News

Pagan Community Notes: Loki ban rescinded, Hellenic Polytheists attacked in Greece, and more

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PHILADELPHIA – Last week, Robert L. Schreiwer, Steer, announced on behalf of The High Rede of The Troth that the organization was officially rescinding the ban on hailing Loki at Troth-sponsored events. In the official statement released on January 2, 2019, The High Rede reported that, after deliberation on various related issues at their fourth quarter Rede meeting in 2018, “Loki may be hailed freely at Grand Sumbel and at any Troth-sponsored event.”

The statement went on to detail some important considerations. The Troth statement noted that although the change in policy now allows for hailing of Loki, at all official Troth events, Troth Kindred Program [TKP] kindred thew (virtues) is sovereign and each kindred’s rules, culture and etiquette how and who is hailed at their events. The Troth noted that another exception to the hailing of Loki would be the annual Idunna Blót at Trothmoot because Idunna is the Patroness of the Troth and deserves singular veneration at that event.  The Troth commented that  “Idunna deserves to be recognized and honored in that role, the Idunna Blót at Trothmoot will be reserved for hailing only (solely Idunna by any of Her known names).”

The statement went on to say that since the ban on Loki lasted for ten years, “the organization will hold an official Loki Blót for the next ten Trothmoots in a prime time slot. After the tenth Trothmoot, Loki Blóts may be held as any other blót or Sege, and the timing of the Blót will become adjustable to meet scheduling needs.”
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ELEUSIS,  GREECE – On Saturday, December, 29 outside the archaeological site of Eleusis in Greece, about 10 miles northwest of Athens, a group of Hellenic polytheists of the Cultural group, Γλαυκώπις [Glaukopis], were attacked while performing a ritual for Demeter.

Culture

Big Data and the Pagan World

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TWH –  Almost everyone uses Google to search for information. AS we all know, Google provides other types of information as well and some of that content involves Pagans, Wiccans, Druids, and Heathens. But before going on, proceed with caution.  There is some nerdy tech-iness ahead. . Google Ngram Viewer

Google has digitized millions of books and through that process has made those document searchable and comparable in a variety of ways.  Google Ngram Viewer is a tool that examines books published between 1500 and 2008.

News

“Santeria panic” obscures serious problems in black cemeteries in Miami

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MIAMI — Reports in three local newspapers have been focused on neglect and vandalism in some cemeteries here. Only one article stressed allegations of grave desecration involving Afro-Caribbean religions. Unfortunately, that paper has the largest circulation of the three. These problems are most severe at two black cemeteries that opened during the Jim Crow era. Neither cemetery has enough funds to provide proper security, upkeep, and maintenance, which increases their risk for vandalism.

Paganism

Column: When Silence Befalls Democracy

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Perspectives

When I came to work in South Florida Friday morning, there were TV satellite vans parked in front of the building. The office was quiet when I walked in. There’s always a buzz going on in the newsroom, always chatter, so it was unsettling to hear nothing. After a while people started gathering in small groups, sharing memories of Rob. There were tears, and laughter, and stories of this gentle, good-natured person who always had great writing feedback for his colleagues, this guy who liked to go out and play catch on his lunch break.

Editorial

Editorial: Journalism as Ministry

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“Ministry is fundamentally about serving the congregation, in contrast to being primarily about serving the gods,” wrote Sam Webster. That is essentially the role a journalist fills, and its particularly true for journalists who write for and about minority religious communities, such as we do here at The Wild Hunt. Just as a minister must sometimes stand apart from individual relationships to understand the spiritual needs of the entire community, Wild Hunt journalists commit to the credo that “we don’t stir the cauldron; we cover it.” Determining the difference between interpersonal conflict and newsworthy events requires what is perhaps the most slippery of spiritual tools: discernment. While in many polytheist and Pagan traditions, ministers by any name do not hold explicit authority over others, the respect and deference given them may cause them to be apart from the community that they serve.