NEW YORK – Last week The Satanic Temple made good on its statement it would sue Netflix and Warner Brothers over the use of a Baphomet statue that bears a striking resemblance to the statue commissioned by TST by filing $150M lawsuit in a New York district court. Court documents filed last Thursday cite copyright infringement, trademark violation, and injury to TST’s business reputation according to a report by CNBC.

In a news story published by USA Today, the complaint filed states in part:

“What makes this case particularly striking and significant is that it arises in the context of Defendants who are highly sophisticated media production and distribution companies which blatantly misappropriated Plaintiff’s unique expression of an idea even though they have a long history of vigorously protecting their own intellectual property,”

As we reported last week, TST had threatened legal action against Netflix and Warner Brothers over its use of the statue of Baphomet in its new series, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” Lucien Greaves, co-founder of TST, was unable to provide us comment or a statement upon advice from legal counsel due to the pending litigation. TWH will continue to follow this developing story.

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AUSTRALIA– On November 2, 2018, Dead Can Dance released its first album, Dionysus, in six years.  The duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry’s debut album title Dead Can Dance was released in February of 1984 and was followed by a dozen more recordings, the last prior to this current release was Dead Can Dance In Concert in 2013.

Reviews of the new disc release have been largely enthusiastic from publications like the iconic RollingStone to sites like All About Jazz and Beat Magazine. Dionysus is divided into two acts, more like a play would be. Act I is 16 minutes and 39 seconds, and Act II is 19 minutes and 27 seconds, bringing to the total disc length to just a little over 36 minutes.

European tour dates for May and June 2019 were announced in early September on Twitter. Tickets went on sale September 7, 2018 and it appears many dates are already sold out.

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BALTIMORE – On November 5, 2018 The Atlantic published an article written by Sigal Samuel titled, The Witches of Baltimore, has generated controversy within the online Pagan community and specifically among some prominent Pagan women of color, like Lilith Dorsey. Dorsey published a post on Voodoo Universe on Patheos outlining her issues, as well as quoting other women of color who have taken issue with the article.

Samuel’s article was a result of her covering the Dawtas of the Moon Third Annual Black Witch Convention.  While the tagline for the article, “Young black women are leaving Christianity and embracing African witchcraft in digital covens.” seems to imply one thing, according to Dorsey and the other women the article is rife with misconceptions and simply incorrect information about a variety of religious and spiritual practices that have African origins.

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In Other News:

• ATLANTA — Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting is airing this show about harvest festivals and included a witch/Pagan. The show, AIB Presents: Harvest Festivals is scheduled to premiere and re-air as follows through Dec. 16th: Wednesday, November, 21st @ 7PM, Thursday @ 11:30AM, Saturday @  9AM, Sunday @ 12PM AIB Network programming can be found at www.aibtv.com/aibeverywhere as well as on channel 295 on Comcast and channel 6 on AT&T U-verse. All shows are available for purchase on DVD or digital download. The program is also scheduled to be placed on our YouTube channel for at least three months at “aib studios” within a week of its November 21^st premiere.
• A new holiday, called Wolfenoot created by a seven year old boy in New Zealand was announced by his mother and author, Jax Goss on Twitter. It’s not a Pagan holiday, but it is one that many Pagans may find interesting. This brand new holiday celebrates the Spirit of the Wolf who brings presents to everyone, especially those who have been kind to canines. You can check out the full story on their website, Wolfenoot. Profits of their merchandise benefit the Wellington SPCA in New Zealand.
• In Grand Forks, ND, a woman was stabbed by a man for allegedly being a witch who had cursed the assailant. The Bismarck Tribune reported that the victim had apparently been stalked at the University of North Dakota campus in the weeks prior leading to the assault. The attack took place on September 5 and the assailant arrested and charged two days later. The assailant, who was was described as having mental health issues, faces charges of attempted murder as well as possible deportation.

Tarot of the Week with Star Bustamonte

Deck: Renaissance Tarot by Brian Williams, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Card: Hermit, Major arcana IX (9)

This week may bear all the earmarks of needing to take a step back, or simply find some time to be away from others. Spiritually, there may be a desire to participate in a retreat, or even a pilgrimage. Not heeding the call to devote some energy to introspection can also leave a person feeling lonely, and possibly cynical.