Cyber Attack on The Wild Hunt
MIAMI – Last week, The Wild Hunt (TWH) experienced a targeted cyber attack aimed not at stealing data but at damaging the platform financially. We want to assure our community that all subscriber information remains secure and no data was breached.
The attack began on the evening of May 17, 2025. It quickly became clear that the attack focused on our newsletter infrastructure, specifically through Mailchimp, our email distribution service.
Initially, we noticed a spike in newsletter subscriptions, first in small batches, suggesting manual entries of fake email addresses tied to random names. Within days, the pattern escalated. Automated systems, likely spambots, began subscribing hundreds of fake emails every few minutes.
While these bogus subscriptions didn’t access user data, they posed a different kind of threat. Spam email signups cause low open rates and high bounce rates—key metrics used by email servers to determine sender reputation. If these metrics suffer, legitimate emails may end up in spam folders or be blocked entirely. Over time, this could severely damage our ability to reach our readers.
Additionally, unlike many media outlets, TWH does not run advertisements. An artificial increase in traffic driven by spambots only raises our operating costs without providing any financial benefit, exactly the attacker’s goal.
We acted quickly to mitigate the damage. Thousands of fake email addresses were removed, and Mailchimp was notified of the attack.
As always, we are deeply grateful for your continued support. Incidents like this highlight both the importance and vulnerability of independent journalism. We remain steadfast in our mission to deliver news that informs, uplifts, and serves our community.
After almost a century, Archeologists find Missing Piece of Famous Statue
Colossal bust of Ramesses II in the British Museum.
DENVER – Nearly a century ago, German archaeologist Günther Roeder unearthed the lower half of a colossal 23-foot-tall statue of Ramesses II, one of Ancient Egypt’s most celebrated pharaohs. The discovery was made near El Ashmunein in Egypt’s Minya Governorate, once known as Khemnu in ancient times and later Hermopolis Magna under Roman rule. Although remarkable, the upper half of the statue remained lost—until now.
In March 2025, Egyptian archaeologists, in collaboration with U.S. researchers, announced they had uncovered the missing upper portion of the statue, nearly 12.5 feet tall. Found lying face down, the massive sandstone piece depicts Ramesses II wearing a headdress topped with a royal cobra. At first, the condition of the statue was uncertain due to the region’s high water table, a result of the Aswan Low Dam.
“There was no guarantee that the stone would be OK,” said Yvona Trnka-Amrhein, a classics professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and co-leader of the dig. “Sometimes sandstone just disintegrates. It could have been a lump of rock.”
Instead, the piece was astonishingly well-preserved and even retained faint traces of blue and yellow pigment on its surface. These remnants may provide clues about the statue’s original appearance and cultural context.
“We weren’t specifically looking for it,” Trnka-Amrhein admitted, “so it was a total surprise.”
Now, Egyptian archaeologist Basem Gehad has proposed reuniting the upper and lower halves of the statue at the original El Ashmunein site—a long-awaited reunion that would restore one of ancient Egypt’s monumental icons.
World Oceans Day
TWH— World Oceans Day, observed annually on June 8, is a global event dedicated to raising awareness about the crucial role oceans play in sustaining life on Earth. First proposed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008, the day emphasizes the importance of oceans as the planet’s primary source of oxygen, a vital regulator of climate, and a home to millions of marine species. Oceans also provide food, medicine, and livelihoods for billions of people around the world.
Each year, World Oceans Day highlights a specific theme, such as plastic pollution, marine biodiversity, or sustainable fishing practices. Activities and events range from beach cleanups and educational workshops to art exhibits and policy discussions, all designed to foster public engagement and drive action for ocean conservation. The overarching goal is to encourage individuals, communities, and governments to protect ocean ecosystems and ensure their health for generations to come.
Announcements
ASHEVILLE – House of Black Cat Magic <houseofblackcatmagic.com> celebrates its two-year anniversary this Sunday, June 8th, from 11:00am until 7:00pm (EDT). In conjunction with their rescue partner, Binx’s Home for Black Cats, HBCM has found forever homes for over 500 cats since they first began their collaboration in 2023. After the past seven months that Western North Carolina has lived through, everyone could all use a little fun and a cause to celebrate!
Special Guest, Vampire Cat Monk will be doing a meet-n-greet from 3:00-5:00pm (EDT).
Additionally, Runaway Cafe will be parked outside with tasty coffee, pastries, and food; local vendors will be set up outside featuring locally-made products; fundraiser raffle that will include a variety of items (some that might be haunted) with the grand prize being a Litter Robot 4; and best of all, entry to the Black Cat Lounge is free all day!
Raffle tickets can be purchased at the event or in advance at: https://www.binxshomeforblackcats.com/donate-today
Pagan Spirit Gathering
The 45th anniversary of Pagan Spirit Gathering will be held June 15th to 22nd in northern Wisconsin, USA. The gathering will include a variety of rituals, workshops, concerts and vendors along with an assortment of other activities.
Our Pagan Leadership Institute will host workshops by Pagans from diverse traditions. This year, they have three notable presenters from the UK: musician Damh the Bard, writer and artist Cerri Lee, and author Kristoffer Hughes, Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order. In addition, High Priestess, Rev. Selena Fox will be presenting a three-part program, Creating and Leading Tree Rituals, which will focus on tree ceremonies, meditations and spiritual attunement with individual trees and with forest ecosystems.
Pagan musicians will be sharing their music through concerts and other performances throughout the week. In addition, there will be more than 150 other program activities.
To attend some or all of this year’s Pagan Spirit Gathering, advance registration by Friday, June 6 is required. To learn more and register visit: paganspiritgathering.org
More Events at our new Events Calendar
At The Wild Hunt, we believe everyone deserves access to fair, thoughtful, and inclusive reporting on religion. That’s why you’ll never encounter a paywall on our site. Every article, column, and story is available to read—freely and fully—because we want our work to be accessible to all, not just those who can afford it.
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As always, thank you for reading and for being part of our community!
Do you have news to share with our community?
Announcements? Festivals? Elevations? Events?
We’ll share it with the community in
the New TWH Events Calendar featured on the Front Page.
Let us know at pcn@wildhunt.org
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: New Era Elements Tarot by Eleonore F. Pieper, PhD, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Card: Two (2) of Air – Equilibrium
The next seven days may provide opportunities for problem-solving that require dualistic thinking before settling on a solution. There is the potential for finding the sweet spot or balance point when it comes to resolving conflicts and disagreements. Whatever the situation at hand, solid decision-making is likely to be required.
Conversely, attempting to delay or procrastinate making a difficult decision is only likely to compound the issue or problem. Not making a choice when one is called for will not prevent a decision being made, but is more likely to result in someone else choosing which may create more discord. Careful examination of the emotions attached to an issue is liable to help provide a clearer way forward.
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