Native American Wisdom for Golden Dawn Pow Wow

by anthropologist

Leslie McQuade Griffin

With the International Golden Dawn Pow Wow only an Equinox away, David and I, seeking inspiration from the ancestors of this land in America, last week attended the Utah Navaho Pow Wow in Bluff, Utah. As an anthropologist, I was certain that we would learn things from this Intertribal event that would help the Golden Dawn Community heal from the strife that has hobbled it for decades.

A Native American Pow Wow is like a family reunion. It is like a state fair. It is like a tent revival, beauty pageant, dance hall, Christmas and a carnival all going on at once. There are dancing competitions, beauty competitions, rodeo competitions, and although the competition is fierce, all understand that the real purpose of the Pow Wow is to celebrate being Indian (yes, they call themselves Indians, not Native Americans). Nations that just a few generations before would have killed each other on sight have now, due to the genocide conducted by settlers and pioneers, joined together to marvel at all the different ways the Nations have to express themselves in peace, love and harmony. Clearly, there was healing to be found here for the Golden Dawn.

Even from the road, the landscape is breathtaking.

We walked from the Kokopeli Inn the ½ mile or so to the Pow Wow grounds. There was no sidewalk, but instead, a well-worn path on the side of the road. We were careful to avoid wearing anything that had skulls, snakes or owls, as all these are taboo in most Indian nations for all but the Heyoka (Sacred Clowns). David wore Ed Hardy jeans with a black Jaguar embroidered on the back, a “blingy” tee shirt and the Jaguar baseball cap he got when he bought his faithful steed, Miracle. I had been to several Pow Wows and Sundances on the plains, so I opted for the more traditional long dress, shawl, and Ropers (a type of cowboy work boot).

We crossed the highway and walked in to the rodeo parking. There were dozens of heavy-duty “dualie” pickups with horse trailers. The horses tied to the trailers, some wearing blanktets decorated like old-fashioned warpaint, were whinnying at the distant sound of drums and singing.

Wild horses gathering to listen to
traditional Indian Drumming.

Some of the Indians were selling melons out of their trucks; wonderful watermelons, crenshaws, cantaloupes and other varieties unique to the family that raised them. Seeds are saved from the best tasting melons, and replanted in the same gardens year after year until micro varieties are formed.

As we walked up to the front entrance, we saw the rodeo arena to our right. The woman who took our entrance fee said the rodeo would start at 7pm, and the dancing had already begun. When we asked what time things would be over, she did a very typical Indian thing; she looked at us, took a deep breath, looked up, looked back at us and said, “Well now, that depends. It'll be over when it’s over, but I expect the dancers will be here 'til at least midnight”.

At a Pow Wow (or any Indian gathering for that matter), time is a slippery concept. Things are done as they unfold. There may be a start and finish time posted, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will happen at the appointed times. In Indian Country, it is far more important to “go with the flow” than it is to be “on time”.  Clocks are an introduced idea, and “on time” is clock time and thus, not Indian Time, which is very much like Island Time, for those of you who may have experienced it. Things happen when they are meant to happen, and so, when you attend a Pow Wow, it is a good idea to just relax and “go with the flow”. It’s good for your blood pressure, and will make your time at the Pow Wow more enjoyable.

It's like an Indian Fashion show for all ages and styles.

We had arrived a little before sunset, so we were just in time for the community dance competition.  Participants wear dressy clothes and dance as a couple. It’s like a beauty pageant/fashion show/dance competition/popularity contest. There were no age brackets; if you could dance, you could participate. We saw a pair that couldn’t have been more than 12, and another that was at least in their 80’s. There was even a transgender/cross-dressed couple. This by the way, is not at all unusual in most of Indian Country, since not every boy who went out on a Vision Quest came back with a Puma or an Eagle. Some came back with a Bison Scapula Hoe or Berry Basket.

After watching the traditional dancers, we went to dinner with some friends, and then went back to see some more of the Pow Wow. By now the sun had set, so the population of the Pow Wow had changed significantly.

The first significant change we noticed was that the Navajo Police were now making a loud and plentiful presence at the front gate. As is always the case at a festival touched by western influences, someone got too drunk and made a scene. We took a wide berth of the unfolding situation, since police of every stripe seem to have become less predictable of late.

Roping a calf takes lots, and lots of practice.

The rodeo had started, so we walked to the edge of the arena for a closer look. While I admire the athleticism and skill required to rope a calf from a galloping horse, I much prefer to watch drummers, dancers and singers.

We quickly noticed that most all of the really old elders had gone home, along with the country western band that had been entertaining near the rodeo grounds while they were setting things up. The community dancers had gone too, and the carnival was lit up and in full swing. We walked past booths selling fry bread and roast mutton, beaded earrings and bags of feathers, and of course, the ubiquitous shiny Chinese krippity-crap that seems to be at every street fair.

Finally we arrived at the Main Dance Arena. This is where the heart of the Pow Wow was to be found. The dancers, drummers and singers that would perform here are at the top of their game. The dances and songs are for healing. Dancers dance not only because they enjoy it, but also because it serves an important function in the community. By making and wearing the different regalia associated with a particular dance, a person takes on the responsibility of carrying that tradition forward to future generations. You cannot be “just a dancer”. Dances are healing.  Dancers are teachers, and those people who agree to dance are also agreeing to be healers, teachers and role models for their communities.

Good seats are hard to find!

As we looked for some good seats, the Mixed Dance was in full swing.  I love the Mixed Dance best of all, because it is the only time you can see the different types of dancers dancing together.  There are Men's Fancy Dancers twirling beside the more reserved Buckskin Dancers, and Fancy Shawl Dancers high-stepping beside Grass Dancers and Cloth Dancers.  There is usually a Mixed Dance in between each of the judged dances, to both keep the dancers "warm" and to test them. What impressed David and I most was that each of these dancers, danced the Dance of his or her own choice. Each was unique, and yet together they didn't clash, but rather created an overall beauty and synergy like musicians playing different instruments in a symphony orchestra. David and I marveled, commenting on how wonderful it could be if the Golden Dawn could learn this lesson. 

Everyone is lining up to start the Mixed Dance.

We had just taken some seats in the bleacher section when a woman came over the PA system to make a special announcement. She announced that she was the Head Woman, and that she had been approached with a Special Healing Request. She was so moved by the request that she decided to grant it. She then told us about a baby and mother in intensive care after the baby was born prematurely and with complications. The Pow Wow was to stop, and a healing dance be done by a volunteer Jingle Dancer. It didn’t take long. The volunteer singers and drummers immediately started the special healing music, and one lone Jingle Dancer took the center of the arena.

Jingle dancers are women who wear silver cones on their dresses. The cones tinkle together as she dances. The young women who choose this dress do so because they are called to heal others. As the Jingle Dancer dances, her beauty and skill make those who watch happy. All this attention and happy energy is absorbed by the Jingle Dancer who then amplifies it, adds healing energy, and then sends it out to the person or persons to be healed, and all those who can see her.

It was so heartwarming to watch these people, some from as far away as Gallup NM, stop the Pow Wow to give love and support to a family most had never met. As she danced the first two rounds, other dancers of all kinds came out to the edge of the arena, and danced the Supporters Dance, lending their energy as well.  This is the spirit Pow Wow embodies. There is a need, and a volunteer is called upon to fulfill it. More volunteers then step up, more come in behind to support, and ALL are healed in the process, even those who only watch.

After the dance, the MC came back on the mic, her voice breaking, and invited all those who wanted healing to come forward and recieve the Jingle Dancer’s blessing. It is believed that after the dance, the Jingle Dancer is charged with healing energy, and can impart it to any and all who touch her. Interestingly, there was not a mad rush. Rather, it was more subdued and respectful. Those who were truly ill, people with oxygen tanks, walkers, in wheelchairs and with canes made their way slowly into the arena to take the Healer/Dancer’s hand, to hug her, to absorb some of the transformed energy in hopes of healing themselves in the process. More and more people trickled in, until the stands were half empty. Those who had been Supporting Dancers joined in behind the Jingle Dancer, offering the blessings of their dance as well.  There were at least 75 or 80 people in the arena, hugging, touching, smiling; reveling in the beauty and love that had been created there. This impromptu event lasted nearly an hour, and yet no one complained. EVERYONE THERE supported the dancer and the people she represented with love, compassion, and most of all, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. David was moved to tears, and pointed out that this was a powerful manifestation of the Goddess.

After the special healing Request, the Head Woman came back on the mic to announce the resumption of the Pow Wow, and what was up next? The Jingle Dancer competition. The music started, and this time, a dozen Jingle Dancers, took the arena. The costumes are hot and heavy, covered in metal cones, glass beads and bits of mirror. Each tall moccasin is completely covered in beads and can weight up to six pounds apiece. The dance that is done has the footwork similar to the Riverdance that was so popular a few years ago. They also carry heavy beaded purses, and large fans which are held high over their heads. For all this, they are light on their feet, as if what they were doing took no more effort than simply walking.

Most Jingle Dancers do all their own beadwork.

There is always a 5-minute break between dances, so the dancers can catch their breath. The MC asked if they were ready to dance, give a jingle. Only one moved. It was a hot, dusy night, and the MC took the time to admonish the Jingle Dancers “You chose to put on the dress. An’ someone out there is gonna’ be healed from watching you dance tonight. Give it your all. We’re gonna’ have another song now. Last one. ” And then the drumming and singing started again. The young ladies’ regalia sparkled in the halogen lights. Their cones jingled even louder than the drums and singers amplified over the PA system. The drummers set a blistering pace, but the women never faltered. They were light on their feet like ballerinas, kicking up clouds of dust in the dry Utah night. Fans held high over heads decked with elaborately beaded crowns, these healing Princesses absorbed the energy of our attention, changed it into healing energy, and radiated it back to us.

It can take months to make a single dress.

All those present were moved. I saw the woman beside me, who had gone up to be healed by the Special Request Dancer, wiping away silent tears. It takes a stony heart to keep a dry eye during these dances.

Three judges were to pick the first, second and third place dancers. When the dance ended, the ladies stood in a circle, facing inward, waiting to be chosen by a judge. Three men walked up and circled behind the dancers like the old game “duck-duck-goose”. Each one chose a dancer. These were the finalists. Another dance started, and David and I tried to pick the winner. In the end, the Jingle Dancer in black won. I’m not sure why. Her’s was not the most elaborate or beautiful costume. She did not step the highest, or hold her fan up the longest, but all agreed that she was the best.

Genuine Pendleton blankets are expensive, and beautiful.

Every one who participates is given a case of soda or water, because in truth, all these healing Goddesses benefit their community. The three were given Pendleton blankets, and the winner was given some scholarship money in addition to the water and blanket.

We were both deeply impressed by all that we had seen. Could something like this be possible in the Golden Dawn community? We, who seek to be more than human, could we put aside the petty concerns of our human existence to collectively embrace a better way? Would it have to take a genocide level event for us to see the error or our warring ways?

To our left, the big event of the evening was lining up to enter the arena – Men’s Fancy Dance. The "Fancy Dance" originated as Fancy War Dance by the Hethuska Society in Oklahoma. The individual who invented the dance was Gus McDonald. He was also the first World Champion Fancy War Dancer. This dance has been taken up by the Intertribal community with relish. The Fancy Dance was the most expensive, most elaborate, most difficult and physically demanding of all dances. It was a chance for the men to really strut their stuff. The men were decked out in hundreds of feathers, thousands of beads and mirrors, and paint on their faces such that they looked more like exotic neon peacocks than men.

We watched them spin and prance in the dust. Pictures of fancy dancers just don’t do them justice. And when you get to see the thirty best Fancy Feather Dancers in the Four Corners area, it’s the kind of eye candy you will never forget. Watching them dance was like looking at Las Vegas through a kaleidoscope!

We left after just 5 or 6 rounds of Fancy Dance. It was getting late, and for us, the really important lesson had already been learned. The Jingle Dancer who had volunteered to dance for that family – she wasn’t even a finalist. She had danced her hardest before the competition even began. She gave her all for the role the dress demanded, not for the competition. Now the admonishment of the MC made sense. She was the one who had jingled; she was the one who healed us.

Perhaps there is wisdom here also for the Golden Dawn ...

Leslie and David Griffin

The Roots of Modern Paganism Debate II

This new article continues the debate regarding the antiquity of the roots of modern Paganism from the comments section of my previous article. I am replying to Peregrin with this new article as the issues raised by Peregrin require a somewhat lengthy reply.

Peregrin writes:

Hello again,

Sorry if I do not have the energy or time to really go into this. I have done all this before and do not wish to go over it too much. Some stuff is on MOTO, most was years back and not on-line. This is why I ask folk to do their own research.

Just a few points then.

As Pallas says (thank you) I am referring to some not all.

Of course Pagan does not equal Wicca. However, there is no physical EVIDENCE to suggest paganism remained a viable RELIGIOUS path in Europe up to the 20th century.

Of course there were and are pagan survivals; customs, deity prayers, conflation with Christian saints etc. No one disputes this. What I am saying is that there is no evidence that these survivals existed as a religious alternative to Christianity as a full religious tradition. Sadly Christianity subsumed or killed most of these traditions. Folk magical practices, awareness of deities at wells etc do not a religion make, especially when most of the folk doing this named themselves Christians and would attend Christian churches.

Hutton never asserts beyond England and I speculate based on physical evidence.

The leaders of most neo-pagan traditions that became visible in the 60s and 70s had some contact or training with Wicca. Whilst not Wiccan, many from that time drew from Wicca. It is only from the 80s and 90s that we see Pagan reconstructionism consciously forming itself apart from (and sometimes in opposition to) Wicca.

As for your suggestion that unknown pagan activity may have been happening, it really matters little. We can only judge by the evidence. There may have been a secret cult of the Easter Bunny or the Intestine of Judas…if we cannot see evidence of it, we do not know.

To assert or believe something without evidence requires a level of base faith. This I think is inappropriate in mature religion and certainly has no place, to my mind, in the esoteric traditions. We do not accept literal interpretations of scripture without evidence. I see no reason to accept interpretations of Europe’s pagan past without evidence also.

And while my ego appreciates being described as a Christian apologetic, this is really beyond my field of expertise.

Thanks :)

I frankly don't see how this discussion can continue with any seriousness as long as Peregrin  merely ignores all presented evidence (like about Hutton's proclamations on Leland and Italy covered in my previous comments) and instead merely repeats his talking points over and over, propaganda style. Peregrin's new assertion that "Hutton never asserts beyond England" is so factually inaccurate as to beg the question whether Peregrin has actually even read Hutton himself.

Admittedly, Hutton's evidence is rather convincing that today’s Wicca is largely a reinvention. Numerous of Hutton’s subsidiary claims are not nearly as convincing, however. This may suit true Neopagans, who feel no strong ties to the past, but it disenfranchises many other Pagans who feel kinship and connection with antiquity.

Peregrin writes:

"What I am saying is that there is no evidence that these survivals existed as a religious alternative to Christianity as a full religious tradition. Sadly Christianity subsumed or killed most of these traditions. Folk magical practices, awareness of deities at wells etc do not a religion make, especially when most of the folk doing this named themselves Christians and would attend Christian churches."

In this assertion, Peregrin yet once again parrots Hutton. For Hutton, "these people had signalled their conversion to Christianity by the adoption of Christian worship and customs, and Hutton maintains that in so doing, they necessarily abandoned the old gods: one cannot be both Christian and Pagan. Such an assumption of mutual exclusivity is a very important one, as it underpins many of Hutton's arguments and effectively circumvents whole areas of inquiry. It is also a simplistic idea locked in a monotheistic mindset: from a more polytheistic and syncretic paradigm such as that of our European ancestors it was quite feasible to accommodate the new Christian God into an existing pantheon without invalidating the older deities."

Peregrin follows Hutton as well here in defining "religion" in such a narrow manner as to render any possible evidence as moot, although neither Peregrin nor Hutton provide any real evidence to the contrary either. I am not claiming the existence of a massive, organized Pagan resistance movement like Margaret Murray suggested. But for Peregrin and Hutton to deny the existence of ANY evidence of the survival of pagan religious practice is a much bolder claim not born out by the relevant facts.

On the contrary:

"the survival of pre-Christian belief systems and their contribution to the diabolized stereotype of witchcraft in the Early Modern era has become widely accepted in the field of witchcraft history. It has been amply demonstrated by a whole school of well respected historians, including Éva Pócs, Gustav Henningsen, Carlo Ginzburg, Gábor Klaniczay, Wolfgang Behringer and Juhan Kahk (studying witchcraft in Hungary, Sicily, Italy, Eastern Europe, Bavaria and Estonia, respectively), and other luminaries. What these authors have established is that beliefs about magic followed remarkably consistent, well-developed patterns throughout Europe, and that while they operated within the social framework of Christianity they were anything but Christian in origin."

Moreover, Ethnologist João de Pina-Cabral has also examined the problem of Pagan religious survival in detail and concluded that certain ancient Pagan beliefs and practices have had an “uncanny capacity for survival.” The survival of ancient Pagan beliefs and practices are additionally substantiated in Carlo Ginzburg’s Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches’ Sabbath.

In an earlier comment, I questioned what the underlying, personal motivations could possibly for Dr. Ronald Hutton to go to such extremes. Large sections of Triumph of the Moon — entire chapters, even — are one-sided, misleading, or plain wrong. Many of Hutton's sources are misrepresented, and for a surprising number of his claims he provides no evidence at all.

Dr. Ronald Hutton

Ronald Hutton was born at Ootacamund in India to a colonial family of Russian ancestry. His mother considered herself to be a "Pagan." Could it be that the vehemence with which Hutton approaches the roots of Paganism in antiquity arises from little more than Hutton's misplaced feelings about his Mother and her religion?

Peregrin next argues that occulted Pagan activity "does not matter," since we can only judge by evidence we can see. This argument betrays the inappropriateness of applying historical method to matters occult or esoteric, wherein the only admissible evidence is the extremely limited written information available to the profane historian - themselves not privy to the initiatic mysteries. By this narrow definition, no initiatic tradition nor secret mystery school may today even be said to exist, due to their very nature as rooted in secrecy!

According to such narrow standards, the esoteric teachings of the Cromlech temple, for example, could not have been said to exist as long as they remained occulted behind initiatic secrecy.

Peregrin's Act of Desecration

Peregrin himself changed this, however, by personally desecrating the Aura papers of the Golden Dawn spin-off, Cromlech Temple's Sun Order, by publishing them without the permission of the surviving Chiefs of that temple.

It is therefore unsurprising to witness Peregrin today apply this same "profanation standard" to initiatic mysteries of Pagan religion as well!

I am certainly not an advocate of blind faith, as Peregrin would like to paint me as. I do however, believe that neither Pagans nor Neo-Pagans should allow academic historians to define our faith for us, especially in light of the depth of lack of academic integrity we have already witnessed ...

... And certainly we should not desecrate initiatic mysteries, merely to satisfy demands for evidence in arenas in which the only evidence acceptable to the historical method is by its very nature precluded for the profane historian as well as for the desecrator of mysteries.

- David Griffin

Urban Legends: Neo-Pagans & Golden Dawn Forgeries - Answer to Ronald Hutton and Ellic Howe

by DAVID GRIFFIN

I am saddened at the way certain historical notions are so easily swallowed by the esoteric community and so effortlessly give birth to harmful and enduring urban legends. All too often, such fables are engendered merely because someone considered to be an academic authority publishes a text based on personal bias, substantiated with what scant evidence they, as non-initiates, are permitted access.

One example of such a harmful myth created by an uncritical reliance on academic authority is the prevalent belief that the Golden Dawn is based on a "forgery." This urban legend arose due to an credulous reliance on the authority of Ellic Howe, whose otherwise fine history of the Golden Dawn is marred by Howe's intense personal dislike of the order. The destructive myth arising from Howe's biased theory that the foundational "Sprengel" letters written to W.Wynn Wescott were forgeries, in reality has been substantiated by nothing more than the so-called, "expert" testimony of Oscar Schlag, a Swiss Thelemite who, like Crowley himself, was out to destroy the Golden Dawn.

Golden Dawn Senior Adept, Dr. Robert Word (of the August Order of the Mystic Rose), recently submitted the Sprengel-Wescott letters for independent examination to a truly objective, professional Germanist. Her results verify the Sprengel-Wescott letters not to have been forged by a native English speaker as both Howe and Schag erroneously and misleadingly claim. The letters instead appear written in completely correct Sutterline German entirely consistent with the period. As a trained Germanist myself, I subsequently submitted these letters to personal scrutiny as well. Admittedly, my personal findings can in no way be considered unbiased, due to the key leadership role I play in the contemporary Golden Dawn. Nonetheless, I have been trained as Germanist for over 30 years and - contrary to the enduring urban legend - I also judge these letters to be authentic.

And yet, the myth that the Golden Dawn is based on a "forgery" tenaciously persists until today, among all but those who have actually bothered to investigate the matter for themselves!

Another such urban legend is the prevalent belief in the modern Pagan movement that no Western Pagan religion has survived from antiquity, and consequently that ALL contemporary Pagan religion is but modern revival, with no historical roots. This belief has resulted in many contemporary Pagans mistakingly identifying themselves as "Neo"-Pagans, and has tragically cut off the modern Pagan movement from its historical roots in antiquity.

This destructive myth has become entrenched in the Pagan community in large part due to an uncritical reliance on the authority of Dr. Ronald Hutton's book, "The Triumph of the Moon," an examination of the historical roots of Wicca. In this well-researched work, tenured historian Dr. Hutton presents a rather convincing argument that Wicca is a synthetic religion pieced together from bits of Gerald Gardner's personal experiences in India with Goddess worship, anthropological data from Dr. Margaret Murray, Sir James Fraizer and Charles G. Leland, and the Golden Dawn, with membership drawn in part from the Naturist (Nudist) movement in England.

Even in regard to Wicca, the evidence presented by Dr. Hutton, while difficult to ignore, a decade later does not remain undisputed. For example, Philip Heselton has provided compelling data that G.B. Gardner was indeed initiated into the pre-existing New Forrest Coven. Consequently, contrary to Hutton's premise, it is unlikely that Gardner completely made up his witchcraft tradition.

Nonetheless, the urban legend tenaciously endures that no European Pagan religion has survived from antiquity. This myth survives not based on factual evidence presented by Dr. Hutton on the origins of Wicca, but merely based on sweeping pronouncements Dr. Hutton makes on the antiquity of Pagan traditions in Continental Europe.

There remain gaping holes in these proclamations. Firstly, Dr. Hutton's historical inquiry is limited to southern England, as he readily admits in the opening of his investigation. Moreover, Hutton presents no solid historical evidence to substantiate his decrees on Italy and the rest of the world. Hutton spends five pages merely parroting the opinions of others on the trustworthiness of Leland’s informant, for example.

Finally and most importantly, such matters are better the province of anthropologists rather than a historian. Hutton inappropriately does not limit himself to the examination of the written word as is properly the province of the historian, but frequently relies on personal reports he gathered himself, which Hutton presents according to his personal bias, rather than as the results of intense scrutiny by the rigors of ethnographic method.

Despite these gaping holes in Dr. Hutton's underlying conclusions, the urban legend that no European Pagan religion has survived from antiquity, has tragically deprived much of the modern Pagan movement of its historical roots, and has led to the audacious conclusion that ALL Pagan religion today is but Neo-Pagan revival.

This audacity arises directly from the erroneous presumption that the historical roots of all modern Paganism stand or fall with Wicca. This is an extremely Anglo-centered vision, as though no European Pagan traditions have ever existed outside of England, Ireland, and Wales!

Such an Anglo-centered Pagan vision negates, for example, the possibility that vestiges of ancient Greek or Roman Paganism might have secretly survived intact. This is as mistaken a notion as the myopic vision I have encountered again and again in the Golden Dawn community, as though the Golden Dawn arose as an exclusively British affair, completely separate from its Continental European context and Hermetic and Rosicrucian roots.

In the decade following Dr. Hutton's study, new anthropological evidence has surfaced, for example, that casts serious doubt on these urban legends. For example, the polytheistic Kalash Kafir religion, still practiced today by about 3,000 people in Chitral, has a strong resemblance to ancient Greek Paganism. This has led some to theorize that the Kalash religion arose directly from the invading Greeks.

When the great hero and general, Alexander, reputed as great as the gods Apollo and Zeus, left troops on the mountainsides of the great Hindu Kush, he asked them to stay there without changing their beliefs and traditions, their laws and culture until he returned from the battles in the East.

The Kalash people living until today in a village in Pakistan, proclaim with pride that they are the direct descendents of Alexander the Great. In fact, there are many similarities between them and the Hellenes of Alexander the Great’s time. Similarities such as religion, culture, and language reinforce their claims to Hellenic ancestry.

The Kalash are a polytheistic people and the gods goddesses they believe in closely resemble the twelve gods of Ancient Greece. Shrines are found in every Kalash village reminding us of religious sanctuaries we would stumble across in ancient Greece. These serve as houses of worship where prayers and sacrifices are offered. Oracles who played a major role in acting as mediators and spokespeople between the gods and the mortals still hold a position of importance in the social structure of the Kalash. Every question or prayer towards the gods is customarily followed by a sacrifice of an animal. This is reminiscent of the sacrifices the Hellenes gave to the gods to assure them a victory over the city of Troy.

The Kalash also practice a ritual that is celebrated on August 6, named the Day of the Transfiguration. This is the day where grapes are brought out to the god to be blessed and to guarantee them of a plentiful crop. This ritual can be traced back to Ancient Greece where it was practiced by the cult of Dionysus who paid their respect to the god of fertility and wine. An active member of the cult of Dionysus was Olympia, mother of Alexander the Great, said to have recruited many of her son’s soldiers and who in return practiced it throughout their expedition (Alexandrou, pg. 184).

The Kalash also live a lifestyle that can be positively compared to that of the Ancient Greeks. For example, the Kalash are the only people in the East who make and use accessories such as chairs and stools that cannot be found anywhere else in the surrounding regions. Their chairs are decorated with drawings such as the ram’s horns which symbolize the horns that decorated Alexander the Great’s helmet. Battle scenes depicting Greek soldiers are also observed. In the recent archaeological discoveries in Vergina, Greek archaeologists found the exact same replicas as the ones the Kalash use in their homes today (National Herald, pg. 7).

Certain scientists and anthropologists dispute, however, the notion of the Kalash being direct descendants of the ancient Greeks. Significantly, no genetic ties between Kalasha and Greeks has as yet been discovered. Moreover, the Greeks merely passed through in 327 B.C., probably within 50 miles of Chitral, but did not enter Chitral itself and did not stop or stay for long.

Even more skeptical anthropologists, however, agree that the polytheistic Kalash religion and the Greek religion at least appear to have a common origin. One prevalent theory is that the Kalasha are Indo-Aryans whose religion has commonalities with pre-Zorastrian Iranians. The strongest anthropological evidence, however, indicates that both ancient Greek Paganism and contemporary Kalash polytheism came from a proto-Indo European religion which was carried along with the Indo European language when the Chitralis first got there some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. No matter which of these theories ultimately prove true, the bulk of this anthropological evidence nonetheless casts serious doubt on the urban legend that no ancient European Pagan religion today survives intact.

Clearly, such a conclusion may not reasonably be drawn merely based on the work of Ronald Hutton. From an academic point of view, Hutton's work is dismissible on three counts. Firstly, Hutton's research is over a decade old and as I have shown in this article, new evidence has meanwhile come to light refuting Hutton's remarks about Paganism outside of England. Secondly, Hutton's attempt at the anthropological method is outside his field of expertise. Thirdly, the statements Hutton makes about Paganism outside of his stated research area are perfunctory, and as such should not be taken as gospel. 

The scope of Hutton's actual research was limited to Wicca and Paganism in southern England, whereas ancient Pagan religion flourished across a far broader region. Clearly any remarks Hutton makes regarding Paganism outside of Southern England should be taken - not with pinches - but with BUCKETS of salt. Thus the conclusion, based on Hutton's research, that the entire contemporary Pagan movement is but Neo-Pagan revival is revealed as fatally flawed.

WHEN LIFE MIMICS ART: Sideshow Bob's Facebook Coup

It is no secret that Bob Zink has wanted to get rid of me for decades. I had heard the ugly rumors many times before - like allegations of Bob organizing Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn members to perform Goetic, black magical operations against me order-wide back in the 1990s.

Then there was the infamous "watermelon" ritual where, according to former EOGD members, they consecrated a watermelon like a voodoo doll, to affect me by sympathetic magick, then took turns stabbing it with a magick sword.

Another story involved the 1994 evening that Robert Zink and I dined together in Cris Monnastre's home. According to former EOGD members, Bob Zink called an emergency temple meeting later that night, telling everyone that:

"over dinner the evil David Griffin had worked black magic on poor Bob with his malefic Mars ring."

Sideshow Bob Zink

I indeed own a magick ring of pure gold for each planet (see the slide show below this post) and actually did wear my Mars ring that night. I never dreamed it would set off such paranoia in Bob though.

Then there was the former EOGD member who wrote to me earlier this year apologizing for having spied on me in the 1990s, allegedly also at Bob's behest.

Sideshow Bob's Facebook Revenge

Until last Fall, I had a thriving social network with 4,723 Facebook friends. Then suddenly - Poof! - my profile and my entire Facebook social network were gone! Facebook had permanently disabled my profile - and cut me off from my entire social network - without any warning or explanation whatsoever. I appealed the decision, but to no avail. It was not until this week that the mystery of what had actually happened to my Facebook profile was finally solved. I should have known from the beginning that the destruction of my social network on Facebook was no mere accident.

The Facebook mystery was finally solved this week, when a disgruntled EOGD member sent me numerous posts about my Facebook profile from the esotericgoldendawn private members' forum on Yahoo. Certain of these letters - reproduced below - reveal how my Facebook profile - and my social network of 4,723 friends - did not simply disappear, but were carefully and deliberately sabotaged by Bob Zink orchestrating a group of EOGD members and their friends to "block spam" me on Facebook.

Esotericgoldendawn Members Yahoo Forum
Subject: Special Attention to all Brethren of the Golden Dawn
September 25, 2009
Greetings in Light,
This is a public announcement to warn members of David Griffin; a self proclaimed leader of a pseudo-organization that is an off-shoot of the reconstructionist Golden Dawn of C... It is important to know that no Golden Organizations to include C..., Zalewski, and OSOGD recognize his fanatic authority.
This individual has cost our Order thousands of dollars in legal fees, threatened members of our order, and continues to prove himself to be a danagerous and unstable fanatic bent on owning the Golden Dawn tradition. As a magician he stands as an example of dark sorcery and evil magic.
That is why we encourage you to disassociat with him in all venues; especially this most recent attempt to friend Order Brethren to his Facebook account. This is a warning not to friend David Griffin and if you mistakely already have to de-friend and block him immediately.
Your Servant in Light
GH Frater PDR (Robert Zink)
770

Esotericgoldendawn Members Yahoo Forum
Subject: Magical links and David Griffin

September 25, 2009

Brethren,

One of the reasons we ask you to not friend David Griffin on facebook is that because he has been hostile to our Order and to myself and other, and because he has attacked our Order over and over again, and because he is bent on being the only Golden Dawn group and has cost C... and our Order thousands and thousands of dollars, and because neither our Order, nor  C.., nor Pat Zaleswki nor Tommy Westlund his first Chief in Sweeden, nor any other GD group reconize him as nothing more than a mischief makers in our GD community, 

YOU RUN A RISK of of allowing him to create a MAGICAL BOND with you and that bond certainly will not be helpful in your spritual or magcial development.

But wait, there is more to this saga, his connection to you as a friend on facebook creates a ray to our Order, this we cannot allow. It is important that you not accept the friend request from David Griffin and if you have, you need to cut it, for yourself, for your Order, for justice.

Your brother in the great work,

G.H. Frater P.D.R. (Robert Zink)

770

Esotericgoldendawn Members Yahoo Forum

Subject: David Griffin @ FB ~ how to use your privacy settings to block & other advice

September 25, 2009

Ave Sorors and Fraters;

Go to "settings", there you will find "privacy", scroll down, put his name in your BLOCK list, when you do so, a list of various David Griffin's comes up, he's the first one, you'll note his sash in his photo. Click ^him^, and he will be blocked.

Another suggestion, if you've friends who have befriended him, email them at FB and ask them to de-friend him and block him. If for any reason they won't, tell them you'll have to de-friend them as his energy won't be tolerated. Hope this helps,
R. 770

I won't waste time refuting Bob Zink's paranoid portrayal of the "evil David Griffin" in these letters. Bob was clearly demonizing me, in order to manipulate EOGD members and their friends to "block spam" me on Facebook - a dastardly, yet deadly effective way of getting someone's Facebook profile permanently disabled. Five days after this "block spam" attack, on October 1, 2009 - Poof! My entire Facebook social network - and all contact with many of my 4,723 friends - vanished forever. No explanation. No recourse. Just poof! - gone.

An Open Letter To My Lost Facebook Friends

My dear 4,723 former Facebook friends,

Thank you for your friendship, support, and encouragement over the years on Facebook. I really enjoyed my interaction with you and our substantial discussions about Hermetic Inner Alchemy and other aspects of the Golden Dawn. Thanks again for your many valuable contributions to these discussions.

I apologize for for losing contact with so many of you following the sudden and unexpected disappearance of my Facebook profile. When Facebook disabled my page without warning or explanation last October, I had no way to reach most of you even to tell you what had happened. In fact, it was a mystery to me as well - until now that is.
I never in a million years dreamed that my social network had secretly been sabotaged in one of Sideshow Bob's dastardly schemes!
As public figure, I guess I should expect certain losses like this, particularly with a competitor like Bob Zink around. Destroying my Facebook social network was the most successful plot Sideshow Bob has come up with yet.  In fact, I can  see him gleefully rubbing his hands and laughing maniacally while reading this.

Well, congratulations Bob! One of your hair-brained schemes finally worked. In fact, it worked so well that my 4,723 former friends from my Facebook social network you destroyed and I would like to send you this special "way to go, Bob!"

Sincerely,

David Griffin