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Pagan Community Notes: Documentaries, Awards, Surveys, and Festivals!

Jason Pitzl-Waters — June 12, 2013 — 5 Comments

Pagan Community Notes is a series focused on news originating from within the Pagan community. Reinforcing 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 let’s get started!

A documentary focusing on the Temple of Nine Wells, and the lives of Richard and Gypsy Ravish, entitled “With Love From Salem,” has announced that they’ve nearly completed the project. Quote: “I had the privilege of seeing some footage of this documentary, currently nearing completion, and to say it is phenomenal is an understatement. A beautiful, evocative and magical film – not to mention visually and emotionally stunning. Get ready to see something amazing.” Richard Ravish was one of the original “Witches of Salem,” and passed away in 2012 at the age of 59. Amy “Gypsy” Ravish is a popular Pagan singer-songwriter known for her albums “Enchantress” and “Spirit Nation.” I’m very much looking forward to a new Pagan-centered documentary, and will update you here once there’s screening/release information.

Erynn Rowan Laurie

As mentioned previously here, Erynn Rowan Laurie, author of “A Circle of Stones,” recently won for best poetry collection at the Bisexual Book Awards (photos of the ceremony here). On her return, she announced at her official Facebook page that she’s considering a move to Italy, motivated in part by recent health issues. Quote: “As with so many other things in my life, I realized I could either let circumstance defeat me, or I could try to work it so that I could turn it into something interesting. If I’m going to be robbed of my ability to drive, why not have an adventure in a place where walking is normal? It won’t mean that nobody will ever see me again. The internet still exists, after all. I’m very likely to try to fly back to the US for PantheaCon every year, and try to visit Seattle once a year as well.” We here at The Wild Hunt wish Erynn all the best no matter where she goes, and any nation she moves to will be all the richer for her presence. Good luck! Oh, and speaking of the Bisexual Book Awards, they can apparently get you stopped at the Canadian border and held for several hours.

Christina Oakley Harrington

Acclaimed London esoteric book store Treadwells has announced the launch of a brand-new, more robust, website. Included is an extensive resources section headed by Treadwells founder, Christina Oakley Harrington. For example, individuals new to Paganism can find several introductory essays about Paganism in general, and about Paganism in the UK in particular. Quote: “The pages below are designed to be clear, direct and authoritative. The pages on groups and events direct you to the more established resources, though there are many more that can be found in local communities.” Harrington notes that “if you feel like lookng round the site, it’s got lots of other sections, too. We’ve been working hard on it for ages and hope you all find it useful.” Treadwell’s recently held a number of talks and events in conjunction with the I:MAGE esoteric arts exhibition reported on recently at The Wild Hunt.

Sabina Magliocco

Chas Clifton reports that Dr. Sabina Magliocco, Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Northridge, and author of “Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America” is launching a new research project on individual’s spiritual relationship with animals. Quote: “The purpose of this study is to understand how we imagine our relationship to animals, how we incorporate animals into our spiritual or religious beliefs, and how this may motivate our actions in the everyday world.” You can take the survey, here. At the survey page Magliocco elaborates on benefits of the study: “This research could shed light on how people come to imagine themselves as part of an interconnected community that includes domestic and wild animals, and develop feelings that lead them to want to protect, defend and care for both domestic and wild animals. It may also reveal areas in which individuals diverge from the theological teachings of their religion as a result of their personal experiences with animals. Findings could be useful in developing educational programs for children and young people that foster sustainability.” Again, the survey link.

The Pagan History Project (PHP) initiated with a soft launch this week on Facebook, with a full website to follow soon. An oral history project created to “collect, store, share and preserve the history of the American Pagan Movement,” co-founder Murtagh AnDoile said the scope of the project would be broad. Quote: “We are using “Pagan” in its broadest sense, encompassing: Witchcraft , Traditional and other, Wicca, Heathenry, Druidry, various Reconstructionisms, Magical Lodges, etc. All the groups and traditions and paths that make up the American Occult/Magical/Pagan movement from the early days ( the 1930s, 40′s 50′s…) to present. We are focusing on everything and everyone pre-1995 at this time, due to our aging population.” Initial interviews have already been conducted, and an informational packet instructing those interested on how to participate in their local communities and festivals will be released soon. Wild Hunt staffer Rynn Fox has been following the development of this project, and will be filing a report soon.

In Other Community News:

It’s Pagan festival season! Getting underway this week is Michigan Pagan Fest (June 14th-16th) with special featured guest Margot Adler, author of “Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America.” Then, from June 16th-23rd is Pagan Spirit Gathering in Illinois (featuring lots of cool people, including “glamping” star Cara Schulz). Following in July is Starwood at Wisteria in Ohio. As things progress, one hopes we’ll see some reporting and narratives from these (and other) events.
PNC-Minnesota has posted the first part of a lengthy interview with Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, authors of “Progressive Witchcraft,” and longtime elders within the Pagan community. Quote: “We used the term Progressive Witchcraft at one point to describe the evolutionary process at work. But we found people started saying, “Oh, Progressive Witchcraft, that’s a tradition. ” No, it’s not. No, it’s not. It’s a description of your philosophy and how you work in Witchcraft. So now what we teach with everybody who comes to us is, we teach them… We feel training is very important. The training is important because the training helps to teach our students how to make the connection.”
Raven Radio, a Heathen talk-radio program, has an interesting show up that looks inside the world of Asatru within prison, and the hurdles involved in following that faith while incarcerated. Quote: “This week we have a lengthy conversation with “Jimmy Dean”, a man who found heathenry while doing time. He enlightens us a great deal about what it means to be incarcerated, how one can practice heathenry, avoiding certain undesirable groups like the neo-nazis, etc.”

Temple of Witchcraft at Boston Pride.

I love seeing pictures of Pagan organizations marching in LGBTQ Pride parades, so be sure to check out the Temple of Witchcraft’s Facebook page, where they’ve posted several photos of their involvement with the Boston Pride Parade. Quote from ToW co-founder Steve Kenson: “Thank you to all who came out to march and represent for the pagans in Saturday’s Boston GLBT Pride parade and to those who cheered us on! The gods rewarded us with a clear and warm day after a grey and wet morning. Many thanks and blessings!”
As was indirectly mentioned in my installment of Pagan Voices earlier this week, the Patheos Pagan Channel has launched a new group interfaith blog entitled “Wild Garden: Pagans in the Growing Interfaith Landscape.” Quote: “Interfaith involvement looks much like a wild garden. A tangle of contradictions, surprises, delights and sometimes disappointments, one must walk carefully. But the risk is rewarded richly, often in ways one could never have seen coming.” Good luck on the new blog!
Also at Patheos, the Pagan Families blog interviews Tara “Masery” Miller about the process of “adopting while Pagan.” Quote: “The Missouri Family and Children’s Services, a government agency, intention to adopt form illegally asked what our religion was. Just as I suspected. I was aware it was illegal because my atheist friend had sent me plenty of references on religion and adoption. Well, instead of blatantly saying I’m Pagan and my husband’s a mage, I said we are spiritual and I belong to the Unitarian Universalist Church! And sometimes we attend a Methodist Church. Which is true. My mother is a lay minister!” That quote is from part two of the interview, here.
The Summer Solstice is coming up, and Llewellyn is holding a Twitter party to celebrate! Quote: “The beginning of June marks shorts days, grill days, and summer hours for our luckly Llewellyn employees–but it’s not very fair that you don’t get to participate, is it? So we want you to join us in a summer celebration! We are hosting our second annual Solstice Twitter party! [...] Use the hashtag #moonchat in your party tweets. We’ll tweet the questions, you’ll tweet the answers, and we’ll chat!” There are going to be prize giveaways for participants, so if you’re stuck in an office that day, why not?
In a final note for all our Trad-Wiccan friends out there (and you know who you are), June 13th is Geraldmas! The celebration of Gerald Gardner, the father of modern religious Witchcraft (born June 13th, 1884). I think it’s a great idea to have a day where BTW groups do a day of outreach and socializing. Are you having a Geraldmas celebration in your area this year?

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

As Nones Grow, Time to Pay More Attention to the Others

Jason Pitzl-Waters — March 14, 2013 — 45 Comments

The Wild Hunt has written a lot about people who claim no particular religion, the “nones,” as they’ve been dubbed by various media outlets and analysts, I think their rise in recent years will be one of the largest phenomenons affecting our movement as we move into the future.

“As for the “nones” I believe their rise, even if it’s at the expense of “liberal” forms of our dominant monotheisms, is ultimately a boon for our interconnect communities. The rise of “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious” give us a safe space, a cultural buffer to grow and experiment in. It destabilizes the narrative of inevitable Christian power, and opens the door to minority faiths having a stronger voice in discussions around religious rights and moral issues that affect us all. It creates the opportunity to visualize a post-Christian culture.”

In addition, I believe that religions outside the Judeo-Christian mainstream, including Pagan religions, shape the religious/spiritual views of “nones” far more than the current data suggests. When you start to encounter cultures where “nones” dominate, and where spirituality is often shaped by the landscape, New Age and nature-oriented spirituality can start to loom large.

“According to the just-published “Cascadia: the Elusive Utopia.” … a lot of these “nones” in the Pacific Northwest are actually very spiritual, walking a path of their own making, but not into organized religions and churches. Sociology professor Mark Shibley of Southern Oregon University wrote the lead essay called “The Promise and Limits of Secular Spirituality in Cascadia.” “This region is different. The people here are not as connected to religious institutions,” he says. The alternative spirituality here shows itself in two main ways, Shibley notes: “nature spirituality,” such as you see in the secular environmental movement, and the more well-known New Age spirituality, where the gaze is shifted inward.”

So it is with this in mind that I read the latest religion survey data, this time from the General Social Survey, which has just issued key findings from 2012, and finds that “nones” now make up 20% of the United State’s adult population.

“On American attitudes toward religion, UC Berkeley researchers found that 20 percent of a nationally representative group reported no religious preference. That’s a jump from 1990 when all but 8 percent of Americans polled identified with an organized faith. ”This continues a trend of Americans disavowing a specific religious affiliation that has accelerated greatly since 1990,” said Hout, lead author of the study.”

In addition we find that conservative Christianity has remained largely static, around 1/3 of the population, Catholicism resists a demographic collapse only through immigration, mainline Protestantism continues to contract, Jews hold the line at 1.5% of the population, and all the others? Well….

“It is hard to say much about the “other religion” category because it combines a very heterogeneous collection of faiths even though all together they do not comprise a very large share of the total.”

Let’s lump Buddhists and Pagans and Muslims together and then state how hard it is to make any sweeping statements about them! The “other” category in religious surveys is lazy and outmoded. It puts a thumb on the demographic scale in favor of Judeo-Christian traditions (and now, having no religion at all), and presents a skewed portrait. “Others” grew, but we have no idea where, or how. Will one of them have to break the magical 1.5% threshold to stop being an other? According to the Pew Forum, Unitarian-Universalists, “liberal” faiths, and “New Age” religions (which includes the Pagans) collectively make up 1.2% of the population, and that was in 2010. We will never get accurate data on these faiths so long as this methodology persists.

The simple fact is that as “nones” grow the “others” are going to become more and more important. We are providing alternatives to organized Christian religion, and we have the most to gain from the demographic travails of Christianity in the West. People with “no religion” may already be “one of us” but afraid to say so in a survey, or they may incorporate elements of Pagan religions into their practice. There are already signs that the tectonic plates of religious belief are shifting our way, and smart researchers will be studying this now, will be digging into all those “others.” I’ll admit my interest in this is somewhat self-serving, I am, after all, a journalist who writes for and about the Pagan community and its allies, but that doesn’t detract from the larger point: we need better data on these faiths.

Religion surveys will have to start focusing as much on what people do religiously as what they believe religiously. Researchers should be asking nones: what festivals and events do you attend? What was the last book you read on spirituality? Have you ever attended a religious service outside the Judeo-Christian spectrum? Instead we remain preoccupied on whether nones believe in God, when that tells us almost nothing about their lives. The nones are growing, and that means it’s time to start paying attention to the “others.”

In Paganism, Religion Christianity, General Social Survey, nones, Other, Others, Religion, spiritual but not religious, survey

New Pagan Health Survey Launched

Jason Pitzl-Waters — January 12, 2013 — Leave a comment

Back in 2010 cultural anthropologist Kimberly Kirner, PhD (formerly Hedrick), launched a Pagan health survey to, quote, “help policy-makers and service providers understand our needs and beliefs.” The data collected from that survey was presented at the annual meeting of The American Public Health Association (APHA) in November of that year. Now, Dr. Kirner is launching a follow-up survey to explore some of her initial findings in greater depth.

Kimberly Kirner (photo by Tony Mierzwicki)

Kimberly Kirner, PhD (photo by Tony Mierzwicki)

“Why should you take the Pagan Health Survey II? I am Pagan Druid and a cultural anthropologist at California State University, Northridge. I started the Pagan Health Survey in 2010, which provided a snapshot into the Pagan community, including our beliefs about healing and wellness and the choices we make in navigating the health care community. From the first survey, we learned that our community shares some strong common models about healing and wellness and that we have particular challenges in obtaining optimal health care. The top two challenges Pagans faced were:

Linkages to Pagan-friendly, culturally competent health professionals and

Barriers to accessing adequate health care among those who have lower incomes, rural locations, minority status, and/or who are seniors.

The Pagan Health Survey II investigates these two challenges in more depth. Your participation will provide better data for community organizing, educating the public and health care community, and assisting Pagan leaders in responding to the community’s healing and wellness needs.”

Resources for this updated survey of the Pagan community’s healthy needs are being provided by California State University, Northridge and NIH RIMI (National Institutes of Health Research Infrastructure for Minority Institutions). Kirner stresses that the survey collects no identifying information, and that participants will not be asked for their name, contact information, or “or any other data that would compromise your anonymity.” Kirner further explains that “participation in this study is completely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.” The study has been reviewed and approved by the CSUN Institutional Review Board.

Here’s a link to the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/paganhealth

The survey takes around 30 minutes to complete, depending on the length of your answers. Participants must identify as Pagan, Heathen, or another related spirituality/faith. The survey is only open to people living in the United States, and you must be 18 or older. You can contact Dr. Kirner, here. If you wish to pass along the original press release for this survey, you can find it here.

This ongoing work by Dr. Kirner could really provide useful data that helps our communities in the long-term, providing important insights for Pagan organizations wanting to be more responsive to our community’s needs, and helping secular institutions to serve us better. To get a statistically significant sample it needs thousands of respondents, so please share this far and wide to anyone you think might be interested.

In Paganism, Religion California State University, health care, Kimberly Hedrick, Kimberly Kirner, National Institutes of Health Research Infrastructure for Minority Institutions, Pagan Health Survey, Paganism, survey

Study Finds ‘Substantial’ Discrimination of Pagans in the UK

Jason Pitzl-Waters — September 19, 2012 — 48 Comments

A University of Derby-led research team has conducted a survey of religious groups, analyzed legal rulings over the last decade, and polled individuals in several cities, with the results finding “substantial” discrimination against religious minorities and new religious movements in the UK. Especially affected groups include Muslims, members of new religious movements, and modern Pagans.

Druids at Stonehenge

“The project’s initial findings have identified [...] substantial reporting of unfair treatment on the basis of religion or belief continuing across key areas of people’s lives [...] reports of unfair treatment indicate that it continues to particularly affect certain sectors (employment, education and the media) and religious groups (Muslims, Pagans and New Religious Movements).”

Paul Weller, Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at the University of Derby, told Huffington Post UK that the team noticed a a “particular frequency and severity in the complaints relating to” Pagans and new religious movements.

“There are many instances of discrimination against Christians, but the discrimination against new religions is more ‘in-your-face’, verging on hatred. For Pagans, many of them have kept their religion secret, for fear it would be misunderstood.”

These findings seem to echo findings from Australia last year, which found Pagans in that country faced widespread distrust and hostility. Likewise, the recent flap over a Pagan prison chaplain in Canada, or the recent story here in the United States alleging discrimination at a doctor’s office, all point to the fact that many tensions and challenges remain despite our advances. We may be an increasingly known quantity in the West, but it’s important to remember that we’re still a tiny minority largely operating within a Christian/monotheistic context that has been traditionally hostile to our faiths.

Moving forward, the research team is engaging in a series of ‘knowledge exchange workshops’ to take place in Derby, Oxford, Cardiff, ‘Manchester and London over the next three months. At these workshops they will share their data, seek input from religious and community groups. The final results of these workshops will be integrated with the work completed already, and posted at the University of Derby’s website. I encourage UK Pagans who are able to attend these workshops and share their experiences, opinions, and ideas on how we can collectively move forward.

While receiving news of ongoing discrimination against modern Pagans is disappointing, we can at least use this knowledge to draw attention to the challenges we face, and meet them in an organized and educated fashion. One of the best disinfectants against hatred, prejudice, and discrimination is sunlight, and we should thank this research team for drawing the curtains.

In Paganism, Religion academia, discrimination, Paganism, Paul Weller, survey, UK, University of Derby

There Are Less of Us Than You Think

Jason Pitzl-Waters — September 17, 2012 — 60 Comments

According to Grey Matter Research, Americans think our country is far more religiously diverse than it actually is. In a survey of 747 adults the research and consulting firm found that most underestimated the size of Christianity and over-estimated the size of atheists, Muslims, and other religious minorities.

The Mount Soledad Cross.

“The typical American adult pegs religious affiliation in the U.S. as follows: 24% Catholic, 20% Protestant, 19% unaffiliated, 9% Jewish, 9% atheist or agnostic, 7% Muslim, 7% Mormon, and 5% from all other religious groups. In reality, according to the 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Americans are right on target with the proportion of Catholics and the “all other” category, but way off target on the rest of the landscape. The typical American badly underestimates how many Protestants there are in the country, and way overestimates the presence of religious minorities such as Mormon, Muslim, and atheist/agnostic.”

In fact, if you check the Pew Forum data from 2008, you’ll see that Muslims in America only comprise 0.6% of the population. In contrast “Unitarians and other liberal faiths” comprise 0.7% and “New Age” faiths (ie Pagans) comprise around 0.4%. There are more Buddhists in the United States than there are Muslims. Likewise, respondents guessed large for atheists, agnostics, and the unaffiliated. Speaking with the Religion News Service, Grey Matter president Ron Sellers noted that media attention is a likely reason for the over-inflated guesses of non-Christian or non-religious populations.

Sellers also mentioned that with Mitt Romney running for president as a Mormon and the current emphasis on Islamic-American relations, “smaller faith groups also may be getting disproportionate media coverage.”

Likewise, younger Americans, who tend to have more friends who are atheists or religiously unaffiliated, guesses in favor of their own experience. Also unsurprising is the news that adherents of a particular tradition tend to guess high on their own numbers.

Not going to become the 3rd largest religious group any time soon.

“One thing that is clear from this research is that people tend to overestimate the proportion of their own faith group. Among people who identify with the Catholic Church, the average estimate is that 39% of the country is Catholic. Not only is this estimate much higher than it is among non-Catholics, it is far higher than the reality of 24%. Similarly, among people who identify with a Protestant faith perspective, the average estimate is that 27% of the population is Protestant. While this is far higher than the numbers among non-Protestants, it is still almost half the correct figure. Among people who identify as atheists or agnostics, the average estimate is that 16% of the American population is atheist or agnostic. As with Catholics, not only is this estimate far higher than among any other group, but it is much higher than the reality. Finally, among people who express no particular faith identification, the average perception is that 35% of Americans believe in God but have no actual religious preference. Again, this is nearly double the average American’s perception, and far higher than the real figure in the U.S.”

So what’s the take-home message of this data? Sellers says that “this skewed perception of religion in America may benefit smaller faith groups and be detrimental to Protestants.” In other words we are over-estimating the influence of religious minorities, and under-estimating the influence of Protestant Christians. This may seem like a good thing, a hastening of the demographic shifts many of us existing in religious minorities have been waiting for, but it could also feed into the fears of certain Christians who are increasingly uneasy with our mere existence. Then again, maybe feeling like a religious minority could teach a valuable lesson to those willing to encounter it.

Being a minority tests the temper of a faith, its resilience and fiber [...] Being a member of a minority entails the ability to bend and to negotiate. This, in turn, demands a deep understanding of the majority and local conditions, deeper than the majority may have about the minority; respect for them whenever possible; diplomacy; patience; and the building of relationships, infinitesimal gesture after infinitesimal gesture.”

People are over-estimating religious minorities, and those with no religion at all, but maybe this misconception will instill a willingness to embrace secularism once more, to re-enforce those church-state separations so that the “others” don’t exert undue influence. In which case, beware Christians, Pagans are growing at an alarming rate! Quick! Everyone join Americans United for The Separation of Church and State, it’s your only hope!

In Paganism, Religion Christianity, Grey Matter Research, Pew Forum, Religion News Service, religious minorities, Separation of Church and State, survey

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — August 10, 2012 — 62 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.

The Chicago-based Pagan/magical performance troupe Terra Mysterium is in the midst of a IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for their new show “The Alembic,” an alchemical Steampunk fantasy. Quote: “The clockwork of fate is a tricky matter. In this Steampunk musical tale, an alchemist undertakes the work of transmutation. A Goddess responds to his call. Within the realm of humanity, she forgets that she is a Goddess and will pay the ultimate price for her innocence.” They are less than a $1000 dollars from their goal, with 10 days left to go, and will premier this new production at the Chicago Fringe Festival. For more on the wonderful work Terra Mysterium does, check out this 2010 guest post from their artistic director Matthew Ellenwood, and another from troupe member Ruby Sara. If you want to support Pagan arts, this is a great way to do it!
Speaking of Pagans and fundraisers, the band Tricky Pixie, which features singer-songwriter SJ Tucker, just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their European tour, and have already more than doubled their initial goal in a matter of hours. A testament to the intense loyalty of Tucker and Tricky Pixie’s fanbase. There’s still plenty of time to contribute if you’d like to take advantage of some of the pledge incentives. Here’s a video of SJ Tucker and Betsy Tinney of Tricky Pixie cavorting with glee after they reached their goal in about an hour.

The Maetreum of Cybele’s building.

Earlier this week I reported on how Maetreum of Cybele, Magna Mater, in an ongoing tax battle with the Town of Catskill, New York, lost their exemption battle before the New York State Supreme Court. Now the local Watershed Post brings their report, with Catskill’s lawyer intimating that he “does not expect much protest from pro-pagan groups now that a judge has carefully analyzed the evidence.” Quote: “I do this all over New York State, the reaction is the reaction. You get the decision. That’s the law. That’s what you have to abide by.” Rev Cathryn Platine says she will appeal and ask for protection from foreclosure, but this legal struggle is becoming increasingly difficult as the legal bills pile up. Catskill is hoping to out-spend, and out-litigate the Maetreum out of existence, a wider battle against tax-exempt buildings in the area. We’ll keep you posted as this story continues to develop.
I was interviewed at the Current network’s news blog about the struggle for acceptance by religious minorities in America, and how the media plays a role in that process. Quote: “Journalistic coverage of minority faiths has huge impacts on how we are perceived and accepted by the mainstream [...] Every minority religion has gone through this crucible of being demonized in the media or willfully misunderstood, and having to create their own media and become proactive before they’re able to shift discussions.” Also interviewed is Yeshe Rabbit and Matt Deos/Bozanfè Bon Oungon, be sure to check it out!
Fantasy artist Jessica Galbreth, creator of the Enchanted Oracle, converted to Christianity back in 2010, shifting her body of work to angels and Christian-approved imagery. Now, the Tarot Pals site points out that Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network has done a profile of Galbreth’s conversion, showing the artist destroying her old work and claiming to being possibly “demon possessed” while creating some of her old work. On her blog, Galbreth says she wants people who “dabbled with the occult in their past” to know that God’s mercy is ~~all that and a bag of chips~~ there for them.
In another update of a story I’ve previously reported on M. Macha NightMare (Aline O’Brien), a co-founder of the Reclaiming tradition, who recently publicly split with the tradition, is sharing her reasoning at her personal blog. Quote: “When I get home and begin reflecting on my experiences, I feel battered. I truly do. I don’t really know how to process it. During the following months I do tell some of my Reclaiming colleagues who weren’t there about my experience. I vow never to go again.”
At the Religion in American History blog, Christopher Cantwell considers the recent shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, and examines American pluralism in its wake. Quote: “How do we, as scholars, educators, and advocates of American religious history approach and address such incidents as well as the larger issues of hate and misunderstanding they reveal? How do we utilize our classrooms, research, and writing to create spaces that recognize and understand the fears and vulnerabilities of a Wade Page while simultaneously diffusing them?”
In another piece relating to the Sikh Temple shooting, religion scholar Stephen Prothero reminds us that bigotry towards religious minorities is nothing new in the United States. Quote: “We Americans flatter ourselves as citizens of a “land of liberty” where religious freedom is sacrosanct. And we have much to brag about in this regard, not least a First Amendment that guarantees religious liberty and the separation of church and state. Yet the United States also has a long history of religious bigotry.”
I love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning, it smells like victory. Right Wing Watch lets us know that anti-Pagan hater David Barton is having a very bad week, first NPR tears his credibility to shreds, and now his publisher is pulling the pseudo-historian’s Thomas Jefferson book due to losing “confidence in the book’s details” (in other words he just made stuff up and distorted the facts). It should be noted that it was conservative Christian historians who really let the air out of Barton’s tires, tired of his culture-war posturing masquerading as history. Barton came to the attention of the Pagan community after he opined in a legal document that Pagans aren’t covered by the constitution’s religion clause, and aren’t entitled to its protections.
New polling states that people are getting less and less religious, but do they really mean less Christian? As more and more people shift away from the dominant monotheisms, there will naturally be a time of realignment, perhaps Pagans and other minority religions will benefit during this time? Sometimes those “nones” are pretty Pagan in their behavior and inclinations.
Does New York Democratic congressional candidate Grace Meng’s father becoming embroiled in a bribe scandal mean the long-shot win of Heathen candidate Dan Halloran become less of a long-shot? It seems a possibility.

That’s it for now! Happy Friday! 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 — May 5, 2012 — 11 Comments

- T. Thorn Coyle has issued an appeal to help raise money for the American Magic Umbanda House of Oakland, to help rebuild their sacred Lubisha, destroyed last year in a devastating fire. Thanks to generous donations, including one from Thorn’s Solar Cross Temple, they’ve already reached their modest goal of $450. However, I think they could use a cushion, don’t you? Any money above the goal will be used towards House related expenses, including their famous Pomba Gira ritual at PantheaCon, so let’s help out. “May the sound of drumming rise.”

- In other fundraising news, Datura Press, a small esoteric publisher that publishes the work of Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, Gareth Knight, Alan Richardson, and W.E. Butler, is in the midst of a campaign to buy advertising and discounted copies of their own titles so they can expand and make a better profit. Owner-editor Debbie Chapnick says that, quote, “the company is at a crossroads. People want these books. I have been contacted by distributors and bookshops from all over the world. All I need to really get this going is to have enough books in stock to fill the need.” The goal is $10,000, with 12 days left to go. Any money raised over the goal will be donated to the New Alexandrian Library Project.

- Humanist-officiated weddings are on-track to receive full legal status in Ireland, a classification that only Health Service Executive registrars and members of religious bodies previously received. While Pagan Federation Ireland has permission to legally marry couples in Ireland under the Civil Registration Act of 2004, the new changes could allow any “philosophical and nonconfessional body” to also perform legally binding ceremonies. Starting in 2007, Ireland allowed State-recognized weddings in the venue of the couple’s choice, instead of having to hold two ceremonies.

- A teenager in Britain was convicted of religiously harassing a McDonald’s employee who is Pagan. The youth repeatedly returned over a period of two months to engage in verbal abuse, despite being told to stop by the employee and management. Barrister Laura Austin, who mitigated on behalf of the teen, said he “did not realise paganism was a recognised religion,” and that this was “this is the first case of its kind,” so far as she knew. The teen was sentenced to community service, and a restraining order was issued.

- The 2010 U.S. Religion Census, released this week by the Association of Religion Data Archives, has some interesting data for those who are following the shape of (non-Christian) religion in America. While the data is skewed towards congregational models, it did show that “Buddhist congregations were reported in all 50 states, and Hindu houses of worship in 49 states.” All together, “the number of non-Christian congregations – synagogues, mosques, temples and other religious centers – increased by nearly a third, from 8,795 in the 2000 study to 11,572 in the 2010 census.” Meanwhile, Mainline Protestants “cratered,” Catholic numbers decreased overall (with a growing disconnect between “active” and non-active adherents), and non-denominational Christian houses of worship exploded.

- Oh, did I miss the National Day of Prayer this year? Maybe because it’s almost exclusively focused on “Judeo-Christian” modes of worship and conceptions of deity. As CNN Belief Blog contributor Stephen Prothero put it, “how to pray as a nation when some believers affirm more than one God and some affirm fewer?”

- Out & About Newspaper in Tennessee profiles author Christopher Penczak in advance of his visit to the fifteenth annual Pagan Unity Festival. Quote: “I think of witchcraft, rather than just Wicca, as a vocation and tradition that springs up all around the world, not in any one culture, there is a mystical, healing, cunning tradition in most cultures. The inner experience of the mysteries is the same, and I like the hunt for all wisdom around those mysteries.”

- SF Weekly looks at David Talbot’s upcoming book “Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror and Deliverance in the City of Love,” which charts the shifts in San Francisco’s culture and politics between 1967 – 1982. Author, actor activist, and former Digger Peter Coyote is quoted as saying “I blame Mick Jagger for f***ing with black magic,” when asked about the disaster that was Altamont. Sounds like an interesting read.

- It looks like the recent attention paid to infamous Nigerian Christian leader Helen Ukpabio may have had an effect. It seems the witch-hunter canceled her March trip to Texas, and a scheduled May visit as well. Ukpabio claims the the cancellations were due to death threats from Stepping Stones Nigeria, a charity that aids children accused of witchcraft, and is highly critical of her. Blogger Richard Bartholomew is highly skeptical of these claims, pointing out that Ukpabio’s church has been slandering that organization for some time now.

- In a final note, I’d like to recognize Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who passed away yesterday after a years-long battle with cancer. Yauch was an adherent of Tibetan Buddhism, famously commemorated in the song “Bodhisattva Vow,” and worked for the Tibetan independence movement. However, for most members of Generation X, the Beastie Boys were a game-changing Hip Hop group that shook off their earlier party-boy lunk-headed image to release amazing albums like “Paul’s Boutique,” “Check Your Head,” and “Ill Communication.” Praised as “revolutionary MCs” by Chuck D, the Beasties helped define what Hip Hop would become, and oversaw its entrance into the mainstream. My consolation in this tragedy is that MCA has left behind a lot of awesome music, and that he’s now a Hip Hop Bodhisattva watching over all those who suffer.

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

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — April 21, 2012 — 30 Comments

Anusara Yoga founder John Friend.

First off, we have an update on the ongoing John Friend Anusara scandal, this time with Friend directly addressing his views on Wicca. It comes from a NY Magazine feature published this past Sunday, and in it he says that “I take Wicca really seriously,” and “I have taken Wiccan oaths over the years where death is actually the consequence of telling the truth.” I’m not sure what he’s implying exactly, that he withheld the truth about his coven due to oaths? That he wasn’t twisting Wicca for his own pleasure? Friend also claimed that Blazing Solar Flames is“just a prayer circle, it’s for healing.” If Friend truly takes Wicca “really seriously,” perhaps he should address the Wiccan and Pagan community directly about what happened in his coven.
Michel Paradis, defense attorney for Guantanamo prisoner Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, who is accused of orchestrating a suicide bombing that killed 17 sailors, is challenging jurisdiction by citing Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye versus City of Hialeah. That landmark Supreme Court case established legal protections for Santeria animal sacrifice, and is being used here under the idea that the law created to authorize the Guantanamo prison is, like the law that specifically targeted Santeria, “invidiously discriminatory” and “specifically targeted alien Muslim men, in violation of the constitutional guarantee of equal treatment under law.” It remains to be seen if this gambit is at all effective.
Writer and instructor Tracie Welser has penned an open letter to the Goddess Temple of Orange County regarding a message transmitted during a recent service that, quote, “transwomen are less than women, that they’ve been violated and mutilated and deny the truth of who they are.” Welser urges the Temple “to stand on the side of love and acceptance, not bigotry. I can’t feel safe at the Temple or be part of it otherwise.” In the comments, a link to a Goddess Temple policy on transwomen dated to 2009 is shared, though it isn’t linked from the front page of the site.
A new survey of religious belief in 30 countries says that “by most measures, belief in God is gradually declining worldwide.” Paul Waldman at The American Prospect pours over the study to see what it says about religious today. Waldman posits that it is America’s religious diversity that has made us stay so religious: “the constant competition for adherents made religious institutions more varied and dynamic. It’s the difference between going into a store that has only one old, tasteless brand of cereal, and going into a store with 1,000 different kinds.”
Focus on the Family and the Alliance Defense Fund are pushing to have constitutional amendment passed in Colorado that they say is about religious freedom, but critics allege it is really a “licence to discriminate.” Quote: “If passed, this initiative would allow anyone with a religious conviction to deny employment, housing, or services to LGBT people.” Considering the fact that a whopping 12% of state residents are adherents of a New Age, Pagan, or esoteric faith, 40% of Colorado is non-Christian, and a majority of Coloradans are pro-choice and pro-evolution, this proposed ballot initiative isn’t a sure thing, even if allowed.
Saudi Arabia’s religious police have yet again arrested a foreign citizen, accused the individual of sorcery, and may face the death penalty as a result. Quote: “The daily Okaz reported that a Saudi man had complained his daughter had ‘suddenly started acting in an abnormal way, and that happened after she came close to the Sri Lankan woman’ in a large shopping mall in the port city of Jeddah. ‘He reported her to the security forces, asking for her arrest and the specialized units dealt with the situation swiftly… and succeeded in arresting her,’ Okaz reported on Wednesday.” If you think this sounds like the Salem Witch Trials, well, you’d be right. Saudi Arabia has made the news several times here for its willingness to kill men and women for the crimes of “sorcery” and “witchcraft”. Recently, a Saudi princess living in London blasted her country’s religious police, saying they had a “dangerous effect” on society.
The Scottish SPCA, commenting on a recent rash of bizarre hair-cutting attacks on local horses, stated that “incidents such as this have also been suggested to be linked with Satanic practices or witchcraft.” Which, of course, made the headline. Not emphasized were the alternate theories of “sabotage by another and criminals marking the horse for theft.” Why go for the mundane explanation when “witchcraft” and “sacrifice” will sell more papers?
Did “the little ice age” trigger the witch hunts in Europe and America? That’s a theory forwarded by economist Emily Oster, which has gained some new traction recently thanks to the current discussion and debate over climate change. Quote: “When crops failed, ‘people would have searched for a scapegoat in the face of deadly changes in weather patterns,’ she wrote. Thus, desperate people traced their troubles to unpopular neighbors and outcasts allied to the devil.” With freak weather events on the rise, and likely to become even more common, will a new moral panic be sparked to find a scapegoat?

Kenneth Anger. Photograph: Linda Nylind

Vice interviews legendary filmmaker and Thelemite Kenneth Anger, though Gallerist NY complains that they asked “all the wrong questions.” Quote: “Hoping to get some insight into his occult practice, we get instead, a desultory exploration of celebrity in Los Angeles [...] we thought the interview might take off in this new direction of occultists-in-the-Mediterranean, it’s neatly directed back into an abstract discussion of censorship, scandal and the legality of homosexuality.” It seems Mr. Anger might be a bit tired talking about Crowley, Thelema, and Scientology. Word to the wise for future interviewers!
Finally, I’d like to give a big official welcome to Pagan, scholar, and media critic Peg Aloi, who has joined the Patheos Pagan channel as a regular blogger. Many of you will be familiar with Aloi as a longtime staff member and contributor to The Witches’ Voice, perhaps the most popular Pagan website in our history. As a commentator on the intersections of Paganism, the occult, and pop-culture, she has contributed to books like “Seven Seasons of Buffy,”“The New Generation Witches,” and “A Taste of True Blood.” Aloi joins an impressively strong lineup of writers and thinkers at Patheos, and I think she’ll fit right in. So please add her to your bookmarks and RSS subscriptions!

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

Tennessee’s “Monkey Bill” Becomes Law and other Pagan News of Note

Jason Pitzl-Waters — April 12, 2012 — 31 Comments

Top Story: On Saturday, I wrote about the impending enaction of a bill in Tennessee that could require schools to “teach the controversy” of evolution and global warming. Opposed by the ACLU, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Biological Sciences, and the Tennessee Science Teachers Association, it nonetheless was allowed to become law without the governor’s signature on Tuesday.

http://controversy.wearscience.com/

“Republican Gov. Bill Haslam allowed the controversial measure to become law without his signature and, in a statement, expressed misgivings about it. Nevertheless, he ignored pleas from educators, parents and civil libertarians to veto the bill. The law does not require the teaching of alternatives to scientific theories of evolution, climate change and “the chemical origins of life.” Instead, it aims to prevent school administrators from reining in teachers who expound on alternative hypotheses to those topics. The measure’s primary sponsor, Republican state Sen. Bo Watson, said it was meant to give teachers the clarity and security to discuss alternative ideas to evolution and climate change that students may have picked up at home and want to explore in class.”

Doesn’t require teaching alternatives? Lets go to the actual language.

“The state board of education, public elementary and secondary school governing authorities, directors of schools, school system administrators, and public elementary and secondary school principals and administrators shall endeavor to create an environment within public elementary and secondary schools that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills, and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues.” [...] The state board of education, public elementary and secondary school governing authorities, directors of schools, school system administrators, and public elementary and secondary school principals and administrators shall endeavor to assist teachers to find effective ways to present the science curriculum as it addresses scientific controversies. Toward this end, teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught.

I guess a lot hinges on the scope of “shall endeavor to,” and what qualifies as a “scientific controversy.” David Fowler, President of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, believes it will allow the teaching of Intelligent Design in science classes. Wesley H. Roberts, a high school biology teacher in Tennessee, says it will harm students going to college and taking Advanced Placement exams. How this “teach the controversy” law will actually affect curriculum decisions in Tennessee schools is a very open question, and will no doubt depend on how each school district interprets the language of the law. At best, it provides cover to rogue science teachers who want to insert non-scientific ideas into science classes, at worst, it will force teachers to add “controversial” theories to their curriculum.

As I said when I initially wrote about this proposed law, it’s doubly bad for followers of Pagan, indigenous, and earth-centered religions. It could very well insert explicitly Christian notions of creation and the origins of life into science classes, exposing non-Christian children to misinformation on the government’s dime, in addition to undermining basic knowledge of increasingly dire issues like global warming. I can only imagine that legal challenges are being prepared as we speak, I’ll keep you updated on this story as it progresses.

In Other News:

The Patrick McCollum Foundation has awarded a grant to M. Macha NightMare (Aline O’Brien) in support of her work in interfaith relations. Quote from M. Macha Nightmare: “I take the words of Swiss Roman Catholic theologian Hans Kung seriously when he says, ‘There will be no peace among nations until there is peace among religions. And there will be no peace among religions until there is dialogue among religions.’ My life has been enriched by my friendships with my interfaith colleagues of many different religions. I am both proud and humbled by this award.” Congratulations!
Solar Cross Temple’s publishing imprint Sunna Press has announced the release of “Crafting a Daily Practice” by author, teacher, and mystic, T. Thorn Coyle. The new book “walks the reader through a simple eightweek course exploring various methods for engaging in spiritual practice.” Yesterday, the book shot to #1 in three Amazon categories: Alternative Medicine (today it’s #3), Meditation (today it’s #2), and Paganism (still #1!). Congratulations to Thorn, Solar Cross, and Sunna Press on the successful launch!
Denver, Colorado-based magazine 5280 has conducted a survey on what Coloradans believe in, religiously speaking. A whopping 12% of state residents are adherents of a New Age, Pagan, or esoteric faith (though they strangely included Seventh Day Adventists in a bundle that included Shamans, Wiccans, Scientologists, and Yogic philosophers). Another 13% are agnostic, and 7% are atheist. All told, 40% of Colorado is non-Christian. A majority of Coloradans are pro-choice and pro-evolution. The whole thing is interesting reading. I have no doubt certain Colorado-based Pagans of my acquaintance will have something to say about this.
Ian Astbury is not only lead singer of the rock band The Cult, he’s also a Buddhist. In addition to being a Buddhist, he may also be the incarnation of a protector deity. Quote: “One night [my guide] said to me, “You are the incarnation of a protector deity.” I said, “So, not an enlightened lama or monk?” And he said, “No, no; just a protector deity. You have to guard the Dharma, to hold the space.” I’m thinking, “Oh, shit, more of a Bodhisattva gig. You mean I have to give up my seat on the bus?” Yep. [Laughs.] That was such a drag to find that out! But it was also a reminder that there’s work to be done, and not to get caught up in the ego of it. Okay, so I’m being of service.” (It’s OK if you’ve been singing “Fire Woman” in your head while reading this.)

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

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — February 16, 2012 — 66 Comments

Caroline Tully at Necropolis Now conducts a follow-up interview with historian Ronald Hutton, author of “The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft”, and host of an upcoming documentary about Gerald Gardner, about questions raised from his May, 2011, interview at that site. In the interview, Hutton discusses the interface between scholars and Pagans, whether he’ll write about modern Paganism again, and the different meanings of the word “witch.” He also shares an interesting tidbit about historian Margaret Murray, author of “The Witch Cult of Western Europe,” who had apparently become “bitterly hostile” to Wicca by 1960. Essential reading!
In a guest post for Informed Comment, Anouar Majid writes about democracy and Islam, and makes some very important points about where the now-revered notions of democracy and republics come from. Quote: “Democracy and republicanism arose in pagan, polytheistic cultures, ones whose people could live with many gods; they came to an end with the domination of Christianity. Similarly, the American Revolution was the culmination of the 18th-century Enlightenment, when religion was being questioned by philosophers and tested by scientists.”
The excellent Norse Mythology Blog is a finalist in the 2012 Weblog Awards (the “bloggies”). So head over and cast your vote! Wouldn’t it be nice to see a Pagan-friendly blog win?
Actress Fiona Shaw, who played Marnie in the show True Blood, tells The Guardian that she “did a lot of research by going to witches’ meetings” in preparation for the role.
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd writes about some recent Catholic controversies, and the rising popularity of exorcisms. In the process of this, she talks to famous Catholic exorcist Father Gary Thomas, who reminds us that “there is a growing amount of paganism – New Age practices like crystals, reiki, witchcraft, black magic, tarot cards, Ouija boards, seances.” You may remember that Father Thomas has played this tune before, and is a believer in Satanic Ritual Abuse, the stuff that lead to the “Satanic Panics” of the 1980s and 90s.
The Greek financial crisis is affecting all sorts of beings.
A new stage production in Toronto, “Obeah Opera,” is about “black slaves being caught up in the Salem witch trials due to their association with the practice of Obeah.” Telling the story of the Salem witch trials from the perspective of Tituba sounds very compelling, and I hope we’ll hear more about this in the future.
New Age guru James Arthur Ray, currently in prison after being convicted of negligent homicide after leading a fatal sweat lodge ceremony in 2009, apparently isn’t quite broke. Ray, recently asked a judge to declare him indigent and appoint him a public defender for his already-filed appeal. However, prosecutors demanded proof of his indigence, wanting to know about his many declared assets. This seems to be something he doesn’t want to do, and has dropped the request.
Chas Clifton alerts us that researchers from the University of Warwick are doing a survey on Pagan prayer.
Christians are still debating the inherent masculinity of God, Fred Clark at Slacktivist isn’t happy about it.
Is there a war on religion, or is there a broader war on civil liberties?
On February 4th and 5th, the 2012 Conference on Current Pagan Studies was held in California. Joanne Elliot has a wonderful write-up of the event at PNC-Southern California, with some follow-up pictures posted to her Examiner page. In addition, attendee and participant Tony Mierzwicki has written up his experiences of the conference, so be sure to check it out!

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.

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Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

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