Pope Benedict XVI has released his newest encyclical on the theme of Christian hope. Entitled “Spe Salvi” (saved by hope), the work muses on Christian salvation, redemption, and the role of prayer in Christian life, but it wouldn’t be Benedict (the artist formerly known as Cardinal Ratzinger) without inflating the triumphal claims of Catholicism at the expense of polytheist forms of religion!

“Paul reminds the Ephesians that before their encounter with Christ they were “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). Of course he knew they had had gods, he knew they had had a religion, but their gods had proved questionable, and no hope emerged from their contradictory myths. Notwithstanding their gods, they were “without God” and consequently found themselves in a dark world, facing a dark future … Here too we see as a distinguishing mark of Christians the fact that they have a future… Myth had lost its credibility; the Roman State religion had become fossilized into simple ceremony which was scrupulously carried out, but by then it was merely “political religion”. Philosophical rationalism had confined the gods within the realm of unreality. The Divine was seen in various ways in cosmic forces, but a God to whom one could pray did not exist.”

There are quite a few problems with Benedict’s argument, a primary one is the confusion of mythological stories with the living and breathing religion being practiced at the time. The assumption that Roman polytheists had no hope for a pleasant afterlife, when in fact they had a systematic afterlife that included judgment, rewards, and punishments, and the characterization of Roman religious ritual as a clockwork obligation that had no belief or passion. The bugbear here for Benedict is the specter of “philosophical rationalism”, which along with relativism leads (in his view) to all manner of horrors, including the destruction of Christianity (and which, in his view, drained the life out of Roman polytheism).

Not that we should expect a fair hearing from the Pontiff, after all, this is the same Pope who claims that the Nazis were a “Neo-Pagan” invention, and not a product spawned from centuries of Christian antisemitism. Having said that, there were some other interesting things said in the Pope’s latest missive to the world, including some words on prayer that won’t make certain evangelical Christians very happy.

“He emphasized that prayer should not be isolating and should not focus on superficial objectives. Nor can people pray against others, he said. “To pray is not to step outside history and withdraw to our own private corner of happiness,” he said.”

It seems very likely that he is pointing his finger at prosperity gospel folks and certain stripes of “prayer warriors”, who “target” people of influence with prayer. It should be interesting if any reporters pick up on this jab at non-Catholic forms of Christianity. As for the Pope and Paganism, you would think that a man as learned as Benedict would hesitate to create religious straw-men to bat down. There are plenty of valid criticism of polytheistic systems, but portraying Roman polytheists as without hope and “lost” to nihilistic darkness is petty and untrue.

Author, activist, and On Faith panelist Starhawk weighs in on the issue of political sex scandals. She starts off with explaining that most modern Pagans don’t have the same sexual restrictions and hang-ups as many monotheist traditions.

“To Pagans, sexuality is sacred, for it holds within it the possibility of deep, loving, ecstatic connection to the great creative life-force we call the Goddess. So, we start from the premise that sex itself is a good thing … Inside or out of marriage, sex is no sin. Our moral questions about sex or any other act would be, ‘Is it hurtful’? Is it something you have to lie about, something that breaks a trust or causes deeper wounds?”

We may not all call the creative life-force “the Goddess”, but that is a fairly decent summation of the sexual ethics often found within Pagan circles. But Starhawk runs into some trouble when it appears that she is inserting her personal opinions into an explanation of Pagan sexual ethics (without making that qualification).

“When a president has sex with an intern, or a senator with a page, there’s a huge imbalance in power. Exploiting those roles for sexual conquest is a misuse of that position – even when both parties are consenting adults, for the charisma of power warps judgment.”

So which is it? Are they consenting adults or not? Can you make a free and consenting decision if you are “warped” by the other’s power? Should people from different social and economic strata avoid sexual relationships lest the “charisma of power” propel them into an unhealthy situation, or does this only apply to those working within politics? I do think it is safe to say that this view isn’t universally held by Pagans, or by humanity itself. I wish Starhawk had made it clear that this was her view (as she does with later comments in the essay), and not an issue of broad consensus among modern Pagans.

What do you think?

ADDENDUM: I just want to be clear that I am not attacking Starhawk personally, in fact I agree with much of what she has to say about power dynamics. My point is that the essay made it seem that she was speaking for modern Paganism as whole, when if fact there are many different ideas on sexual ethics and power dynamics within our family of faiths.

Remember my post the other day when I said Pagans should take advantage of public Nativity display clauses allowing for other religions to “add their symbols”?

“The city of Menominee is trying to legally protect itself by having a provision stating that “non-Christians be allowed to add their symbols”. I can only hope that this means an enterprising Pagan group or two are getting public displays ready to sit next to the nativity scene. What about a baby Mithras? A mini-temple to Saturn? How about a Yule Goat? Lets get creative here!”

Well it looks like some Pagans in Olean, New York (near Buffalo) have decided to test the waters and do exactly that.

“The Nativity scene outside a municipal building near Buffalo could soon be sharing space with a Wiccan pentacle. Olean Mayor David Carucci has given a local resident permission to set up a pentacle next to the Nativity scene outside the Olean Municipal Building.”

Carucci’s decision to allow a Pentacle display comes shortly after facing criticism from local Jewish groups for setting up a Christian symbol on municipal property. At the time he made the promise often made after a controversial religious display is placed on public property:

“Mayor Carucci, who is Christian, said any other religious group is also welcome to put a display outside the City Building. He said he decided to allow the Nativity, which depicts the birth of Jesus Christ, after a group of private individuals asked him for permission to put it up.”

So now Carucci’s convictions will be put to the test, and a holiday-themed Pentacle symbol will be placed next to the Nativity. One wonders how passerby will know it is Pagan, since Christmas stars are often portrayed as five-pointed. Will there be other elements? Maybe they should have gone with the giant Yule goat instead. But since this is a Wiccan display it leaves openings for Asatru and other Pagan faiths to stake out a piece of municipal land as well. Lets see a plethora of (Pagan) holiday religious displays!

UPDATE: The Wiccan who got permission to erect the holiday Pentacle display is backing down from doing so, due to fear of litigation.

“Despite getting the mayor’s permission to place a pentacle at Olean’s City Hall, April Garlow said she won’t erect the Wiccan symbol. Garlow made the request after being outraged that the mayor allowed a group to place a nativity scene, a Christian symbol, on the municipal building’s lawn … Garlow has said she will not place her Wiccan symbol at the building because of the possibility of lawsuits from outside organizations. Carucci said the offer remains for her and anyone else wishing to display their religious symbols.”

She does realize that any litigation would most likely be aimed at the City right? This is disappointing, I want my Pagan Winter Festival display! Come on Olean Pagans, step up!

My Chemical Wedding: “Chemical Wedding”, the film about Aleister Crowley written by Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson, has finished shooting and is now in post-production.

“…principal photography on Chemical Wedding, which was written by Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson and directed by Julian Doyle, has completed and the film is now in post … Simon Callow stars as a stuttering, shy professor who accidentally reanimates the spirit of famed Satanist Aelister Crowley, dubbed “The most evil man in Britain”, transforming into a charismatic, but seriously depraved, reincarnation of Crowley. He wreaks havoc among the students of the Cambridge campus he works for.”

Judging by the poster, I dare say that “havoc” may include some gratuitous nudity (perhaps even inside an inverted pentacle). Not that Crowley, ever a lover of controversy, would necessarily disapprove (though considering Crowley’s open bisexuality, one hopes it is equal-opportunity nudity).

As for the quality of the finished picture, we’ll have to wait and see. Who knows? Perhaps Aleister Crowley will become a new cinematic villain/antihero spawning scores of “Chemical Wedding” sequels. For my original post of this project, click here.

The Cave of Romulus: It looks like Cambridge classics professor Mary Beard isn’t the only one skeptical about the veracity of a site in Italy that some are claiming to be the Cave of Romulus (aka the Lupercal). Adriano La Regina, Rome’s superintendent of archeology from 1976 to 2004, says he is certain that this grotto isn’t the site of the mythical founder’s cave.

“La Regina … said ancient descriptions of the place suggest the Lupercale is elsewhere – 50 to 70 metres northwest of the cave discovered near Emperor Augustus’ palace. “I am positive this is not the Lupercale,” Mr La Regina told Reuters in an interview. Instead, he believes the cave – which ministry pictures show is decorated with well-preserved seashells and coloured mosaics – was a room in Nero’s first palace on the Palatine Hill, which burnt down in 64 AD in the great fire of Rome.”

Interior view of the grotto.

La Regina was also quoted as saying that this is still an important find, even if it isn’t the Lupercal, due to the well-preserved state of the site (which he believes was a nymphaeum used to entertain guests). No word yet from the Italian Culture Ministry, who said they were “reasonably certain” this was the Lupercal. You can read my original post on this subject, here.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is over, and we are all headed back to our normal routines (with the addition of Winter Festival planning). It is a pity then, that we had to wait until now to read Latino religious scholar Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo’s examination of the Thanksgiving holiday, and why he thinks “turkey day” has become “Earth Religion”.

“What has so radically changed an event whose origins were clouded by violence, exploitation and bigotry? The answer, I think, is that the anniversary of the vengeful European and Pilgrim abuse of Native Americans has become identified with Earth Religion. It is a common practice in most of the religions around the world to celebrate the final harvest and the last meal with cold-weather “fresh” food – meaning pumpkins and cranberries in Massachusetts – before being confined to eating only preserves during the winter. Christianity, particularly in its Catholic incarnation, proved astute in syncretizing its beliefs to the rhythms of Earth Religions. The original Calvinistic Thanksgiving Day of 1621 has become today’s relevant religious festival, I think, because it was syncretized with the Native American and other Earth Religion celebrations for the coming of winter. Thus, there is more to celebrate here than a turkey dinner or even the restoration of the extended family in American experience. Rather let us give thanks for the porosity of Christianity to Earth Religion. The meaning of the day no longer rests upon the dominance of one religion, such as that of the Pilgrims, which conquered the other one belonging to the Native Americans. While that power equation defined the original Thanksgiving, today equality and tolerance is celebrated instead. What joins us now is recognition of how Mother Earth is the necessary material connection to what is spiritual.”

So next year as you bake that pumpkin pie, roast the turkey (or tofurkey), say a cursory opening prayer amongst throngs of relatives, and enjoy ritualized combat spectacles (football games), you can do so with the knowledge that you are all celebrating the earth/harvest goddess in a syncretic holiday mixing Christian piety with pre-Christian harvest motifs. A situation that any good polytheist could endorse (between mouthfuls).

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

If you have ever read any of Alan Moore’s occult-tinged comics and wondered if he would ever come through on his promise to write a grimoire of his own, wonder no longer! Top Shelf Publishers have posted promotional information concerning Moore’s forthcoming book on magickal theory.

“Splendid news for boys and girls, and guaranteed salvation for humanity! Messrs. Steve and Alan Moore, current proprietors of the celebrated Moon & Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels (sorcery by appointment since circa 150 AD) are presently engaged in producing a clear and practical grimoire of the occult sciences that offers endless necromantic fun for all the family. Exquisitely illuminated by a host of adepts including Kevin O’Neill, Melinda Gebbie, John Coulthart, Jose Villarrubia and other stellar talents (to be named shortly), this marvelous and unprecedented tome promises to provide all that the reader could conceivably need in order to commence a fulfilling new career as a diabolist.”

The bad news? It isn’t scheduled for release until 2010. In the meantime you’ll have to content yourself with the recently released “The Black Dossier”, which features all sorts of occult tidbits for the careful reader.

The Tropaion blog has dug up a well-regarded History Channel documentary about the ancient Greek gods and goddesses on Google Video.

“History Channel once again had produced a remarkable documentary presenting the ancient Greek gods and heroes. The narrator will guide you with an extreme sense of respect towards the Hellenic religion’s believes and practices giving you just the recorded facts and letting eminent Classicists from US’ Universities to add their opinion. It is, thus, this combination that makes this documentary a classic work on the ancient Greek gods and their most eminent rites and rituals in the Hellenic world.”

You can find a direct link to the video, here.

The Religion Clause blog is documenting “War on Christmas” skirmishes so you don’t have to. Of particular interest is a legal showdown brewing in Menominee, Michigan, where an atheist group is unhappy about the erection of a nativity scene in a public park.

“The co-president of Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., said in a Nov. 15 letter that the display would violate the separation of church and state. “It is unlawful for the city of Menominee to maintain, erect or host a display that consists solely of a Nativity scene, thus singling out, showing preference for and endorsing one religion, and commemorating its most holy day,” Annie Laurie Gaylor wrote to Menominee city manager Eric Strahl.”

The city of Menominee is trying to legally protect itself by having a provision stating that “non-Christians be allowed to add their symbols”. I can only hope that this means an enterprising Pagan group or two are getting public displays ready to sit next to the nativity scene. What about a baby Mithras? A mini-temple to Saturn? How about a Yule Goat? Lets get creative here!

It isn’t the holiday season without a visit from the ghost of Satanic Panic’s past. A strange case involving a mayor in a small Arkansas town who claimed he was kidnapped by Satanists and brainwashed into his current identity made the national news recently. To make sense of it all, Bartholomew unravels all the “Satanic Panic” connections.

“LaRose claims that he only regained his original identity after being brainwashed when he was given a truth serum by Dr. Marvin DeHaan, brother of the radio evangelist Richard DeHaan. Richard W. DeHaan is the author of Satan, Satanism, and Witchcraft, published in 1972 by Zondervan. The book came out at a time when popular Christian paperbacks on Satanism were in their heyday: a year later, Mike Warnke (with the help of David Balsiger) produced The Satan Seller, a now thoroughly-debunked memoir of life as a Satanist. The momentum from books like these eventually led to the “Satanic panic” of the 1980s.”

Looks like Satanists aren’t just good for selling pulpy Christian books, they can also help you start a new life when things get rough. Is there anything imaginary Satanists can’t do?

In a final note, check out esoteric author Erik Davis’ write-up of “hard-core, shamanic, eco-metal” band Wolves in the Throne Room for Slate.com.

“The contours of this myth echo what my chat with the band after the Santa Cruz show confirmed: Wolves in the Throne Room are hard-core tree-huggers, with a Manichaean view of the environmental crisis and a pagan faith in the transformative powers of nature.”

You can also read a (somewhat) longer commentary by me on this story at my music blog “A Sweeping Curve of Sound”.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

Continued from yesterday, this is a round-up of gift suggestions for the Pagan or Heathen in your life. Just in time for all the Winter Festivals!

Video: There are plenty of good choices out on DVD right now for the polytheisticly inclined. With a wide range to please even the most picky Pagan. We’ll Start with a favorite of mine, “Robin of Sherwood”. This British television series from the 1980s, featuring a Pagan Robin Hood, is a cult favorite and has been repackaged this year at a lower price (you had to pay import prices before). The show is packaged into two sets, split by who was playing Robin Hood at the time. Another television series that is quickly becoming a favorite among Pagans is HBO’s “Rome”. This epic show with a huge budget (which ultimately became its downfall) featured one of the most realistic portrayals of religion during the Roman empire (even if the history itself was quite off at times). The previous price-points for seasons one and two had been quite high, but Amazon has slashed prices by 60%, making their purchase far easier.

Turning from television shows to movies, the obvious first choice for the Pagan cinefile would be the two-disc platinum edition of Guillermo del Toro’s masterful “Pan’s Labyrinth”. A dark fairy-tale with no filters, it is sure to shock (and delight) anyone looking for a quality film (read my review). Being that I’m a huge fan of “The Wicker Man”, I recommend getting a copy for your Pagan loved one (if they don’t already own one), just be sure it includes the superior “extended cut”, not just the garbled theatrical release. Other films worth looking into are “Beowulf & Grendel” (especially if you prefer a live-action Beowulf to a rubbery CGI creation), the excellent documentary “Ile Aiye (The House of Life)” (a David Byrne-directed film about Candomble), and the surprisingly decent documentary about Aleister Crowley entitled “In Search of the Great Beast: 666″.

Finally, for the Pagan who has everything, give them the gift of the worst Pagan-themed movie ever made. The re-make of “The Wicker Man” starring Nicolas Cage. Snag an used “unrated” version for just over a dollar, then head over to RiffTrax and purchase an audio accompaniment produced by Mike Nelson of MST3K fame. Then sit back and watch the best (unintentional) Pagan comedy ever produced.

Music: This has been a great year for Pagan music, and since many Pagans are huge music fans it should be easier than ever to stuff their stockings with quality releases from the past year. For the Hellenist in your life (or anyone who enjoys amazing music inspired by Greek antiquity), check out Daemonia Nymphe’s “Krataia Asterope”. If you prefer something a little more Eastern-European in scope, The Moon and The NightSpirit’s “Rego Rejtem” (from Hungary) is an energetic folksy tribute to the old gods. Looking for something a bit more universal in scope? Monica Richards’ “InfraWarrior” is everything you could hope for in a Pagan-friendly record, while Italy’s Ataraxia explores a Robert Graves-ian vision of Pagan initiation in “Kremasta Nera”. The Netherlands’ own Omnia brings more “Pagan folk” on “Alive!”, while their friends in Faun produce a more ethereal and haunting sound on “Totem”.

Finally, for the more rock-oriented, the font of modern Pagan rock Inkubus Sukkubus has a new album out entited “Science and Nature”. Ever-consistent (perhaps to a fault), it is sure to please fans of their past albums. For even more music gift-giving ideas check out my “A Darker Shade of Pagan” site, or my new music blog “A Sweeping Curve of Sound”.

I’ll end my guide here. I’m not knowledgeable enough in Tarot decks to give proper recommendations, and I’m assuming that everyone knows that candles, and (good) incense are almost always welcome gifts. So good luck with your gift-hunt! As yesterday, I encourage my readers to chime in and give their own gift suggestions.

Today is “Black Friday”, the traditional start to the holiday shopping season. Since I’m not nearly crazy enough to risk going anywhere near a shopping establishment today, I thought instead I would take some time this weekend to share some gift-giving ideas for the Pagan/Heathen in your life to help make your preparations for Yule, Solstice, Saturnalia, or other Winter Festival, a bit easier.

Books: If one commonality is shared across the spectrum of modern Paganism, it is that we are a book-loving group. While you’ll come across the occasional anti-book scold, the vast majority of us love and cherish the printed word and take pride in our collections. A gift-card to a major book retailer is always appreciated, but if you are looking for something more personal, here are some recommendations.

Fiction: Fiction is always a difficult gift, since tastes can vary widely, but books with Pagan themes are a (somewhat) safe bet. Just be sure to include a gift-receipt in case they already own it. That being said, some interesting ideas would be Robin Hardy’s novelized pseudo-sequel to cult film “The Wicker Man” entitled “Cowboys For Christ” (which is being made into a film soon), you can even include the novelization of “The Wicker Man” as a companion. If they are into mythology, Cannongate’s series “The Myths” enlists talented authors like Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, and Jeanette Winterson to retell (or expound) on an ancient mythological story. The resulting books I have read so far have been breathtaking.

Speaking of mythical themes, perennial Pagan favorite Neil Gaiman has just released a collection of short stories, and its sure to please the “American Gods” or “Sandman” fan in the family. Urban fantasy fans of Charles DeLint would love a copy of “Widdershins” (if they don’t own it already), especially since it answers a burning question long asked by fans of his “Newford” stories. Finally, for the Wiccan in your life, why not pick up a cheap used copy of Stewart Farrar’s pulpy, post-apocalyptic “Wiccans save the world” novel “Omega”, with prices starting at one cent, you can’t go wrong.

Non-Fiction: I often opine on non-fiction here, so to be brief, you should check out my recommendations here, and here for some recent suggestions of note. Other good ideas include “Her Hidden Children”, Chas Clifton’s history of Paganism in America, and “The Druids” by Ronald Hutton, which looks at the various Druidic revivals throughout English history.

Comics: Unsurprisingly, comic books are often an ideal format for occult and mythic themes. There are a wide assortment of comics ideal for the Pagan soul. First off, for those who are of the Nordic persuasion, check out Brian Wood’s new ongoing series “Northlanders”. The first issue comes out in December, and promises to be everything you could want in a Viking comic. Any quality comic store should reserve a copy for you. A great companion to “Northlanders” would be the graphic novel retelling of Norse myths entitled (appropriately enough) “Gods of Asgard” by Xeric Grant winner Erik Evensen.

For the magickly-inclined loved one in your life, you can’t do better than Alan Moore’s critically acclaimed “Promethea” series, a mixture of groundbreaking art and mind-twisting metaphysics that rewards multiple readings. If the magician in your life is also into conspiracy theories and anarchy, you might also want to pick up a couple volumes of “The Invisibles” while you are at it (if they are also profound music fans, pick up “Phonogram” too, you’ll be glad you did).

Tomorrow I will tackle music and video gift suggestions! In the meantime, I invite my readers (some of whom are authors), to plug their own (printed) Pagan gift suggestions in the comments.

Whether this is a day of thanksgiving or mourning (or even “unthanksgiving”) for you and yours, may you find contentment, happiness, and peace. The Wild Hunt will be taking the day off to cook and spend time with loved ones. I’d like to give thanks to everyone who reads, comments, and supports this blog, all of you give me something to be thankful for.

Regular posting will resume tomorrow.

The international press has been buzzing over an archaeological find in Italy that some believe is the cave of Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Romulus, along with his twin brother Remus were the sons of Rhea Silvia (descendant of Aeneas, and possibly a former forest goddess) who bore the twins after being raped by the god Mars (one of the principal Roman deities, and very different from his Greek counterpart Ares).

Rhea Silvia, a sworn virgin priestess, was sentenced to death, but her twins were rescued and set adrift on the river Tiber where they eventually took shelter in the cave of the she-wolf Lupa, who nursed them. Ever after, the cave (called the Lupercal) was a sacred place to the Romans and the starting point for the major festival of Lupercalia. But has the legendary cave really been found? Italian experts seem fairly certain its the right place.

“Presenting the discovery, Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli said archaeologists were “reasonably certain” that the newly unearthed cave could be the Lupercal. “This could reasonably be the place bearing witness to the myth of Rome, one of the most well-known cities in the world – the legendary cave where the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, saving them from death,” he said … The ancient cave was found 16m (52ft) underground in a previously unexplored area during restoration work on the palace of Augustus, the first Roman emperor.”

Interior view of the cave.

But some aren’t so certain, including Cambridge classics professor Mary Beard. Beard fears the Italians may be rushing to judgment in their haste to find the legendary spot.

“What has been discovered is a rather elegant underground cavern on the Palatine hill, with a nicely decorated vault, inlaid with seashells, mosaics and marble … The place is Roman all right, and it looks for all the world like one of those decorated underground grottoes that Roman toffs went wild about. But that doesn’t mean it’s the “Lupercal”, as the Romans called the cave where they thought the twins had been found by the wolf (lupa). The mysterious entrance is a problem for me. One thing we know about the Lupercal is that it was easily accessible. It was, for example, the starting point of one of the major – and strangest – rituals of Roman religion: the Lupercalia … So I shall be reserving judgment until I see a bit more of this grotto.”

Has one of the most important religious and cultural places in Rome truly been found? No doubt the passage of time will eventually reveal if this is the she-wolf’s cave (digging begins next year), or simply a random grotto.