ABSTRACT

This chapter presents case studies on the Hidden Falls Park incident shot and St. Paul capitol steps through the occult and Pagan community in the Twin Cities. Like many Pagan communities, the Twin Cities community was, in its earliest incarnations, secretive, riven with internal conflict and more focused on maintaining coven, church and institutional allegiances and the cultivation of magical prowess than in the sorts of community inreach. The Bay area has been a national hub of American Paganism and is the home-base for many now-national organizations and famous writers like Starhawk and Zsuzsanna Budapest. Magenta Griffith also pointed out in her presentation that some of the biggest changes in Paganistan's culture came through the medium of music and the phenomenon of festival attendance. Religious innovations abound in Paganistan, and various subgroups within the community also engage in the reflexive lore-creation process.