News

Pagan float leads Christmas parade

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LAKE CITY, Ark. — Whatever challenges might exist for Pagans living in a Bible Belt, members of the Southern Delta Church of Wicca seem to have overcome them in the tiny community of Lake City. Last month, members of this branch of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church led the local Christmas parade with their float, which depicted halls being decked for Yule. That honor arose from the fact that in 2016, their float took first prize for the same event. Terry Riley, high priest of the church, said that they received an invitation to participate a year ago this past December, and readily agreed.

Amanda the Conqueror

Pagan Voices: New Year’s Edition, 2018

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Pagan Voices is a spotlight on recent quotations from figures within the Pagan community. These voices may appear in the burgeoning Pagan media or a mainstream outlet, but all showcase our wisdom, thought processes, and evolution in the public eye. Is there a Pagan voice or artist you’d like to see highlighted? Contact us with a link to the story, post, audio, or image. In this special edition, we focus on bloggers who are discussing the significance of starting a new year on the standard calendar.

Living

A very Pagan Christmas

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TWH –There is now an annual tradition of pointing out Pagan elements in Christmas traditions on the internet. Depending on who’s doing the posting, the tone is either accusatory (look at all those terrible Pagan elements in Christmas!) or jubilant (see, I told you Christmas was Pagan first!). In one group in particular, those online arguments are met with bemusement: Christian Pagans. Perhaps only Jews for Jesus generates more confusion than Christian Pagans. To many Christians, the idea flies in the face of the belief that Jesus is the only god.

News

Pipeline opponents in Virginia cast circle around state capitol

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RICHMOND, Va. — Standing Rock and the Keystone XL pipeline have attracted most of the media attention in recent months, but there are many pipelines proposed or being built in the United States, some through sensitive wilderness areas. In Virginia, Pagans have been standing shoulder to shoulder with Native Americans and local landowners in their effort to stop the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coastline pipelines. These pipelines “have become more urgent in northwest Virginia, where fracking wouldn’t be financially worthwhile,” according to Maya Sparks, an activist who has been involved in the recent efforts primarily by providing communications and esoteric support. “Pipelines do transport fracked gas, and that’s what they want in Virginia.”

News

Pagan artist trading cards mix magic and devotion

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TWH –Artist trading cards appear to be a good fit for many Pagan and polytheist communities, because they are intended to celebrate art for its own sake, free of critiques and commercial motivations. There have been a number of efforts to popularize what initiator M. Vänçi Stirnemann calls “a collaborative cultural performance” among Pagans and polytheists, but the idea does not yet appear to have caught fire in the collective imagination of these communities. Sometimes abbreviated ATCs, artist trading cards are miniature works created in the dimension of other trading or collectible cards, because they’re intended to be swapped rather than sold. Since Stirnemann launched the project with an exhibition in April 1997, regular trading sessions have occurred monthly in Zurich and Calgary. In addition to those and other trading sessions, artists swap them when they meet, and also through the mail.