Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: Sacred Well Congregation, Charlie Murphy, Nova Scotia Druids, and more!

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BUTLER, Mo. —  The Sacred Well Congregation, an “independent, non-evangelical Wiccan Church,” announced Thursday that it has become an “Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organization for the Department of Veterans Affairs.” The announcement reads, “We will now be able to endorse qualified clergy from Wicca and Earth-Centered Spiritualities who wish to apply for chaplaincy positions with the VA.” The Sacred Well Congregation needed to meet a number of very specific criteria to qualify for this designation. These requirements included things such as functioning exclusively as religious ministry, being a tax-exempt religious organization, and agreeing to abide by “all federal, VA, and VHA laws, regulations, policies, and issuances on the qualification and endorsement of persons for service as VA chaplains, federal employment, and veterans health care.”

Culture

Iconic Pagan songwriter stricken by rare disease

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LANGLEY, Washington — Many Pagans are familiar with the song “Burning Times,” which weaves a captivating story of the end of matriarchal, earth-based religions in Europe. It’s an anthem that has been recorded by a number of artists, including by folk singers Roy Bailey and Christy Moore. While many Pagans identify strongly with the song itself, its writer, Charlie Murphy, may not be as well known in those same circles, since much of his work is not specifically Pagan. Recently, Murphy was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and his supporters, known as The Charlie & Eric Hope Well Team, are raising funds to provide for his care. Burning Times was first recorded on Murphy’s 1981 solo album Catch the Fire.