Pagan Community Notes: The Firefly House, Cherry Hill Seminary, Tuatha Dea and more!

On  June 6,  The Firefly House, a pan-Pagan organization in Washington D.C., organized a ritual on the steps of the Supreme Court of the United States. Spokesperson David Salisbury explained that the ritual’s goal was “to channel energy from the goddess Columbia, which [they] used to cast a spell upon the nation for love and justice, in advance of a decision on marriage equality.”

Salisbury is referring to the Obergefell v. Hodges case, which was argued on April 28. As we reported, the case has the potential to “effectively, make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states without eroding each state’s right to regulate marriage laws as their citizens’ see fit.”

Of this past weekend’s ritual, Salisbury said, “We focused objects of power to send the energy: Justice cards from the tarot, a rattle to shake up change, a rainbow flag for hope, a shield to protect against bigotry, a wand to manifest the desire for equality, and a quartz stone to anchor the dawning of a new equality era.” He also added that, while they were there, the had a “fun chat with capitol police who were very excited and interested.”

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Cherry Hill Seminary (CHS) has just announced the creation of a new military chaplaincy program to enhance its masters program. In a press release, CHS said, “Just as the military is a unique subculture of our greater society, military chaplains are a unique subset of the greater society of professional chaplains. While all chaplains are charged with providing care and support in an interfaith environment to all of those under their pastoral care, military chaplains face an additional set of unique challenges. To assist those students who aspire to become military chaplains, we have established a program to help prepare them for that role.”

As the military opens it doors and welcomes minority chaplains, more and more trained people will be needed to specifically address those “unique challenges” and serve that community. CHS is looking to fill that gap. The new track will consist of 15 semester hours that are added to its regular MDiv. program. Some of the classes include:  “War, Ethics and Religion,” “Grief, Loss, Trauma and Recovery,” “Chaplaincy and Religions Freedom,” and “Ministry to Military Families.” The new classes are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2015.

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Tuatha Dea just released a new video called “The Hum and Shiver.” It is based on the first book in the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe. When the video was released, Bledsoe said, “I had the pleasure of watching it with them when it first arrived from the video producer.”

Named one of the best fiction books of 2011 by Kirkus, Hum and Shiver begins the story of a Tufa people, who live in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. The second book in the series is titled, Wisp of a Thing, and the third, which was just released, is titled A Long Black Curl.

Written into all of the Tufa novels is a cultural and magical emphasis on music. Both Tuatha Dea and Bledsoe call Tennessee home, and the new video captures that Appalachian spirit found in the books. In 2014, Tuatha Dea, so inspired by the series, released an entire album called Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae. Recently, Bledsoe explained to the Wisconsin State Journal, “If you wanted to create a band to come out of my books, [Tuatha Dea] was it.” In fact, the band makes an appearance in the newest book Long Black Curl, for which they have already released a song and video.

Tuatha Dea is currently touring the country and will be appearing next week at Pagan Spirit Gathering.

.In Other News:

• Folk singer Lon Milo Duquette released his latest album Sweet Baba Lon on June 6. The new CD includes “18 of Lon’s most popular recordings from earlier releases.” Plus, he introduces 3 new tracks, including: ” ‘Don’t Write Me Off,’  ‘I’m Scared,’ Lon’s wicked take on American gun culture, and ‘At Club Père Lachaise,’ a cute paean to the French celebrity cemetery.” Duquette, now 66 years old, has been performing since he was 14 years old. He is also the author of “numerous books on Western mystical traditions.” In a recent press release, he said “I’m a pool of ancient wisdom,” and he stressed that he has no intention of slowing down.
• Morpheus Ravenna’s The Book of the Great Queen has been released and is now available for purchase. Published by Concrescent Press, The Book of the Great Queen is “an in-depth study of the Morrígan and her cults of worship, ancient and modern.” Ravenna explained that the work is the “culmination of twenty years of study and practice as a dedicant of the Morrígan.” The book’s artwork was done by the talented Valerie Herron, and production was funded by a 2014 IndieGoGo campaign. This summer and fall, Ravenna will be making book signing appearances in between her other travels and speaking engagements. Her next stop will be at The Book Vault in Endicott, New York on June 10. For a complete schedule and more information, go to Ravenna’s website: Banshee Arts.
• Who is T. Thorn Coyle? PNC Minnesota has published an interview with the Pagan author, activist and magic worker. PNC writer Nels Linde caught up with her at The Heartland Pagan Festival in May. Linde writes, “This started out as an interview, but Thorn was so fascinating to talk to, and such a good listener it turned into a discussion.” In the article, she talks about her social justice work, inspiration and writing.
• For those who speak French, two reporters for the online site Street Press visited a Wiccan ritual held in France’s “forêt de Vincennes.” They spoke with some of the attendees and published an article on the experience. The ritual itself was staged by Cercle Sequana, a Wiccan group that is part of the Paris-based Ligue Wiccan Eclectique. The two journalists intervewed participants of different ages about their practice. One of Cercle Sequana’s organizers, Xavier Mondon, was there, and we have reached out to him directly to get a more detailed look into the experience.
• Author and filmmaker Jo Carson has produced a new book, Celebrate Wildness. It is the first in a series of books that will “introduce the magic, practices and lore of Feraferia.” In a press release, she explains that, “With the art and inspiration of Fred Adams, [this book celebrates] a love culture for wilderness, a liturgy of holy wildness, and a religion celebrating the Magic Maiden.” The self-published, hardbound book, containing lore, illustrations and techniques, is only available through Carson’s website: Feraferia.
• CORRECTION: On Saturday, we published columnist Rhyd Wildermuth’s essay “A Time of Your Life” and accidentally left off the sponsorship tag line. We apologize to Hecate Demeter for this mistake. Hecate, a longtime supporter of The Wild Hunt, directly sponsors both Wildermuth’s and Alley Valkyrie’s columns. As the sponsor line states, she is an ecofeminist, witch and Priestess of the Great Mother Earth, and a writer of her own blog Hecate Demeter.
• And, finally, here is some exciting news from the editor’s desk. We are proud to announce that The Wild Hunt is now independently incorporated with non-profit status through California-based Independent Arts and Media. In addition to our fall fundraiser, we have added a donation PayPal button to our site for use all year. We are 100% reader funded, and all donations are tax-deductible. Thank you to all our readers, writers and supporters!

And, don’t forget to check out our new Instagram account, with photos and visuals coming from our articles and inspired by them! 

That is it for now. Have a great day!

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