Archives For Treadwell’s Bookshop

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!

with_love_from_salemA 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

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

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 at the Conference on Current Pagan Studies. (Photo: Tony Mierzwicki)

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.

pagan_history_projectThe 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: 

Temple of Witchcraft at Boston Pride.

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!

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I:MAGE Exhibition: Making Art is a Magical Act

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  May 16, 2013 — 2 Comments

As I mentioned earlier this month, from May 19th through the 25th London will host an international collection of esoteric artists in a special exhibition, “I:MAGE,” sponsored by Fulgur Esoterica (publisher of the Abraxas journal). Boasting an impressive lineup of artists, both classic and contemporary, I:MAGE promises to bring more attention to esoteric art and show how these creative individuals collectively work towards the “externalization of the mythical.” 

"Hairesis" by Francesco Parisi

“Hairesis” by Francesco Parisi

“Ranging from the work of women pioneers such as Ithell Colquhoun and Steffi Grant, to the dark symbolist themes of Agostino Arrivabene and Denis Forkas Kostromitin, to the contemporary audio-visual practices of NOKO, I:MAGE promises to be a landmark exhibition.”

In speaking with Fulgur Esoterica about the show, they offered to send me some thoughts on the exhibition from two of the participating artists, Jesse Bransford and Francesco Parisi, in addition to insights from Christina Oakley Harrington, co-Editor of Abraxas, and Director of Treadwells esoteric book store in London (which will be hosting a range of talks, presentations, and discussions during the exhibition). I have long felt that esoteric fine art deserves more attention, so it is was my pleasure to accept their kind offer and now share the resulting communications with you here.

Christina Oakley Harrington

Christina Oakley Harrington

Christina Oakley Harrington: “The art world is waking up to the inner realities of its artists, and to the fact that for many centuries, right through modernism, many artists have been profoundly influenced by esoteric ideas and have worked intimately through (and with) occult symbolism. Medieval art history includes the study of iconography and symbolic programmes, but artists of more recent centuries have received no such attention, until the past ten years.  Even the surrealists, some of whose work is profoundly occult, have had their imagery largely overlooked or treated in solely personal terms.

The trends of 20th century art-history and art criticism meant there have been 80 years of writing on art which concentrates not on the inner experience of the artist, or of their symbolic language, but rather on form and materials. This is now changing, and it is very exciting indeed.

Austin Osman Spare

Austin Osman Spare

Recent art exhibitions have highlighted this change: in Paris at the Centre Pompidou in 2009, and at the Tate in Cornwall the following year, to name but two. We can also see it in the revived interest by the art world in Austin Osman Spare, whose work defies comprehension without an appreciation of his inner, esoteric philosophy and his ideas about magic.

When my dear friend Robert Ansell and I launched Abraxas Journal, it was not only to showcase contemporary occult artists to a wider artistic market, and also to bring esoteric fine art to the attention of the pagan community. This exhibition, which Robert is putting on with his company Fulgur Fine Art, is part of this shared vision. He’s putting on the show at a gallery next door to Treadwells, and we hope people will wander between the two spaces. Fugur have the paintings, and Treadwells are holding talks, lectures and a couple filmings. Of course we’re a bookshop, so we’re open all day for book-buying too.

Robert and I both feel that making art is a magical act, a talismanic act, as much as preparing a spell. In fact, it IS the creation of a spell. A spell enchants, it brings closer non-tangible realities to the textured body of our senses. So too does a painting. It makes real here something that is real elsewhere, invisibly.  

One of the aims of I:MAGE exhibition, and of our journal Abraxas, is to make pagans realise how gifted magical people are, even in terms of high culture. Pagans are often associated with pop culture and with charming illustration of the sort one finds on fantasy paperbacks. This is great of course, but what we are keen to show is that we, creative pagans, are everywhere – Pagans for a long time have been making paintings hang in the world’s leading art galleries, that are found framed walls of stately homes, that are in the collections of fine art collectors, are autioned at Sothebys. We just haven’t realised it.

Today there are younger working artists who are pagan in sensibility, and inflused with a magical world view. Some are well-known: Mark Titchner, for example, was on the prestigious British Turner Prize shortlist for his paintings which were in fact actually charged magical sigils. Some are less well-known but are fantastic. I:MAGE will be showcasing some of the brightest of these, and displaying their art next to some very well-known magical artists’ pieces, including Spare.

Jesse Bransford, detail of The Fourth Pyramid, 2013, Dimensions variable, Tempera paint on wall and floor, panels and paper, Installation at Galveston Artist Residency.

Jesse Bransford, detail of The Fourth Pyramid, 2013, Dimensions variable, Tempera paint on wall and floor, panels and paper, Installation at Galveston Artist Residency.

Jesse Bransford: “I came to the magical traditions as a young artist. I had been working with images from the traditions and had exposure to some of the visual aspects (you can’t get an art degree without at least hearing about the golden section). I was also studying the history of science and technology. This field led me to magic as the birthplace of science. As I became more interested in the history of magic (through scholars like Frances Yates, Michael Taussig etc.) I also began reading ‘primary sources.’ This led quickly to places like Fulgur, which I knew of from afar for many years. As time went on I became more involved, and my work became more explicit in it’s reference to and use of the magical traditions I was studying. Magic as a practice and metaphor binds all of my interests in art and life together and has enabled my work to expand into previously unimagined territories.”

Detail from "Pantocrator," a woodcut by Francesco Parisi.

Detail from “Pantocrator,” a woodcut by Francesco Parisi.

Francesco Parisi: “My art tries to focus on the corporeal, the material and the more grounding aspects of experience. I have grown up in a city where transcendental religions looked down on all of that – the pleasure of engraving, the smell of wood, the focus on the image represented. We all know how it goes, the flesh is sinful and the aim is to rise high up above it. That’s why I have explored a Dionysian theme for over ten years of my life. I guess I used it as a way to break free from that moral constriction. Day after day, for ten years, this was my ritual: sweat, hands on artisan work, focusing on the moment of creation rather than hoping for the moment of salvation. My art really isn’t about going up but about staying down and enjoying every moment of it.

I:MAGE marks a very important moment for me as an artist: it represents the possibility to display my work in front of a  public who will be able to competently engage with the message I want to put across, who know what it means to pick up a bowl and offer its content to the gods.”

The opening of I:MAGE is this Sunday, the 19th, from 12-8.30pm at Store Street Gallery in London. If you are anywhere in the vicinity, you owe it to yourself to see this show. You can find out more details at the I:MAGE exhibition site. In addition, Abraxas will be publishing a special edition of its celebrated journal for the show, which is a nice added incentive considering the quality of that publication.

The act of artistic creation is a sacred thing, one that has endured and journeyed into the secular temples we now call galleries and museums. Throughout history art and ritual praxis have melded to create lasting impressions and seismic shifts in our collective culture. We understand our experience through the results of creative process, and we deny this truth at our peril. Many artists already walk a liminal path, veering between the seen and unseen, making them essential guides to the otherworld, to what we call the “esoteric.” They remind us that the mythic is happening right here, right now, not in some distant past. The striving for excellence in the fine arts is a sign of health within any culture, religious or secular, and the nurturing of art should be a key ideal for modern Pagans. This show, I:MAGE, seems to be an important step in that journey.

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Pagan Community Notes: I:MAGE, Llewellyn, Pagan Pride, and More!

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  May 7, 2013 — 1 Comment

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!

Esoteric Artists Gather for Exhibition in London: From May 19th through the 25th in London an international collection of esoteric artists will be on display in a special exhibition sponsored by Fulgur Esoterica, publisher of the Abraxas journal. Entitled “I:MAGE,” the show boasts a impressive lineup of artists, both classic and contemporary.

Jesse Bransford

Art by Jesse Bransford

“Fulgur Esoterica is pleased to present I:MAGE, a week-long exhibition showcasing the best international artists working in the emerging category of esoteric art. More than 16 artists will exhibit their work at Store Street Gallery, Bloomsbury, London, from Sunday 19 May to Saturday 25 May 2013. The week will culminate with the publication of a special issue of Abraxas titled, Charming Intentions: Occultism, Magic and the History of Art. Select Papers from the Cambridge University Conference, December 2012. The common thread between these artists is the internalisation of esoteric themes and the externalisation of the mythical, the magical and the mysterious in their many forms. Ranging from the post-1940 work of progressive women such as Ithell Colquhoun and Steffi Grant, to the contemporary dark symbolist wanderings of Agostino Arrivabene and Denis Forkas Kostromitin, and the exploratory audio-visual practices of NOKO, I:MAGE promises to be a landmark exhibition.”

In addition, famed London esoteric book store Treadwell’s will be hosting a range of talks, presentations, and discussions during the exhibition, and Abraxas will be publishing a special edition of its celebrated journal for the show. I’ve been in contact with Fulgur Esoterica, and hope to soon bring you an interview about the show. If you’re around London, I’d highly recommend attending this exhibition. I surely would if I could.

Llewellyn Titles Win Independent Publisher Awards: Llewellyn Worldwide has announced that four of their published titles have won an “IPPY,” from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. The four titles largely deal with various New Age topics (with one book being about sexuality), none are a the esoteric/Pagan titles the publisher is largely famous for.

“The 2013 Independent Publisher Awards (IPPYs) were revealed via an announcement on their website. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in New York on May 29. Our Llewellyn winners are below: Our Children Live On, by Elissa Al-Chokhachy (Bronze, Aging/Death & Dying), The Awakened Aura, by Kala Ambrose (Silver, New Age [Mind-Body-Spirit]), The Good Energy Book, by Tess Whitehurst (Bronze, New Age [Mind-Body-Spirit]), Great Sex Made Simple, by Mark A. Michaels & Patricia Johnson (Gold, Sexuality/Relationships). In addition, one book from Llewellyn’s Midnight Ink imprint was also a winner (Hide & Snake Murder, by Jessie Chandler took Gold in the Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans Fiction category).”

Congratulations to Llewellyn Worldwide and the authors on this recognition! You can find out more about the awards, here.

New Orleans Celebrates First Ever Pagan Pride Day: There are many Pagan Pride Day events each year, and while each brings its own local charm and significance to this movement, some firsts stand out. Such is the case with the first Pagan Pride Day being held this September in New Orleans, Louisiana. Being that this is a first for New Orleans, a place steeped in a history of cultures meeting and connecting, the event will include practitioners of Vodou, spiritism, and other syncretic traditions.

“While it is always a joy to to bring together the Pagan community with entertainment that appeals to their tastes, the over-arching goal of this day is to develop a dialogue between Pagans and non-Pagans in a city with deep (and overlooked) Pagan roots. It is also our great pleasure to include this city’s syncretic spiritual systems (i.e. Voudon, First Nation spiritism, Thelema, etc.) in our celebrations as well, so that we might bridge more gaps in New Orleans. Our theme of “spiritual gumbo” is meant to reflect our deep reverence for ALL the beliefs that make this city one of the most unique in the world.”

The event will feature Selena Fox, The Dragon Ritual Drummers, Edain McCoy, Christopher Penczak, and more. They are holding an IndieGoGo campaign to cover their festival’s ambitious first-year roster. So, if a New Orleans Pagan Pride festival is something you’d like to see happen, you should check it out, and add your support.

In Other Pagan Community News:

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

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Christina Oakley Harrington: Paganism in Britain Today

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  July 31, 2011 — 29 Comments

I’m very pleased to present a lecture by Christina Oakley Harrington, founder of Treadwell’s Bookshop in London, a former Pagan Federation Committee member, and a former university lecturer in History. The talk: “Paganism in Britain Today: Observations, Issues, Trends” takes a snapshot of Pagan thinking and theology today.

“Why are some pagans saying Paganism is not a religion? For the Pagans who identify as Witches, is there any liminality left to them? Is the Goddess an oppressive concept, if gender is not binary, as science suggests? What’s the role of mystery in an information age? Pagans in 2011 engage with these issues, consciously or unconsciously; tonight’s speaker surveys the main areas of contention and challenge within Paganism today.”

This lecture was recorded at Treadwell’s on Thursday, July 28th. You can download the audio file of the entire talk, here. I’d like to thank Dr. Harrington for sharing her knowledge and expertise with my audience. If you are ever in London, few places surpass Treadwell’s for events and lectures appealing to modern Pagans and occultists, so do look them up.

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Quick Notes: Pagan Japan Relief Project, More Madison Protest Interviews, and the Magic of Treadwell’s

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  March 16, 2011 — 7 Comments

A few quick news notes to start your morning.

Pagan Japan Relief Project a Success: As of this writing, the Peter Dybing-initiated drive to raise money from within the Pagan community for Doctors Without Borders’ work in Japan has raised nearly $10,000 in three days. Here’s a message from Dybing about the drive that was posted yesterday.

“Pagans from all over the country have donated and stepped forward to endorse the project. We received donations from individuals as well as organizations. To all those who stepped forward THANK YOU. We still have been unable to generate significant numbers of small donations. It continues to be the goal of this project to engage the entire Pagan community in a unified effort. If you are concerned that you do not have the funds to donate consider just a few dollars. Each of us can only do so much in these tough economic times. What is important is participation not the donation amount.”

The Pagan Japan Relief Project is working towards a goal of $30,000, and it looks like this target may be reached sooner than anticipated. Major figures within modern Paganism like Selena Fox, Thorn Coyle, and Starhawk have already been spreading the word on Facebook, and Peter Dybing says that statements from well known Pagans about this effort will published today. This is a hugely positive cooperative effort, one that we can all take pride in. So continue to spread the word, and be sure to read about the work Doctors Without Borders is doing on the ground in Japan.

You can find all The Wild Hunt’s coverage on this issue, here.

ADDENDUM: Please see this update on the Pagan Japan Relief Project from PNC-Minnesota.

More Pagan Voices From Madison: Nels Linde at PNC-Minnesota has posted more interviews with Pagans taking part in protests against anti-union initiatives enacted by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and state Republican lawmakers.

“I’m a teacher and I’m here because I am very passionate about what is wrong with our democracy today. I am a Druid, I have been practicing for about 12 years now, with a group out of the Twin cities. It is very powerful to be here today because the energy is just so intense. There is so much pride and hope. People are coming together, it brings tears. I have already signed my petition to recall my Senator, Sheila Harsdorf, and also for Walker. I am involved in some local community protests, next in Hudson on the bridge, Sunday. I have been through all the emotions, you know, shock, anger, and despair. I’ve cried. You start with one group and target, demonize them and once they are taken out, there is another group. Most Walker supporters do not like non-Christians, so it is very, very scary.”

Nels has been doing amazing and essential work covering Pagan involvement in these protests, and I urge everyone to head over to PNC-Minnesota and catch up on his reports. Here’s his installment on Saturday’s events. More is promised on Thursday.

You can find The Wild Hunt’s previous coverage on this issue, here.

Checking In With Treadwell’s: In a final note, the Guardian interviews Christina Oakley Harrington, proprietor of the well-regarded esoteric bookstore Treadwell’s, about her shop and the unique spirit of London that makes its success possible.

“London is a place for unusual people who need to find other unusual people. Cities are where misfits always go. If you can’t manage in the village with the curtain-twitchers – if you can’t live like that because you’re gay, or you’re massively artistic, or because you have to talk to angels and demons and spirits … Where else are you going to go to find others who might be like you? You go to London. Could Treadwell’s exist anywhere outside of London? No.”

Treadwell’s recently moved to a larger space, the very building where Mary Wollestonecraft wrote Vindication of the Rights of Women. Congratulations to Christina and Treadwell’s on their continued good press!

That’s all I have time for at the moment, have a great day!

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Pagan Community Notes: Witches & Pagans, Cherry Hill Seminary, Treadwells, and more!

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  January 1, 2011 — 11 Comments

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

Selena Fox & Southern Pagans: The latest issue of Witches & Pagans is now out, featuring a cover story on Circle Sanctuary’s Selena Fox and an in-depth look at modern Pagans living in the American South by Hank Eder.

But it’s not just the stars of the movement that deserve our recognition and support. Hundreds of thousands of Pagans live — quietly, passionately, devoted to their faith — in every part of the Western world. Some may believe that its impossible to be Pagan — especially out of the Broom Closet — in the so-called “Bible Belt” of America. But, in fact, there are many thousands of Pagans that live — and thrive — in the American South. Meet them, and learn more about what it’s like to be Pagan in a deeply Christian region in our 13-page story “Southern, Pagan & Proud” (complete with a directory of over 100 Pagan groups and stores in the Deep South.)

The piece on Southern Pagans is worth the price of admission alone, the kind of in-depth work that print publications should be pursuing in this era of instant and immediate news. You can browse a preview of the issue, here. You can also purchase a PDF download version of magazine, or become a subscriber.

Cherry Hill Seminary Names New Academic Dean: Preeminent online Pagan learning institution Cherry Hill Seminary has appointed academic and sociologist Wendy Griffin, Ph.D. as their new Academic Dean.

Perhaps the first American academic to be openly Pagan, Wendy has published numerous academic articles on Pagan women’s groups and is the editor of Daughters of the Goddess: Studies of Healing, Identity and Empowerment, a 13-essay survey of contemporary Feminist Witchcraft and Goddess Spirituality by British and American writers.  She is a founding co-chair of the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group in the American Academy of Religion, and serves on the editorial board of Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies. Wendy recently completed work as co-editor of the first scholarly series in Pagan Studies published through an academic press, AltaMira.

Griffin said of her appointment, “I am excited about being part of Cherry Hill Seminary and making a contribution to the growing reputation and professionalization of the Seminary. When I entered the academic world as a brand new Ph.D. 26 years ago, I had no idea I would be able to end my career helping to build an institution that would serve such a diverse and committed international community.”

Fellow Pagan academic Chas Clifton says on his blog that CHS “made a good choice,” and praises Griffin’s ability and acumen. This is certainly a major recruiting coup for CHS, one that places them in an excellent position as they move forward towards accreditation and building a robust faculty. Congratulation to both Griffin and CHS (full disclosure: I have both taught and worked with CHS in a professional capacity).

Treadwell’s Big Move: First-rate esoteric London book shop Treadwell’s is moving into a bigger space in February.

“Treadwell’s will Moving in February 2011! It is good news, as we move to a slightly larger place in Bloomsbury, north of the British Museum – 33 Store Street, WC1. Do come and pay final visits to the much-loved (cosily cramped) shop in Tavistock Street in the next weeks. We’ve been filling the shop to the hilt with new books, rare books, featured books and gifts. We warmly invite you to visit in person. And friends overseas, we will gladly post mail orders to you of special books. We do vouchers, too, which are a favourite gift.”

You can see a video of the old shop, along with owner Christina Oakley-Harrington, above. Congratulations to a worthy business on their success and expansion!

Patheos Begins Wiccan Series: The Pagan portal at Patheos.com will be focusing on Wicca in January, the beginning of new series that will focus on a different Pagan tradition every month in 2011. Many noted thinkers and practitioners within Wicca will be participating, and readers are invited to send in their responses as well. Portal manager Star Foster has already posted the first question for the start of the Wicca series on January 3rd.

We will be launching a similar series on January 3rd as part of our monthly focus on different Pagan traditions in 2011. We will be putting the spotlight on Wicca in January and here’s our first question: What makes someone Wiccan? Dedication? Initiation? Practice? Belief? If you’d like to weigh in just e-mail me your short response (250-500 words) before Jan 3rd. It’s sfoster at patheos.com.

I look forward to seeing the responses, as well as the future series on other Pagan religions.

That’s all I have for now, I hope all of you have a great 2011!

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(Pagan) News of Note

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  July 28, 2009 — 2 Comments

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

The BBC Radio 4 program “Beyond Belief” devoted yesterday’s program to Witchcraft, ancient and modern, complete with unnecessary links by the host to the latest Harry Potter film.

“Ernie Rea and guests discuss the beliefs underpinning witchcraft. Do modern witches have anything in common with their forebears? And, have the Harry Potter books and films inspired greater interest in the craft?”

Among those interviewed are Christina Oakley Harrington of Treadwell’s bookshop in London, who handled the rather salacious questions of Ernie Rea quite well. You can listen to the program online, here.

Over at the Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog, Pagan panelist Starhawk weighs in on Jimmy Carter’s recent stand against the religious justifications for discrimination against women, pointing out a basic assumption prevalent through much of modern Pagan thought.

“Why does it matter if women can hold positions of responsibility and leadership in spiritual and religious life and communities? Many years ago, Mary Daly wrote: “If God is male, then the male is god.” That which is sacred to us is what we most deeply value and care about. It sets the pattern for what we value, all down the line. So if our only images of the sacred are male, and all positions of spiritual authority are held by men only, inevitably women will be devalued.”

One of the great disconnects between women (and men) attracted to various forms of Paganisms and the patriarchal monotheisms is the role of women. Despite our many flaws, feminine conceptions of the divine aren’t placed into a subordinate (or non-existant) role, and women are given full access to positions of spiritual leadership. This assures us that while we may take an occasional misstep, the institutional discrimination and devaluing of women won’t be among them.

In an update to a story I mentioned on Saturday, the Vodou priest at the center of a mysterious death during a cleansing ritual breaks his silence and speaks to the press.

“Authorities are awaiting results of a toxicology test to determine the cause and manner of Hamilton’s death, which has not been deemed suspicious. No charges have been filed, and Salva, who goes by “Houngan Hector,” said he is “100 percent confident” there was no wrongdoing on his part. Salva, soft-spoken and polite with a constant smile, said that no drugs were involved in the spiritual cleansing called the Lave Tet, but that small amounts of rum sometimes are consumed. “Maybe a sip,” he said, but he added that Hamilton had “passed on the rum.” …  “She was happy, very positive,” he said. “She seemed very fine as far as everyone knew.” What happened about 11 p.m., Salva said, is the same scenario he told dispatchers during a frantic 9-1-1 call. “She was taking a nap and we woke her up to see if she was hungry, and she was nonresponsive,” he reiterated yesterday. “We kept calling her name and she wouldn’t respond.” The other participants in the ritual could not be reached for comment. Salva declined to provide their names.”

The report also says that Hector Salva did contact Lucie Marie Hamilton’s mother (something friends of Lucie criticized him for not doing), and sent flowers to her funeral. Due to the firestorm of press, and negative speculation from neighbors, Salva is moving out of his current home to a new location.

In a less serious update to a previous post, the folks at Wookey Hole caves in Somerset, England have found their new professional full-time witch, Carole “Carla Calamity” Bohanan.

In the end, the judges opted for 40-year-old estate agent Carole Bohanan, of Shepton Mallet, Somerset. She will resign from her job and go by the name of Carla Calamity. Carole – or Carla – said: “I am going to be a great witch. All it takes is a little bit of magic and a little pizzazz. It’s a natural progression from my old job as an estate agent. I have been using my witching skills to sell houses for a long time.”

Bohanan apparently won over judges with a song about Wookey Hole and throwing candy snakes to the audience. While many “real” Witches seemingly applied for the job (you can see some pictures, here), there is no official word on if “Carla Calamity” is “one of us” as it were.

In a final note, Louis A. Ruprecht at Religion Dispatches ponders the Christian roots of the New Age movement, specifically “The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ” by Levi H. Dowling. This 1908 publication set the stage for numerous trance-induced gospels to come and helped spark interest in the new idea of an “Age of Aquarius” to come.

“Among the papers Levi Dowling left at his death was one explaining his conviction that the Earth and our Sun were entering the Dispensation of Aquarius, a literal New Age. Aquarius is an air sign, he noted, and the triumphs of the twentieth century were destined to be aerial rather than watery. Think of the Wright Brothers; think of humanity’s first tentative steps into outer space.”

While the “New Age” is often thought to be something that smacks of Paganism (or Eastern mysticism), it’s good to remember that Christianity had a key role in the formation of the “New Thought”.

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

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Check Out: Treadwell’s Bookshop Profile

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  January 26, 2009 — 1 Comment

OddcultTV has posted a profile of the acclaimed occult/metaphysical London bookshop, Treadwell’s. Leading the tour of the shop is owner and manager Christina Oakley Harrington.

Back in 2007 I did a blog post on the store where I said (somewhat hopefully) that Treadwell’s raises the standards for future occult-oriented shops. I only wish there was a shop like this near me! When you’re done with that video, you might also want to check out OddcultTV’s other interviews, including one with the Keeper of the Stones at Avebury.

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(Pagan) News of Note

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  November 8, 2007 — 3 Comments

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

The New York Sun prints an article on modern Pagans and opines that if mainstream integration poses too many stumbling blocks, they would fit in well with America’s long history of secluded religious enclaves.

“Drag yourself to enough roadside historical plaques around the nation’s midsection and you realize this place was built of enclaves … being remote can be good. There’s nothing like a little added geography to solve social friction. Your neighbors will bother you less if you don’t see them. Thanks to the Internet – the witch school is online, after all – and thanks to simple things like decent highways, the isolation is optional. And from trekking Mormons to the kind of frontier refugees who populated the literary prairies of Willa Cather or Laura Ingalls Wilder, there have been few things more American than finding autonomy by opting for isolation.”

You never know, the next Salt Lake City (famously founded by a Mormon enclave) could start with a group of Pagans fed up with Christian-dominated politics.

Speaking of politics, Democrat Elaine Lite, who was running for a spot on the Asheville City Council, has lost her bid.

“Challengers Dwight Butner and Elaine Lite failed to chip away at incumbents’ support … Lite, a Democratic environmental activist, wanted to slow city growth through greater restrictions on development. The publisher of Critter magazine differed with fellow progressives Freeborn and Newman on partisan elections, opposing the switch from the current nonpartisan system.”

Lite was the target of a political smear campaign that mocked her involvement in a environmental rally led by modern Pagans. Local conservative blogs spared no time in gloating over her defeat, labeling her “Elaine ‘Dances With Witches’ Lite”.

While metaphysical shops in America my enjoy fiscal success from time to time, in England it seems you can also win mainstream critical plaudits. Such is the case for Treadwell’s in London which is listed as one of the “finest bookshops” by The Guardian.

“Treadwells is full of mysterious books about magic, myth and belief amid incense and even magic wands! There’s also a lovely sofa to relax on while you read and think.”

American metaphysical shops take note!

Hillsboro, New Hampshire Police Lt. Darren Remillard is publicly apologizing to Witches and Pagans after suggesting that a dug-up grave may have been the work of local Witchcraft practitioners.

“I offer my apology to all witches and certainly did not intend to offend anyone by insinuating this was done by a witch or witchcraft. This could be a sick prank or someone misusing some sort of religion.”

The officer’s off-the-cuff statement to a local news team lead to a local outcry from the Pagan community over this misguided profiling. One wonders if this police force were visited by occult “experts” who spread disinformation about Pagan faiths?

For those of you who love beer, and you know who you are, Guest on Tap takes a look at the pagan history of beer and some modern beers made from ancient recipes.

“Leading the pack is Froach Heather ale. Dating back 2,000 years – a full five centuries before the Romans first invaded – this Scottish brew replaces hops with sweet gale and flowering heather, producing a light, mildly bitter brew redolent of honey and zesty lemon. I first had it near Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland, but you can find it in good bottle shops in the Northwest as well. Froach also brews an Elderberry Black Ale called ‘Ebulum,’ based on a drink formerly enjoyed by 9th-century Welsh Druids. Made with roasted oats, barley and wheat, it is boiled with herbs and then fermented with ripe elderberries, yielding a rich black ale with fruity aroma, soft roasted flavour and gentle finish – perfect by-the-fireplace-sipping beer.”

In accordance with my Germanic roots I’m partial to a tall Hefe-weizen with a twist of lemon. Its very tasty.

English Pop Idol star Rik Waller has decided to stop singing professionally after marrying a star-struck fan in a Pagan ceremony.

“Waller, who was once thrown off Celebrity Fit Club for binge eating, said they planned to have a pagan wedding ceremony. Miss Bliss, 23, agreed – but only if Waller ended his singing career. ‘This is definitely the real thing and, although our pagan beliefs mean that ours isn’t an engagement in the conventional sense, we have bought rings as a gesture of love and commitment to each other,’ said the singer.”

No word yet on why his Pagan wife would want him to stop singing, especially since most Pagans are quite fond of music and performing.

Finally, The Salem News takes a look at the aftermath of Salem’s yearly Halloween extravaganza and defends the towns role as a magnet for witch-loving tourists.

“Strangely, there are some who seem to pine for the days when the Essex Street pedestrian mall became a barren expanse the day after Labor Day, and every other storefront had a vacancy sign. You can visit many other older urban retail districts for that experience – and we bet their mayors would dearly love to have an event like Haunted Happenings that kept stores, restaurants and parking facilities full for a month each autumn.”

You can bet that so long as Salem is pulling in profits of over 100,000 dollars (after expenses), then the spooky, Pagan-friendly festivities will certainly continue.

That is all I have for now, have a good day!

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The Evolution of Pagan Book Stores

Jason Pitzl-Waters —  September 17, 2007 — 4 Comments

British newspaper The Independent has posted a profile of the esoteric book store Treadwell’s. Author Gary Lachman interviews owner and manager Christina Oakley Harrington, and explores how the shop is transcending the usual conceptions of “occult” book stores.


A customer inside Treadwell’s Bookshop.

“Although you’ll find the usual magical bric-a-brac there … what sets Treadwell’s apart from other occult shops is that, since it opened in 2003, it’s become a centre where people from different backgrounds with an interest in paganism and related subjects can meet and exchange ideas … Regulars at Treadwell’s are as apt to be working on a doctorate as they are on a solstice ritual, or invoking a thesis subject as much as a guardian angel. The nucleus of this pagan salon, which draws in skeptical professors and devout practitioners alike, is Treadwell’s guiding spirit, Christina Oakley Harrington.”

I’m particularly fond of the mission statement for Treadwell’s given by Harrington.

“To provide a place for people who have a spiritual, or occult, or pagan interest, but who don’t want to thrown their brain out the door. A place that can link the pagan and occult world to the world of literature, art, and philosophy. To the thinking world.”

That sure sounds like a place I would enjoy frequenting, too bad it’s on a different continent. But the existence of this new store (opened in 2003) leads us to perhaps hope that expectations and standards are starting to change by those wanting to open occult/Pagan book stores. When most of the mass-market books on magic and Paganism can be easily found at Borders or online, stores catering directly to the Pagan/occult market need to raise the bar and provide something different and more in-depth.

If I simply wanted to buy the latest Llewellyn releases I know I could go to any major book chain and find (or order) them, but it takes a special sort of store to stock the autobiography of Patricia Crowther or a history of British Magick after Crowley. I can only hope this article is an omen for the future, and not an isolated bright spark.

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