“His family pastor had accused him of being a witch, and his father then tried to force acid down his throat as an exorcism. It spilled as he struggled, burning away his face and eyes. The emaciated boy barely had strength left to whisper the name of the church that had denounced him — Mount Zion Lighthouse. A month later, he died. Nwanaokwo Edet was one of an increasing number of children in Africa accused of witchcraft by pastors and then tortured or killed, often by family members. Pastors were involved in half of 200 cases of “witch children” reviewed by the AP, and 13 churches were named in the case files. Some of the churches involved are renegade local branches of international franchises. Their parishioners take literally the Biblical exhortation, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” “It is an outrage what they are allowing to take place in the name of Christianity,” said Gary Foxcroft, head of nonprofit Stepping Stones Nigeria.”

Many of these witch-hunting pastors belong to churches that are members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) who say they can’t police their membership, though they can find it within themselves to collect membership dues. Indeed, the persecution of children for witchcraft is so “mainstream” in places like Nigeria that even the popular mega-pastors admit to horrid abuses.

“Helen Ukpabio is one of the few evangelists publicly linked to the denunciation of child witches. She heads the enormous Liberty Gospel church in Calabar … Ukpabio makes and distributes popular books and DVDs on witchcraft; in one film, a group of child witches pull out a man’s eyeballs. In another book, she advises that 60 percent of the inability to bear children is caused by witchcraft … “Witchcraft is real,” Ukpabio insisted, before denouncing the physical abuse of children. Ukpabio says she performs non-abusive exorcisms for freeHowever, she then acknowledged that she had seen a pastor from the Apostolic Church break a girl’s jaw during an exorcism. Ukpabio said she prayed over her that night and cast out the demon. She did not respond to questions on whether she took the girl to hospital or complained about the injury to church authorities.” and was not aware of or responsible for any misinterpretation of her materials. “I don’t know about that,” she declared.

Ukpabio is very much like the “spiritual warriors” here in America, except that her accusations of witchcraft and demonic possession fuel a trend of death and sorrow.

“Pastor Joe Ita is the preacher at Liberty Gospel Church in nearby Eket … There are nearly 60 branches of Liberty Gospel across the Niger Delta. It was started by a local woman, mother-of-two Helen Ukpabio … Many people in this area credit the popular evangelical DVDs she produces and stars in with helping to spread the child witch belief. Ita denies charging for exorcisms but acknowledges his congregation is poor and has to work hard to scrape up the donations the church expects. ‘To give more than you can afford is blessed. We are the only ones who really know the secrets of witches. Parents don’t come here with the intention of abandoning their children, but when a child is a witch then you have to say “what is that there? Not your child.” The parents come to us when they see manifestations. But the secret is that, even if you abandon your child, the curse is still upon you, even if you kill your child the curse stays. So you have to come here to be delivered afterwards as well,’ he explains patiently.”

The plight of “child witches’” is well known now, so where is the outrage and orchestrated refusal to send money to witch-hunting churches? Where is the Pentecostal-led movement to reverse this trend and isolate people like Helen Ukpabio? It seems almost non-existent, instead, acknowledged witch-hunters have been feted in America, giving blessings to prominent politicians. As for Ukpabio, she is no longer isolated to West Africa, and has a church in Rome. How far will this madness spread before the hundreds of church-bodies who have a stake in Africa do something?

“Please stop the pastors who hurt us,” said Jerry quietly, touching the scars on his face. “I believe in God and God knows I am not a witch.”

For those who want to help the witch-children, two good organizations to send money to are Stepping Stones Nigeria and CRARN (Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network). We can also urge the press to continue to ask difficult questions of American churches that support witch-hunters but plead ignorance.

(Trigger Warning!) An Indian “witch” being beaten and paraded through her village.

“Murder and persecution of women and children accused of being witches is spreading around the world and destroying the lives of millions of people, experts said Wednesday … “This is becoming an international problem — it is a form of persecution and violence that is spreading around the globe,” Jeff Crisp of the U.N.’s refugee agency UNHCR told a seminar organized by human rights officials of the world body.”

According to some U.N. experts tracking the issue “at least” tens of thousands have died due to witch hunts, while millions have been beaten, abused, isolated, and turned into refugees. While economic hardship is given as a reason for the recent escalation in witch-related violence, experts at the UNHCR also claim that the rise can also be attributed to”religious practitioners” who exploit local fears and superstitions.

“Some religious practitioners make a living from exorcising alleged witches and charging exorbitant fees to those who request the ritual. In Foxcroft’s experience, the most vulnerable members of society – children and the elderly – are often the victims of these accusations.”

Who, exactly, are these “religious practitioners”? The IHEU is far more specific.

“Witchcraft is still widely practiced in many countries in Africa by witchdoctors who often use human body parts in their spells. Some witchdoctors employ gangs of young men to attack and kill victims, often young children, for their body parts, which are frequently removed while the victim is still alive. An estimated 300 people are killed each year in South Africa alone as a result of this practice. But horrific though this practice is, it is only part of the problem. In Nigeria, in both the Muslim North and the Christian South, witch hunts are not uncommon and this has led to a second form of abuse. Some unscrupulous pastors, many linked to Pentecostal churches, have a lucrative trade in making unfounded accusations of witchcraft against young children. [The pastors then agree to “cure” the witches for a substantial fee. Many children are being ostracized and abandoned by their parents as a result of these accusations.]“

These Christian pastors aren’t isolated to Africa, they tour churches in America bragging about their battles with the occult, and have established ministries in Ireland and the UK. Commingling with an increasing anti-occult fervor among some Western Christian groups. Meanwhile, actual modern Pagan communities in places like India and South Africa are facing the possible ramifications of intensifying witch-hunts and witch persecutions.

If this trend isn’t seriously addressed soon, we may find this madness turning its eye towards “safe” occultists and Pagans in places like America, the UK, Australia, Brazil, and Canada. Don’t think it could happen? All it takes is a pseudo-militant occult-fighting Christian movement cross-pollinating with a reviving “Satanic Ritual Abuse” movement, stir in some anti-government populist anger and frustration, and you have all the makings for an American witch-lynching.

“When Bill Sparkman told retired trooper Gilbert Acciardo that he was going door-to-door collecting census data in rural Kentucky, the former cop drew on years of experience for a warning: “Be careful.” The 51-year-old Sparkman was found this month hanged from a tree near a Kentucky cemetery with the word “fed” scrawled on his chest, a law enforcement official said Wednesday, and the FBI is investigating whether he was a victim of anti-government sentiment.”

The anger and hardship that cries out for a scapegoat is right here in our backyard. Right now “socialism” or “the government” may be the popular/populist nightmare,  but that can change. A global epidemic of witch-hunts is our issue, not because we share some theological bond with a “witch” killed in Nigeria, or imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, but because we don’t live in an enlightened vacuum, free from the troubles of the “third world”. Nor will outraged Internet petitions stem the tide, what we need is a concerted international campaign of education, aid, and better policing in the “hot” spots like Nepal, Kenya, India, and Nigeria. Those who have grown powerful on witch-hunting rhetoric won’t go quietly, and only the surety of secular law can ensure some semblance of safety. Meanwhile, those of us who are “safe” need to realize that what happens to “witches” in India and Papua New Guinea is no longer a string of  isolated incidents that will always stay “over there”. A “global” problem means it could indeed happen here, and perhaps sooner than any of us would want to admit.

“It is a small victory for religious freedom in this country, not just for Mr. Merced, but for everyone who believes the human conscience is a precious gift to be protected. Of course, Christians, Jews, Muslims, or others may want to convince Mr. Merced that his beliefs are in error, and the same religious liberty will protect their right to try to persuade him. That’s the point: Persuasion, not state coercion, is the way all of us should engage our fellow citizens as they seek to obey the “still small voice” of conscience. So ask not why I defend goat sacrifice. Ask me how you can too.”

You can read my full coverage of this case, here. As I’ve said before, this case could set a nationwide precedent allowing for legalized ritualized animal sacrifice in an large number of settings, including within some modern Pagan communities. Expect this issue to remain “hot” as litigation and local laws clash over what is allowed.

The Nigerian newspaper Next has an article about Americans training in Yoruba. Next also provides a gallery of images, and an interview with the keeper of Oshun’s sacred lantern. I would be interested to learn just how many American pilgrims are making the trek to Nigeria in order to be initiated into Yoruba, and to participate in the rites at the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. Is there a new resurgence of African American interest (and American interest in general) in Yoruba? If young Haitian-Americans are turning to Vodou, perhaps there is an even wider trend of traditional African religions being adopted here in the US?

In a final note, for those wanting to further explore the conflicts and issues brought up in yesterday’s post, you can read reactions from the  South African Pagan Council and the South African Pagan Rights Alliance concerning MP Adrian Williams’s stance on anti-witchcraft laws in the country.

“Mpumalanga ANC MP Adrian Williams has accused the South African Pagan Rights Alliance of being arrogant in pursuing the reclamation of the terms Witch and Witchcraft. SAPRA rejects the allegation of arrogance and notes that reclamation of loaded terminology has long been a recognized method of educating the broader public and fighting for the rights of unrecognized minorities. While Mr Williams self-identifies as Pagan, it should be noted that he has no mandate to speak on behalf of all the Witches or Witchcraft practitioners in South Africa, many of whom have already expressed a desire to reclaim the terminology.”

It certainly seems like Mr. Williams has few friends among South African Pagan organizations, is his view an isolated one? Or are there other Pagans who take the same stance on issues of identifying as a “Witch” in South Africa? As always, South African Pagans are welcome to comment here, though let’s keep things civil.

That’s all I have for right now, have a great day!

The Osun Grove in Osogbo had become a world-class tourism site under her supervision, and had been listed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s World Heritage List in 2005. The Ataoja of Osogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Oyewale Matanmi, said Suzanne Wenger lived a fulfilled life and arrangements have been made for her burial, saying the burial rites had begun.  The Jaguna of Osogbo, second in command to the Ataoja, said Adunni Olorisa, had said that no tomb should be built for her saying “She said she wouldn’t want any white people to turn her tomb into a tourist attraction. She has laid a solid foundation for the arts and culture in Osun State. Her works will never perish,”

I linked to a BBC profile of Ms. Wenger from September of last year (which I highly endorse reading). It is of no doubt that she’ll be feted in Nigeria for her work in establishing the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove as a World Heritage site, and for her ardent and deep connection to Yoruba and the goddess Osun. May she rest in the otherworld, and return to us again.

In sad news of an entirely different variety, a local Texas paper reports on a fringe “spiritual warfare” Christian group that’s making a map of prayer “targets” in their area. Needless to say, anything even vaguely Pagan-sounding or sheltering is making the hit-list prayer map.

The Wildcat Bluff Nature Center is on the prayer map. Repent Amarillo Director David Grisham says since they have a “Earth Circle” they are connected to a pagan group with the same name.  “These things are linked pagans are earth-based religions along with Wicca and other forms of witchcraft are earth-based religions and earth circles are part of that,” Grisham said.  But Wildcat Bluff Nature Center Supervisor Rhoda Breeden says they are completely wrong. “There aren’t any pagan rituals or ceremonies that happen out here so I was really surprised that they were falsely identifying us,” Breeden said. The 806 coffee shop and bar is also on the list. Repent Amarillo says they’re praying for the pagan groups that meet there but employees like Matthew Domzalski, a barista at The 806, says its not his place to discriminate.

This Christian malicious magic-cult is recruiting “soldiers” and intercessory prayer “warriors” to undertake “missions” (that are sometimes “undercover”) to (spiritually) tear down the “demonic strongholds” of Pagan worship. Let’s hope this all stays in the purview of prayer, and doesn’t inspire some of these soldiers to go further. The language of militancy can sometimes blur the distinctions between spiritual action and physical action.

Chas Clifton (via Caroline Tully) links to a video excerpt featuring part-time Anglican Vicar Peter Owen Jones participating (skyclad) in an Australian “Urban Witchcraft” ritual. This journey into “darkness” is part of the ongoing BBC documentary series “Around the World in 80 Faiths”, where Owen Jones ventures into the rituals and rites of religions across the globe.

For more on this program, check out my original entry on the subject (which includes a comment from a member of the coven Peter Owen Jones visited). As for the rest of the series, I suppose I’ll have to wait for the DVD.

Are Vodun leaders and converts in Benin “impenetrable” to HIV education? That’s the allegation of local health officials in a UN news report, but local priests deny they are “closed off and autocratic”, and insist that the problem is a lack of commitment, funding, and consistency from non-profits.

Efforts to convince voodoo followers to abandon dangerous and deadly practices are sporadic, underfunded and inadequate said voodoo priest and a leader in traditional practices, Dah Alligbonon Akpochihala. He told IRIN he has been trying to change how things are done in the religious rituals he leads, but that overall, people do not realise the danger their traditions pose.

Similar problem were faced during the “Bird Flu” scare of 2006. The simple answer to this problem is to win trust and pose solutions that don’t overtly threaten long-standing traditions. Vodun can modernize and change, but it takes a path of mutual respect and dialog to get there.

The Post Chronicle cribs from a CBN report on the rise of “Satanism” in Italy from April of last year.

The seat of Roman Catholicism is now regarded as the chief office for the devil. “‘Rome has been called the most satanized city in Italy’” per George Thomas of CBN News. Instead of worshiping Christ as Savior God, people are talking to the devil, acting out his wishes and teaching others how to communicate with the dark powers. Magicians in particular have become quite popular, that is, not the traditional stage performers but those equipped to connect with demons.

The article goes on to chatter some nonsense about 800 Satanic groups and that there are over half a million Satanists operating in the country. Stuff that several people have already debunked (try 240 Satanists instead of 600,000). Sometimes I wonder if Christians like this would actually be happier if all this stuff were true, if Satanists and Pagans were taking everything over… tomorrow!

Need to spice up a story in the UK? See if Marina Pepper is involved somehow. A second-generation Witch, and former Playboy/Page 3 model who got involved in local politics, Pepper-related headlines almost write themselves.

Playmate, witch and now eco warrior trying to shut down Heathrow … One of the organisers of a mass protest trying to shut down a Heathrow terminal is a former soft-porn model turned witch … The Evening Standard can reveal today that a leading member of protest group Climate Rush is a former Playboy playmate of the month.

The story is more about Marina Pepper showing up than it is about her involvement with Climate Rush, or why people are protesting the Heathrow expansion. But I suppose all publicity is good publicity (especially when you’re talking a protest).

In a final note, the New York Times looks at Italy’s own version of Santa Claus, the witch La Befana.

The story of La Befana has been told in Italy since around the time Leonardo da Vinci painted the “Mona Lisa.” Origins of the legend, some say, are far older and rooted in a pagan goddess. But last Tuesday, a modern incarnation of the story played out in the cafeteria of a Roman Catholic school in Forest Hills, Queens, with a hint of the day’s lunch of ziti with meatballs and red sauce lingering in the air. La Befana is a character in Italian folklore, sometimes referred to as the Italian Christmas witch. A soot-covered old woman, she is said to fly on a broom to the homes of sleeping children, entering through the chimney and bearing gifts.

Why bother with those “Santa Shaman” claims when we have a living breathing Winter tradition involving a witch? I expect some serious La Befana meme-spreading come next Winter.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!

In Benin, the birthplace of voodoo, from where it spread to Haiti and Cuba with the slave trade, elaborate drumming and dance rituals are still widely practised. They are tolerated by the post-Marxist Benin Government as well as by church leaders on the basis of a shared belief in a primary god. At the village level, the local Catholic priest will often visit his voodoo equivalent after mass to seek the help of voodoo gods to ensure a healthy congregation. Pregnant women would not think of going into labour without first seeing the oracle, the local Fa priest, who will foretell the outcome of the pregnancy by casting a string of cowry shells.

Lloyd also meets Legba at the crossroads, and receives healing aid for a friend from the Loa, which seems to go rather well. I recommend giving the entire article a read.

John Radima points towards the pro-Obama casting.

The spirits may have spoken, but don’t let that stop you from making your own voice heard this Tuesday. Also, when watching the results roll in tomorrow, take the advice of Democratic and Republican pundits, and ignore the exit polls (and don’t forget to participate in The Witches’ Voice Presidential Poll).
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/11/quick-note-witch-doctors-for-obama.html/feed 3 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/alive-and-well-in-kiambu.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/alive-and-well-in-kiambu.html#comments Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:48:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/alive-and-well-in-kiambu.html Amid the media frenzy over all things Sarah Palin, with a seemingly new scandal or story popping up every other day, it is little wonder that not a lot of background journalism has taken place. While assorted reporters and pundits were happy to play the video of Palin being blessed by African Pentecostal leader Thomas Muthee, few have been able to dig into his claims of driving out “witches” from the town of Kiambu in Kenya.

“According to the Christian Science Monitor, six months of fervent prayer and research identified the source of the witchcraft as a local woman called Mama Jane, who ran a “divination” centre called the Emmanuel Clinic … after Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned. Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon. After Mama Jane was questioned by police – and released – she decided it was time to leave town, the account says.”

Since then, many have wondered, what happened to Mama Jane? Was she really driven out? Was she killed by a mob, as so many other accused “witches” have been in Kenya? Luckily Zoe Alsop, who happened to be working as a journalist in Kenya, found Mama Jane alive and well and living in Kiambu.

“…some residents of Kiambu were somewhat skeptical of Muthee’s claims. Not least among them is the herbalist Jane W. Njenga, a pastor with the African Mission of Holy Ghost Church, who is best known as Mama Jane. She says she didn’t own a pet python and she’s never left her compound, located about a half-mile from Muthee’s immense new church. Last week Women’s eNews interviewed her there, next door to the Superkid Solid Foundation Faith in Every Footstep daycare center just off Kiambu’s main street. ‘If I am bad, why haven’t people attacked me?’ Njenga says. ‘Why haven’t they burnt this building down? That is what people here do to witches.’”

In fact, just about every claim made in Muthee’s witchcraft adventure has turned out to be false. The decrease in traffic deaths? New paving and speed bumps. Police killed a demon-snake? Mama Jane never owned one. Though one thing is true, Muthee did try to label her as a witch and have her killed or driven out.

“When Muthee came, he took a loudspeaker into the street and he told people to pray for seven days that I would die,” Njenga says. “If I was not known in the town, I could not have survived even to put my children through school.”

One wonders if Muthee’s tale of victory over witchcraft was invented to impress his Western backers. No doubt his church gets plenty of fat donations from fellow “spiritual warriors” impressed by his bravado and willingness to engage in campaigns of demonization and incitement that would be illegal here in America. As one community health worker tells Alsop, the best way to get rich quick in Kenya is to build a church, and Muthee is nothing if not rich. Instead of the mighty witchcraft fighter, come to America to lay his blessings on the faithful, he has been exposed as a Christian con-man making a quick buck.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/alive-and-well-in-kiambu.html/feed 7 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/update-palins-anti-pagan-coreligionists.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/update-palins-anti-pagan-coreligionists.html#comments Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:28:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/update-palins-anti-pagan-coreligionists.html Since I first posted about Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin’s troubling co-religionists, the mainstream press and several major blogs have homed in on the blessing Palin received from the African Bishop Thomas Muthee.

“Palin describes the visit of Pastor Thomas Muthee to the Wasilla Assembly of God in 2005. “As I was mayor and Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he’s so bold. And he was praying ‘Lord make a way, Lord make a way,’” Palin remarked. “And I’m thinking, this guy’s really bold, he doesn’t even know what I’m going to do, he doesn’t know what my plans are,” she continued. “And he’s praying not ‘oh Lord if it be your will may she become governor,’ no, he just prayed for it. He said, ‘Lord make a way and let her do this next step. And that’s exactly what happened.’” “So, again, very very powerful, coming from this church,” she added.”

Muthee is feted by fellow Christians in America and in Africa for driving out the “spirit of witchcraft” that resided in the village of Kiambu, Kenya. Now it seems this wasn’t purely spiritual warfare on the part of Muthee, but involved stirring up mobs and driving a local fortune-teller out of town.

“According to the Christian Science Monitor, six months of fervent prayer and research identified the source of the witchcraft as a local woman called Mama Jane, who ran a “divination” centre called the Emmanuel Clinic … after Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned. Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon. After Mama Jane was questioned by police – and released – she decided it was time to leave town, the account says.”

As I pointed out previously, this isn’t some isolated third-world preacher, Muthee has toured America, received mainstream press coverage, and gave 10 consecutive sermons at Wasilla Assembly of God (Palin’s former church). He is a strong proponent of the spiritual warfare tactics endorsed by “Third Wave” Christian churches. Knowing that she was willingly blessed by an anti-witch fanatic, someone who has helped stir up the kind of mobs responsible for the horrific deaths of innocent men and women in Kenya, makes me reiterate my previous closing statement on this matter.

“What Pagans need to know, especially those who are considering voting Republican, is if Palin condemns or rejects the spiritual warfare teachings of the Third Wave movement. A movement that essentially espouses malicious Christian magic. Pagans have seen first hand that the religious opinions of Presidents have been used in the past by government agencies to deny us our legal rights. What would happen if our vice president thought we should be supernaturally eradicated?”

Does Palin still credit Muthee (via the power of “Jesus”) with “making a way” to power for her? Does she know and approve of Muthee’s spiritual war against “witches”? I think it would be important to know these things before election day.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/update-palins-anti-pagan-coreligionists.html/feed 2 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/pagan-news-of-note.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/pagan-news-of-note.html#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:09:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/pagan-news-of-note-71.html My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

Politics! Litigation! Evangelism! Looks like we need to take a break and explore that heady intersection of fashion and the occult. British lingerie brand Agent Provocateur has unleased its newest collection: “Season of the Witch” (just in time for the Samhain season).

“The “Season of the Witch” ad shows a flame-haired high priestess presiding over a disrobed virgin in a sacrificial ceremonial scene. Her raven-haired witches crowd around while semi-disrobed soldiers lie helplessly at their feet.”

The photo shoots seem to nod towards a Hellfire Club/Secret Society sort of diabolic decadence. The roll-out of the new collection has gained a remarkable amount of press due to the inclusion of Bob “Live Aid” Geldof’s daughter Peaches. You can explore the (Not Safe For Work) collection at the Agent Provocateur web site.

BBC News profiles the life of Susanne Wenger, a 94-year-old Austrian artist who became a convert to the Yoruba faith. Arriving in Nigeria in 1950, Wenger went on to help preserve the Osun sacred grove in Osogbo town, and fight attempts by Muslim and Christian missionaries to wipe out Nigeria’s pre-Christian religion.

“When she arrived here, she found traditional culture in abeyance, all but destroyed by missionaries who branded it “black magic” or “juju”, a word Mrs Wenger reviles. Friends paint a picture of a dedicated, tough and far-sighted leader who has helped revive a culture thought destroyed by Christian and Muslim evangelists, and secured protection for one of the Yoruba tradition’s most sacred sites. But she is very humble about her achievements. “Osogbo is a creative place, it is that by itself, it didn’t need me,” she says.”

Locals hold her in high regard, and believe the goddess Oshun has channeled into her body, granting her wisdom and knowledge of their ways far beyond that of any other European. This is an inspiring story, be sure to read the whole thing and check out the video of an Oshun offering. Thanks to Dave Haxton for pointing it out.

The South African Pagan Council shares an official media statement by South Africa’s (re-re-established) National Party regarding Paganism. This comes in the wake of the party promising to “suppress” Satanism and witchcraft should they come into power.

“We would like to state it unequivocally that the National Party does not hold any ill feeling against the pagan community. On the contrary, the National Party would endeavour upon election to protect the rights of the Pagan community. We understand the response from the Pagan community regarding our policy towards Satanism. It is well known that paganism has wrongly, and to the great detriment of the Pagans, been associated with Satanism by ill-informed officials. However, the National Party wishes to advise that we fully support freedom of religion and that there would be no witch-hunt of any practitioners of Wicca, Odinic Rite or any of the other Pagan practices.”

SAPC representative Luke Martin greeted the NP’s statement warmly, though forcefully reiterated that the South African constitution guarantees religious freedom for all, even Satanists, or other faiths they may find distasteful. This is another example of how South African Pagans have gotten active in local politics in order to protect their rights and freedoms.

BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell shares the news that Pagan-folk band Omnia member Joe Hennon is assistant to EU official Margot Wallstrom, Vice President of the European Commission in charge of Institutional Relations and Communication.

“I am of course ever on the alert for any signs of witches and warlocks haunting the corridors of power. So what do you make of the fact that Commissioner Margot Walstrom’s spokesperson is a leading exponent of Pagan Rock?”

Mardell confides that the post was made so he could link to Omnia’s latest promotional video, and we should hope so, because Hennon’s job in politics was extensively reported on nearly a year ago by Expatica.

In a final note, French composer and record producer Hector Zazou passed away on Monday at the age of 60.

“Algerian-born French composer/producer Hector Zazou had a surprise waiting with each new record: twisted rock, neo-classical compositions, world music (from Africa to Central Asia), string quartets, pieces for wind instruments, voices or synthesizers, he’s been using a wide variety of genres to create the most unexpected and subtle blends…”

His ambient and neo-classical works found a wide assortment of willing collaborators, from Siouxsie Sioux and Bjork to indigenous shamans. Zazou’s most famous release in America is probably 1992’s “Sahara Blue”, a tribute to Arthur Rimbaud that featured the talents of Dead Can Dance, David Sylvian, and Gérard Depardieu. His creative vision will certainly be missed.

That is all I have for now. Have a great day!
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