Ivo Dominguez, Jr.
REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware- Well-known teacher, author, ritualist, and leader in the broader magickal community, Ivo Dominguez, Jr., is recovering well after a myocardial infarction about two weeks ago. Ivo has been active in Wicca and the Pagan community since 1978 and has been teaching since 1982. Ivo is a founding member, and a past High Priest, of Keepers of the Holly Chalice, the first coven of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, a Wiccan syncretic tradition that draws inspiration from Astrology, Qabala, the Western Magickal Tradition, and the folk religions of Europe. He is an elder of that tradition.
TWH paused updates on Ivo to maintain privacy for him and his family. Ivo’s husband, Jim Welch, now has been updating TWH and the community. Welch said that Ivo successfully pulled through triple bypass surgery last week. Welch wrote that “the doctor and now the anesthesiologist said he did well a little slow start with the ventricle but all good he said”. Yesterday evening, Welch added that Ivo has been moving about his room. Now with just a few more checks by his medical team, he will likely be ready to go home as early as tomorrow.
Jim and Ivo thanked the community for the healing energy that has been sent during surgery and now recovery, “for their wishes, prayers, candles, incantations, meditations, etc. They all helped him and me get through this time. He will start to respond very soon, so watch out once he starts writing on his site 🙂”
Welch added “For those that don’t know, the first of the Astrology books will be out in a few weeks, Aries Witch. You can pre-order this one and five other ones as they come off the press. ”
TWH wishes Ivo a continued speedy recovery and thanks Jim for his updates during this stressful time.
Nexus logo
TUCSON, Arizona. – In his column this week, Storm Faerywolf lamented the growing loss of Pagan spaced and specifically the metaphysical shops. Storm wrote “Here we would meet others who, like ourselves, chose to seek out philosophies and methodologies often deemed “forbidden” by both mainstream religion and society. In a sea of mostly pedestrian commercial offerings, rendered from sprawling stucco palaces in suburban cultural deserts, the metaphysical shop played a crucial role in offering those of us who did not exactly fit in a place to feel welcomed, be inspired, and even be challenged.”
Andrew Cox of Tucson also had this concern and opened Nexus Occult Books and Oddities specifically to remedy the growing desert described by Storm. Cox’s “1,200-square-foot bookstore houses about 10,000 books ranging from classic horror stories to how-to guides on conjuring the dead.”
But Cox’s main goal is to continue fostering the safe space of the metaphysical shop. “Nexus is a neutral ground for everybody,” Cox said in an interview with Tucson.com. “You can identify as a doorknob and worship unicorns and we’re your store.” He added, “there is nothing to be afraid of because occult means hidden from the eye in Latin…. People automatically associate us with the magic of witchcraft and it is a big part of what we do but we also do paranormal, the extraterrestrial, cryptozoology, conspiracy theories, secret societies, theology and demonology.”
TWH contacted Cox about his interest and motivation for opening a store and building that community safe space. He said “I have been a lifelong collector of books and have been obsessed with the occult from a young age. I got serious about collecting occult books about 20 years ago. I’ve always wanted to open an occult bookstore. I love the idea of sharing this hidden knowledge with people. Nexus is about community.”
He added “We are home to all of those in the shadows, the witch, the magician, the curious. Those that society has deemed weird or “dangerous” because we practice magick and or witchcraft.”
Cox is also planning for growth. He said his store has started to create its own merchandise like pouring its own candles then added “We plan on moving to a bigger building in a couple of years where we will start putting on classes to teach ceremonial magick, different types of witchcraft, astrology, tarot, demonology and more.”
Cox also said that “On August 19th of this year we are putting on a Paracon – Paranormal Convention, at the Fox Theatre in Tucson with Kris Williams from Ghost Hunters as our main event speaker.”
Nexus Occult Books and Oddities is located at 4865 E. Speedway in Tucson, Arizona. Information is found on their website and on Facebook.
Announcements
Angus McMahan – via Gofundme
Jason Mankey created a team fundraiser on behalf of Angus McMahan, a long-time teacher and member of the Pagan Community. The fundraiser notes “If you are a part of the magical community in California you’ve no doubt met and/or interacted with Angus. For nearly twenty years he has been one of the guiding lights of Community Seed, an open Pagan circle in Santa Cruz. Back in the days of PantheaCon Angus was on many people’s “must-see list” presenter lists; once you attended one of his Pagan Humor presentations you were hooked for life. He’s also been at Hexenfest (listen to Angus talk about music, you’ll be glad you did) and Between the Veils and has read Tarot at dozens of places including the Winchester Mystery House and Serpent’s Kiss (bookstore).”Angus now has some dental challenges because of genetics. He mentions one dentist who said, “Well, you did the best you could with what your parents gave you.” But now Angus needs the community’s help for a procedure in Mexico. Please visit the Give Angus a Smile fundraiser for information about Angus and how to offer some support.
The Earth-based Spirituality Action Team (ESBAT) is for anyone who keeps the sacred Earth at the center of their practice. We see action on climate change as an urgent moral imperative. We aim to reach out to our global communities and recruit volunteers for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. We recognize and honor the spiritual nature of climate work.
The monthly meeting of the Earth-based Spirituality Action Team will take place on Monday, June 12th at 8:00 PM Eastern Time (5 PM Pacific) via Zoom. The next month will feature Rev. Debbie Philp, an inter-spiritual minister, a Shamanic Reiki Master Teacher, and a state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator who specializes in injured freshwater turtles. Her ceremonies and teachings are centered on spiritual ecology and reflect her commitment to deep interconnection with the Earth’s wild beings.
You can find out more about Debbie’s non-profit, Dancing Turtle Rescue on their website. You can also locate a nearby wildlife rehabilitator via US – Animal Help Now.
Information about ESBAT is available on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The meeting will be hosted on Zoom and facilitated by a member of our Action Team. Additional information is available on the ESBAT sites above.
Upcoming Events:
- The 31st annual St. Louis Pagan Picnic will be held on Saturday, June 3, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm and Sunday, June 4, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (CDT) in Tower Grove Park. The event is free and family-friendly, featuring a variety of workshops, musical performances, rituals, and vendors. The event also offers a Kid Zone that will include crafting and other activities for children.
- The EarthSpirit Community announced its 45th Annual Rites of Spring with the theme Reaching for Connection: With the land, each other, and all beings of the Earth. Among their presenters are Byron Ballard, Orion Foxwood, Andra Corban Arthen, Bright Hawk, and artist Martin Bridge. The EarthSpirit community writes ” Join us as together we Weave the web of community; Share in ancient traditions and new rituals; Look forward toward what we can create in the world” Information about the event is available on the EarthSpirit website.
- The Atheopagan Society announced Jarod K. Anderson as the keynote speaker at their upcoming Web Weaving Conference, scheduled to take place online on Saturday, June 3 from 10:00 am until 8:00 pm (PDT), and Sunday, June 4 from 10:00:am until 5:15 pm (PDT). Mark Green, from the Atheopagan Society Council, told TWH, “Jarod K. Anderson, the Cryptonaturalist, creates such beautiful and thought-provoking writing about nature that we are completely thrilled he has agreed to be our keynote speaker.” Anderson is an author, poet, and creator of “The CryptoNaturalist Podcast.” On his website, his work is described as, “Ranging from optimistic contemplations of mortality to appreciations of single-celled organisms, Jarod is forever writing love letters to the natural world.” His poetry collections, Field Guide to the Haunted Forest (2020) and Love Notes from the Hollow Tree (2022) reflect his fascination and wonder with the natural world. Anderson also has a forthcoming memoir about chronic depression and reconnecting with nature that will be published in 2024 by Timber Press. The Web Weaving Conference is a weekend Zoom gathering for Atheopagans, that offers a variety of entertainment, community-building, workshops, and socializing opportunities. The conference will feature workshops on diverse topics such as “Sarcastic Tarot;” recovering from religious abuse; LGBTQ+ allyship; and includes a children’s circle. Registration is open and more details, including the conference’s programming schedule, are available on their website.
- Circle Sanctuary announced last week that registration for Pagan Spirit Gathering is now open. The annual event includes a variety of vendors, workshops, music, and rituals.
- Summer Magick Fest has an updated schedule of events for its second year of the event, coming up June 8-11, 2023. Jason Mankey has been added to the list of headliners which also includes Yeshe Matthews of the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple, Stacey Williams-Ng creator of the Southern Gothic Oracle, Coby Michael author of The Poison Path Herbal, and This Old Witch podcasters, Alexander Cabot and Melas Karan. Musical guests include Alexian and S. J. Tucker. Registration is still open and rooms are available in the Doubletree Orlando Airport conference hotel. Information about Summer Magick Fest and registration is available on their website.
- The fifth annual Mystic South Conference (MSC) will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, and will take place on July 14-16, 2023. The conference notes that it is a magickal event with a Southern flair. It is “filled with workshops, educational abstract presentations, rituals, community building, and much more.” Conference registration is now available as it is hotel registration. In addition, the MSC is accepting applications for volunteers who will be offered a discount on registration. Details about volunteer registration are available in the MSC volunteer section. Cherry Hill Seminary (CHS) has also announced it would be holding its Summer Intensive at Mystic South Conference. More details can be found on the CHS website.
- Editorial Note: Several members of the MSC team are writers for The Wild Hunt. They were not involved in this week’s Pagan Community Notes of these mentions.
Positively Noteworthy
If you have ever had the privilege of visiting Japan, you will likely notice impeccably clean streets, spotless public transportation, and even immaculately organized rubbish. There are lots of public trash bins, conscientious citizens maintaining their areas and even their neighbors’, and even tidy garbage pickup and drop-off locations.
When you purchase something at a convenience store, you are often given two bags: one for the merchandise and the other for any waste. It is a simple reminder to be tidy.
Japanese children are taught about the importance of cleanliness from a young age. They are taught to clean up after themselves and to take pride in their surroundings.
Cleanliness is an important part of Japanese culture. It is seen as a sign of respect for oneself, others, and the environment. Cleanliness is an important part of Japanese culture. It is seen as a sign of respect for oneself, others, and the environment.
But that doesn’t mean, Japan is all litter-free.
So in come the Gomi Hiroi Samurai (ゴミ拾い侍; litter-collecting samurai) Tokyo’s crack trash-collecting litter warriors to sort things out. They wield exceptionally long pairs of tongs with crack precision to snatch the last pits of rubbish from the environment and into their straw baskets.
The samurai are part of Hokkaido-based performance group, Issei Ichidai Jidaigumi. They bring a little joy and clean up the environment. Behold their skill!
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Crow’s Magick Tarot, by Londa Marks, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Card: Three (3) of Wands
The week ahead offers ample opportunities for overcoming challenges but will likely require dedication and hard work. There is also an emphasis on strategic thinking and exercising good judgment, especially where business is concerned.
Conversely, maintaining the status quo could result in poor decisions, and is likely to be a reflection of a lack of motivation or ambition.
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.