Widow raped for practising witchcraft
The accused persons suspected the victim practised witchcraft and “killed” a six-month-old baby by her “black magic” at Gangti village under Goradih block in neighbouring Bhagalpur district. Read full story from indiatimes.com

The Myth of “Voodoo”: A Caribbean American Response to Representations of Haiti
At a time when increasing numbers of informed audiences in both scholarly and popular circles have begun to recognize African religious cultures and the rich contributions they have made to African diaspora civilizations, Pat Robertson has made another dubious contribution to America’s fascination with the ‘problem of Haiti.’Read full story from religiondispatches.org

Wicca’s Invitation
Pagan practices are meeting with an increasingly receptive audience in the Episcopal Church. Is it the consequence of an unmet need? Read full story from virtueonline.org

Happy Blessed Cyprian feast day!
Cyprian Tansihad three names. Iwene was the name given by his father at his birth in 1903, Michael was his baptismal name, and Cyprian his monastic name. Born into a pagan family, he was sent to a Catholic school where at the age of eight he was baptised. Read full story from indcatholicnews.com

Strong values and collaboration credited for tribes’ success
The Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award annually honors Western tribal, First Nation, and Alaska Native leaders who possess long-range vision, a sense of place in the growing global economy, sustainable societal values and integrated historical knowledge of the land’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

‘The Vikings’: the bloody history of the Scandinavian warrior hordes
In the year 870, Ivar the Boneless of Denmark (his nickname also has been interpreted as “the Snake” or “the Detested”) captured the Anglo-Saxon King Edmund. Ivar, who had already made a name for himself by killing an earlier enemy via a gruesome method called the “blood-eagle,” demanded that Edmund share his kingdom. The story goes that when Edmund refused, Ivar tied him to a tree, had him scourged, let his men use the hapless king as target practice for their arrows, and finally had him beheaded, tossing the head away in the undergrowth. Read full story from seattletitimes.com

Regulating Native Practices and other Pagan News of Note
Top Story: While the final fate of New Age guru James Arthur Ray, who led a “sweat lodge” ceremony that ended up killing three people, remains an open question, others are working to put Ray, and others like him, out of business. Arizona state Sen. Albert Hale, a former president of the Navajo Nation, is sponsoring a bill that would allow the state to regulate any for-pay activity that claims to be a “traditional and authentic Native American practice.” Read full story from wildhunt.org

The Similarities Between Christianity and Paganism
My first encounter with paganism was in junior high, when a friend of mine confided in me that she was struggling with the choice between it and Christ. For her, we’ll call her Kari, magic was real. She could see auras, call on spirits, commune with the trees in her backyard and the fairies in the open land beyond. However, her family belonged to a Christian denomination, and the time for her confirmation was coming up fast. She would have to give up one or the other. “Why?” I asked, “Can’t you practice both?” Read full story from associatedcontent.com