Oct8
(Pagan) News of Note - My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
A lesson to politicians and public figures, if you’re going to hire a Voodoo priestess to curse an opponent, make sure you don’t bounce the checks paying for said services.
“[Cobb Commissioner Annette] Kesting wrote $3,000 in bad checks, allegedly for the services of a “high priestess of voodoo” to prepare an untimely demise for commissioner-elect Woody Thompson. Kesting wanted the priestess, identified by authorities as George Ann Mills of Blythewood, S.C., to cause Thompson to “catch cancer” or “have a car accident” according to a police report obtained by WSB-TV.”
Apparently Kesting was unhinged enough to not realize that leaving a paper-trail and an unhappy (and unpaid) priestess would come back to haunt her. Police are now investigating the matter.
Time Magazine reviews a new book about witch-hunts by John Demos entitled “The Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-Hunting in the Western World”. According to reviewer Gilbert Cruz, the book explores the inherent sexism and insular nature of witch-hunting.
“While the goal for all is separation from a despised ‘other,’ witch-hunting alone finds the other within its own ranks. The Jew, the black, and the ethnic opposite exist, in some fundamental sense, ‘on the outside’…The witch, by contrast, is discovered within the host community.”
According to Demos, the last “real” witch-hunts in the West were the 1982 Bakersfield “Satanic Ritual Abuse” convictions. A sad example of how the “Satanic Panics” led to innocent men and women spending years in prison.
While I’m on the subject of book reviews, Christian blogger and academic John Morehead reads and reviews the odious anti-Pagan smear-job of Linda Harvey’s “Not My Child: Contemporary Paganism and New Spirituality” so you don’t have to.
“Just like other parts of society we evangelicals in our subculture create our own monsters. One of our leading monsters at present seems to be Paganism. Islam and homosexuality are other creatures in our laboratory. I wonder why we create them. That we do can hardly be denied when we consider the plethora of books we write on the topic and the sensationalist tone that often accompanies them. One of the tricky things about monsters is that they often come back to haunt their creators. Sometimes they ask us some thorny questions too … what does evangelical monstrous creation and resultant fear of stereotypical Paganism tell us about ourselves? I’m afraid if we reflect on this monster we may not like the answers.”
John, who edited the groundbreaking “Beyond the Burning Times”, is quickly becoming my go-to filter for books about Paganism written by Christians. You should also check out his review of “Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca” (an anti-Pagan book I explored here previously).
Remember my post a week ago about the rock-opera treatment of “The Wicker Man” currently playing in San Francisco? Well, fellow Pagan blogger Mertseger recently attended the production and has posted a review.
“Essentially, this stage production is The Wicker Man (1973) minus the music of Paul Giovanni plus the music of Jim Fourniadis … All in all, the show is well worth the price, and I recommend Bay Area Pagans checking it out. If you like the 1973 film, then this show is a lively and small variation on the same material. Be sure to bring a beer in a brown paper bag (or you will feel horribly out of fashion) and enjoy the romp.”
I recommend reading the entirety of this well-written review. If only more Pagan-centric arts criticism could be so erudite.
In a final note, both Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion and Modemac’s Bulldada Newsblog take note of a story in which an academic thesis on racist Odinist/Satanist Kerry Bolton was pulled from the library of a New Zealand college after he complained.
“Waikato University has abruptly pulled a student’s thesis from its library after complaints from the subject of the research - a right-wing extremist. The thesis, exploring satanic and neo-Nazi themes, had already been marked and published, earning its author top marks … The newspaper said it established that no legal threat had been received against either Mr Van Leeuwen or the University of Waikato. Rather, the thesis was the subject of a mere complaint from Kerry Bolton. Professor Bing told Nexus the thesis was a first-class piece of work, and was externally moderated by other universities before being published.”
So an extremist writes in a complaint about a thesis regarding him, and despite rigorous vetting of said thesis for accuracy (by multiple institutions), it’s pulled? Has the University of Waikato no spine? If every thesis that the subjects of research didn’t entirely approve of got pulled, modern academia would very likely grind to a standstill. As for Roel van Leeuwen (himself a member of several occult and esoteric Orders and Societies), the author of the thesis, he stands by his work.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
The show is being produced by the BBC Religion and Ethics team, and is being packaged as eight 60-minute episodes. A companion book written by Jones will also be released. Initial buzz, based on Owen-Jones’ previous participation in the series “Extreme Pilgrim”, seems to be quite positive.
“This may all sound a bit dull, but I urge you to watch it - knowing Peter he’ll be throwing himself head-long into challenges and situations, be open to questioning his very essence and report back eloquently from some seriously gorgeous places.”
I’m certainly interested in seeing this series (living in America I’ll probably have to wait until it comes out on DVD), though I’m very curious as to which 80 faiths will be profiled in the series (if they do indeed profile 80 faiths). While I’m glad to see they are including indigenous faiths, I wonder if modern Pagan faiths will be explored as well. Will he hang out with Wiccans and Druids in Britain? Chat with Asatru in Iceland? Go to a Pagan festival in America? The press release does promise he’ll explore “brand new cults and sects”, but who knows what that means when there are hundreds (if not thousands) of NRMs to choose from.
ADDENDUM: It looks like he does visit some Pagans:
“As the main ritual came to a close, the ecstatic dancing ensued and Peter threw himself into it enthusiastically and unapologetically. He seemed entranced by the fire in the cauldron and was dumbfounded when the cone of power appeared, sending the flame spiralling high above the dancing Witches’ heads to excited shouts of ‘Kiss the Serpent’.”
That is a report from an eclectic Pagan group in Australia. Thanks to Frozen In Honey for passing that along to me.
Now awaiting the official letter from Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears confirming their victory, the tree-sitters spend their last days saying goodbye to what has become their home, and wondering how they will re-enter normal English life.
One hopes that the admirers and supporters of the Nine Ladies will be able to help the protesters re-acclimate to the modern world after living a Robin Hood lifestyle for nine years * . This is truly a group who “walked the talk” of wanting to save England’s heritage. To read more about the history of this protest you can head over to the Nine Ladies Collective web site, or the Nine Ladies page at The Modern Antiquarian. As for Stancliffe Stone, the company that wanted to re-open the Lees Cross and Endcliffe quarries, they will be allowed to extend an existing quarry in exchange.
* I hope I’m not the only one who noticed the mythic resonances of protesters sacrificing nine years of their lives in order to protect the Nine Ladies.
That series, now collected in graphic novel form, was an exercise in excavating one’s musical youth as a phonomancer races to stop a blasphemy against his Britpop past. Now writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jamie McKelvie are returning for a second Phonogram series that explores a club night from seven different perspectives.
“To explore how much subjective experiences of a shared social event can differ. There’s a quote I’m probably going to lob at the front of the trade from Wellington: “The history of a battle, is not unlike the history of a ball…” His point being that you can’t write a history of a battle because it’s too confusing and the individual perspectives and understanding of events vary so much. You may as well try and write what happened at a party. “The Singles Club” flips that observation — and a party can be an awful lot like a battle. When a DJ plays a certain record, to one person it could be the best thing imaginable. To someone else, it may be the thing to totally destroy you.”
“The final thing I learnt this week is not to mess with witches … following my unfortunate experience with witch Julia two weeks ago, I have been condemned by the Pagan community as ‘a moron,’ ‘a dork’ and ‘a prat’ in a well-written - if slightly crazy – blog”
Saunt makes an “impassioned plea” to any Witch with a good sense of humor and a “well-oiled broomstick” to give him a second chance. As for my blog being “slightly crazy” (albeit well-written), I’ll take it as a compliment.
While I’m on the subject of Witches, Mark Morford sings their praises, and discusses the flap over Sarah Palin’s witch-protectin’ prayer by Thomas Muthee.
“Is it worth setting the record straight? Pointing out how true ‘n’ deep witchcraftery has nothing to do with evil or Satan or excessive black eyeliner or sacrificing newborn babies while listening to Ministry and smoking cloves? That those who’ve taken up this most ancient and potent of callings actually study their enchanted craft for years and know more about, say, the cycles of the moon and the body and the rhythms of the planet than Sarah Palin’s most secretest pagan fever dream could ever conjure?”
For the record, I can confirm that while I have smoked cloves (though I can no longer tolerate them) and listened to Ministry (it was all downhill after “Psalm 69″) at the same time, I have never (to my knowledge) sacrificed a newborn baby while doing so. As for Morford, something tells me he would have no problem finding a Witch to go on a date with (well-oiled broom optional), maybe he could give Ed Saunt some tips?
With all this talk of getting protection from, and dating, Witches, one wonders what the general public thinks about them? Well, if Halloween costume sales are anything to go by, they are incredibly popular among adults and children.
“The top adult costumes will be a witch (14.9 percent of respondents), pirate (4.4 percent), vampire (3.3 percent), cat (2.5 percent) and fairy (1.7 percent). About 1.5 percent say they’ll dress up as a political figure. The top children’s costumes include a princess, witch, Hannah Montana, Spider-Man, pirate and “Star Wars” characters.”
No doubt many of those “witches” will be heading to Salem as it gears up for a month-long Halloween extravaganza (complete with real Witches). A topic you’ll most likely be hearing more about as we approach Samhain.
We start off with news of a custody case involving accusations of anti-Wiccan judicial bias. An Arkansas woman, who says she lost custody of her son due to the judge’s perceptions of Wicca, has lost her appeal to the state Court of Appeals.
“A Southeast Arkansas woman who argued she lost custody of her son because of a judge’s perception of her alleged practice of Wicca lost her appeal Wednesday before a divided state Court of Appeals Wednesday. In a 4-2 ruling, the appeals court affirmed a decision granting custody to the child’s father, though the judges disagreed on whether the lower court considered the mother’s religious beliefs. In her appeal of Chicot County Circuit Judge Robert Vittitow’s decision, the mother noted Vittitow described Wicca in his opinion letter as ‘a religion, movement, cult or whatever it that may be.’ The judge also wrote that while the mother testified she was only joking when she told the boy’s father that she was involved with Wicca, the ‘court believes she is much more involved than she would lead us to believe.’”
The two dissenting judges claim that the majority simply ’set aside’ concerns over religious bias and that the initial ruling ‘impermissibly considered’ her religious beliefs. You can read the opinions of the judges on the appeal court, here (Andrea Hicks v. Joshua A. Cook). There is no word if Ms. Hicks will attempt, or be able to, appeal to a higher court. Considering the fact that one of the dissenting judges accused the majority of “torturing” the law and “mishandling the judicial-review process” one would hope that this case is explored further.
Is a psychic fair secular entertainment or a religious gathering? That is the question surrounding a controversial event being held on New York state property.
“The state Office of General Services, however, said the second annual Psychic Fair and Halloween Festival is just good clean fun. Psychics, astrologers, mediums, people who talk to angels, dream interpreters and tarot card readers will be on hand Oct. 29 at the Empire State Plaza’s concourse, where thousands of state workers pass daily … “These vendors who are coming are strictly entertainment,” said OGS spokesman Brad Maione, noting the fair isn’t a cost to state taxpayers.”
Rev. Jason McGuire calls the event a breach of church-state separation that contains “Satanic” and “occult” elements, while Dennis Poust, Director of Communications at New York State Catholic Conference, is a tad more measured in tone.
“I’m not saying these psychics are Satanists, though. The Catholic church does warn against divination, which is foretelling the future.”
I personally think its funny how many conservative Christians only seem to care about the separation of Church and State when it doesn’t immediately favor them. As for psychic fairs, anyone who hasn’t gone to one might be surprised that money and commerce, not religion, is the primary order of the day. A decidedly secular and multi-faith activity in our capitalistic society.
Was Jesus a magician in addition to (allegedly) being the Messiah? A pot that may contain the earliest written reference to Christ marks him as a magus.
“A team of scientists led by renowned French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio recently announced that they have found a bowl, dating to between the late 2nd century B.C. and the early 1st century A.D., that is engraved with what they believe could be the world’s first known reference to Christ … The full engraving on the bowl reads, ‘DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS,’ which has been interpreted by the excavation team to mean either, ‘by Christ the magician’ or, ‘the magician by Christ.’”
The bowl could provide further proof of the intertwining of Christianity and paganism in the ancient world. Scientists also speculate that the bowl may have been used for divination purposes, which would certainly add a new twist to arguments against psychic practitioners by conservative Christians. Thanks to Megan for pointing me towards this story.
Looks like the Pagans, atheists, Buddhists, UUs, and other groups need to step up, because San Leandro middle school has decided to allow religious organizations to distribute flyers to children in classrooms.
“Last spring, Pastor Derek Jung of the Fundamental Gospel Baptist Church of San Leandro challenged the district when it refused to distribute a flyer about vacation Bible school. “I was shocked we were the first church that had ever used their system,” Jung said on Tuesday. Armed with legal advice from the Florida-based Christian Law Association, Jung told the district that if it allowed schools to distribute information for community groups such as the YMCA, 4-H clubs, Boys and Girls Clubs or school fundraising foundations, it could not discriminate against religious organizations. District lawyers researched the issue - and agreed.”
Remember, religious inclusion means all or nothing. When this happened to a school in Virginia, they quickly switched from “all” to “none” once the Pagans and atheists started distributing flyers. So lets not miss an opportunity to see how committed this school really is to including a wide range of religious options to middle-schoolers. Thanks to Kate for tipping me off to this story.
In a final note, author and “Techgnostic” Erik Davis has one of the more thoughtful ruminations on the religion of Sarah Palin, what the connection to African witch-hunter Thomas Muthee means, and how Pagans should ultimately respond.
“Muthee’s Christianity trumps witchcraft not by disbelieving it–in other words, by dousing it with the holy water of secular rationalism and skepticism, like mainstream Euro-American Christians have done for a couple centuries. Instead, it tries to beat witchcraft at its own game, using what one can only think of as a rival spell–the spell of the Word. It’s all about power and manifestation, the shape-shifting of social perception. But notice this: the game only really works if witchcraft remains, as the professor said, a reality.”
As for what Pagans, occultists, and other magic-workers concerned about Palin should do? Davis suggests we all “get thy mojo working!”.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
“Nashville’s Green Train, an eco-educational non-profit run by Merle Haggard and restaurateur Bob Wolf, had a witch in its ranks until recently. Or, to be more precise, a pagan. Not the kind historically drawn and quartered or burned at the stake, but rather the contemporary tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, vegan variety. That was until Wolf charged this Wiccan ordained minister, Susan Hunter, with creating Green Train’s MySpace page. The personal networking catastrophe that followed– replete with online earthy salutations and pentagrams–saw Hunter canned in spectacular fashion back in mid-September. She’s crying discriminatory foul.”
Apparently Hunter, after creating the organization’s MySpace page, did what almost all MySpacers do, invite people she knew to “friend” the organization. Anyone familiar with the ways of MySpace can guess what happened next.
“Hunter sent out “friend invitations” to 40 of her friends who also happened to be earth-loving hippies and pagans of various stripes. When the messages started flowing in—“Blessed be” or “Faerie blessings,” usually accompanied by a pentagram and pictures of ivory-skinned ladies identifying themselves exotically as Asterope Morgaine and Feryia—Hunter says Wolf blew a gasket, ordering that all pentagrams be deleted. She says she deleted the Christian symbols too, out of spite before being summarily dismissed.”
So is telling a Pagan volunteer to delete only Pagan symbols, and then firing her when she deletes all the religious symbols, discriminatory behavior? Susan Hunter seems to think so.
“‘It’s my opinion that I was fired for religious reasons,’ she said. Wolf claims Hunter was just a volunteer. But perhaps the most stinging accusation hurled by Hunter was this: ‘The guy doesn’t even recycle.’”
Wolf insists this is much ado over nothing, and that Hunter “got her feelings hurt” and is now “witch-hunting” him in retaliation. Wolf says he has nothing against Pagans, and even attended a Pagan Pride Day festival and bought Hunter a book.
“This is a witch hunt by somebody who got her feelings hurt,” Wolf said, though the old cliché would seem to be reversed here. “I don’t have a problem with people’s opinions. I even went to a pagan day festival; we bought her a pagan bible.”
So, discrimination or misunderstanding? Something tells me that lawyers will soon be hired to figure it out.
In addition to changing the genre from folk to rock, the site refers to a new “original music score” from Jim Fourniadis with back-up from “Rock / Metal / Comedy” group Live Evil. Does this mean they are scrapping the old songs from the classic soundtrack? Will this new version be mocking camp or loving homage? The synopsis doesn’t provide many clues.
“April showers bring the sanctimonious Sergeant Howie a mysterious letter concerning a missing girl from Summerisle, the tiny pagan island commune renowned for its bountiful produce and unabashed holy day rituals. His investigation of the restless natives proves as fruitless as last year’s crops, though; and the bizarre inhabitants only serve to add fuel to the flames of his righteous indignation. Driven to save the girl’s immortal soul from this den of idolaters, he discovers the truth behind the girl’s disappearance—that come May Day, the villagers intend to sacrifice her to their gods of the field to ensure a successful harvest. Howie must infiltrate their festivities, find the girl and escape—but will his plan put him out of the frying pan and into the fire?”
Whether tribute or take-down, I suppose that fans of the original film and soundtrack will have to risk it and go find out for themselves. The play runs from October 2nd to the 25th. If you live in or around the San Francisco area, or are planning to visit in October, you can purchase tickets online now.
Thanks to Qibitum for passing this along to me.
“Religious doctrine is on the docket with Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, in which the Supreme Court is asked whether the city of Pleasant Grove, Utah, can display the Ten Commandments on a monument in a city park as a matter of free speech. The small Summum sect argues that if the city displays the Ten Commandments, it also should display their belief’s Seven Aphorisms. City officials refused, which sent the dispute to the Supreme Court. “The betting money is that Pleasant Grove will come out ahead in this,” said Tom Goldstein, a partner in the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld.”
I discussed Pleasant Grove City v. Summum in some depth back in April. The court’s ruling could ultimately decide if local government can control which (religious) monuments are erected, or if public parks should be treated more as an “open forum”.
“The outcome of this case is going to be a big deal for religious minorities. Remember the battles over Pagan inclusion in government-sponsored religious displays in Green Bay and Ohio? A SCOTUS decision here could all but force local government bodies to enact a fully-open policy concerning religious displays on government-controlled property. In other words, the local city council or mayor couldn’t pick and choose which religious displays are worthy to be placed with a Nativity Scene or Ten Commandments monument. It would be all or nothing.”
Pleasant Grove has an interesting defense of claiming that ruling against them would hamper government’s right to free speech.
“Pleasant Grove argues that its selection of privately donated monuments for display in Pioneer Park fits within this long tradition of government speech. As the speaker, the city argues, it is under no obligation to modify its message to accommodate Summum’s speech; instead, Pleasant Grove ‘is entitled to say what it wishes’ through its monuments and can ‘take legitimate and appropriate steps to ensure that its message is neither garbled nor distorted.’”
In other words, if you force them to remove the Christian monument, or force them to include other religious monuments, it would damage their rights to “free speech”. This argument is echoed in a massive number of Amicus briefs from state governments, veteran’s organizations, and conservative Christian advocacy groups. Meanwhile, Americans United, assorted Humanist groups, and several liberal religious groups have filed Amicus briefs arguing that this case shouldn’t be heard on free-speech grounds, and is instead all about the Establishment Clause.
“The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, said the case raises an important conflict over the value of religious neutrality. “It’s not the government’s job to display the symbols of any faith,” Lynn said. “When government officials allow religious groups to place permanent monuments on public land, the government is accountable for the message. “Our government,” he continued, “should not — and, under our Constitution, may not — pick-and-choose among religions. This principle stands at the very heart of church-state separation.” The AU brief asserts that government cannot play favorites among religions and deny a minority religious request because of discomfort with the less-known religious views.”
In other words, concerning religion in the public square, government should just stay out of it altogether. Interestingly absent among the many briefs are Hindu, Buddhist, and Native American groups (groups that have banded together in the past to file Amicus briefs).One wonders what assorted religious minority communities think of this case. Would they welcome a win for Summum here? Or would they prefer the stance taken by Americans United?
A win for Summum seems increasingly unlikely, but would a win for Pleasant Grove City mean a win for Christian religious expression to the exclusion of other faiths? I guess we’ll have to wait and find out. Opening arguments are scheduled for November 12th.
So what made a government hostile to the Kumaris willing to get into the living goddess business? First off, the Nepalese people have been increasingly hostile towards Maoist attempts to curtail religious traditions, and secondly, the Kumaris are a major tourist attraction.
“The Kumaris are a major tourist attraction and are considered by many as incarnations of the goddess Kali and are revered until they menstruate, after which they return to the family and a new one is chosen.”
A tourist attraction that no doubt gained even more attention after the previous Kumari of Bhaktapur visited America to promote a documentary about their lives. So enter Shreeya Bajracharya, the new Kumari of Bhaktapur.
“Shreeya was enthroned on Sunday amid prayers by Buddhist priests and will be worshipped by devout Hindus and Buddhists until reaching puberty, the girl’s caretaker Nhuchhe Ratna Shakya said, adding: “She is pretty and nice.” Shreeya, in a golden costume with her eyelashes blackened by mascara, was sitting on a carved throne, a butterlamp burning by her side, when a Reuters team visited her on Monday. Asked what she wanted to become in future, a quiet Shreeya just said: “nurse.” She loves to eat biscuits and flattened rice, a common Nepali food, her aides said.”
Unlike previous Kumari, she will no doubt attend school and have more personal freedom than previous girls in her position. Her appointment may represent an new spirit of compromise between the Maoist urge to “modernize” Nepal by ridding it of “inessential” institutions, and the desire by Nepalese Hindus and Buddhists to keep their religious traditions intact. Perhaps, like in the case of Togo’s Vodou adepts, Nepal will decide that human rights and modernization can move forward without destroying religion and culture.
“Michelle Rene Wood, 42, of Palm Coast was found covered in blood with both eyes swollen shut early Monday, according to a St. Johns County sheriff’s report. A rope was tied around her right wrist and a bungee cord around her left ankle, the report states.”
Wood claimed that her injuries were from members of a “Santeria Voodoo” cult she had been affiliated with. This alleged cult, who she claims robbed and beat her, participated in Satanic rites and needed her for an important Autumn Equinox ritual.
“[Wood] said Sunday’s abduction and beating were not the first she had suffered in recent days as a result of her leaving the group last year to become a Christian … She was later taken to another home, believed to be in Flagler Estates, where her captors took drugs and performed a devil-worship ritual … Wood also told investigators the men and a petite blonde woman named “Sky” took her to an open field near a home where a bonfire was burning. They were “preparing” for the autumnal equinox, she said. “They needed me to help call the spirits,” Wood told investigators…”
A cult that mixes Santeria, Voodoo, Satanism, Paganism, drug-using, and guns? I’ve heard of syncretism, but this is ridiculous. Apparently the local police think so too, since they have closed the case.
“Flagler County sheriff’s investigators closed the case of a Palm Coast woman who claimed to be abducted and attacked by members of a voodoo group, officials said Friday … cult experts said Wood’s story didn’t line up with known voodoo practices. And sheriff’s investigators found no evidence of organized satanic worship in the county, according to Maj. David O’Brien, Criminal Investigation Unit supervisor. In fact, O’Brien said his investigators couldn’t find “credible evidence” that a crime even occurred. Plus, Wood has a history of making similar fraudulent claims to law enforcement, the Sheriff’s Office said.”
So let’s see if I get this straight. A woman with a history of lying to the police, who (indirectly) admits to taking drugs, concocts a story about a “cult” after getting beaten up and this uncritically hits the headlines of the local newspapers and television broadcasters? You would think that a few more phone-calls would have produced the more likely scenario of a woman who has been attending church in an attempt to get clean, falls off the wagon, runs afoul of a gang, and gets robbed and beaten. A story that is just as tragic, but one that avoids smearing non-Christian minority faiths.
This isn’t the first time that strange things have been incorrectly blamed on members of occult, modern Pagan, or Afro-diasporic religions, and it most likely won’t be the last so long as journalists continue to act as unthinking regurgitators of press releases and police reports. Journalism isn’t just repeating what other people say, but a process of gathering information with a set of ethical standards attached. While sensationalism sells, it also creates a fearful and jaded audience who eventually numb to the constant “bleed and it leads” ethic. It is little wonder that blogs and other new media outlets have become so popular at “mainstream” journalism’s expense.
If Matriciana is the “reasonable” voice of Christian opposition to Harry Potter, then it just shows you how far out of the mainstream these people are * . You see, her documentary “Witchcraft Repackaged” is sold by hate-literature mavens Chick Publications!
In addition to falsely equating fantasy depictions of magic with the religious practice of modern Pagans, Matriciana also takes time out to spread slurs about Hinduism as well and is apparently a “ex-New-Ager” turned to Jesus.
“But years ago Chuck Smith and Carol Matriciana who had been in new age for years did a video on Hinduism, and in that exposure of an ashram up in Washington or Northwest somewhere, you saw people chanting demon names, then getting possessed, and writhing on the floor as demons entered them.”
Sadly, people like Matriciana aren’t some fringe element, but merely the “dark” side of anti-Harry Potter arguments by Christians. The flip side of a coin. Even “nice” Christians seem to lose their cool when discussing the boy wizard and his successful books.
“There were a few things in the book that I found problematic - the authors start on a tirade about the Harry Potter series… and while I do hold issue with the Harry Potter series, I do not think its the singular cause of the rise in Wicca in our country. First of all, it was on the rise well before the series came out and second of …well even the book goes into more details as to the rise of Wicca, but at first the book feels like its a condemnation of all things Potter… and they never quite make a conclusion, which is bothersome…”
The fact is that, despite attempts by some elements to ban Harry Potter, it has become a cultural phenomenon that will resonate for generations to come. Not a phenomenon of occult recruitment, but one of a shared story, a unifying world of fantasy and possibility that has united people across cultural, economic, and racial lines. I think the real problem for Christians is that Harry Potter, despite being written by a Christian, espouses a secular-based harmony at odds with the “safe” Biblical allegory (or “supposals”) of C.S. Lewis. It isn’t that Harry Potter makes Pagans, its that Harry Potter doesn’t exclude or demonize Pagans, allowing them to fully insert themselves into the story alongside the Christian readers.
“We Are Wizards,” opens in New York on November 14.
* Check out “Hogwarts Professor” for a pro-Harry Christian perspective.
Then, in 2007, the Brunswick Board petulantly threatened to ban Harry Potter books from their libraries in seeming retaliation against the Witches.
“Brunswick County school officials will consider a procedure for students’ parents to challenge books available at school libraries … Board member Shirley Babson said some parents have expressed that books such as the Harry Potter series represent witchcraft and promote the practice of Wicca. Board member Jimmy Hobbs said he sees the importance of reviewing the policy. ‘The issue is a valid issue,’ Hobbs said. ‘I’m not attacking Harry Potter. When the issue of Bibles in schools came up last year, the ones that raised the most opposition was the group known as Wicca. Does this policy give them a free pass to get their materials into the schools? When distributing materials, we should be careful by not being biased. Is Wicca being allowed, in other ways, to the exclusion of Christian literature?’”
Now our old pals are back again, and this time they want to “teach the controversy” by introducing creationism into their curriculum.
“Articles in the Wilmington, North Carolina Star News on Tuesday and Wednesday report that the Brunswick County (NC) School Board is looking for a way to teach creationism in the schools. The issue was raised at Tuesday’s board meeting by parent Joel Fanti who told the board that it was unfair for evolution to be taught as a fact. Fanti said: ‘I wasn’t here 2 million years ago. If evolution is so slow, why don’t we see anything evolving now?’ School board member Jimmy Hobbs responded: ‘It’s really a disgrace for the state school board to impose evolution on our students without teaching creationism. The law says we can’t have Bibles in schools, but we can have evolution, of the atheists.’”
Sadly, while their hearts want to teach children that people were hanging out with dinosaurs, state law prevents them from teaching religious dogma in science classes.
“But neither creationism nor the related “intelligent design,” which says life forms are so complex only a higher power could have created them, may be taught as a required course of study, Edd Dunlap, science section chief for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, said Wednesday. These are considered religious teachings and may not be taught in science class or as fact, although they may be included as part of an elective, such as a course on religion or philosophy, he said.”
Looks like the Brunswick Board has been foiled again! You know, maybe they should turn their attention to actually improving the schools they oversee instead of constantly hatching plots to insert Christian religion into the school district. If they truly feel that the only good education is a Christian education, maybe they should move into the private sector.
Over at the On Faith site, the panel weighs in on abortion. Pagan panelist Starhawk gives her take on “abortion and The Goddess”.
“Women are moral agents, and in the Goddess and Pagan traditions, we are each our own spiritual authority. We have a right to wrestle with these issues ourselves, not have them predetermined for us by government authorities. We have a right to determine what goes on inside our bodies. To deny that right to women is to invite government intrusion into all kinds of private and personal choices. Overturning Roe vs. Wade would open the door to state control of our most intimate and tender decisions, and be a step closer to a totalitarian regime.”
She also quotes from the excellent book “The Pagan Book of Living and Dying”. In other Starhawk-related news, she has posted a six-minute video clip of Reclaiming’s annual Spiral Dance ritual to her web site.
Over at the Nation, Max Blumenthal writes about infiltrating Sarah Palin’s former church, and gets his hands on video footage of the now-infamous “blessing” done by anti-witchcraft crusader Thomas Muthee on Palin in 2005. Guess what? Muthee didn’t just pray for her to become governor, he also asked for her to be protected from “witchcraft”.
“Muthee’s mounting stardom took him to Wasilla Assembly of God in May, 2005, where he prayed over Palin and called upon Jesus to propel her into the governor’s mansion — and beyond. Muthee also implored Jesus to protect Palin from “the spirit of witchcraft.” The video archive of that startling sermon was scrubbed from Wasilla Assembly of God’s website, but now it has reappeared.”
So much for claims that Palin was ignorant or non-compliant in that church’s ongoing and active participation in Third-Wave “spiritual warfare” tactics. One wonders what “spirits of witchcraft” Palin needed protection from? Are there fortune tellers in Wasilla causing car accidents?
The brutal beating of a woman in Florida by a cult group has produced some of the worst journalistic accounts I have ever read. Fueled by incomplete information, this gang is painted as some sort of Santeria-Voodoo-Pagan-Satanic hybrid. With guns.
“Wood told investigators she was once a member of a Santeria voodoo group in Flagler County. She said Sunday’s abduction and beating were not the first she had suffered in recent days as a result of her leaving the group last year to become a Christian ,,, Wood also told investigators the men and a petite blonde woman named “Sky” took her to an open field near a home where a bonfire was burning. They were “preparing” for the autumnal equinox, she said.” “They needed me to help call the spirits,” Wood told investigators, indicating it was something she had done when she was a member of the group.”
It seems to me there is some vital information missing here. It’s also troubling that the only “expert” quoted in any of the linked articles is a cult “exit counselor”. So far the only part of her story that has been confirmed is that a local church was helping her. Here’s hoping that whoever did beat her goes to prison, and that some less sensationalist light is shed on this cult/group.
In a final note, the Covenant of the Goddess has sent out a press release in support of same-sex marriage in California and Massachusetts.
“Covenant of the Goddess has, since its inception in 1975, had clergy willing to celebrate the religious if not the legal joining of two members of the same gender. While we respect the right of the individual clergy within COG who may choose not to perform such a ceremony, we are in support of marriage between two committed adults of any gender, and a majority of our celebrants are willing to perform such ceremonies.”
The release, which hasn’t been posted to their web site yet, also goes into the history of same-sex marriage in pagan cultures, and the social and legal importance of allowing marriage rights to same-sex couples today.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
“In 1979 John and Harry joined with fellow activists Don Kilhefner and Mitch Walker to call the first Spiritual Gathering of Radical Faeries. Fed up with the Gay movement’s steady drift towards mainstream assimilation, the gathering called to Gay men across the country. Since that time dozens of Faerie gatherings have been called around the world and permanent Radical Faerie sanctuaries have formed across the country. The movement helped to nurture and create a specifically Gay centered spiritual exploration and tradition.”
In Burnside’s 1989 essay “Who Are the Gay People?”, he illuminated the idea of a “Gay consciousness”, and described Gays as people who make a “continual reference to inner vision and insight”.
“Refusing to be products of the man/woman-making machine, Gay people must undertake to create themselves. Having no models to imitate, Gay people are free to adopt what they like from among the many ways there are to be. They search everywhere for promising leads, and, like spiritual magpies they take what they like from any system of religion or philosophy without feeling obliged to take the whole of it. Gay people continue to work on themselves all their lives, moving from stage to stage, growing in spirit, living in change, and rejoicing in being themselves.”
Needless to say, the Radical Faeries have had a huge impact on Gay Pagan spirituality, and the movement has done much to help integrate Gay voices into the wider Pagan community since the early 1980s * . Burnside, along with Hay and other pioneers in the Gay spirituality movement, have left an indelible mark on Gay and Pagan culture. His voice and unique spirit will be missed. May he be reunited with his loved ones in the Otherworld.
Obituary Links: SF Gate, Gay Wisdom, LA Times, Queensland Pride, Bay Area Reporter
* This process was partially documented by Margot Adler in her revised and expanded edition of “Drawing Down the Moon”.
Considering how (in)famous Laurie “official Witch of Salem” Cabot is in Salem, it was probably an easy question to answer. I can’t wait to see how the “ringers” were dressed. No doubt this particular episode will be airing sometime in October.
Speaking of Laurie Cabot, she is apparently fending off some controversy after unintentionally posting some alarmist information concerning the Large Hadron Collider. It seems her assistant was having problems with Google that day.
“I wanted people to be informed about the experiments and sadly what we ended up posting was a very one sided alarmist position which was not what I intended and Google was not our friend this day either with the links it provided to my assistant.”
Meanwhile Cabot’s tradition (”The Cabot Tradition”) has initiated author Christopher Penczak and Sully “lead singer of Godsmack” Erna into their priesthood. I don’t know if they have formally changed their names, but the site now lists them as “Christopher Cabot Penczak” and “Sully Cabot Erna”. So congratulations to both of them.
“Traditionally, the New Age category has catered to aficionados of the esoteric and the occult. Today the genre gratifies a more mainstream consumer. Fading is the era of crystals and tarots. Nowadays, readers seek science-based titles that will help them become healthier and more spiritually aware. As New Age is continuing to expand into other categories, many titles that were once the provinces of health, psychology, self-help and spirituality (to name a few) have now assumed the New Age mantle. According to Jo Ann Deck, publisher of Celestial Arts and Crossing Press, the new New Age reader is “more practical and less interested in nebulous philosophical and spiritual exploration.” As a result, the genre reads more like Dr. Phil and Jack LaLanne than Carlos Castaneda and Ram Dass.”
While most of the publishers interviewed agree that there is an increasing dominance of New Age “hybrids” that intersect with self-help and “mind/body” subject matter (which they heavily credit Oprah for), there is some disagreement over how poorly “traditional” New Age books are actually doing. While a Llewellyn spokesperson claims that recent fiscal and political troubles have spurred the rise of the “hybrids”, Jan Johnson of Weiser books claims those same factors are selling “old-school” New Age titles (crystals, channeled entities, aliens, etc) like hotcakes.
“Jan Johnson credits the “shaky economy… unpopular war… and the global economic crises” as the impetus for more readers turning to “books that admit the possibilities of extraterrestrials and other entities.” Cosmic Connection: Messages for a Better World by Carole Lynne (Apr., 2009) looks to outer space to answer Earth’s difficult questions. According to Johnson, “Lynne shares information from her off-planet guidance about what we can do to survive the coming changes.” Johnson promises more books from Weiser on topics similar to Cosmic Connection—’We’re seeing much more openness to what used to be considered esoteric, strange or weird.’”
Everyone seems to agree that the “New Age” section itself is recession-proof, but what does that mean for occult, magical, and Pagan-oriented titles? This is completely anecdotal, but I’ve certainly noticed that the magical/Pagan section at my local Barnes & Noble has shrunk down to a few shelves, while the “New Age” section next to it is as large as ever. Are tomes concerning “The Secret” overwhelming studies of the Sefirot? Do retail bookstore buyers prefer Eckhart Tolle’s “Inspiration Deck” to Aleister Crowley’s Thoth deck? Only the balance sheets of the Pagan and occult publishers know for sure.
“We’ve had a fun summer, but it’s almost time to bid farewell to the warm weather and welcome the fall. The autumnal equinox will occur on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 11:44:18 a.m. EDT, causing weather geeks, neo-pagans, and people who simply enjoy the change of seasons to break out the sweaters or druid’s cloaks and have a little party. Variously known as Mabon, Alban Elfed, Night of the Hunter, Wine Harvest, and Witch’s Thanksgiving, the fall equinox holiday doesn’t quite enjoy the the popularity of the summer solstice, but it’s a good enough excuse to get outside and groove on nature, if that’s your thing.” - Victor Ozols, Jaunted
“We pagans consider this holiday as a reminder of the harvest of our efforts this year, and the bounty it is, weighted against our life’s experience. These past experiences take seed, regenerate into wisdom, which is reborn within. It is also a time to ponder the necessity for fallow periods, for it is the fallow periods which allow us to assimilate, regenerate, and incorporate that which we have progressed through the year. Just as fields need to lay fallow to better support new growth, so do we!” - Terry Smith, Alexandria Town Talk
“Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals on the Pagan calendar, with the third and largest being Samhain, at the Celtic new year. It celebrates the bounty of the harvest, but it also calls for celebrants to be thankful for other blessings in their lives, including family and friends. Among the traditional symbols of Mabon are wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines such as ivy, dried seeds and horns of plenty. Traditional foods include breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates and root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and onions.” - Leslie Boyd, Asheville Citizen-Times
“At Mabon, we acknowledge the riches of the harvest while the fields are still bringing forth produce. This lets us interact, if we choose, with the living Earth even as She is busy making our apples and cabbages and corn and beans and potatoes get fat and ready for the picking. Whether we go to the local farmer’s market, go picking in a local orchard, or grow our own in a garden plot, the sensual connection with nature is strong at this time because the season of harvest is rich with color, fragrance and texture.” - Peg Aloi, The Witches’ Voice
“Harvest Home is the pleasantest of holidays. Admittedly, it does involve the concept of sacrifice, but one that is symbolic only. The sacrifice is that of the spirit of vegetation, John Barleycorn. Occurring one quarter of the year after Midsummer, Harvest Home represents midautumn, autumn’s height. It is also the