Top Story: We start with the ongoing James Arthur Ray controversy. The “Secret”-selling guru was arrested and charged with three counts of manslaughter last week, this came in the wake of a long investigation into the deaths of three participants at a “spiritual warrior” sweat lodge ceremony led by Ray in October. Now, after Ray’s lawyer appeared on Larry King (a fan of Ray and “The Secret”), the prosecution is seeking a gag-order on further press appearances. The idea is to stop Ray’s supporters from using the bully pulpit of popular media to pollute possible jury pools, but the Don’t Pay To Pray blog points out that this will also restrict all information about the trial from the public (including damning interviews with sweat-lodge participants).

“After James Arthur Ray’s attorneys plastered their faces all over the media, on Good Morning America and Larry King Live, in a transparent attempt to influence a potential jury, Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, has requested a “gag order” hearing. A gag order is a judge’s order prohibiting the attorneys and the parties to a pending lawsuit or criminal prosecution from talking to the media or the public about the case. The intent is usually to prevent prejudice due to pre-trial publicity which would influence potential jurors. Based on the “freedom of the press” provision of the First Amendment, the court cannot constitutionally restrict the media from printing or broadcasting information about the case. The prosecutor’s tool to stop a case from being tried in the press is a gag order on the participants under the court’s control. While the Gag Order would stop James Ray’s attorney’s from trying the case in the media, it would also stop the public from having access to any information from Yavapai county staff regarding any aspect of this case with the exception of the scheduling of hearings.”

Don’t Pay To Pray is also concerned that a jury trial in Sedona would result in “a jury composed of several people who conduct the same type of plastic sweat lodges that Ray did.” These concerns are echoed by Johnny P. Flynn, a Potawatomi Indian and  faculty member in the Department of Religious Studies at IUPUI, who says that Native religion will end up being put on trial by various non-Native “experts”.

“I am not a psychic or an attorney, but my experiences through the years with American Indian religious issues tell me this: even though James Ray will be sitting at the defense table, it will be our religious practices on trial in that courtroom. And it will be experts who will argue both sides of the case … In following the Ray story over the past few months, I am amazed at the number of non-Indian sweat lodge experts the media has been able to locate. Few Indians if any have been interviewed … James Ray’s defense might be compelled to bring in experts to argue that he did the ceremony the right way—and to insist that occasional and “unforeseen” death is one of the by-products of American Indian religious practices … The prosecution would then be compelled to bring in their “experts” to argue that a non-Indian, who allegedly learned to do this ceremony from “shamans” all over the world, did the sweat lodge the wrong way. Ray would be guilty of manslaughter by way of “malpractice” even if he is an “expert” on the sweat lodge.”

For the moment, Ray still sits in jail, while his lawyers appeal the 5 million dollar bail, and lawyers on both sides position themselves for the coming trial. If the gag order goes through, news on this issue could dry up until the trial starts. But I suspect there will still be plenty to talk about, like the James Ray true believers who are organizing prayer conference calls on his behalf, or the Native American (and guru-debunking) activists who are using services like Twitter to network and share information. It still remains to be see what reverberations will be felt in the larger New Age community, or if it will be business as usual after a short period of making noises about “accountability”. You can bet I’ll continue to keep you posted as things develop.

In Other News:

Stonehenge’s Modernist Box: Britain’s Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment is protesting the approved design for Stonehenge’s new visitor center, saying it would detract from the landmark, and that the new “twee” footpaths are more appropriate for an “urban garden”.

“We question whether, in this landscape of scale and huge horizons and with a very robust end point that has stood for centuries and centuries, this is the right design approach?” said Diane Haigh, CABE’s director of design review. “You need to feel you are approaching Stonehenge. You want the sense you are walking over Salisbury Plain towards the stones.”

This is quickly becoming a big issue for Britain. The new center was supposed to be a compromise on the scrapped plans to build a tunnel that would reroute traffic away from the site. With the looming influx of Olympics visitors, pressure is mounting to get the site ready for the spotlight. It remains to be seen if CABE’s objections will now slow that process down. You can see a concept photo of the proposed center, here.

Kupala not Valentine: A right-wing nationalist Polish group called Niklot (named after a famous Slavic pagan) is protesting the celebration of Valentine’s Day, saying that Slavic Poles should celebrate Kupala Day instead.

“Niklot claims that Poles should observe the Kupala Day, a Slavic fertility holiday traditionally celebrated on 23-24 June. On Kupala Day young men would jump over the flames of bonfires and girls would float wreaths of flowers often lit with candles on rivers, attempting to gain foresight into their relationship fortunes from the flow patterns of the flowers on the river.”

You can read more about Kupala and Kupala Day at Wikipedia. The Helsinki Federation for Human Rights is calling for city officials to oppose the group, who have been putting up posters that say “F**k Off Valentines”, claiming Niklot promotes racism and fascism. Niklot spokesman Ireneusz Woszczyk disputes these claims, saying the group is only interested in tradition. Could one of our experts on Slavic Paganism weigh in on this? Is this group extremist? Or are they misunderstood reconstructionists?

Haitian Vodou Leaders Lend the UN a Hand: United Nations officials in Haiti are asking for help from the estimated 60,000 voodoo priests and priestesses in that country to perform a census of the dead and injured.

“…in postquake Haiti, the practitioners of voodoo have taken on a more practical role, enlisted by the government to help count the dead, tend to the injured, and soothe the psychologically damaged. “One must understand that Haiti is voodoo,’’ said Max Beauvoir, 75, the “pope’’ of Haitian voodoo and a former biochemical engineer who once worked for Digital Equipment in Maynard, Mass. “Helping Haitians is nothing else but helping ourselves.’’ To make use of that resource, the United Nations has reached out to the vast and influential network of about 60,000 voodoo priests in Haiti, Beauvoir said. And the priests, firmly entrenched in their displaced communities, are eager to lend a hand.”

The article also interviews Vodou “pope” Max Beauvoir, and discusses how Haiti’s Houngans and Mambos are helping a traumatized nation regain its footing. Whatever the future may hold for Haiti, it seems very likely that Vodou will be an ongoing and important part of that future.

The Wicker Tree: In a final note, director Robin Hardy’s long-awaited sequel/re-imagining of 1973 cult-classic “The Wicker Man”, “The Wicker Tree”, finally has its own web site!

Looks nice! No word on a release date other than “2010″, but you can sign up for updates. For all of my previous coverage of “The Wicker Tree”, click here.

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

Top Story: Hey, it happens to the best of us sometimes. Apparently around 300 Pagan revelers showed up to Stonehenge for the Winter Solstice a day early, under the mistaken assumption that the date is fixed on the calendar.

“A crowd of around 300 people, wearing traditional costume, met at the mystical stone circle on Monday morning to mark the rising of the sun on the shortest day of the year. But unfortunately their calculations were slightly out meaning they had in fact arrived 24 hours prematurely … A spokesman for English Heritage said: ‘About 300 people turned up a day early on Monday morning. We took pity on them and opened the stone circle so they could celebrate anyway. They were a day early but no doubt had a wonderful time as well.’”

While this has inspired some snark, it also provides a helpful reminder that the solstices (and equinoxes) are moving targets, and that you should always check before inviting 300 of your closest friends to frolic at the stones.

In Other News: Mistakenly early-bird Pagans weren’t the only bit of Pagan-oriented solstice coverage going on, the South Yorkshire Star interviews 82-year-old Wiccan Elder Patricia Crowther (one of, if not the, last living High Priestesses initiated directly by Gerald Gardner) for the holiday and finds her remarkably well-preserved.

“Patricia’s appearance – a full head of thick curls, barely wrinkled skin, and a razor-sharp mind – belies her years. “On my natal chart the moon is in Gemini, which is the sign of youth and the young-at-heart, and I know that has something to do with it,” she says. Her home is filled with unusual ornaments, most of which represent figures from mythology or the Goddess herself. There are also dozens of pictures of Patricia as a glamorous young woman. One particularly striking image is that of Patricia sitting naked on a stool for her initiation. “That’s what you have to do when you’re initiated – you go as you were born into life,” she explains. “There’s nothing dirty about it.” As with any qualification, becoming a High Priestess takes time and training.”

Crowther has a new book, “Covensense”, that was released this year. According to one review it contains some “narrow convictions” that will please some BTWs, and frustrate some of the more eclectic Wiccans out there. Personally, I think it’s wonderful that she’s still writing books, no matter how opinionated they might be.

Turning from Solstice-related stories for a moment, I want to quickly highlight two interviews with Pagan-friendly band Faith and the Muse, who’s latest Shinto-inspired album, “Ankoku Butoh”, was a top pick in my year-end best-of list. First Liz Ohanesian of the LA Weekly chats with them about the new album, then gets them to pick their favorite supernatural J-Horror films.

“Japan has one of the oldest traditions of ghost tales, even as far back as 1776, scholar and artist Toriyama Sekien attempted to categorize them in his illustrated series of collections of ghosts and spirits. But their origins can be found even earlier, and coincide with oral tales of Nature spirits – these are actually classic Goddess tales, found not only in Japanese Shinto belief, but in Celtic, Nordic and even Native American mythology – all the same foundation of the consequences that await when one messes with Nature. J-Horror has its very own Nature Mother, with snow-white skin and unbelievably long black hair, the vengeful spirit of the Woman Wronged.”

It’s an interesting-sounding round-up of films, especially for those who thought J-Horror began and ended with “Ringu”. For more Faith & The Muse goodness, and to order a copy of “Ankoku Butoh”, check out their official web site.

The Philadelphia Daily News has a cautionary tale about getting into arguments over religion. It seems that after two men had an argument over whose tradition of Santeria was better, one decided to end the argument permanently with a sawed-off shotgun.

“Hernandez, of Camac Street, North Philadelphia, shot Luis Freire, 55, because they had argued over whose version of the Afro-Caribbean religion Santeria was better, according to the statement, which the prosecution presented as evidence. “Unfortunately, in this day and age, it’s a sad commentary that killings happen over disputes ranging from heated arguments about religion to minor disputes over someone looking at someone the wrong way,” said Assistant District Attorney Brian M. Zarallo.”

Needless to say, Christian Hernandez’s strain of Santeria, whatever it was, won’t be well-served by having a convicted murderer in its ranks. It certainly makes the Internet flame-wars and rampant snark within the Pagan community seem sedate by comparison.

In a final note, the Suwanee, Georgia, school board is wrestling with how to handle public invocations after two substitute teachers, both Wiccans, asked for fair and equal treatment. This led to rumors that invocations would be eliminated entirely, an aim that was denied by the couple.

“Locals John and Rene Checkett addressed board members Tuesday and noted it was in no way their “aim or goal to remove prayer from our school system.” A story in last Friday’s Democrat quoted Rene Checkett to that effect, after rumors to the contrary drew a standing-room only crowd to a scheduled Dec. 15 board meeting. That meeting was canceled due to lack of public notice. The issue, Rene Checkett explained, was fair treatment for those with minority religious views. The couple, both Wiccans, met with Supt. Jerry Scarborough and board chair Jerry Taylor behind closed doors Friday to make their case for fair and equal treatment, particularly in regard to district policies. Both Checketts are substitute teachers. Taylor addressed a full crowd at the 6 p.m. meeting and made clear the district’s intent to handle the matter. “As a school district we need to adopt a policy that deals with religious activities in our school system that adheres to the rights of everyone based on the law of the land, which protects everyone,” Taylor said.”

The school board is going to be unveiling a new policy on public invocations in January, and it should be interesting to see how they address the concerns of religious minorities without causing an uproar with the local Christians.

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

While commentators grouse about issues concerning accuracy, and some readers remain skeptical, more and more signs seem to point to the continuing rise of modern Paganism and the widespread acceptance of a secular “folk-pagan” idiom for seasonal celebrations in Britain. In the Guardian, Cole Moreton, who’s writing a book about the soul of Britain, wonders if “everyone’s a Pagan now”.

“Not quite, maybe, but the rise has been dramatic. The census in 2001 recorded 40,000 pagans, but the true figure may be higher … The Pagan Federation, which aims to represent all “followers of a polytheistic or pantheistic nature-worshipping religion”, claims the number of adherents has trebled at least. That would mean there were 360,000 committed, practising pagans, putting them ahead of the Sikhs (329,000) and fourth behind Hindus (552,000), Muslims (1.5 million) and Christians (42 million, according to the census) … All you have to believe to be a pagan, according to the federation, is that each of us has the right to follow our own path (as long as it harms no-one else); that the higher power (or powers) exists; and that nature is to be venerated. If you asked everyone in Britain if they agreed with those three statements, millions would put their hands up. At its loosest, paganism is beginning to look like our new national faith.”

As if to validate Moreton’s thesis, the Summer Solstice gathering this year at Stonehenge was the largest ever, with an estimated 36,500 revellers making their way to Salisbury Plain.

“Despite the sun not making an appearance in an overcast sky, record numbers of people arrived to celebrate the occasion. An eccentric mix of Morris dancers, pagans dressed in their traditional robes and musicians playing guitars and drums gathered alongside visitors from across the world.”

There seems to be a certain British character that lends itself to celebrating its ancient landscape, and it affects you no matter what religion you actually adhere to. Pagan, Christian, atheist, or even Sikh.

“I think we ought to start a campaign to celebrate Midsummer in a more spectacular way. As a species we have specialised in creating tension, division and war. I am not for a moment suggesting we eschew organised religion. What I am suggesting is that we embrace our commonality. We all exist in the warmth of the sun, the light of the moon; we live by the tree and drink of the river. I suggest that we create a pantheistic precedent and have the first multi-faith celebration of the sun, of the galaxy and of the universe. I would like this event to take place in Croydon. We should, for one long day only, forget our differences and unify under the canopy of a shared sky. We will welcome the pot-smoking hippies, the groovy Bhuddists, the depression-embracing goths, the perennially troubled Christians, the ideologically-centred Sunnis and the daughters and sons of Khalsa. Food ought to be available for vegetarians, vegans, omnivores, and chocolate for the pot-heads. We should all wear differently coloured, full-length, smock-dresses that celebrate the colours of nature (no one, not even Croydon’s own Kate Moss, looks good in a smock-dress: it is a great leveller).”

So is the British soul, deep down, really a pagan soul? Or does it just seem that way around Midsummer?

After a confluence of events, including high-profile protests, a public consultation, and the looming influx of Olympics visitors, the British government has approved a new visitor centre and a road closure to improve the Stonehenge site.

“Britain has given the go-ahead for a new 25 million pound visitor centre at Stonehenge and will shut a road that runs alongside the country’s most famous prehistoric monument … The Stonehenge Programme Board (SPB) has now given approval “in principle” for a new visitor centre to be built at Airman’s Corner about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the current site. In addition, it has proposed closing the A344 road which takes traffic very close to the stones. The project will now need planning approval and funding, which will come from both private and public sources.”

No doubt this newly-approved plan could unravel if funding isn’t found, but I can’t imagine the government would balk at improving this World Heritage Site and risk international embarrassment. Whether these developments will please Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon, who is risking arrest by camping out in front of the site, remains to be seen. However, it certainly is good news for anyone (including Pagans) who care about the sites future.

The Telegraph, Guardian, BBC, Salisbury Journal, and Daily Mail all report that Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon (no, not that Arthur Pendragon) has been given notice by authorities to vacate his position in front of Stonehenge by May 3rd or face prosecution for trespassing. Pendragon (the Druid formerly know as John Rothwell) has been living in a camper at the edge of the site for the last 10 months protesting issues of access, lack of upkeep, and long-promised improvements.

“[King Arthur Pendragon] believes visitors should be allowed to walk close to the stones and touch them rather than being confined to a visitor centre and a pathway well away from the monument. Pendragon also believes the fence designed to keep visitors out has a damaging impact on the stone circle itself, holding it “in a stranglehold like a snared animal”. Wiltshire county council launched legal proceedings to force Pendragon to move away. Salisbury crown court granted a possession order, in effect giving him until Sunday to pack up and leave. But outside court, bearded Pendragon, who was flanked by supporters in white robes, said he would not be budging.”

Pendragon has already vowed to fight the issue in court and to stay in his camp despite threat of arrest. The Druid leader also claims to have the full support of the Council of British Druid Orders (though it is unknown how much support among modern Druidry that really entails). There are certainly British Pagans who do not support the idea of allowing unfettered access to Stonehenge, especially considering the damges that were inflicted on the site leading up to imposed restrictions in the 1970s. Meanwhile, while Pendragon kept his vigil, British beuracracy continued to slowly trawl forward in finding a solution to Stonehenge’s issues. Specifically the now-published and approved proposal from the Future of Stonehenge Public Consultation.

“Although the Government decided that the A303 road improvements were unaffordable, it has made a commitment in December 2007 to review the Management Plan as the overarching strategic document for the Site, and to complete environmental improvements at Stonehenge, including new visitor facilities, in time for the 2012 Olympics. This work includes examination of the case for closing the A303/ A344 junction to improve the setting of Stonehenge. A new Stonehenge Project Board, chaired by the Ministers for Culture and for Transport, has been set up to oversee this work.”

While Pendragon’s stance may be noble and heroic, it is far more likely that the impending 2012 Olympics will finally spur the government to make the needed improvements in order to avoid international embarrasment over the state of a World Heritage Site. Still, you simply can’t buy the kind of publicity that gets you listed in all the major British newspapers, so I suppose this is something of a PR coup for Pendragon and his followers. Whether anything constructive will come of this limelight remains to be seen, but having raised the stakes it’s jail or go home now.

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

The Richmond Times Dispatch in Virginia reports on CaribFest, and speaks with Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S. about Vodou/Voodoo.

“Raymond A. Joseph, Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S., was quite conversant on the subject of voodoo. ‘When people think of voodoo, they think about the pins and the dolls. . . . That is sorcery and witchcraft,’ Joseph said. In reality, he said, ‘voodoo is a religion, like any other.’”

In a fortunate piece of kismet, the public radio program Speaking of Faith aired its “Living Vodou” episode this week, which features an interview with Vodou scholar and practitioner Patrick Bellegarde-Smith.

Tropaion reports that the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, in partnership with the Onassis Cultural Foundation in New York, will be presenting an exhibition in December that may be of great interest to modern Pagans.

“Worship, Women’s Ritual and Reality in Classical Athens, is the forthcoming exhibition by the National Museum and the Onassis Cultural Foundation in New York for the following year … The exhibition will hold 158 artifacts from the National Museum, Acropolis, Kerameikou, Thebes and others including with 29 artifacts from the British, Metropolitan, Louvre, Vatican, Berlin and other foreign Museums. The exhibition is going to be divided in four main categories / themes: goddesses, priestesses, women and ritual, festivities and women on the circle of life. The visitor will be initially introduce with the Athena Parthenou, Artemis of Brauron, Demeter and Persephone who are presented with artifacts of their temples. Then, there are the mythical priestesses like Theano, who retain the key to further discover the practical aspect of worship (sacrifices, libations and choes). The exhibition ends with the section of the cycle of life (birth, adulthood, marriage and death), which run all stages of life in relation to religion and a woman.”

You can read more from this Greek paper. A formal press release hasn’t been issued, but once it is, I’ll provide a link.

Speaking of exhibitions in New York, the Museum of Biblical Art in Manhattan is currently hosting a traveling exhibit of 106 Albrecht Dürer prints. The famous German painter and print-maker, while devoting much of his work to Christian themes, also explored Greco-Roman myth, and did several witch-themed works. Reflecting the the growing concern (and eventual panic) that would engulf his homeland.

Excerpt from “The Four Witches” 1497

The Washington Post does a profile on the Hex signs of the Pennsylvania Dutch, and interviews Don Yoder, co-author of “Hex Signs: Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Symbols & Their Meaning”, artist Eric Claypoole, and Patrick J. Donmoyer, a student at Kutztown University who studies hex paintings.

“Some of the symbols, he said, date to Norse, and even pagan, art. And it is no coincidence that the hub of hex sign activity is in Pennsylvania rather than, say, New York or New Jersey. “There was freedom of religion in Pennsylvania,” he said. “People were afraid of so many things. Even ‘witches’ were protected here.” The argument that hex signs couldn’t have mystical meanings because they’re so public and out there for the world to see is misleading, Donmoyer said.”

Pennsylvania Dutch “Pow-Wow” folk practice and magic has gained popularity among some modern Pagans (to varying degrees of authenticity and success). So a thoughtful exploration of one aspect of this culture is welcome.

Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon’s protest at Stonehenge has entered its second month.

“Demonstrating on behalf of the Council of British Druid Orders, King Arthur Pendragon has vowed to remain at the site, living in his caravan, until the historic site is opened fully to the public … Pendragon, 54, has been camping close to the World Heritage Site since the Summer Solstice on June 21 and is hoping his protests will encourage the Government to remove the fences around the monument, build a tunnel under the A303 and grass over the A344.”

It is unclear if Pendragon’s protest, or the ongoing public consultation, will produce much needed changes in time for the 2012 Olympics.

In a final note, it looks fairly certain that Natalie Portman will be starring in a remake of Dario Argento’s occult-horror masterpiece “Suspiria” (featuring an evil coven of witches).

“Handsome Charlie Films, which is headed by Natalie Portman (pictured inside) and Annette Savitch, will be producing the remake of Dario Argento’s Suspiria. In addition, word has it Portman will topline the film that David Gordon Green is attached to direct. Green’s PINEAPPLE EXPRESS hits theaters tomorrow.”

Another addition to the large pile of horrid horror remakes (think “The Wicker Man”), or new classic for a new generation? I suppose only time will tell.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

Though the Summer Solstice revelers have moved on, that most famous of British neolithic monuments, Stonehenge, remains in the news. First off, somewhat controversial Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon (no, not that Arthur Pendragon) is camping out near Stonehenge, and vows to continue to do so until long-promised improvements to the site are made.

John Rothwell, aka Arthur Uther Pendragon.

However, this outrage over the condition of Stonehenge isn’t isolated to Druids and Pagans, and with the Olympics coming to London in 2012, there has been increased pressure to improve the state of England’s heritage sites. One manifestation of this willingness to do something about the state of Stonehenge is an upcoming three month public consultation on the future of the site. Organizers are no doubt hoping that this period of public input will quell criticisms of governmental negligence, and spur renewed action.

Stonehenge

Perhaps the fear of worldwide embarrassment over the care of Stonehenge will do more to motivate renewed care and attention to the monument than any protesting Druid could ever hope to achieve. In the meantime, King Arthur camps, and we wait to see if the government and English Heritage can finally find a long-term solution for the site’s care and maintenance.

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

Both The Times and The Independent review the new book “Stonehenge” by Rosemary Hill, which explores the social history and differing perceptions of this famous ancient monument.

“A great strength of Hill’s method is that she is by no means inclined just to laugh at what seem ludicrous beliefs. She carefully unpicks them, showing what made them attractive in their cultures, and how scholarly their adherents often were, apart from their brief descent into Stonehenge madness.”

You can read an excerpt of the work, here. Hill’s “Stonehenge” looks like a worthy new tome exploring this ever-popular monument (including modern Pagan interactions with Stonehenge). Release date in the UK is June 10th, and in America on November 15th.

Looking for Pagan music but aren’t a fan of folk music, neo-medieval stylings, or darkwave? Then you might want to check out the latest offering from Jazz musician Jordi Rossy. His trio’s new album is entitled “Wicca”, and according to All About Jazz, it’s “mesmerizing”.

“Wicca is a largely ruminative album, Rossy somewhere on the piano spectrum between George Winston and his sometimes employer Mehldau … Whether the piano is in the lead, organ droning behind, or organ leads, in churchy mode, with piano chords underneath, that sound is consistent and, at its best, mesmerizing. A comfort zone is established and observed, only breached noticeably on the title track, the CD’s longest, adding trumpet and tenor sax and combining disparate elements of tempo and form into an intricate yet harmonious texture.”

You can order the album from this web site.

Your Christian scare-mongering link of the week: beware of horoscopes (and palmistry, and Ouija boards).

“Just like the Ouija board, the horoscope can also be dangerous—a dangerous first step into the world of the occult. One woman, Barbara Gardner, writing in Today’s Christian Woman, explained how reading horoscopes sucked her into a dangerous pattern that led to astral projection—also known as “out of body experience”—palm reading, and fortune-telling. She ultimately attributed the breakup of two of her marriages to her obsession with occult activity.”

Back! Back Rob Brezsny! Back into the pits of Hell with you and your ilk! Also, beware of “slutty” mermaids selling you coffee!

Are Pagans considered a part of the “religious left”? Pew Forum Senior Fellow in Religion and American Politics John Green seems to hint that we could be, if we wanted to.

“Attention has largely been focused on various kinds of Christians who hold these views, but it is important to remember that these groups extend to non-Christians as well, including believers in the Jewish community and people who are “spiritual but not religious.” There are progressive voices appearing in nearly every religious tradition.”

Of course if Christians like Jim Wallis, who is regularly misrepresented as a liberal, get their way the “big tent” of the “religious left” wouldn’t openly include the Pagans and other non-monotheistic outsiders that could embarrass him or moderate Democrats trying to win over “values voters”.

Press profiling Pagans round-up! The Sault Star talks to author and Pagan Elizabeth Creith about her involvement in “flash fiction” and other artistic projects, Pennsylvania publication Voices talks to Art Shipkowski, a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin, at a Penn. State Pagan gathering, and The Shreveport Times talks to a Pagan husband and wife who run a local tattoo parlor called the Twisted Cauldron.

“The Clementses say opening Twisted Cauldron “is a 10-year dream.” Knowing the previous tenants, Modern Primitives, B.J. said, the opportunity popped up and he jumped on it. “There isn’t really a shop like this in the area, and privacy is a big issue,” B.J. Clements said. “A lot of our success has to do with how we treat our customers,” B.J. Clements said, adding one of the tenets of their Wiccan faith is “May you never hunger, May you never thirst.” “I do commerce with all sorts of religions and denominations; it generally isn’t an issue,” he said of being Wiccan.”

Did you get profiled recently in your local paper? Why not drop me a line! You too could be mentioned in my semi-regular round-up of Pagan press profiles.

In a final note, should you buy a Pan Flute? The answer may surprise you.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

Britain’s sacred landscape is very much in the news lately, with new finds, concerns over the land’s archaeological heritage, and plans to build new sacred sites getting attention from mainstream media. To start, Jonathan Jones from The Guardian looks at Stonehenge, and the increasing encroachment of development onto the site.

“In the misty, rainy morning, pairs of bright white lights keep appearing on the near horizon, and across the grass there is the unholy spectacle of a continuous flow of cars and trucks on the A303. Amazingly, this crowded road is soon going to get worse. In February, it was revealed that Tesco plans to build a gigantic warehouse near Andover, from which it is estimated a Tesco juggernaut will emerge every minute – many of them on to the A303. The Tesco “MegaShed” is just the final, farcical insult after the terrible news that hit Stonehenge three months ago. Just before Christmas, after nearly two decades of ambitious planning to rescue this landscape from traffic, came a brutal government press release: Tom Harris, under-secretary of state for transport, declared that plans to enclose the A303 in a tunnel under Salisbury Plain ‘would not represent best use of taxpayers’ money’.”

Jones, pondering why the British people don’t care more about Stonehenge, wonders if the recent de-mythologizing of the site by experts and archaeologists has led to a blase’ attitude towards Stonehenge’s fate.

“Stonehenge is a miracle, a mystery, like the ancient world sites that are its peers: the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico. This is why the tourists come. But official archaeology only tells us what we shouldn’t think: we must not believe that this is about astronomy, or druids, or mathematics, let alone – as Oxbridge scholars argued in the 1950s – that the dagger carving on stone 53 betrays a link with the ancient Aegean world. No, it’s the very people whose job it is to describe the unique nature of Stonehenge who make it sound as if it’s nothing more exciting than all the earthworks they dig up in bogs with a couple of wooden posts stuck in the peat. Stonehenge has been talked down by the experts. And now the philistines have an excuse to treat it as if it was nothing special.”

If Stonehenge is losing its enchantment thanks to modern science, the urge for scared monuments haven’t left the British people. In Northamptonshire, two new sacred circles, one explicitly Pagan, are being constructed.

“A ‘woodhenge’ in Rothersthorpe and a new stone circle in Crick are both under construction. The woodhenge is being constructed by organic cooperative Permorganics … The other structure, which will be made of four massive stones, is an art project being sponsored by the East Midlands Arts Council which will eventually stand on Cracks Hill, Crick.”

The stone circle at Cracks Hill will have its foundation markers laid out by local youths on the Spring Equinox, with the project reaching completion in five years. The Permorganics project will take longer, since it has to wait for the planted orchard to grow and surround the sacred grove. Both projects seem to speak to a desire for re-sacralizing the landscape by embracing elements from the land’s pre-Christian past.

Speaking of re-sacralizing the landscape, certain Pagan practitioners are going to love the following story. It seems that excavation efforts of 35 pits along the Cornish countryside have turned up evidence of pre-Christian offerings from a decidedly Christian time-period.

“Evidence of pagan rituals involving swans and other birds in the Cornish countryside in the 17th century has been uncovered by archaeologists. Since 2003, 35 pits at the site in a valley near Truro have been excavated containing swan pelts, dead magpies, unhatched eggs, quartz pebbles, human hair, fingernails and part of an iron cauldron. The finds have been dated to the 1640s, a period of turmoil in England when Cromwellian Puritans destroyed any links to pre-Christian pagan England. It was also a period when witchcraft attracted the death sentence.”

Archaeologist Jacqui Woods then makes an interesting comment regarding one of the finds.

“Often when secret rituals are abandoned people will talk about ‘things that were done in my grandmother’s day’ but there has been no whisper of this. It really makes me wonder whether that is because it is still going on.”

Pagan survivals? Folk customs given a Christian gloss and performed by people who considered themselves good Christians? None of the above? The article all but screams “witches”, and no doubt these discoveries are going to end up generating some interesting conversations among Witches and other Pagans.

These articles all point towards a palpable desire to embrace a sacred landscape that is not only post-Christian, but increasingly post-secular as well. A land filled with myth, story, and art. Enhanced by a ritualized awareness of the changing seasons, and reinforced by natural and man-made monuments. A land where modern Paganism fits right in.

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

British Druid chief Arthur Pendragon is running for a seat in parliament as an independent candidate. Pendragon’s platform is one focused almost solely on the issue of Stonehenge.

“A Druid chief has announced his intention to stand in the next general election to fight what he describes as the “disgusting neglect” of Stonehenge. King Arthur Pendragon, titular head and chosen chief of the largest independent Druid order in Britain, will stand as an independent candidate in the Salisbury constituency and take on the mainstream political parties. He is campaigning for the construction of the E510 million A303 Stonehenge road tunnel, which, he says, is the only way to protect the ancient monument and was backed up by a lengthy public inquiry in 2004.”

Pendragon has run for a seat in parliament four times previously, there isn’t any polling data so I can’t make any predictions if the fifth time will be the charm.

A group of North Carolina Pagans are getting “barbarous” in defense of a magnolia tree that is scheduled to be cut down by developers.

“Reaction to the potential loss of a single magnolia tree has left developer Stewart Coleman baffled. “It’s one tree,” he said Monday after hearing a group of Wiccans plan to cast spells to save it. “More than 40 trees – including six flowering cherries – have been destroyed for the park construction.” … But Wiccan priestess Dixie Deerman of Coven Oldenwilde in Asheville says the line has to be drawn somewhere, and this is it. Deerman, also known as Lady Passion, has invited Pagans, Wiccans and others to encircle the tree Friday evening and chant spells to protect it, “and Barbarous Words of Power to thwart the developer.” Wicca, also known as Paganism, is a faith that worships nature.”

The developer has offered to have the tree moved to a different location, though the shock of moving the tree may kill it, and questions the logic of Lady Passion in her spirited defense of this magnolia tree.

“Coleman said he doesn’t understand why people are so upset when developments outside downtown are destroying many more trees. ‘If I were to develop 40 homes … say, on a ridge top, how many trees would have to come down?’ he said ‘And you would need to build roads and water lines. It would be a lot worse.’”

But I guess you can never tell what your radicalizing moment will be, for Lady Passion it is the cutting down of that single tree. One hopes this is only the tentative start for a more involved life of environmental activism.

A British mother who is serving a life sentence for smothering her infant son is bringing litigation against the prison for not allowing her a ritual drum.

“I am a Shamanic pagan. I do not believe in violence. I have respect for all life and individuality. This prison, like many others, has an unwritten policy of pagan persecution. I have been refused and denied possession of religious items. I have faced hostility and disregard over my religious practices and festivals, and I have encountered bullying from inmates and staff due to my faith. I am not abusive to staff or inmates. So why should there be so many difficulties facing me? Either some members of staff see me as a threat because of my perceived intelligence, or they see me as a threat because they do not understand the way I choose to live my life.”

Leaving aside the bitter irony of a mother who killed her son (for refusing to breastfeed) saying she “respects” all life, prison officials don’t seem too keen to give her a drum, claiming that prison is a place of correction not recreation. So I guess we’ll soon see where the line in the UK regarding access to religious items will be drawn.

SperoNews, a Catholic-run news agency, reports on the persistence of paganism in Armenia and attempts to hint at dire political consequences if such behavior continues.

“At Garni, pagan priests placed sacrificial knives in fire, as well as rose petals in earthenware jugs of water, before reading aloud from the Ukhtagir, a collection of pre-Christian folk stories and legends immortalizing Armenia’s pagan gods written by Slak Kakosian, the founder of the Pagan Covenant, one of Armenia’s main pagan organizations. Founded in 1990, the group now claims it has over 1,000 members. In the group’s events, nationalism and paganism mingle equally. “We are pagans,” said 43-year-old Zohrab Petrosian, Kakosian’s successor. “We are Armenians, but we don’t know our true religion. Simply lighting a candle in a church or wearing a cross around our necks does not make us Christian. I’ve been a member of this organization for 10 years, but as an Armenian I’ve been pagan since the day I was born.” At the Garni Vardavar observances, one of the highest-profile attendees was Armen Avetisian, leader of the ultra-nationalist Union of Armenian Aryans, who received a three-year suspended sentence in 2005 for inciting racial hatred against Jews.”

You see, if any racists show up to your gatherings, then this must be the beginnings of a new fascism! But participants in the rituals don’t quite see it that way.

“Armenian pagans tend to dismiss the concern, though. Many at the Garni observances said politics wasn’t a factor for them … The hordes of children drenching pedestrians and motorists with water usually overshadow any such quests for meaning on Vardavar. Even so, Armenia’s pagans might take comfort in the fact that torrential rains unexpectedly hit Armenia at the festival’s end on July 15. As the rain poured down in the days that followed, one can only wonder if Astghik wasn’t listening, after all.”

No doubt Spero will keep looking for proto-fascists everywhere except in the mirror.

That is all I have for now, have a good day!