Top Story: The Covenant of the Goddess (aka C.O.G.), an international organization of autonomous Wiccan groups and solitaries, has started its first official blog in order to spotlight its extensive interfaith work.

“I am happy to anounce that The Covenant of the Goddess has started a new National Interfaith Representative’s Blog. Four of our Representatives – Don Frew, Rachael Watcher, Rowan Fairgrove, and  youth representative Michelle Mueller will all be attending the Parliament of World Religions next week and reporting back on this blog.  Rachael has already made a perliminary post.”

As stated in the above excerpted press release, COG Interfaith Reports will feature coverage of their participation in the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Its first post, by Rachael Watcher, recounts how C.O.G. sponsored and facilitated the attendance of an Argentinian indigenous practitioner to the Melbourne gathering. In addition, Watcher is also coordinating with the Pagan Newswire Campaign’s Pagans at the Parliament project, and will be web-casting from the Parliament. I urge all of you interested in Pagan interfaith efforts and coverage of the Pagan presence at the Parliament of the World’s Religions to subscribe to their feed, link to the blog, and give them some feedback.

On a personal note, I’m extremely pleased to see C.O.G. take a big step forward in facilitating regular communication with the wider Pagan community. Even though C.O.G. has received attention in several published works over the years, many younger Pagans don’t know the great work this organization does in areas like interfaith, and fighting for equal treatment under the law. I hope this “big step” is just the beginning and that they’ll soon join other Pagan groups and businesses who are utilizing new media opportunities to make contact with our movement’s future.

In Other News: Influential fantasy author Robert Holdstock, best known for his Mythago Wood Cycle novels, passed away yesterday due to complications from an E. Coli infection. Holdstock, along with authors like Ursala Le Guin and Marion Zimmer Bradley helped break fantasy out of Tolkien mimicry, and pushed the genre in new directions.

“His Merlin Codex books are well regarded, but his most significant and lasting work is his Ryhope Wood fantasy series, beginning with the World Fantasy Award-winning Mythago Wood, (1984). This was one of the first post-Tolkien adult fantasy novels to have a contemporary setting. It was, like all Holdstock’s fantasy, deeply rooted in the traditions and botany of his native England, mixing Jungian archetypes with local folklore and a sprinkling of Lovecraft. It’s hard to overstate what a significant book it was—many people in Britain felt as if Mythago Wood was as revolutionary and groundbreaking in fantasy as Neuromancer was in science fiction that same year.”

It almost goes without saying that with the mythic themes Holdstock explored he drew a devoted Pagan audience, and that he also helped shape the “urban fantasy” genre that so readily mixes pagan themes into fictional settings. Our thoughts go out to his partner Sarah, his family, friends, and the many fans who are no doubt shaken by the news.

A story coming out of Uganda proves why laws against “witchcraft” (or any belief) are flawed. While the Pagans in South Africa are concerned that broad applications of such laws may curtail their religious freedoms, traditional indigenous practitioners in Uganda are concerned that malefic magic-workers are using a clause in the 1957 Witchcraft Act to escape prosecution.

“A group of children and traditional healers have petitioned Parliament to amend the Witchcraft Act 1957 to separate witchcraft from genuine traditional medicine. “We request the Government to amend the Witchcraft Act because witchcraft today is being practiced in the name of traditional medicine, which is widely acceptable to some Ugandans,” the petition read. The Act bans all witchcraft-related activities by imposing a life sentence or imprisonment of up to 10 years on anybody who threatens or causes harm, disease or death to others by practicing witchcraft.”

The current Witchcraft Act “does not include bona fide spirit worship or the bona fide manufacture, supply or sale of native medicines”, so protesters are asking for a special court to try witchcraft-related cases in order, I infer, to root out the guilty and protect the innocent. However, the minute you set up special “witchcraft courts” to determine who is a “witch” and who is a “traditional practitioner”, you run into all sort of problems. Who will get to decide such things? Won’t such a process be politicized? A emphasis on education and law enforcement (not to mention stabilizing the economy) would seem better bets in addressing this problem, rather than swimming deeper into the murky waters of legislating belief.

In a ceremony on Friday the Collegiate Church, one of the oldest Protestant denominations in America, held a joint ceremony with Lenape tribal representatives to acknowledge and apologize for their part in the massacre and displacement of the tribe.

“We consumed your resources, dehumanized your people and disregarded your culture, along with your dreams, hopes and great love for this land,” the Rev. Robert Chase told descendants from both sides. “With pain, we the Collegiate Church, remember our part in these events.”

While some Natives were a bit skeptical of a reconciliation, both parties ultimately viewed this as a positive step forward in healing a painful joint history. To find out more, there is a web site dedicated to this process called Healing Turtle Island.

In a final note, it seems Heather Graham’s witchy practices, which I mentioned here before, are hitting the news-wires yet again (must be a slow news day). This time the money-quote seems to be her group’s pro-Obama workings.

“We sent Barack Obama positive energies, so that he would become the next president. I always liked magic. Now when I see Obama’s picture in the paper, I feel good.”

I really don’t understand why this is making the celebrity gossip-rounds again. Do people really think Heather Graham’s coven had anything to do with Obama’s victory? Or that Obama personally welcomed Graham’s magical help? Would this story be news-worthy if it was a small Christian prayer group? Maybe there are some folks mad at her pro-public-option television ad?

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.

We start off with two film-related tidbits that might interest my readers. First, Warner Bros. is moving forward with a big-budget production of the Odyssey directed by Jonathan “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” Liebesman and scripted by Ann “The Chronciles of Narnia” Peacock.

“Warner Bros. has nabbed Ann Peacock’s spec “Odysseus” and set Jonathan Liebesman to direct. Story centers on the Greek lit hero and king of Ithaca who returns to his island after 20 years of fighting the Trojan Wars only to find his kingdom under the brutal occupation of an invading force. Gianni Nunnari (“300”) is producing through his Warners-based Hollywood Gang shingle. Craig Flores exec produces.”

The Warners-backed Hollywood Gang is also producing the Theseus-starring “War of Gods” (and an as-yet untitled sequel to “300″), making ancient Greek legend a hot topic in 2010. Meanwhile, the remake of “Clash of the Titans” (starring Perseus), which is racing “War of Gods” to the theatres, has started filming and you can see some set photos, here. I predicted in the wake of “300″ that we’d see more “sword and sandal” flicks set in a Greco-Roman context, and it looks like the flood has arrived.

Since we’re talking about film and fantasy, you might want to check out a fascinating round of panel discussions by SF Signal that asks about gods and pantheons in fantasy literature.

“In a created fantasy world, gods can proliferate by the hundreds. When building religious systems for fantasies, what are the advantages/disadvantages of inventing pantheons vs. single gods, or having no religious component at all?”

Check out some of the really thoughtful and insightful ruminations on the subject from fantasy luminaries like Marie Brennan, Elizabeth Bear, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and John C. Wright (among others).

Speaking of panelists, Starhawk speaks out against torture at the On Faith site and references the repeated tasering of a Pagan Cluster member and the Burning Times in the process.

“Torture, like a virus, also has a way of spreading. When torture is licensed at the highest levels, it percolates down to every police department and branch of Homeland Security. We may have a black president now, but a black man in this country who is arrested still stands a high chance of being brutalized and beaten. At the protests last summer outside the Republican National Convention, a dear friend of mine was attacked by police at a legal and peaceful rally, thrown to the ground and tasered multiple times. Another young friend was beaten in jail, then marched hooded and shackled through the hospital where he was finally taken for treatment. These are small examples, but they show how a culture of torture, force and bullying takes root and eventually threatens the freedom and safety of us all.”

I’ll ignore the Burning Times references and instead agree that ultimately no good can come from a policy of torture. Most of Starhawk’s fellow panellists seem to agree (except for Chuck Colson). I wonder what they think about the Pew Forum’s recent study linking torture acceptance with increased church attendance.

While I’m on the subject of Pew research, another recent study finds that nearly half of Americans have changed faiths in their lifetime.

“Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. The survey documents the fluidity of religious affiliation in the U.S. and describes in detail the patterns and reasons for change.”

Sadly this data doesn’t go into how many people leave Catholic and Protestant Christianity for “other” religions, but it still gives and interesting snapshot of how fluid religious affiliation in America truly is.

In a final note, the dreaded H1N1 (the virus formerly known as “Swine Flu”) briefly cast its spectre over famed Pagan goth-rock band Inkubus Sukkubus who were in Mexico City for a concert.

“Tony and Candia McKormack went to Mexico City last week to play a gig to promote their band’s new album — which is ironically about the Mexican Day of the Dead. Authorities cancelled the event after the swine flu outbreak and Tony, 48, and Candia, 42, flew back to England on Monday. They began feeling unwell after arriving at Heathrow and have now been ordered to remain inside their home in Kingsholm, Gloucs, along with their two children Leon, 11 and Carmen, four.”

Luckily it turned out to not be H1N1 and everyone is fine. The band’s new album “Viva La Muerte” is shipping now, and all planned gigs are going forward. For more Pagan-related music news, check out the Twitter feed for my A Darker Shade of Pagan podcast.

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

The trailer for the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel “Stardust” has been released, and can now be found on YouTube.

With the magical themes and adventures within the land of Faerie, not to mention Gaiman’s already enormous popularity among modern Pagans, I’m sure many of my readers will be looking forward to this one. No doubt you’ll hear more about the film on this blog as news and interviews start to surface.