In the United States, we have achieved what is possibly the most hyperindividualized culture in the history of our species. Some of the effects of this have benefited people, particularly minorities of various sorts who, while still facing oppression, are able to find more footholds for asserting their unique identities amid the masses. However, we’ve taken the archetype of the Rugged Individualist to such an extent that most of us no longer really know how to function as a cohesive community. More and more of us no longer live in the same state, let alone city or neighborhood, as our extended or even nuclear families. The average American moves over a dozen times in their lifetime.

Culturally, we feel rootless as well. Dissatisfied with mainstream (generally white) American culture, more people, neopagans included, are seeking connection with other cultures as a substitute for strip malls, reality television, and the aggressive competition associated with hyperindividualism. Unfortunately, this often results in varying degrees of cultural appropriation, in which an individual draws whatever isolated elements of a culture’s practices they prefer, while ignoring the context provided by what they’ve left behind.

I can personally speak only from an American perspective. However, while we’re not in a situation where “As goes the United States, so goes the world”, neopaganism has developed largely in individual-based Western cultures, and neopagan religions retain that influence to some degree, even when practiced in more communal settings.

I’ve run into countless pagans who want to form “tribes”, “families”, or other sorts of communities. Some may want to create intentional communities on land that no one yet owns; others just want some connection in their city or region. Many are inspired by the Temporary Autonomous Zones created in the context of pagan festivals, and wish they could extend that permanently. Unfortunately, community doesn’t just happen overnight. Nor can it be forced or even necessarily planned neatly. It’s an organic thing that happens at its own pace. Wanting to have a community doesn’t automatically confer the social and practical skills necessary to make it happen.

We aren’t used to being part of a community because our culture has slid so far into individualism. We’re used to being in groups of people, we’re used to making friends and other relationships, but we have a tendency to isolate ourselves outside of our preferred social circles. Many Americans today, pagan and otherwise, couldn’t tell you who most of the people who live on their street are—something that was very different even a couple of generations ago. Some of the pie-in-the-sky plans for intentional communities I’ve heard cooked up over the years have included “pagan communes”, self-sufficient and detached from “Christian America”.

Community requires interdependence with a variety of people, not just the ones we like. Yes, often communities are formed out of reaction to a lack of safe space due to being a minority of some sort. However, what keeps us from being able to create that safe space in the form of pagan-centric community is the intense focus on the self. We can see this in the common sabotage of attempts to create covens and other small groups, as well as other organization efforts. One or more people, miffed that the project isn’t going their way, will instead turn their actions towards destroying it out of spite—putting their own needs over that of the group as a whole. Personal disagreements take precedence over the greater goal. It’s not just isolation from non-pagans that is problematic—it’s the fact that we’ve been conditioned to prioritize our own needs over the needs of others to an unhealthy degree, even to the point of damaging one-on-one relationships.

These one-on-one relationships are the building-blocks of community, which also requires starting small. Relationships have to be established and built up over time if the people involved are going to survive the stressors of being in close proximity on a long-term basis. The most naïve daydreams I’ve seen often include a bunch of people who have little, if any, connection with each other, other than perhaps being friends with the ringleader(s). If your biggest concern is making sure that your needs get met, and you aren’t all that invested in the needs of most of the other people in your “community”, are you really going to be willing to temporarily set aside your needs in order to listen to everyone else’s as a way of facilitating group communication?

Conversely, “community” doesn’t always have to include every single member of the community all the time. Some of the strongest moments of a community are when one person with a problem simply knows that they can go to another person and get a solution. An example is the practice of borrowing a cup of sugar; we’ve so lost track of interconnectedness that very few of us feel we have an option in that instance beyond going out to the store, or doing without. While one’s pagan community may be scattered far enough apart across an area that borrowing that sugar may be difficult, there are other small but significant interactions that can still happen.

And it’s these small interactions involving trust and communication that are the building blocks for making community happen on a larger scale. I’ve been privileged enough to be able to go to festivals at permanent pagan sites, and observe the interactions among long-term residents, volunteers, and other staff. They get to be human beings, with errors and problems, but there’s a cohesion that’s impressive to behold. It took a lot of time, and weathering a lot of challenges to temper those relationships. But it can happen.

Admittedly I can only speak so much in practice at this point. I don’t live in an intentional community, and much of my time is taken up with personal pursuits (the Master’s Degree That Ate My Life being a primary one). However, that Master’s degree will be in counseling psychology, from a program with an emphasis on community involvement—not just taking on the clients who are most like me. And in my personal life, I’m attempting to make the first steps in creating an environment in which community can hopefully develop; last month, for example, my husband Taylor and I hosted a pot luck and swap meet in our home where people not only shared food but excess resources. Granted, our collection of “resources” looked more like the fodder for a yard sale, but it was a start. And while I’m not yet the greatest gardener in the world, I’ve planted some extra onion sets in anticipation of a barter with a friend of mine who raises quail. It just so happens that a large portion of my social circle happens to be pagan—but my goal isn’t necessarily a specifically pagan community.

That’s where I’m at right now, and I’m fine with that. I have a lot of individualistic tendencies to move past, and I have a lot of practical and relational skills I need to develop. But I can also learn from those who have made community—whether pagan or otherwise—so successful, and I can put those lessons into practice. And that’s what I’d suggest to those who want to build community: learn from those who have made it happen. There’s work to be done, but it can be done—it is being done.

July 14th – Brendan Myers

Dr. Brendan Myers, Ph.D. is the author of several critically acclaimed books on the subject of ethics and philosophy, environmentalism, Celtic and European mythology, folklore, society and politics, and spirituality. They have been used as inspirational and educational resources by college professors, social activist groups, interfaith groups, Celtic cultural associations, and even humanist societies, in many countries around the world. Brendan’s work has appeared in numerous magazines, podcasts, and radio shows (including America’s NPR). He is the 2008 recipient of OBOD’s prestigious Mt. Haemus Award for recent research in Druidry.

July 15th – Elysia Gallo

Elysia Gallo is an Acquisitions Editor at Llewellyn Worldwide, the oldest and largest independent New Age publisher in the United States. She acquires books for publication in such topics as Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, magic(k), herbalism, and the paranormal. She lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband and two cats.

July 16th – Cat Chapin-Bishop

Wiccan since the late ’80s, Cat Chapin-Bishop has also been Quaker since 2001. Cat’s essays have appeared in Laura Wildman’s “Celebrating the Pagan Soul”, “The Pomegranate: The Journal of Pagan Studies”, the Covenant of the Goddess newsletter, and “Enchante: The Journal for the Urbane Pagan”. In addition to her work as a Wiccan HPs, Cat is the former Chair of Cherry Hill Seminary’s Pastoral Counseling Department, and she currently serves on the Ministry and Worship Committee of Mt. Toby Quaker meeting. Cat and her husband maintain Quaker Pagan Reflections, a blog dedicated to exploring the connections between Pagan spirituality and Quaker practice. They reside in Northampton, Massachusetts, where they attempt to live peacefully in the midst of chaos.

July 17th – Lupa

Lupa is the author of “Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic” and “A Field Guide to Otherkin”. She’s also the co-author of “Kink Magic: Sex Magic Beyond Vanilla” with Taylor Ellwood, and a contributor to the “Magick on the Edge” anthology and “Manifesting Prosperity: A Wealth Magic Anthology”. Additionally, Lupa works as an associate editor, layout tech, and nonfiction publicity/promotions manager for Immanion Press/Megalithica Books. Lupa uses the term pagan for simplicity’s sake, though more accurately she describes herself as a totemist, an animist and a pantheist. She has been studying pagan religions and magical topics for twelve years and practicing for ten years. Currently she is developing and training in therioshamanism.

July 18th – John Morehead

John Morehead is a researcher, writer, and speaker in intercultural studies, new religious movements, theology and popular culture. He has an M.A. degree in intercultural studies from Salt Lake Theological Seminary which included a thesis on Burning Man Festival. He also has an avid interest in aspects of pop culture, particularly myth and archetype as well as the social, cultural and religious dimensions of fantasy, sci fi,and horror. John lives in the greater Salt Lake City area with his wife and two children. Be sure to check out his excellent TheoFantastique blog!

July 19th - Caroline Kenner

A longtime Washington D.C. activist in in feminism and environmentalism, Caroline Kenner now uses her skills to advocate for modern Pagans. In 2006 and 2007 Kenner called pan-Pagan rallies in Washington D.C. to demand religious freedom and equality. The 2007 rally was particularly auspicious as it celebrated the recently-won right to place the Pentacle, equivalent to the Cross, Star, or Crescent, on military grave markers. The event united several large Pagan organizations working to establish Pagan military chaplains and the approval of other specific Pagan symbols worn by Pagan and Heathen veterans. In addition to her activism, Caroline is a graduate of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies‘ Three Year Program in Advanced Shamanism and Shamanic Healing. Caroline also holds an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and a M.S. from Boston University. She has practiced shamanism since 1989.

July 20th - Chas Clifton

Chas S. Clifton has been blogging since 2003, when he converted his Pagan magazine column, “Letter from Hardscrabble Creek,” into a blog. A widely published Pagan writer, he is the author of “Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America”. He also edits “The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies”.

July 21st – James R. French

James R. French has been interested in Magick and Paganism since adolescence. He is an Adept of the Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn and a Reiki Master. (Mr. French wants us to understand that “Adept” and “Master” are titles within these respective lineages. They do not necessarily indicate anything beyond that.)

July 22nd – Thorn Coyle

T. Thorn Coyle is a magic worker, mystic, musician, and author of “Evolutionary Witchcraft” and “Kissing the Limitless.” She teaches internationally. Her blog can be found at yezida.livejournal.com or http://www.thorncoyle.com/musings.html.

July 23rd – Sannion

H. Jeremiah Lewis, also known by his religious name Sannion, is a Greco-Egyptian polytheist who has been actively honoring the gods since around 1993. He has lived all over the country, including Alaska, Nevada, New York, Montana, Washington and Oregon (where he currently resides), and has worked the standard assortment of odd jobs that every aspiring author needs to get by with. Mr. Lewis divides his time between an insanely intense religious practice, writing, research, helping to organize the activities of Neos Alexandria, and directing the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. There isn’t much time for anything else.

July 24th – Peg Aloi

Peg Aloi is a Pagan and a scholar who works in both the academic and popular arenas. She is a writer on Paganism and the media for Witchvox, is the co-editor with Hanna E. Johnston of the new volume “The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture” (Ashgate, 2007), and is currently co-authoring a book with Hannah titled “The Celluloid Bough: Cinema in the Wake of the Occult Revival”.

Please give all of them a warm and hospitable welcome, I’m certain they will all contribute something special to The Wild Hunt. The gods and my new DSL service willing, I should be back to my regular posting schedule by July 25th. Make sure to keep things respectful and polite in the comments while I’m gone, the assorted hells hath no fury like a vacationing blogger who has to log in to a WiFi spot in Idaho to engage in some blog moderation.

“Talking About the Elephant is an attempt to shatter that stillness and to promote constructive communication about the issues surrounding cultural appropriation in neopaganism. The nineteen essays approach such practices and faiths as Celtic reconstructionism, neoshamanism, and ritual magic; and explore and critique topics ranging from academic appropriation of pagan and occult practices, to intra-community intimidation, and potential solutions to the problem of appropriation. The controversy surrounding cultural appropriation in neopaganism is nothing new; however, it’s time to stop pretending the elephant isn’t staring at us as we stand in silence. This powerful, diverse set of voices is poised to break open a new dialogue, one that must occur if our spiritual communities are to balance individual needs with concerned criticisms.”

It is safe to say that the issue of cultural appropriation is one that often generates more heat than light when brought up in  various forums. From Goddess worshippers trying to negotiate a manner in which to properly honor indigenous voices, to polytheistic reconstructionists balancing hisotrical and cultural fidelity with “UPG” (unverified personal gnosis) and syncretic urges, many of these discussions can end up as bitter flame-wars with both sides hurling brickbats at the other. “Talking About the Elephant” bravely steps into the midst of these simmering debates and attempts to both discuss the various forms of appropriation existing within modern Paganism (everything from Vedic Druids to Christo-Pagans), whether appropriations can or cannot be done respectfully, and the somewhat murky issue of authenticity. While there are a variety of perspectives on display in the collection, there is an overwhelming message here that modern Pagans do need to be more careful in spiritual seeking and how they present themselves. A message summed up rather well by Elizabeth Barrette in her essay “Braiding Pagans”.

“The responsible spiritual tourist, or pilgrim in search of a new religion, takes care to harm no one along the way. In order to survive and thrive in this increasingly multicultural world, we must learn to live together in harmony and respect each other’s traditions. That means sharing or trading our practices, not simply absconding with what we want and giving nothing in return. It means asking before taking, and sometimes, it means taking “no” for an answer.”

As for the contributors, the book features a veritable who’s who of rising stars in modern Paganism, including Erynn Rowan Laurie, Dr. Phillip Bernhardt-House, Lupa, and Kenaz Filan (among others). This is an excellent starting point in addressing this ongoing issue within our communities, and it would make and ideal centerpiece for a book discussion group. While I doubt we’ll ever completely settle the issues raised within this tome, I do hope that quality books like this will start to let more light in, and produce the constructive dialogue needed to move us collectively forward. The Wild Hunt recommended!

A new issue of the occult e-zine Rending the Veil has been posted. Leading off their Beltane installment is an article co-written by Taylor Ellwood and Lupa on the subject of advanced occult books.

“We think it’s important to encourage the writing of advanced books on occultism. There’s a small, but steadily growing interest in advanced occult texts. Writing a blog post or a single article, while it can cover an interesting topic, just doesn’t provide the needed depth or volume that a book can bring. And while there are some excellent sites for occult writing, including this one, actual texts are needed in order to fully capture and develop some of the more advanced ideas in more detail. Additionally, there’s definitely benefit to having your work edited, whether in a (hardcopy or online) magazine, or through the editing staff of a publisher. With all the unedited drek that floats around on the internet, peer-reviewed information, especially advanced, is even more necessary.”

Speaking of “advanced” books, keep your eyes peeled for articles and interviews on this blog concerning some groundbreaking new Pagan books by authors like Brendan Cathbad Myers, Emma Restall Orr, and Gus diZerega.

Laura Miller at Salon.com gives Ursula K. Le Guin’s new book “Lavinia” a favorable review. Calling it “a tribute to a relatively uncelebrated culture, that of early Rome”.

“‘Lavinia’ is an old writer’s book — Le Guin is 79 — in the best sense of the word; it is ripe with that half-remembered virtue, wisdom. This, Le Guin seems to be saying, is what it feels like to be the personification of your land and your people, to speak the words and perform the rites of “the old, local, earth-deep religion,” to be the sacred guardian of harmony and plenty for a handful of rustic villages and farms, and to carry their past and future in your body. It’s not a life any of us know how to live anymore, and most likely not one that most of us would choose, but some of us can still imagine it, and imagine that it was good.”

I am very much looking forward to reading this book. You can read my previous post on Le Guin’s “Lavinia”, here.

Rocketing world food prices aren’t just causing concerns over hunger, in India, it has become a serious religious issue as well.

“With prices soaring for staples such as cooking oils, wheat, lentils, milk and rice across the globe, priests like Atrey say they are seeing the consequences in their neighborhood temples, where even the poorest of the poor have long made donations to honor their faith. ‘But today the common man is tortured by the increases in prices,’ Atrey lamented during one early morning prayer, or puja, adding that donations of milk were down by as much as 50 percent. He had recently met with colleagues from other temples, along with imams from local mosques, who reported similar experiences. ‘If poor people don’t even have enough for bread, how will they donate milk to the gods?’ he said. ‘This is very serious.’”

Within Hinduism, milk is seen as a holy substance and is an integral part of daily religious life in India (not to mention dietary life, since many Indians are vegetarians). If a solution isn’t found soon, a major crisis of hunger and faith in the country seems inevitable.

Ohio State University’s religious studies program has been hosting a lecture series entitled “Through a Glass, Darkly: Public Interest in the Occult.” Student paper The Lantern reports on the closing lecture by Lynn Schofield Clark on the intersection of the occult and popular television programs.

“Delving into the topic of current television shows, she attempted to explain why interest exists in them. Television shows about mysterious things have now evolved from scripted shows to reality shows such as SciFi’s “Ghost Hunters” and the Canadian series “Ghost Trackers,” highlighting the increasing popularity of this genre, she said. Clark connected the popularity of the shows to the nation’s attitude post-Sept. 11. She said after the unexpected terrorist attacks, the nation’s interest piqued in pop culture that shows unresolvable issues.”

The lecture series also featured a talk by Pagan academic Sabina Magliocco, author of “Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America”. As for “occult television”, I don’t care how “occult” it gets, I refuse to watch “Ghost Whisperer” (though I do admit to watching “Moonlight” now and then).

A Pagan woman was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder after she told a group of teens and twenty-somethings (that she met regularly with at local Pagan gatherings) that a local man (and fellow practitioner) had raped her and her daughter (she also provided materials used in the attempted murder).

“‘This is a group of young people with some strange beliefs … being led by the passionate, distraught histrionics of an older – and in their eyes, much more powerful – mother figure,’ York-Poquoson Commonwealth’s Attorney Eileen Addison said. ‘They got carried away … but they got carried away because she encouraged them to do so.’ According to testimony, Davidson met co-defendants Stephen Walters, 26, Dianna Breznick, 18, Thomas Rogers, 24, and Aaron Meadors, 23, at a shop in Norfolk that advertises itself as carrying Wiccan and pagan supplies. The group regularly attended a pagan drum circle there on Monday nights. Davidson was known to the group as “Red Phoenix.” Barron, who was known as “Lord Othis,” also attended the circle.”

No proof or charges have been brought against Barron/Othis for his alleged assaults, nonetheless two of the attackers were unrepentant calling his maiming/torture “justice”. No matter what the real chain of events that lead to this situation were, the outcome is a shameful one that mocks true justice and brands these Pagans as criminals who replace due process with unrestrained savagery.

In a final note, further memorials to Cora Anderson, who crossed over yesterday, have been posted at The Witches’ Voice and the Acorn Guild Press web site. The latter contains a short eulogy from Starhawk.

“Cora was a great inspiration, a wonderful teacher, and a pioneer in the Craft at a time when it was a very hard and lonely path. I will always remember her stories, her humor, and her wonderful blend of mysticism and sheer common sense. I know that she will continue to guide and inspire now, wherever her soul journeys.”

Further tributes can be found, here.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/pagan-news-of-note.html/feed 1 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/03/will-amazon-hurt-small-pagan-publishers.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/03/will-amazon-hurt-small-pagan-publishers.html#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:12:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/03/will-amazon-hurt-small-pagan-publishers.html In the past few days news has emerged that Internet book-selling giant Amazon.com has been pressuring small publishing houses who use print-on-demand services like Lightning Source (owned by Ingram), Lulu, and PublishAmerica to switch to Amazon’s own in-house POD service or have their “buy” button removed.

“Reports have been trickling in from the POD underground that Amazon/BookSurge representatives have been approaching some Lightning Source customers, first by email introduction and then by phone (nobody at BookSurge seems to want to put anything in writing). When Lightning Source customers speak with the BookSurge representative, the reports say, they are basically told they can either have BookSurge start printing their books or the “buy” button on their Amazon.com book pages will be “turned off.” The book information would remain on Amazon, and people could still order the book from resellers (companies that list new and used books in Amazon’s Marketplace section), but customers would not be able to buy the book from Amazon directly, nor qualify for the coveted “free shipping” that Amazon offers.”

This policy was confirmed by Amazon spokeswoman Tammy Hovey, who called the move “a strategic decision”, and that it wasn’t “an ultimatum” for smaller publishers to switch to Amazon’s POD service. While it may not be an “ultimatum”, it does put smaller publishers who use POD services between a rock and a hard place according to Lupa, an author and employee of Immanion Press.

“So why not just switch over to [Amazon's] Booksurge, you may ask? Two reasons … They’re more expensive – they want a significantly larger cut of the profits than many others … Their distribution isn’t as good … So why not just have accounts at both Lightning Source and Booksurge? Because the cost to upload books would double … So why not just use offset and other traditional forms of printing? Because you need thousands of dollars up front, even for a small run, plus warehousing space–and you have to hope that they all sell or else you’re out a good deal of money. Given that the big box stores are already biased against small presses, big losses are a major possibility …”

Lupa’s concerns are echoed by Virtualbookworm, a Lightning Source customer who was recently on the receiving end of an Amazon “strategic” strong-arm call.

“I’m going to refrain from editorializing on this move, since any talk of a monopoly could be dangerous (wink, wink). Instead, I just want you to think of what this could do to your title(s) and, eventually, your pocketbook. When you let everyone know your book was available, many of them probably went to Amazon to purchase it. If this new move (I won’t say threat) goes through, the only way readers will be able to purchase POD titles that haven’t also been set up through Booksurge/Amazon is through a reseller. The availability of your title will be choked, readers won’t be able to take advantage of free shipping (when the requirements are met) and the retail price will skyrocket (and just do a web search on the complaints about Booksurge’s quality).”

If this policy continues, it could conceivably hurt a number of smaller Pagan presses (Immanion/Megalithica, Asphodel, Waning Moon, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, etc) who utilize professional POD services to publish niche books that larger companies aren’t interested in due to a lack of mass-market appeal. For some of these publishers, revenues from Amazon is what keeps them solvent, since many book distributors don’t reliably carry POD titles. This trend could mean a big reduction in publishing diversity within modern Paganism, and may even result in some small publishing houses closing down.

For now, the POD publishing community seems to be waiting for the inevitable showdown between POD-heavyweights like Lightning Source and the Internet giant over the legality of this move. In the meantime, Lupa has some excellent suggestions for those who wish to support small Pagan publishers and voice their opinion of this development.

“In the meantime, you may want to consider alternate avenues to Amazon.com, such as Powell’s City of Books, Magus Books, Mystic Intentions and, of course, B&N, if you must order online. Additionally, some small pagan/occult shops, such as Edge of the Circle in Seattle, have excellent selections of books, including small press fare. And, if you feel up for it, contact Amazon (third box down on the right hand column) and let them know how you feel about this.”

Expect this news to break big as more and more publishers receive their “non-ultimatums” from Amazon reps, and POD companies consider legal action. If Amazon gets away with this recent move, the ecology of the smaller Pagan publishers could be irrevocably changed, and not for the better.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/03/will-amazon-hurt-small-pagan-publishers.html/feed 15 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/09/around-blogosphere.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/09/around-blogosphere.html#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:27:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/09/around-the-blogosphere.html Some great Pagan and Pagan-friendly content has been popping up lately in the blogosphere, so I thought I would take some time to highlight some posts that I found particularly interesting.

Feorag, of the venerable Pagan Prattle, dissects a recent article on a English Vicar who wants to debate the Church of England’s use of Harry Potter to attract younger members. It turns out that the press-hungry Vicar has a notorious “Satanic Panic” past.

“Anyone old enough to have been involved in neopaganism in the UK in the 1980s will remember the Rev. Kevin Logan (a.k.a.Kev. the Rev.). The Anglican vicar spent a lot of time and effort promoting the Satanic Abuse Myth, and propagating outrageous lies about neopaganism. He fell from grace after a seriously disturbed woman, Caroline Marchant, committed suicide while in his care. Well, he obviously thinks no-one can remember him after 17 years, and is back having a go at Harry Potter. Nor does he seem to have spent the time learning anything about neopaganism, as he strangely seems to think that Rowling’s books have something to do with it.”

Logan is looking to forge a comeback in the anti-occult market (reinvigorated by all the fuss over Harry Potter) by releasing a new edition of his Satanic Panic-supporting book “Paganism and the Occult: A manifesto for Christian Action”, a work that Feorag describes as “a load of complete bollocks.”

Perhaps gearing up for Halloween festivities, the mega-popular Boing Boing has featured quite a few Witchy and occult-oriented posts recently. There was the post on making “witches’ jars”, a look at a flying witch arcade game, and most recently a post on the organization “English Heretics”, who are commemorating the “psychohistorical environment of England”.

“England’s buildings are littered with blue plaques placed by English Heritage, commemorating the birthplaces of important people, famous architecture and so on. English Heretics put Black Plaques up to commemorate an entirely different kind of heritage: ‘The Black Plaque scheme was instigated in October 2003. Its purpose is to commemorate and draw public attention to historical figures in such diverse fields as sorcery, the Royal Art, left hand path occultism and witchcraft, as well as the mentally infirm: tortured poets, psychopaths and village idiots.’”

With a little funding “English Heretics” could really become something interesting (not to mention, fun).

Over at the TheoFantastique blog, John Morehead interviews Bill Ellis (author of “Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture”) about religious and occult themes in Japanese animation.

“Much of anime can be appreciated purely as story-telling, and as the studios know that their productions will be viewed all over the world, they do make an effort to stress universally engaging plots and characters and minimize the purely esoteric details. Still, myth and religion always lie very close to the surface, and many plot twists that seem odd to the Western eye are ‘just right’ for an Eastern audience. Likewise, many of the plot details are the sorts of folk beliefs that the Japanese accept as part of everyday life, such as the belief that the number four is unlucky (it’s pronounced ’shi,’ which can also mean ‘death.’) So if something happens three times, then the audience is set up to expect that the fourth time will involve some kind of danger or misfortune. Also, butterflies are cute in Western decorations but signal some uncanny and possibly scary twist when they appear in anime, because this creature is associated with magic and a pathway into another world.”

Also discussed are the works of Hayao Miyazaki, and how Buddhist and Shinto themes manifest within anime features.

M. Macha NightMare, at her blog Broomstick Chronicles, discusses a recent interfaith meeting on the topic of serving the senior community. In the post she discusses who is considered “clergy”, and what the responsibilities of Pagan clergy are when tending to the elderly.

“If there is one thing I want Pagans to take away from this is the knowledge that if we encounter anything resembling elder abuse, we are mandated reporters. Most of you probably know we are mandated reporters for suspected child abuse, but the law requiring ‘clergy’ to report suspected elder abuse is recent. So now you know. May you never have to do it.”

If you need to report a case of elder abuse, the Elder Abuse Center gives you quick links to the State Adult Protective Services.

Finally, there are two new blogs of note I wanted to pass along. Witchvox staff member, movie reviewer, and author, Peg Aloi formally enters the Pagan blogosphere with the well-written “Orchards Forever”. Meanwhile, Lupa, author of “Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic”, has started a new blog entitled “Therioshamanism” which aims to document her journey towards creating her own Neo-Shamanic path.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/09/around-blogosphere.html/feed 1 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/05/interview-with-lupa.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/05/interview-with-lupa.html#comments Fri, 18 May 2007 13:56:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/05/interview-with-lupa.html Pagan author Lupa, whom I praised some months back for her book “Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic”, has come out with a new book on the somewhat controversial subculture of Otherkin. The book, “A Field Guide to Otherkin”, explains and explores a growing group of people who identify as something other than human. I have covered this subculture in the past since a large number of Otherkin also identify with modern Pagan religions or occult/magical practices, and there is some tension over their inclusion by Pagans worried about mainstream acceptance. Given this, I felt an interview with the author where we explore this subculture would benefit us far more than a simple review.

I suppose the first question for the uninitiated is what are Otherkin, and what made you want to write a book on the subject?

Otherkin are people who identify in some manner (generally nonphysical) as Other than human. While the stereotype of Otherkin is a person who believes s/he was a dragon or an elf in a past life, there’s actually a wide variety of theories as to how we got to be what/where we are, and what we identify as. Reincarnation is probably the most popular theory, the idea that what you were in a previous/alternate life still affects you to an extent in this one. However, there are also theories involving genetics and physiology, psychology and neurobiology, energy, and even metaphor. (And, of course, there’s the possibility that we’re all sharing a collective delusion.)

As to what sorts of beings we identify as, while you get a lot of elves, fey beings, and dragons, I’ve also met or heard of people who identify as gryphons, unicorns, kitsune (Japanese fox spirits) and even someone who identifies on a certain level as a Chupacabra (look into cryptozoology if you don’t know what I’m talking about). I’ve included therianthropes, people who identify in some way as nonhuman animals native to this plane of reality, as well as vampires. With regards to those groups, some people include them under the Otherkin aegis, while others don’t; it’s mostly an issue of semantics and personal preference. I included them because there is a good bit of crossover among Otherkin, therians, and vampires. Also, I am a wolf therian (surprise!) and I consider myself to be Otherkin because of it. But, as with just about anything involving Otherkin, it really depends on the individual.

I wrote A Field Guide to Otherkin for several reasons. I first dipped my toes into the Otherkin community about a decade ago, though my participation has been intermittent depending on how I felt about that part of myself. Pretty much from the beginning I remembered people posting on listserves every so often saying “Hey, I’m writing a book on Otherkin-wanna fill out my survey?” Other than a couple of books on vampires and one on therianthropy, I never saw anything manifest, and nothing on the Otherkin community as a whole. There have been a few books on Paganism and other topics that have mentioned Otherkin, but as far as I know, the Field Guide is the first book solely dedicated to Otherkin.

Part of why I wrote it was because Otherkin are becoming more well-known as a community, and there are a lot of misconceptions out there about us. I wanted to write a book that would be partly a resource for Otherkin themselves , but also for people who aren’t Otherkin who are curious. There are tons of good websites out there, and you can find a bunch of them in the website section of my bibliography, but some people have the idea that a book is automatically a better quality resource. So rather than putting up yet another website when there are already so many good sites out there, I decided to write a book. Plus I had just published my first book, Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic, so I was open to a new project, and this was a good challenge for me.

I’ll say right now that I am not the ultimate authority on Otherkin, and the Field Guide should not be seen as the do-all and end-all of Otherkin information (the same goes for this interview). I strongly urge readers of the Field Guide to check out the annotated bibliography to find both books and websites that I found really useful, and that have perspective other than my own.

Your book points out several instances of mythological and historical anecdotes that point towards the possibility (or at least the idea) of possessing a non-human soul, yet it is fairly recently that a unifying social construction of “otherkinism” has emerged. Why is it important now that these Otherkin have a shared group identity? Looking closer at some of the different varieties of Otherkin (elves, vampires, therians) many of them seem to have little in common.

I think it’s mainly the idea of “I’m not the only one!” Even Otherkin admit that believing you’re not human through and through is a pretty weird thing, and a lot of us, especially those of us who recognized our “Other-ness” at a young age, questioned our sanity over the years. I know I went through what I call the “belief-doubt-belief” cycle a number of times about my therianthropy. I’d start out feeling okay with the idea of being lupine on some level, but then I’d start worrying “Am I insane? What the hell am I thinking?” And so I’d repress anything having to do with therianthropy whatsoever. This invariably would make me depressed, and as with anything we repress, the wolf side would start creeping out again, whether I liked it or not. I continued in this cycle until I finally decided to just accept that this is a part of me, for better or for worse. I can honestly say I feel healthier and happier now than I ever did when I was trying to shove it back in the box, so to speak.

And for me, as well as a lot of other Otherkin, having others who have had at least somewhat similar experiences around is comforting, just as Pagans often feel happier when around other Pagans. It’s not that Otherkin at gatherings and meetups only talk about Otherkin things; it’s just nice knowing that if someone cracks a joke about bumping into someone with ethereal wings, or mentions something that involves being Other, it’s not a big deal. It really does resemble the Pagan community in that way; you have a bunch of people with an eclectic mix of beliefs and backgrounds, but we feel better in each other’s company because it’s safe space with people who share a certain level of understanding.

Do you think there is a larger reason or purpose to all these “awakenings” into Otherkinism, or is it simple a by-product of the Internet allowing more networking.

Okay, first thing before I go into this question-”Otherkinism” isn’t a word, at least not one that Otherkin use. “Otherkin” is pretty much a general use term, including as a collective noun. “Otherkinism” is like saying “Wiccanism”. It also gives the wrong impression that Otherkin is a religion, which it isn’t; it’s more properly a subculture with some spiritual aspects that not all Otherkin adhere to.

But linguistic details aside, I don’t think there’s any huge cosmic purpose, personally. I know some Otherkin, especially more newly Awakened ‘kin, often try to fit themselves into some sort of Apocalyptic destiny or other crucial story. I’ve heard the idea that at some vague point in the near future “the Veil between the worlds” will fall, and all Otherkin will take their “true” physical forms in order to fight some massive battle between the forces of Light and Darkness. I’ve also seen similar stories among people who are brand-new to magical practice in general; it’s not just Otherkin. That’s actually why I asked Chris Carter to write his guest essay on personal mythology for the book. There’s a definite purpose for telling a story about yourself, as long as you stay grounded in the realities of this world. I think Chris did a great job of showing the boundaries between personal mythology as a way of enhancing one’s understanding of this life, and personal mythology as a way of disconnecting from this life.

I do think the internet has had a definite impact on Otherkin. As to what the exact nature of that impact is, who’s to say for sure? Saying that all Otherkin are a bunch of introverted, unemployed basement-dwellers who have poor personal hygiene and no real social life outside of the computer is a grossly inaccurate stereotype (and I hold myself up as an example contrary to that stereotype). On the other hand, I think it’s possible that at least some people “Awakened” because they found the concept of Otherkin on the internet and thought it was cool. However, a lot of Otherkin I know felt something Other about themselves long before they ever encountered the internet; finding other people online (and in person) helped give us a structure and a common jargon to use in exploring that part of ourselves. Even without the internet Otherkin were finding each other; the Elf Queen’s Daughters, and later, the Silver Elves, were all doing their elven communications via newsletters in the 1970s. People find each other using whatever communication method they have available; the internet has simply sped up the transfer of information to an unprecedented level.

Regarding reincarnation, (one of the most common explanations for Otherkin) some schools of thought teach that all of us were animals at some point in our many lives. If you subscribed to such a view wouldn’t almost everyone be “Otherkin” technically speaking? Or is Otherkin identity predicated on remembrance and identification with that past life?

I have met Pagans who believed they were nonhuman animals in a previous life, but didn’t identify as Otherkin. I think part of what makes one Otherkin is the conscious present identity with the Other self, whether through reincarnation or another theory. In my own case, for example, I’m not sure whether I was a wolf in a past life or not; it might just be a weird piece of psychological imprinting and conditioning. Regardless of how I got to be this way, though, there has been a part of me, since I was very young, that always felt that I should have been born a wolf rather than a human. I’ve balanced it out with the rest of me, so it doesn’t rule my life, but it’s a definite influence on how I perceive the world. I consciously accept and embrace that which is not human within me, and I think that’s one of the main differences between me as Otherkin, and a Pagan who had a previous life as a wolf that doesn’t really affect who s/he is now.

By the way, reincarnation just seems to be the theory of origin that gets used the most; I think part of it is because it allows a certain amount of literal interpretation, and people feel that “literal” is more legitimate than “metaphorical”. Not that there aren’t people who could literally be reincarnated dragons, but I think sometimes people may assume that a feeling or dream or vision they get in meditation is automatically a past life memory, when it may in fact be the subconscious mind’s way of communicating information about the self to the conscious mind. It really depends on the individual person, though; I don’t think it’s accurate to attribute all Otherkin to one particular theory of origin.

Perhaps of special interest to readers of my blog is that a large number of self-described Otherkin (though not all) are involved in some form of modern Paganism, or occult/magical practice. Do you think there is a special reason for this, or is it simply that these religious/magical subcultures are more accepting than most of ideas outside the accepted norms?

I think that Neopaganism appeals to a lot of Otherkin because it allows for a magical worldview that a lot of Otherkin adhere to, as well as the existence of nonhuman entities (at least on nonphysical planes of reality) and broad interpretations of concepts like reincarnation. I also think the fact that Pagans tend to be (as a group) more open-minded also helps. This doesn’t however, mean that “Otherkin” should be seen as a subsection of Paganism. For one thing, there are Otherkin (particularly therians) who explain themselves solely through psychology, and who are incredibly skeptical about anything magical or mystical. And there are Otherkin who aren’t Pagan (at least not Neopagan)-I know of Otherkin who are various types of Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Agnostic, Atheist, etc. As I mentioned earlier, “Otherkin” isn’t a religion, though some ‘kin may work it in with their religious beliefs or vice versa.

Finally, while the Pagan community does tend to be more accepting of various subcultures with which it has some crossover (including the GLBT and kink communities), there are still a lot of Pagans who automatically shunt “Otherkin” into the fluff bin. This seems to be particularly so in light of the “de-fluffing” movement that seems to have gained popularity in recent years. Unfortunately, those Otherkin who do examine their beliefs about themselves critically often get thrown out along with those for whom this is all an excuse for escapism.

Pop-culture and fictional stories seem to weigh heavily on the Otherkin community, to the point where some have accused Otherkin (sometimes quite harshly) of simply being over-imaginative role-players. To complicate this you even point out that there are “mediakin” people who believe themselves to house the soul of a character from a fictional world (like Neo from the Matrix), a group that even a fair number of Otherkin have a hard time accepting. So how can an outsider tell the difference between someone with an out-of-control imagination (perhaps to the point of mental illness), and someone who healthily identifies themselves with an inhuman soul.

In general, I judge sanity by functionality. If a person can hold down a job, maintain a healthy social life, and otherwise function as well in society as anyone else, then I don’t consider hir to be insane. This ties in with one of the appendices from the Field Guide, which is basically a description of a conversation I had with a therapist about my therianthropy. One of the main points she brought up was that her job, as a therapist, was NOT to judge the validity of a person’s belief, but how that belief affected the person on a daily basis.

Are there people in the ‘kin community I look askance at? Sure. But they’re the people who seem to have a hard time reconciling being Otherkin with having an everyday life, and particularly those who seem to be deliberately causing that schism. A theoretical example might be a therian who refuses to work around other people because s/he swears s/he’ll bite them, and so “can’t” get a job. Part of being Otherkin is being that Other within *this* reality. Don’t like it here? Tough. You’re here, so deal with it. There’s only one other option, and I don’t recommend it. (And anyway, there are some pretty nifty things about this world—biodiversity, good books, Ben and Jerry’s…)

As to Mediakin, admittedly that concept takes a little more mind-twisting than Otherkin in general. I think a lot of people get hung up on the idea of literal reincarnation involving “fictional” beings. For a more detailed explanation from a Mediakin perspective that clears up some of the misconceptions, I strongly recommend http://otakukin.atspace.com/.

The recent news article featuring someone claiming to be Neo and Trinity from The Matrix got a pretty negative reaction, including from the Mediakin community. I’m friended to a few Mediakin on Livejournal, and the sense I got was “Oh, no, not THEM!” It’d be sort of like if Kevin Carlyon ended up being the media’s first exposure to witchcraft. (I don’t make any personal judgment in any case; I’m just describing the reactions I encountered.)

To a certain extent the vampire and elvish communities that are now grouped under the Otherkin label were (and are) self-supporting subcultures that existed before the idea of Otherkinism. Is there resistance from these groups to being lumped under this umbrella term? It also seems that some of the vampires, instead of believing themselves to be “vampire-souled”, instead simply claim to *be* vampires (just as some elves/fairies claim to be actual bloodline descendants). Does this still make them Otherkin?

As I mentioned before, there’s discussion as to whether therians and vampires in particular are or aren’t Otherkin, and it depends on who you talk to. Certainly there’s a fair amount of interaction among the various communities, but I think it really just boils down to a debate of semantics. There are also people who could be described as Otherkin who dislike the negative connotations the term has picked up and so either use another word entirely or no label at all. You also see that in therianthropy, people who call themselves, for example, animal people instead of therians.

Not all Otherkin in general claim to have nonhuman souls; for some it’s a matter of energy, or psychology, or in rare cases physiology/genetics (as in the case of elves and fey who claim to have had a nonhuman ancestor). Again, that’s the common misconception that Otherkin = reincarnation. Vampires are a special case, because the majority have some physical symptoms of vampirism. Sanguine vampires require blood to maintain their health, while psychic vampires need to feed off of others’ energy to stay physically healthy. If either type of vampire stops feeding, very commonly there’ll be physical weakness and illness as a result. While it’s possible that at least some of these cases could be psychosomatic, there’s also the conscious identification with vampirism involved. So that could mean, for some people, that vampire = Otherkin, regardless of the physical aspects.

How should a non-kin approach the subject of a friend or family member “coming out” (or being found out) as an Otherkin? As you note in the book, most people will most likely see that person as a bit “touched” in the head. You also note that possible Otherkin should have real mental problems treated at once. So I guess the question is how do we draw the line between personal gnosis about your soul’s identity and simple mental illness? What resources are there for Otherkin and non-kin to access to tell the difference?

Again, I stress functionality. Just as friends and family of Pagans found out after a while that we weren’t running around eating babies and sacrificing the neighbor’s cat in the graveyard, so the people close to those Otherkin who are out eventually discover that the dragon or elf in the family is the same person as before, albeit maybe with an “odd” belief about hirself. Obviously, if a person is using the concept of Otherkin to excuse unhealthy behaviors or is exhibiting signs of a definite mental illness, s/he needs to get help. However, believing you are Otherkin isn’t necessarily a symptom of a mental illness, same thing as believing in magic or pre-Christian gods isn’t, either. If you get a Pagan who tries to sacrifice hir children because the Goddess said so, or a dragonkin who believes that hir kleptomania is because s/he naturally likes hoarding shiny objects, those are cases of people using their beliefs to excuse very unhealthy behaviors. But those behaviors probably weren’t *caused* by Paganism or Otherkin; the people would have found some framework to wrap their illnesses around regardless. People use Christianity as an excuse to shoot homosexuals and abortion doctors; that doesn’t mean Christianity itself is to blame. It just means you have a seriously imbalanced person using the trappings of a belief system to justify hir behaviors.

In the last chapter you switch gears from a field guide to a primer for those who may think they might be an Otherkin. What would be the most important piece of advice to pass on to newcomers exploring the world(s) and cultures described in your book?

It’s okay to have your head in the clouds as long as you have your feet firmly planted on the ground. It’s very easy to get carried away by the idea of being something special, and more than human, and ever so amazing! I ought to know, because when I first discovered the concept of therianthropy, I kept waiting for my first physical shapeshift. After the first few fruitless full moons, though, I started talking to other therians and found out that it wasn’t quite like that.

Part of the reason I emphasize research and networking so much is to make sure that newly Awakened Otherkin have a sounding board to bounce their experiences off of. No matter what you’re going through, chances are that someone else has been through a similar experience and can give you some advice. In the words of Tyler Durden, “You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake”-any more than any other person, Otherkin or otherwise. That doesn’t mean that what you’re going through isn’t important to you, but it does mean that being Otherkin doesn’t make you better than human or exempt you from the rules of this reality. Explore this part of yourself, but don’t forget to weave it in with the rest of who you are. I don’t like meat with my salad, and work with animal totems, just because I am a wolf therian; I am a wolf therian who also happens to be omnivorous and practices totemism and other forms of animal magic.

Finally, what is the most important thing about Otherkin that an outsider should know and remember?

The Otherkin community is incredibly diverse; in some ways it makes the Pagan community look positively monolithic! Don’t judge all Otherkin by a few examples. We have our nuts and flakes in our community, admittedly, but chances are so do you. Some of the really loud people in the Otherkin community are newbies who probably haven’t done a lot of soul-searching yet, and who are really enamored of the idea of “I’m different!” Many of the more mature people who’ve explored and questioned and critiqued themselves over and over are pretty quiet and in the background, either because they see no need to be “loud and proud”, or because they dislike the automatic negative reactions and stereotyping that some non-’kin throw at anyone who admits to being Otherkin. After all, if you tried to talk about something you were interested in, and someone immediately tried to shoot you down with all the worst possible aspects of what you were discussing-repeatedly-wouldn’t that discourage you after a while?

For Pagans, think of it this way. The Pagans that the media often runs into first are the newbies and the flakes (though, thankfully, we’ve seen some improvement in that regard). How long has it taken the more mature members of the Pagan community to feel comfortable coming out and talking to the media without the automatic fear that they’ll be sensationalized? Otherkin are the same way. There are Otherkin out there besides “identitykin”; you just have to look for them sometimes.

Thank you for the chance to chat about this, Jason!

You can buy an autographed copy of “A Field Guide to Otherkin” at Lupa’s web site (though there is a two-week waiting period), or you can pick up a copy from Amazon.com.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/05/interview-with-lupa.html/feed 2 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-three.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-three.html#comments Sat, 06 Jan 2007 12:23:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/a-review-of-three-perspectives-part-three.html This is part three of a three-part series reviewing recent books on magic(k)al theory and practice. In part one I took a brief look at Taylor Ellwood’s “Space/Time Magic” and “Pop Culture Magick”. You can read Taylor’s rebuttal to my review (and my subsequent comments) in the comments of that entry. In part two I reviewed Lupa’s book “Fang and Fur Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic”, today I will focus on Ross G.H. Shott’s book “The Dark Arts of Immortality: Transformation Through War, Sex, & Magic”.

If Ellwood’s magic is concerned with expanding your perceptions in hopes of discovering your “true potential”, and Lupa’s magic is concerned with connecting with the primal forces on this earth, then Shott’s is dedicated to glorification of the self (with the ultimate goal of self-deification). “The Dark Arts of Immortality” is a manual of Left-Handed or “black” magic given a Pagan (Germanic Heathen to be precise) slant. This is not to insult Shott, he proudly claims his philosophical and spiritual heritage throughout the book. Prominent Satanists/Setians Anton LaVey, Stephen Flowers (aka Edred Thorsson), and Don Webb are quoted in addition to favored thinkers of Left-Hand path philosophy like Friedrich Nietzsche and Aleister Crowley.

Shott’s book claims to give you the tools to achieve Godhood. To him the “Left-Handed” path is the only logical path an “awakened” person who wants to evolve could take. He attributes “Right-Handed” paths as leading into the worst aspects of Christian dualism (or at best muddled sublimation of the self), though he doesn’t seem to notice the false dichotomy he creates in setting up his definitions of these two paths. As someone who adheres to a polytheist outlook on the world, I get nervous when anyone boils everything down to one of two choices.

The main tools within the book involve harnessing the powers of “fury” (war), “ecstasy” (sex) and “exaltation” (magic) with the ultimate goal of ascension (with an intact ego or “self”). To become in Shott’s terminology a “Lord of the Left Hand Path”. If such a goal is your cup of tea, then you may enjoy this book. It certainly has some glowing reviews on Amazon.com. For me personally, I don’t much see the point in creating a “super-Jason” to roam the heavens, but to each their own. However, If you are looking for a primer in such things, Shott’s book is an quick read with practical advice from his perspective.

So after reviewing three books on the subject, what is magic? Simply it is the directing of your will towards a goal. That goal can be self-discovery or self-exaltation. It can be earth-bound or lofty. It can be as complex as creating a new reality or (in the words of Crowley) as simple as blowing your nose. Where it goes, and how it is used all depends on your preferences and temperament.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-three.html/feed 0 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-two.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-two.html#comments Fri, 05 Jan 2007 06:01:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/a-review-of-three-perspectives-part-two.html This is part two of a three-part series of reviews of recent books on magic(k)al theory and practice. In part one I took a brief look at Taylor Ellwood’s “Space/Time Magic” and “Pop Culture Magick”. You can read Taylor’s rebuttal to my review (and my subsequent comments) in the comments of that entry. Today I will focus on Lupa’s book “Fang and Fur Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic”, but before I begin I would like to point out that all three authors being reviewed in this series have written thought-provoking books. If I didn’t think so I wouldn’t be reviewing them in the first place. Critical comments that I convey shouldn’t be seen as any sort of judgment on their talent as writers (or magicians).

Let me begin this second review by saying that I liked Lupa’s book the best of all three I will be reviewing. “Fang and Fur” is a very bare-bones (no pun intended) and sensible look at animal magic. She has a clear writing style and conveys her ideas well. She tackles some thorny issues with care and wit, and I think it may be one of the better books on this subject written for a modern Pagan audience. While not every idea there was my personal cup of tea, all in all I think it is a very successful first book. So instead of simply listing off its good points I would like to discuss two particularly controversial issues within the book: animal sacrifice and Otherkin.

First off, Otherkin. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, Otherkin (as defined by Wikipedia) are people who “consider themselves non-human or having a connection to a mythical archetype in some way, usually believing to be mythological or legendary creatures.” I wrote an in-depth post on the subject of Otherkin within modern Paganism last year. I wondered at the time if the Otherkin being “stranger” than your average Pagan or Heathen would eventually draw the press in the same manner that the plastic-caped Witches of Salem do.

“…as our faith(s) grow and gain the spotlight we know that it is “interesting” cases that get attention by the media. Journalists have a hard time writing stories about “normal religion”. So we get a lot of coverage of the black-clad flamboyant Salem Witches, and not so much of the average practitioner living in the Midwest raising a family. Which would a reporter on a deadline prefer? A story concentrating on a local Heathen group throwing a charity event or a profile of someone who thinks they are a dragon?”

Some Otherkin felt I was being judgmental towards them, but I do think that the growing number of ‘Kin in our ranks will eventually be noticed by outsiders and have to be explained in a clear sensible manner as part of a spectrum of belief within our faiths. Which brings me to Lupa’s book. I felt that she tackled the issue of Otherkinism in a very diplomatic and reasoned manner that should be emulated. She makes it quite clear that there is a distinct possibility that these “inhuman” feelings could merely be constructed within her mind. She talks of totemic imprinting, the use of imagination, and even that she might be crazy (though no more crazy than the rest of the world) in addition to the theory that her soul is non-human (in her case lupine).

This is a refreshing thing to read. It is this kind of attitude that will succeed in explaining this phenomena to the general public. The fact that she is also writing a “field guide” to this subculture seems to show a growing maturity among Otherkin (a maturity I have had trouble finding when I went looking at online communities).

The second controversial topic is animal sacrifice. Again she writes a clear chapter on the merits of animal sacrifice without shying away from issues of animal abuse and factory farming. I have some pretty strong feelings on the subject, I have been a Vegan for several years (and perfectly healthy if you must know), and have a strong spiritual commitment to that choice. So it may surprise some people to know that I have no problem with compassionate sacrifice for holy rights, or slaughtering your own meat for sustenance (though neither of those paths are mine). I think that our culture has lost all perspective involving the eating of meat, and I share the horror and dread of the factory farm industry (and government’s blind eye to the abuses committed) that any sensible small farmer already holds. Any action that can shock people into reawakening to where that burger comes from can only be a good thing. We have to move beyond being “thankful” for the animals we eat and move towards truly honoring the animals before they wind up processed in the grocery.

Lupa has managed to write a book that includes animal sacrifice and Otherkin that even a Pagan who has no affinity for either can enjoy. In the process she shows a way forward from contrived appropriations from Native cultures, and silly impractical ideas about animals and magic. I dare say this book comes closest to my personal practice (such as it is).

Tomorrow I will write about the third book in this series, Ross G.H. Shott’s “The Dark Arts of Immortality: Transformation Through War, Sex, & Magic”.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-two.html/feed 4 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-one.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/review-of-three-perspectives-part-one.html#comments Thu, 04 Jan 2007 13:25:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/01/a-review-of-three-perspectives-part-one.html “Using words to describe magic is like using a screwdriver to cut roast beef” – Tom Robbins

“What is a Magical Operation? It may be defined as any event in nature which is brought to pass by Will. We must not exclude potato-growing or banking from our definition. Let us take a very simple example of a Magical Act: that of a man blowing his nose.” – Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice, Chapter XIV

I’m not much of a “magick” guy. This may be a shocking admission for someone who has been involved with religious traditions that incorporate ritual magic into their rites. I was always more interested in how faith and culture intersected, the power of story and community, and how traditions can influence people to serve something beyond their immediate interests. But like I said, my family of faiths include many for whom the practice of magic(k) is of great importance, and a mini-industry of books published on the subject have emerged in an effort to guide (or influence) these practitioners.

Recently, I have been sent books on magic(k)al practice and theory from three different authors. Each approach the subject from different angles, and I thought it would be interesting to discuss each author in a three-part series of inter-connected posts. The authors are Taylor Ellwood, author of “Space/Time Magic” and “Pop Culture Magick”, Lupa, author of “Fang and Fur Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic”, and Ross G.H. Shott, author of “The Dark Arts of Immortality: Transformation Through War, Sex, & Magic”. Each author presents a system of magical practice, and each are attempting (by their own admissions) to bring forth something new or innovative to the subject.

Taylor Ellwood is a practitioner of “Chaos Magic”, a system that places great importance on paradigm shifting (or reality warping if you prefer). This school of thought tends to be individualistic and focused on personal “results”. In the truest sense nothing is “sacred” (nothing is true, and everything is permitted) here except what you happen to believe is sacred at the time. Thus Ellwood in “Pop Culture Magick” has no qualms with declaring pre-Christian gods as mostly obsolete “the ancient gods are outmoded in this day and age”, and instead prescribing the use of celebrities, cartoons, and other pop-culture icons as focus-points for performing magic (Though if “popularity” is an issue, shouldn’t he simply use Christian iconography?).

His entire “Pop Culture Magick” book is essentially a primer on how to use these “entities” to focus your will towards attaining results (a primary theme of Chaos Magic). You enjoyment of such ideas will hinge very much on how you approach pop-culture, if the idea of using Pokemon or Miss Cleo as a focus for your will gives you hives, then this book will no doubt leave you cold (or make you laugh). Personally (as someone who is well-informed of pop-culture), I think there are some serious flaws in using these figures and themes as a basis of practice. It seems a bit too self-inflating and ignores some of the very noxious memes that are perpetrated in our patriarchal culture (even in seemingly innocent ways). But that is my personal hang-up and probably a subject for a different essay.

His other book “Space/Time Magic” deals more with shifting your view away from linear ideas of time, and instead seeing time and space and fluid concepts that can be manipulated to your benefit. This includes working magic on your past to improve your present (or future), exploring the possibilities of parallel universes, and the use of art (writing, drawing, music) as a focus towards these goals. Ellwood’s ultimate goal? In his own words it is to “constantly remanifest oneself by expanding one’s perception of reality and ourselves” in hopes of eventually finding out one’s “true potential”. Which all sounds very fascinating though the border between “remanifesting” yourself and self-delusion can be pretty thin (a point the author acknowledges).

My biggest complaint with these books as a critic is that both would have made better long essays (a point made by a reviewer on Amazon). In several cases I felt I was getting “filler” to stretch the book to the 150+ page mark. A result, no doubt, of trying crank out a new book every year. Ellwood seems to have a keen mind and some interesting ideas, but I don’t feel that these books have broken too much new ground. If anything, Ellwood seems to be writing a sort of “Chaos Magic For Dummies” series, which is a shame since I think the author has a lot more to give.

Tomorrow I will discuss Lupa’s book, and the issues of animal sacrifice, Otherkin, and cultural appropriation in magic.
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