If you like my blog 'Minority Review' please nominate it for the 2010 SA Blog Award ?

Visit my blog at
http://www.penton.co.za/minority_review.html
and click on the 2010 SA Blog Award banner to cast your nomination. Please ensure that your nomination is correctly submitted and confirmed before 27th August 2010.

After 27th August 2010 public nomination votes will be counted and the top 10 blogs in each category with the most nominations will go through to the final voting stage.

Final voting for the top ten nominees will be open to the public from the 1st September 2010 till midnight 17th September 2010.

For more information visit http://www.sablogawards.com/Home.aspx

Thank you for your support.

Penton Pagan Magazine

Issue No. 47 - August 2010 is online NOW!

www.penton.co.za

In this issue...

Shani Oates
Maid of the Clan of Tubal Cain

interviewed by Le Corbeau

Our concept of sacred space again runs contra to Wicca. Freedom of movement is granted in and out of the ring - no barrier exists, indicating an acceptance of the power and force of the gods through nature as omnipresent and omniscient. Areas used in modern traditional witchcraft can encompass more than one circle; movement between them is ardently encouraged.

Goddess Capitalism
How poor women smuggled markets & freedom into Vietnam

by Donald Meinshausen

You can tell a lot about a country and its culture by its ceremonies and celebrations. In some countries there is nothing but “patriotic” parades, rallies and displays of martial power. Ordered ranks of soldiers, athletes and other military hardware march before the visages of Great Leaders, past and present. Emotions are martialed to maintain the might of the state. Everyone is either part of a passive audience or a puppet on parade. But there are exceptions as celebrations and ceremonies are older than states. And these exceptions can change everything, even in Vietnam.

Wanted: A Contemporary Pagan Culture

by Erebos

Culture is based on community and communities have been said to be groups founded on unitive stories. A unitive story is the animating force behind any group of people that moves that group in an unanimous direction. These stories take many forms, but the most well-known ones flow from a recognised source of authority, such as the founding prophets, texts and laws of the Abrahamic faiths. One might say that the unitive story of Islam, for example, might be the revelation of the Koran to Muhammad. The crucifixion might serve as a simple rendering of Christianity’s unitive story. And this is something contemporary Pagans do not have, for if religion and culture are linked, then Pagan individuals and existing groups are much too small to create a true Contemporary Pagan Culture on their own.

Angus Burns
Pagan Musician and Songwriter

interviewed by Morgause Fonteleve

'The Dragon and the Unicorn' represents a blend of archetypes that result in synergy. It represents the union of different genres both magickal and musical. The end result is a musical offering that’s draws on many cultural and musical traditions. There are blends of tribal, Celtic, classical, country, bluegrass and rock. This in many ways represents my personal magickal path which is of a very mixed form.

Shamanism: Is it a Religion?

by Michael Berman

The question of whether Shamanism is a religion, a way of life, or a methodology will be considered, and the implications that this has on the attitude towards, and serious study of the subject. Even acknowledged experts in the field appear to skirt the issue of whether Shamanism can be regarded as a religion or not. It would seem that for some people the word religion has negative connotations and they do their best to avoid it at all costs – partly perhaps because it is unfashionable, partly perhaps because it is so difficult to define. The intention in this paper, however, is to tackle the question head-on, in the hope of contributing something new to the discussion. The Pagan Federation defines Paganism as the practice of polytheistic or pantheistic nature-worshipping religions, and includes Shamanism under its umbrella. It will be argued, however, that whether Shamanism is actually pantheistic or not is debatable, and perhaps something that needs to be reconsidered.

Witches on Witchcraft

by Damon Leff

"There are more Witches in the Pagan movement than there are other Pagan practices, but we are only one among a variety of religious paths that I think fall under the term Paganism". Aline O'Brien, better known to Pagans internationally as M. Macha NightMare, describes herself as a Priestess and Witch. O'Brien is the President of the Board of Directors of a U.S. Pagan seminary, Cherry Hill Seminary. "My religion is not a faith, as other religious persons define this term. It is experiential."

Read this issue online at www.penton.co.za

30 days of advocacy against Witch-hunts in Africa
29 March to 27 April 2010

The ‘witchcraft epidemic’ in Africa is fueled by religious extremism. Practitioners of traditional African religions, traditional healers, witch-doctors and Christian missionaries and religious leaders incite witch-hunts on this continent.

There are comparisons to be made between Africa’s current witch-craze, European Inquisitions and American witch-hunts. Perhaps the lessons to be learned in Africa are the same as those that needed to be learned by Europeans and Americans; there is no ‘culture’ without human rights.

All men and women, including Witches, have the right to live without being falsely accused, assaulted, persecuted or murdered.

Say NO to witch-hunts in Africa!

Sign a petition in support of this campaign here
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/30-days-of-advocacy-against-witch-hunts...

TO: The African Union General Assembly
The Pan-African Parliament

We the undersigned, call upon the African Union and all its member countries to act decisively to bring an end to witch-hunts in Africa.

We call on all African nations to:

- halt the persecution of suspected or accused witches,

- uphold and strengthen a culture of human rights for all Africans equally,

- respond appropriately and humanely to incidences of witchcraft-related violence and accusations of witchcraft,

- make the eradication of violence against suspected witches a national priority,

- train local police to manage witchcraft-related violence in a way that affirms the dignity and humanity of those accused of practicing witchcraft,

- create victim support units to facilitate reintegration and conciliation of those accused,

- adopt comprehensive public education and awareness programmes aimed at eradicating the real causes of witchcraft accusations, and

- reform legislation that currently seeks to suppress witchcraft or criminalize accused witches.

Campaign Background

The words witch and witchcraft are used predominantly as an accusation throughout Africa, either to describe a number of clearly defined traditional religious practices that do not self-define as witchcraft, as well as a number of variable urban legends perpetuated by religious leaders, churches and traditional healers, or to identify women, children and men who are not actual Witches.

In rare instances where alleged confessions of being a witch or practicing witchcraft are made by the accused, reported testimony is either irrational or coerced through torture or threat.

United Nations officials and civil society representatives from affected countries have urged African governments to acknowledge the extent of the murder and persecution of women, children and men in their countries, as a result of witchcraft accusations.

Murder and persecution of women and children accused of being witches is spreading around the world and destroying the lives of millions of people, experts said Wednesday. United Nations officials, civil society representatives from affected countries and non-governmental organization (NGO) specialists working on the issue urged governments to acknowledge the extent of the persecution. [1]

[1] 'Killing of women, child "witches" on rise, U.N. told' by Robert Evans
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58M4Q820090923

In an attempt to dissuade witch-hunts in Nigeria, two Nigerian Catholic Bishops have asked the Synod of Bishops for Africa to "…make a clear commitment to educating Catholics about the fact that, while the devil exists, witchcraft does not." [2]

[2] 'Bishops ask for action against belief in witchcraft' by Cindy Wooden
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2009/1019/action101909.shtml

Bishop Augustine Akubeze is quoted as saying "Witches do not exist and so the accusations are always false. Even worse, people have been known to accuse someone of being a witch just to settle personal squabbles. Witchcraft lacks any justification in reason, science and common sense but people continue to believe in it."

The 'witchcraft' referred to as accusation, allegation and harmful superstition, exists only in the minds of those who believe that witchcraft is the embodiment of evil and that witches are responsible for misfortune, disease, accident, natural disaster and death.

"Children alleged to be witches and wizards are persecuted through torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, which sometimes leads to their death. Such children are starved, chained, beaten, matcheted or even lynched. At the churches, pastors subject children alleged to be witches and wizards to torture in the name of exorcism. Witchdoctors force such children to drink potions (poison) or concoctions which can kill them or damage their health." [3]

[3] 'Leo Igwe on child rights in Nigeria'
http://www.iheu.org/leo-igwe-child-rights-nigeria

In Gambia President Yahya Jammeh is reported to have invited "witch doctors" from Guinea to find and neutralize witches, because he believed that witchcraft was involved in the death of his aunt. Reuters and Amnesty International reported that witch doctors and security forces in Gambia detained up to 1,000 people on suspicion of being witches, and forced them to drink hallucinogenic substances. [4] [5]

[4] Rights group: 1,000 seized in Gambia 'witch-hunt'
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/03/18/gambia.amnesty.witchcraft...

[5] Hundreds accused of 'witchcraft' persecuted in The Gambia
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/hundreds-accused-witchcr...

The horror of witch-hunts is not confined to Nigeria or Gambia. Witch-hunts occur in every country in Africa, and they are increasing in occurrence and brutality. Perhaps few other words has elicited more hatred, hostility and suffering in twentieth and twenty first century South Africa than the word witch. Since the 1980’s thousands of innocent men and women have been accused of being witches or of using witchcraft. Many have been murdered by their communities without trial. Many more have been banished from their villages, their homes destroyed and members of their families murdered or forced to flee in fear of their lives.

Campaign History

The 30 day advocacy campaign against witch-hunts in Africa was launched in 2008 by South African Witches (represented by the South African Pagan Rights Alliance & the South African Pagan Council) and targeted the South African government, institutions established to protect constitutional democracy and human rights in South Africa and political parties.

In 2009 the advocacy campaign focused on highlighting the role of institutionalized prejudice against witchcraft and witches within South African legislation, politicians, the South African Police Service and South African human rights institutions including the Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Gender Equality.

The 2010 campaign is aimed at petitioning the African Union General Assembly and the Pan-African Parliament, to address the ongoing witchcraft hysteria in Africa, through constructive and humane programmes that seek to entrench and strengthen human rights and human dignity, instead of seeking to suppress witchcraft or ignore ongoing human rights abuses within member countries.

Witchcraft Reclamation by Pagan Witches in South Africa

South Africa is the only African country in which actual Witches have identified themselves as Pagans. South Africans who are self-identified Witches, by virtue of their very existence, publicly challenge firmly entrenched and prejudicial African beliefs concerning witchcraft, and they contradict attempts to eradicate a belief in witchcraft in Africa by claiming, "there are no witches".

In 2007 the South African Pagan Rights Alliance and the South African Pagan Council requested the South African Law Reform Commission to investigate whether or not the existing Witchcraft Suppression Act 3 of 1957 undermines the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights of existing religious minorities in South Africa, by deliberately criminalising Witchcraft and prohibiting the right of Witches to exist and to practice their religion.

Under the South African constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, Witchcraft is regarded as a constitutionally protected religion. The South African Pagan Rights Alliance, the South African Pagan Council and the Correllian Nativist Tradition, are already designated as ‘religious organizations’ by the Department of Home Affairs. The South African Pagan Council is a Section 21 Public Benefit Organization in terms of the South African Revenue Services Act.

Support, participate in, or promote this campaign?
Contact: paganrightsalliance@ananzi.co.za

Join the campaign on Facebook for planning and action updates:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=274505543709

This advocacy campaign is sponsored by the South African Pagan Council and the South African Pagan Rights Alliance

Campaign Supporters:

Pagan Federation International

Correllian Nativist Tradition (U.S. & S.A.)

Support this campaign too?
Contact: TouchStone Advocacy - paganrightsalliance@ananzi.co.za

-----------------------------------------------------------

Pagans Tonight! Witch-hunts

Listen to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchschool/2010/01/27/pagans-tonight

The Pagan Freedom Day Movement is looking for a new coordinator for the Cape Town region.

I would like to thank Raene Packery for her voluntary service in coordinating Pagan Freedom Day in Cape Town in 2008 and 2009. Raene has tendered her resignation due to pressing personal commitments for 2010.

If you are interested in volunteering for this position please contact me at damon@gardenroute.com asap.

Pagan Freedom Day
http://www.paganfreedomday.co.za/

PENTON PAGAN MAGAZINE

http://www.penton.co.za

ISSUE NUMBER 45 - DECEMBER 2009
ONLINE NOW

Hekate: Threeformed Images

by Sorita d’Este

When we examine the myths and legends of the many cultures and religions of the ancient Mediterranean, the Goddess Hekate stands out from the rest. There is simply no other Goddess like her, with evidence stretching back into time, but also crossing the boundaries of tradition, religion and pantheon in rather remarkable ways. Her mysteries are open to all, and her magic to those who have the wisdom to see and who are able to put fear aside in order to cross the boundaries and learn from her.

Queer Spirit & the Craft

by Graeme Shackleford

For many LGBT people, Paganism provides a welcoming, safe, and non-judgemental spiritual environment, something not offered by many of the mainstream religions from which many of these LGBT people have come. Certainly they are offered ‘salvation’, but it is at the high cost of having to forfeit something I believe to be a fundamental part of the human experience, something to which every person has the right: to love another and to be loved by another. Love, I feel, is one of the most basic and beautiful aspects of life.

Bitch Craft

by Morgause Fonteleve

How often have your nerves been jangled by the use of the term “Bitchcraft” when referring to Witch wars, forum squabbles and factional arguments? As if Witches were no more than a two-legged canine species who are beyond any sort of self-control or of acting responsibly upon the power of reasoning, incapable of discernment and who engage in rip-roaring altercations where all that is requested of one is to bark louder than the next, yap and bite with the aim to injure the opponent, come what may, in any manner possible, no matter what, without any regard, respect, compassion or common courtesy for whom it is we might be dealing with?!

Witchcraft: superstition or religion?

by Damon Leff

How should actual self-identified Witches in South Africa, who seek to retain our right to continue to self-identify as Witches, respond to the accusation of superstition against Witchcraft? Do we remain silent about our existence and risk the prejudicial characterization and suppression of our beliefs and magical practices, or do we advocate for recognition of our existence and for the recognition of our belief system as a bone-fide religion? Irrespective of whether you view our spiritual beliefs and magical practices as bad religion or bad science, Witchcraft remains and thrives in broad daylight.

Parliament of the World's Religions

by Ed Hubbard

In the world of Interfaith relations, where religions, faiths and traditions seek to find cooperation and peaceful coexistence, the labels and definitions and how they are used are important. Descriptions of faith practices are the way interfaith speakers share information that leads to greater understanding, and the clearer the language used, the better chance all parties will be able to find common ground.

The Copenhagen Charade

by Bronwen Griffiths

If you take nothing else away from reading this article, then take this at least, green issues are no longer fringe issues that only really wacky people consider as being a requirement to normal life. Rather, being conscious of your impact on the wider environment is becoming something that is the sensible thing to do. Your motivation itself is less of an issue, you can believe that sustainability is a good idea for a range of reasons no matter how weird as long as your actions lead to a measurable increase in sustainability.

PENTON REVIEW

Khepera Rising

written by Nerine Dorman

A masterfully crafted piece of fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed reading; I couldn't put it down. I almost thought I recognized some of the characters fabricated by Dorman. The plot is sound and credible, even believable. If you hate wading through endless pages of fluff that has nothing to do with the actual story being told, you'll appreciate the fact that Dorman wastes no time or space following this story to its conclusion.

PENTON PAGAN MAGAZINE is on FACEBOOK

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