Buzz Coil: November 2011

A look at some posts of interest from our blogroll and sometimes beyond:

The Pagan Blog Directory: Nov. 14 and earlier posts have information on a number of participatory blog events the Directory is sponsoring this Solstice season. Featured on the Nov.14 post by Serenity Raven is the "Yule Magic Blog Party 2011."

The Wild Hunt: Jason Pitzl-Waters, reporting from the American Academy of Religions annual meeting in San Francisco, posts on Nov. 21, "AAR Day 2: Starhawk on Elemental Theology," which includes a description of "dual keynote talks" by Rosemary Radford Ruether and Starhawk. In an Oct. 30 post, blogger Literata contributed "Guest Post: The Hail Columbia Movement," which explains this Washington DC-centered movement with US national implications and asks for your help.

Hail Columbia: In a Nov. 1 post, blogger Literata writes about the "Celebration of the Divine Feminine" that took place Oct. 30 in Washington DC’s Lafayette Park as a response to the Christian Dominionist DC40 crusade targeting DC at that time.

Katrina’s Joy: Katrina Messenger’s Nov. 3 post, "Hail to Inanna, Queen of Heaven" contains the speech, invocation, and prayer she gave at the Oct. 30 ceremony in Lafayette Park, DC.

Feminism and Religion: I'll describe just two of this month’s many posts from people on varying spiritual paths. "Birthing God, at the Edges of Life, Death, and Beyond..." by Tracy Sayuki Tiemler," is a Nov. 25 post about Tiemler’s Roman Catholic childhood, during which she became devoted to Mary, mother of Jesus,

because of whom I was not. Mary, the perfect woman, was blond, blue-eyed, thin, and white, like the girls who got to crown Mary. I was chubby, brown: ugly. I sought her intercession in desperate pleas to be “normal,” which to me meant blond and white. I told everyone that my middle name was Mary – not Sayuki, a name given to me in honor of my Japanese female ancestors. Perhaps, if Mary saw my devotion, she would fix me. It never occurred to me that the historical Mary was herself brown.

Tiemler goes on to suggest ways, in addition to physical traits, that Mary should be "reimagined."
In a Nov. 18 post, "Football as a Ritual Re-enacting Male Domination Through Force and Violence," Carol P. Christ asks as us to examine

‘football’, one of the ‘sacred cows’ of American patriarchy, just as we need to examine the culture of hierarchical male domination of the Vatican in the context of child-rape by priests.

The Village Witch: Byron Ballard’s Nov. 18 post, in the Asheville (NC) Citizen Times, "Thinking About Community at the End of the World," discusses people’s hunger for "genuine spiritual experience," the views of "earth religionists," and both spiritual and scientific views of connection.

Broomstick Chronicles: In her Nov. 8 post, "It’s a Generational Thing: Musing on Our Youth," Macha NightMare reflects on the moving participation of the younger people in the 32nd Annual Spiral Dance Samhain ritual, including the East Altar (with pic) and the Calling of the Beloved Dead.

At Brigid’s Forge: In her Nov. 13 post, "Ah! Like Gold" Lunaea Weatherstone describes and shows the beauty of the deciduous trees in her new Oregon location and includes some quotes in Elvish by J.R.R. Tolkien. Her Nov. 20 post, "The Last Sunny Day" has more gorgeous autumn pics.

Blog o’Gnosis : Anne Hill’s Nov. 23 post, "From Samhain to Solstice" tells about what is involved when she takes down the Day of the Dead altar and changes her focus to "decorating with colored lights, bringing in fragrant fir boughs and branches of bright red berries...."

Hecatedemeter: Blogger Hecate’s Nov. 25 post, "On Celebrating Holidays," gives a summary of Pagan holidays whose "remnants" remain in Christian holidays, including Winter Solstice and Christmas.

Peeling a Pomegranate: In her Nov. 20 post, "Hanukkiah: Symbol of Kislev," blogger Ketzirah (Carly) discusses various aspects of Hanukah, including the relationship of this Jewish Festival of Lights to the Winter Solstice.

Z Budapest Blog: Z writes "Hello Dearest Goddess, it’s Z" on Nov. 24, a thank you note that includes memories of the year’s losses and gains, research and interviews for the Merlin Stone memorial project, and Z’s first speech at a university.

Dirt Worship: In a Nov. 9 post, Starhawk publishes "An Open Letter to the Occupy Movement: Why We Need Agreements" from the Alliance of Community Trainers (ACT), with which she works. The detailed letter examines frameworks and tactics, and recommends that Occupy use "strategic nonviolent direct action." The letter defines the meaning of this term and why ACT recommends it.

Paleothea: In her Nov. 8 post, blogger Ailia announces that "Paleothea. Com is no longer made by Ailia Athena," and explains why–and who is currently in charge of the website. She says she will still "occasionally" be blogging though.

Did we miss an item you think is important? We’d like to know about it, so please leave it as a comment.