Clipmarks | wiccantexan's 'wicca' clips

Bob Barr recants his position on Wicca in the military?

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:44:08 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.independentpoliticalreport.com

Ed Brayton (Dispatches from the Culture Wars) asked Barr if he would now, as Libertarian candidate, repudiate his 1999 attempt to prohibit the practice of Wicca, a neo-Pagan religion, on military bases. Barr said that he has changed his mind, citing “reports” that the practice of Wicca was causing problems that are apparently not an issue now.

I did ask him for any specific problems that were reported to him back in 1999 by these military leaders, but he said he didn’t want to get into specifics. I’m sure that’s because there are no specific incidents and those military leaders who complained to him did so out of bigotry, or because the problems it caused were really caused by bigotry against Wiccans. He likened it to his stance on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell for gays, which he previously supported but now that it’s clear that allowing gays to serve doesn’t really cause any problems with unit cohesion and good order, he thinks it should be repealed and they should be allowed to serve openly.

Tags: politics, wicca, pagan, military, bob barr

Woman injured by sword in Wiccan ceremony

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:47:23 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.jconline.com

A woman accidentally stabbed herself in the foot with a 3-foot-long sword while performing a Wiccan good luck ritual at a central Indiana cemetery.

Katherine Gunther, 36, of Lebanon, pierced her left foot with the sword while performing the rite at Oak Hill Cemetery, police said.

Gunther said she was performing the ceremony to give thanks for a recent run of good luck. The ceremony involves the use of candles, incense and driving swords into the ground during the full moon.

Gunther said was aiming to put the sword in the ground, but hit her foot instead.

"It wasn't the first time I performed the ritual, but it was the first time I put a sword through my foot," she said.

No charges were filed, police said. The Wiccans were warned that being in the cemetery in the city about 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis after posted visiting hours constitutes trespassing.

Tags: religion, wicca, pagan, humor, ceremony, ritual

The Portrayal Of Paganism In The Media

Sun, 25 May 2008 04:43:18 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.informativepost.com

Hi. I'm a Pagan. Yes, you heard me right. What image jumps into your head right now? Is it a person dressed all in black, with large pentacles, dragons and ankhs hanging around their necks? Did you picture me as a hippie who can't seem to escape the Swinging 60s?

Guess what? I'm a normal person. I wear jeans and t-shirts, I have a 9-5 job, and I'm studying to achieve my high school diploma at a mature-age level.

The media has done a fantastic job at portraying Pagans (including Wiccans and Witches) as these ugly women with long fingernails, warts and green skin, tall pointy hats and all dressed in black. Look at the popular film, 'The Craft' - it's portrayal of young witches, all in black, with supernatural powers. What about 'The Wicker Man'? Makes us all out to be lovers of sacrifice, huh?

In all actuality, we're normal people, and my personal mission (as I've come to discover) is to break down this stereotype of modern Pagans. So let's start with the basics...

Tags: pagan, faith, religion, media, wicca, witchcraft, witch

Bob Barr wins Libertarian presidential nod

Mon, 26 May 2008 00:27:00 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan
clipper's remarks: This is the fellow who tried to actively put forth legislation in 1999 to ban Wicca from military bases.

Clip Source: politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

(CNN) — Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr is now the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee — and a potential headache for John McCain, as he reaches out to conservative voters who might otherwise vote for the GOP nominee in November.

The former Georgia congressman — who left the Republican Party two years ago, citing differences over fiscal policy and concerns over civil liberties — was nominated on the sixth ballot at the party’s convention in Denver. The vote on the sixth ballot was 324 for Barr, and 276 for Mary Ruwart, the last remaining candidate out of 14 originally seeking the Libertarian nomination.

Tags: politics, pagan, wicca, libertarian

'Earth worship' on the rise among evangelical youth

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:42:48 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.onenewsnow.com

Janice Crouse, a senior fellow with Concerned Women for America, says it's disturbing that many young people in evangelical churches are experimenting with the Wiccan religion. Church leaders and Christian parents, she warns, must be ready to counter that growing interest among their youth.

Crouse cites an article in Religion Journal which said youth pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention were worried about large numbers of evangelicals taking part in Wicca, a religion that involves nature worship, stresses moral autonomy, and includes remedies and spells -- beliefs that Crouse points out are distinctly different from orthodox Christianity, not to mention incompatible with the Bible.

According to Crouse, "earth worship" -- as she describes Wicca -- appeals to people who do not want to be bound by any book of authority or have imposed on them any requirements to be "believers."

Tags: religion, wicca, nature, evangelical, youth, christian, earth

Pagan Weddings Attract More Than A Cult Following

Mon, 05 May 2008 05:08:08 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.modbee.com

Supporters and critics of pagan weddings -- like Kemper's -- often describe the ceremonies as beautiful, mystical, bizarre and even evil, all descriptions Kemper has heard. But, according to some experts, there is one word they can no longer use: uncommon.

A 2001 survey by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York found that the number of followers of Wicca, one of the many religions that fall beneath the pagan umbrella, increased from 8,000 in 1990 to 134,000 in 2001, making it the fastest-growing religion in America in terms of percentage increase.

Marty Laubach, a sociology professor at Marshall University, says the number of followers of pagan religions is even higher now, citing a 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey that put the estimate at 1.2 million.

Tags: religion, marriage, pagan, mainstream, wedding, wicca

My first YouTube video

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:33:43 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan
clipper's remarks: My first attempt at making a video using my digital camera. Somewhat grainy, but we have to play with iMovies to see how we can get the quality higher while still remaining within the upload limit.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: youtube, video, wicca, pagan

Psychics may have to pass test to practice in Salem

Fri, 25 May 2007 23:24:49 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.normantranscript.com

Should Salem's fortunetellers have to pass a test of their own to prove they're psychic?

City councilors, hoping to crack down on fraudulent fortunetellers, are trying to define exactly how a psychic can become licensed to set up shop in the Witch City. They want candidates to undergo a criminal background check and to either live or run a business in Salem for at least a year.

But many psychics want the city to go a step further -- make sure they're actually qualified to predict the future.

Tags: psychic, witchcraft, fraud, wicca, religion, tarot, fortunetelling, law

The Christian Church and Wicca

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:05:16 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: wicca.timerift.net

Q: How many Pagans does it take to change a light bulb? A: Six. One to change it and five to sit around and complain that light bulbs never burned out before those damned Christians came along.

Wicca is NOT about confronting or combating Christianity. Rebuking their beliefs or soiling their historical legacy is not our purpose, nor should it be the purpose of any religion. Those who are turning to Wicca simply because they wish to leave Christianity, or they object to Christianity, or they just want to shock their Christian family should look elsewhere. Religion, ANY religion, is about belief, not negating another's belief.

The "We're Better than Them" theory.

The Purpose of Christianity or Get Over Yourselves

The Theft of Pagan Holidays

We've replaced these people's pagan gods with Folgers Crystals. Let's see if they notice.

Tags: wicca, pagan, christian, christianity, church, religion, history, belief

First Wiccan Chaplain in History To Meet With U.S. Commission On Civil Rights

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:22:35 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: bbsnews.net

A Wiccan Chaplain and Statewide California Department of Corrections, Patrick McCollum will speak at a briefing on prisoners' religious rights at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Washington, DC on Friday, February 8, 2007. This marks the first time that a Wiccan expert has spoken on religious freedom issues at a Commission briefing.

"It is an honor to be invited to participate in the dialogue and to share a Wiccan's point of view," said McCollum. "Those in minority faiths are seldom given the opportunity to be heard, even when the issue concerns their rights. I am hopeful this invitation is indicative of what we can expect going forward and that there truly is a desire on the part of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to ensure that inmates receive equal treatment, and a willingness to better serve minority religions."

Tags: wicca, religion, civil rights, prison, government, freedom

While We're at it, Let's Put Down Minority Religions!

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:31:37 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: Amazing. In just one run-on sentence this journalist puts down a whole religious group. I wonder if he wouldn't mind Christianity being classified as, "A bunch feeble-minded, accept anything on faith alone, middle age, polyester clad, big haired, no life sheep."

Hey buddy, stick to your topic which is Harry Potter and stop putting down religious groups.

Clip Source: www.dothaneagle.com

Concerning the religious controversy, I wouldn’t be too worried about it if I were the head of a major religion. There’s plenty of much more malign forces corrupting our kids other than the temptation for socially inept, obese teenagers to dye their hair a funny color and sit around a circle chanting a bunch of mumbo jumbo about some goddess.

Tags: harry potter, wicca, paganism

Pentacle Wreath No Longer Welcome In Green Bay But Nativity Stays

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:02:44 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: bbsnews.net

Late yesterday afternoon, Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister of Circle Sanctuary, met by phone with Jim Schmitt, Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a city that continues to be embroiled in a growing controversy over the display of religious holiday imagery at its City Hall.

"I am glad that the Mayor called me and we were able to talk directly. I told him that I requested our meeting in the spirit of peace, reconciliation, and understanding that is an important part of the religious observances of both Winter Solstice and Christmas," said Fox. "'Tis the season to make peace and I sought to do this."

The Mayor cast the deciding vote in the City Council meeting last night which only permitted the nativity scene to stay at City Hall out of consideration for Christians celebrating Christmas in the community and which denied other symbols including the Yuletide pentacle wreath.

Tags: religion, government, wicca, christian, christmas, faith, rights

Wiccan Symbol At Nativity Scene Damaged By Vehicle

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 04:00:51 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.newsday.com

Police are investigating vandalism aimed at a symbol of the Wiccan religion set up next to a Nativity scene in front of city hall.

Officials in this city 60 miles south of Buffalo say someone in a pickup truck backed over the Wiccan pentacle around 10:15 p.m. Monday, then sped off.

The pentacle, a pentagram within a circle, was placed last weekend near the Nativity scene Olean Mayor David Carucci allowed to be set up outside city hall last month.

Some Olean residents complained that placing the Nativity scene on government property raised issues over the separation of church and state. Carucci responded by allowing members of other faiths to display their symbols on city property during special times of celebration.

The pentacle was then set up by April Garlow, a Wiccan.

Tags: wicca, pagan, religion, government, city, church, state

Wiccan Pentacle May Join Manger Outside Olean Building

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:55:39 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.wcax.com

The Nativity scene outside a municipal building near Buffalo could soon be sharing space with a Wiccan pentacle.

Olean Mayor David Carucci has given a local resident permission to set up a pentacle next to the Nativity scene outside the Olean Municipal Building.

Carucci authorized the manger scene for a private group without notifying the Common Council. He's refused to remove or relocate it until the lawmakers change a 12-year-old law banning private displays in city parks.

At a meeting last night, Carucci said he wouldn't move the display to local Lincoln Park, where other holiday decorations are already installed.

Tags: wicca, christian, city, government, display

Presidential Snub Of Wiccan War Widow

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 03:53:40 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan
clipper's remarks: ----- Forwarded Message
From: Circle Times

At midday today, President George W. Bush met by phone with Roberta
Stewart, a Wiccan from Nevada and member of Circle Sanctuary. The
president apologized to Roberta for her not being invited to the meeting he
held in Reno, Nevada on Tuesday with families of Nevada soldiers killed in
action.

Clip Source: www.lvrj.com

CARSON CITY -- When President Bush took time Tuesday to meet family members of some of the fallen soldiers from Northern Nevada, a woman whose husband made the ultimate sacrifice was notably absent.

Roberta Stewart of Fernley, who lost her husband, Sgt. Patrick Stewart, when the helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan in September 2005, said she was not invited to the meeting that followed Bush's speech to the American Legion's national convention in Reno.

Roberta Stewart said she believes she knows why no invitation was extended to her by the White House.

Roberta Stewart, like her late husband, is a practitioner of the Wiccan faith, and she fought with the Department of Veterans Affairs for more than a year to win the right to display the pentacle, the emblem of their faith, on his memorial marker in the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

Tags: wicca, war, bush, religion, military, president, memorial, grave, soldier