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.
- Through June 17th the Observatory in Brooklyn is featuring “Sigils and Signs,” a group show the explores the intersection of magic and the occult with fine art. Erik Davis interviews show organizer Pam Grossman on his “Expanding Mind” radio show. If you can’t make it to Brooklyn, there’s a Tumblr blog of the art featured in the show. Also, check out Grossman’s blog Phantasmaphile. Hat-tip to Boing Boing for the link.
- The 1st Circuit Cout of Appeals has ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has been ruled unconstitutional, a win not only for the equality of same-sex couples, but for the faiths that support that equality. No matter what the haters do to make themselves feel better, the world is changing.
- I know everyone’s having a “good” time with the recent “zombie” horribleness in the news, and the sudden rash of murderous cannibalism that’s been hitting the feeds, but maybe we should be more careful about the reality we are creating around ourselves. Do we really want a “zombie” apocalypse? Let’s be careful with the hypersigils folks.
- Tim Ward, author of “Savage Breast: One Man’s Search for the Goddess”, and who I interviewed way back in 2008, has come out with a new book entitled “Zombies on Kilimanjaro: A Father/Son Journey Above the Clouds” (just in time for Father’s Day). Quote: “At its heart, the book is about rites of passage and the changes we parents face as our kids grow into adults: how do we let go, and yet find a way to stay connected?”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2J9RyjC_d8
- Spanish filmmaker Monica Demes has created a documentary about her initiation into the Reclaiming tradition entitled “Diary of a Sorceress.” Quote: “Through a journey into the legend of Avalon, we travel to Glastonbury, where the director of the documentary is initiated into Celtic Reclaiming, a modern tradition of Witchcraft, connected with the power of nature and with ancient celtic rituals. Her trip and the contact with these wise women opened to our director a new way of living, closer to nature and through this she recovered her capacity to dream.”
- Speaking of Pam Grossman’s Phantasmaphile blog, she links to a Kickstarter campaign to produce copies of the fine-art “Collective Tarot.” They are less than $2000 dollars away from their $20,000 goal. A $30 donation gets you a copy of the printed deck. More on the Collective Tarot, here.
- I give you Manhattanhenge!
- Time Magazine’s Entertainment blog looks at the growing popularity of fairy tales in pop-culture, noting that this growth may be due to a hunger for female protagonists, in addition to the regular ideas of escapism and familiarity. In addition, these films are embracing their otherworldly elements, something that may make them appealing to modern Pagans as well.
- A ruling by a Tennessee judge overturning the approval for construction of a mosque is something that Pagans and other members of minority faiths should be concerned about. Exactly how much “warning” and input should locals have in the building of churches, temples, or houses of worship? Do you want the Christian majority “voting” on whether you can have a Pagan community center?
- The Leadership Conference of Women Religious issued a response to the Vatican-led crackdown on their autonomy. They say the Vatican’s ruling was “based on unsubstantiated accusations and the result of a flawed process that lacked transparency.” What happens next remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to see if the Catholic hierarchy blinks in this showdown.
- Remember Richard “Full-Blown Paganism” Land from the other day? He’s lost his radio show.
- HuffPo lists “27 Essential Pagan Texts” though it should be noted that “essential” doesn’t necessarily mean “historically important works that help you understand the development of modern Paganism.” It’s just a list of books Pagans really like, which is fine, everyone should make one.
- Finally, check out PNC-Minnesota’s interview with Heartland Spiritual Alliance President Angela Krout at Heartland Pagan Festival.
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.