Moonrise Goes Live!

As of February 17, 2005, Moonrise: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in North America is officially in production!

Wicca, now over 50 years old, has gone through tremendous struggle in its development. It continues to experience the inevitable growing pains that any significant social or religious movement is bound to go through. Where will it go? What are the common ethics, tenets, beliefs and practices across Wiccan and other Pagan tradidions? It is certain: Wicca has reached a level of membership - a critical mass if you will - which sets it ready to explode. As much as some people wish it, Wicca and Paganism is clearly not going away. Therefore, it is of great interest to everyone in our society - Pagan, Christian, Jewish and others - to learn about this movement from members of the movement.

Moonrise is a rich tapestry of music, performances, interviews with Wiccan and Pagan leadership, and exposition. It explores the historical and metaphorical development of Wicca and other Pagan practices in North America; it explains the ethics and tenets of these religions, and seeks to present reliable information in a positive way. It is the first documentary on North American Wicca and Paganism that is intended for both a mainstream and Pagan audience. (In fact, to my knowledge, it is the first documentary ever).

Wicca is now over 50 years old as an open religion. The founders of the movement are passing, and one important task of Moonrise is to document them and their views for posterity. Another is to profile the kind of person who is attracted to these religions, and why they choose them over the mainstream. In short: what is the social and political attraction to Wicca, and what, if anything, have the mainstream religions failed to address that might push people toward Paganism?

This blog will detail the experiences and observations of the filmmakers throughout the production of Moonrise. Many things here will never be seen in the final version of the production. So join us on our journey, learn about our experiences, and keep abreast of the progress of this ground-breaking documentary!

You can check out the official Moonrise site at www.moonrisemovie.com. And don't forget to join our Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/moonrisemovie, where we discuss some of the issues raised here! Your input is welcome here, and there!