Tag Archives: Witch Hunts

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PMP: Kerr Cuhulain – Witch Hunts, The Wizard

KaliSara and RevKess were joined once again by Kerr Cuhulain, now retired from the Canadian Police, to talk about his many projects and the work he has done for the Pagan community. Kerr is the author of several books, including Full Contact Magick, How to Be Glorious, The Wizard, and Witch Hunts. The focus of this episode was on the re-release of Witch Hunts and the publication of The Wizard, both available through Dark Moon Press. In his previous visit we focused on How to Be Glorious, 15 December 2012.

Kerr was running a little late, so the first 30 minutes of the show has KaliSara and RevKess talking food. What better topic for a bunch of Pagans?

Both hosts have had the pleasure of spending some one on one time with Kerr Cuhulain at Heartland 2012. They sat together to observe his Armoring Ritual that year where he shared his duties with Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary. Towards the end off this episode you can hear Kerr talk about the armoring ritual, and modern knighthood, and some of the surprises he has had during that ritual.

Kerr Cuhulain was the first openly Wiccan cop anywhere in the world (1977). Though many may have been in law enforcement prior to his coming out to his superiors, Kerr was the first. He made a name for himself in Canada as the liaison between the Pagan community and the police during the Satanic Panic of the 80’s and 90’s. Since that time he has been asked to speak at many conventions of law enforcement and been involved in the background work on many cases, including the West Memphis 3.

Now that he is completely retired from his police work (most recently as a 911 dispatcher) he says that we can expect more books, workshops and other projects coming from him. He is a former Preceptor General of the Officers of Avalon and has been involved in the ground work for many other organizations for first responders who are Pagan. The hosts are looking forward to talking with him again in the near future, perhaps even face to face again.

MUSIC

  1. Damh the Bard – The Songs and Daughters of Robin Hood – Antlered Crown and Standing Stone
  2. Cernunnos Rising – The Witches Tree – Urban Druid
  3. Mama Gina – Waking Panther – (single, available on ReverbNation)
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PMP: The Inquisition & Witchcraft in the Early Americas (pt 1)

Click to listen.

On 20 July 2013 RevKess presented the first part of a series on the history of the Inquisition in Europe and Witchcraft in Early America. KaliSara took the weekend off.

A rather ambitious topic to attempt to tackle, even within a series. The first part of the series introduces the topic and contains an interview with musician and composer Robert McClung from Telergy. Robert visited the show in May to talk about Telergy’s latest release Legend of Goody Cole. This visit he will talked about the upcoming Goody Cole Memorial on 11 August 2013.

As an introduction, the first of the series will just touch upon the topic.

Galileo facing the Roman Inquisition

Galileo facing the Roman Inquisition

The Inquisition began in Europe during a time of feudal wars, Catholic and Protestant schisms and an economic atmosphere that left the old, the infirm, and the poor to struggle for their mere survival. Interesting to note that there is a very similar atmosphere and circumstances around the world today.

After the “discovery” of the New World, these sentiments towards the “other” moved across the Atlantic into Colonial America with those who immigrated to a land of “new found freedom”. Accusations of witchcraft and devilry increased in both Europe and the Americas as death and disease swamped the population. In both parts of the world, the haves and the havenots were just as likely to make accusations or be accused.

Even before the institution of the Inquisition was created by Pope Innocent VIII trials for witchcraft and other heresies occurred within the Catholic Church. As early as 319, according to Sommers, the Catholic Church was codifying laws that were used to protect the believers from the evils of witchcraft. As with the later Inquisition and the witch-craze in New England, many “innocents” were accused, tried, convicted and executed under cannon law.

During the Inquisition, it was not the Church herself who carried out the physical punishments for those convicted of witchcraft and other heresies. The convicts were handed over to the secular arm of the government. The punishments for these “crimes” was well known by the Church and the secular government, it is hard to believe that the Church was not fully aware of the extent to which the government or local authorities would go to punish heretics. Thus, many believe that the Church is just as culpable in the deaths of the innocent and guilty alike.

Court proceedings in Salem, Mass.

Court proceedings in Salem, Mass.

Men, women, and children throughout history have been accused of witchcraft and not just by the Catholic and Protestant churches. Around the globe, people often point to the other out of fear, greed, and ignorance whenever they cannot explain the problems of the day. Disease, famine, death, drought, and many otherwise natural but tragic events were often explained away as witchcraft and devilry. Out of fear, greed, and ignorance – three of the prime motivators – people of walks of life were (and still are) capable of blaming that which is different – the other – for all their problems.

Even today, in places like South Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and still in Europe and the United States, people look to witchcraft as an explanation of why they are suffering. This series will attempt to look not only at the Inquisition and witch-craze of Colonial America, but to look to modern witch hunts and come to an understanding as to why these events took place in history and still happen across the globe today.

Links

  • Wikipedia’s article on the Inquisition. RevKess understands that Wikipedia is not the best source for information on the net, but it is one of the most easily accessible to the general web surfer.
  • Sacred-Texts has Montague Sommers’ translation of the Melleus Maleficarum on their site for you to read.
  • From the History Channel, an article about the “first witch hunt” in Colonial America.
  • Visit Telergy‘s website for more information on the CDs Legend of Goody Cole and The Exodus. Listen to an early interview with Robert McClung here. Visit the Hampton Historical Society and Tuck Museum for more information on August 11th event.
  • You can download or read the full text of Margaret Murray’s The Witch Cult in Western Europe here.

Music

  1. Telergy – Incarceration – Legend of Goody Cole
  2. Telergy – Accusations – Legend of Goody Cole
  3. Telergy – Voyage – Legend of Goody Cole
  4. Telergy – Escape – The Exodus
  5. Telergy – Meeting House Green Pt 1 – Legend of Goody Cole
  6. Featherscale – Chapel Perlious – Gypsy Heart
  7. Telergy – Exoneration – Legend of Goody Cole
  8. Telergy – Verdict – Legend of Goody Cole
  9. Telergy – Ghost – Legend of Goody Cole
  10. Paradiso  – Time Lapse – Shaman’s Trance

Suggested Reading

Coming soon to the Pagan-Musings Podcast  Channel, the second part to this new series on the Inquisition and Witchcraft in the Early Americas. RevKess will be putting together a number of episodes for this series. He wants to provide as clear of information as possible, as well as provide intelligent discourse on the topics at hand. These episodes will be recorded and edited for clarity. The series will air in installments as the episodes become available. Check with the Pagan-Musings Podcast Channel on BTR for upcoming episodes.

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PWN #94

Hello, listeners! Thank you for checking out the show notes for 21 May 2013, the 94th edition of the Pagan Weekly News.

Zaraccon and RevKess would like to thank the listener for tuning in, either live or in archive, and bringing them into your home, office or where ever it is you listen to PWN. Every week they strive to bring you the news from a Pagan perspective as well as talk about current issues in the global Pagan community. Often times you will hear one or both of them get up on their soap box on an issue, which you heard in this edition. You will also find them having fun, after all, if you are not having fun you are doing it wrong!

Links

RevKess and Zaracon would like to take a moment hear to pay respect to those who have lost their lives during the tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma earlier this week. They are our in the hearts, thoughts, and prayers of many people across the United States and around the world. PMPChannel guest and musician, George Nicholas of Cernunnos Rising made a post to the official Facebook feed for Cernunnos Rising letting his fans know that the good people of Oklahoma are indeed in his thoughts and prayers. Faith Hamilton, a regular listener and sometimes guest on PMPChannel, a resident of Kentucky, has been keeping her FB peeps up to date on what is going on in her area as well as in the OKC area. To all the first responders, rescue personnel and everyone else who is working so very hard to make this tragedy easier for those who have suffered a loss of home, loved one, or propery: May the Gods bless you, each and everyone! You are truly heroes!

Music

  1. SJ Tucker – Alligator in the House – Sirens
  2. Omnia – Morrigan: I-The Maiden, II-The Mother, III-The Crone – Crone of War 
  3. Pagan Polka – SONA – Spoonwalk

What We Didn’t Have Time For

Sometimes there just is not enough time to get to everything that Z and RevKess want to cover. Here you will find some links to stories that there just wasn’t time for….

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PWN #91: SAPRA and Witch Hunts

Every April Pagans around the world, especially in South Africa, pay extra attention to the tragedy of modern witch hunts in what some in the United States and Europe would call “under developed” or “third world” countries.

Music Played:

  1. Telergy -Scene 1 – Legend of Goody Cole Scene 1 contains dramatized “accusations” against Eunice Cole. Tune into our special edition on Memorial Weekend to hear an interview with Robert McClung, the man behind Telergy and learn more about Goody Cole and all the players and musicians inolved in the creation of this astounding CD.
  2. Telergy – Incarceration – Legend of Goody Cole This track’s music gives the listener a feel for the emotions that Eunice Cole may have been experiencing during her imprisonment. 
  3. Celia – Beltane Song/Dance the Night Away (rough cut) Final version of the song released in time for Beltaine 2013. Visit Celia’s website to purchase/download the final cut of this beautiful and fun song.

Links and Resources:

sapralogoThe South African Pagan Rights Alliance (SAPRA) was founded in 2004 as a grass roots reaction to the outdated anti-witchcraft laws in the SA constitution. For many years native Africans have been accusing their neighbors of “witchcraft”, attacking them, beating, raping, murdering these accused witches. These attacks have nothing to do with what many modern Pagans consider to be witchcraft. They are based on tribal or ancient traditions, predating the introduction of Christianity and other monotheistic religions into these parts of the world. Many of these people who are accused of witchcraft are actually accused of what Damon Leff calls “fabricated” witchcraft. Faith healers, traditional healers, tribal and native spiritual leaders. These people do not consider themselves to be witches, even though Christians lump those works and followers of traditional African religions into the same category as “devil worshippers” and “witches”.

For more information on SAPRA and witch hunts around the globe, please visit their website. Zaracon and RevKess would like to thank Damon Leff for his continued work towards a better global community and a safer environment in South Africa for native religionists and Pagans. They would also like to thank all of their listeners for their continued support with PWN and PMPChannel.

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PWN #90: Kyrja, Boston & Witch Hunts

The 90th edition of the Pagan Weekly News was full of emotional content. Zaracon and RevKess visited with Kyrja, author of the KyrjaRupert’s Tales series for children regarding the hate crime attacks on her and her community. As we discussed in a recent episode of the Pagan-Musings Podcast, Kyrja has been under attack from unknown assailants for several months. The attacks escalated from verbal abuse in December to shots being fired at her home in March and more recently chemical bombs being lobbed at her home on April 15, 2013. Her step daughter was harmed in that attack, chemical inhalation damaging her lungs. You can hear straight from Kyrja what is going on in this edition of PWN. (You can also hear KalisSara and RevKess’s interview with Kyrja earlier this month.)

Leading into Kyrja’s visit your hosts talked briefly about the new CD release by Didges Christ SuperDrum, Alien Technology. A selection from that CD was played during the program. They also talked about ConStellation IV, in which KaliSara and RevKess participated as Pangaia Metaphysical Store.

Right before Kyrja’s call, Zaracon and RevKess spoke up the recent developments with the Boston Marathon Bombing investigation. Both suspects have been apprehended, two brothers by the name of Tsarnaev from Chechnya. One brother was killed in a gun fight with law enforcement officials while the other was later taken into custody after receiving multiple gunshot wounds, he was later officially charged while in hospital.

Later in the show the hosts talked about the fertilizer plant explosion outside Waco, TX last week and information regarding the 30 Days of Advocacy Against With Hunts in South Africa, including part of a letter sent by SAPRA executives to the government regarding the exclusion of recognition of Pagan religions by the government.

Table 4Ending the show on a more positive note, there was talk of the 4th anniversary of Pangaia Metaphysical Store and Raymond Buckland’s recent foray into iPhone/iPad apps with his Romani Tarot application.

See below for a listing of topics and links that were discussed as well as a listing of the music played during this edition of PWN.

Z and Kess would like to thank all the live and archive listeners for tuning in and sharing in the information and news that they have for you each and every week on Pagan Weekly News and encourage you to visit their advertisers and supports. Tune in next week for another edition of the Pagan Weekly News with Zaracon and RevKess.

Stories:

Music:

  1. Lorelei Greenwood – Gallimaufry
  2. DidgesChrist Super Drum – Stardust + Energy = Me – Alien Technology
  3. Celia – Build the Wall
  4. Isaac Bonewits – We Won’t Shave Any Longer

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