Latest news with #Paganism
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shruti Haasan opens up on belief in witchcraft and astrology, says Kamal Haasan 'hates' god talk at home
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Actor and singer Shruti Haasan has opened up about her spiritual journey and complex relationship with her father, Kamal Haasan 's, atheist beliefs. Speaking on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast, Shruti revealed that she is a firm believer in astrology and practices the Wiccan religion, a nature-based spiritual path often associated with witchcraft. Her father, however, remains a staunch atheist who "hates" it when she talks about religion or God in public. 'We grew up in a non-religious, atheist home,' Shruti shared. 'My dad really hates when I say this—but we didn't have God in our house. No rituals, no religious symbols. It was all very alien to us.' She explained that while Kamal Haasan never imposed his beliefs on her, discussions about astrology were strictly unwelcome. 'If you said astrology in front of him, he'd be like, 'Get out,'' she said, half-jokingly. "We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn." Shruti revealed her deep connection to Wicca and Paganism, spiritual practices that focus on nature, feminine energy, and ancestral power. 'I feel the bloodline of my female ancestors. There's this beautiful quote I love: 'We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giá vàng đang tăng mạnh trong năm 2025 — Các nhà giao dịch thông minh đã tham gia IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo That stayed with me,' she said. She believes her draw towards these faiths has roots in the matriarchal strength passed down through generations of women in her family. Kamal Haasan, Ayushmann Invited To Oscars 2025! India Shines Bright With Payal Kapadia Too While her spiritual path differs greatly from her father's pragmatic and atheist outlook, Shruti noted that Kamal has always respected her choices. 'My poor father,' she said with affection. 'He's seen me be rebellious my whole life but never stopped me. He hates tattoos, and I have five.' Art as the family religion—"Art 'is the only God." Despite their differences, Shruti described her childhood as one filled with 'creativity and chaos,' where art was treated as a kind of religion. 'Every day of the week was about some form of artistic expression,' she recalled. 'Art is the only God he believes in.' On the work front, Shruti Haasan will be next seen in Rajinikanth's 'Coolie.'
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kamal Haasan ‘hates it' when daughter Shruti reveals he doesn't believe in God, would kick her out if she discussed astrology with him
Shruti Haasan spoke about her belief in astrology, and said that her father doesn't tolerate conversations around it. She also admitted that she is a practitioner of the Wiccan religion, which involves witchcraft. 'We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn,' she said in a new interview, revealing that her illustrious father 'hates it' when she publicly speaks about the atheist household she grew up in. Shruti said that art is the only religion that Kamal believes in. Appearing on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast, she said that her household was filled with 'creativity and chaos' when she was growing up. While she was surrounded by atheism, she found spirituality later in life. She said that her father allowed her to pursue her beliefs without interfering in her journey. 'We grew up in an atheist home; a non-religious home. My dad hates it when I say this, but we didn't have God at home. None of that stuff that other homes have. It's so alien, the concept of religion and God,' she said. Also read – Shruti Haasan says she went from traveling in Mercedes to taking a Mumbai local after parents Kamal Haasan-Sarika's divorce She continued, 'Somewhere, in my child brain, I knew art was God. Every day of the week would be devoted to artistic endeavors.' Shruti said that her father is 'emotionally esoteric', which helps him as an actor, but he's 'extremely pragmatic' on a day-to-day level. 'He can gauge people better than therapists, because he's been acting since four, so has my mom… He has become more relaxed as a human being; now, with age, he has become more mellow,' she said. While Shruti admitted that her parents' diverse interests influenced her, her father would draw the line at some topics. 'If you went and said astrology to me dad, he'd be like, 'Get out'.' Shruti said that she is a believer in the transference of feminine power through generations, which is what drew her to nature-based religions such as Paganism and Wiccan. 'I think it has something to do with the matriarchal line of my family. It's the women ancestors before me, and I can seriously feel that, which is why I moved towards Wicca and Pagan worship. There was this beautiful saying, 'We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn', and I love that. I feel the bloodline of my female ancestors,' she said. In the same interview, Shruti said that she feels for her 'poor father', who has witnessed her rebelliousness from a young age, but has never stopped her from doing what she wants. 'He hates tattoos,' she said, revealing she has five. Shruti also spoke about her fascination with astrology, and said that the last year was terrible for everybody on planet Earth.
Boston Globe
26-06-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Vatican unveils last of restored Raphael Rooms after 10-year cleaning that yielded new discoveries
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'With this restoration, we rewrite a part of the history of art,' Vatican Museums director Barbara Jatta said. Advertisement Pope Julius II summoned the young Raphael Sanzio from Florence to Rome in 1508 to decorate a new private apartment for himself in the Apostolic Palace, giving the then 25-year-old painter and architect a major commission at the height of his artistic output. Even at the time, there were reports that Raphael had wanted to decorate the rooms not with frescoes but with oil paint directly on the wall, to give the images greater brilliance. The 10-year restoration of the Rome of Constantine proved those reports correct, said Fabio Piacentini, one of the chief restorers. Advertisement Vatican technicians discovered that two female figures, Justice and Courtesy and located on opposite corners of the hall, were actually oil-on-wall paintings, not frescoes in which paint is applied to wet plaster. They were therefore clearly the work of Raphael himself, he said. But Raphael died on April 6, 1520, at the age of 37, and before the hall could be completed. The rest of the paintings in the room were frescoes completed by his students who couldn't master the oil technique Raphael had used, Jatta said. During the cleaning, restorers discovered that Raphael had clearly intended to do more with oil paints: Under the plaster frescoes, they found a series of metal nails which they believed had been drilled into the wall to hold in place the natural resin surface that Raphael had intended to paint onto, Piacentini said. 'From a historical and critical point of view, and also technical, it was truly a discovery,' he said. 'The technique used and planned by Raphael was truly experimental for the time, and has never been found in any other mural made with oil paint.' The final part of the restoration of the room was the ceiling, painted by Tommaso Laureti and featuring a remarkable example of Renaissance perspective with his fresco of a fake tapestry 'Triumph of Christianity over Paganism.' The Raphael Rooms were never fully closed off to the public during their long restoration, but they are now free of scaffolding for the many visitors flocking to the Vatican Museums for the 2025 Jubilee. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Advertisement
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The Archdruid of Stonehenge's guide to Pagan Glastonbury
Rollo Maughfling helped pioneer Glastonbury's modern Druidic revival. Here are his top ways to enjoy the spiritual town beyond its famous festival, from sacred sites to Pagan wares. Glastonbury, a small town in Somerset, England, is most famous for hosting the Glastonbury Festival, a five-day bonanza of music and performing arts. The event attracts more than 200,000 people annually, with iconic performers from Paul McCartney to Beyoncé taking the stage over its 55-year history. But Glastonbury's contribution to local culture is far more ancient. Set amid the hilly wetlands of the Somerset Levels, Glastonbury has been a spiritual magnet for centuries. In the Middle Ages, many believed that Joseph of Arimathea visited with the Holy Grail, and the sacred cup is central to the Arthurian legends that infuse the town and its landscapes. Glastonbury is also considered the hub of English "Neo-Paganism", a collection of pre-Christian beliefs and spiritual practices undergoing a modern renaissance, including witchcraft, Wicca, the Goddess movement and Druidry. To find the heart of Glastonbury's spiritual side, we spoke to Rollo Maughfling, the Archdruid of Stonehenge and Britain. For decades, Maughfling has helped spearhead a modern, inclusive form of Druidry. For Maughfling, Glastonbury's interwoven Christian and Pagan lore is what makes it special. Originally from Cornwall – a land of "quoits and dolmens and strange Druid outcrops and witchy stories, too" – Maughfling moved to Glastonbury in 1971, drawn by its spiritual appeal, where he has lived on and off ever since. Glastonbury is dotted with shrines and sacred landmarks, from the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey (founded on a 7th-Century church) to Glastonbury Tor looming above. Its streets stir with witches, Druids, hippies and New Age believers of every stripe – especially during Pagan events, and when festivalgoers spill into town each June, turning it into a kaleidoscope of colour and spirituality. Maughfling was involved with Glastonbury Festival for 30 years. Along with other Druids, he consecrated the site's famous stone circle, created in 1993 because public access to Stonehenge was revoked at the time. Did he ever imagine the event getting so big? "There was an enormous feeling that it would," he recalls. But despite its astonishing growth and the town's own development, Maughfling says Glastonbury remains authentically Pagan. "Most people who have been in Glastonbury for any length of time are immersed in the culture," he says. Here are Maughfling's favourite ways to experience modern – and ancient – Pagan Glastonbury. 1. Best Pagan site: Glastonbury Tor Glastonbury Tor ("tor" means hill, in some parts of England) rises 158m above sea level on the town's eastern edge. For Maughfling, it's the preeminent example of how Glastonbury's blend of Neolithic, Pagan and Christian history give some landmarks "a certain energy or presence or power about them, which is sacred". The discovery of flint tools suggests human activity since the Neolithic period. The Christian ruin of St Michael's Tower sits on top, but the Tor is deeply significant to Neo-Paganism. "It's towards the centre of a great ley line known as St Michael's Line," says Maughfling. "[It] goes across the landscape from St Michael's Mount in Cornwall, up through Glastonbury up to the ancient site [of] Avebury], and on the mound at Eye in Suffolk." The Tor offers views over town and across the picturesque Somerset Levels, including one of Glastonbury's many disputed legends: the Temple of the Stars, a landscape zodiac proposed by Katherine Maltwood in 1934. "She believed that the stories of the knights and the ladies and their quests – as described in the High History of the Holy Grail, a 12th century manuscript discovered at the Abbey – all seemed to centre around names that were still local," Maughfling says. "She gradually deduced that there was a pattern… a zodiacal pattern." No Glastonbury Tor visit is complete without visiting its two sacred springs, both said to have healing powers: Chalice Well is "a little garden, beautifully kept and lovely, where you can go and drink from the iron-laden red spring", and White Spring is "underneath the footing of the Tor – a cave with calcium-rich water pouring through it and candles and all sorts." Both are popular with pilgrims, Pagan and otherwise. 2. Best place to learn about Pagan culture: Courtyard Books Tucked off High Street with a quaint courtyard in the back, Courtyard Books is Maughfling's favourite place for Pagan literature and learning. "It specialises in esoteric books, old and new, and they have some fantastic titles," he says. The mysterious little shop stocks everything from magic to alchemy to witchcraft – including many rare finds and lots of second-hand tomes. The shop helps keep Glastonbury's second-hand book culture going, says Maughfling . "It's become a collector's art again, in a second-hand bookshop, to find things that are rare and unusual." It's also an excellent place to get chatting, either in search of recommendations or insights into local culture. "The owner is very interested in all of this, mythologies and such," says Maughfling, "and he is also perfectly happy to talk to people, if he's not too busy, about Glastonbury's Pagan culture." Website: 2-4 High St, Glastonbury, BA6 9DUPhone: +44 1458 835050 3. Best for buying Pagan wares: Star Child This Pagan-infused apothecary and herbalist on High Street, is a veritable treasure trove. It's "a very special shop indeed for the Pagans and esotericists and occultists and witches and travellers and festival-going people… a whole mix of people!" says Maughfling. Star Child is a sensory delight, its shelves brimming with herbs, oils, ointments, ceramics and candles – all hand-crafted, and many dedicated to zodiac signs and Pagan deities. "The guy who runs it actually goes out in the early morning dew throughout the year, collecting herbs and plants from the local area and compounding the incense," says Maughfling. There's probably something for everyone, even if you don't know what you're looking for. "Just look around to see the things that seem to resonate with you," Maughfling recommends. Website: 7 High St, Glastonbury BA6 9DP, United KingdomPhone: +44 1458 834663 4. Best Pagan pub: George & Pilgrims Inn The George & Pilgrims Inn has been in operation since the 15th Century, making it the oldest pub in Glastonbury. "It's got a lovely terrace out the back and they do good food there," says Maughfling. It was originally the hospitiumof Glastonbury Abbey, hosting pilgrims and guests. The Grade I-listed building on High Street features an ornate stone frontage in the 15th-Century style, battlement parapets on top and crooked wooden beams inside. The George & Pilgrim has long been a gathering place for Pagans and the wider community. It's "the sort of meeting place where everyone who was anybody in Glastonbury has stayed," Maughfling says. "John Michell, the famous mystic and antiquarian vision philosopher, stayed there and used to hold court out the back on summer evenings… it gives you an idea of the charm of the courtyard." Website: 1 High St, Glastonbury, BA6 9DPPhone: +44 1458 831146 5. Best for engaging in Pagan revelry: Beltane Glastonbury revels in Pagan festivals as well as musical. For Maughfling, one looms large: Beltane, a week-long Pagan celebration of summer's arrival, in early May. "[It's] really special in the year," says Maughfling, "connected with celebrating the season and merriment… but it's also linked with what we consider to be important world healing time." Beltane is a week of music, maypole dancing, bardic poetry and other revelry. The Glastonbury Order of Druids, including Maughfling, also host sunrise ceremonies atop the Tor. "Prayers are said to the God of the Sun, and the Goddess of the Earth, and a Blessing is sent out to those in need in various troubled parts of the world," says Maughfling. "The coming months of summer is celebrated in song and dance: a very ancient global tradition, with its own unique Glastonbury flavour." Joining a ritual is the best way to engage with Druidry, says Maughfling, because "you're seeing it in practice and you're learning how to do it". Can't make Beltane? Don't despair. Maughfling recommends following the Pagan Wheel of the Year: a calendar of eight Pagan festivals, or Sabbats, revolving around the solstices and equinoxes. At these times, Glastonbury will be a stir with Pagan and Druidic ritual. Website: Glastonbury Information Centre, 1 Magdalene Street, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9EWPhone: +44 1458 333144 BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
CBC
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Fanshawe art students mix splashes of colour with everyday images in new paint exhibit
The Beholder exhibit is on display at TAP Centre for Creativity until March 22 A group of Fine Arts students at Fanshawe College's School of Design are the faces behind a new art exhibition on display in downtown London, this month. The exhibit called "The Beholder" at the TAP Centre for Creativity, features paintings by 17 second-year students who drew inspiration from the London library, where they selected various images in books to create their paintings. Bold splashes of colour, paired with symbolic imagery that's unique to each student, aim to capture viewers and draw their eyes to the relationship between chaos, control and intentionality, said Billy Burt Young, a professor who organized the exhibit. "[The exhibit's name] is ambiguous enough that it could mean a number of things and the viewer themselves is the most important component of the show," he said. "Without the viewer, the art really ceases to exist." Student Jocelyn Fournier filled her canvas with a bright-coloured blend of fruits, architecture and technology. While the three themes seemed like an odd combination, Fournier was impressed with the way it all came together, she said. "Our goal here was to really work with projection and masking techniques with a low colour palette. I went for a more blue and pink colour palette," said Fournier. "I'm drawn to more nature sourced imagery and I wanted to mix it with some more technical elements like buildings and clocks and I wanted to mix it all together with the mystical and get a sense of how these things could interact." Her inspiration came from a book about fruits from the Philippines and clocks manufactured in Ontario, especially one made in her hometown of Stratford, said Fournier. Delaney Mitchell's project showcases the opposite and takes a look at topics like death, consciousness and religion. The challenge for her was pairing brighter colours with a darker illustration of CT scans, said Mitchell. "What we were trying to do is project [images] from the books and make our own art from it, while reusing old art that might be forgotten," she said. "I'm really interested in how stress affects the brain and what people might think happens after they die, such as in Christianity and Paganism, and I wanted to incorporate different aspects of that just to focus a lens on something we all think about as people." Mitchell said her paintings have received special attention from a group of children who were intrigued by the concept. Linus Klassen's piece titled "Incurring a Great Wrath" was inspired by a book about mushrooms grown in North America. He combined it with divinity and architecture to create confusion and a visceral response from those viewing "the gross stuff," he said. "I'm very intrigued by the abject and the disgusting, I think it really brings out a reaction in some people," said Klassen. "They kind of go 'Oh my gosh' and I love to get that reaction from people, so that's what I really focused on." For many of the students, including Klassen, this exhibit is the first time their artwork is being displayed in public. Although the experience has been nervewracking for Klassen, he's proud of the response his work has been receiving, he said Burt Young hopes audiences can enjoy the vibrant show and that it inspires other young artists to find imagery that speaks to them and repurpose it according to their individual styles, he said. The exhibit runs from Tuesdays to Saturdays between noon and 5 p.m. until March 22.
