The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/heathen-women-united)
In this week’s Pagan Community Notes: Protests in Hawai’i against construction on sacred Mauna Kea, Heathen Women United release statement on undocumented immigrants, and more!
LANCASHIRE, England — A call for papers has been issued for an academic conference dedicated to the study of aspects of the lives of Heathen women, which will be held here July 6-8 at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. the multi-disciplinary conference has the aim of bringing together scholars and non-academics “who engage with the juxtaposition of historical and modern approaches to and practices of Heathenry, with an emphasis on women’s voices past and present.”
This will have a dual approach of looking at Heathen women in the past — for example, in the sagas — and in the present, regarding the roles of women in contemporary Heathen practice. Topics may include magic and seidrecraft, women’s relationships with the land, women’s roles in community mediation, and the role of spirits and ancestors. Suggestions for papers also include looking specifically at female forms of Heathen practice, “distinct from the male-oriented ideas of ‘Asatru’,’ and the role of re-enactment. The conference will also be running fringe events with an emphasis on crafts, such as spinning and weaving.
UNITED STATES — On this day each year, the U.S. honors Martin Luther King Jr. Public schools, government offices, and many businesses are closed in order to recognize his work and sacrifice, as well as the staggering influence that his message has had on American society. Many Pagans, Heathens and polytheists across the country participate in local activities, both small and large, and privately in ritual to recognize Dr. King and his influence. In honor of this day, we publish these timeless words written by King in 1963 in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which has since become the focal point of an artist’s 2018 meme: “I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.