Category: BW Announcements


The Arts: 5th L/Dri Fish, Def Poetry for Nat’l Poetry Month, and New BW Updates!

Filed under: BW Announcements, The Arts — 2 Comments
April 22, 2011

April is National Poetry Month. While I don’t believe in relegating a theme to months (hence why I had nothing in particular for February), I do like this theme because it brings me such happy memories. I wanted to have a literary contest for this month but I became too busy for that and will do it next year as tradition. Also be sure to read all the way to the bottom because I have some nifty announcements!

The 5th L/Dri Fish

The 5th L is a duo of Baltimorean poets who are very insightful in their lyrics and words. Always talking about Black life without getting depressing but remaining realistic. Consisting of members Dri Fish and Native Son, they’re one of many well known poets in the Baltimore underground poetry scene and deserve it well.

Sadly, I couldn’t land any vids to show due to wordpress’ derpiness (I’m trying to get that solved, honest) but here is where you can listen to 5th L works

Dri Fish recently branched off to do his own work within music moreso than poetry. However, he still uses poetry to express his flow.

Definitely look up Dri Fish’s work here if you’re interested

Arightie folks, I’m about to get a bit random because the point of this The Arts is to focus on poetry, not features and that’s what I’m gonna do. How? By being a leettle lazy and plumbing through my Def Poetry likes. Then I will chuck Black poetry books at you and we call it a day, dig?

This poem right here, this next poem is pretty much for every Black kid in a White Uni (ha, like I am, I have to admit, I really can’t stand that place very much right now but I’ll leave the ranting to my personal blog)

While institutional education gets on my very last nerves, it is important to have an education (not mis-education), especially if you’re Black and living in – well, anywhere in the world.

This poet is absolutely amazing, simply stunning and is a wonderful reminder that good poetry is diverse. Makes me so happy that I stalk Angry Asian Man’s site for more of her work.

Now, there’s one other poem that I wanted to show that was amazing on Def Poetry. A man standing solo, tapping his foot, mimicking the dribble of a ball. “One boy, one ball, one dream” I believe he said. It was fantastic but I couldn’t find it. If anyone can, it will be up here mad quick. That and the poem Savion Glover tapped for.

There are far more poets than these to feature but that means this would be the longest column I ever had – and what about content for next year? Or any upcoming The Arts? Definitely look up some poets for yourself, there is a rich history of poetry in Black culture (and other cultures) and it even serves as the undercurrent of hip hop – take note just about every good emcee worth noting has shown up on Def Poetry, it’s even hosted by Mos Def.

That’s The Arts for now! Next week is Ask Black Witch, send in your questions! Oh! and here’s some new stuff for Black Witch! There’s an address you can write to:

Black Witch
P.O. Box 2161
Baltimore, MD 21203

(This information is also available on the About Me/Contact Me Page)

Also, I gave this some pondering but I thought, why not? Black Witch is now accepting donations to keep the site (and writer of it) running. Keep the cauldron of paid bills happy here*. Also you can mail checks and money orders to the physical address. I figured also this would be a good start for the creation of the Black Witch Shoppe, getting it ready for the first BW book Black Witch: Life from the Black Pagan Perspective, Vol. 1, and giving this blog/column a chance to be a little something more so be on the lookout for even more new stuff as this column nears its first year anniversary on June 9th! I’m very excited.

*If there are any problems or issues with donating or other money stuff, please say so and we can work it out.

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Important BW Announcement/Nice To Know Ya

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, BW Announcements, Pagan Life — Leave a comment
April 1, 2011

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

I am very sorry to announce that this is the last Black Witch column. It’s been a wonderful run, nearly at the one year mark too. I am truly happy and enchanted by all the wonderful people that I have met and the places I’ve gone. It’s totally world changing to me, I am very happy to see how this column/blog have influenced more people than I originally thought and how widespread it became in such short time. It’s really amazing and I’m very happy to see that there is a stronger Black Pagan community (and that there’s an actual, defined Black Pagan community) than I originally thought. I’m really happy for the opportunity that Afro-Punk had given me (even when sometimes they would make me pretty fussy with the edits), the support I’ve gotten from friends and readers and all the cool stuff I got to do – I mean, it’s amazing to introduce myself as Black Witch and to see the responses or even better yet, find that I have a reader that I didn’t know of.

It has been really nice to experience all these things, even if I feel like some of the success came a little too fast at times. It’s not every day I meet Lupe Fiasco and find out he’s one of my readers or that I see inside my column’s fan page are people who are from the Divine Nine or Black Ivy League alumni in the mix of my usual readers and this is only with ten to eleven months on the column. I thought it would be years before I would experience something like that. It was already surprising when I went to the Afro Punk Festival last year and people were walking up to me, knowing who I was. I honestly thought by the time of the AP Fest, everyone would have forgotten my column because it was a month before. Instead people were happy to see me, chatted with me and said they hope I would stay as their columnist. And I did for as long as I could.

It’s not anything bad that’s making me stop. If anything, this is the smoothest run I could ever anticipate. I haven’t gotten any hate mail, even when I called out the haters (turns out they were writing to Afro-Punk so AP was getting my hate mail, I was getting fan mail) because hey, if you got something to say, whine to me, not AP. I always promise to be nice – if it’s worth it. I’ve got a multitude of readers far beyond the spectrum of Black Pagans and even when things seemed odd, I always had friends to vent to. Yeah, a dumb commenter may be made as the carp of the day in my circle, always gave me and my crew entertainment but it’s wonderful to share the nice comments and really kind readers that I’ve gotten. What’s putting the brakes on this column is that I don’t feel I could dedicate as much time to it as I would like to maintain the column as is. Between the writing, editing, responding to readers and making sure Black Witch remains as seamless as possible, it gets burdensome for a college student such as myself on the brink of graduation and starting my life.

Thank you all for your support, this has been a very happy experience of my life and I wish you all a very happy, merry April Fools.

Lolz.

Happy April Fools, suckas! Ah, Black Witch is still here, gonna be here and will be staying here. I quite like this spot, all decorative and my words got power and weight to them and such. A Witch can get used to this, especially this Black Witch right here. “Putting on the brakes” my rufflebutt, I’m perfectly fine. I got columns for months and months. I was going to say I was leaving due to “unfavorable pressure” but I figure I might as well be a bit honest for authenticity. Even if I tried, I couldn’t care less what people say about my column, let ‘em talk. My inbox stays silent of the wack pedigree and I barely get static so if people did dislike Black Witch, it must not that bad of a grind. Besides it’s not like they got anything better to give, not even some of their cheesy words to match their whine. Besides, the more they chat, the more name I get so it works out for me in the end. As a matter of fact, Black Witch is even turning into a yearly book titled Black Witch: Life from the Black Pagan Perspective, vol. 1. That’s right, volume 1. Not only to I plan to stay but I plan to stay for a very. Long. Time. Preorders start in June on the anniversary, June 9th.

Since Black Witch isn’t going anywhere, lemme give you this week’s column,“Nice To Know Ya”:

You know what my pet peeve is as a diviner and witch? Know-it-alls.

Not intellectuals, know-it-alls. They think they know you like the back of their hand because they saw the palm of yours. It isn’t they’re not good at it, some of them are merely overflexing a well-wrought skill, it’s just they’re so posh and pompous about it, like they don’t need to get to know you, they already have your number – but they’re total enigmas to the mortal mind. (Yeah, right.)

One thing I find rather common in my experience is that people are truly uncomfy with the prospect of the unknown. Gotta turn over every rock, put religion in a test tube and peer review the afterlife. There’s nothing wrong with seeking knowledge or having it, it’s just how you go about it. No one knows truly everything and not everyone measures on the same scale however these people like to pretend that their minds are gifts from the gods, that they have no discomfort because they know all…supposedly. To seek knowledge isn’t problematic nor is being good at reading people. The issue comes alive when the person is too reliant on anything that can be a knowledge bank and get cocky about it because they believe they no longer live with the unknown being the unknown and not only that but somehow it makes them mysterious that they can “easily” figure you out and you can’t.

Granted, as a palmist, I could steal a glance at someone’s hand and figure them all the same but here are a couple issues with that and why:

How pretentious – I know I have a tendency of hiding behind a shell of myself but to live in it? That’s never good. I’m simply introverted but that’s just overly insular. It’s okay to be reserved and to have a method of interacting with people but to hide always never benefits anyone.

People aren’t black and white – Say I scan a palm because I want a quick way to know how to interact with the person but even then I know I could be surprised. No one is a simple box to open up and examine – the human mind simply doesn’t work that way. If it did, mental disorders would be a cakewalk to handle and the field of psychology would be very pointless. Plus, it’s much less headache to let people be themselves rather than figure them out all at once.

The idea of knowing everything of everyone but to the world be an absolute mystery is, to me, a way to make up relevancy where there isn’t any and to mask insecurity. They want a noteworthy talent and to even be talked about for it. It reminds me of the “wizard” in the Wizard of Oz and The Wiz where the wannabe showstopper tries to play up who they are around people who don’t truly know them or how small and pathetic they really are, just like the big and scary wizard being only a scared and failed man poised behind a curtain. Indeed, there is comfort in knowing countless information about someone. They aren’t strangers anymore and they can’t surprise you with a hidden trait that you may not like. The person is, well, conquerable and controllable even and that’s what I think those people want: control. It provides some extra control in life where the future is certain, waste is minimalized and practically nothing is for naught again. To have a grip on thing, not a bad thing to ask for, right?

Yes and no. Is getting a better grip on life good? Sure! Or I wouldn’t do divination or spellwork, let alone support it. However taking on the severe notion that everything and everyone in life must be attached with a string is a bit concerning. Generally those who try to control others have a problem controlling themselves. I’ll glance at a palm to help me out interacting with the person but I don’t want to make it feel like I’m trying to be a puppet master and assert dominance where there isn’t any and definitely no need to. In my experience, those that want to be an occult know-it-all have some pretty disheveled lives themselves, they’ve been picked on, made fun of, hapless victims of the hands of fate or feel unnecessarily threatened somehow. They can’t have any control in themselves or it’s too hard to gain control that they try to find it by subverting it onto others. This is why they try to pretend they know everything about everyone but no one knows anything about them, it creates the illusion of superiority because there’s a serious bout of inferiority floating about in their minds somewhere. Divination and spellwork is here to help people, not pretend you’re awesome.

Usually these folks can stun the crowd and even get a few to believe them and their pseudo-intellectual ways. They carry a highfalutin air about them, that they’re smarter than the average populace and can quote a few dusty books (usually incorrectly). They dress different from the crowd, decked out in tons of silver symbolic jewelry, perhaps has a Korn or System of a Down shirt in their wardrobe, something from Hot Topic, their hair may have seen better days. Or maybe they dress like Harvard professors from the 1940s (and may even have the social views to match). They talk kinda fast and like every sentence they say is a remarkable zing, paced as if they have the mind of a sage man or thematic like they’re V from V for Vendetta, usually walking with hunched shoulders.  Depending on how deep in the occult they are, they may even make reference to otherworldly beings as if they’re so tough and powerful they could sic a deity on you. Always, they make it seem that no matter how hard you try to outwit them or have a level conversation with them, they imply that any chance to compete intellect is futile for they will always come out on top. Hey, they may even brag about women and sex like a 14 year old with a flair for stuffy chatter – despite the fact that nary has a woman ever approached them and they have no idea how to talk to one without sounding stupid. These people just want to mystify you with all their personal smoke and mirrors but they’re pretty easily handled fast with some straight talk and not being afraid to say, “Oh really?” They don’t like questions, just submission. If anything, they’re flustered by non-submission, they don’t want to be seen as an equal, they want to be a superior, something to fear. Take them down a few pegs and unravel the enigma they’re trying to be and you find someone who just wants to be somebody for once.

I think that while it is fun and very good to know divination because of its usefulness to get a better grip on life but to rely on that for relevancy or control is pretty pathetic. The world is a pretty wild place filled with coincidences, happenings, surprises and weird stuff, it’s impossible to harness all of that and rather pointless to. The unknown is the unknown, so what? Not everything is meant to be discovered, examined or thoroughly understood to a fine point, including people. To study the occult, there shouldn’t be a direct aim to control it but to best understand it and work with it. Those that want to control others or to somehow have what they want to believe is an unfair advantage aren’t mysterious, they’re stereotypical. It’s clear what they want and what they lack. It’s annoying how much leverage people give them because they know a few big words in the dictionary (it’s another argument altogether of whether or not they use them correctly) and can act like a character out of an Alan Moore movie. They’re believed because they act the part, it’s a common stereotype that those involved with the metaphysics acts weird and creepy because they know something the general public don’t. These folks act pompous because they’ve stumped and amazed enough people willing to believe that stereotype and I’m stumped and amazed that people believe them.

Usually those who are good at what they do generally don’t flaunt it. There’s no need to. Why show yourself off as something big and bad to those that shouldn’t care? The best diviners I know never show it until they have to and some of the most intellectual people I know have a multiplex and full personality filled with perks, quirks, moods, strong suits and shortcomings. They believe that the proof is in the pudding, not the recipe and that’s how it should be. Know-it-alls are more like know-nothings that want to be something, intellectuals just that – intellectual.

Speaking of intellectual, have you read the post below about Black Victims in the Holocaust? Very interesting read

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Travelin’ Light: Lasers Giveaway

Filed under: BW Announcements, The Arts — 2 Comments
February 22, 2011

Hey, remember when I wrote that BW PSA about the Lupe Fiasco protest aptly called Fiasco Friday? Well, Atlantic Records heard the many voices, saw the many signatures and were convinced to finally release Lasers. It makes me very happy to see that there is still movement and trust in the power of the people and especially in an industry that relys so much on sedated ears and rather treadmill thinking – but that’s for Fandom and the Fan.

Wanna listen to some of the tracks? Here you go: (Edited so you can listen to them here. WMG is such a drag)

The Show Goes On ( I love how they used Modest Mouse song “Float On” as the loop.)

Words I Never Said

All Black Everything

Want more? Try your hand at getting a copy of Lasers on this here column. I will be picking the winner on the date of Lasers drop date, March 8th, all you have to do is send me an email with “Travelin’ Light: Laser Giveaway” in the subject line with your name and email. The winner will be contacted for their physical address and have the copy of Lasers shipped to them.

Don’t wanna wait so long for a Fiasco album? Lupe’s hears you, here’s a QR Code he’s provided

And you may use Red Laser but here’s a bunch of other QR readers for smartphones and non-smartphones alike!

And did you guess correct? Travelin’ Light is a Billie Holiday song. If you’re a Lupe Fiasco fan, she should sound familar because she was actually referenced to in “Superstar”: “I need a holiday like lady who sung blue”

Be blazin’.

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More Than Your Sun Sign

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Astrology, BW Announcements — 4 Comments
February 4, 2011

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

I’ve mentioned in my earlier column Baby, the Stars Shine Bright! that I’m a bit of an astrologer – as in, I study astrology, its functions, astronomy and the background of why things are the way they are. (Also, I would like to plug the free Android app Google Sky Map for all your astronomy needs!) Now, I love astrology, even if I can be a bit derpy sometimes in remembering the signs in perfect order after learning pretty much all else about them.

An astrologer pet peeve of mine – my deco’d soapbox, so to speak – are horoscopes and people who judge everything on sun signs (the sign you’re asked when someone goes, “What’s your sign?”), otherwise known as pop-astrology. Goodness, is it stupid to hear someone go “I’m an Aries! I’m fiery and a natural leader!” because often it means: “I’m a complete jerk and you all have to deal with it because this flimsy fact I read on Twitter gives me complete and total license!” Also, the very same people who may ask me for my sign and decide they know all about me jump at the very mention of divination and witchcraft or better yet, their eyes glaze over when I talk about actual astrology.

“Alright, astrology isn’t a cake walk, I get it,” you may say. “Seems easy to me tho.” Don’t it? Well, in learning astrology kinda seriously (or seriously enough to go beyond spitting some “I’m an Aries” nonsense) here’s what you need at least some of a grasp of: astronomy, mythology, psychology, sociology, a healthy bulls**t radar, skepticism and a little history wouldn’t kill you either. There’s a reason Cancer is considered a crab, a turtle and even a cat and why it is seen as a water sign and cardinal. Also, there’s a reason every person invested truly in astrology rolls their eyes and lament providing an explanation every time Ophiuchus gets mentioned. (Such as my last Ask Black Witch, complete with links.) In addition, it is perfectly healthy to wonder if people are acting within their signs because that’s what they’re told or if their sign actually describes, not define, them. The recent Ophichus flare-up should cue you in when you hear someone go “I’m not a Cancer anymore? Am I still sensitive and emotional?” (Yes, dimwit, you are. It’s called a “personality”; astrology is usually reflective, not determinate.) These people should help you out and I would tell you how to really mess with them but that’s probably not very nice of me.

Compatibility, work, whatever, can’t be told by one planet which demonstrates only one thing and one thing only. It can’t tell me how you are with your family, money or future. There are whole planets and houses (fractions of the sky and pie slices on a natal chart) spelling all that out. And that’s even if you resemble your sun sign, some people don’t because of something else that’s going on in their natal chart.

This takes me to horoscopes. I personally can’t stand horoscopes because A) people eat it up like candy and then relay said nonsense to me B) It’s so broad and incorrect how could you take such a thing correctly or seriously?  Makes me wonder.

Alright, lemme try something. I’m a sun in Cancer so lemme try my horoscope from three places and we’ll sum them up, yeah? On this day of January 29, 2011, here’s my horoscope:

Astrology.com: Coworkers need your help today — even if you’re miles from the office. It’s one of those times when you can make a huge difference just by checking in. They are sure to think you’re a mind reader!

Horoscope.com: Information received through dreams and visions could trigger sudden psychic revelations of solutions to problems you may have been mulling over for weeks. What you realize is likely to clear up any difficulties and pave the way for success. The emotional release could have you feeling like a heavy weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Obey your impulses, and get to it.

MSN Astrology: (They asked me for my birthdate) Daily Planetary Overview:
The Moon in Sagittarius conjuncts Venus this evening, bringing a happy, optimistic feeling to relationships. If you’ve given up hope of ever meeting anyone or have doubts about a current relationship, now is the time to get back into the swing of things. This planetary combo is perfect for partying!

Your Horoscope – Today, Jan. 29, 2011
Fundraising activities of a group with which you’re affiliated are generally going very well, but today you’re likely to find that things seem to be stalled. Checks may not come in the mail, important people don’t return your phone calls, someone doesn’t show up to do the job at hand. This situation is frustrating, but it probably won’t last past today. By tomorrow you should all be your busy selves again. Hang in there!

Lookin for sites that have horoscopes was actually harder than I thought. I haven’t checked my horoscope since God/dess knows when so when I started, it was very much a moment of, “Alright! Find my horoscope! Easy as pie!…Uh, where do people read their horoscopes?” I thought of some pretty good basics such as MSN horoscope and astrology.com. After asking friends, thinking for a bit and then using Google, I found Horoscope.com. All the sites I went to basically were girly with big letters, vibrant layouts, filled with cute and adorableness. It’s like they’re practically hardball pitching to girls…ick. Almost made me feel bad for guys who read at those spots because it kinda insinuates that only girls concern themselves with the stars, very ditzy girls at that. It’s very hard to take these sites seriously. I know I don’t but I’m sure there are plenty out there who do.

How did these readings fair? None were the same exactly. Astrology.com looked at me from a worker’s perspective (concern only my “workplace life” not my life as a whole), Horoscope.com pitched at the “intuitive Cancer” perspective, MSN Astrology attempted to be personal but still refer to my work life and some of my social life. Were they right? Not incredibly:

Astrology.com: Did I check in? Nah, I slept in and the sky hasn’t fallen yet. Who am I? Mama Bear? Ah, no. I don’t care if folks think I am a mind reader or not, if people want my help, they know how and where to hit me up. This reading plays on the fact that Cancerians are suppose to be very familial with those that they work with, are social with, live with and interact with. Not always true for every Cancer. I do like to help people but there’s no “S” on my chest anywhere.

Horoscope.com: I am intuitive, yes, buuuuut these people make it sound like my life is an episode out of Medium. I had a few weird dreams but I think they had more to do with the fact I was watching music videos late at night while eating nearly a bucket of cookie dough ice cream (my favorite) and being completely distracted by my computer so I guess I wound up taking my busy mind to bed with me. What did it make me realize? Stop eating a near quart of cookie dough ice cream at near 6 AM in the morning and dear God does modern day music videos suck. But that wasn’t a psychic revelation, it’s a revelation I always had and usually ignore when I feel like it. Nothing groundbreaking here, just some bedhead and a tummyache.

MSN Astrology: How nice of them to take down my birthdate and use that…I think. If they’re going to talk about how the current astrological forecast is going to affect me, they should keep in mind my actual natal chart. I’m not going to simply go out and party because of a momentary positive placement between two planets. A placement between moon and any planet is not going to last long so why should I care about this one? Plus, relationships? Um, I have a Venus in Gemini but what about my Cancerian Mercury in retrograde and the fact I like quiet when I want quiet and loud when I want noise? The planets are always moving, I’m not going to concern myself with this one.

I’m not doing any fundraising stuff, either. Unless Afro-Punk is doing something I don’t know about, this is a stretch. So far, everything is its normal self, including any waiting period I am going through right now but part of that stems from my laziness.

Staying on the same track of Cancer being maternal, emotional, feminine and perhaps needing a cake to keep sane, these sites are generalizations of Cancer.  See, I am a Cancer in three planets (Sun, Mercury, Mars) but I’m not exactly motherly always – I’m quite a prickly shoulder to lean on sometimes. I am pretty emotional and intuitive but I have heard of this awesome counter balance called “Logic”. Cancer is a work zodiac (a zodiac that is affiliated with business and money) but these readings never really hit home for me or what I’m currently dealing with. The only way to connect with these horoscopes is if I were working with others, taking a closer look at my dreams (and if I were a total noob with dream interpreting, wind up making a mountain out of a mole hill) for the key to the problems that I supposedly have and reach quick success thereafter, and to look for all the current discrepancies in my life. In other words, I’d have to play along, even if I have to use some make believe.

A good horoscope reading looks at the natal chart and the current astrological weather but that’s a really hard job to do because it’s so personal and horoscopes have to satisfy crowds, not individuals. That means you need a version of astrology that’s really dumbed down and easy for mass consumption. What comes out of it? Pop astrology and people running around thinking they know the zodiac when really they know a very infinitesimal amount and barely any of it truly applicable.

For example, a good horoscope reading would make mention that my Jupiter is returning (I’m a Jupiter in Aries, 8th house) and that this is probably a good year to start things because the current Jupiter is in not only a cardinal sign but the start of the zodiac itself, which works positively with the expansiveness of Jupiter, not to mention it is a natal return for me. A good horoscope would include my houses, keep my retrogrades in mind, remember the placements of my birth chart and how it all applies to the placements, houses and retrogrades of now. The only way to get that really is with either a really good computer program, have a personal astrologer on speed dial at all times or eyeball what the astro-weather of today will hold for me – which is what I do when the feeling moves me and I decide to amble over to alabe.

What about other folks who follow horoscopes religiously? Don’t take them so seriously – or better yet, don’t read them at all. These horoscopes can’t truly help you with your life because it’s not geared specifically for you, your problems, your life or even your temporary situations. Life is going to be life, these astrologers are just throwing out ideas but there’s no promise any of these ideas are going to help you, that’s why horoscopes are regarded as entertainment only in some publications. If you feel the need to look to the stars for answers, just learn astrology for yourself and know that just because you know your Mars sign finally doesn’t mean life will be any easier to control. It’s good to have guidance but live life for itself.

 As some of have attended or are aware of, I had an impromptu Black Witch Ustream chat last Friday. It was really fun but it also was not recorded so I am very sorry for those who missed out. I still plan to have two official yearly Ustream chats for the column, one for Halloween and the Black Witch anniversary, but I think these random Ustream chats are certainly fun! I can’t promise I’ll be recording each and every one, only when the mood strikes me, but I can promise you that they will be random and unpredictable in timing. I’ll advertise on Twitter, the Black Witch Fan Page and on the Black Pagans group at Afro-Punk at least twenty minutes to a half hour before broadcast time. Be there or be square.

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Call for Black Pagans, want to be in an anthology?

Filed under: BW Public Service Announcement, Coming out of the Broom Closet, Pagan Life, Race — Leave a comment
January 6, 2011

One of my readers Crystal B. has been calling for submissions of the minority Pagan experience to create an anthology! Here are the details!

Call for Writers – Shades of Faith; minority voices within Paganism. Email for inquiries and submissions:

Megalithica Books, an imprint of Immanion Press (Stafford, U.K./Portland, OR, U.S.A) is seeking submissions for an anthology on people of color working in magical communities.  This anthology will be an opportunity to get the voices and experiences of minorities within the Pagan community out to the world and address some of the challenges, stereotyping, frustrations and the beauty of being different within the racial construct of typical Pagan or Wiccan groups. These communities include (but are not limited to) groups and individuals working in Wicca, Voodoo, Umbanda, Shaman, and other Pagan paths.

Many of the roots of Paganism have come from the lands of people of color yet the mainstreaming of Wicca has elevated images of worship and deity that connect with Celtic, Greek or Roman cultures.  This can have an exclusive effect on those who’s culture or ancestry fall outside of those categories.  Interestingly enough people of color within Paganism are often walking between the worlds of their birth ancestry and culture and that of their spiritual culture.  This anthology is an opportunity to share your stories and experiences with others around being a minority in our spiritual community.

Here are some suggested topics to give you an idea of the focus of this anthology.

  • Your experience of integration into the Pagan community
  • Magical work
  • Ancestor work
  • Integrating your birth culture with your spiritual workings
  • Personal experiences and thoughts around how being of color within the Pagan community was significant.
    What magical work are you doing now? How do you describe it? Do you work alone, in a group, or in several settings?
  • Your birth culture and spiritual workings
  • Stereotypes and prejudice
    Being the only person of color in a coven, group or community
  • Sharing your culture and history with other Pagans
  • Cultural history
  • Sub-culture of African Americans, Hispanics or other minority groups within Wicca or Paganism.
  • Is there a sense of acceptance within the magical community you work in? Do you encounter resistance in your magical community or acceptance?
  • What do you feel is needed to be more inclusive of racial diversity in Pagan communities

These drafts will be edited in a back-and-forth process with the editor. Essays should be 1500-4000 words, although if your work falls outside those limits, do submit it – we can discuss this during the editing process. Drop us an email if you are unsure whether your idea fits into the content. The sooner you start the communication process the better, as after the deadline we won’t be considering additional ideas.

Essay requirements:
• Citations for all quoted, paraphrased, or otherwise unoriginal material
• Bibliography of works cited
• Prefer APA format

Do write in your voice! If you’re academically inclined or trained, feel free to be as intelligent and technical as you like. If your work entirely talks in the first person about your own experience, please include this also. There is a wide range of voices, and we are interested in being as inclusive of style as possible.

Accepted contributors will receive a free copy of the anthology when it is published and additional copies sold at 40% off the cover price to contributors. All contributors will be provided with a contract upon final acceptance of their essays, not when they are accepted for editing. If your essay is not accepted for the anthology, we will tell you after the first round of edits.

The anthology will be edited by Crystal Blanton. She is the author of an upcoming pagan/occult nonfiction book called Bridging the Gap; Working Within the Dynamics of Pagan Groups and Society. She may be found online at http://crystalblanton.com/ and her email address for this anthology is crystal@crystalblanton.com .

Immanion Press is a small independent press based in the United Kingdom. Founded by author Storm Constantine, it expanded into occult nonfiction in 2004 with the publication of Taylor Ellwood’s Pop Culture Magick. Today, Immanion’s nonfiction line, under the Megalithica Books imprint, has a growing reputation for edgy, experimental texts on primarily intermediate and advanced pagan and occult topics. Find out more at http://www.immanion-press.com.

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Black Witch Interview by the African American Wiccan Society

Filed under: BW Announcements — Leave a comment

I was interviewed by the African American Wiccan Society! Listen to it here! (If you can’t find me, scroll down, I’m New Year’s). See you Friday!

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The Arts! X-Mas Battle, Afr. Am. Wiccan Society, ThePunkWitch255 and Destino

Filed under: BW Announcements, Resources & Information, The Arts — Leave a comment
December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone! The very last day to hustle and bustle for that perfect or popular present and travellin. If you’re gonna be dealing with TSA and their T&A procedures, you may like this line of clothing called Fourth Amendment Shirts. For my international readers (and victims of the American education system), the Fourth Amendment is one entry of the 10-part Bill of Rights in the American constitution that solidifies an American citizen’s right to privacy and warrants against unlawful and unreasonable search and seizure. Thanks Emily for the recommendation.

Because this is so ridiculously cute and adorable, a Lupe Fiasco and KRS-One Christmas battle as Santa (KRS) and Blitzen (Lupe) battle it out.

I saw this short documentary on AfroPunk and thought it was stunning, titled “Bring Your A Game”. It focuses on the problems of Black boys and how it will influence them as they become Black men. It asks an all star group of Black men from Lupe Fiasco to Cornel West to Ice Cube to Spike Lee and more. Not only does it investigates the problems that could befall Black boys but also the solutions they could take, regardless where they are in life.

Since WordPress is being its occasional wack self with media (i.e.~ not playing), here it is!

African-American Wiccan Society
Different from the Yahoo group African-American Wiccans, AAWS is a new website meant strictly for Black Pagans, Wiccans and Witches alike. A great resource site for Black Pagans to gather information and meet other Black Pagans such as themselves. It’s still rather new (created in August this very summer) so some parts are still undone and kinda rough around the edges but all in all, this is a wonderful site to look at. I’ve found a slew of sites that caters to Black Paganism just by idly perusing the site, it really is wonderful!

Wanna meet up with other like-minded Black Pagans in your area? AAWS has set up a Meetup page for all Black Pagans. You can make a Meetup account or sign in with your Facebook account. This is new so get it moving and start meeting other Black Pagans just like you!

African-American Wiccans Society Meetup page
AAWS Twitter

The PunkWitch255
I stumbled upon this vidcaster when looking at Shazzypbear’s videos. I thought she was brilliant and had to put her on here. She, just like Shazzypbear, is fairly new to the craft but I love her insight.

Here is her Introduction and altar (you might want to turn your speakers up a bit, the video is a bit soft)

She goes very in-depth with her beliefs and it’s wonderful to see her showcase what a normal Witch looks and acts like. She made a trip to mind, body and spirit fair and shows off her wares for her representations of the God and Goddess as well as some Witchy tools.

In her latest video, she discusses Yule, showcases her Yule altar and being a thrifty Pagan as well as updates on her Book of Shadows (BOS)

Destino
I just found this while looking at a Janelle Monae tour video and thought it was very lovely. Apparently surreal artist Salvador Dali worked with Walt Disney to create this magnificent piece. Goldappleberry had set it to music in Monae’s recent album The ArchAndroid, performing “Sir Greendown”, “Cold War” and “Tightrope” in their relative succession since Janelle Monae was struck with inspiration from the short film for “Sir Greendown”. I thought it was lovely and fitting, see for yourself:

Hey, notice Links of Interest is a little longer? I added three more links to the list: Godchecker, African American Wiccan Society and Greater Than AIDS. I felt these sites would provide invaluable information for all readers so I threw them up there. Use them!

Next week is Ask Black Witch! Very last Black Witch post of the year, send in questions! Merry Christmas!

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Be Greater Than – HIV/AIDS Awareness

Filed under: BW Public Service Announcement, Relationships and Dating, Resources & Information — Leave a comment
December 1, 2010

I debated with myself about posting this piece for World AIDS Awareness day because I feel that having awareness about HIV and AIDS should not be rested in one day of kumbahyah and “We Will Survive” panels. For millions suffering with the virus, it is everyday and everyday there are brand new cases. More than 50% of new cases are African-Americans and caught far too late. Just like Black History (or any other cultural history for that matter), one day, one week, one month, none of that is enough. I feel acknowledging HIV and AIDS for simply a day diminishes the urgency to inform and mobilize the public with information enable to stunt the growth of this virus and work closer to a cure.

I’m no expert on HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome), hence why I will be providing links to those who are. I can only stress that you should be tested if you are sexually active (currently having sex or has had sex and currently celibate) or have taken drugs with needles (in addition, I highly advise you to get help for the addiction, drugs are not the joyride they appear to be). There are many testing centers throughout cities, all free. If you don’t know where there is a testing center for you, the CDC has a website to find a testing center nearest you with just your zip code. If you are infected with the virus and continually sexually active, please inform your bedmates that you are infected and use condoms. HIV/AIDS is tearing through the Black community around the world because of misinformation and silence about the virus. HIV can lay dormant for up to ten years before it becomes full-blown AIDS and the initial symptoms can appear flu-like so there is no sure-fire way to know whether you are infected or not unless you get tested. There is currently no cure for HIV or AIDS, only medicine to improve living with the illness and allowing those affected to live longer.

HIV/AIDS Awareness is beyond a day because as I said, one day is not enough. Become very aware of the 30-year history of the virus to understand how it came about and was handled in the past up to now, learn about the debates of HIV/AIDS medicine and the politics involved, learn what causes the virus to become epidemics in certain groups such as Black women but also in groups not oft discussed, Black intravenous drug users, learn the difference between STDs and HIV/AIDS and most of all, learn about condoms and their use in the fight against the disease in the Black community.

Here are the sites for HIV/AIDS awareness and knowledge. To keep this post easy to find, I’ll will be introducing a new category titled “Resources & Information”:

Greater Than – Great resource on HIV and AIDS for the Black community. Learn about the virus, how it varies from other STDs, how it’s contracted, finding a testing center and more!

Condom Depot – To best protect yourself from the virus sexually, wear a condom, use lubrication and please read their “Learning Center” for more HIV/AIDS and STD information and world news. Product and information all in one place.

Former Surgeon General Koop’s warning – The more World AIDS days that pass, please do not forget that there is a lot of knowledge that is not going around. Just going, “Eh, not my problem” is a problem in itself.

HIV/AIDS ravages throughout the Black community worldwide, taking lives and new cases popping up each and everyday in men, women and children. Until we can find a cure, all that we can do to really fight the virus is with information and awareness and that’s going to take more than one day. It’s everyday.

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Black Witch Ustream Chat on Halloween!

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, BW Announcements — Leave a comment
October 27, 2010

Alright, everything has been ironed out between AfroPunk and I. The Black Witch Ustream chat will be at the AfroPunk Ustream, not the BW Ustream. It will be 4:30-5:30 PM EST and of course on Halloween (Sunday). You can talk to me via Ustream but also via Twitter as well, just tweet me @thisblackwitch and I’ll get the messages all the same. I will be broadcasting at Mystickal Voyage metaphysical shop in Nottingham, MD. Hopefully you’ll attend the chat and we will all have fun!

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BW PSA: Don’t Dumb it Down – Lupe Fiasco and Fiasco Friday

Filed under: BW Public Service Announcement — Leave a comment
October 1, 2010

Okay, this is the first Black Witch Public Service Announcement. Don’t expect many of these but they’ll come up when something important happens and can’t fit within the usual Black Witch posting schedule. The regular Black Witch post “Mental Mentality” is beneath this BW PSA post.

I’m not very sure how many of my readers are aware of the issue regarding Lupe Fiasco’s newest album being put on the shelf by Atlantic records but you can read about it on the site Fiasco Friday, as well as get information about the protest against Atlantic Records on Oct 15 in NYC. Now, while some of you may think it is ridiculous to have petition and protest for an album, I can understand why and even support it. Lupe Fiasco is one of the best emcees we have of this generation and he is the embodiment of what true hip hop is: the voice of the Black conscious and political enlightenment to and from the most marginalized voices in the world. Hip hop is not at heart what it is depicted in the mainstream today, as rubbish and all the worst Black stereotypes combined. Hip hop is art, it is a culture and it is a political movement. Lupe Fiasco embodies all of this, the art, the culture and the politics. Listening to him is being aware of the world around you. You’re not listening to another track dehumanizing women or blatant nihilism, Lupe is a very positive artist and inside a genre so deluded with machine-made negativity at that. I can’t think of many artists out there to match and the ones that I can are mainly stifled on the radio in favor for more base and minstrel-like entertainment.

Lupe Fiasco is one of the few artists who actually cares about the music more than the money. There’s nothing wrong with showing heart about something you care for but I do have issue when the responses are heartless. On the Black Witch twitter, I got to read some very discouraging comments from people discussing Lupe’s responses about the whole matter – and the fact that he’s Muslim (I’ll touch on that later) on his twitter. Needless to say, I am a bit incensed by the whole situation. I was going to discuss Fiasco Friday next week (and I shall) but I felt this needed to be said now.

The music industry is a very complicated industry and to an outsider, it looks oh so simplistic. You take an artist (who looks like they can sell), sign ‘em, record ‘em, shell out an album, have expensive tours, go on BET and VH1, and do it all over again like magic. Not that easy. There are talks, investors, contract obligations, considerations of commercial appeal and most important of all (for the music execs) – how to reel in as many dollars as possible and consistently, especially in a time and era where the music industry biggest threat and competitor is the internet. Quality sells but quantity sells more, just shell out some chart-toppers with a catchy beat and collect money. The music sucks but hey, that’s not what these execs are in the business for. It’s a lot more to putting out an album than just spitting into a microphone. Once an album is cut and finished, it’s put in the record label hands to decide what to do with it next. Sometimes it gets pushed out quick but sometimes it gets shelved – not because the powers that be don’t believe that it’s a poor record, no no, they just believe it won’t dredge them enough money because there’s not enough commercial appeal or too risky. They’re not concerned with causing a revolution or delivering good music, they’re concerned with you staying firmly attached at the wallet. So an album like Lasers will get shelved (despite Lupe’s accomplishments) but an album that talks about nothing but murder, women and sex rolls out ever so easily because it has a wider commercial appeal. In short, Lupe can’t just up and release a new album just because he wants to, he has a record company to deal with and they’re the ones holding things up.

This protest is to put some pressure on that record company to speak up because so far, they have not given any reasons whatsoever to as why they have shelved the album and to let the album actually drop. I know I wanna hear it, Lupe is amazing and I recommend everyone else to listen to him a little bit as well – especially the song “Dumb it Down”.

I featured his side project Japanese Cartoon in August The Arts but here’s his official site as well. If you support his music – and I recommend that you do – please do sign the petition to show your support but also if you are in the NYC area or can get there on Oct 15th, attend the demonstration. I may not be there but I know Lupe Fiasco will be. All details for the protest is on FiascoFriday.com. Please comment or tweet me @thisblackwitch if you have signed the petition or will go.

As for the fact that he’s Muslim – does it really matter that much to you? Instead of bristling, listen to what Lupe has to say about his religion. He really presents it well, just like Busta Rhymes, Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

You may now proceed to your originally scheduled post: Mental Mentality

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