• The Hellenic Council YSEE of America has sent out a press release criticizing an exhibition at the Onassis Cultural Center of New York entitled “Transition to Christianity.” According to YSEE the exhibition’s use of the term “pagan” to describe Hellenic religion is demeaning, and blasts the “ridiculous propaganda” that “attempts to hide the crimes that the Christians committed when they got into a position of power.” Quote: “…the exhibition at the Onassis Center and its message is neither new, nor strange.  It is something that we experience on a daily basis through the continuing efforts of the theocratic institutions of the Christian church to propagate the lies about the so-called transition as a natural social evolution.” I’ve posted the entire press release, here.
• Vampire Community News (VCN) reports that retired law enforcement officer and “occult crimes expert” Don Rimer passed away on Saturday after suffering a massive stroke. Rimer had become famous, or perhaps more accurately, infamous, for his information on the occult, cults, and various other subcultures, given to law enforcement professionals, journalists, and local communities. Mr. Rimer and I had very vocal disagreements about the “expert” advice he gave, as did many others. That said, I don’t believe in speaking ill of the recently deceased, and wish his family peace in the coming days.
• In the wake of the alleged “open marriage” discussion between presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich and his second wife  Marianne Gingrich, several news outlets have been opining on, and highlighting voices from, non-monogamous and polyamorous relationships. One of these pieces, from Salon.com, is written by Sierra Black, who’s in a successful multiple-partner polyamorous relationship, and also happens to be a Pagan. Quote: “It takes a lot of emotional energy, and an ongoing commitment to complexity, to make those relationships work. But I wouldn’t do it any other way.” You can follow Sierra Black’s writings at her blog, ChildWild.
• Speaking of Newt, does his South Carolina win mean that his anointing is working?
• Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of The Witches’ Voice (on Facebook), arguably the most influential web site within modern Paganism since the Internet launched. My thanks to Wren Walker, Fritz Jung, Peg Aloi, and Diotima Mantineia for their hard work and perseverance. If it wasn’t for Witchvox and Wren’s Nest I sincerely doubt The Wild Hunt would be around today. Pagans of all stripes should thank them for their massive contributions in building today’s Pagan media.
• A happy anniversary to the blog Boing Boing as well, the directory of wonderful things turns 12 today. If you haven’t already, check out their recent week-long tribute to Robert Anton Wilson.
• Chas Clifton shares some links to new publications of note, including the first issue of Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine, and a collection of videos and PDFs from the “Demons at the Academy” session at the American Academy of Religion’s recent Annual Meeting.
• Ski resorts have been seeking help from Native American tribal Nations to bring snow, and it seems to be working wonders. Quote: “While Seattle residents are clearly not loving the snow storm, the mountains where members of the Southern and Northern Ute Indian Tribes, Pauite, Shoshone and Washoe tribes visited couldn’t be happier.”
• At her blog, T. Thorn Coyle’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day post explores nonviolence, satyagraha, and “diversity of tactics” within the Occupy movement. Quote: “Occupy has also provided inspiration. As long as Occupy Activists continue to choose smart tactics that bring communities together to demand a more just society, it will continue to be a success and we can continue to work in various ways to build a society based on mutual respect, creativity, love, and justice. As long as some Occupy Activists continue to choose to smash windows, light fires, and hurl bottles in small skirmishes with police on the streets after dark, the movement runs the risk of alienating the rest of the community that brought out 10,000 people to shut down the Port of Oakland in November.”
• Here at Patheos, Gus diZerega talks about monism, and why it’s superior to monotheism, while P. Sufenas Virius Lupus critiques monism, and notes that he does “not think that the undeniable differences in thought, theology, and practice of a great many religions all ultimately find reconciliation in an “Ultimate” or a “Oneness” that is at the heart of the universe and that is the source of all things.”
• In a final note, I’m going to be travelling to some events in the very near future! I’ll be at FaerieCon West in Seattle the weekend of February 10th, PantheaCon the following weekend, and I’ll be DJing and MC-ing at the brand-new Pagan music and dance festival Hexenfest on March 9th in the Bay Area. If you’re going to be at any of these, be sure to say “hi”!

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.

• Beliefnet News runs a story on an upcoming Washington DC Pagan event, “a protest to the New Apostolic Reformation’s 51-day prayer campaign targeting Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Heathens, and other Goddess-worshipers nationwide.” The press release from event organizer Caroline Kenner probably got picked up thanks to a pull-quote provided by the Reverend Barry Lynn of Americans United. You can read more about the nation-wide Hail Columbia campaign, here. More on this specific event, here, and here. I plan to have a guest post from one of the Hail Columbia coordinators very soon, so stay tuned!
• Theater professor and local witch-trial reenactor Kristina Stevick makes peace with Salem being the “Witch City”. Quote: “We recruit audiences from Salem’s modern streets and, in the process, get an interesting view of our City of Peace. We’ve seen shouting matches and fistfights between business owners and their mascots. We’ve been “hexed” by competitors, and we (along with other businesses) have been the recipients of a literal door “prize” of dead animals.”
• The Associated Press reports on the spread of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) in the United States. Quote: “In the last decade or so, this traditional Latin American holiday with indigenous roots has spread throughout the U.S. along with migration from Mexico and other countries where it is observed. Not only are U.S.-born Latinos adopting the Day of the Dead, but various underground and artistic non-Latino groups have begun to mark the Nov. 1-2 holidays through colorful celebrations, parades, exhibits and even bike rides and mixed martial arts fights.” Some examples of how the United States has adopted the Day of the Dead: here, here, and here.
• The Atlanta Journal Constitution has run an obituary of Wiccan elder David White (aka Lord Merlin). Star Foster, a member of White’s tradition, previously noted his passing. White was an elder high priest of the Ravenwood tradition for almost three decades. Lord Merlin was the longtime consort and companion of Lady Sintana, who passed away a year ago.
• The BBC has a report on the growing popularity of Maria Lionza’s cult in Venezuela. Here’s an audio slideshow from last year of the goddess’ worshipers. The toppling of a Maria Lionza statues in 2004 was one of the first things I every blogged about here at The Wild Hunt.
• More ‘War on Halloween’ nonsense from Linda Harvey. Harvey is founder of Mission:America, and author of  “Not My Child: Contemporary Paganism & the New Spirituality”. So she’s not really down with dialog and interfaith communication. More on the this trend from Jason Mankey.
• The growing veneration of Guanyin in South Alabama. The growing veneration of Maria Lionza in Venezuela. The exploding veneration of Mary in Wisconsin. Do you sense a theme here? I sure do.
• Native journalist Tim Giago ponders: Why did Native American people convert to a foreign religion? Quote: “I am still left with the question that has bothered me all of my life: Why did so many indigenous people convert to the religions that came from a foreign land with a Bible in which not one indigenous tribe in the Western Hemisphere is ever mentioned?”
• T. Thorn Coyle’s recently announced subscription video teaching series entitled Fiat LVX now has an introductory video you can watch. Check it out!
• The Infamous Brad shares the secret origin of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
• Did you listen to the first episode of the re-launched, live, episode of the Modern Witch Podcast? If not, you should! Featuring an interview with the ever-erudite Jonathan Korman.
• Heathen Steven Abell discusses Mormonism, politics, Christianity, and the veracity of religious teachings.

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.

• For her Patheos column, T. Thorn Coyle weighs in on the Occupy Wall Street movement, recalling her time working at the Pacific Stock Options Exchange. Quote: “The Occupy movement is a movement about material things: jobs, food, housing, money. For me, this makes the Occupy movement about spiritual things. There is spirit in the movement, and the spirit moves through bodies of flesh in a world of matter: concrete, grass, buildings. There is no separation between the spirit and the matter, only our minds make it so.”
• While I’m on the subject of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Minnesota-based Pagan band Murphey’s Midnight Rounders has recorded, “Hard Times, Come Again No More,” in honour of the occupiers. You can download it for free, here.
  
• Also at Patheos, the ever-erudite P. Sufenas Virius Lupus marks Tuesday’s National Coming Out Day, and asks if there’s such a thing as a “gay” or “queer” god. Quote: “For the majority of polytheistic cultures throughout world history, the various categories into which deities could be sorted—chthonic or ouranic, immanent or distant, universal or local, and many more besides—did not include ‘queer’ and ‘not-queer.’”
• The Pagan-themed Russian film “Silent Souls” is coming to Washington DC at the end of October. For more American screening dates, click here. Check out the trailer.
• PNC-Texas interviews the Reverend Meg Barnhouse, the new settled minister of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin. Quote: “It was really through that Pagan aspect of Unitarian Universalism that I came into the ministry. While I consider myself and name myself a Unitarian Universalist, I deeply value the earth-based way of seeing things, along with earth-based elements of worship. I am very grateful to the Pagans for bringing me in and introducing me to UUism, so I feel a lot of affection for the Pagan element in our movement.”
• NY Daily News spotlights Latina authors who incorporate Santeria, Palo, and Brujeria themes in their work. Lyn Di Iorio, author of the new novel “Outside the Bones,” Ana-Maurine Lara, author of “Erzulie’s Skirt”, and “When the Spirits Dance Mambo” by Marta Moreno Vega, among others.
• The New Apostolic Reformation apparently want the website Talk To Action “silenced” (through prayer).
• Rob Boston from Americans United gives us an inside look at the recent Values Voter Summit. Quote: “Despite their prejudices, despite their fears – despite the fact that in many ways, Religious Right leaders don’t seem to like America much (too decadent, too secular) – this is a group with friends in high places, a political movement with enough muscle to summon top congressional leaders; they are a constituency that cannot be ignored. They must be given things.”
• The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions is holding a webinar featuring Christopher Peters, President and CEO of Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development – a Native lead Indigenous Peoples public Foundation. Peters will be giving a talk entitled “Native American Earth-Based Spirituality.” The webinar will be held on November 9th. You can register, here.
• In a final note, the US American Council of Witches has issued a clarification on a statement made in my interview with Council member Kenny Klein about their plans and goals. Quote: “I wish to clarify one point. We were never notified by the US Army to revise their manual. We have been contacted from several Federal and State’s to create a manual/guide for them to utilize when dealing with a person who falls under the: Pagan/Wicca ~ Natural Earth Religions. We shall use the Army’s Manual as a guide only. A copy of which will be distributed to ALL Services(Navy, Marines etc…, ALL Federal Government offices, Every State Government office, ALL Federal prison’s, ALL State’s prisons, ALL County’s Jails(in each state), ALL Chaplains in ALL the Hospitals in all states…….. So we are looking at around probably 10,000 books/manuals/guides. We are probably underestimating ourselves. A complete listing will be on our web page when it is operational.”

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.

NAR on Fresh Air: I’ve written at some length on the Christian movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a group that’s been getting increased media scrutiny lately due to their proximity to presidential candidates like Texas governor Rick Perry. However, as the recent blowback over the term “Dominionist” proves, there’s quite a bit people don’t know about this increasingly connected religio-political network of apostles and prophets. A key figure in studying the origins and activities of NAR is Rachel Tabachnick of Talk To Action, who was interviewed yesterday on NPR’s Fresh Air.

“On Wednesday’s Fresh Air, Rachel Tabachnick, who researches the political impact of the religious right, joins Terry Gross for a discussion about the growing movement and its influence and connections in the political world. Tabachnick says the movement currently works with a variety of politicians and has a presence in all 50 states. It also has very strong opinions about the direction it wants the country to take. For the past several years, she says, the NAR has run a campaign to reclaim what it calls the “seven mountains of culture” from demonic influence. The “mountains” are arts and entertainment; business; family; government; media; religion; and education.”

If you’re looking for NAR 101, I would suggest listening to this program, or reading the full transcript. Tabachnick has also supplied a supplemental post of relevant informational links at Talk To Action. At the end of the interview host Terry Gross mentions that the program reached out to several NAR figures for an interview, though none said they could fit it into their schedules. However, Mike Bickle (famous for calling Oprah a forerunner of the Antichrist) of the International House of Prayer has agreed to come on the show in the near future.

What Makes A Tribe: Religion Clause points to a Christian Science Monitor article on the plight of unrecognized Native American tribes in the United States, and how their lack of legal status inhibits the free practice of their traditional rites, and silences their voices when it comes to redress for wrongs done to them.

“The profiles of some federally recognized American Indian tribes have grown in recent decades as they parlayed their sovereign status to create profitable ventures such as gambling enterprises. But there are many other tribes that – never having had a reservation or simply falling through the cracks of Indian policy – are unrecognized by the United States. Scholars estimate that more than 250,000 of the 5 million who identify themselves as American Indians belong to about 300 unrecognized tribes, making them almost invisible to federal Indian law.”

The article notes that unrecognized tribes wouldn’t be able to file for a grievance under the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, due to a position paper issued by the United States government saying they wouldn’t include them, and that the process to becoming recognized is largely viewed as a bureaucratic nightmare, with almost impossibly high bars of entry.

“Anthropologists and tribal members also argue that the requirement to show “continuous and distinct community” since 1900 is unrealistic given US history. “These people went through massacres, dislocations, and suffered all these horrible atrocities, and then the government demands, ‘Show us your continuous community.’ It’s absurd,” says Les Field, an anthropologist at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.”

For tribes like the Winnemem Wintu in Northern California, who aren’t recognized despite clear documentation by the United States government that they do, indeed, exist, recognition could mean the difference between preservation of their identity or total eradication. Their difficulties in simply holding their rites is only the tip of the iceberg, as plans to raise the Shasta Dam would flood their traditional sacred places. It’s clear that the voices of unrecognized tribes aren’t being heard, and that the process to being heard is no guarantee of success. It should be the duty of the entire interfaith community, particularly those who care about the preservation of sacred lands, to raise up their own voices and put pressure on the federal government to do more.

When a Daycare Becomes a Christian Daycare: The WaukeePatch in Iowa reports on a long-running daycare, and the changes that happened when the church that was renting space to them took over.

A Waukee church is being criticized by angry parents for forcing child-care staffers to adhere to Christian principles, banning non-Christians, sexually-active singles, male-female roommates and practicing homosexuals from employment. [...] Employees wanting to remain needed to reapply for their positions and agree to the new guidelines. These new guidelines were spelled out in a Christian Lifestyle Agreement included with employment applications. The agreement states that “every employee accept and follow a lifestyle commitment based upon Biblical principles.”

At least one employee wouldn’t be able to reapply for her job since she’s a lesbian. Parents were given no warning of the switch-over. Shocking as this may be, this move doesn’t seem too surprising considering the fact that Point of Grace church is now run by a pastor, Jeff Mullen, who is markedly anti-gay and recently hosted Michele Bachmann during an Iowa campaign stop. Now that the daycare formerly known as “Happy Time” is a religiously-run organization, what Point of Grace is doing is now perfectly legal. This may not be an issue in isolation, but what happens when an entire community is run this way?  What happens is that tacitly enforced “no-go” areas for non-Christians are created.  I’m not attacking Point of Grace for running a religious organization they way they want to run it, but I do think this is a good example of what can happen when a community’s social safety net is placed in the hands of the dominant religious body.

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

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApvVnlBOufU

“The action we took today is one part of a series of events with the intent to stop Snowbowl, the US Forest Service, and other corporations from further desecrating the Holy San Francisco Peaks,” stated Haley Coles after being released from jail. “The pipeline will not be tolerated. Spewed waste water turned into artificial snow will not be tolerated. Clear cuts, slash piles, and burning of hundred-year old trees will not be tolerated. The Holy mountain will be defended, and the desecration will be stopped; at whatever cost. We have the mountain on our side,” said Coles.

The already in-progress construction is considered sacrilegious by a coalition of local indigenous groups and Tribal Nations who see this as a desecration that would be “like putting death on the mountain.” According to Brenda Norrell at Censored News 17 people have been arrested so far, some for civil disobedience, and some for no apparent reason at legal protests.

“Six people protecting San Francisco Peaks were targeted and arrested during a peaceful march for the protection of San Francisco Peaks. San Francisco Peaks defender Klee Benally, Navajo, was among those arrested. In front of Macy’s Coffeehouse on Sunday afternoon, undercover police infiltrated the hundred person march in an attempt to squash the growing anti-Snowbowl movement. The peaceful march by Native Americans and supporters was surrounded by police from the moment the march formed, marchers said.”

While the week of planned protests has ended, protest camps still remain. For those wanting to make their voice heard on this issue, Indigenous Action Media has sidebar on its site of all the relevant contact information. I will be periodically checking in on this issue as it progresses.

• Renowned Haitian Vodou priest and flag-maker Silva Joseph passed away yesterday at the age of 81 (more here). You can view some of his flags, here. Our prayers go out to Silva Joseph, his friends, family, and coreligionists.
• The 1st Annual Conference on Earth-Based, Nature-Centered, Polytheistic & Indigenous Faiths has announced that author and teacher T. Thorn Coyle will be presenting a talk on genderqueer theology at the September event. The theme for this inaugural year is “Gender & Earth-Based Spiritualities” and the keynote speaker will be Vicki Noble (of Motherpeace Tarot fame). Other presenters include Joi Wolfwomyn, Lady Yeshe Rabbit, and Diana Paxson. If you’d like to be a part of this conference, submission deadline for presenters has been extended to  8/7/11 due to the Lammas holiday. Vendor spaces are now open.
• The excellent Religion in American History blog, inspired by my recent post on the subject, explores Mormons, Pagans, and post-modern polygamy. Author John L. Crow concludes that “polygamy, polyamory and multiple-partner marriage are clearly issues that concern American paganism too.”
• Programming for PantheaCon 2012 in San Jose is now open! The theme this year is “Unity in Diversity.” Submission deadlines will be in two rounds: September 15 and October 15. They encourage those who want to improve their chances of getting their presentation submission approved to make the early deadline. PantheaCon is the largest indoor Pagan convention in the United States. Check out the panel discussion I led at last year’s PantheaCon: “Exploring New Media: A Pagan Perspective.”
• A very happy first birthday to the Pagan Newswire Collective bureau in Minnesota! Here’s to many, many more!
• Hindu American Seva Charities is holding the first-ever White House community briefing organized by Hindu Americans. At the Huffington Post, Joshua Stanton, founding co-Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, says that “this moment has been a long time in the coming for Hindu-Americans. They are a community here to stay, a gift to American society.”
• While I’m on the subject of Hinduism, here’s a story on photographing Hindu deities.
• PNC-Minnesota does a report on the upcoming Sacred Harvest Festival (SHF), interviewing Bress Nicneven, festival site director and board member of Harmony Tribe , the event’s sponsor.
• Watergate co-conspirator turned Christian leader Chuck Colson claims that “without [a] Christian understanding of fallen human nature, the people of Norway are left in mourning, but without an explanation for the horror that has befallen them.” Because, you know, only Christianity has a concept of evil or wrong-doing.
• How to talk to non-Pagan press.
• Congratulation to the Hindu community in Hamtramck, Michigan on the opening of a new temple.
• Recovering the “significant role that women played in many Native American communities.”

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.

But there’s another more remote, but more disturbing possibility: Roberta Stewart’s very public dispute with the Veteran’s Administration following her husband’s death. Although the Army recognized Patrick Stewart’s religion, it took a lawsuit against the V-A and government intervention to get the Wiccan faith’s symbol, a pentacle, placed on his marker at the veterans cemetery in Fernley. She won that fight, but the marker was vandalized shortly after it was installed. Roberta has continued to be a vocal advocate for religious tolerance and slain soldiers’ families. It’s a stance that still stirs strong emotions in some. She still gets angry emails. She doubts her truck was targeted for that reason, but can’t help but wonder. “We still get things where people don’t believe that we have the right to practice religious freedom, so it could have. I can’t be the one to answer that, but i would hope not.”

Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary, who worked closely with Roberta Stewart during the Veteran Pentacle Campaign, issued the following statement on her official Facebook Pagan.

“Please send healing, strength, and protection to Roberta Stewart, the courageous Wiccan Afghanistan War Widow who was with me on the front-lines of the successful quest to the get US Department of Veterans Affairs to add the Pentacle to the list of emblems that can be included on the grave markers they issue to honor deceased veterans.”

While this vandalism is terrible, I do hope that it truly was random, as evidence suggests, and not motivated by religious hatred. My best wishes go out to Roberta Stewart, may she have all the strength and healing she needs, and may the perpetrators be caught.

In Other News:

• Chas Clifton points to an essay by Egil Asprem, a Norwegian scholar of esotericism and contemporary Paganism, on Oslo terrorist/murderer Anders Behring Breivik’s use of Western esoteric language and symbols.
• COG Interfaith Reports has posted two reports (part one, part two) from NAIN Connect 2011, the annual meeting of the North American Interfaith Network. Covenant of the Goddess member Rachael Watcher, a longtime interfaith activist, was elected to the Executive Board of NAIN in 2010.
• At the Washington Post’s On Faith site, I weigh in on the now-infamous “stop voting for Pagans” speech made by Texas pastor John Hagee. I note that “if you wish to lead America, you can not toy with the idea of a political hierarchy of religions.” Head over and read the whole thing.
• Lamest excuse ever for hiding in a porta-potty for two days and leering at women? “I wanted to start a new goddess religion.” Those words, I do not think they mean what he thinks they mean.
• Can indigenous knowledge be patented or copyrighted? The World Intellectual Property Organization ponders the question.
• COG First Officer Peter Dybing on the transformative model of Pagan leadership.

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