Well, at least the New York Times didn’t run this story about Wiccans on Halloween, which is what mainstream newspapers most often do. And some helpful information here is dispensed: the Times states that Wiccans aren’t devil worshipers, and that they’re out there working regular jobs, living normal lives. But check out the black cat and the broom in the photo.

The author still leans heavily on old stereotypes in the name of refuting them, though. I’m not sure a reader new to the topic would quite “get” why Earth-based faiths are rapidly growing. With our environment in so much peril, with our relationship to the earth so damaged, it would be nice to read more articles about what folks with close spiritual connections to the planet are saying and doing.

Here’s Beliefnet.com’s Earth-based religion page that will lend you more information about Wiccan prayers, and meditations and the charm of earth-based belief systems. Here is an article by Margot Adler about how the mainstream media has traditionally covered earth-based spirituality. Adler is the author of “Drawing Down the Moon,” a study of goddess spirituality and contemporary paganism. She has also been a correspondent for NPR’s award-winning shows “All Things Considered,” “Morning Edition,” and “Weekend Edition.”