Culture

Column: the Hope of Being “Queer”

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Pagan Perspectives

“If that’s being queer, then we could do with a bit more queerness in these parts.”
― J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

In the alphabet soup of inclusion that has become the LGBTTQQIAAP movement – or LGBT+, for short – a common criticism is that the (constantly evolving) term is ugly and difficult to remember. What we have gained in terms of inclusion and numbers, we have lost in terms of a feeling of solidarity and community. Besides being difficult to remember (I’m sorry, I can never remember all the letters, and what order is preferred again?), the long initialism lacks a sense of poetry or cohesion, and therefore – magically speaking — it’s a poor thing indeed. This leaves us with a movement with no name, and as appealing that may be to some, it just doesn’t sit well with my Witch’s magical mind. To this, I feel there has been a poetic, if somewhat jarring, answer to this criticism that deserves another serious look: that is, the word “queer.”

Many people within the LGBT+ movement are understandably uncomfortable with the word “queer,” as it has been used as a slur against our people for generations.

Living

Column: the Naming of Things

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Pagan Perspectives

[This column comes to us from our newest columnist, Luke Babb. Luke is a storyteller and eclectic polytheist who primarily works with the Norse and Hellenic pantheons. They live in Chicago with their wife and a small jungle of houseplants, where they are studying magic and community building – sometimes even on purpose.]
1. I am applying for my first membership in a magical order. It’s a strange, charged feeling.

Living

Column: a Pilgrim Before Lincoln

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Pagan Perspectives

It strikes me that I ought not to be making this walk upright. Pilgrims on their journey to see the Shroud of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City are known for crawling on their hands and knees as they approach the basilica where the Shroud is kept; my father told me that when he visited, he saw a line of prostrated devotees starting miles from the church. There are no such pilgrims here, but it seems that there could be. The stones upon which I walk are perhaps among the most sanctified in the secular religion of American civic life; certainly no single mile of soil in the United States has been more consciously constructed as a pilgrim’s road. I had not intended to make any sort of pilgrimage today.

Living

Column: Pagan Pride Day – A Good Place to Find a Mentor

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Pagan Perspectives

September lies in the heart of Pagan Pride season, where communities large and small come together to celebrate all that it means to be Pagan. On Pagan Pride Day in many places, one of the public components is the act of giving back, such as hosting a food drive for the homeless. Many Pagan Pride Day celebrations are held in parks, as one requirement of these events is that the festival be held in a public venue. At these times, those who have little to no knowledge of Paganism can find the best of any local community in one place during one day. Whether through the variety of rituals, music, vendors, or religious organizations on display, a local person who might have an interest in Paganism can seek and find answers to questions.  For those who already consider the Pagan community home in some sense or another, Pagan Pride events are also the perfect places to find role models or mentors.

Culture

Column: “In Venezuela, Witchcraft is everywhere”

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Pagan Perspectives

[Today’s column is our first from our new international columnist, Alan D.D. Alan’s column will cover Paganism in Venezuela. In addition to writing for The Wild Hunt, Alan is a journalist, blogger, and novelist. We’re thrilled to have him aboard, and we hope you will be too.]

Thinking of the relationship between Venezuela and Witchcraft could be complication. Before I met L.J. Tang, I supposed there were no names I could consider when searching for a reference in the Venezeulan national context. Tang, however, who has a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a speciality in etiquette and protocol, dedicates most of his time to the Craft through the courses he teaches and the articles he writes about the occult.

When asked what made him start studying Witchcraft, Tang first specifies that he sees a difference between being a magician and being a Witch: “You can be a ceremonial magician without being a Witch, but my Witchcraft tradition contains a strong influence of ceremonial magic.”