Top stories of the week in Paganism and Shinto:
- The Netherlands: Women raise voices to call for monument to victims of witch hunt
- Turkey: Greek God Pan found in Istanbul excavation
- Nara’s famed deer bowed less frequently during pandemic
And more – see below…
Pagan News
From Taylor Swift’s tour to statehouses, witches are blamed for climate of fear
Religion News Service
One historian sees a replay of 17th century moral panics in today’s increasing social media attacks on witches, saying, ‘It is getting weird.’…
US: Christian monument at Massachusetts college is vandalized with slogans like ‘Pagan Rule’
Daily Mail
A Christian monument at the heart of a Massachusetts college has been repeatedly vandalized with offensive slogans including ‘Hail Satan’ and ‘Pagan Rule’…
UK: Pagan celebrant throws mum Viking-inspired living funeral with Norse gods and Danish pastries
The Irish News*
A pagan celebrant has held a Viking-inspired living funeral for her mother, complete with Danish pastries, apple candles and references to Norse gods, after the sudden death of a close friend made her appreciate the “fragility of life” and inspired her to give her mum a “true celebration”…
UK: From Salem to Scotland – new witchcraft store set to open in heart of Edinburgh
Higgypop
The Massachusetts-based folk art and craft store, The Witchery, is set to open its brand new sister store, Wheel of Fate, located in Causewayside, Edinburgh, in the coming weeks…
Astrology, tarot and queer spiritualities can be tools of power
Pink News
While many may roll their eyes at these phenomena and behaviours, Jackson King thinks there’s something to be said for queer spiritualities…
Astrologer Chani Nicholas opens up about the power of the zodiac sign and how new motherhood changed her
The Globe and Mail
Spring means the start of gardening season, the NHL playoffs and the Met Gala. But this year for Canadian astrologer Chani Nicholas – and devout followers of astrology – the window from March 23 to June 11 marks the once-in-a-lifetime transit of Pluto entering Aquarius…
Summer solstice 2023 date, meaning and what happens at Stonehenge
iNews*
In 2023 the summer solstice – the longest day of the year – falls on Wednesday 21 June, the same date as last year…
Shinto News
Nara’s famed deer bowed less frequently during pandemic
The Japan Times*
The Nara Park deer in western Japan bowed less frequently during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to a decline in tourists, a group of researchers at Nara Women’s University and Hokkaido University found…
The shortage of priests
Mimusubi
It seems that, recently, new priests looking for a jinja have moved beyond considering the location and the fame of the jinja…
Shinto and Islam in the changing religious tapestry of Japan
Global Village Space
Challenges increase in Japan due to the growing Muslim population over the past two decades, sparked debates about peaceful coexistence…
What it’s like to pray for concert tickets, money, and more at Tokyo’s specialty Fukutoku Shrine
SoraNews24
Fukutoku Jinja, originally founded around 865, is the actual name of this Shinto shrine known today as a power spot for praying to win the lottery, money, or concert tickets…
Iya Shrine: The setting of one of Japan’s oldest legends
Japan Today
Located east of Shimane Prefecture’s capital city, Iya Shrine and a nearby site known as Yomotsuhirasaka are famous because they are believed to be connected to the entrance of Yomi no kuni (the Shinto realm of the dead)…
“Shichifukujin”: Japan’s seven gods of fortune
Nippon.com
The fisherman god Ebisu, music goddess Benzaiten, and warrior god Bishamonten are among Japan’s Seven Gods of Fortune, which personify good luck…
“Oni” and outsiders in Japanese cultural history
Nippon.com
Oni have become familiar supernatural creatures in Japan, appearing in numerous popular works. Historically, however, the country’s society associated them with outsiders and targets of prejudice, including women and wartime enemies…
Other News
Turkey: Greek God Pan found in Istanbul excavation
Greek City Times
The excavation works carried out at Saraçhane Archaeology Park in Istanbul has revealed a new artifact as a fragment of a statue depicting Pan, the Greek god of shepherds and flocks in ancient Greek mythology, is unearthed…
“Unique” 2,000-year-old Roman phallus, face, and horn carving discovered in Spain
IFL Science
The discovery in Benidorm was revealed by heavy rain, but what do these strange carvings represent?…
A 7,000-year-old figurine may hold secrets about ancient rituals on the Italian Peninsula
The Wild Hunt
Sapienza University in Rome has announced in a statement the discovery of a puzzling 7,000-year-old figurine…
Pommelte, Germany’s answer to Stonehenge, is out to woo new visitors
The Star
Stonehenge is known around the world, but the wooden edifices at Pommelte are far from a major attraction in Germany, despite this circular settlement being at least as old as the standing stones in England…
UK: Unusual markings designed to ‘ward off witches’ discovered at historic Chesterfield landmark
Chesterfield News
A series of unusual markings on the fireplace at Chesterfield’s Revolution House have been officially confirmed as protection marks designed to ward off witches…
UK: Council orders removal of ‘gaudy’ Pittenweem witch mural
BBC
A Scottish council has ordered the removal of a giant mural by a renowned street artist…
Ancient Egyptian necropolis reveals more stunning finds – including mummification workshop
Metro
A stunningly well-preserved Egyptian sarcophagus has been unearthed in ancient mummification workshops and tombs discovered near the capital Cairo…
UK: Return of the Gods
The Past
A new exhibition running at the World Museum in Liverpool illuminates some of the key figures of ancient Greek and Roman myth, and explores how religious beliefs entwined with everyday life in the Classical world…
Sol Invictus: The pagan Sun god that helped Christianity conquer the Roman Empire
Big Think
Before Constantine received his history-defining vision, a pagan Sun god paved the way for Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into the Eternal City…
‘Witch Hunts’ Past & Present
The Netherlands: Women raise voices to call for monument to victims of witch hunt
Dutch News
Hundreds of people across the Netherlands joined demonstrations on Saturday laying white flowers and calling for official recognition of the women – and several men – murdered as medieval witches…
UK: Mysterious monument at heart of play on Scottish witch hunts
The National*
The cruelty and injustice of the Scottish witch hunts are to be marked in a play inspired by the mysterious Maggie Wall monument…
How ‘witcherature’ is giving voices back to women
Brecon & Radnor Express
The rise of spirituality has incorporated witchcraft, and today we are seeing more people reclaim what it means to be a witch…
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