Welcome to The Pagan Carnival, a (very) occasional summary of the best writing in the modern Pagan, Heathen, and occult blogosphere.

Pagan author and teacher T. Thorn Coyle has posted a thoughtful three-part essay (part one, part two, part three) on the issues of maturity, respect, and deep spiritual transformation within the modern Pagan community.

“…we still have a long way to go. I do see inroads being made, but I also see many of us stuck in a prolonged adolescence of spirit. That adolescence has its fun aspects, which I can appreciate, believe you me! I like dancing around a Maypole as much as the next person. But I also think it is time for us to grow up. I think we are ready. In all our diversity, we can have room for Maypole dancing, mead drinking, and deep soul exploration. For me, this is the unique beauty of our religious forms: we don’t need to give up the joys of the body and the dance of the seasons in order to develop our minds, hearts and souls. That is something strong we have to offer the world today. And I respect that.”

Check out the discussion on all three posts, there are some important topics being discussed concerning our collective future.

Chas Clifton’s blog has had several excellent posts this week, first on the passing of Tim Sebastian, chief of the Secular Order of Druids in the UK, then on the matter of animal sacrifice (and the squeamishness of certain omnivores), and finally, on the issue of modern Pagans and return of pre-Christian “ancestral remains.”

“I am friends with some of the British Pagan academics who have been pushing this issue hard. On the other hand, ask any geneticist: lots of people, most of them not capital-P Pagans, are descended from those ancient ancestors. So let us admit that these demands are to a large extent a stunt. We are dealing with self-appointed spokespeople here…”

For more on the issue of Pagan reparations, check out these (somewhat scathing) comments on the archeology blog Cronaca.

At the Blog o’Gnosis, Anne Hill explores her relationship with the term “Witch”.

“…as a teacher, speaker, and dreamworker, my primary aim is to be understood. Too often, insisting that people think of me as a witch is counter to that goal, so I have stopped forcing myself to use the term when it doesn’t seem right. Instead, I let my intuition tell me which label is the best descriptor for the given circumstances. This feels much more authentic to me, and allows me to communicate effectively with a much broader range of people. And sometimes Witch is the exactly right word to describe who I am and what I do; just not all the time.”

Starhawk continues her tenure as a panelist for the “On Faith” blog. Her most recent entry concerns the Pagan response to global warming.

“For Pagans, of course, for whom nature is sacred, climate change is an extremely vital concern. Our Goddess is embodied in the natural world, and she is being crucified—or more accurately, enfevered—as we speak.”

M. Macha NightMare points to yet another instance in which a Pagan’s religious affiliation is being used against them in a child custody case.

“April’s ex-husband and his current girlfriend have launched an appalling smear campaign against April, with the intent to discredit and demoralize her. They have decided that, instead of arguing the facts, they would intimidate and bully April by filing this lawsuit. The first hearing, on Nov. 16, 2006, had NOTHING to do with April’s mothering skills or her treatment of the children, but totally revolved around the accusation that she is incapable of being a good parent because she is a witch. The judge in fact asked April in court, point blank, “are you a witch?” Also the judge cited that April’s advertisements offering Reiki treatments were proof that she’s involved in satanic worship.”

According to the web site supporting April, there is news coverage on the way, so expect to hear more about this on my blog soon.

Bernulf Oswin has started a series on the Nine Noble Virtues within modern Asatru.

“Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Self-Reliance, Industriousness, Perseverance. These words are what are known to many as the Nine Noble Virtues. But what are they, how did they come into being, and what is their significance to modern Heathens? Are they a Heathen form of the Wiccan Rede, or a Vikingly version of the Ten Commandments? Are the Nine Noble Virtues a pre-packaged condensation of Heathen lore, a meaningless list of words that one must memorize before being able to truly call one’s self Heathen? Indeed, these are some of the concerns of their critics – and critics there are aplenty. Adherents aplenty there are, as well, and I count myself among them.”

You can read his first entry (of I’m assuming nine) on the virtues, here.

Finally, Yvonne Aburrow gives us six reasons why robes suck.

“Yahweh commanded his priests to wear robes and undergarments so he wouldn’t have to look at their naughty bits – so why are Pagans, who practise a religion that celebrates the body, wearing them?”

Be sure to check out the other five.

Thats it for now, be sure to read (and link to) your favorite Pagan blogs.

Tags: Pagan Blogs, Paganism, The Pagan Carnival