Republicans Try to Cast Democrats as "Elitists" - Sept. 2008

Republicans plan on trying to paint the Democrats as tax raising, over educated, snooty, elitists who are out of touch with "real" Americans. However, you cannot get more elitist than the Republicans. I guess they think that most Americans are ignorant and gullible and that no one has really been paying attention for the last eight years.

McCain and Palin and the rest of the GOP do not care about the average middle class Americans. The Republican policies work only for the wealthy. They have proven that with the last eight years of George Bush, Dick Cheney and especially when they held majority ownership of the House, Senate and Congress. We learned that the Republican way is provide tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% of our population and to companies who outsource our jobs. Do we really want four, maybe eight more years of that?

I urge everyone out there to compare Obama's plans against McCain's. Look at the numbers, the real numbers without the rhetoric, and see which one's plans you think will really help the middle class and poor of this country best; which ones will help get our out sourced jobs back, which will be most effective in providing affordable heath care, which will provide better education for our children. Which will help preserve our already fragile environment but at the same time steer us in the right direction to help us find more affordable environmentally healthy alternative fuel sources.

We are better than this people. Let's prove to the Republicans just how smart we all are and prove that yes we have been paying attention, yes we have noticed the hurt they have caused our country and yes we are smart enough to vote for real and positive change and that we will not fall for their shallow, underhanded tactics.

Former Clinton supporters consider voting for McCain because of Palin? - Sept 2008

As a woman and a feminist I am sorely disappointed to read and hear that some women who supported Hilary Clinton are now seriously thinking of voting for McCain simply because Sarah Palin is on his ticket. To quote from an article in the Marin Independent Journal,Toni Alves of San Francisco said, "I think Sarah Palin is a good choice–it just makes it easier to vote for him." She goes on to say she feels betrayed by the Democratic party because Hilary was not chosen as the Dem. nominee or Obama's running mate.

How can anyone who once supported Clinton even say this? Sarah Palin is NOT a replacement for Hilary Clinton. In fact she seems to be against everything that Clinton supports.

• Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. This has already been determined by a court ruling that Creationism is not even valid as scientific theory and teaching it equates teaching religion in school which is a violation of separation of church and state.

• Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade." She is all for more oil drilling and building more nuclear plants of course.

• Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was sponsored by BP. She also filed a lawsuit against the Bush administration after they finally gave in to environmental organization demands to put the Polar Bear on the endangered species list because she was concerned it would ruin plans to drill for oil in last remaining wilderness preserves in our country.

• Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of rape or incest. How anti-woman can you get?

• Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will only support abstinence-only approaches. Palin's own daughter Bristol, 5 months pregnant and unwed, is the perfect example of how abstinance-only teaching doesn't work.

Voting for McCain only because he has a woman as his VP it is no better than McCain's reasons for choosing her. He chose her because she appeals to the extreme conservatives and because he was hoping to fool us into thinking he's for women's rights. It's clear he knew very little about Palin when he chose her and now he still isn't too concerned with her lack of national experience or her questionable political ethics.

This presidential election should not be about gender or race or who can deliver the most mean spirited, sarcastic remarks about the other party. It should be about the issues that really affect US, our broken economy, affordable healthcare, better education, ending job outsourcing, standing up for women's rights and finally ending the Iraq war. It should be about voting for the best persons to accomplish those things while looking out for the best interests of the majority of the American people and not catering to the special interests.

Yes, I'm disappointed too that Hilary was not chosen but I'm not about to throw away my last best chance to help change my country for the better by voting for a woman who is clearly against everything I and many other women, including Hilary Clinton stand for and choose to uphold.

Pentacle Finally Accepted For Veterans Headstones! May 11, 2007

This is a landmark decision folks. At long last the Wiccan pentacle has been added to the list of emblems allowed in national cemeteries and on government-issued headstones of fallen soldiers, according to a settlement announced Monday May 7, 2007.

To view the Dept. of Veterans Affairs list of available emblems visit: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

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VA Still Trying To Block The Wiccan Symbol For Verteran's Headstones. Feb. 21, 2007

The Department of Veterans Affairs seems once again to be trying to find excuses and ways to block the acceptance of the pentacle as the one of the religious symbols that can be placed on the head stones and memorial markers of Wiccan veterans.

The VA has proposed a new set of procedures for emblems of belief approval for use on VA-issued memorial headstones, markers, and plaques honoring deceased veterans. many pagan groups and in particular Circle Sanctuary listed the following concerns about the new procedures. These are from their web site http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle/VARuleComment.htm:

• There is still no requirement that the VA make any decision on an emblem of belief application.

• There are no time limits for decision making on applications.

• These proposed procedures are worded in such a way to legalize the VA's unconstitutional process of picking and choosing which religions and belief systems to accommodate and which symbols to approve for inclusion on the veteran grave markers it issues. For example, the proposed regulations state:

"VA intends to preclude the addition of any emblem that would have an adverse impact on the dignity and solemnity of cemeteries honoring those who served the Nation."

• There is no appeal process -- the proposed procedures state that the VA's decision is final.

"Essentially, if these new procedures are adopted and go into effect, the Pentacle could still be kept in limbo with no decision being made at all, and it possibly could even be rejected should a VA official deem our symbol not appropriate for state and federal veteran cemeteries. Symbols for other religions, including other forms of Paganism, may also be kept in limbo or be rejected."

When I look at the list of the 39 religious symbols that may be placed on a veteran's head stone I see at least 17 that are associated with the Christian faith. There are also several symbols for oriental faiths such as Buddhist, Hindu, Konko-Kyo, Sufism and Muslim faiths. There is also one for the Unitarians, Humanist, and even one for Atheists. I do see a new one, the Native American Church of North America, which I assume covers all Native American earth based beliefs and that is very encouraging. However, there is not a single symbol for any of the European earth based (Pagan) faiths.

According to 2005 Defense Department statistics, more than 1,800 active-duty service members identify themselves as Wiccans. Those are just the ones that feel free to disclose their faith, there may be more who choose to be registered under other faiths for fear of persecution from an obviously religious biased military.

These men and women have been asked to make the ultimate sacrifice to fight and possibly die for the so called freedoms of our nation yet they are denied by this government agency one of the primary rights of the first amendment to our constitution, the right to freedom of religion.

As an American, a daughter of a now deceased veteran and a practicing Wiccan I find this deplorable and unconscionable.

The US military has acknowledged the Wiccan faith and has even issued "Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains," that was first published in 1978 to it's military Chaplins so that they may better provide council and comfort to it's Wiccan soldiers. If the Wiccan faith has been acknowledged in this way since 1978 then why has this acknowledgment not been made complete by allowing the Pentacle, the five pointed star enclosed within a circle, to be added to it accepted religious symbol list?

I think it's far past time that the American military and the VA stop dragging their feet on this issue and give the Wiccan men and woman who serve fight and die for this country the respect they are due and allow the symbol of our faith to placed on their head stones and memorial markers.

For the complete list of VA approved religious symbols visit this site:
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

To find the text of the regulations & submit comments, do the following:

1) Go to this website:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main
2) Use the "Keyword or ID" search box, and type in the document's ID:
VA-2007-NCA-0008-0001

Leeanen Sidhe

Pagans Giving Interviews To The Press January 31, 2007
by Leeanen Sidhe

As web mistress, from time to time I get invites in my e-mail from the media or from television shows looking for folks willing to talk about Wicca, Witchcraft or Paganism in general. There are also times when I get requests from students wanting to do reports on the same subjects and whom are also looking for people from our community to interview.

Now, most of us might shy away from talking to people about our beliefs and if you feel uncomfortable doing so then there is no reason why you should. However, if there are those in the community who would like to tell their story or to try to contribute to the enlightenment of general public on the ways of Pagan folk then there are some things to consider.

If you want to be portrayed in a light that is free from the typical kind of mockery and sensationalism that is usually associated with interviewing followers of the occult then you need to seek out venues that have reputations for more serious and accurate reporting. Avoid fluffy TV talk shows, antagonistic radio shows or satiric newspaper columnists.

Before you do an interview with someone do some research on them. Read articles, listen to the radio show or watch the TV show you plan to be on to get a feel for what the interview will be like or what the goal of the venue is. If they typically make fun of people, write biting humorous articles or go for shock value or sensationalism to boost ratings respectfully decline any interviews with them. Be prepared for the fact that they might bring up the fact that you declined an interview and will probably try to make it seem as though you are trying to hide something by doing so. It's best to just ignore this. However, if you feel you must make a statement then simply say that you declined an interview because you question the integrity of the interviewer and felt that you were not going to be portrayed in an unbiased or fair way.

When and if you do decide to talk to "the press" about your beliefs you should conduct yourself with dignity and speak with as much clarity and authority as you can. If you don't know the answer to the questions you are asked or if it doesn't pertain to your particular set of beliefs then say so. Be honest. If the questions you are being asked are going too in depth or there are no easy or quick answers for them then explain that to the interviewer. Only reveal as much about your beliefs as you feel comfortable doing. There's no need to reveal coven secrets or specifics about your practice if you feel it isn't appropriate to do so.

If it becomes clear that the person doing the interview is trying to upset you or make fun of you watch your responses carefully. What you say could end up being taken out of context to make you sound like a hot head or a total nut cake later. If you get the feeling you are just being used for entertainment and not being taken seriously don't get upset, just be general in your replies and keep smiling. Keep your good humor and try not to loose your temper.

I've done a couple of over the phone interviews with writers from local news papers. They were very respectful and the articles they wrote were fair and accurate with regards to what I told them. Also in giving interviews over the phone you needn't give your given name. You also have the right to decline telling them where you live. If they ask why, simply explain that there are still people out there who do not understand Paganism and still fear it and that you are concerned about how those in your community might react to your being open about your beliefs. Most will understand this.

After the interview is over thank them for being willing to write about or air the topic. Be sure to ask when the show will air or when the article will go to press. Be sure you watch or read the piece. If they do a good job and give a fair portrayal of what you discussed be sure to write them a thank you note expressing this. If they did not, be sure to let them know this as well but don't send a flaming letter. Be specific as to what you objected to and write in an intelligent and calm manner.

If you are unsure about giving an interview, even over the phone, then don't do it. If you do decide to give one be sure of what your reasons for doing so are. Be clear, be informed, be truthful and be prepared for anything.

Peddlers of Magikal Secrets Exposed April 10, 2006

The other day I was looking through my e-mail and sifting through the usual junk when I came across an ad that caught my attention. The subject heading was "Witchcraft Exposed". Now I knew this most likely was a junk ad like all the others but I had to check it out. The link on the e-mail sent me to a web page which in part read:

"Add More Love, Money, And Health to Your Life Using Over 127 Quick & Easy Magick Spells and Rituals...
It's amazingly simple when you know the secrets: how to blatantly take advantage of VERY EASY to use spells to make even your wildest dreams come true... so easily and simply it's almost unbelievable! BUT... you can't do it using the same old, useless magic teachings everybody spoon-feeds you..."

In all my years of magical practice, learning the craft, reading books on magic, I have never felt that I was being "spoon fed" anything. The ad went on to say:

"Most magicians, wizards and witches are trying to make things harder for you and only tell you half of the truth because this way you will never succeed: They will still have their power, and you will give up magick because "you tried it and didn't work for you... Or so you thought... The Secret to Getting What You Really Want Is Simply Using the RIGHT Kind of Magick & Spells..."

They make it sound as though practitioners of magic who choose to teach their secrets do so in a way that sets their students up to fail because they prefer to keep the secrets of magic selfishly to themselves and do not really wish to share their knowledge at all. I've been part of the magical community for some time and I must say that I do not believe this is so. What I have seen is that students are carefully picked, tested and observed, then directed in ways that will teach them the lessons they need to learn in a way that will be of most benefit to the student. The lessons are made difficult for a reason. They are meant to teach patience and perseverance, ethics and compassion, to build the strength of the mind and heart because without those skills magic is a very dangerous thing.

Not everyone should be taught to use magic because not everyone will use this power ethically or wisely. The forces that are used in magical working have a life and consciousness of their own. They must be invoked with great care and respect. Also such power needs to be tempered with a willingness and ability to use it responsibly. If it is not used with care it can have disastrous results. It's like giving a box of matches to a toddler and leaving him alone in room full of fireworks.

The authors of this e-book "Witchcraft Exposed" Bogdan & Giancarlo... go on to say that they have "spent years researching Magic(k), Wicca, Witchcraft, Herbalism, Alchemy, Kabbalah, Yoga, etc...", that they have learned all the "secrets" and are willing to pass them on to you for $37... about the same price as movie for two with popcorn and soda, but you're getting far more..." Indeed, you may get way more than you bargained for to be sure and it may end up not being as wonderful as they make out to be. What these two don't seem to realize is that it takes more than just research to fully understand what magic really is and while one may be able to get it to work to one's benefit, one must also consider how the success of each spell you cast is affecting others. Are the readers of their books using it to wrongfully exact revenge, break up a marriage to get the lover they want, harm or maybe even kill someone who they perceive to be "in their way" to getting what they want? There are so many things these "peddlers of knowledge" are not considering.

I wrote an e-mail to Bogdan & Giancarlo and asked if they had considered any of this. My "request ticket" was closed within 24 hours with no response from anyone at all. These guys are basically out to make a buck, nothing more. Everyone wants a quick fix to their problems in life but casting magic spells is not the solution. In making things seem easy these guys have eliminated what is truly at the heart of practicing magic and cheapened it. Magic is not only about gaining the needs and wants for the self, it is about contributing to the needs of the greater whole and feeling the connection with all things everywhere. In doing so you will receive all that you need.

True Magi who author books on magic are careful to express their knowledge in ways that test their readers. Those who do not have the patience and those who do not have the heart or the mind to learn and unlock the secrets from the written words on their own will give up. But those who are serious about their studies will push on and try to understand not just the secrets of how to make a spell work but the secrets behind the work itself. They will reach farther beyond just the limits of their own desire, they will make a connection with the unseen forces of the Universe and that is the part of magic that is the most rewarding and the most wondrous.

The Right To Choose April 5, 2006

In the past I've shied away from the topic of abortion because it's such a highly charged issue for so many people. But then so is the topic of religion and since there seem to be so many out there who want to make the abortion topic about religion I figured it's time I say my piece on it now.

In the news we've seen the South Dakota governor's decision to pass a sweeping ban on abortions in his state. He had made a public statement saying the only way he'd be able see a justifiable abortion is if the woman is religious, still a virgin and was saving herself for marriage. Also she would have to have been "brutally raped, sodomized and beaten as bad as it could get", that she would then be so traumatized that she would be seriously messed up psychologically and emotionally, then she could have an abortion. I guess for the rest of the women in his state it would be their tough luck if they didn't meet all his qualifications.

It's clear the SD Governor has absolutely no idea just how horrifying and traumatizing surviving through a rape can be for any woman religious or not, even if your attacker does not beat you with his fists or with whatever happens to be handy. Rape is not about sex, it's about using force and brutality to humiliate, terrorize, control and in some cases even punish the victim for some imagined offense that the attacker perceives the victim to have done whether he knows his victim or not. No woman deserves this to be done to her and if the attack results in a pregnancy it will only further the trauma against the victim and reward the attacker by allowing his seed to be further propagated. Tell me, under what circumstances does anyone have the right to force this on any woman and tell me why we would want to continue such a man's genetic line?

Now some might say that this is the way it must be because "God demands it". Also, there are many who still hold to the moronic belief that it should be the man who decides whether or not a child is brought into the world. For those who really think this way then let me point this out: If God, or whatever divine entity you look to, had meant it to be a man's choice then men would be the ones to get pregnant.

Having a child when and if BOTH parents want one is indeed a blessing and it should be a joyous time in any parent's life. However, pregnancy should not be used to further traumatize a woman who has been a victim of a crime, nor should it be forced in the case of potential risk to the health (emotional or physical) of a woman. Furthermore, it shouldn't be used as a punishment for a woman who holds different values from what less than half of the country does either.

There are at least eleven more states in our union seeking to propose the same kind of ban on abortion as in South Dakota. Also there is the issue of Wal Mart deciding to allow their pharmacists to not fill the prescriptions for birth control to women if the pharmacist personally does not believe in using birth control. And of course the appointment of justice Alito whose own mother had already stated publicly that, "of course he's against abortion." His record also shows that he is not in favor of allowing a woman the right to choose. President Bush made a campaign promise that he will try to stack the supreme court with more conservative judges specifically those who oppose choice. His administration and his supporters believe that the right of a woman to terminate any pregnancy under almost any circumstances should be denied. This includes a pregnancy resulting from a rape or incest or even in cases where the pregnancy threatens the health of the mother. Make no mistake if this trend continues Roe vs. Wade will be overturned and the women of this country will loose their reproductive rights.

If you look at countries around the world in countries where the women are oppressed and do not have the right to control when and how many children they have you will see the same things, rampant disease, over population and devastating poverty. Is that what we really want for our nation? Do we really want to become like those third world countries which oppress their women yet either refuse or are unable to take care of the overwhelming number of the poor and disease stricken?

The health and the well being and freedom of the women of a nation determines the health, well being and freedom of that nation. My hope is that one day the rulers of every country (including this one) realize and never forget this.

Could We Return To The Days Of The Inqusition? December 2004

Last month during our Pagan Groups monthly meeting we had visitors from a temple called Isis Oasis. These visitors had a very disturbing message to share with us. According to an article written last June in a publication called the Independent, written by Peter Popham, it would seem that the Vatican is holding closed door meetings in discussion on "what to do" about the growing popularity of non-Christian religions.

The article goes on to say, "The New Age is getting a grip on Christians because many are failing to find authentic spirituality in the Church. They are failing to find, as the report put it, 'the importance of man's spiritual dimension and its integration with the whole of life, the search for life's meaning, the link between human beings and the rest of creation, the desire for personal and social transformation, and the rejection of a rationalistic and materialistic view of humanity'." Pardon my quaint yet blatant response when I say, Well Duh!

Also, according to the article, the Catholic Church is disturbed by reports that many astrologers believe that the Age of Pisces or the Christian Age is now coming to a close. It seems that many people are leaving the Catholic church and turning to what they deem as New Age religions and "fads". So now it appears that Christianity is the "fad" that is finally going out of style after 2000 years. All things change and evolve, spiritual belief is no exception. The belief systems that can change and evolve along with the development of humanity and scientific discovery are the ones that will continue to thrive. The truth is the Catholic Church is stagnant and people are becoming disillusioned, especially in light of the disturbing behavior of many Catholic priests. This is not a new thing by the way, in fact it has been known that many in the church have violated their vows of celibacy and took advantage of young women, girls and boys from the very inception of the Catholic Church as an organized religion. I think rather than pointing fingers at other faiths the Catholic Church needs to take a long, hard look at the problems it has caused and still is causing for itself and other people around the world.

As science discovers more truths about the way our world works it only seems to confirm what Pagans and other Gnostics have believed all along. Our earth is not a dead ball of mud and water floating in space. It is a living entity and we are part of it, we were born from it and we can no longer deny that the earth is our Mother. So now we are returning to the ancient earth based beliefs we once held because we are becoming more aware that the real sins we've been committing have been against our planet Earth and not an unearthly God.

The Church also refers to other religions as "the enemy" and speaks of issuing an "attack" against them. As a Pagan hearing these words strikes a cord of great concern for me. These same words I'm sure were spoken during the days of the inquisition also referred to as the Burning Times. Does this mean that once again and soon we might be hearing words like blasphemers and heretics being uttered in hushed tones? Does this mean that "alternative religions" may become outlawed and anyone who wears a Pentacle or Ankh or even a Star of David will be landed in jail? Does it mean neighbor will turn against neighbor with looks of suspicion and hate? We would think that in our advanced society that such fearful things could never happen again. Yet intolerance for alternative religions is still alive and well.

We live in paranoid times and in a very conservative climate where our current president is waging his own "holy war" against Iraq. And Muslims it seems are waging wars against western cultures too. Despite all that has been learned and despite the attempts of many religions to respect and tolerate each others differences there still exist those who feel all people everywhere must believe in only one faith. Have we not yet learned from our bloody histories about the fear, hatred, destruction, and unthinkable horrors that have been inflicted on so many people over so many thousands of years all because we are still arguing over whose region is better or more to the point RIGHT?!

Like it or not the New Age is coming and with it change. It is up to us what kind of change it will bring. Will it bring more hate and division over religion or will it bring a time of peace, understanding respect and tolerance of each others spiritual beliefs? The choice is ours.

A copy of Peter Popham's article can be found at http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=53857

Is Dubya the Antichrist? July 2003

Recently Bush went to Rome to convince the Pope John Paul to back his war resolution on Iraq. Of course the Pope did not agree and worked tirelessly (despite his severe illness due to Parkinson's Disease) to convince leaders of nations on the UN Security Council to oppose Bush's plan. At the televised meeting President Bush was seated next to His Holiness, the Pope was expressing his concern and disaproval of the plan and the war in general. I looked at Bush's face as the Pope spoke. The look was utter contempt and arrogance.

George is an Evangelical. And like most fanatics he believes his version of Christianity is superior and also that only those of his faith will be the ones "saved" when the end of the world comes. He also attributes "God" with helping him over come his alcoholism and so like many former addicts who've "seen the light" he's become militant in his belief and has become obsessed with taking up a cause in the name of Christ. Thus his belief that "god" wanted him to be president and his continued ranting that America must continue fighting against "evil doers".

I'm also sure that the recent discovery that several Catholic priests have been accused of child molesting or otherwise lude conduct with members of the congragations makes him even more smug yet. It proves in his mind that Chatholisim is a fallen and false religion.

This whole thing is just another version of the Catholics vs. Protestants all over again. In England during the 1500's things got so bad that Queen Mary a.k.a. "Bloody Mary", a staunch Catholic, was having Protestants beheaded or burned on a regular basis. She even sought to have her half sister Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I) tried as a heretic. The people grew tired and angry over all the blood shed, civil war was threatening to erupt. So a plot was hatched to replace Mary with Elizabeth and the tables turned. Mary was beheaded and Elizabeth was put on the throne. Of course then it became very difficult to be a Catholic in England as Elizabeth was a Protestant. Round and round we go, will anybody ever learn anything from the past? Nobody knows.

The sad truth is that religion has always been part of politics even during Pagan times, as far back as the Sumerians being taken over by the Babylonians or whoever. I can't remember that far back. Unfortunately, today we are still being caught in the middle of this craziness and to make things worse there are plenty of wacko fanatics who are on ol' Dubya's side. They are seeing this as a sign that their god is coming for them and they are willing to support the destruction of our world if only to hasten the second coming. This was never a war solely about oil and the riches of the middle east, it is also very much a war about religion and who's "god" is bigger. (With men it's all about that bigger is better thing isn't it. *sigh* Things were so much more civilized when women were in charge.)

So is George really the antichrist? Is he part of a secret "blood cult"? Well there is the asscociation to the Illuminati but so many politicians are members of that. Hmmmm. Well that may explain why so many politicians seem to sell their souls once in office. Besides, depending who you talk to the Illuminati are either a society of highly enlightened people trying to better the world or a satanic cult hell bent on world domination. Either way it doesn't really matter. Personally I don't think Bush is really Beelzebub's right hand man but I do believe he's seriously dellusional and that makes him just as dangerous. Yet here he is in office running our country and right into the ground too. How'd that happen? How'd we get here?

See what happens when people don't pay more attention and take a more active roll in the politics and governing of their own country? (I include myself in this admonishment by the way.) Well at least I hope we've all learned a lesson from this and I hope it hasn't been learned too late.

---

The following is the article sent to me that prompted me to write the above:

Pope fears Bush is antichrist, journalist contends - Church - journalist Wayne Madsden -
Brief Article
New Catholic Times, May 18, 2003

WASHINGTON DC -- According to freelance journalist Wayne Madsden, "George W Bush's blood lust, his repeated commitment to Christian beliefs and his constant references to 'evil doers,' in the eyes of many devout Catholic leaders, bear all the hallmarks of the one warned about in the Book of Revelations--the anti-Christ."

Madsen, a Washington-based writer and columnist, who often writes for Counterpunch, says that people close to the pope claim that amid these concerns, the pontiff wishes he was younger and in better health to confront the possibility that Bush may represent the person prophesized in Revelations. John Paul II has always believed the world was on the precipice of the final confrontation between Good and Evil as foretold in the New Testament.

Before he became pope, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla said, "We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel."

The pope worked tirelessly to convince leaders of nations on the UN Security Council to oppose Bush's war resolution on Iraq. Vatican sources claim they had not seen the pope more animated and determined since he fell ill to Parkinson's Disease. In the end, the pope did convince the leaders of Mexico, Chile, Cameroon and Guinea to oppose the U.S. resolution.

Madsen contends that "Bush is a dangerous right-wing ideologue who couples his political fanaticism with a neo-Christian blood cult."

COPYRIGHT 2003 Catholic New Times, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group

A Personal Insight Into the Venus Transit Events May 2004

We all know the world is in a desperate state of fear, suspicion, hatred, war, envy and greed. Much of this is happening I think because we are in general reflecting venus in her "afflicted state" as suggested by the following passage:

"Afflicted Venus expresses as all fears and phobias, breathing allergies, and catarrhal problems. The poisoned heart is bitter and vengeful--closed to life in a way that manifests as an inability to integrate and accept experience; with an inability to receive, or to give love. Afflicted Venus negates in jealousy the beauty, abundance, luxury, and luck of others--projecting disdain and negativity instead. The poisoned heart is hesitant and insecure, has little self-confidence, and lacks the ability to trust in self or to trust others.
Fear to open our hearts leaves us stuck in the head, unwilling to feel, touch, or breath in life--hiding in fear and expressing mentalized judgments with an incessant need to control our reality. The loss of our intuitive ability leads us to blindly follow dogmas and gurus in submission to propaganda and systems of belief, whether our own or those of others."

Many of us Pagans have been suffering illness, loss and hardship. I think this is due to the fact that after the events of 9/11 many people began turning to religion as a comfort (as most people do during times of fear and crisis). There's nothing really wrong with that, we all need something bigger than ourselves to make us feel safe, it's only human nature. However, with all that comes a feeling of paranoia, a sense of "us and them" and tendency to distrust anyone who is different. Add to that the fact that our current president honestly and truly believes it was "God's" will that he take the seat of president. Add to that a few others in powerful positions who are all too willing to believe and/or encourage this silly notion and you have all the makings of the coming of another Dark Age.

It's no secret that Zionists believe in a second coming that will be brought about by apocalyptic events. It also hinges on the final and glorious duel between good and evil. Their thoughts of fear and distrust toward anyone they deem as being "evil" have an affect in the way events flow just as our thoughts and wishes do. Generally "they" aren't as aware of this as "we" are but that doesn't mean they don't have influence. (See, there's those words again.) Our own fears and paranoia come into play here too. I know I certainly feel more oppressed these days than I did during the Clinton administration and the continuing attacks on our civil rights don't help much either. I feel more defensive than I have in the past about my beliefs. As a result I think I feel weaker and more drained as well.

The good news is that I think it is quite possible to turn all this around but it will take a tremendous collective effort on the part of those of us who are close to the earth. The struggle for survival and dominance is indeed quite literally a "battle of wills". So what do we do, go after the Zionists with wands and broomsticks in hand and wage our own Jihad with the Zionists, our forces and wills bouncing off the astral plane? Gracious, Blessed Goddess heck NO! Like attracts like remember? The last thing we need is more negative, defensive, angry energy being flung about willy nilly.

We are dealing with Venus here, the Goddess of love. Conflict is not diffused with more conflict. I think we must begin by healing and loving ourselves and each other giving eachother our strength and support and then offering our love and healing to the planet earth as well, now more than ever. Then we must do something even harder. Send our influences, our hopes and wishes for enlightenment and tolerance into the ether to let it spread and grow to those who are still in the dark. The Goddess will help us if we appeal to her loving side which is interpreted by the next paragraph:

"Venus (and the heart chakra), when mature and clear, expresses love in art and beauty, with a wonderful capacity for unconditional acceptance of all conditions--true, nonjudgmental love. The unconditionally open heart receives and expresses love that is harmoniously balanced. Mature Venus is open to new experience, is courageous, optimistic, and aware of soul intent and purpose--as the unconditionally open heart is where soul fully radiates. Mature Venus also is sociable, fashionable, artistic, good willed, benevolent, diplomatic, and magnetically sensuous."

The way I figure we have an eight year window between transits to effect positive change. I began last night by sending out a wish that all these frightened people will look up at the sky and see a glimmer of hope in the stars, see the truth behind the lies we are being told and that they will tire of this war and conflict. I know it made me feel better. Already there are signs that people are starting to tire of all this hate and war. We should be taking advantage of that and help things along.

Maybe all this peace and love stuff sounds like a bunch of flower child crap left over from the 60's. Maybe it sounds like a silly, naive dream. But are we not weavers of dreams, shapers of will and destiny? Just something to think about.

For more information on the Venus Transits visit this link: http://www.lunarplanner.com/LunarMonths2004/lunarmonth.04.05.19.html

And Now For Some Positive News!

Glastonbury Goddess Temple Special News!!!

We are delighted to inform you that as from 18th June 2003 the Goddess Temple in Glastonbury, Somerset, England has been formally registered as a Place of Worship.

We believe that we are the first Goddess Temple in the British Isles (Brigit's Isles) to be officially recognised as a place of worship. This is an herstoric event since for the first time a sacred space has been recognised, which does not rest within patriarchal religious belief
systems, but within the arms of the Goddess,who is the divine feminine.

Visit the web site at http://www.goddesstemple.co.uk/

The following was an article written about an event that took place in Berkeley, CA. It was the third annual Pagan Pride Parade and Festival. I was there that day and not only did I attend, along with a few of my Pagan friends, I also marched in the parade and later sold a few of my hand made wares. I wrote a letter to the editor but it was never published. Happily other letters from other Pagans were published in the paper The Daily Planet out of the city of Berkeley. My letter follows this article:


Pagans on Parade Cavort in Downtown Berkeley

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN (05-18-04)

Bay Area tree-worshippers, Goddess-worshippers, gay and straight wiccans, Shinto devotees and their kindred—many of them clad in lavish costumes—gathered in Berkeley Saturday for the always colorful Pagan Pride Parade and Celebration.
The day began with a parade through downtown city streets—where most of the spectators seemed to be equipped with digital cameras—before winding up in Civic Center Park.
The city managed to keep traffic flowing in both directions along Shattuck Avenue as the parade passed by, with parking enforcement and police officers, aided by barricades and cones, confining celebrants to one southbound lane.
Drivers hoping to use Milvia Street along the length of the Berkeley High School campus were less fortunate, finding traffic blocked in both directions. Allston Way adjacent to Civic Center Park was also closed, and traffic on several downtown side streets was restricted to a single lane.
Though paganism was nowhere defined in event literature, a visitor to the affair could have walked away from the festivities with the notion many adherents were polytheist peddlers.
The grassy area of Civic Center Park was encircled by a ring of booths offering crystals, dolls, drinking horns, clothing, jewelry, idols, drawings, prints, ointments, oils, incense, and palm and card readings.
One clothing seller was decidedly perturbed to see a reporter’s camera aimed at his ware. “What’re you doing?” he asked. “Tryin’ to conduct an inventory?”
The Internal Revenue Service, it seems, has taken to wandering various shows and taking before-and-after merchandise photos in search of vendors underreporting their sales.
One notable exception to the commercialism was a group of five neatly groomed young adults standing next to a plastic barrel propping up a FREE WATER sign. Asking all comers, “free water?,” they dispensed their refreshing libations with a smile and no further comment.
A curious reporter, pleased to have quenched his thirst after an hour shooting pictures under the bright, warm sun, asked one of the quintet, “Who are you, and why are you doing this?”
“Oh, it’s Michael’s birthday, and he thought it would be nice to come down here today and pass out water,” one of them answered.
Michael turned out to be Michael Duenes, a distinctly non-pagan teacher at Redwood Christian High School in San Lorenzo, and a little more coaxing revealed his story.
“When we came down here, I didn’t even know that there’d be a pagan festival today, but I figured there’d be a lot of a thirsty people. We don’t mention who we are, because God’s love is free,” Duenes explained.
He said he opted to pass out the bottled water on his birthday as a symbol of the living water of Christ.
Duenes and his fellow water dispensers are members of The Berkeley Mosaic—“We think of ourselves as broken people united by Christ”—a congregation led by Pastor Dennis Tuma.
“I’m glad to see the Daily Planet here,” Duenes said. “I got one of your t-shirts at the Solano Stroll, and I wear it to school sometimes on Fridays. The students seem surprised I’m from Berkeley, but I tell them I love it here.”
The other dispensers of free things—recruiters for the Covenant of the Goddess and the Temple of the Hebrew Goddess and promoters of gay marriage, immigration rights for same-sex partners, and legalized prostitution (itself a fine old pagan tradition)—were restricted to the elevated plaza around the defunct fountain, an area that attracted few visitors.
The paganisms on offer were distinctly New Age version of ancient traditions. No animals (or humans) were offered up as sacrifices, and the closest thing to ritual scarification on view were tattoos.
There were no temple prostitutes and no orgies, though several costumed males wore the horns of satyrs and the ever-randy Pan, and the only bared female breasts appeared on modern-day replicas of ancient Minoan statues.
And the only equivalent of the All-Seeing Eye was the tripod-mounted video camera run by a red-coated gentleman from atop the tower of old city hall building.

---

Dear Sir or Madam,

I know this is probably considered old news but I just heard of this and I am very upset. It saddens and disappoints me greatly that at your news paper in the city of Berkeley, a city known for it's openmindedness and forward thinking, you have on your staff someone who simply is perpetuating the same old myths and misconceptions about Pagans that have been repeated and unfortunately believed by so many for so very long.

The Pagan Pride event is not only a celebration but about an education of the public to show them who we are and what we believe and also to show the great diversity among those who call themselves Pagan.

It seems a shame that Mr. Brennemen chose to ignore all the oportunities presented to him to learn what Paganism is really all about and instead simply put out his own opinon based on his brief an obviously biased observation of what he saw. I find it odd that in his assignment to cover the event he chose to gravitate mainly towards booths that had obsolutely nothing to do with the event at all. He seemed to have nothing but distainful remarks for everyone except the Christian group who were there handing out free water. If he had even bothered to speak to any of the other so called "recruters" he would have learned there was a lot of other things offered for free, like the platter of grapes the was provided to be shared with all by Coven Nemoransis from Sonoma County. He would have also found free information and learned that Pagans do not "recrute" people to come join their faiths among other things. Curiousty is of course encouraged but Paganism is truly a faith without converts.

I also took great exception to the crack Mr. Brennemen made about the "polytheist peddlers" of which I was one. He made a remark that suggested some or most of us don't claim all our revenues to the IRS. For one I've been an honest, tax paying citizen from the time I got my first job at 17 up until last year when I was laid off from my job. With work scarce I am, for the first time, trying to make ends meet by selling handcrafted items I made. Also to my knowledge this was the first year the Pagan Pride event invited vendors to come.

As a woman I also take great exception to his remark that legalized prostituion is a "fine old Pagan tradition". I've been a Pagan for 13 years and never once have I ever prostitued myself. In fact since my primary diety is female I and many others of my particular belief obhore the idea of any profession that exploits women.

Mr. Brenneman ends his article with seeming disappointment that their was no public nudity, debauchery or human or animal sacrifice. Well of course not. Most of those things are against civil law and, contrary to Mr. Brennman's opinion of us, Pagans are as law abiding as anyone else. In fact the only animal sacrifices one is likely to see at a Pagan ceremony is the barbequed steak or chicken we may put on the grill for the feast afterward.

Reading this article has put a dark mark on what was for me a wonderful day of fun, music, exchange of culture and pride in my faith. Even so I do plan to attend next year. However I sincerely hope that Mr. Brennemen will choose not to.

A Moment Of Hope

Shortly after the tragedy of 9-11-01 there were many incidents of vandalism and violence directed at people of Arab decent or followers of the Muslim faith in this country and even towards people who only looked Arab. While these actions were certainly understandable they were not, however, justifiable. Not every Arab and not every Muslim follows the fanatic views of people like Osama Bin Ladin. Many were just as horrified and disgusted by the act of terrorism that took so many lives that day and all terrorism for that matter. Muslim religious leaders in the US came forward to say that these acts go against the teachings of the Koran and that they did not support them. Many feared a repeat of the internment like that which was imposed on Japanese-Americans would now be placed on Arab-Americans and anyone following the Muslim faith.

However, it surprised me when our president at the time called for peace and restraint. To not victimize people who may be innocent just because of what they look like or what they believe. It also gave me heart when during a televised memorial service for the victims of 9-11 that the ceremony included two representatives from the Christian Faith, two from the Jewish faith (including a woman), one from the Muslim faith and even one from the Buddhist faith. I would have liked to see at the very least a representative of the Native American community such as a tribal medicine man but I figured this was a start. I thought for a moment that perhaps out this terrible tragedy, where so many people lost their lives in such horrible ways, would come a new point of view in our nation and in the world on religion and faith. That perhaps finally it would bring all people and all faiths together against the real enemy which is ignorance and intolerance and that finally after long last all people of faiths would be able to come together in peace and understanding casting away the long held hatred and separation that has caused so much suffering to so many for so long. For that one moment I dared to hope.

Well now all that has changed. Our country will now go to war. And it also seems that all that openness and brotherly and sisterly love that gave us all comfort in those days of grief and seemed to raise us all above our hatred and fear has now faded away and turned to something lesser. Oh yes more people are becoming more religious and patriotic as well but it's sadly gone back to that kind of suspicious and paranoid kind of religiousness that we all have fallen into before. Where once I felt less inhibited about wearing my small silver pentacle like most people wear their Crosses or Stars of David I now get many hard looks from people and one day while I was doing my grocery shopping I even had one woman look at me in total fear and disgust then turn around and walk away from me so quickly she nearly tripped over a woman in a wheel chair. I've since stopped shopping there and now I leave my pentacle at home. I've once again become tight lipped about my beliefs and do not share them with anyone except those who already know me. Now I live in fear sometimes wondering if anyone will come to my door or where I work and hurt me or kill me because I believe differently than they do.

I am not a bad person and I am no less patriotic than any other person born in this country. Like many Americans I come from a mixed heritage Norse, Hispanic and Irish to be specific. I love my country and the freedoms I have here. But it seems lately my constitutional freedoms are being restricted. What grieves my heart the most is that even after all those people died even after all the people who have died before this we still have not learned to let go of our hate. All the hope that I had for peace and understanding has now completely faded away.

The Opressed and the Oppressors

Some friends and I were having an on-line discussion about the trouble in the Middle East and someone wondered what started all the conflict in the first place. Remembering my biblical and ancient history I came back with the following:

"From what I have read in the Christian Bible and in other texts. The animosity between the Arabs and the Jews began thousands of years ago when the Jews, after having been enslaved and then exiled by the Egyptians and then their 40 year long wondering in the desert, came to their "promised land" of Canan. They fought to take it from the Cananintes. They condemned them for their spiritual beliefs saying they were wicked pagans and they now needed to follow the True God. The oppressed and enslaved Jewish people had become the oppressors in their own holy war against the Cananites. Then many thousand years later they would again suffer terribly becoming the oppressed with the rise of Nazi Germany.

All nations and all faiths have throughout history at some time played both the rolls of being the oppressed and the oppressors. None are exempt from this. I think the key to ending all this hatred is not more war and more oppression but understanding and being tolerant of our differences and aware of all our similarities.

I close with three different sayings from three different origins that all mean basically the same thing if only to illustrate our similarities within our differences. Just something to think about."

"What goes around comes around."

"Whatsoever ye do unto another comes back upon thee three fold."

"Do unto others as you would have done unto you."

One of the members of an online community that I belong to sent to the rest of us a very lovely inspirational piece called an "Interview With God". He also went on to say how it gave him heart to know that God accepts him just as he is even though he is gay. One of the other members took exception to this and wrote the following:

"Homosexuality is a choice. 
You are not born gay, and God definitely does not make people gay.
Homosexuality is a sin that God hates, but that does not mean he hates gay people. 
He hates the sin but loves the sinner, and hopes that they will change."


My Response was:

You are certainly entitled to your opinion and have every right to express it. Just as I have every right to express mine.

I am not a homosexual so I cannot speak from my own experience but I have several friends who are and from what I have heard them say about their sexual orientation it doesn't seem that it is a choice. Why would anyone choose a life style for which they know they would be harassed and ridiculed and ostracized? Some hate their homosexuality and try to fight against it yet they are unhappy because they are trying to be something they are not. Also there has been scientific studies done that indicate homosexuality is a physiological condition and not social choice.

I do not believe that we as mere mortals and sinners can truly say what or who God loves or hates. Remember, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and "judge not lest ye be judged." Final judgment is reserved for only One. All that we should be concerned with in this life is how we conduct ourselves and how we treat others.

Selling God Door To Door

These are two e-mails, the first is my response to an article that was written by a fellow pagan, Tony, in which he described his encounter with two Jehovah witnesses who came to his door. The article was called "Does God have a Penis?" and was posted on his web site The Pagan Pages some years ago. Unfortunately the site is no longer on line and I didn't want to re-post the article out of respect to Tony's creative rights to the material but I can publish the e-mail we exchanged so here they are.

---

Subject: Does God have a penis?
Sent: 6/10/98 9:19 PM

I loved that. It reminded me of a similar conversation I had with two young Mormon men who came to the door of a house that I was working at. At the time I was cleaning houses to put myself through college. They kept asking me if I believed in God and I told them that I believed in a higher power.

I wasn't going to get in to the Goddess thing with them I didn't want to scare them too badly.

However, they got into it with me saying that in this day and age it was hard for people to be good and that we need the guidance of the Book of Mormon to show us the "True Way". I said that I believed that God listens to all people and loves all people regardless of how we choose to worship him/her. And that being good or bad is determined by the customs and beliefs of many different peoples, there is no definitive way except to do as you will so long as you harm none.

They moved on to another subject and asked me if I believed that Jesus was the true Son of God. I told them that I believed that Jesus the Nazarene was a special person who had a wonderful message of tolerance and love that he wanted to share with all people who were willing to listen but I did not believe that he was a demi god. They also asked me if I believed in the messengers of God in the bible. I said the words in the bible were written a long time ago and that life in the modern world cannot be dictated by writings of the past. They said, "But there are no modern day messengers of the holy word." I said, "What about the Dali Lamma?" They said, "the dolly who?" I then told them to rent the movie "Seven Years In Tibet" and to have a nice day.

Keep up the good work Tony.


Tony's Reply:

It's funny to me the way they always assume that if you have any kind of religious sensibilities at all, then you must believe in God, and therefore, the bible. Then, once they've got you to admit to believing in these inseparable two, they commence a logical reduction of the bible to a series of selectively interpreted phrases that PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that the little pamphlets they want to hand you are extensions of God's word.

They are almost never prepared for a philosophical Pagan! Some missionaries found me in my yard one day and tried to get me to concede that the world was going to hell in a handbasket. I countered their gloom and doom with statistics about how wife and children beating is down since the 40s and 50s. How tolerant attitudes are now the norm because of once far left liberal ideals. How blacks, women, Pagans, and other widely disparaged groups now enjoy the freedoms that only white, christian, male americans used to be allowed to take advantage of. They couldn't even get to the point of their pamphlets. Ha!!!!

Peace,
Tony