Pagan & Shinto News: Witchcraft Group Urges Witches To Take Part In ‘Witch Census’

Top stories in Paganism and Shinto this week:

Witchcraft group urges witches to take part in ‘witch census’
UK: Fire destroys sacred 500-year-old Whiteleaved Oak
Japan: Heavy rain brings down sacred tree at Gifu shrine

Pagan News

Witchcraft group urges witches to take part in ‘witch census’
Patheos Pagan: Astrea
The creative minds at Witch With Me developed a comprehensive and completely anonymous Witch Census for anyone who identifies as a witch. Please spread the word–it’s only up for a limited time…

UK: Fire destroys 500-year-old Whiteleaved Oak
BBC
Thought to have spiritual significance by druids and pagans, it attracted visitors from around the world…

The History of Magic by Chris Gosden, review: why we haven’t given up on magical thinking
The Telegraph
Yoga, horoscopes and LSD – how magic survived the Enlightenment and thrives today…

UK: Exploring Sheffield’s fascinating links with the world of modern-day witchcraft
The Star
From Mother Shipton to Mary Pannal and Mary Bateman, Yorkshire has a long association with witchcraft – but did you know that Sheffield has strong links with the modern day form of the religion?…

Black Tarot Readers, Psychics, and Astrologers: A Resource Guide
Patheos Pagan: Lilith Dorsey
Never before have Black Tarot readers, psychics, and astrologers been so seen, and so necessary…

Shinto News

Heavy rain brings down sacred tree at Gifu shrine
NHK World
Heavy rain has toppled an ancient cedar tree at a shrine in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan…

Japan’s Tanabata Festival commemorates the fabled reunion of Orihime and Hikoboshi
Hindustan Times
The dates of the Tanabata festival varies by region in Japan but the first festivities begin on July 7 as per the Gregorian calendar…

Google Doodle celebrates annual Japanese tradition Tanabata
The Sun
The Doodle is only visible in Japan, but what is Tanabata and how is it celebrated?…

New Zealand: Rotorua celebrates Tanabata Japanese Star Festival despite Covid hurdles
NZ Herald
The Rotorua Library was full of colour, music, culture and bustle as people enjoyed coming together to celebrate Tanabata…

Creating Serenity: The Construction of the Meiji Shrine Forest
Nippon.com
The forest surrounding Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine appears ancient, but it was created a century ago in a nationwide effort…

The color and energy of Tokyo’s Kanda Matsuri
Inquirer
Biennial grand festival takes place only in odd-numbered years, and has everyone—men, women and children—participating…

Other News

UK: Snails show Cerne Abbas Giant chalk hill figure ‘not prehistoric’
BBC
Snails have shown an ancient naked figure sculpted into a chalk hillside is unlikely to be prehistoric as hoped, archaeologists have said…

Japan: Applications to trademark anti-plague folklore character Amabie spark criticism
The Mainichi
Companies including major advertising agency Dentsu Inc. and religious corporations have applied to register over 10 trademarks relating to a Japanese folklore creature said to drive away epidemics; but the move has sparked online criticism over using the creature for profit…

Sabrina fans campaigning to save beloved Netflix series following “unfair cancellation”
Gay Times
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina fans are campaigning to save the beloved series from cancellation…

More folk religion temples destroyed in China
The Wild Hunt
Amid the turmoil of COVID-19 and the legal suppression of Hong Kong by the Chinese central government, a curious video emerged on YouTube two weeks ago showing the destruction of a folk religion statue in Handan, China…

UK: Spectacular moment Comet Neowise streaks across the night sky over Stonehenge
Mail Online
A blazing comet that has travelled for 6,800 years was seen streaking over Stonehenge on a perfect summer’s evening…

How Black Cats Went From Bad Luck to Symbols of Defiance
Hyper Allergic
Icons like the Black Panther Party logo, the “Sabo-Tabby,” and innumerable pieces of protest art go against the traditional Western taboo around the felines…

Biophilic Design: How Bringing the Outside Inside Makes You Happy
HowStuffWorks
Could the way you design your home really help you think better, be more relaxed and more creative? Yes, say scientists, and those are just a few of the benefits of biophilia, the design philosophy of bringing the natural world inside…

India: Man beheads woman over witchcraft suspicion, walks into police station with head
The New Indian Express
A 57-year-old man, Sakal Tudu, beheaded a woman on suspicion of witchcraft and walked straight into Radhanagar Police Station of Sahibganj, along with the severed head…

Nigeria: Couple arrested for burning grandchild with hot rubber after accusing her of witchcraft
PM News
The 7 year old girl narrated how the couple put rubber on fire and used it to burn her all over her body on allegation that she is a witch and that she used her witchcraft to kill her biological father…