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Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — July 13, 2012 — 16 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.

According to a Gallup poll, confidence in organized religion has reached an all-time low in the United States. Only 44% of those polled had a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in “the church or organized religion” today. Quote: “Two major findings apparent in Gallup’s confidence in the church and organized religion trend are, first, the long-term decline in Americans’ confidence in this societal institution since 1973, and second, the suppressed confidence among Catholics relative to Protestants starting in 1981, and becoming more pronounced by 2002.” What does this mean for adherents to the “unorganized” religious movements like modern Paganism? Will this cause our numbers to grow, or will it simply mean the continued ballooning of the “nones” (and will the UUA succeed in reaching out to them)?
One of the individuals charged in Arizona’s crack-down on Phoenix Goddess Temple has plead guilty to “facilitation to commit illegal control of an enterprise.” Whether the temple was legitimate, or simply a smokescreen for a prostitution ring, has been hotly debated. A good exploration of the question can be found, here. PGT site, here.
NPR correspondent Margot Adler, author of “Drawing Down the Moon,” reviews the newest installment of Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy, entitled “Shadow of Night,” follow-up to the hugely successful “A Discovery of Witches” (currently being adapted for the big screen). Quote: “Since Matthew is a Catholic in Protestant England, and Diana is a witch at the same time that witches are being executed in Scotland, both are on perilous, constantly shifting ground [...] the few things Matthew and Diana learn are so deeply disturbing and unexpected that my own wavering over this sequel ended. I am now eager to read the last installment.” The Witches in the All Souls world are a mish-mash of religious Witchcraft/Wicca and folkloric/fantasy tropes. It should be interesting to see how that gets adapted to the big screen.

The San Diego Comic-Con International is underway, as is lots of speculation over what new projects will be announced. Popular comic rumors and news site Bleeding Cool predicted that a new “Sandman” series written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by JH Williams III (of “Promethea” fame) was being finalized. This has since been confirmed by Gaiman himself, check out some advance artwork, above. For anyone who loves occult and myth-drenched comic books, this is a mind-blowing development, sure to spark an intense reaction from fans. Expect more from me on this topic in the weeks to come.
Last year I linked to a news story about a brawl that took place between Laurie “Lorelei” Stathopoulos of Crow Haven Corner and Joanna Thomas of New England Magic in Salem, Massachusetts. Now, court proceedings for that case have finally happened, with Stathopoulos admitting to the assault, and given a fine and unsupervised probation for two years. Quote: “The judge ordered her not to have any contact with Thomas and her store, whether face-to-face or through social media, and added a specific warning about indirect contact through third parties, including the dozen or so witches who filled three rows in the courtroom yesterday.” Stathopoulos had “the support of the Wiccan community” according to her lawyer, Scott Dullea.
The owner of a botánica (shop that sells folk medicine and ritual supplies, often for practitioners of Santeria and related faiths) in Inwood, New York, has been accused of hiring a hitman to kill a teenager he allegedly sexually abused in order to prevent him from testifying. Instead, the allegedy hitman informed on the owner, and he’ll no doubt be spending a long, long, time in prison if convicted on all counts.
UK-based Druid Priest Cat Treadwell, a Trustee of The Druid Network, recently released a book entitled “A Druid’s Tale” and is setting off on a European promotional tour for it. Quote: “Having just returned from the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, as well as being a professional ritual celebrant she aims to dispel myths and the “old men in white robes” stereotypes that still surround druidry.” You can learn more about the book, here.
FrontPage Magazine recently published an article claiming that a prominent Saudi Muslim cleric is pushing to have the Great Pyramids destroyed as “symbols of paganism.” The inference is that with the new Muslim Brotherhood president, this will now become a reality. However, it was quickly established that the quoted invective against the pyramids was a hoax (more here), and there are no signs that the pyramids are in any danger. Kemetic reconstructionist Rev. Tamara L. Siuda pointed out that “if millennia of nature, dynamite, and armies can’t remove the Pyramids, I doubt they are going to be moved by a few people trying to stir up political controversy.” There are real tensions over Egypt’s spiritual and archaeological tourism industry, but the Muslim Brotherhood has actually been one of the factions that is trying to strike a balance between Islamic hardliners and a populace that is generally proud of their culture, history, and heritage. Plus, no country, especially one as fragile as Egypt is now, willingly throws away a multi-billion dollar industry.
UNO’s Journal of Religion and Film’s latest edition includes a paper by Richard Lindsay on the film “Pan’s Labyrinth, “ suggesting that it “follows the narrative outline of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey as experienced through the biological process of onset of menstruation in its young protagonist.” You can download the entire paper for free, here. (Hat-tip TheoFantastique)
I give you Dan Halloran and his “twin cups of freedom” (you’re welcome).
Taiwan holds its first same-sex Buddhist wedding. Quote: “A local Buddhist master supported Huang’s decision not only to wed, but to have the wedding as per traditional Buddhist standards. Buddhist master Shih Chao-hwei, professor at Hsuan Chuang University, said homosexuality is not prohibited in Buddhist teachings. “It’s difficult enough to maintain a relationship … how could you be so stingy as to begrudge a couple for wanting to get married, regardless of their sexual orientation,” the professor said in a telephone interview with Taipei Times.” Meanwhile, certain religions still think they can force their interpretation of morality and religion on the rest of us.

Chico Goddess Temple entrance.

Is the Chico Goddess Temple doomed? According to the Chico News and Review, noise complaints for an illegal festival held four years ago has led to a much larger struggle to survive and gain the permits needed to stay open. Owner Robert Seals thinks that hostility to Goddess religion might underlay the resistance he’s encountered in obtaining the permits he needs. Quote: “This is nothing new, worship of the Goddess, but it goes up against a lot of fundamental religions.” You can learn more about this struggle, and the upcoming appeal hearing, here.

That’s it for now! Happy Friday the 13th! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — January 1, 2012 — 7 Comments

Back in October I wrote about Christian talk-radio host Janet Mefferd’s “Gay Pagan Hysteria,” criticizing her for comments about “pagans” wanting to “wipe out Christianity.” It seems my criticisms actually caught the eye of Ms. Mefferd herself, as she dedicated some time in November to discuss modern Paganism and the “ideology” of “paganism” with Peter Jones, editor of “On Global Wizardry: Techniques of Pagan Spirituality and a Christian Response”. How can I tell that she was reading The Wild Hunt? Because she directly quotes a guest-post by T. Thorn Coyle in the program, to which Thorn replied that “working with Jason Pitzl-Waters always brings gifts of some sort or another!” Always nice to know that some Christians are expanding their horizons by reading this blog, feel free to drop by anytime Janet!
Anne Elizabeth Wynn at the Austin American Statesman concludes a year of visiting and experiencing various religious traditions with Unitarian Universalism and modern Paganism. Puzzled by the “confusing research” into the differences between Wicca and Paganism, Wynn enlists the help of local Pagans Jax and GG (aka The Pagan Princesses). On Paganism, GG says that it “is not focused on life after death or on salvation or fear of damnation. Accountability is now, with your friends and family.” You can find out more about Wynn’s spiritual journey, here.
The Deccan Herald looks at the traditional Mata ni Pachedi, a hand-painted cloth that honors the mother goddess. You can see some examples of Mata ni Pachedi, here and here.
At Religion Dispatches Louis A.Ruprecht follows up his recent essay on Saturnalia with one on the differences (and conflations) between Cronus (Saturn) and Chronus (Time). Quote: “The Roman poet Horace famously quipped that “Captive Greece had conquered her conqueror,” as a way to describe the newfound Roman fascination with Greek mythology in the last century before the Common Era. But the conqueror was still a conqueror, so the later Romans felt free to make Greek myths over in Latin dress.”
The SexIs blog looks at sacred intimacy, prostitution, and Tantra in the wake of the Phoenix Goddess Temple arrests (link can be somewhat NSFW, depending on where you work). Quote: “Were their ministrations quid pro quo sex for hire, or were these ‘sacred priestesses’ engaged in the re-creation of an ancient practice of ritualized sex for spiritual healing? Is the answer to that question somewhere in between? How does it matter to our overall understanding of the curative role of sex or the need to heal traumas, sexual or otherwise?” An interesting and thoughtful meditation on the various perspectives.
A prosecutor in Siberia’s call to ban the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism’s most holy texts, sparked an international outcry recently. Embarrassed by the official’s actions a Russian court rejected the proposed ban, and Russia’s Foreign Ministry went on damage control. Quote: “I repeat this is not about the book per se, but about the unsuccessful translation and the preface written by the author.” This is just the latest incident in the abuse of Russia’s laws against extremism, which local officials have been using to crack down on Russian Pagans and other minority faiths (like the Jehovah’s Witnesses) that the Russian Orthodox Church disapprove of. Expect to see more of this in years to come.
Does Ron Paul have a controversial Dominionist pastor problem? Not anymore!
SFist provides cosmic proof that Oakland mayor Jean Quan bungled the handling of Occupy Oakland.
Prayer warriors explicitly target the separation of Church and State.
Unsurprisingly, several high-profile young adult authors hated, hated, hated the terrible, no-good, film adaptation of Susan Cooper’s classic book “The Dark Is Rising.” Quote from “Wicked” author Gregory Maguire: “I am told that the movie based on “The Dark Is Rising” is pretty lousy; the novelist, Susan Cooper, begged me not to see it, and out of long-standing friendship I have obeyed her.” The book, however, remains excellent, do seek it out.

That’s it for now! Happy 2012 everyone! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

In Paganism, Religion Anne Elizabeth Wynn, Astrology, Bhagavad Gita, Christianity, Hinduism, Janet Mefferd, Mata ni Pachedi, Phoenix Goddess Temple, Religion Dispatches, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, SexIs, Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, Unitarian-Universalism, Unleash the Hounds!, Wicca

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — December 5, 2011 — 15 Comments

The Atlanta Independent Media Center reports on a 11-year-old child harassed at his school due to his family being Pagan. Christopher Turner of Bowden, Georgia has been singled out, lectured on religion by teachers, and given suspensions for seemingly trivial reasons since knowledge of his faith has come out. Quote: “Christopher’s teacher, Mrs. Ross, pulled him out of class and proceeded to drill him about Paganism, ending the conversation with “Paganism is not a religion.” Remember, this is an 11 year old student, with no parent present while being harassed about his religion by someone who is suppose to be an educator.” At this point the parents are planning to home school Christopher for now, and are looking into legal action.
Performance artist and sex educator Annie Sprinkle, in an interview with PopMatters, weighs in on the recent arrests of the Phoenix Goddess Temple members in Arizona. Quote: “For the people arrested, this was with out a doubt their religious practice, and not prostitution. So they are avoiding contact with sex worker rights organizations. So, whores don’t want to support them. There are tantra people that don’t want to support the PGT (Phoenix Goddess Temple) workers because they feel that they weren’t really practicing tantra and are bringing bad publicity to their wholesome image. It’s really shocking to me how so many in the tantra community were so whorephobic.” It should be noted that Annie Sprinkle uses the term “whore,” not as a pejorative, but in a context of reappropriation.
Witches in South Africa are blasting South African Press Ombudsman Joe Thloloe for defending the Sunday Tribune’s use of the term “witch” in describing a murderer. Quote: “Real Witches, which he condescendingly calls “self-styled”, are regarded by Thloloe as attempting to use the office of the Ombudsman to proselytize their religion, not defend their collective right to dignity. According to the Press Ombudsman, any notion that actual Witches should wish to appeal against the defamatory stereotyping of witches in the South African media is ridiculous and can never merit anything but contemptuous scorn.” We will no doubt be hearing more about this from SAPRA.
Phaedra Bonewits has announced that she is beginning to auction off some of the possessions of her late husband, Druid leader Isaac Bonewits. Quote: “That does mean going through a lot of Isaac’s stuff, too. I kept so much of his, both because I wasn’t ready to part with it for myself, and because I thought other people might like to have something that once belonged to him. I have boxes and boxes of magical memorabilia, as well as boxes and boxes of books and music. And boxes and boxes yet unsorted. My winter will be busy.” The first batch, featuring mostly vintage Pagan music cassettes, is up on eBay now. It should also be noted that Isaacs papers are safe and sound, donated to the University of California, Santa Barbara for future scholars to access.
Religion Clause reports that members of the indigenous religion Sunda Wiwitan in Indonesia are fighting to have their religion listed on official identification. Quote the Jakarta Globe: “We have to choose between the six religions. We’re confused that we can’t put ‘Sunda Wiwitan’ on our IDs,” Dainah said. “We went to the Home Affairs Ministry in Jakarta to ask about this but they recommended we go to the Constitutional Court.”
Would you like to bid on a designer Gaia?
New Age guru James Arthur Ray, now in prison for the negligent homicide of three sweat lodge participants, has settled the civil lawsuits with the victim’s families for more than 3 million dollars. Quote: “Both prosecutors and defense attorneys tiptoed around specifics of the civil settlements during Ray’s criminal trial because those involved were bound by a confidentiality agreement not to discuss it. At one point, Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk suggested that by settling the civil case, Ray was admitting fault for the deaths. Ray’s attorneys quickly denied that; the settlement includes no admission of guilt.” More lawsuits against Ray are pending.
For those who missed, religion journalism criticism site Get Religion weighed in on the recent Village Voice Dan Halloran piece. Quote: “I don’t share the Village Voice’s politics in toto but this otherwise well-researched piece leaves a bad taste in the mouth solely because of the unnecessary mocking tone.” You can read my own take on this, here.
Bloody Disgusting reports that the official trailer for Robin Hardy’s “The Wicker Tree” is now out. “The Wicker Tree” is a forthcoming companion film to the classic 1973 Pagan-themed horror film “The Wicker Man.”

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.

A New Pagan Publisher Launches and other Pagan News of Note

Jason Pitzl-Waters — September 21, 2011 — 27 Comments

Top Story: Solar Cross, a non-profit religious organization dedicated to pan-magical practice, worship, education, research and outreach, co-founded by T. Thorn Coyle, Jonathan Korman, and Robert Russell, has announced the official launch of their organization’s e-publishing venture.

“Solar Cross is pleased to announce the official launch of our e-publishing venture with the release of the formerly out of print Magick of Qabalah. This is the first in a line of magickal, esoteric, and Pagan books to be issued from the LVX/NOX and Sunna Press imprints. We are committed to bringing forth both original and out of print books as well as shorter works on practice and craft.”

Their first release is “The Magick of Qabalah” by British author Kala Trobe and is currently available via Amazon, with more platforms to be rolled out shortly. Future releases from the LVX/NOX and Sunna Press e-publishing imprints include works by T. Thorn Coyle, Diana Paxson, and Shen-tat. With the large number of Pagan and occult works that are out of print, this is an exciting and useful first step in using the power of digital publishing to rescue lost classics and important developmental works in the history of our communities. I’m hoping this is the start of a far larger trend.

In Other News:

Speaking of e-publishing, two well-received Pagan works are now available in digital formats for the first time. Erynn Rowan Laurie’s “Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom” and Margot Adler’s seminal “Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America” (check out The Wild Hunt’s interview with Margot Adler on the release of the 2006 edition of the book).
Mary K. Greer lets us know about an incredible discovery in the world of tarot, a second set of painted images commissioned by A.E Waite ten years after the now-famous illustrations done by Pamela Coleman Smith. These works were done by stained glass artist J. B. Trinick, and an effort is now underway to have them professionally photographed and published. Greer calls this “the biggest discovery in Tarot this century.”
Haters gonna hate watch: Long-time anti-Paganism crusader Linda Harvey believes LGBT people don’t really exist, and John Hagee lets us know that “secular humanism is a pagan god and America is bowing at the shrine.”
The landlord of the Phoenix Goddess Temple has terminated their lease. You can read all of my coverage of this issue, here.
Saudi Arabia has beheaded Abdul Hamid al-Fakki, a Sudanese citizen, for practicing “witchcraft and sorcery.” Last year Amnesty International called for the commutation of his death sentence. Saudi Arabia’s threshold for charges of “sorcery” are completely arbitrary, as evidenced by the case of Lebanese citizen Ali Sibat, who barely escaped the death penalty after an international uproar.

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

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — September 16, 2011 — 43 Comments

Michael York, author of “Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion”, writes a response to Christian apologist Peter Kreeft. Kreeft’s article “Comparing Christianity & The New Paganism” says that “new paganism is a joining of forces by three of the enemies of theism: humanism, polytheism and pantheism,” to which York counters that “Kreeft betrays the essential dichotomizing bi-polarity of the theistic construct.” I recommend reading the entire, highly enjoyable, response.
SF Weekly blog Exhibitionist looks at recent incidents of animal sacrifice in the Bernel Heights area and explains why they probably weren’t committed by Satanists or adherents to Santeria. The article by Beth Winegarner interviews Mary Ehm, owner of La Sirena Botanica, and yours truly. My two cents: “A good deal of the fear, misinformation, and rushed conclusions in these matters is partially due to anxiety over cultures and traditions we don’t understand, and partially due to the actions of various ‘occult experts,’ who have been sensationalizing and over-stating the problem of ritual animal sacrifice to law enforcement and animal welfare officers.”
A former Liberty University student reflects on Jerry Falwell’s infamous “the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians” 9/11-blaming comment. While Austin Carty is still an evangelical Christian, he says that he now sees “through this miasma of misunderstanding to see such a mentality for the insidious lie that it is.” My final word on Falwell came at his passing in 2007, where I pointed out that his “intolerant buffoonery was the perfect caricature of anyone opposing the free exercise of our faiths.”
Tanja Diamond, author of “Beyond Sex: Tantra- A Practical Guide to Extraordinary Living,” blasts the Phoenix Goddess Temple for giving tantric sex practices a bad name. Meanwhile, in the comments of my initial report on the arrests, clients, and visitors, have been speaking up with their thoughts. In addition, some local Pagans have been giving their perspective in my follow-up post.
In a clip provided by Right Wing Watch, Cindy Jacobs, a leader within the New Apostolic Reformation, lays out the theological importance of Rick Perry’s ‘The Response’ event: What did the indigenous people worship? [...] in Texas here and all of the coast around Houston and Galveston and some of that area, the Native American people were cannibals [...] We just had a prayer meeting in Houston a little a week ago, the governor of Texas, really as an individual instigated this, and 35,000 people showed up to pray and it was only a prayer meeting called within three months, three month period of time. So what happened? The land is starting to rejoice, you see, because of that prayer.” Jacobs, you may remember, gloried in the destruction of Haiti for breaking the “strongman of the occult”, and blamed Shinto for the destruction and horror that the citizens of Japan faced in the aftermath of the recent earthquake/tsunami. She’s now involved in the DC40 campaign.
British actor, mixed-martial-artist, and reality show contestant Alex Reid has allegedly been knighted by King Arthur (no, not that King Arthur, this King Arthur). Reid traveled to Stonehenge earlier this year to “find peace and draw energy from the earth,” after a public breakup with wife Katie Price.
At Patheos, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus sings the praises of smaller, more specialized, deities, specifically Sterculinus, the god of manure-based fertilizer.
Last month I reported on the decline of religion in the West, and how “least-religious” Estonia seemed to have plenty of religion, just not the formal church-based Christian religion that many consider the default. This assertion is backed up by a new editorial by Ringo Ringvee, adviser at the religious affairs department at the Estonian ministry of the interior, who says the Paganism is thriving in Estonia. “A new phenomenon during the last 15 years has been the rising number of Estonians identifying themselves with a nature-spirituality that could be defined as the Estonian neo-paganism.” It should be noted that Ringvee also stresses that this isn’t a majority of Estonians, and that “during the ancient holy days the groves are not filled with people.” Still, this is a data point in the assertion that Paganism can and does grow in a post-Christian secular environment.
According to an Asia Times editorial, Taiwan is still ruled by the occult (yay?).
The bared breast of the Roman goddess Virtus will grace a proposed 23-foot-by-11-foot mural depicting the progress of Norfolk, Virginia.
Our condolences go out to the family, friends, and fans of actor Andy Whitfield. Whitfield recently passed away after a long fight against non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He is perhaps best known for playing the Roman gladiator Spartacus in the Starz series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.”

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.

Updates: Phoenix Goddess Temple, Santa Muerte, New Apostolic Reformation

Jason Pitzl-Waters — September 10, 2011 — 82 Comments

I have some updates on recent stories covered here at The Wild Hunt.

Phoenix Goddess Temple Arrests: Since my report on Thursday, this story has hit the national and international newswires. It is now revealed that charges include prostitution, pandering, and conspiracy. Most reports I’ve read seem pretty confident that this was nothing but a brothel with a veneer of spirituality painted on as a legal smokescreen. I’ve never seen so many scare quotes being used in a mainstream newswire report before.

Phoenix Goddess Temple members. Photo by Jamie Peachey.

“During a Wednesday search of the Phoenix temple and two church-related sites in nearby Sedona, police seized evidence showing that “male and female ‘practitioners’ working at the Temple were performing sexual acts in exchange for monetary ‘donations,’ all on the pretense of providing ‘neo tantric’ healing therapies,” Phoenix police said.”

We’ve also learned more about the raids on the affiliated Sedona Temple, and the undercover operations that were underway for six months. In addition, some of those arrested have spoken with journalists, insisting that they are not engaged in prostitution.

During an interview with CBS 5 News, three of the women talked while in handcuffs. ”I call myself a shaman. I believe in earth-based healing,” said Holly Alsop. After a six month investigation, Phoenix Police have 18 people behind bars accused of running a prostitution ring at the Phoenix Goddess Temple. When interviewed Friday, the women would not specifically say what the healing practices were, but when they were asked if any of them had sexual intercourse at the church, they had one very clear answer. ”No, no. Absolutely not,” said Amanda Twitty. ”Absolutely not. Everything we do is healing,” said Holly Alsop, and “No,” said Jamie Baker. ”We’re not a brothel, we’re a church,” said Baker.

Whatever our suspicions in this matter, it’s now up to a judge or jury to decide if the evidence gathered by undercover officers is indeed enough to convict them of operating a prostitution ring. Whatever the truth of the matter, this should be an interesting test of how far religious protections can extend. We’ll keep you posted on further developments.

More on Santa Muerte: It seems I wasn’t the only one to have a problem with Tim Stanley’s vicious editorial in the Telegraph, George Conger at Get Religion dissects the assertions made about the Santa Muerte folk religion and finds them wanting.

Photo: Time Magazine / EFE / ZUMAPRESS

“The Telegraph’s argument is: Some illegal aliens from Mexico are devotees of the Santa Muerte cult. Americans do not like illegal immigration from Mexico. Therefore, fears of Santa Muerte lie behind opposition to illegal Mexican immigration. Sorry. This won’t do. The bottom line: Correlation does not imply causation. [...] to support the claim that American perceptions of Mexican migration to the U.S. are influenced by fears of this cult needs evidence.”

Another UK paper, the Guardian, came out with a much more sympathetic and thoughtful piece on Santa Muerte just yesterday, in what can only be seen as a counter-point to Stanley’s hysteria.

“To one side of the shrine was a candle shop. We decided to buy a candle to put on the shrine as most of the people in the queue were holding candles. I had read earlier that each colour of candle carried with it a meaning: red for love, white for luck and black for protection. We bought a white candle each and went back to the end of the line. The man before us in the queue wore a black singlet, exposing his enlarged biceps which were covered in tattoos; his wrists and neck were draped in gold chains. We observed him carefully when he arrived at the shrine. First he lit a black candle and placed it down in front of him beneath the altar. Then he got down on his knees and crossed himself. With his eyes closed, he began to utter a prayer under his breath. Finally, he stood up and lit a cigarette. He took one puff and left the rest on the ashtray as an offering.”

Also giving a far more balanced look into Santa Muerte is Texas newspaper The Monitor, who notes the rise of altars and spiritual aspects to the drug trade, but gain perspective from anthropologist Antonio Zavaleta. Zavaleta observes that this trend is less about an increase in believers and more about “a relocation of them.”

NAR’s Respect For Other Religions: New Apostolic Reformation guiding light C. Peter Wagner has been on something of a public relations blitz lately, ever since his movement has come under public scrutiny due to its ties with Texas Governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry. Most recently, Wagner was interviewed by Voice of America, where he insists that NAR has respect for other religions, and operates “within religious pluralism.”

C. Peter Wagner. Image courtesy of skywaymedia.

“We don’t believe in taking over a nation. But we believe in exerting as much influence in every one of the mountains to see the values of the Kingdom of God within a democratic society, within religious pluralism,”

Rachel Tabachnick at Talk To Action does a thorough debunking of Wagner’s claims that NAR isn’t seeking dominion, and values pluralism, and Right Wing Watch joins in as well. RWW points out that Wagner admits to his movement’s growing political influence in the VoA interview.

“I think they’re right that the influence is growing and the influence was very strong in The Response meeting. But what I see in the media is that critics of conservative candidates like Rick Perry are accusing him of doing something bad by his friendship with people in the NAR. I don’t know if Rick Perry would consider himself as a part of the NAR but he had some people on the platform and in the audience who were part of the NAR. But I don’t think there is anything worse about being part of the NAR then being part of the Southern Baptists or being part of the Catholic Church or being part of any other segment of Christianity.”

As I’ve pointed out again and again, my bottom line is how their growing influence will affect religious minorities in the United States. NAR leaders have, time and time again, expressed their hostility to Pagan and occult belief systems, and any politician who willingly associates with them should be questioned regarding how much of their agenda they support.

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

In Paganism, Religion C. Peter Wagner, Christianity, immigration, law, Mexico, New Apostolic Reformation, Phoenix Goddess Temple, prostitution, Santa Muerte, Talk To Action

Phoenix Goddess Temple Raided by Police

Jason Pitzl-Waters — September 8, 2011 — 226 Comments

The Phoenix Goddess Temple in Arizona, a neo-tantric religious organization that defines itself as “a sacred place to know the secret inner wisdom of the Cosmic Mother,” was raided by police on Wednesday. Eleven women and five men were taken in for questioning, and made to do a “perp walk” for the cameras, but police would not say, exactly, what the raid was looking for.

“CBS 5 News has also learned this was part of a long term investigation that spanned from the Valley to Sedona. Police served three additional search warrants in the Sedona area and detained several more people for questioning at those locations. [...] [Sgt. Steve] Martos would not confirm the nature of the investigation, saying investigators would be working well into the night and more details would be available tomorrow.”

It was revealed that police also raided Sedona Goddess Temple, an affiliate of the Phoenix Goddess Temple. It’s plainly obvious that this is a raid looking for proof of prostitution, though previous sting operations have turned up empty-handed. Why else do a highly publicized raid and perp-walk? So far, there are no reports of actual charges being made, and Phoenix Goddess Temple has released no statement regarding these events. If Phoenix Goddess Temple was simply a house of prostitution with a veneer of religion painted over it, wouldn’t they have been closed down by now? Earlier this year the Phoenix New Times called the temple’s activities “New Age prostitution,” though the men and women at the temple insist that they are engaged in a higher calling.

But despite the obvious eyebrow-raisers at the temple, [Temple founder Tracy] Elise says she’s doing nothing wrong. “The temple is really a church for us,” she says. “We open ourselves with love as an empty channel, and that’s the authority by which I heal. I don’t get my credentials on the ground level. I get my calling and I am under the jurisdiction of the most high.”

Even if no charges are brought from this current investigation, the writing is on the wall. It’s obvious the police are looking for any excuse to shut these temples down. The question now is, should they be able to? Even if some sessions end in “happy endings” aren’t their activities protected by law so long as they don’t directly charge money for sex? If they took this matter to court, would they be able win broader protections since they are religiously sincere in their activities? How should the broader Pagan community engage with sacred sexuality practitioners?

In Paganism, Religion Arizona, law, Phoenix Goddess Temple, prostitution, sacred sex, Sex

PantheaCon update, and some Links of Note

Jason Pitzl-Waters — February 19, 2011 — 9 Comments

To a certain extent, writing about PantheaCon in San Jose can in no way capture the energy and scope of the event. Friday has been a blur of reunions, meetings, conversations, missed connections, and intense socializing. For me, aside from the enjoyable time I had connecting with my co-religionists, Friday was a day of meet-and-greets. First, the Covenant of the Goddess meet-and-greet, where founders and new members convened, shared stories, and went over the history of the organization. Then, I had the pleasure of attending the joint Solar Cross / New Alexandrian Library meet-and-greet, where discussions of building Pagan infrastructure was a key element in several interactions. All these organizations are working towards building something for our communities that last beyond their founders, and serve modern Pagans for generations to come.

Today, I’m personally immersed into several scheduled events, I’m coordinating a special meet-and-greet for the Pagan Newswire Collective, participating in a panel on Pagans in the media led by journalist and podcaster Devin Hunter, and after a special screening of “American Mystic”, I will be conducting a Q&A with director Alex Mar, Morpheus Ravenna, and members of Stone City Pagan Sanctuary. I’m working with the PantheaCon media staff to get as much recorded for posterity as I can, and plan to share as much audio and video here as I’m able.

Before I end this update from the convention, I wanted to share a few links of note that I’m not able to give my full attention to, but hope to explore in greater depth once I return to civilization. First, John W. Morehead, takes on questionable “occult expert” Don Rimer in a lengthy post that examines Rimer’s materials and his problematic attitudes towards the “occult”.

“After my exchanges with Mr. Rimer I thought I would solicit feedback from academic colleagues of mine who specialize in these areas, as well as representatives from the religious communities and identity subcultures who are knowledgeable about the issues, and Rimer’s views on the matter. Without exception, everyone confirmed my suspicions. In fact, while Rimer has had some contact with those in the Pagan community, I could not track down anyone willing to agree that he accurately describes Paganism, and his claims about learning from vampires may be limited to magazine articles and random conversations at vampire clubs as well as newspaper articles on alleged “vampire killings,” hardly the stuff of good ethnographic research and scholarly study.”

You can read all of my past posts regarding Rimer, here. Rest assured that I’ll be coming back to this particular issue.

Next, the Phoenix New Times takes and in-depth look at the controversial Phoenix Goddess Temple, where controversy over whether it’s a legitimate religious order, or simply a front for sexual services rages amongst the local community.

“Practitioners at this self-styled church near 24th Street and Thomas Road say that what they do is sacred work to balance energy and heal people, and Clayton really seems to believe it — at least enough to let New Times watch two of his all-too-revealing sessions.”

I’ve covered this temple before, and I really wish I had the time to sit down and truly explore the issues raised here, so consider this link a place-holder for a longer post later, as I think some important, and potentially problematic, issues and being played out.

Finally, check out this trailer for a new documentary “Kypris – The Aphrodite of Cyprus Revealed,” about 12 women in Cyprus trying to “revive the ancient art of the frame drum, sacred to the worship of Aphrodite.”

To find out more, and help support this documentary, check out their web site. As I hear more on this, I’ll be sure to share it.

That’s all I have time for, so have a great day, and I’ll update as I can!

In Paganism, Religion "Kypris - The Aphrodite of Cyprus Revealed, COG, documentaries, Don Rimer, John Morehead, New Alexandrian Library Project, Pantheacon, Phoenix Goddess Temple, Solar Cross

The Goddess-Worshiping Sex Church?

Jason Pitzl-Waters — February 27, 2009 — 11 Comments

The Arizona Republic reports on the travails of a downtown Scottsdale Goddess-worshiping temple that neighbors accuse of being a “sex church”. The Phoenix Goddess Temple, run by mother priestess Tracy Elise, claims that they teach Tantra (actually they claim to practice a syncretic “Neo Tantra”) and don’t engage in prostitution (sacred or otherwise).

Scottsdale police spokesman Sgt. Mark Clark said police visited the Phoenix Goddess Temple last week to investigate a complaint that it was a house of prostitution but could not determine if the allegations were true … The temple has drawn police attention because its tenets connect spirituality and sexuality and it employs sexual healers and teaches its members about tantric sexual techniques. “It’s perceived as a sex church,” Elise said. The 48-year-old priestess was unapologetic about the temple and its views on sex, which she said are far more enlightened than those of most other religions. A waiver that members sign states: “I acknowledge that I will not receive any type of sexual gratification in exchange for money during my session” at the temple. A citizen’s complaint to police alleges that prices listed at the temple say services are $204 for one hour and $440 for 2 1/2 hours but do not say what those services are.

Though a police sting operation yielded no arrests, and despite the fact that they seem quite careful to avoid veering into illegality concerning their sex-oriented teachings and sessions (note the rules for a “cuddle party” held at the temple), that hasn’t stopped neighbors from complaining to law enforcement officials and making assumptions about what goes on inside the temple.

Kim Edwards, president of the Scottsdale Southwest Village homeowners group, said she witnessed congestion problems at the church but was unaware of what was going in the home. She figured it was a business operation. “I almost hit somebody crossing the street there,” she said, adding that she complained to the city. “I wouldn’t support any church at that location because of the traffic it draws. But because of the nature of this church, it sends up a lot of red flags.” Another neighborhood leader, Hope Monkewicz, said she was disturbed by a veil of secrecy surrounding the temple. “If you’re operating there and no one knows about it, you can’t be doing something good in there,” she said.

But unhappy neighborhood leaders can breath a sigh of relief, the temple is moving to Phoenix. Not because they were forced out due to their teachings on sex, but because of local zoning laws.

In Scottsdale, the city code enforcement inspectors notified the Phoenix Goddess Temple on Oct. 21 that it needed approval to operate a church out of the home at 68th Street and Exeter, said Malcolm Hankins, the code enforcement manager. After meeting with city planners in December, the temple considered its options for acquiring an adjacent property or moving to a new location. It ultimately decided to move to Phoenix but was still operating this week in Scottsdale … Earlier this week, Elise said she plans to move to a home in 5900 block of East Shea Boulevard in March. Phoenix planner Alan Stephenson said the city has not received an application to operate a temple at the home, but a church would be allowed in that residential zone.

No doubt the Phoenix Goddess Temple will continue to do well for itself, let’s hope the neighbors and local authorities are a bit more tolerant at their new location. Though the only laws they were breaking were local zoning ordinances, I’m disturbed by the neighbor who found them suspicious simply because “no one knows about it”. This is a group that seemed to have no trouble talking to the press, and keep an extensive web site explaining what they do (and don’t do), yet the spectre of sex and female empowerment seemed to trigger suspicion and hostility. If you want a crystal ball to predict how the future growth of modern Paganism will be received once we’re fically robust enough to open temples and sanctuaries in local communities, you could do worse than to examine how these men and women were treated.

In Paganism Arizona, goddess, law, Phoenix Goddess Temple, sacred sex, Sex, Tantra, The Goddess

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