Hail to Columbia, personification of my country! Hail to the pen and muse of Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Hail to those who’ve honored the true spirit of our founding documents, who defended us with arms, who challenged us with nonviolence, and reminded us of our true nature through art and rebellion.

I’m taking the day off from blogging, enjoy the fireworks!

The undisputed queen of the “spiritual but not religious” demographic in America, Oprah Winfrey, is done merely dipping her toes into the shallow waters of reality television and is diving right in with “Your OWN Show”. Seemingly a contest to pick a new show for the OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) cable network (launching 1/11/11), it is actually a sophisticated vetting process for reality television program contestants, who will then compete for the actual show (maybe).

“The online contest is really a search for contestants for an OWN reality series in which competitors will then vie for their own show on the network.”

At least one prominent Pagan, Karen Tate, author of “Walking An Ancient Path: Rebirthing Goddess on Planet Earth”, is vying for a shot on the program, and has garnered over half-a-million votes in the process.

“Empowering Women to Save the World” – that’s been the mission of author and radio show host Karen Tate. Karen wants to go in search of sacred knowledge, hidden history, and places other talk shows have dared not tread, examining the provocative and politically incorrect to raise awareness, empower and uplift women and our like-minded brothers. Karen will interview scholars and practitioners about social, spiritual and political subjects such as female genital mutilation, women reclaiming their bodies as sacred and why the Vatican refuses to ordain women. Hear what they didn’t teach you in Sunday School but you wish they had! No celebrity gossip, diets and cooking demonstrations on this show! Karen is more interested in viewers having an aware mind and being turned on to ideas that contribute toward a caring culture. We’ll talk about all those important things Mom warned were not suitable for dinner table conversation – sex, power and politics!”

While that vote tally is certainly impressive, we have to remember that OWN has total control over who gets picked, and they’ve made it clear that some of the contestants will be selected from auditions, not from who gets the most votes. We should also be very clear that the chosen contestants will be put through the reality television ringer just like on any other program, one has to only look at the fact that reality TV producer Mark Burnett (the man behind Survivor and The Apprentice) is pulling strings behind the scenes. It is this reality contest aspect that has Pagan author and teacher T. Thorn Coyle steering clear, despite the temptations of mass audience.

“What is the goal of “Your OWN Show”? I do not know. But it does involve the search for a new talk show host, which means it has to make for what is considered to be ‘good television’ which often means jealousy, petty conflict, and the tearing down of others. I can hope this show will not go this way, but I am not sanguine. I’m sure that those people I know who auditioned for the privilege of getting onto a reality show think that they can keep it together under the pressure cooker of filming while being placed under unusual stressors and that their message will shine through. My thinking is that the cutting floor is filled with our good intentions. No matter how well a person stays on point, maintains center, or tries to foster good will, I do not trust that this will end up part of the show. Likelihood is, the biggest personality will win. I hope I am proven wrong.”

To quote many a Quaker, this friend speaks my mind. Despite every good intention, almost every instance of modern Pagans engaging in reality television has resulted in them being made to look like fools (or at the very least, distorted their personality). Which is why I’ve long counseled my readers to resist the temptations and fat pay-days involved.  We may think that Oprah’s network will be different, but she has a long history of engaging in stories that will produce the most emotional highs and lows. Don’t believe for a second that situations won’t be arranged that will aim to draw out your worst qualities or weakest moments. It’s akin to undergoing an initiatory trial, only, instead of being surrounded my friends and loved ones, you are paraded in front of millions wanting to be entertained by your discomfort and pain. No soul escapes from that unscathed.

In addition, modern Pagans should be careful of questing for Oprah’s spotlight. For every truly inspirational figure she endorses, there is a James Arthur Ray or Jenny McCarthy that seems to slip through the rigorous vetting process. Her engagement with popular New Age trends like The Secret have been problematic at times (not to mention other fads), and like many talk show hosts that emerged in the 1980s, she uncritically engaged in the SRA panics (and never apologized for it after the fact). In that sense, Oprah is a true mirror to the bright and dark sides of the New Age/metaphysical movement. In the end, Oprah’s projects are meant to reflect the power, influence, and inspirational quality of Oprah. As a people who acknowledge the true power of our thoughts and deeds, we should be mindful of who and what these contests are really for. Are inspirational folks being given an opportunity, or are they being recruited to generate more wealth and fame for Oprah’s empire?

It’s no secret that I believe modern Pagans should be building their own media networks and institutions instead of simply trying to gain the attention of existing conglomerates that don’t necessarily share our values; it’s about control, control over our own image and control over what we decide is news, that what is truly important to us. We have never been in a better position than now to start this process, which is why I’m excited to learn that Thorn is going to be moving into making professionally produced video-casts in addition to her podcasts, because it signals an alternative to simply hoping reality television producers will treat us fairly. I do wish Karen Tate well, and hope this experience brings her to new levels of success, but I remain, as ever, deeply skeptical of the reality television industry, and our largely negative role within it.

As a companion to my usual Pagan News of Note, I’m starting a new series more focused on news originating from within the Pagan community. I want to reinforce the idea that what happens to and within our organizations, groups, and events is news, and news-worthy. My hope is that more individuals, especially those working within Pagan organizations, get into the habit of sharing their news with the world. So lets get started!

Patrick McCollum at the World Forum of Spiritual Culture: Cherry Hill Seminary has announced that Pagan chaplain, Circle minister, and CHS instructor Patrick McCollum will be presenting at the World Forum of Spiritual Culture in Kazakhstan this October. McCollum is the first Pagan invited to address the forum.

“The World Forum of Spiritual Culture is hosted by the Kazakh government, the International Association of Peace Through Culture, the Congress of Spiritual Concord, and other other Kazakhstan, European and Russian organizations. McCollum will become the first Pagan leader to address the World Forum of Spiritual Culture, his remarks becoming part of the international journal published following the event.

The World Forum hopes “to find a solution to the systemic crisis of the modern civilization by realizing the priority of spirituality and culture above all other public values.” The Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, will address the group during the conference.”

McCollum will be joining luminaries like Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter to search for solutions that will “cure our modern civilization from the virus of greediness.” McCollum, whose star is rising across the globe as an ambassador for modern Pagan faiths, is still fighting to get equal treatment for Pagan prisoners in the state of California and across the US.

The World of Witches Museum Opens in Salem: The Witch School-backed World of Witches Museum in Salem is having its official opening today (Friday). Salem’s Mayor Kim Driscoll will be cutting the official ribbon to the museum.

“In celebrating this Independence Day weekend we are reminded that our founding fathers fought for our freedom. In honoring this American tradition, on Friday, July 2nd, The World of Witches Museum will officially be opened in Salem, Massachusetts. This will be a unique museum as the focus will be on the history of Witchcraft from a positive point of view. As part of the opening the Mayor of Salem, The Honorable Kim Driscoll will officially cut the ribbon at a noontime ceremony along with members of the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Staff of the Museum, Bewitched in Salem, and many other friends and supporters. This will be a major milestone for the Wiccan and Pagan community as this will be the first time that their history will be shared with mainstream society in such a public way. It is a showcase for the community that is fighting for the right to practice their religion in modern America.”

Among the displays will be one focusing on Witch School’s travails in Hoopeston, Illinois, which eventually drove them to the more welcoming arms of Salem, Massachusetts. Rev. Don Lewis, Curator of the Museum, says that this project represents “a coming of age for the Witch movement, which allows us to recognize that we do have a history worthy of sharing”.

Voices of Pagan Pacifism: A new initiative from Alison Shaffer, the Voices of Pagan Pacifism project, is working to spotlight voices of pacifism and peace-making from within the Pagan community.

“We hope this website will become an archive of helpful resources, inspiring stories and challenging essays available to the Pagan pacifist community, as well as the larger community of Pagans, Witches, Druids, Heathens and others interested in pre-Christian and earth-centered spirituality. It’s important to know that we are not alone, and to showcase the work and lives of our fellow peace-makers and social activists!

We conceive of this project as providing a showcase and permanent archive for the many voices of Pagan peace-making in the modern world. For this reason, we gladly accept submissions that have already been published elsewhere, provided they are submitted by (or with prior permission from) the original author and are accompanied by appropriate references and credit to the original publication source (including a link, if available). We also welcome new and original work never published before, by aspiring and previously-published writers alike!”

I’ve long thought that pacifism within modern Paganism needed a clearing-house so that conscientious objectors could use it as a resource should the need arise. Kudos to Alison Shaffer for getting this started. They are looking for writers and interviewers now, I recommend checking it out.

Making Mischief With SJ Tucker: Pagan singer-songwriter SJ Tucker’s new album “Mischief” is due to be released on July 16th and is now available for pre-order from her web site. On her personal journal, Tucker has been talking about the process and meanings behind the songs on the new album.

“Love changes us all, makes us broken, makes us brave, makes us deny ourselves and our very breath, makes us refuse to listen when our hearts tell us that the time has come to move on, to break the surface. “Neptune” is the story of what can happen after you’ve drowned yourself willingly in someone else’s hopes and dreams, and you find that saltwater and shadows no longer sustain you. “Neptune” is the story of what can happen when you’ve lived in sin with a god for long enough that the respective piles of dirty laundry and broken promises have started to really get on your nerves.”

Tucker is currently planning a big Fall tour, but you can catch her this Summer in Oregon as part of Tricky Pixie at Faerieworlds.

A Fundraiser for Joe Credit: Musician Joe Credit, a member of the Pagan band SONA, is trying to raise money to remove a a grapefruit sized hernia in his groin area.

“Joe Credit has a grapefruit sized hernia in an especially uncomfortable location on his body. Imagine getting kicked in the groin several times a day. This is his life. He is having trouble finding a way to get the operation because he is currently without insurance. He is slipping through a very unfortunate loophole. Unable to really work because of the hernia, yet unable to get disability or medicaid. He is expected to live with this hernia until it is “life-threatening” at which time he will be able to get an operation with no problem. Joe’s family does not want him to have to wait until his hernia is life-threatening. I wish we could somehow come up with the money ourselves but times are tough. Hence this fund-raiser. Joe has a lot of friends. If we could all pitch in maybe we could raise enough to get him the operation. Or at least get him enough money to be evaluated by a real doctor, not the emergency room. Thanks!”

Living without health insurance, living in pain until a problem is “life-threatening”, is no way to live at all. If you have a few bucks to spare, why not help out one of our own to have a better life.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!

Though I’m still processing the experience, I wanted to start unpacking my festival experience for you here at The Wild Hunt. While Pagan Spirit Gathering isn’t the first Pagan festival I’ve attended (that would be Florida Pagan Gathering), it was certainly the longest, largest, and one of the oldest continuing events of its kind in the United States. For the first time the idea and experience of immersion into an intentional, albeit temporary, Pagan community fully clicked within me. This being the festival’s 30th anniversary, I was doubly blessed to be witness to many remembrances, stories, and events that showed just how much America’s Pagan festival culture has shaped modern Paganism.

It’s difficult to conceive of now, in an era of social networking and easy communication, that modern Paganism was once a series of walled gardens with very little in the way of ongoing interaction or exchange. Attempts at Pagan councils from the late 1960s through the 1970s (the Council of Themis in 1968, Council of Earth Religions in 1972, and the American Council of Witches in 1973) did not endure. But the emergence of outdoor Pagan festivals succeeded where other initiatives failed, and gave birth in this country to a shared culture that we didn’t truly possess before.

“The first [Starwood] festival was small compared to things nowadays, but that gave everyone a better chance to get acquainted…Early Pagan gatherings were highly communal and informal. At festivals when I was giving a concert, such as with early PSGs, early Starwoods, and the Pan Pagan Festival out of Chicago, people sat on the ground in a wide semicircle in front of the performer, and car headlights were sometimes used as stage lights. Other times, there were Coleman lanterns, flashlights, or electric lights, depending on what was available. Microphones might or might not be used. There was a real sense of intimacy with the audience, because they were only a few feet away, and there was nothing to separate us. I encouraged people to sing along on choruses, which helped bring us together, too.” – Jim Alan, Pagan musician, and former partner of Selena Fox (excerpt from an unpublished interview).

I’d like to share two audio interviews that were conducted by the Pagan Newswire Collective at the 2010 Pagan Spirit Gathering that give a sense of the history of Pagan Spirit Gathering, how these events build community, and some of the stories from 30 years of Pagan festival. The first is an interview conducted by Star Foster of Patheos.com with Selena Fox that delves into the early history of Pagan festivals, the founding of PSG, and her many experiences over the years.

The second interview, conducted by Star Foster from Patheos.com and Dave from the Proud Pagan Podcasters, talks to Arthur Hinds from Emerald Rose, and David Doersch from Coyote Run about their many experiences at Pagan Spirit Gathering, showing how this event builds and binds community.

I hope you’ll take the time to listen to both interviews, especially if you’ve never been to a major Pagan festival, and get a sense of the power and endurance of these events in peoples lives.  Stay tuned to future posts, as the Pagan Newswire Collective recorded several hours of interviews with a variety of participants, and we’ll be making these resources available to the Pagan radio/podcast community in the near future. I’m hoping in a future post I’ll discuss my personal feelings of PSG, and how I feel it has changed me.