Let’s start on a positive note again, Gruß vom Krampus!
We’ll still be celebrating despite what’s happening in some places because kids do deserve better.
On to the news…
PARKERSBURG, West Virginia – Appalachian Pagan Ministry (APM) is a pan-Pagan organization dedicated to fostering an engaged, passionate, and spiritually fulfilled community encompassing individuals from diverse backgrounds and faiths. Founded in April 2015 by Rev. Donna Donovan, APM emphasizes service and education by example, demonstrating that Pagans of various beliefs can collaborate to benefit the broader community. APM has been active in recovery and reentry communities, collaborating with coalitions in Ohio and West Virginia. They facilitate a recovery step program tailored for Heathen paths, known as the Heilvegr—a Nine-Step Recovery program designed for Heathens dealing with addiction, depression, or PTSD.
APM was to participate in the 2024 Parkersburg Christmas Parade, which is set for 2 p.m. on December 7 along Market Street in downtown Parkersburg. This year’s theme is apparently, The Spirit of Christmas.
APM informed the community yesterday afternoon that they had been denied entry into the parade. The Wild Hunt received the following from APM:
Appalachian Pagan Ministry (APM), a pan-pagan nonprofit organization serving Pagan and Earth-centered spiritual communities across the nation, is deeply disappointed to announce that it has been denied the opportunity to participate in the Parkersburg Christmas Parade on the basis of its religious identity. This decision, only 3 days before parade and after much expense, which we view as clear religious discrimination, contradicts the spirit of inclusivity and community that the holiday season represents.
After applying to have a float in the annual parade, APM was informed by organizers that our participation was not welcome because of our Pagan identity. This exclusion sends a troubling message to the broader community — that religious diversity is not respected or valued in an event meant to celebrate unity, goodwill, and the joy of the holiday season.
“We had hoped to celebrate the season alongside our neighbors by sharing a message of peace, love, and light — values that align with our spiritual beliefs and the broader ideals of the holidays,” said Donna Donovan, a representative of Appalachian Pagan Ministry. “Instead, we have been met with prejudice, and our community has been told that we are not welcome simply because of our faith.”
APM serves as a vital support network for Pagan individuals, offering outreach, education, and resources to help build bridges of understanding among diverse spiritual traditions. By denying APM’s participation, parade organizers have not only silenced a minority voice but also failed to uphold the inclusive values of religious freedom and mutual respect enshrined in our nation’s principles.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and the right to participate in public events without discrimination. Excluding APM from the Parkersburg Christmas Parade undermines these rights and sets a harmful precedent for the exclusion of other minority faiths.
We call on the Parkersburg WV community and parade organizers to reconsider their stance and take meaningful steps toward fostering inclusivity and mutual respect. Appalachian Pagan Ministry remains open to dialogue and hopes this incident will spark necessary conversations about equality and acceptance within our community.
Erica Sage forwarded a public letter to Mayo Tom Joyce, ” The reasoning provided for this denial—that Appalachian Pagan Ministry serves individuals of diverse beliefs, including Satanists—is both appalling and legally indefensible. The United States Constitution, specifically the First Amendment, guarantees freedom of religion and prohibits government entities from discriminating against any group based on their religious practices or beliefs. By excluding Appalachian Pagan Ministry from a public event that is open to other community organizations, your administration is demonstrating a shameful disregard for these fundamental rights.”
Sage added ” It is important to note that public events funded by taxpayer dollars must remain inclusive and impartial… For your administration to dismiss their participation based on religious bias is to betray the very essence of what the Christmas parade should represent.”
The application for Chrismas Parade participation makes no mention of specific themes.
TWH contacted Tom Joyce of the City of Parkersburg. We had not heard back from Mayor Joyce at the time of publication. TWH will update the community when new information is available
The heavily deteriorated inscription beneath the figures of the pediment. [Photo Credit: Ingeborg Simon. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The monument’s inscription, weathered and damaged by centuries of natural erosion, looting, and vandalism, has been a subject of scholarly debate since its discovery in 1884 by William Ramsay. Early attempts to decipher the text were inconclusive, with researchers identifying scattered letters but unable to reconstruct a coherent message. A significant breakthrough came in April 2024, when detailed photography under favorable lighting conditions—particularly on the morning of April 25—revealed previously hidden details. By comparing these photographs with 19th-century records, researcher Munn confirmed the presence of the word “Materan” along with additional characters typical of Phrygian inscriptions.
“Lighting is crucial when capturing details of weathered inscriptions,” Munn explained in his study. His work built on earlier interpretations by scholars such as Alfred Körte, who had tentatively identified “Materan” in the late 19th century but lacked definitive evidence.
Munn dates the monument’s creation to the first half or middle of the 6th century BCE, aligning it with the height of the Lydian Empire, which likely controlled the region during that period. The artistic and architectural elements—such as the depiction of lions flanking Materan and sphinxes—symbolize protection and power, central themes in Phrygian cosmology. These elements, combined with stylistic details like tall, angular letters and geometric designs, reflect the cultural and religious influence of Lydia on Phrygia.
The inscription likely formed part of a dedication, possibly identifying the monument’s commissioner or invoking Materan’s protection. Such dedications were common in ancient cultures, often serving to legitimize political authority. As Munn noted, “The deity known as “Materan” was likely invoked to reinforce Lydian political dominance and their relationship with the Phrygian people.”
While Munn’s findings clarify much about the inscription, some critics have noted that the message as known. Rostyslav Oreshko, a lecturer at Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in France, pointed out that the reading of “Materan” was first proposed in the 19th century. “Munn’s article in Kadmos does not present a revolutionary interpretation; rather, it confirms and refines earlier hypotheses,” Oreshko told Live Science.
Nonetheless, Munn’s research resolves longstanding uncertainties, providing vital evidence about the monument’s historical and cultural significance.
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The Spring Mysteries Festival announced its cast this week. The Festival wrote that its Early Bird Ends at the end of December and that they are taking 300 initiates this year.
More information about Spring Mysteries is available on their event site. Here’s the cast:
Events and Happenings
14th Annual PARADE OF SPIRITS – OFFICIAL
(DER GEISCHDERSCHTRUTZ)
Liberty Lands Park
913 N. 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Gather from 3:30-4:00 PM
Parade kicks off at sunset (4:36 PM)
PARTICIPATORY PARADE: The Parade of Spirits is a family-friendly, grassroots, community-led event rooted originally in Alpine Germanic and Pennsylvania Dutch traditions, but we encourage participants to share expressions from all cultures and backgrounds. Participants are to dress up in costumes reflecting the shady, shadowy, or downright dark-side characters from lore around the world.
Costumes may be as simple as donning ghoulish makeup to appear as a spirit on the Wild Hunt to as elaborate as a full-on Krampus costume. Hand-made or hand-assembled costuming is preferred, though commercial Krampus costumes are welcomed. BRING NOISEMAKERS! This is most certainly not a quiet event!
Assemble in Liberty Lands Park (913 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA) anytime after 15:30/3:30 PM. Opening remarks begin just prior to sunset, and the Parade steps onto the streets just after sunset (16:36/4:36 PM).
ENTERTAINMENT:
Before and during the Parade, come hear the evocative harmonies of Philadelphia’s own Sing Slavic Choir!
After the Parade has finished its route, please join us in the park for entertainment provided by Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow (also from Philadelphia! See link below).
More information is available here:
- About the 2024 Parade
- Parade “Rules” and Expectations
- Sing Slavic Choir
- Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow
Yuletide Sock Drive:
Donations are passed out via direct handouts to communities in need or to shelters throughout the area. Please donate new, unworn socks and/or underwear for any size or age! Donations are via direct handouts to communities in need or to shelters throughout the area.
Public registration has now opened for Loki’s Wyrdlings LokiFest! This free online festival takes place December 9th-December 13th each year and features a mix of interactive community events and talks by activists, authors, and magical practitioners.
This year’s schedule includes talks on Spirit Marriage, Asexuality, Combating White Supremacy, and Pre-Abrahamic Gender Theology, as well as workshops on magic, tricksters, and revolutionary energy from practitioners of the Roman and Vodou traditions.
Attendance is free, but limited by the number of participants the Zoom servers can accommodate. Use this link to reserve your spot. For those in Europe and nocturnal folks on other continents, a day of programming oriented around European Time Zones is scheduled for 12/11, and registration for this session can be found here. Attendees on all other continents will probably find the main sessions which are scheduled for evening time zones in the Americas and morning time zones in Asia and Oceania more suited to their schedules.
Monday will open with a ritual to move participants into sacred space and Loki’s Wyrdlings community updates, followed by a talk on Loki’s possible role as Lodr the life-giver from the Norse creation story and an interactive bardic circle hosted by Erin Lale.
Tuesday opens with a series of short workshops on magical and divination techniques, as well as a talk by Dr. Avnas Marsh about Loki as a source of support during cancer treatment. The evening will conclude with a talk by Dr. Megan Rose, author of “Spirit Marriage” and a panel on Asexuality Within Loki Worship discussing the experiences of asexual Lokeans with various human and divine relationship styles including celibacy, polyamory, godspousing, and monogamy.
Wednesday will feature a workshop on Runewyrd by Ky Greene, a guided meditation with Arielle Lokadottir, and two hours of channeled divination readings with priest Tobias Lokasson.
Thursday opens with a class on Pre-Abrahamic Gender Theology with Catherine Carr, author of “World Soul: Healing Ourselves and the Earth with Pagan Theology.” The class will focus on the number of pre-Abrahamic cultures which recognized gender transition and three or more genders, and the frequently sacred roles which have been assigned to trans and nonbinary people historically.
This will be followed by “Combating White Supremacy” with Reverend Ethan Stark, who has spoken on the same topic at the Parliament of World Religions, and an evening dedicated to classes on animistic spirit work and techno magic.
On Friday, magical practitioners will bring the energy of revolution for the holiday season, with Damian Han of Solis Illuminatum hosting a class on using the revolutionary energy of Saturn for binding magic and Mambo Jae Marie hosting a class on Navigating Trickster Energy with Self-Care.
The festival will conclude with a class on Accommodations in Spiritual Practice with an eye for disability by Si Titran and a closing ritual to close the magical container in which the festival is held.
The Loki’s Wyrdlings community looks forward to welcoming attendees from around the world to this third annual Lokifest, and is eagerly anticipating the conversations that will occur throughout this week of global camaraderie.
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Christina Ricci’s Cat Full of Spiders Tarot Deck and Guidebook written by Minerva Siegel, illustrated by Felipe Flores, and published by Insight Editions.
Card: Four (4) of Cups
This week there is likely the energy of being overwhelmed, and even feeling pushed to make hasty decisions. There may also be pressure from those in positions of authority or influence. The key for the week is take time to weigh all the factors before making any decisions.
Conversely, the week may bring disappointment and even feeling disillusioned by recent outcomes or individuals who did not deliver as promised. While the temptation to completely give up may be pervasive, take time to grieve and find a new balance point. Examining past miscalculations can help to provide options for new paths moving forward.
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