Assuming that all went well yesterday with my flights, by the time you read this I’ll be enjoying my first day at the 2009 Samhain Florida Pagan Gathering! During the three-day event I’ll be giving talks, and enjoying presentations and performances by festival co-headliners Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone, Donald Michael Kraig, and musical guests Kellianna & Coyote Run. The event runs from November 5-8th (the theme being “Hail the Honored Dead”), and has gotten positive reviews from former presenters  Thorn Coyle and Chas Clifton.

Here are the talks/discussions I’ll be giving:

Emerging Trends and the Pagan Movement: Reflections and predictions from reading and reporting the Pagan news.

As the Pagan movement grows and enters the mainstream, what can we expect in the coming years? Jason Pitzl-Waters, author of The Wild Hunt blog, will share some thoughts on emerging trends and possible outcomes gleaned from reading, investigating, and reporting the Pagan news on a daily basis for the last five years. Topics explored during the talk will include the ongoing growth in Pagan numbers, how the coverage and treatment of Santeria and other minority faiths will affect our rights, and moving into a post-Christian society.

Pagans and The New Media: How blogging, podcasting, twitter, and other technologies are changing the way we do things.

Modern Paganism once relied on handwritten personal correspondence and small newsletters to connect like-minded souls. Now, in an age of instant information and social networking, blogs, podcasts, and services like Facebook and Twitter have come to dominate how many of us communicate. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these new technologies? How will new media affect book and magazine publishing in the Pagan world? How can we utilize these advances in a way that benefits us? Join us as we explore these and other issues. (Depending on who else is at event, this might make this a panel discussion.)

A Darker Shade of Pagan: A brief (alternate) history of Pagan and occult music.

Many of you know the common circle chants, or have heard of well-regarded Pagan musicians like Gwydion Pennderwen, Isaac Bonewits, and Selena Fox, but did you know there was a parallel development of Pagan and occult music gestating deep in the musical underground? Join us on a trip through the “darker shade of Pagan” as we explore a variety of artists from the Industrial music pioneers of the late seventies to the psych-folk resurgence of today. Plus, we’ll also spend some time on some common ancestors linking these two worlds together.

If you’re in the area, or wanting an excuse to go to Florida for a Pagan festival, I hope I’ll see you there. This will be my very first proper festival experience, as well as my first time out doing talks of this sort, so wish me luck! Needless to say, I’m honored that the organizers of FPG wanted me to speak to them, and hope the resulting experience is rich and rewarding for all involved.

As for the blog, I may not have any access to the Internet while I’m in Ocala National Forest, so I’ve prepared some “greatest hits” for the blog to tide you over. If I do happen to get on-line, I’ll post festival updates and other news as I’m able. Normal daily blogging activity will resume on Monday, November 9th.

The inevitable collision of The Wild Hunt and the Pagan Centered Podcast has finally happened. In the just-posted episode 107: New Media In Paganism, I spend over an hour chatting with Dave about Pagan unity, the Pagan blogosphere, why the legal struggles of Santeria practitioners are important to Pagans, and the future of Pagan journalism. You can download the show directly, here. The show is also streaming at the Pagan Radio Network (as is my own podcast, A Darker Shade of Pagan).

In other “stuff that I do that isn’t The Wild Hunt” news, my article on influential Pagans for the 50th (and last) issue of PanGaia is available for free download from the PanGaia web site. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, author J.C. Hallman, who I interviewed a couple years ago on this site, has released a new short story collection entitled “The Hospital For Bad Poets”. In one of the stories, “Dalyrmple”, Hallman honors me by giving one of the characters my last name (Pitzl-Waters). A shame though that my fictional existence had to be cut so short!

Just thought I’d take a quick moment to do some shameless self-promotion, specifically, the fact that I’ll be presenting at the 2009 Samhain Florida Pagan Gathering! Also scheduled to appear will be Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone, Donald Michael Kraig, and musical guests Coyote Run. The event runs from November 5-9th (the theme being “Hail the Honored Dead”), and has gotten positive reviews from former presenters  Thorn Coyle and Chas Clifton.

Here are the talks/discussions I’ll be giving:

Emerging Trends and the Pagan Movement: Reflections and predictions from reading and reporting the Pagan news.

As the Pagan movement grows and enters the mainstream, what can we expect in the coming years? Jason Pitzl-Waters, author of The Wild Hunt blog, will share some thoughts on emerging trends and possible outcomes gleaned from reading, investigating, and reporting the Pagan news on a daily basis for the last five years. Topics explored during the talk will include the ongoing growth in Pagan numbers, how the coverage and treatment of Santeria and other minority faiths will affect our rights, and moving into a post-Christian society.

Pagans and The New Media: How blogging, podcasting, twitter, and other technologies are changing the way we do things.

Modern Paganism once relied on handwritten personal correspondence and small newsletters to connect like-minded souls. Now, in an age of instant information and social networking, blogs, podcasts, and services like Facebook and Twitter have come to dominate how many of us communicate. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these new technologies? How will new media affect book and magazine publishing in the Pagan world? How can we utilize these advances in a way that benefits us? Join us as we explore these and other issues. (Depending on who else is at event, this might make this a panel discussion.)

A Darker Shade of Pagan: A brief (alternate) history of Pagan and occult music.

Many of you know the common circle chants, or have heard of well-regarded Pagan musicians like Gwydion Pennderwen, Isaac Bonewits, and Selena Fox, but did you know there was a parallel development of Pagan and occult music gestating deep in the musical underground? Join us on a trip through the “darker shade of Pagan” as we explore a variety of artists from the Industrial music pioneers of the late seventies to the psych-folk resurgence of today. Plus, we’ll also spend some time on some common ancestors linking these two worlds together.

If you’re in the area, or wanting an excuse to go to Florida for a Pagan festival, I hope I’ll see you there. This will be my very first proper festival experience, as well as my first time out doing talks of this sort, so wish me luck! I’ll be adding a little side-bar on the blog to remind everyone of this appearance (and if all goes well, future appearances as well).

I have a couple items that might be of interest to my readers. First, the new Pagan magazine Thorn has finally hit the newsstands. This compendium of “Paganism in the Silicon Age” contains a news column written by me based on articles found here at this blog.

“Thorn is a new quarterly print magazine about paganism and modern culture. Through a combination of news articles and investigative research, photographic spreads and academic essays, comic strips, original illustration and historical analysis, we hope to illuminate the joys and complications of living ancient paths in the wired era.”

Cover of Thorn #1.

Turning to a thorn of an entirely different variety, I was recently interviewed by author and Feri priestess T. Thorn Coyle for her elements-themed podcast “Elemental Castings”.

“Thorn talks Air with Jason Pitzl-Waters of the Wild Hunt and a Darker Shade of Pagan. Topics include DJing, club culture, and magic on the airwaves.”

To directly download the hour-long talk, click here. It was fun doing the podcast with Thorn and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Be sure to check out her other podcasts, featuring interviews/talks with Anne Hill, Sharon Knight, and several others.

I would just like to quickly mention that I have been interviewed by the comics and culture e-zine Sequential Tart. So if you’re interested in hearing me opine about polytheism, blogging, and our mythic imagination why not head on over? I now return you to our regularly scheduled content.

In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to announce that I have been voted onto the Board of Directors of Cherry Hill Seminary, the first and only graduate-level educational institution for Pagan ministry in the world.

“Last week the Board of Directors voted to receive three outstanding new board members, Tony Mierzwicki, Jason Pitzl-Waters, and Diane Edgecomb, who has been elected Treasurer. We are honored that they have agreed to serve with us, as each of them brings a distinguished background to their Cherry Hill service … All of these individuals bring rich and broad experience -life, professional and Pagan – with them as they enter the sacred trust of volunteer leadership for Cherry Hill.”

I’m honored to join the governing body of this institution. I look forward to using my talents during my three-year term to assist them as they work towards gaining degree-granting authority from the State of South Carolina, and ultimately, accreditation. I believe that Cherry Hill’s goal of raising the bar for the education of Pagan ministry reflects the same ethic that urged me to improve the standards of journalism by and about modern Pagans.

Cherry Hill Seminary is currently in the midst of their 2008 Annual Appeal. The money raised will allow them to maintain their standard of excellence, pay for much-needed supplies, and work towards long-term goals. I urge my readers who are interested in Cherry Hill’s mission to read this page about why you should consider giving. To pay online, or set up a recurring monthly donation, head to this page. All donations are tax-deductible (and tell them The Wild Hunt sent you).

For those of my readers not particularly interested in such things, not to worry, The Wild Hunt will not become a press organ for the seminary. In addition, all future stories that directly involve Cherry Hill Seminary will carry a disclaimer making plain my involvement with the organization.

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 interrupt this normally topical Pagan blog to bring you this shameless attempt at self-promotion…

I would like to announce that the 2007 Wicca Alamanac is now available for purchase. Within you can find my essay on Pagan blogging entitled “Pagan Blogging (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Blog the Gods)”. I think that it is a fine little essay, and if you should want to read it I urge you pick up your own copy. If Amazon.com is your thing, why not pick it up through my Amazon Store?

Thank you for your indulgence, once I have my author’s copy I’ll post a bit more about it (and note if there are any sizable edits). We now return you to our regularly scheduled content.