#h. byron ballard

[hedgewitchgarden]

TWH – Religious freedom for minority faiths remains challenging around the world; but despite constitutional protections against discrimination, the challenge remains in the USA as well. An employee allegedly being fired for being “Pagan,” the proposed removal of books from state-funded schools, and public book burnings held by a right-wing evangelical pastor due to the book’s content of alleged witchcraft and sorcery, have all been in the news in the past year.

These tread on the threshold of violating the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the separation of church and state, and they have become increasingly common. Even within the legal system, there is at least one Bible in every courtroom in America for swearing in witnesses.

Advocacy for Paganism is no easy feat. Discrimination through housing, job security, and community retaliation are only some of the potential pressures that advocates for minority religions face in the fight for equality in the eyes of Freedom of Religion.

Last month, Grady Newsource published an article about a Pagan group in Athens, Georgia that is continuing its work in advocating for religious freedom. TWH reached out to the group and two other Witches that have made religious freedom and Pagan rights a cornerstone of their practices.

The advocacy of simply existing

“We advocate for religious freedom by simply existing,” said Jim Grimes, a founding member of the Athens Area Pagans.

The Athens Area Pagans group, now a nonprofit organization and religious organization, started in 2005 in Athens, Georgia, and has become a source of freedom and comfort for its members and aims to help local Pagans obtain the resources they need, whatever their path.

“We met at the botanical gardens in 2005, and we have met every Saturday at 5 p.m. since,” said Grimes.

Grimes, former lawyer, and journalist described himself as an “eclectic Pagan” who has traversed the religious spectrum from Baptist to atheist but found resonance within the Pagan community.

Grimes describes the Pagan community as more of a “Broadened term”  as many different belief systems fit under the term and the group welcomes Pagans of all Paths in the area.

The group also is responsible for Athens Pagan Pride Day, a part of the Pagan Pride Project, in which “Activism, Charity, Education, and Community” is the mission focus, fostering pride in Pagan identity.

According to the group the Pagan Pride Project also promotes tolerance and understanding between different belief systems, helps present a clearer understanding of Pagan practice, as well as dispelling misconceptions, and draws political attention to Paganism.

As the group’s focus is visibility and pride in identity, in order to participate in the Pagan Pride Day three requirements must be met.

Must be ok with Public Ritual – as three will be held.

Participate in the food drive, which will be donated to a local organization.

Must be ok with Press, social media, and local news.

“Being there and being in the public is important,” said Grimes. “It’s about refusing to hide and being out there in the public.”

Grimes also spoke of the group experiencing discrimination when the group tried to rent out a space for a retail store. The retail location, formerly a strip club, was deemed “inconsistent with the character of the neighborhood” according to Grimes, after the word Pagan was used.

“It’s subtle things they do,” said Grimes. “It’s hard to prove that anything is wrong.”

Grimes also said that the Athens community is welcoming overall, despite a few protestors at a Pride Day event once.

The group has purchased around 49 acres of land in Clarke County for a proposed intentional community named AllWays, with hopes to provide religious infrastructure and support to Pagans in the area. The group is also raising money to apply for permits, build structures add infrastructure, and personal dwellings onsite.

A Lifetime of Advocacy

As the advocacy for freedom of religion has once again gained traction, there are those that have never given up. Those that choose creative ways to ensure this right and those who fight by simply just embracing their Pagan community.

“In 1974, I founded Circle Sanctuary, and it became one of the first Pagan communities to obtain state and federal legal status as a non-profit religious organization in the USA. Taking this institutional approach has aided us in Pagan religious freedom work.”

Reverend Selena Fox, Executive Director of Lady Liberty League, and High Priestess of the Circle Sanctuary has been a staunch advocate for paganism and religious freedom for almost 50 years.

Throughout her career, through both the Circle Sanctuary and Lady Liberty League, founded in 1985, the group successfully defeated, through protest and action, the anti-Wiccan amendment (amendment 705) to the Postal Appropriations Bill (HR 3036) presented by Senator Jesse Helms.

According to congressional records, the amendment to the Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Bill, of 1986, proposed by Helms, would guarantee that funds appropriated under the Act would not be used to grant, maintain, or allow tax exemptions to any cult, organization, or group that has any interest in, the promoting of satanism or witchcraft.

Fortunately, the legislation and two other proposed legislations at the time ultimately did not pass but most Wiccan and Pagan groups today obtain exempt status by applying for non-profit 501(c)(3) status, instead of the formal religious exemption status as the process is extremely difficult to obtain and navigate and contains many obstacles via the Internal Revenue Service.

The Circle Sanctuary has been a major player in the advocacy for religious freedom since the organization’s founding in 1974. Fox, has played a major role herself, not only advocating for religious freedom but also taking on civil rights and advocating for the LGBTQI community.

“Circle Sanctuary and I also have been involved in interfaith social justice work since our beginnings, and allyship with organizations, communities, and individuals of many beliefs also has helped in our work for Pagan civil rights and religious freedom.”

The fight for religious freedom has also come with costs. Issues of safety, acts of humiliation, ridicule, and judgment are just a few of the barriers groups like Fox’s deal with to practice their religion in peace.

Fox spoke of an event in the early 90s that was fraught with backlash but ultimately opened a door so that the community and other organizations could get a better understanding of the Pagan community and diverse practices.

“In 1992, Circle Sanctuary and I had to take action to protect our Samhain events in Madison, Wisconsin, and at our land which were being targeted by an anti-Pagan televangelist,” said Fox. “I got restraining orders from judges in two counties and worked with five area police departments for protection. We succeeded in holding all our Samhain observances without interference, and the publicity connected with this won us multifaith support in the local area as well as helped dispel, misinformation about Paganism.”

Fox continues her work fighting against religious discrimination and intolerance today and is considered by many to be one of the founders of the modern Pagan movement, specifically in the fight to allow the pentagram on Veterans’ tombstones in which, she and the Lady Liberty League triumphed in 2007 after a ten-year-long battle with Veterans Affairs.

Interfaith Work and Visibility

H. Byron Ballard of Asheville, North Carolina advocates for religious freedom through interfaith works and community outreach. Ballard, a Witch, writer, avid gardener, community advocate, and founding member and ritualist for Mother Grove Goddess Temple chooses to advocate by being visible to the community by reaching out to media members, and public speaking.

“I advocate for Pagans in the community, through interfaith work and other visibility. Creating public rituals and other events to make a space for practitioners of alternative spiritualities, and speaking to media locally, regionally, nationally,” said Ballard.

Ballard also advocates not only for her community of Pagans but all Pagans and the rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens under the Constitution. Founding a Pagan community in Asheville many years ago, she has fought to bring hope to those who practice Pagan beliefs while also walking the line of visibility and safety in a dominant Christian region of the country.

“I want all US citizens to enjoy all the rights that our Constitution and Bill of Rights provide us. I want my co-religionists (and myself) to be safe in our places of worship and in our lives. I want people to understand that there are alternatives to the Abrahamic religions that dominate much of the planet,” said Ballard.

Ballard understands that navigating the waters of religious freedom can be difficult as many stereotypes exist concerning Pagans, especially in the Bible Belt of America.

“As a Pagan, a witch, and an Appalachian woman I am tired of stereotypes that belittle and disrespect people who are just trying to live an authentic spiritual life,” said Ballard.

Ballard continues with education for and with her community in Asheville and hopes to ultimately strengthen the community with other like-minded people.

“What I expect our work to do is strengthen our community and make us more resilient, to keep us safe under the weight of the dominant (and dominating) culture, and to allow us to express the joy of an Earth-centered animistic path without fear of retribution from the ignorant and violent,” said Ballard.

Though strength is often found in numbers, Ballard understands that education against stereotypes and being labeled “others” will take time. “I expect that all of this is an ongoing process and I hope that our work will encourage others, especially the next generations,” said Ballard.

Ballard hopes the next generation will “continue our work and add their own vision to what it means to walk a Pagan path.”

The road is still long and winding in the fight for religious freedom, and advocacy plays an important part. No matter the form of advocacy, visibility, education, community, and activism still play a major role in the fight for recognition in a world dominated by those religions of the Abrahamic Law Code. Though Pagans seem speckled amongst the landscape, there has been a rise in numbers in the past decade which open new doorways and paths in the fight for religious freedom here in the United States.

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

Hello Tumblr. Especially my little corner of Tumblr. I do unfortunately come with bad news. On this and every other platform I actively use I have been singing the praises of one H. Byron Ballard, thanks to a friend doing a very big deep dive a certain...aspect of her character has come to light which is in my opinion:

Unacceptable.

She holds TERF views and as an Appalachian, and a queer one at that? I cannot and will not support anyone like that. My copies of her work are being tossed, and all of my support of her on this blog will be edited with clarification that I no longer support said work.

And per usual for proof I do have screenshots from her Facebook, of which no apology or acknowledgement has been made that I can find. I imagine since this is roughly when she began working with a major publisher she might have been advised to dropping the topic online? There is apparently some mentions of this in her 'irl' interactions as well but I am digging for internet proof of such. If anyone finds anything further please let me know.

Proof from her own Facebook is below. And if asked I will provide direct links to ensure that they are not doctored in any way.

Appalachia is a welcoming place, TERF beliefs are not welcoming and therefore not Appalachian by extent.

My heart was already hurting for my home, now it also rages.

[jasper-book-stash]

One of the things I love most about reading region-specific books on magic (i.e. H Byron Ballard's works, Brandon Weston's works, and now Mhara Starling's works) is that you can really, truly tell how much the author loves the area they live in.

[kenobicoffee]

Hey guys! I’m still alive. Still in a twin- down the size of Texas. Becoming a witch too! Reading a book called “Small Magics: Practical Secrets from an Appalachian Village Witch”. It’s really nice. Still mourning America. Still loving my people. I miss ya’ll. Depression is a bitch. Dm me if you’re still here too!

[spiralhouseshop]

New in the Spiral House Shop!

September 29, 2023

The Long Hidden Friend by John George Hohman Edited and Illustrated by Gemma Gary

Magic: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present by Chris Gosden

The White Deer: Ecospirituality and the Mythic by Melinda Reidinger

Real Alchemy: A Primer of Practical Alchemy by Robert Allen Bartlet

Visual Alchemy: A Witch's Guide to Sigils, Art, and Magic by Laura Tempest Zakroff

How to Deal: Tarot for Everyday Life by Sami Main

Small Magics: Practical Secrets from am Appalachian Village Witch by H Byron Ballard

The Seed & Sickle Oracle Deck by Fez Inkwright

Crafting a Daily Practice: A Simple Course on Self-Commitment by T Thorne Coyle

The Gorgon's Guide To Magical Resistance edited by Laura Tempest Zakroff

[brightlotusmoon]

Ballard: Well, I mean, I took that on as a branding thing, just to be honest. I mean, I’m Appalachian, multiple generations back. And I’ve been a witch my whole life. My mother’s family all identified themselves and were identified with that word back to like, five generations, that I know of.

So, I’ve always been that and then, when it came time for me to, to kind of have, a hat rack to hang all my hats on, that felt like a good one. So, I called myself the village witch.

And I know some people who function as village witches in Britain. One of them contacted me, and she was like, “Well, what exactly is it that you do that you think you’re a village witch?”

And I said, “Well, I go out, and I bless the cornfields. And I used to bless the tobacco crop, and I’ll come out and clear your house if it’s got some uncomfortable in it. And I’ll bless your babies, and I’ll, you know, bury your grandma, and, you know, all that stuff.”

And my friend said, “Oh, well, no. That’s exactly what a village witch does.”

And I said, “Well, yeah.”

[jasper-pagan-witch]

As far as book recs, what books are the least "suspicious"-looking title-wise, like in a won't weird your family out too much way?

This is an interesting question because I'm objectively the least weird person in my immediate family as far as books go. But I'll give this a shot! I'm gonna avoid books with "witch" in the title, but honestly, I have no idea how wary your family may be of books.

The Farmer's Almanac of the year: Once you get past the advertisements, there's a lot of practical growing advice and a surprising amount of magic-related stuff. Well, astronomy/astrology-related stuff, but still. I started using these as of earlier this year and have both the 2022 and 2023 editions. Jasper Category: Regional/Personal Practices.

Roots, Branches & Spirits by H Byron Ballard: My first introduction to the concept of folk magic was this wonderful book on Appalachian folk magic. It inspired me to look a lot more local and eventually led to me finding the Ozark Magic series by Brandon Weston. I'm not sure if it's particularly telling to the casual observer, but it's a fascinating look at someone's personal journey into their local magical tradition. Jasper Category: Regional/Personal Practices.

Badass Ancestors by Patti Wigington: I've gone over this book before, but if you're trying to learn about ancestor work (or even just your ancestors), it has some valuable resources and ideas of where you can look. It's useful enough that it's made it into my reference stacks. Jasper Category: Miscellaneous.

Willow and Sage Homemade Bath and Body: More of a magazine than a book, my May/June/July 2022 edition is a very practical guide for making all kinds of products. I look forward to actually trying out the recipes. It's not magic by any means, but it's helpful. Jasper Category: Miscellaneous.

Pretty much any mythology or history book: We all have those periods of time that we go absolutely batshit over mythology and history, right? Right? Yeah. This is also where my copies of the Homeric Hymns, the King James Bible, and others are located. Jasper Category: History, Religion, and Mythology.

Do I Have To Wear Black? by Mortellus: Likewise, this is an in-depth look at the various religious funerary and mourning practices, especially in modern contexts, brought to us by someone who actually works in that field. Jasper Category: History, Religion, and Mythology.

Regional ghost stories: I happen to have several Missouri-based or Mississippi River-based books on ghosts. These help take a look at folklore, history, and how things evolve and change over time, as well as how they stay in the public consciousness. Jasper Category: History, Religion, and Mythology.

Regional farming/planting guides: Similarly, I'm in Missouri, so a good number of my gardening guides are either about planting indoors, planting edible plants, or planting things that work great here in Missouri. Jasper Category: Gardening and Plants.

Historically- or locally-significant books of folktales, poetry, and fiction: We've got Edgar Allen Poe's complete works, we've got the Brothers Grimm, we have five great Greek tragedies in one book, we've got Horrible Phobias Lovecraft's works (may he rest in the racist squallor box and may he spin in his grave over everyone wanting to kiss his monsters), we've got Dante, we've got the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, we have "Jasper ran out of money but keeps trying to wipe out the book store's shelves of any significantly-old book with a new or fancy cover EVEN IF THEY ALREADY OWN IT." We've got the range. These are great for summoning up specific feelings or memories, for coming up with chants, for pop culture magic, for everything! And if anyone asks, you're just a fan of the classics! Jasper Category: Old Shit.

Unfortunately, most of my beginner-focused books, my tarot books, my spellbooks, and my correspondence-based books are a lot less low-key.

I hope this gives you a few ideas! I'm sorry if this isn't particularly helpful, I'm just not in a place where I have to be worried about people seeing that I practice magic. I mean, I have 62 tarot and oracle decks lined up on my shelves, it would be foolish of my family to NOT notice.

~Jasper

[upthewitchypunx]

https://www.llewellyn.com/blog/2023/01/join-us-for-our-next-llewellyn-virtual-author-forum-folk-magic/

Check out this free Virtual Author forum with some pretty great folk magic people. It's Friday February 10th at 2pm Central Time.

Join us for our next Llewellyn Virtual Author Forum! This bi-monthly series of free online roundtable events will feature your favorite Llewellyn authors discussing topics important to you and answering your questions.

Our next in the series, on Folk Magic, will feature Ozark Mountain Spellbook author Brandon Weston; Cory Thomas Hutcheson, author of New World Witchery and the forthcoming Llewellyn’s Complete Book of North American Folk Magic; Madame Pamita, author of Baba Yaga’s Book of Witchcraft; Water Magic author Lilith Dorsey; and H. Byron Ballard, author of Roots, Branches & Spirits. Join the live conversation, and ask them your questions!

We’ll be streaming live on Crowdcast—save your spot today!

[wortcunningwitch]

for the ask game; 2, 6, and 15!

#2: Does a particular faith inform your craft, or alternatively, if your faith and magic are separate- why is this distinction between the two important to you?

for the purpose of answering these questions, i'm gonna take "faith" to mean religious faith.

it's complicated... christian prayers, entities, mythology, etc. are such a huge part of my magical practice that it's hard to say that my craft is uninfluenced by any faith. it was my decision to keep those elements rather than discard them, but it would be difficult to practice the branch of folk magic i do while avoiding them entirely. personally, i'm a pagan, polytheist, and devotee, and my religious observations are usually pretty separate from my magical craft (unless i seek my goddess' help for a specific type of magic, which i do from time to time).

#6: How easy or difficult has it been for you to hold to a dual faith observance?

okay so fun fact -- i would not consider myself dual faith. i went back and forth on the whole "am i a christopagan if my magic involves christianity?" question, but ultimately decided that christianity is more of a toolkit for my magic rather than something i believe in religiously/spiritually.

#15: What’s something you feel is often overlooked?

this one's difficult 'cause there are soooooo many things that aren't talked about enough in the witchcraft community. however. one of the big ones for me is that telling beginners to just "read/do your research" without pointing them to a list of trustworthy sources is potentially fucking dangerous. so many famous books on spirituality/witchcraft are chock full of appropriation and/or unsafe recommendations and/or pseudoscience and they go completely unregulated. i'm talking not just the obvious like silver ravenwolf, but also the community's current favs like rebecca beyer, chaoticwitchaunt/frankie wilkin, h. byron ballard, more that i can't think of off the top of my head at the moment...

to be honest, i might have to make a separate post for this one. or start doing more book reviews!

thank you so much for the ask, anon! i had a lot of fun answering. i hope my answers make sense though, i've had a long day performing & dancing and my brain is effectively fried extra crispy.

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

I found this post also regarding Byron Ballard and her "questioning the validity of trans identity and experience." Thought it might be of interest to you. https://celestinenox.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/i-support-my-trans-siblings/

Thank you very much! It is definitely of interest and shows my vetting process failed with this one sadly. I appreciate you sending this my way.

[tellmeoflegends]

If ever you want to read and study some excellent Appalachian witchcraft, lore, and wise-woman knowledge, Byron is the lady to go to! She's a badass, no-nonense, kind, and interesting person, and her books are wonderful.

“In walking that wobbly line between magic and the everyday, I realized there isn’t a firm boundary between the two places. I’ve begun asking festival-goers to stop referring to their daily lives as “mundane” or “mundania” in order re-enchant their everyday lives and the world around them.”

From H. Byron Ballard’s new book, Roots, Branches, and Spirits.

[forkadelphia]

Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in.

Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in.

Source: Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in. Order from: https://www.malaprops.com/book/9780738764535

[wiccadelphia]

Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in.

New Post has been published on https://wiccadelphia.com/?p=1608

Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in.

Source: Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in.

Order from: https://www.malaprops.com/book/9780738764535

[tet-asw]

Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in.

Source: Byron! Look what came in the mail today! Thank you for signing my copy! I can’t wait to dive in.

Order from: https://www.malaprops.com/book/9780738764535

https://tet-asw.org/2021/02/12/byron-look-what-came-in-the-mail-today-thank-you-for-signing-my-copy-i-cant-wait-to-dive-in/

[cavorta]

A Prayer for Ukraine

by H. Byron Ballard

(February 24th, 2022)

We stand here helpless under this crescent Moon. We stand here helpless as the inevitable happens. Holding in our hearts the children, the elders, the soldiers called up and those left behind. The trees and brooks, the lambs, the calves – all held here in the folds of our ragged souls. To your fear, your peril, your rage and resistance, we stand witness. We stand with you and for you, your grief our grief. May Justice be served! May allies come swiftly! By this crescent Moon's frail light, we stand.

[pagansquare]

Witches&Pagans #34 - Creating Ritual

Whatever your path, whether you are a devotional Polytheist, a Wiccan priest/ess, a root worker and witch, an arch-Druid or a naturalist Pagan, doing ritual is almost certainly part of your spiritual path. In this issue, we explore the many diverse ways in which ritual creates, nurtures, connects and reinforces our bonds to the Gods, the Spirits of Nature, and to each other in community.

 This special issue features:

“Getting to Know Your Story: A Talk with OBOD Chief Druid Philip Carr-Gom.” Gail Nyoka chats with the renowned English druid about the elements of ritual, Druidism, and following the Awen.

"Eolas ar Senchais: Illuminating Ancient Celtic Ritual.“ It’s sometimes difficult to know real lore from invented nonsense, so what’s a Celtic-inspired ritualist to do? Author and druid Sithearan NicNeoid leads the way down the road to authentic knowledge of these ancient paths.

“Druid Ritual Style.“ The rituals of Ar nDraiocht Fein (“Our Own Druidry” in Gaelic), are known for their careful design and elaborate nature. ArchDruid Kirk Thomas lays out the structure, meaning, and theology of these foundational rites.

“Eleusis by the Sea: Wandering Witch at Spring Mysteries.” Natalie Zaman takes a personally significant journey to meet the Gods at the yearly ritual drama held by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church.

“Forged in Flame: Creating a Reclaiming Beltane Ritual.” Irisanya draws back the curtain on the art of creating the legendary rituals of the Reclaiming witchcraft tradition.

PLUS “We Come from the Land Down Under: Retrofitting Ritual for Southern Hemisphere Pagans” by Lee Pike.

Our columnists also weigh in on ways to bring meaning into your solitary (and family) rituals, including:

Raven Grimassi in “Solitary Ritual & Aligning Ourselves with Power"

Hecate Demetersdatter in “How to Create a Successful Group Ritual"

Deborah Blake in “What’s Your Ritual Style?”

Jason Mankey in “Was Your Last Ritual a Disaster?"

Diotima Mantineia in “Astrological Timing for Your Next Working"

H. Byron Ballard in “Ritual and Theatre?”

Shirl Sazynski in “The Names of the Gods”

Christopher Penczak in “By Love, Will, and Wisdom”

Thorn Mooney & Eurus in “Two Many Witches”

88 pages, published in June 2017

Purchase a print copy here and an electronic PDF version here.