Pagan Tama
Top stories of the week in Paganism and Shinto:
- US: Connecticut ‘witches’ exonerated by Senate lawmakers
- Japan: Muslim migrant damages a Shinto shrine and threatens Japanese local not to pray there
- G-7 leaders called out for sitting on a guardrail at Japanese shrine
And more – see below…
Pagan News
UK: Brits casting spells to battle cost of living, says witch
Daily Star
Astrid, who has penned a book to help beginner witches, reveals it’s a natural step in troubled times when we feel a lack of control or a sense of powerlessness…
‘Big Earth energy’: A new era of nature spirituality is here
The Washington Post*
But growing interest in nature spirituality doesn’t necessarily lead to more climate activism, experts say…
UK: ‘Witchcraft’ theory behind dozens of eggs buried in woman’s garden
Birmingham Mail
Strange goings-on at Birmingham outskirts village where shop bought eggs discovered hidden underground…
UK: The ‘odd’ commuter town where Druids, Pagans, and Satanists meet in the woodland
MyLondon
For decades East Grinstead has been home to some interesting religious groups and sects but most people don’t realise…
The world of healers in a Nicaraguan city
World Nation News
Candles illuminate the small room in which Gregorio Vargas arranges tarot cards on a table, one of his tools for warding off diseases and problems or conjuring up impossible love relationships in Diriomo, a famed town of healers in Nicaragua…
Canada: A new kind of spiritual market
Calgary Journal
New-age spiritual products are taking the world by storm. And it’s everything from health and wellness to medium readings, to magical resin dishes…
Party like a pagan: 5 ways to celebrate the summer solstice
Sky History
From solitary witches to groves of druids, most Pagan faiths have honoured the solstice with rituals, feasts, and just a hint of debauchery across Europe for thousands of years…
Shinto News
Muslim migrant damages a Shinto shrine and threatens Japanese local not to pray there because ‘Allah is the only god’, arrested
OpIndia
A video has been going viral on social media wherein a man in yellow attire can be seen vandalising a worship place…
G-7 leaders called out for sitting on a guardrail at Japanese shrine
Semafor/Yahoo
Photos of Group of Seven leaders sitting on a guardrail at the Itsukushima Shrine, during the recent G-7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, drew widespread criticism online…
Does the pure joy seen at this year’s Sanja Matsuri hint at a summer of celebration?
The Japan Times*
Last week, the Sanja Matsuri returned to Tokyo in full for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020…
People pray for good health in ancient ritual at western Japan temple
NHK World
A group of supplicants gathered at a temple in the western Japanese city of Otsu to take part in an ancient tradition that is said to bring good health and longevity…
Kishida, Yoon make historic visit to Hiroshima shrine
Khmer Times
Japan and South Korea’s leaders made a historic visit Sunday to a memorial for Koreans killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as long-frosty ties between the neighbours warm…
Tokyo court rejects families’ request for removal of Koreans’ names listed in Yasukuni Shrine
Yonhap News Agency
An appellate court in Tokyo on Friday rejected the request from the bereaved families of Koreans enshrined in a controversial war shrine to have their names removed…
Osaka’s Okawa River will be lit up with lanterns for the Tanabata festival this July
Time Out
You can write your wishes on LED lanterns and float them on the Okawa River during this summer festival in Osaka…
Japan’s religious outfits on ‘extralegal’ sales for tax breaks
Nippon.com
The trend stems from a decline in population in cities and increased scrutiny of religious groups since PM Abe’s assassination…
Yuria Okamura’s poetic drawings consider the sacredness of plants
Thursd
Driven by her passion for botany and art, Okamura continues to create breathtaking poetic drawings that transport viewers to a realm of tranquility and introspection…
Japanese festivals: capturing the extraordinary with photographer Haga Hinata
Nippon.com
Japanese photographer Haga Hinata has taken pictures of festivals across Japan and around the world, seeking to capture the moments when people step out of their ordinary lives and find joy in the extraordinary…
Jogu Jinja shrine: Breathe in, breathe out and ponder the flow of life in Fukui
The Asahi Shimbun
Jogu Jinja shrine, affectionately known by locals as “the shrine of childbirth,” is also considered a protector shrine for voyages and fishing…
Love Sumo? Knowing this ancient sport’s spiritual significance enhances the enjoyment
Japan Forward
Who doesn’t enjoy watching the sumotori performing their high-stomping warmup before a match? But there is far more to the stomp, and sumo, than meets the eye…
Sacred beasts: hunting for traces of the vanished Japanese wolf
Nippon.com
Japanese wolves, once found across Japan, are thought to have gone extinct over a century ago. Yet sightings and the sounds of distant howls are regularly reported in the Okuchichibu and Okutama mountains to the north and west of central Tokyo, where wolves have long been worshipped…
Other News
UK: Fears ‘Satanists’ have returned to New Forest village after lamb found with slit throat
The Telegraph*
Bramshaw residents are worried occult-style animal killings have returned to an area plagued with mysterious attacks and rituals since 2019…
Stunning find of petroglyphs in Sweden
The Wild Hunt
The Scandinavian countries have the largest concentration of Bronze Age art on the entire European continent with over 30,000 detected featuring distinctive carved or drawn images of human and animal figures, images of ships, chariots, and other human inventions as well as numerous abstract shapes…
Study reveals that ancient Rome smelled like patchouli
Earth.com
For the first time in history, a research team from the University of Cordoba has successfully unearthed and identified the composition of a Roman perfume, a fragrance that dates back more than 2,000 years…
How were personal altars used in ancient Pagan traditions?
The Wild Hunt
To begin with, a small definition of what an altar is and the kind of altar being reviewed must be offered…
‘Witch Hunts’ Past & Present
US: Connecticut ‘witches’ exonerated by Senate lawmakers
BBC
Connecticut lawmakers have voted to exonerate 12 people more than 370 years after they were convicted of witchcraft in colonial America…
Tanzania: Police nabs seven over ‘witchcraft’-motivated murder
Daily News
The Police Force in Mwanza has arrested seven people over killings related to ‘witchcraft’…
Ghana: Families of lynching victims demand justice over witchcraft accusations
Graphic Online
The grieving families of two individuals who were brutally lynched in the Mion District on May 9, 2023, over witchcraft allegations have fervently called for justice to be served for the victims…
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In