Alternative Faiths

Omicron is taking a toll on pagans, who depend on conferences for community

By Heather Greene — January 19, 2022

(RNS) — The pandemic has also threatened the financial viability of conferences and festivals.

House of Intuition founders want you to tap into your ‘inner magic’

By Alejandra Molina — January 14, 2022

Catholic bishop criticizes Satanic Temple holiday display at Illinois Statehouse

By Heather Greene — December 21, 2021

How Ohio’s Indigenous sacred sites became a religious flashpoint

By Diana Kruzman — December 21, 2021

COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) — A battle for access to sacred sites is taking place, from mountains in Arizona to rivers in North Dakota, aimed at fending off developers or government agencies to preserve the physical integrity directly linked to their spiritual value.

Instagram ‘smash and grab’ impostors peddle fake psychic and tarot readings

By Heather Greene — December 20, 2021

(RNS) — Metaphysical practitioners are becoming increasingly frustrated with social media outlets as impersonators thrive off their accounts.

A Persian festival, Yalda, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, with pomegranates, poetry and sacred rituals

By Pardis Mahdavi — December 20, 2021

(The Conversation) — People stay up all night, telling stories and eating dried fruits, in addition to watermelon and pomegranate, to celebrate the sunrise soon after the longest night of the year.

Witches and CRT critics alike nix ‘hex’ prompt in teacher equity guide

By Heather Greene — December 10, 2021

(RNS) — A resource guide titled 'Writing Prompts on Police Brutality and Racist Violence' suggested writing hex spells to curse agents of 'police terror.'

Celebrity surgeon Dr. Oz seeks to be first Muslim elected to the US Senate

By Joseph Hammond — December 2, 2021

(RNS) — Besides Sufism, the mystical Islamic sect, Oz's spiritual practices include transcendental meditation and elements of his wife's Swedenborgian tradition.

With ‘Villains’ tarot deck, Disney pushes the mystical practice further into mainstream

By Heather Greene — November 15, 2021

(RNS) — Maleficent from 'Sleeping Beauty' and Scar from 'Lion King' make their appearance on a new deck.

A new aspect of the Tarot boom: Diversity in the deck

By Heather Greene — November 12, 2021

(RNS) — Black, Indigenous and Latino American people are leading the rise in tarot's popularity, a new study shows.

RNS holiday gift guide 2021: Treat yourself to cozy socks or a self-care box

By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 8, 2021

(RNS) — Our holiday gift guide is full of ideas for all the people of faith — or no faith — on your list.

Witchcraft isn’t just for Halloween anymore

By Heather Greene — October 29, 2021

(RNS) — Halloween's commercialized kitsch and other hocus pocus can be, well, dispiriting.

Witches remember those lost to COVID-19 among the dead at Samhain

By Emily McFarlan Miller — October 28, 2021

(RNS) — A solemn occasion with Celtic roots, Samhain takes place at a time when many religions and cultures believe the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest.

How some ‘Jewitches’ are embracing both Judaism and witchcraft

By Heather Greene and Emily McFarlan Miller — October 25, 2021

(RNS) — Rabbis and witches alike are bringing together magic — often called witchcraft — and Jewish ritual.

COVID-19 takes a bite out of Burkina Faso’s cult of sacred crocodiles

By Joseph Hammond — October 22, 2021

(RNS) — The local cult of the crocodile dates to sometime in the 1500s, when, during a period of severe drought, locals believe, a crocodile appeared and led local women to a source of fresh water.

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