Ardantane’s Fundraiser and other Quick Pagan News Notes

Last updated on: May 20, 2012 at 10:25 am By Jason Pitzl-Waters

Just a few quick news notes for you on this Sunday. Ardantane Needs Infrastructure: Ardantane, a Pagan learning center in the Jemez Mountains (that’s in New Mexico), is holding a fundraiser through IndieGoGo to help build a free-standing eco-friendly handicapped-accessible restroom/shower. “One rather glaring problem with our facilities is – a lack of restrooms. We have one small toilet in the staff residence, but it’s not handicapped-accessible. Thus we created the HARRE Potty Project: “HARRE” stands for Handicapped-Accessible RestRoom, Eco-friendly. We figure it will... Read more

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Last updated on: May 18, 2012 at 1:50 pm By Jason Pitzl-Waters

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. PNC-Minnesota passes on the word that Stonehouse Park in Illinois, the home of this year’s Pagan Spirit Gathering, will be able to continue holding events on its property, despite complaints about noise and illegal activities. Local Pagans affiliated with Circle Sanctuary, and the Northern Illinois University... Read more

Tokenism in Government Prayer Fails Again

Last updated on: May 17, 2012 at 8:46 pm By Jason Pitzl-Waters

In the long-simmering battle over the inclusion of (largely Christian) prayers at the beginning of government meetings, an assumption held sway that a written policy of pluralistic inclusion would provide a fig-leaf of legal protection against lawsuits from organizations like Americans United or the ACLU. At least that was the assertion of the conservative Christian advocacy organization Alliance Defense Fund (ADF). In their “model public invocations policy,” the ADF noted how important it was to have an inclusive “neutral” policy on paper,... Read more

Forty Years of Asatruarfelagid

Last updated on: May 17, 2012 at 8:11 am By Jason Pitzl-Waters

This year sees the 40th anniversary of the Icelandic Asatru Association, Asatruarfelagid, co-founded in April 1972 by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson under “the desire that Icelanders could have their own faith, and nourish it no less than imported religions.” Asatruarfelagid received official government recognition in 1973, and now sports nearly 2000 members. Musician and current allsherjargoði (high chieftain) of Asatruarfelagid, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, commemorated the anniversary by donating 2 million Icelandic króna (around 16,000 US dollars) to the Coast Guard’s helicopter fund. “The donation is for the Coast Guard’s helicopter fund.... Read more

Bad Advice and Goat’s Blood

Last updated on: May 16, 2012 at 5:53 am By Jason Pitzl-Waters

Yesterday, Slate.com’s advice columnist, journalist Emily Yoffe (aka “Dear Prudence”), tackled the issue of a Christian woman married to an “atheist” who has recently embraced Wicca. Here’s what she had to say. There are several troubling aspects in Yoffe’s advice to the “devout” Christian wife, starting with the assertion that her husband has “radically underwritten the rules” of their relationship because he’s shifted from atheism/agnosticism to a theistic belief system (albeit not Christianity). Despite the fact that “Kent” is described as “sweet,... Read more

The Return of Dead Can Dance, and the Evolution of Pagan Music

Last updated on: May 15, 2012 at 8:08 am By Jason Pitzl-Waters

On May 8th, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, collectively known as Dead Can Dance, announced that their first new album since 1996’s Spiritchaser would be released on August 9th, 2012 (It will also be the kick-off of their world tour). Entitled “Anastasis,” the new work will be “a spring album to coincide with both natures awakening and the groups subsequent rebirth,” according to Perry. This new album comes after a year of anticipation for hardcore fans, since Perry first revealed the planned return, and... Read more

Minority Religions and Esoteric Practices as Courtroom Evidence

Last updated on: May 13, 2012 at 5:23 pm By Jason Pitzl-Waters

On Friday, the Contra Costa Times reported that an appeal to overturn a 2010 fraud conviction was denied. California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal decided that prosecutors did not unfairly prejudice the case by bringing up a “voodoo” (though more likely Palo Mayombe, according to one expert) shrine that belonged to Ruben Hernandez, saying the evidence was “highly probative” of his “consciousness of guilt.” In a 35-page ruling, the appellate court justices noted that Hernandez testified during the trial about the “benevolent purposes served... Read more

Happy (Great) Mother’s Day!

Last updated on: May 13, 2012 at 4:51 am By Jason Pitzl-Waters

On this Mother’s Day let’s not forget the mother(s) of us all. “Celebrations of mothers and motherhood occur throughout the world. Many of these trace back to ancient festivals, like the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration. However, the modern holiday is an Americaninvention and not directly descended from these celebrations. Despite this, in some countries Mother’s Day has become synonymous with these older traditions.” – Wikipedia Here in the United States, Mother’s Day was conceived by... Read more

Mitt Romney and “Demonic Activity” at Liberty University

Last updated on: May 11, 2012 at 12:38 pm By Jason Pitzl-Waters

It hasn’t been a very good week for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. The presumptive Republican nominee has been dealing with the revelations of “troubling incidents” related to bullying gay classmates in the same week that the president gave his support for same-sex marriage rights. Now, in what can only be called unfortunate timing, Romney will be giving the commencement speech today at Liberty University, the school founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell. “Whatever the exact explanation, Romney and his team clearly do not feel that... Read more

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Last updated on: May 11, 2012 at 12:42 am By Jason Pitzl-Waters

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 Olympic flame for the 2012 London games was lit yesterday at the Temple of Hera in Greece, though it did go out briefly during the ceremony. Luckily there was a back-up flame, and the torch started on its week-long journey around... Read more