Happening Elsewhere in the Pagan Blogosphere
Since it is a slow news day, I thought I would take a moment to share some links of note from the larger Pagan/Heathen blogosphere.
Wiccan author Gus diZerega, who sparked some interesting conversations when he critiqued a recently attended Solstice ritual, weighs in on the issue of Paganism and assimilation.
“Paganism is not scriptural and so the challenge assimilation presents us is different. We are a religion of practice more than dogma, and so it is here that the threat lies. We have many practices that often can lead a person into a direct encounter with a deity. How people interpret their encounters is their own business. But during the encounter they can be transformed in ways they find valuable, as was true for me … We need to be wary of dissolving this unique dimension of Pagan spirituality in the name of seeking greater respectability. For us to do so is like artists allowing the color blind to control the contents of their palette. It is way too easy to keep our words and forms while emptying them of content.”
Author and elder Isaac Bonewits was recently a guest on that Bigfoot-lovin’, Hopi prediction gathering, conspiracy-theory creating radio program Coast to Coast.
“I was a guest a few days ago on the show, which is broadcast from 10:00pm to 12:00 am Pacific Time (1:00–3:00 am EST). There has been a horrible story in the news recently, about a couple of children murdered in Sioux City, Oklahoma, supposedly in some sort of ritual to “cast a spell.” I was invited to talk about magic and murder (and their usual lack of connection), but this quickly turned into a general conversation about Wicca, Druidism, Paganism, and magic in general.”
To listen to the archived podcast, you’ll have to subscribe via iTunes or download their proprietary podcast manager (also, you have to pay a subscription fee). In addition to the recent appearance by Bonewits, tonight the show is featuring CAW elder Oberon Zell, who will talk about mythical beasts.
Pagan academic Chas Clifton decries those who don’t seem to grasp the blogging concept.
“When you write a blog, you either link to a web site you have visited (blog = web log, remember) and you comment on it. Even a Glenn Reynolds-ish “Heh” counts as a comment. Or you write what amounts to an online diary entry. Those are the two main types of blogging. But lately, thanks to Google Alerts, I noticed that some Pagan bloggers think that cutting and pasting Wikipedia entries counts as blogging.”
On the Internet, content is king. So be careful where you get yours.
Thorn Coyle marks the 6th anniversary of Guantanamo Bay prison.
“To all the prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, I am sorry. Sorry you’ve been rotting there for 6 years now. Sorry most of you are unlawfully and wrongfully imprisoned. Sorry that the US thinks torture is a fitting action.”
Quaker Pagan Cat Chapin-Bishop writes about the challenge of becoming spiritually bilingual.
“Instead, the religious path that allowed us to experience connection with the world of Spirit has been, for the past twenty or so years, Pagan. And it’s been challenging to us, since becoming Quakers, to be open to Spirit among Friends in whatever forms it chooses to speak to us. Since becoming Friends, and particularly since being impressed by the ways that even the most evangelical of Friends do seem led by a Spirit of peace, we’ve both worked to become more open to Christian insights, perspectives, and language within the Society of Friends. We’re trying to become spiritually bilingual, in other words.”
The occult web magazine Key 64 has posted a new issue, featuring submissions by Lupa, Paul Laffoley, Edward Wilson, and Klint “Technoccult” Finley, who writes a remembrance of Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge.
“Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge, born Jacqueline Breyer in 1969, passed away Tuesday 9th October 2007. Lady Jaye and her partner Genesis Breyer P-Orridge spent the past several years living an “art as life project” sometimes called “Breaking Sex.” The couple altered their own appearances to look more and more like each other, forming a third ” pandrogenous” entity they called Breyer P-Orridge.”
Greco-Egyptian syncreticist Sannion lays out exactly what his beliefs are.
“Some people, apparently, are quite curious about my religious profession. They want to know where to place me on the spectrum of things, and by what authority I write the content that I do. While I think there are far more important matters to concern oneself with, in the hopes of resolving further conflict I’ll attempt to clarify certain questions once and for all. I am, certainly everyone will agree, the best authority on the religion of Sannion, so here it is in my own words.”
Finally, the neo-hellenic blog Tropaion shares a rich bounty of links from September through December for his “carnival”.
“Finally I had the opportunity and time to gather all weblog’s articles of interest and importance. The current Carnival presents, once again, and I am happy because of that, a multilingual collection – Spanish and English. I hope that soon more and more Classicists, Archaeologists, Antiquarians etc. will use the blogging systems to present their ideas and thoughts as well as news from their working environment.”
That is all I have for the moment, for more great explorations of the Pagan blogosphere, check out the massive collection of links at the Blog Elysium. You might also want to check out my weekly Pagan music podcast A Darker Shade of Pagan, which will have a new episode posted shortly.
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