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

Getting excited about Hellboy II yet? I sure am! The film, directed and co-written by “Pan’s Labyrinth” director Guillermo del Toro, is chock-full of pagan-friendly elements. To whet your appetite for the July 11th release date, an animated comic prologue has been released.

While I’m on the subject of movie news, a recent Virgin Media survey places “The Wicker Man” in the top ten best British films of all time.

“Four Weddings And A Funeral has been named best British film of all time in a survey out yesterday. The 1994 romantic comedy just beat Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, and made a star of Hugh Grant, who comes fourth in the Best Actor poll. Trainspotting, Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, Guy Ritchie’s Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Lawrence Of Arabia, Withnail And I, Atonement, The Wicker Man and Get Carter completed the top 10 in the Virgin Media survey.”

Speaking of “The Wicker Man”, star Christopher Lee has lashed out in the press about ageism in the film industry after his role in the Scottish movie “Stone of Destiny” was edited out.

Presidential candidate Barack Obama seems to embody the religious hopes and fears of America. He’s been called a secret Muslim, spurred claims that he might be the messiah, or a perhaps a “light worker”, pissed off James Dobson, gained the support of a Pagan delegate (and had supposed Pagan ties used against him), and was formally adopted into the Crow Indian Nation. Now Hindus think he might be one of them.

Spot the Monkey God!

What better way to debunk “secret Muslim” smears than to have the Hindus claim you! Of course Obama is actually a liberal Christian, but this swirl of activity proves just how far America has moved from its “Christian” identity.

The Miami Herald has put out a very nice story about the shrine of la Ermita de La Caridad, a place where Cuban refugees come for solace and to pray. Though technically a Catholic shrine, it also attracts followers of Santeria who see la Caridad as a manifestation of Ochun.

“At the northern end of the seawall, where historic Vizcaya serves as a foreground to the glossy towers of Brickell Avenue, a stone Eleggua (the Santeria god known as the opener of paths) with cowrie-shell eyes gazes up toward the water’s surface. At the southern end, near Mercy Hospital, someone’s Santeria necklaces cling to a rock, a school of little silver fish brushing by the yellow and amber beads for Ochun, the blue and white ones for Yemaya … As Catholic as the shrine is, many of the devoted who come here are also followers of Santeria. In the religious syncretism of Cuba, la Caridad, an apparition of the Virgin Mary, is also called Ochun, one of the orishas, the Santeria gods. “A sanctuary is precisely a place where the Catholic religion makes contact with el pueblo,” Roman says. “We know there are people who perform rituals out there by the seawall. But they do it very respectfully. They don’t let us see it.”

A touching and balanced story about how culture and shared experience can sometimes overcome the barriers erected by religion.

In a final note, Religion Clause links to a story about how legal peyote used for religious purposes by Native Americans is becoming increasingly scarce due to local land being leased to oil speculators.

“South Texas property owners have realized there is profit in leasing their land as oil or hunting preserves. Suddenly, the small pittances peyoteros could pay for access didn’t seem worth it. “Now, it’s getting to where the ranchers don’t want to give permission for us to look on their land,” he said. “You have to keep going back to the same patches and waiting for it to grow again.” This presents a conundrum. If Morales and his colleagues keep revisiting the same patches, the cactus doesn’t have enough time to re-grow. Repeated overharvesting also affects the potency of the plant, said Martin Terry, an assistant professor of biology at Sul Ross University in Alpine. “If the demand continues to increase – even slowly – and the supply continues to decrease, then the amount available to the church will just keep continuing to decrease,” he said.”

Religious prohibitions prevent greenhouse-grown peyote, and trips to Mexico, where the cactus is still plentiful, is wrought with legal entanglements. With only a few legal peyoteros left, and available land dwindling, it remains to be seen if the Native American Church can find a way to solve this problem.

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

Twelve years ago a 17 year-old girl in a Pentecostal church was restrained for several hours on two different occasions for the purposes of exorcism. She experienced rope-burns, carpet burns, and bruises. Feeling emotionally traumatized by this involuntary action, the girl was eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and her parents sued the church for damages and won. However, the Texas Supreme Court has now reversed that decision, saying that the previous ruling unfairly impinged on the First Amendment rights of the church.

“…the state Supreme Court dismissed Schubert’s case in a 6-3 ruling, saying her lawsuit violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protections on religious expression — the latest in a string of decisions limiting judicial oversight of religious institutions and practice. “The case, as tried, presents an ecclesiastical dispute over religious conduct that would unconstitutionally entangle the court in matters of church doctrine,” said the majority opinion, written by Justice David Medina.”

All three opposing judges, including Chief Justice Jefferson, filed dissents. Arguing that this decision will sanction abuse, so long as the offending organization holds a fig-leaf of religion.

“After today, a tortfeasor need merely allege a religious motive to deprive a Texas court of jurisdiction to compensate his fellow congregant for emotional damages. This sweeping immunity is inconsistent with United States Supreme Court precedent and extends far beyond the protections our Constitution affords religious conduct. The First Amendment guards religious liberty; it does not sanction intentional abuse in religion’s name. Because the Court’s holding precludes recovery of emotional damages – even for assault and other serious torts – where the defendant alleges that the underlying assault was religious in nature, I respectfully dissent.”

While this case happened within a Pentecostal church community, one could hypothetically imagine scenarios involving the modern Pagan community that could echo this young woman’s trauma. Covener held against his or her will due to a “psychic attack”? Sexual misconduct? Abusive initiations? Inappropriate emotional control? So long as the rest of the group testifies that these practices are normal and accepted by the group, the abusers in question could escape prosecution or having to pay damages. Worse, imagine the fate of Christian minors interested in Paganism who could now be subjected to traumatic “exorcisms” or “re-education” with no recourse after the fact.

“Because providing a remedy for the very real, but religiously motivated, emotional distress in this case would require us to take sides in what is essentially a religious controversy, we cannot resolve that dispute,” the Supreme Court ruled. “Determining the circumstances of (Schubert’s) emotional injuries would, by its very nature, draw the court into forbidden religious terrain.”

While I admire judicial neutrality when it comes to making decisions regarding religion (we don’t want judges to favor one faith over another). This carries that ethic too far. Using “neutrality” as a way to avoid causing controversy allows for a multitude of evils to flourish. Abuse done in the name of religion is still abuse. No still means no, even if your abuser thinks a demon said it, and separation of Church and State doesn’t mean religion is above the law or judgment. No religious faith should be a law unto itself, and I can only hope this case goes to the Supreme Court and is overturned.

Perhaps I’ve developed outrage fatigue from covering religious news for so many years, but I just can’t seem to muster much energy for the supposed controversy over vacuous morning-show host Kathie Lee Gifford’s “anti-pagan” comments.

The trivia question that spurred a tempest in a tea-pot.

I watched the offending video clip in question, and I just don’t see anything worth threats of boycott or starting a petition. I certainly don’t agree with Ellen Evert Hopman & Dana Corby’s assertion that her off-the-cuff statement amounted to “hate speech”.

“Ms. Gifford’s hate speech has done harm to American Pagans’ ability to live in peace with our neighbors of other faiths. By allowing her hate speech to be broadcast, her direct employer the TODAY Show, and their network, NBC, participate in that hate speech.”

Hate speech is something very specific, and Gifford’s off-the-cuff riffing on a trivia question doesn’t even come close to qualifying. I very much doubt Gifford even realizes there is a modern Paganism movement, much less has a nuanced understanding of pre-Christian religion (she’s a born-again Christian). I question the petition’s assertion that any Pagan will have their quality of life affected in any way because of what a Regis Philbin cast-off said. This action by Pagans, far from chastising the folks at the Today Show, has only provided more grist for Gifford’s “comedic” mill.

I’d like to think that I’m fairly tenacious in defense of modern Paganism. I have worked daily to follow stories and bring important issues to light. There are many serious issues facing modern Pagan faiths, and we should remain vigilant and address them. However, the last thing I want to see is for Pagans to adopt the tactics of groups like the Catholic League. Constantly scanning the news looking for the next outrage, the next rallying cry for those who believe some great religious conflict is brewing. I don’t want us to become unable to laugh off something stupid, I don’t want us to become unable to tell the difference between an innocuous trifle, and real anti-Pagan hate speech.

Should you boycott The Today Show? Sure, if only because it’s stupid, lowest-common-denominator television that enriches no one. Not because Kathie Lee Gifford allegedly “hates” Pagans. Let’s turn our attention to the endemic discrimination against Pagans in prisons, or the improper influence of Christianity on our military, or the legislative strategies that seek to enshrine a Christian civil religion and relegate religious minorities to second-class status, or the role of modern Pagans in politics. Heck, we could even talk about the reality television shows that actually do some damage to our reputation. What we shouldn’t do is manufacture a controversy where one doesn’t actually exist.

PS If George Carlin has gone on The Today Show and called Chritianity “nasty” and “bad” (and he’s called it far worse things than that) would you call it “hate speech”? Would you think Christians were correct in calling for a boycott, or would you think such an action was an overreaction?

Conservative pundit Cliff Kincaid writes an anti-Obama polemic for Right Side News bizarrely equating Obama with a Pagan leader because they happen to support the same piece of legislation.

“While Senator Barack Obama struggles to keep the public in the dark about the nature of his pro-U.N. Global Poverty Act, a recent “Bay Area Interfaith Leaders’ Luncheon” was held to lobby for Senate passage of the bill, whose cost has been estimated at $845 billion. An actual witch who spoke at a “Pagan Pride” festival in San Francisco was one of the listed participants. The witch, known as the “Elder Donald Frew” of the ‘Wiccan Community,’”

Gasp! Not an “actual Witch” from the “Wiccan Community”! I’m still not seeing the scandal though. I get that Kincaid opposes the legislation, and I also get that Kincaid doesn’t like Obama much, but I’m still a bit fuzzy on why Frew being supportive of the bill matters in any way. Perhaps Kincaid will explain in greater depth?

“Frew’s reported participation was significant. A featured speaker at a “Pagan Pride” festival in San Franciso, he is described as an Elder in both the New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn and Gardnerian traditions of modern Wicca and a High Priest of Coven Trismegiston in Berkeley, California … According to his bio, Frew “has been very active in interfaith work on behalf of the Craft for over 17 years and is the National Interfaith Representative for the Covenant of the Goddess (the largest Wiccan religious organization on Earth).” He has represented Covenant of the Goddess at both Parliaments of the World’s Religions and serves on the Global Council of the U.N.-affiliated United Religions Initiative.”

Wait. Wait. Did he just quote Don Frew’s bio as why his “reported participation” is “significant”? Seems to me Kincaid is trying to whip up right-wing hysteria by invoking the old association fallacy*. If a Witch supports Obama’s proposed legislation, it must be bad. Right? I’m surprised he didn’t try to dig up a Muslim supporter to really get some right-wing frothing action going. Oh wait, he did.

“A Muslim representative to the Bay Area conference was identified as Iftekhar Hai of the United Muslims of America (UMA). The UMA is a member of the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), an umbrella organization that includes controversial groups such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations.”

Muslims! And Witches! How could anyone support this bill! This horrid bill that would … work to eliminate extreme global poverty, a bill that is supported by such dangerous extremist groups as … Bread for the World, the Daughters of Charity, and the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. How brave of Kincaid to sound the alarm!

It is obvious that one can oppose a piece of legislation in good faith. If something goes against your principles, criticizing its merits is perfectly acceptable. However, what Kincaid attempts to do in this editorial is cowardly and ethically repugnant. Trying to raise the specter of “witchcraft” in order to turn people (ie Christians) against the bill is the worst kind of gutter politics. The pathetic howling of a man who all but admits he lost the moral high ground long ago, and is as good as beaten.

* My favorite manifestation of the association fallacy is Reductio ad Hitlerum (“Hitler (or the Nazis) supported X, therefore X must be evil/undesirable/bad”). A fallacy that has been used against Pagans and vegetarians on multiple occasions.

Word has come in from South Africa that the controversial Witchcraft Suppression Bill of 2007 has been put on hold “until further notice”.

“Mpumalanga healers and pagans have been given a new lease of life after the Witchcraft Suppression Bill was put on hold. The proposed bill by the department of local government, which came under fire last year from various stakeholders, was put on hold yesterday. The department of local government said it had put the drafting of the bill of 2007 on hold “until further notice”. The department was mandated by the provincial executive council to prepare a bill which seeks to address high levels of violence in Mpumalanga linked to allegations of witchcraft.”

The bill, which in theory was supposed to suppress violence against accused “witches” (an ongoing problem in many African nations), instead caused an uproar among modern Pagans and various traditional healers due to its overly vague language (and trying to “solve” the problem by essentially blaming the victims).

“…Witches themselves need protection from violent attack, Sapra said. “Practitioners of natural magic (witchcraft) throughout the country have rallied together to oppose the passage of the proposed Mpumalanga Witchcraft Suppression Bill on the grounds that the bill will criminalize men and women who practice witchcraft or who claim to be witches,” Sapra convener Damon Leff said. Sapra has even submitted an alternative bill – the Mpumalanga Witchcraft Protection Bill – for the Mpumalanga Legislature to consider instead … Potgieter said those who attacked people they accused of being witches were the criminal element that needed addressing, not witches themselves. She warned that the bill also affected traditional healers and “disempowered” them.”

Government spokesperson Simphiwe Kunene says that further consultation and research is needed before any bill addressing witchcraft in South Africa can go forward. Kunene is hoping that affected groups won’t “go to the media” when “certain matters” are raised with them in the near future (though “going to the media” is what stopped this bad bill from going forward). This is a major victory for South African Pagans, and a groundbreaking instance of cooperation with traditional religionists in the region.

Though witch-killings in places like Africa and India aren’t aimed at practitioners of modern Paganism, it is slowing becoming a Pagan issue as we spread and grow in areas affected by this violent hysteria. While Pagans (ancient and modern) may never have truly suffered from the “burning times” of Early Modern Europe, we may soon find ourselves on the front lines of attempts to stem the tide of modern-day witch hysteria.

As practitioners of Santeria move up from lower-income and immigrant neighborhoods and into the higher social stratas, inter-religious and cultural tensions are bound to flare up. A recent example of this is making the local news in Florida. Members of the Waterford Lakes community are unhappy that animal sacrifice, legal in Florida, is taking place and neighbors are making (completely speculative) accusations of cruelty.

“Residents living in the Waterford Lakes community near Lake Underhill Road recently called sheriff’s deputies after seeing people carrying live chickens into the home of Hector Febus. Febus has practiced the Santeria religion for about 30 years. “Yeah, we are not happy about that type of religion,” neighbor Ron Hardbower said. “The religion itself is OK, but to have that here in this neighborhood? This is a very quiet residential area. We don’t expect to see goats herded in or chickens being carried in and out.” Febus said Tuesday that he was performing a healing ritual the night neighbors called police but the chicken were for food and not sacrificed.”

Hardbower seems to be saying that a Santero is free to practice his religion within the law, just not in his community. Despite calling the police, and ongoing efforts by the local homeowners association to see if they can ban religiously-motivated animal sacrifice, the law (in Florida at least) is firmly on the side of Hector Febus.

“Because it’s considered a religious act, sheriff deputies say they can’t do anything about the issue. Now the homeowner’s association is trying to find a way to resolve it … Neighbors find it all very bizarre. Meanwhile, it seems there is little even homeowner’s association can do. Their bylaws don’t seem to have animal sacrifice provisions, so the HOA is weighing its legal options and letting the home’s owner know what his tenants are doing in there.”

Stories like this are very likely only the beginning. As Santeria continues to grow, and religiously-motivated animal sacrifice is allowed in more places (and depending on the outcome of some ongoing litigation, possibly everywhere), we will start to see some real conflicts emerge. Will differences between Christians and practitioners of Santeria escalate into intimidation, anti-Santeria local ordinances, or violence? Will the modern Pagan community, which shares many attributes with Santeria, though is often split on the issue of animal sacrifice, come to their defense? Whatever the outcome, consider this story a harbinger of what’s to come.

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

The California Literary Review has published an excerpt from “The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World” by Adrian Murdoch. A sensitive and nuanced portrayal of the man who almost stemmed the tide of Christianity.

“It is unfair that Julian is still known to us primarily for attributed and spurious dying words. That tradition has the wounded and dying emperor filling his hand with blood, flinging it into the air and crying: “Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!” But then the history, as ever, was written by the winning side. Whether the Galilean actually won or not, it is perfectly possible to go beyond an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and look not just at Julian’s death but, beyond that, to his life, to see how he was a product of his time. It was a narrow—one might even say lucky—victory for the Galilean, and Julian might just as easily have entered the history books as Julian the Philosopher rather than as Julian the Apostate.”

I can only imagine that Julian would take great pleasure in the modern resurgence of Pagan/polytheistic religions (you could argue that he prefigured the modern Pagan faiths by generations), and would no doubt keep a blog in which to publish his criticisms of “the Galileans”.

Stefani “Spiral” Barner examines the high-choice ethic of modern Paganism that allows both for a pro-military warrior culture, and pacifistic conscientious objectors.

“…the Pagan community is in a unique position. It is possible to support both the service person and the CO—to honor the sacrifices that either choice demands and to embrace the paradox that comes with loving both. Let us demonstrate to the world that it is possible to be both anti-war and pro-soldier. Let us struggle together for peace, even as we recognize and support those who are sent to war. Let us cherish the wisdom that comes from speaking truth to power, as well as the insight that is gained through willingly enduring fear and pain, sacrifice and strife. Let us hear and share the truths of both soldier and CO.”

Barner also references recent court decisions that seem to support granting conscientious objector status within philosophically diverse religious communities. Allowing for CO status in religions that aren’t explicitly pacifist. A situation that seems confusing for top-down organizations like the military or some Christian denominations, but one that is completely normal for the average Pagan used to dozens (if not hundreds) of unique (and valid) relationships with the divine.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released lots of new data in its groundbreaking U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Including the political inclinations of Pagans (and the other “others”).

ReligiousLiberty.TV points to two YouTube videos that examines Christian proselytism in India from the Hindu perspective.

“The video also proposed a “Code of Ethics” for religious conversion which includes language that it should be the result of true spiritual change, not manipulation or coercion. This is likely to increasingly become a larger issue in a global economy and information society. As this issue grows, churches will need re-evaluate their methods of spreading the gospel and seriously consider how they are being perceived in order to avoid sweeping attempts to ban all forms of proselytism.”

A idea of a mutually-agreed upon code of conduct for religious conversions has been floating around for years now, and is supposed to come to fruition soon. It remains to be seen if such a document would be “toothless”, as many groups see conversion as their highest priority, and have no qualms of moving in ethically questionable directions.

In a final note, scientists may have discovered when legendary king and hero Odysseus returned to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

“They say the epic poem appears to confirm that the return of Odysseus to the island of Ithaca coincided with a solar eclipse on April 16, 1178BC. In the Odyssey, the moment when Odysseus kills the suitors who have been courting Penelope, his wife, during his absence after the Trojan War, is marked by the Sun being “blotted from the sky”. “

Of course this calculation rests on Homer being accurate centuries after the fact, and not taking too much poetic license. So take this date with a grain of salt.

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

The Indiana federal district court has conclusively ruled that prisons can’t ban a faith because of hypothetical problems. In this instance, Odinism and the various white supremacist groups that infiltrate and exploit the faith.

“…an Indiana federal district court has ruled that the Indiana Department of Correction’s policy banning all group worship for Odinists violates RLUIPA. In Hummel v. Donahue, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47534 (SD IN, June 19, 2008), the court held that while the interest in maintaining safety and security is compelling, prison officials must do more than speculate that a religious practice will lead to problems. Here officials were concerned that white supremacists would claim to practice Odinism, but presented no concrete evidence to support this. Secondly, there were less restrictive alternatives than totally banning group worship. These included pre-approved scripts for worship services, increased training for correctional officers, pre-approved volunteers from outside to lead services, and research into solutions found by other prison systems.”

As the court hinted, one very easy way to stem the tide of racist Odinist groups is to invite more Pagan/Heathen chaplains in. Currently, the prison system is completely skewed towards Christian modes of belief, and as a result non-Christian prisoners are treated to widespread discrimination and hostility. However, some prison systems are slowly coming to the realization that allowing Pagan chaplains in can help reduce recidivism and create a healthier support network for Pagan inmates susceptible to the overtures of racist gangs masquerading as religion.

“Bolstered by President Bush’s recent signing of the Second Chance Act, which promises more money for faith-based programs to help rehabilitate prisoners, corrections officials and religious volunteers are testing the largely unproven theory that faith can not only salvage criminals, but — in the long run — make the rest of us safer, too … In Colorado, a volunteer network of chaplains offers 216 programs and the Department of Corrections recognizes 36 faiths … those traditions range from Asatru, a polytheistic Norse religion, to Native American rituals to nature-based Wicca … Credible research on the effectiveness of faith-based programs remains sparse and inconclusive. But corrections experts and volunteers agree that such efforts, coupled with education, counseling and other therapies, could be part of the solution.”

Pagan-friendly corrections departments in places like Colorado and Washington are leading the way into the future. A future where Christianity isn’t the only religious remedy for the troubled and violent soul. A future that Indiana will now be forced to at least partially embrace in the next sixty days. Let’s hope they embrace the change mandated by the courts, and adopt some of the more progressive methods of quelling racist strains of Pagan religion. No doubt the Odinist/Asatru community in Indiana would look forward to more openness and cooperation from prison officials.

I’m currently in Rochester, Minnesota dealing with a family crisis, so I don’t have the time to update the blog properly today. I should hopefully be back tomorrow with my normal Pagan-fueled content. In the meantime, here are some quick links to check out today.

Boing Boing: LA’s Occult Roots. (Related: L.A. Record interview with author Erik Davis).

“Some people who would say that they practice majick would not necessarily like the world “occult” which tends to have a darker connotation. It really just means esoteric, behind the scenes, or secret—not necessarily in the sense of a secret society but in the sense that it’s not the obvious level of reality.”

Universalists plan five-day gathering in Fort Lauderdale with caucuses, issues, rallies. … “next week’s gathering of Unitarian Universalists can seem like a collision of social caucus and New Age festival.”

Druid tree language tells a story. … “The project, called Root 66, is a tree trail of 15 mosiacs designed by students of Calder High, Mytholmroyd, and placed on stumps along a woodland track at the end of Holmes Park, Station Road, Luddenden Foot. The mosaics are based on a 6,000-year-old druid tree language called Ogham and will tell stories for keen-eyed walkers to spot on their way.”

Thanks for your understanding. Back tomorrow!

We here at The Wild Hunt are big fans of Herne the Hunter, so we were all very pleased to hear that a revival of Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is currently playing at the historic Globe Theater. According to The Times, it’s a great 21st century adaptation of a 17th century comedy.

Falstaff dons the horns of Herne.

Sounds like a fun production to me! “Merry Wives” is the earliest written account of the legend of Herne the Hunter, a figure of English folklore that has become incredibly popular among modern Pagans, and is often equated with the horned Celtic god Cernunnos.

Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest,
Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight,
Walk round about an oak, with great ragg’d horns;
And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle,
And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain
In a most hideous and dreadful manner.
You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know
The superstitious idle-headed eld
Receiv’d, and did deliver to our age,
This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth.
— William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor

Things had been rough showbiz-wise for Herne lately, what with him being excised from the movie version of Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising”, so its nice to see a revival of his “first appearance” (albeit a mock first appearance). Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go revisit my “Robin of Sherwood” DVDs (especially since I’m not in the UK and able to watch this new production of Shakespeare’s play).