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.

Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: Solidarity Statement; Declaration 127; Fallon Smart and more!

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SAN FRANCISCO – In the past week, four members of the Reclaiming Tradition created a Pagan Indigenous Solidarity statement to show support for the continued battle to stop the building of the Dakota Pipeline. That statement begins, “We, the undersigned groups and individuals of the Reclaiming Tradition and other Pagan Traditions, stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, the Lakota people, and all Indigenous Peoples who are fighting to preserve and protect their homes and lands. ”

The writers then ask others of “Pagan and earth-based traditions” to join with them in signing the petition. To date, there are over 59 covens and groups, and over 2,674 individual signatures. The numbers are climbing and the organizers are listing the names on the support site as fast as time allows. In addition, organizers have suggested other ways to support the cause.

Culture

“A Legacy of Druids” collects modern insights into ancient religion

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AMHERST, Mass. — Ellen Evert Hopman first collected the interviews in her new book, A Legacy of Druids, in 1996. She did so using methods that might seem antiquated in today’s fast-paced world: by having conversations in person, and by asking questions by mail. The fact that it took twenty years to publish the results of her work echoes the words of the late Isaac Bonewits, “as fast as a speeding oak.” Some things simply should not be rushed.