A retiree finds the Virgin Mary has taken up residence in his rock garden in a chunk of flint

"Lady in Red" singer De Burgh claims miraculous, Jesus-like healing powers.

"Finding my religion"

David Ian Miller's special in the SF Chronicle profiles the religious awakenings of adults in a variety of spiritual traditions, including Sufism, agnosticism, more.

Hermetic Culture?

Is pop star Pink exploring Hermetic philosophy? The singer was spotted in a clip perusing Mary Atwood's "A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery." If so, it's nice to see a celebrity involved in something a little deeper than pop-kabbalah. In any case, an intriguing prop.

A nice profile of Thelemic author and filmmaker Kenneth Anger.

Scientology

Here's one you don't see often: a critique of Scientology that both avoids outright mockery, and tells the story from the point of view of former Scientologists, a refreshing switch from the usual "I was an undercover Scientologist" pieces whereby a reporter attends a few meeting under pretext and writes a shallow piece making fun of atendees. Much of this is dark stuff, to be sure, but good reading nonetheless.

Satanic Panics

Just what everyone wants to do on Halloween: haunted house on the outside, preaching on the inside.

A Canadian woman is suing the Christian counseling service whose "recovered memory therapy" she says encouraged her to develop false memories of Satanic ritual abuse at the hands of her husband and family members, leading her to divorce and lose custody of her children. (deja vu?)

Maria Lionza

After undergoing a two-year restoration, Venezuela's famous statue of Maria Lionza is finished just in time for the annual pilgrimage in her honor. Maria Lionza's cult is a melange of Catholic, Spiritist, and Santeria beliefs; Maria is a legendary figure of Venezuelan folklore who is revered as a goddess.

Links

Interesting: How the ‘Katy question’ led to the return of the Stone of Destiny