The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/catholicism)
As warnings about AI “necromancy” circulate in Catholic discourse, Pagans once again appear as the unspoken cautionary tale. But the real ethical concern may not be communicating with the dead, but consent, authority, and imitation.
Luke Babb reviews the new Benoit Blanc film and discovers that, in the midst of a murder mystery steeped in Catholic imagery, there is a lot to consider about the role of clergy in modern Paganism.
Meg Elison reviews 2009’s animated film The Secret of Kells, which draws inspiration from the recently-digitized Book of Kells, a fabulously illuminated edition of the gospels. But while the film is set at a Christian monastery, it is full of encounters with Paganism, and these encounters are what will draw viewers back to the film again and again.
“Pagan nonsense, celebrating the feast of Lughnasadh. This is the month of August. The feast of our lady’s assumption into heaven.” Meg Elison returns with a review of the 1998 Irish-American film “Dancing at Lughnasa,” which juxtaposes Catholic misery and Pagan joy.
Although I never felt confused about my identity as a multicultural Witch, I started to wonder if the language I used would make a difference. I didn’t think the spirits and energies I worked with would care about it, but I do. Language is part of who I am, what I say, the feelings I experience, and there are words that are not completely translated from one to the other.