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Below are the 15 most recent journal entries recorded in
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| Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 | | 4:25 am |
Quick Note: Recycling Journalism http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/07/quick-note-recycling-journalism.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3068 I know Pagans are usually pretty pro recycling, but this is ridiculous. The Atalanta Journal Constitution re-runs a not-very-funny article by Charles Yoo about Pagans from October, no, not October 2008, October 2006.
“Oh, Great Spirit of the Forest, hear this prayer. Among us, the mortals, walk lonesome souls whose devotion to thee must be hidden. Centuries ago, they faced gruesome deaths at the burning stake that came with an audience. Today, their cubicle mates snicker. Alas, the persecution!”
Ow! Ow! My sides hurt from all the laughing! Man, I don’t know about you, but lame jokes from three years ago always age very well, don’t you think? Couldn’t they have sprung for a newer article about Pagans? Were the fans of Charles Yoo so longing for his particular form of “wit” that they ran an October piece about Pagans at the beginning of July? If this is the fruits of print journalism, no wonder its in trouble. | | Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 | | 4:37 am |
Quick Note: A Bit of Pagan Ballet http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/07/quick-note-a-bit-of-pagan-ballet.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3066 Mythical and Arcadian motifs in opera, classical music, and ballet are nothing new, but it’s always nice to remember that choreographers and composers have been mining these rich themes for generations. For instance, The New York Times reviews the American Ballet Theater’s revival production of “Sylvia” (aka “Sylvia ou La Nymphe de Diane”) and revels in the pure pagan pageantry of it all.
“The crescent, the moon, the horn and the hunt all tie brilliantly into Act I of “Sylvia,” which Ashton choreographed in 1952 and which American Ballet Theater has revived this week at the Metropolitan Opera House. The score is by Léo Delibes. Blow that horn! Or rather, those horns! None of the many hunts in music-drama prepare us for the full blaze that comes with the entrance of this ballet’s huntresses and, finally, Sylvia herself … No character in all ballet — and few in music drama — enters to more splendid music than Sylvia. She and her friends leap and do whipped (fouetté) turns, and the ballet moves into a new kind of scale and energy. Nobody has time to think what this says about gender stereotypes. The huntresses and pastoral hero of “Sylvia” were conceived not by Ashton in 1952 but by Delibes and his Paris colleagues in 1876, when Degas was painting ballet dancers and when, most of us tend to think, ballet stereotypes were thick on the ground.”
This ballet of pagan huntresses in love went on to inspire other works, including the more well-known “Swan Lake”. It’s lovely to see this unique gem get some attention (especially with themes that would delight the Pagan soul), if you’re in New York and want to see experience “Sylvia”, it’s running through Saturday at The Met. | | Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 | | 6:20 am |
Hidden, In Plain Sight, Hated, and Desired http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/hidden-in-plain-sight-hated-and-desired.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3062 One of the unique things about the modern Pagan movement in North America is that because it is spread across the country adherents can encounter a variety of reactions to their chosen faith. For instance, in Odessa, Texas, local Pagans feel the need for secrecy, giving anonymous interviews and working to dispel old stereotypes.
Aratkis and Foxfire said pagans tend to keep their beliefs under the rug where society cannot see them, lest they be treated like pariahs. “A lot of times they’re afraid of us – you know, we ‘worship the devil’ – but we don’t worship the devil,” Foxfire said. “We don’t sacrifice animals to small children. A lot of that is TV.” … “You go up north, and they are having huge pagan festivals with thousands of people,” Foxfire said. “Down in the Bible Belt here, a lot of people practice, but they do it privately.”
Meanwhile, way up north in Canada, Pagans are less anonymous, but immature reporters are disappointed when they aren’t bombarded by Pagans engaging in some sort of imaginary Harry Potter-esque version of Wicca.
“When I first visited Chinatown’s Fan Tan Alley, I half expected the tiny, foreboding laneway to require a certain stone-tapping entrance ritual, akin to that of Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley. OK, OK, fine, I admit it. I didn’t “half expect” it to ask for a magical pass code — I totally hoped it would.”
It is perhaps one of the truly disconcerting things about being a Pagan here, in some places they would try to drive you out, and in others they are trying to recruit you for reality television shows.
“I am a casting producer for ABC’s “Wife Swap” and we are looking to feature a Wiccan or Pagan family on the show. If you are interested or know someone that might be interested in the following opportunity, I’d love to hear from you.”
Then again, considering how reality television treats modern Pagans, maybe those differences aren’t so vast. But to return to my point, which is that the “mainstreaming” or “normalization” (for lack of a better term) of modern Paganism varies wildly depending on your geography. As impatient as I sometimes feel reading yet another rote “meet the Pagans” article in some local paper, I understand that these pieces do serve a purpose and are important in places like Odessa, Texas (less so in Victoria). Those of us who live in a Pagan-rich and tolerant community can often forget that our experiences aren’t repeated everywhere. That said, no matter how desperate you are to push us into the mainstream stay away from reality television, they’ll just make you look like an idiot. Seriously. | | Monday, June 29th, 2009 | | 4:26 am |
Amendment That Would Eliminate 6 Sources Defeated http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/amendment_eliminate_6_sources.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3060 This past weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah was the Unitarian-Universalist Association’s yearly General Assembly. This year, in addition to electing a new president, members of the UUA voted on a proposed amendment to its bylaws. The amendment, composed by the Commission on Appraisal, would have eliminated the now-familiar “6 sources”, which included the long-campaigned for sixth source, acknowledging the contributions of “earth-centered” (Pagan) traditions.
“Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.”
The revised amendment consisted of the following text.
“Unitarian Universalism is not contained in any single book or creed. Its religious authority lies in the individual, nurtured and tested in the congregation and the wider world. As an evolving religion, it draws from the teachings, practices, and wisdom of the world’s religions. Humanism, earth-centered spiritual traditions, and Eastern religions have served as vital sources. Unitarian Universalism has been influenced by mysticism, theism, skepticism, naturalism, and process thought as well as feminist and liberation theologies. It is informed by direct experiences of mystery and wonder, beauty and joy. It is enriched by the creative power of the arts, the guidance of reason, and the lessons of the sciences.”
This, naturally, made some UU Pagans very unhappy.
“Several pagan UUs lamented the loss of the language in the Sixth Source—”spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.” Michael Hart, of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, said, “I just want to talk about how this makes me feel as a UU pagan: It’s a blow in the solar plexus, a punch in the gut.” “We’ve gone from a bullet point about earth-centered spirituality that explains what we mean, as UUs, what it means to us, to a footnote buried in lots of very nice verbiage,” Hart said.”
The proposed language truncating the sources was also formally rejected by UU Pagan organization, CUUPs. In a very close vote, the revised language was rejected, preserving the current language for another two years.
“By a very close vote, the motion to amend Article II of the UUA Bylaws has failed. The final vote was 573 for and 586 against.”
As a Pagan, and Pagan with a history of involvement with the UUA, I’m happy to see our contributions not turned into a footnote written in the past tense. I have no real problem with the UUA’s bylaws being revised, but I do think future proposed revisions, and other decisions by the UUA BOD, shouldn’t continue the trend of making Pagans feel unwelcome. Pagans (and other “earth-centered” practitioners) make up a significant portion of the modern UUA, and I think it’s only fair that our contributions to this liberal denomination be acknowledged and respected. | | Sunday, June 28th, 2009 | | 8:57 am |
| | Saturday, June 27th, 2009 | | 7:47 am |
A Few Quick Notes http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/a-few-quick-notes-4.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3053 A few news items I wanted to share with you this Saturday morning. We start off with a glowing profile of the Starwood Festival from Mark Mansfield of Stereo Subversion.
“The best festival I’ve ever participated in, I heard about through word of mouth fifteen years ago. Festival has many different meanings depending on the person. The Hippie might be thinking about Rothbury this year, with it’s heavy Deadhead lineup. The Artist might think of Burning Man where contributory art is everywhere and fires abound. Somewhere in that intersection is Starwood. Billed as the largest Pagan festival in North America, it is that and so much more … Starwood is a festival unlike any other. It is quite literally what you make it. Some people live for the drumming, while others are intent on attending as many workshops as they can. For some it is a hedonistic party while for others it is a deeply spiritual and transformative experience (and in fact is often both at the same time.) Though not exclusively a music festival, between the concerts, the radio station, and the night’s drumming, the music never stops.”
Dare I wonder if Starwood is becoming, well, hip? Will people start talking about Starwood they way they talk about Burning Man? Maybe, but the musical lineup is still heavily weighted towards the folky-pagan and old hippie, with touches of world music, so I think they have awhile before they’re completely inundated with outsiders.
The wonderful Goddess spirituality blog Medusa Coils points to a recent essay by Starhawk at Alive Mind & Spirit that explores the ever-shrinking mainstream market for “women’s spirituality” book titles, and what that has done to their movement.
“…although you may or may not have noticed, major publishers are no longer terribly interested in books on women’s spirituality. Why? Back in the ‘eighties, HarperSanFrancisco published not just me but a whole lot of great books—Carol Christ, Marija Gimbutas, Z. Budapest, Luisah Teish, Vicki Noble if I’m remembering it all right. They were the books we read, discussed, got excited about and inspired by. Then sometime in the nineties they dropped just about everyone except me—not because the books weren’t selling, but because they weren’t selling enough. They lost interest in publishing for a strong, steady niche, and only really wanted to publish blockbusters for the mass market … it had a debilitating effect on the movement. Without the books to inspire women, without new books to continue the discussions and debate, we lost ground, especially with younger women.”
Starhawk also seems to partially blame the Internet and blogging on this shift, though she hasn’t been shy in utilizing the web to fuel her own activist concerns and capitalist endeavours (one wonders how many new readers she gets from her lofty perch at the Newsweek/Washington Post-backed On Faith blog). It is true that book publishers are increasingly focused on “blockbusters”, but it’s also true that there has been a slow shift in the “New Age” book market away from Pagan/occult material and towards the Oprah-style self-empowerment/improvement genre(s). The industry is in flux, and the Pagan and Goddess-focused authors and small publishers will have to think of new ways to reach their audiences (just as the book Starhawk mentions, “Women of Wisdom”, seems to be doing).
In a final note, the First Amendment Center reminds Christians who complain about minority-faith accommodation that they are the one’s who wrote the rules that exclusively benefited them, and who now must deal with the changes that come from a truly religiously pluralistic (and free) society.
“When people complain about the growing list of requests for accommodation in public schools from students and parents from minority faiths, I like to remind them that the majority faith wrote the rules. Founded as Protestant-dominated institutions in the 19th century, public schools never open on Sunday, close for Christmas, and in other ways institutionalize accommodations for the majority faith … Students in the majority faith rarely need religious accommodation in public schools because the majority wrote the rules in the first place – and in many places still writes the rules. For students like Adriel whose faith is unfamiliar to many school officials, it’s often difficult to get a fair hearing. For some school officials, rules are rules – no exceptions. But religious liberty, or freedom of conscience, is our nation’s first freedom. Rather than complaining about all those requests for accommodation, we should be celebrating the genius of the First Amendment, which recognizes religious liberty as an inalienable right for people of all faiths and none. It takes work – and accommodation isn’t always possible. But taking claims of conscience seriously should be at the heart of what it means to be an American.”
Religious freedom means freedom for all religions. The Protestants who wrote the rules may never have envisioned a day when Pagan, or Buddhist, or even Muslim students would one day be a part of their societal fabric, but thanks to our (Enlightenment and Deist-influenced) Constitution we have the ability to thrive in that changed world.
That’s all I have for now, have a great day! | | Friday, June 26th, 2009 | | 7:34 am |
A Druid’s Guide To Glastonbury http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/a-druids-guide-to-glastonbury.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3050 British music site The Quietus (which is quite good btw) has decided to forego its usual tips for attending the massive Glastonbury Festival, and has instead sought the advice of Druid leader Emma Restall Orr. The author of “Living With Honour: A Pagan Ethics” gives sensible advice about not minding the rain, avoiding greasy junk-food, and finding time for a little serenity.
“Factor in some good chill out time, sometime during the day or night. Find quiet to relax alone, even just for ten minutes: find some peace … Visit the stone circle. Walk it a few times, feel its calm and how it sits deeply rooted in the landscape … Don’t make a mess or abandon your rubbish, and thank the spirit of the land when you leave.”
That’s all well and good, but surely they’d want some Pagan suggestions on which acts to check out, right? Since anyone who’s going is probably already there, this is pure armchair quarterbacking, but I’d definitely check out Bat For Lashes, Fleet Foxes, Fairport Convention, The Horrors, Bon Iver, and Tunng. Artists who have all been played on my A Darker Shade of Pagan podcast at some time or another. Also, from a purely personal standpoint (outside a Pagan purview), I wouldn’t want to miss Echo and The Bunnymen or Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds either. | | Thursday, June 25th, 2009 | | 9:07 am |
Bungling Poachers, Not Satanists http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/bungling-poachers-not-satanists.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3047 It seems to happen with almost every strange animal death, law enforcement and journalists start wondering if the event had “occult” or “Satanic” connotations. Since a “Satanic” (or Santeria/Voodoo) headline sells more papers than “disturbed teenagers”, we rarely get an injection of common sense in these proceedings. Often, the more mundane truth is briefly reported long after the sensationalist damages have already been done. For instance, a recent deer beheading in Knustsford, England had all sorts of wild Satanic speculation behind it (including linking it to a blatantly obvious attention-seeking e-mail from a “Satanist”).
“The incident came just days after the Guardian received an anonymous email claiming Satanists were worshiping in Knutsford … Deer are said to be used in satanic rituals as sacrificial animals. It is also believed their skins are used as cloaks and headdresses during devil worship rituals.”
Naturally, actual Satanists objected to being portrayed as maniac deer-beheaders. In that same article, tucked away at the very end, the most likely scenario is reported.
“However, last week it emerged the killing could have been a failed attempt at poaching. A man who attended the scene, but would not be named, said the criminals appeared to have gutted the young stag to prepare it for sale.”
But you see, “bungling poachers” doesn’t have the same zing to it as some mythical occult underground in Knutsford. Some moron trying to make some money by poaching just doesn’t excite the audience. It’s a farce disguised as journalism, a scary puppet-show that can lead to “Satanic Panics” and ruin people’s lives. | | Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | | 9:21 am |
Dragging Out the Spinal Tap Joke (Again) http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/dragging-out-the-spinal-tap-joke-again.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3044 I suppose that it’s inevitable that with all the coverage of Druids, Stonehenge, and the Summer Solstice, some journalist, somewhere, would have to make a Spinal Tap “Stonehenge” reference. However, I wasn’t expecting it from the newest member of the Get Religion team’s first post.
“The AP reporter goes on to discuss the mystery surrounding Stonehenge. Is it an ancient burial ground or the temple of some sun-worshipping society? And how in the world did its creators ever relocate from up to 150 miles away those several-ton stones that dwarf the stage props in “This is Spinal Tap!” … All I know about Druids comes from Spaceballs, but I’m pretty sure the troubles of the Druish Princess Vespa has little to do with what went on at Stonehenge Sunday.”
I normally wouldn’t even mention such tired (attempted) funny-making, but it just didn’t seem to add up to what Brad Greenberg (a Christian with a culturally Jewish background) says he believes about what being on the “Godbeat” means.
“Once considered a backwater of journalism, the Godbeat feels to me quite chosen, home to immensely important and interesting news. Religion, after all, is the rubric through which each person uniquely sees the world. Science, education, politics, entertainment — it regularly serves as an undercurrent in these fields. (That was, in fact, part of my pitch at The Sun three years ago when they were looking for a reporter for the newly created position and I was eager to get out of Rialto.) The religion angle also is occasionally relevant when trying to understand peoples’ beliefs in God, their perspectives on the life hereafter and that which gives every day meaning. Think of the God beat as the Jerusalem of journalism. Seriously.”
If religion reporting is so important, you’d think a little reading about modern Druidry before posting wouldn’t be completely amiss. When you lead off with a picture from Spinal Tap, with references to that film and to Spaceballs, it gives me the impression that modern Pagan religions aren’t even worth the minimal time and effort to quickly visit Wikipedia. It leaves me with the notion that any future reporting on modern Paganism from that journalist will be unserious and under-researched. The irony of a site that critiques religion reporting committing the journalistic equivalant to an unforced error is somewhat heady. Then again, maybe he’ll quote Life of Brian when he next reports on Christianity for the sake of consistency. | | Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 | | 9:43 am |
Is the British Soul Pagan? http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/is-the-british-soul-pagan.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3041 While commentators grouse about issues concerning accuracy, and some readers remain skeptical, more and more signs seem to point to the continuing rise of modern Paganism and the widespread acceptance of a secular “folk-pagan” idiom for seasonal celebrations in Britain. In the Guardian, Cole Moreton, who’s writing a book about the soul of Britain, wonders if “everyone’s a Pagan now”.
“Not quite, maybe, but the rise has been dramatic. The census in 2001 recorded 40,000 pagans, but the true figure may be higher … The Pagan Federation, which aims to represent all “followers of a polytheistic or pantheistic nature-worshipping religion”, claims the number of adherents has trebled at least. That would mean there were 360,000 committed, practising pagans, putting them ahead of the Sikhs (329,000) and fourth behind Hindus (552,000), Muslims (1.5 million) and Christians (42 million, according to the census) … All you have to believe to be a pagan, according to the federation, is that each of us has the right to follow our own path (as long as it harms no-one else); that the higher power (or powers) exists; and that nature is to be venerated. If you asked everyone in Britain if they agreed with those three statements, millions would put their hands up. At its loosest, paganism is beginning to look like our new national faith.”
As if to validate Moreton’s thesis, the Summer Solstice gathering this year at Stonehenge was the largest ever, with an estimated 36,500 revellers making their way to Salisbury Plain.
“Despite the sun not making an appearance in an overcast sky, record numbers of people arrived to celebrate the occasion. An eccentric mix of Morris dancers, pagans dressed in their traditional robes and musicians playing guitars and drums gathered alongside visitors from across the world.”
There seems to be a certain British character that lends itself to celebrating its ancient landscape, and it affects you no matter what religion you actually adhere to. Pagan, Christian, atheist, or even Sikh.
“I think we ought to start a campaign to celebrate Midsummer in a more spectacular way. As a species we have specialised in creating tension, division and war. I am not for a moment suggesting we eschew organised religion. What I am suggesting is that we embrace our commonality. We all exist in the warmth of the sun, the light of the moon; we live by the tree and drink of the river. I suggest that we create a pantheistic precedent and have the first multi-faith celebration of the sun, of the galaxy and of the universe. I would like this event to take place in Croydon. We should, for one long day only, forget our differences and unify under the canopy of a shared sky. We will welcome the pot-smoking hippies, the groovy Bhuddists, the depression-embracing goths, the perennially troubled Christians, the ideologically-centred Sunnis and the daughters and sons of Khalsa. Food ought to be available for vegetarians, vegans, omnivores, and chocolate for the pot-heads. We should all wear differently coloured, full-length, smock-dresses that celebrate the colours of nature (no one, not even Croydon’s own Kate Moss, looks good in a smock-dress: it is a great leveller).”
So is the British soul, deep down, really a pagan soul? Or does it just seem that way around Midsummer? | | Monday, June 22nd, 2009 | | 7:52 am |
The Pantheistic Gays (are Just Like Us) http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/the-pantheistic-gays-are-just-like-us.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3038 It’s like George Barna is trying to win us over. First, the head of Christian polling organization The Barna Group seems to hint at wanting a cease-fire in the culture wars, and now he’s humanizing gays and lesbians!
George Barna, whose company conducted the research, pointed out that some popular stereotypes about the spiritual life of gays and lesbians are simply wrong. “People who portray gay adults as godless, hedonistic, Christian bashers are not working with the facts,” declared the best-selling author of numerous books about faith and culture. “A substantial majority of gays cite their faith as a central facet of their life, consider themselves to be Christian, and claim to have some type of meaningful personal commitment to Jesus Christ active in their life today … Although there are clearly some substantial differences in the religious beliefs and practices of the straight and gay populations, there may be less of a spiritual gap between straights and gays than many Americans would assume.”
I can tell you that the above paragraph won’t win him any fans from any number of prominent conservative Christians. Then again, Barna has been increasingly re-positioning himself as something of a maverick within evangelical Christianity. So what else does this recent batch of polling data reveal? Well, while “straight” America and “gay” America have an awful lot in common, spiritually speaking, according to Barna there is one somewhat noticeable difference.
One of the most basic beliefs has to do with one’s understanding of God. This proved to be one of the biggest differences noted in the study. While seven out of every ten heterosexuals (71%) have an orthodox, biblical perception of God, just 43% of homosexuals do. In fact, an equal percentage possesses a pantheistic view about deity – i.e., that “God” refers to any of a variety of perspectives, such as personally achieving a state of higher consciousness or maximized personal potential, or that there are multiple gods that exist, or even that everyone is god.
In other words, homosexuals tend to be more “pagan” that heterosexuals. But this “pantheism” isn’t a barrier to finding common ground, as according to Barna all the “faith tribes” (including the pantheists) need to work together to restore America.
Citing his research, Barna indicated that the United States has seven dominant faith tribes that hold the key to the restoration of the nation. “We must recover the values that made this nation great and that must be firmly in place for order, reason, freedom and unity to prevail,” the researcher explained. “Our faith tribes are central to the development and application of people’s worldviews, which in turn produce the values on which we base our daily decisions. It is on the basis of such values that a nation rises to greatness or plummets to oblivion. The choice is ours. And it is up to our faith tribes to demonstrate the courageous leadership necessary to facilitate a national restoration of the mind, heart and soul. Without a nationwide commitment to this process, we are destined to become a country of historical significance and present-day insignificance.”
This is an awfully big tent that Barna is building. Is he being prophetic, or simply marketing to the changing times? I’d be curious to know how his largely evangelical audience is responding to this shift towards inclusion, bridge-building, and interfaith outreach. Perhaps he’s making a break from the old evangelical order and embracing the (generally) more tolerant “Mosaic Generation” (aka “Generation Y”)? I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next installment of George Barna’s quest to “unite the tribes”. | | Sunday, June 21st, 2009 | | 7:26 am |
Happy Summer Solstice http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/happy-summer-solstice-2.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3033 Today (and last night) is the celebration of the Summer Solstice*, also known as Midsummer, or Litha. It is at this time that the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun (the opposite being true for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere). It is a time of fertility and celebration: bonfires, maypoles, dancing, and outdoor festivals have been traditional during this time for most of human history. In some modern Pagan faiths it is believed that this holiday represents the highest ascendancy of masculine divinity.
Druids at Stonehenge on the Summer Solstice
Here are some recent quotes on this day from the press, along with some words from those who celebrate the Summer Solstice as a holiday.
“Druids began their incantations, Wiccan priestesses drew their cowls tight against the damp morning air and four half-naked Papuan dancers waved their hands in the air and went: “Woo, woo, woo” … A record 36,500 people had gathered at the prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain to watch the sun rise. So many turned out to celebrate the solstice that roads had to be shut and the vast field converted into a car park for 6,500 vehicles was full by 3am.” – Simon de Bruxelles, The Times
“They may be suffering from one of the world’s worst recessions but all the economic doom and gloom will not keep Latvians from having fun at a midsummer’s night festival dating from pagan times. “It is a tradition here,” 45-year-old Nina told AFP outside a Riga supermarket. “Everyone entertains themselves as they can. Sure, we’ll cut out small things to spend less this year but the tradition will remain.” Deeply rooted in pagan customs handed down from generation to generation, the “Jani” festival is held on June 23 as the summer solstice marks northern Europe’s longest day of the year — when Latvia enjoys almost 18 hours of daylight.” – Aleks Tapinsh, AFP
For ancient pagans in Scandinavia, cracking open a Carlsberg and singing ‘We love our Land’ around a bonfire, perhaps, was a bit unforeseeable. However, pagans did light fires to heal pain and protected their souls on midsummer’s, or as it’s presently known in Denmark, Sankt Hans Aften or Saint John’s Eve. The dear late Sankt Hans, or Saint John the Baptist, surely never imagined that decedents of those pagans would build pyres in his honour, nor that, after the rise of nationalism, a nation fondly known as Denmark would host those pyres. Times surely have changed since the birth of the last millennium. – The Copenhagen Post
“Steeped in ancient rituals and traditions, Latvia’s Midsummer is a celebration unique in Europe, where many of the customs have long since died out. Most Latvians leave the cities enmasse to gather around ceremonial bonfires in the countryside to welcome the arrival of summer in the company of friends and family. During this time the countryside comes alive with all-night parties in which people make fires, sing songs, dance, make and wear wreaths of flowers, drink specially-brewed beer and eat homemade cheese.” – Kate McIntosh, The Baltic Times
“There is something very refreshing about the Wiccan way, the Druid approach. They have no expectation that they can explain everything or indeed anything. Unlike the organised religions, Wicca is all about stuff we can see; the sun and the moon, the holly and the oak. Their godheads are based on a necessary reality, an existence that once yolked humankind to the earth and earth to humankind. Their belief seems to be founded on the realisation that we are animals and locked into project planet. And while the notion of “harm none, do what ye will” might seem familiar to Bible-lovers, it comes in a refreshingly dogma-free version with our Wicca sorority and brethren. Given what we appear to be doing to the planet in terms of warming it, melting it and polluting it, it might not be a bad time to start acting on that mantra.” – Hardeep Singh Kohli, The Independent
A blessed Midsummer to you all!
* Technically speaking, the 2009 Summer Solstice occurs at 05:45 UTC on June 21st. Please check your local time-zone for accurate Solstice timing. | | Saturday, June 20th, 2009 | | 8:43 am |
Keeping Track of The “Third Wave” http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/keeping-track-of-the-third-wave.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3030 Ever since the movement came to my attention during the last presidential election, I’ve been keeping tabs on the malefic prayer warriors in the neo-Pentecostal/evangelical Christian movement known as the “Third Wave of the Holy Spirit”. This loose affiliation of Christian leaders, activists, and churches brag of (indirectly) killing Catholics, maiming Wiccans, and “rewriting” the spiritual DNA of their followers. This group nurtured Sarah Palin, gets wooed by Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee, and wants nothing less than the supreme dominance of (their version of) the Christian faith. At the center of this movement sits C. Peter Wagner, founder of Global Harvest Ministries / The World Prayer Center (which sits within the New Life Church campus in Colorado), and resolute prayer warrior who organizes coordinated prayer wars against the Goddess (whom he calls the “Queen of Heaven”) in all her manifest forms.
“Atop the hierarchy of demon spirits are the ‘territorial demons’, and squatting near the apex, over Mount Everest, is a purported global-level demon spirit called ‘The Queen of Heaven’ that prevents, according to Peter Wagner, prayers of Catholics, Muslims, and adherents to other supposedly illegitimate forms of religious belief, from reaching God. In 1997, while Wagner was still running the Colorado Springs World Prayer Center (a joint project of C. Peter Wagner and Tedd Haggard), that center mounted an expedition, conceived by former voodoo priestess turned evangelist Ana Mendez, to Mount Everest to do battle with the “Queen of Heaven.” Ana Mendez later suggested that the spiritual warfare waged by the expedition team may have helped contribute to the death of Mother Theresa.”
Bruce Wilson at Talk To Action, who has been doing the lions share of digging into this increasingly prominent fringe movement, has now dug up a 1993 video segment where Wagner reveals more of his rampant anti-goddess paranoia. As fellow religious blogger Richard Bartholomew points out, this time it’s all about how Japanese Sun Goddess Amaterasu is the “harlot” from the Book of Revelation.
“Japan, as a nation, is one of the nations of the world which has consciously, openly, invited national demonization. And they do this though what’s called the Daijosai ceremony…where when a new Emperor comes in to power…And as a part of this ceremony the Emperor goes to this specially chosen…place…He eats rice that has been planted and harvested and chosen through witchcraft. And at a certain time that night the Sun Goddess visits him in person, and has sexual intercourse with the Emperor…So the emperor becomes one flesh with the sun goddess…There is a certain spiritual phenomenon…that’s called succubus…Since the present emperor slept with the Sun Goddess the stock market in Japan has gone down, never come up since. This has been a disastrous year, the first year the rice harvest failed, the first Japan has ever had to import rice.”
Naturally Bartholemew dissects and debunks Wagner’s crazy talk, but I doubt any “Third Waver” will listen. If Wilson is right, and Third Wave affilated churches are being recruited to make up the core of a newly revitalized “Religious Right”, we need to keep our eyes open concerning their rise. Should these extremists ever hold real politcal power, I can’t imagine it would be condusive to the growth and health of the modern Pagan movement. At the very least, we should be concerned that seemingly mainstream politicians are willing to ally themselves with groups that are so hostile to religious co-existence. | | Friday, June 19th, 2009 | | 8:58 am |
A Meeting of Modern Druidry in California http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/a-meeting-of-modern-druidry-in-california.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3026 The House of Danu in California, an alliance of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids) groves and seed groups is hosting a historic Gorsedd for the Festival of Lughnasadh featuring some noted figures in modern Pagan Druidry.
“This is an unprecedented gathering of numerous Druid organizations in the West, and anyone interested in exploring the California Druid experience is invited to attend. This is a rare opportunity to acquire knowledge from the most celebrated scholars of Druidry. The Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids (OBOD), Philip Carr-Gomm is traveling from Sussex to help ground participants in Druid culture. The Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), John Michael Greer, is coming down from Oregon to share his extraordinary knowledge of Druid history and magic. Archdruid Emeritus and founder of Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF), Isaac Bonewits, is coming from New York to do assist in our discussion of Druid rites and ritual. The Gorsedd will be a festival of learning, drumming, storytelling, games, initiations; Bardic evenings around the campfire, a magnificent Eisteddfod of our best performing artists, and a grand procession for the sacred ritual of Lughnasadh that you can help create.”
One has to wonder, with such a esteemed assmblege present (and no doubt several other prominent Druids will be attending in addition to the three “headliners”) if we will hear any pronouncements or plans for the future of Druidry in America. Movement on getting the Awen approved for military headstones and markers? Perhaps some statement on American environmental policy under the Obama administration? Maybe plans for greater cooperation and resource sharing between the different Druid groups in America? The speculation, and possibilities, are endless. Whatever happens, this is a rare confluence of influential individuals, and the results should be noteworthy to say the least. The Gorsedd will run July 31 to August 3, in the coastal redwoods above Watsonville, between Santa Cruz and Monterey, at the Buddhist retreat center Pema Osel Ling, in California. You can register now online. | | 7:52 am |
Update: You Aren’t Entitled To A Catholic-Hosted Party http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/update-you-aren%e2%80%99t-entitled-to-a-catholic-hosted-party.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=3023 Just a quick update on yesterday’s story of a UK Witches’ Ball scorned by a Catholic-run social club. High Priestess Sandra Davis (aka Amethyst SelmaSelene) has posted a clarification of events in the comments of the Stockport Express.
“I think I really need to confirm something here. When I called to book the venue which had been recommended and which I had used many times I new it as The Flint Street Social Club, I never knew it was run or attached to the Catholic church and when the Gentleman, who was very nice by the way, answered with Our Lady’s I then told him who I was, what we wanted and who were were, totally up front and said that I did not want to compromise them in any way. he assured me that this was a totally separate Buisness venture and that anyone could book the room and then ‘do what we want in it’ . I would not have continued with the booking had he said any different. I required a room large enough to take in excess of 150 people plus a stage where the nights entertainment Abba Fusion an Abba Tribute Duo could perform in complete safety with all there stage equipment … The man who had to also tell me that we couldnt have the room was very apologetic and said embarrased at having to tell me they wouldnt let us have the venue. However, we have now got somewhere else larger and should have a really great time. I never imagined it would cause this much fuss.”
Depending on the legal classification of the venue, this could cause some significant legal problems for Our Lady’s Social Club. Then again, the representative could have been mistaken in assuming there would be no problem with the Diocese of Shrewsbury in renting out the space, and in presenting the parish center as “a totally separate Buisness venture”. Employees aren’t infallible. At any rate, I still think that Catholic parish centers (if Our Lady’s is indeed classified as a parish center) should have the right to veto events that are theologically incompatible with their values, I also think Ms. Davis is being somewhat disingenuous when she says that she “never imagined it would cause this much fuss”. When you contact the press and tell them the Catholic Church is discriminating against you, and invoke the witch trials of Early Modern Europe, you should expect sensationalistic coverage. |
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