A medieval gold ring set with a deep blue stone has been unearthed in Norway’s oldest town, revealing not only exquisite craftsmanship but long-held beliefs in sapphire’s power to heal illness, cool “inner heat,” and guard the soul.
Arts & Culture
Classics of Pagan Cinema: Agora
|
“We have no record from Hypatia about the circumstances of her life,” writes Meg Elison in her review of the 2009 film about the ancient Roman philosoher. “Letters written to her by men are preserved; none of her letters to them remain.”
Culture
Pagan Community Notes: Week of February 12, 2026
|
In this week’s Pagan Community Notes, an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon sword has been uncovered in England, offering a glimpse into early medieval power and ancestral memory. Meanwhile, the calendar stirs. It might be Lupercalia — yes, who let the dogs out? It’s certainly St. Valentine’s Day, and possibly Dísablót. Late winter carries more than one story. Star shares her Tarot of the Week, offering insight as we navigate these shifting seasonal currents. Spirit Northwest Conference enters its second year, continuing to build sacred community in the Pacific Northwest. Over at Spelling the Heka-Tea, Marcus and Evanne may be simmering some love into their latest episode. And while you’re listening and learning about the amazing work happening across our community, don’t forget to check in with the Desperate House Witches. There’s a lot happening — and we’re here for all of it.
Arts & Culture
Review: I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness
|
“If you’re drawn to folkloric density, ancestral memory, visceral horror that rejects comfort, or animist logic where houses and bodies blur,” writes Cosette Paneque in her review of Irene Solà’s novel, “this has power. But know what you’re walking into.”
Arts & Culture
Researchers Say Hidden Detail in Boleyn Portrait Rebuts Witchcraft Accusations
|
New analysis of a famous Anne Boleyn portrait suggests it was deliberately altered to counter witchcraft slander, revealing how art, politics, and gendered attacks shaped the posthumous image of Henry VIII’s ill-fated queen history.
Culture
ICE and the High One
|
Karl E.H. Seigfried looks at the last month’s escalating resistance to ICE and CBP’s Operation Metro Blitz in Minneapolis and calls on Heathens to embrace the Hávamál’s call to give evil no peace.





