7.15.2008
Two Pagan-Friendly Music Sources Close
This past few weeks has seen announcements from two Pagan-friendly music labels/distributors that they are closing up shop. First, at the end of June, the online folk music resource Woven Wheat Whispers called it quits.
"We didn’t have to close WWW, it was paying it’s way and no money was lost. It was just a decision about the future taken calmly at a point where we had time to think… It was meant to be fun and would have turned into slog at some point in the near future ... We could have continued and would have done alright, but with Myspace starting to sell downloads, Amazon coming in and iTunes level of market dominance, there was little point. Even CDBaby now sell downloads alongside the CD. Exiting in a positive way seemed the best thing to do at the right time. WWW didn’t collapse, we have all the money needed. It was a decision taken about how far to push what was a small home operation delivered in my spare time."
I mentioned Woven Wheat Whispers on this blog last year when they released (with Cold Spring Records) the amazing "John Barleycorn Reborn" compilation. Woven Wheat Whispers introduced me to some great artists, including The Owl Service, Cunnan, Arrowwood, Novemthree, Sharron Kraus, and The Horses of The Gods. It at times felt like the label/service was especially created for fans of The Wicker Man soundtrack (a high compliment in my book). Needless to say, WWW artists got, and continue to get, at lot of airplay on my podcast/streaming radio show.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, Dancing Ferret/Noir Records founder Patrick Rodgers announced that his popular goth/darkwave label would be closing down in November.
"After November, Dancing Ferret Discs (and Noir Records) will stop releasing new material. Of course this does NOT mean that our wonderful artists are hanging up their hats, nor that their albums will disappear. It also does NOT mean that anything will happen to Nocturne, Dracula's Ball, Digital Ferret or IsoTank. It simply means that in the future, new albums by the DFD bands that you love will be released by other labels (or in some cases, by the artists themselves)."
DFD/Noir, aside from representing popular darkwave acts like The Cruxshadows, also introduced America to great European neo-medieval, ethereal, Pagan-folk, and darkwave bands like Corvus Corax, Irfan, The Dreamside, Faun, and Omnia.
Both of these labels/services have been instrumental in helping to expand the idea of a "Pagan music" beyond the New Age mediocrities and sub-par folk that many assumed was the norm. It showed that there were new generations of musicians across America, the UK, and Europe, that were making challenging and exciting music that dealt with themes near and dear to the Pagan soul. To say that the exit of Woven Wheat Whispers and Dancing Ferret/Noir leaves a hole is an understatement. So I raise my glass in toast to both of them, they have enriched us more than most will ever know.
You can expect tributes to both Woven Wheat Whispers and Dancing Ferret/Noir in upcoming episodes of my A Darker Shade of Pagan podcast.
Labels: A Darker Shade of Pagan, Dancing Ferret/Noir, folklore, goth, John Barleycorn Reborn, music, Paganism, The Wicker Man, UK, Woven Wheat Whispers
5.11.2008
Old Traditions, New Directions
The Independent has a feature up on the tradition of Morris Dancing, specifically how two troupes are bringing a decidedly modern aesthetic to these venerable folk traditions.
The Hunters Moon Morris
"Morris dancing is a joke, isn't it, with a hey nonny no? Beardy men with beer bellies prancing about in white stockings, waving hankies? Very twee. But try telling that to the men and women of Hunters Moon, here by the Sussex coast looking like the devilish spawn of Hell's Angels and medieval mummers. They are part of a secret revolution in morris dancing, transforming the most easily lampooned of English eccentricities. Fresh rivalries are emerging, as younger men and women reinvent "the morris" in startling ways - including, as we discover during a mad dash around southern England on May Day, the world's first Gothic morris troupe - or "side"."
The Wolf's Head and Vixen Morris.
The article profiles the decidedly Pagan-oriented Hunters Moon Morris, and the gothic Wolf's Head and Vixen Morris. Journalist Cole Moreton describes Wolf's Head and Vixen as looking like a "boozy, woozy gathering of the Sisters of Mercy fan club", but they, like the Hunter's Moon troupe, are trying to reclaim Morris dancing from a static and sometimes oppressive vision of English history and culture.
"One reason for the recent growth of Border morris is that it is easier to learn (while more spectacular) than other forms. Another is an increase in the number of British neo-pagans, many of whom are drawn to it. "We quite consciously work with ideas of shamanism," says [Wolfshead founder Philip] Kane. "It's a form of ritual theatre, a magical space embracing both dancers and audience." There are radical politics at work too: he sees the dance, and "neo-pagan carnivals" such as the Rochester Sweeps, as a way of resisting the "complacent nostalgia" of Englishness "founded on the detritus of imperialism, Christianity, racism and xenophobia". His England has more primitive, inclusive roots, and for him the morris is a way of expressing that."
Of course there are still several traditional Morris "sides" (albeit aging rapidly) performing in England. Unlike the Pagan and goth troupes, they see what they are doing as safely within the bounds of their Christian faith, and downplay any esoteric aspects connected to Morris dancing by folklorists in the past.
"So, what do they think they're up to? Norman Hopson, the 56-year-old squire, is a technical manager for BT but has the no-nonsense manner of a bluff countryman. "Some say the handkerchiefs are there to frighten away spirits, and the same for the bells," he says. "We say they are there to accentuate the movements." Nor is there anything mystical about his experience of dancing: "I see myself as a street entertainer." ... Hopson doesn't see it as a symbol of fertility, or anything else, thank you. "The Long Man is a local landmark," he says. "It's just a carving on a hill. I don't think it has any further significance." The side's bagman, Alan Vaughan, puts it more strongly: "We would go against that pagan idea," he says. 'Traditionally, morris dancing has been connected with the church. I personally have danced in Durham Cathedral.'"
Of course the pagan and esoteric undertones to modern Morris dancing (true or not) are irrevocably wrapped into it thanks to folklorists like Cecil Sharp, who felt that folk-traditions were cultural fossils of England's primitive past (what Ronald Hutton calls the "geological model" of human culture). This notion of pagan survivals helped pave the way for the emergence of modern Pagan religion, and still casts a long shadow in the public mind when considering Morris dances and other folk traditions.
"The folk singers of today ... are the last of a long line that stretches back into the mists of far-off days." - Cecil Sharp, English Folk Song: Some Conclusions, 1907
Nor is England the only place where Pagans and other subcultural groups are staking their own claims to the Morris legacy. Pagans in America, most notably in California, have started up their own Morris traditions. Before long, the Victorian folklorists may turn out to be prophets, as more and more Morris troupes embrace a Pagan aesthetic.
PS - Speaking of traditions, today is Mother's Day. Check out my post concerning the holiday from last year, I think it says all I want to say about the subject.
Labels: folklore, goth, Morris Dancing, Paganism, UK
3.26.2008
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
9.30.2007
Updates on Past Stories
When Religion and Subculture Collide: Florida Today updates us on the case of a group of goth kids who were fighting a ban on "goth" clothing. It looks like the children argued their case effectively, because the Brevard County School Board has removed the term "gothic" from its dress-code policy, much to the approval of Florida Today's editorial staff.
"The Brevard County School Board tweaked its dress code policy to remove the word "Gothic" this week. That was a judicious move. No other group of students is listed in the policy. Hip-hop and jock styles also break the dress code, but their groups aren't singled out for censure by name. Branding Goths as somehow dangerous was unfair and unneeded ... school administrators should be careful to apply dress code policies fairly for all groups, from the star athletes to Wiccan kids."
Facial piercings and "extreme" facial makeup are still banned, but "goth" clothing itself is no longer banned. The compromise that may make life easier for Amaris Mulhauser, who claimed that her style of dress was an outgrowth of her Wiccan religious practice.
A Canadian Witch-Hunt: The Halifax Daily News follows up with some local Pagans in the wake of attacks and harassment towards local Witch Shauna Cook and her friends.
"Earlier this month, a Halifax hedge-witch and her two pagan friends were attacked leaving her home, leading her to decide she must leave the city for the safety of her children. The woman said she has been repeatedly targeted because of her religion. Imagine if the violence had been directed at Jews leaving a synagogue, or Muslims leaving a mosque. Would Haligonians tolerate such an attack? ... Vanessa Smith of Little Mysteries on Barrington Street says the attack was doubly unfortunate - because of the pain caused to those attacked, and because it does not reflect the Halifax she knows. "Halifax is a very open city," she says, and most Wiccans practice in peace."
Another local Witch interviewed says that her children also face harassment for their religious views, but that she is happier being "out" about her beliefs, and that "Witches are the new gays - and we're finally coming out." As for Shauna Cook, you can get a fuller picture of the situation leading to her move by reading the two comments made on this blog by a local friend.
Raping With Impunity: Back in April I reported on a recently released Amnesty International report that revealed shocking levels of outsider rape being perpetrated on American Indian and Alaska Native women. This past Thursday, members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee heard the testimony of Native women in hopes of creating legislation towards eliminating legal red tape that hinders many investigations of rape and similar crimes.
"Jami Rozell, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, testified that she was brutally raped but decided not to press charges after a series of lawyers and officials told her she would be "raped again" by the justice system. She told senators that several months after the crime, when she summoned the courage to press charges, she was told all of the evidence had been destroyed. "I have not been able to stand up for myself until now," she said."
You can read the testimonies of the participants, here. Sadly, rape isn't the only problem facing Native women in our country, beatings and harassment from non-Natives is still an all-too-common occurrence as evidenced by the recent case in which a teenage girl was beaten and then harassed by white supremacists in Idaho. Hopefully the Senate can indeed "streamline" the maze of injustice facing Natives in our country.
Labels: Amaris Mulhauser, American Indian, Amnesty International, Canada, goth, Halifax, law, Native American, Paganism, rape, Shauna Cook, Witchcraft
9.16.2007
When Religion and Subculture Collide
Florida Today profiles some local goth teens who are fighting an anti-goth clothing ban enforced by Brevard Public Schools.
"Amaris is one of about 30 students trying to change the district's dress code policy, which they believe is outdated and curtails their freedom of expression. The students went before the school board this week to argue their case ... Brevard Public Schools' dress code policy specifically prohibits Gothic-style clothing or accessories, citing that such gear is tied to 'violent or death oriented themes.'"
Of special note, one of the teens leading the effort, Amaris Mulhauser, claims that removing her goth clothing infringes on her religious rights.
"Amaris -- a soft-spoken sophomore who said she'd never been suspended and had never received a grade lower than a C -- argues she has a right to her style of dress. She said her clothing is part of her Wiccan religion, a neo-pagan, Earth-centered faith. 'I get pulled out of classes, stopped in the hallways, all because they say our makeup is a distraction,' Amaris, who signs the 'A' in her name with the anarchy symbol, told the Brevard County School Board. 'I think basically it is a ploy against people who are different. I am very tired of the unfair treatment that we've been given.'"
While some might be quick to disregard her claims, the intermingling of the goth subculture with Pagan belief has been steadily on the rise, and if her beliefs are sincere, the law is on her side. I think Brock on the Non-Fluffy Pagans community best encapsulates why religious claims like this are important.
"...there is a REALLY strong current here of "The way you are practicing Wicca in public is different from the way I choose to practice it, and I find the way you do it to be personally embarrassing, so it's okay for the civil authorities to make you stop." I don't like it much. What it boils down to is ceding to the civil authorities the right to define what is and is not proper Wiccan practice. That's an awfully dangerous road to go down, if you think about it. Frankly, I think equating extreme Goth dress with lots of bad makeup to an essential part of Wiccan practice is stupid. But if the young lady in question sincerely believes that it is necessary to the proper practice of her religion we ought to be supporting her, not condemning her. From a political point oif view, to do otherwise is stupid. Any act which diminishes individual religious liberty will ultimately have an adverse effect of the practice of all minority religions, including all of the Pagan ones."
So if we are serious about our religious freedoms, we need to defend them completely. Even the kids who dress like goths for religious reasons, or paint pentacles on their cheeks for Beltane. If we can't protect the religious freedoms of those we might label as foolish or alienated, there is no guarantee we will be able to protect any of our number.
Labels: Amaris Mulhauser, goth, Paganism, Religious Freedom, Wicca
5.25.2007
Just Beneath the Surface
The Boston Globe reviews the work of conceptual artist Cameron Jamie, during a retrospective show at the MIT List Visual Arts Center. Arts critic Ken Johnson, who was once greatly skeptical of Jamie's vision, now feels he understands the underlying message of his work.
"What you have to realize about all this is that none of it is to be taken at face value as traditional art. It only starts to make sense if you think of Jamie as a sort of amateur anthropologist-philosopher who studies the persistence of myth and ritual in modern society ... From Jamie's perspective, paganism in many different forms continually percolates just below the supposedly rational surface of modern society ... If there is a lesson to be drawn from Jamie's art, it would be that however rational and commonsensical we think we are, we are all subject to the power of archetypal images, irrational fantasies, and mythic narratives, often when we are least aware of it."
One of Cameron's works singled out in the article is his collaboration with Mike Kelley for a series of photos called "Gothic". The photos document young people in the goth subculture, and according to Johnson, they show how 'shared fantasies create alternative worlds'. But then the links between "paganism" and the goth subculture (among others) no longer "percolate" beneath the surface, so much as they harmoniously co-exist alongside it. Our society's "paganism" has been leaving the realms of the subconscious and entering the literal for decades now. Which if anything makes Jamie perceptive of a growing trend (one that several artists are picking up on) instead of a pioneer of our subconscious desires.
Johnson does bring up an interesting larger theory, that our shared pagan past has never left us, and was always waiting to come back to the surface. I agree with scholars who believe that polytheism is the natural state of human society, no matter how far we run from such a reality. It only stands to reason that artists would be sensitive to this impulse and desire to portray it in their works.
Labels: art, Boston Globe, Cameron Jamie, goth, Paganism
