Is The First Amendment for Monotheists Only: Let’s start off with some more information concerning Patrick McCollum’s legal battle over California’s “five faiths” policy. I have here, available for download, the entire complaint, which shows that it was filed as a class action alongside several Pagan inmates. Not, as past media coverage has implied, by McCollum alone.

“The two-tier system inherent in the Five State-Sanctioned Faiths Policy creates a lack of resources and denial of access, which denies Wiccan/Pagan inmates the ability to participate in essential religious ceremonies and perform religious rites mandated by their faith. Chaplains of the Five State-Sanctioned Faiths who are hired are often hostile to Wiccan/Pagan religions, yet are called on to oversee Wiccan/Pagan religious life because of the absence of Wiccan/Pagan chaplains. In many cases, the Five State Sanctioned Faiths Chaplains discriminate against the Wiccan/Pagans when forced into such roles and prioritize the needs of the adherents of their own faiths above the needs of the Wiccan/Pagans.”

The complaint also lists the various discriminatory actions against Pagan inmates and McCollum perpetrated by the California correctional system. In addition, I was provided a copy of a document that proves the California Department of Correction’s key official and witness committed perjury before the court, regarding the most key components of the state’s case against Pagans. Finally, I have a copy of another amicus brief in support of McCollum that includes the support of several religious and chaplaincy organizations, including such Pagan organizations as Cherry Hill Seminary, Covenant of the Goddess, and The Aquarian Tabernacle Church.

Relevant Documents:

• Patrick M. McCollum; et al., v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; et al.
• Defendants Concede That They Made Misrepresentations About The Application Of Any Criteria (copy).
• Amicus Curiae by Rev. Charles Gibbs, Executive Director of the United Religions Initiative, Rev. Paul Chaffee founding Executive Director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, Diana L. Eck, Director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University, James A. Donahue, President of the Graduate Theological Union, The Covenant of the Goddess, Cherry Hill Seminary, Rev. Carol Hovis, Executive Director of the Marin Interfaith Council, The Institute of Buddhist Studies, American Correctional Chaplains Association, The American Catholic Correctional Chaplains Association, Willam E. Lesher, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, Maha ElGenaidi, founder of the Islamic Networks Group, The Aquarian Tabernacle Church, and Professor Michael York.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s a very good reason why the State of California wants to deny McCollum standing, because if this goes to trial it could potentially explode into a huge scandal, and cost several officials their jobs. As always, I’ll keep you posted regarding the latest developments.

Pagan Benefit CD for Haiti: PaganFM! and Circle Sanctuary are teaming up to release a benefit compilation album with the proceeds going towards recovery and rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

“Pagan musicians and bands from Australia to Canada are taking part; some are very well-known, others are up and coming, and still others are well-established but have more limited audiences. The music on the album ranges from folk, to rock to ethnic and beyond. This album will be an opportunity for each of them to use their talents and skills to open the hearts of listeners across the planet, encouraging everyone to unite in purpose.”

Tentative release date is the first week in March. Once I know more concerning a track-listing or purchasing information, I’ll let you know. For more information, contact Deirdre Hebert of PaganFM!.

Sectarian Prayer in North Carolina: On Thursday a federal judge ruled that using sectarian prayer to open a North Carolina county board of commissioners meeting violates the First Amendment. This comes after a magistrate judge issued a similar ruling on the same case back in November.

“The Supreme Court has also emphasized that such legislative prayers must not advance a particular faith or belief, because to do so would have the effect of affiliating the Government with that particular faith or belief in violation of the Establishment Clause,” U.S. District Judge James A. Beaty Jr. wrote.

As I reported previously, several North Carolina counties have been anxiously watching this case, wondering if it would interfere with their own sectarian opening prayers. It now looks like they too will have to alter their practices, or else face expensive litigation on a legal issue that isn’t trending in their favor. North Carolina has been host to any number of legal issues lately that focus on a Christian majority misusing its power, could this be the start of a shift away from that trend?

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

“The Supreme Court of the U.S. did not rule that the free exercise of Santeria is “permitted.” It ruled, unambiguously (9-0), that the free exercise of Santeria is protected. This is not a minor distinction. People like Sally Kern — or like Chuck Colson and Robert George and everybody they got to endorse their “Manhattan Declaration” — like to think that their particular religion is protected by the First Amendment while other, less widely held religions are merely “permitted,” merely tolerated out of a benign condescension. But the First Amendment does not make or allow for any such distinction. If it did, then America would require a Saudi-style “religious police” to enforce laws dependent on the content of religious beliefs. A legal category of “heretical, but permitted” could not long exist without realizing the implied additional legal category of “heretical and prohibited,” and neither category is compatible with religious freedom. It is not possible to make legal judgments regarding the content of religious belief without enforcing laws against heresy. And it is not possible to enact and enforce laws against heresy without religious tyranny.”

For those curious about what that “Manhattan Declaration” is that he mentioned, you can find the text of it, here. You can read Slacktivist’s opinion of that declaration, here. While I’m not too surprised to see a Christian blog report on the Sibat case, I’m pleasantly surprised to see one address the Santeria story. Kudos to Fred Clark for addressing the fact that religious freedom means freedom for all religions, not just the ones that are “Judeo-Christian”.

The Smoky Mountain News in North Carolina takes an exhaustive look at the various viewpoints on the matter of public religious invocations before government meetings. Interviewing Christians, atheists, politicians, lawyers, and even Pagans, in the process.

“Lianna Constantino, high priestess of the Sylva Hearth Pagan Temple, said prayers that specifically reference Jesus Christ in Haywood, Swain and Macon counties persist simply because the practice has never been challenged. In her opinion, holding any one group above another promotes an atmosphere of intolerance. In Constantino’s view, it will take a long time for major change, somewhat due to the makeup of WNC society. “There hasn’t been a lot of diversity like there has been in other parts of the country,” said Constantino. “As a simple fact, this is a pretty homogenous Christian-entrenched society in the South.” … Constantino, high priestess of the Sylva Hearth Pagan Temple, said endorsing Christian prayers before meetings blatantly violates a precious partition between religion and state. “I think it is rude, arrogant and presumptuous to impose any singular religious tradition on a religiously diverse society,” said Constantino.”

The article was prompted by recent successful legal challenges in Forsyth County that ended sectarian prayer before governmental meetings. Now a group of North Carolina counties (Haywood, Macon and Swain) wonder when they’ll be called to court for excluding religious minorities, or making public sectarian invocations. The answer is most likely “eventually”, as religious minorities (and atheists) grow and decide they’ve had enough of a governmental endorsement of Christianity masquerading as “religious freedom”.

In a final note, the Guardian music blog spotlights “Pagan Metal: A Documentary”, a film I’ve mentioned here before.

“The result is a new film, Pagan Metal: A Documentary, that features interviews with some of the scene’s big players, including Finnish bands, Finntroll, Korpiklaani and Turisas, as well as Norway’s Leaves Eyes and Ireland’s Primordial. Their dedication to ancient traditions doesn’t quite go as far as carving guitars out of birch and stringing them with the entrails of wild boar, but alongside your typical metal set-up, traditional instruments, such as violins, flutes and Celtic bagpipes, are rife. Lyrics, meanwhile, are steeped in traditional, pre-Christian themes: Finntroll, for instance, draw inspiration from from the epic Finnish poem The Kalevala.”

The post chronicles how film producer Bill Zebub was initially quite skeptical of the genre, but was won over by the “vibe” which called out to “the European” within him. They also tackle how some bands veer into racism and nationalism, though they do add that there is less extremism and sensationalism on the whole than within the more-popular Black Metal genre (a genre that also has a documentary about it coming out).

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

“Prosecutors have charged three people, including two ranking members of the Durham County Democratic Party, as part of an investigation into allegations of rape and kidnapping that prosecutors said involved satanic worship … Authorities have said little about the case outside of the information included in arrest warrants, which allege that [Joseph Scott] Craig beat a man and a woman, raped the woman and that [Joy] Johnson watched as he did so. Durham County Assistant District Attorney Mark McCullough said earlier this week that charges stemmed from some sort of satanic ritual.”

From the beginning things didn’t seem quite right, lawyers for the couple insisted that what happened wasn’t rape and kidnapping, but consensual sadomasochism, and I started to wonder if the accusations were vindictive.

“Let’s deconstruct this for a moment. One couple meets another couple, allegedly through “a shared interest in Satan worship”. They then engage in, on three occasions, what sounds very much like cuckold play, a very, very common kink. The basic scenario, in short, is that a man (or woman) is restrained (mentally or physically) and “forced” to watch his (or her) partner sexually gratified by a stranger. While I’m not ruling out mental coercion, or that the final instance may have been done without consent, we may also be dealing with what sex columnist Dan Savage calls “drastic, disgusted, after-the-fact denial” (NSFW language at link).”

Despite some weird inconsistencies (like the fact that they had access to money, phones, and cars, and continued to live with the couple even after the alleged incidents), and testimony from the accusers that the four had indeed been living together and in an admitted consensual sexual relationship, a judge allowed the case to go forward.  Soon after that, the local Assistant District Attorney admitted that “some if not all of the charges may need to be modified”, and bail was subsequently lowered for both Joy Johnson and Joseph Scott Craig.

Finally, nearly a year and a half after the case began, and their lives ruined by the publicity and criminal charges, the two were convicted of misdemeanors in a plea arrangement (more here).

“WRAL reported that 25-year-old Joseph Scott Craig and his 30-year-old wife Joy Johnson were each sentenced Friday to two 60-day suspended sentences and a year of probation. Search warrants said the victims were a man and a woman who moved in with Craig and Johnson after they became friends through their satanic interests.”

Notice that the “Satanic” slurs continue, even after the entire case has fallen apart. The DA’s office gets a plea arrangement, most likely because the defendants didn’t have confidence in receiving a fair verdict, or the cash for a lengthy trial-and-appeal process, and the accused get an end to this ongoing nightmare.

We will most likely never know what really happened, but it almost certainly wasn’t some sort of Satanic rape-kidnapping scenario, where one of the alleged victims says she was “channeling demons” during the process. Now the accusers have almost certainly gotten what they wanted, the ruination of their former friends/lovers, and the accused have to be happy with their freedom. Whatever really happened, I doubt anyone would claim this farce to be justice.

“A member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Franklin is prohibited from bringing his hunting knife to church after another member saw him with the blade at a Sunday service and got worried. The knife carrier, Charles Rowe, said there is no reason to be alarmed by his utensil. He simply wants to wear his knife to church because, “It’s part of me and part of who I am.” But even in Appalachia, where mountain men once thrived, Dr. Bill David, the complainant, said knives still shouldn’t be allowed in church … The debate has resulted in the church adopting a no weapons policy and sparked a vigorous discussion over an individual’s rights.”

Rowe is a Pagan and has been wearing the knife on his belt for the four years he’s been attending the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin, but recent uneasiness about weapons in the wake of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church shootings have raised sensitivities about possible weapons in the church. It should be interesting to see how the implementation (or renewal) of weapon bans in UU churches affect UU Pagans. Is an unsharpened athame a weapon? How that question is answered could cause tensions within churches that house thriving CUUPs or UU Pagan groups.

We start off with an update on an ongoing “Satanic Panic” case in North Carolina. A judge has lowered the bail of Joseph Craig, who is accused, along with his wife Joy Johnson, of raping and “kidnapping” another couple (during supposed “Satanic” rites) that lived with them.

“Judge Orlando Hudson lowered bail to $50,000 for Joseph Craig, who has been in the Durham County Jail since late June … Craig, 25, has been charged with second-degree rape, second-degree forcible sexual offense, three counts of second-degree kidnapping and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. His wife, Joy Johnson, 30, faces aiding and abetting charges in a case that has created financial hardships for the couple, defense lawyers say. The accusers in the bizarre case are a 44-year-old woman and 19-year-old man who moved in with the couple more than 10 months ago to study the occult.”

The defense team has argued that both couples were engaging in consensual sadomasochism, and that their accusers are mentally unstable. While any examination of the facts proves they aren’t Satanists, both accusers raised the specter of Satanism and “demons” in their testimony (the female accuser claims she was raped while channeling spirits). Both accusers continued to live with the accused months after the alleged incidents, despite having access to money, cell-phones, and transportation. Of course, as the article points out, even if Joseph Craig and Joy Johnson are cleared of the charges leveled against them, their lives have been ruined by this experience.

While one couple struggles against what may be false accusations, another man is being released from prison after recent DNA testing failed to link him to the scene of the crime. Joseph White, who spent 19 years in prison for the alleged rape-slaying of a 68 year old woman, claims that his Wiccan faith and shamanistic practice helped him persevere in prison.

“As White sipped on hot Darjeeling tea Thursday at a north Lincoln coffee shop, he calmly explained that faith helped him endure nearly two decades behind bars for a crime that he and the evidence say he didn’t commit. He said he was the leader of a Wiccan group at the penitentiary. His beliefs also include a mixture of Buddhism and shamanism.”

White, who is now 45, is trying to rebuild his life, and is saddened that he missed out on raising his son, now 20. According to state law, if a new case isn’t brought against White in six months (prosecutors now admit they have no evidence linking him to the crime), he’ll be exonerated of the charges.

A note to the East Valley Tribune, it always helps to be a specific as possible when applying religious labels. For instance, in what way is Dan “Dr. Dan” Bartlett a “pagan movement clergyman”?

“Organizational rules most define religion, says a pagan movement clergyman from Scottsdale, Dan “Dr. Dan” Bartlett, a certified holistic life path adviser. “Spirituality, on the other hand, comes from an individual belief and approach to a connection with what that person might see as God, or see as a connection with the super-consciousness of the universe,” he said.”

Dr. Dan’s site in no way mentions any form of modern Paganism. It does mention him being a “holistic life path advisor” and a “metaphysician”, but neither of those professions necessarily mean he’s a Pagan. However, I do give you kudos for referring to modern Paganism as a “movement” instead of a singular religion with “denominations”.

If you enjoyed the religiously non-specific and occult-avoiding Hallmark channel movie “The Good Witch” you’re in luck! They are rolling out a sequel to their “second-highest-rated original movie”.

“Witch’s Catherine Bell and Chris Potter will start shooting (thank goodness it’s a working title) The Good Witch 2 later this month in Toronto for a 2009 premiere. The sequel will revolve around Cassie Nightingale’s (Bell) relationship with Police Chief Jake Russell (Potter), which will be threatened when a new man enters her life, says The Hollywood Reporter.”

Marvel at a “witch” who runs a metaphysical store, and yet seems to have no religious or philosophical interest in the stuff she sells! Makes you wonder, did they tame down the occult elements because lead actress Catherine Bell is a Scientologist, or is it just a Hallmark thing?

Over at the On Faith site, Starhawk wants us to reject the politics of hate.

“Those of us who lay claim to some form of spiritual leadership should absolutely condemn the tactics of personal attack. We should call our politicians and our communities to think, speak and act from our best selves, not our worst, from respect and compassion, not from stoked-up rage and hate.”

One would hope that our “spiritual leadership” gets moving soon, because things are getting progressively meaner as we head into the final stretch of our presidential election.

According to Utah journalist Kelly Ashkettle, today the Utah Black Hat Society is holding their third annual Witches High Tea, sporting their conical caps with pride.

“On Oct. 18, the group will host its third annual Witches High Tea. According to their press release, “over 50 men and women will be wearing their finest robes, gowns, capes, jewels, staffs, wands, pentacles and, of course, tall, pointy hats. Warts, toads and pointed noses are optional.” So if you want to meet some real, yet light-hearted witches this Halloween season, get thee to the Lobby Lounge of the Grand America Hotel at 555 S. Main Street at 2 p.m. this Saturday.”

Since this is in Utah, I wonder how many Morwics will be in attendance? No matter what persuasion of Witch they may be, here’s hoping they all have a great time.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/pagan-news-of-note_18.html/feed 1 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/brunswick-board-is-back-in-news.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/brunswick-board-is-back-in-news.html#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:24:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/brunswick-board-is-back-in-the-news.html Some of you may remember our old friends on the Brunswick County School Board of North Carolina. Back in 2006 they tried to allow Christian groups to hand out religious literature on school campuses, a plan that was scuttled when Pagan publisher Llewellyn Worldwide told the board they would provide free books for local Pagans to hand out in schools.

Brunswick County Board of Education considering Pagan books.

Then, in 2007, the Brunswick Board petulantly threatened to ban Harry Potter books from their libraries in seeming retaliation against the Witches.

“Brunswick County school officials will consider a procedure for students’ parents to challenge books available at school libraries … Board member Shirley Babson said some parents have expressed that books such as the Harry Potter series represent witchcraft and promote the practice of Wicca. Board member Jimmy Hobbs said he sees the importance of reviewing the policy. ‘The issue is a valid issue,’ Hobbs said. ‘I’m not attacking Harry Potter. When the issue of Bibles in schools came up last year, the ones that raised the most opposition was the group known as Wicca. Does this policy give them a free pass to get their materials into the schools? When distributing materials, we should be careful by not being biased. Is Wicca being allowed, in other ways, to the exclusion of Christian literature?’”

Now our old pals are back again, and this time they want to “teach the controversy” by introducing creationism into their curriculum.

“Articles in the Wilmington, North Carolina Star News on Tuesday and Wednesday report that the Brunswick County (NC) School Board is looking for a way to teach creationism in the schools. The issue was raised at Tuesday’s board meeting by parent Joel Fanti who told the board that it was unfair for evolution to be taught as a fact. Fanti said: ‘I wasn’t here 2 million years ago. If evolution is so slow, why don’t we see anything evolving now?’ School board member Jimmy Hobbs responded: ‘It’s really a disgrace for the state school board to impose evolution on our students without teaching creationism. The law says we can’t have Bibles in schools, but we can have evolution, of the atheists.’”

Sadly, while their hearts want to teach children that people were hanging out with dinosaurs, state law prevents them from teaching religious dogma in science classes.

“But neither creationism nor the related “intelligent design,” which says life forms are so complex only a higher power could have created them, may be taught as a required course of study, Edd Dunlap, science section chief for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, said Wednesday. These are considered religious teachings and may not be taught in science class or as fact, although they may be included as part of an elective, such as a course on religion or philosophy, he said.”

Looks like the Brunswick Board has been foiled again! You know, maybe they should turn their attention to actually improving the schools they oversee instead of constantly hatching plots to insert Christian religion into the school district. If they truly feel that the only good education is a Christian education, maybe they should move into the private sector.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/brunswick-board-is-back-in-news.html/feed 1 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/asheville-witches-win.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/asheville-witches-win.html#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:18:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/asheville-witches-win.html For over a year, Dixie Deerman (aka Lady Passion), a Wiccan from Asheville, North Carolina, has been a driving force in trying to save a century-old magnolia tree from being cut down by local developers. The tree has become a galvanizing issue in Asheville, gaining support from local environmentalists and community members, and being used as a political football in City Council elections. Recently, Lady Passion and others had been keeping a 24/7 vigil at the tree in order to protect it.

Lady Passion under the magnolia tree.

Now it seems that the Witches (and their allies) have won. On Aug. 28, Superior Court Judge Marlene Hyatt ruled in favor of the family who had originally donated the land to the county, saving the tree, and the surrounding park, from further development.

“The lawsuit asserted that Pack had donated the land on the condition that it be preserved in perpetuity for public use—and that it would revert to his heirs if it were ever sold for private purposes, as the county did in 2006. Coleman had planned to build the nine-story Parkside condominium project on that land and an adjacent parcel he’d previously purchased. “George Pack made it abundantly clear exactly what the purpose of this land was: It was meant for a courthouse, for county offices or for public purposes,” Ferikes told the court.”

Lady Passion and Coven Oldenwilde are naturally quite happy with this ruling.

“We are thrilled with this unprecidented win, and very appreciative of the over 9,000 people who signed the Stop Parkside petition, the hundreds who actively enabled our tree sit in innumerable ways, and the God/desses who answered our hearfelt pleas: All hail Hecate, Herne, Themis, Maat, Flidais and Nike! We remain vigilant in preventing retribution against the tree until Hyatt signs the official order restoring the land into public use (she’s on vacation at present). Please help us continue to defend the magnolia if you’re nearby; if you live afar, do so by viewing the tree 24/7 via webcam…”

So it looks like those “Barbarous Words of Power to thwart the developer”, and a lot of local activism, have won the day. Congratulations to Lady Passion, Coven Oldenwilde, and the Stop Parkside coalition on saving the tree, and the land surrounding it, from development.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/09/asheville-witches-win.html/feed 2 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/pagan-news-of-note_18.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/pagan-news-of-note_18.html#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:32:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/pagan-news-of-note-64.html My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

The Pagan-friendly Gaea Retreat Center in Kansas, host of the annual Heartland Pagan Festival, is branching out and allowing a music festival to take place on its grounds for the first time.

“…after enduring several board meetings, Yager and his staff finally convinced the proprietors to embrace the Gaea Retreat and Music Festival, which begins at noon today. “We’ve spawned into this weird festival where it’s a mesh of cultures. We have introduced education through imagery by focusing on things like the environment, free energy, energy conservation alternatives, performing arts,” he says.”

Earth Rising, Inc., the legal entity that runs Camp Gaea, is trying to move past its infamous local past (which involved a legal battle over its permit), and reputation as a haven for Pagans and nudists. Though it remains to be seen if Camp Gaea can transform a music festival into a place to “find that realm of evenness and spiritual soundness.” While I fully attest to the spiritual power of live music, I’m not sure “evenness” and “spiritual soundness” is what you aim for.

The Claremont Institute reviews “Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey: A Biography”, by Alberto Manguel, and praises it as a book written with “intelligence and curiosity”.

“Manguel’s intent is to show that, for over 2,500 years, countless members of the species have found “in these stories of war in time and travel in space…the experience of every human struggle and every human displacement.” The Iliad and Odyssey, which can be thought to represent the two great metaphors of life, a battle and a journey, are the “books which, more than any others, have fed the imagination of the Western world.” In the 8th century A.D., Byzantine schoolchildren were still expected to have much of the Iliad by heart. Six hundred years later, during the Renaissance, Homer remained the cornerstone of every ambitious library.”

According to the review, Manguel does a good job of making the argument that Homer is just as relevant today as he was in antiquity, a poet who described “every secret happiness and every hidden sin.” A paperback edition of the book is due out in March of 2009.

A quick update on the “Satanic Panic Alive and Well in North Carolina” story, a judge has lowered the bail amount for Joy Suzanne Johnson, after her public defender argued that the charges against her made “no sense” and that there is a complete lack of “corroborating evidence”.

“The woman who is accused of aiding and abetting her husband in a sexual assault case and an alleged kidnapping and cane beating persuaded a Superior Court judge Thursday to reduce bail.”

Meanwhile, things aren’t looking too good for the prosecution as more and more details about the case emerge. A state assistant distract attorney said that “some if not all of the charges may need to be modified”. To catch up on this story, here is part one, and part two of my ongoing coverage.

Expect your local spiritual supply store to have a run on frankincense, Israeli scientists are claiming that the resin can ease depression and anxiety (at least in mice).

“Pharmacologists in Israel have found that frankincense, a whitish resin tapped from the veins of a shrubby tree, relieves anxiety and depression, at least in mice. In an article to be published next month in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere report that the active ingredient in frankincense lights up brain receptors that play a role in the perception of warmth on the skin and might help regulate emotion.”

While covering this story, the New York Times visits a local occult shop, and finds that the employees aren’t surprised in the least by this news.

“Any kind of magic you’re doing,” Ms. Cabral said, “frankincense would be great for any kind of happiness, or success, or attention, even.”

So if things are getting a little stressed at your circle, coven, or grove, be sure to light up (some frankincense)!

This weekend will see a dance festival in Miami to celebrate the survival of West African Yoruban culture and religion.

“This weekend, Coconut Grove will celebrate a culture created in Cuba during the slave trade. The Yoruban culture and the religion Santería, or Regla de Ocha, which was brought to Cuba by the Yorubans of West Africa, are the by-products of slavery, according to Ifé-Ilé’s Artistic and Executive Director Neri Torres. With dance workshops and seminars, the Ifé-Ilé Afro-Cuban Dance & Music Festival will bring context to Miami residents. “Today, [the Yoruban culture] is still the root of Cuban culture in terms of art, music and the way we talk and gesture,” said Torres, who founded Ifé-Ilé in 1996.”

For more information about this event, head over to the Ifé-Ilé web site.

In a final note, The Esoteric Book Review takes a look at the recently released “Witch School 3rd Degree” by Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell, and is disturbed by some of what he finds there.

“I was disappointed to note subtle distinctions being made which imply Correllians are better than other Wiccans and should not be surprised by the bad behaviour of non-Correllians. This smacks a bit of cultish behaviour … the return to sniping at Wicca was a little tedious and unnecessary … the last part of the book becomes a bit cultish and for me loses the plot…”

Sniping at other traditions of Wicca? Superior attitudes? Cultish behavior? Doesn’t sound like a very positive or affirming way of running a religious tradition. Nor is this the first time such accusations have been made. It should be interesting to see if Witch School responds to the claims made in the review.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/pagan-news-of-note_18.html/feed 0 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/updates-on-recent-stories.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/updates-on-recent-stories.html#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:51:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/updates-on-recent-stories-3.html I have important updates on two recent stories:

Do Not Vex, Pester, or Annoy the Catholic Youth: It looks like justice has prevailed in Australia. A law created especially for the Catholic mega-gathering World Youth Day that would make “annoying” or “inconveniencing” visiting Catholics an offense punishable by a hefty fine has been struck down by Australia’s Federal Court.

“The Federal Court has ruled against the ‘annoying’ laws instigated for the Pope’s World Youth Day visit, saying they could have a “chilling effect” upon freedom of speech. The court ruled in favour of NoToPope activists Rachel Evans and Amber Pike, who brought the case against the NSW Government. The pair claimed the legislation would have prevented their members from handing out leaflets and other material.”

This is a great victory for free speech and free expression! So Aussie Pagans, feel free to wear that Pentacle in public, don an inflammatory t-shirt, or distribute condoms as you see fit.

Satanic Panic Alive and Well in North Carolina: A North Carolina couple who have been accused of kidnapping, rape, and engaging in Satanic cult activities were in court Monday, where a judge decided the case against them could go forward.

“It was an interest in the occult that brought the accusers to Durham. The woman and man who have accused a couple in a sexual assault case that includes allegations of channeling demons and caging a man were in Durham County District Court on Monday. The woman, 44, and man, 19, were called to the stand in a probable cause hearing for Joseph Scott Craig, 25, and Joy Suzanne Johnson, 30, the husband and wife accused in a case that was described by one defense attorney as “consensual sadomasochism” gone awry.”

In my original entry I had some serious questions about the validity of this case. The new information brought to light here raises even more. We now know that the plaintiffs not only engaged in consensual sexual activities with the defendants, but were living with them for a span of six months. Again “Satanism” is thrown around, and that they discussed “demons”. The more I hear about this case, the more it seems like a consensual domestic situation turned ugly. The only question is if the real truth will come to light in this case.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/updates-on-recent-stories.html/feed 4 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/satanic-panic-alive-and-well-in-north.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/satanic-panic-alive-and-well-in-north.html#comments Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:29:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/07/satanic-panic-alive-and-well-in-north-carolina.html I was going to do an update on the Pagan fence controversy today, but another story I’ve read, the more I think about it, the more it bothers me (I’ll get to the fence thing tomorrow). It involves five people, the local Democratic party, accusations of kidnapping and rape, and Satanism. The more you dig into it, the more it seems like the beginnings of a witch-hunt. At first it seems like a straightforward crime with a hint of Satanism thrown in for spice.

“Prosecutors have charged three people, including two ranking members of the Durham County Democratic Party, as part of an investigation into allegations of rape and kidnapping that prosecutors said involved satanic worship … Authorities have said little about the case outside of the information included in arrest warrants, which allege that [Joseph Scott] Craig beat a man and a woman, raped the woman and that [Joy] Johnson watched as he did so. Durham County Assistant District Attorney Mark McCullough said earlier this week that charges stemmed from some sort of satanic ritual.”

Joseph Scott and Joy Johnson

“The warrant for Palmer’s arrest states she put the evidence in her trunk and “drove her vehicle to another location in an effort to conceal those items from detection of the Durham Police Department.” “She denies knowing about any crime, being connected with this crime or having anything at all to do with Satanism or any assault of any nature whatsoever,” Thomas said, describing his client as a New Age Christian.”

Still, this could have been a straightforward case of rape and kidnapping, with Palmer as an innocent dupe, or willing accomplice. However, it looks like the charges of “Satanism”, along with the charges of rape and kidnapping might not be as it appears.

“But the attorney for Joseph Scott Craig, 25, has questioned whether authorities misunderstood what was taking place inside his client’s home. “It sure seems to look like sadomasochism or some kind of consensual activity that maybe went too far,” defense attorney Woody Vann told The News & Observer of Raleigh. “While it may not be normal activity for our everyday population, that doesn’t mean it’s criminal.” … Authorities allege that Craig beat a man and a woman, raped the woman and that Johnson watched as he did so. Court documents filed this week accuse Johnson of “instigating and encouraging” her husband as he handcuffed the man and forced him “into a dog cage, leaving him there for hours, terrorizing him.” The documents said the incidents occurred in December 2007 and in January and May.”

Let’s deconstruct this for a moment. One couple meets another couple, allegedly through “a shared interest in Satan worship”. They then engage in, on three occasions, what sounds very much like cuckold play, a very, very common kink. The basic scenario, in short, is that a man (or woman) is restrained (mentally or physically) and “forced” to watch his (or her) partner sexually gratified by a stranger. While I’m not ruling out mental coercion, or that the final instance may have been done without consent, we may also be dealing with what sex columnist Dan Savage calls “drastic, disgusted, after-the-fact denial” (NSFW language at link).

“I’m familiar with drastic, disgusted, after-the-fact denial … the moment a closet case gets what he came for … his tone changes dramatically. Not only does he stop begging to be ******, he will deny he ever wanted to be ****** in the first place. The truly messed up ones would even deny that they had been ****** at all…”

So far the police have been tight-lipped about details of the case. As I have said before, this could very well be what they say it is. A kidnapping and rape. If so, the accused should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. However, if this is a case of guilt/shame after the fact, or self-protection from being labeled as perverts, two (or three) innocent people could be facing jail time and a lifetime on the sexual offender lists. Worse, by spinning tales of Satanism, and by the police releasing those details, we face a new wave of “Satanic Panic” in the region.

Will people start looking out for more “cultists” in the New Age or Pagan communities? Will there be more arrests? Will vigilante justice ensue if the accused are cleared of wrongdoing? We can’t be sure, but one thing we do know is that justice has been marred by the Durham police engaging in sensationalism. We can only hope that justice prevails here (whatever that may be), and that this doesn’t spark any further witch-hunts. What do you think? Real crime with a touch of sensationalist Satanism thrown in, or a smear of innocent people who believed they were engaging in a consensual act?
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