The Wild Hunt | Tag Archive

Just a few quick news notes for you on this Sunday.

Ardantane Needs Infrastructure: Ardantane, a Pagan learning center in the Jemez Mountains (that’s in New Mexico), is holding a fundraiser through IndieGoGo to help build a free-standing eco-friendly handicapped-accessible restroom/shower.

Ardantane

“One rather glaring problem with our facilities is – a lack of restrooms. We have one small toilet in the staff residence, but it’s not handicapped-accessible. Thus we created the HARRE Potty Project: “HARRE” stands for Handicapped-Accessible RestRoom, Eco-friendly. We figure it will cost about $15-16,000 to build a fairly spacious, free-standing restroom with two toilets, two sinks and a shower, and tie it into our water treatment system (which goes to a drip irrigation system to water our “Oasis”). We have eight or nine thousand raised, but will need about $7,000 more to get the project done. You can help!”

It’s a flexible-funding campaign, so all donations made will go towards the project. There are 28 days left in the fundraiser, and a number of perks available to those who donate.

Dan Halloran Undergoing Brain Surgery: New York City Councilman, congressional candidate, and Theodish Heathen Dan Halloran is undergoing brain surgery to remove a benign tumor. Quote: “On Wednesday, I will undergo a neurosurgical procedure to remove a benign tumor. It’s a lengthy operation that will require me to remain in the hospital for the rest of the week. Then, after all goes well, I’ll return home to rest and recuperate. My doctors expect a speedy recovery, and I hope to be back on my feet within a few weeks — and get back to the business of serving you in City Hall and fighting for our district, the middle class, and our shared values.” We wish Halloran a quick and speedy recovery.
SPLC Reports on Odinist Terrorist: The Southern Poverty Law Center reports on the sentencing of white supremacist Wayde Lynn Kurt, who was accused of plotting to assassinate President Barack Obama. Kurt, 54, was sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges related to firearms and forgery. Tapes played during the trial showed Kurt saying that Obama “needs to be killed.” Kurt was involved in the racist Odinist group “Vangard Kindred” (whose co-founder is also in trouble with the law). FBI Special Agent Joseph Cleary testified that he believed “Mr. Kurt had a terrorist plan that involved the president of the United States.” During the trial, prosecutors played a video of a Odinist blot Kurt took part in, where the Norse pantheon was invoked to protect them from other races, with Nazi flags flying in the background.
Skyclad Ritual in India: The Times of India reports on the remote village of Handanakerae, where once a year women clad only in leaves give homage to the goddess Gonimaradamma in return for answered prayers. Quote: “I prayed to goddess Gonimaradamma for my family’s well-being. She fulfilled my demands and that’s why I performed this service. No family member or any villager forced me to do this ritual. I’ve been getting good things from the goddess and so I do this service for her. What’s wrong in it?” Women who participate in the ritual are treated as manifestations of the goddess, and any misbehavior is heavily frowned on, believing it would bring punishment from Gonimaradamma.

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

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — July 2, 2011 — 8 Comments

There are lots of articles and essays of interest to modern Pagans out there, sometimes more than I can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.

In New Mexico, Peter Dybing lets us know that immediate danger to the Ardantane learning center from wildfires has passed.
More reactions to the recently released “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct” have emerged. Evangelical commentators at Christianity Today seem somewhat ambivalent. Rev. Daniel A. Madigan notes the document is “tantamount to an admission” of missionary abuses. Fellow Patheos blogger Fred Clark says the document should win an award for “seeking out the bare-minimum lowest common denominator of Christian morality.”
In honor of the new season of “True Blood” the Hollywood Crush blog at MTV.com has brought on author and vampire subculture/lifestyle expert Michelle Belanger as their “Real Vampire Commentator.”
The 1st Annual Conference on Earth-Based, Nature-Centered, Polytheistic & Indigenous Faiths is happening on September 24th in San Francisco. The theme this year is “Gender & Earth-Based Spiritualities” and the keynote speaker will be Vicki Noble (of Motherpeace Tarot fame). Other presenters include Joi Wolfwomyn, Lady Yeshe Rabbit, and Diana Paxson. If you’d like to be a part of this conference, submission deadline for presenters is 7/31/11.
Native American activist Russell Means discusses American Indian religious freedom in theory and practice.
Sorry Arthurian fans, Starz has cancelled “Camelot” after one season. It wasn’t the ratings so much as the “significant production challenges” involved in making the show and keeping the cast together. You can see all my past coverage of this show, here. So long “Camelot,” I’ll be seeing you on Netflix streaming real soon…
Storyteller, writer, and former Wild Hunt guest-blogger Ruby Sara has released her first spoken word CD, “Phaskein.” Congrats! You can hear a sample and purchase the CD, here.
PNC-Minnesota has an excellent interview up with the founder of Deeply Rooted, a Pagan church and intentional community located 20 miles northwest of Wausau, WI.
Jurors in the James Arthur Ray sweat lodge deaths trial found him guilty of one aggravating factor, that he had caused severe emotional harm to the victims’ families, but there weren’t enough aggravating factors found to increase the possible sentence for his negligent homicide convictions. Meanwhile the defense has called yet again for a mistrial, claiming that a bit of audio played was never entered into evidence. This is being looked into.
A devotee of Obatala in Nigeria said that government policy in regards to traditional religion, in favor of Christianity and Islam, amounts to “religious colonization.” Traditional practitioners aren’t fond of being called “pagans” much either.

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

Breaking: New Mexico Fires Threaten Pagan Learning Center

Jason Pitzl-Waters — June 28, 2011 — 9 Comments

The raging Las Conchas wildfire in New Mexico, which has been threatening the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is also within 20 miles of Ardantane, a Pagan learning center in the Jemez Mountains. According to the Covenant of the Goddess (COG) PIO blog, there’s no immediate danger as “wind is blowing in a direction away from Ardantane and towards Los Alamos.”

Ardantane

Here’s a statement released today by Ardantane:

“By now, many of you have heard that a huge wildfire is raging in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. (Our campus is located about six miles south of Jemez Springs). At this point, the Las Conchas Fire is moving away from Ardantane, and toward Los Alamos. Very bad news for Los Alamos, which was hit hard in the Cerro Grande Fire in 2000. The fire is now at 60,000 acres (which I believe is the largest in NM state history) and 0% contained. There is significant smoke at Ardantane, and if it gets worse we might have to evacuate resident staff and visitors. But so far there is no immediate danger to the campus. If conditions change, we will provide an update here. Thanks to the many people who have offered shelter in the homes, in case of evacuation. If you would like to help, please work magick for rain here, and for the safety of firefighters and all those in the fire’s path.”

COG National First Officer Peter Dybing, who has participated in hands-on activism in places like earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince in Haiti, and in clean-up efforts on the Gulf Coast, in addition to helping raise over 30K for Japan relief, has been dispatched to the area as a firefighter by the US Forest Service and FEMA.

We will keep you updated on any new developments.

In Paganism, Religion Ardantane, COG, Las Conchas wildfire, New Mexico, Peter Dybing, wildfires

Archives For Ardantane

Ardantane’s Fundraiser and other Quick Pagan News Notes

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Breaking: New Mexico Fires Threaten Pagan Learning Center

Wild Hunt Posts by Author

Wild Hunt Fall Funders

Wild Hunt Supporter Links

Archives

Meta