Pagans Enjoy Final Days of Summer, Debate Skyclad Tradition

Nude Reaches for Thing on High Shelf
by Karl Struss

This Labor Day, American Pagans flock to nude beaches, naturist communities and remote wooded groves to celebrate and make the most of the final days of summer clad in nothing but warm sunlight and gentle breezes. For many, the holiday weekend provides an informal mark to the end of the season for skyclad rituals and the beginning of autumn, when chill temperatures and inclement weather often discourage many Pagans from attending outdoor gatherings in the buff.

"Nothing beats the feel of grass between your toes and wind against your cheeks when you're communing with the spirits of nature and the Earth Mother," said Gary Hunter, 32, High Priest of the Circle of Milkweed of Allentown, Pennsylvania. "But as a Witch, I honor the changing seasons the way my ancestors did: by wearing a sweater and remembering to put all the storm windows down."

"Anyway, you really don't want to step on a chestnut in bare feet. Seriously. Ouch," he added.

For some Pagans, the end of the skyclad summer season is not a matter of practicality, but of decorum. Susie OakCrow, 56, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, told reporters, "It's still pretty hot down here until well after Samhain — but skyclad ritual in November? It just doesn't seem right. My mother always taught me it was very poor manners to go skyclad after Labor Day."

However such traditions may be dying out as a younger generation of Pagans scoff at what they see as an example of outdated etiquette. "Nobody cares if you still go skyclad after Labor Day anymore," said 19-year-old New Hampshire Witch, Angelique Widdershins. "And thanks to global warming, you can enjoy warm weather for most of the fall without having to worry about frostbite." Widdershins says she and some of her friends often continue to celebrate their rituals skyclad even into the winter months, while others refuse to go skyclad at all, insisting on wearing practical, comfortable clothing all year long. "I guess we're like a lot of teens that way, rebelling against the rules that our parents set for us," she remarked.

Still, elders like OakCrow remain less than enthusiastic about the change. "Kids today only care about feeling comfortable about their bodies. They don't appreciate that part of the sacredness of ritual is being surrounded by other pasty, flabby covenmates who feel just as awkward as you do."

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Should today's Pagans keep the old tradition alive? Do you go skyclad after Labor Day?
Lanx Satura wants to know what you think! Share your opinion in the comment section.

Area Pagan Builds Shrine from Crap He Found in Backyard

Photo Credit: Christian Eriksson

Pagan Perspectives: Arranged Marriage for Modern Pagans?

Would arranged marriages and dating services work for Pagan communities?

Asks Star Foster, editor of the Patheos Pagan Portal, in a recent blog post.

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"A fantastic idea! Arranged marriages would combine all the excitement of a blind date with the permanence of a messy divorce!"

Shelly Morgan la Fay, 24, Avalonian polytheist

"I always thought Christian-only dating services were kind of creepy. All those clean-cut kids fresh out of youth group looking for someone who wouldn't challenge their deeply-held beliefs, who just wanted to settle down, make babies and pass on their religion to the next generation. But thanks to Star, I see now that a Pagan-only dating service wouldn't be creepy at all. Just a bunch of cool kids fresh out of Spiral Scouts looking for someone who won't challenge their deeply-held beliefs, who just wants to settle down, make babies and pass on their religion to the next generation. Makes a lot of sense when you put it like that..."

Lupin Godfellow, 30, Heathen

"It's true that Pagans can be too individualistic and selfish sometimes. I don't think that sad situation with Iris Firemoon and the Open Hearth Foundation would ever have happened if her husband had been a well-known, respected member of the Pagan community."

Jamie Elf-Arrow, 48, reformed Reclaiming

"People who are against arranged marriages just don't know what they're missing. I had an arranged marriage, and I'm very happy! I met my wife at a summer festival when a mutual friend of ours introduced us and we really hit it off. ....That's what an arranged marriage is, right?"

Edris Star Ravynne, 51, traditional Witch

"I applaud Star's courage for coming out in support of arranged marriages. In fact, I don't think she goes far enough. Modern Pagans should really consider how much could be gained from arranged family planning. The Christians were really onto something when they decided to make birth control a sin — just look at how many kids Catholic families have, and how fast their religion is growing! If Pagans ever want our community to be taken seriously as a legitimate religion, we're going to need to pump up our numbers, and quick."

Aylwyn TheoGreen, 16, eclectic Pagan

"Star's brilliant, thought-provoking writing makes it very clear how divisiveness in our community comes from a lack of traditional family values, and not from blog posts that start, 'I already know what you think, and I don't care...'"

Hawkeye Malachite, 29, Icelandic animist

"I'm so lonely. I just want to be loved...."

Lorelei Elder Mystic, 42, solitary Kemetic reconstructionist

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Lanx Satura wants to know what you think! Share your opinion in the comment section.

Pagan Media Leader Honors Sacred News Cycle

Photo Credit: Brian Wolfe

Leader in Pagan Media Jason Pitzl-Waters gave readers a rare glimpse into his personal spiritual practice on his popular news blog The Wild Hunt yesterday, sharing his deep reverence for the sacred news cycle and the media spin that connects us all.

"I don't speak for all Pagans, of course, but many Pagans see the divine in the natural world and believe that human beings are a part of nature," Pitzl-Waters explained. "Nature is full of cycles: the cycles of night and day, life and death, the changing of the seasons. For me, the sacred news cycle is one of the deepest mysteries."

"Every year, the same stories return again and again," he continued. "Sure, the names might be different and the faces change, but the deeper truths remain constant. We will always have news coverage about Witches in October with the coming of Halloween and Pagan Pride Day. Just like every June, I look forward to seeing the same stock photos of bearded, white-robed Druids gathered at Stonehenge to greet the sunrise on the summer solstice. It fills me with joy to know that we are all part of this never-ending cycle of media racket."

Every year, the same stories return again and again. The names might be different and the faces change, but the deeper truths remain constant.

It's not all good news, though. "Sure there are bad news days," Pitzl-Waters admitted, "but you have to take them in stride as just another part of the cycle. I don't believe in the Judeo-Christian doctrine that the media is fallen and corrupt, that 'no news is good news.' Yes, local nightly news programs put out shallow crap about how terrible the world is and how this or that threat is going to kill your children... but that's just their role in the greater media web. Embracing the sacred news cycle reminds me to breathe and accept that this too shall pass."

He pointed to the example of a recent news story about a convicted murderer converting to Wicca while in prison, a perennial in the local news industry. The story made it briefly into the number two spot in Google News search results for 'Wicca,' prompting Pitzl-Waters to share his thoughts on the sacred news cycle publicly. "Within hours of my post, the story had once again disappeared into the internet's soothing cacophony of white noise. Now my own post, commenting on that story, is on the first page of the search results, right after a month-old story about a Facebook page for an adorable pit bull in Canada named Wicca, who saved her owner's life by licking him a lot. Isn't media amazing?!"

Pitzl-Waters' reverence for the sacred news cycle also influences his spiritual practices. "I can't speak for other Pagans, but my practice helps me to remain in harmony with the larger patterns that shape our virtual lives through television, social media, blogs, internet forums, and aggregate news websites. When I settle down in front of my computer to spin, I feel at peace with the world." As part of his spiritual path, Pitzl-Waters spends time every day engaging in what media experts call spinning, the practice of "providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor of or against a certain organization or public figure." He explained further, "When I first started spinning, I felt a lot of uncertainty: Was I doing it right? Would it work? Or was it really just one of Satan's tricks like my parents warned me? But these days, I understand that my fears were misguided, based in ignorance and archaic beliefs about how news works. Now when I spin, I know that I'm participating in the amazing and powerful magic of the media, that re-enchants the world and keeps us all entertained."

You can't escape spin — it's everywhere. If you don't do it, someone else is going to do it for you.

He went on to point out how the Judeo-Christian mainstream views media as linear, rather than cyclical. "Most mainstream journalists believe that every story is a unique event in history, and that what they report can actually help make a difference and bring about social progress. They celebrate media heroes like Carl Bernstein and Walter Cronkite. Some even believe that if they work hard enough, they'll be able to write news coverage that is 'pure' and free of bias. But to me that seems wrong-headed.

"You can't escape spin — it's everywhere. If you don't do it, someone else is going to do it for you. Even the belief in objective reporting is a kind of spin. And when you accept that, you realize that anyone can do it, not just professional journalists. With spin and a wordpress blog, everyone can be their own reporter. But that's just my own perspective, of course, I don't speak for all Pagans," he added quickly.

Pagans Celebrate eBay Policy Changes, Deals on Vintage Toys

Actual item listing on eBay

Pagans throughout the country showed their appreciation for internet auction house and ecommerce site eBay this week in response to the company's announcement that they would be discontinuing the sale of spells, psychic readings and dieting advice starting in September.

The reason for the policy change, eBay states in their 2012 Fall Seller Update, is that "[t]ransactions in these categories often result in issues between the buyer and seller that are difficult to resolve." The company hopes that by disallowing the sale of intangible items of questionable value, it can reduce cases of fraud and help to build confidence in the marketplace. Said one eBay representative, "Making sure our customers get what they pay for is a top priority for us. When people come to eBay ready to spend thousands of dollars on a 1998 collectable Queen of the Prom Barbie doll, we want them to know that they're not just throwing their money away on a scam."

The Pagan reaction to this news was largely positive, applauding the company's decision and welcoming the chance to distance themselves from disreputable con artists that threaten Paganism's reputation as a diverse religious community of intelligent, level-headed individuals committed to putting community service and support above personal profit. "I think it was definitely the right decision," said Raven Moonbeam, 27, a Wiccan priestess from Alabama. "It's embarrassing to go on eBay and see how many people are selling spells that promise instant riches, or werewolf transformation powers, or penis enlargements. It's worse than email spam!"

"That's not what my religion is about," she added. "And besides, everyone knows that werewolf transformation is not something you can just auction off to the highest bidder. It takes years of training."

Pagan eBay seller Sirius, 40, believes the policy change will actually improve his sales on the ecommerce site, pointing out that with the reduction in fraudulent listings, his legitimate listings will be easier to find. "Instead of customers having to wade through fifteen pages of crap to find my products, they'll only have to wade through four or five." Sirius uses eBay to sell hand-carved wands, staves, authentic renaissance-style apparel and refurbished laptops.

Not all Pagans are happy about the news, however. One eBay seller directly affected by the policy change expressed his dismay in an email, saying, "MAGIC SPELL***FIGHT INJUSTICE***DESTROY YOUR ENEMIES X10 power bonus penis enlargement potion free shipping."

In related news, handicrafts online marketplace Etsy also announced policy changes this week, stating that after "several months extensively researching some offbeat and fascinating topics, from issues surrounding the sale of human bones to the corrosive and toxic properties of mercury" they have decided to prohibit sellers from making medical drug claims about sale items. Herbalists already familiar with FDA regulations regarding unsubstantiated medical claims for products that are ingested or applied to the body were completely unsurprised by this policy update.