News

A Tale of Two Markets

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Back in June, policy changes at Etsy left many metaphysical vendors either unable to sell their services, or having to do so using disclaimers that they felt undermined the value of their work. Today, we highlight what’s been going on with two sites that were launched to fill a need created by the Etsy policy decision: The Pagan Market and Amaranth Marketplace. Musician and web developer Blake Carpenter launched The Pagan Market: A Community of Shops Offering Magickal Supplies soon after he heard the hue and cry from Pagans who found their online businesses threatened by the new Etsy rules. Carptenter put up the site in very short order, as web development goes. It went live in June, the same month that the Etsy shop closures were first reported.

News

Denton CUUPS Cancels Yule Ritual Due to Arson

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DENTON, Texas — A series of fires were set in the Denton Unitarian Universalist church last Wednesday morning, and the damage was significant enough that the congregation will be holding most of its services elsewhere at least until January. The Yule ritual hosted by members of the Denton CUUPS chapter was an outright casualty, as members determined it would be too difficult to use another venue on such short notice. Police quickly apprehended a 14-year-old boy who is believed to have set the fires that caused an estimated $20,000 worth of damage. At this time, the suspect is not believed to have been motivated by hate. The fires were set sometime between 7:30 and 9:30 in the morning, and were discovered by Rev. Pam Wat when she and her husband were checking on the building.

News

“Mummers Tale” Puts Pagan Twist on “A Christmas Carol”

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CHICAGO, Ill. –Theatergoers who live close to the Windy City will have a special treat this year from the troupe Terra Mysterium in the form of “A Midwinter Mummers Tale.”  The play is being described as “an original folk adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic A Christmas Carol.” Those who are familiar with the classic story of redemption for Ebenezer Scrooge will no doubt find the theme familiar, but this is really an entirely new play. It draws upon spirits and gods in a way that might be more familiar to the modern Pagan than the average consumer of winter holiday entertainment.

News

Nottingham Pagans Rally to Feed Refugees

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NOTTINGHAM, England –Members of the Nottingham Pagan Network organized an ongoing food drive to the feed refugees who have made it as far as England and any others in need in this storied city. The donations have been given to the food bank run by Himmah, described on its web site as “the first Muslim food bank in the U.K.” It’s interfaith cooperation which made the effort possible, according to Sarah Kay, spokesperson for the Nottingham Pagan Network. “NPN joined Nottingham Interfaith Council in 2014, and we were invited onto the committee to represent Pagans,” she explained.  “We’re finding that many parts of mainstream society are becoming more aware of Paganism and want to see it represented properly and sensibly alongside the other faiths, especially in a city like Nottingham where Paganism’s profile has become more visible thanks to things like the Pagan Pride festival,” she said. “We think the basic concepts of interfaith are already active in the Pagan community since, as Pagans of diverse and sometimes contradictory religious faiths and practices, we are used to coming together with people of a different religious and spiritual outlook.”

News

Interfaith Group Wrestles With Public Prayer, Hate

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SHELBY, N.C — When the Foothills Interfaith Assembly (FIA) was created earlier this year, it was inspired by concerns over public prayer policy in its local region. However, this was never supposed to be an issue that the group focused on. Nevertheless, the assembly has played a public part in shaping a recent prayer policy debate, which has made clear that religious political tensions are alive and well in the foothills region of North Carolina. A strong sentiment against Islam is evident, and Pagan members of the assembly are equally concerned about discriminatory policies and behavior. The latest salvo came when the Cleveland County School Board replaced a moment of silence with public prayer at its meetings. North Carolina Piedmont Church of Wicca’s Tony Brown told The Wild Hunt that the school board was reacting to “a lot of pressure from Christian groups in the community to do so.