Non Fluffy Wicca

In something that should seriously piss off anyone of any pagan persuasion, "our" President's "Faith Based and Community Initiatives" once again underlines that only the book religions need apply. Something to definitely keep in mind when voting.

United States: Jim Towey is the White House Deputy Assistant to the President and Director, Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and about halfway down this Q and A, is asked Do you feel that Pagan faith based groups should be given the same considerations as any other group that seeks aid? Now, personally, even though I've seen plenty of Pagans volunteering in the charity sector, I've never seen them form groups specifcally to push religion. And neither has Jim Towey, but he has a different reasoning. It's not because Pagans aren't obnoxiously religious about their charity work, it's because they're horrid, unloving people.

I haven't run into a pagan faith-based group yet, much less a pagan group that cares for the poor! Once you make it clear to any applicant that public money must go to public purposes and can't be used to promote ideology, the fringe groups lose interest. Helping the poor is tough work and only those with loving hearts seem drawn to it.

Jim Towey hosts Ask the White House - White House web site, 26th November 2003 (via Internet Infidels).

Posted by mikki at 10:53 AM | Permalink

The really fun French Fortune Telling Cards that I got this week were finally FINALLY scanned (because I have been lazy). They are actually quite pretty cards. My only big problem with these cards is that they are made of cardboard and not out of nice laminated card stock. So I can't really use them for reading. Instead, I will have to put them away, or find some way to copy them onto card stock for reading. Even though there are 24 of these, and they are non standard in terms of tarot, I really do like them anyway.

You can see all of the cards if you click this handy link .

Posted by mikki at 07:19 PM | Permalink

While browsing ebay searching for my next tarot fix, I did a search on antique cards to see if anything interesting would come up. Well it did indeed. I found a really cool card game from 1884 that uses Greco Roman mythological figures to play the game. It is indeed quite interesting.

While not exactly tarot, it is quite the find. It shows how people in 1884 regarded the "Heathen Gods" and basically what they thought of them. It's fun to compare what we "know" now of the gods to what we "knew" then. It's also quite interesting to read the attitudes that are displayed in the directions towards the "Heathens."

Now, if only I could stay away from ebay for awhile, I'd be happier.

You can see all of the cards for the game, with all of the various gods, goddesses and demi god type creatures by clicking this handy little link.

Posted by mikki at 06:57 PM | Permalink

Someone takes the time and effort to put together a weblog, in hopes that someone might learn something. Over the course of days or weeks, you install software on your website, you garner a following, and spend multiple multiple hours writing and cultivating posts.

Then some lame useless dumbass decides they're going to steal all of the work you've done by posting ridiculous spam comments.

What are spam comments? They're comments like "excellent" or "wonderful" or "interesting discussion" that include a stupid URL trying to sell some penis enlargement drugs or some other spam crap.

I don't believe in hexes, but I'll tell you, it's pretty damn tempting to just let loose every bit of evil spell casting I know against people like this.

Spam is abject evil.

Posted by mikki at 05:35 PM | Permalink

United States: Fundies in the US are getting in a tizzy over the Massachusetts Supreme Court's decision that limiting a cosy arrangement of one's financial affairs to opposite-sex couples is unconstitutional, so some wag has consulted the Bible to determine how to redefine marriage to keep them happy:

The Presidential Prayer Team is currently urging us to: Pray for the President as he seeks wisdom on how to legally codify the definition of marriage. Pray that it will be according to Biblical principles. With any forces insisting on variant definitions of marriage, pray that God's
Word and His standards will be honored by our government.

Any good religious person believes prayer should be balanced by action. So here, in support of the Prayer Team's admirable goals, is a proposed Constitutional Amendment codifying marriage entirely on biblical principles:

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women.(Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5.)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

C. A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed (Deut 22:13-21)

D. Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden.(Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Ezra 9:12; Neh 10:30)

E. Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor any state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce. (Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9)

F. If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother's widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen.38:6-10; Deut 25:5-10) *

G. In lieu of marriage, if there are no acceptable men in your town, it is required that you get your dad drunk and have sex with him (even if he had previously offered you up as a sex toy to men young and old), tag-teaming with any sisters you may have. Of course, this rule applies only if you are female. (Gen 19:31-36)
[The Pagan Prattle Online]

Posted by mikki at 09:29 AM | Permalink

When I was 12 or so, waaaay back in 1972, I went into a strange store with my cousin on one of our downtown excursions. In that store, I found a strangely compelling large cardboard shrink wrapped fanfold book with an attached deck of cards. It was called "French Fortune Telling Cards" and had a really silly looking picture of Napoleon on the front cover. At the time, I really didn't have much money, but decided that this strange thing had to come home with me. So I shelled out the, I think $2.95 or so to buy the contraption and immediately began playing with it, reading fortunes for anyone who would stand still long enough.

Over the years, I stopped playing with this deck and replaced it with other tarot decks that I thought were pretty or something I wanted to learn more about. I couldn't figure out where the original deck might have gone. It is either in piles at my grandmother's house, or somewhere in my mother's house. Not certain which. And in any case, it would not be in the greatest possible shape. I started wishing I had this deck, and decided to try looking for it.

As part of the therapy for my tarot addiction, I email Jeanette Roth periodically and ask her for deck after deck, figuring that someday she won't have what I want and I will be cured of my addiction :-). With my last order, I asked her if she had ever heard of this strange non tarot deck, thinking that it was such a strange thing that she couldn't possibly have. But guess what? SHE HAD IT! I BOUGHT IT! IT ARRIVED TODAY!

I will try to scan or at least photograph these at some point when I have two second when I'm not doing 2000 other things. I am just so thrilled to have it. Of course, I love the other decks I ordered too, but this one is going to be very special.

Posted by mikki at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

United States: Wiccan books were included in a display of drug paraphenalia for nearly a year in a Tennessee sheriff's department. They have since been removed after an enquiry, but no explanation has been given as to why they were there in the first place. Religious books removed from drug items display after inquiry - The Tennessean, 16th November 2003.

Posted by mikki at 10:13 AM | Permalink

It's been an exciting week. Partially in the Chinese sense :-). As I type this an insistent naked Chinese foo foo dog has his nose in my face but I will continue anyway.

I joined an offline small coven a few weeks ago that is dedicated to investigating aspects of the Goddess. It has been quite an interesting journey. It is not a Dianic group, in that it acknowledges the God energy, but focuses on understanding the female side of things. As such, we are all women. We had our first ritual/initiation last month, and are planning a new moon ritual next week. Yesterday we got together for some coffee and to hang out at a "stinky store" as Wes calls all overly incensed witchy stores.

While we were "girl bonding", we talked about the harmonic accordian/concussion/discord or whatever you want to call it. We all noticed that since then we were complete and utter klutzes, losing things, knocking into things, getting all bruised up, dropping things, etc. Has anyone else noticed this, or are we just mass hallucinating? It's so strange that one of my lost rings just appeared in my jewelry box recently too. *snicker* As I typed this, one of my dogs got completely clumsy and tried to jump onto the bed and got stuck with his front paws on one side, rear paws on the other side of the footboard. Ut oh. Maybe he got too close to my ritual that night :-)

One of the interesting discussions we had was on the nature of divinity. So I thought I'd pose the question to everyone - are all Gods one God and all Goddesses one Goddess? What are your thoughts? I'm really interested in everyone's opinion. I personally believe they are different entities. But what do you guys think? Leave a comment.

Posted by mikki at 10:22 AM | Permalink

From the Associated Press on November 6 (yeah, long time ago, but this is the first I've been told of it. Thanks Fearghas)...

Odin, Thor, Freya and the other Viking gods of yore will soon be providing divine authority for some marriages in Denmark.

Minister for Ecclesiastic Affairs Tove Fergo said Wednesday Forn Sidr will be allowed to conduct legally-recognized marriages.

The group, whose name mean "Old Custom" in old Norse, worships gods from the Norse pantheon, like their Viking forebears from the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries.

Under Danish law, the state Evangelical Lutheran Church has sole authority to recognize other religious communities.

"To me, it would be wrong if the indigenous religion of this country wasn't recognized," Fergo, who is also a Lutheran priest, told The Associated Press.

The 240-member group sought recognition in 1999, said Tissel Jacobsen, the group's president. About 1000 people worship the ancient gods in Denmark.

Last year, an Ecclesiastic Affairs panel of scholars recommended that Forn Sidr be approved, but only if their rituals were clearly detailed in its bylaws.

"At a general assembly, we added and described our four annual heathen rituals - spring and fall equinoxes, and the summer and winter solstices, and our marriage ceremony," Jacobsen told the AP.

"We then returned our application and the panel approved it."

Fergo said she would give her final approval "in a few days."

Since 1998, the panel of theology, law and history scholars have advised the government on which groups seeking to become religious communities, should be recognized.

"It was not up to me to evaluate whether they are telling the truth or the quality of their religion," Fergo said.

"Based on the commission's evaluation and what I have read, I consider it a good religion."

Officially recognized religious communities can marry people and exempt their members from the 1 per cent income tax that is imposed on members of the state church.

People born in Denmark are automatically made members of the state church, but can choose to leave it if they want. Members of other recognized religious communities, such Catholics, Muslims and Jews, are also exempt from the tax.

In Norse mythology, Odin, a wise, one-eyed chief god; Thor, a thundering warrior god; and Freya, the goddess of love and beauty, lived with other Norse gods in Asgard, awaiting the epic battle called the Twilight of the Gods that signaled the end the world.

Posted by mikki at 08:52 PM | Permalink

So people are finally noticing that there were women in the bible?

The 'new' Mary Magdalene: Was she married to Jesus or not? [Christian Science Monitor: All Stories]

Posted by mikki at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Roy Moore, champion of the tangible over intangible spirituality, champion of those who have to shove their beliefs down the throats of others, Chief Justice who flagrantly ignores Federal Court orders because it suits his political agenda, has received the harshest sanction possible for a judge.

Of course, the confused nincompoops who think he was kicked out because he upheld Christian tenets are completely missing the point. The man tried to "in your face" and it backfired. You can't be a federal judge and disregard the constitution and the rulings of courts above you. That's all there is to it.

If former Chief Justice Moore was truly a man with a conscience, he would not have put the judiciary of Alabama into the situation where non christians have to wonder whether their rights mean as much as christians. Instead, he would have resigned rather than carry out the court order rather than defy it. Under what other circumstances would this man have decided his interpretation of divinity prevails over precedent or orders from higher courts?

The irony here is that if Moore decides to appeal, the case will be heard by the very same court he just was removed from.

Posted by mikki at 12:37 PM | Permalink

It was such a nice Harmonic Accordian, or was that Concussion, or whatever it was on Saturday night. Oh, I know....Lunar Eclipse! Yeah, that's the ticket. Anyway, it was a beautiful eclipse. I watched it until the clouds obscured the view just before totality. My husband, the amazing Wessiepooh, had a small telescope we used to look, and it was absolutely stunning.

I couldn't help but be struck that ancient people looking up at the same sight were confused and possibly fearful. The beautiful moon disappeared, then reappeared. Whereas, now we can tell when it's going to happen, pick up a telescope and go outside. Of course, along with that ability, we have to put up with things like shopping center searchlights, airplane lights, and other technological impediments to a beautifully clear night sky.

Anyway, I got the workings done I had wanted to do, and went inside when the cold and clouds got to me. It was, indeed, very beautiful, and very worth skipping bad Saturday night television to see.

Posted by mikki at 03:24 PM | Permalink

Finally, the legal part of this is over. The Supreme Court will not hear the case, and therefore the lower court ruling stands. The rock must GO!

But will the nincompoop Roy Moore give up? Of course not. Despite being put up for ethics violations, he and his "legal" team vow not to quit their path of shoving the bible down everyone's throats, despite the court's mandates.

"We will continue to defend and fight for the chief justice until hell freezes over, and when hell freezes over, we'll continue to fight them on the ice," said lawyer Terry Butts.

We will see what happens.

Posted by mikki at 08:55 PM | Permalink

Samhain, Halloween, or whatever else you wish to call it, is past. And looking around, I don't see the ranks of wiccans/pagans/other non-christians swelling to overflowing from the mass conversions of weak minded christians who stray into haunted houses. I haven't seen evidence of evil satanic activity descending upon the world from children dressing as witches and asking for candy. The world news hasn't been any more or any less dire, and all in all, life goes on as normal.

So what's happened to all this hellfire and damnation? Where were all the closet wiccans running around trying to take over the hearts and minds of good christians everywhere? Perhaps, just perhaps, it's because we don't WANT THEM! I've never understood why a religion has to feel itself so special and so desirable that people would waste their time through trickery or otherwise to lead their adherent astray, and would frighten their followers into paranoid delusions of little red devils around every corner.

If a person is strong in their choice of religion and adheres to its convictions, how would "temptation" sway them? Or, even more importantly, why would those "evil minions" waste their time, with so many atheists and agnostics out there to convert? Maybe it's me, but I just don't get it.

Let's just break apart some of the assumptions here and maybe shed some light on them. While it's true that many pagan bashers paint us all with one broad brush, let's just separate wiccans out of the mix for a few. Wiccans do NOT attempt to convert anyone. It's a LOT of work to take on a mentee and teach them what they need to know about our religion to make an informed choice on whether to follow it. It isn't quite as simple as "converting" to a book religion with a network of approved memorizations and approved "say these things in this order" and get a 70% on your "About Jesus" quiz and you're in. Frankly, it's a lot more work. The wiccan wanna-be is generally presented with many different choices, significant amounts of research, and the idea that they actually have to THINK. How novel.

So let's say we hang outside a church or school, waiting for the opportunity to pounce on an unsuspecting Jesus follower. What would we say? "Hey buddy, wanna see my athame collection?" "I've got this really cool Star of David replica to show you?" "Blessed be, babe. Merry meet?" These lines would work as well as putting copies of "Teen Witch" in the trick or treat bags of the kids who come to your door. (Well, ok..."Teen Witch would likely work better, or maybe a "Charmed" video, but you get the point anyway).

Surprise - that one in a million people says they think your pentacle is really cool, and it's time to talk about converting over to wiccandom. Well golly! What do you do NEXT? A responsible witch would say something like, "Not so fast there, bucko....you aren't quite ready for initiation yet. First you have to learn about wiccans and what we do and what we believe (which varies, but you have to learn all about that too) and here's a reading list you can start with, and then you need to talk to me if there are any questions. Reading? Study? But life is too busy for that! Likely, they'll just stick with the occasional go to church routine, have a copy of some version of the bible hanging around the house for show, and believe they're going to heaven. After all, it's much easier, has a common set of rules, and their very own handbook too.

So what's the point I'm trying to make? Good question. I've been babbling so much that I may have forgotten it myself :-). The point is that being a wiccan is HARD. Much harder than a traditional book religion. So anyone that knows anything about it realizes that the paranoia about recruiting converts, poisoning souls over Halloween, etc. is just plain misinformation created to keep the masses in line. Christians should see it precisely for what it is - bunk, and should tell the fear mongers that they aren't going to listen. Let the kids, pagans, wiccans, and everybody else enjoy the holiday for whatever they feel it is (an it harm none).

Posted by mikki at 12:56 PM | Permalink

Whatever happened to "judge not lest ye be judged" and "let he who is without sin cast the first stone?"

DURHAM, N.H., Nov. 2 -- The Rev. V. Gene Robinson was consecrated Sunday as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, in a grand ceremony here shadowed by protests outside and a pointed rebuke during the service of his sexual orientation and suitability to join the church's highest ranks. [Washington Post: Front Page]

Posted by mikki at 09:00 AM | Permalink

Just like "the devil made me do it," now it's "witchcraft made me do it."

United States: The Rubio case gets weirder. In support of his insanity defence, lawyers for John Rubio are trying to demonstrate that he thought he was an hereditary witch dedicated to driving evil from the world:

Authorities say Rubio told police that he was the son and grandson of witches who had been called upon to help drive evil from the world. He told police that he and Angela Camacho, 23, sequestered the family in the apartment after seeing a woman with the mark of the beast.

According to investigators, Rubio said his mother had cast a spell on the children and his dead grandmother was occupying the body of the eldest child, 3-year-old Julissa Quezada. Rubio admitted to killing Quezada first, 1-year-old John Esthefan Rubio second, and 2-month-old Mary Jane Rubio last.

Defense attorneys say Rubio believed the children were possessed by evil spirits and that in a moment of insanity he thought the only way to get rid of the spirits was to kill the children and sever their heads.

Countering this, an expert on Mexican culture pointed out that if they really believed this, there would be witchcraft paraphenalia in the house, and none was discovered. EXPERT: NO SIGNS OF WITCHCRAFT IN HOME - Tyler Morning Telegraph, 31st October 2003.

Posted by mikki at 02:59 PM | Permalink

So life gets difficult in the search for truly nice, appropriate, not gaudy and disgusting ritual supplies. Ever tried finding black candles at pottery barn? I ran out and went looking there for my halloween ritual candles, and all I could find were these little sparkly weird things. Hopefully the Goddess wasn't offended, and is as easily distracted by bright shiny objects as I am :-)

Anyway, I decided I would like some silver plated PLAIN taper candlesticks for the altar. So I started looking around. Found something that "we who don't take ourselves too seriously" would find amusing. Click Here for the Amusement :-)

By the way, if anyone likes the Azure Green catalog, and wishes to order from there, my company, Cyberflight, can get you at least 10% off on things. I usually buy most of my ritual items and supplies there, but they didn't have the candlesticks I was looking for. They DO have black candles, and almost every other color you can think of, and nice cauldrons, and nice everything elses. I would dearly love to find a great place for gold jewelry, but that may be in the future.

Hopefully everyone had a great Samhain. I know my ritual didn't go completely as planned. Ringing telephones interrupted my train of thought TWICE through one short ritual. Grrrr. Besides that, I think everything went well. We shall see.

Posted by mikki at 02:14 PM | Permalink