Code Pink Makes Some See Red

There has been a conservative news field-day over a themed protest held by anti-war activist group Code Pink in Berkeley last Friday. The theme? Witchcraft against the war.

"In a call to activists on the Web, the antiwar group appealed to "witches, crones and sirens" to come to the center to "cast spells, weave magic, invoke the foremothers, share wisdom, lead rituals to banish war and violence and bring peace" ... Fox News cameras, which were there to capture the showdown between the Code Pink's theatrical coven and counterprotesters from the pro-military group Move America Forward, which had vowed to stage a "witch hunt" in response to Code Pink's eye-of-newt action."



Some Pagans, most notably Chas Clifton and Anne Hill, took exception to activists appropriating Pagan religion to create a spectacle so they can get more media coverage.

"...they pick the stereotype green-faced Halloween witch instead. They parody our religion for their futile cause. Somehow I don't feel the compliment. One ex-military Pagan wrote to conservative columnist Michelle Malkin to say he was embarrassed by Code Pink too. And that is the thing about today's Pagans: for every lefty pacifist there is one (or probably more) military Pagan."

Which comes to the point that modern Paganism is a religious movement, not a political one. There is no idealogical entrance exam to be a polytheist (or pantheist, or duotheist). Diversity of thought is a hallmark of Pagan existence, and attempts to politicize our movement, for whatever end, are ultimately doomed to failure and marginalization. Code Pink sought to make media waves by sensationalizing Pagan practice, but may have created a magic not of their choosing.

"Ironically, it's actually helped us by putting our name out. We're now well known. And people know who we are, and where we are, and they come in to talk to us about enlisting. They've gotten us the publicity that we could've never afforded to pay for ourselves," Wheatcroft told FOXNews.com. "Just in the last three weeks, 10 people came in looking to apply, looking to become Marine officers, and that's much higher than normal," he said."

Meanwhile, the Pagan community in Berkeley held their annual Pagan Festival and Parade. An event that didn't ignite the newswires, but was possibly more accurate in portraying our shared goals and values.

"People from all walks of life joined in the fun Saturday at the 7th Annual Pagan Festival and Parade. It was a showing of acceptance and celebration across all ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and faith traditions at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. The event, organized by the Pagan Alliance, brought out a large crowd under this year's theme, "We are Change." The mission of the Pagan Alliance is to promote acceptance of faith and to work for justice. The aim of the event was to foster change, connect communities and promote spiritual diversity. Organizers said they also wanted to dispel common misconceptions that paganism is about devil worship."

Not to sermonize, but modern Pagan faiths embrace both the pacifist and the soldier (not to mention all the people between those two poles). Our diversity and commitment to a personal connection to the gods makes any attempt to codify a single and universal "Pagan politics" frustrating at best, and dangerously fractious at worst. Media feeding-frenzies like this may help Code Pink in the short-term, but can possibly damage outreach and dialog efforts by modern Pagans in the longer term. As Pagan faiths head into the future, we will have to find a way to avoid polarizing our movement into "right" and "left" camps, and maintain the common ground needed to advance rights and privileges for us all.

Labels: Anne Hill, California, Chas Clifton, Code Pink, Military, Pagan Soldiers, Paganism, politics, Wicca, Witchcraft

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The ACLU, South Carolina, and Religious Minorities

As I have reported previously on this blog, South Carolina is quickly becoming one of the "hot zones" in battles over church and state. You had Wiccan Darla Wynne's victory over sectarian prayer in Great Falls, the ongoing plan by conservative Christians to legislate around that judgment, and a controversial "I Believe" specialty license plate created solely for Christians about to be approved. So it is troubling to hear that the local chapter of the ACLU has become so dysfunctional that the national organization has swooped in to take over.

"If there is one state that can ill afford an ineffective chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union it arguably is South Carolina ... in recent years [the SC ACLU chapter] been hampered by ideological squabbling among its board members, staff leadership turnover, lackluster membership and fundraising numbers and a virtually nonexistent media presence. Aware of the problems for some time, the national ACLU board has decided to step in and try to right the ship. The decision made national news."

The only comfort here is that with the national ACLU board "driving", we may see a revitalized ACLU chapter in South Carolina, and greater resources being poured into the looming legal battles developing in the state. Over the years the ACLU has been an important resource for modern Pagans seeking redress against discriminatory or unconstitutional policies and practices. Without the ACLU, and similar organizations like Americans United and the FFRF, many of the seminal legal cases that have helped establish precedents and decisions favoring the growth and free exercise of modern Paganism in America may not have happened.

Of course modern Pagans and church-state separation organizations don't always see eye to eye. In New York, the town board of Greece is defending its sectarian prayer policy by making the opening prayers inclusive of all faiths. This has allowed a local Wiccan to deliver a sectarian Pagan prayer before a recent board meeting.

"In just a few seconds' time during the April Town Board meeting, Jennifer Zarpentine made Greece history. Zarpentine, a Wiccan, delivered the first-ever pagan prayer to open a meeting of the Greece Town Board. Her hands raised to the sky, she called upon Greek deities Athena and Apollo to 'help the board make the right informed decisions for the benefit and greater good of the community.' A small cadre of her friends and coven members in the audience chimed in 'so mote it be.'"

Americans United, who recently helped win the veteran Pentacle case, is suing the town board in order to force it to switch to nonsectarian prayer (or no prayer at all). A move Wiccan Jennifer Zarpentine disapproves of.

"Zarpentine said she was pleased by the opportunity to pray at the meeting. 'I thought the invocation went well,' she said. 'The board was respectful;, they all bowed their heads.' As far as the lawsuit goes, Zarpentine said the town isn't being discriminatory. 'They are including everybody,' she said. 'They asked me.'"

Which illustrates a point where there is some divergence between groups like the ACLU and modern Pagans. Most modern Pagans are fine with religious expression so long as there is full and consistent inclusion. While the AU, and similar organizations, take a harder line of enforcing nonsectarian or nothing.

"We're glad to see that the (Town Board) is now cognizant of the diversity of the community, and it's too bad it took a lawsuit to get them to see the light ... While the Wiccan prayer will likely be more inclusive than prayers offered in the past, that doesn't change that what we want is for the town to adopt a policy that prayer-givers offer nonsectarian prayers."

Despite these differences, our faith groups have generally experienced a net gain in allying ourselves with church-state separation advocacy organizations. This will most likely continue until modern Pagan organizations gather sufficient fiscal and political power to form their own legal advocacy groups. Even then, I don't foresee a day where Pagans will be unhappy with the ACLU or AU fighting to keep religion out of politics in America. A truly democratic and secular country is one where the religious minority doesn't have to fear outright discrimination or persecution.

Labels: ACLU, AU, discrimination, law, litigation, New York, Paganism, prayer, Religious Freedom, South Carolina, Wicca

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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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Mainstream Acceptance in Salem

A few days ago I mentioned a panel discussion on Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism taking place in Salem that featured author/journalist Margot Adler and Pagan activist Jerrie Hildebrand. Today, The Salem News reports back on the event, and paints a portrait of increasing mainstream acceptance.

"Witches get more respect than they used to here in the Witch City. That was a recurring theme among about 40 witches, pagans and Wiccans at a city-sponsored forum held Saturday night to educate the public and challenge stereotypes about their religion. Salem resident Mike Gleason said local witches are no longer shunned or feared. During Halloween, little kids ran up to him to ask questions. Ten years ago they cowered behind their parents ... Throughout the evening, the panelists described a mainstreaming of their religion that they never dreamed possible."

What else did the reporter (and us through reading her story) learn? Well, for one, some Witches are uneasy with the mainstreaming of their faith traditions.

"Nial Hartnett, a witch who lives in Danvers, wondered if this growing acceptance is a good thing. 'You have mentioned the word 'mainstreaming' several times. I wonder if we are in danger of losing who we really are, the mystery and the magic,' he said. 'Maybe we don't want to be like everyone else.' But Hildebrand insisted that the freedoms gained to practice their religion will be lost unless they work within some official structures, like the federal government."

Adler admitted that the community isn't as "edgy" now, as it was when she got involved. Speaking of "edgy", we also learned that an unnamed freelance writer for Modern Witch magazine thinks Witchcraft is a race.

"A freelance writer with Modern Witch magazine wanted to know if either woman thought it was racist to put a broom-riding witch logo on city police cruisers."

The general consensus seemed to point to the witch logo, instead of being a point of contention, is actually pretty cool (something of a sea-change from the early days when an assortment of Wiccan crusaders sought to stamp out the Halloween witch). Hildebrand also spoke highly of the local high school team being "the Witches" (would that be the "Fighting Witches" or the "Hexing Witches" I wonder).

Another big topic was Wicca and Witchcraft in Salem, where things are good, but not without repercussions.

"In Salem, the city has benefited from a witch-friendly mayor, Hildebrand said. Recently, Hildebrand wrote a short piece about the modern-day witch that was included in the city's official tourism guide for the first time. In a further sign of her religion's growing legitimacy, Hildebrand serves as the first Wiccan chaplain for the state Department of Correction ... Here in Salem there's more tolerance, but also a higher standard placed on witches, Hildebrand said. She said she would be reluctant to report a hate crime, not out of fear, but because she would worry that the media would sensationalize the case, and witches around the country would be harmed. "It's embarrassing sometimes when I have to listen to what other people think a Salem witch is," she said."

You have to wonder if Hildebrand was thinking of the recent Salem "psychic wars" when she formulated her response. Like it or not, when people think "real live Witches", they think of Salem. While sensationalist press coverage is always a problem, I'm not sure that refusing to report a hate crime would be a good response. Justice should always be served, even if it comes with the occasional embarrassing media interview.

On the whole, the event seemed very positive and productive. The real challenge now is to work towards having such consciousness-raising events outside places with Pagan-friendly politicians and large active communities, and into the places where education is desperately needed. Perhaps someday soon we'll see a Pagan-focused barnstorming tour across the country, visiting places where Pagans don't dare come out of the closet. Until then, this panel discussion is a great first step. Congratulations to the organizers and participants.

Labels: Jerrie Hildebrand, Margot Adler, Paganism, Salem, Wicca, Witchcraft

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Three From Salem

The Salem Gazette published three Wicca/Witchcraft related stories yesterday, each one revealing different aspects of the practice of Witchcraft in the "Witch City" of Salem, and the different ways that modern Paganism enters the mainstream. The first article concerns a panel discussion taking place tomorrow featuring author/journalist Margot Adler and Pagan activist Jerrie Hildebrand.

"The city of Salem's No Place for Hate Committee will host a panel discussion on April 12 that will focus on practices within the Wiccan faith and the everyday lifestyles of those practicing paganism. The objective of the event is to inform those in attendance about the religion, lifestyle and culture of those who practice Wicca while also touching on the history and its distinction within the Salem community."

The talk will be opened by Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, a politician who has enjoyed support from the local Pagan community since she first ran for the office. The event is free and open to the public, and will be held Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m. on the second floor of Old Town Hall, Derby Square.

The second story concerns the opening of a new Witch-themed shop called "Hex". The store, co-run by Leanne Marrama and Salem impresario Christian Day, promises an "old-world folk magic" feel and approach.


Christian Day and Leanne Marrama

"A new witch shop in town aims to bring this form of old-world folk magic to Salem's mostly modern pagan community. Hex: Old World Witchery specializes in voodoo dolls, spellbinding candles and European charms used to ward off evil. Shop owners Christian Day and Leanne Marrama, who both consider themselves clairvoyant, aim not only to supply the community with tools of folk magic, but also to serve as proverbial witch doctors, and practice what they preach..."

The ornately designed store is just the latest project from Christian Day, who has become a commercial force to be reckoned with in Salem. Running a tarot consultancy service, a psychic consultancy service, and a popular Salem festival.

The third and final story is a profile of Lori Bruno, a Strega Witch and folk-magic practitioner, who will be offering her services at Christian Day's new Hex store.

"At 68, Lori Bruno considers herself a kind of real-life version of the storybook witch strega nona. Upon meeting you for the first time she just might call you little cucinella and invite you over for a cup of tea. She smells of warm clothes that just got out of the dryer, has long dyed black hair tied in a loose knot and wears 13 gold rings on her fingers. From her ears dangle gold ankhs and peace signs. Around her neck hangs an Egyptian scarab beetle. And above her kitchen sink, beside the coffee maker, hangs a large stone pentacle. Bruno comes from a long line of streghe, or Italian witches. Growing up in Brooklyn, her mother, a southern-born Italian, would give psychic readings to her Jewish and Irish neighbors, reading tarot cards or using a glass of water like a crystal ball to tell the future."

These three stories help illustrate the ways that modern Paganism is slowly entering the mainstream. Through activism and education, through commercial ventures and public events, and through sympathetic journalistic profiles. Modern Paganism has utilized these three overlapping factors to slowly inch us towards acceptance since our emergence. Salem, with its large Pagan population (and Pagan tourist trade), represents a "perfect storm" of these elements.

In addition, the stories show how Witchcraft in Salem encompasses everything from the salacious to the sedate. You have practitioners in pointy hats and yards of black fabric wielding wands and brooms, and you have the more reserved wardrobes and methods of the Witches engaging in discussion with academics and politicians. Both serve a clearly defined purpose inside and outside our communities, and both are equally a part of the modern Pagan movement.

Labels: Christian Day, Jerrie Hildebrand, journalism, Leanne Marrama, Lori Bruno, Margot Adler, Paganism, Salem, Wicca, Witchcraft

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Darla Wynne's Political Aspirations

The involvement of Pagans in electoral politics continues to grow. You have a Pagan running for Sacramento mayor, and now Darla Wynne, who successfully sued the Great Falls Town Council in South Carolina over sectarian prayer, is aiming for a seat on the body she once litigated against.


Darla Kaye Wynne

"A dozen candidates are running, including a former mayor, a school resource officer and the Wiccan priestess who sued the town in 2001, claiming Great Falls violated church and state separation by using the name Jesus Christ in prayers."

Wynne is one of three candidates running to finish the term of Jack Taylor, who resigned from the Town Council in the wake of a controversial firing decision. Wynne is in favor of cutting taxes, greater accountability from the police, putting a greater focus on youth activities, and eradicating political corruption.

"I would have no problem shaking the tree to see how many snakes fell out of it to ensure that our local government was acting in the best interest of the people of this town, not their own or those of their 'buddies.' If you want to shake up the council, electing me would do exactly that and put them on notice that you are tired of the way things are going and being done."

Can a Wiccan who caused as much local controversy and outrage as Wynne get the votes she needs in this tiny town of 2,200 people? While scandal may have caused four members to either resign or not seek re-election, this is still a very conservative and Christian town, and any Pagan running for office would face an uphill battle. Then again, one of the candidates only recently registered to vote, and several are first-time candidates, so who knows how this may end?

Elections will be held tomorrow, on Tuesday, April 8th. I'll post an update here once results have come in.

Labels: Darla Wynne, Paganism, politics, South Carolina, Wicca

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Roberta and Patrick Stewart's First Freedom

On March 26th, First Freedom First, a joint project of The Interfaith Alliance Foundation and Americans United, held a historic national live simulcast to talk about church-state separation.

"In movie theaters in 25 cities across the nation, interested citizens will gather to learn about the threats to church-state separation and to demand that presidential hopefuls and candidates for other offices answer questions about key issues dealing with individual freedom. A list of 10 great questions to ask candidates will be featured."

Along with appearances by the famous and semi-famous (Kevin Bacon, Jack Klugman, Marc Maron), the special also highlighted individuals who embody the struggle over church-state issues. One of these was Roberta Stewart, a Pagan woman who fought for (and won) the addition of the Wiccan Pentacle as an approved "emblem of belief" (for grave markers and headstones) by the Veterans' Administration. A battle she engaged in after her husband, Patrick Stewart, a Wiccan, was killed in Afghanistan.


Roberta Stewart with host Peter Coyote

You can now watch First Freedom First's simulcast event "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the Separation of Church and State - but Were Afraid to Ask!" online. For those wanting to skip to Roberta Stewart's section, the segment begins at 41:00 minutes into the program. The organization has also posted a petition for elected officials, calling on them to affirm and safeguard the separation of church and state. Good on the FFF for highlighting this proud moment for the modern Pagan movement, Roberta and Patrick Stewart, and church-state separation.

Labels: AU, First Freedom First, Paganism, Religious Freedom, Roberta Stewart, Veteran Pentacle Quest, Wicca

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Update: SIGIR's Wiccan Scandal

Government official (and alleged Wiccan) Ginger Cruz is in the news again. A deputy of Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Cruz had been accused of sexually harassing co-workers, cooking the books, and threatening hexes on those who crossed her.


Ginger Cruz

"Current and former SIGIR employees have told investigators that Cruz threatened to put hexes on employees and made inappropriate sexual remarks in the presence of staff members. Cruz is a self-described wiccan, a member of a polytheistic religion of modern witchcraft..."

While a grand jury investigation into these claims did not produce any indictments, a new grand jury investigation is underway to see if Cruz and Bowen improperly read staff e-mails.

"In 2007, after the Army ruling [against e-mail monitoring], Bowen and Cruz continued to monitor staff e-mails, according to SIGIR employees at the time. At one point, Cruz held a stack of papers in her hand and claimed they were e-mails of a senior employee, one official said. Staff members also said that Cruz bragged to senior staffers in early 2006 about reading workers' e-mails and in one case shared e-mails from one employee."

According to Bowen's attorney, Bradford A. Berenson, the reading of staff e-mails was a part of established SIGIR policy that staff had been made aware of.

"...as part of an authorized internal investigation into possible press leaks. SIGIR policy permits such e-mail reviews and all employees are notified, regularly reminded and trained on these policies."

Ginger Cruz maintains she is the victim of a smear campaign by former employees, and that she isn't a Witch.

"A previous article in the Post quoted unnamed sources and employees who claimed Cruz was a "witch", allegations that she vehemently denies, calling the allegations "ludicrous"."

So, is Cruz an innocent victim caught up in a vendetta by former employees? Did she ever truly consider herself a Wiccan, or is she now disavowing the faith under political and social pressures? It seems odd that people would invent Wiccan allegiance for Cruz, did they think it would strengthen claims of sexual harassment? It should be noted that her disavowal of Witchcraft is recent, and appeared in a local Guam (her native land) television station web site.

Whatever the eventual outcome of this latest grand jury hearing, it is comforting to know that no indictment was handed down relating to claims of "hexing" or "witchcraft". Perhaps we can avoid the slippery slope to "spectral evidence" for awhile longer. As for Cruz, whether Wiccan or not, it is clear that the press jumped at the chance to sensationalize claims of magical malfeasance, almost to the point of overshadowing the more serious claims of fraud. If this was a smear campaign, it looks like cries of "witch" worked just fine. Perhaps next time claims of "witchcraft" will be met with a bit more skepticism by reporters.

Labels: Ginger Cruz, Iraq, Military, persecutions, SIGIR, Stuart Bowen, Wicca

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So Darn Normal

The latest assortment of "meet the Pagans" articles seem to point to a growing journalistic theme, Pagans are shockingly pedestrian. For example, Marvin Read from the Pueblo Chieftain discovers that a local Witch is "not fearsome at all", and that she is decidedly lacking in an assortment of Halloween-witch accoutrement. In fact, she is downright normal!

"...it's just plain ol' Lyn Brown, telephone receptionist at Colorado State University-Pueblo, once-upon-a-time Presbyterian, a native Puebloan, a woman who believes that any and all church buildings and any and all faiths are sacred and good, even as she asserts her right to disagree with some of them."

After these earth-shattering revelations of normalcy, what's next? Pagans getting together to eat pizza?

"If there are two things, however alliterative, that one wouldn't expect to find in combination, it's paganism and pizza. Nonetheless, a dedicated group of Santa Barbara pagans have been meeting once a month on Friday night to hang out at the Carrillo Rusty's, eat pizza, and talk about their beliefs, their lives, and their current projects - for the past fifteen years."

I'm scandalized! Here I thought most Pagans preferred delivery. If you think our newly-discovered normalcy will give people the wrong impression, not to worry, our mere existence can still drive Christians to do some odd things.

"I was moved by the sincerity of their comments. None of them expressed anger; they simply could not find what they needed within the institutional church ... I drove home with the windows down on that beautiful Easter day and when I arrived home immediately inserted The Passion of the Christ in my DVD player. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I watched unimaginable suffering. The representation of the price Jesus paid for our salvation made me grieve for a church that fails even one person who walks into its doors."

Nothing like a little savior-torture to reassert your Christian identity after discovering that Pagans aren't simply a bunch of resentful ex-Christians or rebellious teens. Yes, the secret is out, barring a minority of outright eccentrics (who the press still loves to give face-time to), most Pagans are quite indistinguishable from the general populace. It is no longer shocking to find out that a Nebula Award-nominee dabbled in Dianic Witchcraft, or that a sociology professor is giving talks on teenage Witches. We are everywhere, and after fifty-plus years of publicity, controversy, and growth, we are settling in quite nicely.

Labels: journalism, Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft

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Interview with Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone

Authors, teachers, and elders, Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have had an indelible influence on the modern Paganism movement. With her late husband Stewart Farrar, Janet helped pen some of religious Witchcraft's most well-regarded tomes, including "Eight Sabbats for Witches" and "The Witches' Way" (subsequently re-released as one volume entitled "A Witches' Bible"). Towards the end of Stewart Farrar's life, the couple were joined by Gavin Bone, a Pagan and registered nurse who entered into a personal and professional relationship with the couple.


Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone

Today Janet and Gavin are championing a new "Progressive Witchcraft", teaching classes, and running workshops around the world. I recently had the opportunity to conduct an e-mail interview with Janet and Gavin about their current projects, the recently released biography of Stewart Farrar, and living the Pagan life in Ireland.

Both of you have been living and working in Ireland for some time now. What changes and progress have you noticed among Pagans in your adopted homeland? I suspect that when Janet and Stewart first moved to Ireland in 1976, there were few "out" Pagans of any sort, or any "Pagan community" to speak of.

Ever since Gavin moved to Ireland in 1993 we have seen a lot of changes in the Pagan community in Ireland. Before '93 there were probably only about two covens, including our own. The other one, believed to be Gardnerian, we had little contact with and it disappeared by the mid '90's. The big hub of activity up until then was the Fellowship of Isis, at Clonegal Castle, which of course, is still running. From that several groups began to spring up in the mid to late '90's including the Druid Clan of Danu, the first serious neo-Druid organisation in Ireland and the Grove of Sinann which became associated with it.

The real changes took place around about 1998. By this time the first pagan moots came into being and a conference of 'interested parties' took place in Dublin. The movement was beginning to blossom, but it was noticeable that the majority of the 'movers and shakers' were not Irish but 'blow ins' to use the Irish vernacular; they were English, Swiss, Scottish, and American. The real change has taken place in the last 5 years where we have really begun to see a real Irish pagan movement as such, with multiple paths appearing including a Druid and shamanic revival.

Janet, you have recently co-authored a book on the life of Stewart Farrar with Elizabeth Guerra entitled: "Stewart Farrar: Writer On A Broomstick". Could you tell us a bit about the book, and the process behind getting it written?

Stewart had started to write his own autobiography with that title Writer on a Broomstick, back in the late '90's. This was only really a brief sketch of his fascinating life, he never, before his death got round to putting the 'bones' on it so to speak. So, a couple of years ago we approached Liz Guerra, a friend of ours for some years to write his biography. We decided to honour Stewart by using the original title he had decided upon and we went about, with Liz putting together all the research on his life.

Stewart being a professional journalist most of his life, kept a daily diary and habitually filed all the letters and replies he had ever written. The first year was taken up by Liz Guerra and ourselves going through all of this and recording the major events in his life from childhood, through his serving as an officer in the army during the second world war, through to his meeting with Alex and Maxine Sanders and joining the Craft, his writing career and finally up to his death.

We had to make some difficult decisions, one of these being whether we put everything in. We wanted to portray the real Stewart 'warts and all' so people could recognise him as a human being. In the end I believe we struck a good balance and people will be able to identify with him, not as a well known pagan author but as an individual like themselves who was lucky enough to have a fascinating life.

Speaking of Stewart Farrar, I understand that his novels ("Omega" being a personal favorite of mine) are in the process of being put back into print. Is there any definite word on when we might see them in our local bookstore or available for order?

Unfortunately, there have been some delays on publication of his novels. The publishing industry has suffered greatly from the current recession, so their publication has been on hold. We hope to have them republished in the next year though.

The two of you are now doing online seminars and classes with The College of The Sacred Mists. Can you describe what these classes entail? What are your opinions concerning the recent explosion of online schools? Do you feel this is a generally positve trend?

The decision to enter into online teaching wasn't taken lightly. We wrestled with the concept for a while going through the ethics of it, and whether you could actually teach magical subjects in this way. In the end we decided it was no different to writing a book, except there was more interaction. It was this that eventually made our minds up to do it, and the fact that we had some positive experiences teaching one off online seminars.

Our current course has several different facets to it: Including written Lessons, practical exercises, regular chat room sessions to answer questions and discuss topics and the use of MP3s for teaching, which we have just incorporated in to the course. There is also homework and students are expected to keep a Course Diary which everyone can read online. This has resulted in a community feel to the course, with ourselves and the students interacting and assisting each other on a daily basis, something we really enjoy! To be honest, once this started to happen all our doubts about its viability as a method of teaching went out of the window - it began to feel like we were teaching in a college. The technology may be different but the experience is the same.

To answer your question as to whether it is a 'positive trend'. Just as there are really good books out there, there are really good online courses, and likewise there are some really bad books written by authors with little experience. It isn't a positive or a negative trend, its just a trend and it isn't new. Correspondence courses on magic have been around since at least the early 1980's, the difference is the technology being used which opens up new possibilities. In the end the community will decide whether they will work or not. If a course is bad, the word will get around the community really quick and people will simply stop signing on to it.

On the College of the Sacred Mists web site, it says that your current practical work is in the area of Spiritism and Trance Prophesy. Could the two of you touch a bit on these explorations for my audience?

First, we should explain, so that there is no misunderstanding, that this is not what the course with College of Sacred Mists is about. With the College we're doing a seven month course called Progressive Magic. There are some things you can teach on line and other things you can't, and this is definetly a subject which requires a 'hands on' approach.

I (Janet) have always been a natural medium. When I came into the Craft and was taught Drawing Down the Moon I went to it like a 'duck to water'. I always assumed that everyone had the same experience as myself; going completely into deep trance. As Stewart and myself started to travel in the 1980's we found that this was not the case and that I was luckily naturally gifted.

Gavin and myself started to explore this more deeply in the mid 90's. Experimenting with different techniques including traditional Drawing Down where you use a silver bowl, and several trance induction techniques. Both of us had an interest in the Norse and Anglo-Saxon techniques used in what is called Seith or Seidr, and after seeing Diane Paxson; one of the foremost exponents of Seidr trance practise, at work with one of her trance groups, we became inspired to do more. We ended up studying other traditions including Shamanism, Santeria and Voudon ('riding the Loa'), to understand how these traditions used and induced trance and brought deity-spirits through.

It became very clear to us that there were some inherent problems with the current Drawing Down the Moon ritual used in modern Wicca, the main one being an actual lack of trance technique. So we went about creating a safe generic technique to teach trance-prophesy using what we have called The Underworld Descent Technique. Part of this process is using energy (Chakras) and visualization pathworking using a hypnotic induction technique.

We also teach that the Gods and Goddesses are REAL, not just Jungian archetypes. That they are spirits with their own personalities, capable of communicating with you through trance and in some cases positively possessing you when the circumstances are right. We have had quite a few seers and seeresses possessed by deities at different times. Originally we taught this as part of a weekend workshop (The Inner Mysteries) but it has become so successful that we now teach evening and one day sessions.

Aside from your publishing, teaching, and spiritual pursuits, are either of you involved in any activst or charity-related projects? If so, could you talk a bit about that? In a related note, what is your collective take on the M3 expansion through the Tara valley? I know that at least one member of Teampall Na Callaighe is actively involved in direct actions to help stop the current progress.

We're not involved as much as we'd like in activist activities. Unfortunately the current situation since 911 has made it difficult for us to be involved in direct action, particularly regarding the M3, as we cannot afford to be arrested or 'black marked' by the authorities, as this would affect our ability to gain entry into the US for tours. Most American citizens are unaware that if you are arrested as a political activist outside the US you will be denied a visa and entry.

The whole situation with Tara and the M3 is part of bigger problem currently occurring in Ireland with the conflict in the Irish psyche between spirituality and materialism. In the 1990's we had an upsurge of economic expansion, and at the same time the decline of the influence of the Catholic Church here. The Irish have always been a very spiritual people, but the scandals around the Church here, have resulted in a cynicism taking its place, and movement towards more materialistic values. Now every family wants two cars which they can replace every year and a new house. To quote Francesca Howell: 'they have a nasty dose of affluenza!'. This conflict between the material and the spiritual in the culture has over flowed into the Irish countryside and the M3/Tara Valley conflict is symbolic of this change in social perspective.

Many people outside of Ireland are unaware of the other problems we face here: Peoples rights are being eroded and we widespread corruption in the Government. It is common for Government bodies to go through 'processes of consultation' with local communities to give an impression of democracy and then totally ignore that communities wishes. At present we are involved (alongside the M3 campaign which is linked) with a campaign to stop Eirgrid, the electricity provider putting up monster pylons across the countryside. Nobody wants them, they are a risk to the environment, wildlife, people's individual health and the archeology. But, any complaint against this damage is ignored. We are pleased to say that this has resulted in a groundswell of public dissension - Irish people are beginning to realise that they have power at a grass roots level.

While I'm on the subject of Ireland's spiritual landscape, I notice that you do tours of ancient sites in Ireland, and Janet has produced a DVD of Celtic fairy stories. Is Ireland's pre-Christan past a big influence on your spirituality and practice?

Pagan tour groups started approaching us several years ago, in fact one of the first groups was one run by Starhawk as far back as the early 1980's. It seemed natural to advertise that we were 'open for business' in this area. So far we have toured groups from the United States, Mexico and Australia. We have an advantage in this area as we live central to most of the major ancient sites in Ireland, and we also know where all the lesser known, more intimate ones are which attract 'activity' of a spiritual nature.

When you live in Ireland you can't ignore the heritage around you. If you are a pagan or a witch you certainly can't ignore. Just about every coven we know links itself to the spirituality of its environment. Our coven is linked to Slieve na Callaighe (The Hill of the Witch), part of a series of hills in County Meath known as Lough Crew which has neolithic burial tombs stretched across them. Only just recently we went up at dawn to watch the sunrise on this hill as the tomb on top is aligned with the Spring Equinox.

Many of our coven, including ourselves link to deities outside of Ireland, including Freya, and Diana, but we do not ignore the heritage of this land or the ancestral spirits of it. At Imbolg we make offerings to Brid and at Lughnasa to Lugh and also throw offerings into our local river to our local river goddess Boann. Witchcraft here is linked very much to the land here, and the mythology of the Irish can be found in every hill and at every ancient site.

What new books and other projects can we expect on the horizon from the two of you?

You may not see any new books from us for a while. We do have one book being written at the moment on our experiences with trance and psychism but its publication is a long way off. At present we are concentrating on the practical workshops and the online courses. We are touring again this year, and will be in New York State, Connecticut and Washington DC towards the end of August and September.

As both of you continue in your roles as elders and teachers within the wider Pagan community, what do you think will be your greatest legacy to the modern Paganism movement?

That's a good question, and we're not really sure that it is our place to say! In the end I think we will be judged on what effect we have had, what we have done, rather than any claims we have made about ourselves. If we have changed one person, and allowed them to find their spirituality and connection to divinity then we are happy that we have achieved something. It only takes one person to change the world.

Previous Wild Hunt interviews: Phyllis Curott, Tim Ward, Lupa, J.C. Hallman, Margot Adler.

Labels: Gavin Bone, interview, Ireland, Janet Farrar, Paganism, Stewart Farrar, Wicca, Witchcraft

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Raven Digitalis on MTV

Taking a break from filming reality-television programs, MTV (the network formerly know as "music television") profiles the Wiccan faith and interviews "Goth Craft" author Raven Digitalis.

"Raven has been a Pagan priest for four years, practicing witchcraft and hosting rituals for local Pagans at his house, which is just 10 minutes from the downtown strip. "The Craft is one of the most empowering religions or spiritual lifestyles that exists," he explained."



As for the article itself, it is your basic Wiccans/Pagans don't worship Satan, don't cast malicious spells, don't eat babies material. What makes the article interesting is its exclusive focus on teens and younger twenty-somethings (Digitalis is 24), instead of seeking the normal assortment of "elders" and "experts". A result of this focus is that we get a peek into what shaped their religious development.

"A surprising number of young witches MTV News spoke with also said that they became curious about their faith through misguiding pop-culture fare like the camp Neve Campbell vehicle "The Craft" and the "Harry Potter" series. (Guess a few conservative Christian groups were right about that one) ... many young people enter the Craft in reaction to a very conservative religious upbringing - Southern Baptist, perhaps, or Catholic."

The article also name-checks teen-friendly groups and organizations like the Tempest Smith Foundation, and Copper Moon E-Zine, in addition to a selection of teen-friendly books on magic.

At this point it would be fair to say that MTV are hardly cultural innovators, so teen interest in Wicca and Paganism must be growing to a point where it's practically a mainstream phenomenon. The sympathetic coverage given here may very well be the harbinger of a new surge of interest in teen Paganism that will rival the late-90s boom (remember, "The Craft" and Silver Ravenwolf's "Teen Witch" both came out in the late 90s). In the meantime, congrats to Raven Digitalis on the start of his fifteen minutes.

Labels: goth, Goth Craft, MTV, Paganism, Raven Digitalis, teens, Wicca, Witchcraft

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More Church-State Issues (With a Wiccan Twist)

The town of Greece in New York is the latest flash-point in battles over the separation of Church and State. There, due to predominately Christian prayers (all but two since 2004 were explicitly Christian) said before the Greece Town Board meeting, Americans United is bringing litigation to force them to switch to non-sectarian opening prayers.

"Americans United sued the Greece, N.Y., Town Board and its supervisor, John Auberger, on behalf of two local residents who object to government-sponsored religious activities that favor one faith over others. The lawsuit alleges that almost all of the board’s opening prayers are explicitly Christian, and that since 2004, only a single non-Christian has been invited to deliver the opening prayer."

Stepping into the ring to do battle with Americans United is the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian legal organization.

"The case is a matter of religious freedom, said Joel Oster, senior litigation counsel for Alliance Defense Fund. The Arizona-based nonprofit Christian group litigates court cases involving religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and traditional family values. 'The town of Greece is following a long-standing tradition established by our founding fathers, and that is to pray before events and ask for divine guidance,' he said. 'The town is just following in line with the great history and tradition of America.'"

Of course that "long-standing tradition" seems to have omitted non-Christians almost completely. The town, sensing their problem, scurries to become as inclusive as possible. How do you do that? You invite a Wiccan, obviously.

"[Greece deputy town supervisor Jeff] McCann said the town has long used a list of worship services published in a local newspaper to extend invitations to local clergy for the meetings. The list offers little diversity, he said, and the town has had difficulty locating people from nontraditional faiths who may not have a physical church building they attend. "Now that the issue has gotten some publicity, we've had people call up and say they have an interest in delivering a prayer," he said, adding that nonclergy, the nonreligious and anyone else who wishes to speak the pre-meeting prayer is welcome. "If a private person wants to come and say a prayer, they can come and do it." Indeed, he said, next month's Wiccan prayer was initiated by local resident Jennifer Zarpentine, who called town offices to ask whether she would be welcome at a meeting."

You would think that regular announcements at meetings, or perhaps a small ad in the local newspaper, would have helped flush out some non-Christian prayer-leaders before this whole mess started. Because now, inviting a Wiccan won't be enough to stop litigation.

"We're glad to see that the (Town Board) is now cognizant of the diversity of the community, and it's too bad it took a lawsuit to get them to see the light ... While the Wiccan prayer will likely be more inclusive than prayers offered in the past, that doesn't change that what we want is for the town to adopt a policy that prayer-givers offer nonsectarian prayers."

Unfortunately for the town of Greece, the law isn't on their side. Several Supreme Court and Circuit Court rulings, including a prominent case involving a Wiccan, all point towards a requirement for non-sectarian prayer by legislative bodies. So if don't want sectarian prayers to leave your city council or town board, you better become radically inclusive now, or else you'll end up with enforced non-sectarian prayer and (most likely) a hefty legal bill.

Labels: Alliance Defense Fund, AU, Christianity, law, litigation, New York, prayer, Wicca

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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.

Spring is (sorta) here, and UU World reprints an article by Patricia Montley explaining why myths are often better received than coldly rational explanations for natural events (like the changing seasons).

"Why this cold, dreary season when birds abandon us and gardens stop producing their fruits and flowers ... What have we done to deserve this? Surely someone has offended the gods. "Poppycock!" say the scientists, who propose some lame theory about the Earth going around the sun. But that can't really be it. What's the point of misery if there's no one to blame? Besides, their story lacks imagination. Perhaps an explanation that we might find more appealing is one offered by the Greek poet Homer some 27 centuries ago."

Montley then briefly retells the myth of Persephone, and explains that without the "gray" of Winter, "there is no joy in color". While I might quibble with the idea of Winter being "gray" and "fallow", after enduring a snow storm the other day, I truly hunger for the "joy" of a true Spring.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, a local reporter profiles a Druid group performing their Spring rites.

"The only thing the ritual shared with Easter was timing - and a few brightly colored eggs constituting an offering to the "shining ones." They purified their ceremony by making a banishment offering to the "out-dwellers and tricksters." They chanted, their voices ever rising and ever faster, to "open the gates," a sign they had formed a spiritual center around their three altars. They drank apple juice from a communal horn in accepting the blessings of the "waters of life" from kindred gods and goddesses of the Celts, Romans, Gauls and Norse."

The Three Cranes Grove is an ADF group, which explains the pan-Indo-European focus of the ritual.

The Beijing Olympic Flame was lit today in the Temple of Hera in Olympia. A ceremony marred by two protesters who managed to break through a cordon of about 1,000 police officers.


Actress Maria Nafpliotou lighting the torch.

"Two protestors breached a cordon of about 1,000 police officers at Ancient Olympia to display a flag demanding a boycott of the Olympics amid mounting controversy over China's crackdown in Tibet ... The incidents occurred despite drastic security measures taken by Greek police to avoid incidents that would internationally discredit the event, which was televised across the world."

I don't know about you, but when two protesters are able to break through 1,000 men to disrupt a tightly-controlled ceremony in the temple of Hera, I would take that as a bad omen. Perhaps the goddess is displeased? Too bad the "high priestess" is simply an actress, and unable to interpret the will of Hera.

The Manchester Evening News interviews popular novelist Sara Paretsky about her new novel "Bleeding Kansas", and the real-live Wiccans who served as the inspiration for the Wiccan characters in the book.

"For eight years, I'd fiddled with this concept, on and off, of writing about the part of Kansas where I grew up," explains Paretsky, ahead of a visit to book stores in Manchester and Cheshire. "When my parents got frail they sold the house to two women who were both Wiccan - followers of pagan religions - and lesbians. They thought that they could lead an anonymous life in the countryside, where their nearest neighbour was over a quarter of a mile away. "But they were wrong. There was talk of pagan rituals. Some people said they were naked and one neighbour started pursuing them in a really angry way, and my brother, who was a lawyer, decided to represent them on a pro bono basis."

It's rare that a novelist as popular as Paretsky makes a lesbian Wiccan a major character in a novel. "Bleeding Kansas" may open more minds than a dozen titles in the metaphysical section.

In a final note, Scottish hares (as opposed to "silly old rabbits"), which have been steadily dying out, seem to be on the rebound due to a variety of efforts.

"The problem was that - while Scottish rabbits were happily breeding with the enthusiasm for which they are renowned - the "bunny" we have historically associated with Easter is actually the hare, a creature whose prospects were for a while far more precarious. Long before the rather mixed-up imagery we now see on Easter cards of cute bunnies bearing baskets of eggs, the hare had a far more potent symbolism. In pagan mythology the creature represented love, growth and fertility ... for the true meaning of the original celebrations surrounding the vernal equinox, only the hare will do. Wild, abandoned and universally appealing, these beautiful creatures are at long last reclaiming their rightful place."

So welcome back to one of Britain's (and Europe's) sacred animals,

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

Labels: ADF, Druids, hare, Hera, Myth, Olympics, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Persephone, Sara Paretsky, Spring Equinox, Wicca

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A Spate of Pagan Articles, Plus: Bunky's Big Party

Sometimes I go weeks without seeing any direct coverage of Pagans in the mainstream media. Then, as if they can hold back no longer, a sudden torrent of stories spring forth all at once. As a result, you get the Sacramento News and Review covering a Thelemic Gnostic Mass, The Post in Ohio reporting on the growing population of Wiccans in Athens, the Marshall Parthenon (a student paper) looking at a Pagan organization on campus, and a Killeen Daily Herald story concerning local Pagans getting ready to celebrate Ostara.

"When the leaves start turning green, weather warms up and spring finally rolls around, it feels like magic is in the air; this Saturday's Ostara Fest is ready to make things feel a whole lot more magical. A celebration of spring, the event at Club Rodeo in Harker Heights will be hosted by new-age gift shop Sisters of the Earth and Sea and will bring vendors and participants from all over the country. "You've heard of 'Keep Austin Weird,'" said Laurie Roach, co-owner of Sisters of the Earth and Sea. 'Well, we're trying to keep Central Texas eclectic.'"

But wait! There's still more! The University of Washington's student newspaper explores the "highly controversial religious pathway" of Wicca, Gay Wired interviews astrologer, musician, tarot creator, out lesbian, and Goddess-worshiper Flash Silvermoon, while the Amherst Bulletin interviews Ellen Evert Hopman about Druids and her new novel "Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey".

"My original intention was to write a training manual for people who wanted to follow the Druid path," Hopman said. But, as she began to explain the first ritual, "All of a sudden, there's this full- blown ritual," spooling out like a movie in her mind. "The characters just took over," she said. "I had very little control over what happened after that."

Plus, if you act now, you can read an interesting profile of Orisa priestess Chief Fama in the California Press-Enterprise.

You would think that heady rush of journalistic exercise would drain the well for a few months (or at least until the Spring Equinox hits), but it looks like Wiccan multi-millionaire Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett just might grace the local headlines again. The newly expanded Mystickal Voyage shop celebrates its Bunky-funded grand re-opening in a impressively large 6500 square foot space this weekend.

"Our Grand Opening is set for the weekend of March 14th. The festivities will begin Friday at 1:00 with opening speeches and a ribbon cutting ceremony with special guests including Rev. Bunky Bartlett, Ginny Robertson from the On Purpose Women's Network, Steve Rouse [a local radio personality], and more! During the weekend, we will have guest workshops with Amber K, Azrael Arynn K, and Ann Moura."

In addition, the shop will be featuring a (sold out) acoustic performance from Rockstar: Supernova finalist Dilana Robichaux. I can't imagine an event like this not drawing reporters like moths to a flame.

All this media attention is just further proof that modern Paganism is becoming the "designated Other" in American (and British, and Australian) religious life. So we better get used to the increasing amount of press (and scholarly) attention.

Labels: Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, journalism, Paganism, Religion, Wicca

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Forehead Tattoo Causes Problems

The Elmira Star-Gazette takes a look local residents and their tattoos. After spending some time with brothers getting memorial tattoos and a cancer survivor (and her friend) getting inked, the article turns to a local Wiccan woman and her forehead tattoo. Unsurprisingly, this has caused her a variety of problems.


Camilla Nhamercedes

"Along with the attention, Camilla said her tattoo brought another thing: discrimination. She said that it's difficult to get through the entire job interview process without her tattoo becoming a hindrance ... She said that her teachers at her adult education program even insisted that she find makeup to completely cover her tattoo so she could prepare for the work force. Camilla recalls one time where she completed an interview fairly successfully, only to have the interviewer notice her tattoo as she was shaking his hand. He stared at her and then drew his hand back as if it had been burned, she said. Camilla said she has never judged people based on their physical appearance, so she finds the treatment she has received hard to understand. She added that the manner in which potential employers have reacted to her tattoo has been frustrating. 'They just kind of look at me weird and then I hear later from word-of-mouth that that was the reason they didn't hire me,' she said."

The crescent-moon forehead tattoo isn't entirely uncommon among modern Pagans, and was apparently first inspired by the tattoos given to priestesses of the Goddess in the cult-classic book "The Mists of Avalon". A work so pervasively popular in some Pagan circles that it has been acknowledged as a primary source of spiritual inspiration in The Paganism Reader. However, despite this popularity, and despite the ongoing growth of modern Pagan religions, it will no doubt be several years before visible religiously-motivated facial tattoos are accepted in the more conservative regions of our country.

But conservative or not, small unobtrusive tattoos that express a religious belief shouldn't preclude someone from being hired for a job they are qualified for. If Ms. Nhamercedes can provide proof that a job passed her over due to her tattoo, she may very well have grounds for legal action.

Labels: discrimination, Mists of Avalon, Paganism, tattoo, Wicca

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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 Staten Island Advance reports on a dispute between neighbors that involves a Pagan family and charges of religiously-motivated harassment.

"Ivy Colmer Vanderborgh, her husband and her mother live in one half of a duplex on Oceanview Avenue. Their Annadale neighbors say they are disrupting the neighborhood. But the Colmer Vanderborgh family claims those same neighbors are persecuting them because of their religion. Ms. Colmer Vanderborgh and her mother, Marlene Colmer, both practice Wicca. They contend that since their appearance on a Staten Island Community Television show about their religion in June 2006, neighbors have they have been verbally harassed, their car has been vandalized, their property damaged and their dog poisoned."

The neighbor charged with masterminding their harassment denies any wrongdoing, claiming the family is loud, obnoxious, and paranoid. At this point all evidence in the case is circumstantial, so we have no idea if these Wiccans are truly being persecuted, or if they simply have a persecution complex.

It is reported that The Church of England has "serious reservations" about the looming abolishment of Britain's blasphemy laws. While the archbishops, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu say they won't oppose abolishment, they are "concerned" about the meaning and timing of the move.

"[The archbishops] say the government needs to be clear as to precisely why the offence is being scrapped. They argue that it should not be seen as a "secularising move" or as a general licence to attack or insult religious beliefs and believers. They say it is still too early to be sure how the new offence of incitement to religious hatred, which applies to all faiths, will operate in practice and that laws which carry "a significant symbolic charge" should not be changed lightly."

These laws, while rarely invoked today, were once used to persecute Quakers, atheists, Unitarians, and other groups who threatened (or appeared to threaten) the Anglican Church's primacy in England. They belong in the dust-bin of history along with laws against "witchcraft".

Slate.com explores the history of the crotch-grab in Italy.

"It's the seat of fertility. The crotch grab goes back at least to the pre-Christian Roman era and is closely associated with another superstition called the "evil eye" - the belief that a covetous person can harm you, your children, or your possessions by gazing at you. Cultural anthropologists conjecture that men would try to block such pernicious beams by shielding their genitals, thus protecting their most valued asset: the future fruit of their loins. Over the centuries, the practice shifted. Men covered their generative organs not only to defend against direct malevolence but also in the presence of anything ominous, like a funeral procession."

The article also explains the ever-popular "corno" necklaces and the corna hand-sign (aka the "devil sign") in the same context.

Groundbreaking Gaelic film "Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle" has finally acquired international distribution through Altadena Films.

"Young Films has secured a deal with Altadena Films, an international sales agent, to sell Gaelic feature film Seachd - The Inaccessible Pinnacle, around the world. Altadena will represent the film at the Berlin Film Festival then at markets and festivals around the world thereafter. For the international market the English title will be Seachd - The Crimson Snowdrop."

For those who can't wait that long, the DVD has been released in the UK, which means that Americans will need a region-free player to watch it. For my previous coverage of this film, click here.

Nobel Prize-winning Irish author Seamus Heaney has lashed out at the Irish government for their road construction through the sacred Tara Skreen valley (home of the Hill of Tara), calling it a "ruthless desecration".

"I think it literally desecrates an area - I mean the word means to de-sacralise and for centuries the Tara landscape and the Tara sites have been regarded as part of the sacred ground ... If ever there was a place that deserved to be preserved in the name of the dead generations from pre-historic times up to historic times up to completely recently, it was Tara ... Tara means something equivalent to me to what Delphi means to the Greeks or maybe Stonehenge to an English person or Nara in Japan, which is one of the most famous sites in the world..."

While it looks like nothing can stop road construction now, campaigners are still working to halt construction and limit further development in the area.

In a final note, The Hamilton Spectator reviews a new e-book by Neil Jamieson-Williams entitled "A Field Guide to Modern Pagans in Hamilton, Ontario", which resulted in an angry reply from the author over errors and "yellow journalism".

"Ms. Fragomeni made no attempt to contact me either by telephone or email to inform me of when the article would be printed - in all probability, she boldly lied to me in our last phone call, knowing full well that the article would be in the Saturday paper. The presentation my book and myself in the article was a smear campaign. No mention is made of the publishing company or where the book is available. Finally, it is clear to me that Ms. Fragomeni has, at best, only scanned portions of the book -- she has written an article about a book that she has not read."

Maybe there is such a thing as bad publicity? In any case, I suppose that should be a warning to be careful where you send promotional copies.

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

Labels: books, Church of England, crotch-grabbing, discrimination, Hill of Tara, Italy, movies, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle, Seamus Heaney, UK, Wicca, Witchcraft

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Updates on Past Stories

Psychic Wars in Livingston: It looks like a legal battle over a religiously-motivated Livingston Parish ordinance banning fortune telling will be headed to court. Despite being warned by their lawyer that they would most likely lose a lawsuit, the Parish Council decided to not address the issue at their most recent meeting, much to the dismay of some Parish residents.

"Taxpayers might question the council's insistence on spending public money to fight a lawsuit on an issue that has no purpose other than to pacify a particular religious group. The council's attorney, Blayne Honeycutt, has advised that it probably would lose the Wiccan suit if it persists in defending the ordinance. When no member of the council would offer a motion to repeal the soothsaying ordinance, Honeycutt advised the council it needs to hire special counsel to handle such a case. Parish government, which has a history of being strapped for funds, could be putting that money to proper uses on roads, drainage, water and sewage rather than waging war for or against particular religious groups. Instead, the council will spend money it says is in short supply defending a lawsuit against a problem its attorney told council members apparently doesn't even exist in the parish."

The Parish is being sued by local businessman and Wiccan Cliff Eakin, who wishes to offer fortune-telling and divination services at his store, Gryphon's Nest Gifts. Eakin maintains that the ordinance is an attempt to promote Christianity over Paganism.

Thelemites Fight Pedophillia Charges: Australian couple Vivienne Legg and Dyson Devine have been released from prison after apologizing to a judge for defying an order to remove material from their website that groundlessly implicated a local O.T.O. organization in an underground pedophile ring. The couple served two months of a nine-month sentence for contempt of court.

"Yesterday both apologised to Judge Harbison and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and undertook not to repeat, or help anyone else to publish, the vilifying material about the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO). But David Leggatt, for the OTO, complained that the vilification had a "grapevine effect". It had been removed from the pair's website, Gaiaguys.net, in December, but soon appeared on Adam Dodson's site. Simon Moglia, for Mr Devine and Ms Legg, said they had not helped the new website. He said they at first saw their non-compliance as individuals standing for their beliefs. But when they realised that resisting the tribunal encouraged others to disobey the law, they closed down their website."

While the OTO in Australia have certainly won this battle, they may find themselves pestered by dozens (if not hundreds) of conspiracy theorists who see Legg and Devine as martyrs in the quest for "the truth". The original actionable paper written by Dr Reina Michaelson inflated in importance and virally spread across the Internet.

Fighting For (Christian) Religious Expression: Arizona joins Oklahoma in trying to pass a "student religious expression" law similar to the one recently passed by Texas.

"On Wednesday, the Arizona House Education Committee narrowly approved, and sent on to the full House of Representatives, HB 2713, a bill that would prohibit public schools from discriminating against students on the basis of their religious belief or expression. It permits students to engage in prayer and religious activity on an equal basis with other activities, but does not permit the school to require participation in religious activities. It includes provisions prohibiting banning of religious attire and jewelry when similar secular items are permitted and another section that prohibits discrimination for or against a student in grading coursework in which the student expresses a religious viewpoint or religious content."

While these laws may sound innocuous enough to some, they ultimately benefit the religious majority, a point driven home by the Texas House's own research organization who stated: "the bill could serve as a tool to proselytize the majority religious view". These proposed laws claim to protect a student's freedom to express religious viewpoints, but I fear they instead encourage a hostile environment towards religious minorities, dis-empower teachers from keeping order in their classrooms, and give Christian students a sense of immunity from consequences. I encourage Pagan groups in in Arizona (and Oklahoma) to send a message to their representatives ensuring them that Pagans, Witches, and Heathens oppose this legislation, but will gladly use their new "rights" as often and as loudly as possible if it is enacted.

Labels: Arizona, Australia, Cliff Eakin, law, litigation, Livingston Parish, Oklahoma, OTO, Paganism,