awen

Department of Defense adds Heathen and Pagan religions to recognized faith groups

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UNITED STATES – The Department of Defense (DoD) has added several Heathen and Pagans religions to its recognized faith groups list after a multi-year effort by Heathen and Pagan religious organizations and individuals. The DoD added or updated just under 100 religions to its document: Faith and Belief Codes for Reporting Personnel Data of Service Members. Being listed on this document allows Pagan and Heathen military members to accurately communicate their religious preference, rather than being designated “Other,” and grants them associated benefits and protections.  

Four of the religions added to the document include Heathenry, Asatru, Seax Wicca, and Druidry. The Army had already recognized The Troth, while the Air Force had already recognized Heathenry and Asatru.

News

Holbrook pleads no contest, citing legal cost

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GASTON, N.C. –Druid Daniel Scott Holbrook pleaded no contest Apr. 4 to dissemination of obscenities, accepting a suspended sentence as well as six months of probation. While Holbrook’s claims of innocence ring true for some members of his community, others are withdrawing contact in the wake of what is functionally similar to pleading guilty. Holbrook, who has maintained all along that the images were downloaded unintentionally, agreed along with his wife and a family friend to speak about what happened over that July 4th weekend. He also wrote about what happened in a recent blog post, in which he recounted how he and his wife were entertaining an old friend from out of town and decided to download a movie using a peer-to-peer BitTorrent client.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Path of Paganism by John Beckett

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The Path of Paganism: An Experience-Based Guide to Modern Pagan Practice by John Beckett. Published by Llewellyn Publications (336 pages). Walking a Pagan path will always have its challenges and whatever stage of the path we are on, a guide who give us pause for reflection on key aspects of our beliefs and practices is most welcome. This is why John Beckett’s new book The Path of Paganism, to be released in May, is so important. Beckett is a Druid who was raised in what he describes as a fundamentalist Christian family, finding his way to Paganism when he was an adult. Beckett is a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) and an officer of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS). With a foreword by the renowned Kristoffer Hughes, head of the Anglesey Druid Order, Beckett’s book is made up of four parts: Building a Foundation, Putting it Into Practice, Intermediate Practice, Living at the Edge.

News

Druid symbol approved for veteran headstones

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WASHINGTON –The work to provide an even playing field for members of Pagan and polytheist religions continues, and ten years after the pentacle was approved for use on VA headstones, the awen has now also been added to the official list. Together with the Thor’s hammer, these emblems have transformed how Pagan and polytheist military members are remembered in death. According to Rev. Selena Fox, executive director of Circle Sanctuary, this particular symbol has been one she’s wanted approval for since the pentacle was approved in 2007. She recalled that during the press conference celebrating that milestone, she brought up the awen in particular. The room was packed with reporters and other media.

Living

Mistletoe Festival in England grows, honoring ancient tradition

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UNITED KINGDOM — Every year, the sleepy little market town of Tenbury Wells, near the border of England and Wales in the county of Worcestershire, hosts an annual Mistletoe Festival. Mistletoe is an important product in this corner of England, due to its numerous apple orchards. Worcestershire and neighbouring Herefordshire mark the start of cider and perry country, which covers most of South West England). As Suzanne Thomas of the Mistletoe Foundation states: “Viscum album, the English mistletoe is such an amazing plant. It has a wonderful energy and to see it growing in the trees locally is just so lovely.