• Not too long ago hardliner Iranian clerics accused associates of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of “witchcraft” and “summoning genies.” If you’re President Ahmadinejad how do you respond to that? By launching a “non-governmental organisation to identify those engaged in divination and exorcism as well as ‘deviant schools of thought and false Gnosticism’”. They are hoping an attack on “nonconformist youth culture, Sufi sects, [and] non-Islamic Gnostic groups such as popular Indian theosophical cults” will distract the public from their own “occult” scandal.
• Kathryn Price NicDhàna links to a transcription of the closing prosecution arguments in the almost finished trial of New Age prosperity guru James Arthur Ray, accused of negligent homicide in the deaths of three participants in a sweat lodge ceremony gone horribly wrong. For a wrap-up of the marathon closing argument by Ray’s defense team, click here. Once we have a verdict you can expect a long wrap-up with commentary at The Wild Hunt.
• The Tarotpuu blog reprints a 1942 lecture by artist and occultist Lady Frieda Harris, who is best known for providing the artwork for Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot. Thanks to Mary K. Greer for the link.
• Mississippi Justice Court Judge Theresa Brown Dearman has been sanctioned by Mississippi Supreme Court for, among other things, “ordering someone to attend church, on pain of being sent to jail if he doesn’t comply.” It seems, thankfully, that compulsory worship is still unconstitutional.
• Juxtapoz finds some occult-themed street art. More here.
• Salon.com travel column Trazzler (Trazzler? Really?) features a slide show of places to celebrate tomorrow’s Summer Solstice. They note that “the primal desire to be outside dancing and carousing late into the night is irrepressible at this time of year.”
• K.C. Hulsman updates us on the ongoing effort to to have the U.S. Army recognize and add Asatru/Heathenry as a religious preference for the official U.S. Army database. This is being spearheaded by the Open Halls Project, who says they need “one thing from you, the soldiers, former soldiers, and military spouses. We need you to send use your name, rank, Status (active, reserves, national guard, veteran, or spouse) to our email. heathenopenhalls@gmail.com” So spread the word!
• PZ Myers infamously doesn’t like religion or the belief in magic all that much, but he seems pretty OK with Alan Moore. In response The Daily Grail calls Moore “one huge gateway drug to the woo,” while  Technoccult thinks the real question may be “whether what he describes as magic is truly ‘magic’ at all.” All I know is that “Promethea” is one of the best comics ever.
• Ann Coulter rips into Ron Paul, and uses Wicca to illustrate her point about Paul’s marriage plan: “Under Rep. Paul’s plan, your legal rights pertaining to marriage will be decided on a case-by-case basis by judges forced to evaluate the legitimacy of your marriage consecrated by a Wiccan priest — or your tennis coach.” This makes it so Paul’s defenders have to mention Wicca too. Keep this up and soon every prominent conservative will be dropping Wicca into their conversations.
• Our best wishes to the on retreat Buddhists at the  Diamond Mound Retreat Center near Bowie, Arizona, who are currently right in the path of the Arizona wildfires.

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.

• How do you fight Muslim extremism? With Bollywood! As Chas Clifton says, “Aphrodite will not be denied,” but perhaps it would be more appropriate in this instance to say Parvati will not be denied.
• Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, lashes out at the recent anti-Pagan Washington Times editorial (see my response here) and notes that Technical Sergeant Brandon Longcrier has resigned as the Air Force Academy’s Pagan lay leader “in direct protest over the blatant, strong-arming insensitivity, which the Academy was using in the administration of the naming of that stone circle.” So is it one step forward, two steps back at the AFA? More on this as I can get it.
• Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Chief Godi of Ásatrúarfélagið in Iceland, isn’t too concerned about the “Thor” movie, saying the gods have endured much worse. If there are any Icelandic speakers who can give me a decent translation of this article I’d appreciate it, the Google translated version leaves much to be desired.
• The trial of James Arthur Ray continues, with the defense repeatedly calling for a mistrial. This does not strike me as the action a confident defense would take, but perhaps my law-practicing readers can enlighten me? For an exhaustive day-by-day run-down of this trial, check out the Reflections Journal.
• Did you know there’s a group blog for Pagan women of color at Patheos.com? Well there is! It’s called “Daughters of Eve” and there’s some really interesting posts there to be read. Go check it out!
• Is the somewhat suppressed tradition of a Heavenly Mother within Mormonism making a comeback? Wouldn’t that make Mormonism, um, polytheistic?
• Check out this witch-trial themed new video for a remix of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”.
• You know things are getting serious in Iran when clerics are accusing associates of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of “witchcraft” and “summoning genies.” Could a shift in power be coming there? More here.
• On May 12th the first-ever congressional hearing on the indigenous peoples of Africa will be held, hosted by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Economic development, climate change, and human rights are on the agenda.
• Shepard Fairey, of Obama “Hope” posters fame, and photojournalist Ernesto Yerena have launched a fundraising campaign on a site called Emphas.is toward creating a billboard campaign for the Pine Ridge Reservation.
• In South America Pagan Folk Metal is know as “Ancestral Metal,” and there is apparently a thriving scene.
• Is there a religious freedom “in crowd”?
• Some Medicine Men aren’t all that fond of using the Internet to offer their services.
• Is it really all that shocking that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith practiced sex magick?

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.

“We are an ad hoc group of Americans who practice diverse Earth-based religions. We affirm the wisdom of peace, tolerance, and justice. These principles are consistent with the values and beliefs of our Pagan religions. We seek to exist in goodwill and fellowship with all peoples, cultures, and nations. In so doing, we express our love for the Earth and acknowledge our interconnectedness with all living things.

In the face of escalating international tensions regarding Iran, we urge the use of diplomatic actions for a peaceful resolution of differences. We reject any rush to military action, since we believe that diplomatic means will lead to a safer, more just, and more constructive solution. Therefore, we call on our political leaders to use diplomacy to create goodwill, peace, and harmony among nations, religions, and peoples.”

Among the organizations signing on to the statement are the Coalition of Earth Religions for Education and Support, CUUPs, Lady Liberty League, the ADF, Reclaiming, and the Church of All Worlds. The last time such a coalition statement was made, it was in support of the Ninth Circuit’s 2002 ruling to remove “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance (a ruling that was thrown out by the Supreme Court on a technicality).

M. Macha NightMare, one of the organizers of the statement, admits that such a statement will carry little influence with the administration, but she hopes it will act as the beginning of a big spell-working and a catalyst towards further solidarity actions within the Pagan community.

“I know we rushed this. I felt a sense of urgency. I don’t know how widely this will eventually circulate, and I am not so naive as to think it will do much good in terms of influencing the administration, but I do believe it shows solidarity among Pagans, concern for the commonweal, and a willingness to stand up and be counted. The more we can act in solidarity, the more seriously we may be taken as a valid voting block … I’m viewing this as a big spell-working.”

No matter your view on relations with Iran, it should be interesting to see if this does inspire more coalitions of Pagan and Heathen individuals and organizations to start taking stands, and injecting their voices into debates over political and social issues.
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