Jennifer's Alternative Religions Blog January 2007 Archive

Smurfs Want Your Babies
While the Conservative Voice is often good for a few giggles, I try not to venture in too often. Today, though, I stumbled into a trough of crazy so ... Read More

Wednesday January 31, 2007 | permalink | comments (15)

Mrs. Mallory Speaks
Laura Mallory, the mother whose crusade to take Harry potter books off library shelves has made her a world-wide target of ridicule, is a fraid she's being misunderstood- so she ... Read More

Tuesday January 30, 2007 | permalink | comments (7)

Friday links: Entheogens
Entheogen means "God within,' and refers to plants and other natural substances, which, when ingested, cause the user to have a religious experience. Entheogens have been un in use for ... Read More

Friday January 26, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Icke, Street Preachers Sue Over Pagan Festival Ejection
This is one of the stranger religious legal tussles I've seen. It seems a group of Michigan street preachers and the notorious conspiracy theorist (he of the reptilian aliens) ... Read More

Friday January 26, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Ghost Bride Murders, or, How to Marry When You're Dead
Those of you who've been reading here awhile might remember when I wrote about the curious practice of minghun, or "afterlife marriage," whereby the parents of unmarried men procure ... Read More

Thursday January 25, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Scientology & "Second Chance"
Another controversy over Scientology and psychiatry shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, especially when it involves their long battle over psychiatry and psychotropic medication, both of which they ... Read More

Wednesday January 24, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Starhawk on Women & Spirituality
Thw Washington Post's busy religion blog "On Faith" has featured a number of interesting viewpoints in its ongoing conversation this week on women and religion; past entries include discussions on ... Read More

Wednesday January 24, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Brighid's Cross
Usually known as "Bride's Cross," this equal-armed cross is traditionally woven from straw in honor of Ireland's Saint Bridget (Also known as: Bride, Brighid, Brigid) on her holiday, Candlemas, observed ... Read More

Tuesday January 23, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

"Death's Rich Tapestry"
The Age's Marion Halligan explores the rich symbolism of Egyptian funereal practices: "The heart is the centre of thought and intelligence, and it remembers what its owner got ... Read More

Tuesday January 23, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Elaine Pagels on Gnosticism
The LA Times interviews Princeton scholar Elaine Pagels on her work on Gnosticism, secret gospels, and the controversies surropunding them. From the article: "From your study of Gnosticism, ... Read More

Tuesday January 23, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Romuva Solstice
Here's a little gem I found in the Baltic Times, relating in some detail the Solstice celebrations of Romuva, the revival of Lithuania's traditional Pagan religion. Romuva is unique ... Read More

Tuesday January 23, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Kabbalah Dilution?
Jewish religious leaders are worried about the popularity of Kabbalah, fearing it might become just another "New Age spirituality," while others argue that harsh criticism of "innovative" approaches to traditional ... Read More

Monday January 22, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Global Warming?
Thanks to a mild winter, a Shinto Misogi purification ritual meant to showcase participant's endurance and devotion may not have been the ordeal it was meant to be: ... Read More

Monday January 22, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Richard vs. Sylvia
It's going to be a rough year for self-styled psychic Sylvia Browne. Columnist Richard Roeper chews Sylvia up over her long record of errant predictions, especially the 'vision' she ... Read More

Monday January 22, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Ceremony at the Temple of Zeus
The Middle Eastern Times carries an update on the Ellinais' ritual gathering at the Temple of Zeus in Athens: "Flouting a ban from the Greek culture ministry - which forbids ceremonies ... Read More

Monday January 22, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Worshippers of Zeus Fight For Temple Rights
Here's an interesting controversy. A Greek Pagan revival group in Greece, who were just awarded legal recognition last year, are demanding access to Greece's ancient temples, to worship the ... Read More

Sunday January 21, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Friday links: Witch Hunts & Satanic Scares
Georgia housewife Laura Mallory refuses to let mockery, ridicule, or common sense stand in the way of her crusade to have Harry potter books removed from her county's school libraries. ... Read More

Friday January 19, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Feast of Sultan
In the Baha'i Faith calendar, today is the Feast of Sultan, the first day of the nineteen-day Baha'i month celebrating the divine attribute of sovereignty.

Friday January 19, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Jesus is Back- With Bling
He's a former convict, he's flilthy rich, and he claims to be the second coming. Yet, unlike his predecessor, this Jesus can't be bothered with poverty. Jose Luis ... Read More

Friday January 19, 2007 | permalink | comments (4)

The Labyrinth
The labyrinth is a winding, maze-like path, often resembling a spiral. Labrynths are found in many ancient cultures, and almost always have spiritual significance. Nearly identical labrynth patterns are found ... Read More

Thursday January 18, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Sylvia Browne's True Colors
The self-professed psychic huckster Sylvia Browne told the parents of the recently recovered kidnap victim Shawn Hornbeck that their son was dead, and offered to help locate his body- for ... Read More

Thursday January 18, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

"Faiths as Ex-Girlfriends"
In Pursuit of Mysteries has a pretty funny and pointed post comparing religions to ex-girlfriends. From the post: " Asatru: The most conventional girl that you could ... Read More

Wednesday January 17, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Cernunnos / Herne the Hunter
Cernunnos is the mysterious horned deity worshipped by Iron age Celts across Europe until the end of the first century. Very little is known about Cernunnos except his name and ... Read More

Wednesday January 17, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Virgin Mary of the Peas?
We have out first official Virgin Mary penomenon, this appearance in the frozen foods section of the Morton Thrifty Foods of Lubbock, Texas. The grocery has decided to keep ... Read More

Tuesday January 16, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

School Fighting Religiously- Motivated Eviction
A tiny charter school is Arizona is fighting their eviction after the Church that owns the basement it calls home took a disliking to their curriculum. The Desert Star ... Read More

Tuesday January 16, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Friday Links: RAW Retrospective
The First Time Robert died was in 1994. Not because he faked his death, which he'd often hinted at, but because the LA Times had so reported. So ... Read More

Friday January 12, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

In the Forum: The Voice of God?
Forum member cjcaddy asks: "Two years ago I was going through a very difficult period and as I was thinking about my problem a voice in my head said ... Read More

Friday January 12, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Define Credible
A bizarre argument from creationists has Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth effectively banned from schools in Federal Way, Washington. A number of teachers screened the movie without incident, until an ... Read More

Thursday January 11, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Hail, Discordia: Robert Anton Wilson, 1932-2007
The world's best know Discordian left the planet early this morning, as reported on his blog. (Perhaps coincidentally, on Albert Hoffman's birthday)See also: RAW Online Library

Thursday January 11, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

The Gothest Real Estate Listing Ever
If you have a spare $80 million and aren't bothered by the occasional bloodstain, you have as good a shot as anyone to acquire the real-life "Castle Dracula," which is ... Read More

Wednesday January 10, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Animal Sacrifice Suit
In 1993, a Babalawo of the Santeria/Lukumi religion won his fight in the Supreme Court against a city ordinance that banned the practice of animal sacrifice in Hialeah, Florida. The Court ... Read More

Tuesday January 9, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Tattoos
This month's Smithsonian Magazine has a terrific interview with archaeologist Joann Fletcher on the use and significance of tattoos in ancient societies, and touches on their medical, cultural, religious, and ... Read More

Tuesday January 9, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Catholic Scholar on Mary Magdalene: She's Ours!
Italian Catholic scholar Mario Iannaccone wants the pagans and goddess worshippers to lay off Mary Magdalene- especially that Mary who is symbolizes "the sacred feminine and the spirituality of the ... Read More

Monday January 8, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Friday Links: Prophecies and Predictions
The first week of January is often awash in prophecy for the new year, and it's quite common to see old prophecy visited and revisited. During the winter break, ... Read More

Friday January 5, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

The Light-Box at Rosslyn
Despite being the central axis of a Da Vinci Code-fueled tourism craze, and something of a cottage industry for historical mystery and Masonic history buffs, it would seem there are ... Read More

Thursday January 4, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)