Penton Independent Alternative Media - Altering Perspectives since 1995

Penton Independent Alternative Media - Altering Perspectives since 1995 Blog

Damon Leff / Editor's Letter

Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!

DAMON LEFF. According to the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, nearly half of all South African women murdered in 1999 were killed by intimate partners. One in four (25%) South African women will experience physical violence at the hands of their intimate male partners. Lesbian women in South Africa, especially black lesbian women, live in daily fear of being raped and murdered within their own country for being lesbian. How does violence against women and children affect you? Have you become a victim of such violence? Please share your own stories of overcoming adversity and violence with PENTON?

Finding my Religion - Helen Riding / Helen Riding

Top 3 myths about religion in South Africa

HELEN RIDING. One might also be forgiven for thinking there is no separation of church and state in South Africa as certain religious leaders and interfaith groups have made it their business to provide Zuma with an election campaign platform, ask South Africans to forgive Zuma’s philandering, defend Zuma’s image in The Spear saga and publicly support the e-toll system. What do they hope to receive in return? I can only speculate that apart from political connections, Zuma’s new God squad wants liberal laws to go.

Morgause Fonteleve / Off the cuff - Morgause Fonteleve

Been there, done that…

MORGAUSE FONTELEVE. As we can see the fear and superstitions around witchcraft have always existed; even before the advent of Christianity. Well before the persecutions at the hand of the Church, the Romans exiled and burned their witches as well as their grimoires in a desperate attempt to control religion, the influence of powerful female figures and the various political factions and influences within the State. Laws, regulations and penal codes were employed in the Pagan world as they are still being used today to promote personal, political and religious agendas.

Beneath the Baobab - Bronwyn Katzke / Bronwyn Katzke

Exposing the Lies – Inside Servamus’ ‘Drugs & Occult-Related Crime’ Part 3.

BRONWYN KATZKE. In each edition of the Exposing the lies series an article from Servamus’ Drugs and Occult-Related Crime: The Facts, The Answers will be dissected and shown for the religious propaganda that it is. This edition we look at an article that claims to show the ways in which Satanism and ‘the occult’ are supposedly trying to recruit children. If you went according to the imagery just beneath the title, the answer as to who is recruiting your child would have to be, ‘clowns’. Aside from the nonsensical claims featured in Servamus’ Who is Recruiting your Child? the article also boasts numerous images from Marilyn Manson to alleged ‘Satanic poetry’ to the cover of the book, Witches: An Encyclopedia of Paganism and Magic (Kyle Cathie Limited, 1996).

Other Contributors

Christianity- A pagan religion?

ANTOINETTE KEYSER. When Christianity was founded, it was not the only religion that had a god who worked miracles, fulfilled prophecies, saved people from hell, promised eternal life, and protected against astral nasties. In those times there was a significant amount of religions that all had those things. So if Christianity shares so much in common with ancient pagan religions, who’s to say the Christian Bible isn’t a pagan book?

Other Contributors

Don’t ‘Out’ Vampyres

PSION VALUR DE NOCTE. Pagans have SAPRA and the SAPC working on their behalf, at this point in time there is no such open organisation for Vampyres, as our community is still growing and rather secretive. Vampyres are mentioned in press and general conversation – but under nightside names and in anonymous general terms as an accepted fact – but not as a visible group.

Christopher Blackwell / Other Contributors

An Interview with Damh the Bard

CHRISTOPHER BLACKWELL. While looking up Celtic Myth Podshow, I ran across a Druid singer, Damh the Bard and a song, Cauldron Born. I contacted him and asked for an interview. There turned out to be a lot to know, including him hosting a podcast brought on by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.

Immanion Press & Megalithica Books / Larisa Hunter

Immanion Press New Releases

LARISA HUNTER. In this review… Owl Stretching by K. A. Laity, Sign for the Sacred by Storm Constantine, Para Imminence: Stories of the Future of Wraeththu edited by Storm Constantine and Wendy Darling, and Embracing Heathenry by Larisa Hunter. To order a review copy simply email publicity@immanion-press.com. Please ensure that all reviews are being sent to publicity@immanion-press.com