The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick
CLEVELAND – The Buckland Museum unveiled a new exhibit titled, Satanic Panic: Dragons, Witches & Monsters in Pop Culture last week. The exhibit features vintage toys and gaming pieces on loan from The Side Quest bar in Lakewood and Apple Jax Toys in Lakewood and Chagrin Falls, as well as original artwork from local artists.
Buckland Museum describes the time period the exhibit is focused on:
The 1980’s-90’s were a time of widespread morality policing spearheaded by evangelicals and their fictional memoirs of surviving satanic sex cults: policing everything from Rock ‘n Roll to role playing games.
No one was safe, Rainbow Bright sported pentagrams on her face, He-Man, Masters of the Universe was endorsing Pagan practices, the ThunderCats were inspired by “heathen gods,” and the Smurfs were “depictive of dead creatures” because of their blue skin with black lips.
Even diapers weren’t safe. In 1985, Procter & Gamble found itself in the unusual position of having to hold a press conference to deny that they were funding a Satanic church. Since 1982, the company had been the target of anonymous accusations claiming their logo—a man in the moon surrounded by 13 stars—was secretly the mark of the devil.
Buckland Museum gallery curator, Kelly Griffith said in a published interview, “The show came about because of the cultural and political climate.”
Griffith, who is also a co-owner of The Side Quest, went on to say, “It’s very timely, even with Lil Nas and the ‘Montero’ video and the sneakers—people were freaking out about the sneakers,” she says. “It [is] also really timely with all the new morality policing with reproductive rights, and anti vaxxers, and all that. We’ve seen such a big divide again. So, this is a little bit of a commentary on that—but in a fun way.”
The exhibit runs through November 14, 2021.
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Image credit: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
WILTSHIRE, England – English Heritage launched a new conservation project that is focused on preserving the monolithic site of Stonehenge for generations to come. The Guardian reports it as possibly being one of the “most significant” preservation projects undertaken at the site in 60 years.
The senior curator for Stonehenge with English Heritage, Heather Sebire said of the new project, “The stones look as if they will stand forever but like just about everything they are vulnerable. This vital work will protect the features which make Stonehenge so distinctive.”
The impact of the climate, severe weather events and erosion over time have weakened some of the lintels or horizontal stones that help to give Stonehenge its iconic and immediately recognizable design.
While repairs have been performed on the site over the years, they were not always done with the care that is exercised today. For instance, one of the lintel stones, number 122, which cracked apart and fell in 1900 was simply slapped back together using concrete and then reinstalled to its original position.
In 2018 during a project that was focused on determining the origin of sarsen stones, researchers noted the concrete mortar patch job on stone number 122 “was cracking with bits falling out.” Further examination using laser scans revealed the number of natural holes in the stones could leave them more vulnerable to extreme heat or cold and water collecting within the stones.
Sally Strachey Historic Conservation which specializes in the conservation of stone architecture, statues, and archaeological sites has been contracted to do the conservation work at Stonehenge. Rather than cloaking or even closing the site to visitors while the conservation work is occurring, the team will use a movable tower to operate from and visitors will be able to see the work in progress.
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TWH – Witch School announced last week that Pagans Tonight radio would be returning on the 13th anniversary of its first broadcast. Hosted by Ed Hubbard, dubbed “Ed the Pagan,” the program has covered a variety of topics and featured interviews with many Pagans and Witches since its premiere on Blogtalk radio in 2008.
The first return episode aired last Tuesday featuring an interview with Byron Ballard that was conducted during the Starwood festival this summer. Pagans Tonight plans to air new episodes starting at 10 PM (EDT), four nights a week that will discuss current events relevant to the Pagan community and interviews.
In other news:
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- Trees of Avalon Gathering announced today they have opted to cancel their Samhain gathering scheduled for November 4 – 7. The group cited the rising number of COVID-19 cases and as a result a growing number of attendees seeking to transfer their registration fees to the following Spring event. “We have gone over the numbers, and we have come to the conclusion. We had to make this decision to not only protect all of us but the festival itself. We want to make many more memories with you. We just want to do it when the time is right. With that, the board of directors has decided to cancel our Samhain festival. We love and adore every single one of you and we hope you understand we are doing this for the good of the community and festival.”
- Puget Sound Pagan Pride announced it’s annual 16th event will be held on September 25 from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PDT). The event plans to have a variety of programming that includes over 20 presenters, performers, and craft activities. The event is free, and family-friendly. The organizers said of the event, “While the world is in doubt, we can bring Pagans and others around the world together to delight in the wisdom of our respective Paths.”
- In a press release, The Troth announced that Robert Lewis received the most votes in the election for the open seat on the High Rede. According to the news release, Lewis is the organization’s current webmaster and “very active in international Heathen discourse.” He will participate in their next meeting, which takes place on October 1, 2021. Robert L. Schreiwer thanked those who campaigned for the open seat and encouraged everyone to run again in the 2022 High Rede election. Schreiwer also made a point to recognize and thank Elections Officer, Mary Diamond, for her role in undertaking the processing of the election.
- A smaller and potentially more affordable version of a lookalike Stonehenge was set to be auctioned off earlier this month, but it failed to find a buyer. The circle of granite stones measures 30 ft across and the 17 stones some as large as 8ft in height. The auction house PG & RJ Pyle handled the proceedings, and when the stones did not sell, Robert Pyle admitted that stones might not be “everyone’s cup of tea.” The stones remain for sale, but any buyer would need to secure the equipment necessary to relocate the stones.
- The BBC reported on a new event that was scheduled for the past weekend designed to help educate people about Witchcraft. The event was organized by the non-profit, Coven of Gaia based in Warwickshire, England. The festival took place on the 160-acre plot of land which features a mix of meadow and woodland and is home to Heart of England Conference & Events Centre. The organizers were expecting as many as 2,000 and characterized the event as being family-friendly. The group’s website describes them as, “a small coven based in Warwickshire, adamant to teach the ways of the witch and pagan to those that need it and also develop young curious minds, draw out and nurture natural talents.”
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Last week a powerful new art display on the Mall in Washington DC was installed. Artist, Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg created the installation as a remembrance of those who have been lost. It is comprised of over 660,000 white flags, each representing a person who died from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. More flags will continue to be added to reflect the rising number of deaths until the display ends at the beginning of October.
The installation is titled, In America: Remember and allows visitors to personalize a flag for someone they have lost during the pandemic.
The website for the art installation offers the following information for visitors, “Visitors are invited to personalize flags for someone they have lost. Those who cannot visit in person can dedicate a flag on this website until September 30th, and it will appear in physical form on the National Mall.”
Firstenberg said she created the display to help people grasp the sheer magnitude of the pandemic by way of a visual representation since the numbers of the dead are so vast. Her first display was last summer next to RFK Stadium in Washington. It contained 267,080 white flags, spanning four acres, and was designed to mirror the 270,000 white grave markers at Arlington. “So many of these deaths happened in isolation without acknowledgment,”Firstenberg said. “When I had an opportunity to bring it to the National Mall, even though it’s an immensely greater task, there was no hesitation. I knew I needed to do it.”
The display will be in place through October 3 with access from 10:00 AM to sunset during the week, and 9:00 AM until sunset on weekends.
Tarot of the week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: The Mystical Dream Tarot, by Janet Piedilato, illustrations by Tom Duxbury, published by Welbeck Publishing Group.Card: Spirit of Swords
This week be mindful and discerning in sourcing information and take particular care with those from whom advice is sought. Verifying sources as being legitimate and qualified is paramount to avoiding the potential pitfalls of the week and not being led astray.
Conversely, the potential for “intentional deceit,” taking action without carefully thinking things through, and the inability to see or recognize the truth figures prominently.
Decks generously provided by Asheville Pagan Supply.
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