News

Paganism and Heathenry in the Republic of Finland

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In the northern regions of Europe, there is a growing Pagan and Heathen community in the Republic of Finland. With a population of 5.4 million, the Nordic country rests between Sweden, Russia, Norway and the Gulfs of Bosthia and Finland. Its capital, Helsinki, is the second-most northern national capital in the world, with Reykjavik being first. Throughout that territory people, a growing number of Finns are discovering and connecting with new religions and spiritual paths. According to Lehto (The Grove), a Finnish nature-religions organization, there are “a few thousand Neo-Pagans” in the country.

News

Northern Ireland approves first Pagan priest in modern times

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GLENGORMLEY, NORTHERN IRELAND — It took a combination of patience, paperwork, and publicity, but Patrick Carberry has been approved by the Northern Ireland government as a Pagan priest. His is the first person to be so designated in this country and, by some reports, the first “since the time of Saint Patrick.” Carberry is the sovereign of the Order of the Golden River, which he founded in 2009. Now he will be able to perform weddings and otherwise function as a member of the clergy for that group. According to a February report in the Sunday World, Pagans have been licensed to perform weddings in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland since 2009.

Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: Deborah Maynard, Wisconsin Invocation Video, Margot Adler Day and more!

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Wiccan Priestess Deborah Maynard successfully delivered an invocation before the Iowa State Legislature on Thursday, April 9. With reportedly two-thirds of the representatives present, Maynard stood before the government body and asked for the blessings of “God, Goddess, Universe, that which is greater than ourselves.” To benefit the day’s legislative work, her invocation called to each element, asking for support with things such as balance, compassion, reason, and strength. Then, she called to spirit and ended with “Blessed Be, A-Ho and Amen.” Her invocation was met with backlash from some visitors and lawmakers. Several conservative Christian organizations called for silent protests and prayers during her invocation.

Culture

Conversations with Sonia Bible about the Witch of Kings Cross (Part I)

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Today we feature guest journalist ZB. ZB is the author of five books of poetry and a contributing writer for the San Francisco Herald and California Herald for over 15 years. Her autobiographical writing narrates Goeff Cordner’s feature-length film “Portraits from the Fringes.” A segment of this film became the award-winning “Hotel Hopscotch,” which was shown in film festivals across the U.S. and on the BBC. ZB’s work focuses on feminism, radical outcasts, surrealist art, social activism, and the esoteric.

Paganism

Column: On Rituals and the Other Side of the Magic

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Baseball third baseman and hall-of-famer Wade Boggs, who played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays was well-known for his rituals. Though not Jewish, he always drew the Hebrew symbol Chai, meaning “living,” in the dirt of the batter’s box before he went to bat. Wade also ate chicken before every game, took batting practice at 5:17 a.m. and ran sprints at exactly 7:17 a.m. I have no idea what Mr. Boggs’ faith is, but his use of ritual was widely publicized. Boggs was not the only famous example of ritual behavior in sports. Tennis Champion Serena Williams will only wear a single pair of socks during any given tournament; successful NCAA Men’s Basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian would chew towels during games; Basketball player Mike Bibby uses nail clippers during timeouts and Wayne Gretzky used baby powder on his hockey stick famously remarked “I think it’s essentially a matter of taking care of what takes care of you.”