Category: Human Interest

NordCoG Beltane 2011

1 Comment

Beltane 2011: Earth’s Passion: A Rite of Spring
A Journey to the Otherworld

The Procession from Indian Mounds

Earth

LUNA tantalizes EARTH

“Welcome everyone to the Northern Dawn chapter of the Covenant of the Goddess’s celebration of Beltane for this 5th day of Hare Moon, in the year 34,255 Skystone Wiccan Reckon Calendar, that’s May 7th in the Christian year 2011. We all know that Samhain, Halloween is when the ancestors leave the Spirit World and join the living. In symmetry today we will journey to the Otherworld and visit them. We will hear the stories of their lives. We will journey into the woods and meadows of dreams. But first we honor the Ancient Chiefs.”

Continue reading →

PCOD Celebrations Draw Crowds

1 Comment

Just over 20 Pagans attended the local Pagan Coming Out Day celebration at Sacred Paths Center on Monday, May 2nd. The celebration started with a libation and prayer to Hestia, strengthener of family and community bonds, for those Pagans in our community planning to ‘come out’ to someone they know. Champagne cocktails and desserts then followed with a screening of the documentary American Mystic.  “Speaking as someone who was there, and has been semi-closeted for 35 years, this was simply fabulous,” said Karen.  The movie, which was signed by director Alex Mar, was donated to the Sacred Paths Center library.

International Pagan Coming Out Day Chair, Cara Schulz, spoke to the group about Pagan Coming Out Day and how it was impacting Pagans around the world.  “We have received messages from Pagans in the US, Canada, Russia, France, Columbia, South Africa, and the Philippines to name a few countries.  Very positive stories about the events they are holding, about coming out to friends and family, and about how the religious community has supported them,” said Ms. Schulz.

Ms. Schulz estimates that hundreds of Pagans told someone they know they are Pagan on May 2nd and many more indicated they are considering it after hearing about the mostly positive outcomes on the organization’s facebook page. Others simply decided they would stop hiding their religion and would speak the truth when asked.  Thousands of more ‘out’ Pagans wore something that identified them as Pagan as they went about their normal business as a low key way to push back against stereotypes and show our numbers.  As a sign of how popular the day was, just under 300 t-shirts with the IPCOD logo were purchased in the last 3 months.  “I think it was being able to marshal the support of the community that gave the strength, comfort, and encouragement needed for people to take this step.  Plus the excellent Guide to Coming Out put together by IPCOD committee member Drake Spaeth, PsyD, gave people tips on how to actually have this conversation, said Ms Schulz.  “It’s one thing to say “come on out!” – but it’s another to say this is how you can do it and we’re right here with you to support you.”

Continue reading →

Local Pagans React to Bin Laden’s Death

10 Comments

The news spread like lightening last night, across social media and leaked by the news, before the President could make his official announcement: “Osama Bin Laden is dead.”

Bin Laden had been hiding out not in a cave in the wilds of Afghanistan, but in a specially built mansion in the heart of an affluent suburb of the capital of Pakistan.  In a neighborhood that houses mostly retired Pakistani military and intelligence officers.  The President green-lighted a military strike force to capture Bin Laden early Sunday morning and by Sunday evening the President was informed that Bin Laden was dead.  As Bin Laden had said previously, he would not be taken alive.  During the firefight he was shot in the head and then buried at sea after identification.

The man hunt for Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks that killed 3,000 people, spanned 10 years and frustrated 2 Presidents.  When news of Bin Laden’s dead came out, Washington DC residents surrounded the White House cheering and singing.  Social Media like facebook and Twitter exploded.  Impromptu parties broke out and few employers announced that Monday would be a paid day off.

How did Pagans react to the news?  Phaedra Bonewits said on facebook, “So conflicted to be glad for a death. Mourning our lost service members.”  Lori Dake wrote a short post on Warriors & Kin “I’m sure I can come up with something a little more poetic, but right now, I am of few words. THANK YOU to our Troops. You deserve nothing short of our thanks and praise. I, for one, do not care one iota who officially gets the kudos; I’m just happy this mass murderer is dead. As a news reporter just stated, it is not natural to celebrate a death, but in this case – yeah, I’ll pour another drink! ”

Diana Rajchel

Local Pagans also had mixed reactions to the news.  Diana Rajchel said, “I believe that there are yet more consequences for the US action ahead. From an ethical perspective, it’s messy – I do think that Bin Laden’s actions both upon the US and upon the Afghani people required him to be put down. From my light and shadow style Wiccan perspective, there are extraordinarily rare times when killing is necessary, and Bin Laden was definitely an example of that extremely rare instance.”

Tasha Rose

Tasha Rose began the evening with slightly positive view of Bin Laden’s death but quickly became disgusted by the reaction of other people.  “Those of you who are praising this death, shame on you. No death should ever be celebrated, not even that of someone like bin Laden. Wake up folks and remember that we all belong to one another and what we do to our hand ripples to our eye, and from our knee, to our foot. Hurt a part of the body, hurt the entire thing.”

As for me, I spent the evening toasting our dead with the best vintage I had in the house, and it was a very fine Le Cave Pinotage.   I didn’t feel joy at Bin Laden’s death, but I did feel a great sense of relief. Hekate’s host of unavenged dead just lost about 3000 spirits. Less spirits for me to feed when I set out Hekate’s Deipnon meal tonight.  Nemesis has balanced the scales. Both are dread Goddesses, but I honor them as much as laughing Aphrodite and sweet Hestia. I hope those poor souls lost on 9/11 and in the two wars since can finally find peace.

Gypsy Nilsen

ADDENDUM: Gypsy Nilsen  provides and interesting view on Bin Laden’s death and Pagan rights, ” Being Druid, I feel spirit resides in all things. That being said, if a bear is attacking me or my family, threatening our safety, I would not hesitate to shoot it. That does not mean I would celebrate it. Osama bin Laden was a threat, in many ways, to not only the US, but worldwide.  For me I will offer prayers of thanks to the Gods for this chapter ending and I will pray for the lives of those who have been killed and I will pray for those who are left devastated by this man.

One issue I am having difficulty resolving is that, according to new reports, his body was handled in accordance with Islamic beliefs. That is good, but I have to ask why good men and women who willingly gave their lives in the hunt for that man, were not allowed to have a pentacle on their headstones until pagans united and made it happen?”

Pagans in Prison – Editorial

1 Comment

Click for large image!

We have had an explosion of incarceration in the United States in the last 30 years.  Minority races, the poor, and least educated continue to be way over represented as inmates statistically. Addiction, and our society’s inability to cope with the plague it represents, contributes to arrests and recidivism, and drug offenses fuel incarceration rates. Young males dominate the populations of our prisons, while female rates explode proportionately but in smaller overall numbers. One in 28 US kids has a parent in prison, and that tells much of the story of where the males are that might be a role model.

The religious civil rights of Pagans, or any inmate, are now well established in law. Whether the implementation of that law takes place seems to depend on individual states, institutions, and the staff and chaplains who work within them. Officials and inmates can work together to find reasonable accommodation to individual spiritual practice, and equity of accommodation among the many spiritual paths in prison, or we can all bear the cost of resolving these issues through the courts.

Inmates pay for their crimes through the loss of their freedom. To expect them to lose the rights our Constitution considers basic human rights is more for our satisfaction and as ‘punishment’ for those who may have caused us pain or harm.

Continue reading →

Pagans in Prison – Inmates Comment

The inmates at various Department of Correction Facilities have been tracking this discussion of Pagans in Prison, and are aware of the civil rights issue in Stillwater Prison.  Nearly all Pagans in prison find that path in prison. They have no history with a ‘Pagan community’. They have the idea that we as Pagans have a spiritual community like many Christian groups do. Inmates, therefore, tend to have a real idealized vision of our ‘Pagan community’. We are presumed to have facilities, programs, ministers, outreach programs, and the dedication to help our ‘brethren’ in need, and they know they certainly need help. Maybe they suffer from the same attitude we hold, we want a lot from our community and don’t have the time or resources to put a lot into it.


Many of the facilities have functions, and  Faribault is considered an ‘exit’ facility. It houses over 2200 mainly low risk inmates, double bunked, with mainly shorter terms. They are preparing to leave incarceration in a few months to a few years, and will be approaching our community as they seek their Pagan paths.


What do you want from the Pagan community as Pagans in Prison?

 We want to be able to learn more, and to be able to meet people in a positive fashion. We want to start building  some positive relationships now, that will be available to us once we get on the outside. Ninety percent of us are here because of the people we hung around with. When we get out, if we hang with the same people, we will be back in here. We need Pagan people to hang with! Continue reading →