I have never turned down an invitation to a Seder. Bach thundering through a church transports me. But when I see visions of bacchanals dancing in my nonpagan friends' heads, I get a little testy. Certain experiences are too comforting, too sacred to be spectacles. For me, Samhein is one of them."
When an essay run in a major online publication discusses "Pagan standard time" and sloppy ritual preparation, I guess we really have hit the mainstream.
Labels: journalism, Lee Ann Kinkade, Paganism, Samhain, Slate.com, Wicca, Witchcraft
10.28.2008
Happy Diwali!
A very happy Diwali to all my Hindu and IndoPagan readers. Diwali, the festival of lights, is a major Indian holiday representing a spiritual new year, and a triumph of good over evil. Depending on the region and tradition, this day commemorates the return of Lord Rama, the birth of Lakshmi, and the Austerities of Shakti (among other events). Celebrants usually light lamps, set off fireworks, and wear new clothing to commemorate the day.
Hindu puja on the eve of Diwali.
"Diwali, the festival of lights, was on Tuesday celebrated across the city with traditional fervour as people decorated and illuminated their houses. People clad in new attire, thronged temples and distributed sweets and savouries among friends and relatives. The people, especially kids and youth, enjoyed the day by bursting crackers. President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Ministers also celebrated Diwali. In the national capital, all small and major markets brimmed with activity as shoppers were seen making last minute purchases for the festival which marks the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom after 14 years of exile."
May you experience happiness and good fortune on this day, and in the year to come.
Labels: Diwali, Festival, Hinduism, holidays, India, IndoPaganism
Michele Bachmann: The Anti-Pagan Angle
I had never heard of Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann until her recent brush with infamy, when she advocated that Barack Obama, and other liberals, be investigated for "anti-American" views by the press.
Michele Bachmann
“What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think the American people would love to see an expose like that.” When asked about Sen. Barack Obama's views she said, “Absolutely, I’m very concerned that he may have anti-American views.”
However, channeling Joseph McCarthy is hardly unique among the far-right, what has caught my eye about this witch-hunting poster child is the fact that she is funneling tainted contribution money into an anti-Pagan charity.
"Earlier this month we reported Bachmann's connection to Frank Vennes Jr., convict-turned-good who was also a heavy Bachmann contributor. She wrote a letter on his behalf requesting a pardon, but pulled it after his homes were raided in connection with the Petters' fraud investigation. Her campaign reported that she donated at least one of Vennes' contributions to charity, but wouldn't specify which one. Bachmann donated a $9,200 contribution on Oct. 3 to Minnesota Teen Challenge, according to Minnesota Independent."
A quick look a the Minnesota Teen Challenge web site would lead you to believe they are a run-of-the-mill faith-based anti-drug and alcohol organization. But appearances can be deceiving. Local anti-Bachmann bloggers have dug through the organization's newsletters and found some pretty familiar rhetoric.
“We would have people put curses over candy and place jewelry with demonic symbols in Trick or Treat bags. When the kids take it willingly, it opens the door for demonic attack. Kids would be sick for weeks after Halloween. Drug dealers were out in full force. We would all try to recruit at least one person to come back to the Satanic meeting. Usually, we would just try to impress them with different displays of demonic power, like levitation and casting spells.”
If that weren't all, the scandal-tainted money was donated to a charity that used to be run and funded by the very person who tainted it in the first place!
"Frank Vennes is a former board member of Teen Challenge. He’s also involved in the nonprofit Fidelis Foundation, which has served as a fiscal agent for — and donated millions of dollars to — many evangelical ministries and other religious organizations, including Minnesota Teen Challenge."
Now supporting a charity that peddles in lies and distortions of Pagan religions is most likely the least of her worries at this point, but it certainly gives some insight into what causes Bachmann is willing to support. Being socially conservative is one thing, but unthinkingly supporting a group that teaches mentally vulnerable children with addictions that we are evil is another matter entirely. Here's hoping that Paganistan can elect someone a bit more friendly to our faiths come November.
Labels: Christianity, Michele Bachmann, Minnesota, Paganism, Paganistan, Presidential election, Republican Party, Satanic Panic
10.27.2008
It's In the Cards
Enterprise News has published a remarkably even-keeled article on tarot cards by Kathryn Rem. No doubt the quality of this piece was helped immensely by the fact that she interviews tarot author and expert Rachel Pollack (who has a blog, by the way).
"'I loved the idea that there was a story involved with each card,' said [Rachel] Pollack of Rhinebeck, N.Y., an authority on tarot and the author of 30 books, including “Tarot Wisdom” (Llewellyn, 2008) and “Tarot of Perfection” (Magic Realist Press, 2008). “The two biggest areas that people want to know about are love and work,” Pollack said. 'Some readers focus on future events. But modern readers help people look inside. It’s a tool for self-awareness.'"
The Tower. Art by Pamela Colman Smith.
But if talking to a respected tarot scholar isn't exactly what you had in mind for a Halloween-season story, Penn State's student paper The Collegian gives you a more typical "interview with a tarot reader" piece.
"She pauses. "I thought everyone felt what I felt," she said. "You feel something, they ask you, you tell them. You don't see CinemaScope, Dolby Sound -- it's abstract. Some puzzle pieces don't fit." With her gift and her tools, she said, she can give people insight -- perspective into themselves, into their future, into the people around them. She tells her customers to concentrate on three questions during tarot card readings, and by the end of the session, she does her best to answer them."
Still a bit too mundane for you? Not enough salacious sensationalism? How about the arrest of a fraudulent teenage "tarot master", who scammed the ex-president of Taiwan?
"The 16-year-old teenager surnamed Huang, who claimed telling fortune with tarot cards for Taiwan former president Chen Shui-bian, got arrested for forgery of documents last night in a motel in Taipei County ... Huang caught media’s attention when he said he was the tarot master who had told fortune and pray for blessings for Chen Shui-bian in Huang’s office ... Huang confessed that he tricked Chen in his blog article on the 23rd. He said he only learned tarot from reading books and that the three lamas in the blessing ritual were also fake."
Now we're talking! Sadly, since it happened in Taiwan, it will most likely get a pass from the Western media. Of course no U.S. president would risk such embarrassment (they like to stick to astrology).
So there you have it, three stories involving tarot cards, ranging from respectable to sensationalistic. A journalistic buffet catering to all tastes regarding "occult" subject matter. I personally hope for more like the Pollack article, but I fear that anyone peering into the future can expect more stereotypical fare as well.
Labels: art, journalism, occult, Rachel Pollack, Tarot
10.26.2008
Troublemakers? Or Just Misunderstood?
In the recent glut of Halloween/Samhain stories, two, though separated by thousands of miles of geography, stood out as sharing a similar theme. They both involved groups of alleged Pagan troublemakers, who may just be misunderstood instead of wicked. The first takes place in Australia, where a yearly Beltane/Halloween festival
"...in 28 years there had never been a punch-up at the Mount Franklin Beltane gathering of witches - an event that has drawn up to 700 spell-casting Victorians ... last year, a small group known as "the trolls" caused an upset by hanging headless dolls from trees and otherwise carrying on in a dark-hearted fashion. 'There was a nasty element we'd never seen before, and it ended in a violent altercation, and has essentially ruined what was once a beautiful event,' a high-profile witch, speaking anonymously, told The Sunday Age. 'I mean, you're meant to embrace the darkness in witchcraft, but you're also meant to keep it in balance with the light. These guys were all about the darkness. It's not like there were a lot of them but they've done a lot of damage.'"
There are so many things wrong, journalistically speaking, with this article. Including the reliance on a "high-profile" anonymous source, and failing to get the "trolls" side of the story. On the whole, it could very well be that some imperious white-lighter Witch "lord" got up the nose of some goth kids and picked the "violent altercation" alluded to anonymously. Sadly, the article doesn't give us enough information to make a judgment either way. One of the more reasonable assessments of local tensions that the article provides comes from a Satanic store-owner.
"I grew up with witchcraft in the '70s, when witchcraft and Satanism were one and the same. This was a time when the black arts were truly forbidden. Now it's all about white light," he said forlornly. "The practitioners of today almost go out of their way to remove the mystery and darker aspects of their craft."
So were the "trolls" nasty violent brutes, or simply misunderstood kids raising the hackles of people who had a fixed idea of what their celebration should be? The article doesn't really answer that question (though congrats to fellow Pagan blogger Caroline Tully on getting interviewed).
Meanwhile, back in America, a group of teenage hoodlums is Washington are giving a local Christian after-school program the vapors.
"Rainier Chapel’s youth group, ELIFE, is struggling to keep its participants. ELIFE leader Tom Warner said the problem lies with a disruptive group of teens who hang out in the park adjacent to the church during ELIFE activities. Warner said parents don’t want to bring their children to ELIFE because of those teens ... Some of the teens outside chant Wicca spells, do drugs and drink alcohol, Warner alleges. “I feel like I’ve enabled a drug ring,” Warner said."
Teen Witch drug addicts! Oh cripes! There is just one problem with Warner's assertions, the cops haven't found any evidence of it yet.
"Police Chief Joe Vukich said while his officers will keep an eye out for any illegal activity, his main goal is for his officers to befriend members of the group. If officers talk to them, maybe they can learn why they are loitering outside the church. “I told (my officer) he needs to hang out there and make friends with the kids and the pastor,” Vukich said. If there is indeed drugs or underage drinking, the police will act accordingly, Vukich said ... “It’s possible we have a terrible drug problem out there. We do have a substance abuse problem in Rainier, Tenino and Bucoda,” Vukich said. 'It’s also possible there isn’t a problem. Nevertheless, we’re trying to take a community approach. We don’t really know what the situation is.'"
Is Warner concerned about drug-abusing Wiccans, or is he concerned with having competition? He is currently dispersing flyers claiming "the cops will be after you" if ELIFE attendees go outside and run around. Sounds more like a turf war, than concern over underage substance abuse. Perhaps these "Wiccan-chanting" teens are simply having some fun at ELIFE's expense? If so, raising the stakes by calling the cops in will only make it more exciting for them. To bad the journalist didn't try to interview any of these teens to get their side of the story, and find out what their real motivations are.
In each of these stories it is entirely possible that the antagonists are everything their opponents say they are: dark, drug-abusing, violent, hooligans. But we aren't provided the resources to make an informed decision in either case presented here. This is a failure of basic journalism. Each article went for a more sensationalist story about outside forces of chaos intervening in something "good" (whether it was a Pagan gathering or a Christian after-school program), instead of giving us a more traditional assessment of each side's take. Casualties of Halloween-season reportage, or lazy reporting?
* Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasonal holidays are normally reversed. Hence Beltane instead of Samhain.
Labels: Australia, Beltane, Christianity, Halloween, journalism, Paganism, teens, trolls, Washington state, Wicca, Witchcraft
10.25.2008
Deryni Filming
Hollywood Reporter brings us the news that Columbia Pictures has made a six-figure deal to bring the novel "Deryni Rising" to the screen, with hopes that it could become a successful fantasy movie franchise.
Deryni Rising cover art.
"Columbia Pictures is bringing Katherine Kurtz's "Deryni Rising" to the big screen. In a six-figure deal, the studio has picked up "Deryni" as a spec by Alex Sabeti. Jimmy Miller is producing via his Mosaic banner. "Deryni" is a historical fantasy novel first published in 1970 that launched Kurtz's "Deryni Kingdom" series that, almost 40 years later, encompasses five trilogies, short stories and reference books. The story is set in a medieval kingdom of humans alongside the Deryni, a race of people with psychic and magical abilities. The first novel centers on a young prince who, after the death of his father the king, must defend his throne from a Deryni usurper."
The Deryni novels are written by Katherine Kurtz, an esoteric Christian (founder of the Michaelines) who is remarkably Pagan-friendly. Back in the early 80s she wrote "Lammas Night", a classic in the "Pagans save the world"
It should be interesting to see how they portray magic (especially ritual magic), the kingdom of Gwynedd (loosely modeled after Britain), and the Holy Church of Gwynedd (loosely modeled after the Roman Catholic Church). Will Catholic groups complain about the blending of esoteric practices into what is obviously their church? Will the religious elements get downplayed or watered down (as in the film version of The Golden Compass)? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
* My favorite "Pagans save the world" novel is Stewart Farrar's "Omega" (which you can buy used for a PENNY at Amazon).
Labels: books, Christianity, Deryni Rising, film, Katherine Kurtz, Magic, Magick, movies
10.24.2008
Pagans, Samhain, The Press
I don't know if you had heard, but apparently there is a growing and diverse religious movement that is often labeled "Paganism", and Halloween is, like, a major holiday for many of them. There are months here at The Wild Hunt where hunting down stories is a chore, then October rolls around and I have far too much to appropriately sum up without doing a "news of note" every other day (a prospect I don't especially relish, I prefer the more sedate once-a-week or so schedule its been on). Let me just assure you that I'm doing my best to stay on top of things, and delivering what I think are the most interesting picks of this journalistic harvest.
Having said all that, let's do a quick look at the flood of Halloween/Samhain stories involving Pagans. A mix of that runs from the remedial to the sublime. Featuring well-known Pagans, assorted experts and academics, and cast of unknown locals getting their first taste of press attention.
Reuters looks at a Samhain celebration in Milan, Italy, and marvels at the explosive growth of modern Paganism there.
"Organizers say numbers are elusive, but using sources like mailing lists, event registration and journal subscriptions, they place their ranks at between 2,000 and 10,000. The founder of Milan's Circle of the Crossroads, Davide Marre, remembers when his group numbered "four cats," an expression for virtually nobody. Six years later, he has 200 members, with conferences, study groups, a magazine, a book, even a monthly bar fest called the Witches' Café."
Interestingly, not a single mention of Stregheria, and one of the Pagans they do talk to seems to identify as Celtic. Is British Paganism gaining more traction in Italy than Italian-American Paganism? The piece also sources an article by Francesca Howell from The Pomegranate.
The North Wind (Northern Michigan's student paper) covers an appearance by Pagan author and NPR journalist Margot Adler, who discusses the growth of the modern Pagan movement since the 60s and 70s.
"Adler kicked off her presentation by telling a humorous anecdote about her first visit to Michigan in the 1980s to appear on a Detroit morning show. Adler explained that she took extra care to look good for the television cameras and had cut herself shaving as she prepared for the event. At the end of the television appearence the audience was allowed to ask questions. 'A question that came up from the audience was 'Is that mark on your leg from some ritual?' I had to explain that, I had just cut myself shaving while getting ready.'"
The headline proclaims that Paganism "continues to expand", but nothing in the article follows up on that claim. Guess you have to take what you can get when dealing with student papers. The anecdote was good though.
A senior at the Pinkerton Academy has been barred from giving a planned talk on Wicca for the schools "diversity week" after complaints from parents (even though other religiously-themed talks are going forward).
"Pinkerton senior Jerica Haynes may not be able to give the presentation she prepared about the religion of Wicca during Diversity Week this year, but she is still hopeful she can dispel some myths about what it means to be a modern-day practicing witch ... Robin Perrin, director of relations management for Pinkerton, said several parents called the school to complain that the presentation was inappropriate. Perrin said the issue for parents was that whole classes sign up for some Diversity Week presentations, and there was a fear that the Wicca presentation would be mandatory for students whose class signed up to attend the presentation."
The school is currently planning to allow her to do it next week after school, after first performing her talk for a "diversity committee". Haynes, who is a third-generation Witch, appears to be going along with this, and the school should thank its lucky stars she is. There is certainly grounds here for some sort of discrimination-based lawsuit.
Samhain is usually time for a flood of "meet the Pagans" type articles, and this year won't disappoint. Burnaby Now interviews Jennifer Thrasher owner of Grimoire's Books, The Spectator interviews Eau Claire resident Trae Dorn (and cites James Sharpe), The Skyline View attended a talk by Starhawk, The Jambar interviews Kyle Metzger and Torrey Derda, the Boston Phoenix interviews several Pagan students at Boston University, and The Southern Voice interviews Ken "Lord Thespis" Gunter (a member of Lady Sintana's church).
"Wicca includes the study, respect and celebration of the ebb and flow between male and female, Gunter adds, noting the moon represents the female, while the sun represents the male. Wicca is also a matriarchal religion, where women are held typically in higher regard than male members. There is also room for transgender Wiccans, Gunter says. “We had a transgender woman as a member once and she was a priestess. She lived her life as a woman, so it was simple,” he says."
The subtitle of this article? Why "Halloween means much more than costumes and candy" of course. If you think that was a lot of articles (and I probably didn't get all of them), keep in mind we have another week of news stories to go before we hit October 31st.
Finally, I wanted to quickly mention two other articles you might enjoy, The Christian Post gives an unintentional guide to getting your house egged on Halloween night, and VPR marks the passing of Tom "Mr. Halloween" Fagan, founder of Rutland, Vermont's famous annual Halloween parade, and a man who has appeared as himself in several comic books over the years.
"Tom Fagan was a reporter for the Rutland Herald when he encouraged the city's recreation department to create the goulish celebration back in 1959. Fagan was crazy about comic books and he worked them into the parade, often dressing up as Batman. He was friends with many comic book writers and he encouraged them to come to Rutland, dress up in costume and appear with him in the parade. In the 1970s, Rutland's Halloween parade achieved a degree of fame when it was used as the setting of a number of superhero comic books, published by both DC and Marvel. Tom Fagan was himself featured as a character in a number of these stories, usually depicted as an acquaintance of the lead character."
He will, no doubt, be at his beloved Halloween parade in spirit.
That is all for now, have a great day!
Labels: discrimination, Halloween, Italy, journalism, Margot Adler, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Passings, Samhain, Wicca, Witchcraft
10.23.2008
What is With Politicians Covering Up Half-Naked Goddesses?
Remember back in 2002 when John "Let the Eagle Soar" Ashcroft, then Attorney General, ordered the half-naked statue of the Spirit of Justice to be covered by a drape?
"The [Department of Justice] spent $8,000 on blue drapes that hide the two giant, aluminum art deco statues, said spokesman Shane Hix. For aesthetic reasons, he said, the drapes were occasionally hung in front of the statues before formal events. The department used to rent the drapes, but has now purchased them and left them hanging. The drapes provide a nice background for television cameras, Hix said ... ABC News reported that Attorney General John Ashcroft ordered the statues covered because he didn't like being photographed in front of them."
Well, it isn't just Republican politicians who want to avoid being photographed around the bared breasts of a goddess. It seems Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden's campaign team was a little bashful around a proudly (half) nude statue of Diana the huntress.
Joe, meet Diana. Photo by Javier Manzano.
"Normally, Diana the Huntress - the statue of her, that is - poses au naturel in front of the Union Depot building in downtown Pueblo. But on Wednesday, that changed. At least for a few hours. "I don't think they wanted bare breasts showing," said Mike Randall, the person in charge of putting a makeshift shift on Diana, goddess of the hunt and the moon. "They said cover her up, so I put her in a toga," said Randall, who used a large swath of black cloth to cover Diana's unmentionables and a bunch of black string to keep his creation from blowing away. The enormous flag was added after the toga alone was deemed inadequate to keep Diana out of the picture."
Diana covered. Photo by Javier Manzano.
A word of advice to politicians, don't sweat the statues! It just makes you seem prudish and overly concerned with avoiding a potentially embarrassing photo (plus, I would love to get some great shots of politicians standing in front of pagan deities to use for my blog). Also, I can't imagine it would be good luck to throw a toga and flag on Diana's statue (she just doesn't seem the acquiescing type). I'm just sayin'.
PS - Here is a shot of the de-toga-ed statue of Diana.
Labels: Colorado, goddess, Joe Biden, Paganism, politics, Presidential election, statues
10.22.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
That sound you hear is the sound of Rev. Rapid Cabot Freeman's moral high ground collapsing. Just yesterday I was reporting about how he was possibly discriminated against when his talk at a local library was canceled. Now, in the midst of his story getting wider coverage, Freeman has been arrested for harassing an ex-friend.
"Rusty Freeman, who is also known as the Rev. Rapid Cabot Freeman, was charged with second-degree harassment. Police said on July 12 they received a complaint against Freeman from Kelly Hajduk, who alleged that he was harassing her. A couple of hours before Hajduk filed her complaint Freeman called her residence and she had her friend pick up the phone and tell him to stop calling. Freeman called back immediately and left a voice mail, stating that he was not afraid of the person who told him to stop calling, the warrant said. Hajduk told police that she told Freeman on numerous occasions to stop calling her, but he did not stop, the warrant said. Hajduk said she even got her attorney, Frank Manfredi to send a letter to Freeman, informing him that he is to have no "direct or indirect" contact with her or the matter would be referred to police."
I guess the lesson here is that publicity is a two-edged knife. If your going to invite the press into your life, make sure you aren't going to do something that will get you arrested in the process. What might have been Freeman's big moment in the sun, has instead become an embarrassment for the wider Pagan community.
Speaking of embarrassments, we have a double-dose of Halloween-themed Christian propaganda for you. First the Tucson Citizen runs an editorial from Shaunti Feldhahn about the "dark" and "evil" side of the holiday.
"But many continued to celebrate Halloween for dark purposes. Today, that has translated directly into very real, very evil Oct. 31 witchcraft and satanic ceremonies, which I have heard something about from two friends who were raised by satanist parents."
Raised by Satanist parents?!? I wonder what they did for Christmas? Feldhahn also quotes veteran anti-Pagan author Steve "What's the Deal With Wicca" Russo concerning how Halloween can "desensitize" you to evil. Luckily they are just trying to "provide answers", and not tell you what to believe about the (dark, evil, Satanic) holiday. Meanwhile, The National Catholic Register takes a shot at New Age Oprah fans by interviewing Moira "Ransomed from Darkness" Noonan.
"There is power in these anti-Christian practices and teachings, but the power is not divine. It’s a power that leads us away from Christ by trading in our Judeo-Christian beliefs for a “new” way of thinking about ourselves and the world."
I always find in fascinating how far-right forms of Christianity inevitably reinforce the spiritual and magical claims of their "enemies". A tactic that may rally the faithful, but also one that builds up what they say they want to see obliterated. It's why some Christians are just as eager as some Pagans to believe that Wicca is the fasted growing religion in America.
While I'm on the subject of Christian belief in the occult, we have a doozy of a story from the loony spiritual warfare fringe. It seems that a message from Flo Ellers (a member of the End-Time Handmaidens) claims that Barack Obama's relatives in Africa are casting malicious spells against John McCain and Sarah Palin.
"...when Obama visited his tribe in '06 and as late as Jan. '08 he went to every elder's home which has a "shrine" inside to worship the genie and asked for their blessing. She was told Obama and Odinga were both "destined" before they were born to be president/leader of their nation. They say "he is the chosen one". She said Obama's grandmother sacrificed a black and a white chicken to the "goddess of the river" so both whites and blacks will vote for Obama. All Islam loves and worships Obama. The world is mesmerized by him. Oprah's 200 million followers are out to elect Obama. Also, Dick Morris of Fox News was sent to Kenya to help Odinga run his campaign! I find that unbelievable. The occultists are "weaving lazy 8's around McCain's mind to make him look confused and like an idiot". Bree K. said we need to break these curses off of him that are being sent from Kenya."
Wow. I mean, really, wow. You see its the Obama-supporting Pagan/Muslim witches in Kenya that are making McCain seem erratic and confused. That can be the only answer. Just wait until they stumble upon Isaac Bonewits' site. Also: "The End-Time Handmaidens" would be the best name ever for an all-female metal band, just sayin'.
On Faith asks: does religion empower women? Starhawk's answer? It depends on the religion.
"The Pagan and Goddess traditions are deeply empowering for women. Along with the images of what theologian Carol Christ has called 'the beneficence of women's power', our ritual circles are places of emotional and practical support, where women (and men, too) can find friendship, healing, at times a cheering squad to help us take a new step, at other times, a thoughtful critique to help us make a needed course correction. We create rituals to honor women's cycles and life changes, celebrating our young girls when they first begin to menstruate and feasting our older women in croning ceremonies at the end of menopause."
Deepak Chopra's response is also worth a read.
In a final, sad note, M. Macha Nightmare marks the passing of Sequoia Greenfield. Priestess, activist, and aviator, Greenfield was one of the first members of Z Budapest's Susan B. Anthony Coven No. 1.
"This is a woman who traveled the world, mostly alone. I remember when, on her first trip to India, she wrote wonderful travelogues to her friends describing her experiences. (This was before the Internet.) She once described how she was in an unfamiliar small village in India, when there was a celebration to a Hindu goddess (name lost in the recesses of my senior mind), the villagers grabbed her and put her at the head of their procession. Evidently, that particular goddess had red hair and here came this stranger with red hair just on the goddess' feast day, so I guess they considered Sequoia to be the goddess incarnate."
May she rest in the arms of the Goddess, and return to us again.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: Barack Obama, Christianity, Halloween, journalism, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Passings, Rev. Rapid Cabot Freeman, Samhain, Sequoia Greenfield, spiritual warfare, Starhawk, Wicca, Witchcraft
10.21.2008
Discrimination? Poor Planning? Both?
A Cabot Witch
"Freeman, who said he reserved the room four months ago with librarian Barbaranne Warner, and who has been advertising the party on his public access television show - “The Witching Hour” - for the past six weeks, said he believes it is a matter of religious discrimination. He said he'd been planning the appearance since he spoke at the library about witchcraft last year and members of the audience asked him to give a demonstration. While the town has allowed everything there from Christmas parties to christenings, he said, they are banning him because he's a pagan."
The event, while approved by the president of the Friends of Sprague Public Library, was nixed by the library's First Selectman, Catherine Osten (after complaints by board of trustees members), on the grounds that Freeman didn't follow proper procedure to reserve the space.
"...Osten said, because the event was to be held not in the library proper but in the town community room upstairs, those planning it had to get a permit from her office to use the room. Since no one had sought a permit, or paid the $50 rental fee and the $50 cleaning deposit, she said, there would be no witchcraft there on Halloween. 'This is about someone that doesn't want to follow process,” Osten said. “They've refused to apply for the room, and they want me to say OK. Have we denied it? No, because it hasn't been presented to us to deny.'"
This situation has since led to a bitter falling out between Osten and Linda Puetz, president of the Friends of Sprague Public Library. It also led to Freeman losing the rhetorical upper hand by describing Catherin Osten's decision as "Hitleresque". Was Osten being discriminatory? Most likely, but she was able to hide behind the rules and regulations due to Freeman and Puetz not following proper procedure. At this point, their only recourse seems to be the court of public opinion. It is possible that Osten will back down under the threat of negative publicity due to this article, but I wouldn't hold my breath. This whole controversy seems to be a perfect storm of discrimination, poor communication within the library, and poor planning.
* There seems to be some confusion as to whether Freeman is still within the Cabot tradition or not. On his MySpace page he claims that he has left the Cabot tradition and started his own path (called "First Blood"). But that may be old information, and things could be patched up between them for all I know. For more about Freeman, and his public access TV show, head over to this page (warning: eye-straining MySpace page).
Labels: Connecticut, discrimination, Laurie Cabot, Paganism, Rev. Rapid Cabot Freeman, Wicca, Witchcraft
10.20.2008
The Epicenter of Halloween in America
It has been known for years that Salem, home of the infamous witch trials, has become a mecca for Halloween revelers and modern Pagans (who purportedly make up 10% of the local population). But I think outside observers might be surprised to see how this witchy tourist draw has grown to Mardi Gras proportions. For example, did you know that thousands of bikers do a "Halloween Witch Ride" every year?
Halloween Witch Rider. Photo by Mark Garfinkel.
"More than 3,000 scary-looking cyclists got a jump on Halloween yesterday by participating in the 20th annual Halloween Witch Ride to Salem. Taking off from Bruce Rossmeyer’s Boston Harley-Davidson in Everett, werewolves, skeletons and other ghouls all shared a scenic route through the North Shore."
This particular event has grown so large that Salem has opened its own Harley-Davidson shop this year, complete with a special Harley Salem witch shirt (which is apparently selling like hotcakes). Meanwhile, the city itself is coming up with grander closing spectacles to signal to the large crowds that the Halloween-season party is over.
"The city has hired Somerville-based Visual Design Associates — the company that created an elaborate indoor display at Jordan’s furniture in Reading — to design an eye-catching, end-of-the-night program that will both entertain and send the message to revelers that Halloween night is over ... Around 10 p.m., the live music and DJ’s scattered throughout the downtown will wrap up for the night and direct crowds to the display on Washington Street. At 10:30 p.m., the 15-minute artistic program will start. Then, a scaled-back fireworks display will be launched near the North River at 10:45 p.m. ... It involves an 8-foot wall, helium and giant dancing shapes, according to Kate Fox, the executive director of Destination Salem."
Another article points out that Salem isn't only drawing American revelers and Pagan pilgrims, but a growing international contingent of Halloween tourists.
"So far this October, more than 6,000 visitors have stopped by the booth, which is open on weekends. “There are so many people from other countries,” said information booth volunteer Grace Lamarre, a Salem resident."
As for local Pagan groups, they are hardly idle. Witchy impresario Christian Day's Festival of the Dead grows ever larger, with a Retro Zombie Ball, a Vampires’ Masquerade Ball, and, of course, The Official Salem Witches‘ Halloween Ball.
"Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:30pm to 12:30am at the Hawthorne Hotel! Join Christian Day and the Witches of Salem with special guest Fiona Horne and musical guests Wendy Rule and Dragon Ritual Drummers for a night of magic at the event AOL CityGuide rated one of America's top Halloween parties! Join us as in days of old when fires burned on every hilltop and Witches gathered to feast, rejoice, and cast spells for the new year!"
In addition to Day's massive multi-week extravaganza, Pagan events are also being thrown by Crow Haven Corner, the Cabot Witches (for Cabot initiates only), the Witches' Education Bureau, The Temple of Nine Wells, the First Church of Wicca, and several others.
Add in the seemingly recession-proof yearly increase in Halloween-related spending, and what began as a local tourist draw is gradually morphing into a nationally (and internationally) recognized seasonal festival. For better or worse, this change from cheesy wax-works and trial re-enactments into a massive cultural (and money-making) multi-week event is partially due to the emergence of Witches and modern Pagans injecting a sense of the sacred (and the psychic) into the proceedings. It may never be officially called a Samhain festival, but for all intents and purposes this is America's tribute to Summer's End.
Labels: Christian Day, Halloween, Laurie Cabot, Paganism, psychics, Salem, Samhain, Witch, Witchcraft
10.19.2008
Sunday Comics
If you're a fan of "Oh My Gods!" and wish there were more Pagan-friendly comic strips, why not check out Mark Weinstein's "Prometheus", the wacky adventures of a Titan who was cursed by Zeus to have his liver eaten by a eagle on a daily basis.
The strip is published three times a week, and runs in two Greek publications. To read every strip in order, click here.
Labels: comic strip, Comics, Greece, Myth, Paganism, Prometheus, Zeus
Dutch poet and Voodoo Priestess
The Jakarta Post interviews Dutch poet, and convert to Haitian Voodoo, Maria van Daalen. In Indonesia for the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, van Daalen discusses her conversion experience, living as a poet, and her definition of a spiritual life.
Maria van Daalen
"I believe in what is real, but that there's also magical things. Say I acknowledge God created the whole world in six days, to me it's magical. But certain science is also magical to me. But as a poet I live in reality. This is like what Helen Vendler, a critic, says, 'The critics love the poem about the red beech tree, but the poet loves the red beech tree.'"
Maria van Daalen is currently planning to publish a "grand essay" on Haitian Voodoo (she claims to have been initiated into the rank of Mambo Asogwe), to be published sometime in 2009. She also maintains a blog at her web site (a rough translation). Maria van Daalen's life provides an interesting look into how the African diasporic religions are gaining interest and converts in "secular" Europe.
Labels: Haiti, Maria van Daalen, Netherlands, poetry, Vodou, Voodoo
10.18.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
We start off with an update on an ongoing "Satanic Panic" case in North Carolina. A judge has lowered the bail of Joseph Craig, who is accused, along with his wife Joy Johnson, of raping and "kidnapping" another couple (during supposed "Satanic" rites) that lived with them.
"Judge Orlando Hudson lowered bail to $50,000 for Joseph Craig, who has been in the Durham County Jail since late June ... Craig, 25, has been charged with second-degree rape, second-degree forcible sexual offense, three counts of second-degree kidnapping and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. His wife, Joy Johnson, 30, faces aiding and abetting charges in a case that has created financial hardships for the couple, defense lawyers say. The accusers in the bizarre case are a 44-year-old woman and 19-year-old man who moved in with the couple more than 10 months ago to study the occult."
The defense team has argued that both couples were engaging in consensual sadomasochism, and that their accusers are mentally unstable. While any examination of the facts proves they aren't Satanists, both accusers raised the specter of Satanism and "demons" in their testimony (the female accuser claims she was raped while channeling spirits). Both accusers continued to live with the accused months after the alleged incidents, despite having access to money, cell-phones, and transportation. Of course, as the article points out, even if Joseph Craig and Joy Johnson are cleared of the charges leveled against them, their lives have been ruined by this experience.
While one couple struggles against what may be false accusations, another man is being released from prison after recent DNA testing failed to link him to the scene of the crime. Joseph White, who spent 19 years in prison for the alleged rape-slaying of a 68 year old woman, claims that his Wiccan faith and shamanistic practice helped him persevere in prison.
"As White sipped on hot Darjeeling tea Thursday at a north Lincoln coffee shop, he calmly explained that faith helped him endure nearly two decades behind bars for a crime that he and the evidence say he didn't commit. He said he was the leader of a Wiccan group at the penitentiary. His beliefs also include a mixture of Buddhism and shamanism."
White, who is now 45, is trying to rebuild his life, and is saddened that he missed out on raising his son, now 20. According to state law, if a new case isn't brought against White in six months (prosecutors now admit they have no evidence linking him to the crime), he'll be exonerated of the charges.
A note to the East Valley Tribune, it always helps to be a specific as possible when applying religious labels. For instance, in what way is Dan "Dr. Dan" Bartlett a "pagan movement clergyman"?
"Organizational rules most define religion, says a pagan movement clergyman from Scottsdale, Dan "Dr. Dan" Bartlett, a certified holistic life path adviser. "Spirituality, on the other hand, comes from an individual belief and approach to a connection with what that person might see as God, or see as a connection with the super-consciousness of the universe," he said."
Dr. Dan's site in no way mentions any form of modern Paganism. It does mention him being a "holistic life path advisor" and a "metaphysician", but neither of those professions necessarily mean he's a Pagan. However, I do give you kudos for referring to modern Paganism as a "movement" instead of a singular religion with "denominations".
If you enjoyed the religiously non-specific and occult-avoiding Hallmark channel movie "The Good Witch" you're in luck! They are rolling out a sequel to their "second-highest-rated original movie".
"Witch's Catherine Bell and Chris Potter will start shooting (thank goodness it's a working title) The Good Witch 2 later this month in Toronto for a 2009 premiere. The sequel will revolve around Cassie Nightingale's (Bell) relationship with Police Chief Jake Russell (Potter), which will be threatened when a new man enters her life, says The Hollywood Reporter."
Marvel at a "witch" who runs a metaphysical store, and yet seems to have no religious or philosophical interest in the stuff she sells! Makes you wonder, did they tame down the occult elements because lead actress Catherine Bell is a Scientologist, or is it just a Hallmark thing?
Over at the On Faith site, Starhawk wants us to reject the politics of hate.
"Those of us who lay claim to some form of spiritual leadership should absolutely condemn the tactics of personal attack. We should call our politicians and our communities to think, speak and act from our best selves, not our worst, from respect and compassion, not from stoked-up rage and hate."
One would hope that our "spiritual leadership" gets moving soon, because things are getting progressively meaner as we head into the final stretch of our presidential election.
According to Utah journalist Kelly Ashkettle, today the Utah Black Hat Society is holding their third annual Witches High Tea, sporting their conical caps with pride.
"On Oct. 18, the group will host its third annual Witches High Tea. According to their press release, “over 50 men and women will be wearing their finest robes, gowns, capes, jewels, staffs, wands, pentacles and, of course, tall, pointy hats. Warts, toads and pointed noses are optional.” So if you want to meet some real, yet light-hearted witches this Halloween season, get thee to the Lobby Lounge of the Grand America Hotel at 555 S. Main Street at 2 p.m. this Saturday."
Since this is in Utah, I wonder how many Morwics will be in attendance? No matter what persuasion of Witch they may be, here's hoping they all have a great time.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: law, North Carolina, occult, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Prison, Satanic Panic, Starhawk, Television, Utah, Witch
10.17.2008
For Sale: Temple of Cybele, Slightly Used
Are you a Pagan who has a spare 700,000 Euro burning a hole in your pocket? Then why not head to Bulgaria where Boris Kushlev is selling a 680-square-meter plot in downtown Balchik, home to a recently-discovered temple to the goddess Cybele.
Statue of Cybele from Balchik.
"The ancient temple of the Hittite, Phrygian, and Greek goddess Cybele, which was discovered by accident in Bulgaria's Black Sea town of Balchik in May 2007 has been declared for sale, the Varna daily Pozvanete reported ... The temple of the goddess Cybele is preserved really well, and according to archeologists, is the only one of its type in Europe. The temple is also the best-preserved building from the Hellenic Age in the Balkans. It includes a number of statutes of Cybele, coins from the time of the Roman Emperor Valens, and other ancient artifacts."
The Director of the Balchik History Museum is calling the proposed sale a "sacrilege", and is disappointed both with Kushlev's asking price (too expensive for the city, who have already paid 100,000 BGN to secure and cover the site), and the lack of movement by the Bulgarian state to nationalize the site. Unless the state makes a move, anyone can now swoop in an claim this former temple, and the statues and artifacts within it, for themselves. Potentially robbing Bulgaria of a unique archaeological find.
"The temple of the goddess Cybele is preserved really well, and according to archeologists, is the only one of its type in Europe. The temple is also the best-preserved building from the Hellenic Age in the Balkans. It includes a number of statutes of Cybele, coins from the time of the Roman Emperor Valens, and other ancient artifacts."
Scientists believe that this temple, unlike other finds from the Hellenic era, can be completely restored and opened to the public. It would truly be a shame if it were dismantled and spread around to museums and private collections across the globe. Will the goddess show her hand and stop the destruction of her temple, preserved for so long beneath the earth? Only time (and an influx of money or political will) will tell if this temple is destroyed, or turned into a place of pilgrimage and learning.
Labels: Archaeology, Bulgaria, Cybele, EU, goddess, Hellenism, Paganism, temple
10.16.2008
Watching the Witches
As we get closer to Halloween, Witch-themed media becomes a more and more popular subject for television programmers. We already know about the upcoming Salem-themed episode of "Opportunity Knocks" featuring Laurie "Official Witch of Salem" Cabot, but now cable television will be getting into the act. The Biography channel will be airing a special on Witches (ancient and modern) on October 30th (part of their October "Boo-ography" promotion).
Witness the disembodied floating head of Silver! Spooky!
According to Llewellyn Worldwide publicist Jennifer Spees, the show will be "an exploration of witchcraft from medieval times through the present", and feature interviews with Christopher Penczak, Stefani "Spiral" Barner, and Silver Ravenwolf. It isn't known at this point who else the Biography team interviewed, but it has been confirmed that they visited Salem (naturally), so it wouldn't be too surprising to see Laurie Cabot or Christian Day pop up as well. I'll refrain from speculating on what the sensationalism/accuracy ratio will be.
For those wanting to see some real live Witches on the big screen, you might want to head over to the 15th Annual Chicago Underground Film Festival, and check out the Midwest premiere of the documentary "Hoopeston" (screening, coincidentally, on October 30th). The film, directed by Thomas Bender, looks at the struggling town of Hoopeston, Illinois, and the conflicts that emerged when Witch School (and the Correllian Tradition that runs it) moved in (check out my original post on this documentary).
Hoopeston - Trailer from Synydyne on Vimeo.
"Witches will come out a day early this year. "Hoopeston," a feature-length documentary about an Illinois town and its Witch School, will play in the Chicago Underground Film Festival on October 30, the night before Halloween. Produced by SYNYDYNE, "Hoopeston" tells the story of the former Sweet Corn Capital of the World through the lives of its residents: a laborer struggles to find work, a young entrepreneur buys the only motel in town, the police chief battles a drug epidemic, and the Correllian Chancellor lays plans for a vast Crystal Web. The film balances the stark beauty of rural Illinois with candid and moving interviews from a variety of subjects. It features an original score by composer Todd Mazierski."
After the Midwest premiere, Synydyne will start selling DVDs of the film. They have a mailing list you can sign up for to be notified when copies are available. As for the Witch School folks, they'll be in Salem teaching free classes through November 1st.
So whether you want to attend a movie out (in the greater Chicagoland area), or stay inside and curl up on your couch (if you have cable television), you'll be able to gage how far forward (or back) depictions of modern Pagans have come since the days of fog-machines, strobe lighting, and the morning talk-show circuit. Happy viewing!
Labels: Biography, documentaries, film, Hoopeston, Llewellyn, movies, Paganism, Reality Television, Salem, Television, Wicca, Witch, Witch School, Witchcraft
10.15.2008
Santeria? Voodoo? What's the Difference?
David Silva at the San Diego CityBeat gently chides the national media for picking up the story of a local building fire that harmed and killed no-one simply because the AP labeled it a "Voodoo supply shop".
"...the first reports of the fire that gutted Centro Botanico La Santisima in Grant Hill early Sunday morning contained a single detail that caught the attention of news editors across the country: The little shop on Imperial Avenue supplied materials to practitioners of Voodoo. That changed everything. “Fire destroys Voodoo supply shop in San Diego,” declared The Associated Press within hours of the blaze. The story went on to state that an unattended candle in the store might have started the fire. Dozens of newspapers from here to the East Coast quickly picked up the AP story. The San Diego Union-Tribune ran with it, as did the New York Daily News, Denver Post, San Francisco Chronicle and the Fresno Bee. The stories all led off with the same juicy fact: A “Voodoo store” had burned to the ground."
Silva makes the distinction that Centro Botanico La Santisima, far from being a place catering to practitioners of Voodoo/Vodou, in realty served the local Santeria community. He goes on to interview a local santero, who, in turn, takes pains to express that these are two separate religious systems.
"There was just one problem with every one of the stories: Centro Botanico La Santisima wasn’t a Voodoo supply store. It catered to practitioners of Santería, an obscure religion that, like Voodoo, has distant West African roots but has as much to do with Voodoo as Catholicism has to Judaism. “Santería is very different from Voodoo. We have some of the same saints, but other than that, we’re something else entirely,” says Carlos Perez, a santero—or priest—at the Santería shop Botanica Santa Barbara on El Cajon Boulevard. “Santería is a religion—Voodoo is more like witchcraft.” Practitioners of the various forms of Voodoo would likely take exception to that characterization. For them, Voodoo is as much a religion as Santería. But Perez’ point is clear: Santería is not Voodoo."
As for Silva himself, he admits that he didn't realize the difference until he interviewed Kyle Leite (who has been mentioned on this blog before), a local Pagan, and practitioners of Stregheria, who set him straight on the nuances of African diasporic religions. Silva's piece ends with a regret that journalistic sensationalism has overshadowed a tragedy in someone's life, and for the local Santeria community.
"Perhaps lost in all the confusion, unfortunately, is that the loss of Centro Botanico La Santisima was disastrous for those who depended on it."
In the end, "getting religion" means more than defining "fundamentalist" correctly, it also means doing a bit of background research so you don't mislabel a religious supply store that has been burned down. Just as you wouldn't mischaracterize an Episcopal church as a Catholic church, even if they have similar origins and styles of practice, so too do the more "exotic" minority faiths deserve the dignity of simple accuracy.
Labels: California, journalism, Paganism, Santeria, Vodou, Voodoo
10.14.2008
Would A Matriarchy Be More Peaceful?
An enduring idea within some modern Pagan communities is of a matriarchal golden age, a time when women, and their goddesses (or a singular "Great Goddess"), oversaw a time of peace and prosperity. This period in history is generally thought to have ended by the violent incursions of the Indo-European peoples (though some scholars argue the transition was more gradual and peaceful than previously thought). In our modern era, many have tried to prove or debunk the idea that a matriarchy would mean a more peaceful and cooperative society, with partisans on both sides of this issue firmly entrenched in their opinions.
A community of bonobo monkeys.
Now a new scientific study of our closest genetic relatives might just shed some more light on whether a female-dominated society would truly a more cooperative and peaceful one. This study (by Martin Surbeck and Gottfried Hohmann), focusing on the female-dominated bonobo society of monkeys, posits that they are just as violent as their patriarchal chimpanzees cousins, and actively hunt and kill other apes in the wild. At the I09 blog, Annalee Newitz briefly quotes evolutionary anthropologist Gottfried Hohmann concerning the findings.
"In chimpanzees, male-dominance is associated with physical violence, hunting, and meat consumption. By inference, the lack of male dominance and physical violence is often used to explain the relative absence of hunting and meat eating in bonobos. Our observations suggest that, in contrast to previous assumptions, these behaviors may persist in societies with different social relations."
In other words, a variety of social hierarchies can conceivably result in a variety of behaviors, and no singular construction of society is necessarily immune from violent or aggressive behavior by its leaders. If studying primate behavior tells us anything at all about human behavior, it tells us that we shouldn't take for granted that any particular societal construction was necessarily "better" or "more peaceful". For every cooperative matriarchal society at peace with its surroundings, there could have been another that raided its neighbors, and engaged in behaviors usually associated with the more "violent" Indo-European invaders. Perhaps, in the end, humanity as a whole, no matter who is "on top" (societally speaking) will always struggle with the same failings and problems.
Labels: academia, bonobo monkeys, goddess, matriarchy, primates, The Goddess
10.13.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
A botanica, Centro Botanico La Santisma in San Diego, burned down on Saturday after a lit candle sparked a larger fire.
"A lit candle in a voodoo supply shop sparked a fire, destroying the San Diego store and damaging an adjacent taco shop. San Diego police Sgt. Ray Battrick says the blaze's intense smoke caused officials to evacuate several homes in the Grant Hill neighborhood when the fire broke out early Sunday morning. Firefighters said the Centro Botanico La Santisma store was a total loss, with nearly $350,000 in damages. The store sold herbs, amulets and other items related to Santeria, voodoo and other religions."
Luckily, no one was injured in the blaze. A chilling reminder to all Pagan and occult stores to be careful with candles, and to have a healthy fire-insurance policy.
Jay Clarke looks at the large variety of Samhain/Halloween events happening in Salem during the month of October. Including the Salem Witches Halloween Ball (not to be confused with the Cabot Witches Ball).
"On Nov. 1, the Day of the Dead, another massive party - the Salem Witches' Halloween Ball - also takes place at the Hawthorne and on the adjacent grassy Common ($150 per person). The Common, fittingly, is where some scenes of the popular Hocus Pocus movie about long-dead witches were filmed ... Yes, Salem has real witches - more than 3,000 of them, who practice Wicca. They detest both the stereotype of wickedness as presented in the Wizard of Oz and the nose-twitching antics of Samantha in television's Bewitched."
I think "detest" is a somewhat strong term. I happen to love the "Wizard of Oz", and find "Bewitched" (and the play/film that inspired it "Bell, Book, and Candle") to be quite charming at times (especially Jack Lemmon as Nicky). Also, $150 dollars? Yikes! That's a little too rich for my blood.
According to Arnold Conrad, the former pastor of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Davenport, non-Christians around the world are praying for Obama to win the presidential election.
“There are millions of people around this world praying to their god—whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah—that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens,”
Conrad made these remarks at a recent McCain rally in Iowa (before McCain ever arrived). This is certainly a shock to the Pagans and non-Christians who are planning to vote for the Republican, Libertarian, Constitution, or Green party come November. One can only wonder what will happen to Conrad's faith should God let his "reputation" be harmed by an Obama win.
Are comic-book superheroes thinly-disguised gods for our modern age? Performance artist Justin Lamb seems to think so.
"I wanted to do a show exploring why superheroes and comic book culture have gotten so popular lately. I started researching it and started finding a lot of weird little similarities between superheroes and religion, which has a nice little nerd following of it's own if you haven't noticed. I wondered if subconsciously, do the things that attract people to these religions also attract people to these heroes."
Perhaps Lamb has been reading "Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes"? Or he could just be a big Grant Morrison or Alan Moore fan.
In a final note, the New Statesman publishes an interesting examination of secularism, and recent attempts to push forward a watered-down "positive secularism" by France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Pope Benedict XVI.
"To speak of positive secularism is to imply that there are two kinds of secularism, one good, the other bad. The supposedly good one, put forward by the Pope and his acolyte Nicolas Sar kozy, is a secularism that would allow politics to mingle with religions. One which would, for instance, turn a blind eye to sects and their actions, one which would accept that people be treated differently according to their faiths, one which would blur the frontiers between the public and private spheres. Sarkozy certainly knows a great deal about the blurring of the two distinct worlds whose separation has been France's trademark for at least two centuries."
Only one kind of secularism guarantees the rights of minority religions, and it isn't the "positive secularism" envisioned by the Pope. Creating a "secularism with exceptions" sets us on a dangerous road where some are more equal than others.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: Benedict XVI, Christianity, Comics, France, Halloween, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Presidential election, Salem, Santeria, secularism, Voodoo, Witch
10.12.2008
Alive and Well in Kiambu
Amid the media frenzy over all things Sarah Palin, with a seemingly new scandal or story popping up every other day, it is little wonder that not a lot of background journalism has taken place. While assorted reporters and pundits were happy to play the video of Palin being blessed by African Pentecostal leader Thomas Muthee, few have been able to dig into his claims of driving out "witches" from the town of Kiambu in Kenya.
"According to the Christian Science Monitor, six months of fervent prayer and research identified the source of the witchcraft as a local woman called Mama Jane, who ran a “divination” centre called the Emmanuel Clinic ... after Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned. Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon. After Mama Jane was questioned by police – and released – she decided it was time to leave town, the account says."
Since then, many have wondered, what happened to Mama Jane? Was she really driven out? Was she killed by a mob, as so many other accused "witches" have been in Kenya? Luckily Zoe Alsop, who happened to be working as a journalist in Kenya, found Mama Jane alive and well and living in Kiambu.
"...some residents of Kiambu were somewhat skeptical of Muthee's claims. Not least among them is the herbalist Jane W. Njenga, a pastor with the African Mission of Holy Ghost Church, who is best known as Mama Jane. She says she didn't own a pet python and she's never left her compound, located about a half-mile from Muthee's immense new church. Last week Women's eNews interviewed her there, next door to the Superkid Solid Foundation Faith in Every Footstep daycare center just off Kiambu's main street. 'If I am bad, why haven't people attacked me?' Njenga says. 'Why haven't they burnt this building down? That is what people here do to witches.'"
In fact, just about every claim made in Muthee's witchcraft adventure has turned out to be false. The decrease in traffic deaths? New paving and speed bumps. Police killed a demon-snake? Mama Jane never owned one. Though one thing is true, Muthee did try to label her as a witch and have her killed or driven out.
"When Muthee came, he took a loudspeaker into the street and he told people to pray for seven days that I would die," Njenga says. "If I was not known in the town, I could not have survived even to put my children through school."
One wonders if Muthee's tale of victory over witchcraft was invented to impress his Western backers. No doubt his church gets plenty of fat donations from fellow "spiritual warriors" impressed by his bravado and willingness to engage in campaigns of demonization and incitement that would be illegal here in America. As one community health worker tells Alsop, the best way to get rich quick in Kenya is to build a church, and Muthee is nothing if not rich. Instead of the mighty witchcraft fighter, come to America to lay his blessings on the faithful, he has been exposed as a Christian con-man making a quick buck.
Labels: Africa, Christianity, Kenya, Kiambu, Mama Jane, Sarah Palin, Third Wave, Thomas Muthee, Witchcraft
10.11.2008
What Sort of Voodoo Did She Do (or Not Do)?
I few days ago I mentioned a story in which Cobb County Commissioner Annette Kesting was accused of hiring a Voodoo priestess in South Carolina to put a death-curse on her political opponent (who ending up winning the election).
"[Cobb Commissioner Annette] Kesting wrote $3,000 in bad checks, allegedly for the services of a “high priestess of voodoo” to prepare an untimely demise for commissioner-elect Woody Thompson. Kesting wanted the priestess, identified by authorities as George Ann Mills of Blythewood, S.C., to cause Thompson to “catch cancer” or “have a car accident” according to a police report obtained by WSB-TV."
Voodoo Priestess George Ann Mills
Since these remarkable allegations have surfaced, Kesting has denied visiting or writing checks to George Ann Mills, claiming that her checkbook was stolen. Meanwhile, the priestess says she is certain it was Kesting, and that it was obvious what the commissioner wanted.
"The voodoo priestess, George Ann Mills of Blythewood, S.C., told Cavitt by phone that she's convinced Kesting did visit her and she knows exactly what Kesting wanted. "She wanted me to kill Mr. Thompson," said Mills."
Did Mills perform the alleged death-ceremony? According to a separate article recounting Kesting's troubles involving code violations for property she owns, the priestess says she didn't do the malefic magic that was requested.
"George Ann Mills said Kesting came to her with a request to do harm to Thompson. Mills declined to perform what she called a “death ritual,” on Thompson but did perform a ritual to help Kesting with family matters. The GBI is investigating."
In yet another article, Mills, in regards to the desired death-ritual, claims that "no true voodoo priestess would do such a thing". Both Kesting and Mills have met with GBI investigators.
If it is proven that Kesting paid (or failed to pay, to be more precise) for malefic magic against a political opponent, I'm curious as to what charges could be brought against her. As far as I know spectral evidence isn't allowed in court (plus, the intended magic was never performed), and no direct threats were made against Woody Thompson. I suppose that they could, taking the lead from Florida police, charge her with criminal mischief, but I'm guessing that no jail time or serious prosecution will result from this bizarre turn of events (though she might get dinged for writing bad checks, and her career as a politician is probably over for good).
Labels: Annette Kesting, Georgia, law, politics, South Carolina, Vodou, Voodoo
10.10.2008
Around the Pagan Blogosphere
Articles, essays, and thoughts of note from the Pagan blogosphere.
We start off with some sad news. M. Macha Nightmare and T. Thorn Coyle have posted moving tributes to their friend Tara Webster, priestess of Hecate, and Soror Adessa of the Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn. Webster passed away on October 8th after a long struggle with brain cancer. Thorn, who was at Webster's side during her passing, recounts how Hecate came to claim her.
"After a couple of hours of singing, the call came inside of me. A chant arose to one whom I have barely met. Your Matron tapped my shoulderblades. I wrote a chant for Her, for you. We sang that chant. We sang and sang. I left the room to grasp the counterpoint. When I came back in to sing it, S. said "Her breathing has really changed. We need to get someone." I paused. You were not breathing. The spaces between breath were big enough to hold the stars. All gathered, we chanted the Heart Sutra. Over and over, as you crossed. Hecate took you. Your spirit opened the door we had closed. Literally. It swung open and out you went. Mighty priestess. So skilled. So gorgeous. You lay in state in your rhinestone tiara, naked, as we blessed you."
Macha recounts Webster's participation in the Goddess 2000 project, and their shared connection with an old Pagan cartoon.
"...when Tara and I first met, we discovered we had a lot in common in terms of both approach and praxis. My experiences with my first coven, the Holy Terrors*, paralleled hers in many ways. I spoke of a cartoon published in an East Coast Pagan rag, Harvest (defunct), in the '80s that we Holy Terrors couldn't believe was so like we were. When we HTs first discovered this cartoon, we rolled around laughing. No one we knew subscribed to Harvest (if it even had subscriptions). We treasured our photocopies of the few episodes we'd found; later I found an opportunity to mail away for better copies of a full set. The cartoon was the Death Crones, and Tara was part of the Flaming Crones, the circle from which this cartoon arose!"
May Tara Webster rest in the arms of Hecate. We here at The Wild Hunt offer our most sincere condolences.
Over at Letter From Hardscrabble Creek, Chas Clifton reports on the publication of a book that will be sure to please many long-time Pagan community members.
"'Green Egg Omelette: An Anthology of Art and Articles from the Legendary Pagan Journal' will be shipping soon and can be pre-ordered from Amazon with the link above or from the publisher. Oberon Zell did the heavy lifting: tracking down long-lost contributors, making editorial decisions, and laying out the pages. I wrote a general introduction and shorter introductions for each chapter."
A sure treasure-trove of classic Pagan writing. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. As for the Green Egg itself, while the print magazine is long-gone, it still survives as a online 'zine. Also, while you're at Chas Clifton's blog, be sure to check out his post about water witchery.
Author Sarah Kate Istra Winter (aka Erl Queen on LJ) links to an interview she gave for the online e-zine Sequential Tart.
"I do think the myths are important. For one thing, they are usually our first introduction to the gods. Sure, it's extremely important to begin forging relationships yourself, to learn of the gods directly, from experience. But that's a long process. And many people have a hard time relying on that type of experiential knowledge. The myths tell us about the collective beliefs and experiences of the people who first worshiped our gods. Even if the stories often conflict with each other, even if one can't take everything literally, an overall picture emerges of the gods' traits, likes and dislikes, mannerisms, etc. It's an important foundation. From cult practice (of course, another important foundation for the modern religion), we might learn that Apollon left Delphi each winter and the oracles ceased. But it is from myth that we learn why, and where He goes (Hyperborea), and what that place is like."
You can find more information about Winter's book, "KHARIS: Hellenic Polytheism Explored", at her web site.
Medusa Coils reports that the Glastonbury Goddess Temple has succeeded in acquiring St. Benedict's Church Hall from the Church of England for the purpose of Goddess-oriented worship and rites of passage.
"Glastonbury Goddess Temple was able to come to an agreement with St. Ben's Parish Council regarding the previous restrictions on the use of the Hall, which was owned by the Church of England and persisted even after the sale of the Hall. St. Ben's Parish Council has agreed to allow use of the Hall "without let or hindrance" for Goddess activities including ceremonies, courses, workshops, and other community activities, as well as a dedicated space for Pagan marriage ceremonies and handfastings."
You can read more about this story, and the plans Glastonbury Goddess Temple has for the space, here.
In a final note, The Pagan Prattle rightfully mocks "what passes for sane in some parts of the world". Specifically the recent story of a college student who accused an English teacher of blasphemy, and threatened to set her on fire for being a witch.
"A 20-year-old male student has been expelled from an adult education college after he poured liquid over his English Literature teacher and threatened her with a lighter and a cigarette. He accused her of being a witch. According to another report, Najor allegedly told police that he was trying to kill her by pouring holy water over her. More detail about the incident is given, suggesting that Najor was inspired by his Christian faith..."
The young man in question, Darin Najor, while initially detained in a psychiatric hospital, is now facing assault charges. One wonders if he attends some sort of church, or if this was his own special blend of crazy.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: Blogosphere, Christianity, Green Egg, Hellenism, Pagan Blogs, Paganism, Passings, Tara Webster, The Goddess, Wicca, Witchcraft
10.09.2008
Update II: Palin's Anti-Pagan Coreligionists
Just when I thought this story couldn't go even further down the Christian extremist rabbit-hole, up pops another revelation about a Sarah Palin coreligionist.
"On June 13, 2008 Mary Glazier told attendees at the "Opening the Gate of Heaven on Earth" conference, who represented many of the New Apostolic Reformation's top leaders, that she had been present at the inception of Sarah Palin's political career and that Palin was in her personal prayer group : 'There was a twenty-four year old woman that God began to speak to about entering into politics. She became a part of our prayer group out in Wasilla. Years later, became the mayor of Wasilla. And last year was elected Governor of the state of Alaska. Yes! Hallelujah! At her inauguration she dedicated the state to Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!'"
Who is Mary Glazier? She is the founder of Windwalkers International, and is a key figure in the Third Wave/New Apostolic Reformation movement. Part of C. Peter Wagner's inner circle. Wagner, as I have pointed out before, is the man who is waging a war on the "Queen of Heaven", whom he equates with pre-Christian goddesses, Islam, and Mary within the Catholic Church.
"Peter Wagner appears to be afflicted with a rather bizarre form of paranoia. He sees the world controlled by a demonic force he calls "the Queen of Heaven." He sees this demon in everything from ancient Moon goddess religions to Islam (e.g., the crescent moon), to environmentalism (Gaia), feminism, witchcraft, and even in mainstreem Christianity (e.g., Catholic respect of Mary as the Mother of Jesus). That's the purpose of the book, to help you, too, see that all these disparate religions are really united, and that the Virgin Mary is the demon behind it all."
Glazier's claims directly tie Palin into the world of anti-Pagan spiritual warfare. While some conservatives have defended the anti-witchcraft blessing of Palin by Thomas Muthee saying it was acceptable because of his cultural context, Glazier, who has her own witchcraft story, has no such excuse.
"In 1995, Mary mobilized a prayer network for Alaska's prisons and began experiencing spiritual warfare as never before. She had received word that a witch had applied for a job as chaplain of the state's prison system... Mary recalls, "As we continued to pray against the spirit of witchcraft, her incense altar caught on fire, her car engine blew up, she went blind in her left eye, and she was diagnosed with cancer" ... "Ultimately, the witch fled to another state for medical treatment. Soon after, revival visited every prison in Alaska. At the women's correctional facility in Anchorage alone, 55 of 60 inmates found Christ. "Ask largely," Mary says. "Intercessory prayer is making a major difference in North America."
I'll give you a moment for this to sink in. Glazier and her prayer warriors claim to have made God blind and give cancer to a Wiccan chaplain. Is this anything but the most malefic of magic? Any Pagan who proudly claimed to have given a Christian cancer, or put out one of the eyes of a Christian, would be rightly shunned and rebuked. Within this community of extremist Christians Glazier and her fellow prayer warriors are lauded as heroes, holy warriors striking a blow against Satan and the "Queen of Heaven". While these warriors are quick to post disclaimers saying their efforts are "merely" spiritual, who knows what an unbalanced mind would do with this sort of rhetoric.
This adds to the questions I would love to ask Sarah Palin (not that she's taking questions). Not just if she approves of the spiritual warfare techniques of the Third Wavers, but if she personally prayed for harm to come to one of our own (she was still deeply enmeshed in the movement back in 1995 after all). Sadly, while Obama and McCain were grilled on their religious stances, we're supposed to take it on faith that she will respect the rights of non-Christian faiths should she be elected?
Labels: Christianity, Mary Glazier, politics, Presidential election, Queen of Heaven, Republican Party, Sarah Palin, Third Wave, Thomas Muthee, Wicca, Witchcraft
10.08.2008
Wiccan Wins Fortune-Telling Case
A federal judge has tossed out a Livingston Parish Council ordinance barring all forms of fortune-telling. The ordinance was challenged by local resident Cliff Eakin, a Wiccan who believed the ban violated his religious freedoms.
"A Livingston Parish Council ordinance outlawing fortunetelling and soothsaying is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. A Wiccan minister, Cliff Eakin, sued the parish over the ordinance, asserting inspiration from the divine transmitted by a Wiccan minister should be treated legally the same way as a message from God transmitted to a congregation by a Christian minister. “I would highly recommend that the council not appeal it,” Blayne Honeycutt, the council’s attorney, said of Tuesday’s ruling."
The Livingston Parish Council, despite warnings from their lawyer telling them they would lose, decided to fight removing the ordinance on religious principle.
"Harrell and councilmen Jimmy McCoy and Eddie Wagner said they have no plans to change their votes. Other council members did not comment on where they stand. 'I got elected to represent my constituents,' McCoy said. 'I am a Christian and I love the Lord, period. We can vote today or next month, my vote won't change.'"
This case is just the latest in a string of successful legal and political challenges to outdated or religiously biased laws and ordinances banning fortune-telling. As I said when this case first emerged, today's fortune-tellers and diviners aren't simply grifters on the make, but a growing assortment of men and women who have a deep religious investment in their trade.
"While banning psychics was once seen as an easy political move to garner an image as a moral crusader fighting fraud (and activities that carry a Biblical injunction), in the last thirty years the business has changed. It isn't simply a bevy of frauds peddling fake "curses" and a smattering of sweet old ladies making a buck on the side, the business has been steadily infiltrated by modern Pagans, Afro-diasporic faiths (VooDoo, Santeria, etc), and the New Age movement, many of whom see divination work as a spiritual calling. These groups on the whole are more affluent (relatively speaking), more aware of their legal rights (and hence more litigious), and more rooted in their communities than the stereotypical image of the fly-by-night con-man (or woman) who makes a living grifting from the margins."
Laws explicitly banning psychics and other diviners from plying their trade are outdated and discriminatory, and the growing legal consensus has favored overturning such bans. Religious favoritism masquerading as social concern can no longer be tolerated in a free and multi-religious society. Congratulations to Mr. Eakin for his victory.
Labels: Cliff Eakin, law, litigation, Livingston Parish, Louisiana, Paganism, psychics, Wicca
The Green Bay Nativity Case Fizzles Out
The Religion Clause blog reports that a case involving a controversial Nativity Scene erected on city property in Green Bay, Wisconsin this past December has been dismissed by the judge.
A brief moment of religious inclusiveness in Green Bay.
"...a Wisconsin federal district court dismissed an Establishment Clause challenge to a nativity scene displayed last year on the roof of the entrance to Green Bay's City Hall. Plaintiffs sought a declaratory judgment, an injunction and nominal damages. Without reaching the merits, the court concluded that plaintiffs lacked standing because "none of the relief they seek would redress the injuries they claim." City Council had already enacted a moratorium on all displays, until a policy is worked out in the future. Also the city took down the display at issue on December 26, just hours before this lawsuit was filed. The claim for nominal damages was not sufficient by itself to create standing."
This ruling isn't exactly a rousing victory for Mayor Jim Schmitt. While Green Bay won't have to pay damages, this "Christmas Wars" showdown hasn't endeared him to the local press, and even local clergy have told him to keep city hall secular.
"Mayor Jim Schmitt has met with clergy to get their ideas on a city policy. They agreed that the city should stick with secular decorations and leave the religious displays to area churches and synagogues."
This case has displayed the worst impulses of politicians. Enacting policy in order to "take the fight to" organizations they disagree with, inviting religious diversity to cover their tracks, and then insulting a local Wiccan organization (Circle Sanctuary) by refusing to replace a holiday display that had been vandalized. It makes one wish that Green Bay's mayor had the same good sense as Muskego's.
"You have to be respectful of all religions and if you start putting one display up, you have to put up displays for everybody," Muskego Mayor John Johnson said. "If you put up a Nativity scene and then a group asks you to put up a Hanukkah display or a display for the Muslim holiday, do you tell them no? You can't."
While the Freedom From Religion Foundation's suit was dismissed, they, and the Green Bay residents who filed with them, really won the larger battle. It seems very likely that Mayor Jim Schmitt and the city council will take the advice of local clergy and keep things secular this year. Avoiding future games of litigious "chicken" for the sake of proving that Green Bay is more Christian than Madison. Let's hope this case fizzling out will be a harbinger of the larger "War on Christmas" finally losing momentum among the punditocracy.
Labels: Circle Sanctuary, Green Bay, litigation, Nativity Display, Pentacle, Religion Clause, War on Christmas, Wisconsin
10.07.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
A lesson to politicians and public figures, if you're going to hire a Voodoo priestess to curse an opponent, make sure you don't bounce the checks paying for said services.
"[Cobb Commissioner Annette] Kesting wrote $3,000 in bad checks, allegedly for the services of a “high priestess of voodoo” to prepare an untimely demise for commissioner-elect Woody Thompson. Kesting wanted the priestess, identified by authorities as George Ann Mills of Blythewood, S.C., to cause Thompson to “catch cancer” or “have a car accident” according to a police report obtained by WSB-TV."
Apparently Kesting was unhinged enough to not realize that leaving a paper-trail and an unhappy (and unpaid) priestess would come back to haunt her. Police are now investigating the matter.
Time Magazine reviews a new book about witch-hunts by John Demos entitled "The Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-Hunting in the Western World". According to reviewer Gilbert Cruz, the book explores the inherent sexism and insular nature of witch-hunting.
"While the goal for all is separation from a despised 'other,' witch-hunting alone finds the other within its own ranks. The Jew, the black, and the ethnic opposite exist, in some fundamental sense, 'on the outside'...The witch, by contrast, is discovered within the host community."
According to Demos, the last "real" witch-hunts in the West were the 1982 Bakersfield "Satanic Ritual Abuse" convictions. A sad example of how the "Satanic Panics" led to innocent men and women spending years in prison.
While I'm on the subject of book reviews, Christian blogger and academic John Morehead reads and reviews the odious anti-Pagan smear-job of Linda Harvey's "Not My Child: Contemporary Paganism and New Spirituality" so you don't have to.
"Just like other parts of society we evangelicals in our subculture create our own monsters. One of our leading monsters at present seems to be Paganism. Islam and homosexuality are other creatures in our laboratory. I wonder why we create them. That we do can hardly be denied when we consider the plethora of books we write on the topic and the sensationalist tone that often accompanies them. One of the tricky things about monsters is that they often come back to haunt their creators. Sometimes they ask us some thorny questions too ... what does evangelical monstrous creation and resultant fear of stereotypical Paganism tell us about ourselves? I'm afraid if we reflect on this monster we may not like the answers."
John, who edited the groundbreaking "Beyond the Burning Times", is quickly becoming my go-to filter for books about Paganism written by Christians. You should also check out his review of "Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca" (an anti-Pagan book I explored here previously).
Remember my post a week ago about the rock-opera treatment of "The Wicker Man" currently playing in San Francisco? Well, fellow Pagan blogger Mertseger recently attended the production and has posted a review.
"Essentially, this stage production is The Wicker Man (1973) minus the music of Paul Giovanni plus the music of Jim Fourniadis ... All in all, the show is well worth the price, and I recommend Bay Area Pagans checking it out. If you like the 1973 film, then this show is a lively and small variation on the same material. Be sure to bring a beer in a brown paper bag (or you will feel horribly out of fashion) and enjoy the romp."
I recommend reading the entirety of this well-written review. If only more Pagan-centric arts criticism could be so erudite.
In a final note, both Bartholomew's Notes on Religion and Modemac's Bulldada Newsblog take note of a story in which an academic thesis on racist Odinist/Satanist Kerry Bolton was pulled from the library of a New Zealand college after he complained.
"Waikato University has abruptly pulled a student's thesis from its library after complaints from the subject of the research - a right-wing extremist. The thesis, exploring satanic and neo-Nazi themes, had already been marked and published, earning its author top marks ... The newspaper said it established that no legal threat had been received against either Mr Van Leeuwen or the University of Waikato. Rather, the thesis was the subject of a mere complaint from Kerry Bolton. Professor Bing told Nexus the thesis was a first-class piece of work, and was externally moderated by other universities before being published."
So an extremist writes in a complaint about a thesis regarding him, and despite rigorous vetting of said thesis for accuracy (by multiple institutions), it's pulled? Has the University of Waikato no spine? If every thesis that the subjects of research didn't entirely approve of got pulled, modern academia would very likely grind to a standstill. As for Roel van Leeuwen (himself a member of several occult and esoteric Orders and Societies), the author of the thesis, he stands by his work.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: academia, books, Christianity, John Morehead, New Zealand, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, politics, Satanic Panic, The Wicker Man, theatre, Time Magazine, Voodoo, witch-hunts
10.06.2008
Are Modern Pagan Faiths in the 80?
Last week the BBC announced a new religious series debuting in early 2009 called "Around the World In 80 Faiths". The show will feature part-time Anglican Vicar Peter Owen Jones traveling the world and participating in a variety of religious rituals.
Peter Owen Jones
"Part-time Anglican Vicar, Peter Owen Jones embarks on an epic challenge – to travel the globe and observe and take part in the most important rituals of 80 of the world's faiths. On the way he'll be exploring some of the planet's most beautiful and holy places: he'll be meeting snake handlers, Voodoo practitioners, whirling dervishes, horse-riding Sikhs, shaman and Taoist monks seeking immortality."
The show is being produced by the BBC Religion and Ethics team, and is being packaged as eight 60-minute episodes. A companion book written by Jones will also be released. Initial buzz, based on Owen-Jones' previous participation in the series "Extreme Pilgrim", seems to be quite positive.
"This may all sound a bit dull, but I urge you to watch it - knowing Peter he'll be throwing himself head-long into challenges and situations, be open to questioning his very essence and report back eloquently from some seriously gorgeous places."
I'm certainly interested in seeing this series (living in America I'll probably have to wait until it comes out on DVD), though I'm very curious as to which 80 faiths will be profiled in the series (if they do indeed profile 80 faiths). While I'm glad to see they are including indigenous faiths, I wonder if modern Pagan faiths will be explored as well. Will he hang out with Wiccans and Druids in Britain? Chat with Asatru in Iceland? Go to a Pagan festival in America? The press release does promise he'll explore "brand new cults and sects", but who knows what that means when there are hundreds (if not thousands) of NRMs to choose from.
ADDENDUM: It looks like he does visit some Pagans:
"As the main ritual came to a close, the ecstatic dancing ensued and Peter threw himself into it enthusiastically and unapologetically. He seemed entranced by the fire in the cauldron and was dumbfounded when the cone of power appeared, sending the flame spiralling high above the dancing Witches' heads to excited shouts of 'Kiss the Serpent'."
That is a report from an eclectic Pagan group in Australia. Thanks to Frozen In Honey for passing that along to me.
Labels: Around the World in 80 Faiths, BBC, documentaries, New Religious Movements, Paganism, Religion, Television
10.05.2008
Winning the Battle of Stanton Moor
Emily Dugan of The Independent profiles the tree-sitters and eco-warriors who have spent nine years living in the trees at Stanton Moor in the Peak District National Park. Their goal? To stop the planned re-opening of two mines that threatened the Nine Ladies stone circle.
The Nine Ladies
"There has been no shortage of locals keen to dismiss the Nine Ladies protesters as New Age hippies who should "go out and get a real job", but their achievement in saving this idyllic corner of Derbyshire has not gone unnoticed by their nearest neighbours. Geoffrey Henson, a pensioner whose home lies just outside the protest camp, admits that the onset of the dreadlocked army was a shock. But he says he has been pleasantly surprised. "We were a bit taken aback when we saw what looked like these scruffy long-haired layabouts arrive," he explained. "But they stuck it through all winds and weathers for nine years, which is more than we could have done." A friendly vicar also charges their car batteries, and some well-wishers have let them use their showers."
Now awaiting the official letter from Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears confirming their victory, the tree-sitters spend their last days saying goodbye to what has become their home, and wondering how they will re-enter normal English life.
One of the tree-houses.
"The next morning, protester Ben Hartley, 38, pondered, like his 14 compatriots, the end of life in their treetop homes. Many have no ties to the "normal" world of consumerism, jobs, mortgages and the credit crunch. 'A lot of us have spent huge parts of our lives here, so we'll be really sad to go,' he said. 'It's the end of an era.'"
One hopes that the admirers and supporters of the Nine Ladies will be able to help the protesters re-acclimate to the modern world after living a Robin Hood lifestyle for nine years
* I hope I'm not the only one who noticed the mythic resonances of protesters sacrificing nine years of their lives in order to protect the Nine Ladies.
Labels: enviornmentalism, Paganism, standing stones, The Nine Ladies, UK
10.04.2008
Music is Still Magic: Phonogram Returns
Way back in 2006 I reported on a band new comic mini-series that was debuting called "Phonogram". The book revolved around the lives of magicians (called "phonomancers") who use music as their medium.
Phonogram t-shirt design.
"Music is Magic. You know this already. You've known this from the first time a record sent a divine shiver down your spine or when a band changed the way you dressed forever. How does something that's just noises arranged in sequence do that? No-one knows. It's just...magic. Everyone knows that. It's just that some realise that it's more than metaphor."
That series, now collected in graphic novel form, was an exercise in excavating one's musical youth as a phonomancer races to stop a blasphemy against his Britpop past. Now writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jamie McKelvie are returning for a second Phonogram series that explores a club night from seven different perspectives.
"To explore how much subjective experiences of a shared social event can differ. There's a quote I'm probably going to lob at the front of the trade from Wellington: “The history of a battle, is not unlike the history of a ball…” His point being that you can't write a history of a battle because it's too confusing and the individual perspectives and understanding of events vary so much. You may as well try and write what happened at a party. “The Singles Club” flips that observation — and a party can be an awful lot like a battle. When a DJ plays a certain record, to one person it could be the best thing imaginable. To someone else, it may be the thing to totally destroy you."
Phonogram "B-Side" art by Daniel Heard
In addition to the main story, each story will feature back-up stories ("b-sides") from "guest DJ" artists like Daniel Heard, Marc Ellerby, and Emma Vieceli. Being something of a music fanatic, and a strong believer in the magical power of music, I really enjoyed the first series and I'm looking forward to these new "singles" (which debut on December 10th). Ask your local comic-shop to order you a copy, and be sure to check out the 11-page preview of the new series. If you happen to be a fan of the intersections between pop-culture, myth, and magic, I think you'll enjoy "Phonogram".
Labels: Comics, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, Magic, Magick, music, Phonogram
10.03.2008
Well Written - If Slightly Crazy
I have a few loose ends that didn't make it into yesterday's "(Pagan) News of Note" that I'd like to share with you. The first is a response from UK dating columnist Ed Saunt concerning my criticisms of his ditching a "sweet and funny" girl because she was Wiccan.
"The final thing I learnt this week is not to mess with witches ... following my unfortunate experience with witch Julia two weeks ago, I have been condemned by the Pagan community as ‘a moron,’ ‘a dork’ and ‘a prat’ in a well-written - if slightly crazy – blog"
Saunt makes an "impassioned plea" to any Witch with a good sense of humor and a "well-oiled broomstick" to give him a second chance. As for my blog being "slightly crazy" (albeit well-written), I'll take it as a compliment.
While I'm on the subject of Witches, Mark Morford sings their praises, and discusses the flap over Sarah Palin's witch-protectin' prayer by Thomas Muthee.
"Is it worth setting the record straight? Pointing out how true 'n' deep witchcraftery has nothing to do with evil or Satan or excessive black eyeliner or sacrificing newborn babies while listening to Ministry and smoking cloves? That those who've taken up this most ancient and potent of callings actually study their enchanted craft for years and know more about, say, the cycles of the moon and the body and the rhythms of the planet than Sarah Palin's most secretest pagan fever dream could ever conjure?"
For the record, I can confirm that while I have smoked cloves (though I can no longer tolerate them) and listened to Ministry (it was all downhill after "Psalm 69") at the same time, I have never (to my knowledge) sacrificed a newborn baby while doing so. As for Morford, something tells me he would have no problem finding a Witch to go on a date with (well-oiled broom optional), maybe he could give Ed Saunt some tips?
With all this talk of getting protection from, and dating, Witches, one wonders what the general public thinks about them? Well, if Halloween costume sales are anything to go by, they are incredibly popular among adults and children.
"The top adult costumes will be a witch (14.9 percent of respondents), pirate (4.4 percent), vampire (3.3 percent), cat (2.5 percent) and fairy (1.7 percent). About 1.5 percent say they'll dress up as a political figure. The top children's costumes include a princess, witch, Hannah Montana, Spider-Man, pirate and "Star Wars" characters."
No doubt many of those "witches" will be heading to Salem as it gears up for a month-long Halloween extravaganza (complete with real Witches). A topic you'll most likely be hearing more about as we approach Samhain.
Labels: Ed Saunt, Halloween, Mark Morford, Paganism, Samhain, Wicca, Wiccan, Witch, Witchcraft
10.02.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
We start off with news of a custody case involving accusations of anti-Wiccan judicial bias. An Arkansas woman, who says she lost custody of her son due to the judge's perceptions of Wicca, has lost her appeal to the state Court of Appeals.
"A Southeast Arkansas woman who argued she lost custody of her son because of a judge's perception of her alleged practice of Wicca lost her appeal Wednesday before a divided state Court of Appeals Wednesday. In a 4-2 ruling, the appeals court affirmed a decision granting custody to the child's father, though the judges disagreed on whether the lower court considered the mother's religious beliefs. In her appeal of Chicot County Circuit Judge Robert Vittitow's decision, the mother noted Vittitow described Wicca in his opinion letter as 'a religion, movement, cult or whatever it that may be.' The judge also wrote that while the mother testified she was only joking when she told the boy's father that she was involved with Wicca, the 'court believes she is much more involved than she would lead us to believe.'"
The two dissenting judges claim that the majority simply 'set aside' concerns over religious bias and that the initial ruling 'impermissibly considered' her religious beliefs. You can read the opinions of the judges on the appeal court, here (Andrea Hicks v. Joshua A. Cook). There is no word if Ms. Hicks will attempt, or be able to, appeal to a higher court. Considering the fact that one of the dissenting judges accused the majority of "torturing" the law and "mishandling the judicial-review process" one would hope that this case is explored further.
Is a psychic fair secular entertainment or a religious gathering? That is the question surrounding a controversial event being held on New York state property.
"The state Office of General Services, however, said the second annual Psychic Fair and Halloween Festival is just good clean fun. Psychics, astrologers, mediums, people who talk to angels, dream interpreters and tarot card readers will be on hand Oct. 29 at the Empire State Plaza’s concourse, where thousands of state workers pass daily ... “These vendors who are coming are strictly entertainment,” said OGS spokesman Brad Maione, noting the fair isn’t a cost to state taxpayers."
Rev. Jason McGuire calls the event a breach of church-state separation that contains "Satanic" and "occult" elements, while Dennis Poust, Director of Communications at New York State Catholic Conference, is a tad more measured in tone.
“I’m not saying these psychics are Satanists, though. The Catholic church does warn against divination, which is foretelling the future.”
I personally think its funny how many conservative Christians only seem to care about the separation of Church and State when it doesn't immediately favor them. As for psychic fairs, anyone who hasn't gone to one might be surprised that money and commerce, not religion, is the primary order of the day. A decidedly secular and multi-faith activity in our capitalistic society.
Was Jesus a magician in addition to (allegedly) being the Messiah? A pot that may contain the earliest written reference to Christ marks him as a magus.
"A team of scientists led by renowned French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio recently announced that they have found a bowl, dating to between the late 2nd century B.C. and the early 1st century A.D., that is engraved with what they believe could be the world's first known reference to Christ ... The full engraving on the bowl reads, 'DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS,' which has been interpreted by the excavation team to mean either, 'by Christ the magician' or, 'the magician by Christ.'"
The bowl could provide further proof of the intertwining of Christianity and paganism in the ancient world. Scientists also speculate that the bowl may have been used for divination purposes, which would certainly add a new twist to arguments against psychic practitioners by conservative Christians. Thanks to Megan for pointing me towards this story.
Looks like the Pagans, atheists, Buddhists, UUs, and other groups need to step up, because San Leandro middle school has decided to allow religious organizations to distribute flyers to children in classrooms.
"Last spring, Pastor Derek Jung of the Fundamental Gospel Baptist Church of San Leandro challenged the district when it refused to distribute a flyer about vacation Bible school. "I was shocked we were the first church that had ever used their system," Jung said on Tuesday. Armed with legal advice from the Florida-based Christian Law Association, Jung told the district that if it allowed schools to distribute information for community groups such as the YMCA, 4-H clubs, Boys and Girls Clubs or school fundraising foundations, it could not discriminate against religious organizations. District lawyers researched the issue - and agreed."
Remember, religious inclusion means all or nothing. When this happened to a school in Virginia, they quickly switched from "all" to "none" once the Pagans and atheists started distributing flyers. So lets not miss an opportunity to see how committed this school really is to including a wide range of religious options to middle-schoolers. Thanks to Kate for tipping me off to this story.
In a final note, author and "Techgnostic" Erik Davis has one of the more thoughtful ruminations on the religion of Sarah Palin, what the connection to African witch-hunter Thomas Muthee means, and how Pagans should ultimately respond.
"Muthee's Christianity trumps witchcraft not by disbelieving it--in other words, by dousing it with the holy water of secular rationalism and skepticism, like mainstream Euro-American Christians have done for a couple centuries. Instead, it tries to beat witchcraft at its own game, using what one can only think of as a rival spell--the spell of the Word. It's all about power and manifestation, the shape-shifting of social perception. But notice this: the game only really works if witchcraft remains, as the professor said, a reality."
As for what Pagans, occultists, and other magic-workers concerned about Palin should do? Davis suggests we all "get thy mojo working!".
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: Christianity, custody case, Erik Davis, Jesus, litigation, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, psychics, Religious Freedom, Sarah Palin, Thomas Muthee, Wicca
10.01.2008
Throwing Pagans From The Green Train?
Did restaurateur Bob Wolf, co-founder of the eco-awareness organization The Green Train, fire a volunteer for being a Pagan? That is the accusation being made over at The Nashville Scene's blog.
"Nashville’s Green Train, an eco-educational non-profit run by Merle Haggard and restaurateur Bob Wolf, had a witch in its ranks until recently. Or, to be more precise, a pagan. Not the kind historically drawn and quartered or burned at the stake, but rather the contemporary tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, vegan variety. That was until Wolf charged this Wiccan ordained minister, Susan Hunter, with creating Green Train’s MySpace page. The personal networking catastrophe that followed-- replete with online earthy salutations and pentagrams--saw Hunter canned in spectacular fashion back in mid-September. She’s crying discriminatory foul."
Apparently Hunter, after creating the organization's MySpace page, did what almost all MySpacers do, invite people she knew to "friend" the organization. Anyone familiar with the ways of MySpace can guess what happened next.
"Hunter sent out “friend invitations” to 40 of her friends who also happened to be earth-loving hippies and pagans of various stripes. When the messages started flowing in—“Blessed be” or “Faerie blessings,” usually accompanied by a pentagram and pictures of ivory-skinned ladies identifying themselves exotically as Asterope Morgaine and Feryia—Hunter says Wolf blew a gasket, ordering that all pentagrams be deleted. She says she deleted the Christian symbols too, out of spite before being summarily dismissed."
So is telling a Pagan volunteer to delete only Pagan symbols, and then firing her when she deletes all the religious symbols, discriminatory behavior? Susan Hunter seems to think so.
"'It’s my opinion that I was fired for religious reasons,' she said. Wolf claims Hunter was just a volunteer. But perhaps the most stinging accusation hurled by Hunter was this: 'The guy doesn’t even recycle.'"
Wolf insists this is much ado over nothing, and that Hunter "got her feelings hurt" and is now "witch-hunting" him in retaliation. Wolf says he has nothing against Pagans, and even attended a Pagan Pride Day festival and bought Hunter a book.
“This is a witch hunt by somebody who got her feelings hurt,” Wolf said, though the old cliché would seem to be reversed here. “I don’t have a problem with people’s opinions. I even went to a pagan day festival; we bought her a pagan bible.”
So, discrimination or misunderstanding? Something tells me that lawyers will soon be hired to figure it out.
Labels: discrimination, enviornmentalism, Nashville, Paganism, Susan Hunter, Tennessee, Wicca
