News and Notes

The Patheos Pagan Channel is getting thin. There have been several Pagan defections from Patheos lately. First Managing Editor Star Foster, then Jason Pitzl-Waters, then Teo Bishop. No one has made any complaints of bias or discrimination. But some bloggers are uncomfortable being associated with the ads Patheos runs and prefer to build their own brands rather than contributing to building Patheos. I get that, but at the same time the Pagan movement benefits greatly from having a place on what either already is or shortly will be the largest multifaith religion website in the world.

Patheos has named Christine Hoff Kraemer as the new Managing Editor. Dr. Kraemer has a PhD in Religious and Theological Studies from Boston University and is an instructor at Cherry Hill Seminary. She is well qualified for this position, but although the announcement said it was “effective immediately” she has yet to make an appearance on the channel. I’ve heard a rumor she won’t be active till December. Here’s hoping she can restock the roster of bloggers and writers and bring the Pagan channel back up in prominence.

Here's Christine's first post, the "State of the Pagan Channel" address.

The Wild Hunt is independent again. The Wild Hunt, the daily news and commentary site and the crown jewel of the Pagan internet, is now independent again. Jason Pitzl-Waters was able to relaunch 10 days after leaving Patheos. In an attempt to promote professional journalism (and to take some of the workload off himself), he’s brought on Rynn Fox and Heather Greene as paid contributors.

Jason has also started an Indiegogo campaign to finance web hosting, contributor pay and other expenses. The campaign has already gone over its target – further funds will cover a small salary for Jason and further expansion of Pagan news.

This is the future of independent media. Somebody has to pay the bills and that someone is us. I contributed $50 as a “Fall Funder” and I encourage you to contribute as you’re able.

Star Foster is back. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and writers gotta write. Less than three weeks after her last post on Patheos, Star Foster is back online with a new independent blog titled “Pink Beyond Pink.” The subtitle is pretty descriptive: “Pagan Heretic: Honeybadger Is My Power Animal.”

Star is sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes inspiring and sometimes frustrating, but she is never boring.

CUUPS National Officers for 2012-2013. The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans membership elects individuals to the Board – members of the Board then choose who among them will fill which office. The CUUPS Board election was concluded last month and at our October conference call we elected officers for the year beginning November 1. I’ll be serving as Vice President in the coming year.

The full Board is:

President: David Pollard
Vice President: John Beckett
Secretary: Niko Tarini
Treasurer: Imari Kariotis
Trustee: Rebecca Crystal
Trustee: Christa Landon
Trustee: Pamela Easton-Park
Trustee: Joseph Wolfarth

Denton CUUPS Samhain, Saturday October 27. If you’re in the North Texas area, come out next Saturday and celebrate Samhain with us. Gathering will begin at 7:00 PM at the Denton UU Fellowship and the circle will start promptly at 7:30.

The circle will center on the last harvest festival of the Celtic Year, exploring the themes of transition and transformation that is possible with the casting away of the old year and the anticipation of what is to come.

The circle deals with death and dying and will include some imagery that may be frightening to young children. As such, children 12 years and older who are mature enough to participate with reverence and appreciation are invited to do so. Childcare will be provided for younger children.

Please bring a snack or drink to share for the potluck after the ceremony. Donations of a dollar or three to defray costs are welcome but not necessary.

For more information please contact Cynthia Talbot at Amalleigh@msn.com or John Beckett at JohnFranc@aol.com, or see our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DentonCuups