Non Fluffy Wicca

England: Carlisle City Council has voted overwhelmingly to deny fundie requests to get rid of its 'cursing stone'. Only two councillors voted in favour of removing the stone, and a familiar member of the public found himself in trouble when he heckled in an aggressive manner:

Leslie Irving, editor of the Christian magazine Bound Together and a campaigner against the stone, was escorted out for squaring up to Currock Labour councillor Paul Im Thurn.

Nor will the current Archbishop of Glasgow do anything to lift the alleged curse placed by his predecessor in the 16th century:

It was suggested that Archbishop Conti, as his modern-day equivalent, would be able to lift the curse - blamed for disasters including foot and mouth and floods in the city. However ... Archbishop Conti's spokesman said: The Archbishop may send a letter offering his good wishes but he won't be getting his Latin prayer book and his holy water and heading down the M74.

Still, there has been a couple of more unusual offers. The council has already declined an offer from Simon Ralli Robinson, a Dumfries-based shaman:

Mr Robinson said: I can do cleansing ceremonies. That energy can be got rid of. I have sacred wood from Peru which, when burned, has a cleansing effect.

Nor did they seem particularly impressed with the offer from the better-known Uri Geller:

He told Reuters press agency: I have offered to take the stone off their hands, put it in my garden and exorcise it.

The Domesday book records an ancient healing centre in my village and all the ley lines converge on my garden.

I will use my pendulum and cleanse the stone of any evil forces. After that I would like to keep it. It is a work of art.

Indeed, as well as not wanting to look like superstitious idiots in front of the whole world, it seems the council had a very important consideration in mind when they voted to keep the stone:

However, [city council leader Mike Mitchelson] is hopeful that world-wide publicity about the stone will bring many more tourists.

It won't be our number one attraction but hopefully it will have a positive effect on visitor numbers, he said.

Carlisle votes to keep the stone as Christian campaigner thrown out - News and Star, 9th March 2005; Archbishop won't lift stone's 'curse' - Glasgow Evening Times, 10th March 2005; Uri wants the cursing stone -- for his garden - News and Star, 10th March 2005. See also Catching up: A fuss about a lump of rock - Pagan Prattle, 9th March 2005. [The Pagan Prattle Online]