Pagan Community Notes: Hugh Hampton, Mexico City, Dan Halloran, and more

TWH – Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid Fellowship lost one of its long times members: Hugh Hampton (1956-2017). Hampton was best known as ADF’s office manager, and had been serving in that position since 2003. Due to that work, he was known, even if only by name, to a good portion of the Druid community nationwide. According to Archdruid Jean ‘Drum’ Pagano, Hampton was “tireless,” “served with distinction,” and “could be found online seven days a week and at many different times of the day and night.” Hampton reportedly received a number of ADF service awards.

Pagan Community Notes: URI, Erin Lale, Dirge Magazine and more

The United Religions Initiative (URI) held its global summit leadership meeting in Sarajevo, beginning Sept 11. The weeklong meeting brought together URI representatives from around the world and from many different religious backgrounds. The organization’s goal is to “promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.” Rev. Donald Frew was at the Sarajevo meeting as a representative of Covenant of the Goddess. Frew has been working in interfaith circles for decades, sometimes even as the lone Pagan voice at the table.

Resolving to write a book in 2017? Publishers share advice

TWH – The new year has been rung in and resolutions have been made and, for many, high on the list of resolutions is to finish writing a book and have it published. This is, would be their first attempt at becoming a professional author. While there are many resources devoted to the budding writer, there isn’t much specific to publishers who work with Pagan, Heathen, and other occult topics. The Wild Hunt spoke with several publishers about the kinds of books that they are looking for this year and what common mistakes prevent a book from being accepted. They offer some helpful and direct advice for budding authors.

Should U.S. women be required to register for Selective Service? Pagans speak out

TWH — Although a signature is still needed by President Obama, it does appears that women in the United States will soon be required to register with Selective Service, making them eligible to be drafted into the military. As it stands now, all men ages 18 to 26 must register for possible involuntary military service with the Selective Service System. Women have previously been exempt due to restrictions that kept them off the front lines and out of combat roles. That all changed earlier this year when Defense Secretary Ash Carter, implementing an Executive Order from President Obama, opened all military jobs to women. The proposal was first introduced to the House Armed Services Committee by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who placed this measure in the Defense Department Spending Authorization Bill to protest the President’s Executive Order.

Pagan Community Notes: U.S. Army, Eron the Wizard, Brid’s Closet and much more!

Despite six years worth of requests, the U.S. Army officials has not yet added Heathenism or Asatru to the list of faith group codes as originally reported. In January, the Open Halls Project was informed that both Heathenism and Asatru had been approved. However, a short time later, that approval was put on hold, and the Army has yet to add the terms. As reported in a recent Army Times article, “The Army sidelined all such requests, pending the findings of a Defense Department working group investigating how to create a single set of faith group codes across the service.” In response, the Open Halls Project and the Norse Mythology Blog have issued a Call-to-Action. Dr. Karl Seigfried writes, “Today, soldiers who follow the Old Way of Odin, Thor, Freya and the other Germanic gods and goddesses are still denied basic religious rights available to faiths that are recognized by the Army.”