While some Pagans have yet to perform their rites,and our friends in the Southern hemisphere are just wrapping up Beltane, a good number most likely performed some sort Samhain ritual observance last night (including Reclaiming’s annual Spiral Dance). Naturally, once Halloween is past, the flood of press interest in Pagans and their seasonal observances slows down to a mere trickle, so we get very little in the way of post-mortem or after-the-fact reflection. The best we can hope for (from the mainstream media at any rate) are the yearly accounts-taking of that New England-style Mardi Gras that is Salem’s Halloween celebrations.

“Vampires sporting sunglasses, whimsical wizards, and at least one Teletubby roamed the streets of the Witch City yesterday, reveling in a magical brew of warm weather and witchery. Salem police estimated about 80,000 revelers converged on a city where the population is about 41,000. With the temperatures rising over 70 degrees and Halloween falling on a Saturday for the first time since 1998, police brought in reinforcements to ensure public safety.”

It seems that the recession didn’t hit Salem’s October tourist trade this year thanks to warm weather and Halloween falling on a Saturday. Some estimate that close to 100,000 people mobbed the city of 41,000. Sadly there is no word on how well the various Pagan and Pagan-run events did this year, though I suppose, given the numbers, the answer to that question is “very well”. It no doubt makes the Witch School folks happy about their impending move. I was somewhat taken aback to see almost no mention of the Salem Witches in the various Salem-themed pre-and-post event articles this year, but perhaps they are simply taken as a given now. It’s Salem after all, there will be Witches there.

As for myself, I’ll be celebrating the “true” Samhain in Florida this year at the Florida Pagan Gathering, where I’ll be giving some talks and no doubt meeting all sorts of wonderful folks. If you’re in the Florida area I hope to see you there! Meanwhile, if any of my loyal readership spots any post-mortem looks at Samhain rituals (or Beltane rituals if your Australian) in the press, please share the link in the comments sections.

After years of Witch School International trying to build a “Salem of the Midwest” in the Rossville-Hoopeston area of Central Illinois, a move that garnered plenty of publicity and hostility as the Witches tried to co-exist in a town dominated by conservative Christians dealing with a depressed economy and a troubling meth problem, the school has decided its time to move on.

“Witch School Headquarters are closing in the Rossville-Hoopeston area of Illinois. Witch School settled from Chicago to Central Illinois in 2003, and became the center of protest by many of the Christian Churches in the area. A well-documented spiritual battle has been waged for the last six years, with open hostilities and long quiet truces by various Christian factions. Simply put, this has not allowed Witch School the staff and resources needed to keep up with their growth. On Halloween, Witch School Rossville will close permanently, and Witch School will be moving its HQ to ‘The Witch City’, Salem Mass.”

As rumored since earlier this year, Witch School will stop trying to build their own Salem, and simply join the Salem that already is. Becoming a part of the massive tourist-friendly oasis custom-built for media-hungry Witches with outsized personalities. With the move now underway, Witch School CEO Ed Hubbard wants us to know it wasn’t because of Christian hostility that they are going, but because of a lack of communications resources.

“The Churches are not the cause, they are a symptom of the problems in rural areas, and that is the lack of useful educational resources. While the United States Urban areas have been undergoing a communications and information revolution, the Digital Divide between those areas and places like Rossville IL, which has very few Internet carriers, all very expensive, and very undependable, has continued to grow. Our Internet provider has terrible customer service, and been down as much as a week at a time, on a regular basis, and we use the same one the city government uses. Also attempts to provide computer training and employment saw pressure on participants to quit and boycott the business. The Churches believing that they were ‘protecting’ the community, have rejected and blocked several attempts by Witch School to improve Internet Service in the area. So it has become necessary to find a place where we can get the online access and staff we need to continue our growth.”

Not that it will stop Hoopeston-area pastors from bragging anyway. While I’m fairly certain their Internet service will be better (and the neighbors friendlier) in Massachusetts than in rural Illinois, it isn’t a leap to assert that the costs of doing business will be far higher in Salem, so it remains to be seen how well Witch School will actually do. As for Witch School’s students, they seem for the most part to be understanding and optimistic about the change in location. No doubt you can expect Witch-School folks to be popping up on reality television shows and taking advantage of national Halloween-oriented coverage of Salem any time now.

Ah October, the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are turning, and the best holiday of all, Halloween (aka Samhain to us Pagan types) quickly approaches. Since the Halloween season is only second to Christmas in spending and activity, it’s only natural that the journalists want to find a unique angle. This year’s theme seems to be about the holiday’s discontents.

“She hosts a monthly girls’ night out at a bar in Portland, Ore., and co-runs a plus-size vintage boutique called Fat Fancy. But there’s one thing that brings out the hate in her. Smith, 33, is among a contrarian contingent that takes a boo humbug approach to Halloween … Halloween haters aren’t as easy to categorize as that odd old lady on the block who always pretends that she’s not home on Oct. 31, or people who protest the day on religious grounds. The new Halloween Hater is young, loud and proud.”

Yes, the Associated Press found some “contrarians” and are calling it a trend, they even dug up Jerilyn Ross, president of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, to give us the awesome term of “samhainophobia”, the fear of Halloween. Yes, we were obviously having too much fun last year, so this year, in honor of the recession, we have to dial it down a bit.

“Last year, we collectively shelled out $5.77 billion on everything from fun-sized candy bars to plastic gravestones for the front yard. This year is another story: according to a study by the National Retail Federation, that number is expected to drop to $4.75 billion this year. The recession has hit home for many more of us this year, and escapism has given way to pragmatism. Close to one in three say the economy is impacting their Halloween spending. Similarly, a recent Pricegrabber.com survey shows that 35 percent of us plan to spend less this Halloween.”

The blood-curling terror of the tightening belt! Even this year’s hit scary movie is low-budget! Meanwhile, another paper turns up its nose at Salem’s witch-hats and plastic capes in favor of a more cultured, well-mannered, tourist-excursion.

“Go to Salem this time of year for the witches. But if you’re like us, the things you’ll remember are the culture, history and flashes of foliage … But consider making it an overnight, and getting all the city has to offer — high art alongside hokey tourist traps (Dracula’s Castle); fascinating history alongside kitchy kiosks selling T-shirts that quip, “Stop by Salem for a spell;” magnificent architecture playing home to the city’s annual dubious celebration (commemoration?) of a 300-year-old tragedy. It’s one of the oddest (and most effective) marketing strategies of any city in the world: Come to Salem where 19 innocent women and men were hanged for being witches, and while you’re here, enjoy a visit to the Witch Dungeon!”

But no matter how hard some may try to ignore the ever-booming Witch craze in Salem, it’s still their top tourist money-maker, and neighboring cities want in on the action. Naturally a wrap-up like this can’t end without some Christian hand-wringing over the occult overtones of Halloween, and thanks to the BBC we’ve found a real fire-breather!

“Derry City Council’s Hallowe’en carnival encourages Satanism and has brought a curse on the city, according to a Methodist minister. Rev Jonathan Campbell, from Newbuildings Independent Methodist Church, has launched an online petition to stop this year’s event. He said Hallowe’en celebrations “make evil look innocent”, and has appealed for families to boycott the festival … Rev Campbell said his church was opposed to Hallowe’en because it was “one of the two major days for Satanists”, and “God’s word clearly condemns and warns people about celebrating or glorifying Hallowe’en or the occult”. “One of the main reasons we as a church are opposed to the carnival is that children are being disturbed”.”

Someones disturbed, but I don’t think its the “children”.  Still, it almost doesn’t seem like a true Halloween without some Christian crank blowing a gasket in the press. As for the press, I could certainly do without all the subtle “maybe we shouldn’t have so much fun in these bad times” hoo-ha, because if you can’t put on a mask, eat a little (or a lot of ) candy, have a little fun, and honor the dead to boot, what’s the point of even celebrating Halloween/Samhain?

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

Looks like all is not happy in the land of the Cabot Witches, it seems that Laurie “Official Witch of Salem” Cabot accused her daughter Jody Cabot (also a Witch) of forging a check in her name two years ago. A restitution agreement was made, but due to non-compliance and failing to appear in court, a bench warrant was issued for her arrest.

“Last year, Jody Cabot was granted a general continuance in the case on the condition that she pay restitution of $1,328 to her elderly mother. Had she done that, the charges would have been dismissed. But earlier this year, Jody Cabot defaulted on the agreement and the case was put back on the court’s docket, where it was heading for trial. Attorney Steve Reardon tried to convince Judge Richard Mori not to issue a warrant for his client, saying she had stayed home because she had a severe headache that was a result of a past head injury.”

However, this tale doesn’t end in tragedy, Jody Cabot went to court the next day and thanks to her mother’s current reluctance to testify against her daughter a new plea agreement was made. According to reports Jody, as her mother has in the past, appeared in “traditional witch garb” for the hearing. Now that this unpleasantness is done with for the moment, lets remember Jody from (seemingly) happier times when she posed for pictures with sister Penny (taken by photographer Stephen Muskie).

Two teenage female ringleaders of a racist gang accused of orchestrating a spate of brutal attacks against non-Slavic foreigners were sentenced to jail terms of up to ten years. The gang is believed to be an offshoot of a Slavic Pagan group called “Native Belief”, a group accused of bombing a McDonalds and murdering several people.

“The verdicts were the latest convictions of young people for racist attacks in Russia and come amid growing concern over the frequency of attacks on non-Slavic foreigners in the country. The presumed ringleaders, Yevgenia Zhikhareva – a 17-year-old girl linked to pagan sects that worshipped ancient Slavic gods – and Ilya Shutko, 19, were jailed for eight and 10 years respectively, Russian news agencies reported … Zhikhareva is also suspected of involvement in a series of blasts in Moscow between 2008-09, including at a branch of US fast food chain McDonalds, carried out by a pagan group calling itself ‘Native Belief.’ The gang members were accused of carrying out up to four attempted murders and one actual murder of citizens of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan between February 12 and March 7, 2008.”

Sadly there is a strong undercurrent of racism and antisemitism within some Slavic Pagans groups, though that isn’t  universally true. However, it seems that the groups who do espouse racism are becoming increasingly strident and violent. No doubt economic hardship and social upheaval have much to do with this development, but these excuses don’t justify distorting pre-Christian beliefs for racist political causes.

Religion Dispatches brings us two interesting articles on African diasporic faiths, starting with an interview with sociologist Salvador Vidal-Ortiz concerning the recent animal sacrifice court victory for Santero Jose Merced, the place made for gays and lesbians within Santeria, and how perceptions of Santeria are (slowly) evolving in America.

“Generally speaking, when we are talking about racial and ethnic minorities, the United States’ racial (and racist) system tends to find much of what is non-white “suspicious.” That’s why Santería continues to be categorized as a cult by some, and why the media usually frame practitioners as somehow “criminal” in the coverage we see in the news. That tendency is mirrored in entertainment media. For at least the past two decades, portrayals of Santería practitioners in movies and television shows have resisted the opportunity to represent them as religious people and focused instead on Santería as a hypersexual space, recalling earlier representations of Africans as savages. That does seem to be changing, at least incrementally.”

Then, religion scholar Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado takes possession of a Vodou doll/poppet that had several seemingly rational faculty members at her university seriously spooked.

“The doll who sits in my office is not the type of doll you stick needles in. I am not even sure he is a Vodou doll. And yet, his black cloth skin and his scarf evoked feelings of fear and mistrust among a group of university professors. The mythology of evil surrounding Vodou, surrounding black religion, remains. I have nestled him between an image of the Mayan god Maximon and an image of the Yoruban orisha Bablú Ayé. I decided he would feel at home with other marginalized and often misinterpreted religious figures. He has been with me now for twenty-four hours. I am happy to say, as a type this reflection, that my computer is working fine.”

A simple rule to remember is that most mysterious dolls aren’t actually magical poppets, and even if they were, not every poppet is aimed at you. If it were simply some child’s toy I’m glad it ended up on her shelf, where it could be reclaimed some day, and not buried in a hole with rum and gunpowder as on faculty member suggested.

The Taliban are now targeting the Kalash in Pakistan, Indo-European pagans believed by some to be descended from a commingling of Alexander the Great’s army and local peoples, who have survived in prominently Muslim areas thanks to living in remote valleys. Now, an outsider who had been raising money for the Kalash has been kidnapped.

“While Sikhs, Hindus, and Christians were slowly driven out of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province by Muslim militants, the Kalash were free to drink their own distilled spirits and smoke cannabis. But the militant maulanas of the Taliban have finally caught up with them and declared war on their culture and heritage by kidnapping their most devoted supporter. Taliban commanders have taken Professor Athanasion Larounis, a Greek aid worker who has generated £2.5 million in donations to build schools, clinics, clean water projects and a museum. They are now demanding £1.25 million and the release of three militant leaders in exchange for his safe return.”

I don’t know if this is a sign of desperation on the part of the Taliban in Pakistan, or simply an escalation in their fervor to eliminate any group that theologically deviates from their extremist form of monotheism (or maybe both). Kalash leaders are attempting to negotiate a release, and it remains to be seen what the government of Pakistan can really do to help, especially amidst recent accusations that the government’s spy organization can’t disentangle itself from the Taliban and that US aid money has been going towards anti-Indian defenses.

In a final note, Boing Boing reports on a legal ruling that may make some Pagan festival/event organizers rest easier.

“The California Supreme Court has denied the appeal of Anthony Beninati, the Los Angeles real estate manager who unsuccessfully sued Burning Man organizers for failing to restrain him from walking into a fire.”

So if some idiot waltzes, jumps, or walks into a fire-pit, you aren’t liable for their stupidity concerning “obvious dangers”.

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

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

The city of Euless has had its request for a rehearing in federal appeals court over the matter of animal sacrifice rejected.

“A federal appeals court has rejected Euless’ request for a rehearing on a decision that paves the way for a Santeria priest to resume sacrificing animals in his home during religious ceremonies. Jose Merced sued Euless, saying his First Amendment religious freedoms were violated when the city banned him from slaughtering goats in 2006. The city contended that such sacrifices jeopardized public health and violated slaughterhouse and animal-cruelty ordinances.”

Short of an appeal to the Supreme Court, which Euless seems to be considering, this case is done. If it does go to the Supreme Court, and Merced wins again, it could affect animal slaughter laws across the country. Clearing the way for religions like Santeria to sacrifice animals at their rites largely free from the threat of arrest or harassment. To read all my coverage of this case, click here.

At The Nation Max Blumenthal publishes an excerpt from his forthcoming book that concerns the tragic case of Matthew Murray, a deeply disturbed young man who took a gun to a Youth With A Mission missionary training center and opened fire, killing four, then himself. Blumenthal tells how Murray grew up indoctrinated and abused by his charismatic Pentecostal parents, and how his attempts to break free of their programming led him first to the teachings of Aleister Crowley, then to drug abuse, and ultimately to a complete breakdown that led to the tragic shootings.

“Murray had been indoctrinated so thoroughly into charismatic Pentecostal culture, however, that even while he railed against his religious upbringing, he could not abandon his ingrained attraction to religiosity. So instead of fleeing hardcore Christian culture for secular humanism, a natural position for jaded skeptics like him, he traded his former faith for Crowley’s occultism. Crowley’s philosophy of sex “magick,” narcotic hallucination, and self-degradation (he allegedly ordered his followers to have oral sex with goats and drink the blood of cats) was forged in reaction to his parents’ Puritanism and, in fact, was first practiced in English boarding schools, where homosexual experimentation was practically de rigueur. Crowley became Murray’s new lodestar. Like Jesus, who was so impressed by the ardor of a pagan Roman centurion whom he met that he remarked, “I have not found such great faith, even in Israel,” Murray yearned for spiritual practice in its purest form. Now he practiced Crowley’s faux faith as fervently as his parents wished he had worshipped their neo-evangelical macho Christ. But the occult only led Murray into a confusing new world of cheap thrills.”

I find it interesting that Blumenthal, in damning extremist Christianity, feels the need to misrepresent Aleister Crowley, and by implication, to insult anyone who leaves Christianity for an occult practice instead of the “natural” choice of secular humanism. He ultimately blames an abusive Christian upbringing for Murray’s descent into madness, and rightfully criticizes attempts of Christian apologists to paint this as an “occult” or “Satanic” attack, but couldn’t avoid his own preconceived notions concerning what the O.T.O. and the philosophies of Aleister Crowley are truly about. In his failure to hide his disdain for an occult practice he doesn’t understand, to paint it as a sign of illness, he sounds more like the Christians he criticizes than he would most likely care to admit.

SF Gate’s In Marin blog profies Cerridwen Fallingstar on the publication of her new book “White as Bone Red as Blood, The Fox Sorceress”, a book that is “based” on Fallingstar’s past life in 12th century Japan.

“The first book, which was released in 1990, was based on Cerridwen’s past life as a Scottish witch in 16th-century Scotland.   It took a full fifteen years before she released her current book, White as Bone, a compelling read about a sorceress in the royal palace in Japan during the mid-1100s. Why so long? Cerridwen says it takes a long time to cultivate the memories and even longer to do the research.  She says she is able to enter a trance, summon the memories and put them to tape. After transcribing them, she’ll research them by conventional means; by reading as much as she can find on that particular time in history, and by visiting the locales.”

Will this new book find favor within the Pagan community? Are past-life accounts still popular, or have we grown more skeptical of such things in the twenty years since Fallingstar’s last book? I guess we’ll find out. In the meantime, if you want to find out more about Cerridwen Fallingstar and order a copy of the book, click here.

The Odinist group that was kicked out of a public park in Bakersfield, California say they are filing a lawsuit with the ACLU against the North of the River Parks and Recreation Department.

“Roger Perez, NOR public relations director, said, “I believe there was a claim that the religion was being disrespected, and we take those types of claims seriously. But in our internal investigation, that wasn’t believed to have been said, was not said, by our deputy. And unfortunately, I think it just got blown out of proportion.” But the Odinists were not satisfied. They began the process to file a civil lawsuit with the ACLU which is considering whether to take the case.”

So it looks like this one will most likely be going to court. The KERO 23 story also includes the two 911 calls from neighbors that brought the police to the scene, one of which sounds confused about what exactly is going on, and another that alleges they were shouting “white power” to non-white passerby. The Odinist group has denied that they are a racist organization.

In a final note, with Autumn on its way we are quickly approaching the Halloween/Samhain season, and that means reality television programs are skulking about Salem looking for a willing Witchy participant. This time the  snarky fashion show “What Not to Wear” (on the increasingly misnamed TLC network) has its sights set on Salem shop co-owner Leanne Marrama.

“TV fashion gurus Stacy London and Clinton Kelly were in Salem filming an episode of their show, in which they stage weekly style interventions on a victim of bad fashion. Leanne Marrama, a member of Salem’s witch community, was in their sights yesterday. Dressed in a black gown with wide lacy sleeves, a black corset, black combat boots and a black purse with a skull, Marrama is set for a complete fashion, hair and makeup makeover.”

Also in the program will be Marrama’s friend and business associate Christian Day. While I’m sure many Pagans in New England have at times wished the more flamboyant Salem Witches would get a makeover, I don’t think this is what they had in mind. Shows like this aren’t laughing with us, they are producing content so that people can laugh at us (not to mention imposing a more rigid idea of “normalcy” concerning dress and appearance).

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

Thought I’d share a few quick items with you that I missed in yesterday’s “News of Note”. First off, Reclaiming co-founder Starhawk opines about the recent ARIS data suggesting that modern Paganism is growing while other faiths contract.

“Why are we growing? In a time when the very life support systems of the planet are threatened by environmental destruction and global warming, many people seek a faith rooted in love and respect for nature. Women have especially been drawn to the Goddess traditions because we offer positive images of women’s power, our tealogy and religious imagery reflect women’s lives, cycles, and name our bodies as sacred, and we offer women respect and leadership roles. But many men also are drawn to a community that does not make gender a condition of power. Gay, lesbian and transgender folks find a welcome in our circles. And many people are drawn to traditions that encourage imagination, honor intuition and respect each individual’s spiritual authority.”

Starhawk also praises the Internet as a boon to modern Paganism’s growth. For more ARIS reactions from the rest of the On Faith panelists, click here.

Will Witch School give up on building a “Salem of the Midwest” in Hoopeston, IL and instead just pick up and move to the already existing Witch-mecca of Salem, Massachusetts? That is apparantly one of the agenda items for its annual international conference in Salem from April 17th – 19th.

“The group also plans to vote on whether to relocate its headquarters to downtown Salem. The move would include the relocation of Magick TV, an Internet television station broadcast on YouTube. Hubbard said he envisions a downtown TV studio that could broadcast such programs as the Pagan Nightly News. He has already been in talks with Salem landlords, he said. “My goal is to be on Essex Street,” Hubbard said.”

Considering the reception they rcceived in Hoopeston, I can hardly blame them for wanting to move, and I suppose that since Salem is a land of big personalities and ambitious impressarios they’ll fit right in.

MN Artists (and MinnPost) run a profile of “freelance druid” Bill Watkins on the publication of his third memoir “The Once and Future Celt”.

“The Once and Future Celt documents the last leg of Bill Watkins’ winding path; this final volume of his memoir trilogy, preceded by A Celtic Childhood and Scotland Is Not for the Squeamish, traces Bill’s self-definition as a Celt and, more specifically, as a modern druid and a bearer of the old traditions. Bill was raised in England by an Irish mother and a Welsh father who were both fluent in their native Gaelic languages and passionate about their ancestral traditions. Each bestowed Bill with divergent but strongly felt religious beliefs — Irish Catholicism from his mother and, from his father, an abiding faith in the old druidic beliefs held by the Celts before their conquest by the Romans.”

“Wild” Bill Watkins resides, naturally enough, in Paganistan (Minneapolis/St Paul) and performs regularly at Merlins Rest Pub.

That’s it for now!

[You can read part one of this entry, here.]

05. The Business of Paganism: Modern Paganism fuels a multi-million-dollar market. Books, trinkets, festivals, music, and conventions maintain a small (though lucrative for some) cottage industry. 2008 was a mixed bag for that industry, one that was rocked by corporate greed, businesses shutting down, and contraction. If all this sounds familiar, it just proves that “as above, so below” relates to economic matters too. The “New Age” market, which sees quite a lot of overlap with our own, rushed to embrace a post-Oprah reality though it wasn’t enough to avoid a major trade show cancellation for 2009. Meanwhile the Internet book-selling giant Amazon sent ripples through the Pagan publishing world when they threatened to remove the “buy” button for non-Amazon print-on-demand books (a case that has resulted in an antitrust lawsuit).

“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, author and employee of Immanion Press.

In addition to all that, two Pagan-friendly music labels shuttered, niche magazines find themselves hanging on by a thread, and journalists are looking into just how recession-proof psychic and occult services really are. All this could add up to some belt-tightening for the Pagan world in the years to come.

04. Salem Becomes the Epicenter of Halloween in America: While the economy may be bad all over, the town of Salem, at least this year, seemed immune. Famous for putting women to death for being “witches” in generations past, this sea-side New England town has morphed into a haven for Pagans and Witches (who purportedly make up 10% of the local population) and a tourist draw of Mardi Gras proportions.

“For better or worse, this change from cheesy wax-works and trial re-enactments into a massive cultural (and money-making) multi-week event is partially due to the emergence of Witches and modern Pagans injecting a sense of the sacred (and the psychic) into the proceedings. It may never be officially called a Samhain festival, but for all intents and purposes this is America’s tribute to Summer’s End.”

Given these factors it is little wonder that Salem continues to make the news on a regular basis, from game shows to pop-documentaries, everyone wants in on the action. Like it or not (and some very much don’t like it), this town casts a long shadow on our communities and on the public perception concerning modern Pagans.

03. Witch-Hunts, Witch-Killings, and How it Affects Us: While there is still much debate over how modern Pagans and Witches should feel concerning the persecution of “witches” in Africa, India, and the Middle East, 2008 saw the issue affect our communities more than ever before. The most notable case of this phenomenon were efforts by lawyer, author, and activist Phyllis Curott to bring attention to the plight of Fawza Falih, an illiterate Saudi woman sentenced to death for crimes of “witchcraft”.

“I get articles about killings from the African and Indian press almost every day. People – so often women – are singled out and murdered just because of an accusation of Witchcraft. We know what that means. That is part of our history. I think we need to respond to that dangerous persecution wherever it arises. It has to be stopped before it spreads. But it may be years before our community is large enough, has enough resources and enough presence in the global community to affect these situations. Working to save Fawza can teach us how to be effective the next time something like this happens — we’ll have better skills, better organization, better contacts, more wisdom.”

This was hardly the only instance – intentional or not – of modern Pagans getting involved in the issue of international witch persecutions. India continues to religiously cross-pollinate with Western esotericism and Paganism and Indian Pagans there see witch persecutions as “their” issue, while Pagans in South Africa continue to fight vaguely-worded anti-witch laws. Meanwhile some have warned that witch-persecutions are being exported to the West, and the controversies over Thomas Muthee (and his connection to fringe Christian movements in America) seem to at least partially verify this concern. So while there may be no theological or cultural connection between us the “witches” persecuted across the world, our communities may find that we have no choice but to get involved.

02. The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Shootings: On Sunday morning, July 28th, Jim Adkisson, who defined himself to neighbors as a “Confederate” and a “believer in the old South”, walked into the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and opened fire with a shotgun. Seven people were inured by gunfire, two died. He later told police that he targeted the church for its liberal beliefs, and that if he couldn’t kill liberal leaders he would instead kill those who voted them into office. While I suppose this isn’t necessarily a “Pagan” story, it is one that has a deep resonance for all Pagans who have found sanctuary or a spiritual home within a Unitarian-Universalist Church, a place of welcoming in areas of the country not so friendly to modern Pagans.

“Friends of mine were in the church at the time of the shooting. I am feeling so fortunate that they were not injured, but I have heard so much about the sad loss of Greg McKendry, who evidently put himself between the gunman and members of the congregation. There’s no ifs here, there are pagans and members of CUUPS in that congregation. When I first heard the news, even before anything about the gunman’s motives were known, I couldn’t help but guess that it was because the UU *is* the sort of church it is – welcoming, and accepting of pagans, of religious diversity, of glbt, and human diversity.” – Sangrail

Over the years some have found it easy to mock Unitarian-Universalists for their “wishy-washy” faith or their over-earnest attempts at inclusion, but few realized what a target their theological openness and political bravery had made them. I’m proud of the time and energy I’ve spent within the UUA, and the Pagan community should never forget what an ally and asset they have been to us. This attack was on a UU Church, but it was also an attack on those who would stand with us, and we shouldn’t forget that.

01. Pagans and Politics: By far the biggest story of 2008 involving Pagans was our political interactions. I’ve never seen so much news related to, involving, or dealing with modern Pagans in a political context. Things started early as influential figures in the Women’s Spirituality movement split over who to support in the Democratic primaries, while pundits on the right started to see Paganism as an illness that could be “cured” (like homosexuality). Barack Obama seemed almost magical to some Pagans, and was dubbed a “lightworker” by Mark Morford. Pagans ran for mayor of Sacramento and South Carolina’s Great Falls Town Council (neither won), while the Democratic Party saw two openly Pagan delegates go to their national convention.

“We’ve got a great opportunity here, a chance to make our mark on a campaign for change, a chance to be a constant reminder that we expect “Change We Can Believe In” means an America that treats Pagans fairly and equally….from an ensured right to worship for military Pagans (including Pagan chaplains), to true enforcement of the separation of Church (Grove?) and State.” – Rita Moran, Change Who Can Believe in?

Democratic Pagans seemed to really like Obama, and some tried to use that affection against him (they liked that strategy so much they used it in other elections as well). Meanwhile Bob Barr kinda-sorta recanted of his anti-Pagan past in an attempt to gain the votes of disaffected Pagan libertarians while McCain doubled down on Christian nuttery by picking a VP candidate with ties to a rabidly anti-Pagan fringe sect (meanwhile, outside, Pagans protested). The press realized that Oregon had quite a few Pagan voters, a Republican in Paganistan won reelection despite ties to anti-Pagan groups, and an Witch Doctor correctly predicted Obama’s win. Oh? Did I mention that that Obama won, and that an overwhelmingly large number of Pagans voted for him (and we even influenced the people who like us to vote for him too)? Well he did (though Pagans aren’t too happy about the guy they picked to give the invocation at his inauguration). Like it or not, politics and Paganism are enmeshed and will most likely stay that way for some time to come.

That wraps up my top ten news stories about or affecting modern Paganism in 2008. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll join me for another year of sifting through the news and views of interest to our communities. See you in 2009!

So the annual glut of Pagan, esoteric, and “weird” Halloween stories are finally tapering off. While we all wait for the election results to roll in, lets catch up on some articles, essays, and opinions of note I may have missed.

Time magazine interviews popular horror/fantasy author Laurell K. Hamilton about her work. During the interview she outs herself as a Wiccan.

“I’m still very religious, but I’ve changed religions. When I first started out in college, I was Christian, and I became Episcopalian, which is still one of my favorite flavors of Christianity. But currently I’m Wiccan. One of its biggest tenets is, Do as thou wilt, but harm none. And that applies to yourself as well. So every choice you make, all day long, every day, goes through that filter. But there’s no intrinsic guilt in this religion. Since everything is sacred, you don’t have to feel ashamed about your body or what you’re doing with it, as long as you’re harming no one. You don’t have to feel guilty, or apologize, for being human.”

According to a friend of mine who is a Hamilton fan, her Paganism has been something of an open secret for some time now. Perhaps not coincidently, since 2000 Hamilton has been alternating her popular Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels with a newer series set in the world of faerie (the Merry Gentry books).

Of course, this past weekend most Pagans celebrated Samhain (others are awaiting “true Samhain”), and in many cases the press was there to interview them. The Washington Post held an online Q&A with Lee Ann Kinkade (see if you can spot my question), who recently wrote a Samhain-themed piece for Slate.com, while the Washington Post-sponsored blog “On Faith” saw Starhawk weighing in on the holiday.

“We like to say that at Samhain, ‘the veil is thin that divides the worlds, the seen from the unseen, the living from the dead.’ The ancestors return to visit, and the old custom was to put a candle out to light their way, and set out offerings of food and drink. In much the same way, today in Latin America people visit graves at this time of year, and make elaborate altars with favorite foods and objects of their loved ones. November 2 is Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead–not a mournful holiday but a time for sharing memories and celebrating life.”

Other papers interviewed Circle Sanctuary’s Selena Fox (who recently celebrated the sanctuary’s 25th anniversary), Mohawk Valley Pagan Network members, fellow Pagan blogger Deborah Oak Cooper, Texoma residents Sue and Charles Cherry (who are protesting their town moving official Halloween celebrations), Priestess Alicia Folberth of the Panthean Temple, Madrone, founder of the Goddesses of the Cinder Moon, and the Pagans at Pathfinders Bookstore in Northern California.

From Salem, comes a heart-warming tale of reconciliation and capitalism. Local shop owner Laurie Stathopoulos and event organizer Christian Day, who were bitter opponents during the town’s recent psychic wars, have patched things up and are working together.

“Around this time last year, Laurie Stathopoulos and Christian Day weren’t talking. In fact, they couldn’t even be in the same room. The two Salem witches had filed charges against each other after Stathopoulos smashed a lamp over Day’s head … After a mediation session with her attorney and Day, the two decided that the new ordinance [regarding licensed psychics] could help bolster the city’s economy and bring more tourists into Salem. “Sometimes more can be better,” said Stathopoulos, who began working with Day last winter on marketing her own psychic fair. Day, a graphic artist, designed her psychic fair ad in the Salem October guide Haunted Happenings, and redesigned several logos for her store. In turn, Stathopoulos helped Day launch his new witch shop, Hex.”

That must have been some mediation session. Looks like the wounds over licensing in Salem are truly healing up. Maybe we’ll even see Laurie “Official Witch of Salem” Cabot and Christian Day pose for photos together someday soon.

If you found your celebrations a bit underwhelming this year, maybe you should take a trip to Scotland to see the Beltane Fire Society’s annual Samhuinn festival.

“The pageant began at the entrance to the Castle Esplanade, where the King of Summer stepped out to drink a boozy toast, little knowing it would be his last. Accompanied by scantily-clad dancers in summery reds and oranges, he set off down the Royal Mile, unaware that he was being followed by a host of ghouls and demons, who pursued him to Parliament Square. He was met by the King of Winter for the reenactment of the Goloshan Play, in which the two do battle and Summer is finally vanquished.”

Check out their amazing gallery of photos to see the massive scale and detail that goes into this celebration. American Pagans: take notes!

We couldn’t end this Halloween hangover edition without taking a moment to acknowledge the headaches that come with all hangovers, namely Christian opposition to our awesome holiday. Religion “expert” (and senior pastor at the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa) Rick Reed explains the “dark side of spiritual power” so prevalent during Halloween.

“In light of the Bible’s warnings, Christians should be discerning when it comes to Halloween. Some will choose to sit out any celebration of the holiday. Others will find creative ways to allow their children to enjoy candy and costumes without dabbling in what is spiritually dark or destructive. While Christians should be spiritually alert on Halloween, we don’t have to be afraid. That’s because Jesus has already defeated the forces of darkness…”

You know, if Jesus has already defeated the forces of darkness, why is everyone still so worried? Meanwhile, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sons of Faith is taking Rick Reed’s advice and holding a Christian-friendly “Harvest Party” to avoid the (already defeated) forces of darkness.

“The whole element of Halloween is contrary to Scripture,” said Albert Walker, a minister and president of the local Sons of Faith ministry. “I think if we understand the history of it all, it would make people really second-guess Halloween.”

And by “people” they obviously don’t mean “Pagans” who understand and celebrate the “history of it all”. If throwing a “harvest festival” (because, you know, that doesn’t have any Pagan connotations to it) isn’t your thing, you can just do what fervent Catholics do and skip meals until we leave town.

“What did we do about the coven in the town where I was priest? A few members of the youth group and I fasted on Fridays. Within six months the coven had moved out of our geographical parish, and within the year they had moved out of the town altogether. I don’t know if it was our prayer and fasting that drove them out, but the Gospel says that a certain kind of demon only comes out through prayer and fasting … when confronted with those who have given themselves to evil, I recommend skipping meals on Fridays…”

Its the new “Pagans live near us” diet! Feel holier-than-thou and shed pounds at the same time! Be slim, trim, and Pagan-free! Order now.

Well, that about does it for the journalistic avalanche that is Halloween/Samhain. I hope you had a good holiday, and weren’t too bothered by pesky local reporters or the grumbling stomaches of your Catholic neighbors. Have fun watching the election returns tonight, and have a great day!

It has been known for years that Salem, home of the infamous witch trials, has become a mecca for Halloween revelers and modern Pagans (who purportedly make up 10% of the local population). But I think outside observers might be surprised to see how this witchy tourist draw has grown to Mardi Gras proportions. For example, did you know that thousands of bikers do a “Halloween Witch Ride” every year?

Halloween Witch Rider. Photo by Mark Garfinkel.

“More than 3,000 scary-looking cyclists got a jump on Halloween yesterday by participating in the 20th annual Halloween Witch Ride to Salem. Taking off from Bruce Rossmeyer’s Boston Harley-Davidson in Everett, werewolves, skeletons and other ghouls all shared a scenic route through the North Shore.”

This particular event has grown so large that Salem has opened its own Harley-Davidson shop this year, complete with a special Harley Salem witch shirt (which is apparently selling like hotcakes). Meanwhile, the city itself is coming up with grander closing spectacles to signal to the large crowds that the Halloween-season party is over.

“The city has hired Somerville-based Visual Design Associates — the company that created an elaborate indoor display at Jordan’s furniture in Reading — to design an eye-catching, end-of-the-night program that will both entertain and send the message to revelers that Halloween night is over … Around 10 p.m., the live music and DJ’s scattered throughout the downtown will wrap up for the night and direct crowds to the display on Washington Street. At 10:30 p.m., the 15-minute artistic program will start. Then, a scaled-back fireworks display will be launched near the North River at 10:45 p.m. … It involves an 8-foot wall, helium and giant dancing shapes, according to Kate Fox, the executive director of Destination Salem.”

Another article points out that Salem isn’t only drawing American revelers and Pagan pilgrims, but a growing international contingent of Halloween tourists.

“So far this October, more than 6,000 visitors have stopped by the booth, which is open on weekends. “There are so many people from other countries,” said information booth volunteer Grace Lamarre, a Salem resident.”

As for local Pagan groups, they are hardly idle. Witchy impresario Christian Day’s Festival of the Dead grows ever larger, with a Retro Zombie Ball, a Vampires’ Masquerade Ball, and, of course, The Official Salem Witches‘ Halloween Ball.

“Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:30pm to 12:30am at the Hawthorne Hotel! Join Christian Day and the Witches of Salem with special guest Fiona Horne and musical guests Wendy Rule and Dragon Ritual Drummers for a night of magic at the event AOL CityGuide rated one of America’s top Halloween parties! Join us as in days of old when fires burned on every hilltop and Witches gathered to feast, rejoice, and cast spells for the new year!”

In addition to Day’s massive multi-week extravaganza, Pagan events are also being thrown by Crow Haven Corner, the Cabot Witches (for Cabot initiates only), the Witches’ Education Bureau, The Temple of Nine Wells, the First Church of Wicca, and several others.

Add in the seemingly recession-proof yearly increase in Halloween-related spending, and what began as a local tourist draw is gradually morphing into a nationally (and internationally) recognized seasonal festival. For better or worse, this change from cheesy wax-works and trial re-enactments into a massive cultural (and money-making) multi-week event is partially due to the emergence of Witches and modern Pagans injecting a sense of the sacred (and the psychic) into the proceedings. It may never be officially called a Samhain festival, but for all intents and purposes this is America’s tribute to Summer’s End.

As we get closer to Halloween, Witch-themed media becomes a more and more popular subject for television programmers. We already know about the upcoming Salem-themed episode of “Opportunity Knocks” featuring Laurie “Official Witch of Salem” Cabot, but now cable television will be getting into the act. The Biography channel will be airing a special on Witches (ancient and modern) on October 30th (part of their October “Boo-ography” promotion).

Witness the disembodied floating head of Silver! Spooky!

According to Llewellyn Worldwide publicist Jennifer Spees, the show will be “an exploration of witchcraft from medieval times through the present”, and feature interviews with Christopher Penczak, Stefani “Spiral” Barner, and Silver Ravenwolf. It isn’t known at this point who else the Biography team interviewed, but it has been confirmed that they visited Salem (naturally), so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Laurie Cabot or Christian Day pop up as well. I’ll refrain from speculating on what the sensationalism/accuracy ratio will be.

For those wanting to see some real live Witches on the big screen, you might want to head over to the 15th Annual Chicago Underground Film Festival, and check out the Midwest premiere of the documentary “Hoopeston” (screening, coincidentally, on October 30th). The film, directed by Thomas Bender, looks at the struggling town of Hoopeston, Illinois, and the conflicts that emerged when Witch School (and the Correllian Tradition that runs it) moved in (check out my original post on this documentary).

Hoopeston – Trailer from Synydyne on Vimeo.

“Witches will come out a day early this year. “Hoopeston,” a feature-length documentary about an Illinois town and its Witch School, will play in the Chicago Underground Film Festival on October 30, the night before Halloween. Produced by SYNYDYNE, “Hoopeston” tells the story of the former Sweet Corn Capital of the World through the lives of its residents: a laborer struggles to find work, a young entrepreneur buys the only motel in town, the police chief battles a drug epidemic, and the Correllian Chancellor lays plans for a vast Crystal Web. The film balances the stark beauty of rural Illinois with candid and moving interviews from a variety of subjects. It features an original score by composer Todd Mazierski.”

After the Midwest premiere, Synydyne will start selling DVDs of the film. They have a mailing list you can sign up for to be notified when copies are available. As for the Witch School folks, they’ll be in Salem teaching free classes through November 1st.

So whether you want to attend a movie out (in the greater Chicagoland area), or stay inside and curl up on your couch (if you have cable television), you’ll be able to gage how far forward (or back) depictions of modern Pagans have come since the days of fog-machines, strobe lighting, and the morning talk-show circuit. Happy viewing!