Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

There are lots of articles and news of interest to modern Pagans out there – more than our team can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.

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The Supreme Court

In EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has issued yet another opinion supporting the protection of an individual’s religious rights. On Monday, SCOTUS reversed the decision of the Tenth Circuit court, which ruled in favor of the retailer. It stated that the lower court, “misinterpreted Title VII’s requirements in granting summary judgment.”

In 2008, Samantha Elauf, a devout Muslim, interviewed for a job with Abercrombie & Fitch. As reported on the SCOTUSblog, when Elauf wasn’t hired, “a company employee indicated that the rejection was attributable to the headscarf.”  She turned to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), who filed a lawsuit on her behalf, stating that the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The case reached SCOTUS, who ruled this past Monday in favor of Elauf. The opinion reads, in part, “Title VII does not demand mere neutrality with regard to religious practices—that they be treated no worse than other practices. Rather, it gives them favored treatment, affirmatively obligating employers not “to fail or refuse to hire or discharge any individual . . . because of such individual’s ‘religious observance and practice.’ …Title VII requires otherwise-neutral policies to give way to the need for an accommodation.”  For a full discussion of the ruling, go to Amy Howe’s report on the SCOTUSblog

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Wild Hunt columnist and author Crystal Blanton has recently launched her third annual “30 Days of Real Black History Challenge.” The project was born in 2013 in response to a conversation that Blanton had about “the Black experience in America.”  She said, “I challenged myself to post 3-5 facts, stories, and bits of information on my facebook for 30 days. After several days I realized how much I was learning and growing in the process, and how many people were engaging in these incredible topics about the underbelly of Black history and the Black Experience.”

Using the hashtag #30DayRBHC2015, Blanton continues with the challenge all month. On the Facebook page, there are already a number of articles, reports, and discussions on various topics related to this year’s theme of “Perserverence, Understanding and Healing.”  Blanton said that the posts will be “exploring racism, history, slavery, jim crow, systemic and institutionalized racism, transgenerational and historic trauma, cognitive dissonance, privilege, disparity and challenges that have impacted African Americans and their stories from the moment we touched the shores.” She hopes that her work will educate, inform and inspire.

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• On June 1, Pew Forum published a report on the treatment of gay marriage around the world. The article offers a list of the twenty countries in which same-sex marriage is legal and also highlights the processes by which the legalizations came to be. Additionally, the article profiles Mexico and the United States, where gay marriage is “legal in some jurisdictions.”
• While on the subject…Religion Clause has labeled Alabama as “‘ground zero’ for opposition to same-sex marriage. Why? As the media outlet reports, a Unitarian minister has recently pleaded guilty to “disorderly conduct” after attempting to marry a lesbian couple in a probate office. When she refused to leave, she was arrested. The local Montgomery Advertiser has the details in that case. In addition to that case, the Alabama state senate has just approved SB 377 that will end the issuance of marriage licenses altogether. As noted by Religion Clause, if the bill is approved,”this procedure eliminates the issue of whether a probate court employee who objects to same-sex marriage must issue a license to a same-sex couple.” In place of licenses, the state will grant marriage contracts, but only at the discretion of the local probate court.
• In world news, Tanzania’s Deputy Home Affairs Minister, Pereira Silima, admitted that there is a link between the country’s politicians and the attacks on the its Albino population. As we have noted in the past, Tanzania’s Albinos live in fear as “Witch Doctors,” who use their body parts to perform magic. These killings have increased in recent years, and are reportedly worse during elections. As reported by Reuters , Deputy Silima said, “I want to assure my fellow politicians that there won’t be any parliamentary seat that will be won as a result of using albino body parts.” Silima urged the members of Tanzania’s parliament to steer clear of witchcraft.
• Now, moving from reality to fiction, Hollywood has released a trailer for the latest Witch-inspired film. The Last Witch Hunter, starring Vin Diesel, is conveniently due out October 23. From the trailer it appears that the film’s narrative pits “our world” against the “next” with Vin Diesel as the “last hope” for humanity. Visually “our world” is defined by Christian imagery (e.g.,Michael Caine’s collar), wealth and an Excalibur-like sword. “The next” is defined by the natural world (e.g., a large tree, butterflies, snow), fire, and a pentacle. How the film’s story will actually play out remains to be seen. What is the “next” world exactly? Is it the land of the dead with zombies and white walkers? Or is it a mystical realm? Or could it be a post-apocalyptic film that imagines a post-Christian world? There are many questions left unanswered. The Wild Hunt will have a review after its release.

• Also in film, the Austin Chronicle reports that two film series will be showing at the Alamo Ritz during the first beginning of June. The first is called, “Pastoral Nights & Pagan Rites” and the second is “Black Sabbats & Blood Rites.” According to the Chronicle, “[the series] reflect two very different sides of British culture.” The article then quotes Alamo Ritz booker Tommy Swenson saying, “The two series are unified, I think, by an engagement with a sort of mythic history of England. The folk horror films all deal with the return of elements from pre-Christian life and folklore – witchcraft, paganism, and especially sacrifice. They share a sense of rural menace and the anxiety of a haunted landscape. The Archers’ movies are also totally interested in people’s relationship with nature, with the mysterious and magical qualities of the Earth. There’s a similar sense of tension between old ways and new, but they’re coming at it through a very different lens.” The film series runs now with June 14.
• Continuing our look at the occult in film, John Morehead of TheoFantastique recently discovered an article that discusses the esoteric qualities of the famous silent horror film Nosferatu. Morehead writes, “The May 2015 issue of Fortean Times caught my eye when I was in the bookstore on Friday. On the cover was Max Shrek made up as Count Orlok in the silent horror film classic Nosferatu as the illustration for a story by Brian Robb titled ‘Nosferatu: The Vampire and the Occultist.‘” He goes on to discuss Robb’s essay, which details how film studio owner and occultist Albin Grau influenced the production of the famous silent film.
• Now for something totally different. Artist and Activist Jenny Kendler, co-founder of The Endangered Species Print Project, has developed a new program for the National Resources Defense Council and its efforts to save the Monarch butterfly. According to a recent article, Kendler is the Council’s artist-in-residence. Most of her projects aim at “reconnecting urban-dwellers with the natural world.” In her new program, Kendler releases biodegradable balloons filled with milkweed seeds. During a presentation, she talks about the relationship between Milkweed and Monarchs, and gives out pins displaying images of butterfly wings.
• Lastly, on June 1, Vanity Fair released its July 2015 cover that introduces the world to Caitlyn Jenner. In her very first tweet, Jenner said, “I’m so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can’t wait for you to get to know her/me.” While many acknowledge Jenner’s bravery and have supported her process, the transgender community has had some mixed reactions, reminding people that Jenner’s story is not a common one. As noted in Ms. Magazine, “There are countless unnamed transgender women who will never have their portraits taken by Annie Leibovitz and will never make their transitions from the heights of race and class privilege Jenner enjoys.” The July magazine, which contains the article detailing Jenner’s transition, will be released later this month. The conversations are only just beginning.

That is it for now. Have a great day.

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