PWN 2015.3.4: Here we go again

This week’s edition of PWN had a few hiccups. For that we apologize. We do want to thank you for muddling through our audio issues and listening to the show, nonetheless. KaliSara was a bit under the weather and was unable to participate. RevKess managed to slog through on his own. Talking about everything from RFRA’s to Workers’ Compensation, from Pagan music news and upcoming book releases. this edition will tackle a lot of bad and some very good news.

RevKess and KaliSara welcome your comments both here and on the Facebook page for Pagan Weekly News.

Links to Articles and Topics Covered

Music

  1. SJ Tucker – Go Away Godboy  – Sirens
  2. Heather Dale – The Poachers – The Green Knight
  3. Wendy Rule – The Serpent of Silver – Guided by Venus
  4. Jenna Greene – Spring Love – Crosroads
  5. Tuatha Dea – The Sky is Falling – Tuatha Dea

PWN: 2015 State of the Union and more

RevKess and KaliSara discuss the 2015 State of the Union Address from President Barack Obama. On  Tuesday 20 January 2015, President Obama delivered his annual State of the Union Address to Congress and the nation, indeed to the world. It was televised and streamed live on the internet, video recording and audio are available on various websites. RevKess watched the live stream from the White House YouTube channel. You can read the full transcript and listen to the audio through NPR. You can also read and hear Sen. Joni Ernst’s official GOP response on NPR. If you wish to fact check the State of the Union, visit this site.

Though Obama addressed many issues and plans for the administration moving into the next year or so, KaliSara and RevKess only addressed a handful of them. In just under an hour, Obama talks about many issues that are important to both the Pagan community and the citizens of the United States. In a two hour broadcast, your hosts only had time to discuss a few of them.

  • Minimum Wage

    NYTimes.com – Click to Enlarge

  • Housing
  • Health Care – including daycare expense
  • Net Neutrality
  • Community College for 2 years
  • First SOTU reference to Civil Rights for the gay, lesbian, AND bisexual, AND transgender community in the United States
  • Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
  • Some of the 2016 Presidential contenders respond to SOTU

RevKess was personally pleased to hear the inclusion of both bisexuals and transgender citizens when Obama addressed civil rights for all. As KaliSara sarcastically said (with humor, not derision), “He thinks they’re human!” Previous Presidents may have mentioned gays and lesbians, but this the first time a sitting President has included bisexuals and transgender people in such an important speech.

Other News

Many news stories of interest to the Pagan community were left out of this week’s edition due to time constraints. Tune in next week for more news and views for the Pagan minded.

MUSIC
  1. Chronilus – The Wild in Me – Threshold
  2. Celia – Mysterious Shaman – Shaman Journey
  3. Tuatha Dea (feat. Damh the Bard) – Irish Handfasting – The Tribe

MMM: Set List for 1/11/15

ad bannerMurf, *K8, Michelle and Phil were all around the table this morning for the second 2015 edition of Murphy’s Magic Mess on KZUM in Lincoln, NE. With a hodge podge of New Age, Pagan, and fun music and stories they shared their laughter, their time, and their joy with the listeners.

A note to those who were listening, Yes by Bone Poets Orchestra did not actually play during the two hour time slot, it instead was the launch song for Lavender Hill as the musicians are a poly family and that fits right in with the general theme of LavHill on KZUM.

  1. Deity – Wendy Rule -Deity
  2. Patterns Of Sun and Shade – Kathryn Kaye – Patterns of Sun and Shade
  3. Last Dance – Neil Tatar & David Darling – Where Did the Time Go
  4. Tesla’s Dream – Timothy Wenzel – Summon the Wind
  5. Other Planets – Erik Scott – Spirits
  6. Ys – Alan Stivell – Renaissance of the Celtic Harp
  7. King of the Faeries – Aine Minogue – The Twilight Realm
  8. Fairies Last Song – Waterboys – Appointment with Mr. Yeats
  9. Grey the Day – Betsy Tinney – Release the Cello
  10. In Our Place – Carmen Rubino – Aquarian Dream
  11. Two Monks – Jim Weise – Tales from Cultures Near and Far
  12. Dreamtime – Elvendrums – Gateway to Faerie
  13. Yidaki – Elvendrums – Gateway to Faerie
  14. Mishiamagu – Tuatha Dea feat. Celia – The Tribe
  15. Rite of Passage – Douge MacLean – Rite of Passage
  16. Allein Duinin – Tuatha Dea – Tuatha Dea
  17. Wisp of a Thing – Tuatha Dea – Tufa Tales
  18. The Goddess of Letting Go – Mama Gina – Goddess Kiss’d
  19. Sisters Waiting – Mama Gina – Goddess Kiss’d
  20. The Wild in Me – Cronilus – Threshold
  21. Urban Druid – Cernunnos Rising – Urban Druid
  22. Yes – Bone Poets Orchestra – Belladonna Smiles

Michelle is a “new” addition to the Mess. She is not officially a Minion yet, but she is getting some training on the boards and is encouraged to bring in some of her own music selections for use during the show. Michelle hails from the Order of the Red Grail, a local Wiccan church, and has been regularly guesting on the Mess for some time now. Murf recently extended the invitation to her to join the crue and make a Mess of things with the rest of us. Murf and her Minions are looking forward to get her trained on the boards and making her a permanent addition the Mess.

KZUM is coming up on their Spring Donation Drive, one of the two or three times a year the station asks the listeners to donate and support community radio. The drive is from 5 February to 12 February 2015, in time to celebrate the 37th anniversary of KZUM. You can find more information at the web site. The Crue of the Mess will be sharing more information as it becomes available through their Facebook page and during the live broadcasts.

From The Hum and the Shiver to Tufa Tales

Finally, after years of talking about it, KaliSara and RevKess got Tuatha Dea on the show. Joined by author Alex Bledsoe, Danny and Rebecca of Tuatha Dea talk music, inspiration, and taking a novel and making it into music.

From the back cover of the novel:

“No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark-haired, enigmatic, and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet loves in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music – hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.”

It was at a Pagan festival where Bledsoe and Tuatha Dea first met. As Bledsoe describes in the interview, he was sitting in his cabin, not intending to go to the concert hall, when he heard this amazing drumming echoing through the event site. He felt compelled to see who was making such a magical noise. When he saw Danny, Rebecca and the rest of the Tuatha on the stage he felt as if he was seeing the Tufa at one of their barn dances. After the concert he asked Danny and the family if he could include them in his next installment in the Tufa Tales. As one might say, that is when a legend was born.

Throughout the program, KaliSara and RevKess asked probing questions to get to the nitty gritty of creating not only the books, but the music as well. A true cooperative effort, Tufa Tales is an amazing mix of story and song, some of it taken straight from the pages of Bledsoe’s story.  In the program you will hear a small selection of music from the CD interspersed with back ground information and the inspiration of both projects. You’ll also learn a bit about Bledsoe’s other writings and the other music projects from Tuatha Dea.

THE MUSIC

KaliSara and RevKess focused on the music from the Tufa Tales release for this show. All of Tuatha Dea’s music worth a listen. At least in their opinions, and they are sure that you will agree. It should be noted that the version of Wisp of a Thing that was played on the podcast is available only as an mp3 download. The CD and video version of the song do not include the “siren” that starts the third portion of the set.

  1. Tuatha Dea – The Hum and the Shiver – Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae
  2. Tuatha Dea – Wisp of a Thing (Part 1, Primal Flight/Part 2, Curnens Lament/Part 3, Alive!) – Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae
  3. Tuatha Dea – Long Black Curl – Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae

Additional Links

Review of Tufa Tales by David Banach from Witches&Pagans

Cooperhead Road by Steve Earle Bledsoe used Copperhead Road in a workshop to explain how music can tell a story that covers generations. Similar to how Wisp of a Thing tells a tale over many years.

A Messy Blues

ad bannerFor the fifth year in a row Phil cobbled together a Blues program to fill the time slot for Murphy’s Magic Mess on KZUM. Every Labor Day Weekend KZUM preempts all programming for 83 hours of Blues. In the past this has been more of a challenge for Phil and the rest of the Mess, this year was different. The challenge was to whittle it down to two hours of music. Didn’t quite happen that way, he had 2 hours and 27 minutes of music and Murf  joined the fun with another 47 minutes of music. Clearly not everything on their lists got played.

Kate was off for the weekend attending a family gathering. Michelle and her husband stopped in briefly to share the fun of Murf’s birthday.

 

The following is the played list of music.

MUSIC for 31 August 2014

  1. Outside the Blues – The Bodhi Brothers – Organically Grown
  2. Movin’ Out Blues – North Sound – Jazz Wolf
  3. I Wanted You to Walk (Right Thru That Door) – Candye Kane – Comin’ Out Swingin’
  4. City Streets – Lisa Hilton – Getaway
  5. Los Angeles Blues – Ciro Hurtado – Los Angeles Blues
  6. Homeless Blues – Linda Herschorn – Roots and Wings
  7. Cello Noodle 3-1-14 – Betsy Tinney – unreleased
  8. Boston + Blues – Lisa Hilton – Getaway
  9. The Devil is an Angel Too – Janiva Magness – Bury Him at the Crossroads
  10. Bury Him at the Crossroads – Janiva Magness – Bury Him at the Crossroads
  11. History of the World – Coyote Poets – Pandora’s Box
  12. I Got the Will (But I Can’t Find My Way) – Etta James – Seven Year Itch
  13. Celluloid Heroes – Blackmore’s Night – Autumn Sky
  14. Skye Boat Blues – Tuatha Dea – Kith & Kin
  15. Reincarnation Blues – Skypilot – Under the Radar
  16. Working Girl Blues – Reel World String Band – Mountain Songs
  17. Talking Wheelchair Blues – Fred Small – Heart of the Appaloosa
  18. Howie’s Norvegian Bluess – Tom Smith – And They Say I’ve Got Talent
  19. Overflowin’  Cat Box Blues – Cynthia McQuillan – Bedlam Cats
  20. I Used to be a Powerful Priestess – Leigh Ann Hussey – Homebrew (radio edit)
  21. Hoopty Blues – Murphey’s Midnight  Rounders – Running on Empty
  22. Black Swan Blues – SJ Tucker – Stolen Season Sneak Peaks EP
  23. Blood and Bones – Coyote Poets – Pandora’s Box

On Sunday 7 September 2014 we’ll return with our usual Mess of music and fun, plus the second half of the SJ Tucker and Betsy Tucker interview from 19 August.

A Windy Mess – MMM 071314

Its been kind of breezy around these parts the last several days, so Murf thought it would be an awesome idea to use Wind as a theme for this weekend’s show. In the playlist below you will find a collection of mostly “windy” music. This is part of a  monthly series of shows that will address the elements. Expect us to do Fire for August, Water for September, and Earth for October.

With quite a bit of the music in the first hour or so being music that Phil has podcast permission for, you can click on the image to the left to listen to “Selections from the Mess” and hear some of what you might have missed (or enjoyed live) on Sunday 13 July 2014. With any luck, Phil will be able to do these “Selections” on a regular basis again starting with this edition and continuing on. This edition of Selections was edited and posted to the Pagan-Musings Podcast Channel on Wednesday 16 July 2014.

Playlist for the Mess

  1. Wytches’ Chant ’98 – Inkubus Sukkubus – Away with the Fairies
  2. A Sign of the Dragon – Steven Vitali – Language of the Soul
  3. On Gossamer Wings – John Luttrell – The Dream Exchange
  4. Clear Night – Jennifer DeFrayne – by a wire
  5. Air – Louis Colaiannia – Closer
  6. Whispers in the Dark – Peter Calandra – Inner Circle
  7. Desert Wind – Ricky Kej & Wouter Kellerman – Winds of Samsara
  8. Chidakash (inner sky) – Nadaka & Gopika – Surya-chants of light
  9. Wind in the Pipes – Meg Davis – Captain Jack and the Mermaid
  10. Goddess of the Wind – Ancient Brotherhood – Nature Goddesses
  11. Aeolus the Wind – Ruth Barrett & Cynthia Smith – The Heart is the Only Nation
  12. Wind Whisper, Wind Wail – Chorus of Life – Gaia’s Voice
  13. the Wind of Keltia – Alan Stevell – Master Serie
  14. Into the Wind – Colette O’Conner – Web in the Corner
  15. Irish Handfasting – Tuatha Dea – The Tribe
  16. Singing on the Wind – Anne Lister – Singing on the Wind
  17. Four Winds – Peter Conover – Falcon
  18. Gone with the Wind – Blackmore’s Night – Under a Violet Moon
  19. They Call the Wind Maria – Ed Ames – Very Best of
  20. Wild Soul – Cernunnos Rising – Urban Druid
  21. Order of Wind – Christopher Caouette – Ring of Dragons
  22. Let the Wind Blow – Wendy Rule – Black Snake
  23. Wind Across the Ridge – Dale Bacon –  Poems
  24. Master of the Wind – Van Canto – Break the Silence

Playlist for Selections from the Mess

  1. A Sign of the Dragon – Steven Vitali – Language of the Soul
  2. On Gossamer Wings – John Luttrell – The Dream Exchange
  3. Clear Night – Jennifer DeFrayne – by a wire
  4. Air – Louis Colaiannia – Closer
  5. Whispers in the Dark – Peter Calandra – Inner Circle
  6. Desert Wind – Ricky Kej & Wouter Kellerman – Winds of Samsara
  7. Chidakash (inner sky) – Nadaka & Gopika – Surya-chants of light
  8. Irish Handfasting – Tuatha Dea – The Tribe
  9. Gone with the Wind – Blackmore’s Night – Under a Violet Moon
  10. Wild Soul – Cernunnos Rising – Urban Druid
  11. Let the Wind Blow – Wendy Rule – Black Snake
  12. Wind Across the Ridge – Dale Bacon –  Poems

Thank you to *K8 or typing up the original playlist as posted on Facebook.

Remember that you can tune into Murphy’s Magic Mess live every Sunday morning at 9 Central on KZUM-Lincoln/KZUM-HD (89.3 FM on radio in the Lincoln, NE area).

Murf, *K8, and Phil are always happy to try to meet requests from the listeners. Leave a comment here, on Facebook, or call us during the show (402-474-5086) to make a request. Even if we do not have the music with us that Sunday we will do our best to meet your requests for the next show.

MMM: Soundbackers Union 2014

ad bannerLast year started a new membership drive at KZUM, the Soundbackers Union. An exclusive group of member-listeners who get special benefits from KZUM – including discounted concert tickets, elite swag, and other exciting benefits. For one week every June the station does a fund raising campaign for the Soundbackers Union. Murphy’s Magic Mess put together a special playlist for  the event. The campaign for the 2014 membership of the Soundbackers ends on the 23rd at midnight Central time, but KZUM is always open to new member-listeners and donations to support Nebraska’s first and only community radio station.

Tracks 7 and 8 were arranged in honor of Sparky T. Rabbit, one of the voices of Lunacy. Sparky passed away a little over two weeks ago. As Murf said during the show, “what is remembered never dies.”

  1. God is Alive, Magic is Afoot – Buffy St. Marie – Best of Buffy Sainte-MarieSoundbackers-Final
  2. The Gift – Louis Colaiannia – Closer
  3. Orange Sky – John Luttrell – The Dream Exchange
  4. Summer Reunion – Jennifer DeFrayne – by a wire
  5. Songbird in the Morning – Larken Lyre – Extraordinary Voyage
  6. One and Only – Lisa Hilton – Kaleidoscope
  7. For the Love of All Who Gather/Floor of Heaven – Betsy Tinney – Release the Cello
  8. Shango – Lunacy – Lunacy
  9. Noon of the Solstice – Damh the Bard – Spirit of Albion
  10. Down in the Garden – Damh the Bard – Antlered Crown and Standing Stone
  11. Flowers to Make into Wine – Alan Austin –
  12. Flower of Ireland – Spiral Dance – Over Nine Waves
  13. Family Garden – John McCutcheon -Family Garden
  14. Crying for the Honey Bee – Cernunnos Rising – (unreleased)
  15. The Garlic Waltz – Sally Rogers and Claudia Schmidt –
  16. Salad of Doom – SJ Tucker – Mischief
  17. Fin and the Old Man – John Redbourn – Wheel of Fortune (story)
  18. White Rabbit – Tuatha Dea – The Tribe
  19. Little Which House – Serpentine – Rock the Goddess
  20. Pagan Born – Inkubus Sukkubus –
  21. House of Mama Dragon – SJ Tucker –  Haphazard

Murphy’s Magic Mess airs  live every Sunday morning at 9am Central, bringing the listener two hours of new age and Pagan music from around the world. Celebrating 20 years with KZUM, Murf, *K8, and Phil are thrilled to bring you a unique collection of music every week!

PWN: Religious & Political News discrimination

RevKess goes solo again for this edition of PWN. That means a little bit more music than you might usually expect, but plenty of news coverage and opinion bits. Zaracon is settling into his new living arrangement and getting used to things there.

RevKess’s work schedule got turned upside down this week, adding to his already hectic schedule with rehearsals for a musical he is in this spring. This and other factors made for a one hour edition of PWN this week.

LINKS to stories and op-ed pieces discussed

  • It is with sadness in our hearts that we make formal announcement of the passing of Donald Michael Kraig. You can read an obituary and comments from loved ones and friends on The Wild Hunt.
  • Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps is reported to be dying, according to a Facebook message from his estranged son Nathan Phelps. He was also excommunicated from the WBC back in August 2013, a disagreement with other elders of the church about being “kinder” to others. Update: Since our broadcast Wednesday morning, Fred Phelps has passed away. Stay tuned to PMPChannel.com for RevKess’s editorial on the life and times of Fred Phelps.
  • Federal Judge rules in favor of the student after a creationist teachers calls his beliefs “stupid” and orders the school staff and faculty be educated on the 1st Amendment by an ACLU approved attorney.
  • St Patrick’s Day parade boycotts in NYC and Boston. Both mayors and three major beer bottlers drop support of the St. Patrick’s Day parades in the cities. Sam Adams, Heineken and Guinness.
  • Cognitive Dissonance on PaganActivist.com
  • ReligiousTolerance.org

MUSIC

  1. Damh the Bard – The Parting Glass – Tales from the Crow Man
  2. Heather Dale – Call the Names – Call the Names
  3. Celia – Symbol
  4. Tuatha Dea – Ye Jacobites by Name – Tuatha Dea
  5. Frenchy & the Punk – House of Cards – Happy Madness

PWN: Z & RevKess Return

After a long absence, Zaracon is easing back into podcasting. He joined RevKess this morning for a new edition of Pagan Weekly News. In the first part of the show you will hear why both Z and RevKess have been absent from PWN for a little while.

Here at the Pagan-Musings Podcast Channel we love our musicians and we love to share their music with our listeners. Four of those musically inclined friends are either releasing new CDs this month or working on fund raising campaigns for upcoming CD releases. Mama Gina‘s second CD “The Undertaker’s Daughter” is due out the middle of March. Tuatha Dea is campaigning to raise funds for their “Tufa Tales” project. Heather Dale’s ambitious campaign to not only raise funds for a DVD but to tour her Celtic Avalon workshop is well under way. Frenchy and the Punk are also working on a campaign for their newest musical contribution.

Wiccanate Privilege has been a topic of late for many Pagans of various flavors. David Salisbury was simply musing on his wall Monday night and it turned into a wonderful discourse between many Pagans. If you can, we encourage you to read the thread. A similar discourse took place elsewhere on Facebook.

Heathens on the boundaries of Paganism, RevKess stumbled across a thread in the group Nebraska Heathens United that was inspired by the linked article.

Salem, Mass adds transgender to their non-discrimination laws. Witch City USA is just a little bit further along than some of her neighboring communities. Our gratitude to those who made this possible.

Arizona, among other states, has been battling for certain “freedoms” that would legally allow bigotry – beyond freedom of speech. These religious freedom laws would make it possible for business and professionals to refuse service to anyone who the individuals feel stand against their personal religious beliefs. Heather Greene covers the topic well in her article for the Wild Hunt.

Michigan same-sex marriage trial: RevKess gathered together a selection of links to articles and other coverage related to the on-going trial in Michigan. Those links are all thanks to his friend Cindy Clardy, a former programer on KZUM in Lincoln, NE.

Satanic Panic in South Africa is alive and well. Being spurred on by the Occult Crimes Unit of the South African Police Services and misinformation from evangelicals in the region, citizens are falling victim to false accusations of witchcraft and other demonic activities. IOL News out of South Africa is doing its part to “spread the word” on these supposed crimes and the jumping-to-conclusions by the Occult Crimes Unit.

The Norse Mythology Blog has once again been nominated for Religion Blog of the Year for the Bloggies. If the blog wins again this year it will be inducted into the Bloggies hall of fame, having received the award for three years.

MUSIC

  1. Mama Gina – Song of Atonement – Goddess Kiss’d
  2. SJ Tucker – Firebird’s Child – Solace & Sorrow
  3. Tuahta Dea – The Blessing – The Tribe (featuring Spiral Rhythm)
  4. Dragon Ritual Drummers – Serpentine Seduction – Tribal Magick
  5. Mama Gina – Freya’s Lullaby – The Undertaker’s Daughter

PMP: 2014 Pagan Community Events, and more

Thank you for stopping in to view the notes from our show which aired on Sunday 2 March 2014. KaliSara and RevKess had a wonderful conversation about community events and festivals. Unfortunately, the gremlins decided that they wanted to have some fun as well. Thus the audio from RevKess’s end is chopping. For that we sincerely apologize. Between the weather, ancient wiring in his apartment, and other technical issues, there is nothing that could be done to fix the problem.

That said, the conversation was full of wonderful information.
As RevKess was prepping for the show he did a simple Google search for the term “2014 Pagan Festivals”. One of the first links to come up was an article at About.Com in their Paganism/Wicca section. More of an almanac than a listing of festivals, it has some very interesting information. A list of ancient festivals, mostly Greek; birthdays of important individuals in the Pagan movement as well as those who have had influenced on our lives – Joseph Campbell for example.
KaliSara also found some wonderful links on the web, those are listed below:
They spoke in some small detail about a rural-snall town based Pagan group in Central Nebraska. Prairie Star Circle hosted the Kearney Pagan Pride Day in 2013. KaliSara and her family attended that event. Below is the Facebook link and official website of Prairie Star Circle:
RevKess noted that there is also a Nebraska based Druid group, Prairie  Shadow ProtoGrove is based out of Omaha. Their Facebook group is currently closed to the public, but one can ask to join.

MUSIC

  1. Celia – Connected – For the Asking
  2. Tuatha Dea – White Rabbit – The Tribe
  3. Frenchy & the Punk – Mutiny in the Ranks – At the Carnival Eclectique
  4. Mama Gina – Grandmother Tree – (single, available through Reverbnation.comPlease note that RevKess misspoke after playing Mama Gina on the show. Her music is available through ReverbNation.com, NOT BandCamp.
  5. Omnia – Wake Up – Wolf Love

RevKess is pleased, no thrilled, to note that Mama Gina quotes his review of Goddess Kiss’d CD in the “press” section of her ReverbNation page. Listen to RevKess’s interview with Mama Gina on Musica Pagani.