Now we get to the top four news stories of 2006 that had (or will have) the greatest effect on our communities.

4. The resignation of Jim Towey. In April of this year the appointed director of the recently formed White House Office of Faith-Based & Community Initiatives stepped down. Towey led an Office that was controversial from its first announcement, raising questions regarding separation of Church and State, and the role of government funding religious organizations.

Towey had made waves in the Pagan community back in 2003 when someone asked him if Pagan groups would be eligible to receive government funds from his office. His response was that he had never heard of a Pagan group that cared for the poor, and that such groups are usually interested in money for their own advancement (he later clarified his statement). This made Towey the first White House official to talk about modern Pagans, and raised the issue of who is getting the billions pouring through this office. Some have accused the office of acting as a money funnel to evangelical groups supportive of the Bush White House.

While some Pagans saw an opportunity to get federal funds (no Pagan group has yet to my knowledge), many see it as an erosion of the separation of Church and State and a blow to the advancement of minority religions in America. The career and resignation of Towey should re-motivate us to not let this issue fall under the radar once the Bush presidency is over.

3. Growing animosity and tensions between Christians and Pagans. This year saw a number of isolated incidents that could signal growing tensions between our communities and certain Christian groups. Catholic hooligans assaulted Pagans in Glastonbury, a Pagan store was burned down in Washington, an evangelical pastor was kicked out of his denomination for getting too friendly with local Pagans in Salem, and the usual suspects kept spreading disinformation and fear. Meanwhile conservative Christian lawmakers almost succeeded in making our military a de facto Christian army.

Sometimes, insulated by our communities and support networks, we forget that Pagans are still being fired from their jobs simply for being Pagan, or are told to suppress their religious expression (even though Christian employees are not held to the same standards). The truth is that certain religious groups have been noticing our rapid growth and they feel threatened by that success (finding indoctrination inside every Harry Potter book). To those who feel threatened we are a demonic force that must be stopped. It can sometimes be a small step from angry rhetoric to irrational action. I just hope that this isn’t a trend, and that these truly are isolated incidents and not a harbinger of what is to come.

2. “Da Vinci” hype and the divine feminine. Whether we liked it or not, our communities were affected by this trend. As I mentioned in part one of this series, we ended up involved in several stories reporting on the hype and myths behind the bestselling novel and hit movie. Even though I thought the book was kind of stupid, I can’t deny that it became a lightning rod for controversy and brought the notion of a divine feminine to the mainstream. The real question at this point is what happens next? Will this trend continue to grow, or has “Da Vinci” fever run its course.

I think that “Da Vinci” was in the right place at the right time. There have been counter-cultural rumblings about the female nature of the divine for some time now. Since the beginning of the 20th century women have been taking larger roles in public religion. Polytheist and Goddess religions can only directly benefit from such interest. But will our communities have a voice in the shaping of this ongoing trend or will something completely new emerge from the odd mixture of neo-gnostic thought, Christian heresy, and Pagan religion? For sheer volume of coverage and potential future ramifications this issue rises to the top of my list.

1. The Veteran Pentacle quest. By far this issue has dominated coverage of all things Pagan in 2006. What started as a human interest story regarding one widow’s fight to have her husband’s faith recognized on his memorial plaque, has evolved into a major national issue involving lawsuits, a tight-lipped Veteran’s Administration accused of stonewalling the approval of Pagan symbols, and countless editorials. Helping to drive this quest has been the Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary. Fox, along with Roberta Stewart and the Lady Liberty League have kept the issue in the press and refused to go away. As this issue comes to court in 2007 we will most likely find out once and for all why there is no approved Pentacle symbol for Pagan soldiers after nine years of attempts, and if all goes well the case will open the door for all modern Pagan faiths to have their symbols approved.

In addition to this issue, it also proved that a Pagan organization can be media savvy and come off as respectable and serious. In the process we won some unlikely allies in our quest for equal treatment and respect. Fox has showed how we can rally our communities to an issue and gain mainstream support in the process. The Veteran Pentacle Quest has earned the right to be called the number one Pagan news story of the year.

That wraps up my top ten news stories about or affecting modern Paganism in 2006. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll join me for another year of sifting through the news and views of interest to our communities. See you in 2007!

Yesterday I wrote about what the mainstream press thought were the top religion stories of 2006, and today I present the first part of my top ten news stories that involve or affect modern Paganism. A ongoing theme this year seems to be legal issues and discrimination, but there were some interesting quirks and stories that fall outside the issue of litigation. 2006 has been an eventful year, and it was difficult narrowing it down to just ten stories, but I think I have picked the ones that had the greatest impact now and for the future. What follows are my picks for the bottom six stories of 2006, the top four will follow tomorrow.

10. The Rachel Bevilacqua custody case. What happens when your religion is used against you? Rachel “Rev. Magdalen” Bevilacqua was barred from all contact with her son after photos of her at an adults-only Subgenius event were submitted by her son’s father as proof that she was an unfit parent. The original judge called Bevilacqua “perverted” and “mentally ill” before stepping down under a growing scrutiny of his actions. The case is still in litigation (for nearly a year now) as the biological father’s lawyers keep trying to delay a final decision on custody. This case is emblematic of the ongoing issues Pagans and other minority religions face in divorce and custody cases. Part of this problem is the fact that many adherents of minority faiths don’t have the money to hire decent lawyers, while often facing the combined wealth of the Christian families on the opposing side.

9. Supreme Court allows entheogenic tea. In a unanimous decision the Supreme Court ruled (full opinion, here) that members of O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal may legally import and use the entheogenic tea hoasca. The tea which contains traces of DMT is banned by the Controlled Substances Act. This is seen as a blow to the Bush administration who has been actively fighting this case for years. The court ruled that the government has failed to supply a “compelling interest” to limit the religious practices of the group, Justice Roberts said that the government was taking a “zero tolerance approach.” This is widely seen as a triumph of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and could also open the doors to other religious groups who feel that the ritualized use of entheogenic substances are an important part of their practice.

8. Religious Right tactics backfire in favor of Pagans. We are used to different factions of the Religious Right fighting to put Christianity “back” into schools and other government-funded areas, but this year we witnessed this tactic backfire (at least) twice and the true ramifications of their actions become more clear. First the Brunswick County Board of Education in North Carolina tried to approve a new policy that would allow the disbursement of religious tracts in their schools. But after Llewellyn publications offered to disburse free Pagan books through local groups, the board got cold feet, tabled the vote, and spawned one of my favorite news photos of the year. Then later this year Falwell’s Liberty Counsel threatened an elementary school in Charlottesville with legal action if it didn’t allow two children to distribute Bible-school flyers, the school board fearing legal action started allowing religious material which opened the way for a local Pagan group to advertise their Yule event (much to the chagrin of local Christians). Do you think that since their fingers have been singed they will have learned their lesson?

7. Growing freedoms for Pagans outside America. This year saw all sorts of positive news for Pagans outside of America. Greek Pagans were allowed the right to perform public rituals and legally exist in the Orthodox-dominated country, Romania has officially recognized Witchcraft, and Iceland has increased the number of Asatru priests who can perform legal ceremonies. Meanwhile, a recent examination of census data makes modern Paganism the fastest growing religious category in Australia. It looks like the re-birth of Paganism is growing strong roots just about everywhere it exists.

6. American teens are experimenting with Wicca/Witchcraft in ever-growing numbers. The evangelical polling organization The Barna Group found in three national studies of over 4000 teens that an overwhelming majority of (73%) have participated in “psychic or witchcraft-related activity, beyond mere media exposure or horoscope usage.” This was so remarkable that the organization listed it as one of their most significant findings of the year. It may not be a “phase” either. The recently released Baylor study on American religion found a “surprising level” of paranormal belief and experience amongst adults as well. Figures that could signify a continuing growth of modern Pagan faiths.

5. First imprisoned modern Pagan executed. Michael Lenz, an Asatruar on death row for the killing of a fellow inmate was executed in July of this year. Reporters examined the Asatru faith in and out of prison, and Asatru bloggers tried to explain their theology to a press that seemed to not “get” their religion.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the top 4!

There were a lot of hot religious stories in 2006, and it being the end of the calendar year many are counting down what they think are the most influential. The Religious Newswriters Association has published their results of a members-only poll of the top religion stories of 2006. Major themes seem to be political and moral shakeups within the Religious Right, the rise of liberal/moderate faith, and tensions in the Middle East.

While modern Paganism isn’t mentioned in any of the top stories (or runners up), our communities were involved in several of their top news makers. For example, “The Da Vinci Code” film.

“The release of the film “The Da Vinci Code” adds to the previous buzz about Dan Brown’s novel. Religious critics, who say the book portrays traditional Christianity as a fraud, are divided over whether to boycott the film or hold discussion groups. Controversial plot lines include Jesus marrying Mary Magdalene and conceiving a child.”

Over the past year reporters have wondered if Da Vinci-related books are taking over shelf space once reserved for modern Pagan titles, claimed that Goddess spirituality has benefited from the book and film, that the Christian God is being replaced by the Divine Feminine (some even argued that the divine feminine is whole reason for the popularity of the book/film), and caused some soul-searching on if the attention generated by “The Da Vinci Code” was good for us or not. My official take on the film can be found, here.

Several top stories touch on the rise of the “Religious Left” including victories in the midterm elections (which makes Christianity Today’s top ten as well), louder religious demands for peace in Iraq, and the appointment of the first woman presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.

“The Episcopal Church riles conservatives when the General Convention elects a presiding bishop who supported the consecration of a U.S. gay bishop, which conservatives oppose as unbiblical. Seven Episcopal dioceses refuse to recognize the leadership of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who is also the first woman elected to the top post.”

Issues regarding the “Religious Left” and its leaders were commented on several times in this blog. Isaac Bonewits wondered if the “Religious Left” was really the “fuzzy middle”, meanwhile I (and Slate.com) wondered how inclusive this movement was really going to be, and speaking of the Episcopal Church, conservative Anglicans were still on the hunt for “Episcopagans” (when they weren’t busy trying to leave).

So while we didn’t top the lists, modern Paganism is an ever growing aspect of mainstream religious news. Tomorrow, I will count down the top ten modern Pagan news stories of 2006.

Is the “New Age” movement making a come-back? Since its heyday in the 70s, the New Age market has shrunk down to a small subculture of book stores, fading gurus, and self-help programs. But in an era of neo-Gnosticism, growing interest in Eastern philosophy, and the ongoing popularity of modern Paganism, the old New Age book shop is getting a face lift for the “spiritual but not religious” market.

“Susie Ughe and business partner Nancy Connolly created the ethereal haven a little more than a year ago – making it the newest place in San Mateo County to cater to all faiths, mysticism and New Age ideas. It is one of a few spiritual bookstores dotting the county, as more and more people are starting to question their true purpose in life, without the restrictions of a specific religion. Ughe, a San Mateo native, was raised Catholic but lost touch with her spirituality in her 20s. She said it was the 9/11 attacks that lit the spark for her, and many other people, to start searching for the meaning of life.”

Citing the (flawed) Baylor study of American religion, the article claims there is a large market for spiritual products that cater to “unchurched” America. The problem facing this theoretical New Age revival is the fact that many Americans don’t need to find a local bookstore to explore new philosophies or faiths. One can browse and shop from home without having to worry about finding a place that suits their temperament. The Internet also enables a more open forum for criticisms of would-be leaders and teachers making the cults of personality that ruled in the 70s less likely. Unless these spiritual folks form a more cohesive market, I doubt we’ll see a huge boom in “spiritual” book stores, especially when the local Borders most likely has a better selection.

Even though it hasn’t seen widespread release in America yet (it isn’t hitting my town until January), Guillermo del Toro’s film “Pan’s Labyrinth” is topping several year-end “best of” lists. Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com has placed it in her top ten of 2006, and bestselling horror author Stephen King has made it his number one movie pick of the year.

“I happened to see this in July and was completely seduced by its beauty and emotional ferocity. Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Mimic, Blade II) directed, and to call this his best work isn’t enough. I think this extraordinary R-rated fairy tale for adults is the best fantasy film since The Wizard of Oz. And while it’s much darker than Wizard, it still celebrates the human spirit. Your Uncle Stevie thinks you will see this movie.”

Other best-of lists include the Miami Herald’s, Glenn Whipp’s (LA Daily News), indieWIRE’s (five different writers there placed it in their best-of lists), the New York Film Critics Online, and The San Francisco Film Critics Circle. It has also been nominated for a Golden Globe.

Could this fantastical Pagan-friendly film be a surprise hit of 2007? Could it go on to be nominated for an Academy Award next year? All I know is that I can’t wait to see this film. I’m very glad that Guillermo del Toro turned down “The Chronicles of Narnia”, (he ‘wasn’t interested in the lion resurrecting’) in order to produce this labor of love.

One fact that hasn’t sunk in too deeply to those on the outside looking in on modern Paganism is that our culture includes many different points of view on the topic of spiritual eclecticism. While some groups and individuals feel free to incorporate “whatever works”, others try very hard to find or reconstruct a singular tradition and are loathe to incorporate elements that they see as outside their cultural/religious boundaries. Today, many modern Pagans (myself included) fall somewhere in between these two poles. So I found it interesting that Pagan author Amber K seemed to take a shot at Pagans with a traditional bent in a recent article on Yule.

“People drawn to paganism tend to be “spiritual mavericks” because it’s a religion that is open to incorporating many beliefs, she said. “The fact is, if anything seems useful or true or good to us as individuals, we’ll incorporate that into our spiritual practice,” she said. “There are also pagans who don’t do that, who swallow a very set sort of beliefs and practices that are pretty rigid, but I would have to say the majority are pretty much wide open to spiritual truth wherever you find it.” That flexibility is one reason Kim Pennington-Dozier, a Jemez Springs resident, says she was drawn to paganism.” (emphasis mine)

I wouldn’t have noticed this if it weren’t for the “swallow” remark, and the subtle insinuation that the more tradition-bound Pagans are somehow denying spiritual truths in other faiths. Was she taken out of context? It can be hard to “hear” the intention in pieces like this, so perhaps she meant no insult? In either case, this brings up some interesting issues for the future of journalistic coverage of modern Paganism. More often than not, the “eclectic” Pagans get interviewed more often (for a variety of reasons) giving the impression that the entirety of modern Paganism is eclectic in nature. As modern Paganism continues to grow journalists will start to pick up on the divide between eclectic and traditionalist urges within modern Pagan faiths.

We are at a point now where we could establish the talking points for these idealogical differences within modern Paganism. If we don’t, we run the risk of having both sides of the ongoing debate stereotyped and defined by those who report on them. A good start would be avoiding comments that seem to inflate your viewpoint at the expense of those who don’t share it.

Due to family obligations I won’t be blogging today, but I’ll be back tomorrow with my regular daily dose of modern Pagan-related news and commentary. In the meantime I wish a very happy holiday season to you all, and a very happy birthday to Jesus of Nazareth, Mithras, Carlos Castenada, Sol Invictus, Robert Ripley, and Annie Lennox among many others.

Happy Holidays! Back tomorrow.

I know that everyone is gearing up for the birthday of Mithras (a birthday shared by a certain carpenter’s son) tomorrow, but that hasn’t stopped newspapers from getting a final word in before our celebrations for the return of the unconquered Sun. Todd Babiak of The Edmonton Journal interviews some psychics before the new year and uses that opportunity to meditate on the nature of the winter holidays.

“The darkest time of year might also be the dreariest and most frightening. Not for the ever-optimistic humans. Evidence shows that gathering to celebrate the rebirth of the sun, with song and drink and story, is an ancient compulsion. Festivals of light this time of year were common in Northern India, Tibet, Pakistan, Iran and China. What the holidays have always shared, for all these cultures and ours today, is a tension between anxiety and happiness. If all seems dark and hopeless, and nothing grows, let there be light.”

Bob Pondillo of the Murfreesboro Post wishes for an end to bickering about the “true” meaning of Christmas and instead wishes that all would see the commonalities between the different winter observances.

“The bigger picture is that the festivities and celebrations of this wonderful season cannot be contained in any singular religious tradition. In fact, they can’t be contained at all because they speak to certain spiritual yearnings of connectedness and identification that all of us experience in our hearts. And I think the four major themes of the holiday season – what our Protestant and Catholic friends call Advent – clearly transcend the Christian faith, and go to the realm of the Universal. The four themes are: Joy, Hope, Peace, and Love.”

Ian Bell of the Sunday Herald defends the (mythic) reality of Santa Claus, and wonders if us losing the “true meaning” of Christmas has lead us to find it on our own once more (with a little help from Santa of course).

“It is interesting, though, that the charge of mythical status [for Santa Claus] was regarded as conclusive. Few things are as real as a good myth. Carl Jung spent a very long time boring people to death on the subject. Humanity has lived and died for its mythology for millennia. Some people still swear by, and kill for, old myths for which the corroborating evidence is thin-to-invisible. In those stakes, the bearded one is better than harmless. He promises and, as often as not, he delivers. He counsels against antisocial behaviour. His cult meanwhile lacks the baggage typical of his competitors … I feel the ghost of Mr Dickens and sundry other cornballs. They say that the only meaning of Christmas is the meaning you make for yourself. It is personal, not dictated, whether by chain stores or chain churches. It has lost all definition, all ordained significance: I conceded that much a long time ago. Yet such, perversely, is the value of the thing. Choose any faith or none, any holy rite or daft little family tradition. The man in the beard smiles on all. He makes you a gift of it. Non-returnable, but real.”

I’d like to echo the sentiments expressed here, and I hope all my readers have a good time with family and friends no matter the holiday. Lets concentrate on the commonalities and not the differences for a couple days, at the very least it will make relations with the relatives a little easier.

Washington Post columnist Emil Steiner gives out his “Idiot of the Year Awards” for 2006. The winner? Why none other than Laura Mallory of Loganville, Georgia, who made the news several times this year in her attempts to ban Harry Potter novels from the local school library on account of them “leading” children to Wicca.

“2006 Idiot of the Year: Laura Mallory, of Loganville, Georgia. This vigilant mother of four has demanded local schools remove Harry Potter from their libraries because, in her analysis, the books are an “evil” attempt to indoctrinate children in Wicca religion. Congratulations Laura, and good luck on your quest to eradicate the dark forces which pollute children’s literature.”

Where once columnists and pundits were willing to “debate” the issue of Harry Potter and the occult, it truly has evolved into an issue that merits only scorn for any who are foolish enough to believe that these books lead people to Paganism. While Mallory most likely won’t be the last “idiot” to take up this cause, she might be the last one to get any real attention from the mainstream press. Mallory is currently “thinking about” a court appeal, lets hope that the fact she is getting all the wrong sorts of attention makes her reluctant to seek out more.

In the spirit of the approaching new year, conservative Christian polling organization The Barna Group has listed their 12 most significant religious findings from 2006 surveys. Among them is the rise of teen dabbling in Wicca and other “occult” activities.

“Three out of every four teenagers have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity. Among the most common of those endeavors are using a Ouija board, reading books about witchcraft or Wicca, playing games involving sorcery or witchcraft, having a “professional” do a palm reading or having their fortune told. Conversely, during the past year fewer than three out of every ten churched teenagers had received any teaching from their church about elements of the supernatural.”

But while it is interesting that this result (which I blogged about back in February) made his “top 12″, the real interesting thing is George Barna’s predictions for the future of religion in America.

“There will be new forms of spiritual leadership, different expressions of faith, and greater variety in when and where people meet together to be communities of faith. Ecumenism will expand, as the emerging generations pay less attention to doctrine and more attention to relationships and experiences. Barna predicted that there will be a broader network of micro-faith communities built around lifestyle affinities, such as gay communities of faith, marketplace professionals who gather for faith experiences, and so forth.”

In other words, modern Paganism will continue to move towards the mainstream, and religion in general will gravitate more to questions of practice, experience, and community than doctrinal belief (a trend that also benefits our faiths). Not that Barna will say this outright, he is instead placing his hope for the future in a group he dubs the “revolutionaries”.

“The Revolutionary community – which incorporates divergent but compatible groups of people who are seeking to make their faith the driving force in their life – is reshaping American faith in ways which we are just beginning to understand.”

These “revolutionaries” are the Christian part of a “widening gap” Barna detects between the casually religious and those who make religion a central part of their lives. Of course the problem with religious communities becoming fractured from secular society and ever-more devout is that the chances for religiously motivated violence (from between faiths and between believers and the “secular” world) from these isolated demographics increases. Is Barna hinting at a future “revolution” headed by his Christian “revolutionaries”? A group opposed to the Pagan and Secular future Barna predicts? I guess we will have to wait and see, but keep in mind that classic line about lies, damn lies, and statistics.