Whether revived, re-imagined, reconstructed, or revealed, modern Pagan religions all look to our collective pre-Christian past for inspiration, connection, understanding, and a sense of continuity. Because of this phenomenon, many Pagans follow the world of archaeology very closely, both for new information, and to monitor the preservation of objects and artifacts that reach back to a time when pagan religions were the dominant expression of faith. When the Egyptian revolution started, many Pagans, particularly Kemetics and Greco-Egyptian polytheists, expressed great concern at reports of looting and vandalism of the nations many antiquities. However, there are ongoing debates within modern Pagan communities over what the best way to honor our ancient past is. Some, like, British Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon (aka John Timothy Rothwell) want a hands-off approach to monuments and sites they see as part of a collective spiritual heritage, while other groups, like Pagans For Archaeology, argue that extensive scientific exploration enriches the body of knowledge available to modern Pagans.

The Parthenon atop the Acropolis in Athens.

“The more knowledge we gain about people of the past, the more it perpetuates their memory. People of the past wanted to be remembered, that’s why they built monuments in the landscape. Also, ancient texts such as the Hávamál talk about a person’s name living on after they die (another indication that people in the past wanted to be remembered).”

This debate grows more complex as pre-Christian pagan sites suffer ever more from years of vandalism, wear, and increasing environmental degradation. In Greece, statues and decorative pieces at the Acropolis in Athens have been slowly transitioned into a specially-built museum, while Turkey is currently debating on how to best preserve the ancient giant statues of gods and kings on Mount Nemrut in southeastern region of the country.

Statues near the peak of Mount Nemrut.

“A recent proposal by Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay to move the gigantic sculptures atop Mount Nemrut, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, to a museum in order to protected them from harsh weather conditions has sparked controversy among Turkish archeologists and scientists over whether the sculptures should be preserved inside a museum or not. Günay put forth the proposal last week, saying the sculptures can be brought down from the mountain by helicopter and become part of the exhibit in a museum in Kahta, Adıyaman province.

“Many proposals, including those from [Middle East Technical University] ODTÜ, were brought to me for the protection of the sculptures on the mountain. However, none of them convinced me. Among the proposals were covering the sculptures with some chemicals. I asked them to bring me that chemical, but they could not. Some have proposed covering them with a tent or glass. Strong winds blowing on the mountain in the winter would damage the tent. The windows would break,” Günay said.

Noting that the best solution would be to move the stone heads to a museum, he added that he has personally observed the damage sustained by the heads over the past 20 years and that they need protection.”

Some local archaeologists and officials disagree with Günay, saying there is little evidence of the damage he describes. While modern Pagans are not a factor in this story, the situation starkly illustrates the debates currently raging over how to treat these sites. Another question is how moving the statues, if it goes forward, would affect the site’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and how would these changes affect tourism?

Sadly, scientific examination and debates over the best preservation strategies aren’t the only thing affecting ancient sites of interest to modern Pagans. In some cases sites are being endangered by construction, spurring protests and direct action by local Pagans in places like Greece to protect the newly-uncovered Altar of the Twelve Gods from reburial, or at the Hill of Tara in Ireland, which many feel is being systematically destroyed by highway development. As development, tourism, and environmental factors continue to clash these issues only promise to become more heated and intense. With austerity the buzz-word in a global recession, the preservation of our ancient heritage, and the protection of sacred sites seem to be  low on the priority list. Will these sites simply start disappearing? What is the best way to protect these sites and our religious heritage in a world that seems increasingly indifferent to preservation? What role should modern Pagan communities play regarding sites that we feel are important to our own understanding of the past?

There are lots of articles and essays of interest to modern Pagans out there, sometimes more than I can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.

• First off, I hope all my readers, friends, and supporters out on the East Coast, and in the path of Hurricane Irene, are safe and have taken proper precautions. Though the storm is less intense than first expected, there’s still plenty of damage a storm of that size can do.  COG First Officer Peter Dybing offers a prayer for safety, as does ADF Archdruid Kirk Thomas. Some Wild Hunt readers are checking in at this site’s Facebook page.
• New York City Councilman Dan Halloran, one of two openly Pagan/Heathen elected officials in the United States, appears in the new documentary “9/11: Reflections Then and Now.” Halloran lost his cousin, Lt. Vincent Halloran, that day, and nearly lost his brother, Patrick. At a special screening of the film, Halloran said that “one of the most important things to remember is almost every New Yorker was touched by this tragedy, a 9/11 family in New York is not a unique thing.”
• At his blog Morehead’s Musings, John Morehead does a follow-up interview with attorney Dan Stidham (original interview, here), who represented Jessie Misskelley of the West Memphis 3 until 2008 (at which point he became a judge). Stidham says that “Satanic Panic convicted the WM3 and the hard work of many people from all around the world refused to let this injustice stand.” I would suggest reading the whole thing, as there’s a lot of great information to be found there. You may also want to read Peg Aloi’s further commentary on the WM3′s release.
• Remember the mini Internet tempest that was the Circle of Moms contest? In short, a group of Pagan mom-bloggers did better than expected in the “faith” category ranking contest, sparking some unfortunate behavior by some Christian participants (though several Christian mom-bloggers did apologize for the behavior of their coreligionists). In any case, the fruits of that victory, in which the top 25 get special featured site interviews, is now up. Congrats once again to Mrs B., Angela, Lily, Joni, and all the other Pagan mom-bloggers who made it.
• Bill Keller at the New York Times Magazine argues that we should be asking presidential candidates tougher questions about their faith, and shares the general questionnaire that he sent out to all the candidates. While Get Religion slammed Keller’s editorial as “bizarre” and called the questions “loaded,” I would love to hear honest answers from the candidates to the question: “(a) Do you agree with those religious leaders who say that America is a “Christian nation” or “Judeo-Christian nation?” (b) What does that mean in  practice?” Meanwhile, Dave Niose, president of the American Humanist Association argues at Psychology Today that concerns over the religious right aren’t overblown.
• The sensationalism-drenched case of Angela Sanford, a Wiccan who killed Joel Levya in what some media described as a ritualistic sacrifice, has seemingly come to an end.  Sanford has plead no contest to second-degree murder, and will face sentencing in October. Sanford originally said the killing was in self-defense against an attempted rape, but that story soon unraveled as the details didn’t fit, and her cell phone listed Levya’s number under “sacrifice.” What really sparked Sanford to violently murder this man remains unknown.
• Here at Patheos, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus discusses the roots of homophobia, and bluntly states that it has no place within modern Paganism, and that Pagans supporting political candidates who engage in homophobia is an affront to our religious values. Quote:  “If modern Pagan religions and forms of animism and polytheism, which are supposed to revere nature to some extent or another, maintain homophobia of any sort (even if it is out of adherence to some ancient texts or traditions, which themselves often have resulted from Christian influence or inadequate modern interpretations of difficult terminologies), then they are aligning themselves with fundamentalist religious viewpoints that would happily seek to outlaw, and even execute, those who are “guilty” of homoeroticism or gender variance. Voting for conservative candidates who have espoused a religious position like this because one agrees with them on fiscal issues is a direct affront to every religious value one upholds as a modern Pagan or polytheist.”
• It looks like all the recent direct-action activism to protect the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona is having some effect, the business magazine Fast Company has run a spotlight on the Hopi Tribe’s new litigation against the wastewater pipeline currently underway. Fast Company’s article is too glib by half, but it is at least getting the story back on the radar of mainstream media. You can read all of my coverage on this story, here. For ongoing coverage of direct-action activism, check out Censored News and Indigenous Action Media.
• In a move that should surprise no one, Texas governor Rick Perry continues to woo influential and high-rolling conservative Christians, including David “paganism and witchcraft were never intended to receive the protections of the Religion Clauses” Barton. Perry has a long history with Barton, a fact that should make any Pagan nervous, if the giant prayer rally featuring several NAR participants didn’t already.
• Reviews of “The Wicker Tree,” the forthcoming companion film to the classic 1973 Pagan-themed horror film “The Wicker Man,” are pouring in from FrightFest 2011, and they aren’t pretty. Total Film complains of a “near-absence of momentum or intrigue,” while WhatCulture! says this film is far sillier than “The Wicker Man,” and that the “film suffers through not making us care” and calls the Christopher Lee cameo a “pointless waste.” Ouch! You can read all of my “Wicker Tree” coverage, here.
• Zeus and Hera have been removed from the Acropolis for safe-keeping, their Parthenon metope will be replaced with a copy, while the originals will be on display a the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
• Has King Arthur’s famous round table been found? The answer is a firm maybe.
• An important lesson in framing Pagan pride from Hecate.

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

There are lots of articles and essays of interest to modern Pagans out there, sometimes more than I can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.

• Since the incident last week where Mrs. B from Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom was attacked (and “prayed for”) by Christian mom-bloggers for performing too well in the “faith” category at Circle of Moms a wonderful thing has happened. First, several Christian mom-bloggers apologized for the behavior of their coreligionists, and thanks to a mobilized online Pagan community Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom is now in first place, and several other Pagan mom-blogs (The Pagan Mom Blog, Witch Mom, Hearth-n-Home, etc) are in the top 10. Congrats! Voting remains open till June 8th, so support Pagan moms!
• The “Pagan” label discussion/debate has started to slow down a bit, though my comments section is still quite active. That said, there are a couple new entries in the back-and-forth that I thought were worth mentioning. First, Phaedra Bonewits gives a somewhat historical perspective of debates within the Pagan community, and reiterates her late husband’s definitions of the term Pagan. Then, Matthew N. Hunt, admin of the Polytheism Fan Page on Facebook, argues that “different religions, different values, different world-views should be appreciated as just that.”
• The Warriors & Kin/Pagan Newswire Collective effort to “clip for the troops” is now officially underway. The chosen post/base for this effort will be US Army: Illesheim, Germany. On the subject of troop support, you may also want to check out PNC-Minnesota coverage of the Memorial Day gathering to honor fallen Pagan service members.
• For those looking for non-Pagan coverage of the Patrick McCollum Ninth Circuit ruling, here’s some links: Religion Clause, SF Weekly, Courthouse News Service, ABA Journal. More from me on this in the near-ish future.
• News of the Religious/Christian Right’s demise was apparently greatly exaggerated. Ralph Reed matters! The Faith and Freedom conference (now underway) is a who’s who of Republican presidential hopefuls. What does it say about a party where just about every serious candidate is willing to court a very distinct subset of Christian, one that largely denies religious minorities equal treatment. If we were truly a secular nation, it might just be a scandal. I guess conservative non-Christians are too small a group to get equal time. Meanwhile, the Republican wave of 2010 has brought with it a wave of social conservative anti-abortion legislation. What’s next on the social agenda once these states have hamstrung women’s right to a legal medical procedure?
• Thyrsos-Hellenes Ethnikoi in Greece invites everyone to celebrate the Summer Solstice with them. “At the dawn of the 21st of June, at the very moment when the first rays will be shown from the horizon, light up a Fire, a candle, a torch, whatever you may find possible and heading towards the Sun make a Salute to the Invictus God!” They’d also like you to send them photos of your salutation to the Sun.
• Nepal is currently working on a new law that would ban evangelism. If passed, it would prohibit conversion “by offering inducements or without inducement,” and preaching “a different religion or faith with any other intent.” Nepal’s Christian community has apparently been caught by surprise by this effort. While I’m sure there might be a knee-jerk impulse to applaud such a law, I’m troubled by its speech-prohibiting overreach. Patrick McCollum is actually in Nepal at the moment, and once the excitement over his California court case dies down a bit, I’d love to ask him his opinion on this.
• Did you know that June is the 3rd annual Pagan Values Blogging and Podcasting month? Well it is! I’m hoping to participate soon. In the meantime, do check out the many wonderful entries made so far. Facebook event listing, here.
• Did the urge to worship actually spark civilization? That seems to be the emerging theory from National Geographic, who are covering excavations at the Göbekli Tepe in Turkey.
• A bunch of dead goats are found in Tampa, Florida, but for once Santeria seems to not be blamed. “With 11 bodies, as opposed to one or two that you typically find in a Santeria type practice, it doesn’t lend itself to that type of situation, but we haven’t ruled it out,” says [Hillsborough Animal Services investigator Pam] Perry. Could law and animal enforcement agencies be acquiring some nuance in approaching dead animal remains? Lets hope so.

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

There are lots of articles and essays of interest to modern Pagans out there, sometimes more than I can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.

• We have two new high-profile endorsements for Pagan Coming Out Day on May 2nd. The first from T. Thorn Coyle who invokes the memory of Tempest Smith and Harvey Milk, and the second from Phaedra Bonewits who notes that “by coming out, we are affirming our right to love ourselves for what we are.”
• I have to say, the trailer for Tarsem Singh’s movie “Immortals” is very, very, pretty. I will be seeing it for the eye candy alone, if nothing else. Hey, it can’t be as bad as the “Clash of the Titans” remake.
• Over at Killing the Buddha writer Eric Scott (a Wiccan and second-generation Pagan) gets some criticism over his latest essay, “Valhal-Mart,” first from a Christian who points out that Christians get exploited in cinema too, and then from author Alex Rose, who calls Scott a “phony” because “there is no chance he actually believes (choose any sense of the word you like) in norse mythology, much less actively worships Thor.” Mr. Rose obviously hasn’t heard of that whole “modern Paganism” thing.
• The New York Times reports on efforts to have a atheist/secular military chaplain appointed. They note that “a Hindu, possibly even a Wiccan may join their [military chaplain] ranks soon.” But the institutional resistance to a Wiccan or Pagan chaplain has been rather effective in not making that happen.
• PNC-Minnesota‘s special series on Pagans in prison concludes with comments from Pagan inmates and an editorial from reporter Nels Linde. Essential reading, and some of the best reporting done this year for the Pagan community. (Part 1, Part 2,Part 3, Part 4 Part 5 Part 6).
• Time Magazine travels to Sedona to experience the post-James Arthur Ray sweat-lodge deaths atmosphere and finds that “even tragedy won’t keep the seekers from Sedona.” Meanwhile, the James Arthur Ray trial continues.
• Tropaion notes the creation of a “legal vacuum” as different factions fight over re-burial of the Altar of the Twelve Gods in Greece. You can read my coverage of this story, here.
• The Croyden Guardian reports on trial of William Lambert, accused of raping four girls (aged between 11-15) under the pretext of “initiation ceremonies” to pass on the next level of his “witch powers”. There doesn’t seem to be any real connection between Lambert and the existing Pagan community in the area, and he told the girls his powers came “from the black floating monk” that apparently haunted the church yard where he worked.
• At Think Progress, commentator Alyssa Rosenberg notes the “challenges in making gods-come-to-earth movies.” The first is the modern resistance to an approachable deity, and the second is that superheroes “have basically taken on the roles of Greek-style gods in our movies.” I’m sure Grant Morrison would agree.
• Arizona police officers are receiving training in looking “for indicators of underlying criminal activity” in part via “religious “saints” or icons that might be found at crime scenes where Mexican drug cartels have a presence.” In short, that Santa Muerte statue might be an indicator of illegal activity. Some may mock this, but these trainings could be problematic for individuals not involved in the drug trade who happen to follow a religion misunderstood by law enforcement.
• David Briggs notes the growth of Hinduism in America, mainly through immigration. As this population grows, they are finding their political voice, and challenging Western narratives concerning India and Hinduism.

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

Just a few quick news notes for on this Thursday.

Aphrodite’s Middle Finger: Der Spiegel reports that nine employees of the German magazine Focus are being ordered to appear in an Athens court for “accusations of defamation, libel and the denigration of Greek national symbols.” Six Greek citizens are bringing the complaint, partially for the article, which discusses tax fraud and failed construction projects, and partially for the satirical cover image.

“The Focus cover featured a photograph of the famously armless statue Venus de Milo, which depicts the Greek goddess Aphrodite, that had been doctored so that the deity was showing her middle finger to the viewer. The story, titled “Swindlers in the Euro Family,” included a detailed description of what the authors claimed was “2000 years of decline” in Greece, including reports of tax fraud and failed construction projects. The six Greeks who are now suing the journalists maintain that the article included false claims and was also insulting to the Greek people.”

If I didn’t know better, you’d think the charge would be blasphemy and not “denigration of Greek national symbols.” Is having Aphrodite flip the bird denigrating? I would like to think the goddess has a sense of humor about the whole thing. Magazine founder Helmut Markwort says he has a clean conscience, and does not believe he’ll see any jail time for the article or cover photo. Denigrating or not, I’m sure that any number of satirical web images and icons based off this photo are currently being made. So long as electricity and the Internet persevere Aphrodite will be flipping someone the bird, somewhere.

The Gods of Westeros: With Game of Thrones now a successful HBO series (already renewed for a second season after just one episode has aired), and the next volume of A Song of Ice and Fire due out this Summer, Tor.com looks at the religions and gods of this fantasy setting.

“The gods of the children of the forest, the nameless deities of stone and earth and tree, the old gods seem like a sort of animistic religion. The greenseers of the children, shamans of a kind, were said to be able to talk with all beasts and birds, and to see through the eyes of their carved weirwoods. When the First Men arrived, they first warred with the children, and cut down the weirwoods where they found them. In time, though, they made peace with them and adopted their old gods. The North is the only real stronghold for the old gods, however; south of the Neck, the Blackwoods are the only known noble house to still follow them.

There are no priests, no holy texts, no songs of worship, and practically no rites that go with the worship of the old gods. It’s a folk-religion, passed from generation to generation. The closest thing to a ritual we’ve seen is prayer before the heart tree in a godswood, holy groves contained within castles throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and often the only places where living weirwoods still remain until one goes north of the Wall. It’s said that the sigh of the wind and the rustle of leaves are the old gods speaking back to worshippers.”

It should be interesting to see how much emphasis and detail the cable series puts into the polytheistic religious tapestry weaved by author George R. R. Martin. Sadly, I don’t have HBO, so it may be awhile before I get to see for myself.

Once More About Race in Thor: Salon.com looks at the small movement to boycott “Thor” (opening May 6th) for casting a black man (British actor Idris Elba) as the god Heimdall. While some are sympathetic to those who are upset at this “racebending”, like African-American fantasy author Charles Saunders, Bob Calhoun at Salon notes that there’s actually a long history in cinema of including black characters in Viking movies and that the comic-book version of Thor was crafted by a New York Jew.

“Marvel Comics artist Jack Kirby along with writer Stan Lee first put Thor into a comic book in 1962, and had him doing things that were decidedly inauthentic. During Thor’s early four-color adventures, he fought the Stone Men of Saturn, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Mr. Hyde, and even the Greek gods. Four years later, Kirby integrated Marvel’s characters with the creation of the Black Panther, the first black superhero. “There were plenty of white superheroes, so I thought there should be a black hero too,” Kirby told me unpretentiously during one of the times I was fortunate enough to speak with him. After Kirby jumped to DC Comics in the early 1970s, he created that company’s first black superhero as well in the debut issue of “The Forever People” (1971). Ironically, that character’s name was Vykin the Black.”

Which goes to the point I’ve been making about this controversy over and over again.  That this not an adaptation of the Norse Eddas, or even really based on Norse mythology, but an adaptation of a comic book that used Norse gods as a starting point and went completely wild from there. Alien technology, extra-dimensional beings, a horse-faced alien Thor, frog Thor, and the current Marvel company-wide crossover where we learn that Odin hid the existence of a “god of fear” called “the serpent”. Now, you may still want to be offended, or be critical, but that feeling has to be grounded in the literature that the story is based on to make sense.

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

Just a few quick news notes for you this Sunday.

Altar of the Twelve Gods Update: Back in February I reported on how Greek Hellenic group Thyrsos Hellenes Ethnikoi has been protesting to preserve the famous Altar of the Twelve Gods, which was uncovered on February 17th during railway construction. Now Tropaion has an update, looking at how different Greek papers are covering the protests.

“The Kathimerini story did not claim that Polytheists were the ‘troublemakers’ in contrast of what To Vima clearly states that “members of polytheistic organizations, which had occupied the site where archaeological reburying work was undergoing for the antiquities.” It is important to note the language used by the newspaper To Vima which is clearly biased. It is also important to underline what Kathimerini notes that the reburying has been called “emerging” -  Central Archaeological Council has approved the reburial of the altar, faithful to the notion that the monuments are better protected hidden - as part of a renovation of the Metro line exactly were the altar exists which is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of recent years.According to reports, citizens formed a cordon around the monument, which was split violently by the riot police who up to now patrol the site. The work had continued.”

You can read an April 13th update (in Greek) from Thyrsos Hellenes Ethnikoi, here. More on this situation (in English) here, here, here, and here. Petition, here. It looks like things are becoming heavy-handed in Greece, and reburial is moving forward. I’ll update when I have more information.

Vodou Flags, Vodou Culture: Gina Athena Ulysse, Assoc. Prof. of Anthropology, Wesleyan University, writes about Haitian Vodou flag-maker Myrlande Constant, who is part of a current exhibit entitled Re-Framing Haiti: Art, History and Performativity at Brown University.

Erzulie LaFlambeau by Myrlande Constant

“Born in 1970, Constant is a self-taught flagmaker whose artistry is rooted in her skills as a seamstress and the beading techniques that she learned from her mother as a child. While in her teens, both of them had worked in a wedding dress factory. Her foray into the world of flag making coincides with a story of self-emancipation from exploitative factory labor. In a public dialogue in Kreyol that I had with her at Brown last Wednesday, Constant recalls quitting her job at the factory over a compensation dispute. When her mother who still worked at the factory asked her what she would do, she responded, she didn’t know. She then found herself tracing the outline of what would eventually become her first flag, an homage toDanbala that was purchased by singer and bandleader, Richard Morse, also owner of the Hotel Oloffson, where the flag still hangs.”

The exhibition runs through April 21st, and will feature a talk by Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat at its closing. I also wanted to mention that Ulysse linked to a very interesting-looking new book in her article, “The Spirits and the Law: Vodou and Power in Haiti” by Kate Ramsey. The work looks at “the long genealogy of anti-Vodou rhetoric” in Haiti, and might be a must-read for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of struggles Vodou currently faces.

Former Pagan on Easter’s Pagan Influences: Here’s a slightly unique take on the “pagan roots of Easter” story, the Patriot Ledger interviews Kendra Vaughan Hovey, a former reality-television star who converted from Wicca to Christianity, about bunnies, eggs, and Eostre.

“…as they follow those rituals, they will be evoking age-old, pre-Christian practices so familiar that few people give them a second thought. No one knows this better than Kendra Vaughan Hovey of Duxbury, a former Wiccan priestess who is now Christian. She sees reminders of her former religion at every turn this time of year, and she still embraces much of it. “It’s a holiday of new life,” she says of Easter. “There’s a beauty in that.” Hovey notes that even the name Easter has a pagan source – most likely from Ostara, the ancient Norse goddess of spring. Ostara’s festival was always around the spring equinox, which is still used to calculate Easter Sunday dates.”

I have to say, kudos to Lane Lambert at the Patriot Ledger for finding a new angle to this old chestnut of space-filling holiday-themed content. One wonders if this was accidental serendipity due to out-of-date source lists, or if it was planned. In any case, it was novel enough to gain my attention.

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

Pagan Community Notes is a companion to my usual Pagan News of Note, a 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!

A Call for Solidarity to Save a Sacred Altar: Greek Hellenic group Thyrsos Hellenes Ethnikoi has issued a call for solidarity to stop what they consider a “cultural crime” underway in Athens. It seems that the famous Altar of the Twelve Gods was finally uncovered on February 17th during railway construction, however, turf battles over jurisdiction have endangered the site, and there’s a chance it could be buried once more by Athens Piraeus Electric Railways (ISAP). Protests have already broken out, and Thyrsos Hellenes Ethnikoi are asking for “all civilized people from all over the world” to call for the altar’s preservation.

“Very recently during constructions on the railway network of Athens, a magnificent Treasure of the Hellenic History was discovered, a masterpiece of the Hellenic Culture, the Sacred Altar of the 12 Gods. Now this Treasure is in immediate danger because of the lack of interest of the Hellenic State, because of the decision of the railway company to bury it as quick as possible. And also know that the Altar and its very site were the center of Athens in Ancient Years. The holiest spot of Athens. Where Hiketes (suppliants) would ask for Mercy! As archaeologists say, it is as important as the golden-elephantine statue of Goddess Athena! This Altar is not only an archaeological remain. It is also Sacred, especially to us, the followers of the Hellenic Ancient Religion. The total devastation of it, means that the Hellenic Culture has been mutilated by the ignorant and dangerous people who rule and they do not respect who they are, where they come from, and especially where they want to lead us, the Hellenes…”

If you’d like to make your voice heard in this matter, you can e-mail the railway, and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, to make your concerns known. You can find out more here (in Greek), and here (also in Greek, though they say a translation is forthcoming). This call for solidarity is currently spreading through the Hellenic community, and it could be a wonderful opportunity for Pagans outside of Greece to stand with their brothers and sisters in Athens. Also, if you do decide to write in support of saving the altar, remember to be polite and to-the-point in your messages. I’ll update you on this issue as things develop and I learn more.

Selena Fox Joins Wisconsin Protesters: Fresh from her time at PantheaCon, Circle Sanctuary’s Selena Fox returned to her home in Wisconsin where she immediately joined the throngs of pro-union protesters currently congregating in Madison in a standoff centering on the issue of collective bargaining rights.

“Democracy in Action in Wisconsin! Joined the round the clock Public Workers’ Rights rally inside the Wisconsin State Capitol. Amazing energy! [...] The energy inside was amazing! And multi-partisan - those protesting included Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others. I went there to give support, but also to learn first hand for myself what the scene was like.”

Fox noted that part of the reason she’s there is “to carry the energy from workings I had led in California right to the center of the Wisconsin actions in support of workers rights.” In response to a query from The Wild Hunt, Fox spoke of the “exuberant energy” on display.

“I am continuing to hear from a variety of people concerned about upholding public workers’ rights, including from the interfaith community.  Today two dozen clergy of different traditions joined together with others in the Capitol rotunda and then were part of a press conference afterwards. [...] In the center of the ground floor was the hub of the indoor rally.  Various demonstrators were taking turns leading chants and expressing perspectives in a microphone within a circle of drummers.  In addition to the ground floor, there were people circled around the rotunda on the second and third floors all joining in chanting.  As I walked around each floor, I talked with some of those who had gathered as well as some of the media covering the rally, which has been going round the clock for more than a week.  The energy inside the Capitol was exhuberant.  The passion to stand up for public workers and their collective bargaining rights there was and continues to be strong.”

Selena has promised further updates as she receives word. If there are any other Pagans on the ground at the protests, please feel free to contact me with your experiences and insights. For background on this protest and political standoff, the Wikipedia article is a good place to start. From there, it’s fairly easy to find various political takes on the issue.

Getting Hold of American Mystic: For those who’ve been unable to catch a screening of the documentary “American Mystic”, directed by Alex Mar, and featuring Morpheus Ravenna along with members of Stone City Pagan Sanctuary, you can now order a copy before the film goes into wide distribution this June. You can e-mail the academic distributor Kino Lorber to obtain copies for you or your store, or order online and use the special “PANTHEACON” offer code during check-out.

The DVD will be going “wide” this Summer, which will mean availability on Netflix and iTunes, among other outlets. But if you’d like to get it now, here’s your chance.

PantheaCon Reflections: There’s no doubt going to be plenty of stories from PantheaCon trickling out in the near future, including some from The Wild Hunt, but for now I wanted to quickly note some round-ups that have already appeared. There’s a report from Donald Michael Craig at Llewellyn, Robert from the Doing Magick blog has a round-up, Peter Dybing describes the experience of “divine exhaustion”, Staff of Asclepius has an interview with con organizaer Glenn Turner, and  Star Foster at Patheos talks about three rituals she attended while there.

“It was interesting to be in a building where there is almost always a ritual in progress. The energy resembled a thunderstorm and even though my room was quiet I found it hard to sleep. When I did sleep I dreamt of rituals, and once I dreamed I scrubbed Erynn Rowan Laurie’s bathtub. I don’t know what that means beyond that there was a bunch of weird energy bouncing around this hotel, but if she’s reading maybe it means something to her!”

While you’re there, you can also spy a picture from the Pagan Newswire Collective meet-and-greet, which features some familiar faces, and a whole host of PNC members.

Sabbat Classic Available for the Kindle: In a final note, Acorn Guild Press is proud to announce that Mike Nichols’ classic work “The Witches’ Sabbats” is finally available for the Amazon Kindle.

“From the award-winning author of The Witches’ Sabbats Web site, Nichols discusses the historical and mythological customs, lore, and traditions associated with the eight Pagan holidays. This illustrated volume includes: A new, never-before published essay, ‘Marking the Sabbats’; a new preface, ‘Counting the Days’; a new bibliography; plus six additional thought-provoking essays!”

I don’t normally plug books like this, but considering the history of this work, and the effort Acorn Guild went to in order to have an e-version made available on Amazon, I thought it worth a quick mention.  For more on the book and Mike Nichols, check out my interview with him.

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