Guest Post: Humanist Paganism on the Rise?

August 18, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

[This is a guest post by Brendan Myers. Brendan Myers, Ph.D, is the author of eight books on environmentalism, ethics and social justice, and spirituality. He has taught philosophy at six different universities in Canada and in Europe, and provided policy research for the Government of Canada, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and various private clients. His work has been featured by the Pacific Business & Law Institute, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, the Order of Bards, Ovates, and... Read more

eBay’s Magical Ban: The Problem With Selling Speech

August 17, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

Internet auction house eBay recently released their Fall 2012 Seller Update, which, starting in September, prohibits the sale of divination services (including tarot readings), spells, tutoring services, and potions. The reason for this move, according to eBay, is to “build confidence in the marketplace for both buyers and sellers.” “Transactions in these categories often result in issues between the buyer and seller that are difficult to resolve. To help build confidence in the marketplace for both buyers and sellers, eBay is... Read more

Guest Post: Stalking the Goddess

August 16, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

[The following is a guest post from Mark Carter. Mark Carter lives, works, and writes in his home town of Bloomington, IL. His works have appeared in The Druid Missal-Any, The Pagan Writer’s Press Yule anthology, and Examiner.com. “Stalking The Goddess” is his first book.] A few weeks ago I mailed Jason Pitzl-Waters a review copy of my newly released book, “Stalking The Goddess”. I wasn’t sure if it was the sort of thing he’d cover at The Wild Hunt. After... Read more

Interview with a Vodou Priestess

August 15, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

The Times Picayune interviews Sallie Ann Glassman, an initiated Vodou priestess who runs the Island of Salvation Botanica in New Orleans, and is author of “Vodou Visions: An Encounter With Divine Mystery.” Glassman has been gaining increased media attention lately because of her relationship with comedian Joan Rivers, who is performing at a benefit for the New Orleans Healing Center. In the videos below, Glassman talks about Vodou, cleansing Joan River’s house, and the upcoming benefit. Part one: Part two: For more on Sallie... Read more

The Action Plan to Stop Christian Witchcraft-Related Child Abuse

August 14, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

The United Kingdom’s Department of Education has released a national action plan for dealing with cases of witchcraft and occult-related abuse of children within religious communities. This comes after several high-profile cases of murder and abuse of children related to anti-witchcraft rituals, most prominently the murder of Kristy Bamu, who died while being tortured under the auspices of an “exorcism” at his sister’s home. During sentencing, Judge David Paget said the murder had a “sadistic element”, adding it was “prolonged torture involving mental... Read more

Quick Notes: Halloran Goes to Israel, Salem’s Memorial Rededicated, and Stonehenge on Fire

August 13, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

Just a few quick news notes to start off your Monday. A Heathen in the Holy Land: New York Republican congressional candidate Dan Halloran, who also happens to be a Theodish Heathen, is currently in Israel for a two-day visit where he’ll meet with Israeli leaders. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik4v0suIqjM “The city councilmember is running in the Sixth Congressional District, which covers parts of Queens and has a large Jewish population. His trip is scheduled to include meetings with Israeli leaders and stops in places in... Read more

The Power and Responsibility of Movement Journalism

August 12, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

For the past few days I’ve been considering how best to cover a controversy within a local Pagan community. This situation, I felt, did and does have repercussions for our movement as a whole, and has drawn opinions from national figures on what the best response would be. However, every time I’ve started to write the piece, I have hesitated. There is news here, but I also know that by holding up my magnifying glass to it I could inflame... Read more

A Quick Note on Sacred Music

August 11, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

There are a couple stories I’m in the midst of writing, but none are quite ready for primetime. So instead I’d like to chat a bit about music. I’m about to record this week’s episode of A Darker Shade of Pagan, and I’m getting ready to see the great Peter Murphy in concert this evening. So music is foremost on my mind. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmKmpgX3MBk Murphy is, of course, a famous student of Sufi mysticism and religion, and that sense of the... Read more

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

August 10, 2012 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. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FXBYRuxQWE The Chicago-based Pagan/magical performance troupe Terra Mysterium is in the midst of a IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for their new show “The Alembic,” an alchemical Steampunk fantasy. Quote: “The clockwork of fate is a tricky matter. In this Steampunk musical tale, an alchemist undertakes the work of... Read more

Guest Post: Reclaiming the Myriad Forms of Divinity

August 9, 2012 By Jason Pitzl-Waters

[The following is a guest post from Abel R. Gomez. Abel R. Gomez is a student, community organizer, writer, and ritualist dedicated to collective empowerment and ecstatic ritual. An initiated Shakta Tantrika through the SHARANYA Devi Mandir, he is also a priest and witch in the Reclaiming Tradition.] Reclaiming the Myriad Forms of Divinity: Revisions to The Principles of Unity Reclaiming is an American grown tradition of Witchcraft with roots in Feri Tradition, ecofeminism, anarchist politics, and the psychology movement. The... Read more