More on Cherry Hill Seminary at PantheaCon '07

Student William Blumberg coordinated an academic panel for CHS at the most recent PantheaCon. William, a philosopher, is also coordinator of one of the largest Pagan Meetups in the world in Orange County, California. Sam Webster gave the paper; Carol Cunningham offered a response paper. Sam's paper is here.

More on My Poppy Tatts

One tidbit about PantheaCon you probably won't see on any other blog is that they had a tattoo contest. I entered five of mine -- to enter, they take a photo and you fill out a form saying when you got it, who did it, and why, or its meaning to you. My new California poppies by Heath Preheim at Spider Murphy's in San Rafael, won "best floral." The amazing joi wolfwomyn won for "greenest"; she has bright green leaves tattooed like a mustache on her upper lip and as a soul patch beneath her lower lip.

Red Dawn Rising from Southern California had California poppies tattooed on her shoulders around the same time as I did my arms. We compared thoughts and tatts at PantheaCon.

And on the subject of tattoos, my all-time favorite tattoo artists, Vyvyn Lazonga, was interviewed this week on SF Gate by David Ian Miller, the same religion reporter who interviewed me at Samhain '05.

Internationally Published!

Huzzah! Today I learned from my friend Lugh in São Paulo, that my book, Witchcraft and the Web, has now been published in Brazil, with the exotic Portuguese title of Bruxaria na Internet. Under his his mundane name, Claudiney Prieto, Lugh is Brazil's best-selling author of books on the Craft, and it is thanks to his efforts that this came about.

Although this book was first published in 2001 by ECW Press in Canada, I have heard frequent complaints about how difficult it's been to find in this country. I don't know why, exactly, because reviews have been consistently good. Here's another.

Should you wish to purchase it online, I know that Magus Books in Paganistan (Minneapolis/St. Paul) can sell you a copy.* I had originally had a link arrangement with Powells.com in Portland, Oregon, because I am committed to supporting independent booksellers and publishers whenever possible, but for some reason they don't carry it any more; perhaps it didn't sell enough for them to feel they should keep in in stock. In any case, readers in Australia and New Zealand can buy it at Wakefield Press (though they have the title slightly off). Here's what it looks like:

I wrote the foreword to one of Claudiney's recent books, Coven: Criando e Organizando Seu Próprio Grupo. Portuguese readers might want to check this out. Otherwise, the same topic is addressed in English in Judy Harrow's excellent Wicca Covens.

I got a kick out of how they introduced me in Brazil: "a senhora NightMare, sacerdotista da Covenant of the Goddess." At the time I was National First officer of CoG so I'm guessing that sacerdotista means "priestess" or "high priestess," which sounds sexier that the more clinical National First Officer.

Anyway, while I'm in the midst of family crises on both ends of the lifespan (96-year-old senile mother and 30-year-old daughter going through challenging times), it's great to learn this news.

Also loved my time at PantheaCon last weekend, with my cellphone turned off. More details about that on the blogs of my friends Anne Hill, Erynn, Kevin, Oak, Panthera, Thorn and Victoria, and perhaps here when I can extract myself from family crises. :sigh:


* If it's not there right away, it will be soon.

Green Egg Is Back!

Good news! Ariel Montserrat, with Oberon's blessings and the assistance of Jeanne Koelle and Ian LurkingBear, is reviving The Green Egg as an online zine. After years (since 1968) of being the best and most comprehensive of Pagan medium for writing by and about Pagans and Paganism, GE has been dormant since 2001. The website, which is anticipated to launch this coming weekend, is www.greeneggzine.com.

Maybe this news is all over the Web by now for all I know. I've been preoccupied with a family crisis. Ariel informed me by personal post and solicitation this morning.

I'm eager to see what they do with it. I'm most curious to see if they revive the GE Forum, which was the place where Pagans could discuss ideas with each other pre-WWW. I'm sure the internet has changed that form of dialogue. We shall see. I'm optimistic.

Huzzah for Ariel!

Calling Lady Justice

Here are some facts about First Lt. Ehren Watada's court-martial, featuring a Reclaiming friend.

Lady Justice by Joshua Reynolds, 1779

On another matter, this request concerning a child custody hearing in Texas and involving alleged religious discrimination towards a Witch came in my email. I know nothing about this matter other than what's on the website, which isn't much, really, but in any case, I think the situation calls for the presence of Lady Justice.

Peter Max, 1995

Oh, Bridey, Come, Come, Come!

I'm always glad when the Feast of Brigit rolls around, never less than this year, when I'm dealing with some serious healing issues in my family. Deirdre is melting in Brigit's forge, being hammered on Her anvil, shaped into something new and glorious. I am calling for Brigit's healing balm, carrying Her waters to those who have need of their healing. But basically I don't feel very creative. So in answer to the request for Brigit poetry, I offer this piece created by Diane Darling and me for a goddess masks ritual I created at New College of California back in 2000. The accompanying photo shows Lauren Raine's gorgeous mask of Brigit, worn by Diane, and photographed by Tom Lux.

I am Brigid, Lady of the Celts,
Creatrix of the Island of Ireland,
Midwife to new life in Spring.

You may know I am here
when the snowdrop flowers
When the lambing begins,
and the calving and foaling,
When the babes conceived on Beltane are born.

I am Lady of the flame,
Mistress of changes,
without and within.
I shape the bright metals:
gold and silver, spirit.

I shape the bright hearts of the lover,
the poet,
the smith.
Feel My hand on yours as you craft your lives,
Shape your loves,
build your great works,
grow into your true self.

I am Lady of the Well,
the deep well
That reaches into the darkness
and rises to the light,
The spills the waters of wisdom
for all who care to drink.

I am the great fount of Inspiration
for poet and bard.
The harp sings in My voice,
and the pipes and drums
My song is sung in all the lands,
by bird and bard and babe.

You may come to Me for healing,
be it of beast or human;
For beginning new life,
for insight, for love,
Or just to shelter within My cloak
from life’s tempests and sorrows.

Call Me by My many names:
I am with you,
children of the children of the children of
The Lost Isles,
the Western Shores,
children of Turtle Island.
I have not forgotten you,
far flung though you may be.

Remember Me also, My beloved ones,
when the poet sings,
When the cow rises from the calving
and the fever leaves the brow.

Tonight I'm going to renew my connection with Brigit in community. I will thank Her for all She's given me, renew my pledge to Her, and relight a candle with Her flame. Here are the words with which I'll seal the spell.

What we have received tonight has been held in our keeping.
What passes now flows out of our hands and into the Earth,
Trusting in time and right season,
Let us go on.