7.18.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
The Pagan-friendly Gaea Retreat Center in Kansas, host of the annual Heartland Pagan Festival, is branching out and allowing a music festival to take place on its grounds for the first time.
"...after enduring several board meetings, Yager and his staff finally convinced the proprietors to embrace the Gaea Retreat and Music Festival, which begins at noon today. “We’ve spawned into this weird festival where it’s a mesh of cultures. We have introduced education through imagery by focusing on things like the environment, free energy, energy conservation alternatives, performing arts,” he says."
Earth Rising, Inc., the legal entity that runs Camp Gaea, is trying to move past its infamous local past (which involved a legal battle over its permit), and reputation as a haven for Pagans and nudists. Though it remains to be seen if Camp Gaea can transform a music festival into a place to "find that realm of evenness and spiritual soundness." While I fully attest to the spiritual power of live music, I'm not sure "evenness" and "spiritual soundness" is what you aim for.
The Claremont Institute reviews "Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey: A Biography", by Alberto Manguel, and praises it as a book written with "intelligence and curiosity".
"Manguel's intent is to show that, for over 2,500 years, countless members of the species have found "in these stories of war in time and travel in space...the experience of every human struggle and every human displacement." The Iliad and Odyssey, which can be thought to represent the two great metaphors of life, a battle and a journey, are the "books which, more than any others, have fed the imagination of the Western world." In the 8th century A.D., Byzantine schoolchildren were still expected to have much of the Iliad by heart. Six hundred years later, during the Renaissance, Homer remained the cornerstone of every ambitious library."
According to the review, Manguel does a good job of making the argument that Homer is just as relevant today as he was in antiquity, a poet who described "every secret happiness and every hidden sin." A paperback edition of the book is due out in March of 2009.
A quick update on the "Satanic Panic Alive and Well in North Carolina" story, a judge has lowered the bail amount for Joy Suzanne Johnson, after her public defender argued that the charges against her made "no sense" and that there is a complete lack of "corroborating evidence".
"The woman who is accused of aiding and abetting her husband in a sexual assault case and an alleged kidnapping and cane beating persuaded a Superior Court judge Thursday to reduce bail."
Meanwhile, things aren't looking too good for the prosecution as more and more details about the case emerge. A state assistant distract attorney said that "some if not all of the charges may need to be modified". To catch up on this story, here is part one, and part two of my ongoing coverage.
Expect your local spiritual supply store to have a run on frankincense, Israeli scientists are claiming that the resin can ease depression and anxiety (at least in mice).
"Pharmacologists in Israel have found that frankincense, a whitish resin tapped from the veins of a shrubby tree, relieves anxiety and depression, at least in mice. In an article to be published next month in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere report that the active ingredient in frankincense lights up brain receptors that play a role in the perception of warmth on the skin and might help regulate emotion."
While covering this story, the New York Times visits a local occult shop, and finds that the employees aren't surprised in the least by this news.
“Any kind of magic you’re doing,” Ms. Cabral said, “frankincense would be great for any kind of happiness, or success, or attention, even.”
So if things are getting a little stressed at your circle, coven, or grove, be sure to light up (some frankincense)!
This weekend will see a dance festival in Miami to celebrate the survival of West African Yoruban culture and religion.
"This weekend, Coconut Grove will celebrate a culture created in Cuba during the slave trade. The Yoruban culture and the religion Santería, or Regla de Ocha, which was brought to Cuba by the Yorubans of West Africa, are the by-products of slavery, according to Ifé-Ilé's Artistic and Executive Director Neri Torres. With dance workshops and seminars, the Ifé-Ilé Afro-Cuban Dance & Music Festival will bring context to Miami residents. "Today, [the Yoruban culture] is still the root of Cuban culture in terms of art, music and the way we talk and gesture," said Torres, who founded Ifé-Ilé in 1996."
For more information about this event, head over to the Ifé-Ilé web site.
In a final note, The Esoteric Book Review takes a look at the recently released "Witch School 3rd Degree" by Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell, and is disturbed by some of what he finds there.
"I was disappointed to note subtle distinctions being made which imply Correllians are better than other Wiccans and should not be surprised by the bad behaviour of non-Correllians. This smacks a bit of cultish behaviour ... the return to sniping at Wicca was a little tedious and unnecessary ... the last part of the book becomes a bit cultish and for me loses the plot..."
Sniping at other traditions of Wicca? Superior attitudes? Cultish behavior? Doesn't sound like a very positive or affirming way of running a religious tradition. Nor is this the first time such accusations have been made. It should be interesting to see if Witch School responds to the claims made in the review.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: books, Camp Gaea, Festival, Florida, Frankincense, Homer, Kansas, North Carolina, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Santeria, Satanic Panic, Witch School, Yoruba
3.27.2008
Hoopeston Documentary Premieres at NYUFF
The upcoming 15th (and final) annual New York Underground Film Festival will be hosting the international premiere of the documentary "Hoopeston". The film looks at a formerly prosperous Illinois town as it deals with a declining economy, drugs, and the controversy caused by Witch School (and the Correllian Tradition that runs it) moving in.
Hoopeston - Trailer from Synydyne on Vimeo.
"Two and a half hours south of Chicago near the Illinois- Indiana border, once the global capital of sweet corn production, Hoopeston, according to residents, went from a town of "overachievers to underachievers in the span of just ten to fifteen years." Church. Meth. Republicans. That's about what's left when town officials, hoping to create jobs, start offering to give away prominent downtown buildings to anyone with a business plan ... but - whoops - guess who's coming to dinner: a displaced Wiccan sect shopping downmarket for a good spot to open the "nation's first witch school," Witch School. A beads industry mover and shaker from Virginia Beach; a pagan CEO with a checkered romantic past; the Orson Welles-esque leader of the Corellian Tradition, since age thirteen... take a trip with these egos to the dork side."
While the NYUFF description is somewhat mocking, the filmmakers seem quite sincere in wanting to impartially tell the story of the conflicts that emerged between Witch School and the heavily Christian town.
"The directors of the school faced stiff opposition from religious conservatives (Hoopeston has over a dozen churches - its other nickname is "The Holy City"). But the Witch School is now a fixture in Hoopeston, one that forces the town to ask whether its future lies in traditional industry or internet wand sales. Hoopeston tells the story of the former Sweet Corn Capital 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 Hoopeston story doesn't have a happy ending for Witch School. Due to a number of factors, including the ongoing lack of acceptance by locals, the school (and the Correllians) moved to the even smaller town of Rossville, Illinois to make a new start of building a "Salem of the Midwest" (a plan that seems increasingly unlikely, as Rossville seems even less enthusiastic than Hoopeston at Witch School's presence). "Hoopeston" should be an interesting exploration of what happens when religious cultures clash outside the (mostly) tolerant (and secular) urban areas most Pagans flock to.
The New York Underground Film Festival runs from April 2nd through the 8th at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City's East Village. "Hoopeston" is scheduled to screen on April 3 at 8:45 PM, with a repeat showing on April 8 at 9:30 PM. No word yet on other festival appearances or a DVD release.
Labels: Correllian Wicca, documentaries, Don Lewis, Ed Hubbard, Hoopeston, New York, Paganism, Witch School
2.25.2008
Bonewits Teaming With Witch School to Build "Real Magic School"
Author, Archdruid Emeritus of the ADF, and "polytheologian" Isaac Bonewits is opening his own online school on February 29th. The new online learning institution, Real Magic School, claims to offer "certain answers to a mysterious subject."
"Real Magic School, named after Bonewits first groundbreaking book, begins with a purposeful program of study that offers a pathway to an Associates degree in Magic. Further, the school begins immediately the process to seek academic accreditation, a process that is both difficult and demanding but according to the school founders, worthwhile. P.E. Isaac Bonewits has chosen to take his degree, his lifetime of experience, and his driving energy to create an academy that is truly a benefit to its students and future alumni. This will be a life changing experience for everyone who gets involved."
The new school has been built for Bonewits by Witch School, one of the oldest and largest (and some might say controversial) online schools aimed at teaching magic. Real Magic School isn't the first online magic school to be built around a charismatic Pagan "headmaster", Oberon Zell-Ravenheart's Grey School of Wizardry comes immediately to mind, though it does seem to be aiming for a more academic feel while trying to avoid Harry Potter comparisons.
"While the Harry Potter Phenomenon swept the world and has offered a fictional view of a Magical Academy, Isaac is not Dumbledore and Real Magic School is not Hogwarts. Real Magic School is definitely real world and has a truly academic and educational philosophy unmatched in today's world. Isaac Bonewits is a serious teacher, along with Phaedra, with lifelong experience, and is one of the most respected voices in the Pagan world today calling for academic truth and excellence in the study of magic and thaumaturgy, history, and Paganism."
It should be interesting to see where this goes. Does an online school with only two teachers (so far) have a real shot at gaining academic accreditation? If they did gain some form of educational accreditation would any mainstream college or institution accept transfer credits from Real Magic School? Real Magic School's web site doesn't have any course information up yet, so we will just have to wait and see what sort of curriculum is planned.
Labels: Grey School of Wizardry, Isaac Bonewits, Magic, Paganism, Real Magic School, schools, Witch School
12.30.2007
Top Ten Pagan Stories of 2007 (Part One)
As we reach the close of 2007, it is time to stop for a moment and take stock of the previous year. When you look at (and for) news stories regarding modern Paganism (and related topics) every day of the year, you can sometimes lose focus on the larger picture. So it can be a helpful thing to look at the broad strokes, the bigger themes, the events and developments that will have lasting impact on the modern Pagan movement. What follows are my picks for the top ten stories from this past year involving or affecting modern Pagans.
10. Important passages within the Pagan and occult communities: 2007 saw the passing of some highly influential and respected members of our extended community, the most notable being the visionary philosopher, author, and mystic, Robert Anton Wilson.
Robert Anton Wilson
Wilson is perhaps best-known for his work on "The Illuminatus! Trilogy" with co-author Robert Shea. The books incorporated elements of Discordianism, conspiracy theory, magick, and various 60s counterculture references to create a "fairytale for paranoids". Since then Wilson published several books exploring philosophy, science, and religion. Most notably his "Cosmic Trigger" series. But RAW was hardly the only notable passing in 2007, we also saw key Goddess spirituality movement figure Shekhinah Mountainwater (author of "Ariadne's Thread: A Workbook of Goddess Magic") cross the veil after a long struggle with cancer, and Tim Sebastion, chief of the Secular Order of Druids, who died after a long illness.
Other notable passages include artist Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge (partner to Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, and member of Psychic TV), influential Salem Witch and event organizer Shawn Poirier, and Starwood organizer, musician, and SubGenius, Chas Smith.
09. Witch School in the News: This past year saw quite a lot of coverage for the (in)famous Internet-based Witch School. The year began with news that the SCI FI Channel was planning a reality television series set in the school's campus (then located in Hoopeston, IL), but this development seemed to fall apart when Ed Hubbard announced he was selling the school through E-Bay.
"Imagine, if you could buy Harry Potter's Hogwarts? Well, the world's first and largest public school of Wiccan and Witches has become available for sale. Starting Tuesday, April 10th, WitchSchool.com will be auctioned off to the highest bidder during an eBay Auction. If you ever wanted to have your very own cyber school of magick and witchcraft, this is the auction for you. So you can own and run your very own Academy for Magick and Witchcraft. If you would love to become the next Dumbledore, this is your chance to do so."
After a flurry of controversy, mixed-signals, and announcements concerning them leaving their physical campus in Hoopeston (due to the alleged unfriendliness of the town) Witch School was sold to a coalition of buyers from the Correllian Nativist Tradition with Don Lewis at the head. I thought that would be the last we head from the school in 2007, but Witch School ended up gaining national press attention after the tiny troubled town of Rossville, IL went on the offensive following the school's relocation there. While tensions have since eased up, it was certainly a PR coup for the Internet business. It remains to be seen if Witch School will manage to gain the publics attention in 2008, or if they will return to relative obscurity sans tales of persecution. But they certainly made a mark on Pagan-related news in 2007.
08. "Bunky" the Multi-Millionaire: The media became positively entranced when Wiccan Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett won over 30 million dollars in the Maryland State Lottery "Mega Millions" drawing. This encouraged witty bon mots like "Dude, talk about blessed be" and "Christians who pray for lucky lottery tickets but never win might consider switching over to Wicca." Of course the press soon wanted to know how he was going to spend his newly-won loot, and Bunky announced that he plans to build a Pagan-run seminary. While there have certainly been rich or well-off Pagans before (though they are most-often "in the broom closet"), Bartlett is the first to gain a high-profile, and will certainly continue to gain press attention if (or when) he starts spending that money to benefit his religion.
07. Pagans in Prison (and the books they can read): Incarcerated Pagans and Heathens made the news in increasingly large numbers this past year. I personally blogged eight such stories, and I know for a fact that more occurred that I never got a chance to report on. Virtually all the claims regarded the issue of religious free exercise and what materials a Pagan prisoner should/would be allowed. But while those legal struggles mainly happened on the journalistic sidelines, Pagans, prisons, and their religious rights hit center stage when the Federal Bureau of Prisons enacted a controversial new policy that purged every religious book in Federal Prison libraries that wasn't on a then-secret list (in order to inhibit "extremism").
"Government does have a legitimate interest to screen out things that tend to incite violence in prisons," Mr. [Douglas] Laycock [professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School] said. "But once they say, 'We're going to pick 150 good books for your religion, and that's all you get,' the criteria has become more than just inciting violence. They're picking out what is accessible religious teaching for prisoners, and the government can't do that without a compelling justification. Here the justification is, the government is too busy to look at all the books, so they're going to make their own preferred list to save a little time, a little money."
Massive controversy ensued amongst religious groups both liberal and conservative, which only intensified when the amazingly flawed lists leaked to the public. The BOP soon reversed their actions and restored the pulled books, but the policy has only been postponed, and come early 2008 we could be faced yet again with the majority of books for (Federal) Pagan prisoners being pulled, and an approved list made by unnamed "experts" put in its place. So expect the rights of Pagan prisoners to continue to make the news in 2008.
06. Paganism (Ancient and Modern) Continues to Influence Pop-Culture: Pagan and occult themes continued to make headway into popular culture in 2008. The television series "Rome" (which had one of the most accurate portrayals of Roman polytheism to date) aired its second (and final) season, the masterful adult fairytale "Pan's Labyrinth" took home three Academy Awards, while films like "300", and "Beowulf" looked to a pre-Christian era to find its heroes (while a certain Pirate franchise invoked a goddess to help wrap up their story). 2007 also saw the release of documentaries concerning notorious occultist Aleister Crowley, and cultural appropriation within New Age communities, and a new-found emphasis on occult and supernatural themes in television.
"The prevalence of supernatural plots 'is reflective of increasing anxiety - personal, economic and national' that pervades the American mood, said Mr. Rash, who was in New York last week to attend the networks' presentations ... Most of the coming new shows 'are playing to viewers' desire to be in fantasyland,' said Shari Anne Brill, senior vice president and director of programming at Carat USA in New York, part of the Carat division of the Aegis Group, adding, 'The real world has become such a horrendous place that people are looking for magic to avoid the tragic.'"
Pagans continued to make appearances on reality television, and exploitive daytime talk-shows, while a film full of Scottish myths and folktales (shot entirely in Gaelic) gained rave critical reviews. In addition, production news surfaced about a feature film concerning Aleister Crowley, a re-envisioning of the classic cult-film "The Wicker Man", and a possible television show starring Greek gods. Meanwhile, Walden Media learned that if you cut the pagan elements out of a classic story, the movie will flop.
This has been a great year for Pagan-themed music, from Wyrd-folk compilations to Bjork and Tori Amos. Loads of great Pagan and occult books came out this year as well. Oh, and the last Harry Potter book came out, but didn't you hear it was all a Christian allegory? But in any case, popular culture continues to become increasingly Pagan-friendly, and I don't see the trend slowing down any time soon.
--
Tomorrow I will post the top five Pagan stories for 2007. In the meantime, I invite you to check out the top religion stories from some different perspectives. Time magazine's top ten religion stories, the 2007 Top Religion Stories as selected by Religion Newswriters, the Barna group's four "mega-themes" from their 2007 research, Christianity Today's top stories of 2007, and Terry Mattingly gives us his vote for 2007's top religious story.
Labels: Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, Paganism, Passings, pop-culture, Prison, Religion, Top 10 religion stories of the year, Witch School
11.09.2007
More Media for Witch School
It seems that the hardships faced by Don Lewis and Witch School by moving operations to the tiny troubled town of Rossville, Illinois has been something of a blessing in disguise. Tales of the decidedly unfriendly reactions by the predominately Christian town have graduated from regional papers, to the Chicago Tribune (which in turn prompted a mention at Get Religion), and now USA Today is reporting the story.
"Witch School opened in July on Chicago Street, the main drag here, between the Harris Insurance Agency and Wally's Pub & Eatery. Since then, it has been the chief topic of conversation, rumors and speculation around town. The witches couldn't be happier. 'It's been great for business,' CEO Donald Lewis says. 'I do understand that some people, not understanding what we are, might be afraid, but they shouldn't be. - There are no headless cats, there are no missing children.'"
"Great for business" indeed, you simply can't buy that much sympathetic press. Not only has this flood of publicity helped dampen opposition, it has also provided the school with thousands of dollars of free publicity. Which I'm sure helps when enduring some hostile prayer-circles and billboards targeting your faith. It raises the question of if the Rev. Don Lewis is far cannier than we have given him credit for, or if Witch School just happened to move to the wrong town at the right time.
Now we just have to wonder if all this press is good for modern Paganism as a whole, or simply good for Witch School's profit margin. I'm sure many Witches and Wiccans have decidedly mixed emotions about Lewis and Witch School becoming a major public face of Wicca. Time can only tell if Witch School stays in the spotlight once the controversy fades.
Labels: Don Lewis, Paganism, Rossville, USA Today, Witch School
11.05.2007
Bunky Not Going the Witch School Route
The media has remained fascinated with Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, a Wiccan who won a 33 million dollar jackpot in September. Last week a story hit the wires that Bartlett was going to open a "real-life Hogwarts" school for Witches, leading some to think the newly-rich-Witch was going to follow in the footsteps of online establishments like Don Lewis's Witch School or Oberon Zell-Ravenheart's Grey School of Wizardry. Today, Bartlett appears in the papers again, to clarify what his post-lottery Pagan plans are.
"Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett ... would like to clear up a few misconceptions about his plans for a "witch school." Yes, he'd like to start a pagan seminary. But no, it's not going to be some sort of Hogwarts-on-the-Patapsco, with precocious adolescents running around in wizard hats and casting spells. Bartlett instead envisions the place as sort of a yeshiva for all faiths, a "church" that's less about God - or gods, if you prefer - and more about spirituality, nature and healing. The future Willow Springs Sanctuary and Community Center ... will teach classes about all religions, offer technology courses for those seeking better jobs and counseling for those seeking to make sense of their lives."
The article also talks briefly about the dearth of Pagan-oriented options for a formal religious education. A situation that often results in a sort of hodge-podge attempt at a well-rounded and relevant curriculum.
"Folks who have wanted to serve in a leadership capacity have managed to cobble together an education through Christian divinity schools, counseling programs, and the Unitarian Church," said [Sherry] Marts, a practicing witch and spokeswoman for the Open Hearth Foundation, a pagan community center in the Washington area. "It's been kind of a piecemeal. It would be great to have a pagan seminary."
Strangely, the reporter tracks down Witch School founder Ed Hubbard to talk about the development of a Pagan seminary, but not a single direct mention or interview with anyone from Cherry Hill Seminary, one of the few serious attempts at building a comprehensive and professional Pagan-focused ministry education. One wonders if Hubbard is consulting Bartlett on his sanctuary/community center, or if that was the only relevant source the journalist could find on short notice?
In any event, it is good to know that Bartlett is trying to build something of lasting value to the wider community, and is attempting to engage in interfaith activities. I wish him every success, though after winning the lottery I'm sure his gods are looking out for him already. Plus, as Bunky asserts in the article, he has no worries about deflecting any misfortunes relating to how he manages his new-found wealth: "I have the ability to deflect the curses that come my way."
Labels: Ed Hubbard, Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, lottery, Paganism, Wicca, Witch, Witch School
10.27.2007
Closing Schools, Meth, and Witchcraft
The Chicago Tribune takes a closer look at Witch School's recent move to Rossville, IL and finds a troubled town deeply unhappy with its new Pagan neighbors.
"Things were already going downhill in this small farming community when the witches arrived. Area factories had shut down. So had the local high school. A suspicious fire had gutted much of the downtown. The use of methamphetamine was destroying families. So when a group of Wiccans from out of town moved into a storefront this summer and erected a sign advertising "Witch School," it was only a matter of time before alarm bells sounded and tempers started to boil in this village of 1,200, about 125 miles south of Chicago near the Indiana border."
It seems that anti-Witch canvassing, regular prayer meetings, and even an anti-Pagan billboard reading "Worship the Creator not Creation" have all emerged since Witch School's move here from Hoopeston with dreams of building a new "Salem" in the Midwest. But it may not be the Salem they were hoping for.
"'Remember the Salem witch trials?' resident Adam Marganski said. 'That's what is happening here.' ... more than 150 people filed into the shuttered high school Wednesday night for the meeting, Andy Thomas, youth minister at the Rossville Church of Christ, said residents had a spiritual responsibility to drive the witches out. If they didn't, he said, young people were in danger of being pulled off the Christian path ... 'They're trying to make us scapegoats,' [Don Lewis] said as he slipped into the meeting unannounced."
On Wednesday, another meeting was held concerning the "Witch problem" featuring speaker Robert Kurka. While Kurka presented a message of tolerance instead of hostility, this new truce seems fragile at best.
"When the meeting was over, many of the opponents appeared calmed. They vowed to turn down their anger and increase their prayers. Lewis was pleasantly surprised. "It seemed like he was trying to uphold the peace," he said. But it was unclear how long the peace would last. When a local pastor approached Lewis shortly after to say he would pray for him, the exchange between the two men quickly heated up. It looked as if a fistfight might break out. Then Lewis decided Kurka was right. He turned and walked away."
It remains to be seen if something like Witch School can survive in a small Christian town already troubled by economic and social problems. While tolerance should be practiced (and enforced) on all sides, one has to wonder if such ingrained hostility will ever allow the enterprise to truly flourish.
Labels: Chicago Tribune, Paganism, Rossville, Wicca, Witch School, Witchcraft
10.26.2007
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
The Pagan law enforcement and emergency personnel organization Officers of Avalon is sending out a call for donations to their Avalon Cares Relief Project in order to assist those affected by the recent California wildfires that have destroyed over 1,400 homes, and evacuated nearly a million people.
"As our members are Pagan professionals in the emergency services, we've had a lot of people on the ground in the affected areas from the start. I'm starting to get reports on what has been affected and where help might be needed. I encourage you to do the same. If you know any one who has needs as a result of this disaster, please write to us and let us know ... Once again, we're showing the world what Pagans can do. Yet we must stick with it. We need you all to continue to donate what you can. If you can't donate money, donate your time to volunteer efforts. Do your own fund raising events to help us in this disaster relief effort. Open your doors to the displaced. Give blood. If you're a Pagan in the emergency services or related fields, join us at Officers of Avalon and help us help Pagans."
Officers of Avalon has has 501 (c) status (so your donation is tax-deductible), and 100% of the money collected by the Avalon Cares project is going to the relief effort in California. Donation links can be found, here.
For those of you who have been following the story concerning the Federal Bureau of Prisons' controversial plan to limit religious books for prison libraries to an approved list (currently on hold due to massive protests), some recent information has come to light thanks to a Freedom of Information request put in by one of my readers. According to the FOI document sent to me, there are no records of outside consultants, or fees paid to outside consultants.
"In reference to your request for the names of consultants, fees paid to those consultants, and the invoices related to those fees, there is no information responsive to this request."
This seems to back up claims by the American Academy of Religion that no members of its organization were involved in making the lists. It also looks very likely that the BOP was "misstating" when it said they relied on experts to make the lists. Which raises the vision of BOP bureaucrats making the lists by doing Google searches. These facts should make for interesting background when the lists return in 2008.
Mary Lefkowitz, professor emerita at Wellesley College, has an editorial up in the L.A. Times endorsing a return to polytheism, specifically, a return to the Greek pantheon.
"The world, as the Greek philosopher Thales wrote, is full of gods, and all deserve respect and honor. Such a generous understanding of the nature of divinity allowed the ancient Greeks and Romans to accept and respect other people's gods and to admire (rather than despise) other nations for their own notions of piety ... Ancient Greek religion gives an account of the world that in many respects is more plausible than that offered by the monotheistic traditions. Greek theology openly discourages blind confidence based on unrealistic hopes that everything will work out in the end. Such healthy skepticism about human intelligence and achievements has never been needed more than it is today."
I dare say this is a call for a return to traditional values that most Christian conservatives aren't really expecting!
For those who loved "Pan's Labyrinth" by Guillermo Del Toro, but thought it was too "cheery", the acclaimed director is planning to tackle H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness", an essential tale in the ever-popular Cthulhu Mythos.
"...it will NOT be next on his list. It is still possible that a studio has finally agreed to a deal ... it looks very good that GDT will soon be in monster heaven soon, thanks to Don Murphy's Angry Films, and Susan Montford, who will be on board as producers, and an as yet unnamed studio. At one point the film was being looked at by Dreamworks/Paramount and Warner Bros., but looks like Universal may be the frontrunner now."
The film adaptation was co-written by Guillermo del Toro, and a review of it is posted, here.
Finally, in Witch School news, the small town of Rossville, Illinois (the new home-base of Witch School) held a town meeting for those worried by the recent influx of Pagans. But rather than controversy, Robert Kurka, professor of theology and church in culture at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln called for tolerance and co-existence.
"About 150 people from Rossville, Hoopeston and other parts of the county attended the event that was open to the public. Kurka talked for more than an hour about the history of Wicca religion and the ideas behind it and compared the beliefs to Christian beliefs, showing how the two differ. Kurka encouraged the mostly Christian audience to treat the Wiccans in a Christian way, by welcoming them to the community as they would anyone else."
This seems to have somewhat surprised the Witch School members in attendance, who no doubt feared an anti-Pagan fire-breather had been sent to rally the faithful.
"It wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I thought it would be more 'We have to get rid of these people' attitude. I was pleased to know it was more friendly,"
So it look like Rossville is coming to terms with its new Pagan neighbors, though it remains to be seen if Rossville will ever become the "Salem of the Midwest" as some hope.
That is all I have for now, have a good day!
Labels: California, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Guillermo del Toro, Officers of Avalon, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Polytheism, Witch School
7.18.2007
Updates on Past Stories
Chalk figure controversy: It seems that the protests by British Pagans over what they felt were sacrilegious and damaging (temporary) alterations to prominent chalk figures has borne fruit.
"The Sussex Archaeological Society has apologised to protesters after they allowed a controversial stunt by ITV to give the Long Man of Wilmington a sex change. ITV and the archaeological society caused fury among Pagans and other protesters when they allowed fashion gurus Trinny and Susannah to add breasts and pigtails to the figure many believe is sacred. As part of the programme, Trinny and Susannah Undress, ITV asked woman dressed in white to lie on the figure to create the transformation. Chief Executive Office of the organisation, John Manley, said: 'The Sussex Archaeological Society would like to apologise to representatives of the Pagan community, or any other individual or groups, who might have been offended by recent television filming on the Long Man of Wilmington."
The Society has promised to consult with local Pagans before sanctioning any further actions involving the chalk figure. While pleased with this victory, some local Pagans also want to force ITV into not airing the prank footage at all.
"We are absolutely determined this footage should not be shown as we feel it will encourage anti-social behaviour on the site. We heard people say they were going up there directly after the filming as the activities seem to make people think it is ok an we are extremely concerned about this."
One can be sure that thanks to these stalwart activists this will be the last time large numbers of women willing lay down near the Long Man of Wilmington.
Witch School's New Home: Now that the Witch School has left Hoopeston, IL and moved its physical campus to the much smaller (population 1270!) and seemingly more receptive climate of Rossville, Illinois, you would think their problems would be behind them and they can start building the "Salem of the Midwest". But all is not well in the tiny town, it seems that some of the natives are restless at the introduction of Witches.
"The Wicca School, which recently moved from Hoopeston to downtown Rossville, is not welcome by everyone in the Rossville community. At Monday night's village board meeting, Dennis Barragree said the local news media made it sound as if all of Rossville was in favor of the school's move. "I just wanted to set the record straight that not everyone is for that," said Barragree. "I'm not for it." Barragree's wife, Carolyn, said there comes a time when you have to take a stand. She wanted people to make informed decisions about the school. She said the school didn't bring anything positive to Hoopeston ... Mayor Terry Prillaman reminded residents that the school is a business and it's not the function of the city council to accept or not accept someone moving into Rossville. "A lot of people don't approve," Trustee Dick Queen agreed. "But the council is not in control of who moves in." Prillaman said about half the city was for the Wicca School's move to Rossville."
It looks like things aren't going to get much friendlier than it was in Hoopeston, maybe they should get to work on their Wiccan relocation plan as soon as possible. Such are the perils of making cheap property your number one priority when choosing a location.
Labels: English Chalk FIgures, Paganism, UK, Wicca, Witch School
7.05.2007
Updates on Past Stories
Living Goddess loses status. 10-year-old Nepalese Kumari (living goddess) Sajani Shakya has had her status revoked for traveling to the United States. Shakya was traveling to promote a new documentary about the Kumari in Nepal, when word came from the Nepalese government that they would begin the process to look for a replacement due to her "forbidden" action. Ishbel Whitaker, the director of the documentary, claims that this rule never existed before now and that this is most likely a political move.
"Ishbel Whitaker, director of the film "Living Goddess" said she was shocked and saddened by this news and would make sure the girl's education was provided for. "The rule of not being able to leave was never a rule before.... Nobody ever said the Kumari can't travel" she said by telephone from London. Whitaker said they filmed in Bhaktapur for a year. "We had been speaking with people we felt were authorities, and now these others are claiming they are," she said. The film crew consulted anthropologists, the head priests of Sajani's temple and her parents, the director said. And she said the Nepalese Embassy helped arrange Sajani's trip to the U.S."
It should be interesting to see what further developments take place due to all the publicity placed on this tradition. Luckily Sajani Shakya will be well-cared in the wake of her losing her Kumari status, though it remains to be seen if the parents will appeal this decision. You can read my original post about the living goddesses and the documentary, here.
Witch School's new home. Now that the Witch School has been sold (and shares sold in the "new" corporation), and they have closed up shop in Hoopeston, Illinois, they have decided on their brand new home. Rossville, Illinois.
"After four years, a Wiccan school is leaving Hoopeston, but it's not going far. This week, the new owners will be moving the school into its new location at 117 S. Chicago St. in downtown Rossville. "We're very happy to go to Rossville," said Don Lewis, the chief executive officer of and majority shareholder in Witch School International ... Lewis, who lives in Hoopeston but will be moving to Rossville, said people in Hoopeston showed support to the school, but some in the city government and the local power structure did not. "And I'm hoping the people of Rossville will not have any preconceived ideas about us, and come out and meet us," he said. "They will find we are normal people. Everyone we've talked to so far in Rossville has been nice." Just this week, Witch School International purchased the building in Rossville, which formerly housed the business Gift Baskets By Wilma."
With Rossville's estimated population of 1270 (and shrinking), perhaps Witch School will finally achieve their dreams of building a "Salem of the Midwest". Though it may be hard to convince a couple thousand modern Pagans to move to a tiny town an hour's drive from the nearest modern amenities. You can read previous Witch School-related posts, here.
Pagan Rally in Washington. I don't have any major follow-ups on the rally that took place yesterday, but the On Faith blog has posted several more responses to their panelist question concerning Pagan chaplains, the Washington rally, and if you would vote for a Pagan politician. Not surprisingly, people like Chuck Colson are against the rights of Pagans, while Starhawk is emphatically pro-Pagan.
"I'm cheering for my Pagan sisters and brothers who are demonstrating on this Fourth of July for the right to have a Pagan chaplain in the military. Our constitution, which they have volunteered to defend, grants us the freedom of religion. That doesn’t mean "freedom of any religion we approve of but not those that make us uncomfortable or that we've never heard of." It means freedom to follow the calling of one's own faith and conscience."
As I said in yesterday's post, please let me know if any photos or write-ups of the rally appear, this is an important story and I want to follow it fully. For more posts on this subject (and on the Veteran Pentacle Quest) click, here.
Frosts Effigy Controversy. My original post discussing AJ Drew's plans to destroy effigies of the Frosts, for writings that many feel promote pedophilia, has garnered more comments than any other on this blog (100 total and counting). Now AJ Drew himself is participating in the back and forth.
"The Frosts are promoted by Pagan Pride, Starwood, Sirius Rising, Brushwood, and other events. They are promoted by Patricia Telesco, Isaac Bonewitz, and other leading authors. Even Janet and Stewart Farrar made a video with Gavin Frost in which they called each other friends for decades. My plan to sacrifice them in effigy at this year's International Real Witches Ball will bring attention to this. People who do not know, will know. They will no longer be able to hide the monsters that they are and those who supported them these many years will be shown for the money minded self promoting business as usual authors and organizations that they are."
Since the original post is moving off the front page, I am posting links to the comment thread(s) so people can find the discussion and participate if they want. HERE are the Haloscan comments (which comprises the bulk of the comments), and HERE are the Blogger commments. Please try to remain civil, I'm pretty open-minded about comments, but I will not hesitate to delete anything that I think crosses a line (threats, intimidation, personal attacks).
That is all I have for now, have a good day.
Labels: AJ Drew, Gavin and Yvonne Frost, Kumari, Living Goddess, On Faith, Paganism, Veteran Pentacle Quest, Wicca, Witch School
6.08.2007
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
A correctional officer accused of sexually abusing a girl for six years is in custody, and the police claims the man may have used the Wiccan religion to lure young girls.
"Loren Williamson, 33, was booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail on four counts of sexual conduct with a minor and three counts of child molestation. Police said the abuse started when the victim was 6-years-old and continued until authorities recently got a tip ... Officers said Williamson was involved with the Wiccan religion and may have used its mystical traditions as a way to spark the interest of young girls."
The police are currently trying to figure out if Williamson had any other victims, and are are looking to the public in the Phoenix, Arizona area for any information. You can find contact numbers at the link.
Is it still religious discrimination if you admit to illegal drug use as well? An Ohio custody case brought in as evidence the mother's public MySpace postings that described a lifestyle of Paganism, S&M, and recreational drug-use.
"It had to happen sooner or later. Heedless of the consequences, a parent engaged in a hot custody dispute chatted away on MySpace, revealing her private life as a pagan, bisexual S&M enthusiast and drug-user. She even admitted that she had gone on a drug "hiatus" during her lawsuit, but planned to resume her old ways when the case was over ... Based on the mother's testimony and her MySpace revelations, the Common Pleas judge found her "lifestyle" unsettling for somebody raising a five-year-old, and the guardian ad litem appointed by the court to look after the child's interests concurred, finding she had a better relationship with her father..."
The judge seems to have handled the information with care, saying the mother had every right to her lifestyle, but that the child was better off with the father. I agree that her religion and sexual practices should have no bearing on her perceived fitness as a parent, but admitting to illegal activities is no way to win a custody battle. Also worth noting is that the court ruled that anything you post on MySpace isn't "private", so if you're in litigation be careful what you say to the world.
The Kalamazoo Gazette profiles the Paganstock festival in Bangor, Michigan. Unlike other Pagan summer festivals, Paganstock's entertainment veers away from the traditional folk-and-drumming you'd find elsewhere.
"...a previous performer at Paganstock said: 'This is the only place a pagan can be a pagan.' The speaker was Roy Addams of Portland, Maine's metal band 13 Winters, one of this year's headliners ... Most of the music will be hard rock or metal. 'It seems a lot of pagan festivals in the past have had folk music, very mellow, a softer tone to it. ... There are a lot of artists out there that have a heavier or different sound I'd like to showcase,' Pulka said."
Among the artists you can find at this years Paganstock include the rock/blues artist Dooley Noted, the metal bands 13 Winters, Urn, and With No Remorse, and the all-female rock band Burning Sage. You can find the Paganstock MySpace page, here. Could this be the beginning of Pagan festivals that attempt to appeal to an ever-growing younger Pagan audience?
A small-town newspaper looks at donations to library book sales, and what impressions the volunteers get from the different donations.
"A large number of books about cancer, books about healing, books about spirituality might imply that that book donor had gone through a troubling period in his or her life. "We got in a couple of boxes with tons of books on witchcraft and the Wicca movement," said Ms Marshall. "We wondered if the person had become disillusioned with the whole Wicca thing, or had they just been doing research? The books were tossed in with a bunch of Dr Seuss books, and I thought, 'I'd like to meet that person!'" she said."
Personally, I have done a couple Pagan book-dumps to used book stores, usually stuff I feel I have outgrown, or to make room for even more books.
Disappointed that you didn't get a chance to buy Witch School when it was up for sale? Well, Don Lewis, CEO of the online school, is now offering members the chance to buy stock in the company at only 25 cents per share.
"Shares represent a voice, and we are asking to be allowed to issue a total of ten million shares, though we do not necessarily plan to use all of them. But this allows us a high cap, so individuals who want to open their own licensed campuses, can easily become registered by Witch School International, Inc. ... WSI is an entirely NEW COMPANY. WSI acquired the assets of the former company called Witch School. Now those assets are comprehensive. We are currently in our first round of requesting financing, and are looking for investors. You are receiving this letter because, having already purchased a Lifetime Membership we feel it is likely that you might be interested in investing in the school. During this first round the price will be 25 cents a share, plus a five dollar service charge. There will be no minimum, but there is a maximum of 1 million shares total sold in this first round."
Alongside their Pagan penny stock scheme (for which they say they need to be extremely legit since they face discrimination "from within as well as without"), the school is also forming a relationship with The Grey School of Wizardry (co-founded by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart) and offering "Master Teacher Certifications". Lest I be seen as "discriminating" against the school I'll refrain from comment, though I think Caveat Emptor should apply.
In a final note, the BBC profiles the Spiritualist haven of Cassadaga, central Florida. The reporter finds that what you believe affects what you get out of a visit to the many performing psychics and mediums.
"The experience of Cassadaga seems very much to depend on the beliefs with which you arrive. The people I met who wanted and expected to contact their deceased family members did so and left with those beliefs reinforced. For the skeptical and curious little changed, but just about everybody enjoyed the peace and quiet of a place that feels a million miles away from the attractions of Florida's theme parks."
There seems to be a growing interest in the town, aside from the BBC's report, the indie band Bright Eyes recently released an album that thematically centers around the Spiritualist camp. For more on Cassadaga, check out their web site.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: Cassadaga, custody case, Festival, music, MySpace, Paganism, Spiritualism, Wicca, Witch School, Witchcraft
4.19.2007
My (Hopefully) Last Witch School Post
It seems that this story is finally coming to a close. Witch School, the infamous online school founded by Ed Hubbard, has been sold to a coalition of buyers from the Correllian Nativist Tradition with Don Lewis at the head. This follows much speculation following the initial announcement that Witch School would be auctioned off on eBay.
"No one takes Witches and Pagans as a serious market force. By using eBay as a platform for selling, at least we can get fair exposure. It is not like we can list this in an ordinary newspaper and be taken seriously. Of course, everyone will probably take this as a joke. But Witch School is a serious business and opportunity for the right buyer"
Since then students tried to form a coalition to buy their own school, outside Pagans tried to purchase the school, and the auction was pulled from eBay due to claims that someone was hacking Witch School's account. In the midst of all this, Ed Hubbard started making the news for criticizing Hoopeston, Illinois' for its lack of acceptance.
"Hubbard sold his interest in the Witch School recently to add to his financial base for Illiana Web. He announced this fact at the Hoopeston City Council meeting on Monday, when he also told the council the Witch School would be gone May 1. Hubbard asked a simple question at the meeting of the mayor and each individual alderperson: "Do you want me to stay? Illiana Web is fully ready and Hoopeston can become a regional hub. Do you want a Regional WIFI hub here?" No one answered the question. Hubbard turned and left the meeting. Mayor Bill DeWitt said it was Hubbard's prerogative to stay, but added after Hubbard left the meeting that, 'If I was engaged in any business and had to take a public-opinion poll, by hell, I would move.'"
Now that the sale finished, one wonders if it being sold to a Correllian-affiliated group was the planned outcome all along? One of the few serious non-Correllian coalitions to attempt purchasing the school seemed to not get very far in their attempts to discuss a bid.
"We wished to meet with Witch School partners to discuss the matter, but that didn't happen. We made an offer to the majority partner, but not on E-bay. We also had a lot of questions about finances, philosophy of the school, assets, etc."
Ed Hubbard is planning to make a formal announcement regarding the sale soon (feel free to post a link to it in the comments once it surfaces). No doubt he will discuss how the final sale came about, and reveal the new status of the school under the leadership of Don Lewis. One can only hope the buyers, sellers, and Witch School students will be happy with this new/old arrangement. Some of the ethical questions raised by this entire process will most likely go unanswered, but it seems the matter of the sale is finished.
Labels: Correllian Wicca, Don Lewis, eBay, Ed Hubbard, Paganism, Witch School
4.16.2007
Witch School Sale Update
Witch School, the largest online training center for would-be Witches, which went on the eBay auction block a week ago has pulled the listing and ended the auction. While school CEO Ed Hubbard claimed that the school and its assets would be "auctioned off to the highest bidder", it seems that other plans were in the making.
"I read the letter that was sent out to registered Witchschool students, and I got the impression that the entire idea of the auction was to set the dollar value of the "assets." Since the school is a registered llc, to legally dissolve it, the owner/members must set price and pay each other off."
Now Hubbard is looking for private buyers, and in a letter to Witch School members makes clear what his fiscal and organizational preferences are.
"I am still selling it, and I will work with a coalition. I have a simple price of $50,000. cash, and at $200,000 will give a 10 year promissory note at 2%. Anyone or any coalition that meets that will get it ... Don Lewis should be part of any coalition if you are smart. His royalties drive the company. Virginia Powell is really cool, and would be amazing help. Michael Ferrell should not be ignored, He is crucial. He controls the site....he knows it so well. Raven is Don's personal Computer and programmer. Debbe runs the daily spell reanna marie is a exceptional crafter and she makes the wand Krystel is perfect. and Lisa Tuit would be helpful if she is interested."
It seems Hubbard is looking for someone to take Witch School away from him but keep things running generally the way they were running. That doesn't seem to line up with potential buyer A.C. Aldag's view of how things would go.
"My husband David and I are forming a holding company with the intent of purchasing Witch School ... We would no longer offer initiations, dedications, degrees, or ordinations in the Correllian tradition or any other religious or magical system. We believe that this matter is between seekers and their spiritual leaders ... Ed and Don have an incredible vision and an amazing plan. They are both very creative and dedicated; however, they are not really business-minded people ... We will employ business people to ensure that Witch School can continue, pay its bills, produce quality products, educate students, and give service to the Pagan community ... I'm going to ask other buyers, partners, and the general community the hard questions so that I know the truth before I spend my partners' money!"
Aldag and her husband are meeting with Hubbard to discuss a potential sale next week. Meanwhile it seems that WS students are discussing the buying the school and the ramifications of a non-Correllian tradition taking over. At this point many seem to want the school to stay in Correllian hands. But it remains to be seen if the students can bring together a large enough coalition to meet Hubbard's fiscal needs.
Labels: A.C. Aldag, Correllian Wicca, Ed Hubbard, Paganism, Witch School
4.12.2007
(Pagan ) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
First off, an update on yesterday's post concerning the selling of Witch School. A registered student of the school has posted a message from Ed Hubbard to the student body concerning the sale in which he further explains his actions and tries to assure members that their identities won't be sold along with the school (though the large membership is listed as an asset in the auction).
"Despite the sale, we will not sell the names of our members, and we refuse to reveal any personal information. We promised this and we will continue to keep our promises. And any new owners will be forced to the same confidentiality."
Hubbard also claims that the Hoopeston, Illinois campus will be closed no matter what happens, partially due to hostile actions by the local city council and press. It should be interesting to see the fall-out from that action since up till now they have proudly claimed that Hoopeston was a "Pagan colony", and encouraged Pagans and Pagan-run businesses to move to the town. I'll be following this story as it progresses.
Salon.com has a lengthy article up on the dark legacy of Carlos Castaneda. Castaneda was the author of the hugely popular book "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" in which he claimed that he was a student of a Yaqui shaman named don Juan Matus. His books would help spark the New Age movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
"If this name draws a blank for readers under 30, all they have to do is ask their parents. Deemed by Time magazine the "Godfather of the New Age," Castaneda was the literary embodiment of the Woodstock era. His 12 books, supposedly based on meetings with a mysterious Indian shaman, don Juan, made the author, a graduate student in anthropology, a worldwide celebrity. Admirers included John Lennon, William Burroughs, Federico Fellini and Jim Morrison. Under don Juan's tutelage, Castaneda took peyote, talked to coyotes, turned into a crow, and learned how to fly. All this took place in what don Juan called "a separate reality." Castaneda, who died in 1998, was, from 1971 to 1982, one of the best-selling nonfiction authors in the country. During his lifetime, his books sold at least 10 million copies."
Robert Marshall looks at the darker side of Castaneda, this includes teachings which some believe lead to the suicides of several of his "witches" (devoted female followers and lovers of Castaneda), accusations of plagiarism, and the exploitation of Native Americans.
Anti-Harry Potter loon Laura Mallory, who made the news for trying to remove Harry Potter books from the local public school library, will have a hearing next month in Gwinnett Superior Court.
"A Gwinnett Superior Court judge next month will review the decision to keep the Harry Potter series in Gwinnett schools. A hearing has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. May 29 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, said Sloan Roach, spokeswoman for Gwinnett County Public Schools. Laura Mallory, a Loganville mother of four, asked in 2005 for the best-selling series to be removed from classrooms. She has said the books are inappropriate for children because they contain violent themes and promote the Wicca religion. Furthermore, she said, the Bible states witchcraft is an abomination to God."
One can only hope her losing streak continues.
An interfaith radio program in my former hometown is interviewing some local Pagans this Saturday April 14th (noon CDT).
"Ashley Price and Cynthia Westfeld, members of a local Neo-Pagan group will discuss the beliefs and practices of this religion, how they came to be members and leaders and what this group is actively doing in this community."
You can listen live, here, or download the podcast after the show has been aired.
In the Pagan blogosphere Deb Oak has the perfect response to the Easter controversy concerning the chocolate Jesus, Chas Clifton links to a story on Pagan rosaries (for which he was quoted), and The Gods Are Bored celebrated its second blogiversary.
In a final note, a fond farewell to Kurt Vonnegut who died yesterday.
That is all I have for now, have a good day.
Labels: Carlos Castaneda, Harry Potter, Kurt Vonnegut, Laura Mallory, Pagan Blogs, Paganism, Witch School
4.11.2007
Wanna Buy Witch School?
On Monday Ed Hubbard publicly announced that he is selling off Witch School (here is the official eBay auction for the site), the infamous online school for aspiring Witches.
"Imagine, if you could buy Harry Potter's Hogwarts? Well, the world's first and largest public school of Wiccan and Witches has become available for sale. Starting Tuesday, April 10th, WitchSchool.com will be auctioned off to the highest bidder during an eBay Auction. If you ever wanted to have your very own cyber school of magick and witchcraft, this is the auction for you. So you can own and run your very own Academy for Magick and Witchcraft. If you would love to become the next Dumbledore, this is your chance to do so."
This announcement has come after a strange series of shake-ups and developments. First a schism between two factions of the Witchcraft tradition that the school was associated with, then the installation of a new president (from one of the factions), and then the news that a reality program was being developed around the school. But now it seems everything must go, including their "Minispells" business, the proprietary software that runs the school, and even their MySpace page.
"The Comprehensive Site for online Wiccan and Pagan Education. With over 85 courses, plus tons of features that have been developed over the last five years. With over 145,000 currently actively registered students, and hundreds of thousands have passed through. It offers a lot of interaction including testing, transcripts, etc."
In a letter to me
"I offered to give the school to the tradition and the church and Davron refused. At that time, I informed Don and Davron that I would give WS one more year, and that I would turn it into NFP ... I resigned from Correllian Nativist Church International, Inc. and The Correllian Mother Temple which were two separate organizations."
There is no word on how this will affect their bricks-and-mortar campus in Hoopeston, Illinois. Will the property go to the Correllian Mother Temple and Don Lewis (who is acting president of Witch School), or will it be sold off? It seems strange that the Witch School site is conducting a fund raiser in which it urges all its online students to donate money to fix up their building in Hoopeston.
"We are asking our students, friends, and supporters to 'Adopt' a brick, and have your name (or craft name) put on it. We are creating a wall that includes everyone who helps us in this fundraiser ... His exact words 'If each basic student were to give a dollar the building would be able to be fixed up pretty quickly.' And he came up with this fundraiser. We hope that Michael is correct and the blessing of the three fold law is given full rein in this project."
As for the online school, Hubbard seems to hope it will be scooped up by a major Pagan-oriented business like Llewellyn Worldwide or New Page publishing, but seems just as open to the idea of it being bought out by a non-Pagan corporation like Google or Disney. In an addendum to the auction, Hubbard explains that the new owner of the school will have to honor the development deal with the SciFi Channel, and that the new owner will have the power to grant religious initiations within Correllian Wicca, and will control the Copyright to Don Lewis' (head of the Correllian Mother Temple) writing.
"The Main Thing it holds is the License to Don Lewis Correllian Wicca, and the right to use it in many different ways. It has a perpetual right to provide FIRST, SECOND and THIRD DEGREES. It has many other rights to sell product. Witch School also negotiates and handles Don Lewis Copyright licenses exclusively since the Year 2000. Currently, a major publisher has the option to publish Don Lewis books, and will be likely exercise this right."
Of course given the rules of eBay, it is entirely possible that a stealth organization hostile to Witch School (like an evangelical church) could buy it out, or that the winner of the auction will be a non-Pagan who will start selling off initiations. Which makes the eBay selling method somewhat surprising (top bid as of this writing is $1,625.01). But aside from the pitfalls of a public auction, there are all sorts of troubling ethical implications, like what will happen to personal data once its sold, the selling of the power to "initiate" someone as a Witch, and the strange legal intermixing of the school with the Witchcraft tradition it has been affiliated with. It remains to be seen what the final fall-out of this sale will be.
A big thanks to Lupa for tipping me off to this story!
* The letter in question mostly concerns Ed Hubbard's take on the split between the two Correllian factions, so it might be useful for those wanting more information on the split (from one point of view).
Labels: Correllian Wicca, Don Lewis, eBay, Ed Hubbard, Paganism, Wicca, Witch School
1.29.2007
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
For those of you who have been missing pioneering acid-house band The KLF since their retirement, it seems that "New Rave" act The Klaxons are here to pick up the slack.
"Pogoing behind the banks of synthesisers is, instead, a band steeped in art rock, soft pop and science fiction...That old rascal Aleister Crowley gets exhumed once again. 'Do what you will,' urges 'Magick', abetted by an irresistible on-beat."
You can find the lyrics to their Thelemic ode, here. For some samples of their musical wares, try The Hype Machine.
Cambridge Classics scholar Mary Beard criticizes the Greek Pagans who made the news recently for their lack of blood sacrifice.
"True, the worshipers last week poured a libation of wine and incense over a copper tripod. But where was the animal sacrifice? As almost everyone who studies ancient Greek religion insists, the key centre of the whole religious system was sacrifice: it was the ritual of killing and sharing the animal that was, if anything, the "article of faith" that defined the ancient community of worshipers. And it was through sacrifice (rather than ecology) that ancient Greeks conceptualized their own place in the world – distinct from animals on the one hand and the superhuman gods on the other. Until these eager neo-pagans get real and slaughter a bull or two in central Athens, I shan't worry that they have much to do with ancient religion at all. At the moment, this is paganism lite."
Pagan scholar Chas Clifton fires back with a resounding "so what"?
"Her slightly patronizing tone aside, so what? Religions do change--even while their adherents insist on continuity with the past. I have great respect for Beard as a Classics scholar--I own one or two of her books--but I suspect that she has not given much thought before to new religious movements until she decided to give her opinion on this new development in her blog."
This caused Mary to get a tad defensive in the comments...
"I think I was really responding to the claims made by this group that they WERE reviving ancient paganism. I am absolutely OK with the idea that religions change. I was reacting to their claims to be a modern version of ANCIENT 'paganism'."
For quite a bit more debate on if blood sacrifice is a necessary component of a revived Greco-Roman paganism, check out the comments on Beard's blog.
In case you were wondering, supermodel Naomi Campbell is not a witch.
"Naomi Campbell called the other day -- no jokes about flying cell phones, please. The supermodel was a perfect lady, even as she made her complaints about newspaper stories in Brazil, England and here that she is interested in Brazil's African-based Candomble religion, which has rituals some have likened to witchcraft."
I was going to bring forward a witness who said she turned him into a newt, but sadly he "got better" before I could alert the tabloids. No word on if she weighs as much as a duck.
If you can make it to Santa Cruz, I couldn't think of a better activity than attending Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Meme-Orial & Lasagna Levitation Celebration on February 18th.
"Celebrate the life, work and continued multi-dimensionality of Robert Anton Wilson by joining us in a giant, jammin' Translation Celebration and 8th Circuit Soiree! Be a part of Bob's Raucous Processionary Send-Off as his ashes sail out of the cove and rejoin his beloved's in the Pacific!"
Organizers are still accepting contributions for their media presentation. Send your photos of Wilson or creative graphical tributes as 300 x 600 jpegs to the e-mail address listed here.
Finally, the newspaper of my old hometown in Champaign-Urbana Illinois covers the possible Witch School reality program in Hoopeston.
"The witch school that moved into Hoopeston's elephant building three years ago may soon be the site of a reality TV show on the Sci-Fi channel. "We're pretty excited even though we don't know that much about it yet," said Don Lewis, who is the Witch School's chancellor...A spokeswoman for the network confirmed that a reality series to be filmed in Hoopeston is in development. "We don't have a production timetable as of yet, nor do we have additional information on the details of the production," Adrienne D'Amato wrote in an e-mail."
Doesn't sound like anything is in stone at this point. You wonder if they'll insist on a photogenic cast of teachers and students?
That is all I have for now, have a good day!
Labels: Ellinais, Klaxons, Mary Beard, Naomi Campbell, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Robert Anton Wilson, Witch School, Witchcraft
1.27.2007
Will WitchSchool Go Sci Fi?
On January 12th the SCI FI Channel publicized a list of upcoming shows and specials that were in development for 2007. Among them (listed last in fact) was a "docusoap" co-produced by the SCI FI Channel and Stick Figure Productions entitled "Witch School".
"Harry Potter has nothing on this real-life Witch School! While resembling your typical classroom experience note passing, over-achievers, students who forget their homework, field trips and the dreaded pop-quiz some elements of this education are less traditional. Perhaps last night's homework involved communicating with a deceased relative, a field trip could involve spending the night in a "haunted" forest and that pop-quiz might involve a literal plague of frogs. SCI FI Channel and Stick Figure Productions (Amish in the City, Family Bonds) will team up to present this docusoap about Ed Hubbard and his Witch School."
But will the program ever see the airwaves? While the show is in "development" that doesn't necessarily mean you'll ever see a finished product.
"Adrienne D'amato, spokeswoman for NBC Universal and the SCI FI Channel, said via e-mail the show is in active development but not in production. More information regarding the program is expected when production commences in the coming months."
You have to wonder how much of this production is for the benefit of the cameras, until six months ago Witch School (which primarily exists as an online school) didn't offer on-site courses.
"The news comes just six months after the Hoopeston establishment announced it would offer on-site courses at its home at 112 W. Main St."
It is also interesting to note that a major rift within the Correllian Tradition (the Witchcraft tradition that runs Witch School) came shortly after the announcement of on-site classes. This allowed Don Lewis to become the president of Witch School in addition to being the head of the Correllian Tradition. A matter that has produced threats of litigation.
So while many members of the Pagan community are cringing in anticipation of what a Witch School reality program will look like, we may want to wait and see if any filming takes place, and if what is filmed ends up on television. A program "in development" can often end up in "development hell" (even if the Wiccans involved don't believe in Hell) and a filmed pilot can gather dust on a shelf. So perhaps we will all be spared yet another installment of Wiccan involvement in reality television.
Labels: Paganism, Reality Television, Wicca, Witch School, Witchcraft