9.05.2008
The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in Poland?
While small (sometimes nationalist) Pagan groups have existed in Poland for some time, it looks like Wicca is starting to make some headway into the overwhelmingly Catholic country.
"Witches are among us, says the weekly Polityka. Marion calls herself the first stationary witch in Poland. She was initiated in Great Britain in the Wicca cult, a pagan, nature-based religion popularized in 1954 by a retired British civil servant. This petite 30 year old works in a marketing department of a big firm and doesn’t want to reveal her real name. One never knows how her colleagues and bosses would react. It is impossible to say how many Wiccans there are in Poland. They fear intolerance in the predominantly Roman Catholic society. Often even their families don’t know about it. On the other hand, job migration to the British Isles facilitates their contacts with British Wiccans and books on the Wicca cult have sold in 10 thousand copies here."
You can find a link to the weekly, and downloadable table of contents (featuring a picture of Laurie Cabot), here. As the synopsis mentions, most Polish Wiccans live "in the broom closet", and often have a hard time coping with the need to remain anonymous.
"A very interesting element is also the relation between the catholic church and polish Wiccans – on one hand in catholic doctrine Wiccans are identified as Satanists; on the other hand Wiccans became discouraged by anonymous rituals and external religiousity of Catholic believers. It seems to be a very important element of Wiccans identity."
But perhaps as religious freedom continues to grow, and Pagan advocacy groups become more entrenched, the Polish Pagans and Witches there will finally find it safe to live a more public life. In what could be seen by some as a positive sign for redefining the role of "witches" in Poland, government officials recently put a stop to the ceremonial burning of witches in the village of Zielona Gora.
"Polish women's rights groups and government ministers have banned the display after protests that the stake-burning drama was anti-feminist. "Making peoples' tragic deaths into a tourist attraction is reprehensible and regrettable," said Monika Platek, head of Poland's Association for Legal Education. "The stakes where women were burned were the result of profound misogyny, discrimination against women and ignorance." Poland's women's ministry boss Berenika Anders told the town council it had to scrap the witch sessions."
Stories like these help to reinforce the fact that the modern Pagan movement isn't isolated to the UK, America, or Australia, but is a truly global phenomenon spreading from India, to Brazil, to South Africa, and Russia. Paganism isn't a decadent sign of a post-modern world (as some critics would see it), but a revitalized religious impulse finding its voice once more. So good luck to the Polish Pagans, whether they are Wiccan, follow a revived Slavic tradition, or engage some other path.
Labels: Catholicism, EU, Poland, Polish, Slavic, Wicca, Wiccan, Witchcraft
9.03.2008
Asheville Witches Win
For over a year, Dixie Deerman (aka Lady Passion), a Wiccan from Asheville, North Carolina, has been a driving force in trying to save a century-old magnolia tree from being cut down by local developers. The tree has become a galvanizing issue in Asheville, gaining support from local environmentalists and community members, and being used as a political football in City Council elections. Recently, Lady Passion and others had been keeping a 24/7 vigil at the tree in order to protect it.
Lady Passion under the magnolia tree.
"The Magnolia Tree has become a modern-day Liberty Tree. Citizens of every description -- wealthy and homeless, developers and Earth Firsters, seniors and teens, Christians and Pagans, liberals and conservatives, even the mayor, several councilpersons and the police chief -- have stopped by to "sit a spell," share their troubles caused by corrupt government and a collapsing economy, and give us their heartfelt thanks for what we are doing. Many leave offerings for the tree, which seems to exert a magically peaceful aura -- partly because, as conservative councilman Carl Mumpower noted when he visited the tree, magnolia bark is known to have anti-depressant qualities. And they add their signatures to the thousands of others on a Stop Parkside! petition."
Now it seems that the Witches (and their allies) have won. On Aug. 28, Superior Court Judge Marlene Hyatt ruled in favor of the family who had originally donated the land to the county, saving the tree, and the surrounding park, from further development.
"The lawsuit asserted that Pack had donated the land on the condition that it be preserved in perpetuity for public use—and that it would revert to his heirs if it were ever sold for private purposes, as the county did in 2006. Coleman had planned to build the nine-story Parkside condominium project on that land and an adjacent parcel he’d previously purchased. “George Pack made it abundantly clear exactly what the purpose of this land was: It was meant for a courthouse, for county offices or for public purposes,” Ferikes told the court."
Lady Passion and Coven Oldenwilde are naturally quite happy with this ruling.
"We are thrilled with this unprecidented win, and very appreciative of the over 9,000 people who signed the Stop Parkside petition, the hundreds who actively enabled our tree sit in innumerable ways, and the God/desses who answered our hearfelt pleas: All hail Hecate, Herne, Themis, Maat, Flidais and Nike! We remain vigilant in preventing retribution against the tree until Hyatt signs the official order restoring the land into public use (she's on vacation at present). Please help us continue to defend the magnolia if you're nearby; if you live afar, do so by viewing the tree 24/7 via webcam..."
So it looks like those "Barbarous Words of Power to thwart the developer", and a lot of local activism, have won the day. Congratulations to Lady Passion, Coven Oldenwilde, and the Stop Parkside coalition on saving the tree, and the land surrounding it, from development.
Labels: Asheville, Coven Oldenwilde, enviornmentalism, Lady Passion, North Carolina, Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft
8.27.2008
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
8.25.2008
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
8.23.2008
Tom K. (Phoenix) 1933 - 2008
Gardnerian Wicca elder Tom K. (aka Phoenix) passed away on Friday, August 22nd, at the age of 75. Phoenix, along with his wife Judy (aka Theos), was hugely influential on the development of Wicca in America.
Tom K./Phoenix
Phoenix and Lady Theos were initiated into the Craft by Rosemary and Raymond Buckland, who were largely responsible for bringing British Traditional Wicca to America. When Rosemary Buckland retired as High Priestess in 1972, Phoenix and Theos took over the coven and became spokespersons and leaders for the Gardnerian tradition in America.
These new duties included Phoenix editing and publishing a Gardnerian Craft newsletter entitled "Gardnerian Aspects" within the Church of All World's "Green Egg" magazine, and co-writing a set of notes and guidelines for American covens to use. Phoenix also contributed to Margot Adler's landmark book on modern Paganism "Drawing Down the Moon" where he explored questions regarding initiations, validity, and ego that many in the Craft continue to wrestle with.
"I have come across those who have carefully and proudly constructed their own "Traditions." initiated themselves, and have gone on to keep their secrets and to function with inspiration, sincerity, and effectiveness. On the other hand, I think we have all, from time to time, had contact with those who are apparently well able to substantiate a so-called "valid initiation" (in fact, more than likely a dozen initiations, the majority being "honorary" or otherwise non-working and non-learning) but to whom the Wicca means little or no more than a publicity gimmick, or a way of supporting themselves, a power/ego excursion... Who of these, then, is truly of the Wicca?"
In addition to all this, Phoenix, along with Raymond Buckland, Rosemary Buckland, Lady Theos, and other elders, created what they designated as the authentic first-degree Book of Shadows for American Gardnerian Craft. An ever-evolving work that is still used in active covens across America today. Phoenix's contributions to Wicca, and modern Paganism, are hard to fully quantify. Needless to say, we owe him a debt of gratitude for his service and dedication. May he rest with the Lord and the Lady in the Summerland, and return to us again.
Labels: Gardnerian Wicca, Paganism, Passings, Phoenix, Wicca, Witchcraft
8.22.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
We start off with a request for healing for Pagan chaplain and activist Patrick McCollum. Patrick recently underwent spinal surgery, and due to recent complications has been moved to the ICU.
"The reason I'm writing all this about Patrick -- and I am only scratching the surface -- is to tell you that he is dealing with a medical condition for which I'm asking your help. On August 15, Patrick underwent surgery for a long-standing problem with his spine. The surgery itself went well, but two days later Patrick suffered a complication that necessitated further surgery on August 18. He has been in ICU at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, California since then, and remains there, although much improved. Patrick welcomes healing. Given what I've told you about him, and that you have a photo and know where is is, I ask that you remember him in your prayers and rituals, light candles, appeal to his Lady Brigit, and do whatever else you can to hasten Patrick's relief from extreme pain and his ultimate recovery."
McCollum, due to his extensive work with prison chaplaincy, recently appeared before the US Commission on Civil Rights in Washington. A first for any modern Pagan. We here at The Wild Hunt wish him a speedy recovery.
Christian blogger and academic John Morehead, editor of the recently released "Beyond the Burning Times", reviews the new book "Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca" so I don't have to.
"...in a chapter where the authors discuss the surprises they encountered in their research for the book, one of the authors (Burroughs) addresses one of the surprises he encountered in terms of alleged links between Wicca, Satanism, sexual promiscuity, and child abuse: "I've found these assertions to be unfounded (at least in mainstream Wicca)." I italicized the last portion of the quote to draw attention to the issue I'm raising here. While Burroughs was pleased to discover that Wicca does not engage in the worst of its stereotypical associations, nevertheless, for Burroughs this appears to be the case with "mainstream Wicca," which appears to leave room for non-mainstream or underground Wicca, whatever those may be."
If you want to hear many of the routine (and often sensationalist) Christian criticisms of Wicca from "Generation Hex" co-author Dillon Burroughs, you can listen to an interview with him on Debbie Chavez's Christian radio program (warning, this is a Christian echo-chamber, listen at your own risk).
An Irish and Canadian paper each run their own version of the standard "meet the Witches" article. The Belfast Telegraph interviews Sarah Cavanagh of Co Armagh about her journey into Paganism.
"Years ago, I would have worried about what people thought and would not have told anyone I was a witch. Now there are so many people like me, that I simply think that the people who matter don’t mind and the people who mind, don’t matter."
Meanwhile the Nanaimo Daily News interviews the organizers of an upcoming Pagan Pride Day event.
"Anyone hoping to see animal sacrifices or disemboweling during Pagan Pride Day Saturday, will be greatly disappointed say two spokespeople for the Pagan church which is hosting the Nanaimo event at Kin Hut Park in Departure Bay. "One of the main reasons we hold Pagan Pride Day each year is to debunk myths like that," said Kam Abbott of Nanaimo's Temple of the Green Leaf Cauldron Church."
So sorry folks, no disemboweling here, move along!
A double "witchcraft" slaying I covered back in January is finally coming to trial, and the prosecutors want to enter a Satanic bible and an affidavit from a Satanic high priest as evidence against Lawrence Harris, who murdered his two step-daughters.
"Prosecutors say Harris was practicing satanism and that the killings were part of a ritual from a satanic bible. Harris' attorney, assistant public defender Michael Williams, said during a court hearing on Wednesday that prosecutors are seeking to link what Harris says and does to satanism. Casting spells and practicing witchcraft is not proof of satanism, Williams said. "(They) want shock value, sensationalism and knit-pick analysis of religious text in order to satisfy an inference," Williams said."
Needless to say, I would LOVE to read this affidavit from the alleged Satanic high priest (and know his identity). Lawrence Harris is pursuing an insanity defense. Trial is set for Oct. 14.
In a final note, medievalist and blogger Bo was shocked to hear Old Irish in the recently released Hellboy II.
"I went to see Hellboy II: The Golden Army last night, and to my slack-jawed disbelief, the elves were speaking Old Irish (or an awkward version thereof). It was like being a twitcher who draws the curtains one morning to see a pink flamingo standing on the windowsill. It was oddly accented (Balor was the best) and I'd need to see transcriptions to be sure that it was correct, but I don't think there's any doubt that they were trying to use the language ... Nothing in all the film's wonders moved me so much as hearing the meaningless preverbal particle no- with a 2nd singular Class A infixed pronoun (leniting)."
More proof of how awesome Guillermo del Toro is? Yes. Yes it is.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: books, Christianity, film, Guillermo del Toro, healing ritual request, John Morehead, law, Lawrence Harris, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Patrick McCollum, Satanism, Wicca, Witchcraft
8.19.2008
New Zealand University Gets Class on Witchcraft, People Freak Out
Massey University in New Zealand has introduced a new extramural class called Magic and Witchcraft to "show how magic and witchcraft illustrate the beliefs, values, structures, and social tensions within particular societies". Naturally, it has made the news.
"Spells, magical curses and voodoo dolls are all part of a new paper being offered at Massey University. Magic and Witchcraft, is a 100-level extramural paper offered this semester at the university's school of history, philosophy and classics. Senior classics lecturer Gina Salapata said the 120 students enrolled in the paper studied the use of sorcery in the classical world, medieval and early modern times and in colonial Maori culture."
Despite the fact that the teachers state the class is "not advocating witchcraft", that hasn't stopped The New Zealand Herald from conducting a sensationalist poll of its readership on the issue.
"The 120 students enrolled in the paper studied the use of sorcery in the classical world, medieval and early modern times and in colonial Maori culture. For the first assignment students had to create a magical curse tablet or erotic charm - however, the fanciful assignments have to be backed up with research. Is 'witchcraft' a suitable syllabus topic for Massey University?"
The "reader's views" question doesn't really explain that the "spells" they are crafting are for the purpose of exploring different cultural and historical views of sorcery, and not a "how-to" for aspiring magicians and Witches. As a result you get responses like this...
"The witches are slowly taking control, This is the start of their revolution, they have secret candidates in the up coming election and soon they will control the government. Beware unbelievers as the witches will take over us all."
"This witchcraft thing is a load of nonsense, and to think that students want money out of the public purse to study that crap."
"There is absolutely no place whatsoever for encouraging involvement in the powers of darkness, no matter how good and harmless they might claim to be. Shame on Massey University for being so naive as to allow this sort of thing to be part of the curriculum."
...and so on, and so forth (believe me, some of the comments are far worse). There are however the occasional voices of reason in between the paranoid Christians and militant atheists.
"Here's a recap for those too busy revelling in their own indignation to bother with facts. This is an extra-mural (look it up) summer course. It is a 3-month paper costing $497 plus $111 for enrolment & student fees. Most attendees will be adults taking a 'hobby' course. The paper restricts its focus to Classical Greece & Rome, Medieval & Early Modern Europe and early post-contact Maori society, treating each from a historical perspective (Source: Massey Website). Your taxes have nothing to do with adults paying to take a paper that interests them. A paper which focuses upon socio-historical trends will not teach people how to be 'modern witches' nor how to "slain/burn their own children" (sic) ILNZ, I would suggest you read some proper history books."
The manufactured controversy becomes clearer when you realize that the New Zealand Herald is a socially conservative paper. This is just a bit of red meat to throw to their readership, the sort of pandering one sees with ideologically slanted media outlets. Too bad really, the course sounded interesting, and there will no doubt be pressure on the university to drop the elective in the future.
Thanks to Judy Harrow for tipping me off to this story!
Labels: academia, journalism, New Zealand, occult, sorcery, Witchcraft
8.12.2008
In Other News
While the San Francisco Peaks story gets top billing from The Wild Hunt today, it isn't the only story of interest to our communities happening right now. Here are some links to other stories of note.
The LA Times profiles Santero and activist Ernesto Pichardo who discusses his life, his 1993 U.S. Supreme Court victory, and his emerging role as a mediator between law enforcement and the Santeria community.
"By some estimates there are 100,000 Santeria worshipers in Florida. Some of them, inevitably, had difficulties, and Pichardo did what he could to come to their aid. He began issuing laminated cards "certifying" Santeria priests to help them avoid run-ins with the law. And he tried not to take himself too seriously. He showed up at one local celebrity baseball game with a rubber chicken tied around his neck. His religion seemed to gain a little more acceptance. Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina now calls Pichardo to help mediate the parking, noise and animal issues that arise from Santeria home services. 'We've all matured,' Robaina said. 'We need to respect everyone's religion.'"
The piece also provides a rather harrowing account of the ongoing Coral Gables saga that is worth reading.
The Salem News does a profile of Laurie Cabot's reformulated Witches League for Public Awareness, now known as "Project Witches Protection".
"Project Witches Protection has very little money, relies heavily on volunteers and promotes a message that often falls on deaf ears. But the anti-defamation organization trucks on, stuffing hundreds of envelopes at Laurie Cabot's witch shop every month to send to authorities across the state. Inside the envelopes is literature designed to inform people about the civil rights of witches."
In the article, PWP vice president Rick Carvino calls Wicca/Witchcraft "one of the most abused and exploited religions". A statement that will be sure to start some heated debates as to how abused and exploited Wiccans/Witches really are. A copy of the materials the PWP mails out can be found, here.
Pagan authors Isaac and Phaedra Bonewits just did an interview on the Air America radio show "Clout" to discuss polyamory and the John Edwards affair.
"I got a chance to discuss monotheism and dualism, and to explain how and why mudslinging works in political campaigns. Richard Greene, host of the show, loved the fact that Phae and Joy and Tom and I were “getting together” on his show, along with a poet named Sara from New York City, and challenging the dominant paradigm not only about marriage and relationships, but the very roots of America’s dysfunctional schizophrenia about sexuality."
I can't seem to find a link to the podcast in question (and you seem to need a subscription to download podcasts), but perhaps something will be posted soon to the show's blog.
In a final note, September 8 looks to be a historic day. On that date, a new full evidentiary hearing will take place for the West Memphis 3.
"A full evidentiary hearing on this case is scheduled for September 8, 2008 and is expected to conclude on October 3. This marks the first time that the appeals from all three defendants will be heard together. Each is expected to get around a week to present their case. In an unprecedented move, the entire case will be presented in full, argued, and decided upon. Flaws in the original trials, recent DNA evidence pointing away from the defendants, and other new leads and information which invalidate the evidence used to convict the three are expected to take center stage."
The initial trial has long come under fire for the sloppy handling of evidence, and the use of "Satanic Panic" to sway the jury towards a guilty verdict. This appears to be the best chance for a fair trial, and a possible reversal of the guilty verdict. No doubt the many members of the Pagan community who have long advocated for a new trial will be watching.
Labels: Ernesto Pichardo, Isaac Bonewits, Laurie Cabot, law, litigation, Paganism, Polyamory, Project Witches Protection, Santeria, West Memphis 3, Wicca, Witchcraft
8.10.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
The Richmond Times Dispatch in Virginia reports on CaribFest, and speaks with Haiti's ambassador to the U.S. about Vodou/Voodoo.
"Raymond A. Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the U.S., was quite conversant on the subject of voodoo. 'When people think of voodoo, they think about the pins and the dolls. . . . That is sorcery and witchcraft,' Joseph said. In reality, he said, 'voodoo is a religion, like any other.'"
In a fortunate piece of kismet, the public radio program Speaking of Faith aired its "Living Vodou" episode this week, which features an interview with Vodou scholar and practitioner Patrick Bellegarde-Smith.
Tropaion reports that the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, in partnership with the Onassis Cultural Foundation in New York, will be presenting an exhibition in December that may be of great interest to modern Pagans.
"Worship, Women’s Ritual and Reality in Classical Athens, is the forthcoming exhibition by the National Museum and the Onassis Cultural Foundation in New York for the following year ... The exhibition will hold 158 artifacts from the National Museum, Acropolis, Kerameikou, Thebes and others including with 29 artifacts from the British, Metropolitan, Louvre, Vatican, Berlin and other foreign Museums. The exhibition is going to be divided in four main categories / themes: goddesses, priestesses, women and ritual, festivities and women on the circle of life. The visitor will be initially introduce with the Athena Parthenou, Artemis of Brauron, Demeter and Persephone who are presented with artifacts of their temples. Then, there are the mythical priestesses like Theano, who retain the key to further discover the practical aspect of worship (sacrifices, libations and choes). The exhibition ends with the section of the cycle of life (birth, adulthood, marriage and death), which run all stages of life in relation to religion and a woman."
You can read more from this Greek paper. A formal press release hasn't been issued, but once it is, I'll provide a link.
Speaking of exhibitions in New York, the Museum of Biblical Art in Manhattan is currently hosting a traveling exhibit of 106 Albrecht Dürer prints. The famous German painter and print-maker, while devoting much of his work to Christian themes, also explored Greco-Roman myth, and did several witch-themed works. Reflecting the the growing concern (and eventual panic) that would engulf his homeland.
Excerpt from "The Four Witches" 1497
You can read more about the exhibition (which runs through Sept. 21) in this Lower Hudson Journal news article.
The Washington Post does a profile on the Hex signs of the Pennsylvania Dutch, and interviews Don Yoder, co-author of "Hex Signs: Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Symbols & Their Meaning", artist Eric Claypoole, and Patrick J. Donmoyer, a student at Kutztown University who studies hex paintings.
"Some of the symbols, he said, date to Norse, and even pagan, art. And it is no coincidence that the hub of hex sign activity is in Pennsylvania rather than, say, New York or New Jersey. "There was freedom of religion in Pennsylvania," he said. "People were afraid of so many things. Even 'witches' were protected here." The argument that hex signs couldn't have mystical meanings because they're so public and out there for the world to see is misleading, Donmoyer said."
Pennsylvania Dutch "Pow-Wow" folk practice and magic has gained popularity among some modern Pagans (to varying degrees of authenticity and success). So a thoughtful exploration of one aspect of this culture is welcome.
Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon's protest at Stonehenge has entered its second month.
"Demonstrating on behalf of the Council of British Druid Orders, King Arthur Pendragon has vowed to remain at the site, living in his caravan, until the historic site is opened fully to the public ... Pendragon, 54, has been camping close to the World Heritage Site since the Summer Solstice on June 21 and is hoping his protests will encourage the Government to remove the fences around the monument, build a tunnel under the A303 and grass over the A344."
It is unclear if Pendragon's protest, or the ongoing public consultation, will produce much needed changes in time for the 2012 Olympics.
In a final note, it looks fairly certain that Natalie Portman will be starring in a remake of Dario Argento's occult-horror masterpiece "Suspiria" (featuring an evil coven of witches).
"Handsome Charlie Films, which is headed by Natalie Portman (pictured inside) and Annette Savitch, will be producing the remake of Dario Argento's Suspiria. In addition, word has it Portman will topline the film that David Gordon Green is attached to direct. Green's PINEAPPLE EXPRESS hits theaters tomorrow."
Another addition to the large pile of horrid horror remakes (think "The Wicker Man"), or new classic for a new generation? I suppose only time will tell.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: art, Arthur Pendragon, Druidry, folklore, goddess, Greece, movies, New York, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Stonehenge, Vodou, Witchcraft
7.31.2008
Closure in the Salem Psychic Wars?
Last year I devoted several posts to a local struggle in Salem over the licensing of psychics. One group, led by Laurie Cabot, wanted to limit licenses and inhibit traveling "psychic fairs" (which they felt "poached" their profits), the other, led by Christian Day, wanted more relaxed rules that would allow for a greater number of licensed psychics. Eventually a compromise measure was reached, but in the process, remains from a dead raccoon were left on the doorsteps of two local metaphysical shops.
"The remains of a mutilated raccoon were left at the doorways of two of the city's psychic shops. At 12:41 a.m. yesterday, John Ray of Salem flagged down police Sgt. Richard Gagnon and alerted him to a raccoon's skull and a pile of intestines that had been left at the entrance to Angelica of the Angels, a shop at 7 Central St. While patrolling Essex Street about an hour later, Gagnon discovered more remains at the door to The Goddess' Treasure Chest at 172 Essex St."
Some Salem residents cast suspicion on Day, accusing him of working malignant magic, but it soon came to light that the perpetrator was psychic and Salem Witch Sharon Graham, who had been nursing a grudge against Christian Day.
"Richard Watson said he went back to his Bridge Street apartment on the night of May 26 to a disturbing scene: his roommate, Sharon Graham, dressed in black, surrounded by four young men, also all in black, standing around a jar. Inside that jar was the eye of a raccoon, police say. And in two trash bags in Watson’s refrigerator was the rest of the critter, which had been dismembered."
Now, nearly a year later, and after further accusations of witness intimidation, it looks like we have some closure. Sharon Graham, in a plea agreement, has admitted to a judge that she placed the raccoon remains in front of those shops, though she claims to not know why she did so.
"A self-described Wiccan high priestess admitted yesterday that she had placed pieces of an eviscerated raccoon on the doorsteps of two local businesses last year. But Sharon Graham said she still can't explain why. Graham, 47, formerly of Salem , admitted during a hearing in Salem District Court that prosecutors had sufficient evidence for a conviction on charges of littering and wanton destruction of property. Judge Dunbar Livingston called the case "certainly a somewhat bizarre and troubling incident" but agreed to go along with a plea agreement that called for the charges to be continued without a finding for a year on condition that Graham perform 20 hours of community service and remain in counseling. If she complies with those conditions and stays out of further trouble, the charges will be dismissed in a year. Prosecutors also agreed to drop the most serious charge against Graham, a count of witness intimidation."
Graham has moved out of Salem, is receiving counseling, and is being supervised by a probation officer. Christian Day has gone on to become an even bigger fish in Salem's pond, working with the city to promote Halloween season tourism, and co-running his own Witch shop Hex. Laurie Cabot continues to be as famous (infamous?) as ever, celebrating her 75th birthday in March with Godsmack frontman Sully Erna, among others, in attendance. So it looks like this matter is finally closed, and life in Salem, in all its Witchy glory, can continue.
Labels: Christian Day, Laurie Cabot, law, psychics, Salem, Sharon Graham, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
7.30.2008
How "Earthy" Is Your Religion?
The Los Angeles Times brings us another edition of the ever-familiar "meet the Pagans" article. It has many of the usual "clever" lines journalists use when reporting on Pagans, allusions to Stevie Nicks, allusions to Harry Potter, Pagan Witches don't all wear pointy black hats, you get the idea. But Matthew DeBord's article rises from mere mediocrity into truly bad journalism thanks to some outright falsehoods and bizarre assumptions.
"Contemporary paganism doesn't draw its inspiration from the multiple-gods worship of ancient Greece and Rome so much as from less classical, earthier antecedents (although pagans can and do worship different gods and goddesses). Think Druids, or the shamanistic traditions of Native Americans. Satanism, being associated with the post-Christian world, is not usually considered part of the neo-pagan movement although neo-pagans, being exceedingly tolerant, would probably not object to Satanists being allowed to do their thing, as well."
Really? What does that mean for members of Feraferia, Hellenismos, the Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes, and Nova Roma? What about the large swathes of modern Pagans, including the Druids, who engage in "multiple-gods worship" (we call it "polytheism" round these parts). I also love that shamanism is somehow "earthier" than "classical" paganism. I wonder how one measures the "earthy" quotient of a spiritual/religious system. Is their an earthy hierarchy I'm missing out on?
I'm not sure if DeBord's assumptions are born from misinformed interview subjects or his own preconceived notions, but if your sweeping statements can't pass the Wikipedia test, then it's time to reevaluate your journalistic abilities. Then again, maybe modern Paganism has been taken over by earthy Druid-shamans and nobody told me.
Labels: Druids, journalism, LA Times, Paganism, shamanism, Wicca, Witchcraft
7.22.2008
Witches, Swords, and a DUI
Obviously the lesson of the inebriated Witch from last year who was arrested while in the process of burning a cooler and rubber car-mats on a bonfire was lost on our community. Because two, count-em, two, incidents involving Witchcraft and the law in the past week have made the news. First, a woman who was either under the influence, colossally unlucky, or merely very clumsy, accidentally stabbed her foot with a sword in a graveyard.
"According to a Lebanon Police Department news release, Katherine Gunther, 36, was performing a Wiccan "ceremony of thanks" in Oak Hill Cemetery around 12:15 a.m. Saturday when she ran the blade through her left foot. She said in an interview Monday that she'd had a run of good luck recently and wanted to give thanks with the rite. Gunther said she was aiming to put a sword in the ground when it accidentally hit her foot. "It wasn't the first time I performed the ritual, but it was the first time I put a sword through my foot," she said."
Police are letting her and her friends off with a warning for trespassing in the cemetery (feeling perhaps that they have suffered enough). In an interview, Gunther said there was nothing left to do but laugh it off.
"It's like all you can do is laugh at it now. All you can do when something like this happens is make the best out of it,"
Slightly less funny is a woman pulled over for driving while intoxicated who claimed to be a "black witch" who would "hex" the police officer.
"A DUI arrest an unusual turn on July 11 when the suspect claimed to be a “black witch” and threatened to place a hex on the arresting officers, Eagle police said. The 56-year-old woman first caught the attention of a patrolling officer when he had to swerve to avoid a head-on crash when her vehicle crossed into his lane on Broadway at about 8 p.m. Her car kept swerving and she was pulled over. The woman behind the wheel had slurred speech and glassy eyes. She said she had consumed a couple of tequilas and was also taking methadone ... When the cops handcuffed and arrested her, she began yelling profanities and declared herself to be a “black witch.” She also threatened to hex the two officers involved. On the way to jail, she kicked and banged her head on the interior of the cop’s car."
Classy! The "black witch" has been charged with driving on a suspended license, careless driving, and resisting arrest, among other things.
So remember kids, be careful with sharp objects, if you do accidentally stab yourself, it is a lot less embarrassing if you aren't trespassing in the process. Don't mix methadone with tequila, and driving under the influence is never, ever, ever, a good idea. You too can avoid legal trouble, and embarrassing press coverage, if you follow these simple guidelines.
Labels: law, Paganism, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
7.17.2008
Update: SIGIR's Wiccan Scandal
After two years of investigations, Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, and his deputy, Ginger Cruz, have been cleared of fraud and abuse charges that were lodged by former employees of the watchdog organization.
Ginger Cruz
"On July 3, federal prosecutors alerted the office of Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen that a grand jury declined to indict him or deputy Ginger Cruz. Last week, on July 9, the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency similarly cleared him and Cruz of any administrative charges stemming from the accusations. The executive branch council was created to investigate allegations of misconduct by inspectors general at federal agencies ... "I always had faith that we'd be cleared of the allegations," Cruz said in an interview Wednesday. "We knew there was no basis to them." Cruz described the investigations dating back to 2006 as "very thorough." She said it combed through all of her e-mail, and multiple people were interviewed for it."
This story first came to my attention in December of last year, after accusations against Cruz claimed that she was a Wiccan who sexually harassed her co-workers, and threatened to cast spells on those who crossed her.
"Cruz reportedly told employees that she was a Wiccan who could cast spells on people, and said she preferred hiring young “hunks” to work in the office. She is also accused of propositioning junior employees in a crude fashion, once even proposing a threesome."
Cruz has all along denied any wrongdoing, and that the accusations of witchcraft were "ludicrous". I felt that the emphasis on witchcraft and sexual improprieties seemed suspicious. Almost stereotypical.
"...it seems strange to me that "hexes" and her Wiccan religion were mentioned at all. Could it be that Cruz was simply too open with her religious preferences in an all-too-Christian military environment? Leaving aside the charges of cooking the books, doesn't it seem a bit too convenient (almost stereotypical in a male-fantasy sort of way) that the the young female Witch would go around propositioning three-ways with men and claiming to put hexes on people (no doubt on men who would refuse her sexual wiles)?"
Whether Cruz was indeed a Wiccan, or simply a woman branded "witch" in an often sexist and overtly Christian military will most likely never be known. Whatever the truth, this represents not only a vindication for Cruz, who can now put this painful time behind her, but a victory for religious minorities and Pagans working for the government. Perhaps more Pagans working in the military and in governmental positions can come out of the "broom closet" knowing that slanders of malicious spellwork, or lascivious behavior, will not stand up to scrutiny.
Labels: Ginger Cruz, Iraq, Military, Paganism, persecutions, SIGIR, Stuart Bowen, Wicca, Witchcraft
7.14.2008
Return of the Nine Million
Australian Gay and Lesbian website Same Same features an article by Jade Starr on the history of Catholic and Catholic-inspired persecutions that trots out some old "favorites" from within the Pagan community.
"Those who did not follow the Catholic ideals were deemed to be witches or heretics and were then persecuted from the late 1400s to early 1700s. It has been estimated that up to nine million people lost their lives during ‘The Burning Times’ but due to a lack of evidence the exact number is accepted as closer to 50,000 to 1 million. Many of these people, predominantly women, endured unfair trials and were subsequently incarcerated or burned alive at the stake for their so-called crimes against God. Not only were Pagan people segregated, tortured and murdered but they were also robbed of their rituals and practices, which are even now still used in modern Catholicism."
As much as I like to call out the Catholic Church for their many misdeeds, the reality is that 40,000 - 60,000 victims in the span of 250 years is as high as your going to go, and those numbers are educated estimates. There is only definitive proof for around 12,000 deaths attributed to witch trials. Only one in 25,000 deaths was attributed to execution for witchcraft. While the "nine million" number is dramatic, I agree with Margot Adler when she says that:
"...it serves no end to perpetuate the miscalculation; it's time to put away the exaggerated numbers forever.".
Inventing a Pagan or women's holocaust in no way helps our cause, or adds gravitas to our arguments against Christianity. Further, by the time of the witch trials in Early Modern Europe, there were no "Pagan people" to torture, imprison, or murder. While some may continue to argue for underground survivals from the pre-Christian era (a debate I'll leave to others), by the 15th century Europe was solidly Christian in religious orientation, and the vast majority of "witches" considered themselves good Christians.
If one wants to criticize the Catholic Church, or Christianity in general, there are several excellent ways and reasons to do so. However, including false information only invalidates the entire argument.
Labels: Australia, Brock's Law, GLBT, Paganism, The Burning Times, Witch, Witchcraft
7.03.2008
The Return of the Revenge of Witches on Reality Television
Hard to believe its been nearly a year since I had to post about modern Pagans appearing in a trashy reality television program! I should have known that the siren-call of money and fame/infamy would be too much for some in our extended community to miss. This time its an Australian program entitled "The One: The Search for Australia's Most Gifted Psychic", a game show/reality television program in the vein of "America's Got Talent" or "Hell's Kitchen", only with psychics.
The host and contestants of "The One".
"English statutes against witchcraft were repealed in 1736 and public executions are no longer sanctioned as entertainment, at least not in Australia, but Channel Seven has devised an alternative ordeal - a televised quest for Australia's top psychic. Seven contestants - mediums, psychics, clairvoyants, a "medical intuitive" and a witch - undergo tests to prove their paranormal abilities. They have to find a lost boy in the bush with a bit of help from his teddy, examine memorabilia from celebrities and deduce who they belong to, and find contraband inside a shipping container."
So this spoon-bending Survivor already has one Witch as a contestant, but we get a double-dose this time around, because one of the two judges is a Witch too!
"Using the good cop-bad cop formula loved by reality TV, two judges - Richard Saunders, vice-president of the Australian Skeptics, and Stacey Demarco, a practising witch and author - decide each week who stays or goes until three contestants are left. The winner will be chosen by a public vote ... Stacey Demarco, who teaches metaphysics and has written books on how to apply witchcraft in the boardroom and the bedroom, is the believing panellist. "I'm a rational type of expert, I'm not the purple tie-dye type of witch. I just want people to come into this with a really open mind. It's not a circus act or an act of any kind. "The contestants are normal people, they've got husbands, wife, kids, pets, a house in the suburbs and they are considered weirdos, freaks, satanists just because they have these abilities." Only a couple of episodes have been shot but, Demarco says, the show lives up to its billing that it will make "hairs stand up on end"."
So who is Stacey Demarco? Well, she authored two books for Llewellyn, "Witch in the Bedroom: Proven Sensual Magic", and "Witch in the Boardroom: Proven Business Magic", was initiated as a solitary Witch (though I'm not sure what she means by that), and has a background in PR and marketing (which most likely explains how she got this gig). Demarco's role marks something of a step up for Pagans in reality television, from mere entertainment fodder to playing a role in the selection/elimination process. Of course the larger question is if modern Pagans should be participating in the vapid, soulless, and cheapening reality television market in the first place.
While shows like "Wife Swap" and its ilk have portrayed Wicca and modern Paganism as bizarre lifestyle choices (instead of, say, a serious religious faith), "The One" will most likely portray Witchcraft as an enhancement/byproduct of possessing psychic powers (though I suppose I could live in hope...). Neither of these approaches does much to broadcast an accurate picture of our family of faiths, or give insight into the fact that we worship multiple gods, have our own holidays, and are (generally speaking) rather pedestrian in our lifestyle choices and attitudes. The saddest thing is that every time our faiths get run into the ground on one of these programs, there is always another Witch or Pagan out there who thinks "I'll be different". To them I say, no one is more powerful than the video editors, those great powers who decide which of your words to emphasize, and actions to highlight.
I suppose there is always the chance that this program will be different. But I've been down this road before, and don't hold out too much hope that our faiths won't be trivialized for the sake of entertainment. To my readers in Australia, keep an eye on this show (which premieres on Tuesday) and fill me in on how it is. Who knows, maybe we'll all get lucky for a change.
Labels: Australia, Paganism, psychics, Reality Television, Stacey Demarco, Television, Witchcraft
6.26.2008
A Victory for South African Pagans and Traditional Healers
Word has come in from South Africa that the controversial Witchcraft Suppression Bill of 2007 has been put on hold "until further notice".
"Mpumalanga healers and pagans have been given a new lease of life after the Witchcraft Suppression Bill was put on hold. The proposed bill by the department of local government, which came under fire last year from various stakeholders, was put on hold yesterday. The department of local government said it had put the drafting of the bill of 2007 on hold “until further notice”. The department was mandated by the provincial executive council to prepare a bill which seeks to address high levels of violence in Mpumalanga linked to allegations of witchcraft."
The bill, which in theory was supposed to suppress violence against accused "witches" (an ongoing problem in many African nations), instead caused an uproar among modern Pagans and various traditional healers due to its overly vague language (and trying to "solve" the problem by essentially blaming the victims).
"...Witches themselves need protection from violent attack, Sapra said. "Practitioners of natural magic (witchcraft) throughout the country have rallied together to oppose the passage of the proposed Mpumalanga Witchcraft Suppression Bill on the grounds that the bill will criminalize men and women who practice witchcraft or who claim to be witches," Sapra convener Damon Leff said. Sapra has even submitted an alternative bill - the Mpumalanga Witchcraft Protection Bill - for the Mpumalanga Legislature to consider instead ... Potgieter said those who attacked people they accused of being witches were the criminal element that needed addressing, not witches themselves. She warned that the bill also affected traditional healers and "disempowered" them."
Government spokesperson Simphiwe Kunene says that further consultation and research is needed before any bill addressing witchcraft in South Africa can go forward. Kunene is hoping that affected groups won't "go to the media" when "certain matters" are raised with them in the near future (though "going to the media" is what stopped this bad bill from going forward). This is a major victory for South African Pagans, and a groundbreaking instance of cooperation with traditional religionists in the region.
Though witch-killings in places like Africa and India aren't aimed at practitioners of modern Paganism, it is slowing becoming a Pagan issue as we spread and grow in areas affected by this violent hysteria. While Pagans (ancient and modern) may never have truly suffered from the "burning times" of Early Modern Europe, we may soon find ourselves on the front lines of attempts to stem the tide of modern-day witch hysteria.
Labels: indigenous, law, Paganism, South Africa, The Burning Times, Witch Killings, Witchcraft
6.16.2008
Slowly Drifting Out of the (Broom) Closet
Over at the Llewellyn Journal, author Kate West notices the slow, perhaps subconscious, drift away from strict secrecy within modern Paganism.
"As Witches, we used to be far more secretive; no wearing our pentagrams and Goddess symbols openly. No celebrating our Craft in our homes and lifestyle. We did wear long skirts, but that was the fashion. Visit the home of almost any Wiccan or Witch today and even the most discreet will have many clues to their path on display. I’d have counted myself among the discreet until I took a good look around me. Without moving from the keyboard I can see God and Goddess statues, decorative Witches and bats, and even a glow in the dark rat (but that’s got more to do with having a 10 year old than the Craft). There’s a crescent moon hanging in the window and a Horned God plaque over the door. My altar is not hidden, or even sensitively placed in the bedroom. There are witchy books stacked on nearly every step of the stairs (which can make coming down in the dark entertaining), and even the doormat says Blessed Be!"
As allegiance to a modern Pagan faith ceases to be a big deal in many places, some are finding that activities and strategies that used to be necessity, like making your own ritual implements, or keeping quiet when you have a party in your backyard, are no longer needed.
"Our secrecy extended further than appearances; many of my close friends (let alone my neighbours) lived in blissful ignorance of the Witch in their community. Now not only are my near and dear aware (and as at it happens, mostly supportive) but only the other day my nearest neighbour said how nice it was to hear us “enjoying our pagan parties” in the garden. It was only a summer barbeque, and I’d thought we’d been fairly discreet! We used to live with a fairly keen level of dread at being discovered: it could mean your job or even having your parenting skills examined by authorities with the power to put your children into care. But now my son’s school is not only aware that we’re not Christian, they’ve had my books into school to show to the children."
Obviously this newly-discovered freedom doesn't apply to all, there are still plenty of places unfriendly to Pagans outside the generally recognized "zones of tolerance". However, West does bring to light a very real trend that I have noticed in my own life. While I was never "in the broom closet", my friends and I were very cautious about exposing our beliefs to anyone who might disapprove or make life difficult for us. Finding other Pagans was done with the subtle art of jewelry spotting, and haunting the "metaphysical" section of bookstores. Today, if I don't mention I'm a Pagan, it is mostly because I don't feel it's a big deal, and finding other Pagans can be as easy as turning my laptop on.
How about you gentle readers, have any of you slowly drifted out of the "broom closet"? Where once you kept a discrete home, and watched what you said, do you now notice statuary and Pagan-oriented books lying everywhere? To paraphrase Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, did you not so much "come out" as "saunter vaguely outward"?
Labels: Broom Closet, Kate West, Llewellyn, Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft
6.15.2008
Man-Witch?!?
This past week entertainment news sources have been abuzz about Jack Black dropping out of a starring role in the upcoming Warner Bros. movie "Man-Witch". For those already dreading the answer, here is the "plot" of "Man-Witch".
Jack Black
"Man-Witch centers on a man who learns he's a witch and goes off to teach the craft at a Hogwarts-like all-female witch school."
No doubt that hi-jinks ensue. One would hope that this high-profile defection will shelve plans for the film, but Warner Bros. seems committed to keep going.
"Man-Witch had a tentative January start date before Black disengaged, and is moving forward on schedule, according to Warner Brothers."
The writer/director of "Man-Witch" is Todd Phillips, who sports a resume of cinematic garbage like "Road Trip" and "Old School". One can only imagine what "treats" are in store once this film hits theaters.
So let's hear it for Jack Black's aesthetic judgment, and let's hope this film doesn't inspire any misguided press releases or "synergy" from Wiccan/Witch groups looking for a few seconds in the journalistic afterglow.
Labels: film, Jack Black, Man-Witch, movies, Witchcraft
6.09.2008
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
5.12.2008
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
5.01.2008
Cora Anderson 1915 - 2008
Cora Anderson, a co-founder with Victor Anderson of what is now known of as the Feri Tradition, passed on this morning at the age of 93. Cora Anderson was known as a Grand Master of the Feri Faith, a prolific writer, and was a key influence in the lives of several prominent Pagans and Witches.
Cora Anderson, matriarch of the Feri tradition.
"In Initiation, you literally marry the Goddess, her dual consort and the Gods, whether you are male or female... Always remember that the person you love as life companion or in passing is your son, brother and lover, and should be treated with love and respect as yourself and other half." - Cora Anderson, "Fifty Years in the Feri Tradition"
Among her students were groundbreaking Pagan musician Gwydion Pendderwen, activist and Reclaiming co-founder Starhawk, author, artist, and teacher T. Thorn Coyle, and current Feri Grand Master Anaar, among many others.
"It is Walpurgisnacht and my teacher is dying. There is a bale fire in my heart. We sing. We chant. We sit. We breathe. Every fire needs fuel. Every student needs a lesson. Her skin is translucent. There is blood in the corners of her mouth. Her eyes are clouded, barely open. She struggles to speak. "I love you," she says. "I love all of you." ... "I am going in and out," she says. We see her. Victor is there too, at the foot of her bed ... God Herself fills space and time. Fills the room. Including everything, we fall away." - T. Thorn Coyle, excerpt from "Bale Fire Need Fire Heart Fire (Cora)"
Her body will lie in state for 3 days, the Feri community asks that mourners and well-wishers burn a candle during this transition time for her. My blessings go out the Feri community and Cora's spirit. May she be reunited with Victor and be embraced by her gods.
Labels: Cora Anderson, Feri, Paganism, Passings, Witchcraft
4.18.2008
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
4.14.2008