Pagan Community Notes: Vlassis Rassias, U.K. Morris Dancers protest, NZ AFA and more!

ASTORIA, New York – The Hellenic Council YSEE of America announced on Facebook the passing of co-founder and General Secretary of the Supreme Council of ethnic Hellenes (YSEE) Vlassis Rassias. Rassias was also one of the founders of the European Council of Ethnic Religions (ECER), and was part of the panel, “Reclaiming the Indigenous Ethnic Religions of Europe,” with Inija Trinkūnienė of Lithuania, and Andras Corban-Arthen, at last year’s Parliament of the World’s Religion. A number of remembrances appear on the ECER website. Rassias led the movement of re-Hellenization in Greece for the past 30 years. He authored over 20 books, numerous articles, and gave hundreds of presentations and interviews.

Pagan Community Notes: Kathryn Hinds, Society for Creative Anachronism, Michael Harner and more

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Author and teacher Kathryn Ann Fernquist Hinds died Jan. 30 from complications after a series of heart surgeries. Hinds was a well-known, beloved, and longtime member of the local Georgia Pagan community, as well as the national one. She was a regular attendee of large Pagan events, such as Pagan Spirit Gathering and Paganicon, as well as the local Atlanta Pagan Pride and similar festivals.