CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. – Author Salman Rushdie was brutally attacked on Friday by a man brandishing a knife as Rushdie was being introduced to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution. Rushdie, who has penned a number of novels, is perhaps best known for his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses (1988) and the anger its publication unleashed from fundamentalist Muslims who saw the book as blasphemy.
In 1989 ayatollah, Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran at the time, issued a fatwa, (a point of Islamic or Sharia law), that called for Rushdie’s assassination. Threats on Rushdie’s life by extremists became so numerous that he was forced to go into hiding.
The Satanic Verses title references the Quranic “Satanic Verses” which are defined as words of “satanic suggestion” and in which the Islamic prophet, Muhammad is alleged to have mistaken for divine revelation. The religious verses praise the three pre-Islamic Pagan goddesses: Allāt, who exact attributes are unclear, Al-Uzza, thought to have been a fertility goddess and Manāt, a goddess of destiny. All three had connections to the city of Mecca where they were worshipped prior to the arrival and practice of Islam.
Concern among those who support free speech and freedom of religion have expressed concern over the attack on Rushdie, as well as the international ripples generated. Iran while denying any involvement or connection to the attack on Rushdie, instead blamed Rushdie himself and his supporters.
Rushdie appears to be improving and was taken off a ventilator on Saturday and while expected to recover from the attack, is likely to have permanent nerve damage and likely vision in one eye where he was stabbed.
His son issued the following statement yesterday:
A family statement… @SalmanRushdie #SalmanRushdie pic.twitter.com/tMrAkoqliq
— Zafar Rushdie (@ZafRushdie) August 14, 2022
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Statue of Diana at Nemi Ships Museum. [Photo Credit: S. Ciotti
TWH – The three-day festival of Nemoralia (August 13-15) that celebrates honors the goddess Diana runs through today. Also known as the Festival of Torches since worshippers and revelers bearing torches and candles would line the banks of Lake Nemi, which is also known as Diana’s Mirror.
Ritual practices in preparation for honoring Diana included the washing of one’s hair and then adorning it with crowns of flowers. Historically, dogs and hounds were similarly adorned with flowers. All those wearing garlands of flowers were considered to be under the protection of Diana. The hunting or killing of any beast was also forbidden on Nemoralia.
A variety of customs existed when it comes to offerings which ranged from fruits like apples to small baked clay figurines or those made of bread, and requests for healing often incorporated clay. Offerings of garlic are made to the Goddess of the Dark Moon, Hecate, during the festival.
All of Diana’s many aspects are celebrated during Nemoralia: Lady of the Wilds, Mistress of the Beasts, Goddess of the Moon, Guardian of the Oak, Friend of the Nymph, Grand Midwife, and the Protector of Maidens.
The Town of Nemi, Italy has begun a new series commemorating the Ides of Diana and Nemoralia. The event is a re-enactment of the ancient festival dedicated to Diana Nemorense with exhibitions, seminars, conferences, shows, music, and guided tours of the “Holy Woods” surrounding the town. Here are a few images from this weekend’s festivities.
In other news:
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- On July 30 in Pennsylvania, a woman allegedly set a car on fire using pages from the Wicca Book of Spells. Kristy Lynn Malzi, 47, of Hollsopple, Pennsylvania was charged with one count of reckless burning, two counts of terroristic threats, and one count of simple assault according to court records. Several media outlets reported that witnesses said Malzi “was believed to be practicing witchcraft” which seemed to overshadow the seriousness of the crime in media reports. Malzi threatened and then pointed a shotgun at a man with whom she had previously had a relationship. According to reports, the gun was in the man’s office at B K’s Klassics and Malzi grabbed it and pointed it at his head. Employees intervened and succeeded in removing her from the building. A short time after Malzi was ejected from the building, employees noticed a car on the lot of the business was on fire. After the fire was extinguished, partially burned pages from the Wicca Book of Spells were found inside the vehicle. It is unknown whether Malzi actually is a magical practitioner or follows the Wiccan religion. On August 4, Malzi’s mother, Sheri Moore, had reported her as missing from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Somerset. and had reached out to the community in helping her locate Malzi, who had left the facility wearing only hospital clothing. She was later located and appeared at her arraignment on August 8. Her next court date is scheduled for August 17.
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- A recent scientific discovery may have proven what legend has claimed about the origin of the wild ponies on Assateague Island. The barrier island spans the borders of Maryland and Virginia and is home to herds of small feral horses. For years local legend said that the horses’ presence on the island was a result of a shipwreck and the domestic horses on board escaped and swam to the island. Now, Nicholas Delsol, an archaeologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History has made a connection to a DNA sample from what was misidentified as a fossilized cow tooth and the horses of Assateague. The tooth originally came from an archaeological site in Haiti, which was occupied and colonized by the Spanish. Horses prior to the arrival of Europeans were not present in the Americas. Delsol pointed out the importance of studying animal remains and bones when it comes to understanding culture, “We’re studying animal bones, but we were also using the study of animal bones to document human behavior in the past in human cultures, being convinced that it will help us also better understand the role played by horses and potentially other animals in the colonial Spanish society.”
Friday, the last super moon of the year was observed around the globe. The August full moon coincided with the peak of the Perseid Meteor show. Unfortunately, this made viewing the meteors entering the earth’s atmosphere far more challenging to view.
August’s full moon is called by many different names depending on the region. Various Native American tribes are named in connection to their relation to the various crops that become ready to be harvested – Black Cherry Moon (Assiniboine), the Corn Moon (Ojibwe), and the Harvest Moon (Dakota). To the Cree, it is the Flying Up Moon since many fledglings leave the nest and finally begin flying. It is also the Mountain Shadows Moon to the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest.
But the name that seems to have to have found its way into common usage the most is that of the Sturgeon Moon. This name has its roots in the Great Lake region where August was the month when the giant lake sturgeons were most plentiful and more easily caught. Sadly, lake sturgeon are listed as threatened or endangered in many states and efforts at conservation and restoration have met with limited success.
Tarot of the week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Tarot of a Moon Garden, paintings by Karen Marie Sweikhardt and text by Laura E. Clarson, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.Card: Major arcana, XVI (16) The Tower
The week ahead is likely to offer a series of sudden and unexpected events that have the potential to rattle things both personally and collectively to their core. Major shifts in ideology, relationships, and practices are not just possible but probable.
Conversely, the ability to break free from oppressive, unsatisfactory, or unhappy patterns is undermined by ineffective or inadequate actions.
Decks generously provided by Asheville Pagan Supply.
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