Archives For Ivo Dominguez Jr.

Pagan Voices: Thorn Coyle, Wren Walker, Ivo Dominguez Jr., and More!

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  January 25, 2013 — 2 Comments

Pagan voices is a spotlight on recent quotations from figures within the Pagan community. These voices may appear in the burgeoning Pagan media, or from a mainstream outlet, but all showcase our wisdom, thought processes, and evolution in the public eye. Is there a Pagan voice you’d like to see highlighted? Drop me a line with a link to the story, post, or audio.

Rev. Ava Park (Photo by John Gilhooley, OC Weekly)

Rev. Ava Park (Photo by John Gilhooley, OC Weekly)

 ”Over the years we have had a bit of controversy over our definition of ‘woman’ and our ‘women only’ policy for many events. The human reality is that there are many more genders than just ‘male’ and ‘female.’ These other genders are not recognized or honored in our society, and this refusal to see reality has caused untold harm to countless numbers. Beginning this year, it is our intention to identify, name, formally recognize and honor these as-yet unacknowledged genders, creating a sacred place for each in our community.Those (of any gender) who are interested in being part of this unfolding and groundbreaking work, please contact us. You will be invited to join a committee, the intent of which will be to guide The Goddess Center’s gender policies for the greatest good for all.” – Rev. Ava Park of the Goddess Temple of Orange County, explaining her temple’s shift on gender, and the adoption of a new name: “The Goddess Center of Southern California.” [Reported by Medusa Coils, one of the best informational blogs on Goddess Spirituality.]

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

“When the question of “belief” comes up in modern Pagan and polytheist contexts, I get very annoyed that the definition being used comes from the creedal religious majority in the U.S., and not from a more experiential understanding as developed by Weil, Doohan, Krall, and others. When belief is understood in creedal terms within modern polytheism and Paganism, I have to say over and over again, “I don’t believe in Antinous, I know him, and thus there’s no need for belief any longer.” Or, as Joseph Campbell said to Bill Moyers in The Power of Myth interviews, “I don’t have to have faith—I have experience.” But in an experiential understanding of “belief,” built upon an experiential “faith” as advocated by Doohan, I have no end of beliefs in Antinous!” – P. Sufenas Virius Lupus, discussing belief within the context of non-creedal religions, and responding to an essay by John Halstead on the role of faith and creed in modern Paganism. Lupus’ latest book is “All-Soul, All-Body, All-Love, All-Power: A Transmythology.”

Ivo Dominguez Jr.

Ivo Dominguez Jr.

“Before I share a new piece of magickal technology, I make sure that I have tested it thoroughly. It is too easy to be caught up in the enthusiasm of a new creation and to inflict it upon others. If it is magickally effective, then it has consequences, side effects, and outcomes that may not be apparent immediately. As a part of my ethic of innovation, I test things on myself for months or in some cases years before sharing them. This is not about secrecy, it is about responsibility and accountability. I love to leap into action, and must often remind myself to use the power of silence.” – Ivo Dominguez Jr. on the power of silence, and the importance of testing new magickal technology. You can find out more about Ivo and his projects, here.

T. Thorn Coyle

T. Thorn Coyle

“Clear direction comes from risking both decisive movement supported by strength, and by opening, relaxing our edges, and listening for what is present and what may come. Irritation may still be there, but it is not the only thing. The closed door has an opening as well. The details are important but they are not the whole story.  Something is waiting. Are we ready?” – T. Thorn Coyle on the importance of opening to life. Thorn will be teaching and speaking at Pantheacon in San Jose, and FaerieCon West in Seattle, this February.

Wren Walker

Wren Walker (self-portrait)

“This is a time when protection is necessary and diligence is required. If you tune in to the seasonal tides, you may indeed feel vulnerable during this part of the cycle. (See? You weren’t just being paranoid!) Now you can take measures to protect yourself. Fill your string jar. Set some wards. Work protection magic. Hold your loved ones close. Do not be embarrassed to ask for some extra help or reassurance. Watch over little ones. Reach out to those who are ill or frail or alone. Resources can still be a bit scarce before we reach the full lushness of spring or the plenty of the harvest.” – Wren Walker, co-founder of the legendary Witches’ Voice, on being “In the Thicket With Things.”

Alley Valkyrie holds up the front-page story of her arrest.

Alley Valkyrie holds up the front-page story of her arrest.

“When you stand up to the County Administrator and County Counsel right before they’re up for huge raises, their response is to violate your constitutional rights by banning you from the County building…”  - Feri Witch and Eugene activist Alley Valkyrie responding to her ban from County buildings after practicing free speech in Eugene, Oregon’s Free Speech Plaza.

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

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Wiccan in Virginia Gains Clergy Status After “Miscommunication”

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  October 22, 2012 — 12 Comments

In June of this year, I featured a guest post from Literata Hurley, a Wiccan priestess and theaologian, who had just been denied clergy status in the state of Virginia, despite meeting all stated legal requirements (clergy in Virginia must register with a circuit court to perform legal marriages). Arlington County Clerk of Court, Paul Ferguson, told Hurley at the time of her application that there were unstated “other things” preventing his approval and that he didn’t “feel” she qualified.

“She left and came back with the Clerk of Court, Paul Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson said that they were not going to approve me. I asked if it was because we don’t have a building. He said, “Yes, you don’t have a building, and there were a few other things.” I asked him if he would give me a written list of the reasons I was being denied. He refused; he offered to show me the relevant section (Sec 20-23) of the Virginia Code. I assured him that I had read the Code, and asked again if he would give me more specific reasons I was being denied. He said that approving these applications was at his “discretion” and that he didn’t “feel” I met the qualifications, but he wouldn’t tell me how. He told me that I could apply to another court in another county but that he thought they would probably give me the same answer.”

That attitude started to change after Americans United For Separation of Church and State sent a letter to the Arlington circuit court, with the court responding that it had all been a “miscommunication” between the clerk and Hurley. Having got that response, Hurley returned to the Arlington County Circuit Court, and applied again.

Literata Hurley with authorization.

Literata Hurley with authorization.

“She [the clerk] had to go get approval from someone else; she said that the person who wrote the reply to Americans United for Separation of Church and State had to review my new application and paperwork. That took a little while, but she came back and said that it was approved, and then it was a matter of paying the fee, taking an oath to uphold the Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia and to do my duty fairly and impartially, and then I got the official authorization!”

So after an journey of several months, one that included the aid of Pagan elders like Circle’s Selena Fox and Assembly of the Sacred Wheel’s Ivo Domínguez, Jr., in addition to the support of her ordaining body, Order of the White Moon, and a letter from Americans United, Arlington County, Virginia finally did what it was supposed to have done back in June: authorize a Pagan clergyperson to perform legal weddings. Hurley says that she hopes this will open the doors for other Pagan clergy looking to get their authorization, and lays out the paperwork she brought with her on the day of her approval.

For anyone who wants to apply in Arlington in the future, here’s what I took with me: Certificate of Ordination; Letter of good standing (to show that I am “in regular contact” with my religious organization); Certified copies of the articles of incorporation of the Order of the White Moon, the most recent business filing with California showing that the Order is still active; Copies of the letter from the IRS granting OWM its 501(c)3 tax exempt status and the most recent filing with the IRS showing that OWM is still active and exempt; Letters of support from Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary, Ivo Dominguez Jr. of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, and Sacred Circle bookstore, attesting to my standing as a priestess and the ministry I do; and a letter of support from a coven sister who also lives in Arlington, because the court insisted that I show “a connection between [my] ministry and the Arlington community.”

Despite the completely unnecessary hassle and delay, this is in important step forward in making sure that Pagan clergy are recognized even if they don’t adhere to the “church and pews” model many Americans are comfortable affirming. In the past, Pagan clergy in Virginia would travel to a different circuit court when denied in Arlington, now this doesn’t have to be the case. I urge clergy in the area to make sure this miscommunication is never repeated, and that when you travel to Arlington for authorization remind them that they approved Literata Hurley on this day. My thanks to Literata for her work here, and to the elders who supported her, and Americans United for defending her legal rights.

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Pagan Voices: Donald Michael Kraig, Ivo Dominguez Jr., Alison Leigh Lilly, and More!

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  September 23, 2012 — 5 Comments

Pagan voices is a new spotlight on recent quotations from figures within the Pagan community. These voices may appear in the burgeoning Pagan media, or from a mainstream outlet, but all showcase our wisdom, thought processes, and evolution  in the public eye. Is there a Pagan voice you’d like to see highlighted? Drop me a line with a link to the story, post, or audio.

Donald Michael Kraig

“Merely because something works for you doesn’t mean it will work for others. However, it is quite possible that if something works for you either that method or something similar may very well work for others. If it is shared in that light, that’s great. If you share what you’ve learned for others to try and, if necessary, change as needed, that too is great. Similarly, if someone shares something they’ve developed and that works for them so you can try it out and perhaps modify it so it will work for you, that’s excellent.

Problems develop when someone believes that because something worked for them it must work for everyone and can only be done the way they want it. That entire approach, in my opinion, runs counter to the very concept of the New Age. And yet there are people for whom something worked who market their “discovery” claiming it will work for others. They have no evidence to support it, but since it’s “New Age” it must be true, right? And if you buy the product or service and it doesn’t work for you, the fault isn’t that the seller moved from the specific (it works for me) to the general (it should work for you) without any reason to do so. No, it’s because you, the consumer, aren’t spiritually advanced enough to make it work.” – Donald Michael Kraig, from a blog post at Llewellyn Worldwide entitled “Where the ‘New Age’ Goes Wrong.”

Ivo Dominguez, Jr.

Ivo Dominguez, Jr.

“Agora is the ancient greek word for the gathering-place or marketplace that was also the center of political and spiritual life in a city. Pagan businesses and the activities that they help to foster, can act as our agora. Within our community the idea of thinking globally but acting locally is very popular. I know many pagans that go to great lengths to eat locally grown food, which is a good thing. Please extend the concept of acting locally to supporting your local pagan businesses. Pagan bookstores and businesses are an endangered species. They are endangered because of thoughtless actions fueled by the need for convenience. I mentioned at the beginning of this post that running a bookstore is a labor of love. That is true, but I can also tell you that it takes money to keep the doors open. Unless more pagans choose to use their money locally at pagan businesses, then our money shall line the pockets of large corporations and feed their Gods. Minority communities only begin to thrive when they fully invest in themselves first.” - Ivo Dominguez Jr, from his blog post “The Once and Future Agora.”

Alison Leigh Lilly with a very big tree.

Alison Leigh Lilly with a very big tree.

“Natural polytheism draws on an ecological approach to theology to build upon the insights of hard polytheism, challenging us to deepen our relationships with the gods by asking more challenging questions about their relationships with us, with each other and with the natural world. Natural polytheism does not reject hard polytheism any more than natural history excludes hard sciences like biology, geology or chemistry by embracing ecology. But it does draw connections and invite us to think about the world holistically, as systems nested within systems, wholes nested within wholes. An ecological perspective can deepen our scientific understanding of the world by moving us beyond the questions “What is it?” and “How does it work?” to the more challenging questions, ‘How come?’ and ‘What for?’” -  Alison Leigh Lilly, from her recent blog post: “Natural Theology: Polytheism Beyond the Pale”

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

“Are British Traditional Witchcraft practitioners in the U.S. practicing an “indigenous” religion? No, not really, I don’t think, because by definition, that religion was created and grew up in a land and a culture quite different from the U.S. The same is true of any “ethnic” polytheism that is practiced in the U.S., Canada and Australia, as well as many other places. At very best, those various ethnic polytheisms and the forms of modern Paganism that they have inspired are diasporic religions, but they are not indigenous religions unless they are practiced in the land which gave them—and the cultures who practiced them—their original shape.” – P. Sufenas Virius Lupus, from a Patheos column entitled “The Indigeny Debate.”

Teo Bishop

Teo Bishop

“These thoughts occur to me as I continue with my ADF Dedicant Path studies. I feel like I’m studying to be one thing, but the stuff around me suggests that I’m something quite different. I’m studying to be an ADF Druid working within a Pan-Celtic hearth, as it were, but my stuff indicates that I’m really quite eclectic. This isn’t a crisis by any means, but it is something to consider. What does our stuff say about us? And, how much stuff do we need in order to do our religion?” – Teo Bishop ponders his stuff in a post entitled “How Much Stuff Does One Pagan Need?”

T. Thorn Coyle

T. Thorn Coyle

I honor the ancestors and those who are to come.

I honor this moment and the spacious reach of soul.

I am placed between the rising and the setting sun,

The warm and the cool.

I stand between the great above and this firm earth.

Here I am. Awakened to this day.

- T. Thorn Coyle, from her poem “Equinox Morning: Some Thoughts After Waking.”

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

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Labor Day Weekend + Links

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  September 1, 2012 — 4 Comments

In honor of Labor Day Weekend, The Wild Hunt is taking off until Tuesday. Expect some “best of The Wild Hunt” reprints on Sunday and Monday. For today, here are some posts from across the Pagan blogosphere that you should check out.

  • “Mantras, Malas and the Witch’s Ladder” by Christopher Penczak. Quote: “If you keep any kind of regular spiritual practice over a long period of time, you’ll find that you can hit a wall. The tried and true technique just doesn’t do it for you like it once did. In my experience its not so much that the technique is at fault, or that you are at fault, as you’ve been sincerely using it as a part of your practice with regular frequency, but that you’ve hit a plateau or even made a permanent shift.”
  • “Where are the Missing Gods?” by Drew Jacob. Quote: “Even if you believe all the gods are totally individual beings – not faces of a single force – it still makes sense that, for example, the soul of the sun is going to appear quite different to people in the Sahara than to people in the Yukon. Much of divine personage is human trappings, or trappings used to communicate with humans. If a tribe never once has to worry about lack of rainfall, it makes sense that they won’t make a big deal out of the rain spirit. But I usually think of the plurality of gods (and their cultural adornment) as different perspectives on an essentially equivalent set of beings.”
  • “Pagans Among Wild Geese” by Teo Bishop. Quote: “Progressive Christian and Pagan communities have very different identities, and very different positions in relationship to mainstream culture. That said, I think it is useful for us to make note that these conversations are taking place at Wild Goose.”
  • “Rites of Community” by Ivo Dominguez Jr. Quote: “To return to my statement that rites of passage are an important part of the maintenance of lasting organizations and communities, well conducted rites of passage create weighty collective emotional memory. By definition, rites of passage are held to celebrate and to anchor pivotal times in the lives of individuals. And though Pagans are prone to emphasizing the individual at all costs, rites of passage are as much about the community as they are about the individual.”
  • “Stirring the Cauldron” by M. Macha NightMare. Quote: “I think the stirrer of the cauldron performs an important, even vital, role.  Someone, preferably more than one, in every community should step up to the cauldron and stir it now and then, especially when the fire beneath the cauldron gets too hot.”
  • “Book review: Lord of Mountains” by Cara Schulz. Quote: “Every time I introduce a Pagan to the Emberverse series by SM Stirling, they curse my name. This is not an unusual reaction and it’s one shared by non-Pagans, too.  I’ve lost seven copies of the first book in the series, Dies the Fire, because the persons who borrowed them from me lent them out to others.  And so on.  Then they all curse my name for turning them on to such an addictive series.  The series is addictive to Pagans because it spells out one of our fantasies – what would it be like if our religions were dominate in the community we live in?  Or at least one of the dominate religions? If our rituals, our ethics, our Gods were unabashedly the norm and seen as positive and vibrant and diverse.”

That’s it for now, have a great weekend everyone!

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The Wild Hunt Podcast, Episode 3: Pagan Chants and Pagan Documentaries

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  April 24, 2012 — 13 Comments

Welcome to the latest installment of a new supplemental feature here at The Wild Hunt, The Wild Hunt Podcast (focus groups loved the name). This weekly podcast will take a deeper look at stories, links, and personalities that I feature in my daily updates. In this  third episode of The Wild Hunt Podcast we interview author, ritualist, and Wiccan Elder, Ivo Domi­nguez, Jr. about Pagan chants, and his revived Panpipes Pagan Chants Site (and yes, we also discuss the recent controversy concerning Z. Budapest’s statement on “We All Come From The Goddess”). Then, we speak with Alex Mar, director of the documentary film “American Mystic,” about Pagans, Pagan films, and making better Pagan documentaries.

Ivo Dominguez, Jr.

Ivo Dominguez, Jr.

You can listen to, and download, the episode at Archive.org.

Segment Listing:

  1. Intro
  2. “Nica Anahuatl” by Soriah with Ashkelon Sain from their album “Eztica.”
  3. Talk with Ivo Domi­nguez, Jr. about Pagan chants.
  4. “The Divine Goddess” chant by Shakmah Winddrum, performed by Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.
  5. Chat with director Alex Mar about Pagan documentaries.
  6. “Awake!” by Sharon Knight and T. Thorn Coyle, from “Songs for the Waning Year.”
  7. Outro

Relevant Links:

I hope you enjoy the show, stay tuned for next time.

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Pagan Community Notes: Patrick McCollum, Pagan Pride, Pagan Chants, and More!

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  April 8, 2012 — 7 Comments

Pagan Community Notes is a companion to my usual Pagan News of Note series, more focused on news originating from within the Pagan community. I want to reinforce the idea that what happens to and within our organizations, groups, and events is news, and news-worthy. My hope is that more individuals, especially those working within Pagan organizations, get into the habit of sharing their news with the world. So lets get started!

Patrick McCollum’s India Speech: On February 26th, Pagan chaplain and activist Patrick McCollum spoke at the International Conference on Spiritual Paradigm for Surmounting Global Management Crisis at the School of Management Sciences in Varanasi, India. McCollum shared a Pagan perspective toward resolving the questions raised at the conference, and his remarks were captured on video and recently posted to Youtube. You can read McCollum’s account of his India trip, here.

Rachael Watcher, Public Information Officer at Covenant of the Goddess (COG), and a trustee of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN), was also in India at the same time as Patrick McCollum, and gives an account of her trip  to attend a conference produced in part by the International Center for Cultural Studies. You may also be interested in my recent post about the Hindu-Pagan panel at PantheaCon. For more on Patrick McCollum’s work, check out his recent guest-post on the Pew Forum’s survey on religion in American prisons.

2011 Pagan Pride Day a Success: Every year between August and October dozens of local events are held worldwide to educate the public about modern Paganism, build local bonds in the community, and hold food drives to give something back. These events happen under the banner of Pagan Pride Day, an all-volunteer organization that has been coordinating the event since 1998. At the end of February the Pagan Pride Project sent out a press release breaking down the statistics of the previous year, declaring it a “huge success.”

Pagan Pride Day logo

Pagan Pride Day logo.

“There were a total of 83 events on four continents: in the United States, we held 66 events, Canada held 8 events in 4 provinces, Latin America saw 6 events in 5 countries, and the European Union held 3 events. In total, 42,799 attended our events worldwide, which was less than 2010, but still much higher than 2009 and 2008. Pagan Pride Day events will continue to grow in 2012 and beyond. These celebrations are free to attend and are geared towards increasing public understanding and acceptance of members of our religion and bringing the Pagan community together.

Pagan Pride Days are also giving back to our communities. At our 2011 events, people gave 29,073 pounds of food for local shelters and food banks in the United States and around the world. People attending Pagan Pride Day events also donated blood for local blood banks, financial donations to the Humane Society, food pantries, the Red Cross, SPCA, Cystic Fibrosis and the Spiral Scouts. Never forgetting our animal friends, 340 pounds of pet food were collected along with pet supplies. Also, some events donated money to charities in their communities, totaling over $1,700.00, in lieu of donations of food and goods.”

The Board of Directors also thanked the local event coordinators, volunteers, and public sponsors for their support in making the 2011 events a success. Events like these destroy the notion that Pagans aren’t interested in giving back to their community, or in joining charitable efforts. While Pagan Pride Day is now almost taken for granted by the wider Pagan community, we should never forget the important on-the-ground work they do every year to change people’s conceptions. If you want to get involved, there are instructions here. In addition, several local Pagan Pride Days have Facebook pages and other resources, consult your local search engine for more details.

Good News for Fans of Pagan Chants: Ivo Dominguez Jr, author of the recently-released book “Casting Sacred Space: The Core of All Magickal Work”, and co-owner of Bell, Book, and Candle in Delaware, has restarted the classic website “Panpipe’s Pagan Chants,” an archive of Pagan chants to be used in ritual and celebrations.

“In the early days (1996) of the pagan internet explosion, I maintained a Pagan chants archive that has long gone to dust. It is now being revived a chant at a time. All the chants need to be re-recorded as they were originally done in a low fidelity Real Audio format. This was fine in the days of slow connections, but it will no longer do. The chants will now be available as MP3 files. I hope you enjoy them and if you are interested in adding your chants here, contact me. Whenever possible I will list authors and if it has been recorded by them.  Please buy their works if they are available. You may use any of the chants I have written for noncommercial purposes.”

So, if you’ve been recycling the same two or three chants during ritual, you now have an opportunity to broaden your group’s repertoire. If you find the service useful, and would like to see it grow, Ivo asks that folks make a donation to the New Alexandrian Library Project.

In Other News:

That’s all I have for now, have a great day! Happy Easter to my Christian friends.

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The O’Donnell “Dabble-Gate” Feeding Frenzy

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  September 21, 2010 — 4 Comments

Apparently this story isn’t going to just go away. I expected some mainstream coverage, maybe even some attention in the 24-hour news cycle, but this amount of attention seems far out of proportion to its actual importance. Joining ABC News and the Huffington Post in quoting Pagans about Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell‘s teenage “dabbling” in “witchcraft” comes USA Today’s Faith & Reason blog (quoting Star Foster at Patheos), a Washington DC CBS affiliate interviewing local priestess Katrina Messenger, and The Daily Beast, who actually interviews some Delaware Pagans.

[Ivo] Dominguez said that the surfacing of O’Donnell’s past comments is particularly unfortunate for Wiccans because it comes near “our least favorite media cycle,” the run-up to Halloween. “My biggest concern is that we will be receiving negative depictions on one side from the people that traditionally don’t like us, which are folks that believe the only thing that is a valid spiritual path is a narrowly defined kind of Christianity, and on the other side people that are progressive that we would normally see as our friends but who will be using the witch angle as a way of attacking a conservative candidate.”

I’m very glad to see these comments from Ivo Dominguez because I think a lot of people aren’t grasping the deeper meanings to this tempest in a tea-pot (no pun intended). Yes, some religious conservatives are pulling out their “devil” card for this occasion, but it’s the added mockery from the left that is really setting us back. The implication that dabbling in any faith outside the mainstream is toxic to winning elected office in America.

“Pagan faiths are sent the message that while they may enjoy some perks of mainstream acceptance, they, like other minority faiths, are not fully welcome into the halls of political power. Those trying to use this clip as a political club to hurt her candidacy may not realize that it is also damaging the advances of modern Pagans trying to work for equal treatment and an end to unspoken litmus tests.”

While we stick to the “it’s not Satanism” talking points of old, a larger narrative, and one harder to easily refute is taking shape before our eyes. That any taint of Paganism, of Witchcraft, of the occult, is political suicide. That we are a joke and nothing more. Grist for satirists and a boon for political opponents. While some claim we are “undoubtedly reaping the benefits of the spotlight”, I don’t think that’s the case. We have to think about what the lasting message will be two, five, or ten years from now. Will it be “Witches aren’t Satanists”? Something tells me it will be “crazy anti-sex witch candidate”.

What does this mean for our Pagan politicians already in office? Would Dan Halloran stand a chance in a Senate race in such a climate? Would ? If a solid Christian conversion narrative makes you too wacky for primetime, what does it mean for someone who is actually a practitioner? How about Pagans trying to fight for equal treatment in adverse situations, how will this affect them? This has not been a good news cycle for our faiths, despite all the interviews, and it will present problems down the road.

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A Few Quick Notes

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  August 22, 2009 — Leave a comment

A few stories for you to digest this Saturday, starting with the announcement yesterday from Isaac and Phaedra Bonewits concerning the closure of their Internet venture Real Magic School.

“Isaac and Phaedra Bonewits are sad to announce that Real Magic School is now closed. It was a wonderful experiment but it turned out to be too much for our time commitments (and our finances) to handle. We have arranged with the Grey School of Wizardry to take transfer student s from RMS. We apologize to everyone, but especially our lifetime members, that the life time of Real Magic School was so short.”

The school, which opened for business in February 2008, had an aspirational trajectory of academic excellence and eventual accreditation. A somewhat different M.O. from the arranged transfer school, the Grey School of Wizardry, with its Harry Potter-isms and courses that equip someone to become a “Journeyman Wizard” (as opposed to the associates degrees RMS was planning to award). No doubt the current fiscal climate made this new venture difficult to sustain, it would be interesting to know how other schools (loosely) built on the Witch School model are doing.

CBS affiliate WBOC in Delmarva, Delaware reports on this Sunday’s Delmarva Pagan Pride Day, interviewing author, Wiccan elder, and event co-organizer Ivo Dominguez Jr. in the process. Too bad they also felt the need to get some “balance” by also digging up a disapproving Christian pastor.

“Still, some like Salisbury Pastor Luther Hill disagree, and say nothing positive can come out of the event.” “Pagans in the Bible usually deal with witchcraft and sorcery and those types of things,” Rev. Hill said. “But even in the Bible when that type of thing has gone on, the power of God has always been victorious over it.”

I wouldn’t mind this somewhat mindless faux-viewpoint-balance if the standard was also applied to puff coverage of local Christian events as well. Needless to say, I’m still awaiting a call regarding my opinions on upcoming Christmas celebrations.

In a final note, it’s time once again to check in with our old friend Don “internationally recognized authority on Ritual Crime and the Occult” Rimer. This time he’s making an appearance at the Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association seminar to talk about Satanic and vampire-related crime.

“Guest speaker Don Rimer spent over three decades as police officer in Virginia, where he discovered crimes involving cult activity.  Satanists committed some of these crimes, but some culprits acted as vampires … Rimer says movies like “Blade” and “Twilight” made vampirism cool, and people commit themselves to being vampires.  Rimer shows the official vampire bible, and there are sanguine who legally practice the ritualist consumption of human blood by drinking each other’s.”

This time the paper also includes his disclaimer that Wiccans and Pagans are no more likely to be criminals than any other citizen, but that kindness is somewhat offset by the fact that attendees to Rimer’s lectures, like Lawton Police Gang Investigator, Tiff Poff, apparently believe that ” appearance is in beginning stages, and they don’t realize it leads to violence, and murder, and suicide and things like that”. So don’t get caught dressing goth in Lawton, they may think your on the fast-track to killing people.

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

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(Pagan) News of Note

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  August 30, 2008 — 1 Comment

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

The Vancouver Sun looks at how colleges in Canada are adapting to the changing realities of our religiously diverse society.

“At Carleton University and the University of Western Ontario, the official calendar listing holy days when students can be excused from classes or exams includes those central to Wicca and Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion that originated in Iran and is now estimated to have about 200,000 members worldwide … In an effort to serve students’ spiritual needs, the University of Toronto counts two pagans, two Hindus, two Buddhists and a First Nations spiritual leader among more than 20 chaplains associated with the new multi-faith centre that opened last year. It features half a dozen prayer, meeting and worship rooms, says director Richard Chambers, along with facilities for foot-washing and a de-pressurized space that allows for fire and incense during worship ceremonies.”

The University of Toronto’s Pagan chaplains are Brian Walsh, who serves Celtic and reconstructionist groups on campus, and Catherine Starr, who serves the Wiccan community there. So if your thinking of going to college in Canada, this article is practically a guide for potential Pagan students.

A South African teen who killed a classmate with a sword and blamed it on Satan has brought forth the old “Satanic Panic” peddlers.

“[Pastor of Destiny Harvest Church in Umhlanga, Marc] Bredenkamp, who has been helping children involved in Satanism for the past 20 years and has housed recovering witches, said Satanic groups operated on fear and people could not get out because the group threatens to kill their family or do something to them. Apart from numerous death threats and attacks from Satanic groups, Bredenkamp recalled the time his eight-year-old son was abducted by Satanists. He said they threatened to kill his son and wanted him to offer his life in exchange for his son’s. He approached the young girl who had abducted his son and began praying for her. In so doing, he helped expel the evil spirits from her.”

“Uncle Marc” is a classic Satanic Panic con-man who used to be a part of the now-disbanded South African Police Service Occult Unit, and loves to warn of the dangers of heavy metal (and wearing black clothing). Bredenkamp is no doubt enjoying the renewed media attention, though he is “disappointed” that schools no longer tolerate his nonsense.

The Danville Commercial News in Illinois reports on the Correllian tradition Lustration ceremonies taking place this weekend in Rossville.

“[Rev. Don] Lewis conducts the ceremony, but a First Elder — a woman from Danville — performs the actual Lustration blessing. During the ceremony, Lewis also invokes an oracle, which means he receives a prophecy or message from the ancestors. Messages may involve events taking place in the next year or next few years. Some messages might talk about emotions.”

This event of “purification and blessing” will also highlight a new clothing line entitled “Wycked Velvet” (not to be confused with the similarly-named erotica web site).

While I’m on the subject of central Illinois, my former employer, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is featuring an exhibit on the paranormal and occult sciences at its Main Library.

“…the occult collection contains more than 16,000 items relating to occult sciences and parapsychology and was originally endowed by Merten J. Mandeville in 1966, a retiring professor of commerce. Not all the items that are part of the exhibit today were around when the collection started, but it continues to grow. “(The exhibit) is everything ‘X-Files,’” said JoAnn Jacoby, former selector for the Merten J. Mandeville collection. “It includes works on paranormal phenomena, werewolves, the possibility for occult powers, witchcraft, astrology and 19th century spiritualism,” she said.”

For more information about UIUC’s occult book collection, check out The Merten J. Mandeville Collection in the Occult Sciences’ web site.

Greek Pagan group Ellinais (aka The Holy Association of Greek Ancient Religion Believers) is planning to hold a service to Athena at the Acropolis this Sunday to protest the removal of statues and ask the goddess to protect the sacred site.

“Peppa’s Athens-based group, Ellinais, is campaigning to revive ancient religion and has defied Culture Ministry bans to hold prayers at several ancient temples. She said she would not seek state permission for the ceremony, to be held near the ancient Parthenon temple, built between 447-432 B.C. in honor of Athena. ‘We will just sing three hymns. It won’t be a big ceremony,’ Peppa said. ‘I don’t know how many of us will be there. People are afraid. The fact is that we are subject to religious persecution.’”

It was only in 2006 that Ellinais was granted the legal right to exist in the Orthodox-controlled country. There is still great resistance to the group, and they have had to partake in civil disobedience in order to worship at the old sacred sites.

The Delaware News Journal interviews Cherry Hill Seminary co-founder Kirk White at the sixth annual Delmarva Pagan Pride Festival.

“[Pagans] having outgrown the stages he called “forming and storming,” paganism now is “norming,” or becoming like some religions. Although pagans may continue to believe in magic, he said, “if we’re not careful, we’ll become the big white circle on Main Street where all the pews face forward.” He urged listeners to be of service — whether their calling is dance, music, drumming, ministry or filling out paperwork for government agencies so events such as the festival can take place.”

Also interviewed is author and Wiccan elder Ivo Dominguez Jr., who helped organize the event.

That is all I have for now. Have a great day!

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Pagan Elders and Pagan Libraries

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  August 25, 2007 — 5 Comments

The Delaware News Journal has a very nice interview up with Ivo Dominguez Jr. (author of “Castings: The Creation Of Sacred Space”) and Jim Welch on the eve of Dover Pagan Pride Day. In addition to the usual introductory questions about Wicca and Paganism, they also discuss the New Alexandrian Library Project, which they hope to build on the “Seelie Court” 102-acres of land owned by members of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.


Ivo Dominguez Jr. (left) and Jim Welch.
Photo by Chuck Snyder.

“There is no place where all the ephemeral material related to magical communities is stored. And there is no focal point for scholarship about all faiths. So the library will collect material that’s from the esoteric or magical end of all faiths. It won’t just be pagans. We’re open to Hinduism, Christianity, Islam – any faith. We’re calling it the New Alexandrian Library Project, after the great Alexandria Library in Egypt. The original library was a place where people of different faiths interacted. It was one of the best times for interfaith interaction. We want the new library to be a crossroads for scholars. And we want our community to develop greater scholarship. Librarians at colleges have books on esoteric topics. But acquisitions specialists don’t know what to buy and the books are often not properly cataloged. Newsletters and in-house publications can be preserved at this new library. And we hope it will be the jumping-off point for monographs and things that are not profitable but worthy of being published. Sometimes people say they want to start accredited pagan seminaries and you can’t do that unless you have access to a library.”

To help raise money for the library, the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel is holding a special fund raising event on Labor Day weekend that features esteemed occult author and practitioner Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki leading rituals and talks. Also of note is their upcoming “Between the Worlds” interfaith esoteric conference, which features a very impressive* line-up of teachers and practitioners.

Kudos to The News Journal for this nicely done article.

* Seriously, it is a very impressive line-up. I’m currently looking under my bed to see if I left any spare piles of money lying around.

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