By Manny Tejeda y Moreno | September 10, 2026
Main Facts
As the global Pagan and esoteric communities gather for the transition from late summer into the introspective depths of autumn, this week’s comprehensive roundup of Pagan Community Notes covers a diverse array of monumental milestones, institutional shifts, and cultural announcements. Foremost among this week’s reflections is the solemn quarter-century commemoration of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Across the United States, spiritual groups, civic organizations, and government entities are pausing to evaluate the enduring legacy of that day, balancing historical memory with ongoing physical and psychological realities.
Simultaneously, the spiritual landscape is experiencing significant shifts at the grassroots and organizational levels. In New Orleans, the iconic Voodoo Spiritual Temple has announced its official roadmap following the passing of its visionary founder, Priestess Miriam Chamani. In the Pacific Northwest, preparations are actively underway for the Aquarian Tabernacle Church’s annual Hekate’s Sickle Festival on Orcas Island. In the realm of media and arts, Michigan’s Spiral Moon Media Group has expanded its digital footprint onto mainstream mobile platforms and vehicular infotainment systems, while western Massachusetts’ EarthSpirit Community and Norwegian folk-rock sensations Gåte have released their latest seasonal schedules and musical offerings, respectively.
Chronology of Recent Events and Announcements
The timeline of community updates spans solemn national anniversaries, localized institutional planning, and upcoming seasonal gatherings:
- September 9–10, 2026: New York City unveils a massive public art installation, 2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor, utilizing a synchronized drone display to recreate the full architectural scale of the Twin Towers alongside individual lights for every victim of the 9/11 attacks. Concurrently, the city launches a historic public records portal containing over 170,000 pages of newly available municipal documents related to the emergency response and post-attack environment.
- Early September 2026: Circle Sanctuary releases special archival programming, including a rebroadcast of Pagan Voices of 9/11 via the Circle of Nature podcast, offering contemporary Pagan reflections on the tragedy and its aftermath.
- September 10, 2026: The New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple formally releases its operational transition plan, reassuring the public that the sanctuary will be preserved exactly as late founder Priestess Miriam Chamani left it, guided by Priest Allen Papa Gran Bwa Bakavi and interim Priestess Lilith Dorsey.
- September 10, 2026: Spiral Moon Media Group announces the integration of Spiral Moon TV and Pagan Public Radio into the Streaming Pulse platform for iOS and Android, alongside Apple CarPlay and Android Auto vehicle integration.
- September 13, 2026: The EarthSpirit Community kicks off its autumn ritual calendar with its annual Autumnal Equinox Ritual and Sacred Land Walk at Glenwood in western Massachusetts.
- September 15, 2026: The early-bird registration discount window closes for the Aquarian Tabernacle Church’s Hekate’s Sickle Festival, scheduled for November 6–8 on Orcas Island, Washington.
- October 9–12, 2026: EarthSpirit hosts its annual Twilight Covening intensive spiritual retreat in the Berkshires.
- October 25, 2026: EarthSpirit holds its seasonal Ancestor Ritual and Sacred Land Walk at Glenwood.
- October 30, 2026: EarthSpirit observes its community Samhain Ritual at the Williamsburg Grange in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.
- November 6–8, 2026: The Aquarian Tabernacle Church conducts the Hekate’s Sickle Festival at Camp Moran State Park on Orcas Island.
- December 19, 2026: EarthSpirit concludes its 2026 seasonal ritual calendar with its annual Yule celebration in Williamsburg.
Supporting Data and Institutional Updates
The past week has brought forward substantial data regarding government transparency, community health initiatives, and organizational growth within the broader spiritual and cultural sectors.
In New York City, the newly established public records portal—backed by a $34 million allocation in the city’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget—sheds long-overdue light on the government’s operational and environmental response following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. The portal features the frequently cited Harding Memo and documents retrieved from 68 newly located boxes of municipal files. This transparency coincides with sustained utilization of federal support infrastructure: the World Trade Center Health Registry, which initially enrolled more than 71,000 individuals in 2003 and 2004, continues to report persistent physical and mental health challenges, such as PTSD and respiratory conditions, among survivors and first responders exposed to disaster toxins.
In the institutional sphere, the preservation of the New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple marks a critical moment for American traditional spiritualities. Founded by the late Priestess Miriam Chamani, the Temple has long served as a vital cultural and spiritual anchor in the Crescent City. The transition plan ensures that its physical altar spaces, sacred artifacts, and community archives remain intact under the spiritual stewardship of Priest Allen Papa Gran Bwa Bakavi and interim Priestess Lilith Dorsey, a 30-year veteran of the Temple.
In digital media, Spiral Moon Media Group’s expansion highlights the growing professionalization and reach of modern Pagan broadcasting. By integrating Pagan Public Radio and Spiral Moon TV into mainstream mobile applications and vehicular dashboards like Apple CarPlay, the Michigan-based nonprofit breaks through traditional niche boundaries, making ritual music, educational programming, and esoteric talk shows accessible to a global audience on daily commutes and mobile devices.
Official Responses and Community Statements
Civic leaders, religious organizations, and community figures have issued clear statements regarding these milestones:
- New York City Administration: Announcing the launch of the 9/11 records portal, Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasized the city’s ethical obligations: "The very least our city owes the families, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the September 11th attacks is transparency and accountability." Former U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney echoed this sentiment, stating: "They deserved the truth then, and they deserve the full truth now. Government records about September 11th belong to the people of New York."
- The New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple: In an official statement regarding the future of the sacred space, the Temple announced: "For the time being, the New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple will remain exactly as Priestess Miriam assembled, maintained, and left it. It will stand as a living shrine to her memory, a place for you to visit, mourn, celebrate, and commemorate the legacy of our beloved Priestess and her decades of work."
- Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC): Belladonna LaVeau, Archpriestess and CEO of the ATC, underscored the necessity of immersive physical gatherings ahead of the Hekate’s Sickle Festival: "While the amenities of the hotel are comfortable, Witches want to be in the wild woods, under the moon, with firelight, and drums. Hekate’s Sickle is a witch retreat, dedicated to magic, deepening your connection with deity and each other, so we can return to our lives strengthened by shared mystery and sacred work."
- Spiral Moon Media Group: Reflecting on the network’s technological expansion, Rev. Janet Callahan, director and High Priestess of Spiral Moon Family Circle, noted: "Our goal has always been to make Pagan media easier to find and easier to access. Being available through Streaming Pulse means someone can discover Pagan Public Radio on their phone, listen to it on their commute through CarPlay or Android Auto, or discover Spiral Moon TV alongside other streaming content."
Implications for the Pagan and Broader Communities
The convergence of events featured in this week’s community notes carries profound implications for practitioners of minority religions, esoteric traditions, and the general public alike.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11 serves as a poignant reminder of the ways in which national tragedies ripple through all segments of society, including minority spiritual communities. Resources such as Circle Sanctuary’s Pagan Voices of 9/11 archive and ritual reflections ensure that the diverse spiritual responses—ranging from interfaith mourning to independent magical activism—are permanently recorded in collective memory. Furthermore, the push for government transparency in New York underscores a broader societal shift toward demanding institutional accountability, a principle deeply aligned with many Pagan and earth-centered ethics.
Locally and organizationally, the transition of the New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple tests the resilience of ancestral and diasporic lineages. By choosing to preserve the Temple as a living museum and active sanctuary under trusted initiates, the community honors the irreplaceable contributions of Priestess Miriam Chamani while securing a foundation for future generations. Similarly, institutional mainstays like the EarthSpirit Community and the Aquarian Tabernacle Church continue to demonstrate the vitality of land-based spirituality, offering structured containers for seasonal observance, community bonding, and spiritual resilience amid the complexities of modern life.
Finally, the digital expansion of networks like Spiral Moon Media illustrates how contemporary esoteric communities are leveraging modern technology to transcend geographical isolation. By making ritual audio and educational broadcasting as accessible as mainstream commercial media, these platforms ensure that pagan philosophy, music, and news remain vibrant, connected, and continuously evolving in an increasingly digital world.
As always, members of the community are encouraged to share their thoughts, local updates, and event notifications via the official Wild Hunt subreddit.
