TWH — As the sun rose on Oct. 31 and the Halloween frenzy crested, a viral social media campaign appeared, generating hundreds of responses on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr ,and Twitter. Using hashtag #whatwitcheslooklike, people from around the world posted photographs of themselves wearing no religious ritual wear, costumes, or other atypical clothing for their personal lifestyle. The goal was to combat popular fictional witch stereotypes by demonstrating what real, modern Witches actually look like.

As is typical of the Samhain season, the popular use of words, such as witch and witchcraft, find their way into and onto everything. This trend reaches its climactic denouement as Halloween arrives. Images of witches appear everywhere, from product packaging and clothing to news outlets and entertainment media. As last week’s TWH editorial on media concluded, “the onslaught of Witch articles in October is as much a part of the season as the falling of the leaves and the arrival of the Great Pumpkin.”

This particular year has been atypical due to the use of these terms within the contentious U.S. presidential election. From the early “Bern the Witch” slogan to the more recent accusations of ritual magic and “Spirit Cooking,” the terms witch and witchcraft, and all that they imply, have danced uneasily within the rhetoric of contemporary American politics. In many of these cases, the political noise has gone so far as to include a resurrection of an age-old political strategy that blames society’s failings, or one’s own failings, on witchcraft and Satanic worship.

Within all of this October chaos, a typical question arises: “What is a real Witch?” While some mainstream media reports do attempt to accurately answer the question, the predominantly European-based fictional representations of witches — those that have endured for centuries — far outweigh any reality that exists. They are well embedded in modern society and not easily forgotten.

In Act I scene iii of Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606), Banquo says of the weird sisters:

“What are these;
So withered and so wild in their attire,
that look not like th’ inhabitants o’ the’ earth
And yet are on’t?”

Banquo goes on to describe their “choppy fingers,” “skinny lips,” and adds, “You should be women, / And yet your beards forbid me to interpret / That you are so.”

Wicked Witch of the West, “Wizard of Oz” (1939); “Linda maestra!” Francisco de Goya (1799)

While today’s popular witch imagery endures predominantly as fun and games and has even, in some places, adopted a strong feminist subtext, many modern Witches still find discomfort in its display. Despite all odds, they continuously work to combat the implied derogatory meanings and false assumptions present in these popular witch representations.

It is that very frustration that led to the recent #whatwitcheslooklike hashtag campaign. It is important to note that this was not the first time the hashtag had been used, but it was the first time it hit digital media with such force, and on Halloween.

It all began with a single post by the Village Witch of Asheville, North Carolina: H. Byron Ballard.

Ballard is a North Carolina native, a folklorist, gardener, and writer. She is a witch and priestess, who focuses her magical work on the energies local to her Appalachian home. She has published two books on the subject, Staubs and Ditchwater and Asfidity and Mad-Stones, and lectures at Pagan and other similar events.

Additionally, Ballard is very passionate about how witches and witchcraft are represented, and what is actually means to be a modern Witch. Ballard told The Wild Hunt that she gets frustrated with the “green-faced crone image,” one that she must deal with all year long. “I don’t love it being promoted as how Witches look.”

When she posted the hashtag on Halloween morning, she did not expect it to go viral, in fact it wasn’t meant to be a social media protest or campaign at all. Her post was simply a personal reaction to several conversations, more than anything else. Ballard explained how it all got started.

“The Walpurgisnacht Hexen Tanz video from Germany—that flitted through my Facebook feed on several occasions—inspired a local group of very nice women, several of whom I know, to do their own version around town during Hallowe’en season. I had some very mixed feelings about this and frankly wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. I was nerdy in thinking it should be done at Beltane, like the original,” Ballard began.

As she said, these traditional pop culture images do bother her, but like most American Witches, she typically just “lets that go” and continues on in her own practice.

This time, however, she decided to take action. On Oct. 27, Ballard asked Facebook friends for their opinions of the Walpurgisnacht video and its portrayal of Witches. She received close to 100 responses, mostly in her feed.

“Almost all of them encouraging me to lighten up, put on my Big Girl panties,” she said. “Being a priestess at Samhain with not a lot of free time, I let it go. Again.”

Photo that started the #whatwitcheslooklike viral campaign 2016 [Courtesy Photo]

The very next morning was Halloween. Ballard said, “I woke up thinking about battling this popular and, let’s face it, beloved image. And I thought, I’ll invite my Facebook Witch friends to just post a picture of themselves, on the day of Hallowe’en, going about their/our business.”

She began by taking her own selfie. “I had just washed my face and was making a cuppa tea and made a selfie standing beside the stove.” Then, she posted her photo on Facebook with this statement: “I invite all of you who self-identify as Witches to post a picture of yourself today. Not in costume or ritual clothing. Just yourself, in the season of the witch.”

Ballard said that she had no idea what would happen next.

On her own post, Ballard received 200 responses, but the popularity of the hashtag  #whatwitcheslooklike spilled over into other Facebook threads, and onto Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.

Instagram #whatwitcheslooklike photos (left to right): Author Sara Amis; Natalie Case (Instagram: natalisejcase); Nana Makemba lyalorisa of Orisanla and Osun (Instagram: of_Earth_and_Sky).

Since then, hundreds of more photos have been shared by people who identify as Witches. Ballard said, in retrospect, “The pictures are all so beautiful and proud.” She said that she hasn’t even been able to keep up or see them all. “But, gosh, wasn’t that fun? And they’re still coming in!” And, Ballard encourages people to continue using the hashtag #whatwitcheslooklike.

Below is a small gallery of images featuring people who identify as Witches. Some photos are from the actual hashtag campaign and others are from the TWH photo archives. This gallery is simply a sampling of the diversity of “witch looks” and is by no means comprehensive.

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North Carolina, U.S.

While the hashtag campaign most likely won’t curtail the use of the classic Halloween witch, it does prove exactly what Ballard intended: there is no Witch look. Most of the popular representations are grossly inaccurate, or limited at best. In reality, the appearances of modern Witches are as diverse as humanity is diverse.

[Note: all gallery images were used with permission either for this specific article or for past ones. They are not to be reproduced.]

TWH –After a high-profile campaign that lasted far longer than many Americans might have preferred, Donald J. Trump won the U.S. presidential election yesterday. While Pagans and polytheists held widely divergent views about who they wanted in the White House, it is now time to consider what a Trump presidency means to members of minority religious groups.

[Wikimedia Commons]

Orlando, running in Michigan’s ninth district, was not successful. In a statement released on his Facebook page, he wrote, “While I did not win a seat in the house I do not consider the campaign a total loss. We were able to reach more people this election, and show them that the Libertarian Party has so much to offer those that love freedom and that are tired of the big overreaching federal government.”

Schulz, on the other hand, was victorious in her second attempt to join the Burnville, Minnesota city council.  She said, “I am so thankful to the residents of Burnsville for supporting me, donating to my campaign, putting one of my signs in their yard, and for voting for me. The trust they have placed in me is deeply humbling and I’ll work hard to be worthy of it. I’ve made a commitment to serve all residents in as open, honest, and transparent way as I’ve run my campaign.”

She also noted, “Not once during the race did any of my opponents or their supporters attempt to use my faith in an appeal to bigotry. This was attempted in my last run for office, but residents here firmly rejected bigotry as a campaign tactic. I encourage those who feel called to public service and happen to be Pagan to run for office. Run, be open and honest, and trust your neighbors. If you aren’t elected the first time, run again.”

  *    *    *

Now, we move to the national election. Below a number of Pagans and polytheists share their views on the results. The statements are a collection of early thoughts from a variety of people who fall under — or near — the Pagan umbrella about the future under a Trump presidency. Some of these passages express strong emotion.

Christine Hoff Kraemer

The election of Donald Trump lets us know that the recently-won rights of women and racial, sexual, and religious minorities are extremely fragile. Based on polls I saw last night, some voters cast their ballots for Trump even while claiming that his treatment of women and minorities bothered them. Even more frightening is the thought that many voted for Trump because of his racism and misogyny, rather than despite them.

This election comes at a time when we need decisive government action to address climate change. If the United States continues to exploit our last remaining fossil fuels instead of aggressively pursuing clean energy and protecting our air and water, the economic and environmental impact of climate change will be much more damaging. Americans have apparently elected Trump in the hope that, despite his callous disregard for working-class people in his business dealings, his administration will recreate traditional working-class jobs. But pollution, food crisis, and the failure to create jobs in important new energy industries will cause enormous suffering among the very people who have rallied around him. This is a dark day for us, and especially for our grandchildren, who will wonder what madness caused the United States to elect a leader so obviously intent on . . . abusing the powers of the presidency.

Yet, looking at history, our ancestors all survived conditions that are now difficult for most Americans to imagine: epidemics, wars, and disasters that destroyed the very fabric of societies. We can survive Trump and a Republican Congress. But to cope with climate change, there is no more time for internet polemic, no time to fight among ourselves, no time for business as usual. Gather your loved ones and neighbors to make shelter: the first drops of rain are falling; the coming storm is here.

Jose Adastra

I’m mostly feeling nauseated. It’s hard to really think clearly through all the fear and worry. When I’m not feeling scared I’ve felt pretty upset. Puerto Rico was thrown into poverty by those seeking to profit from the natural resources on the island, and those wishing to use it as a tax haven.

Understanding why we came from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts is difficult enough. It was difficult to transition but my family figured it out. We made our new home and we adjusted. But now the country that took my birthplace (by force) as a territory and that has effectively stifled trade and installed business legislation that allows people to benefit from the poverty of Puerto Ricans has just finished electing a President that has expressed aggressive policies for deporting immigrants, and that has displayed on various occasions that his respect for women and people of color is completely lacking.

I love Puerto Rico, but we left because the economy was completely destabilized and there were more opportunities in the states. But now after watching my birthplace be taken advantage of and ripped apart by corporate interests for years, I fear that we will be completely abandoned to our current chaotic state. Although I have made my home in Massachusetts now, it is concerning that someone might try to make me leave this home. I must be feeling what a lot of displaced immigrants are feeling right now. America wages wars and claims territory, and then people are displaced. To displace a group of people and then not feel responsible for providing them with homes and a solid support system is completely backwards. We as a country have been displacing people for an absurd amount of time.

We just so happened to, as a country, elect a misogynist, white supremacist, anti-immigrant President. It must feel like a slight to everyone who has already had to start their lives over again. The threat of being deported and having to do it all over again when you have already reestablished your home is unacceptable, and inhumane. While I am optimistic, and enthusiastic about establishing grass root movements to counteract the hate, it is worrisome that there is so much of that hate to counteract.

Lisa Roling

I am truly concerned about the immediate and long-term ramifications of this election. How many people will die as a result of repealing the ACA? How many women will lose their already-limited access to safe abortions, will lose their voice in standing up to sexual violence, will lose the battle for equal pay? How many gay and lesbian couples will see their marriage licenses dissolved and see their rights to their non-biological children threatened? How many religious minorities will face intimidation, deportation, and be forced underground for their (our) own safety?

I’ve been told that I am overreacting, that my fear is unfounded, that change is slow and this President-elect will not be able to pull off the promises for which he was elected. That this is simply a rebuke of the status quo in politics, not a rebuke of the values that I depend on for living freely and safely. Goddess, let that be the case. Let me wake in four years and look back to see you having mangled, beheaded, and devoured us today as an act of destruction that opens the door of creation. And let us be better for it.

[Pixabay]

I served as an election worker yesterday. It was a long day (6:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.), one in which we were surrounded by voters, ballots, and voting apparatus, yet not permitted to speak of the election at all.  […] Some voters spoke to us clerks sotto voce about their anxieties and fear for the future. I’m sure they weren’t feeling that way any more than I was. I’ve seen the sun’s annual return for more than seven decades now, and never, never since the first election in which I was eligible to vote –- voters had to be 21 back then –- have I sensed among the people I encounter, and within myself, such anxiety about the election and beyond.

For the first time in the many elections I’ve worked, we had men –- no women did this — coming in expressing distrust of the voting process, certain that their vote wouldn’t be counted. This is offensive to the elections office and all the many workers who strive to conduct the polls with integrity.

I live in a rarefied environment where the voter turnout tends to 80-90%. My fellow Mariners voted nearly 78% for Clinton, but we weren’t worried about Marin; we were worried about the country. We were worried about the future. I worry about what kind of world we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. I can only hope they have the ingenuity to meet the challenges of climate change, social disruption, cynical disengagement.

To the question of what the results might mean for us as American citizens, or as Pagans, I can only say dread. I fear for the reversal of the many programs and policies implemented over the last fifty years. I fear for the health and well-being of all kinds of minorities: ethnic, sexual, religious. I fear for women. We have a few generations of women who have never not known reproductive choice, whereas in my young womanhood safe, legal abortions did not exist. Acceptance of single parenthood didn’t exist. I am appalled at the level of misogyny surrounding this entire election season.

I fear for the health of our planet. I fear the day when we might have no government regulations on toxic emissions. I fear losing clean water. I fear reductions in spending and quality education for all. An educated public benefits everyone.

I sympathize with today’s young parents who try to teach their children kindness and good social skills when they see so-called leaders regularly bully, intimidate, and humiliate other people. I fear that the dystopian society that the incoming President describes in his speeches only serves to further alienate young people. It feeds disengagement and mistrust among a cynical citizenry.

I have an investment in this country that’s given me a comparatively lavish life, an education, health. My ancestors and yours died so that we could enjoy such luxuries. This is our home, one that should show hospitality to others. Our bounty is to be shared.

I am not normally a pessimistic person, but this election gives me pause. If this country manages to survive the incoming administration, if it hasn’t caused irreparable damage to environment, economy, human rights, international relations, then I console myself with two certainties: a lot of these fearful conservative older white men are, and will be, dying off. (So might I.) The other is that those younger citizens who follow will be more colorful and diverse. Minority populations will increase and our country will have no single majority, rather a rainbow of diversity. They are our hope.

Dr. Bones

A massively corrupt technocrat ran for the highest office in the country. According to leaked emails, her team decided to “puff up” the most repulsive enemy combatant they could find, a mulligan of a competitor so vile America would have no choice but to elect her to save themselves.

They focus-grouped almost every issue, had paid internet shills call people anti-woman if they dared not toe the line, and exposed every bit of material they could proving their opponent was a rapey, racist misogynist. He didn’t deny it. And he won.

The United States is a nation of barbarians, a warlike people full of gun-toting madmen high on meth and college intelligentsia that prefer airborne robots do their killing for them. The fatal flaw was the Democrats could never admit they were just as war hungry and greedy as the Republicans, that they were cut from the same stock. They tried to pretend Obama didn’t bomb Libya, didn’t fund Nazis in the Ukraine, even tried to deny that the US created Daesh. They broke the con-man’s only rule: never believe your own bullshit.

The United States will be ruled by the Republicans for the next four years and liberals of all stripes will be forced to confront the grim reality that they have no idea what country they live in. They sold their soul and a movement that was openly socialist to a neo-liberal devil and they came up empty handed. They were worse than stupid and deserve to be punished, and I won’t shed a single tear for them.

There are silver linings here: we can now freely admit a revolution cannot depend on someone’s gender alone, we have seen that the United States is still a gleefully racist country that has no problem backing killer cops, we have learned the “lesser of two evils” doesn’t mean jack when the greater evil can at least admit to being evil, and we have learned that real change is not going to come out of a ballot box.

You want to keep people safe? Start forming solidarity networks. You want to keep emboldened racists from getting froggy? Buy a gun. You want to radically change the structure of the country you live in? Get organized, start conspiring, and make insurrection great again.

Kenya Coviak

To my fellow Americans, I say to you this: I am deeply disappointed in you. But I believe in the goodness of the human soul and heart and it will prevail. I will hold space for all of us, and ask you to do the same and keep us safe as we move forward in the vision of alchemizing the next four years. We are the children of the revolutionaries, always have been, and surviving is what revolutionaries do best.

Be the revolution you want to see. Be the love you want to receive. Be safe, be good to each other, and blessed be. [Coviak published a full editorial at PBN]

Rapid Cabot Freeman

Right now I am so grateful to my god the lord Woden, to all my Pagan & Heathen brothers and sisters at American Pagans For Trump, and all the honest, hardworking Americans that voted for this good and courageous man, Donald J. Trump, who will protect this country I love by making sure no one comes here that doesn’t show good will and an honest desire to be a contributing citizen that respects our laws and customs.

Mr. Trump will put America first by making sure any trade deal we enter into is fair and protects the American worker and American jobs. He will the protect Second Amendment and thus every American citizen’s inborn right to protect themselves & their families. For the first time in awhile I feel very optimistic [about] the future our country will offer to my godson Zakk & all young Americans like him. The first 100 days of Mr. Trump’s good works, I believe, will bear fruit that silences any naysayers. As a proud son of an American combat vet[eran], I hope he passes a law protecting the American flag from being stomped upon and burned because this disrespect to those that serve/served our country I personally find . . . to be revolting and unacceptable.

Replica Oval Office [Wikimedia]

What we saw last night is that for nearly half of voting Americans, character doesn’t matter. Bigotry and misogyny don’t matter. Even basic human decency doesn’t matter. All that matters is self-interest, and rage.

Many progressives helped to do this to themselves, promulgating right-wing lies about Hillary with glee. And they are left with exactly the ashes in their mouths that Nader voters tasted in 2000.

The most qualified person running was defeated by a human dumpster fire, and now all the things we thought we had secured in the name of progress are on the chopping block. Way to go, America.

Star Foster

Between Sanders and Trump, the American people have made it pretty clear they are sick of both major parties and politics as usual. I was hoping it was a Lincoln election, but Giuliani had it right: this is Andrew Jackson all over again.

Also, tonight was a pretty clear sign that our democracy works, because the nation exercised its right to elect someone that no one in establishment wanted.

The role of media in this election is fascinating, but they didn’t just get it wrong, they were crafting the narrative rather than reporting the reality. Very embarrassing election for mainstream journalism.

Unlike in 2000, the third party impact probably didn’t swing the election to either candidate. Stein was statistically unimportant. Johnson drew votes pretty equally from both sides, and theoretically should have hurt Trump more than Clinton. McMullin’s major impact was in traditionally-conservative Utah.

I spent the Saturday before election with Pagans all voting for Clinton, Johnson, or Stein, in that order of popularity. I think it is safe to say that most folks in the greater Pagan community are unhappy with the election results, and that vote-shaming of third party supporters already seems to be taking place. I expect the already pronounced emphasis on liberal politics in modern Paganism to become stronger in the next four years, and it will be interesting to see if the theological/worldview schism in Paganism deepens in the next four years if moderates and conservatives no longer feel welcome under the big umbrella.

Byron Ballard

Some people are afraid and shocked at this outcome. Others are relieved, feeling they — at last! — have some agency in their lives. Everyone is on edge because these are challenging times. But here’s the truth: all of us are stronger than we know, and this is an opportunity to break down all the imposed barriers and build the world we want and need. That will take courage and hard work and resilience.

A political savior is not coming, and we can’t wait around for that. For a decade I’ve been writing about Tower Time and the fall of patriarchy’s toxic systems. It is writ large today; our longing and fear and need. These are the times we were made for. We’re rolling up our sleeves and creating a new way to be. Per ardua ad terra.

Elena Rose

I am so scared, and so angry, and so sad. This election was a referendum on the people I love, on whether or not we deserve to live and exist as human beings, and I have been watching those percentages of our neighbors pile up, and it is hard not to succumb to that collapsing feeling that lets me know it will be people I love with our backs first against the wall. There is no unlearning this, un-confirming this thing I already knew, about this place I live.

I am at a loss, friends. One way or another, we will make it through. One way or another, we will be looking after each other.

Those of you they won’t come for first: I hope you’re ready to watch out for those of us at the top of the list.

 *     *     *

The conversations will continue as the government transitions, and the election day fog lifts. This 2016 election may continue to bring controversy and even stories yet unwritten. Media channels, such as NPR, are now reporting that Clinton lost the election, but won the popular vote; she would be the fifth candidate in U.S. history to lose in this fashion.

As in this case, the Electoral College results can vary widely from the popular vote, because most states award all electoral votes to the winning candidate.  While electors are pledged to vote for a particular candidate, so-called “faithless electors” have occasionally abstained or voted for someone else entirely.  However, they typically act alone, impacting only one election in 1836.

The electors will cast their votes Dec. 19, and the ballots will then be counted January 6, making the 2016 election results official.  The new president takes the oath of office Jan 20.

Pagan Voices is a spotlight on recent quotations from figures within the Pagan community. These voices may appear in the burgeoning Pagan media or a mainstream outlet, but all showcase our wisdom, thought processes, and evolution in the public eye. Is there a Pagan voice or artist you’d like to see highlighted? Contact us with a link to the story, post, audio, or image.

To begin 2017, polyanimist Aldrin shares a prayer to Janus in Tagalog:

Pagbati sa Iyo ng may galak at tuwa,

O Haring Tarangkahan na may dalawang mukha;

isang pakanan at isang pakaliwa,

Poon ng mga pintuan, mula langit hanggang lupa.
O Haring Tarangkahan, buksan Mo ang daan:

sa Taong ito’y nawa’y walang humadlang

sa pagtupad sa mga tungkulin na sa ami’y nakalaan;

biyaya’t pagpapala nawa’y maging katuparan.
O Poong nagbabantay sa bawat simulain,

nawa’y sa unang pag-awit at panimulang panalangin

ay buksan Mo ang daan sa lahat ng kariwasaan;

kasaganahan, kagandahan at kasiyahan.
At sa pagsilang ng bagong umaga ito,

isilang nawa sa aming mga diwa at puso

ang isang bagong pag-asa at bagong ngiti

isang bagong lakas na hindi mapapawi.
Nawa’y sa Taong ito at sa mga darating pa

ay maging matagumpay at maligaya

ang pagkamit sa aming mabubuting mithiin,

malaya sa balakid at suliranin.
O Haring Tarangkahang tagapagbukas ng Daan:

nawa’y sa susunod na Ika’y aming awitan

ay mas higit pa ang aming tuwa’t kasiyahan

sa pag-awit sa Iyong matamis na pangalan.

Galina Krasskova has decided that 2017 will for her be the year of the agon, or contest, with a different deity featured each month:

“I very much hope that 2017 brings health, joy, and wealth to us all. Let it be a year of happiness and success. I pray that the good, immortal Gods block misfortune and malintent from entering our homes and our lives this year. May They bless us with all good things throughout the year, even in the midst of our challenges. […] I want to start this year with something creative, fun, and that emphasizes the love and devotion we have for our Gods. […] January’s deity of choice for me is Hermes. He’s awesome and I think it fitting to start the year with a Hermes agon. So those of you who are interested, submit your art (photos of), prayers/poems to krasskova at gmail.com.”

Wyrd Dottir writes about how Heathen Yule tends to end with the conventional year:

“It’s the last big party to celebrate a new year, celebrate the passing of the darkest (and in theory coldest of times) and to look forward to the lengthening days and warming temperatures. Of all the nights of Yule, this night seems to be the one most closely associated with the custom of wassailing, which embodies in part the customs around caroling as well. Wassail, Hail, Heilsa, are all different versions of the same root word across a few different languages, which essentially relates to health, prosperity and luck, and was used prominently as a type of salutation. Not only would you use the word to greet someone, but the greeting also had the implication that you wished them good health. During the yuletide there is a specific type of beverage, that of wassail that was imbibed. This drink would vary by household but it was meant to be alcoholic, with some fruit juices in it and other seasonings to help fortify all who imbibed it for the year ahead.”

Sable Aradia also shared a ritual for the new year:

“I like to look at the holiday season as a liminal time. The change from the old year to the new year is not on the Pagan Sabbat calendar, but it’s still a magical time that we have rituals for in our culture (and other cultures also share in this; the turn of the year, for example, is big in Asia and in North American-Asian communities). Here’s a little non-tradition-specific ritual to acknowledge the change with some of our North American customs but also throw in a Pagan sense of the sacred.”

“Odin” [Wayne Mcmillan, 2016]

“Another Greek custom survived up to modern times: on New Year’s Day a pomegranate was sometimes broken in front of the house door in order to ensure abundance, health and good luck for the whole year. The breaking of a pomegranate in front of the house door could also be performed at other times. For example, it was used in some places of Greece at the first of September, as a magical means to avert death. It was believed that on this day Kharos, the personification of death (akin to the ancient Charon), determined who was going to die during the year. The breaking of the pomegranate was also used in the past by newlyweds, probably to ensure the couple’s fertility. It can be traced as far back as the Homeric times.”

John Michael Greer looks back at his predictions for 2016, and found that one long-shot out of four did indeed come to pass:

“At the beginning of 2016, I also made four specific predictions, which I admitted at the time were long shots. One of those, specific prediction #3, was that the most likely outcome of the 2016 presidential election would be the inauguration of Donald Trump as President in January 2017. I don’t think I need to say much about that, as it’s already been discussed here at length. The only thing I’d like to point out here is that much of the Democratic party seems to be fixated on finding someone or something to blame for the debacle, other than the stark incompetence of the Clinton campaign and the failure of Democrats generally to pay attention to anything outside the self-referential echo chambers of affluent liberal opinion. If they keep it up, it’s pretty much a given that Trump will win reelection in 2020.”

Byron Ballard chose to find joy among the many sorrows of 2016:

“For some of us it was a year of wonders, of miracles, of resurrections. Perhaps it is because I am a Monkey and it is a Monkey year. Perhaps it is because I turned sixty, and that magic and frightening number seemed to liberate me from past constrictions. Perhaps because I traveled to so many fascinating places and met – and fell in love with – so many extraordinary people. Perhaps it is all of that, plus the memories of moonlit walks, transforming affections and friends who held me upright as I wept.”

That’s all for now. Please remember to share blogs and blog posts of interest!

TWH –On June 17, 2015, violence ripped through a South Carolina community in one of the worst ways imaginable: the perpetrator joined his victims for a Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and then shot nine people dead, wounding a tenth. The shooter, a white man, hoped to bring about a race war through his execution of his black victims. He was sentenced to death in federal court for those actions, but is now seeking a new trial.

The case has received a significant amount of press coverage, and the nature of the crimes themselves — targeting victims during a religious service in the hopes of igniting further racially-motivated violence — appears to typify one of the most serious cultural problems in the United States today.

It is in the context of these recent stories that we decided to speak with a number of Pagans to examine views on the death penalty. Like members of the overarching society, those interviewed had varied and nuanced positions on this complex topic. Is taking a person’s life ever appropriate, and if so, under what conditions?

[Pixabay]

It’s not hard for Artemisia Barden; she’s opposed to the death penalty across the board. According to Barden, the prospect of innocent people being put to death, which she asserts is 10% of all those executed in the U.S. even with a lengthy appeals process, is too high a price to pay, and particularly given that the sentence is given disproportionately to people of color.

Barden’s concern about wrongful convictions is echoed by Aline “Macha” O’Brien, a longtime prison chaplain. In a guest post for the California Correctional Crisis blog, she wrote, “One of those so sentenced, a man named Carillo, who was convicted by no fewer than 16 eyewitnesses, later was exonerated by DNA evidence in testing that was not available at the time of sentencing. However, DNA exists in only 20% of homicide cases. How many other innocent people may have been executed? Is there any justification for executing an innocent person, no matter how convincing the evidence? No.”

Byron Ballard, who serves as elder priestess of the Mother Grove Goddess Temple, recognizes that misuse of the death penalty — intentionally or not — is its biggest limitation. “My study leads me to think that some crimes should not be forgiven, and some people who perpetrate these crimes cannot be rehabilitated. In an ideal system, most of these people could be housed in a humane way and kept from the general public. But for some, their actions have stripped them of their humanity and death for the perpetrator may begin the healing of those that had been victimized by them.”

However, Ballard isn’t confident that justice will always be done. “I believe the death penalty has value and a place in a free state, but I also believe our government and its penal system are basically corrupt and can’t be trusted to execute it (if you’ll pardon the pun).”

“Worse still,” wrote O’Brien in her article, “the death penalty is inequitably applied: far more minorities are sentenced to death than are Euro-Americans. When the color of the convict determines the sentence, this is not blind justice. It is not justice at all.”

She was not alone in voicing deep and abiding concerns about the racial inequity in capital convictions. Patrick McCollum, California’s first Pagan prison chaplain, recalled noticing “that many of the condemned inmates were from minorities,” as well, and research bears their experience out. The ongoing South Carolina case notwithstanding, most people executed in the U.S. are not white.

Ballard argued that there are times when an execution is necessary to allow healing to begin for victims and survivors, and while she was not entirely alone in that opinion, others questioned whether killing the perpetrator does that at all.

Donovan recalled, “I was asked once by an inmate, who had completely admitted guilt, if I thought he should die for what he did. I asked him, ‘Are you asking me as a mother? Or as someone who is providing spiritual guidance?’ He said, ‘Both.’ I was honest with him. I said, ‘As a mother, I would have killed you myself. You would not be on death row. But I am not here as a mother. I am here to help you get yourself right and prepare for the next step in your journey. We can’t change what happened.'”

For her part, O’Brien observed, “Killing the perpetrator, which I consider to be state-sanctioned homicide, does not bring back the dead loved one. In the words of the San Diego County District Attorney, the death penalty is ‘a hollow promise to victims.'”

“I am a favour of restorative justice,” wrote Dr. Gareth Thomas, a New Zealander who also lived for some years in the U.S. No one has been executed in New Zealand since 1957. “This is because restorative justice favours and empowers the victims, something which modern laws do not seem to do in most cases.”

“While there may be some closure in seeing a murderer executed, there is also a certain level of horror associated with this,” Thomas explained. “Reading stories and statements from the families of victims who witness the permanent removal of killers from society, you often find that the closure is minimal. There is no opportunity to heal, just the relief that perhaps this will not happen to another family.”

The flip side of retribution is deterrence, or the idea that the very threat of the death penalty will prevent crimes from being committed.

“Deterrence doesn’t work well,” according to Barden, “because in a democracy (as opposed to, say, a fascist/authoritarian regime) there have to be many legal safeguards to ensure as much as is possible that the person convicted is guilty, which takes so many years that I don’t think the prospect deters very many criminals considering committing a capital crime.”

San Quentin Prison yard [TWH Photo]

An argument that often resonates with conservatives and liberals alike is the economic one: imprisoning someone for life is costly, but the automatic appeals and other requirements for death-row inmates are even costlier.

“It just costs society so much more per person to put a prisoner to death (after keeping them for years through the legal processes) than it does to hold them for life without parole that it just fails in terms of money,” pointed out Barden.

“Capital convictions entail further expense because they carry an automatic appeal,” wrote O’Brien. “It is these appeals that cost the state thousands of dollars. In fact, capital cases cost twenty times more than non-capital cases to pursue and bring to conclusion.” She also noted that daily visits from a mental health professional are standard on death row.

Further, O’Brien argued, “By abolishing the death penalty, California could save a billion dollars in only five years. Think of the many ways that kind of money could be used. It could put more cops on the streets. It could be used to solve crimes.

“It could be used for education and after-school programs, giving at-risk youth knowledge and skills so they have a better chance at success in their lives. Accomplished, learned, self-assured people have more hope and less despair, and are less likely to be lured into lives of violence.”

Another concern related to cost was raised by McCollum, who worked with many prisoners who “were often underrepresented and underfunded in their cases.”

It should come as no surprise that a topic as controversial as the death penalty yields a multitude of perspectives from the panoply of Pagan beliefs. Prison ministers such as Donovan must try to set aside their personal feelings while serving on death row, but that doesn’t mean those opinions go away. “I am not Wiccan, nor do I follow any rede; I am human and a mother, and as such I have human failings such as judgment,” she observed.

McCollum, too, emphasized that aspect of the job. “It is important to note that as a chaplain my job wasn’t to judge, but rather to listen and counsel those on death row. And so I simply interacted with those before me as fellow human beings.”

Nevertheless, he reports that his time doing such worked moved him from supporting capital punishment in some cases to complete opposition, largely because he saw evidence of compassion even in those so convicted.

“A core belief I live by is that all things are interconnected,” responded Rev. Rowan Fairgrove, who is working to get the California death penalty abolished.

“I truly believe that we are all one human family, and being kin doesn’t only mean the pleasant connections we cherish,” Fairgrove said. “Being kin means being part of all that is. Everything that happens affects the whole. Whether it is storms a world away caused by a butterfly’s wing or an unkind word that ruins someone’s day, or the smile that lights up a world, or an inmate put to death by the government.

“Mahatma Ghandi observed that, ‘All humanity is one undivided and indivisible community. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul.'”

Thomas observed, “I’m certainly not morally against the idea of final justice. My gods are not pacifists, and the legends of my ancestors and heroes are replete with tales of someone settling a balance. Similarly my ancestors put faith in a group of individuals (Druids) who were the judges of these matters.”

If Paganism is thought of as a tapestry, the thoughts about justice and capital punishment stitch out a complex pattern in black, white, and many shades of grey. While preventing such heinous acts is preferable, the question of how to deal these perpetrators will reach no easy consensus among Pagans and polytheists.

*  *  *

The work of journalist Terence P. Ward was made possible by the generous underwriting donation from Hecate Demeter, writer, ecofeminist, witch and Priestess of the Great Mother Earth.

TWH — Jewish facilities have been targeted with vandalism and bomb threats in recent weeks, and that has some of their Pagan neighbors on edge even as they stand ready to assist. Hundreds of headstones were damaged in two Jewish cemeteries this month, and 100 bomb threats have been reportedly called into Jewish community centers and temples in the United States and Canada in what’s being called “telephone terrorism.”

It was enough to get a mention by President Trump during his first speech before a joint session of Congress, although those remarks have been criticized for not outlining to plan to stop the attacks.

While most of the bomb threats targeted community centers in the eastern United States, they were located in a total of 33 states as well as two provinces of Canada. The calls may have originated overseas, authorities believe, and used voice-masking technology, as in this example posted online.

No bombs have thus far been found, but federal officials are investigating them as hate crimes. While the threats have caused some participants — 67% of which are not Jewish — to pull their families out of programs, there are also reports of solidarity as neighbors show up to express their support.

[Penny White]

“It’s easy to overwhelm a religious community with outsiders’ good intentions. We’re issuing a statement, of course, and supporting on social media. We are prepared to stand guard but that probably won’t be necessary,” she added, because of the response by local police and FBI agents.

Asheville resident and Pagan Laura LaVoie lives no more than a tenth of a mile away. “When I read the news in our local paper, I was stunned. I don’t want this kind of bomb threat happening anywhere, but when it is right next door to your house, it impacts you a little differently,” she said.

Neither LaVoie nor Ballard believed the threat could have originated locally, an opinion which has since also been shared by law enforcement officials. That doesn’t make it any less unsettling, however.

LaVoie said, “The Pagan community in Asheville as a whole seems to be very out, so of course I have concerns that it could be targeted. But overall, our community is a welcoming one so I don’t imagine it would happen from someone who is a part of Asheville culture.”

On the other side of the country, the Marin Interfaith Council’s name was added to one such statement. Member Aline “Macha” O’Brien said that Congregation Rodof Shalom, a group that is very prominent and active in that council, was one of the centers which was threatened.

O’Brien said, “In the current climate, where certain religions (primarily, of course, Islam and Judaism) are openly or implicitly demonized, it is vital to point out these shared values and to use them as a starting point for addressing the ethical issues entailed in today’s conflicts.

“The issue of the reception of refugees, for instance, touches directly on questions of hospitality and care for the vulnerable that virtually all religious and ethical traditions address.”

Mike Novack is both a member of Covenant of the Goddess and a practicing Jew living in Massachusetts. “You do raise an interesting question about whether folks should get involved in that as Pagans,” he said, but thought that should be answered by those Pagans are who not also Jewish.

Novack went on to say that he wasn’t doing anything differently in the wake of the attacks. “Jews always consider this sort of thing not out of the ordinary. It is only the recent number of events that is unusual so a little more time must elapse before treated as a real increase (if the rate stays high).”

By and large the Muslim and Jewish communities are taking advantage of the attacks to heal breaches between them,” he added. “Jews coming out to help clean up after attacks on Muslims and vice versa.”

To Novack’s last point, $5,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the telephone terrorist[s] via the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The programming and services offer by Jewish community centers have a reach and variety similar to that found in YMCAs, which is why a majority of members, in some cases, are not Jewish. Nevertheless, they do indeed serve as a social hubs for Jews, some of whom no longer observe the religion but wish to honor their shared cultural heritage.

“It’s a cultural thing, an ancestral heritage,” said Hank Eder, an eclectic Pagan with Jewish ancestry who denounced the attacks. “Acts against any of us, no matter what their faith, are acts against all of us, no less than cutting off some part of yourself in an attempt to hurt another.”

Ballard said that, while she’s waiting to learn how best she can support her neighborhood JCC, she does believe that magical work would be an effective response.

“The proposed Trump action was poorly thought out and ineffectively designed, in my opinion. Plus messy with too many moving parts. But magical working can be very effective. Certainly protective magic can be part of a strong security system, working in tandem with other kinds of security: electronic, security guards,  etc.”

The one thing that appears clear is that threats such as these are bringing people together, encouraging them to work for the common cause of protection in solidarity.

*  *  *

The work of journalist Terence P. Ward was made possible by the generous underwriting donation from Hecate Demeter, writer, ecofeminist, witch and Priestess of the Great Mother Earth.

[Today we welcome author, Priestess, and Witch H. Byron Ballard as our guest columnist. Ballard is a Western North Carolina native, teacher, folklorist, and writer. Her work has been featured in several anthologies, Witches and Pagans Magazine and on her blog. She has written two book: Staubs and Ditchwater and Asfidity and Mad-Stones. Ballard is currently at work on Earth Works: Eight Ceremonies for a Changing Planet.]

I don’t remember precisely when it began, this quiet knowing that has grown, for me, into a certainty. It began with a pinch of insight, a glint of what was happening globally reflected in local events. It was more than a lack of harmony, of simple chaotic modern life—this feeling hinted at larger activity, a shift in the zeitgeist, a disturbance in the Force.

– Tower Time files, document 1

At Sacred Space Conference earlier this month, I arrived within a half hour of the first talk I was scheduled to give. The People’s Craft–Folk Magic and Its Peasant Roots was supposed to be a rousing exploration of some of the commonalities of folk magic across different cultures and the fascination with these practices among modern Pagans.

It turned into a sermon focused on resilience and the power of revolution. It became a plea for Pagans to see clearly what must be done for our biosphere and our species. Pacing the large room ( wearing the same battered jeans that I’d traveled in for nine hours from North Carolina) I preached, as my Methodist forebears did. I invited the attendees to consider peasant life. I brandished a pitchfork

[Public Domain / Pixabay]

In brief, I have come to know through Unverifiable Personal Gnosis (UPG)—dreams, visions, ponderings, discussions with colleagues—that we are living in the times when the top-down and toxic systems that some of us call “patriarchy” are in the process of collapse. Because I am a lifelong tarot reader, the image that returns to my mind again and again is the Tower, Sweet Number Sixteen.

*   *   *

The clear knowing that I felt has grown more insistent in the intervening years. It is this: we are living in times when these massive, ancient and toxic systems, that have both created civilization as we know it and doomed it, are crashing under their own weight of history and grief. It is the death throes of patriarchy that we are experiencing and it will die as it has lived—in violence and oppression and injustice and death.

-Tower Time files, Document 1

Madness, right? End-of-days whacked. Yeah, I’ve heard it all.  But I’ve also heard concurring murmurings from colleagues as far afield as New Zealand. This feeling—this strange knowing—is visiting others of my ilk.

It’s…exciting.

Fast forward to the recent unpleasantness of the 2016 election cycle and the subsequent fear and lethargy that have beset so many of my friends, my congregation, my neighbors. Interfaith groups gather in ragged circles, loathing the news, weeping for the future. Social media is rife with hand-wringing and angst.

Systems failing. Toppling institutions grappling with their own demises, recalibrating as they fall, as they morph into new systems, ones that serve different masters.

The visions of Tower Time have never been solely about the collapse, however. As the Tower falls, it is incumbent on all of us who can act, to create what I have been calling “circles on the ground”—active and well-thought out alternatives to what we’ve come to know. Alternatives that work where you are, that include everyone, that take planet and people into consideration.We have been trained to abhor vacuums, we humans. And power vacuums most of all. The easiest thing to do is to insert a new kind of savior, the perfect strongman to see us through. It’s a very old pattern—I pattern I’d like to see broken, once and for all.

Hierarchy is such an efficient system and easily re-installed. It will take foresight and planning to not reinstate the very systems we want to change. We will have to look beyond jargon words and comforting platitudes—the NewSpeak that has become a permanent part of every news cycle, at every news outlet. And it will take weaving new connections and possibly re-defining who and what our tribe is. That is uncomfortable work—the sort of work that leads us to consider our own personal ethics and priorities, as well as our own mortality and limitations.

Where does your food come from? What are your water sources?  Are either of these protected in any reasonable way? Who are your neighbors? Who are your co-religionists? Where do your interdependencies lie?

It’s about permaculture and re-learning old skills and being ready to step into any systems vacuum that occurs and to step in with an easily-understandable, navigable and workable set of protocols that we know to be effective because we are already doing them. They are in place in our communities, modeling in microcosm what can happen on a larger field. It is about re-localizing our needs and globalizing our information base, while we can.

But we have to do this now. In fact, we should have done it several years ago. The good news is that some people have. Check out what’s happening with food sourcing in Detroit. Google the possibilities for energy sources, many available in your area.

We have a Wednesday evening garden-and-all sorts group called the Alewives. When we first gathered several years ago, our  resident gardening expert spoke of lighting signal fires, to show other small circles that there was possibility in the gathering in of both people and resources. We imagined those signal fires leaping up on the ridges around us, bringing news from hilltop to hilltop in the old and mythic ways that we mostly know from The Lord of the Rings films.

[Public Domain / Pixabay]

The election and its aftermath have changed some things, acted as a signal fire of sorts. The group at that first evening at Sacred Space nodded in agreement. Throughout the conference, colleagues who had attended that frenzied talk told me of their work in their communities to create those circles-on-the-ground. But the price of this visioning, this anxiety, this unmitigated fury is high and it includes burn-out, illness, confusion. So easy for these times to overtake us, for our dreams to become revolving nightmares as the needs outweigh the energy and attention necessary to address them.

A few years ago (on the edge of burnout myself and grasping at notions of self-care) I developed a Pick Three philosophy–I chose the three areas about which I was most passionate and focused on them, clinging like a limpet. It doesn’t mean all the other justice issues don’t touch me, or concern me. It means I will be actively working on those three.

I encourage you to consider your own choice–especially if you are in danger of shutting down because you are overwhelmed. I know there are good people working on so many important causes. I stand as an ally, even if I am not in the trenches, on many of those issues. Because I can’t support all of them effectively. None of us can.

*   *   *

…if you are overwhelmed with a desire to help, look at your community and see if there are people who are hungry–because they are there. Look to see if there is land that needs protection–because there is. You can help. You can feel. It’s ok to do both. Think of your friends and colleagues who have been triggered by recent events–check in with them. Check in with the people who are always strong but now are quiet. Send them your good love and attention.

– Tower Time files, unnumbered document

I am convinced that the current resident in the Oval Office—along with his colleagues in dismantling the Republic—is the catalyst this work has been waiting for. During the campaign, as more and more people likened him to Hitler, I couldn’t help thinking he was this Republic’s Caligula.

As we consider the re-calibrations of these failing systems and we consider how far down the bottom is that the Republic (like some addicts) must hit, we will also be treated to scenes from Bizarro World. Stripping national parks of their resources, the on-going (and increasingly peculiar) saga of repealing the Affordable Care Act, the defunding of Meals on Wheels—each focus stranger than the one before—these are symptoms of the shifting of systems, much as Caligula made his horse a senator or forced men with better hair than his to shave it off. It seems strange because it is strange.

It is important for Earth-loving folks and Earth-religionists to resist the temptation to cower in fear of  this strangeness, this meanness. Now is the time to practice all that we preach about interconnectedness and the divinity of the biosphere. Do we love it (and each other enough) to fight? Enough to focus our considerable will and intentions on the survival of our species?

This is our time, the times we were made for.  Ground. Center. Focus. The signal fires have been lit and we have much work to do to make the world we want for our kith and kindred. And let us consider the Earth and all she holds our kith, our kindred.

*   *   *

We are shaky now, frightened, angry. Go to your altar and renew your daily spiritual practice. Go outside. Remember, remember who you are and where you are, and your golden wild heart. Find your tribe and sit in circle with other tribes, either literal or virtual. A thought, in love, from your village witch.

–  Tower Time files, Document Four

 Per ardua ad Terra!

Oh, and one more thing. Fear not. Fear not. Behold!

* * *

The views and opinions expressed by our diverse panel of columnists and guest writers represent the many diverging perspectives held within the global Pagan, Heathen and polytheist communities, but do not necessarily reflect the views of The Wild Hunt Inc. or its management.

TWH —World Goddess Day, the event started by Brazilian author Claudiney Prieto in 2014, will fall on Sept. 3 this year. “The goal of the World Goddess Day project is to grant to the Goddess one day of visibility to share her many myths, stories and worshiping diversity, so everyone will remember or will realize that the first religion of humanity was the worship of the Goddess,” according to the web site.

Some of the goddess-focused events already planned for this day can be found on Facebook, and those interested are invited to volunteer as local coordinators.

The inclusion of the sacred feminine in Pagan religions is why many women were drawn to them in the first place. After being taught that divinity is solely masculine, the alternative is often affirming. It is no coincidence that feminism and goddess veneration sometimes go hand in hand.

To that end, we asked some female Pagans to answer the following question:

There are many political efforts that have been made in recent years that, if successful, would limit the rights of women, such as through their access to abortions and reproductive care generally. How does this climate inform your views on goddess worship?

These are their voices.

“During this time, I believe we cannot afford to be passive,” said Ashley Nicole Hunter. “These are days for the Morrigan’s battle-savvy, for the wisdom of Athena, and for the ferocity of Kali. I honor and respect my ancestresses who called upon softer goddesses to look over their homes, but these days I look to goddesses of battle and pray for their strength and resilience to do the things that must be done.”

Star Bustamonte said, “I think the current climate of repressive and oppressive policy that impacts women’s rights has in many ways elevated goddess veneration. In times of trouble, it is natural that people look to alternatives, especially when all of the traditional options (legislative, the courts, etc.) have been exhausted.”

“Asking for a goddess to intervene in situations that impact women in critical and catastrophic way is a pretty simple choice,” continued Bustamonte. “Many of my contemporaries have mentioned over the course of past months interactions with goddesses like the Morrigan and responding to what they would characterize as her call. I have felt her presence, but do not yet feel that is the path I personally wish to travel.”

“Overall, who better to understand and assist with women’s issues, if not goddesses? The more women’s rights and health choices are in focus, I believe more and more women will be finding their way to some form of goddess veneration.”

Spiral goddesses by Abby Willowroot [courtesy photo].

“I gave up a child for adoption when there was no other choice; I could not get a legal and safe abortion.” O’Brien said. “I remember the pain and suffering of having no reproductive choice. Over the last election cycle I saw many young people, two generations behind me, who have known nothing but free choice. There was no birth-control pill when I was growing up, and I worry that people today take that for granted. Sometimes you need an irritant to act, sand in your shoe.”

O’ Brien added, “In the 1970s, covens were all, or mostly, women. Goddesses are the focus of many traditions. I have had many experiences of the Goddess, but as with any mystical experience, these must be cultivated. We know much more about goddess traditions than we did then; the ‘burning times’ were not as we believed but that knowledge has only come from goddess veneration.”

“Whether you view the creative birthing force of all life as imminent or transcendent, in spite of long, and repeated attempts to erase her, and women in general, the goddess is still alive and active in the world today,” said Rev. Angie Buchanan.

“Imagining the divine as intimate partners helps to balance consciousness of the sacred and heal the distortions of the current, rigid patriarchal systems in both our religions and our governments. A word of caution to those who support and push for the continuation of our current patriarchal paradigm: woe to the shepherd who cares only for his rams. Soon he will have no flock.”

Bernadette Montana said, “We would need to strengthen that relationship. She needs us to stand up for our rights in order to honor the divine feminine that is in each one of us. I feel that this political climate is teaching us to stand up and be seen. Makes a person wonder why this is all happening now.”

Victoria Greenia struggles with how to worship in the context of gender imbalance. “I was taught that in the ’70s, women began to reclaim their power and were now, more or less, equal. Closer inspection indicates otherwise. Women’s pay is still generally unequal, women have to work harder for promotions than their male counterparts, and women’s bodies are always political.”

“This continuing inequality makes it hard for me as a Pagan woman to want to include the divine masculine in my rituals, despite a belief that it is needed for balance,” said Greenia. “Instead of being able to fully enjoy the concept of the Horned One, I question the application of his magic: Is this just some excuse for some Pagan men to feel comfortable with their aggressive behaviors of virility compared to their female counterparts who are expected to be like Mother Earth and without complaint be ploughed and seeded?”

“. . . . Are we vessels of incredible power or are we breeding stock? Are we to be subdued or protected (and then this brings up the question, protected from whom)? How exactly does the sacred masculine work with the sacred feminine? This is what I wrestle with.”

The goddess Isis [Photo by Anna Carotti.]

Chapin-Bishop said, “Women’s rights matter because women matter. All life is sacred, and absolutely I believe that the act of giving birth — or choosing not to give birth — is holy. Being pregnant taught me that in a visceral way, and I think that approaching menopause is teaching me something new about the sacredness of being female, so I would say that I listen to my body, and I let my body teach me about the nature of the goddesses I worship.”

“But I would be every bit as passionate a defender of women’s rights if I were an atheist. I guess I’m political, and I’m religious, but in the case of feminism, my religion is rooted in the body, but not the body politic.”

“Ancient Egyptian women stand out among historic civilizations as enjoying a status of gender equality rarely seen, even today,” according to Holli Emore.

“At least three women that we know of served as pharaohs, and there are records of women physicians. These role models of female strength would no doubt be aghast to witness the deliberate ignoring, limiting, and even blocking of health care support for American women. As unsophisticated as it may have been by our standards, women in ancient Egypt had access to contraceptive measures. To our knowledge, no elite male rulers dictated what they could use and what they could not.”

Marti Fiske said, “I came to Paganism primarily because I am a feminist. . . . I could not choose Christianity and Judaism because both have modern sects which relegate woman to what I view as a demeaning role of simply bearers of future progeny with little to no individual rights. My interest in Buddhism has been longer lasting. Woman are generally treated more equally, but some sects believe that woman can only reach enlightenment if they were born as men in previous lives. Paganism was the fit for me. Women are viewed as equal partners in its expressed values, in the pantheon, and have primary roles of leadership.”

“When I look at what is happening currently in the U.S. sociopolitical climate I see a reaction to fear. . . . When people are fearful they often need to find the ‘bad person’ who they think is causing the problem. . . . Any group can be the target. . . .,” Fiske continued.

Iyami Osoronga [Candomble Museum Brasil]

“To be blunt, the men who support these anti-women laws are cowards. They fear that the changes will negatively affect them. They are afraid that women are at least as able as themselves. They don’t like a level playing ground so they want the rules in their own favor. They want to be guaranteed the winners.”

“As a woman of color,” said DonnCherie, “this is a small part of a larger, more oppressive problem, and this issue has to take a back seat to my real fears involving equality for people of color.”

“As far back as I can remember,” said Rev. Byron Ballard, “the divines have always been plural and female, so it’s hardly surprising that decades later I’m one of the founders of a goddess temple, where I also serve as senior clergy. To see the face of the divine as a female one is an idea that has been steadily growing for several decades. In a world where women continue to be marginalized, devalued and, frankly, destroyed, to proclaim the good news of goddess veneration is to perform a fairly radical act.”

“In the U.S., where women still fight for equal rights under the law — including full physical autonomy and equal pay for equal work — there continues to be a backlash against minority religions,” continued Ballard. “And in the modern Pagan community, goddess temples sometimes face the wrath of co-religionists who insist that goddesses can only be honored when in tandem with some god or other. The backlash is persistent and ongoing. Fortunately, we are strong and determined, and most goddesses, like women, have waited long enough. Too long.”

According to Carol Maltby, “Our current political situation is toxic regarding women’s reproductive rights. As a sexually active woman, a polytheistic view gives me more options for placing reproductive rights in the goddess context that will resonate best.”

“As someone who deliberately and assiduously planned the two pregnancies that brought my daughters, the big-bellied goddess statues of our distant [ancestors] that celebrated the woman who has given birth give me a feeling of respect for the sacred act of birthing that our own culture does not always supply,” said Maltby.

“As someone who had two accidental and unwanted pregnancies with subsequent abortions, I think more of the powers of Kali to make endings, or those of the Morrigan to defend the sovereignty of a woman’s body and a woman’s choices. I consider the responsibility to end an unwanted pregnancy as important a sacred choice as choosing to be pregnant.

” ‘All acts of love and pleasure are her rituals’ is a reminder that our sexuality is sacred sexuality, and not just a hormonal imperative.”

“In some ways, I’m encouraged by it,” said Courtney Weber. “Seeing a female reflection in the divine does empower feminine persons to challenge oppressive paradigms. However, it’s not a given. Even within the Pagan community, I’ve been told I should not use profanity, dress ‘immodestly,’ or behave ‘in a vulgar manner’ because I should ‘better respect my goddess self.’ Sometimes, goddess reverence becomes its own kind of suppression of women. Goddess worship does not automatically translate to support of women’s autonomy, a point that bears remembering.”

“It is scary being a woman in a man’s world,” said Kathryn Cranford, “even moreso recently than ever, but, it has only been a relatively short time, a window really, in which women have made the progress around control around their own fertility, ownership of our own bodies, options as to what to spend our lives doing, being allowed to participate in politics and leadership. . . .”

Cranford continued, “I tend to take more women being representatives as a sign that the tide is turning, not back to a time of matriarchy (as much as this country and this world could use a good thousand years under such a regime) but at least in the direction of shared perspective. Moving back to a time when there were fierce and nourishing male and female gods, it seems that the Norse and Greeks had something there. . . .

“As a midwife, I speak to the power of woman-spirit on a regular basis. Calling to that power of the birthing room out of which men have been locked for decades. ‘Here’s a cigar, you just missed the Kali moment of your wife’s life.’ One of the best things about home birth is watching fathers get to watch their partners do birth. One dad said, ‘Now I know why men have to climb mountains.’ . . . . There is power in the feminine that has been forgotten, and She needs to be woken from her slumber. . . . How many virgins in the belly of Pele’s volcano are preparing to explode in their collectively sacrificed anger? Pander to Aphrodite for long enough and you will awaken her sisters, and they are not tending those home fires in order to bake you a muffin.”

For more information on World Goddess Day, visit worldgoddessday.com. For more information on the power of women, listen to their voices.

Goddess Columbia [By Sean Shapiro / Wikimedia]

TWH – Now that the season has turned and we are nearing the end of the 2017, we look back, one last time, to review this historic year. What happened? What didn’t happen?

What events shaped our thoughts and guided our actions? In our collective worlds, both big and small, what were the major discussions? How did Pagans, Heathens, and polytheists face world issues and local crises? What were the high points and the low? Join us on this reflective journey.As the light began to return and the daze from the 2016 holiday celebrations faded into the past, the new year promised to be an interesting one, as the U.S. presidential inauguration drew closer. However, as American politics took and held center stage for much of the year, there were other  things going on in the collective communities that make up the Pagan, Heathen, and polytheist worlds.

In the beginning…

The early months saw continued concern for the future as the new presidential administration was poised to take office Jan. 20. Pagans, Heathens, and others joined in voicing their opinions, protesting, and being mindful of the sociopolitical shift taking place. Early in January, UU Pagans made their voices known in a statement. “The short daylight and the fear and pain among my loved ones are adding layers of weight on my mind. So many of my friends have realistic fears about being able to survive, much less prosper, during the next four years,” wrote Amy Beltaine, CUUPS president.

Beltaine’s sentiments were echoed repeatedly throughout the early months of 2017, with words and actions. In February, T. Thorn Coyle joined in to create a “wall of love” to support a local church that had been vandalized. In North Carolina, Byron Ballard and Laura LaVoie offered support to the Asheville Jewish community after it experienced a rash of attacks. Similarly, Aline “Macha” O’Brien, a strong proponent of interfaith relations, had reached out to the local Jewish community in California, and in Canada, Pagans stood together with others to support the Muslim community after an attack on a Quebec mosque.

The Women’s March took center stage on the political front at the end of January with members of many religious communities joining the historic mass protest. That same month, the “Whiting 41,” a group of citizens arrested for protesting a BP oil refinery in 2016, used its court date to stage a political statement and rally. There were protests at airports throughout the United States during that month, and arguably the most famous action was the public hexing of the Trump administration. While that particular event was not the only hex action, it garnered the most attention at any given point. We spoke to several people about the ethics of hexing, as it is a controversial practice within the global Pagan community.

Elysia Gallo (far left) at Minneapolis Airport protest [Laura Eash].

Outside of politics and deep within the trenches of the Pagan, Heathen, polytheist worlds, other events and issues were making news. At long last, a Druid symbol was added to the list of emblems allowed on veterans’ grave markers and memorial plaques. Patheos bloggers received their new updated contracts after BN Media took over in 2016. The new contracts set off a wave of controversy, with some Pagan bloggers staying and others leaving.

Throughout the world, Pagan, Heathens, and polytheists continued to build practices, organizations, schools, and temples; some successfully (Poland) and some not (Canada). At the same time, in Australia, the Pagan community had something else entirely on its mind: Robin Fletcher, a convicted sexual predator and someone who identifies as Wiccan, was released back into society without constraints. The community had to engage in the commonly had discussion on the merits of integrating prisoners back into community.

During these early months, we also lost Dana Eilers, author of the book Pagans and the Law, and priestess Velvet Reith, a leader in the New Orleans Pagan community.

Tiptoe through the tulips…

As March moved into April, earlier political tensions did not leave with the winter winds. In May, Trump signed an executive order regarding religious freedom, and we looked at what that actually means.

Pagans and Heathens could be found at many protests and marches throughout the spring months, including those that saw violence such as the April conflict in Berkeley, California as well as marches and actions to support various environmental protections.

Despite the very loud and active political arena, the biggest news of the spring involved the former Pagan circuit musician Kenny Klein. The long-drawn-out court case finally ended with him being convicted of “one count of pornography involving a juvenile under the age of 13, and 19 counts of possession with intent to distribute pornography involving juveniles under the age 17.”

Only days later, Scott Holbrook, a Druid from North Carolina, pleaded no contest to the accusation of the “dissemination of obscenities.” He accepted “a suspended sentence as well as six months of probation.”

Also in legal news, New York-based Wiccan Carl DeLuca filed lawsuit against the Health + Hospitals Corporation (HHC), charging them with religious discrimination.  The case has not yet gone to court. Further north in Wisconsin, Pagan couple Brandon Wantroba and Elizabeth Percy Ryder were arrested for attempting adverse possession at Kickapoo Indian Caverns.

[http://www.pamrotella.com.]

However, as proven this spring by news coming out of Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary,  maintaining a Pagan festival land can be as difficult as it is rewarding. The large campground and event space was faced with reports of a disease outbreak and poor sanitary conditions.

Legal strides were made both in the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. Department of Defense added Heathen and Pagan religions its list of recognized faith groups, and in Canada, the parliament began a serious debate on the elimination of antiquated and, for many people, discriminatory Witchcraft restrictions in its criminal code.

In May, another big announcement was made. The Parliament of the World’s Religions would be held in Toronto in 2018. The last parliament was held in Utah in 2015, and it attracted the largest Pagan contingent of any past event. Since the announcement Pagans have begun preparations for another strong showing.

Into the summer …

Heading into the warm summer months, Pagan festival season hit its stride. Columnist Nathan Hall reviewed the summer music tour, and what that looks like for Pagan musicians. During that time, Mystic South, the new Atlanta-based indoor conference, opened its doors. Going into its second day, the hotel’s air conditioning and water systems stopped working, making the climate of the indoor conference similar to the campground festivals happening elsewhere.

During the same time, Pagan Pride Day season began.This year, Louisville Pagan Pride faced a lawsuit threat after one attendee was unhappy with accessibility accommodations.

Also making news in the summer, a Heathen musician and filmmaker based in California was robbed for the second time. A fire destroyed Raven and Stephanie Grimassi’s home. The Pagan community was shocked to learn of the murder of Jaime Johnson in a domestic attack, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche was named a hero, after being killed during his attempt to stop a man from bullying a Muslim woman on a Portland train.

Coming from our international news team, Witchcraft was facing new challenges in the U.K. There was a reported uptick in Witchcraft-related complaints in the city of Nottingham. However, at the same time, the U.N. held its first-ever conference to address Witchcraft- and occult-related violence worldwide.

Our Australian columnist Josephine Winter reports that Druidry is taking root, and our South African guest contributor Damon Leff writes a memorial to priestess and elder Donna Darkwolf, who died in July.

During these warmer months, protests and actions, small and large, continued to garner much attention, including those happening in social media and in real time.Some of such events and actions included the controversial hashtag campaign #HavamalWitches, the historic “Ain’t I a Woman” march, and the London march against animal cruelty.

[Shane Hultquist.]

Outside of political actions, there were other stories that held our communities’ interests, including the “Great American Eclipse,” the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter series, Doreen Virtue announced her official conversion to Christianity, and occult merchants continuing to battle online services and occult bans.

Serious concerns over plagiarism of Pagan books and other material once again began to surface.

What just happened…

By mid-September, as autumn approaches, the mainstream media world turns to Witchcraft. By early September, Witchcraft was already trending, as the continued political hex actions, youth-driven Tumblr communities, and pop culture products, such as the upcoming Sabrina show, fueled this growing interest. By December, Breitbart noticed what they essentially called the emergence of “feminist witchcraft.”

While Witchcraft became the buzzword of the season for many, the period was plagued by a rash of natural disasters, including fires in California, hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and an earthquake in Mexico City. Pagans and Heathens were affected by all of these disasters, and the collective communities have come together to join others in offering assistance and relief, including magical efforts.

Other national stories that we covered in the fall included the possible rollback of net neutrality, the landmark Masterpiece Cake Supreme Court case, and the ongoing religious liberty actions taken by the Satanic Temple. In addition, U.K. correspondent Liz Williams reported on the opening of the London-based Mithras temple, and editor Terence Ward shared the UN’s display of a 3D printed replica of the Palmyran Athena statue.

While the global and national scenes continued to draw attention, as was the case most of the year, there were a few big Pagan-specific news making events in the fall. MInnesota-based WiCom faced a difficult situation when one of its priests was charged with sexual misconduct and abuse of position. In Georgia, CalderaFest organizers announced that they would not be holding that festival, saying that this decision was due to lack of ticket sales and volunteers. They promised to return in 2019. Similarly, WitchFest International was also put on hold.

As we reported, a Wiccan woman in Michigan was reportedly called a devil worshiper in her doctor’s office, and a woman in South Africa filed an official complaint claiming that she was fired because of her religious beliefs. In another story, a man in Georgia was reportedly bullied into not starting a Pagan after-school club.

Perhaps the biggest shock to hit the news was the death of Raymond Buckland.

Raymond Buckland at 2017 museum opening [courtesy].

In the legal world, the Supreme Court declined to hear the New Mexico religious freedom case brought to court by Wiccan priestess Janie Felix. The city of Bloomington appealed to SCOTUS in an attempt to keep the Ten Commandments on public property. Due to its refusal to hear the case, the city will have to remove the monument.

Two more Pagans announced they were running for office. In Minnesota, John Slade announced his candidacy for the state’s legislature. He is currently seeking his party’s support. In North Carolina, Megan Longstreet ran for city council. She did lose the election, but like others was still happy that she ran.

As the year came to a close, Virginia-based Pagans attended an action to keep oil pipelines out of the area. Together with others, they formed a magical circle around the state capitol in Richmond.

While many have expressed gratitude for the end of 2017, Wild Hunt columnist Crystal Blanton finished the year with a column that looked at the positive. She concluded ed her column on the use words saying, “I am choosing to be reflective about the close of 2017, focusing on what I want from the coming year and the power of the tools we have at our disposal. Too much pain, marginalization, disconnection, directed anger and confusion have been actualized in [2017]. What happens if we take the intention and words of our magic into our everyday relationships? What impact could we have? Words can equate to change. Words can be the catalyst for hope. Words can bring about revolution.”

Blanton wrote with hope, “As we turn the corner of this year let us choose our words wisely, speak with integrity, inspire one another, and follow the path of our gods.” The Wild Hunt is nothing but words, and we leave our words reflective of both the greater community and ourselves here every day to inspire, educate, and bring about a better world inward and out.

[Pixabay.]

We also spoke directly with Pagan artists, authors, activists, and occultists, all of whom candidly took time to share their work and their inspirations. These included Penny Slinger, Markos Gage, Laura Tempest Zakroff, Jason Mankey, Paul Beyerl, Grandmother Elspeth, Kristoffer Hughes, and Abby Willowroot.

Now we move into 2018. It will be our 14th year of serving our readers. We have come a long way and we continue to evolve in order to better serve our collective communities. Many writers have offered their words on this site. We are ever thankful to everyone who continues to support this nonprofit, independent news service.

As editor Terence Ward wrote, it is both a labor of love, a commitment to community, and type of ministry. Going forward, we invite all of our readers to join our Sustainers’ circle with a monthly donation. Your commitment will help us continue, day in and day out, to serve you with news, to serve our communities with a valuable resource, to serve future generations with a history of what happened now …

…. and to use our power of words as seeds to grow our future.

Here is a sample of writings from our 2017 TWH team:

Columnists:

Kronia – Sweetness, Sacrifice, Healing by Clio Ajana
Paganism in Mexico by Jaime Gironés
When the Gods Hide in Songs by Lyonel Perabo
Red and White by Eric O. Scott
Radical Religious Terrorism by Karl E. H. Seigfried
Honoring Differences in Energy Perception by Tamilia
Money Has No Smell by Manny Tejeda-Moreno
Pride After Pulse, Gay Pagans Reflect on a Tragedy by Tim Titus
Loki and Dionysos by Heathen Chinese
Queer Paganism in Australia by Josephine Winter
Connecting with the elders at the 7th Annual Pan African Festival by Crystal Blanton
Living the Superunknown, A Letter to Chris Cornell by Nathan Hall

News stories and more:

Religious Liberty or Religious Bigotry? by Heather Greene
Pagans, pipelines, protests, and the public trust by Terence Ward
Glastonbury – “Pagan Central” by Liz Williams
Canada 150 sparks celebrations and protest by Dodie Graham McKay
The 2017 Winter Solstice Guide by Cara Schulz

Pagan Voices is a spotlight on recent quotations from figures within the Pagan community. These voices may appear in the burgeoning Pagan media or a mainstream outlet, but all showcase our wisdom, thought processes, and evolution in the public eye. Is there a Pagan voice or artist you’d like to see highlighted? Contact us with a link to the story, post, audio, or image.

If you hear a Polytheist going on about how a deity has had to break their will, or how one has to “give in” to the gods to bring about a cessation of suffering, they are expressing a Puritan theological concept, adapted to Polytheism.

If you have ever heard someone bragging about how the gods have harmed them, and that this is a sign of their love, and wondered what the hell was wrong with them, you now know. . . . Modern psychological research has determined that beatings do not, in fact, improve behavior. What they do, actually, is increase rates of anxiety and depression, and reinforce negative self-concept[s]. Trauma doesn’t make adults better people. Breaking someone’s will doesn’t make them a better person. — Thenea, Know Your Meme: Puritan Theology

Wetlands are liminal places, uncertain, wild, beautiful and full of wonder and mud. They are not entirely human-friendly even though we can live in them. They are not tame, and they change without our permission in response to seasons, tides and rainfall. As climate change makes everything ever less predictable, we need these wild margins to help us cope with unexpected floods, to soak up the water and to lay down the carbon.

It would take a large and complex network of human choices to make wetlands more viable and to let them return. We’ve harmed ourselves by harming our habitat, and I hope that we see that and make the changes while we still can. If we can’t do it for love of the world we live in, we should be doing it selfishly for our own safety and survival. — Nimue Brown, The politics of wetlands

As a polytheist, I prefer it if we behave in ritual as though the deities are real, distinct from each other, and have their own desires and goals. . . . It’s also somewhat disrespectful to other cultures to conflate their deities with ours. Each culture has developed its own set of relationships with specific deities; and it makes no sense to say that Kali and the Morrigan are the same person, even if they embody a similar archetype. Viewing deities as distinct beings also means that we can visualise them as a multiplicity of colours.” — Yvonne Aburrow, Towards an inclusive Wiccan theology

I see a lot of people in our community who are, for want of a better term, excessively focused on what they believe are their interactions with the otherworld. They are constantly on the lookout for signs and portents, making offerings and prayers and observances to what they believe are beings resident therein. Such folk often conclude that their homes are haunted by spirits, and their first interpretation of an unusual event is typically not that it has ordinary causality or is a coincidence, but rather that it is someone trying to tell them something. . . . Meanwhile, we have bigger fish to fry here in so-called “mundane” reality. We have an ecology on the verge of collapse, and a civilization not far behind it. Accordingly, I suggest that pouring time and energy into attempts at trafficking with beings who are so nebulous that we debate their very existence is a distraction, when we should be rolling up our sleeves and getting to work for the demonstrably real.” — Mark Green, Crunch Time: Pagan Priorities and the Otherworld

Last time . . . I felt called to worship Brighid, I tried to focus on ancient Gaelic polytheism. I took a course in the Irish language. I focused on what Gaelic polytheistic reconstructionists wrote. . . . reconstructionism isn’t for me.

Instead, I find myself more interested in Paganizing elements of Catholicism, or studying modern polytheistic expressions of religion such as Hinduism as they are already part of our modern world.

I don’t want to slight reconstructionists. I have a deep respect for them, their relationships to the gods, and to the research and work they do. However, it’s not my way. . . . I seek to worship Brighid in a modern context, connecting the worlds of Catholicism and Paganism, yet with a foot in the modern world. — R.M. McGrath, Bridging the Worlds

Consuming mindlessly does not improve your life. It just keeps you busy until you die. There in lies the hidden cost of consumerism: the opportunity cost of the time spent consuming, and earning money to fund consumption. How would our lives be different if we stepped off the treadmill and broke away from the consumption addiction? Is it even possible when everyone around us is bowing down to the mighty gods of retail? — Heathen Embers, The Opiate of the Masses

Demeter is a mother and an advocate for Persephone. She searches for her daughter and is not willing to give up any of her parental rights simply because the males in her family try to determine Persephone’s fate (even though Persephone does end up being a queen in her own right). She is an example of how when women stand up for ourselves, we can affect change.

Hestia is an example of how women should be able to determine for themselves if they wish to be in a relationship or not. When both Poseidon and Apollon desired to marry her, Hestia declared that she didn’t want to marry at all and was granted that autonomy. In fact, the priestesses of her Roman counterpart Vesta were considered to be autonomous of their paterfamilias and equal to the men of Roman society. This shows the especial importance of Hestia in society — even though women were considered to be subservient to the men of their families. — Greek Revivialist Mommy, Thoughts on the #MeToo Movement as a Hellenic Polytheist and a mother

Despite what some medieval witch-hunting manuals might suggest, witchcraft doesn’t teach witches to enslave their wills to powerful beings. On the contrary, it encourages us to work in a mutually-beneficial partnership with them.

“Mutually beneficial?” I hear from the back of the room. “What could we possibly have to offer the gods?”

Well, lots of things. Hands, for one. Sometimes, a god might want to get something moved from point A to point B, and while it might be entirely possible to arrange a fortuitous string of coincidences, it might be a hell of a lot simpler to just ring up a devotee and say, “Hey, take this across town for me.” — Misha Magdalene, Saying No to Gods, and Other Challenges of the Path

When you are rejoicing to see old friends or listening to a drama-filled account of the latest Pagan meltdown, take a moment to observe your surroundings. Are you loudly complaining about Lord High Big Name Pagan within five feet of classroom space currently in use?

Stop it. Shut up. Walk away. Lower your voice.

. . . . Likewise with music, if you please. When Tuatha Dea is tearing it up with “Whiskey in a Jar” and “Loch Lomond,” the sound of you bitching about your boyfriend’s ex is unlikely to disturb anyone. In fact, you are unlikely to be heard at all. . . . when Becca is singing “Ailein Duinn,” I don’t want to hear your stupid conversation about Dancing with the Stars.

We talk about the importance of community all the damned time. One aspect of a healthy community is respecting the gifts and talents of the members of our community. — Byron Ballard, on festival etiquette

As the number of those dying from COVID-19 climb into the tens of thousands, Pagans and Witches are performing daily rituals at sundown to honor the dead and help their souls find their way.

Continue reading “Prayer for the Dead” sundown rituals surge in community at The Wild Hunt.