Image credit: WomenArtistUpdates – CC BY-SA 4.0
TWH – February is Black History month, and as a result a number of publications and broadcasters in network media and streaming have offered a variety of programming that explore and highlight the history of racial divide and racism within the U.S.
Last Friday, The Baltimore Sun newspaper issued an editorial apology for the paper’s “contribution to this maltreatment is a dark and disgraceful component of The Sun’s past.”
The apology cited the paper’s founder, Arunah S. Abell who sympathized with the South and supported both slavery and segregation; as well as the many missed opportunities by the publication when it did not use its platform to support people of color, call for change, employ few Black journalists, and presenting news stories in ways that created a disservice to the Black population of Baltimore and its readers.
“As an institution, we’ve called on many others to recognize and rectify their own bigoted practices, past and present, particularly in these recent years of a national reckoning on race. It is our responsibility to do the same within our own walls.”
The Baltimore Sun was founded by Abell in 1837 and has been in operation continuously for 185 years, publishing at least one edition each day.
“And so, now we turn the spotlight on ourselves and our institution, looking at our history through a modern-day lens in an attempt to better understand our communities, the effect we have had on them, and the distrust engendered by The Sun’s actions. As part of that process, members of The Sun’s editorial board and its Diversity Committee, made up of staff volunteers, consulted the paper’s archives and several other archives online, including newspapers.com and ProQuest, which we accessed through the Baltimore County Public Library. We found appalling coverage that clearly furthered prejudice and alienated many of our readers.”
The editorial goes on to list many of the problems in its reporting over the years, going all the way back to running advertisements for the sale of slaves to more recent offenses in reporting that highlighted bias in how the paper structured stories. In addition to accepting and apologizing for past behavior, the editorial also offered a series of steps the paper is pursuing to provide more balanced coverage.
“As journalists, as the Fourth Estate, we at the paper have a public responsibility to confront and illuminate societal ills so that they can be addressed and eradicated. On race, The Sun’s history is one we’re not proud to share, and we should warn you that it’s offensive to read. But addressing one’s wrongs begins by acknowledging them. While we’ve taken great pains to highlight the paper’s righteous actions through the years, and there have been many, we have yet to shine a light on our dark corners — until today. This accounting is most certainly incomplete. Nevertheless, we hope that by revealing some of our institution’s past injustices, we will step closer to truly providing, as our masthead says, ‘Light for All.'”
Editorial note: While The Baltimore Sun editorial has nothing to do with Paganism, racism is pervasive and deeply affects all aspects of society.
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By Nyo – CC by 2.0
TWH – Worldwide Witches for Peace started a petition on Change.org in response to the vitriol being spewed by Pastor Greg Locke. To date, Locke has held a public book-burning of titles he believes promote “witchcraft” and a week ago Sunday made threats against members of his own congregation that he believes are “witches.” While so far the petition has garnered little attention, it does have 200 people who have signed on.
From the petition:
In lu[sic] of recent events we as witches need to speak up and speak out! Not in hate but in TRUTH!!!!
We could bash Pastor Greg Locke for what he is doing and saying but what for??? That doesn’t solve anything let’s show the world what witchcraft means to us!
We walk in peace and love for our earth and for all walks of life. Witchcraft as a whole has not one set in stone worshipped figure and by that I mean some of us don’t worship anyone, some deities, and some Jesus!
And that’s what makes witchcraft beautiful we are accepting of everyone to walk along side us in peace so to see our community being bashed with false accusations and misinformation is sad and down right wrong! We have come so far from the misinformation of long ago why are we allowing this man to preach this… this is a hate crime and hate speech and cult like not the workings of Jesus! We must all come together and fight for our beliefs and freedom!!
The petition also provides a questionnaire that contributors can copy and then post in the comments filled in with their own answers. The questionnaire includes what Witchcraft practice means to them, why they are choosing to sign the petition, how Pastor Locke’s actions make them feel, and other aspects of practice.
Announcements:
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During a special virtual ceremony on Saturday, February 20, the Votaries Alumni Circle of Cherry Hill Seminary announced Rev. Amy Beltaine as the winner of this year’s Wendy Griffin Professor of the Year Award.Beltaine is an active Unitarian Universalist minister and spiritual director/companion, in addition to her role as a professor at Cherry Hill Seminary. She created the Spiritual Direction Certificate program (also called SpiDir), a two-year professional certification program, which is nearly one year along from its first cohort. Beltaine also brought together students and others to create the weekly online gathering and ritual space called A Spiritual Feast (was A Spiritual Potluck), which is open to anyone and may be found on the Seminary Facebook page.“Cherry Hill Seminary was the first and only place I approached with the idea of offering a Spiritual Direction Certification Program,” said Rev. Beltaine. “I tend to shed tears when something feels deeply true, beautiful, loving, or sacred, and I often cry with joy as I read my student’s assignments or discussions. The world needs people who can listen from the heart, especially now. We all need to be reminded that we are whole, holy, and good.”
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- SisterSpirit is hosting PaganFaire at Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, March 19. The theme for the event is “Seeds of Change – A rite of initiation, transformation, and magic.” The event will feature guest ritualist, Michael Agee, as well as a variety of merchants and performers with a focus on celebrating the return of Spring. PaganFaire will run from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Spring Equinox Ritual will take place immediately after the faire closes. The event is open to everyone with an admission fee of $5.00. Masks and proof of COVID-19 vaccination are required for entry. Pandemic prevention requirements and precautions for the event are based on city and state guidelines and mandates and are subject to change as adjustments are made by local and state officials.
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- Ph.D. candidate at the University of Bristol, Olivia Ciaccia has issued a call for participants for her dissertation research on Goddess Spirituality and the Ancient Mediterranean & Egypt that is focused on how Goddess devotees in Britain and the U.S. are reviving ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian goddesses in the 21st century. The ultimate aim of her thesis is to determine how mutually beneficial relationships can be built between Goddess devotees and historical professionals moving forward.
Guidelines for participants:
Live in the U.K .or U.S. (regardless of legal nationality), or regularly engage with Goddess communities in these countries such as participate in online forums, read writing by British or American authors, attend events in these countries, etc. Identify with Goddess Spirituality as your spiritual path. Engage with ancient Mediterranean or Egyptian goddesses (although questionnaire 3 is open to all pantheons). Are over the age of 18 (inclusive of all genders, backgrounds, and ethnicities).More information about the project and links to questionnaires can be found via Ciaccia’s Linktree page.
Crossings of the Veil
Talyn Songdog (James Ted Miller) May 31, 1963 – February 11, 2022
Talyn Songdog passed suddenly and unexpectedly last Friday. He had a long-term career in Aerospace and was about to begin his newest position based in Atlanta, GA.Songdog belonged to both the Church of All Worlds and the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, International. He was a founding member of DragonTree in the 1990s. He was very involved in the early days of Dragon Hills located just outside of Atlanta, GA.
Songdog was well known in the southeast Pagan community as well as by many people in other areas and had a wide influence. His early days were spent with Oberon and Morning Glory in California, but his longest associations were in the southeast. He was also a core member of the Guardians in the southeast pagan community.
Songdog is survived by his wife and daughters, MizMaggie, Fayth, Tam Songdog, and his committed companion Kara D Williams. Burial will be family only and an intimate memorial will be held with his spiritual community later this month.
The family hopes to have a larger Year and A Day Celebration of Life in 2023. A GoFundMe has been created to help his family provide for his burial and memorial expenses.
P.J. Seale – February 11, 2022
Image credit: Kerri Hirsch-Upton
PJ Seale singer-songwriter and musician with the group Spiral Rhythm crossed the veil last Friday. Seale had Lupus and experienced a variety of health issues as a result in recent years.
Her contributions to the music Spiral Rhythm produced and performed were many, and her influence can be seen in much of their music. The group offered an online musical remembrance via the Friends of Spiral Rhythm Facebook page last Wednesday.
Seale was heavily invested in the community and bringing people together. In addition to her musical contributions, she was also an accomplished seamstress and costumer. She created a variety of costumes for different genres and events – everything from renaissance and Pagan to LARPing and fairy-oriented events.
The many remembrances posted across social media noted her generous spirit and kindness, as well as her musical talents which she used to forge a connecting axis within and without the Pagan community.
What is remembered, lives!
In other news:
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- Matthew Gray Gubler’s new, independently produced movie, King Knight premiered on February 17, being released to select theatres and digital platforms. The film is described as “a farcical dark comedy” which casts Gubler as Thorn, the Pagan priest of a coven and co-stars, Angela Sarafyan, as Willow, his high priestess. All is well until Willow and the rest of the coven find out about Thorn’s past which includes his preppy and popular existence in school, as well as having played… Lacrosse. The horror!
- Matthew Gray Gubler’s new, independently produced movie, King Knight premiered on February 17, being released to select theatres and digital platforms. The film is described as “a farcical dark comedy” which casts Gubler as Thorn, the Pagan priest of a coven and co-stars, Angela Sarafyan, as Willow, his high priestess. All is well until Willow and the rest of the coven find out about Thorn’s past which includes his preppy and popular existence in school, as well as having played… Lacrosse. The horror!
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- One of Hungary’s oldest and most well-known carnivals began over the weekend, ‘Busó-walking’ in Mohács. The event sees roughly 1,000 people take part annually and consists of a parade and carnival atmosphere that features a bonfire each night in the main square where the festivities began. The participants of the parade represent three separate groups: Busós, who wear carved wooden masks and sheepskin coats with their fur outside which are tied at the waist by a rope or chain, on which sheep bells hang and white linen trousers stuffed with straw; Jankeles, are those who are dressed in ragged clothes and cover their faces with rags or stockings, carrying bags stuffed with ash, flour or rags; and masqueraders, are those who are veiled and dressed in fine clothes or fancy dress. The origins of Busó-walking, which is also called ‘poklade’ are unclear but can be traced to the late 1700s when immigrants from Balkan Šokci began to arrive in the region. The carnival comes to an end on Shrove Tuesday when a coffin is burned to symbolically represent the death of winter.
Faun dropped their latest video and single from their upcoming album, “Pagan,” slated for release on April 22. They describe the new cut, titled “Neun Welten,” (Nine Worlds) as “a new mystical piece of Nordic Folk inspired by Nordic and German mythology.” “Pagan” will be the first album released under their newly formed label, Pagan Folk Records. The group announced their intent to release a new video each month beginning in mid-December and followed through on doing so each month.
Tarot of the week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Afro-Brazilian Tarot, artwork by Alice Santana, text by Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.Card: Nine (9) of Wands
The week ahead is likely to offer a series of enforced delays, waiting, and paused momentum. Be mindful that such an atmosphere can bring out aggression and may require defensive action.
Conversely, previous roadblocks and obstacles have the potential to be cleared or navigated around if the heat of tempers can be banked.
Decks generously provided by Asheville Pagan Supply.
- Ph.D. candidate at the University of Bristol, Olivia Ciaccia has issued a call for participants for her dissertation research on Goddess Spirituality and the Ancient Mediterranean & Egypt that is focused on how Goddess devotees in Britain and the U.S. are reviving ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian goddesses in the 21st century. The ultimate aim of her thesis is to determine how mutually beneficial relationships can be built between Goddess devotees and historical professionals moving forward.
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