It’s that time of year again, and as our annual bills come due, we find ourselves in the humbling position of asking for your support.
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As always, thank you for your support of The Wild Hunt!
On to News and Events…
Kuwohi via US National Park Service
GATLINBURG, Tenn.—The US National Park Service (NPS) announced last week that the U.S. Board of Geographic Names had officially approved the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ (EBCI) request to rename Clingmans Dome to its original Cherokee name, Kuwohi. The Wild Hunt reported on the request to the NPS by the Cherokee People.
Kuwohi is a sacred site for the Cherokee People and is the highest point within their traditional homeland. Each year, Kuwohi is closed for three half-days to allow Cherokee schools to visit the mountain. During these visits, students learn about the history of Kuwohi and the Cherokee people from elders, Cherokee language speakers, and cultural leaders.
The mountain is also one of the most visited destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, drawing more than 650,000 visitors annually. It is the tallest peak in Tennessee and the third-highest summit east of the Mississippi River.
“We are proud to support the effort to restore the mountain’s original name and acknowledge its importance to the Cherokee People,” said Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash. “The Cherokee People have maintained a profound connection to Kuwohi and the surrounding lands long before the establishment of the national park. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Cherokee community to share their history and preserve this landscape together.”
Plans are already in motion to update signage, websites, and other materials to reflect the name change.
ANAHEIM, Calif. –
The new Disney+ series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Agatha All Along, is attracting lots of attention in the community. The series has hooked quite a few of us as viewers. It is far too soon to tell where the series will lead and how portrayals of Witchcraft will develop. Nevertheless, there are strong Witchcraft themes throughout the series so far, from Mother, Maiden, and Crone archetypes to witchy imagery and aesthetics.
This is unsurprising, as Witchcraft resonates with many people today. From “witch lit” to “WitchTok,” more individuals are embracing the figure of the Witch as a symbol of power and resistance against injustices.
View this post on Instagram
Best of all, the conservative Christian site, MovieGuide, issued a warning: “Occultic Marvel Show Promises It Gets ‘Gayer and Gayer.’”
They are also concerned that the show will feature more seductive occult and Witchcraft content.
We can only hope!
Do you have news to share with our community?
Announcements? Elevations? Events?
Let us know at pcn@wildhunt.org.
Happening this weekend!
September 27 – 29th , 2024
The Critical Thinking Witch Collective (CTWC) was founded in 2021 and has spent four years building a vibrant virtual space, a community of critical-thinking witches and seekers of all varieties — centering the secular, nontheistic, agnostic, atheist, skeptical, analytical, and science-minded. Our volunteer organizers strive to foster a safer space where magic and science are respected equally, acknowledging that there can be genuine beauty and meaning in the mysterious and the magical.
The highlight of our year is CritWitchCon. Traditionally held on the last weekend of September (ushering in many a witch’s favorite month), the Con is a yearly paid event, showcasing three days of speakers and workshops, with opportunities for contributors and participants to convene in breakout rooms, with both freeform and guided conversations.
The rest of the year we keep connected with Witches’ Brews: free quarterly events typically consisting of a panel, a workshop, and supported breakout discussions. Each Brew has a different theme, encouraging our community members to connect with one another through their craft.
Critical Thinking Witch Con 2024
A Virtual Convention
This year’s theme: Perception (Perspective) Check: Life through a Seeker’s Lens. Join us while you discover and discuss some of the different ways we see the witchy world. Connect, learn, and get involved with a community of science-minded witches and seekers!
All-Access Pass – $40 Stream live with us and your community members in Zoom and Discord!
Saver Pass – $30 Access to the recorded videos and your community in Discord.
Scholarships available!
Tickets on sale now!
We can’t wait to see you there!
Western Mass Pagan Pride Day (September 28, 2024)
Since 2000, Western MA Pagan Pride Day is one of many Pagan Pride Day events that take place worldwide. As a nonprofit organization, we strive to establish awareness of earth-centered spiritual traditions in our local communities. People of all faiths (or none) and walks of life are invited to join us on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 10:00 am through 6:00 pm. There is no admission fee to the event; however, we ask that you bring a cash donation for our charity drive. We will be collecting cash donations for our favorite charity the Northampton Survival Center.
You can come expecting to find information about paganism in many of its forms, experience an open harvest ritual, musical entertainment, workshops (classes), and many vendors for a fun, family-friendly, community-driven event. There are several restaurants and cafes in the area so plan to come and stay a while! Check out our website for more info on workshops, performers, and ongoing events. 
This year we will be in downtown Northampton in the plaza at Kirkland Ave where the Tuesday Farmers Market takes place. This is between the Parking Garage and the back of Thorne’s Marketplace. There are new parking rules for the City of Northampton. Please see here for updates.
Note that the Armory Street lot which faces the plaza no longer has a 3-hour limit Mon-Sat. You can also park in the garage that overlooks our site; the cost is only .75/hour and the first hour is always free.
More info on Facebook and Instagram.
Happening Soon!
Carolina Pagans with a Purpose hosts Carolina Pagan Fest (October 5, 2024)
A Festival to gather as a community, to celebrate the Harvest, our religious diversity, and
for those in the community curious about what Paganism is.
Carolina Pagans with a Purpose will host this educational festival for the community on
Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 10 am to 6 pm, at the Maynard Center 1135 Jameson Rd,
Easley, SC.
Carolina Pagan Fest formerly known as the SC Upstate Pagan Pride Day has been educating our local community in one form or another, for the last 20 years. Through workshops, music, speakers, entertainment, and vending booths you can delve into the many aspects of what it means to be a Pagan.
Our mission is to produce an annual event for the purpose of education, networking, and
coming together in harmony. Where we strive to dispel erroneous misconceptions of Paganism.
The Carolina Pagans with a Purpose team, come from all corners of the Upstate, and have
experience working on many other Upstate Events. Events such as The Quirky Fest, Pagan Pride Day, Goddess Fest, and Earth Worship Weekend.
Our goal is to bring our local Pagan Community together for a day, to show the community at large that we are ordinary people, we are not scary, we are your neighbors, and we can all enjoy this beautiful place, called the Upstate of South Carolina.
The cost for the event is free with a nonperishable food item, for either people or pets.
You might also want to bring a chair or blanket, so you can take a class and enjoy the entertainment.
More information is available on their site.
EBSAT Meeting 5:00 pm PDT to 5:30 pm PDT – Ame Vanorio “Climate Anxiety”
What will be shared?
Learn strategies for dealing with your climate anxiety from the author of “Climate and Eco-Anxiety: A Guided Journal and Workbook.”
The meeting will be hosted on Zoom and facilitated by a member of our Action Team.
Join Zoom Meeting or
Meeting ID: 890 3027 2698
Passcode: CCL
Twilight Covening (October 11-14, 2024)
The Earthspirit Community announced the Twilight Covening event last month and that they “have already filled more than half of the available spaces! Thank you. It feels good to know that so many want to attend again this year.”
They said “Again, we are prioritizing Clan assignments by week so that everyone has a reasonable chance of getting into one of their top choices. The first week filled up one Clan already, but there is space in many others – and frankly, all of the Clans that are on offer will provide something special to those who attend.”
The Earth Spirit Community wrote,
Twilight Covening is a continuous 3-day ritual that holds and shapes an intensive learning experience of Earth spirituality and a time to develop our collective wisdom in a shared sacred space as we move into the dark time of the year.
Each year since 1986, members of the EarthSpirit Community gather deep into ourselves and into communion with this time of year and with all of Nature. We explore the depths of a range of spiritual practices, learn new skills together and experience the joy and power of a living community ritual. We invite you to join us.
Twilight Covening is held in the autumn during the strong natural transition taking place all around us from light into dark, summer into winter, and outward focus to inward contemplation. During the gathering, we use this current of change, along with our focused practices, to find inspiration and insight that can feed us in the dark months to come and motivate us to make changes that we can use to deepen our own spiritual practice.
The intensive work of Twilight Covening takes place in practice-specific Clans of 10-15 people and in full-community rituals that flow together through the weekend.
More information is available on the EarthSpirit website.
One more time: The Wild Hunt exists solely because of your financial support and the incredible encouragement from our community. We bring you stories you won’t find anywhere else—stories that matter deeply to our shared family of faiths and spiritual paths. Here’s how you can help keep the hunt going:
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Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Tarot Neocolonial de las Américas, by Patrick McGrath Muñiz, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Card: Dama de Espadas (Maiden of Swords – depicted as Saint Barbara)
The next seven days are likely to place the emphasis on community, the strength of unity, and the willingness to speak out when witnessing actions or words that reflect injustice or harmful ideologies. Also indicated–the need to back up words with appropriate action. Additionally, there may be potential issues with water and access to potable water.
Conversely, refraining from speaking out when it is called for, questions matters in an ineffective or unproductive manner, or calling attention to an issue without having data to back up claims could boomerang in an unexpected fashion. Careful consideration that fully examines the facts before speaking out is strongly advised.
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