Top Story: While traditional media outlets continue to cut back on their coverage of religion, there’s been a slow expansion on the Internet. Beliefnet, one of the first Internet religion-news hubs, continues to reign supreme in terms of size and traffic, but it’s starting to see some competition from sites like Patheos and the Newsweek/Washington Post-supported On Faith. Now, another new-media contender is entering the God(s)-beat, as the left-leaning Huffington Post launches a religion section.

Site founder Arianna Huffington explains:

“Like all our sections, HuffPost Religion will bring you the latest news — in this case about all things religion-related — served up in the HuffPost style. It will also be home to an open and fearless dialogue about all the ways religion affects both our personal and our public lives. And it will do so in a way that moves beyond the pigeonhole depictions of both the faithful and the agnostic we see so frequently — and also beyond the tired assumption that God is a card-carrying member of one political party or another.

HuffPost Religion is being edited by Paul Raushenbush, an Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University and an ordained Baptist minister. As a passionate and brilliant religious thinker, pastor, writer and college dean, Paul is ideally suited to the challenge of presenting multiple viewpoints and insights, as well as the real-world implications of religion for American life.”

Some of the big-name contributors include Jim Wallis, Deepak Chopra, Sister Joan Chittister, and Eboo Patel. But will HuffPost Religion cover modern Paganism? I’ve received some initial signs from folks working there that they are looking to add Pagan voices to the section, so we’ll see how things play out in the weeks ahead. Patheos, Beliefnet, and On Faith all now include a Pagan perspective (to varying degrees), so I can’t imagine HuffPost Religion will be far behind (especially since they have Pagans writing for them in other sections). I’ll keep you posted on developments.

In Other News:

An Earth-Based Discussion: Thorn Coyle has posted the audio from a panel discussion she led at this year’s Pantheacon on the question: “Earth-Based: Are We Really?”

“Organized by T. Thorn Coyle, this panel features Weiser authors T. Thorn Coyle, Diana Paxson, Zee Budapest, Orion Foxwood, and Lon Milo DuQuette. Discussion spans our definitions of ourselves as Earth- based, Nature-Based, Cosmos-based, etc. and addresses some of the problems of our times as well as positive media influences such as the movie Avatar.”

I briefly covered (and live-tweeted) this panel in my Pantheacon coverage, so I’m glad to see the audio for it released. While the panel didn’t really dig too deep into the question of how “earth-based” modern Pagan traditions really are, there were some fascinating and insightful things said and discussed, and I highly recommend checking it out.

The Fake Child Sacrifices: Earlier this year I noted the story of Ugandan anti-human-sacrifice campaigner Polino Angela, who claimed to have personally killed several children, including his own son. At the time I was deeply skeptical of his claims, seeing them as a strong echo of similar stories peddled by various ex-Satanists and Witches in America. Nor was I the only one to wonder if Angela was fabricating the story, and if he wasn’t, why he wasn’t in custody for his crimes. Now the house of cards has come tumbling down, as he’s been arrested for lying to a public officer.

“He allegedly repeated his claims to a Ugandan police officer and has been charged with “giving false information to a public officer”. He denied the charges and was remanded in custody in Lira Central Prison. Police officer Godwin Tumugumye, an officer at Lira Police Station, said BBC correspondent Tim Whewell is also wanted by the police over the case, reports Uganda’s New Vision newspaper.”

In another report, it’s come out that Angela was paid 200,000 Uganda shillings to play up child sacrifice, and has now confessed to lying.  If only we could do the same to some of the professional “ex”-workers in America. As I said in my initial post on this story, it isn’t that I don’t believe children aren’t being abducted, abused, and killed in several African nations. There’s of plenty of evidence for that. I also acknowledge that some witch-doctors are indeed killing and mutilating certain children for various reasons. But the lurid portrait painted by the BBC, with help from Mr. Angela, raised many of my old “Satanic Panic” red flags (most notably the idea of a centralized sacrifice industry/conspiracy). I’m glad that the truth has come to light in this story.

Max Beauvoir Declares War: After Tuesday’s incident in Haiti, where a mob of Christians drove off a small group of Vodouisants performing a ceremony for the dead, Vodou leader Max Beauvoir says it’s war.

“It will be war, open war,” Max Beauvoir, supreme head of Haitian voodoo, said at his home and temple outside the capital. “It’s unfortunate that at this moment where everybody’s suffering that they have to go to war. But if that is what they need, I think that is what they’ll get.”

You can see a photo essay of the inciting incident, here (thanks to Jennifer for the link). Since the clash of religions, Haitian officials have ensured that Vodou practitioners will be able to perform ceremonies at Cité Soleil in the future, but that seems cold comfort to those who were driven away with stones. However, not everyone in Haiti is seeing a religious war in the future, Mambos Elsie Théanou Joseph and Silviana Désir are busy working to feed and shelter the homeless, while Catholic priest Rev. Frantz-Michel Grandoit sees a new unity developing between Christians and Vodouisants.

“Humanity doesn’t want us to be separated,” said the Rev. Frantz-Michel Grandoit, a Catholic priest. Grandoit has planned several interfaith prayer vigils with Voodoo priests, including a three-day national prayer for rebuilding, held earlier this month and sponsored by the Global Network of Religions for Children, an international nongovernmental organization. In a ceremony at the Croix-des-Bouquets temple earlier this month, priestesses and parishioners knelt at the base of a tree trunk, lighted candles and solemnly chanted prayers for the earthquake’s victims and for the future of their country. “Hold Haiti’s sweet hand!” they sang as they threw water on the tree trunk and conjured up what is known as the Veve, a mystical symbol embodying the Voodoo deities. “Save us! Give us grace and deliverance!”

So while Max Beauvoir is an important voice right now in post-earthquake Haiti, we must remember, despite his claims, that Vodou has no “supreme chief” that all Vodouisants, Mambos, and Houngans bow before. Beauvoir leads a faction, a group of practitioners who have acknowledged him as their leader, and is not a Vodou “pope”. Reporters must move beyond Beauvoir, and talk to many practitioners from different areas to get a fuller picture of religious interactions in Haiti. To be sure there are those how want a religious war, but I would say there are also many who want a sense of national unity to trump theological differences at this critical stage.

The UK Reburial Issue: The BBC tackles the issue of reburying “pagan” remains, and interviews Druid priestess Emma Restall Orr, and representatives from Honouring the Ancient Dead, about the connection some modern Pagans feel to their pre-Christian ancestors.

“Pagan groups are increasingly asking for human remains and grave goods from pre-Christian burials to be returned to the ground, and their voices are being taken increasingly seriously in the museum world.”

As I’ve said before on this site, there is no consensus among British Pagans on this issue, with many, most notably Pagans for Archeology, opposed to the reburial of ancient human remains. It would have been nice for the BBC to get more perspectives on this, rather than simply portraying HAD and Orr as representative of Pagan stances on this issue.

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

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

The BBC Radio 4 program “Beyond Belief” devoted yesterday’s program to Witchcraft, ancient and modern, complete with unnecessary links by the host to the latest Harry Potter film.

“Ernie Rea and guests discuss the beliefs underpinning witchcraft. Do modern witches have anything in common with their forebears? And, have the Harry Potter books and films inspired greater interest in the craft?”

Among those interviewed are Christina Oakley Harrington of Treadwell’s bookshop in London, who handled the rather salacious questions of Ernie Rea quite well. You can listen to the program online, here.

Over at the Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog, Pagan panelist Starhawk weighs in on Jimmy Carter’s recent stand against the religious justifications for discrimination against women, pointing out a basic assumption prevalent through much of modern Pagan thought.

“Why does it matter if women can hold positions of responsibility and leadership in spiritual and religious life and communities? Many years ago, Mary Daly wrote: “If God is male, then the male is god.” That which is sacred to us is what we most deeply value and care about. It sets the pattern for what we value, all down the line. So if our only images of the sacred are male, and all positions of spiritual authority are held by men only, inevitably women will be devalued.”

One of the great disconnects between women (and men) attracted to various forms of Paganisms and the patriarchal monotheisms is the role of women. Despite our many flaws, feminine conceptions of the divine aren’t placed into a subordinate (or non-existant) role, and women are given full access to positions of spiritual leadership. This assures us that while we may take an occasional misstep, the institutional discrimination and devaluing of women won’t be among them.

In an update to a story I mentioned on Saturday, the Vodou priest at the center of a mysterious death during a cleansing ritual breaks his silence and speaks to the press.

“Authorities are awaiting results of a toxicology test to determine the cause and manner of Hamilton’s death, which has not been deemed suspicious. No charges have been filed, and Salva, who goes by “Houngan Hector,” said he is “100 percent confident” there was no wrongdoing on his part. Salva, soft-spoken and polite with a constant smile, said that no drugs were involved in the spiritual cleansing called the Lave Tet, but that small amounts of rum sometimes are consumed. “Maybe a sip,” he said, but he added that Hamilton had “passed on the rum.” …  “She was happy, very positive,” he said. “She seemed very fine as far as everyone knew.” What happened about 11 p.m., Salva said, is the same scenario he told dispatchers during a frantic 9-1-1 call. “She was taking a nap and we woke her up to see if she was hungry, and she was nonresponsive,” he reiterated yesterday. “We kept calling her name and she wouldn’t respond.” The other participants in the ritual could not be reached for comment. Salva declined to provide their names.”

The report also says that Hector Salva did contact Lucie Marie Hamilton’s mother (something friends of Lucie criticized him for not doing), and sent flowers to her funeral. Due to the firestorm of press, and negative speculation from neighbors, Salva is moving out of his current home to a new location.

In a less serious update to a previous post, the folks at Wookey Hole caves in Somerset, England have found their new professional full-time witch, Carole “Carla Calamity” Bohanan.

In the end, the judges opted for 40-year-old estate agent Carole Bohanan, of Shepton Mallet, Somerset. She will resign from her job and go by the name of Carla Calamity. Carole – or Carla – said: “I am going to be a great witch. All it takes is a little bit of magic and a little pizzazz. It’s a natural progression from my old job as an estate agent. I have been using my witching skills to sell houses for a long time.”

Bohanan apparently won over judges with a song about Wookey Hole and throwing candy snakes to the audience. While many “real” Witches seemingly applied for the job (you can see some pictures, here), there is no official word on if “Carla Calamity” is “one of us” as it were.

In a final note, Louis A. Ruprecht at Religion Dispatches ponders the Christian roots of the New Age movement, specifically “The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ” by Levi H. Dowling. This 1908 publication set the stage for numerous trance-induced gospels to come and helped spark interest in the new idea of an “Age of Aquarius” to come.

“Among the papers Levi Dowling left at his death was one explaining his conviction that the Earth and our Sun were entering the Dispensation of Aquarius, a literal New Age. Aquarius is an air sign, he noted, and the triumphs of the twentieth century were destined to be aerial rather than watery. Think of the Wright Brothers; think of humanity’s first tentative steps into outer space.”

While the “New Age” is often thought to be something that smacks of Paganism (or Eastern mysticism), it’s good to remember that Christianity had a key role in the formation of the “New Thought”.

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

The Iceland Review notes that the BBC was recently in the country to film a number of Asatru ceremonies.

“A documentary film crew from the BBC attended two weddings, two naming ceremonies and one coming-of-age ceremony undertaken by Asatruarfelagid, the pagan society in Iceland, which honors the Norse gods, at Thingvellir national park on Thursday.”

Sadly, we don’t know much else. Is it a documentary about Iceland? About religion? Paganism? This would have been a great time for a follow-up question or two. I suppose we’ll just have to scour BBC press releases until we find out. In the meantime, here’s a NextTV special on Asatru in Iceland.

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

Helpful tips learned the hard way: When a journalist is coming over to cover your ritual, try to avoid setting off the fire alarms with a thick cloud of smoke  from your cauldron.

No one anticipated the smoke alarm would go off in the middle of the moon ritual. As more than 20 witches, pagans and “alternatively spiritual” beings toss a scoop of their bad karma powder into a boiling cauldron, a thick cloud of smoke fills the upstairs room of Essential Elements Apothecary on a Saturday night. “Sorry, we’re still experimenting with the powder mixtures and room ventilation,” owner and herbalist Carmella Cook politely giggles after escorting the smoldering pot out the door.

I also wouldn’t use Oreos as the ritual “cakes”, but that’s just a personal preference.

Northwest University in Missouri announces a new book by one of their faculty that may be on interest to some of my readers here: “Cinema of the Occult: New Age, Satanism, Wicca, and Spiritualism in Film”.

[Carrol Fry] wrote the book to inform people about the backgrounds of occult religions and how films adapt them. Fry said he first became interested in occult religions when he produced a five-part documentary, “Creeds in Conflict,” for KXCV-FM, the University’s public radio station. He was also a big fan of horror films, which increased his interest in occult religions and how people do not know how many are out there. “You just don’t know occult religions are there until you see their footprints,” Fry said.

Sounds like Fry’s book would be an excellent companion to Douglas Cowan’s “Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen”, though with a hefty hardcover price of $59.50 I may wait for a paperback edition.

The opening of a new Pagan/occult supply store is usually good for a write-up in the local paper, and two of them have just popped up. One in Milwaukee, and one in Invercargill, New Zealand.

Her shop is already capturing a lot of attention from passers-by most of it positive. “Lots of people are interested, people from all walks of life … they’ve said it’s about time (a witchcraft shop opened). “We had one lady say she would not step foot in the shop and that’s fine, that’s her choice,” she said. Items on sale include sandlewood wands, crystals, rune stones, tarot and oracle cards, spell books, ritual incense, powders, herbs and potions for spells, and even old-fashioned brooms.

These sorts of stories are pretty standard “cover the new shop” type of deal, right down to the ubiquitous list of stuff they carry.

The cozy space sells aroma therapy oils, powders, bath salts, herbs, books, candles, spirit boards, jewelry, incense, pendulums, meditation CDs, poppets (voodoo dolls), cloaks, calendars, tarot cards, crystal balls, vintage collectibles and more.

See? Still, good luck to both shops. A little newspaper coverage, no matter how cut-and-paste, never hurts.

I told you about the pre-inaugural Pagan-led cleansing ritual, but did you know there was also a ceremonial “smudging” of the White House as well?

On Monday, January 19th at 6:00 pm, hundreds gathered at Dupont Circle for this frivolous, yet remarkable, ceremony. A shaman was there to perform the ceremony. Rabbi Sharon Klein delivered the invocation. Together with organizer, Kate Clinton, they took on the gargantuan task of cleansing the White House of evil spirits.  “Our purpose here tonight is to celebrate the end of the Bush regime with the saging of the White House”, bellowed Kate Clinton, kicking off the event before a crowd of about 2000 people. Kate Clinton had explained on the Rachael Maddow show last week that the idea arose out of a trip Bush made to Machu Picchu two years ago. After Bush spent time dancing with the natives there, a shaman was called in to “sage” the area and, thereby, cleanse it of evil.

Which brings us to the question: Will this be enough? Or will we see more cleansing rituals performed to wipe away the previous eight years of bad vibes (who knows, maybe the White House has already arranged things privately).

The Times gives a snarky review to the documentary series “Around the World in 80 Faiths”, finding that it gives off a “slick cultural tourist” air, though the reviewer did like the Vodou practitioners in Benin.

For myself I was more taken with voodoo worshippers of Benin, who are at least honest enough to invent gods in the express hope that they will reward them with wealth, health, sexual potency and partners. “I just can’t believe mixing a female lizard’s intestines with a male’s is going to sort my love life out. It’s going to take a lot more than that,” said Owen Jones, not for the first time revealing more than we strictly needed to know about his personal life.

For more on this series, specifically its interactions with modern Pagans, check out my previous coverage.

In a final note, check out this blog post by regular Wild Hunt commenter Pax about invoking the Pagan dollar.

We are facing some of the worst economic times, certainly in my lifetime, and it just seems to me as if we, as a community, haven’t really been talking about this.  I say this as someone who is a self-confessed blog-a-holic, a member of multiple yahoo-groups, and an avid surfer of the Internet, and who is not all that hard to track down either in his local community or by friends nationwide.  I’ve seen some small mention of individual challenges and responses to the hard times we are in, but nowhere have I seen discussions of how we as a community can face and deal with these troubled times.  I think it’s about time we started talking about this folks, because the tough times are not going to go away overnight!

Check it out, and give him some feedback.

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

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

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!

Last week the BBC announced a new religious series debuting in early 2009 called “Around the World In 80 Faiths”. The show will feature part-time Anglican Vicar Peter Owen Jones traveling the world and participating in a variety of religious rituals.

Peter Owen Jones, photo by Alan Burles.

“Part-time Anglican Vicar, Peter Owen Jones embarks on an epic challenge – to travel the globe and observe and take part in the most important rituals of 80 of the world’s faiths. On the way he’ll be exploring some of the planet’s most beautiful and holy places: he’ll be meeting snake handlers, Voodoo practitioners, whirling dervishes, horse-riding Sikhs, shaman and Taoist monks seeking immortality.”

The show is being produced by the BBC Religion and Ethics team, and is being packaged as eight 60-minute episodes. A companion book written by Jones will also be released. Initial buzz, based on Owen-Jones’ previous participation in the series “Extreme Pilgrim”, seems to be quite positive.

“This may all sound a bit dull, but I urge you to watch it – knowing Peter he’ll be throwing himself head-long into challenges and situations, be open to questioning his very essence and report back eloquently from some seriously gorgeous places.”

I’m certainly interested in seeing this series (living in America I’ll probably have to wait until it comes out on DVD), though I’m very curious as to which 80 faiths will be profiled in the series (if they do indeed profile 80 faiths). While I’m glad to see they are including indigenous faiths, I wonder if modern Pagan faiths will be explored as well. Will he hang out with Wiccans and Druids in Britain? Chat with Asatru in Iceland? Go to a Pagan festival in America? The press release does promise he’ll explore “brand new cults and sects”, but who knows what that means when there are hundreds (if not thousands) of NRMs to choose from.

ADDENDUM: It looks like he does visit some Pagans:

“As the main ritual came to a close, the ecstatic dancing ensued and Peter threw himself into it enthusiastically and unapologetically. He seemed entranced by the fire in the cauldron and was dumbfounded when the cone of power appeared, sending the flame spiralling high above the dancing Witches’ heads to excited shouts of ‘Kiss the Serpent’.”

That is a report from an eclectic Pagan group in Australia. Thanks to Frozen In Honey for passing that along to me.

This Saturday, BBC One viewers will get to see the premier of “Merlin”, a new fantasy series featuring “Buffy” alum Anthony Head as Uther, and a veritable “Scooby Gang” of young actors playing the roles of Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, and Guinevere.

While developing the show, the BBC said they wanted a family production that appealed to “three generation TV”.

“Three generation TV – that’s TV you can watch with your grandparents and children. There’s not enough of that about,” Mr Fincham said. “I believe we’ve only scratched the surface on modern family viewing. It has a very important role on a mainstream channel like BBC1.”

The show seems to take a decidedly fantasy-style approach toward the Arthurian mythos, complete with imprisoned dragons, magical explosions, and knights in shiny armor. It remains to be seen if there will be any religious themes concerning Merlin, Gaius, and Morgana. Will the “wicked sorceress Nimueh” (played by “Bionic Woman” star Michelle Ryan) be fae? A pagan survival? Something else? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

As for us in America, Australia, and Canada, we won’t have to wait until it’s shown on BBC America or comes out on DVD. Broadcast rights have been sold to CTV in Canada, Network Ten in Australia, and NBC in America, where it is supposed to premier this Winter. A nice little Yule present for fans of fantasy-oriented programs.

The BBC has started filming a new family drama centered on the Arthurian legends entitled “Merlin”. The show will focus on the younger days of Merlin and Arthur during the reign of Uther Pendragon.

Actor Colin Morgan, who plays the young Merlin.

Joining a cast of younger actors will be Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head as Uther, and veteran Scottish film and television actor Richard Wilson as court physician Gaius. Scripts will be provided by Julian Jones, who wrote for the occult British television series “Hex” (a show that generated a mixed reaction among viewers).

The big question is what sort of Arthurian world will it portray? Romano-British? Welsh? Fantasy? Will the characters be Christian? Pagan? A mix of the two? Will the young Merlin be portrayed as a pagan survival in a Christianizing world, or as a sanctified potential Antichrist? The only hint the publicity gives is that it’s set “in the mythical city of Camelot, in a time before history began”, which seems to argue for a more fantasy-oriented show.

In any event, our friends in the UK will get to watch it first, and will no doubt spread the word about its quality to the rest of us who have to wait for the DVD (or rebroadcast on BBC America).