Yesterday’s post concerning the state of the Pagan press and Pagan periodicals has generated some interesting commentary on the continued survival of print publications and the future of Pagan news. Many seem to have accepted that the Internet is where you go to get up-to-date information concerning the Pagan community. Baruch Dreamstalker admits that he “long ago gave up dead-tree media as a source of “hot” Pagan news”, while Erynn Rowan Laurie opines that “Print can never hope to keep up with developing stories”. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, one of the strongest voices concerning the future (or lack of future) of print media comes from professional journalist Victoria Slind-Flor.

“I guess my question is why Pagan print media should escape the fate of the rest of print media? Bottom line, as I see it, is that we’re three-quarters of the way through a major technological revolution in journalism and print is not a media that will survive … We Pagans are smart savvy users (and, in many cases, creators) of the Web. We know and love the immediacy of Web communication. And I doubt very much we’ll ever embrace any form of print journalism again. Why get our Pagan information at the speed of post-office delivery when we depend on all our other information sources at warp speed?  Over the years I’ve contributed pieces to most of the Pagan print publications. And I have to say they largely share the same faults: they were/are produced on a shoestring, are indifferently edited, come in unattractive formats, and are published on irregular schedules at best. So why would anyone expect them to survive?  I wish them all well, but I am not sanguine about their prospects of survival. On the other hand, I’m immensely impressed with what Pagans are doing in Cyberspace.”

It wasn’t all bad news for Pagan publishing, Michael Night Sky argued that we should “support what printed zines do, serve the greater Pagan Community.” Night Sky also stated that he couldn’t imagine a would “without printed pagan magazines”. Finally, Jordan Stratford praises the PanGaia/newWitch merger, and agrees that “the “Abraxas” lit-mag style is the way to go – semi-annual publications of meatier articles, professionally edited, and landing in the $15 – $20 range”. Have something to add? Why not join the conversation?

Turning our attention outward, let’s look at some recent developments in the Pagan blogosphere and beyond. First, Chas Clifton announces that fellow Pomegranate editor Michael Strmiska has started a new blog entitled The Political Pagan. There is already a facinating post up about Nazism, Paganism, and Christianity, so be sure and add him to your blogrolls and feed-readers. Speaking of Nazis, over at Beliefnet, Pagan blogger Gus diZerega has a two-part essay exploring a Pagan perspective of fascism.

“People who don’t know much history, or are blinded by their ideological preconceptions, have often argued that Pagan religion has a tendency towards devolving into Fascism. I’ve encountered such stuff over the years, and had a debate with Peter Staudenmaier in the journal Pomegranate on this issue with special reference to environmentalism.”

Moving on from fascism and Nazis into the (slightly) less controversial topics of polyamory and Woodstock, we find the Get Religion blog covering both. First E.E. Evans wonders why recent high-profile coverage of polyamorous relationships have left out the religion angle, specifically the religions that are (generally) more welcoming to polyamorous families.

“While this particular triad is not, polys are also engaged in religious communities. Among them are Unitarian Universalists, pagans and those who represent other faiths. There’s no discussion of the religious connections here. But does the existence of approximately half a million polyamorous families mean that “traditionalists better get used to it?” That’s at least debatable. It’s also snarky, distracting readers from taking the piece seriously.”

This blog has tacked the, sometimes tense, issue of polyamory within modern Paganism in the past, and you can expect that conversation to continue as polyamory (and its intersections with modern Paganism) continue to gain mainstream attention. Meanwhile, Terry Mattingly explores the recent journalistic love-fest over Woodstock’s 40th anniversary, and how that pivitol festival changed religion in America.

“Now, on the religion side of the equation, you knew that someone was gonna connect the dots — Joan Baez and “Amazing Grace” right on over to Ravi Shankar — and make the argument that Woodstock is, in many ways, the tipping point that turned religion into spirituality for the Baby Boomer generation and, thus, for America. We’re talking sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll and do-it-yourself visions (often a combination of the previous three ingredients).”

The 1960s certainly did see modern Paganism, specifically British Witchcraft and various home-grown faiths, take root. But was Woodstock the “tipping point”, or simply the last gasp of the free-love/anti-war hippie era as it morphed into back-to-the-land movements, identity politics, and more mainstream/populist political endeavors? Woodstock may continue to reverberate through Protestantism, but in my mind the 1970s were far more influential a decade on the development of today’s religious diversity.

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

While the San Francisco Peaks story gets top billing from The Wild Hunt today, it isn’t the only story of interest to our communities happening right now. Here are some links to other stories of note.

The LA Times profiles Santero and activist Ernesto Pichardo who discusses his life, his 1993 U.S. Supreme Court victory, and his emerging role as a mediator between law enforcement and the Santeria community.

“By some estimates there are 100,000 Santeria worshipers in Florida. Some of them, inevitably, had difficulties, and Pichardo did what he could to come to their aid. He began issuing laminated cards “certifying” Santeria priests to help them avoid run-ins with the law. And he tried not to take himself too seriously. He showed up at one local celebrity baseball game with a rubber chicken tied around his neck. His religion seemed to gain a little more acceptance. Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina now calls Pichardo to help mediate the parking, noise and animal issues that arise from Santeria home services. ‘We’ve all matured,’ Robaina said. ‘We need to respect everyone’s religion.’”

The piece also provides a rather harrowing account of the ongoing Coral Gables saga that is worth reading.

The Salem News does a profile of Laurie Cabot’s reformulated Witches League for Public Awareness, now known as “Project Witches Protection”.

“Project Witches Protection has very little money, relies heavily on volunteers and promotes a message that often falls on deaf ears. But the anti-defamation organization trucks on, stuffing hundreds of envelopes at Laurie Cabot’s witch shop every month to send to authorities across the state. Inside the envelopes is literature designed to inform people about the civil rights of witches.”

In the article, PWP vice president Rick Carvino calls Wicca/Witchcraft “one of the most abused and exploited religions”. A statement that will be sure to start some heated debates as to how abused and exploited Wiccans/Witches really are. A copy of the materials the PWP mails out can be found, here.

Pagan authors Isaac and Phaedra Bonewits just did an interview on the Air America radio show “Clout” to discuss polyamory and the John Edwards affair.

“I got a chance to discuss monotheism and dualism, and to explain how and why mudslinging works in political campaigns. Richard Greene, host of the show, loved the fact that Phae and Joy and Tom and I were “getting together” on his show, along with a poet named Sara from New York City, and challenging the dominant paradigm not only about marriage and relationships, but the very roots of America’s dysfunctional schizophrenia about sexuality.”

I can’t seem to find a link to the podcast in question (and you seem to need a subscription to download podcasts), but perhaps something will be posted soon to the show’s blog.

In a final note, September 8 looks to be a historic day. On that date, a new full evidentiary hearing will take place for the West Memphis 3.

“A full evidentiary hearing on this case is scheduled for September 8, 2008 and is expected to conclude on October 3. This marks the first time that the appeals from all three defendants will be heard together. Each is expected to get around a week to present their case. In an unprecedented move, the entire case will be presented in full, argued, and decided upon. Flaws in the original trials, recent DNA evidence pointing away from the defendants, and other new leads and information which invalidate the evidence used to convict the three are expected to take center stage.”

The initial trial has long come under fire for the sloppy handling of evidence, and the use of “Satanic Panic” to sway the jury towards a guilty verdict. This appears to be the best chance for a fair trial, and a possible reversal of the guilty verdict. No doubt the many members of the Pagan community who have long advocated for a new trial will be watching.

There has been much conversation on Unitarian-Universalist blogs about the recent decision of the UUA Board to severely limit “Independent Affiliates” within it’s organization. This lead to the vast number of IAs, most notably those that advocated for a specific theology (including the Covenant of UU Pagans), to lose their privileged status within the UUA.

“The results of this rejection means that CUUPs will lose official recognition within the UUA, will not be granted a program space at future General Assemblies (though they will be included at this years’ GA), and will have to pay higher participation fees at UUA events. It also throws into doubt the fate of other theologically focused IAs such as the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship and the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship.”

At the recent UU General Assembly, the UUA made it clear that their position on Independent Affiliates wasn’t going to change, and it was implied that theologically focused groups (Christians, Jews, Humanists, Pagans etc.) should band together as a single council if they wanted IA status again.

“Gini’s strong suggestion was that we in that room ought to join ourselves into an umbrella organization and apply as that body as an IA. (Various names for such a group have been suggested by wags and visionaries since: my suggestion was that it would be called, “the amalgamated organization of hyphenated, and therefore, not real, UU’s” Excessively snarky, I suppose. Another person, much wiser, suggested calling ourselves “The Council of the Sources” which has some real merit.) Gini seemed to think that this organization of organizations could play a positive role in providing some of the content for lay theological education.”

While it remains to be seen if such a body of “sources” will attempt to form, since the GA a growing theory for the change in policy towards Independent Affiliates has arisen, that it was all done in order to justify keeping pro-polyamory groups out of official affiliation with the UUA.

“Now, the recurring suspicion is that all of this is the Board’s response to the UU’s for Polyamory Awareness … Gini said at our meeting, to answer the critique that this was a sudden thing, that the board had been working on the new IA policy ever since the Long Beach Convention. The Long Beach convention was the height of our collective Polyamorous Awareness. Much hand wringing … all the cynics say: that the IA mystery is really quite simple. It is the way to set up a structural block to having to say “yes” to an application from UU’s for Polyamory Awareness. There is no evidence which contradicts that theory. But consider the implications of it being true … It means that the elected leadership is finessing and not confronting an issue that is right before us — an issue that is not only significant for Unitarian Universalism institutionally, but is actually right below the surface of our culture.”

Since then, several prominent UU blogs have been chiming in on the issue of poly acceptance within the UUA, with the discussion getting rather heated in some corners.

“The advocates of multi-partnered relationships within the UUA have taken a passive-aggressive stance toward the association, its churches and especially its ministers. Rather than trying to demonstrate that the widespread, and eventual, legal recognition of multi-partnered relationships is warranted, necessary and socially responsible, they have asked UU’s to prove that they are not prejudiced, ignorant and backward by advocating for them.”

So what happens from here? It is pretty certain that anything pro-poly is “out” if the UUA has anything to say about it (at least for the time being), but the challenges of groups like CUUPs aligning with UU Christian, Jewish, and Humanist organizations in order to win Independent Affiliate status once more may be insurmountable.

“I can tell you this: from what I’ve heard, and what I feel myself, UU Buddhists, Jews, Pagans, Humanists and Christians – all of whom have beloved, thriving Independent Affiliate groups, are hardly at all interested in becoming one big organization of UUs Who Still Care About Theology. Not even if they get a cute name like the BuddhiHumiChristiJewPas.”

What seems even more unlikely is that these proposed “councils” (grouped thematically around social, theological, and political interests) would then act as “gatekeepers” against groups the UUA would find embarrassing and undesirable.

“One thing that Gini said at the meeting was that the UUA board did not want to have to ride herd on 60+ IA’s, and so it would be a good thing if there was a Council of Theologically based Organizations to handle its own membership requirements. In other words, the proposed Council could decide who was in and who was out. A long time ago, a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons, and I had a good laugh about starting a UU affiliate of Devil Worshippers, complete with our story of exclusion and oppression by mainstream religion, to satirize what we saw as the UU inability to set any sort of boundaries. (We even had a name, “the LUUciferians”). We abandoned the plan because we were afraid that no one would get the joke … Well, apparently, the Council of Theologically Based Organizations will be the body to guard the door against the LUUciferians.”

So did the UUA throw dozens of thriving UU-based independent groups into disarray to avoid having to deal with UU polyamorists (or large churches against such practices leaving the UUA)? I doubt we’ll get a clear answer soon, but it is the only theory that has gained any traction since the new policy took place, and the resulting chaos and controversy certainly won’t help organize the former IAs into action against these changes. But one thing is for certain, the Unitarian Universalists for Polyamory Awareness have certainly archived their goal of greater “awareness”, but perhaps not in the manner they expected.

Last year, when the HBO series “Big Love” (a show about a polygamous family from a Mormon splinter-group) premiered, I thought it would be best if the modern Pagan community had an open and frank discussion about polyamory. At the time I felt that the show would start a cascade of coverage concerning polygamy, and reporters would soon equate the fundamentalist notions of male-dominated (often abusive) polygamous marriages with the more open concepts of polyamory often found in progressive communities. I felt then (and now) that we needed to be ready to confront these issues when the press came calling, especially as modern Paganism (which contains a large number of actively polyamorous individuals) continues to grow and gain mainstream attention.

“Some Pagans may be tempted to write off, or at least closet, our poly folks, in order to continue to obtain the incremental mainstream acceptance we have gained. We musn’t give in to this urge. If anything, our national and regional groups need to be ready with accurate, compassionate language that accepts polyamory as one acceptable choice among many choices open to those who worship in a Pagan faith. We must stand our ground and differentiate how a Pagan approach to a multiple-partner relationship is radically different from the more paternalistic strains found amongst some Mormons and other religious fundamentalists. There are times to go back into the “broom closet”, and of course we want to pick our battles wisely. But I think that the stakes will soon become too high to not speak truth to power on this issue.”

Now a new article in Salon.com has made explicit the ties between the polyamory movement and modern Paganism.

“As for who practices poly, Robyn Trask of Loving More, a polyamorist association and magazine, offers me a survey her magazine did in 2002 of 1,000 poly practitioners (who, given their lifestyle, could conceivably be speaking for another 4,000). The survey found the following: 40 percent of the poly population have graduate degrees or higher (as opposed to 8 percent of the general population). Most were raised Christian (87 percent) but identified as pagan (30 percent). One-fifth had never married; one-fifth had been divorced. And only 49 percent were sexually involved with someone they described as a love interest.”

So the largest identifiable religious affiliation within polyamorous communities is Pagan (though we don’t comprise a majority of polyamous people). After briefly mentioning religion, the article moves to focusing on the ins and outs of polyamory, in an open and sympathetic manner. The underlying message is “we are normal, like you”.

“We always start off acknowledging that we know this is weird, we know this is unusual … but when you come and see our family it’s not that different from yours. We have chores, we have a mortgage, we cook dinner. We try to get our daughter to bed and sometimes she doesn’t go to bed when we want her to … Really, our day-to-day lives are pretty unremarkable.”

This new story reinforces the points I made a year ago, while the giant wave of publicity never came from the “Big Love” show (now starting its second season), this is an issue that will continue to gain steam as time goes by. Eventually polyamory will reach a “tipping point” and garner widespread national attention. Are our leaders and organizations ready for questions regarding polyamory? Eventually hostile questions will come, and they will cite this Salon.com article, and we shouldn’t be found wanting for a clear, empathetic, and inclusive answer.