Image credit: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
WILTSHIRE, England – Last week in honor of the Queen of England’s platinum anniversary of being on the throne, her image was projected on eight of the large standing stones at Stonehenge.
Reactions from the American Pagan community were as diverse as the community itself.
Many were surprised by English Heritage’s choice to project the Queen’s image on Stonehenge given her role in the Church of England and the historical role of the monarchy in suppressing Paganism. Stonehenge is a meaningful monument to many Pagans as a connection to our Ancestors. It is one thing to use the monument honoring them as has been previously done and another to use it in this way.
Other U.S. Pagans reacted differently, Holli Emore of Cherry Hill Seminary said,
“While the sight of the Queen projected onto Stonehenge did nothing for me aesthetically, if I were back in my art history bachelor’s program I would probably write about how this state of the art media technology made a powerful comment.
“The standing stones convey a sense of timelessness to most of us, as well as a grandeur, sense of purpose and genuine mystery. Superimposing images of Queen Elizabeth over her decades as sovereign onto them suggests that she is also timeless, purposeful and projects, intentionally or not, a grand mystique.
“I realize some have been unhappy with this use of what is a sacred site for them, but it’s not the first time. It’s also quite tame when compared to the lavish, even over the top, media frenzies being produced by the Egyptian government to mark preparations for the opening of the New Egyptian Museum.
“I expect there will be more this year as it is the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Really, these displays leave no mark on the monuments themselves, draw much positive attention to their importance, and demonstrate that we can celebrate and memorialize in our own ways during this digital age.”
John Beckett told TWH, “My initial reaction was highly negative: Stonehenge is a sacred place and shouldn’t be trivialized with any person’s likeness.”
He continued, “But after seeing some of my British friends react favorably, I was reminded that we know very little about how Stonehenge was used in ancient times. Was this simply a demonstration of the relationship between the monarch and the land? Or should monarchies even exist in our time?”
Beckett concluded, “As an American, I’m not sure how important my opinion is. But my initial reaction was very unfavorable.”
TWH U.K. correspondent, Liz Williams said, “I think we have bigger things to worry about but respect the differing views of my fellow pagans!”
Tomorrow we will have a full story on the reaction of Pagans in the U.K.
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Egret over the Chesser Prairie, Okefenokee Swamp Image credit: B. Rhodes
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Environmentalists and conservationists received news that was cause for celebration last Friday. The federal government restored the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction over two mining proposals–the Twin Pines Minerals on the edge of Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, and the Rosemont mine near Tucson, Arizona in the Santa Rita Mountains.
Upon review of both proposed mining projects, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers reversed it previous decisions on the viability of the projects, in part, due to the exclusion of input from Native tribes with connections to land involved in both projects.
The Twin Pines proposed mine is less than three miles from the boundaries of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, which is the largest wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi river and spans 438,000 acres or close to 630 square miles. The proposed mining for titanium dioxide has been reduced in size several times and the most recent application sought to mine some 8,000 acres.
However, the mine could have a major impact on not only the wetlands that surround Okefenokee, but according the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expressed concern in a memo in February of 2019, stating, “We have concerns that the proposed project poses substantial risks for significant affect to the environment,” and, “Should impacts occur they may not be able to be reversed, repaired or mitigated for.”
In addition to unknown environmental factors, another reason for the denial connected to both the Georgia and Arizona mining projects was the exclusion of input to Native tribal members and governments that have ancestral ties to the land of the proposed mines.
The area of Okefenokee is sacred to the Muscogee Creek Nation and the Lower Muskogee Tribe in Georgia who were not officially consulted on the Twin Pines mine.
The Tohono O’odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and Hopi Tribe had filed a lawsuit against Hudbay Minerals, the company operating the Rosemont mine in Arizona, and against the Army Corps. The lawsuit alleges that Hudbay’s filling of streams and washes is illegal.
Late last month, U.S. District Judge James Soto rejected a request for a temporary restraining order filed by the tribes to prevent Hudbay from preparation mining and dismissed the lawsuit.
On Jan. 26, 2021 a memorandum from President Joe Biden directed all federal agencies to engage in “regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal Nations on Federal actions that have Tribal implications.”
The recent decision by the U.S. Corp of Army Engineers to reverse its position on both pending mining projects is likely to have varied impacts. In Georgia, it brings the proposed Twin Pines mining project back to square one, with all permits having to be re-filed, and requiring more comprehensive environmental impact studies to be performed.
How the decision will affect the Rosemont mining project is less clear.
TWH will continue to follow this story and report on new developments as they occur.
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Museum of Witchcraft & Magick – Image credit: אביהו – CC BY-SA 4.0
Last month, Colchester Museums started a fundraiser for an exhibition called Wicked Spirits – Witchcraft and Magic at Colchester Castle that is curated in partnership with the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle.
To date the fund has raised less than £4,000 which is less than a third of £15,000 amount needed in order for the exhibition to move forward. Today, June 6 is the deadline for raising the required funds.
The exhibition is scheduled to run from July 16 until January 6.
Pamela Donnelly, chief executive of Colchester Council, said,
“This exhibition will shine a light on one of the most tragic periods of our history and engage new audiences with Colchester’s past.
“Both Colchester Museums and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic believe now is the right time to tell this story.
“The exhibition will attract new audiences, showcase Colchester’s rich heritage and history, and add value to the thousands of people who visit Colchester and its historic Castle every year.”
Contributions to help ensure the exhibition receives the funding it needs can be made via Art Fund.
Announcements:
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- Circle Sanctuary Green Faith Circle meets monthly via Zoom to share information and updates on EcoActivism. The next Green Faith Circle will be on Sunday, June 12 at 11:00 am (CDT). Selena Fox will share experiences and perspectives from the Ecospirituality conference at Harvard held online and in-person in April 2022. Information about Circle Sanctuary’s EcoActivism can be found via their Facebook group.
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- Cherry Hill Seminary has several courses that are still open for enrollment: Unitarian Universalist History which correlates with the UUA’s Ministerial Fellowship competencies 6 and 7. Registration deadline June 20. American Folk Magic Traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch and Appalachia, Jun 12-Jul 9, meets on Fridays 6-7 PM ET. Details and registration are available via the CHS website. Germanic Pagan Perspectives, Jul 170Aug 13, meets on Mondays 6:30-7:30 PM ET. Registration details can be found on the CHS website. The Shifting Religious Landscape: Ministry in an Interspiritual World, Virtual Summer Intensive is open to all, 2 are required for students in a graduate degree program. Aug 12-14 with pre-meetings beginning in July. Course details and registration are available on the CHS website.
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- TWH’s own Liz Williams has a new book out, published by Llewellyn, Modern Handfasting: A Complete Guide to the Magic of Pagan Weddings. A book launch is scheduled for 6:00 pm (GMT) at The Speaking Tree in Glastonbury on this Saturday, June 12. The book has received a number of endorsements from prominent Pagan authors and scholars. “At last, we have a history of British Paganism written from the inside, by somebody who not only has a good knowledge of the sources, but explicitly understands how Pagans and magicians think,” Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch. “In this highly engaging and informative book, Liz Williams shares her wide knowledge of British Paganism in the past and present. From druids to grimoires, and antiquarians to occultists, the book is rich in detail and interesting characters,” Owen Davies, author of Grimoires and editor of The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic. Janet Farrar, co-author (with Stewart Farrar) of A Witches’ Bible, “An absolute must for anyone interested in the development of paganism in the modern world. I cannot recommend this book enough.”
In other news:
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Cape Cod has joined forces with French shipping giant, CMA CGM, to deploy technology that utilizes robotic buoys and underwater gliders to record whale sounds, particularly the endangered right whale. The robotic recorders will provide almost a real-time accounting of data to scientists, mariners, and the public, on the locations of rare North Atlantic right whales. CMA CGM is funding the deployment of the robotic buoys developed by Woods Hole. The main cause of right whale deaths is due to ship strikes, and with only 340 right whales left on the planet, being able to provide locations to ships could play a critical role in preserving their numbers. Marine biologist, Mark Baumgartner, with Woods Hole said, “We have to change our industrial practices when whales are around. That’s what this tech enables. Having the industry tell us what works and what doesn’t is the best way to have solutions that will actually be implemented.” If the project is successful, and most shipping companies use the data, it could help to improve right whale populations by reducing the number of whales hit by ships.
The latest art installation at the U.S. Pavilion, as part of the 59th Venice Biennale of Art, is the work of Simone Leigh and titled “Sovereignty.”
Leigh’s work is rife with representations of tribal influences and symbols that are connected with African Traditional Religions, as well as spotlighting the impacts of colonization and oppression experienced by Black women.
Leigh is the first Black woman to be awarded the Biennale commission for the U.S. Pavilion. The exhibit opened in late-April Leigh explained during a press conference on the exhibit’s opening day that the title, “Sovereignty,” was her way of pointing to ideas about self-determination.
“The real purpose of Black feminism is our desire to be ourselves and to have control over our own bodies,” said Leigh.
Leigh also said in response to being asked what it meant to represent the U.S., “One idea intellectually — that’s really important to me — is that we need to get rid of the idea of nationalism if we’re going to go forward.”
Leigh describes her process and strategy in her work as “the creolization of form,” which combines disparate cultural languages that are linked through histories of colonization.
As the narration on the video defines, “To be sovereign is not to be subject to another’s authority, or another’s desire, or another’s gaze, but rather to be the author of one’s own history.”
The exhibits of the 59th Venice Biennale of Art are open to the public and runs through November 27, 2022.
Tarot of the week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Dancing in the Dark Tarot, by Gianfranco Pereno and Lunaea Weatherstone, published by Lo Scarabeo.Card: Major arcana, IX (9) The Hermit
The week ahead will likely stir for the need for solitude and introspection. Stepping back and away from the mundane world can help to provide a deeper understanding and realignment of true purpose.
Conversely, trying to find the needed solutions or forge a clear path forward amidst the chaos of every life will be more challenging than usual and unlikely to yield the answers that are sought.
Decks generously provided by Asheville Pagan Supply.
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