Green Egg Magazine Folds
In a written announcement from the editors of Green Egg magazine, "Dear readers, subscribers, contributing artists, writers, poets, assistants, volunteers and supporters, the past few months have been an extremely difficult time for Green Egg magazine and its editor, Maerian Morris and publisher, Jeanne Koelle. Over the past several issues, the pages of Green Egg have addressed the sorts of challenges and difficult demands placed upon us and the magazine. We have not been able as yet to muster the support necessary to publish the next issue of Green Egg. Because of this, we recently decided it was necessary to suspend publication.
The Board of Directors of the Church of All Worlds, at this time the sole owners of Green Egg, have decided to expand upon that decision by halting all operations of Green Egg magazine. We are not quite sure what this means, or whether we agree with the wisdom of this decision, and we are trying to understand how this will all `shake down.' In the meantime however, Jeanne and I really feel it necessary to specifically thank some special people who have supported or attempted to help Green Egg over time.
(Editor's note: They go on to thank more people than we have room to print here.)We trust that like the Phoenix we will rise again! Stay tuned... Maerian Morris and Jeanne Koelle for Green Egg magazine"
Paganism on TV
Ted Turner's TNT cable network aired the controversial Mists of Avalon, openly critical of Christianity in this made-for-TV miniseries depicting witchcraft as a compassionate alternative. "I fully expect controversy; I welcome it," said Mark Wompler, executive producer of TNT's The Mists of Avalon. We made a conscious effort to represent paganism as a warm, earthy religion and Christianity as a harsh religion," Wolper told TV Data Features Syndicate. Network owner Ted Turner, an avowed atheist, has made numerous statements critical of Christianity and Christians in recent years. His former wife, actress Jane Fonda, reportedly converted to Christianity, which some observers say contributed to the couple's subsequent divorce. The miniseries, based on the 1984 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, centers on King Arthur's Camelot and the land of Avalon, the center of mysticism. Many of those praising the book mention reading it when they were young teen-agers, while others praise it for introducing them to a new, feminist-humanistic religion. "That's why this is another side of Arthurian legend," says executive producer Wolper. "It's not about two guys fighting over a girl they love. It's about two religions fighting over a world they love, and that's much bigger."
In Mists, the pagan priestesses launch a plot to "save" the throne of Camelot from Christianity. "It's really not a revival," said Dr. Janice Crouse, senior fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute. "It's a rebellion -- a rebellion against orthodox Christian beliefs and practice." Dr. Crouse told C&F Report that the miniseries will bring a higher profile to ongoing efforts to revive goddess religions.
Feminists are already actively promoting the "Re-imagining movement" within mainstream Christian denominations, particularly among United Methodists. Their goal is to inject pagan, feminist goddess worship. "We cannot remain quiet while radical feminists undermine the traditional Judeo-Christian teachings that form the moral foundation of our society," Crouse said. "When everyone is free to `imagine' their own theology, the question `What's God got to do with it?' becomes moot, the church becomes irrelevant, and the religious basis of culture disintegrates." "Religion doesn't play a part in my life today," actress Julianna Margulies told TV Data. "But for me, what this story represents truly is the power of religion. You know, when the Christians came to power, women were no longer important. I think that's a real strong message, and we're trying to regain that back in some way in today's world." The Mists of Avalon will re-air throughout the month of July on TNT.
Chief Seattle's Grave Reconsecrated
Chief Seattle, who died in 1866, was the leader of the Suquamish, Duwamish and other allied tribes who greeted the city's founders 150 years ago. The settlers showed their gratitude by naming their frontier town after the chief. "A friend to the whites" is engraved on his headstone.
In May, vandals toppled the marble cross from atop the monument that marks the chief's final resting place on the Port Madison Indian Reservation, northwest of Bainbridge Island. There have been no arrests, but the FBI case is still open into what many believe was a hate crime. A possible motive is opposition to a low-income housing project the Suquamish Tribe wants to build; an article from a local newspaper about the continuing dispute was left on top of the grave.
More than 100 people paid their respects in a rededication ceremony meant to appease Seattle's spirit and the spirits of his ancestors injured by the desecration. The vandalism involved the breaking of a stone cross into three sections. The cross has been repaired and reinstalled. "When there's a desecration, there's a disturbance," said Al Scott Johnnie, cultural director for the Lummi Tribe, who was invited to emcee the event. "This is healing for our people."
Although ancestors of the Chief and representatives from local tribes were present, there was no mention of the fact that Chief Seattle was not a Christian. Nor was the possibility that the destruction of only the cross could indicate a desire to remove what would have been to Chief Seattle a foreign symbol.
Final Five Witches Need Pardon
Nineteen men and women were killed in 1692 in Salem Village, Mass. from what is one of the most well known cases of hysteria. Since then, all but five have been pardoned by name. Now, descendents of the remaining five wish to have their ancestors names cleared as well. Massachusetts State Representative Paul Tirone has agreed to take up the issuethis month . "We kinda want to right a three hundred year wrong," said Tirone. Tirone wants a bill passed that would finally pardon the women by name -- Ann Pudeator, Bridget Bishop, Susanna Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmott Redd.
Many modern day witches live in the area today, including well-known Laurie Cabot. She is founder of the Witches' League for Public awareness, a group dedicated to offering public information and education on Wicca and neo-pagan Witchcraft to prevent such hysteria from the past ever being repeated.
Pagan Pride and Goddess 2000 Project Join Forces
The Goddess 2000 Project (http://www.goddess2000.org) and the Pagan Pride Project (http://www.paganpride.org) are pleased to announce that the two organizations have agreed to work together effective July 13, 2001. Goddess 2000 Project coordinators and participants will join this year's Pagan Pride Project Celebrations.
Displays of Goddess and Pagan Art, or "Create a Goddess" spaces where PPD attendees can exercise their own creativity, will be added to Pagan Pride Celebrations in many local areas as part of the G2000 Project's "A Goddess on Every Block!" initiative. So far this year, PPD has formally set up 83 Pagan Pride events during the month of September in the US, Canada, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia. Participation of Goddess 2000 local coordinators will help create, coordinate and organize Pagan Pride events in areas where PPD does not currently have events. Goddess 2000 has local coordinators in 52 countries.
In the words of PPD Executive Director Cecylyna Dewr, "It's a logical combination. We both have local coordinators all over the globe. Working together lets us combine our resources so that neither of us reinvents the wheel. Both of our primary goals are to help the positive parts of our spirituality come out in the light where others can see them. Whether you're designing a beautiful painting of the Goddess, or giving canned goods to a food bank, you're seeing the entire span of all that is positive about our spiritual journeys."
Goddess 2000 Project Director Abby Willowroot comments "We are very pleased to be working with PPD in sharing information and building community. It is this type of cross-tradition cooperation that is making the Pagan community healthy and strong." The goal of the G2000 Project is to encourage the creation of sacred imagery by artists and non-artists alike. The goal of the Pagan Pride Project is to foster pride in Pagan identity through education, activism, charity and community. PPD encourages this through their network of Pagan Pride Day events, media relations and participation in community charities.
For more information, please contact the Goddess 2000 Project at their web site, or contact the Pagan Pride Project at their web site or at (317) 916-9115.
Starhawk Protests in Italy
Well known witch, author and political activist Starwhawk was in Italy for the "G8" conference of the world's eight wealthiest nations and Russia.
Demonstrators from all over the world were present, raising their call for greater protections for the environment and workers' rights, which they say are being exploited now more than ever as a global world economy marches irrevocably forward.
Starhawk has been flying around the globe lending her high profile presence to demonstrations in Quebec City Canada in April, as well as Genoa Italy in July. One of her purposes is to "undermine the legitimacy of the institutions of global corporate capitalism. Expose their hypocrisies and lies. Make visible the violence inherent in their structures and policies. Interfere with their ability to function. Link the global issues to local issues and strengthen and support local organizing. Pose alternatives that are creative, attractive and sane. Heighten the contrast between our vision and theirs."
Unfortunately, police in Italy killed one demonstrator. The violence propagated by aggressive, so-called anarchist demonstrators has tarnished the image of non-violent protest. According to Stawhawk, "There's an ethic and a strategy about nonviolence that's clear and easy to understand: that violence begets violence, that if we resort to violence we become what we're fighting against, that a nonviolent movement will win us more popular support, gain us legitimacy, heighten the contrasts between our movement and what we oppose, and perhaps even win over our opponents. That's a powerful and persuasive set of values that I've held to for many years."
A famous Italian "magician," Divino Otelma, said he would call up good spirits on Friday to ask them to influence the world's most-powerful leaders to take the right decisions.The magician is known in Italy for a television program where people call in with requests for spells and advice. Otelma, who lives in the heart of Genoa, also said he had filed a complaint against police officers for abuse of power after they stopped him entering a no-entry zone surrounding the Ducal palace where the G8 leaders will meet.