Crystal Blanton returns to Pagan-Musings to talk about her new anthology Shades of Ritual. Crystal last visited with KaliSara and RevKess in 2011 to talk about her anthology Pain and Faith in the Wiccan World (please note, RevKess misspoke as to when Crystal was first/last on the show). Both this new anthology and her earlier edited work Shades of Faith share essays and personal experiences from several Pagans of 
color. In late 2014 or early 2015 another anthology will be released that talks about race issues from several Pagan perspectives, Bringing Race to the Table. Crystal will be visiting with the hosts again for that release, perhaps with her co-editors.
In a first for PMPChannel, five of the contributors to the anthology, including Crystal herself, joined in the conversation. In this special three hour edition of Pagan-Musings you will hear from these contributors about being a Pagan of color. You will also hear the white folks on the show, RevKess and KaliSara, ask questions in an attempt to get a better understanding of what it might be like to be a person of color in the Pagan world.
The Guests (and when possible, links to their websites)
Crystal Blanton is an activist, writer, priestess, mother, wife, and social worker. She is a advocate for true diversity and multiculturalism within the Pagan community. Crystal is the author of Bridging the Gap and Pain and Faith in a Wiccan World, and the editor of Shades of Faith: Minority Voices in Paganism and Shades of Ritual; Minorities Voices in Practice. She also writes for The Wild Hunt, Sage Woman, and Daughters of Eve, a community blog on Patheos.com. A frequent speaker at Pagan conferences and festivals, and in her professional life, she serves disenfranchised youth in Oakland, California, while studying for a master’s degree in social work at a California State University.
Luna Pantera is a native San Franciscan and mother of an amazing 24 year old. She is an out of the Broom Closet Witch, professional tarot reader, Navigator at the Cross Roads, Master Reiki Practitioner, and body worker specializing on adult survivors of sexual assault. She currently works at the Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, CA. She is the founder of Theatre of the Ancestors. She is a feature author in the anthology, “Shades of Faith; Minority Voices in Paganism,” and is currently working on her forthcoming trilogy, “Both Sides Now.” She co-facilitates retreats up to Mount Shasta.BlackWitch
: Olivia Haynes writes Black Witch, a blog centered on the intersection of being Black and Pagan. She also currently resides in her hometown of Baltimore City, MD.
Clio Ajana is a high priestess, Hellenic Alexandrian tradition and Director of Education, E.O.C.T.O. She is deeply passionate about numerology, astrology, and writing as a spiritual practice. A writer for Daughters of Eve, her current projects include a work on the individual’s quest for a spiritual home, a second work on the intersection of racism, homophobia, and religious non-acceptance in modern society.and an exploration of eldercare in Paganism.
Szmeralda Shanel MA is a visual, ritual and performance artist. She is an initiate in the Anderson Feri/Faery tradition, a founding member of CAYA coven and an ordained priestess of Isis/Auset with the Fellowship of Isis and the Temple of Isis. Szmeralda is the founder of The Iseum of Black Isis, an iseum dedicated to Goddess Spirituality and Sacred Arts. She currently lives in Chicago, IL and works as a teaching artist, expressive arts therapist/facilitator, and tarot reader.
Alisa Kuumba Zuwena (passed away before the book went to press), Crystal read an exert from Alisa’s contribution so that her “voice” could be heard during this broadcast.
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by, Peggy McIntosh was cited as a resource by all five guests.
MUSIC
- Big Bad Gina – Freedom Connection – Lake of Dreams
- Queen Mother Imakhu – Sacred Mother (Anuk Mwt) – Water Woman
- Spiral Dance – Raven’s Lore – Magick
- Omnia – I Don’t Speak Human – Musick & Poetree
- Frenchy and the Punk – Batgirl – Bonjour Batfrog
nature make life worth living. She is the founding Priestess of Gaia’s Temple, an inclusive, Earth-based Ministry where she has written delivered monthly worship services since 2000. Her writing has been featured in Spindleweed Magazine, The Women of Wisdom Anthology, Witches and Pagans Magazine, Living in Season and The Medulla Review. A teacher of the Mysteries, Judith is a keynote speaker and has offered classes and workshops on the return of the Divine Feminine in conferences nationally. She treasures her profession and dedicates her work to restoring the balance of female and male energies in our culture.
Judith left her home in New York in 1989 and found her way to the Pacific Northwest. She’s worked as a stage performer and a psychic. She now has a practice as a professional psychic in Seattle and serves her community as the Priestess at Gaia’s Temple for the last 14 years. Along the way she put pen to paper and wrote eight short stories, one for each point on the Wheel of the Year. In October 2013 she submitted her manuscript to BookTrope and signed her contract for Along the Wheel of the year on Yule 2013. Nine months after her submission the finished project was released. In her visit on PMPChannel she talks in great details about the writing process through to the publishing and marketing of her book.
things, but not because they cannot handle the truth. More often than you might think it is because they are trying not to insult someone else. This one makes no attempt to avoid insulting people. It does, however, bring to light what many think of politically correct speech. An example of how politically correct can be more insulting than sugar-coated would be many of the attempts the straight community use when talking about the gay community, in particular the trans community. See, look there. In an attempt to be general and “politically correct” I left out lesbians and bisexuals, gender queer and gender fluid. Other attempts to be more encompassing of everyone who might fit into that community is the abbreviation “LGBTQA” Even that collection of letters leaves people out. Some like the acronym “SOGI”, sexual orientation and gender identity. This term is confusing for some, a literal look at the term would encompass the entirety of humanity. Perhaps that is the point. Maybe, just maybe, people should call it as they see it, or to use a phrase “call a spade a spade.” 
And then you have the opposite end of the spectrum. Memes that point out something that many might consider to be true. In this situation, many might consider it a fault to need alcohol and drugs to be entertained. Agreed. Drugs and alcohol are not necessary to have a good time. They can make for a little extra entertainment – like when your friend gets so drunk they can’t walk without falling down. In moderation, though, alcohol is fine – even some drugs are fine in moderation. RevKess would rather enjoy a glass of wine at dinner or while watching a movie than toke up, or even go out to the clubs. Combing through several pages of racist memes, none could be found that weren’t in some way disgusting or too far into the racist field (I think I need a shower now). But it is easy to understand that a racist meme is just wrong, insulting. Whether they are directed at whites, blacks, Jews, Asians, Latinos, whatever. They are all disgusting and insulting. After all this, there are some memes out there that are just down right funny, cute, or enlightening. Here is an 
example of one that is inspiring – at least for the bibliophiles out there. Just look around at RevKess’s home and you will see bookcases in every room (save the bathroom) and stacks of books literally to the ceiling. Never enough bookcases. And of course there are the snarky memes.
Pagan-Musings Podcast Channel 