My bad luck in commercial flights appears to be congenital, because one flight was cancelled and another delayed. Luckily, I’ll be able to make the whole conference this time (unlike IL2006). But I think this journey will be quite interesting for other reasons as well.
First, I’m going to be teaching Sunday School tomorrow. I’ll be staying in DC with my friend Sarah. The Sunday School class that she teaches (with her masterful M.Div. degree) is doing a series on world religions. When she first asked me if I’d be willing to teach about Paganism, I had that knee-jerk reaction:
“Are you guys learning how to convert Pagans?”
“C’mon Cliff, it’s me. Hello.”
“I know, I know, just checking…”
Given Sarah’s strongly liberal religious leanings (she and I agree on most metaphysical concepts), I know that I have nothing to fear. So I plan on going in and sharing some of the basics of Paganism, the major branches, and the few unifying themes of the Pagan religions (taken from a well-timed episode of the Deo’s Shadow podcast). From Sarah’s description, I have nothing to fear and lots to look forward to. I’ll promise not to hex them if they promise not to stone me.
After that I’ll be spending Monday – Wednesday at CIL2008! I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends, meeting some new friends for the first time, and meeting in person folks that I’ve been trading blog posts with for a while (here’s hoping I don’t go all geeky fanboy on that last group!). Thursday through Sunday will be time spent with Sarah, Jason and their St. Bernard dog Bruno, as well as visits with friends who live in the DC area.
Chas Clifton is one of the premier scholars of Wicca and Paganism in the US, so when I heard about this book, I was truly excited. Clifton’s work is a complimentary volume to Ronald Hutton’s Triumph of the Moon, an exploration of Wicca and Paganism in the UK. By exploring historical, textual, oral and literary resources, Clifton paints a picture of Wicca’s development and transformation as it traveled from the UK to the US, and then around the world.
At the same time Clifton explores Wicca’s transformation from a small mystery/magical religion into “nature religion.” He does this by outlining three types of “nature”: Cosmic, Gaian, and Erotic. By making the cycles of nature, the planet, and our bodies holy, the religion of Witchcraft was transformed. The author goes on to explore the growth, change, and popularization of religious Witchcraft throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. Additionally, he briefly covers the history of the Church of Aphrodite, Feraferia, the Church of All Worlds, the Psychedelic Venus Church and Druidism in the US.
In some places, the author repeats facts (which made me wonder in if I had lost my place), but this is done to aid in clarity; the history of Wicca and Paganism in the US is as sprawling a topic as the religions themselves. The author is forced to cross-reference himself in all directions to paint a larger picture, a challenge which he handles well. For those already familiar with the topic, new analysis of historical figures and themes will enlighten and deepen your understanding of this history. For those new to the topic, the book’s glossary will prove invaluable; understanding will be further aided by copies of the texts Clifton cites in the glossary (such as Adler’s Drawing Down the Moon and Bonewits’ Real Magic) for further context.
Clifton’s brilliant analysis of the words “Wicca” and “Witch” are worth the price of the volume alone. Her Hidden Children will be required reading for my students.
Posted by Cliff on January 10th, 2008
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With hundreds of social networking sites out there, it’s no suprise that a few will be dedicated to religion. Ones that I have seen before (such as MyChurch, Schmooze, MuslimSocial, and CovenSpace) typically center around a single faith. Today I happened upon CircleBuilder, which is open to all faiths. I was interested to see the two categories “Pagan & Earth-based” and “Reconstructionist.” Reconstructionist Pagans (if they use the term “Pagan” at all) are typically not represented in the larger religion community. After that pleasant surprise, I was half expecting to see a listing for “Amish.”
According to Mashable, it only appears to have around 100 members at this point in time. I’m curious to see if it remains a small niche network, or if its inclusiveness will allow it to expand and/or serve as a space for interfaith dialogue. Like all social networking sites it revolves around people, so only time will tell if it catches on via word-of-mouth.
Apparently Wicca can finally be removed from the realms of Psychology (BF). In the future you can look for it in BP605 .W53 , in the section of “Islam, Bahaism, Theosophy, etc.” So now it’s right after stuff on the White Brotherhood. What a treat! This is amusing given Wicca’s history. And if you think librarians don’t have a sense of humor, check out the LCC subclass for The Bible.
Enjoy your newfound recognition, Wicca! You’ve earned it!
(via Chas)
The funny thing is, I know family that sound like this…
Just because your whole family is Pagan doesn’t mean that you all get along harmoniously (pardon the pun). Enjoy the parody, I sure did!
MEDFORD, OR-”There’s always some new Church of the Sacred Pentacle Virgin or a cute single witch who they just have to set me up with,” lamented 27-year-old Jeff Birch. (via Chas).
Posted by Cliff on March 13th, 2007
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