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.

• If I’m reading this right, it looks like Jessica Orsini, Alderwoman in Centralia, Missouri, and a Hellenic polytheist, isn’t running for reelection in 2012. Quote: “Ward 3 incumbent Jessica Orsini is not a candidate; Landon Magley is the lone candidate for that two-year term.” Orsini is in her third term as an Alderwoman, and one of the few openly transgender and Pagan elected officials. I’d like to thank Orsini for her public service, and wish her well in future endeavors.
• Selena Fox has announced the passing of De-Anna Alba (aka Wendy White), author of “The Cauldron of Change: Myths, Mysteries and Magick of the Goddess,” and a member of Circle Sanctuary in its formative years. May she rest in the arms of the Goddess.
• In his latest column for Patheos, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus discusses the challenges faced by queer-oriented Pagan traditions, and broaches the idea that some form of recruitment might be necessary perpetuate them. Quote:  “If the queer Pagan traditions with which I’m involved are viable, and therefore deserve to be continued in future generations after I’m dead (and even before then, with any luck), how else are those continuities to be made possible without “recruitment”?”
• It seems that the anti-Pagan spiritual warfare-loving New Apostolic Reformation makes up a pretty large chunk of Newt Gingrich’s Faith Coalition. I guess all that “paganism” rhetoric makes a bit more sense now. You can read all of The Wild Hunt’s coverage of this movement, here.
• Looking for more “The Wicker Tree” material after my post yesterday? Check out this video interview with writer-director Robin Hardy, recorded at 15th annual Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal. Meanwhile, the io9 blog calls the new film “thoroughly balls,” which I don’t think is a compliment.
• Over at her The Witching Hour blog, Peg Aloi notes that West Memphis 3 documentary “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” has been nominated for an Academy Award.
• The Religion News Service reports on Buddhist, Sikh, Jain,Muslim, and Hindu responses to Republican Rick Santorum’s claim that the concept of equality comes only from his God, and is not found in other religions. Quote: “Indian religions predate Abraham, Jacob and all that Rick Santorum was talking about,” said Sulekh Jain of Sugar Land, Texas, chairman of the International School for Jain Studies. “All souls are equal in every way. All feel pain and all feel pleasure. This concept is deeply embedded in the whole philosophy of Jainism.”
• The BBC posts a story on Haitian-Americans finding connection and solace in Vodou. Quote: “Since the quake, voodoo has played an important role in the healing process. Many of these Haitian immigrants have found comfort in the faith and community that voodoo cultivates, practitioners of the religion in the US say.” For more on this, see my January 25th post, “The Solace of Vodou for Haitian-Americans.”
• Covenant of the Goddess points to an obituary for Gardnerian Elder Kevin Cornell (KC) Anton from Veneta, Oregon, who died trying to rescue his dog, swept out to sea. A memorial service is being held February 11th, more information can be found here. May his spirit rest and return to us again.
• LAShTAL points to an unofficial trailer for the in-production movie “Aleister Crowley: Legend of the Beast”, a film that seems to break the mold and actually cast Crowley as a hero/protagonist instead of a villain. Looks like you can add that to the growing number of films created by Pagans and occultists, for Pagans and occultists.

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.

It has been announced to the public that actor Nicol Williamson died on December 16th, 2011, from esophageal cancer. Williamson was a mercurial actor who brought a tempestuous fearlessness and unpredictability to his many roles. While he starred in high-profile films like Robin and Marian, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and The Exorcist III, he is perhaps best known for playing Merlin in John Boorman’s Excalibur. A retelling of Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, the film was praised for its visuals, was a modest box-office hit, and went on to become a cult favorite in the decades since. For many, Williamson as the mischievous (and dangerous) magician Merlin and Dame Helen Mirren as the ambitious power-hungry Morgana served as the true creative and emotional heart of the film.

Nicol Williamson as Merlin

“He was the most honest, funny and intelligent man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing; he was my father and words cannot adequately express how proud I am of him. [...]  If anyone would like to express their love or appreciation of Nicol, I would ask them to make a donation in his name -however small- to a charity for children suffering from cancer or other life threatening illnesses. [...]  Dad will live in the memory of all those who knew him, all those who were affected by a performance of his they saw, and all those he made laugh until they couldn’t breathe. I love you Dad. Good game, sir, good game.” - Luke Williamson

It is no overstatement to say that Williamson shaped our conceptions of Merlin for an entire generation, and shaped the consciousnesses of more than a few modern Pagans. The performances of Williamson and Mirren, coupled with Boorman’s symphonic direction, had a huge impression on me as a kid watching and rewatching the film on VHS and cable television. He became for me, and I suspect for others, the image of Merlin in their minds.

Farewell Mr. Williamson, you, and your Merlin, live on in our dreams.

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.

• 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.

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

The Passing of Danelle Dragonetti: On December 16th Danelle Dragonetti, also known as WinterHawk, died after a prolonged battle with cancer. Dragonetti was well known in many Pagan circles as a musician, producer, and founder of the Wiccan Pagan Broadcast Network (WPBN), an Internet streaming radio service that prefigured the vibrant Pagan radio and podcasting community we now enjoy. Pagan podcasters Sparrow and Mojo of the The Wigglian Way dedicated their most recent podcast to Danelle, with Sparrow noting that “it weren’t for Danelle we probably wouldn’t have our show.” Witches’ Voice co-founder Wren Walker also noted Dragonetti’s influence in the world of Pagan podcasts.

“The Witch/Wiccan/Pagan communities have lost a guiding light and a vibrant voice. Danelle Dragonetti (Winterhawk) opened the door and set the bar for many of the podcasts that we enjoy today. Danelle wasn’t afraid to aim high or to take on a challenge. Good journey, Danelle. Thank you for speaking your mind and singing your song.”

In addition to her work within the Pagan community, Dragonetti was also a much-beloved figure within the Vampire subculture in her home of Denver, this included being dubbed the “Queen Vampyre Of Denver.” An outpouring of love, sorrow, and remembrances from friends and acquaintances have appeared at her Facebook profile. A memorial service and wake is scheduled for January 15th in Denver. My condolences go out to Dragonetti’s family and friends, may her spirit find rest and return to us again.

Justice for Kathy Dempsey: Nineteen years ago in Lexington, Massachusetts Kathleen Dempsey, 31, was stabbed to death in her home by an unknown assailant. Now, her killer, already serving a life sentence for another murder, has stepped forward and admitted his crime, bringing some sense of closure to her friends and family. Among those friends and family were the local Pagan community, as Dempsey was one of them, a member of EarthSpirit and their ritual performance troupe MotherTongue. One of Kathy’s acquaintances from that time, Peg Aloi, writes about the killing, how it affected her friends in the Pagan community, and how it feels to finally see her killer brought to account.

Kathleen Dempsey

“I remember KD as a kind, funny, sweet, talented woman: always friendly, always upbeat. She loved animals, did not consider cleaning a priority, loved to dance, and seemed to think the best of everyone unless she had a reason not to. I saw her for the last time a mere three weeks before she was killed. Her smile, glimpsed in a hallway, still haunts me. I recall the Earthspirit Samhain gathering that year: the tears and wails of loss during the ritual as we named those who had passed that year. I don’t know who it was but one male voice screamed out “Kathy!” after a number of other names were recited. It was a soul-shattering moment I will never forget.”

I would recommend reading the entire post at Peg’s blog. My deepest sympathies go out to Kathy’s friends and family, I hope these events bring some measure of solace.

A Pagan Organizer at Occupy Eugene: One of the longest-running Occupy movement encampments has been the one happening in my own home town of Eugene, Oregon. There, a unique alliance between homeless tribes, anarchists, veterans, labor unions, college students, faculty, and Baby Boom generation activists who helped give Eugene its unique cultural stamp managed to create a community that was actively working to build new solutions to the problems brought on by economic disparity and injustice. Now, as we speak that encampment is being dismantled, and many Occupiers are claiming that local police engaged in sabotage tactics and psychological warfare to make it happen.  One of the main organizers of Occupy Eugene, who has acted as a go-between with city officials and police, is Alley Valkyrie, a longtime member of the Pagan community who originally lived on the East Coast and was a part of festivals like Brushwood. Valkyrie has been in the local media a lot lately, and she is featured in the Eugene Weekly’s cover story about the end of Eugene’s Occupy encampment.

Alley Valkyrie. Photo by Rob Sydor.

“I don’t sleep here,” Valkyrie said, laughing. “I’m up all night.” She said in recent days the crackdown on fires had made the camp colder, and the stadium lighting the police put up and increased patrols were “psychological warfare.” [...] According to Valkyrie, one of the extraordinary things Occupy has done is bring the street families together and let street kids learn from older activists, and the activists in turn learn from the street families. “A Ph.D. stands next to a homeless kid and they both have an equal say and an equal vote,” she said.

I’ve been honored to get to know Alley in recent days, and have sat down to talk with her about Occupy Eugene and its future. I’ll be running a future story here at The Wild Hunt that will feature an interview with Alley Valkyrie, and discuss the unique spiritual culture of Eugene and its Occupy movement. In the meantime, keep an eye on Alley Valkyrie as I think she represents the shape of our future leaders and organizers: passionate, engaged, and more concerned about building community than taking credit for building community.

Other Community Notes:

• Speaking of Pagans and the Occupy movement, in California Riyana Rebecca Sang shares her experiences at the recent Occupy-organized West Coast port shutdown for the PNC’s Occupy blog (cached version). Quote: “Just as with so many things about the Occupy movement, it’s more complicated than a simple soundbite or facebook update can articulate, because it’s a transformation of the entire paradigm into one that honors our interdependent and interconnected nature.”
• At Patheos columnist Eric Scott shares more tales of almost being a Heathen. Quote: “But before the blót proper began, Uncle Alaric consecrated the circle—”hallowed” it, to use a more Germanic word. This was somewhat similar to the way my mother had always cast the circle, but instead of a sword, Alaric used a hammer, and instead of the vaguely archaic English my mother used, he used genuinely archaic English—as in Anglo-Saxon.”
• Gavin Andrew from the Pagan Awareness Network in Australia has published a new book: “Paganism and Christianity: A Resource for Wiccans, Witches and Pagans.” According to Andrew it is a “concise story of how the two belief-systems have entangled since the very beginnings of Christianity itself.”

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

[Star Foster is the rather opinionated editor of the Pagan Portal at Patheos.]

Roger Tier, known to the Pagan community as Myrddin, has recently passed and Pagans are remembering his life:

“He was always very moral and principled. He was also a very reclusive and private person.” – Margot Adler

“I first connected with Myrddin back in the 1970′s and am among those remembering and giving thanks for the many contributions he & Crystal made to the Craft & Paganism … and to animal care & to world peace.” – Selena Fox

Here’s the memorial posted on Witchvox:

In Memoriam: Myrddin (1947-2011)
In Memory of Roger Tier

Roger Tier, often known in the international Pagan and Wiccan community as Myrddin, died from natural causes on October 31, 2011. He was at home in New Brunswick, NJ.

Roger was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1947. He worked as a production manager in various printing and design firms in Manhattan and New Jersey. For many years he and his wife Crystal made their home on Staten Island.

Roger was a quiet, unsung leader in Paganism and Wicca. He and Crystal founded The Gaia Group in 1973, which he described in this way:

“.an initiatory Earth religion with Wiccan roots. Our primary goals are the care and protection of Mother Earth through both magical and practical means, and the continual creation of a sound and meaningful initiatory system that produces strong and effective Initiates to carry on our work.”

Roger and Crystal taught, held workshops and initiated students for three decades, and The Gaia Group has various granddaughter covens throughout the US. In the Cold War years of the 1980s they led an international Peace Network, spread via journal and newspaper notices, and word of mouth. The Gaia Group’s focus was Earth-healing and activism, and they inspired peace and healing work across the globe. Roger and Crystal worked closely with the Covenant of Unitarian-Universalist Pagans at various times in their history. They also supported various shelters, and for many years had a home full of animals, wonderful books and ringing laughter.

He is survived by Crystal, who is in poor health and in a nursing home.

Memorial arrangements will be privately held. Any donations in Roger’s name may be sent to: Best Friends Animal Society, in southern Utah, www.bestfriends.org; info@bestfriends.org
(An animal shelter and sanctuary they have supported for many years.)

As Doreen Valiente wrote in her “Elegy for a Dead Witch”:

Farewell from this world, but not from the Circle.
That place that is between the worlds
shall hold return in due time. Nothing is lost.
The half of a fruit from the tree of Avalon
shall be our reminder, among the fallen leaves.
This life treads underfoot. Let the rain weep.
Waken in sunlight from the Realms of Sleep.

Roger will be sorely missed by his family, his Initiates and his many more-than-human companions. May the journey be smooth and the well-deserved rest happy, Roger.

Merry meet again.

– by Francesca Howell (in conversation with Crystal)

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.

• 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.

This week has seen an unusually high number of high-profile deaths, from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to civil rights icon Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, but perhaps lost among the many (deserved) tributes and remembrances are two other figures who have had an indirect but palpable influence on modern Pagan culture: Bert Jansch and Diane Cilento. Jansch, who died on Wednesday from lung cancer was a hugely influential guitarist and founding member of the British folk-rock band Pentangle. Pentangle, along with Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band, and Nick Drake were part of a movement that re-contextualized and reinvigorated folk music and tradition in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They also, as historian Rob Young notes, had striking parallels with the emerging British Witchcraft traditions, and ended up providing an inspirational soundtrack for the nascent movement.

“In terms of their status in popular understanding, British Pagan Witchcraft and folk music are strikingly similar. Both are believed, even by many of the people who practice them, to afford a link to the distant medieval past or pre-Christian antiquity, but many of their identifying features are actually relatively modern inventions.”

Bert Jansch

During his career Jansch recorded at least 25 albums and toured consistently, inspiring Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Johnny Marr of The Smiths with his unique guitar style. Towards the end of his career he collaborated with contemporary artists like Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star), Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart, inspiring a new generation of psych-folk and “freak” folk performers. Still, to many of us, he’ll be remembered as part of that band with the pentagram logo, which, along with the mythological and folkloric themes in their music, was more than enough to consider them one of “our” bands in the Pagan movement’s early stirrings. For his deep contributions to music, and for all those he inspired, Bert Jansch will live on for generations to come.

Another death that will have reverberations among many modern Pagans is the passing of actress Diane Cilento, famous to many as the first wife of Sean Connery, but beloved to us as “Miss Rose” in the 1973 cult-classic film “The Wicker Man”.

Cilento would go on to marry “Wicker Man” writer Anthony Shaffer, and was a spiritual seeker who eventually studied Sufism.

Diane Cilento

“It doesn’t really matter what basically the religion is, it’s all the same thing. It’s all oneness. And I don’t think you can divorce or segregate or pigeonhole life in that way much. It is just life, and poetry’s part of that.”

Cilento was also the mother of Jason Connery, who played the second Robin Hood in the Pagan-drenched English series “Robin of Sherwood.” Her role in creating a “microcosm of what sacred and profane life in a village might be like if Christianity had never been imported to the Isles” will forever endear her to generations of modern Pagans. May her spirit be united with the oneness she sought in life.