By Brian Merchant It's one of the (if not the) rarest flower in the world: the Middlemist's Red exists in only two known locations: a greenhouse in the UK, and a garden in New Zealand. Imported to Britain two hundred years ago from China, back when flowers where a luxury item, it has since been exterminated in its original homeland. And now the Middlemist is blooming again--nice looking flower, right? The flower is in bloom for the next couple of weeks, and will be the star attraction at the reopening of the Chiswick House, the BBC reports. The flower gets its name from the gardener John Middlemist, who first brought it back from China in 1804. That the Middlemist's Red survives today is conservation success story. "It's the importance of getting as many people as possible to ensure they stay with us on this Earth," Fiona Crumley, the head gardener at the Chiswick House told the BBC.

by Rod Dreher Franklin Evans passes along this post by Gus diZerega, who writes the Pagan blog on Beliefnet, in which Gus talks about how Pagans find themselves pulled in both directions in the culture war, between the forces of mainstream conservative religion and the secular liberal science-minded folks. Excerpt: On the one hand we have no choice but to push back on the attempts to demonize us, and entrench their demonization into the law, by many Evangelicals and conservative Christians. Whether in the schools or the prisons or the military, even a single victory to the haters will give them a precedent to push further because there are no logical limits to their creed hold over people until it has come to dominate all of society. It is fundamentally totalitarian in this respect. The Enlightenment brought this totalitarian urge under control. But... But on the other hand, the secular scientistic world view that sees religion as a atavistic holdover from an earlier time is simply wrong. It's not even close to the truth. I see modern secularism as itself deeply myopic, and when its internal implications have come to fruit, as they are doing today, tending in most of its forms towards nihilism and the worship of power. In this conclusion I find I am often at one with the conservative Christians who denounce us!

By Summer M. For many Pagans Ostara, or the Spring Equinox, is a time of renewal and rebirth. This Sabbat is a time of joy and blessings to be celebrated. It is a time when the sun moves into the sign of Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, and new begginings bloom all around us. Welcoming in the spring can be a wonderful way for Pagan parents to share their beliefs with their children and create family traditions that everyone can enjoy. Many parents take this time to go outside and enjoy the warmer spring weather. Children are often excited to go out after the long winter, especially if most of the winter was spent inside. Children are naturally curious about the signs of spring all around them. Showing them the plants and animals that are making their way out to greet the spring is a great way to teach children about Ostara and what it brings. Starting a garden can be a wonderful way for the entire family to celebrate. Seeds and new plants are perfect examples of the new life that comes with the spring. Spend time with your children getting your hands dirty working in your own garden. Children can easily see the cycle of life, death, and new life by watching the plants grow, be harvested, and grow anew.

by Jason Pitzl-Waters No Wiccan Altars for Halferty: A few quick notes for you this Saturday, starting with an update on the Iowa industrial arts teacher, Dale Halferty, who was temporarily suspended for prohibiting a student from building a Wiccan altar in shop class. It seems that Halferty, who was supposed to return to work on Monday, isn’t backing down from his discriminatory views concerning a student’s right to religious expression, and is now on indefinite unpaid leave. “Guthrie Center Superintendent Steve Smith met with Industrial Arts teacher Dale Halferty Tuesday morning. At the end of the meeting, Halferty remained on unpaid leave from the high school for an indefinite period. Superintendent Smith told the Times that all parties are attempting to resolve the conflict. Asked for specifics, Smith declined to comment. Smith did say the resolution process is ongoing and that no specific time has been set for the next meeting between Halferty and himself.”

by Diana Goods Re: Funding faith-based colleges (March 10). Once again, as in the Youth For Christ proposal, the Free Press has come out in favour of public money supporting religious institutions. I recognize that our government has a history of providing funding to faith-based schools, but this is the direction we should be moving away from, not increasing the amounts or extending this to other institutions. Religion needs to be kept separate from the public sphere. In light of the recognition that immigration to our country is changing the demographics of the population, including the religious beliefs, I do not think the government should be in the business of financially supporting any particular religion. It is only because Christianity is still the dominant religion that these types of decisions are made. I would be very surprised to see the majority come out in favour of supporting a University of Scientology or a Pagan School of Wicca. Freedom from religion is just as important as freedom of religion.

By Bernulf Oswin Thought I would take the opportunity to address something I feel is a misconception of Heathenry…a misconception held not only by many non-Heathens, but some Heathens as well. The misconception I’m talking about is that being Heathen is all about fighting, battling and getting drunk…all in the names of our gods, of course…and that the ultimate goal of any Heathen should be to enter Valhalla. This may have actually been true at the height of the Viking Age, specifically among nobles and warriors who were going out to the slaughter every year. Odin – who was originally equated to Mercury by the Romans – was transformed into a furious battle god, who demanded blood, death and mayhem to beef up his ranks of Einherjar. The Christian chroniclers of the age would certainly have agreed…anything that would demonize a Heathen god was to be put in writing, so that people for a thousand years and more would instantly believe the lies. The Christians who wrote a few hundred years after the Christianization would have been obliged to continue these lies, to demonstrate how bloodthirsty and uncivil the Heathens were until they accepted Jesus into their Heathen hearts. But it’s possible that Christians weren’t the only ones who manipulated the truth to their own favor…it is just as possible that Heathen chieftains, eager to increase their wealth and prestige and in need of young warriors to accomplish this, may have also ‘tweaked‘ a little here and there. After all, we can

By Maelstrom I have noticed that many American Pagans of the Asatru/Heathen persuasion but also some following other paths and traditions seem to share a common view of the Pagan past that they then relate to modern-day society. Now, I grant you that all Pagans, and particularly reconstructionist Pagans, tend to take a more or less rosy-tinted view of the past, and to romanticize it some degree as the "good old days" or a "golden age." On the face of it,I see nothing wrong with this, as most if not all religions have some kind of idea of a "golden age" that provides a reference point to life in the present day, which is typically viewed as lacking, inferior, "fallen," in relation to the idealized world of the past. (I will confess to listening to music from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and continuing to regret the break-up of the Beatles.) Where I do see a problem is in some Pagans making the Pagan past into their personal or collective conservative paradise of small-scale tribal communities with families living in ecstatic independence, with little or no government getting in the way of their pioneer spirit and tax-free happiness. This strikes me as a very strongly biased interpretation of the past from the political perspective of late-twentieth century, early twenty-first century American conservatism of the anti-government type. Why is this wrong? Well, it is obviously anyone's right to interpret or construct their mythical "golden age" anyway they like, in accordance wi

by Sam Thielman The Secret of Kells offers a strange concoction of religions. Half Christian history, half Celtic fairy story, The Secret of Kells is the most beautiful movie to come out in a season full of high-quality kids' films. It's also a very confusing one, from a Christian perspective, as it suggests that wood elves helped to preserve the words of Jesus. Our story starts out in the ninth century, when Christian monks in Ireland kept what remained of human knowledge and lived in constant fear of Viking invaders looking to plunder their abbeys. Brendan, a curious 12-year-old boy, is helping his too-strict uncle, the Abbot, to build a wall against the Norsemen. But what Brendan really wants to do is to illuminate manuscripts like the Abbot's friend Brother Aidan, who doesn't seem to hate fun like the Abbot, and who brings to the abbey the Book of Kells—an ornately illustrated collection of the four Gospels. Brendan is kept from doing most interesting things by his uncle, including going out into the woods where there are all kinds of terrible creatures including "pagans and Crom-worshippers."

By Kaatryn MacMorgan-Douglas People give Gerald Gardner too much credit. While he was seminal in what became Wicca, many of us place too much emphasis on his views, rites and writings, to the point where one's degree of Wiccaness can become about agreeing with Gardner, and one's lack of Wiccanness can be dictated by the uninvolved by divergence from Gardner. You will literally find people who are willing to argue that any fool thing Gardner came up with is a dictate of Wicca, from the age of our priestesses to the energy-blocking power of a bikini. I am not Gardner. Like Gardner, however, I am a flawed human being, capable of making mistakes, who should not ever be viewed as anything else. Because of that, I pledge to you, that any attempts to make my writings more or less than they are by drawing real, imagined or wished for lineages, or real, imagined or wished-for relationships, or real, imagined or wished for histories will be met by me with physical, mental, emotional and maybe even magical warfare.

By Laura Stone It may have started in Canada as a "war-production technique" in 1918, but these days, daylight saving time has come to symbolize the first sign of spring — even if it means losing an hour of party time. Beginning early Sunday, at 2 a.m., the clocks in most Canadian households (and bars) should be turned forward one hour, meaning we lose some sleep but gain more sunlight at the end of the day. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the clocks should be changed at 12:01 a.m. In Saskatchewan, in the Mountain Standard Time zone, residents don't need to do a thing. Fire departments across the country are also reminding residents to change their household smoke alarm batteries, too.

By Dragonstorm I was a doctor before I became a Pagan. Or maybe I should say before I KNEW I was a Pagan. In fact I grew up with a Christian upbringing. A beloved family member of mine, also a doctor, asked the question many years ago, “How can one not believe in god knowing how well-organized the human body is?” I understood this logic very keenly, having marveled at the magic that is the human body, and biology in general. But something over the years nagged at me more and more, and was a big factor in changing my path to Paganism and Druidry. That is the absolute irony behind the IMPERFECTION of the human body when disease sets in. For so many disease processes, including the 2 top killers of adults, cardiovascular disease and cancer, and the 3 top killers in children, cardiovascular disease, cancer and trauma, human behavior (or misbehavior) plays a major role in speeding one to their death. But what of those many disease processes that are bestowed upon the unwitting, unborn child? Or the infant, the child? As a pediatric specialist who has had the misfortune to see too many children die of heart disease, often genetic or congenital, my perspective on the nature of our origin and biology has changed radically over the years. And moved me to find a spiritual path that understood this imperfection.

By Gale Courey Toensing WINNIPEG, Manitoba – An ad on a buy-and-sell Web site that characterized Native boys as animals and offered to ethnically cleanse them from the city has sparked a blaze of outrage and prompted a First Nations leader to initiate an investigation by city police and Canada’s Human Rights Commission on a hate crime allegation. The ad, headlined “Native Extraction Service,” appeared on www.UsedWinnipeg.com on March 3 and 4. Underneath the headline was a photo of three Native teenagers and the text: “Have you ever had the experience of getting home to find those pesky little buggers hanging outside your home, in the back alley or on the corner??? “Well fear no more, with my service I will simply do a harmless relocation. With one phone call I will arrive and net the pest, load them in the containment unit (pickup truck) and then relocate them to their habitat."

The top-ranked senior at a suburban Indianapolis high school is asking a federal judge to stop a graduation prayer that the class voted to approve. The lawsuit by 18-year-old Eric Workman claims the prayer and the vote at Greenwood High School just south of the city unconstitutionally subject religious practice to majority rule. The lawsuit contends the vote and the prayer violate the First Amendment. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed suit today on Workman's behalf in federal court in Indianapolis. The suit seeks an injunction halting the prayer and future votes and asks for nominal damages. "The Supreme Court has said even having the vote is unconstitutional, let alone having the prayer, because you can't make religious practice subject to majority rule," said ACLU legal director Ken Falk.

Looking through a typical tarot deck, you find that human characters in the cards are distinguished by many different kinds of headwear. Tarot artists are limited by how much detail they can fit into such small illustrations, but by drawing people with different hats, crowns, helmets, and other head coverings, they concisely convey information about the individual portrayed. Tied in with the symbolic conflation of hat, head, and mind, headgear says something about different states of consciousness or ego states. Because we use hats metonymically to describe the roles we play, (as when we speak of a person who “is wearing many hats”), if you are doing a tarot spread for yourself, cards portraying a variety of hats can indicate different personas that you’ve been trying on, or your need to be many things to many people. As head coverings also signal social status, the headgear in tarot illustrations can also say something about an individual’s linking to the larger society. In addition, headwear can take on special meaning in certain contexts in a layout. For example, the “crowns you” position in the Celtic Cross layout reveals conscious directions, so a crowned figure is likely to be auspicious in this position. However, in this position, the Tower card, (which often portrays the crown of a tower being struck by lightning and/or crowned figures plunging to doom), could warn of a mindset that leads to danger.

Reviewed by CelticScholar This is not the first time I’ve read this book. There is a lot of thought that went into the organization of the book. I’m going to start from the back then go to the front and then to the middle. The book has three appendices. The first recommends books on the retelling of Celtic myth and lore, translations of tales and poems, interpretations of the traditions, and reference titles. Appendix B is recommended listening and Appendix C is all about the Celtic Fire festivals; the information there is to the point and 99% accurate. The bibliography of the book is an extensive and very impressive one. All the books there are well known for their scholarship. And the index is very good. Now back to the beginning. I found the first chapter to be pleasant if a little flowery. They talk about their sources and how they used them to write the book. I also liked the fact that they say that this is THEIR practice, but that it is based on scholarship in other words UPG. They caution the reader about any book that claims to have all the answer and they answer the question of why anyone should bother studying, let alone honoring or venerating, the old gods and goddesses of the Celtic Tradition.

With all the debate over a Wiccan altar being built at Guthrie Center High School, one question often heard in town is, "What is Wicca?" The Times does not purport to be an expert on religions, but here is a basic guide to Wicca obtained from online encyclopedias and Wiccan websites. Wicca is a neo-pagan religion based on a modern form of witchcraft. Wiccans believe that a number of gods and goddesses balance the universe. The father of Wicca is generally agreed to be Gerald Gardner of England. His initiation into the witch coven occurred in 1939. He later wrote of the experience, "...I found myself in the Circle, and there took the oath of secrecy, which bound me not to reveal certain things." Gardner published the books "Witchcraft Today" in 1954 and "The Meaning of Witchcraft" in 1959. Although Gardner is considered the father of the religion, he usually did not to use the term "Wicca," instead simply calling it "witchcraft" and the "witch cult."

By Uncle Thor The process of spiritual effort begins with a question. The exact nature of that question varies. For instance, a person who cannot intellectually accept the explanations of conventional religion might ask: “Why?” “Why is one man’s life successful and another seems cursed? Why are we here?” The person who is seeking to better himself might ask; “How?” “How do I become a better, more complete person? How might I enjoy a better, more complete life?”

by Jason Pitzl-Waters I like to think I’m a rather tolerant guy when it comes to religious freedom. I have no trouble with religions that practice humane animal sacrifice, I could care less what consenting adults want to get up to in the privacy of their own homes, and I tend to range from permissive to supportive on the issue of entheogens. All that said, this sicked me out more than a little. I’ll give you all a moment to collect yourselves. OK. So, why (oh dear gods why) am I writing about this? Because the man claims that this snail-drinking ritual is part of his Yoruban faith. “Authorities are investigating a Hialeah man who allegedly smuggled illegal Giant African Snails into Florida and convinced his followers to drink their juices as part of a religious healing ritual. State and federal authorities in January raided the home of Charles L. Stewart after learning he had a large box full of the snails — which grow to be up to 10 inches long — according to a search warrant filed recently in Miami-Dade Circuit Court … One witness told investigators that during the ritual, Stewart grabs a snail from the cage, then would “hold it over the devotee, then cuts the [snail] and pours the raw fluid directly from the still live [snail] into the mouth of the devotee.” Several followers became violently ill, losing weight and developing strange lumps in their bellies…”

By LynSusun The Wise Woman Tradition is the oldest known healing tradition on our planet. It offers a unique view of health that is woman-centered and deeply empowering to women. This is in stark contrast to orthodox – and most alternative – healing traditions, which are based on male viewpoints which disempower women. The medicine I learned in school was based on a linear, scientific, male worldview whose truth I did not question. When this medicine failed me, as a woman and a mother, I sought alternatives. Herbs helped me take care of myself and my family, simply and safely, but I questioned the assumptions behind what I was taught. It was clear to me that alternative health care disempowers women as much, or more than, orthodox medicine does. They both actively assume that the norm on which assessment of health is to be based is masculine in gender. Assuming that a healthy male is the definition of health may not seem like much of a problem, unless you are a woman. This core assumption has hurt, and continues to hurt, women in a multitude of direct and indirect ways, from the deeply personal to the widely political. This assumption leads to attempts to “correct” – with drugs and surgery – physical and emotional states that are normal (and healthy) for women, but not for men.

Not far from the town of Thurles, in a picturesque part of Tipperary, is nestled the enchanting Glen of Cloongallon. To the north rise the Silvermine Mountains, and on a clear day it is possible to see the fabled seat of the kings of Munster. The mighty Rock of Cashel dominates the surrounding the plain. A fairy ring lies in the heart of the Glen. (view the location...) This prehistoric earthwork, some 500 ft (170m) in diameter and averaging 10 ft (3m) in height, encloses an neolithic dolmen. It is here, following mysterious events on a nearby farm, that irelandseye.com has been invited to establish a live cam Leprechaun Watch. We have set up a video camera connected via a satellite phone to the Internet. The apparatus is located in a 'hide' on the edge of the ring. The area has a reputation as a haunt for supernatural beings of various types. These include leprechauns, sheeries and pookas. They are regarded as being particularly active in the spring.

By Glenn Coin The first pagan chaplain at Syracuse University has a sense of humor about the misperceptions of her faith. "We don't do animal sacrifices," Mary Hudson said, with a slight laugh. "We're not going to steal your babies and make candles out of them. "And godless? Absolutely not. We have more gods and goddesses than most people I know. Some of the most spiritual people I know are pagans." No dark makeup, no Goth clothing here: In her small office in the basement of Hendricks Chapel she shares with the Catholic chaplain, Hudson, 50, wears faded jeans and a powder-blue knit top. Hudson earlier this month became the 11th chaplain on the Hendricks staff, taking her place among representatives of more mainstream faiths like Episcopalianism, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism. "I know that you have to play nice in the sandbox," Hudson said. "You have to understand that everybody has a point of view."

By Dáire Sinnsreachd is a cultural and religious movement that revives the pre-Christian religion, including cultural elements, of the Gaelic peoples of Ireland and Scotland from which it and many of its practitioners are descended. Sinnsreachd is a Gàidhlig (Scots-Gaelic) word that means, in this context, "Customs of the Ancestors", and is a term that truly expresses what it is that we hold dear. Our faith, our culture, our way of life all fall within the bounds of that single word, yet no simple term can ever describe the vastness and complexity that is encompassed in the ways of our people. In simplest terms, Sinnsreachd is a polytheistic folk religion that bases its core cultural, social, and religious doctrine off of the extant customs and superstitions of rural Ireland and Scotland combined with modern restorations of society, culture, and customary law gleaned through research. Sinnsreachd draws on the ancient elements of Gaelic culture and religion as they existed prior to Christianity, but does so in the modern day and age. While the history of the Gael from which Sinnsreachd draws is recorded and quite clear-cut, its direct roots as a modern movement are harder to pinpoint. Though the first vestiges of a resurgence of the faith of the pre-Christian Gael are found in writings from over a century ago, it is hard to determine exactly when academic postulation became faith.

By Rowan Pendragon The Great Rite, as we have seen, can truly been seen as “great” as it helps us to tap into and unlock some of the Great Mysteries within Wicca. We touch on the power of birth and creation through this ritual act and have the ability to feel the power of the God and Goddess in union when we fully engage ourselves in the rite. A problem that faces many practitioners today, especially those on a solitary path, is understanding the different ways the rite is done and understanding the deeper meanings of the rite itself. In truth, because it’s a key to the Mysteries and the Mysteries cannot be taught and can only be experienced, there is only so much anyone can learn from another, be it from a blog, a book, or even another individual acting as a teacher. This is why it becomes so important to truly live your path if you wish to experience and unlock those deeper spiritual elements that make Wicca what it truly is. This is why it’s important to start with understanding what The Great Rite is (think of it as the “To Know” part of The Witch’s Pyramid in relation to this rite) but then you must come to experience it (“To Dare”) before you can go further. So as we’ve talked about, The Great Rite is the union of the God and Goddess in the sacred marriage. The ritual itself pulls from many ancient cultural and their various acts of sympathetic magick to honor the union of the God and Goddess to ensure fertility. It is an act that can either be done in actualit

by Jason Pitzl-Waters The Tribeca Film Festival, one of the most prominent independent film festivals in the world, has announced the twelve entries in their World Documentary Feature Competition for 2010, one of which prominently features modern Pagans. That film is “American Mystic”, directed and co-produced by Alex Mar of Empire 8 Productions.The Pagan priestess in question is Morpheus Ravenna, who, along with her husband Shannon, operates the Stone City Pagan Sanctuary in California’s Diablo Range, just outside the San Francisco Bay Area. “Set against a vivid backdrop of American rural landscapes, Alex Mar’s meditative documentary artfully weaves together the stories of three young Americans exploring alternative religion: a pagan priestess in California mining country, a Spiritualist in upstate New York, and a Native American father and sundancer in South Dakota, all yearning for fulfilling spirituality in disparate but often strikingly similar ways.”

By Arden Ranger Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence for her shoe. Stag Parties The Stag or Bachelor party had its beginnings with the ancient Spartans. Spartan soldiers would hold a great feast for their comrades who were about to be married the night before the wedding. There he would bid goodbye to his bachelorhood and swear unending allegiance to his comrades in arms. Knowing ancient history, I have to believe that these gatherings, like the ones that every modern bride fears, involved more than a little sex. For to the ancient Greeks, only a man could truly enjoy sex. Women were not capable of the higher emotions involved and were only for providing heirs.

by Penelope Friday Spring has sprung, and religious festivals abound. Penelope Friday explores the similarities between Easter, Ostara and Passover. Hello! I’m the Easter bunny. Oh wait, no – I’m the Ostara hare. What in God’s name am I talking about? Well, there’s a question… You know, the two festivals have an awful lot in common. It’s important to point out that most of the myths surrounding the (possibly non-existent) goddess Ostara/Eostre are mostly bunkum. Nevertheless, the Pagan idea of a Spring festival, celebrating the planting of seeds which will grow into new life has a lot of similarity with Lent and Easter. Lent is a period of spiritual renewal; Ostara a time to plant new seeds, which may be literal or spiritual in nature. Lent is followed by Easter: the death and resurrection of Jesus; Ostara has also a new life/rebirth theme.

By Uncle Thor In the Eddas, Tyr is described as the War god. He is one God among several. Tyr appears to have no special importance. His main events are the capture of a cauldron from his Jotun forbear, and the binding of the Fenris Wolf. The Eddas are a later collection of myths and legends, mainly from Icelandic and Norwegian sources. They represent one region’s beliefs. We know from other sources that Tyr was considered equally important to Odin in some places. For instance, an invocation from a part of Scotland that had been controlled by Vikings invokes Tyr and Odin together. Tyr is called first. On an amulet from Sweden, circa 500 CE, there is reference to Tyr as the “original God and God of War. Tyr means God.” Is Tyr the main God, the first God or just one among several Gods?

by Gus diZerega A couple of days ago I came across two Youtube videos of Qigong masters using chi to perform extraordinary feats. One, in which I have enormous confidence, is from China, and was linked to by a man I worked with for many years while doing a lot of healing work, Larry Wong. The other was next to it in YouTube, and showed an American with (possibly) even more impressive powers, if they are real. Real or not, when he and his students attempted to perform similar workings on others, they failed. The Fox News team took their failure as evidence chi did not really exist. Having worked with it for over 20 years, and been knocked out of a room by it, I beg to differ. But what, then, did the Fox News team really demonstrate? We have two interesting phenomena to investigate: 1. People who work with chi have long-term personal experience that it is genuine and very powerful. 2. People who do not work with chi very often or at all find they do not feel it, even when "masters" use it on them. For them it either does not exist, or is very weak, and the strong effects seem staged or deluded.

By PostalPagan One of the most difficult concepts for me to understand when I was new to Wicca was the casting of a circle. Most religions have a designated place, usually a building, set aside for worship, but we have the ability to create our own. Some books tell you to cast a circle and how to do it, but do not always explain how to move the necessary energy. Some Wiccans don’t cast a circle and still have meaningful rituals and effective magick. Like many other elements of our practice, there are aspects that are standard and those that reflect personal tastes and spiritual path. Let’s put aside any confusion and look at what a circle is, how it is set up and taken down and what it does. A circle is a magickal space created by the witch or coven in which ritual takes place. By this act, we are effectively erecting our own sanctuary and taking it down when we are finished. We start fresh every time, yet as with other workings, there is a residual energy left which can enhance future workings. A circle is more properly a sphere or bubble. When created, it touches the ground or floor in a circle but the web of its energy arcs above us like a dome. It is also a place where we can meet the gods and goddesses and other magickal beings. It is said to be a place out of space and time. By that, I do not mean that it is some kind of fourth dimension, but it is a place where we leave our worries and mundane life at the door, instead concentrating on our spiritual life

by Jamie Henson Being of the Wiccan faith, I was offended when I read a teacher would not allow a student to build a Wiccan altar in shop class - especially since Wicca is a recognized religion in the United States. It's a simple matter of fear of the unknown. Wicca is not devil worship. The devil is an entirely Christian concept. We believe in balance in things: the light and dark sides, male and female, life and death. It's a different belief, not a wrong one. I doubt the student was asking his teacher to share in his belief system. Was the teacher wrong to forbid the building of the altar? Yes. Since it was for something that didn't fit into the teacher's scope of thinking, it was denied. Is the whole battle over religious views and who's right or wrong overrated? Yes. How about live and let live?

By Rowan Pendragon One of the rituals that once took center stage in many Wiccan traditions has today become a somewhat misunderstood and even forgotten practice, especially among many neo-Wiccans and solitary practitioners. While many may go through the motions of The Great Rite it is far more than just a blessing before cakes and ale in ritual; it is the sacred act of celebrating the union of the Goddess and God, the union of the creative polarities, and the celebration of divine creation itself. It is a key to understanding some of the great Mysteries of this path. The Great Rite is related to the hieros gamos, Greek for “holy marriage” and is such also known by the name The Sacred Marriage. Hierogamy is the union of a Goddess and God in ritual, specifically through a symbolic act, often one that takes place with two representative elements such as a male enacting the role of the God and a female enacting the role of Goddess. In Wicca these roles are often held by the High Priest and High Priestess though in circles and covens where there is no traditional hierarchy any male or female member who is deemed to be spiritually fit for such an act may perform the rite. In some Traditional Wiccan covens, such as those practicing the British traditions, the act of participating in The Great Rite for the first time can be part of the Third Degree initiation as it is seen as being an introduction into the great Mystery of creation and the Mystery of birth and even death.

By ROCCO LaDUCA Kimberly Simon, 16, of Marcy, was raped and murdered in 1985. Steven P. Barnes, also of Marcy, then 22, was convicted for the crimes. His 1989 conviction was tossed out after appeals by the Innocence Project based on DNA evidence. The last hours of Kimberly Simon’s life in 1985 were likely spent with a group of young men who worshiped the devil, tortured cats, used hallucinogenic drugs and sexually abused women, according to investigators who have been probing her homicide for the past 16 months. “They built quite a reputation for themselves,” District Attorney’s Office Investigator Richard Ferrucci said of the Satan worshipers. “To the people they were close with, they did not try to hide the fact that they were involved in this sort of stuff. It was sort of a shock value, and they really enjoyed putting that out there for people to know about.”Witness accounts have placed Simon in the company of these Satan worshipers during the night of Sept. 18, 1985, at a popular hangout spot for youths along the Sauquoit Creek in New York Mills called “Three Bears,” Ferrucci said.

By Jess Folks new to Heathenry today, particularly if they are coming from Wicca or another Neo-Pagan faith, usually tend to ask two questions when it comes to being Heathen in the modern day: - Is it necessary to (or, How can I) learn galdr and/or seiðr? - How do I know who my patron/matron deity is? These are questions that I have encountered frequently in my own conversations with new Heathens and/or people interested in Heathenry, and the answers to both are simple. - Knowledge of galdr and/or seiðr is not necessary to be Heathen. - You are not required to have a patron/matron deity. Some people can get very frustrated with new folks asking these kinds of questions, but the simple fact is that they originate within the context of Wicca and Wiccan-derived Pagan beliefs, where adherents are generally encouraged to find a patron/matron deity, and where the study of magical practises and concepts is a backbone of education and training. Although I have been told that they exist, I have not personally encountered a Wiccan who did not do magic, and most Neo-Pagans I have met have a definite patron/matron deity.

by Jason Pitzl-Waters It’s time for the Pagan hysteria watch, where we spotlight some stories and editorials that get a wee bit over-excited in their rhetoric. Let’s start with an obvious source, conservatives defining environmental activism, and agreement with the scientific consensus concerning climate change, as a “new paganism”. Yes, it must be a “religion”, because “more and more evidence is surfacing against global warming claims”, even though the majority of that “evidence” has been overblown and distorted in the media, and the scientific community is being increasingly bullied by activists and politicians for not changing their position on global warming. Maybe they want to prove it’s a religion by producing martyrs? In any case, while times are tough for Al Gore (a “high priest” of the “new paganism”), our current President doesn’t escape accusations that he’s involving us all in paganism!

Reviewed by Fionnchú Buddhism beyond Asia's explored by 22 scholars in this 2002 collection. It focuses on the transformation, since the later 19c, of the Buddha's teachings into Western, and cross-cultural, and analytical transformations that try to retrieve a purer, primitive, or truer original teaching. Thomas Tweed sums up these evolving trends: "If modernist Buddhists have de-mythologized and rationalized traditional Buddhism one may say that post-modernist Buddhist practitioners secularize and psychologize modernist Buddhism." (60) Tweed distinguishes a "migrant religion trajectory" from a "missionary-driven transmission," in turn separate from a "demand-driven transmission" as the three methods of current transfer. (62-3) He notes how the 'foreign' religion might have deliberately been fetched from abroad by sympathizers and initial converts. In the case of Buddhism, texts in Asian languages were transmitted and published, Buddhist ideas and practices were adopted, and Asian teachers were invited to lecture." (52) Westerners rely on Eastern exchange, as transport, globalization, and immigration thicken the ties rather than allow the crude models of Orientalist domination or imperial manifestation to control the emergence of a dharma-practice adapted not only to secular First World settings, but contemporary capitalist and countercultural markets all over Asia, Brazil, Oceania, and North America.

Using a simple length of rope, Alex Stewart-Pole and Jenni Birch will become partners for “a year and a day” through the ancient ritual. A handfasting can then be renewed for the same or a longer period. Aside from the lashing of hands, the couple will jump over a fire, chant and recite vows. A design student at the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE’s Mt Gravatt campus, Mr Stewart-Pole, 19, said: “We’re planning to one day go to Northampton in England, which is like the pagan capital of the world, to do our ‘10 years and a day handfasting.” Holland Park High School student Jenni, 16, said of the handfasting: “We’ll just see how it goes.” Jenni’s mother and pagan high priestess Sue Birch, of Lawnton, will perform the ceremony. Paganism takes in a range of spiritual beliefs including Druidism, Wicca and modern witchcraft, and is based on the worship of nature and its cycle of birth, growth, death and renewal.

By Ilkka Pyysiäinen and Marc Hauser Considerable debate has surrounded the question of the origins and evolution of religion. One proposal views religion as an adaptation for cooperation, whereas an alternative proposal views religion as a by-product of evolved, non-religious, cognitive functions. We critically evaluate each approach, explore the link between religion and morality in particular, and argue that recent empirical work in moral psychology provides stronger support for the by-product approach. Specifically, despite differences in religious background, individuals show no difference in the pattern of their moral judgments for unfamiliar moral scenarios. These findings suggest that religion evolved from pre-existing cognitive functions, but that it may then have been subject to selection, creating an adaptively designed system for solving the problem of cooperation. Adaptation or by-product? Religious beliefs are ubiquitous across cultures and time, and understanding the origins and evolution of religion is a question that has attracted significant attention and debate. Some scholars claim that religion evolved as an adaptation to solve the problem of cooperation among genetically unrelated others. Others propose that religion emerged as a by-product of pre-existing cognitive capacities, but then, through both biological and cultural evolution, might have evolved into a system that is well-designed to solve problems of cooperation. Here, we review these alternati

By Betty Kirkpatrick Glamour in Scots meant enchantment, magic or witchcraft. It also meant a spell, especially one that affected the eyesight of the recipient of the spell, as in to cast the glamour ower the een. If this happened to you, your view of things became very different from the reality. English has Sir Walter Scott to thank for its acquisition of the word glamour. Some of his work had quite a following in England and in a note to one of his narrative verses he explained Scots glamour in the sense of spell and how this spell was said to distort people’s image of things. You can begin to see how we acquired the modern sense of glamour. Casting the glamour ower the een made people see things unrealistically. Acquiring modern glamour needs the help of cosmetics, designer labels and bling. So both senses of glamour have a deceptive quality.

By Mary DAlba Violet (Viola odorata) is also known as Blue Violet, Sweet Violet, English Violet, Common Violet or Garden Violet. Its origins are Europe and Asia but can also be found in North America and Australasia. In India, it is known as Banafsa and is used to help with tonsillitis and sore or tender throats. Violet originated from Io, one of Zeus’s many romantic interests. Zeus’s wife Hera found out about Zeus and Io and, in a jealous rage, changed her into a heifer. Zeus, having pity on her, changed her into the beautiful violet. Violet is known to bring wonderful results when used in rituals with just women. It is said if you collect Violet at the beginning of Spring, your dearest wish will come true. It is also burned during the Spring Equinox as a sign of Spring. Violet is also known to bring change in luck and fortune and can be used in ritual or magick to do so.

By Rick Koster I think we have some pagans living in our part of town. Several, actually - and not all in one big, leafy communal house, either. They're sprinkled about the neighborhood like elf-dust. Which is fine. Pagans on the whole are a fairly interesting if occasionally goofy set of folks - whereas I'm just sour-tempered and my car is ugly and smashed into the backyard fence at a comical angle on a bed of empty beer cans. By comparison, "occasionally goofy" isn't a bad thing at all. Most of the "goofy" part comes via the names the pagans adopt to replace their given names. "Chuck" and "Donna" and "Todd," for example, might well have become, in their new pagan guises, "Stormlight," "Ravenwidow" and, well, "Todd," who wanted to change his name to "Celtic Dragon-Lord" but his wife had just given him a box of thank-you cards embossed with "Todd" and so "Celtic Dragon Lord" will have to wait until the cards are used up.

By Swain Wodening There has been a lot of talk this past year about regionalism. This is nothing new and has been a topic for most of my Heathen life (which is now in its 23rd year). On the surface it sounds well and good. Organize regional gatherings, form a regional thing, and all will be dandy. Folks will communicate, get together, and do things together. The problem is without a guiding national organization it rarely works out that way. I can name several regional organizations that went the way of the buffalo. All organized with the best of intentions. The Great Plains Ring operated in the Midwest for a couple of years before going belly up, as did the Texas Asatru League, and the Indiana Asatru Council, once one of the most active regional organizations has not seen activity in years. The same can be said of regional lists. The Central States Heathen list was once very active, and even hosted a couple of gatherings. It is now lucky to see twenty posts a month. Regionalism, at least up to now has not worked with a very few exceptions. I have a theory why and it centers on diversity. With a national organization, all the individuals, kindreds, and fellowships generally share a common interest and common goals. Like attracts like. But with a regional organization, the only common denominator is that of proximity. And more is needed than mere physical proximity for an organization to work. That is why in say, a small area like Dallas-Fort Worth you see more than four fel

By Dan Vergano An unearthed tomb on Crete reveals a dynasty of priestesses reigned on the isle during the "Dark Ages" of ancient Greece. In an Archaeology magazine report, writer Eti Bonn-Muller details the results from last summer's excavation of a tomb at Orthi Petra at Eleutherna on Crete, where a team found the burials of a high priestess of Zeus and three acolytes this summer. "People then may have considered them sorceresses, or intermediaries with the gods," Bonn-Muller says. Led by archaeologist Nicholas Stampolidis, the team dates the four burials to 2,700 years ago. Earlier digs had discovered the remains of other women, buried together in large "pithos" jars from 2,800 to 2,600 years ago. All of the women appear related, based on distinctive features of their teeth, the team reports. "What's really remarkable is the find shows these women were a dynasty that lasted at least 200 years in this location," Bonn-Muller says.

By Sorita d'Este The idea that Artemis was only worshipped by women in the ancient world, which is a common one amongst modern pagans, is simply not true. Men often played a role in ceremonies honouring her, though in a very different way and for different reasons from women. In Sparta during the Roman period, young men had to undergo severe flogging on the altar of Artemis Orthia, the scourging would continue until the entire altar was covered in their blood. this ritual flogging was known as diamnastigosis, and was a test endurance through which the men had to demonstrate their willingness and worthiness to be devotees and warriors fighting in the name this goddess.

Reviewed by Gwennie All One Wicca is a textbook on Wicca written by Kaatryn MacMorgan-Douglas for UEW – Universal Eclectic Wiccans. On the back cover it says that this is ‘The most important book you’ve never heard of…’ and I couldn’t agree more with this statement. The book is divided into five parts: 1. The Religion – which talks of wicca and what it is and is not. There are 13 chapters in this part covering everything from Wiccan circles, to Gods and Ethics. Part 2 is The Grimoire, which has 13 chapters full of your typical Grimoire content; herbalism, corn dollies and divination to mention some. Part 3 is called A UEW Book for Shadows and Light. It has 24 chapters of spells and rituals. Part 4 is a dictionary of paganism and part 5 contains appendices and helps.

By Sannion The name’s Hermes. Yeah, that Hermes, the busiest god on Mount Olympos. You name it, I’ve probably got my hands in it. Commerce, language, thievery, agriculture, religion: these are just a few of the things I’ve invented over the centuries. I’m the one who sends you dreams at night. I control the roll of the dice. And when you die I’ll be there to guide you into the next world. When the gods wish to communicate with mankind, it’s me they trust to deliver the message, especially father Zeus who employs me as his personal pimp and hitman. You’d think all that would be too much for even a dozen gods, but I handle it pretty well. What can I say, I’ve always been a good multi-tasker. But even my considerable talents are taxed when it comes to fulfilling my duties as herald of the gods. You see, when the gods decide to call one of their grand assemblies it’s my responsibility to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Do you have any idea what that actually involves? No. No you do not.

By Jennie Johnston It is human nature to put down roots. Our community, our home, they are not just where our hearts are but where our roots can push into the earth and bring us grounding. As pagans we tend to set down roots or acknowledge them in a concrete way. A hedgewitch may be intimate with every square foot of woods behind her house, a city dwelling druid may have deep conversation with the oak tree that shades his apartment balcony, and the Wiccan family can make a sacred space in their sunroom where each member can rejuvenate in times of stress. All of these situations and the many millions more that arise in the small moments of our lives can create a strong bond with where we live. The place that holds our living is full of routine, schedules, meals, laughter, tears and rest. We rely on home to bring us a sense of peace, shelter and familiarity. Children need a sense of security and bond to place more than adults do. They are not as capable of finding anchors for security within their bodies until they are much older, so they rely on their caregivers and their home for their grounding. When faced with moving to a new house it is very important to prepare children, even more so than the logistical aspects like packing and cleaning. Depending on what age and stage your child is at they can participate and comprehend the moving of the family abode in different ways and personality will definitely determine how they are affected as well.

By Jennie Johnston It is human nature to put down roots. Our community, our home, they are not just where our hearts are but where our roots can push into the earth and bring us grounding. As pagans we tend to set down roots or acknowledge them in a concrete way. A hedgewitch may be intimate with every square foot of woods behind her house, a city dwelling druid may have deep conversation with the oak tree that shades his apartment balcony, and the Wiccan family can make a sacred space in their sunroom where each member can rejuvenate in times of stress. All of these situations and the many millions more that arise in the small moments of our lives can create a strong bond with where we live. The place that holds our living is full of routine, schedules, meals, laughter, tears and rest. We rely on home to bring us a sense of peace, shelter and familiarity. Children need a sense of security and bond to place more than adults do. They are not as capable of finding anchors for security within their bodies until they are much older, so they rely on their caregivers and their home for their grounding. When faced with moving to a new house it is very important to prepare children, even more so than the logistical aspects like packing and cleaning. Depending on what age and stage your child is at they can participate and comprehend the moving of the family abode in different ways and personality will definitely determine how they are affected as well.

By Stuart Laidlaw Under the cover of darkness, our worst traits come out. We lie, we steal, we cheat. We expect others to do the same. All because the lights are out, a new study says, and we think we can't be seen. "Anonymity can license unethical behaviour," says Chen-Bo Zhong, a professor of organizational behaviour at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and lead author of the study. Published in the latest issue of Psychological Science, his study found that people in dark rooms or wearing sunglasses assume their actions cannot be monitored, and soon begin taking ethical liberties.

By MetallicUrsine Crows and Ravens are the creatures of the otherworld, and are also portents of omens, magic, witchcraft, death, regeneration, and prophecy. And in truth, anything black was considered a creature of the devil, such as black dogs (the howling of a dog was the announcement of death, and dogs have had a long deep association with death and the otherworld) , black cats (up until the 19th century crows or ravens were seen as witches in disguise, a bad omen as ill-wished as the crow in seeing or crossing paths with like a black cat; and as well as up to 1922 in Somerset the black cat was considered to be a creature of the devil, but to own one was to have its owner looked upon as having a lucky talisman – showing the duality of the folklore) , black horses, and also black birds of most types, such as magpies. Two crows seen was called a “corbie coupling, ” from the Latin word for crow (coracicus, corvinus) . Its powers of omens stopped inaugurations of Archbishops (Such as with Adamson of St. Andrews in 1586 by a man named David Ferguson saying the crow was cawing “Corrupt!” in portent to the intended Archbishop) to battles, to births, peace, etc. And later on, it is still linked to agriculture, as we have the scarecrows, and the folk art of the crow always with the harvest, and even in modern France there is a festival dedicated to this bird in the light of agriculture. And anyone who’s lived with crows, knows them as more than mere birds, some call them “feather

by John Shepard Materials required: On the altar are brown candles, a Tootsie Roll (the great big one, as the athame), a large glass with milk in it (the chalice), a small dish of Nestle's Quick and a spoon, a small dish of chocolate sprinkles, a plate of cupcakes, and some Yoo-Hoo along with a goblet. CLEANSE THE SACRED SPACE HPS: (take the small bowl of chocolate sprinkles) Chocolate sprinkles where thou art cast No calories in thy presence last. Let no fat adhere to me And as I will so mote it be! Nestle's Quick where thou art cast Turn this milk to chocolate, fast. Let all good things come to me, and make my milk all chocolatey! CAST THE CIRCLE HP: (using a tootsie roll) CALL THE QUARTERS HP: Mousse of the East, Fluffy one! Great prince of the palace of dessert! Be present we pray thee, and guard this circle from all moochers approaching from the East. Fondue of the South, Molten one! Great prince of the palace decadence! Be present we pray thee, and guard this circle from all diets approaching from the South. Cocoa of the West, Satisfying one! Great prince of the palace of thirst! Be present we pray thee, and guard this circle from all carob approaching from the West. Rocky Road of the North, Cold one! Great prince of the palace of crunchy! Be present we pray thee, and guard this circle from all cheap imitations approaching from the North.