The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/category/news/asia)
In this week’s Pagan Community Notes, congratulations to Cherry Hill Seminary graduates! A rising Black Moon is ahead just before the new solar year. And speaking of which, blessings of Janus! We look at some New Year’s Day traditions around the world. After all, in our opinion, nothing brings in the new year better than a little Witchcraft!
The Chinese Internet Security Department (CISD) announced detaining an “Internet celebrity” for practicing witchcraft, marking possibly the first prosecution under China’s revised penal code against “cults.”
Tajikistan has expanded penalties for witchcraft practices, including hefty fines and potential imprisonment, reflecting the country’s strict control over religious and societal norms.
Although my trip companions think that the driving in Delhi, Dharamsala, and Agra is horrible, and that I’m crazy for even considering driving here, my heart salivates over the opportunity. I think of you and wonder whether you’d be up to renting scooters in Dharamsala or Delhi and taking a turn or two.
China’s burial policy requiring mandatory cremation sparked protests in one city, where some see it as an attack on ancestor veneration and traditional folk religion.
Today’s dispatch comes from J.D. Harlock, who introduces us to a form of Naturalistic Paganism based in the history and landscape of Lebanon. “Embracing Naturalistic Paganism fosters a sense of kinship and purpose among all Lebanese, regardless of their background, allowing for communal healing with a peaceful but powerful resistance against the forces that wish Lebanon to be fragmented.”
