Secularism: A New Religion?

Like many people, I have been following the ongoing GOP presidential campaigns with increasing levels of amusement, horror and amazement. Mostly I'm amused by how gullible people seem to be (accepting statements as truth regardless of whether they are factual or even logical), horrified by the rampant sexism, homophobia and jingoism that abounds in the GOP's rhetoric, and amazed at how the current administration is under attack for things it has not done. But of course this emotional roller coaster is par for the course with media election coverage, even if the past few months seem to have taken things up a notch.

But I was very struck by something said by Mitt Romney recently: that President Obama is trying to convert the country to a "new" religion: the religion of secularism. And that this desire to establish secularism as a religion is related to President Obama's passing the Affordable Care Act which requires employers to provide preventive health care services, including birth control.

Okay, let's leave aside the fact that Romney, being a Mormon, should not be throwing stones at alternative religious paths. Despite how well he's performing in the primaries, I'd have to chalk that up to the scary qualities of his running mates and not any redeeming qualities he possesses. He must know he has a "religion problem" and is trying to abate it by going after President Obama, who is an avowed Christian (when he's not busy being a secret Muslim).

Leaving aside Romney's apparent penchant for lobbing a first strike in an area where he himself feels vulnerable, I take issue with his bumbling use of terminology. Secularism is not a religion, Mr. Romney. That's kind of the point.

What's more, the notion that President Obama has some kind of religious agenda is simply laughable in the wake of all the hyperbolic morality spewing from the lips of people like Rick Santorum, who seems to think the Bible explicitly states that gay marriage is wrong (it doesn't) and that it insists using birth control is somehow tantamount to child murder (it doesn't, and it's not).

Look, if you're going to say things, at least show some attempt to use your words appropriately. Secularism means an absence of religion, or a skeptical attitude towards religion, it is certainly not in and of itself a religion. And accusing the President of establishing a "religion" that doesn't support religious views, looks mighty desperate. I keep waiting for the Mormon thing to become a problem. We'll see.

The Spirit of Albion: world premiere!

After much hard work the team behind The Spirit of Albion, a film based on the music of pagan musician Dave Smith (also known as Damh the Bard) is ready for its premiere in Sussex on Beltane Eve. Yes, the UK will be seeing this film well before any of us in the US, as it should be! But those of us who know and love Damh's music will be eagerly awaiting a chance to see it stateside!

For those able to attend, here are some details from the film's Facebook page:

We are delighted to announce that the World Premiere of the Egotrip Productions (in association with Banshee Productions) movie THE SPIRIT OF ALBION will take place on Monday 30th April at The Hawth Theatre Studio, Crawley, Sussex, RH10 6YZ.

This is your chance to come and see the film with the cast and crew as well as be treated to an exclusive live performance by the one and only DAMH the BARD himself before the film starts.
Numbers are strictly limited and will be released on a first come, first served basis. The timings are as follows:
Arrive from 7:00pm (bar open)
Doors open 7:30pm
Live concert by Damh the Bard - 7:45pm
Film starts 8:30pm
After the film, there will be a chance to mingle/buy DVDs (!)/have a drink.
The bar closes at 11pm.
Tickets are available Priced £15 from The Hawth Box Office on 01293 553636 or box.office@hawth.co.uk or tickets.hawth.co.uk.

There you have it: a movie AND a concert! Many congratulations to Damh, director/producer Gary Andrews, and the whole cast and crew that worked on this film.

The film's website has plenty of fascinating information and images, including a wonderful shooting diary. I've been a fan of Damh's music since first hearing him perform at an ancient stone circle (the Rollrights) near Banbury, UK, a few years ago, and was thrilled when he played a song called "The Spirit of Albion" since Albion is my magical name. I very much look forward to seeing The Spirit of Albion soon and plan to help support this effort by purchasing a DVD when the proper format becomes available. Do be sure to always try and support pagan artists, especially filmmakers, since film is the one medium where paganism is sadly underrepresented, or misrepresented. Many thanks and congratulations to the good folks behind this effort.

THE WICKER MAN: a legacy in celluloid and stone...

Shock Till You Drop announces the pub used in Robin Hardy's 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man is up for sale. Also known as the Ellengowan Hotel, this grand old building was the site known as the "Green Man Inn" where Sergeant Howie heard Willow MacGregor singing and dancing (naked) on the other side of his bedroom wall...

The pub is listed for sale for two hundred thousand pounds, or about $316,000, which seems a bargain these days, and considering the potential for marketing the place as a tourist attraction for film buffs. Many of the film's locations are spread out over a somewhat large area, so a "Wicker Man Package" would include some driving around, but that'd be part of the fun! Summerisle may be a fiction, but the locations used to bring it to life are most assuredly real.

How wonderful it would be if this hotel could stay in business and continue to honor the legacy of this film. Anyone want to pool their funds?

And speaking of The Wicker Man's legacy, has anyone managed to see The Wicker Tree yet? I was heading to New York City last week for just that purpose only to find out that the film, which was only showing at one theatre, had closed after only one week. So far the film is only showing in very limited release in a handful of locations. I invite anyone lucky enough to live in one of these cities to hurry up and see it before it closes, and to write a review for this blog!

Alas, the film is already slated for a DVD-Blu-Ray release on April 24th, 2012. What a shame so many of us will not be able to view it on the big screen before then. Please support your local movie theatres playing this film! I am disappointed that a film so many of waited so long to see, and cheered on all through its difficult history of funding and production, is not going to be visible in theatres for a wider audience. Such is the movie industry, folks; that is why going to opening weekend, despite the crowds, can be the best way to support a film you want to see perform well. Theatres make decisions on whether to continue showing a film based on initial box office interest, and if it's not there opening weekend, they have to cut their losses and move on. This can really harm small-budget films (The Wicker Tree cost $7.75 million) that can't afford to make numerous prints to show nationwide.

So get out there, you people in Portland and Los Angeles and Cincinnati and El Paso! And shell out some money to view this movie! Then let us all know what you think...

This week's hot pagan media news!

Earlier this week,m it was announced that PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. This is not unexpected news, as the film was short-listed and has been generating a great deal of buzz. There were a lot of great documentaries this year (some of which did not get nominated, to my surprise; what happened, BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK?), so to receive a nomination is a distinct honor. Well done, Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger, and the entire production team!

The second bit of news is that British novelist Jeanette Winterson's book on the 17th century trial of the Pendle witches will be coming out this summer. The Guardian also reports a number of other female writers venturing into the horror genre, on the heels of Susan Hill's novella The Woman in Black being made into a highly-anticipated new film by Hammer Studios (I blogged on this earlier for The Celluloid Bough).

Thirdly, the British horror classic THE CITY OF THE DEAD (known in the US as HORROR HOTEL) is being remade by a Welsh production company and an enthusiastic young documentary filmmaker who want to maintain the original film's spooky atmospheric charms. The original stars Christopher Lee and is considered by many horror aficionados to be one of the best witchcraft-themed films ever made. It's due out in 2013, appropriately enough (check out that cool poster design). May I say: there does seem to be an ever-burgeoning renewal of interest in the occult in cinema these days! We may indeed be in the midst of the third occult revival in the last 100 years. More on this fascinating development very soon!

And, last but most assuredly not least, in the sort of news that just kind of knocks your socks off because it's both unexpected and awe-inspiring, THE WICKER TREE has opened in the U.S.! Alas, only in limited release at the moment. It's hard to say when, precisely, it will make its way to your city but I hope it comes soon to a theatre near you (I may have to jaunt off to NYC to see it very soon, I think)This article from the Montreal Gazette has snippets from a few reviews. They're a it mixed at first glance, but, as usual, I am not reading any of them in detail until I see it for myself. More on this terribly exciting event once I get a chance to see it, hopefully by next week.

TONIGHT! HBO Premiere of PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY

If you have HBO, I hope you're planning on watching the premiere of the third installment in the PARADISE LOST series tonight! PURGATORY concludes the eighteen year saga of the West Memphis Three, who spent nearly two decades in prison after being convicted of the brutal murders of three eight year old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas.

I had the pleasure of seeing the film in New York last fall when it had its US premiere at the 2011 New York Film Festival (an earlier version, finished prior to the August 19th decision to release the Three from prison, was shown at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival), and the distinct honor of being able to see Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols receive the thunderous applause of hundreds of people who gave them a standing ovation.

As well, the filmmakers who made these documentaries and did so much to raise awareness and give hope to these three young men were given their due honors: Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger. Their work is a testament to the power of cinema and media to inform, inspire and quite literally change lives.

I will be posting my review of the film this week. But I'll be very interested to hear responses from any of you who are watching tonight (9pm, EST).

Pagan Media: Highlights of 2011

This was a terrific year for movies and TV, and of course that has in some measure impacted media that portrays or references paganism and the occult. There were also some media stories that came from within or directly impacted the pagan community. Here, in no particular order of importance, are some highlights...

Zombies just won't die. It's finally becoming clear that the proliferation of "zombie" (or, if you're a purist like me, you call them "ghouls") stories in film, TV, comics and other media goes beyond viewers' willingness to, uh, devour them. This genre (for it has become a genre) is now understood as a metaphor, one that mirrors back the panic of a pre-apocalyptic society whose odds for survival depend upon stockpiling of ammunition, antibiotics, and carefully-applied birth control. The more extreme factions of survivors might be religious zealots, or oppressors of women (see the excellent indie film STAKE LAND); or they may be a rag tag bunch of citizens thrown together fighting for dominance and compassion (see the excellent AMC series THE WALKING DEAD, now in is second season). Who are the zombies? Are they faceless, voracious consumers? (Romero explored this idea in DAWN OF THE DEAD) Or are they the weak-willed, the physically-soft, the masses who would not stand up for decency? There is a political allegory afoot here, and a sobering one, and the parallels between pagan community marginalization and survivalist in-fighting is hard to miss: will our desire for self-sufficient pagan homesteads necessitate finding ways to reconcile our differences in light of external threats? But the key point is this: the scariest thing in the zombie apocalypse is not the threat of being eaten by a ghoul, or even becoming a ghoul once bitten. The scariest thing is the downfall of an artificial society in which the illusory web of our safety, our belongings and our autonomy can be torn asunder by anyone mean or ruthless enough to reach out and do it. Rule Number One: Cardio.

Indie Pagan Cinema makes its mark. From the ambitious music-based SPIRIT OF ALBION (with songs by Damh the Bard) to the spooky, blood-soaked, folklore-laden horror flick CALL OF THE HUNTER, there've been a lot of great attempts to bring paganism into the theatres. There is also AMERICAN MYSTIC, a fascinating documentary by Alex Mar (interviewed here by Jason Pitzl-Waters) about alternative spirituality which profiles an African-American Spiritualist, a Native American Sundancer, and a Caucasian Wiccan priestess.

THE WICKER TREE becomes a reality. Beset with funding difficulties (most famously when some Christian backers, perhaps confused by the earlier working title COWBOYS FOR CHRIST, pulled their support when they learned of the film's pagan themes), this sequel to the well-loved film THE WICKER MAN is helmed by director Robin Hardy, who gave us the brilliant 1973 film (with screenwriter Anthony Shaffer), which was perhaps the most influential and controversial film portraying (a version of) modern paganism ever made. Sadly Mr. Shaffer died before he could see the sequel project come to light, but Hardy has worked hard to make the project a reality, and a third film is also in the works. After much difficulty with funding, filming is nearly complete and THE WICKER TREE should open sometime in 2012. Speed the day!

Pagan podcasts make a surprising impact. Radio is not radio anymore: its internet radio. This means it is not bound to specific broadcast times or constraints, and so people can link in and listen at their leisure. Some new voices already going strong: disability rights activist Jane Hash (who with typical self-deprecating glee refers to herself as "The Gimp Avenger" on her blog) started her new show "Hashing it Out with Jane" just a few weeks ago and already has a huge fan base. The archives all linked there so give it a listen. Witchvox lists a number of pagan podcasts here, some of which record sporadically, some weekly, and some, like the "Pagans Tonight Radio Network," feature nightly shows.

Animated films take on pagan themes. Not for nothing, animation is the perfect showcase for themes of paganism, and not just because of the association with fantasy and fairy tales. Animated characters are more fluid when it comes to spirituality and the storylines tend to portray adventures that challenge heroes' weaknesses and flaws: lessons in personal transformation! Case in point: the new Pixar story of a Scottish warrior princess, BRAVE (previously called THE BEAR AND THE BOW). There is still plenty of fantasy mixed in with these pagan themes, as with THE KING OF THE ELVES; and some environmental prophecy, as with the now-cancelled NEWT. 2012 will also see new installments of MADAGASCAR and ICE AGE, both of which deal with important environmental trends. DOROTHY OF OZ will have witches aplenty, and PARANORMAN features a misunderstood boy who can communicate with the dead (it's being billed as an animated film about zombies).

Exorcism and cults inspire compelling stories. With last year's THE LAST EXORCISM we saw the beginning of a seeming obsession with the "industry" of exorcism. This year's THE RITE, based on a true story of a vatican-trained exorcist, made it clear there is a legitimate practice sought out by those in need. Soon there will be more films exploring the topic: THE DEVIL INSIDE and THE POSSESSION, and I have to assume interest in this genre is not slowing down. It's intriguing that a Catholic approach to dealing with the devil should be dominating cinematic treatments, since the Evangelical obsession with Satan is so much more widespread in the United States. As for cults, there were two wonderful indie films dealing with fringe religious groups that victimized women. HIGHER GROUND stars Vera Farmiga (who also directed) as a passionate, articulate woman who finds that her church discourages her from being a spokesperson equal to its male members. In MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, Elizabeth Olsen stars as a young woman named Martha who is lured onto a rural farm where a charismatic "leader" (John Hawkes) runs a misogynistic "family" according to his rules. After she leaves the farm, Martha is traumatized by memories of her ordeal and has trouble trying to get her life back. As small, independent "churches" continue to flourish across the country, I imagine such stories will flourish as well.

Fairy tales are hot...and sexy. A proliferation of live-action (as opposed to animated) fairy tale movies made for young adult audiences appeared in theatres and on TV this year: GRIMM and ONCE UPON A TIME are two shows dealing with fairy tale tropes and themes. In theatres, HANNA gave us a "Red Riding Hood"-tinged tale of a girl enhanced by military experiments, raised in the woods and forced to do battle with both wicked stepmothers and big bad wolves. Catherine Hardwicke's RED RIDING HOOD both was a glossy, slightly-erotic treatment of the classic tale, complete with a celebration of young villagers that was straight out of a pagan festival. Look for more of these to come: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN stars Kristen Stewart in the title role, MIRROR< MIRROR stars Julia Roberts and Lily Tomlin in a comedic twist on the Snow White story, and Emma Watson (our own Hermione Granger) will start in a version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. And let's not forget HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arteron. This is one storytelling trend that is not slowing down any time soon.

Witches are back on TV...again. THE SECRET CIRCLE is a sexy teen series on (where else?) the CW network, and while it's cheesy, it does seem to have its followers. And of course the big news on HBO's TRUE BLOOD this season was the presence of a coven of witches led by Irish actress Fiona Shaw. Witches are also popping in and out of GRIMM and ONCE UPON A TIME. I still miss EASTWICK< which was cancelled prematurely, and hope that we'll get a more adult series about witches some time soon.

Oh, and...by the by, the West Memphis Three went free. This, friends, was the top pagan media story of 2011. The power of media to educate and inform is well known, but how often does a documentary film help free innocents from prison? This travesty of justice, informed by superstitious satanic panic and rumors of cults in a conservative Arkansas town, was chronicled by filmmakers Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger in their trio of films made for HBO, and these films helped attract the interest and support of celebrities like Eddie Vedder, Peter Jackson, Natalie Maines, Johnny Depp, Margaret Cho, Henry Rollins and many others, as well as thousands of supporters and dozens of lawyers over the last 18 years. It is sad and infuriating that it took so long to free these men; but on August 19th, 2011, justice was finally served for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. The three freed men were able to attend the American premiere of the third film in the series PURGATORY: PARADISE LOST 3 at the New York Film Festival. I was honored to be in attendance to witness this historic occasion, a moment many have been hoping and praying for for nearly two decades. I know there will many more news stories about this case and these remarkable men in the months to come, so stay tuned for 2012!

Kathy Dempsey: Justice at Solstice, 20 Years Later

On August 23rd, 1992, Kathleen Dempsey (known to friends and loved ones as Kathy or KD) was brutally murdered in her apartment in Lexington, Massachusetts. Neighbors in this well-to-do suburb of Boston were shocked, and her many friends in the Boston pagan community were heartbroken.

Perhaps most shocking and heartbreaking of all: Kathy, who had been stabbed fourteen times, managed to call 9-11 and ask for help. But the dispatcher on duty did not send anyone to help her. Questioned by journalists, at first this emergency responder said they could not make out Kathy's words and didn't know where to send help, despite "listening frantically" to the tape over and over again. But eventually it became obvious that Kathy's words were sufficient; the dispatcher thought the call was a hoax and failed to send anyone. The supervisor who came on duty the following morning sent an ambulance immediately, but by then, Kathy had bled to death.

It's impossible to know if earlier intervention would have saved her: but it is possible the identity of her killer, who lived in her neighborhood, might have been revealed: something which has taken nearly two decades to unravel. That lost opportunity weighed heavily on the minds and hearts of those of us who knew and loved this woman. This article in the Lexington Patch mentions that 9-11 was not in place when Kathy made her call; but the ensuing debate about enhanced 9-11 (which allows location identification) was merely a smokescreen to obscure the real issue: a very bad decision made by the dispatcher in charge. But I am sure this worker has suffered enough over the years for this oversight, and the real blame lies in the hands of the killer who took her young life.

The case proved difficult to solve: there were no signs of forced entry (perhaps not unusual for a suburban neighborhood), and there was speculation the killer was someone Kathy knew. Police investigated the crime for years, and despite a number of leads, no suspects were apprehended. Until now.

A man in prison for another murder, of a 49 year old woman in the same Lexington neighborhood, two years after Kathy's murder, recently confessed to the crime after nearly twenty years. The Boston Herald reports that Craig Conkey, 45, broke into Dempsey's home to rob it but "was startled when he found Dempsey sleeping and attacked her." Conkey was 25 when the crime was committed; Dempsey was 31. She would be 50 years old now.

Kathy was a graphic designer by trade, who worked for Musician magazine (the editors wrote a moving tribute to her in the magazine that fall). Prior to her untimely death, she had begun studying at Lesley College in the hopes of becoming an educator, focused on teaching children about nature. Kathy was an active member of the EarthSpirit Community. She was also a singer, and former member of the choral group MotherTongue. I joined the group soon after Kathy died; in an instance of sad irony, I was the soprano who replaced her.

I remember KD as a kind, funny, sweet, talented woman: always friendly, always upbeat. She loved animals, did not consider cleaning a priority, loved to dance, and seemed to think the best of everyone unless she had a reason not to. I saw her for the last time a mere three weeks before she was killed. Her smile, glimpsed in a hallway, still haunts me. I recall the Earthspirit Samhain gathering that year: the tears and wails of loss during the ritual as we named those who had passed that year. I don't know who it was but one male voice screamed out "Kathy!" after a number of other names were recited. It was a soul-shattering moment I will never forget.

I recall a dream I had in late 1992: Kathy in a black skirt and red shirt, a peaceful smile on her face, her lips closed, her eyes twinkling. I have thought of her from time to time over the years, when there have been leads in her case, when a song or a work of art have reminded me of her talents, when a random prick of fear late at night made me think of the many sleepless nights I spent after her murder. But today, I feel a bit less pain thinking of her. I hope this latest development in her case brings peace and closure to her loved ones. Be at peace, Kathy.