Living God in a Red Bathrobe

There are several Pagans who yearn for the spotlight. Who have no problem hamming it up for the press and reinforcing pop-culture stereotypes. When they appear on the screen, or in a publication, we brace ourselves, teeth gritted, for their latest antics. In the UK, no figure more typifies this than self-proclaimed "High Priest of British White Witches" Kevin Carlyon.


Kevin Carlyon

"O dear I upset practitioners of Wicca on the Gardnerian and Alexandrian path and probably the weird out of brain dildos who latch on to anything. My path of Earth Magic is 21st century reality, not the sex, bondage, drugs and power trips of others in the past, including 'The Kinks of Witches' Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders. Its obvious that I touch a nerve with other Witches but thats normal as I am 'THE WITCH' and people are jealous. I am not classed as the King of the Witches as I would be too ashamed of some of the people involved ... Just to add to the controversy between other Witches I think I'll call myself The Living God Of All Witches."

Carlyon spends his time setting up media spectacles that the press in Britain seems to eat right up. Whether its "exorcising" the spirit of Aleister Crowley, setting himself up as official protector and "high priest" of Loch Ness, or engaging all manner of embarrassing media pronouncements the "living god" in the red bathrobe is there. His latest stunt is to cast a bad weather spell on a local Oliver Cromwell celebration as a punishment for the Cambridgeshire witchcraft trials.

"Mr Carlyon, who will cast the spell from woods near his home in East Sussex, said Cromwell failed to stop witchcraft trials during the 17th century, which saw women from Sutton and Haddenham executed and people of both sexes from all over the country imprisoned and hanged."

However, this time around the local media isn't swallowing Carlyon's inflated claims of leadership and power.

"More than 800 people from the pagan and heathen community have signed a online petition to dethrone Mr Carlyon from his place as King of the White Witches, saying he does not speak for them ... Cambridge-based pagan Derek Wood spoke to the Ely Standard said: 'My personal opinion is that Kevin Carlyon may claim to be the high priest of white witches, but I am a Regional Coordinator for the national Pagan Federation and have never heard of him. We occasionally get people like this, usually with no affiliation to serious minded pagans, people with an ego looking for a cult to worship it. Such people give paganism a bad press because they are outspoken and usually define themselves by some perceived injustice hey must rebel against.'"

If anything points to the growing mainstreaming of Pagan religions it may be this. Instead of treating any media-hungry narcissist who comes into view as a spokesperson for all of us, they did some research, and contacted a local Pagan advocacy group for a quote. In the end, good journalism, more than any disavowal or petition from the Pagan community, may successfully "dethrone" these media-hungry cranks from their self-appointed lofty perches.

Labels: journalism, Kevin Carlyon, Paganism, UK, Witchcraft

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Exporting Anti-Witch Hysteria?

There has been a debate within modern Paganism, specifically within the various Witchcraft and Wiccan traditions, over whether the issue of persecutions and killings of "witches" in places like Africa, India, and the Middle East is a "Pagan" issue. While some correctly note that these alleged "witches" are often not associated with any Pagan or pre-Christian religion, others, like Phyllis Curott, argue that we are bound by a common label.

"I don't think that Fawza was practicing anything resembling what most of us now call Wicca and Witchcraft. If she was doing anything, which is not clear, it may have been some kind of old traditional folk magic. It doesn't matter - she is sentenced to die by beheading for Witchcraft. That is the word many of us use to identify ourselves. That word means that she is a member of our community. And we are not a community if we don't take care of each other. We may not be able to save Fawza, but we must try."

This view has been echoed by modern Pagans in India and South Africa, who have seen an all-to-real connection between the persecution of "witches" and the rights and freedoms of modern Pagans living near them. But can the problems of "over there" impact those of us living in the West? Mary Leland, writing for the Irish Independent News, argues that the anti-witch fanaticisms of "over there" may be finding a new home among us.

"In this case it was the revelation that the guest speaker was a man representing a church in Dublin which advertised among its services a protection against witchcraft. The chat diverted into such issues as whether alternative therapies such as Reiki or yoga or hypnosis could be considered contrary to biblical strictures ... before occasionally hitting on the immediacy of superstition among, in this case, largely African congregations. Whatever else many of our African immigrants may have brought with them to Ireland, they have included a belief in witches, seen as an active threat to the well-being of families and communities ... Christianity may have outgrown that horrible idea by now, but not before exporting it, with evangelistic missionaries, to Africa. It's not easy either for a woman to listen to any debate about witches and witchcraft without remembering that it was women who were accused, tortured and executed in their thousands over several centuries."

Leaving aside issues of tensions over immigration and possible xenophobia, can immigrants from countries known to persecute so-called practitioners of "witchcraft" bring with them the hysteria that has destroyed so many lives? Some are saying it is already here, with suspicious deaths and child abuse linked with a fear of malicious magic and witchcraft among immigrant communities in the UK. Leland worries that those offering immigrant communities in Ireland "protection from witchcraft" could eventually spark a larger witch hysteria.

"To hear that witchcraft is on the religious agenda of an African church in Dublin is to feel some alarm at the possibility that this tradition of evil-seeking has been re-introduced to Ireland. Of course we have to be racially and religiously sensitive to cultural differences, but the fanaticism of this particular cultural difference, and the brutality with which its victims are treated, must not be ignored, even on a radio chat show."

Is it possible that the witch persecutions we read about in the paper could come to us? Could cultural misunderstandings and tensions among various communities result in violence and harassment towards modern Pagans? While debates will continue regarding whether the persecution and killing of "witches" in distant lands is "our" issue, we may soon find ourselves having to contemplate the problem much closer to home.

Labels: India, Ireland, Paganism, persecutions, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UK, Wicca, Witch, Witch Killings, Witchcraft

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It's All Buffy's Fault!

According to sociologist Dr Kristin Aune, Christian churches in England have been losing 50,000 women members per year since 1989, and some of the blame can be placed on the shoulders of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Buffy and Willow. Art by Jo Chen

"Today’s modern woman sees more relevance in TV icons who promote female empowerment such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, than in church and traditional religion, according to new research to be published in the Church Times this week. Dr Kristin Aune, a sociologist at the University of Derby, says the church (all Christian denominations) must act to halt the steep decline in female attendance at services across the country. She says: 'In short, women are abandoning the church.'"

So if all these women are leaving the pews, where are they going? To Wicca and Paganism of course!

"It says that instead young women are becoming attracted to the pagan religion Wicca, where females play a central role, which has grown in popularity after being featured positively in films, TV shows and books. The report's author, Dr Kristin Aune, a sociologist at the University of Derby, said: ... 'Because of its focus on female empowerment, young women are attracted by Wicca, popularised by the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Young women tend to express egalitarian values and dislike the traditionalism and hierarchies they imagine are integral to the church.'"

Aune's research, which appears in the book "Women and Religion in the West: Challenging Secularization", also cites English Church Census data that claims teenage boys outnumber girls in the pews for the first time in history.

"Over the past decade, it claims, women have been leaving churches at twice the rate of men. In addition, the census is said to show that teenage boys now outnumber girls in the pews for the first time. Dr Aune says the church must adapt to the needs of modern women if it is to stop them leaving in their droves."

So in short, while old men argue about whether women can be bishops, or if gays should be treated like human beings, the women have been leaving in droves to faiths that are more relevant to their lives. You can all do the reproductive math and figure out what happens to a religious tradition with a shortage of women. Somehow I don't think introducing "Saturday morning breakfast clubs" will stem the tide. Maybe if they gave out free Buffy comics?

Labels: academia, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Christianity, Paganism, UK, Wicca

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Reality Television Hits New Low (If That's Possible)

A wise man once said that there is a sucker born every minute. How else to describe the phenomenon of people eagerly lining up to be demeaned on reality television shows? I guess the promise of easy money and a fleeting amount of infamy is too much for some people to deny. Doubly saddening for me is those who place their faith up for mockery, abuse, and exploitation. It seems like madness. How else to describe the new UK television show "Make Me A Christian"?

"The Reverend George Hargreaves thinks Britain is in a state of moral decline and that a return to a more 'Christian' way of life would stop the rot. He and his team of mentors aim to show how by convincing a group of non-Christian volunteers to live by the teachings of the Bible for three weeks. In this three-part series, a group of volunteers from around Leeds in West Yorkshire give up their normal lives and attempt to live like Christians for three weeks."

If you guessed they found a Witch (or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof) to be involved in this farce, you would be correct.

Take Fay, the occult lapdancer. George takes one look at her lifestyle (spangly bras and tarot cards) and announces she's "on a trajectory to hell". Sobbing, Fay slinks away to her boyfriend's house for a few days of comforting. When she emerges later, George bollocks her for having sex outside marriage. "While the world might call it 'making love'," he says, "the Bible calls it fornication."

No prizes for guessing what George "founder of The Christian Party" Hargreaves does with her "occult" possessions.

"The lap-dancing manager is discovered to have more than a passing interest in witchcraft and magic - her books and ceremonial paraphernalia are taken away."

Shocking, of course, but I try to remember that Fay willingly signed up for this indoctrination boot-camp. One wonders how far Witches and Pagans have to go down this road before we collectively realize how toxic these programs are and refuse to be the playthings of television producers. As for the "Christians" involved, it seems that their savior isn't Jesus Christ, but Mammon. Their pride and vanity ensures that this is the only reward they shall receive.

Speaking of Witches and reality television, Australian show "The One: The Search for Australia's Most Gifted Psychic" has picked a "winner".

"Charmaine Wilson edged out Ezio De Angelis and Amanda Rousetty to take out the prize which was decided by audience vote. She promised to represent the spirit world and the psychic community as best she can."

The Witch contestant, Shé D’Montford, didn't make it to the final round. Perhaps the gods were sending a message? You can listen to interviews with all the contestants, and the judges, at the Ghost Radio site.

Labels: Australia, Christianity, occult, Paganism, Reality Television, Television, UK, Witch

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Conventional, Unconventional, Alternative

UK technology site TechWorld investigates the recent controversy over the Birmingham City Council blocking access to atheist and Pagan sites, while allowing normal access to "mainstream" religions like Christianity, Hinduism, and Judaism. Bryan Betts interviews a spokesman from Bluecoat Software, who allegedly provides the council's filtering service, and uncovers a general arbitrary cluelessness concerning the categorization of religions.

"The problem is that it lists organised religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism in one group, while relegating less mainstream - but recognised and perfectly legal - faiths such as Wicca and Paganism to an "Alternative Spirituality/Occult" group. Rather oddly, it lists atheism both in the latter group and under Politics. And a company spokesperson couldn't explain what the difference is between "unconventional religious or quasireligious subjects" (listed under Religion) and " alternative religions" (listed as Alternative Spirituality/Occult)."

You can read a run-down of Bluecoat's filter categories, here. The dirty little secret of the web filtering business is that the categories are mostly cribbed from conservative Christian-backed programs and services. These programs are then sold to schools, libraries, and government institutions, which can lead to controversy and litigation once individuals realize the bias inherent in the filter.

"Alternative Spirituality/Occult: Sites that promote and provide information on religions such as Wicca, Witchcraft or Satanism. Occult practices, atheistic views, voodoo rituals or any other form of mysticism are represented here. Includes sites that endorse or offer methods, means of instruction, or other resources to affect or influence real events through the use of spells, incantations, curses and magic powers. This category includes sites which discuss or deal with paranormal or unexplained events."

The National Secular Society, who calls the current filtering scheme "slightly deranged", is hoping that the negative publicity will be enough to change their filter policy, though they will take the matter to court if they have to. In the meantime, followers of "conventional", "unconventional", and "quasi-religious" faiths will have full access to the web, while the "alternative/occult" adherents will be treated as second-class citizens by a government agency. Something, no doubt, will have to give soon.

Labels: atheism, discrimination, Internet, occult, Paganism, UK

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Protecting Adults from the Occult (and Atheists)

In England, the Birmingham City Council is coming under fire for a new web-filtering policy that blocks access to atheist and Pagan sites, but allows free access to mainstream Christian, Islam, and Hindu web sites.

"The authority's Bluecoat Software computer system allows staff to look at websites relating to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and other religions but blocks sites to do with "witchcraft or Satanism" and "occult practices, atheistic views, voodoo rituals or any other form of mysticism". Under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to discriminate against workers because of their religion or belief, which includes atheism."

Bluecoat Software manufactures K9 Web Protection, which, like other cyber-nanny programs, is designed to protect children from "unwanted" Internet content. Some of these programs have an "occult/cult" option which blocks sites that Christian parents might find troubling. It looks like Bluecoat and the Birmingham City Council may have decided that their employees were children as well, or simply didn't care what got filtered so long as they can easily "monitor internet usage".

"We are currently implementing new internet monitoring software to make the control of internet access easier to manage. The aim of this is to provide greater control for individual line managers to monitor internet usage, and for departments, such as trading standards and child protection, to gain access, if needed, to certain sites for business reasons."

The National Secular Society has called the new filtering software "discriminatory", and said that they would "consider legal action" if steps aren't taken to correct the issue.

"National Secular Society president Terry Sanderson said the city council's rules also discriminated against people who practise witchcraft, which is also classed as a legitimate belief. He said the society would initially contact the council and ask for the policy to be changed, and otherwise pursue legal action. He said he believed he would have a "very strong case". Mr Sanderson said: "It is discriminatory not only against atheists but they also are banning access to sites to do with witchcraft. "Witchcraft these days is called Wicca, which is an actual legitimate and recognised religion."

A "very strong case" indeed considering the fact that this is a government-run facility, and beholding to stringent anti-discrimination policies. Either all access to religious sites need to be banned, or the infantilizing software must go.

Labels: atheism, discrimination, Internet, occult, Paganism, UK

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Preserving Our Heritage and History

We often take libraries and museums for granted, thinking them permanent fixtures, places for tourists to visit, or grad students to research. But as recent economic concerns stretch across the world, collections vital to understanding our place in history become jeopardized as funding is cut. Such is the case with the Harry Price Library of Magical Literature, based at the University of London.

"A remarkable collection of rare and ancient volumes on the arts of magic and summoning ghosts could be broken up and sold off due to a funding crisis. The Harry Price Library of Magical Literature, based at the University of London, is the UK's largest of its kind ... The collection is under threat after the university's grant for its specialist library was slashed by more than 60 per cent by the Higher Education Funding Council. The £1m cut means the library could cease to exist."

If this collection were to be broken up and sold, it would be a huge blow to scholarship concerning the roots and history of modern Pagan religion. The Harry Price library contains such works as the "Malleus maleficarum" (five different editions), correspondences with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, Reginald Scot's "Discoverie of Witchcraft", and a work by the astrologer Arcandam.

"The collection has a very wide interest. Some of the material about witchcraft is now very relevant to areas such as gender studies and how women have been portrayed over time." - Christine Wise, head of special collections at Senate House Library

Students across England are now lobbying their colleges to donate funds towards keeping the collection together, but things aren't looking bright. A report is to be issued in November that will survey the extent of necessary cuts, and if the library will need to be sold off.

So what is the answer to this problem? It seems unlikely that the governments and universities funding these collections will suddenly rearrange their priorities concerning early esoteric texts and papers. Nor is England the only place where this problem is emerging. Is digitizing these artifacts the answer? That seems to be a growing consensus. Several works from the Victorian era in the Harry Price collection have been digitized, and the National Library of Ireland has recently digitized a rare book of occult correspondence between poet (and former Golden Dawn member) William Butler Yeats and Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne.

"Bound in white vellum, the notebook served as their metaphysical marital bed. Yeats used it to keep track of their shared fixation with the occult and each other ... Now, a century later, that book is on display at the National Library of Ireland, opened to a page that is just barely visible under the indirect lighting prescribed for aged ink treasures. Yet every syllable - every comma-deprived sentence, every curve in her script, every ampersand - is legible. Next to the display case the entire notebook has been digitally reincarnated..."

Of course digital media, if housed in a single place, can be destroyed too, which would make the next step of digitial preservation to disperse thousands of copies to servers at libraries and universities across the world. Something I don't see institutions like the National Library of Ireland doing any time soon. In the meantime, we shouldn't allow the existing hard copies of rare and unique works to disperse into the homes of rich collectors, denying scholars and students easy access, forcing them to accede to the wishes of private individuals (or private trusts). We need to preserve our heritage and history for future generations despite the fiscal inconveniences, lest those tests, letters, and objects become little more than matters of conjecture and we lose an important physical link to our past.

Labels: Ireland, Libraries, Magic, Magick, occult, Paganism, The Harry Price Library of Magical Literature, UK, W.B. Yeats

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Two Pagan-Friendly Music Sources Close

This past few weeks has seen announcements from two Pagan-friendly music labels/distributors that they are closing up shop. First, at the end of June, the online folk music resource Woven Wheat Whispers called it quits.

"We didn’t have to close WWW, it was paying it’s way and no money was lost. It was just a decision about the future taken calmly at a point where we had time to think… It was meant to be fun and would have turned into slog at some point in the near future ... We could have continued and would have done alright, but with Myspace starting to sell downloads, Amazon coming in and iTunes level of market dominance, there was little point. Even CDBaby now sell downloads alongside the CD. Exiting in a positive way seemed the best thing to do at the right time. WWW didn’t collapse, we have all the money needed. It was a decision taken about how far to push what was a small home operation delivered in my spare time."

I mentioned Woven Wheat Whispers on this blog last year when they released (with Cold Spring Records) the amazing "John Barleycorn Reborn" compilation. Woven Wheat Whispers introduced me to some great artists, including The Owl Service, Cunnan, Arrowwood, Novemthree, Sharron Kraus, and The Horses of The Gods. It at times felt like the label/service was especially created for fans of The Wicker Man soundtrack (a high compliment in my book). Needless to say, WWW artists got, and continue to get, at lot of airplay on my podcast/streaming radio show.

Meanwhile, just yesterday, Dancing Ferret/Noir Records founder Patrick Rodgers announced that his popular goth/darkwave label would be closing down in November.

"After November, Dancing Ferret Discs (and Noir Records) will stop releasing new material. Of course this does NOT mean that our wonderful artists are hanging up their hats, nor that their albums will disappear. It also does NOT mean that anything will happen to Nocturne, Dracula's Ball, Digital Ferret or IsoTank. It simply means that in the future, new albums by the DFD bands that you love will be released by other labels (or in some cases, by the artists themselves)."

DFD/Noir, aside from representing popular darkwave acts like The Cruxshadows, also introduced America to great European neo-medieval, ethereal, Pagan-folk, and darkwave bands like Corvus Corax, Irfan, The Dreamside, Faun, and Omnia.

Both of these labels/services have been instrumental in helping to expand the idea of a "Pagan music" beyond the New Age mediocrities and sub-par folk that many assumed was the norm. It showed that there were new generations of musicians across America, the UK, and Europe, that were making challenging and exciting music that dealt with themes near and dear to the Pagan soul. To say that the exit of Woven Wheat Whispers and Dancing Ferret/Noir leaves a hole is an understatement. So I raise my glass in toast to both of them, they have enriched us more than most will ever know.

You can expect tributes to both Woven Wheat Whispers and Dancing Ferret/Noir in upcoming episodes of my A Darker Shade of Pagan podcast.

Labels: A Darker Shade of Pagan, Dancing Ferret/Noir, folklore, goth, John Barleycorn Reborn, music, Paganism, The Wicker Man, UK, Woven Wheat Whispers

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(Pagan) News of Note

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

We start off in Central Asia where the government of Tajikistan has banned "witchcraft" and all forms of divination at the behest of President Emomali Rakhmon. A move done supposedly for the benefit of the poor in the former Soviet-controlled country.

"The law’s sponsors said that their purpose was threefold: to eliminate a drain on the poverty-stricken population’s finances, to crack down on “un-Islamic” activity and to reduce the number of people practicing medicine without a license — since the fortunetellers often also prescribe folk remedies."

The problem is that fortune-telling is a popular profession among the very poor they hope to protect, and Tajikistan, while being Islamic, is drenched in mysticism.

"Belief in spells, soothsaying and the paranormal is widespread throughout the former Soviet sphere, where suppression of religion under Communism led to a search for other forms of spirituality ... A mystic, almost pagan, tradition also runs deep here, though the country is primarily Sunni Muslim. Mullahs in the high Pamir Mountains, which dominate the country, are believed to have extra powers to discern the future, and they are often sought out for their powers of prophecy. A good fortuneteller is considered a prize, and word circulates quickly if one is perceived to be particularly gifted."

Will this be an unenforceable law? Or will government forces try to actively suppress “un-Islamic” activity by arresting women trying to scratch out a living in the economically depressed country. We'll have to wait and see.

Author Erik Davis profiles the Heathen Metal of the Bindrune Recordings label.

"I’ve sifted through a fair amount of gothic ambient music, forest metal, and dark folk looking for this sort of sepulchral traditionalism, this sense of ancient mysteries seeping up like clammy moisture through the moss underfoot, and most of it is as corny as clove cigarettes and black nail polish. In contrast, Celestiial’s haunting and glacial Desolate North album made me feel like I was alone and paddling into a dark fjord toward some ancient whale cemetery that was way spookier than the one I vaguely remember from that Disney movie I saw as a kid. I finish listening to this record feeling cold and clean."

For those wanting an audio sample of the bands Davis discusses, head over to Bindrune's MySpace page.

A variety of (mostly conservative) Christians are teaming up and using journalism to criticize the theology of Oprah Winfrey.

"Oprah Winfrey has become a catalyst for a new journalistic project and increasing news coverage by conservative Christians questioning and criticizing her spiritual beliefs."

While this in of itself isn't surprising, I did find the comments of religion writer Marcia Nelson, who authored a book on Oprah's beliefs, interesting. Nelson contends that Oprah isn't "New Age", but a "New Thought" Christian.

"Nelson, who studied a year of Winfrey's shows, differs with those who call Winfrey's spiritual ideas "New Age." She says Winfrey would be more related to the "New Thought" movement, which is more mainstream, focusing on positive thinking as a spiritual tool rather than crystals, for example. "I absolutely regard her as a Christian but ... she's one of those capacious Christians," Nelson said."

New Thought is indeed a separate strain of belief(s) from New Age, though the differences can seem somewhat arbitrary and esoteric to the outsider looking in, and the two subcultures overlap in many places, making distinctions somewhat hard to make.

Drexel University's online publication The Smart Set features what I suppose one could call "travel writing" by Steven Wells (the punk poet formerly known as "Susan Williams"). In "Let the Sunshine In", Wells writes about a visit to Glastonbury Tor, and substitutes mean-spirited mocking cynicism for cleverness.

"All over the Anglophone world, witches and druids will be conducting (or already have conducted) similar ceremonies, despite the fact the last real druids were exterminated by the Romans in A.D. 60. And that far from being an authentic ancient tradition, Western witchcraft (or Wicca) was invented from scratch by an outrageous liar in England in 1946. And the rest of this New Age menagerie has equally sketchy and recent roots — most of them right here, in the probably non-existent King Arthur’s sacred Glastonbury, where Jesus’ uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, almost certainly didn’t hide the Holy Grail (but there are plenty who reckon he did). Mohammed and Joseph Smith and L. Ron Hubbard have nothing on the New Age ningnangnongers. Not that I think that matters. I’m guessing the original druids and witches kinda made it up as they went along as well."

For Pagans, this isn't anything you haven't heard before. Though if your looking for a low-rent H.L. Mencken to amuse you for a few minutes, I suppose Wells might be your man.

In a final note, I have a couple of pieces of book-related news. First, two Llewellyn titles have won awards from a trade organization I've never heard of until today.

"Two Llewellyn titles, The Temple of High Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak and Natural Witchery by Ellen Dugan, have been awarded prestigious awards from the Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR), with several other Llewellyn titles being noted as award finalists ... COVR is an organization formed by a unique group of businesses that deal in "Visionary Resources," and who work with and support each other as independent retailers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and publishers of visionary books, music, and merchandise."

Congratulations to Llewellyn, if you say the COVR awards are prestigious, I'll take your word on it. Secondly, calling all horned-god fanatics, Avalonia Books announces the forthcoming release of "Horns of Power, Manifestations of the Horned God".

"This anthology is the first of its kind to be focussed on the horned gods of our ancestors and includes both scholarly essays, bardic retellings of stories such as that of Herne the Hunter and a number of experiential essays. Invocations and meditation journeys are also included."

Sounds interesting! But then we here at The Wild Hunt are a little biased. For a similar Pagan anthology of note, be sure to also check out "Written in Wine", an anthology of writings concerning Dionysos.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

Labels: books, Christianity, Erik Davis, Glastonbury, law, music, New Age, Oprah, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, psychics, Tajikistan, UK

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What to Do About Stonehenge?

Though the Summer Solstice revelers have moved on, that most famous of British neolithic monuments, Stonehenge, remains in the news. First off, somewhat controversial Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon (no, not that Arthur Pendragon) is camping out near Stonehenge, and vows to continue to do so until long-promised improvements to the site are made.


John Rothwell, aka Arthur Uther Pendragon.

"Demonstrating on behalf of the Council of British Druid Orders, King Arthur Pendragon, has been camping close to the World Heritage site since the Summer Solstice on June 21. Pendragon, 54, is hoping his protests will encourage the Government to remove the fences around the monument, build a tunnel over the A303 and grass over the A344. He said: "That's what they promised to do but the Government said they couldn't afford the tunnel. "It's too commercialised. We want something exactly like Avebury. Those fences have been here since 1978." ... He said: 'The visitor centre, set up 14 years ago, was supposed to be a temporary building. It's awful. It is a national disgrace so what I am hoping to do by my protest is embarrass the Government into raising the issue.'"

However, this outrage over the condition of Stonehenge isn't isolated to Druids and Pagans, and with the Olympics coming to London in 2012, there has been increased pressure to improve the state of England's heritage sites. One manifestation of this willingness to do something about the state of Stonehenge is an upcoming three month public consultation on the future of the site. Organizers are no doubt hoping that this period of public input will quell criticisms of governmental negligence, and spur renewed action.


Stonehenge

"English Heritage is to launch a public consultation to find a new site for its long-planned Stonehenge visitor centre. The news comes more than six months after it scrapped Denton Corker Marshall’s design for a centre. That scheme, which had been granted planning permission in December, was shelved after the government decided not to fund a £500 million A303 tunnel. Heritage Lottery Funding had been conditional upon the tunnel going ahead. Denton Corker Marshall won a competition to design the facility in 2001 after EH had ditched a previous scheme by Edward Cullinan Architects. From July 15, members of the public will be able to offer feedback on EH’s review of the World Heritage Site Management Plan, and proposed environmental improvements to the roads around the monument, as well as possible locations for the new visitor facilities."

Perhaps the fear of worldwide embarrassment over the care of Stonehenge will do more to motivate renewed care and attention to the monument than any protesting Druid could ever hope to achieve. In the meantime, King Arthur camps, and we wait to see if the government and English Heritage can finally find a long-term solution for the site's care and maintenance.

Labels: Druidism, Druidry, Druids, King Arthur, Paganism, standing stones, Stonehenge, UK

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Splinter OTO Groups Can No Longer Call Themselves "OTO"

The Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), an esoteric fraternal order which is perhaps best known for its associations with former leader and primary ritualist/liturgist Aleister Crowley, has recently achieved two major legal victories. The more important of the two regards trademark control over the terms "OTO" and "O.T.O." in the UK.

"I am happy to report that OTO has prevailed against Starfire Publishing Ltd.'s opposition to our trademarks for "OTO" and "O.T.O." in the United Kingdom. In her decision of June 8, Anna Carbone, the Appointed Person hearing OTO's appeal, found in favor of OTO, overturning a previous decision in favor of Starfire. OTO's registrations of the marks "OTO" and "O.T.O." are now proceeding normally in the UK, joining our previous registrations of "Ordo Templi Orientis" and the OTO Lamen. Under UK law, there can be no further appeal of a decision by an Appointed Person, in either the Trademark Registry or High Court."

What does this decision mean? Joined with the international order's trademark control in the United States (and the rest of the world), it means that a variety of splinter groups using the term "OTO" (or variations thereof) must now cease or risk legal action. The OTO's official press release specifically names British occultist Kenneth Grant's "Typhonian" Ordo Templi Orientis in its warning to groups started by expelled or resigned members.

"This litigation was not one we initiated -- these were proceedings brought against us by Starfire acting on behalf of Kenneth Grant's spurious OTO organization, with support from organizations led or founded by other expelled or resigned OTO members, such as Albion OTO and OTO Foundation. These groups would be well advised to find another name. We were merely filing a routine maintenance trademark. Now, having provoked us, they can reasonably expect enforcement proceedings from us if they do not stop appropriating our name, initials and lamen."

Since judges have ruled that "OTO" is the name of a private organization, and not a descriptive term for a religion, these groups will have to follow in the footsteps of other fraternal organizations and pick news names.

The second decision (actually a settlement), this time in America, also reinforced the main OTO body's control over its assets and intellectual property. Specifically, the images of Crowley's Thoth tarot deck.

"OTO filed suit in US Federal Court in Southern California against Focus Features, NBC Universal and Vivendi for copyright infringement in connection with the appropriation of images from the Thoth Tarot cards to promote the Woody Allen film "Scoop," where they were used on the poster, DVD packaging and in the press kits. The case has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. Under the terms of the agreement, the details of the settlement are confidential. This was a significant legal case, since OTO took on the world's largest media conglomerate, represented by the best law firm in Hollywood. We have long taken on corporations many times our size before, e.g. Simon and Schuster, Doubleday and Harper and Row, but NBC Universal Vivendi is many, many times larger and more powerful than all these combined."

These cases reinforce the fact that O.T.O. Worldwide is not only in complete control of its name and image, but it has also proved that it has the muscle and will to defend its claims. It would be virtually impossible at this point for another organization to legally claim rights to the "OTO" name or legacy. So would-be "true" OTO orders beware, a lawyer might soon be giving you a visit.

Labels: Aleister Crowley, Magick, occult, OTO, Paganism, Religion, Thelema, UK

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(Pagan) News of Note

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel publishes an article about how Pagans that Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary knows are excited that a "unicorn" (a deer that grew only one horn due to genetic mutation) was born in Tuscany.

"Unicorns are considered sacred creatures in ancient and contemporary pagan traditions," said Selena Fox, founder and senior minister of Circle Sanctuary, a Wiccan church, resource center and nature preserve with a worldwide ecospirituality ministry on a 200-acre nature preserve about 30 miles west of Madison. "Some pagans are part of the emerging field known as crypto zoology, in which science and myth converge. There are several theories about unicorns having actual origins in living creatures. Well, this report seems to confirm that.

The piece seems more like a way to plug the ongoing Pagan Spirit Gathering, than to have a discussion about the significance of a single-horned deer. For some reason the article keeps bringing to mind Oberon Zell-Ravenheart's old "unicorn" goat-raising business.

Canada seems to be big on controversial child welfare cases lately. First we had the swastika/Odinist case from last week, and now the Children's Aid Society has been called in, and a report filed, after a psychic claimed a young autistic girl was molested.

"Leduc's weird tale began on May 30, when she dropped young Victoria off for class at Terry Fox Elementary and headed in to work, only to receive a frantic phone call from the school telling her it was urgent she come back right away. The frightened mother rushed back to the campus and was stunned by what she heard - the principal, vice-principal and her daughter's teacher were all waiting for her in the office, telling her they'd received allegations that Victoria had been the victim of sexual abuse - and that the CAS had been notified ... "The teacher looked and me and said: 'We have to tell you something. The educational assistant who works with Victoria went to see a psychic last night, and the psychic asked the educational assistant at that particular time if she works with a little girl by the name of "V." And she said 'yes, I do.' And she said, 'well, you need to know that that child is being sexually abused by a man between the ages of 23 and 26.'" ... things got worse when school officials used the "evidence" and accepted the completely unsubstantiated word of the seer by reporting the case to Children's Aid, which promptly opened a file on the family."

Here you thought the use of spectral evidence had been done away with! Luckily the girl had recently been hooked up to a GPS and an auditory monitoring system which conclusively proved that the girl was never sexually abused. But now the mother doesn't want to send the child back to the gullible educational assistant (for obvious reasons), and wants the school to pay for special therapy. Something the school has refused to do at this point.

Controversy swirls in the UK after a local Pagan meeting space/shop in Reddish was refused classification as a temple under the Places of Worship Act of 1855.

"A bid to set up the UK’s first official Wiccan temple in Reddish is living on a prayer after the Government refused to recognise the building as a genuine place of worship. Sandra Davis, high priestess at the Crystal Cauldron, on Gorton Road, is appealing the decision she claims is discriminatory. She applied to have her business - a shop and meeting room - recognised as a temple but this week the General Register Office, part of the Home Office, refused ... The Home Office argues that the religion does not involve worship of a supreme being so is not legitimate, a point which Sandra strongly refutes."

Doesn't involve the worship of a supreme being? I expect that Pagan advocacy groups in the UK are already discussing strategy and responses. Considering the growing numbers of modern Pagans in the UK, this will be an issue that will only intensify in years to come. More on this as I hear it.

The newsroom of the Miami Herald turns to Santeria in order to save their struggling newsroom in the face of an increasingly digital world.

"And then somebody brought a chicken into the newsroom. A sign affixed to the bird — a statue of a rooster in full crow — said: "Brought in by a Santeria priest ... to help save our jobs. Make an offering." The bird, placed last week on a bank of file cabinets in the newsroom of The Miami Herald, drew flowers, wine, pennies, peppermint, dolls, candles and other oblations. A few days later, the McClatchy Co., which owns The Herald and 30 other newspapers around the country, announced it was cutting 10 percent of its work force. At The Herald, that means 190 jobs throughout the newspaper's various departments. So if Santeria — a combination of Catholicism and the West African Yoruba religion — has any miracles to work, it better get busy."

Santerian rituals aside, editorialist Leonard Pitts Jr says that the old-school newspaper business needs to change or die, turning to the web not as a side-project of the newspaper but as the primary means of delivering news. Unfortunately many news organizations seem stuck in the past, and are unable, or unwilling, to change.

In a final note, this Summer Solstice, in addition to your normal religious/ritual plans, you might also want to spare some time to pray for Native American sacred spaces.

"The sixth annual National Days of Prayer to Protect Native American Sacred Places will be observed across the country on June 20 and June 21. The day highlights the dangers posed to sacred places like Mount Taylor in New Mexico. Tribes are seeking to protect the mountain from uranium development amid controversy. "We honor sacred places, with a special emphasis on the need for Congress to build a door to the courts for Native nations to protect our churches," said Suzan Shown Harjo, the president of The Morning Star Institute, which organizes the event."

Public prayers will be performed across the country at many sacred sites, and in Washington, D.C., where the day will be observed on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on the West Front Grassy Area at 8am on June 20.

That is all I have for now. Have a great day!

Labels: American Indian, Children, Circle Sanctuary, Native American, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, psychics, Santeria, Selena Fox, Summer Solstice, UK, unicorn, Wicca

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Injecting a Stereotype into Stereotype-busting Story

Yesterday ABC News posted a story from London concerning an ambitious "living library" project, the goal of which is to eradicate prejudices and stereotypes concerning different cultural, ethnic, and religious minorities.

"Welcome to the Living Library. Here, you borrow individuals who represent stereotypes that often are the target of prejudice or hatred. At this east London library on a recent Saturday, there were 26 "books" available, including a Muslim, an immigrant, a transgender individual, a witch and an Indian atheist. Readers borrow them for half an hour, hear their narrative, question them, even pry a little, and -- so the theory goes -- break down some of their preconceptions and stop "judging the book by the cover." The idea is the brainchild of Ronni Abergel, a Danish antiviolence campaigner, who has taken the Living Library to 12 countries and watched it flourish in places as diverse as Australia and Turkey."

While the story itself does a decent job explaining the Living Library project, and it various successes and challenges across Europe, the ABC staff illustrator seemed to not get the memo.


"Muslim and Witch", (ABC News Photo Illustration)

While the "Muslim" shadow is simply a man with a nicely trimmed beard, the "Witch" shadow is wearing the traditional Halloween-witch pointy hat. While some modern Witches do occasionally wear the wide-brimmed conical hat for fun, they are hardly an indicator for allegiance to Wicca or other forms of religious Witchcraft.

Because most Witches and Pagans are relatively easy-going, I doubt there will be much of an uproar over the illustration (nor am I calling for one), but the irony of injecting a visual stereotype into a story about eradicating stereotypes strikes me as downright satirical. Better luck next time ABC.

Labels: ABC News, Living Library, Paganism, stereotypes, UK, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft

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(Pagan) News of Note

I'm back! Did you miss me? I had a lovely vacation at my undisclosed location, and I would like to give a huge thank you to my amazing guest bloggers, who went above and beyond the call of duty to write some wonderfully challenging, moving, and insightful things. I urge my readers to add their blogs (found in the blogroll to your right) to your daily Internet travels, in addition to checking out the many published works they have produced.

Now, let's catch up on the news...

The Libertarian Party has picked its nominee for President of the United States of America. Former congressional Republican Bob Barr. A puzzling choice considering that Barr's record isn't one that lends itself easily to Libertarian values of a small and un-intrusive government.

"Barr not only wrote and sponsored the Defense of Marriage act, but also voted for the Patriot Act; proposed the Pentagon ban a religious group from practice in the military: Wicca; and advocated complete federal prohibition of medical marijuana—succeeding in this last with his "Barr Amendment" - which also forbid any future law that would decrease penalties for marijuana use."

Barr is widely famous as an anti-Pagan bigot who tried to ban the military from allowing equal access and freedoms to Pagan soldiers, which he claimed set a "dangerous precedent" and that toleration of Paganism led to youth violence. This no doubt leaves many libertarian-leaning Pagans in a quandary, since a vote for Barr is a vote for someone who has actively worked against equality for Pagans.

Another religious freedom battle involving Santeria is brewing. Santeria priest Ernesto Pichardo is threatening litigation if the police dept. in Coral Gables, Florida doesn't release their records of an incident that occurred last summer.

"Ernesto Pichardo, president of the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, has been trying for almost a year to obtain records relating to the interruption of a Santeria ceremony by police last summer. An attorney he recently hired, David Aelion, has filed a public records request for any documents relating to the incident, which took place June 8. Aelion has requested all the incident reports, any internal investigations reports and communications between officers the day of the incident, as well as photographs taken at the scene, inventory reports and all city communications referring to the scene. 'We want to find out why they were there for quite a few hours holding them [the practitioners] against their will,' Aelion told The Miami Herald Friday. 'It is pretty clear that the U.S. Supreme Court allows them to practice their religion freely. Why did it take many officers and that long to find out that they had no right to be there and no right to bother them?' He said he was preparing for a possible civil rights violation case."

According to reports, around two dozen officers with guns drawn interrupted an initiation ceremony after a neighbor reported that he could hear animals suffering. Why dozens of cops with guns drawn were necessary to investigate an animal cruelty complaint remains unknown.

Is the Crowley-inspired horror film "Chemical Wedding" so bad its good?

"Fans of terrible movies shouldn't miss Chemical Wedding, which contains so many wooden performances it should really have been thinned before release by the forestry commission. Director Julian Doyle shoots the whole thing as though it is a Hammer horror film, and most of the actresses have the Hammer hallmark of being extraordinarily unfit for acting. Most of the cast underact. The one, big - and I do mean big - exception is Simon Callow, who appears to have been taking acting lessons from Brian Blessed and, possibly as a result, gone stark staring bonkers."

Other reviews seem to be sounding similar notes. All we need is some audience participation, and a regular midnight showing, and we're good to go! But while "Chemical Wedding" turns Aleister Crowley into a serial-killing horn-dog, works in other mediums are seeking to redeem the great beast, and paint him as a vilified patriot.

"Using documents gleaned from American, British, French, and Italian archives, Secret Agent 666 reveals that Crowley's clandestine service linked him to the sinking of the Lusitania, a plot to overthrow the government of Spain, the thwarting of Irish and Indian nationalist conspiracies, the Communist International, and the 1941 flight of Rudolf Hess. Author Richard Spence, a professor of History at the University of Idaho, argues that Crowley--in his own unconventional way--was a patriotic Englishman who endured years of public vilification in part to mask his role as a secret agent."

Did Crowley court public infamy to cover up his dealings with the government? If so it would certainly cast a new light on some of his actions, and make some detractors re-think his motivations.

Archie Bland of the Independent explores the ramifications of the new laws governing psychic practitioners in Britain. Bland wonders in the article if we aren't asking the wrong questions as to who is a "bad psychic".

"...perhaps the question should be recast to consider responsibility. Like the doctor, the sensible psychic's first rule is probably to do no harm, and while there may be no such thing as a good medium to the ardent materialist, the contrast between those who have a code and those who don't - between the tactful and the terrifying, the reasonable and the rip-off - is obvious to anyone."

An interesting and sympathetic look at psychic practitioners and the people who frequent them from an unbiased journalist.

The New York Times has a very nice piece on the dedication of a new Hindu temple on Staten Island in New York (the first for that community).

"For Staten Island's growing Hindu population, a couple of hours more was not long to wait to finally have its own major temple. After 10 years of worship in private homes and community meeting halls and the not-quite-finished structure of the temple itself on Victory Boulevard, the Staten Island Hindu Temple was formally consecrated in a clangorous three-day ceremony that ended on Sunday. For the 500 Hindu families from all over India who live scattered across the island, the days of having to travel to Queens or Edison, N.J., to worship are over."

Perhaps we will someday be reading similar stories about the dedication of Pagan temples.

In a final note, the recently renewed gay marriage debate has caused some to connect it with the slow move into a truly post-Christian society. For example, conservative Christian commentator Rod Dreher claims we are living in a "pagan" sensate culture that will inevitably allow for gay marriage and that the best conservative Christians can do is move to a "defensible position" and wait it out.

"Well, it's cold comfort, but this can't go on forever. [Pitirim] Sorokin argues that once sensate culture plays itself out, people will have to yield to an ideational model of some sort. It is doubtful that any culture can long survive without strong, traditional families and durable moral norms based in a transcendental source. Our civilization's prosperity has masked its social weaknesses."

Of course there is no promise that any future dominant "ideational" culture will be a Christian one. There are myriad ways to approach perceived "social weakness", and for thousands of years before Christ was born, those ways were "pagan" ways. Meanwhile, Nick Street at Religion Dispatches argues that the battle over gay marriage has little to do with a moral marriage crisis and a lot to do with the erosion of Biblical authority over American culture.

"...the impulse behind the movement’s anti-gay activism doesn’t really have much to do with marriage and sexuality ... The real issues are the authority of the Bible and the nature of revelation ... a lot is at stake in a political initiative with deep roots in the foundations of canonical Christianity. If religious conservatives can't persuade a majority of Californians to heed one element in an otherwise obscure list of purity codes in Deuteronomy - and that Jesus' preaching in the gospels isn't really complete without Paul's finger-wagging in Romans - the stitching that holds together the disparate parts of the Good Book will have subtly but irrevocably loosened, along with the Bible's centuries-old grip on American public life."

Christian conservatives are using their remaining weapons of fear-mongering and moral revulsion to hold back the post-Christian tide (of which gay marriage is a potent symbol), but it seems that just about everyone agrees that while Christian activists may win the constitutional battle in California, the larger war is all but lost.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

Labels: Aleister Crowley, Bob Barr, Chemical Wedding, Christianity, Hinduism, homosexuality, law, Libertarian, litigation, marriage, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Presidential election, psychics, Santeria, UK

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A Peek Into The Post-Christian Future

Ruth Gledhill of The Times examines new survey data on religious attendance in Britain, and the results aren't looking too good for Christianity.

"Church attendance in Britain is declining so fast that the number of regular churchgoers will be fewer than those attending mosques within a generation, research published today suggests ... Churchgoing [Christians] across all denominations in England will fall from about 3 million today to about 700,000 in 2050. In Wales it will tumble from 200,000 to 42,000 and in Scotland, from 550,000 to 140,000. The figures take into account the recent boost to Catholicism from the number of Polish immigrants to Britain, particularly in Scotland."

The new data comes from UK-based Christian Research, who regularly publish updates on church attendance and adherence in their "Religious Trends" studies. While the Times article gives special focus to Muslim fortunes in this brave new (projected) Christian-minority world (at least in terms of attendance), the rising tide of declining Christian attendance raises all religious minority boats.

"The forecast to 2050 shows churchgoing in Britain declining to 899,000 while the active Hindu population, now at nearly 400,000, will have more than doubled to 855,000."

So if Muslims and Hindus are going to benefit, what about the Pagans? According to the last British census, there were around 40,000 Pagans in the UK. But many Pagans believe there are a lot more, from conservative estimates of nearly 300,000, to (un-sourced) articles claiming there are a million Pagans. If census growth rates hold steady in the next fifty years (and if these latest projections hold true for all non-Christian faiths), religion in Britain won't be taken over by Muslims, instead we can look forward to a Britain locked in a precarious balance between the remaining Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Pagans.

Aiding the growth of minority faiths will be the economic decline of Christianity in Britain. As attendance drops, the large institutional structures maintained by the Church of England and the Catholics will become unsustainable. Something that could happen in less than thirty years.

"The fall - from the four million people who attend church at least once a month today - means that the Church of England, Catholicism and other denominations will become financially unviable. A lack of funds from the collection plate to support the Christian infrastructure, including church upkeep and ministers' pay and pensions, will force church closures as ageing congregations die."

Of course, predictions of future events could always be altered by factors yet unforeseen. However, it does give us a glimpse of how a post-Christian world might look, and what our place might be in such a world. Will we be ready for a time when modern Pagans hold political office (and pandered to by politicians looking to get into office), are looked to for social guidance, and considered completely mainstream? We in America may get a preview of such a world sooner than we think in the UK.

Labels: census, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Paganism, post-Christian, Religion, survey, UK

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Old Traditions, New Directions

The Independent has a feature up on the tradition of Morris Dancing, specifically how two troupes are bringing a decidedly modern aesthetic to these venerable folk traditions.


The Hunters Moon Morris

"Morris dancing is a joke, isn't it, with a hey nonny no? Beardy men with beer bellies prancing about in white stockings, waving hankies? Very twee. But try telling that to the men and women of Hunters Moon, here by the Sussex coast looking like the devilish spawn of Hell's Angels and medieval mummers. They are part of a secret revolution in morris dancing, transforming the most easily lampooned of English eccentricities. Fresh rivalries are emerging, as younger men and women reinvent "the morris" in startling ways - including, as we discover during a mad dash around southern England on May Day, the world's first Gothic morris troupe - or "side"."


The Wolf's Head and Vixen Morris.

The article profiles the decidedly Pagan-oriented Hunters Moon Morris, and the gothic Wolf's Head and Vixen Morris. Journalist Cole Moreton describes Wolf's Head and Vixen as looking like a "boozy, woozy gathering of the Sisters of Mercy fan club", but they, like the Hunter's Moon troupe, are trying to reclaim Morris dancing from a static and sometimes oppressive vision of English history and culture.

"One reason for the recent growth of Border morris is that it is easier to learn (while more spectacular) than other forms. Another is an increase in the number of British neo-pagans, many of whom are drawn to it. "We quite consciously work with ideas of shamanism," says [Wolfshead founder Philip] Kane. "It's a form of ritual theatre, a magical space embracing both dancers and audience." There are radical politics at work too: he sees the dance, and "neo-pagan carnivals" such as the Rochester Sweeps, as a way of resisting the "complacent nostalgia" of Englishness "founded on the detritus of imperialism, Christianity, racism and xenophobia". His England has more primitive, inclusive roots, and for him the morris is a way of expressing that."

Of course there are still several traditional Morris "sides" (albeit aging rapidly) performing in England. Unlike the Pagan and goth troupes, they see what they are doing as safely within the bounds of their Christian faith, and downplay any esoteric aspects connected to Morris dancing by folklorists in the past.

"So, what do they think they're up to? Norman Hopson, the 56-year-old squire, is a technical manager for BT but has the no-nonsense manner of a bluff countryman. "Some say the handkerchiefs are there to frighten away spirits, and the same for the bells," he says. "We say they are there to accentuate the movements." Nor is there anything mystical about his experience of dancing: "I see myself as a street entertainer." ... Hopson doesn't see it as a symbol of fertility, or anything else, thank you. "The Long Man is a local landmark," he says. "It's just a carving on a hill. I don't think it has any further significance." The side's bagman, Alan Vaughan, puts it more strongly: "We would go against that pagan idea," he says. 'Traditionally, morris dancing has been connected with the church. I personally have danced in Durham Cathedral.'"

Of course the pagan and esoteric undertones to modern Morris dancing (true or not) are irrevocably wrapped into it thanks to folklorists like Cecil Sharp, who felt that folk-traditions were cultural fossils of England's primitive past (what Ronald Hutton calls the "geological model" of human culture). This notion of pagan survivals helped pave the way for the emergence of modern Pagan religion, and still casts a long shadow in the public mind when considering Morris dances and other folk traditions.

"The folk singers of today ... are the last of a long line that stretches back into the mists of far-off days." - Cecil Sharp, English Folk Song: Some Conclusions, 1907

Nor is England the only place where Pagans and other subcultural groups are staking their own claims to the Morris legacy. Pagans in America, most notably in California, have started up their own Morris traditions. Before long, the Victorian folklorists may turn out to be prophets, as more and more Morris troupes embrace a Pagan aesthetic.

PS - Speaking of traditions, today is Mother's Day. Check out my post concerning the holiday from last year, I think it says all I want to say about the subject.

Labels: folklore, goth, Morris Dancing, Paganism, UK

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Updates on Recent Stories

I've got quick updates on two recent stories. We'll start off in Salem...

Mainstream Acceptance in Salem: The panel discussion in Salem featuring Margot Adler and Jerrie Hildebrand is continuing to get coverage from the local papers. This time, Lisa Guerriero from the Salem Gazette reports back from the "No Place for Hate" panel, and pairs it with a recent satellite television appearance by two Salem Witches.

"What is life like for a person who considers himself or herself a witch? How do Hollywood images of witches stack up to their real-life counterparts? These are some of the questions addressed by a No Place for Hate panel in Salem last Saturday [see story, Page 1]. Similar questions were posed recently on a Dish Network TV program, "Magnificent Obsessions." While the panel explored the beliefs and lifestyle of Wiccans and Pagans, the TV show addressed a different kind of witch. Wiccans and Pagans draw mainly from a resurrected tradition of communion with nature, whereas the Salem witches featured in "Magnificent Obsessions" focus more on psychic work and spells than Pagan traditions. They're typically the kind of witches you see walking Salem's streets in all black, sometimes with pointy hats."

The two Witches featured in the television show? Christian Day and Leanne Marrama, two Witches who recently opened their own shop in Salem. Guerriero's observation concerning a split between "Salem Witches" and "Wiccans and Pagans" is an interesting one. While Salem Witches like Day and Marrama may not be Wiccan, aren't they Pagan? Should a shift of emphasis in style and practice remove them from the larger Pagan family? Perhaps the problem with press coverage of Witches and Pagans is that it is so polarized between sensationalism and statements of normalacy that people like Christian Day and Margot Adler start to seem from entirely different movements, instead of part of a larger religious continuum.

First Shot Fired in British Psychic Wars: Since I first reported on it earlier this month, the controversy over Britain adopting EU reforms on psychic services and mediumship has grown. Today the Independent, the BBC, and the Telegraph all report on a protest organized by the Spiritual Workers Association in opposition to the new legislation.

"Today, representatives of British mediums will march up Downing Street to deliver a petition containing some 10,000 signatories demanding that the Government change its decision to repeal the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act in favour of a new EU directive ... The SWA complains that the 1951 law, which replaced the 1735 Witchcraft Act, guarantees "genuine" mediums legal protection, penalising only those who seek to hoodwink the public. However, by treating spiritualism as merely a consumer service, mediums believe they risk being sued if customers are dissatisfied with advice brought from the other side - advice they say they always point out should always be treated with care. The solution to the present impasse, according to lawyers advising the crystal-ball fraternity, is via the prosaic expedient of a pre-consultation disclaimer, describing any dialogue with the deceased in terms of either entertainment or scientific experiment. It does not sit comfortably with purist believers."

Meanwhile, the Spiritualists' National Union, the largest UK Spiritualists organization, is supporting the law. Expressing confidence that it will only harm con-artists and not divinations or mediumship performed in a religious context. Despite the protest and the petition, all signs point to these new regulations being passed. So we'll have to wait and see if it only harms con-men, or if it will be used as a cudgel by crusading skeptics or oppositional religious groups (a possibility acknowledged by EU regulations supporter Susie Collings, of the College of Psychic Studies).

Labels: Christian Day, Jerrie Hildebrand, law, Leanne Marrama, Margot Adler, Paganism, psychics, Salem, Spiritualism, Tarot, Television, UK, Wicca, Witchcraft

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(Pagan) News of Note

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

Jane Baker, from the Australian paper The Yass Tribue, holds up Hypatia of Alexandria as a beacon of inspiration when confronting various fundamentalisms and maintaining independent thought.

"In a time darker than ours, a time when reason was held hostage to fundamentalism, when only one form of thought and belief was permitted, when scholars were denounced and their works destroyed, Hypatia kept teaching and standing up for reason. "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all," she told her students. Those words should stay with us when we read the papers, listen to the news, hear the latest demagogue spruiking his zealotry. We have to think. We have to question. We cannot accept what we are told without thought and consideration. That is what stands between us and the darkness of ignorance and fanaticism."

Now that Hypatia's story is being adapted into a film, one wonders if the famous Neoplatonist will indeed become a sort of Pagan saint, invoked against intolerance and religious extremism by a variety of groups.

Students from Pagan/Wiccan club and Native American club at Joliet Junior College, inspired by one of their teachers, joined forces to create a Relay for Life team and raise money for Cancer research.

"Students from the Native American Club and the Pagan Wiccan Club joined together to create the JJC Thunderbirds team for the All-College Relay for Life being held this weekend at Lewis University in Romeoville. In a final push to raise funds for the walk, they created an event - 'Clips for a Cure' - on the JJC bridge Thursday afternoon. Anyone donating a foot of hair to Locks of Love was eligible for a free hair cut; others were given a hair cut with a donation as small as $5. Hairstylists from J&M Hair Salon in Joliet donated their time and talent to the cause, cutting both men's and women's hair."

Thanks in part to the efforts of these clubs, Joliet Junior College has raised over $25,000 for cancer research in the past two years. This is a wonderful example of young Pagans involved in making the world a better place, and showing that the future of our religious movement is in good hands.

The Florida Sun-Sentinel re-tells the myth of Eos and Tithonus.

"Naturally Tithonus loved Eos. Who could resist the love of such a beautiful goddess? Just as she does today, in those years long ago, Eos woke the world each morning with curling rings of light, and every morning she mystically brought the world out of darkness. Whenever Tithonus looked at her, he felt a glow, the way so many people feel at dawn - as buoyant as an April morning on those days when the first buds begin to bloom."

Just the myth. No commentary, no moral lesson, just the story. If re-printing the great stories and myths in newspapers is a new trend, I approve! Perhaps they can run a serial of the Trojan War?

A Druid from Portsmouth has turned in his ritual sword to the police in order to make a statement on the recent growth of stabbing incidents in the UK.

"A Druid who had to fight a legal battle to get his sword back after police confiscated it has now handed the weapon in to promote world peace. Merlin Williams used his blunt sword, Taliesin, to create a circle of safety around members of the druid order at ceremonies ... He said: 'The thought to hand the sword in to police came to me when I was meditating and thinking about world peace and the stabbings you read about in the papers all the time. 'I wanted to show that druids are peace-loving and although the sword was never used for violence, I thought handing it in to the police station where it was confiscated would be a good way of doing this. I also want to discourage others from carrying knives as it can lead to violence and people being hurt.'"

Williams is a member and chief bard of the The Insular Order of Druids, an organization that has had more than one run-in with the law over confiscated ritual blades.

The Oshawa Public Library in Ontario has generated a bit of scandal over providing a tarot workshop to local teens.

"It's not often that a school librarian takes issue with a library program. But Oshawa's Susan Packer said she was driven to act last week, after learning Oshawa's public library will be offering tarot card workshops for teens later this month. "I believe that tarot reading is a dangerous practice. Teenagers who might attend the program offered at the library will be dabbling in the occult," said Ms. Packer, who is the parent of three teenagers and a teacher-librarian at an Oshawa elementary school ... Ms. Packer shared her concerns with the Durham District School Board and sent a letter to the library board and local politicians last week, asking that the program be dropped."

While such a controversy might have played out differently in America, it seems that Canada has little tolerance for religious hysteria. A librarian at OPL said that "we don't let small groups of people dictate what large groups of people can see or do or learn", and they plan to go ahead with the workshop. The workshops are being held on April 19th and 26th, and will feature Zsuzsana, author of "The Now Age".

In a final note, a couple people passed along a link to a story from late last year that I missed. It concerns an ongoing rivalry between two Baltimore candle stores on the same street "Grandma's Candle Shop" and "Lucky Star Candles: Home of Old Grandpa."

"Grandma's and Grandpa's have both been caring for the spiritual health of downtown Baltimore for three decades, squabbling like an old married couple the whole time. The feud isn't as hot as it was when Old Grandpa ran his store, but despite their similarities, there's no love lost between the candle merchants."

This story has it all: drama, allegations of intellectual property theft, bad blood, and different religious backgrounds (Grandma's is Pagan-friendly, Grandpa's is decidedly Christian in tone). Both uneasily co-exist while selling mojo and magical supplies to the locals. A must-read!

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

Labels: activism, Baltimore, Canada, candles, Druidry, Druids, Hoodoo, Hypatia, Myth, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Tarot, UK, Wicca

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First Shot Fired in British Psychic Wars

America isn't the only place dealing with laws banning or unfairly regulating psychic practitioners. Britain is set to pass a new set of regulations concerning divination, spiritual healing, and psychic practices in line with EU recommendations.

"...a whole list of disclaimers must be added to the spiritualists' spiel if they are to avoid an avalanche of writs following the repeal next month of the Fraudulent Mediums Act, to be replaced by the new Consumer Protection Regulations. Promises to raise the dead, secure good fortune or heal through the laying on of hands are all at risk of legal action from disgruntled customers. Spiritualists say they will be forced to issue disclaimers, such as 'this is a scientific experiment, the results of which cannot be guaranteed'. They claim the new regulations will leave them open to malicious civil action by skeptics."

The new Consumer Protection Regulations also places the burden of proof on the psychic or practitioner in accusations of fraud. A very different scenario than under the old Fraudulent Mediums Act (which replaced the repealed Witchcraft Act).

"For the past half-century, 'genuine' mediums have been protected by the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act, under which prosecutors had to prove fraud and dishonest intent to secure a criminal conviction, which was difficult. There have been fewer than 10 convictions in the past 20 years. With that protection gone, there will now be nothing between the medium and the trading standards officer - and no need to prove fraud. Instead it will be up to the trader, in this case the medium, to prove they did not mislead, coerce or take advantage of any 'vulnerable' consumers."

Those most upset over these impending regulations are the Spiritualist churches in Britain (which, according to latest census, has over 30,000 members), who rankle at having to describe sacred rites as "experiments", in effect denying their own beliefs in order to avoid accusations of fraud.

"Carole McEntee-Taylor, a spiritualist healer in Essex