Clipmarks | Wiccan Clips

Fortunetelling Ban Tossed

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:41:02 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan
clipper's remarks: Legally the same as a "message from God"

A Livingston Parish Council ordinance outlawing fortunetelling and soothsaying is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

A Wiccan minister, Cliff Eakin, sued the parish over the ordinance, asserting inspiration from the divine transmitted by a Wiccan minister should be treated legally the same way as a message from God transmitted to a congregation by a Christian minister.

Under the First Amendment, the government can’t prohibit the expression of an idea just because society finds the idea disagreeable, according to the opinion by U.S. District Judge James J. Brady of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District.

Eakin said that a Wiccan who accepts a donation for telling fortunes, for instance, shouldn’t be treated any differently from ministers or churches accepting tithes for passing on instructions on what they believe is God’s will.

Tags: wicca, faith, legal, first amendment

Neglect, not religion, cost mother custody

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 06:52:23 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.nwanews.com

A Chicot County woman doesn’t deserve custody of her 3-year-old boy, the Arkansas Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday, not because she practices Wicca but because she didn’t properly care for him.

Chicot County Circuit Judge Robert C. Vittitow didn’t decide to give custody of the boy to Joshua A. Cook and take it away from Andrea Hicks on prejudice toward the Wiccan religion, said Judge Robert J. Gladwin, writing for the appeals court.

Instead, evidence that the boy had diaper rash, a fungus on his face, a possible dog bite and other signals of neglect were seen as permissible factors for Vittitow to consider, as were Hicks ’ mental health and that she had stopped taking medication.

Judge Wendell Griffen concurred, writing that Vittitow “made no disparaging or otherwise unfavorable comments about Wicca.” Vittitow was questioning Hicks’ “truthfulness regarding the extent of her interest or involvement with Wicca,” Griffen wrote.

Tags: wicca, religion, children, custody, legal

Wiccans Sneak Past Church Security Wearing Abercrombie and Fitch!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:31:24 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.landoverbaptist.org

Several hours after the coven of Wiccans had slipped past church security, carefully disguised in the latest fall fashions from Abercrombie and Fitch, blood curdling screams were heard from the top floor of the Landover Baptist Nursing Home on Gallows Hill.

"We normally step up security efforts during the Season of the Witch or as Wiccans secretly call it - Our Master Satan's Birthday," says Pastor, Deacon Fred. "They try sneak onto our Godly church campus, into our church services, and now our nursing homes

I have no doubt they were trying to levitate and transport the body of Jerry Gardner because he is directly related to one of the founders of Wicca - Gerald Gardner. Well, you fat bunch of crazy Wiccans! Mr. Gardner is a Christian now! And he is under the protection of his brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus! So just, shoo!"

Pastor Deacon Fred told parishioners on Sunday that Wiccan hunting permits will be handed out during the first week in October

Tags: onion, satire, wicca, christian, pagan, church

Angry Wiccan Digs Up The Identity Behind Scam Site Fastspells.com

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:44:03 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: consumerist.com

Fastspells.com is a ridiculous website loaded with sexy young lady "Wiccans" who, for anywhere from $40 to $265, will "find you love, give you an abortion, cure your cancer, grant you immortality, and change your sex organs."

Trae at TRHOnline.com was annoyed by their expensive and unrealistic promises, and the more he looked into the domain registrations, the more suspicious he became.

Trae eventually managed to dig up a potential cuplrit behind the site, and he pretended to be a broken-hearted teenager with poor judgement (and spelling) to see what he could find out. What he found was someone named Brittney Reynolds, a member of the pro-anorexia movement and someone with possible connections to an earlier scam on MySpace called the "themilliondollarpiggybank."

So why did Trae feel the need to get so sleuthy? Because Fastspells.com was running ads on his site, and he didn't like the idea of a fake-Wicca site trying to prey upon his readers.

Tags: wicca, pagan, website, scam, advertising, internet

Why Wicca Is Not Celtic v.3.2

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:34:51 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.clannada.org

The following is by no means an indictment of the religion called Wicca. Wicca is indeed a valid and powerful path for those who truthfully walk it and understand it. However, there is a body of people who believe that Wicca is the descendant of the religious ways of the Gaelic or other Celtic peoples (or 'Celts' as a general nomenclature). This simply is not the case.

The following is a brief comparison of the Wiccan religion and Celtic religion. The purpose of this exercise is to dispel the notion that Wicca is Celtic, or derived from Celtic religion.

The people who make the statement that Wicca is Celtic are usually of two sorts. These are the new people who either for their own reasons truly believe this to be the case, or they have fallen prey to some unscrupulous teacher who uses the allure of things "Celtic" to draw in new students or ensure profits.

In both cases the problem is exacerbated by the fact that solid information is not easily accessible to the general public.

Tags: wicca, pagan, celtic, religion

Death to religious zealots!

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:55:28 GMT

clipped by: rvnurse2b
clipper's remarks: unless of course you are Islamic!

America... wake up...

Clip Source: www.aclj.org

the implementation of domestic laws to combat defamation of religion in many OIC countries reveals a selective and arbitrary enforcement toward religious minorities, who are often Christians. Those violations are frequently punishable by the death penalty.

Associated with "anti-blasphemy laws", the OIC uses the concepts of "defamation of religions" as both sword and shield. In Islamic countries, blasphemy laws are used as a shield to protect the dominant religion, but even more dangerously, they are used to silence minority religious believers and prevent Muslims from converting to other faiths, which is still a capital crime in many Islamic countries.

Emphasizing that a proper respect for religions is necessary, the ECLJ insisted on the urgent need to stop the arbitrary enforcement of the law and to draw a clear line between valid criticism of religions or religious practices and speech that does not serve any purpose except to offend the beliefs of individuals or religions.

here.

here

Tags: religion, fun, islam, christ, atheist, wiccan, buddhist, jokes, global warming

Where bombs were born, birds now flock

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:06:37 GMT

clipped by: kkcapricorn
clipper's remarks:

More than 4.7 million tons of low-level waste remain at Fernald in a fenced-off, 110-acre pile encased in thick liners and caps made of synthetic material, clay, rock and clean soil. The 65-foot-high, grass-covered mound snaking along an edge of the preserve is about the length of two Empire State Buildings laid end to end.

The rest of the radioactive waste - more than a million tons - was shipped to storage and disposal sites in Nevada, Utah and Texas.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I can express a naughty thought, that I hope the toxic waste sent to Texas goes near Bush's home, and far away from Wiccan Texan.

Clip Source: news.wired.com

CINCINNATI (AP) -- A site once home to a Cold War-era uranium processing plant and the focus of a contentious struggle to clean up toxic waste has re-emerged as a haven for wildlife and a memorial to those who worked to make the area safe

Shrouded in secrecy for years, the site gained national notoriety in the 1980s with media reports on site emissions and residents' concerns

traces the site's history from its years as an American Indian habitat.

"We are using native plants and grasses identified in an 1819 land survey to return the site to the way it was then -

The center doesn't try to hide the plant's tumultuous history.

reports chronicling the public outcry and ensuing lawsuits are part of exhibits on display.

The $4.4 billion site cleanup was completed in January 2007

visitors can walk nature trails, viewing wild ducks and geese gliding along marshy ponds surrounded by prairie grass and wildflowers.

the site has met cleanup standards established by federal and state regulators

Tags: toxic waste, wildlife haven

Beware the Wiccans Bearing Lawsuits

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:50:41 GMT

clipped by: dmegivern
clipper's remarks: Representative votes against Head Start, because they would not let him put in a measure that would have allowed religious organizations to exclude candidates who were not of that religion.

Clip Source: www.dailykos.com

Republican Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan's 7th District, running a tight race against Democrat Mark Schauer, was the only member of the House Education Labor and Committee to vote against reauthorizing Head Start.

Considering there are 43 members of the committee, this is rather significant. So naturally, more than a few people were peeved:

[Video]

In other words, say a Baptist or a Catholic church wanted to continue to offer its Head Start program and a Muslim or "a Wiccan from a coven in Ann Arbor" wanted to apply for a job to teach there, now it couldn't discriminate based on religious grounds anymore, or vice versa.

He said he offered an amendment that would have made that change, but it didn't get any traction.

It would also open all of them to lawsuits, because the Wiccan, or the Catholic or the Muslim who wasn't hired, could say it was because of their religious beliefs, he said.

Tags: head start, religion

Corn Moon

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:51:52 GMT

clipped by: zippunkygirl

Clip Source: www.gardendigest.com

"The great corn ritual of Wiccan belief (in Celtic realms this is the celebration of the
wheat god, corn is an Americanization and it is possible there is an American Indian
traditional holiday near this date that was borrowed by the American Neopagans).
This is the big celebration of the harvest (Sort of a Pagan Thanksgiving, but the time
clock is different as is that of the Celtics).   Much feasting and dancing occur, though
it is a bit more somber than many of the other holidays."

Clip Source: www.geocities.com

August, The Corn Moon

This is a time to harvest the gifts you have nurtured and give to those who are in need. Collect and store fresh herbs for the coming winter. Bake special breads to honor the God and Goddess of grain and growing things, share them with your family and friends but save some to offer the Earth. Return

Woman Celebrating Good Luck Stabs Herself Durring Wiccan Ritual

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:34:33 GMT

clipped by: deadcowkid
clipper's remarks: Ironic, yes, funny for most but her, sure. However, maybe the accident saved her life by preventing something, like a car accident on the way home. There are endless chances that this led to good luck as much as i may have been bad. With that said, I am not religious. Just a thought.

Clip Source: www.npr.org

Woman Celebrating Good Luck Stabs Herself

Listen Now [27 sec] add to playlist

Morning Edition, July 23, 2008 · An Indiana woman who wanted to give thanks for a recent run of good luck stabbed herself in the foot while performing a ritual, police said. Katherine Gunter, a Wiccan, went to a cemetery during the full moon and marked her good luck by burning incense and driving a 3-foot sword into the ground. She ended up in the hospital.

Tags: wiccan, luck, irony

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

wicca

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:09:28 GMT

clipped by: robinlee

Clip Source: www.blessedcoven.com

The First Harvest

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:41:49 GMT

clipped by: zippunkygirl

Clip Source: www.gardendigest.com

'Lughnassad' means 'the funeral games of Lugh', referring to Lugh,
the Irish sun god. However, the funeral is not his own, but the funeral
games he hosts in honor of his foster-mother Tailte. For that reason,
the traditional Tailtean craft fairs and Tailtean marriages (which last
for a year and a day) are celebrated at this time. As autumn begins,
the Sun God enters his old age, but is not yet dead. It is also a
celebration of the first harvest. The Christian religion adopted this
theme and called it 'Lammas', meaning 'loaf-mass', a time when
newly baked loaves of bread are placed on the altar. An alternative
date around August 5 (Old Lammas), when the sun reaches
15 degrees Leo, is sometimes employed by Covens.
- Wiccan Holidays, Lughnassad (July 31 - August Eve)

June 20, 2008: Summer Solstice (Northern Hemisphere)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:16:27 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: Summer Solstice Fun Facts

* Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.

* Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.

* Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.

Celebrated in the Southern Hemisphere on:
December 21, 2008 at 10:04pm AEST.

Clip Source: www.chiff.com

Summer Solstice 2008

in the Northern Hemisphere on: June 20, 2008 at 7:59 PM EDT; and in the UK on June 20, 2008 at 23:59 UTC.

Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still." As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.

As a major celestial event, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer day in December.

Early Celebrations

Awed by the great power of the sun, civilizations in the northern areas have for centuries celebrated the Summer Solstice, otherwise known as Midsummer (see Shakespeare), the Christian St. John's Day, or the Wiccan Litha.

The Celts & Slavs celebrated with dancing & bonfires to help increase the sun's energy. The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light.

Clip Source: multiculturalcalendar.com

Solstice

Tags: summer, solstice, vernal equinox

Greece Sued Over Sectarian Prayer

Wed, 14 May 2008 01:19:46 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan
clipper's remarks: Note: Greece here is a town in the United States, not the country.

Clip Source: www.democratandchronicle.com

In just a few seconds' time during the April Town Board meeting, Jennifer Zarpentine made Greece history.

Zarpentine, a Wiccan, delivered the first-ever pagan prayer to open a meeting of the Greece Town Board.

Her hands raised to the sky, she called upon Greek deities Athena and Apollo to "help the board make the right informed decisions for the benefit and greater good of the community."

Greece is embroiled in a legal battle over the prayers delivered before the meetings. In March, national church-state watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, filed suit against the town in state Supreme Court.

their

The suit claims the practice of allowing explicitly religious prayers — regardless of the religion — during the public meetings is a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Tags: religion, belief, legal, wicca, prayer