News

Writer, Welsh Bardic Tradition priestess Kathryn Hinds passes

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DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Pagan musician Arthur Hinds remembers the time four years ago when he and his late wife, Kathryn, were “honored-slash-condemned” – he said with a soft laugh — to lead the main ritual at Pagan Spirit Gathering. “That is a huge thing,” Hinds said from the couple’s home in Dahlonega, Georgia., where they led a circle in the Welsh Bardic Tradition they founded. “We prepared, we rehearsed, we got everybody together. There are hundreds of people in the circle, and you look back and there are hundreds more in a line still coming in.

News

Pagans join others intrigued by “Great American Eclipse”

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UNITED STATES –In less than two weeks, the shadow of the moon will cross the United States from coast to coast during the most significant total solar eclipse to touch the country in nearly a century. The 70-mile-wide path of totality will run from Oregon to South Carolina, touching 14 states and allowing the curious to witness an eclipse that will last about two minutes. No one in any other country will be able to see the eclipse in totality, earning it the nickname of “Great American Eclipse.” Pagans, among the millions of people planning on traveling to see this astronomical event, may view it with a mix of mystical reverence and scientific admiration. Viewing of this uncommon event may be better in western states, as the chance for clear skies is higher, but it’s likely most of the curious will travel to the closest possible spot and hope for the best.

Pagan Community Notes

Pagan Community Notes: Mystic South, Selena Fox, Margot Adler, and more!

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ATLANTA — Attendees at the new Mystic South conference spent Saturday with no running water. A pipe leading from the water main had burst, leaving the hotel dry and without air conditioning. By midday, the interior temperatures were pushing 80 degrees and in some places well over. The hotel brought in portable toilets, bottled water, and ice cream to assist the guests. Despite the problem, the conference, which was in its first run, continued on.

Pagan Voices

Pagan Voices: Special Earth Day edition

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Pagan Voices is a spotlight on recent quotations from figures within the Pagan community. Today’s edition focuses on Earth Day, which has been celebrated annually since 1970 and has attracted Pagans since that first one. 

The first Earth Day celebration took place in New York City in 1970, which (perhaps not coincidentally) was around the time that a recognizable community was coalescing around this thing we today call “contemporary Paganism.” Pagans today have legal rights and cultural recognition which were denied to Pagans in 1970. At the same time, our relationship with Mother Earth has become even more precarious than it was in 1970. We have a responsibility, to those who have gone before us, as well as those who will come after us, to use our hard-won freedoms to fight for a healthy home.

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.