Floods Threaten Silbury Hill

Sia's Post:

Ancient sites in Britain are under threat from recent floods. The Gardian Unlimited reports that:

...archaeologists and engineers were engaged in urgent discussions on how to save Silbury, after the torrential rain caused further damage to a structure already weakened by earlier floods.

....Silbury is not alone. As well as the human tragedies, the floods have been washing away thousands of years of history, across a swath of central and southern England. Silbury has been unmissable for millennia, but in Hereford, rain has been scouring away parts of a mysterious structure uncovered only a few weeks ago: the Rotherwas Ribbon, a serpentine path surfaced with deliberately burned stones, winding up a shallow hill - slap in the path of an unpopular new road plan.

Additional Links:

Rotherwas Ribbon

Secrets of Silbury Hill

UK Travel Directory - Ancient Britain

They know not and will never know
That our full script is not confined
To that stone space, but stands deep lined
Upon the landscape high and low
Wherein She makes such worthy show.

Here's to all the wild and Pagan places and those who protect them.

Sia

Off The Shelf:

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany by Aubrey Burl

Stone Circles: A Modern Builders Guide to the Megalithic Revival by Robert L. Roy

Art: Painting of Silbury Hill by Darrell Wilson - Available from the Lime Tree Collection

Poem: excerpt from Sacred to the Memory by Thomas Hardy (with some changes by yours truly).

Of Pixies & Burning Man

This is a photo of Pixie, one of the official photographers of the Faerieworlds Festival. I love the contrast between her outfit and that hulking piece of technology. If you love photos, check out her website. I like her work, especially the portrait pieces for tribal and belly dancers. It's not easy catching dancers in motion, not easy at all.

She also shoots at two of my favorite events: Burning Man and the Labyrinth of Jared Masquerade Ball.

Burning Man Goes Green.

This year, Burning Man goes green. As always, change has pros and cons, and this huge change is causing a lot of talk. According to an article in CNN Money:

This year's theme is "The Green Man." Burning Man, an extravaganza characterized by the consumption of huge quantities of fossil fuel, has discovered environmentalism. It is attempting to offset the 28,000 tons of carbon it estimates the event generates (counting all those flights and long drives for its far-flung attendees), and the organization is belatedly switching to biodiesel generators to provide most of the event's electricity.

Most controversially, the organization wants to bring as many green-energy companies as possible into what Harvey calls a world's fair of clean tech. Google (Charts, Fortune 500) is going to help produce an online 3-D search service called Burning Man Earth.

Link: Burning Man Art Theme for 2007: The Green Man

But I'm not 20 anymore:

Then check out The Mature Person's Guide to Burning Man

Water, water everywhere:

While some people get ready to party in the desert, others are not so lucky. Where ever you celebrate summer, please keep a thought for our friends in the Chinese and UK floods.

Animal & Human Rescue Efforts In the Wake of the Flood:

This is the largest rescue effort in Britain since WWII. Humans are usually cared for in such cases (1) but pets and farm animals suffer, as well. Animal lovers can donate to urgent animal rescue efforts in Britain at the RSPCA website.

Sia

(1) Excepting those who live in New Orleans.

Photo of Pixie by ccprince

Faerieworlds Photos

I went to the Faerieworlds Festival in Eugene last Saturday with some friends. People in our group came from different parts of Oregon, and some drove up from Northern California for the weekend. We all had a great time (1). I'll write more about that later. In the meantime, here are links to one friend's batch of photos from that Festival.

WitsEnd Photos of Faerieworlds Festival 2007

Slideshow

Individual Photos


Sia


Photo: Yellow & Plum Faerie by WitsEnd

(1) ....and then we all went home and finished reading the last Harry Potter book. Most of us got through it without hearing any $%#@! spoilers.

Harry Potter & Celtic Myth (NO SPOILERS)

NO Spoilers (but some general speculation as to
myth and meaning) Below!

Sia's Post:

BBC corespondent Neil Hollows speculates about the title of the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and what it might mean:

Perceval, one of King Arthur's knights, visits the castle of the wounded and mysterious Fisher King. There he is shown a "Grail" decorated with jewels.....Perceval was shown other objects too - a sword, a platter, and a lance with a drop of blood falling from the tip. They often appear together in the medieval stories, and were described a century ago as the "Hallows" by Arthur Waite, a writer with an interest in the occult.

Celtic myth

Waite's writing makes The Da Vinci Code seem modest and cautious. "Each of the Hallows has its implied enigma... they are both declared and undeclared", he wrote in a curious book of 1909 where he describes the "Hallow-in-chief" - the Grail itself, and the "lesser Hallows".

Yeats, Eliot, Rowling. You don't often list them in the same sentence

This was at the time when it first became popular to look for hidden meanings in the Grail stories. In 1888, the folklore expert Alfred Nutt wrote a highly influential book where he argued the Grail stories were a way of telling an older, pagan, Celtic myth. He linked them to a people called the Tuatha Dé Danann, who are said to have brought four magical treasures to Ireland; a cauldron, spear, stone and sword.......

(Sia's Note: I've added the additional links to the story above which you won't find on the BBC site.)

It's A Good Day:

Today we are going to hear a lot of noise from certain sources about Harry being evil. I don't let it bother me and I hope you won't either. Let's focus on what's important. Today I will delight in this unprecedented excitement about a book. I keep in my heart all the lucky kids who grew up with these books. I hope for their sake that the last book will be the best.

Today I will remember those poor kids who are denied any sort of fantasy and magic in their reading. Some of those children went to that hate-filled camp (you know the one I mean) and they are taught to fear Harry Potter (and pretty much life itself). They will grow up and become adults. Perhaps by then, their souls will have expanded and their minds will be free. I like to think that they will see a Harry Potter book, and they will wonder what all the fuss was about. Some will pick up the first book and they will read about friendship, courage, imagination and loyalty, and then they will finally understand. Until then, I wish them well.

Off the Shelf:

Don't be silly. There are no other books. Not today.

Happy Reading!

Art: Blessed Green by Cheryl Yambrach Rose


Update 7.21.07: Check out the (spoiler free) Harry Potter Roundup at the Wild Hunt Blog.

Cat Magic or Cats Knot Working

Sia's Post:

Defend Our Pets is asking people to circulate and sign their petition to Congress to keep our pet food safe. (1) Once at that site you can also sign Senator Dick Durbin's petition to the Food and Drug Administration to clean up our pet food supply. The Congressman writes:

Recently, I spearheaded a Senate Committee hearing to find out what went wrong -- why contaminated pet food made its way into the food supply, and how we can make sure it never happens again. So far, we've learned that the response of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been wholly inadequate.

That is why I hope that you will forward an email to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach -- tell him that it's time for the FDA to improve the safety of our pet food supply now!

Fun for Crafty Pagans

Heaven and Earth Counted Cross Stitch is a counted thread design company that is dedicated to creating beautiful and intricate cross stitch designs. Here you will find the charted artwork of many talented artists such as Linda Ravenscroft, Brigid Ashwood and Jessica Galbreth plus artwork of the Masters from the Pre-Raphaelite era.

I owned a retail store for many years, and this company takes designs by artists both modern and vintage (whose card designs I loved to carry in my store, and show at Pagan conventions) and turns them into art you can make. This includes the luminous designs by Josephine Wall, Jen Delyth and Cynthia Matyi

I got a kick out of the Bast Goddess by Carrie Hawks
(She should illustrate some children's books.)

Check out the Celtic Art section while you are there. I loved the Pre-Raphaelite images and the Tapestries.

My thanks go out to Wendy@Waltzing Dog for some of these links. Take a look at her site to see links to her fairy quilts and the Harry Potter henna art and her photos from the Sin City Henna Conference. (Wish I'd been there). I wish her all the best in creating her Labyrinth Garden.

Off the Shelf:





For scholars:

Cat in the Mysteries of Religion and Magic

and

Classical Cats : The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Cat

Help Support Full Circle: Any money made from book sales via the Powell's Books or Amazon links at this blog goes to support non-profit efforts such as the Pagan Voting Project, the Spiral Steps Support Groups, The Gaia's Guardian's Project (which supports those who do companion animal & wildlife rescue and work to protect the environment), and the Earthwise Networking Project (which helps like-minded folks connect to do some good where they live). Thank you so much.

Art: Cats Knot Working by Cynthia Matyi

End Notes:

(1) Text of Petition: As pet guardians deeply affected by the recent tragic deaths of many of our pets,and the failing health of many,many others, we ask for your support and assistance in preventing a recurrence of this disaster. We ask for:

	Tougher laws and regulations concerning the quality of pet food sold More stringent inspection of pet food Funding to assure these inspections Certification of foreign inspection standards PRIOR to allowing imports Accurate labeling that shows the quality of ingredients Labeling that shows ingredients from foreign sources A ban on foreign imports if inspection standards are lax Tough penalties for violators

Goddess Tours & Sacred Places

Sia's Post:

Karen Tate is doing some interesting work. This just came in today:

The Sacred Feminine of Paris - May 23 - 30, 2008:

Explore Paris and discover how a modern city can exude the essence of the Sacred Feminine. From the architecture and cuisine, to the history and Goddess Spirituality hidden in plain sight, the city of Paris has a flavor, beauty and culture like few other. No longer swept beneath the sands of time, the Divine Feminine comes alive along your journey. From her newly defined sacred place, the Louvre Museum, visit her many faces embraced across continents and cultures in the winding halls and corridors of this stunning bastion of art and history. Wonder at Mary Magdalene’s temple in the heart of Paris. Light a candle before Our Lady of Lourdes. Uncover places once sacred to Isis, the Druids, and Celts. Visit a sacred well beneath a cathedral replete with symbols and imagery of Goddess from a past long forgotten in contemporary life.Meditate on the ancient roots of the Black Madonna and the Blessed Virgin. Walk in the footsteps of the Templars, Josephine and Napoleon and other famous people of history. Contemplate controversial sites made famous in The DaVinci Code.

She is also planning a tour in Turkey.

She is offering a lecture in Hollywood on July 21st, as part of the Goddess Behind Glass series at the Magdalene Cultural Arts Center and Botique North Hollywood, CA

From her newly redefined sacred place, The Museum, her story,spirituality, and traditional practices of Goddess worship from ancient times comes alive. Join author and independent scholar, Karen Tate, as she presents a visual montage of images entitled, "Goddess Behind Glass," a visual journey celebrating She of Ten Thousand Names embodied in artifacts of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

Contact Karen for details at karentate108@ca.rr.com

Related Articles: It's the Journey That Matters: Neopagan Travel and Retreats

Speaking of Sacred Places....

I've just heard that Red, White and Blue Beach, one of the last and best nude camping beaches in the West, closed last November. (See photo above). That magical place was a haven for many Pagans, Witches, eco-feminists and birders from California and all over the world. It will be greatly missed.

This is what I wrote about an experience I once had there:

One of my favorite Circles recently celebrated a weekend of ritual at a nudist beach here in California. Wildflowers blossomed all around our campsite, their perfume mingling with the smoke from our altars as we burned lavender, mugwort and sage. Sea birds flew around the cliff sides, calling to their mates and we joined our calls with theirs. When night came our fire leapt high to greet the stars, our drums echoed to the beat of our hearts and the river sang in joy as it rushed forward to meet the sea. The Wild Hunt was a thing of beauty, celebrated among adults with humor, honor, trust and love. It is at these times that I feel truly blessed to part of a spiritual practice that celebrates the cosmic dance of life.

Blessed Be to you and yours in all your Rites and Mysteries.

Sia

Related Articles: Nudity at Festivals

Off the Shelf:

Help Support Full Circle: Any money made from book sales via the Powell's Books or Amazon links at this blog goes to support non-profit efforts such as the Pagan Voting Project, the Spiral Steps Support Groups, The Gaia's Guardian's Project (which supports those who do companion animal & wildlife rescue and work to protect the environment), and the Earthwise Networking Project (which helps like-minded folks connect to do some good where they live). Thank you so much.

Links:

California Coastal Records Project

The Women's Heritage Project

13 Moons: Why 13 Is My Lucky Number

Recreation of Lussell's Venus, France, 25,000 BCE
Banner by Lydia Rhule

Whenever Friday the 13th comes around we hear a lot of piffle about why the number 13 is thought to be unlucky. Most web sites will pass along the old canard about Judas and the Last Supper. That's not the real story. The real story is much more interesting (and before I tell it, I will ask the indulgence of feminist and other scholars for simplifying a very long tale indeed). Here we go:

The 13 Moon Calendar - AKA the Lunar Calendar - is a 28 day calendar that dates from prehistoric times. It dovetails with a woman's menstrual cycle. The link between women's blood mysteries, and the moon is held in high esteem among many Neopagans. This calendar was used all over the world for many thousands of years, and is still used in some cultures today. For example, the ancient major holidays celebrated by Muslims, Jews, and many people in Asian and India are all based on a lunar calendar. Native Americans also used a lunar calendar, and some still use it.

The so call "Venus Laussel" image (2) dates back 25,000 years. It is one of the earliest known calendars. The Woman/Goddess figure portrayed in this neolithic carving holds a lunar crescent in her right hand. (1) It has 13 notches, one for each of the 13 moons in the lunar calendar. (Here is a note on her position in the cave and how that relates to God/ess worship of that period.)

The number 13 has long been associated with the moon, women's mysteries and the Goddess. When patriarchy (usually run by those warrior guys with the pointy spears and the horses) took hold, women were subjugated, enslaved, dehumanized and turned into chattel. Queens, priestesses, artists, healers and leaders became mere breeders who would produce soldiers for the endless wars required by the God/King of that region. Worship of the Goddess in this period was destroyed as far as was possible. Conquerors would then change the rituals, stories and myths to make Her less powerful and subject to their male, solar God. (There are many books that write about this transition, but you can start with The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler - see book notes at the bottom of this post). Anything that belonged to Woman and the Goddess (including snakes, cats, the moon and the number 13) was held to be suspect and demonized. Stories were later made up to hide the real reasons why these things were so feared.

Ever wondered why there are 13 Witches in a coven? Each witch stands for a different moon in the year.

Donna Henes writing for Pagan Circle says that

Thirteen is certainly the most essentially female number — the average number of menstrual cycles in a year. The approximate number, too of annual cycles of the moon. When Chinese women make offerings of moon cakes, there are sure to be 13 on the platter. Thirteen is the number of blood, fertility and lunar potency.

She points out that,

Post-patriarchal mythology is also rich with symbolic references to the mystical power of 13. Besides Christ and his 12 disciples, there are Jacob and his 12 sons, Odysseus and his 12 companions, Medea and her 12 princesses, Romulous and his 12 shepherds, Roland and his 12 peers, Arthur and his 12 knights, and the head of Osiris and his 12 dismembered body parts...The United States has a full complement of significant 13’s, beginning with the original 13 colonies. The Great Seal pictures 13 stars, 13 bars, and a bald eagle sporting 13 tail feathers, holding 13 arrows and 13 olive branches. The official motto, "E Pluribus Unum" contains 13 letters.

The lunar calendar is found in many cultures, from the Incan, to the Druidic to the Egyptian, to the Essene, to the Mayan, to the Polynesian and the various Asian cultures, mostly famously the Chinese calendar. The ancient Hebrews also used a lunar calendar, and they, too, worshiped the Goddess. This 13 moon calendar was used throughout neolithic times and in the period we know as "pre-history"; a time when the Goddess and her image could be found around the globe. Not surprisingly, much of the best art from this period comes from Africa, the birthplace of us all.

This Christian story about the number 13 and Last Supper was simply their way to justify fear and distrust of what that number represents. The church Fathers knew that many outsiders in the Middle Ages; midwives, herbalists, alchemists, as well as "pagans and heathens" (my Celtic, Viking and German ancestors among them), were drawn to this number because they thought it was lucky, powerful or blessed in some way. The church feared it, just as they feared cats and the sexual/social power of women. This power was something they urgently sought to control.

Many people who dwelt outside of cities in those times (and thus outside much of the church's power) still lived and farmed by the lunar calendar. Among these "simple folk" may well have been those who passed along as much of the old traditions and stories as still survived.

 Let me be clear. I am not one of those people who believes that humans once enjoyed a splendid, pacific matriarchy. In other words, I do not believe we ever had a civilization entirely run by women (although I'm perfectly willing to try it, now). Nor do I believe that we have ever had a human civilization of any kind that was totally without violence or conflict, although the archaeological evidence from Thera (which may have been the origin for the myth of Atlantis) and the beautiful Catalhoyuk show that we came very close to that ideal. Even so, I've seen no scientific evidence to prove the earthwise version of Eden, beloved by so many feminist and Neo-Pagan writers, ever existed. Nor do I think that women are inherently better than men or that we could live and reign in perfect peace. (3) The problem is patriarchal systems; this is not about that nice guy next door or the one in your bed. (Well, for your sake, I hope not). If history doesn't convince you that humans are bloody minded, just look around your family dinner table during the holidays, and then tell me that humans can live closely together without conflict. Learning to handle conflict in healthy, creative and constructive ways is one of the great challenges of being human.

I believe that the sacred feminine was once honored and that in that time women enjoyed respect, power, and freedom. I believe that we, as human beings, and especially our children and elders, were all the better for it.  I believe that these cultural memories and strengths, and much of our personal power, was stripped from us long ago, and that we are now taking back Her gifts. Its important for us as individuals, for our spiritual growth as a culture, and quite possibly for our survival as a species, to reclaim the Sacred Feminine. In doing so we can also retrieve a positive, earthwise connection to Mother Earth and her creatures. So, for me, as a Green Witch, a Celt, a feminist and a one who honors women's spirituality, the number 13 is a very lucky number indeed.

Sia

Other Links:

The Subjugation of Women - Root Cause of Hunger

Early Calendars & Astrology (Venus & The Dog Days of Summer)

Why 13 Is a Very Lucky Number Indeed by Urban Shaman

Homepage for Catalhoyuk

The Christian Goddess Endnotes:

(1) Some scholars believe it to be a horn, possibly an early horn of plenty.

(2) The term "Venus figure" is problematic at best. Among other things, it demotes these figures to the level of sexualized icons or fertility totems, and denies them the status of revered Goddess figures.

(3) Again, let's try it for 30 generations or so, and find out.

Art by Lydia Ruyle
Women's History:

The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Eisler

For those who love images of the Goddess: The Great Mother (Mythos Books)

and Celtic GoddessesQueen of the Night: Rediscovering the Celtic Moon Goddess

Two by Gerda Lerner:

The Creation of Patriarchy (Women & History)

and

The Creation of Feminist Consciousness: From the Middle Ages to Eighteen-seventy (Women & History)

Click here to read an interview with the author

Faerie Worlds

Faerieworlds Festival - Eugene, Oregon - July 21st - 22nd

Faerie Magazine

Other Faerie Festivals in the U.S.

World of Froud

See you there.
Brian Froud and the Witches' Ball

I've been a fan of Brian Froud's work since the late 70's, when I picked up a copy of All the Giants Are Dead? at A Change of Hobbit bookstore in Southern California. (Thank you, Sherry).

In 2001 he was scheduled to be a surprise guest at our charity Witches' Ball. The theme that year was Fairies, and we used his images (with permission) when building the website. But the towers fell a month before our October date for the ball, travel became extremely difficult, and Brian and Wendy Froud were forced to cancel their U.S. tour. Even so, he sent us a number of signed prints via his print agent, and we put these into our Silent Auction, which helped to raise money for special needs cases over at our local animal shelter.

The 2001 Witches' Ball was one of our best balls ever. Despite the awful events only a month before, over 600 people came, many of them non-Pagans who wanted to support our charity work. (1) Full Circle paid thousands of dollars to rent a 3 level ballroom, and vendor space at the Scottish Rite Center. After 9/11 we thought no one would come, and we'd loose our shirts and disappoint our good friends at the animal shelter. Instead, we got all our money back, raised over $2,500 for the Silicon Valley Humane Society and gave out the Gaia's Guardian Award to a wonderful woman. It remains my favorite of all our Witches' Ball, in part because of the theme and Brian's kindness, and in part because so many good people came out in a time of great fear and deep sorrow to support a life affirming, charity event.

My thanks to our attendees, and all those talented, hardworking folks who made the Witches Balls possible.

Sia

(1) Our Witches Ball took 8 months to plan & execute. We had 15 Vendors in our Vendor room, Tribal Belly dancers as entertainment, gorgeous decorations that turned a dull space into a Faerie Wood, a professional photographer (who took keepsake photos of our guests in costume, and printed them right on the spot) a fabulous Dj, full Operations & Security Teams,
Theater Techs (all donating their time and expertise) and a small but mighty circle of dedicated (unpaid) Senior Staff who led our group of generous, responsible volunteers.

Women & The Mythic Arts

A Mirror To Her Self - The Feminine Face in Art:

You may have already seen this work by Eggman13 at YouTube (about 1 million people have). I loved it so much, I wanted to share it with those who may not have yet seen it.

My thanks to Terry Windling for the link.

The Endicotte Studio for the Mythic Arts

If you love Arts & Letters, you will adore the witty, informative and visually enchanting Blog. offered by the ESMA website.

Check out the Mythic Reading Lists, the Book Review Archives, The Gallery, The Writing Room, The Multi-Media section, and the Newsletter, as well.

Prints and T-shirts are also available.

The Endicott Studio, founded in 1987, is directed by Terri Windling and Midori Snyder, and supported by creative contributions from the Endicott Circle of mythic artists and scholars.

Revenues raised from books purchased through our site (via Amazon.com) benefit charities for children at risk.

Isn't It Iconic?

Now they've gone and done it. The folks at the Art of Spirit Live Journal Community share Pagan icons and graphics. Drat. Like I needed more icons.

Ok, maybe I do.

Goddess Bracelets:

I found this pretty site the other day. They look made to last, which is not something you can say about the work of every bead artist. Also, she puts a lot of time and effort into the notes on each Goddess. The pictures are clear enough to give you a good feel for what you are buying (again, not something that every web retailer does).

I do my own beading, so I'm picky about quality. If you buy one and you like it, let me know.

Someone's Soul Is Listening: Pagans, Censorship & Common Sense

"For every problem there is always a solution that is simple, obvious, and wrong."
(a line so good, that it is attributed to both Mark Twain and H.L. Menken,
but probably belongs to neither.)

I'm talking 'bout trouble, with a capital T

Censorship issues have sparked heated debate over at Live Journal in the last few months. (1) In brief, LJ intended to clean up a number of sites run by pedophiles, and in the process they deleted sites that contained fan fiction and/or hosted frank conversations among consenting adults. These particular sites had nothing to do with children or abuse of any kind, and some were hosted by or popular with Pagans. A recent c/net article goes into greater detail on this issue and it's aftermath.

LJ's Mea Culpa

What I find most hopeful in this story is that Live Journal learned something useful from their mistakes. This is something that we in the Pagan community don't always do.

Here is an excerpt from the announcement to their users.

Well we really screwed this one up… For reasons we are still trying to figure out what was supposed to be a well planned attempt to clean up a few journals that were violating Live Journal's policies that protect minors turned into a total mess. I can only say I’m sorry, explain what we did wrong and what we are doing to correct these problems and explain what we were trying to do but messed up so completely...

Where Do We Go From Here?

No one wants LJ to ignore this issue to such an extent that children are hurt. We all know by now that pedophiles use web groups as internet rings to organize, share obscene photos of children, and arrange meetings amongst themselves for purposes of child abuse. If LJ does not address the abuses of their site now, they could be confronted with so much public outrage later on that they resort to draconian measures. I , for one, don't want this to become such an issue that those clever ducks over U.S. Congress think they have to step in and "fix it".

Just the facts, Mame

While I agree with those who were outraged at LJ's overreaction, I would point out that:

1) LJ was trying to protect kids (and, let us be honest, their own bacon) via this process.

2) LJ learned a hard, public lesson about overarching censorship, transparent public policy, and better communication. (A lesson that the current U.S. administration and many Pagan groups, have yet to learn)

3) LJ has apologized for effecting some 500 sites (out of several million) and restored the legitimate sites.

4) LJ now moves forward to serve their users with a bit more caution and, one hopes, greater wisdom.

Pagan Organizers Take Note

Some are born with common sense. Some achieve common sense, and some have common sense thrust upon them. If we do not learn these lessons the easy way, the Goddess will give them to us again, and yet again, and so allow us to learn them the hard way.

It's all fun and games until somebody looses an eye

Most cyber citizens know that censorship and privacy rights will continue to be large issues on the internet. For example, Live Journal continues to be involved in a dispute over pictures of breastfeeding.

Here is an example of a letter sent to one parent, and that parent's response.

How would you settle this?

Deciding what is "tasteful" or what should be available for public and/or underage viewing and what should be censored has never been simple. Thoughtful people will see this as a chance to share points of view and negotiate a solution that works for the good of the majority while keeping the rights of the minority in mind. And this will no doubt upset some people whatever they decide. Other people will simply shout at each other, as they have always done, while accomplishing nothing at all. When I work with Pagan groups, I choose to work with the former types and leave the latter alone.

The problem of freedom in America is that of maintaining a competition of ideas, and you do not achieve that by silencing one brand of idea.
Max Lerner

Nobody ever said that democracy was easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. Kudos for those who stood up for free speech, and also to those who work to protect against the abuse of children. These two things can coexist. Like wolves and bears, those who work with different, but equally important mandates will confront these issues and they must learn where the boundaries are, and avoid crossing the line. If they don't, someone is bound to get hurt.

The great and invigorating influences in American life have been the unorthodox: the people who challenge an existing institution of way of life, or say and so things that make people think.
William O. Douglas

If you would like to see some positive work being done on the subject of digital rights, check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

True friendship can afford true knowledge. It does not depend on darkness and ignorance
Henry David Thoreau

In closing, I'd like to put in a word for common sense, and good judgment. Folks, let's be a little bit more careful about the wild-eyed rants, the manipulative and silly "spells", the posted curses (?!) and dogmatic bullying found within the Neopagan web, not to mention the hate speech, malicious rumors and bitter flame wars certain Pagans post so easily, and so thoughtlessly. When you see this sort of thing going on in your digital backyard, speak up, and let it be known that your spiritual practice does not support such behavior. It may not mean much to those who create such trash, bravely hidden as they are behind their screens, but these little bits of negative energy are like so many stones thrown into a pond,. They can have an enormous and harmful effect on those who live in this ecosystem, especially young people and newcomers.

Forget about the FBI, someone's soul is listening.


Sia

Author's Note: For more on this issue, please see an earlier article on Nudity At Festivals

Art: Photo of a young woman breastfeeding from the University of Michigan Health System website.

Endnotes:

(1) According to icon artist, Tyger:

LJ (under pressure from a Christian moral pressure group) has suspended over 500 journals/communities because they promote child abuse. Not so bad you might say, but what you don't know is that it has been a blanket suspension. Along with groups that actually do deserve to be suspended, places like support sites for victims of child abuse have gone. Literature discussion sites have been barred. Slash fiction sites have been cut off and journals for roll playing characters have been deleted. What is more, LJ did not feel that we, the members and users, should be told ! We had to find out from external news groups that Lj has decided to erode our rights to free speech and expression. The sites were suspended because they promoted illegal behavior. What step is next? As one gay LJ user states, I list 'gay marriage' among my interests--that is illegal in my state. With this wording my journal could be deleted, without warning, for the fact that I support equal rights of marriage for all."

Censorship is a slippery slope.

Indeed.