Pagan Federation Calls for Religious Respect Amid Growing Intolerance
LONDON — The Pagan Federation has issued a statement defending religious freedom and calling for greater respect among faith communities following a series of incidents involving discrimination, misinformation, and hostility directed toward Pagans and Witches.
The October 10 statement, titled Standing Together Against Religious Intolerance, follows growing concerns about the portrayal of Pagan spiritual practices by some religious organizations and commentators.
Last week, The Wild Hunt reported on the Evangelical Alliance UK’s publication of Spiritual Curiosity: A Christian Guide to Understanding the World of Crystals, Manifesting, Tarot and Sharing Faith in This Moment. The 36-page guide characterizes practices including Witchcraft, tarot, and astrology as spiritually dangerous while encouraging Christians to view growing interest in alternative spirituality as an opportunity for evangelism.
Pagan Federation President Sarah Kerr shared the organization’s response with The Wild Hunt, explaining that it addresses the Evangelical Alliance publication and several other recent incidents affecting Pagan communities.
The Federation emphasized that religious equality and interfaith cooperation remain central to its mission, including its work with government agencies, healthcare institutions, prisons, chaplaincies, and other religious organizations.
The statement rejects the use of individual spiritual experiences to diminish the legitimacy of other religious traditions.
“We do not believe that any pathway is ‘better’ than the other, nor do we believe that using personal stories of spiritual journeys to belittle the paths and choices of others is acceptable,” the Federation wrote.
The organization also expressed concern about increasing hostility toward Pagans online, emphasizing that mutual understanding rather than misinformation is essential to religious coexistence.
Beyond its public statement, the Federation reminded community members that advocacy assistance, safeguarding resources, and pastoral support are available to those experiencing discrimination or concerns involving their spiritual communities.
The statement concludes by reaffirming the organization’s commitment to defending the right of Pagans to practice their religions peacefully.
Damien Echols Warns of Spiritual and Societal Harm from Livestreamed Execution
WASHINGTON — Damien Echols, the Pagan author, ceremonial magician, and former death row inmate whose conviction became one of the most prominent cases associated with the Satanic Panic, has warned that plans to livestream a federal execution could have damaging consequences for American society.
Speaking to Newsweek, Echols criticized the Pentagon’s announced plans to broadcast the December 3 execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens more during the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously indicated that the execution would be public, and a Pentagon official subsequently confirmed plans for a livestream. If carried out, the broadcast would represent the first government livestream of an execution in American history.
Echols told Newsweek that broadcasting the execution would be “detrimental to the mental, emotional and spiritual health of society and civilization.”
His concerns draw on nearly two decades of incarceration following his 1994 conviction for the murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley became known as the West Memphis Three. Their prosecution attracted international attention, particularly because Echols’ interest in Witchcraft, occultism, and alternative spirituality figured prominently in the atmosphere surrounding the case.
The three were released in 2011 after entering Alford pleas, allowing them to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors possessed sufficient evidence to seek convictions. Echols continues to seek exoneration.
During his imprisonment, Echols developed an extensive practice of meditation and ceremonial magic, which he credits with helping him survive death row. He subsequently authored several books on spiritual practice, including High Magick and Angels and Archangels.
Echols told Newsweek that he witnessed incarcerated individuals undergo profound personal transformations, questioning whether executions always serve justice or society.
The proposed broadcast has drawn criticism across political lines, including from relatives of Fort Hood victims who fear the execution could become a public spectacle.
Buckland Museum Celebrates 60 Years of Preserving Witchcraft History and Challenging Stereotypes
The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, marking six decades of preserving Witchcraft history and challenging misconceptions about Pagan spirituality.
Founded in 1966 by Raymond Buckland, who helped introduce Gardnerian Wicca to the United States, the museum began in his Long Island home before undergoing several relocations and changes in ownership. It reopened in Cleveland in 2017 and moved to its current Old Brooklyn location in 2019.
The anniversary coincides with the publication of Keeping the Circle: The Story of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick, a memoir featuring photographs and stories documenting the museum’s history and Buckland’s legacy.
Today, the museum houses an extensive collection of occult artifacts, including ritual objects once owned by Buckland, vintage Ouija boards, and works by contemporary artists.
Museum owner Toni Rotonda, a Wiccan high priestess, and executive director Steven Intermill emphasize that education remains central to the institution’s mission.
Speaking with Signal Cleveland, Intermill explained that visitors arrive from diverse backgrounds, often with limited knowledge of Witchcraft. The museum seeks to counter stereotypes by introducing visitors to the history, beliefs, and practices of modern Wicca.
Rotonda similarly emphasized the importance of meeting practicing Witches and discovering how ordinary their lives can be, challenging sensationalized Hollywood portrayals.
Survey
By David S. Soriano – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125089281
Author Yvonne Aburrow is asking questions about the intersection of AI and Paganism and proposing a new book.
AI is shaping up to have a significant impact on human society and our relationship with Nature, each other, and our humanity.
Following on from their previous call for contributions to an anthology of Pagan, Heathen, polytheist, and animist responses to generative artificial intelligence, Yvonne Aburrow is now conducting an online survey to canvas a broader range of opinion on the subject.
The survey is completely anonymous. Please follow this link: https://forms.gle/U58AykemajoJRvU78
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
If you’ve been thinking about supporting The Wild Hunt, now is the time.
👉 This is how you can help:
As always, our deepest gratitude to everyone who has brought us this far.
Community Announcements
Hekate’s Sickle Festival Returns This November to the Salish Sea for a Three-Day Rite of Devotion, Mystery, and Community
The Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) announces the return of Hekate’s Sickle Festival, a three-day Witch Retreat devoted to Isis, Hekatean practice, sacred arts, and community ritual, to be held November 6-8th at Camp Moran State Park on Orcas Island, Washington.
Set amid evergreen forest and wide water views in the San Juan Islands, Hekate’s Sickle Festival invites practitioners, seekers, and dedicated devotees to step into a concentrated weekend of ritual, teaching, devotional practice, and fellowship. The festival’s programming centers on reverent engagement with Hekate through guided rites, workshops, and community spaces designed to support both newcomers and long-time practitioners.
“While the amenities of the hotel are comfortable, Witches want to be in the wild woods, under the moon, with firelight, and drums,” said Belladonna LaVeau, Archpriestess and CEO of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church. “Hekate’s Sickle is a witch retreat, dedicated to magic, deepening your connection with deity and each other, so we can return to our lives strengthened by shared mystery and sacred work.”
Register now, as space in the camp is limited and spots are filling up fast. The Weekend Registration is all-inclusive; we feed you and give you a bed in the camp cabins for the weekend for only $299.
A Festival Designed for Real Bodies and Real Lives
ATC acknowledges that rustic state-park lodging can be a barrier for some attendees. The park does not have ADA-compliant facilities in the cabins. In response to community feedback, ATC is highlighting nearby off-site lodging options that offer a higher-comfort environment while keeping attendees close to the heart of the event.
- Doe Bay Resort (approximately 12 miles from Camp Moran): https://doebay.com/
- Rosario Resort (approximately 9 miles from Camp Moran): Rosario Resort | 1624 Rosario Road, Eastsound, WA, USA https://www.rosarioresort.com/
Because November is a quieter season in the San Juan Islands, these properties may be open to negotiating rates, and ATC can help coordinate pickup and drop-off between the festival site and either lodging location.
Registration
Registration is open now, and discount tickets are still available for a limited time.
- Register: http://sickle.atcwicca.org
About Aquarian Tabernacle Church
The Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) is a 501(c)(3) religious organization serving a broad Pagan community across the United States, Canada, and South Africa. ATC supports spiritual education, seasonal festivals, devotional practice, and community-building through local branches and online resources.
For The Love of Books
An online day about books for Pagan book lovers
On Saturday, October 17th, Ardantane presents an online program for Pagans who enjoy reading and all things bibliophilic. The program will take place starting at 10:00 am Mountain Time (9 am Pacific, 11 am Central, and 12 noon Eastern). It will wrap up about 4:30 pm Mountain Time.
The day will include short workshops on:
- Meet Seshat, the Egyptian goddess who is Mistress of the House of Books
- Ancient Scribes: Enheduanna, the Sumerian priestess who is the first known author in human history. Listen to a reading of her “Hymn to Inanna.”
- Ancient Praise: a smattering of hymns and praise for the Divine Ones from various ancient texts.
- Manuscript Art and Illumination: the Book of Kells, fun with marginalia, and more
- How to make your own Book of Shadows: Making inks, papermaking, embellishment, illumination process, resources
- Organizing and Caring for Your Library
- Writing and Publishing YOUR Book, with authors Amber K and Azrael
- Freedom to Read: activist tips for fighting book bans
There will be breaks between workshops, and a longer lunch break. Participants can attend the whole program or any portions they wish.
And fun! Enter several drawings for door prizes—mostly books!—which will be mailed to lucky winners after the event.
The program is organized by the Stewards of Seshat, Ardantane’s library committee. Seshat is the ancient Egyptian goddess Who is our library’s patron deity.
To sign up, visit Ardantane. The fee for the whole program is only $15; which goes to Ardantane, a non-profit Pagan school and retreat center based in New Mexico. Registration closes at 5:00 pm Mountain Time on Friday, October 16.
“Bring us Witches with agency. Bring us transformation. Bring us rot and bloom.”
California — Coreopsis Journal has announced an international call for submissions for Spellbound, the first volume of a planned three-book fantasy anthology inspired by The Coven, a series of paintings by Ukrainian fantasy artist Inna Vjuzhanina.
Vjuzhanina, who lives and continues to work in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, created The Coven as part of what organizers describe as her personal spiritual and artistic journey. She is collaborating on the anthology with the team behind Coreopsis Journal. The project is being published by an independent Canadian publisher, with the first volume planned for 2027.
Each of the three proposed volumes will feature nine of Vjuzhanina’s paintings accompanied by original fiction and poetry inspired by the artwork. For Spellbound, writers select one of nine paintings and create a work in which the depicted Witch is essential to the story. The figure may be interpreted broadly—as protagonist, antagonist, deity, familiar, machine, memory, place, or something else entirely—but editors emphasize that the work should not function without the Witch at its center.
Submissions are open to writers worldwide. Fiction of up to 15,000 words and poetry of up to 50 lines will be considered, along with shorter and flash fiction when appropriate to the selected artwork. The project offers a token payment, with organizers hoping to increase compensation through fundraising.
An optional priority-reading process is available for Ukrainian and Ukrainian-diaspora writers and writers currently living in or displaced from war zones.
Editors say they are particularly interested in imaginative, emotionally engaging work featuring Witches with agency and transformation. They will not consider work relying on ethnic stereotypes, pseudo-Slavic caricatures, stock portrayals of Witches as evil hags or seductive villains, graphic sexual content, sexual violence, or gratuitous violence. Writers drawing upon living cultures or traditions outside their own are asked to approach the material with research and care.
Submissions for Spellbound close December 1 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
More information, the nine paintings, and submission instructions are available from the Spellbound project at Worldsmyths. Questions may be directed to publishing@worldsmyths.com.
And they shared some Magical Music to write by …
EarthSpirit Announces Fall schedule
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS — The EarthSpirit Community has shared its calendar of rituals and gatherings for the remainder of 2026, beginning with an Autumnal Equinox Ritual and Sacred Land Walk near EarthSpirit’s home in western Massachusetts.
Twilight Covening, EarthSpirit’s annual intensive spiritual retreat, will take place October 9–12 in the Berkshires. The community will return to Glenwood on October 25 for an Ancestor Ritual and Sacred Land Walk from 1 to 5 p.m., including a ritual walk at 1 p.m. and an Ancestor Ritual at 3 p.m.
EarthSpirit’s Samhain Ritual is scheduled for Friday, October 30, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Williamsburg Grange in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. The community will close its 2026 seasonal ritual calendar with its Yule celebration. Specific details below:
Ancestor Ritual and Sacred Land Walk
October 25, 2026, 1 – 5 pm
at Glenwood, EarthSpirit’s home in western MA
Ritual Walk at 1 pm, Ancestor Ritual at 3 pm
EarthSpirit Samhain Ritual
Friday, October 30, 2026 7:30-9pm
Williamsburg Grange, Main St, Williamsburg, MA
EarthSpirit Seasonal Rituals in Williamsburg:
Yule – December 19
Events and Announcements
Do you have news to share with our community?
Announcements? Festivals? Elevations? Events?
We’ll share it with the community in the
TWH Events Calendar featured on the Front Page.
(Yes, it’s free; we just need your information.)
Let us know at pcn@wildhunt.org
More Events at our new Events Calendar
👉 Don’t forget: supporting The Wild Hunt helps sustain independent Pagan journalism.
As always, our deepest gratitude to everyone who has brought us this far.
Deck: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Tarot Deck and Guidebook written by Casey Gilly, illustrated by Karl James Mountford, and published by Insight Editions.
Card: Knight of Pentacles
The week ahead will likely be defined by responsibility, accountability, and reliability. Whatever the mission, following a tried-and-true methodology is likely the best way forward—even if progress feels slower than you would like. Staying the course, even if it feels as though it is as a snail’s pace, is the way for the week.
Conversely, feeling bored, stagnant, and uninspired are definite signs that a change of scenery is in order. Perfectionism is all well and good and can often motivate us to accomplish great things, but literally no one is perfect all the time. Sometimes we all need to alter our schedules and engage in activity that is both enjoyable and outside of the normal routine. It can work wonders for finding a new balance point and renewed inspiration.
Annabelle. Things Got Weird
SALEM, Mass. — The infamous Annabelle doll, long associated with paranormal investigations and supernatural folklore, is attracting attention in Salem after a Massachusetts woman reported a series of unsettling experiences following her visit to see the supposedly haunted artifact.
According to NBC10 Boston, Kayla Jackson of Saugus described several unusual incidents after visiting Annabelle at the Warren Museum, including a flickering flashlight, an unexpectedly cold room, and a malfunctioning car radio.
The most disturbing incident occurred two days after her visit, when Jackson discovered a dead bird inside her bedroom despite finding no apparent entry point. Jackson said her mother subsequently warned her that a bird entering a home could be interpreted as an ominous sign in Italian folklore.
Jackson shared her experiences on TikTok, where the video attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers. Another visitor subsequently reported unexplained noises in her home after seeing the doll.
Although Jackson acknowledged that she could not establish any connection between the incidents and Annabelle, her father reportedly performed a sage cleansing of the house as a precaution.
The story adds another chapter to Annabelle’s enduring reputation, blending contemporary social media storytelling, traditional omens, and Salem’s thriving Halloween-season fascination with the supernatural.
The Wild Hunt is not responsible for links to external content.
To join a conversation on this post:
Visit our The Wild Hunt subreddit! Point your favorite browser to https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Wild_Hunt_News/, then click “JOIN”. Make sure to click the bell, too, to be notified of new articles posted to our subreddit.