Paganism

Toronto set to host 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions

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TORONTO – The organizing committee for the Parliament of the World’s Religions held a press conference at Toronto city hall Tuesday, and made the announcement that the 2018 gathering will be held at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Nov. 1-7, 2018. The seven-day event is expected to draw more than 10,000 people, and offer more than 500 programs, workshops, and dialogues. In addition to this, there will be exhibitions of dance, photography, music, art, and various related events presented by representatives of religious communities and cultural institutions from around the world. Toronto is the largest city in Canada, and the seventh largest in North America.

Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: March in Portland, DRUID app, Parliament of the World’s Religions and more

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PORTLAND, Ore. — With protests continuing over the weekend, members of Solar Cross Temple participated in Saturday’s march for justice. As noted by author, activist, and Solar Cross member T. Thorn Coyle, “The march theme was ‘Advancing Justice and Equality for All Through the Strength to Love, and it was sponsored by the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform” and co-sponsored by other groups such as the Portland NAACP, the Muslim Educational Trust, and Portland Copwatch. Solar Cross was joined by other Pagan individuals and organizations including Reclaiming, Feri Tradition, and the Brothers of the Unnamed Path. Coyle said, “This was only one of five events happening in Portland that day.

Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: EarthSpirit Community, Katharine A. Luck, Exodus 22:18 and more!

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GLENWOOD, Mass. — EarthSpirit Community announced that co-director Andras Corban-Arthen and member Donovan Arthen have traveled to North Dakota in an effort to help the protesters at Standing Rock camps. According to a press release, EarthSpirit “sent its delegation in response to a call to religious leaders from Chief Arvol Looking Horse.” While at the camps, the delegation “met with some of the organizers of the camps and [performed a] ceremony with some of the indigenous Elders.” Additionally, they carried EarthSpirit’s own statement of support as well as documents of support from the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the European Congress of Ethnic Religions.

Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: Fortune Telling Ban, Pensacola Invocation, Emerald Rose and more!

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PARKERSBURG, W.Va.- The city council has “voted to uphold a ban on fortune-telling this week, despite a formal request from a local entrepreneur to do away with the decades-old law,” as reported by Riverside City News. In June we published the story of Heather Cooper, who had opened up a local shop called Hawthorn. Her intent was to offer Tarot readings as well as a place for local artists to display their work. However, she was denied a business license due to an old fortune-telling law, and she pledged to fight to have it removed. After her first attempt, it was announced that the Council opted to keep the law, with a vote of 5-3.

News

New Pagan survey takes a different approach

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TROMSØ, No. –American researcher James R. Lewis, a professor of religious studies at the University of Tromsø, has decided it’s time to take the pulse of Pagan communities once again. Since before the advent of the internet, there have been several such surveys, each with its own specific area of focus. While the new Pagan III survey has some questions that have caused some participants to scratch their heads, other academics are largely supportive of any effort to more accurately describe the dynamics within Pagan communities. Lewis’ work reaches back specifically to a census survey conceived by Andras Corban-Arthen in the 1980s.