Sometimes a story comes along that crystallizes exactly what you’re fighting for. The case of Alexandria Boring, who was convicted in 2006 of murdering her mother, echoes the West Memphis 3, and other cases where prosecutors use character assassination and fear-mongering against misunderstood subcultures and minority religions. Yesterday the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously overturned her conviction, noting that living a “gothic lifestyle” is not an indicator for violent behavior.

State attorneys used as evidence photos of the teen with dyed black hair and dark makeup, a document with the word “curse” that was to be read over a black candle, handwritten quotes on her bedroom walls and inscriptions that a prosecutor claimed were quotations from the founder of the Satanic Church. The evidence was “clearly integral to the state’s strategy of portraying appellant as a deviant capable of murdering her mother, in the absence of any other evidence suggesting she had a violent or angry nature,” said the opinion, written by Chief Justice Carol Hunstein. It found that the teen’s alleged satanic beliefs “bore no specific nexus with the crime.”

Outside of her alleged Satanism and goth proclivities there was no direct evidence tying Boring to her mother’s murder. The district attorney even said at the time that this was a “difficult circumstantial evidence case.” Alexandria has consistently denied shooting her mother, none of her friends or teachers implicated her, and evidence that Debra’s husband was a verbally abusive alcoholic seemingly ignored. It has been very clear from the start that this conviction was based on “othering” her, creating a monster from black clothing and Anton LaVey quotations.

“Evidence presented during the trial included symbols and writings that were attributed to satanic rituals. During his closing arguments, Baird read a curse found at the crime scene that left some observers in the courtroom saying it made the hair on the backs of their necks stand on end.“

Imagine if Alexandria was a teenager you knew. Her books could have been Wiccan books, or Druid books, or from any other minority religion that teaches or encourages the use of magic. So long as it was strange and foreign enough to that jury to win a conviction. This is a phenomenon that stretches far beyond this case, there are dozens of examples of injustice thanks to misunderstandings about Pagan, occult, and minority religions. Custody cases, prisoner free exercise cases, property tax cases, so long as you can use society’s fears and ignorance to your advantage. It is doubly galling to me seeing the Goth subculture once again demonized, as it was in the wake of Columbine, despite any solid evidence that violence is pervasive that subculture.

Boring remains in prison pending a decision on whether prosecutors will seek a retrial. However, their case, such as it was, will be hobbled by the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling. No one really knows what happened in the murder of Debra Boring, it’s even conceivable that Alexandria might be guilty. But any conviction that relies on Satanic quotes, teenage “curse” spells, and how dark the defendant’s makeup is, deserves to overturned, and the prosecutors held up for criticism. This is why Pagan media matters, this is why Pagan outreach matters, this why the countless Pagan activists, volunteer chaplains, and interfaith participants matter, and this is why I continue to fight.

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Laughing Squid and io9 link to an inadvertently (I hope) creepy clip from the “Law Enforcement Guide to Satanic Cults”.

Here’s another clip from the same video.

While it’s (very) easy to mock and laugh at these videos now, we can’t forget the part programs like this played in ruining the lives of hundreds of people in the 1980s and 1990s. While the “Law Enforcement Guide to Satanic Cults” seems blatantly fabricated and made-up on-the-fly today, programs like it were no doubt instrumental in miscarriages of justice like the West Memphis 3 case, or the Kern County California arrests. Then, and today still, self-appointed “occult experts” ride a circuit of town halls, police gatherings, and church halls to share their “expertise” in an always-alleged but never conclusively proven occult crime underground. Updating their schtick to include the latest fads (lately, that means vampires).

Both serious journalists and talk-show hosts (even Oprah) at the time dived right into the hysteria.

As I pointed out in my recent piece on the mainstreaming of exorcisms, all the “silly” talk about Satanism primes the pump for new moral panics breaking out, especially in hard times. The next time it emerges it could come from within the Hip-Hop community, or be directed at the fans of a popular pop starlet. It all seems bizarre and unlikely until you realize that federal money was spent to combat “goth culture” in the wake of Columbine. So yes, it’s easy to laugh at these videos now, but lets not forget that all comedy is tragedy plus timing.

While there are an increasingly large number of Pagan artists and musicians performing and releasing albums today, works that are consistently excellent and engaging, that transcend the preconceived notions of what “Pagan music” is, are still frustratingly rare. When I was just beginning the journey towards what would become A Darker Shade of Pagan, one of the few bands that really stood out for me were Pandemonaeon. They had just released their debut self-titled album in 2001, and I remember being thrilled at the sound of songs like “Black Snake”, which merged a post-Dead Can Dance aesthetic with a slinky goth-rock atmosphere. Better still, at least from my perspective at the time, they were openly Pagan. As to why that particularly thrilled me, you’ll have to remember that there wasn’t a whole lot of sonic diversity in the music marketed to Pagans back then. Folk (and filk) singing Pagan troubadours and trobairitz still dominated the scene, with only an occasional Inkubus Sukkubus to liven things up.

Shortly after their promising debut, Pandemonaeon seemed to disappear. There was a live album in 2003, but after that the band went into a long hibernation, with lead singer Sharon Knight going on to release a second solo album, and collaborate with T. Thorn Coyle on two well-received albums of Pagan chants. In the interim, the music industry, and the boundaries of what is “Pagan” music have changed, sometimes radically. In this climate, Pandemonaeon finally returns this month with their second album “Dangerous Beauty”, sporting a more assured, powerful, and at times metal-tinged sound. It marks not so much a come-back for the band as it does a whole new beginning. Not only is “Dangerous Beauty” a great “Pagan” album, it’s a great album period. I was lucky enough to recently interview Sharon Knight about Pandemonaeon, their new album, being a Pagan musician, and making it as a musician in today’s world.

Winter & Sharon of Pandemonaeon

You were working as a musician, and had released a solo album, “Incantation”, before the first Pandemonaeon album came out in 2001. Up to that point your sound was more rooted in Celtic Folk, what made you decide to explore the somewhat darker sonic territory of this project?

Incantation came about as a direct expression of my introduction to Paganism, and I was very interested in exploring my Celtic roots at that time. By the time Winter and I recorded the first Pandemonaeon album I had been captivated by belly dance and was listening to a lot of Middle Eastern music. We also had fallen in love with Dead Can Dance’s music and found ourselves musing on how powerful it would be to mix that type of dark ethereal sound with hard rock. The Underworld has always been a rich source of inspiration for us, so it was inevitable that our music would find a darker expression.

Could you quickly explain the name? Why “Pan” “Demon” “Aeon”? Also, how did the members for the band come together? Was it an organic process, or was there a certain drive to form a band?

Pandemonaeon is a term coined by Chaos magician Peter Carroll. He describes the Pandemonaeon as a new aeon of magickal thinking, and Chaos magic itself offers up the idea that it isn’t our beliefs that are true, but the act of believing that makes magic work. Although I don’t see this as the whole picture, this was a powerful idea to us at the time of choosing a band name. We were happy to lend our art to a vision of a world wherein magick users devote their practices to consciously shaping their lives rather than falling into dogmatic habits. 10 years later this still rings true enough that the name feels honest.

There was definitely a drive to form a band, and it hasn’t been a particularly organic process. We’ve gone through a lot of band members looking for the right people! I am extremely happy with our current lineup, however.

It’s been no big secret that you’re a Pagan, and you’ve produced ritual chants and songs with T. Thorn Coyle, a good friend of yours. Do you feel like most of your fans are Pagans? How do you feel about the Pagan label when it comes to the music you make and the albums you release?

It does seem that most, if not all, of our fans are Pagans. That is certainly the community in which we are best known. As far as the Pagan label, I have mixed feelings about it. I am all for writing some music that is specifically Pagan, such as the chant CDs with Thorn. I am very proud to be contributing to the building of our Pagan culture via music. It is a movement that I believe in as being quite relevant to the times we are living in. However, since Paganism is known as a religious movement, I sometimes feel concerned that the Pagan label will alienate some listeners who might enjoy the music for what it is but who don’t identify as Pagan themselves. I feel that music transcends religion, and it would be a shame for our music to get pigeon holed as “religious music”. It is music written by Pagans, but it is for anyone who has ever been moved by dark myth and legend.

Let’s talk a bit about Pandemonaeon’s sound. What were the big influences? You cite Dead Can Dance and a “Loreena McKennitt in the underworld” aesthetic, but there’s also obvious hard rock and metal influences in the work. How would you describe it?

As far as influences, definitely Dead Can Dance, since Pandemonaeon arose from imagining how DCD’s music would sound infused with hard rock. I don’t know that I’d say Loreena McKennitt was an influence so much as we recognized her as a kindred spirit when we heard her. Her melodic sense and song structure is familiar, something I imagine comes with the discipline of studying traditional Celtic music. And her tendency to mix other world music influences and rock throughout her songs is a theme that resonates with us as well. We’ve been influenced by Middle Eastern, Scandinavian, and Celtic folk music as well as classic and modern rock and more recently, folk metal and some of the more beautiful epic metal such as Nightwish.

It’s a bit of a cliché, but we are one of those bands who have a hard time describing our music within recognizable genres. You described our sound quite well the other day when you referred to it as “Dark tribal fusion with powerful vocals and metal accents”.

We’ve been describing our music as “Gothic Tribal Folk Metal” or just “Folk Metal”. We don’t sound like any other folk metal band I have heard, but since we combine folk music themes with hard rock/metal guitar and “beauty and the beast” vocals we may be able to get away with it. We use the word Gothic due to the similarities with Dead Can Dance, who were embraced by the Goth community, and also the dark ethereal spirituality of the music invokes what I think of as a Goth aesthetic. I think of myself as a Goth in the dark spiritual sense but not in the 80’s synth-pop sense. So am I a true Goth? I’m sure there’d be those who say no. But, as a band you are expected to describe your music somehow so for now our genre is Gothic Tribal Folk Metal.

The other half of Pandemonaeon would be your partner Winter. How did the two of you meet and come to collaborate?

We met at Harbin Hot Springs at the Ancient Ways Festival, and immediately knew we had a destiny together. That sounds cliché too I suppose, but it’s true. Still feels true almost 20 years later.

It’s been nearly a decade between albums. How did your newly released follow-up “Dangerous Beauty” come about? Also, perhaps you could comment on how you perceive the changes in the music industry between the two releases. Is putting out “Dangerous Beauty” a very difference experience for you than releasing the debut?

We got burned out on Pandemonaeon for a while and felt the need to put some distance between us and some disappointments associated with the project. It’s interesting you mention the changes in the music industry between Dangerous Beauty and our debut, as the radical changes in the music industry are a big part of why we put things on hold. Within a year of forming the band we were offered a recording contract with Warner Brothers, at the time the Holy Grail for any musician. It fizzled out to nothing as the music industry became unstable, and with all the fear about pirating, etc. we just weren’t sure what our next steps should be. There wasn’t yet the infrastructure for releasing indie music online as there is now with Bandcamp, Nimbit, indie access to iTunes, etc.

But now this infrastructure does exist, and indies are doing rather well without record labels, which is very exciting for us. Also the Gothic Tribal Fusion belly dance movement, the Folk Metal movement, and the Pagan movement all made it seem like the climate may be right for Pandemonaeon. Ultimately though, Dangerous Beauty came about because this music is such a core part of our souls that turning it off left us feeling depressed and shut down much of the time. The sonic landscapes we traverse as part of this project give us a sense of destiny, and I think anytime the feeling of destiny presents itself to you, it is worth following. As the saying goes, “If you wonder what you can do to change the world, do what makes you feel alive, for what the world needs most are people who are alive”. Pandemonaeon makes us feel alive.

How would you contrast your sound on your debut with “Dangerous Beauty”? How do you feel Pandemonaeon as an entity has grown or changed?

We are definitely much more influenced by metal now! And I think our sense of identity is stronger. One would hope so after 10 years!

Are you planning to tour with the new album? What’s it like playing live with a band as opposed to a solo artist?

I would love to tour with this project. Unfortunately, to realize this vision requires 7 people, and taking 7 people on the road can be difficult. Still, we plan to play live as far and wide as circumstances will allow. I love solo gigs for their intimacy, but I love playing with a full band for the sheer epicness of sound you can get, for the camaraderie of working with a group to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Finally, what are your plans for the future? Will there be more Pandemonaeon in years to come? What about in your solo career?

There will definitely be more Pandemonaeon. It’s too much a part of who we are. We have a music video in the planning stage; also finding our way onto some tours with the funding to bring the whole band along is a high priority for us. I’ll keep putting out solo albums as well, as I enjoy both, and my solo project is easy and cost effective to tour with.

–

You can purchase a physical copy of “Dangerous Beauty” via the band’s web site. You can also download it, along with the rest of their catalog, from their Bandcamp.com site. For the latest Pandemonaeon news, check out their Facebook page.

Top Story: Richard Batholomew points us to an investigative news program on Channel 4 in the UK that exposes an underground of naming and exorcising child “witches” in African evangelical churches. Reporter Juliana Oladipo, who went undercover as a “troubled teen” for the story, shares her frightening experiences amongst Britain’s witch-hunters.

“Throughout the undercover filming process, I was confused and physically harassed by large male pastors. I was screamed at and accused of being possessed by an evil demon. As far as these pastors were concerned, I was 15 years old and had been locking my bedroom door at night … The people that these unholy African priests are targeting are on the whole ostracised by society. As well as having immigration problems, they are often unemployed, uneducated and lost in the system. Is it a surprise then that children like ‘Buki’ (my character in the film) are so angry and disconnected from society? She and others like her are being blamed by pastors for being the cause of family grief because they are ‘witches’.”

The Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) has already issued a statement to The Guardian concerning witch-children and exorcisms in the UK.

“…viewers of the programme need to understand that, shocking as these instances undoubtedly are, huge progress have been made over the past few years in developing and implementing effective child protection policies in African churches in the UK. One example is The Safeguarding Children’s Rights initiative. Established in 2007 by Trust for London, this brings together key organisations and agencies tackling faith-based abuse in African communities in London. In addition to CCPAS, it includes AFRUCA, Africa Policy Research Network, the UK Congolese Safeguarding Action Group and the Victoria Climbié Foundation. All these organisations and agencies unreservedly condemn all instances of child abuse, in particular any church that brands children as witches or as in any way demon-possessed.”

The Evangelical Alliance in the UK officially condemned accusations of witchcraft in 2007, after a government report was issued in 2006 that found 38 specific cases since 2000. However, police and activists insist that the reported cases are only the “tip of the iceberg”, and that there are “at least” dozens of cases per year according to Debbie Ariyo, founder of Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (Afruca). Some in the UK fear a repeat of the Victoria Climbie tragedy, where a child is abused to death right under the noses of social services. What is clear is that the problem of “child witches” and the unscrupulous pastors who “exorcise” them for money and power isn’t some localized phenomenon ”over there”, but one that is increasingly “over here” as well. How long before a similar situation is uncovered in the United States, where witch-hunters are feted and funded by an array of churches.

The ‘Pagan Priestess’ Who Seriously Injured a Police Officer: The Australian press is eating up the story of a woman who dragged a police officer over 600 feet after being pulled over. The officer’s arm was stuck in the window after she rolled it up while trying to prevent him from taking the keys. It’s making headlines because the woman pulled over claimed that “your laws and penalties don’t apply”, and that she’s a Pagan priestess and healer.

Eilish De Avalon, 40, has pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court to charges including recklessly causing injury and driving while suspended over the February 23 incident. De Avalon said she is tired of being labelled a witch because of its negative connotations, and would rather be known as a healer and an activist. ”I don’t wear the label of witch comfortably,” she told ninemsn. “A lot of witches prefer the title of pagan, or in my case pagan priestess. We are healers. We are psychics.”

I’m somewhat at a loss as to describe how clueless this woman appears. She’s a “healer” who seriously injured a cop after being pulled over on a suspended license for talking on a cell phone while driving? She’s tired of “negative connotations” while turning her faith into a massive joke by her actions and statements? Ms. De Avalon is being sentenced on August 6th, and I can only hope she refrains from issuing further statements and accepts her punishment with some dignity. I truly sympathize with my Australian brothers and sisters who now have to account for the media storm she’s created.

A Report from the PLSC: David Salisbury at Capital Witch has filed his first report from the 4-day Pagan Leadership Skills Conference in Richmond Virginia, featuring Selena Fox, Drema Baker, and Christine Woodman.

“Sunday night I got in from the 4-day NPLSC in Richmond, VA. I can’t even begin to write about it in a way that will do justice to the experience. I can honestly say I’ve never learned so many useful skills for leadership and life within a short amount of time. The speakers were incredible, the rituals were transforming, and the bonds formed will remain strong.

We opened with a dedication ritual honoring the apple and orchard Goddess Pomona, the matron diety of the conference. With Pomona, we reached within ourselves to plant the seeds of leadership and community. Mead created from apples blessed from the previous years conference sealed our libation and set the way for an enriching four days.”

There’s more to come in part 2 of his report, so keep an eye on the Capital Witch blog. My thanks to David for sharing his experiences with us, and I look forward to more DC-centric Pagan reporting.

Tears and Anger For Hypatia: T. Thorn Coyle and Star Foster from Patheos.com have recently seen Alejandro Amenábar’s “Agora”, based on the story of Hypatia of Alexandria, and both seem to have found the film deeply affecting.

“It was an interesting slide into emotion during the watching of Agora. One part of me was stating, “This is one way that humans are. This is about the loss of our humanity to mob rule.” Part of me was responding to this and nodding yes, another part was crushed at the fragile human response to easy violence, and yet another part was mourning our Pagan past. Connecting to all of these, I saw that I could choose to not experience the full force of an emotional response, I could follow the energy of my God Soul and watch humanity playing out this well worn story. I chose, instead, to say to my macrocosmic soul, “Yes, the patterns of humanity upon each other and the earth are varied, and yes, the rise of ignorance is a story as old as our DNA, but right now, I want to simply feel this!” Awash in emotion, I wept. I wept for the burning of the scrolls. I wept for the taking of the scientist and philosopher. I wept for her death. I wept for never having seen the great city of Alexandria at its height, before the Pagans fell into excess and the Christians took false power. I wept for all of those who failed to turn the tide of ignorance, political greed, and mob rule. I wept because tyranny had once again triumphed over freedom.”

Star’s review calls “Agora” one of the most important films the Pagan community has ever received. Another Pagan reviewer, Zan Fraser at The Juggler, agrees, saying that it’s “something that any Neo-Pagan should see”. I predict this will become one of those “must see” films that will be watched and shared within our community. Now if only I could see the dang thing! I can’t believe the art theater in my town hasn’t gotten it.

The Manchester Mona Lisa: In a final note, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester has picked its own local “Mona Lisa” to be featured in a new Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition. The winner is goth Witch Carol Hodge.

“Carol Hodge beat a 20-strong shortlist of men, women, dogs and photoshop curiosities to triumph in the online poll, posing against a smouldering backdrop with her faced caked in thick white make-up and black eyeliner, topped with a spiralling black hat.”

You can view the winning portrait, here. You can see some of the other entries, here. The show runs until September 12th. Congratulations to Ms. Hodge on being picked.

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

Religious discrimination? Miscommunication? Persecution complex? It’s hard to tell what sort of story Chris Broom of the Portsmouth News is trying to tell. I mean, the headline, and the opening sentence, are clear enough. “Paganist protests as health visitor tells her to move items.”

“A follower of paganism claims a health visitor told her she should put her religious items away because of the effect they could be having on her son.”

So we gear up for a tale of a health official overstepping his or her authority, ready to unleash our righteous ire. Only, the more you read it, the less it seems like a story about religion. I mean, it is according to family being visited.

“But on one of these visits, Mrs Hawkins says the health visitor told her she should remove pagan images and accessories from her living room because of her concerns for her 10-year-old son David … She said: ‘The lady was commenting on my bits and bobs and she said I ought to take them down because she thought it was detrimental to my son’s wellbeing … ‘I was really angry because Wicca is a recognised religion. You wouldn’t go into a Muslim’s home and ask them to take down their religious items would you?’”

But the NHS has a very different perspective.

“Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust Jamie Stevenson said the health visitor had been referring to some collectible dolls not connected to religious beliefs, known as Living Dead dolls, which Mrs Hawkins had on display.”

So unless Living Dead Dolls are now considered Wiccan religious items, this isn’t a religious persecution story. It might have been an anti-goth sort of story, but even that falls flat when you keep reading.

“We would never give advice on parenting unless they were doing something extremely wrong, which isn’t the case here. With a mental health patient like Mrs Hawkins we are trying to build a rapport and look after her needs, not to go in and throw our weight around.”

So, the British version of child services wasn’t being threatened on them, the NHS says they have no intention of “throwing its weight around”, and they actually seem quite apologetic about the whole thing. So what, really, is the story here? An NHS mental health worker suggests moving some morbid dolls to the bedroom, and the offended family calls the press?

I suppose one could make the argument that these dolls have been imbued with religious meaning by Mrs Hawkins, but even the most enlightened NHS official would have a hard time figuring that out. This seems very much like a reporter creating a controversy where there isn’t one, spinning the Pagan angle to gather attention. Oh, and Mr. Broom? Adherents of modern Paganism are Pagans, not “Paganists”.

Top Story: Jon Lee Anderson of the Guardian brings us a riveting look at the massively violent drug wars raging in Rio’s favelas, where over 5000 people were murdered last year, and police-affiliated militias can be as deadly as the gangs. While exploring the question of if this situation can be reversed, and the culture of these gangs, Anderson focuses on Fernandinho, a gang-leader who converted to evangelical Christianity in 2007 and melds Christian morals with the violence of his trade.

“On 20 August 2007, a banner headline of the Rio tabloid Meia Hora said: “Thug beheads those who don’t follow his rules”, and underneath, “Fernandinho Guarabu, Dendê’s boss, uses an axe to execute his victims. The evangelical trafficker forbids even macumba in the favela.” (Macumba refers to one of the country’s African-derived religions, along with Umbanda and Candomblé, which strict evangelicals see as little more than witchcraft.) That same day, in the broadsheet O Dia, this report appeared: “In spite of his violence, the ‘word of God’ must always be propagated, sometimes in a radical way. Guarabu has supposedly banned Umbanda and Candomblé rituals, as well as spiritualist séances. At 6pm every day, a pastor’s prayer echoes on the narrow alleys.” What had happened was that Fernandinho had become friendly with Pastor Sidney, and had been born again. He took to his new faith with great enthusiasm. He had “Jesus Cristo” tattooed on one of his forearms in big letters, and Morro do Dendê was soon covered with new religious graffiti. The community swimming pool he had built now had a sign above it saying, “This Belongs to Jesus Christ”. Also, Fernandinho had supposedly ordered his men not to carry out “violent” crimes, such as carjacking, armed robbery and murder, although he was still selling drugs.”

Naturally, the story of Fernandinho’s conversion doesn’t have a happy ending for the Christians who sought to curb his violence. His gang is back to murdering informants, and Fernandinho is estranged from the pastor who converted him. That hasn’t stopped other, less scrupulous, pastors from ingratiating themselves, or even allowing their churches to be used by his operation. Proof, perhaps, that mere conversion can’t solve these problems, and may even redirect the violence into places they hadn’t anticipated (the violence against non-Christians in his favela for instance). With the international spotlight shining on Rio for the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics, it should be interesting to see what the government does to curb gang violence and reform the police forces before massive floods of international tourists arrive.

In Other News: The Poughkeepsie Journal has a surprisingly solid article by Lauren Yanks exploring the Winter Solstice from a variety of view-points both secular and spiritual. This includes a local Wiccan shop-owner and a Norse Pagan employee.

“Patrick Twamley also works at the Awareness Shop. Twamley follows the Norse pagan tradition. “In the Norse pagan tradition, the night before the solstice is usually called Mother’s Night,” he said. “It’s a time to honor the female ancestors of your line. This probably goes back to the idea of the mother giving birth to the sun.” As part of the Norse tradition, on the winter solstice Twamley sprinkles everybody with ale as a way of bestowing a blessing, usually out of a blessing bowl. Then there is a feast and a toast to the female spirits. “It’s a way to show gratitude for all we’ve been given,” he said.”

Yanks also asks academics about Native American traditions relating to the Winter Solstice, and interviews the minister of the Uniterian Universalist Fellowship in Poughkeepsie. Maybe papers should encourage more academics (Yanks teaches English at SUNY New Paltz) to write features for them, they, at least, know to quote multiple sources.

It seems English Catholic Archbishop Vincent Nichols made a theological faux pas while at a visit to a Hindu temple in London and (allegedly) placed flowers on the altar of the Hindu deities. This most likely unwitting violation of the First Commandment has gotten Rod “Crunchy Con” Dreher’s dander up.

“I’ll say this for the Muslims: they know better than to get into this syncretism garbage. It is not only possible to honor other religions without paying homage to their gods, it is mandatory for Christians. I would not expect a Jew or a Muslim to cross himself at a Christian altar, or before a Christian crucifix or an icon. Nor would I be insulted in the least if he didn’t. It’s those who are indifferent to what a gesture like this means that worry me.”

Ah yes, “syncretism garbage”. Never mind that this wasn’t an act of “syncretism”, but most likely an unwitting mistake, it’s enough of an excuse to unleash the river of bile and snark Dreher holds for minority non-Christian faiths in general, and for Pagan and African diasporic faiths in particular. Did a polytheist kick his puppy as a child? Did Wiccans steal his lunch-money? It can’t simply be Christian piety that drives this particular immaturity.

So have you heard about the Goth Pagan Robin Hood yet? No? You are so missing out! It seems a man calling himself Frater Osiris Xnoubis robbed a bank wearing black leathers and then proceeded to hand the money out at a local sandwich shop.

“He handed a note to terrified cashier Laura Sulling telling her he was armed and demanded she hand over the cash in her till. Xnoubis, a Pagan worshipper, stuffed £6,570 into a bag and told her to “have a nice day” before calmly walking out of the HSBC branch in Terminus Road, Eastbourne. He walked a few yards to The Gildridge pub where he handed barmaid Gemma Clark a £20 note for a bottle of beer and told her to keep the change. After downing his drink he left and went to nearby Harrisons sandwich bar. He handed the bag of cash to astonished owner Clive Benneys, who was also his landlord, saying: “You are good people, help yourselves.” Xnoubis left the shop and promptly went to the police station in Grove Road where he confessed to the robbery.”

A psychiatric report stated he was depressed, but not mentally ill. A judge sentenced him to three-and-a-half years after a guilty plea. Perhaps years from now they’ll sing ballads for brave Frater Osiris Xnoubis, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Perhaps they’ll give him a merry band of goths and Pagans who help him in his quest! Hey, stranger things have happened.

In a final note, Erynn Rowan Laurie has a review up of “Ten Years of Triumph of the Moon”, a collection of essays inspired by, deriving from, or just celebrating the influential work of historian Ronald Hutton. She finds several things to like about the collection, but says its hindered by sloppy editing and some rather mediocre essays.

“There are a number of other articles in the book, some of which are passable, but unfortunately one of the editors had the least readable and least useful article in the whole compilation. It’s unfortunate he didn’t himself have an editor to look over his own work. I think that if you’re a Hutton fan, you’ll find a lot to like in this book, as well as a few things that might challenge your opinions. If you’re not specifically a Hutton fan but are interested in the state of scholarship regarding Paganism and the occult today, this will also be quite worth reading. Just be prepared for a lot of bad editing.”

Shame about the editing really, you’d expect better from an academic-oriented collection. Still, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a copy for review (and my own edification).

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

Since I’ve been getting on CBS’s case recently for their exploitation of minority religious and ethnic groups, I figured I should tune in to last night’s episode of NCIS that promised a Satanic theme.  I’m glad to say that my pre-episode hopes were fulfilled.

I’m still holding out hope that NCIS will buck the trend, after all, the show includes a positive goth character, so maybe the Satanic thing is a red herring, a misdirection from the true nature of the killer. One can only hope.

That turned out to be exactly the case. While I won’t give away the ending, I can say that all the ritualistic elements were explained away, and the Satanic/cult angle was indeed a red herring. They even had the goth-styled Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto (played by Pauley Perrette) specifically debunk the “Satanic” pentagram on the victim’s back.

Not the same pentagram.

This points towards the power of representation in popular media. Because NCIS has a “goth” character whose mandate is to “defy the negative stereotype”, the writers are forced to (at least partially) consider her perspective. It stands to reason that someone who goes to goth clubs, drives a hearse, and listens to Industrial music would have met a few Satanists in her time, and know they aren’t ritualistic killers (and that many of them don’t even literally believe in the entity of Satan). So writers are then, if they have any talent, forced into either explaining why these ritualistic killers are an abberation from the norm, or debunk the supposed “Satanism” invoked in the episode (which is what happened here).

Compare this to The Mentalist, where there are no characters who act as subcultural signifiers. Indeed, the main character is a “reformed” outsider (sham TV psychic) who now uses his powers of observation to debunk and mock the world he once inhabited. It’s little wonder their “Wiccan” character was a string of negative stereotypes, what was holding the writers back? Certainly not anticipated outrage from the Pagan community, we’re far too small to scare away advertisers (half of America hasn’t even heard of Wiccans if some surveys are to be believed) or garner national press for every insult. Fair treatment towards outsider views in popular media can only be expected when the outsiders are involved (whether in front of, or behind, the cameras).

Obviously, this isn’t a perfect solution, Criminal Minds was recently criticized for some ugly stereotypes about Gypsies, and they have two “outsider/geek” characters, but they do have a far better track record than most of debunking stereotypes concerning outsider and subcultural groups (I know they specifically addressed “Satanic Panic” in an older episode). This doesn’t mean I think shows should start shoehorning Pagan and Wiccan characters into their ensembles, only that visibility and involvement can make the difference between being the Furries on CSI or the goth girl on NCIS. So hats off to that show’s writers for avoiding some bad stereotypes, and including a positive “outsider”.

ADDENDUM: You can watch the entirety of this episode of NCIS online.