Winter 2000 Lady Liberty League Report Published in CIRCLE Magazine We Still Work Magic Rally Fortune Telling Bans Beltane Fires Return to Ireland Reactions to the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge Witches' Voice Gets Nonprofit Status Interfaith Dialogue Updates Public Wiccan Invocations Sacred Land Uses Law Protects Churches Atheists Distribute Book Covers in School Voter Guide for Churches Anti-Witch Cross Burning in Kansas Update on "Witch" Killings in Africa Alternative Health Practices Legalized in Minnesota Gore Depicts a "Witch" Pagans Rally in Washington, DC Memorial for the Victims of the Burning Times Use this list to link directly to the article you wish to read, or simply scroll down for all articles We Still Work Magic Rally A “We Still Work Magic” Wiccan rally was sponsored by the Appalachian Pagan Alliance on September 20, 2000. The event was in response to a “We Still Pray” Christian rally that was held at the Reynolds High School in Buncombe County, Alabama. The Christian rally was organized in protest to a recent US Supreme Court ruling that banned school sponsored prayer at football games. Ginger Strivelli, of the Appalachian Pagan Alliance, felt that it was important to not give the impression that public schools were supporting one religious message over another, so she organized a Pagan rally at the same location. With the fundraising help of WARD (Witches Against Religious Discrimination), AREN (Alternative Religions Education Network), and the Witches' Voice website, she was able to raise the $2000 needed to stage the event, the costs of which included the rental and custodial fees, insurance coverage, and police officers for event security, which were required by the school of both the Christian and the Pagan group, in order to grant the rental. The “We Still Work Magic” rally was a success, with more than 400 people in attendance. The event included speakers, invocations to several Gods and Goddesses, and a working for unity and acceptance within and for the local Pagan Community. It received positive local press and collected 142 pounds of donations for a local food bank. Details about the event and press coverage can be viewed at: http://www.angelfire.com/nb/appalachianpagan/APANews/rally.html. The Appalachian Pagan Alliance can be contacted at: PO Box 1498, Skyland, NC 28776. Fortune Telling Bans In Houma, Louisiana, the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) has recently filed suit against a fortune telling ban on behalf of Wiccans Monte Plaisance and Anthony Foret. A police detective visited Plaisance's place of business, warning him that his Tarot readings were illegal and hinting at a future arrest. Foret, who himself practices palmistry, and Plaisance have both refrained from these activities for fear of prosecution. The fortune telling ban began in 1965. It is a misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and a $500 fine. Joe Cook, executive director of the ACLU in Louisiana, notes that the Supreme Court has consistently rejected the notion that the government can punish freedom of speech because it is against someone's religious beliefs. Lawyer Marjorie Esman, who is handling the case for the ACLU, pointed out that many actions that constitute fortune telling, and are therefore banned by the ordinance, are permitted to continue, including publication of horoscopes, weather forecasting, fortune cookies, and medical prognoses. An article about the situation can be viewed at: http://www.theadvocate.com/news/story.asp?StoryID=16524. A similar law from 1973 has recently been resurrected in Denver, Colorado, where several metaphysical shops have been visited by law enforcement officers who have questioned them about fortune telling activities. The ordinance forbids fortune telling, palmistry, or clairvoyance, when done for a fee. Shop owners were warned in August that complaints had been received, and although no violations were discovered, that law enforcement officials would take action if there were further complaints. The law was originally intended as a defense against fraud, although store owners and customers see it as a religious freedom issue. In September, however, reports said that city officials want the law repealed. On the advice of the city attorney, who pointed out that the law is unconstitutional in that it violates freedom of speech, the Police Department has agreed to discontinue enforcing the law. City officials say that they are worried about lawsuits, and the City Council's Public Safety Committee unanimously voted that the ordinance should be repealed. The full council is also expected to vote to repeal the ordinance. Beltane Fires Return to Ireland The ancient tradition of lighting Beltane fires is scheduled to return to Ireland on April 28, 2001. On this date, a huge bale fire will be lit at Uisneach, once the spiritual center of Ireland and seat of the Goddess Eriu, after which other fires will be lit ringing the entire island. This Fire Eye project, so called because the arrangement of the fires will resemble an eye from above, was conceived by organizers Garry Jones and Dave Hogan as an incredible display of public unity between North and South Ireland, which are currently split into two separate countries. In addition to lighting of the fires, communities will also celebrate with music, theatre, dance, and folklore festivities. The Pagan roots of the custom are being acknowledged and a revival of the tradition is being lauded as a hope for the future. The organizers have said, “It is our wish for the entire population of Ireland, North and South, to be reunited on this day for a recognition of the shared mythological and spiritual heritage of everybody living here...We as individuals need healing; we as a country need healing; we as a planet need healing...We believe that the Irish love for music, theater, and heritage, and their innate spirituality, is as strong a vehicle for the manifestations of these ideals as we need.” The Fire Eye project has potential to grow into a world wide event, as groups from other countries already plan to attend or to light fires in their own homes. It will be televised nationally, with satellite links to North America and beyond. For more information about the project, see http://www.fire-eye.org, or contact Fire Eye, Cleggan P.O., Co. Galway, Ireland; fireeye@gofree.indigo.ie; phone (00353) 095 44771. Reactions to the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge Although this year's Summer Solstice celebration at Stonehenge, on Salisbury plain in England, occurred without any problems, archeologists have expressed divided opinions about the English Heritage's new policy of allowing open access to the site on the Solstice (see details on this in LLL Report Fall 2000) for the first time in ten years. According to an article in British Archaeology, some are in favor of the open access policy while others fear it will damage the site. One prehistorian stated that, “By allowing more than 6,000 so-called mystics to prance and perform there, English Heritage may well be responsible for irreparable damage.” Others feel that English Heritage is less concerned with the care of the monuments than with “entertainment of the masses.” Still others have objected to “spurious Druids” claiming special understanding of how to use the monument. In counter to this, other archeologists suggest that there is very little archeological evidence left at Stonehenge that hasn't already been disturbed by archeologists, and that perhaps the monument was purposely built to withstand the pressure of thousands of people descending upon it once a year. Prehistorian Alex Gibson stated that he thought it would be wrong to see Stonehenge as the sole preserve of archeologists, stating that “Monuments like Stonehenge...mean so much to so many people. Their beliefs may seem quaint to archeologists but they are as entitled to theirs as we are to ours.” Witches' Voice Gets Nonprofit Status Wren Walker and Fritz Jung are pleased to announce that their popular Pagan website, The Witches' Voice, has received nonprofit status as a religious educational organization from the United States Internal Revenue Service. The Witches' Voice website is known among Pagans as a excellent networking source, as well as a site where one can stay abreast of religious freedom news pertaining to Pagans. Wren and Fritz are also pleased to announce that their organization's nonprofit status allows them to accept tax-deductible donations for all the hard work they do on behalf of Paganism. Their website can be visited at: http://www.witchvox.com. Interfaith Dialogue Updates Pagans continue to monitor statements from the Vatican in the wake of the Pope's apology for the sins of the Roman Catholic Church (see LLL Report Summer 2000). In a recent, disappointing Declaration Dominus Iesus, released in September 2000, the Roman Catholic church has declared that followers of all non-Christian religions are “gravely deficient” and that their rituals constitute an obstacle to salvation. This document, released with the authority of the Pope, has stunned Christians and non-Christians alike. John Fitzsimmons, a member of the church's ecumenical body in Scotland, said, according to a London Times article, that “The tenor of this document gives me a sense of disappointment and dismay. It is a return to the idea that the Catholic Church is the embodiment of truth.” Elsewhere, Roman Catholic officials in Spain have issued warnings about the spread of television programs in which viewers call on the help of fortune-tellers, Witches, and Tarot card readers to foretell the future. Warnings were given that all such magic and Witchcraft practices are gravely contrary to the virtue embodied in the Catholic religion. In Newfoundland, Canada however, members of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, and United Churches issued an apology in September, 2000 for 500 years of suffering inflicted by their churches on the aboriginal peoples there. In another positive step for Pagans, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, speaking in January of 2000, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the annual meeting of the US Conference for the World Council of Churches, stated that, according to a World Faith News article, “It was the Christians, you know, not Pagans, who were responsible for the Holocaust. It was Christians, not Pagans, who lynched people here in the South, who burned people at the stake, frequently in the name of Jesus Christ.” Public Wiccan Invocations In Ontario, Canada, Wiccan Priestess Kelly Gillette has become the first representative of a non-Christian faith to give an opening benediction to a municipal meeting in the city of Oshawa. Last year, an Ontario Court of Appeals ruled that the recitation of the Lord's Prayer before city council meetings must end, on the basis that it constituted discrimination against non-Christian groups. In response to this, however, the City of Oshawa decided to continue regular recitation of prayer when opening their meetings, but to include benedictions from additional faiths on a rotating basis. Gillette's benediction, on September 5, 2000, asked for blessings from the Four Sacred Elements to support the deliberations of the Council. Bryan Lankford, the Interfaith Director of the Pagan organization Betwixt and Between in Dallas, Texas, also gave a Wiccan invocation to open the Dallas City Council meeting on October 4, 2000 (see photo at right). His invocation, however, was surrounded by controversy. Originally scheduled to give the opening prayer on September 27, the invitation was withdrawn five days beforehand. Although the reason given was that a council member had requested that his minister give the invocation, it was later discovered by a local reporter that the minister had no congregation members among the council. In the face of this controversy, Lankford still gave an invocation outside of the City Council building on September 27 (see box below). He and other Pagan supporters then attended the council meeting, where the Mayor apologized and informed him that his invocation would be rescheduled. The story has continued to receive widespread press in Texas, to the effect that both of Brian's invocations have been heard by far more people than they would have originally reached. Although rumors of a protest by the religious right at Brian's rescheduled invocation were heard, they did not manifest. A few people, however, did voice their protest during the meeting to allowing a Wiccan to do the opening prayer. The Mayor responded to these protests by saying that the City Council was not in the business of choosing one faith over another and that he was moved by the invocation. Maeven Eller, director of Betwixt and Between, who helped rally the local Pagan community in support of Brian, sends her thanks to all those who attended the City Council meetings and all those who wrote letters of support. She feels that “together [the Pagan Community] can do anything.” For a full coverage of events, see www.txpn.org/invocation.html. Maeven and Betwixt and Between can be reached at: maeven@betwixt.org; http://www.betwixt.org; 813 Exposition Ave., Dallas, TX 75226; 214-821-3340. Sacred Land Uses Law Protects Churches A new “Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000” was signed into law by US President Clinton on September 22, 2000. This law was supported by both liberal and conservative religious organizations, as well as by both Democrats and Republicans. It provides greater protection to religious organizations by preventing land use regulations from interfering with religious worship. Zoning laws have been used in many instances across the country to restrict or prevent religious worship, often times by creating religious free zones. For example, some Florida laws have prevented churches from being located in downtown areas or within city limits. In Oregon, one city prevented a church from meeting if its membership exceeded 100 people. In Texas, another church was prevented from building on its property because it was in a historical landmark district. Elsewhere, religious communities that met in member's houses have been banned from doing so due to zoning laws. Under the new law, these practices will no longer be legal. President Clinton commented that, “This act recognized the importance the free exercise of religion plays in our democratic society.” Many others are heralding this law as a big step toward greater religious freedom for people of all religions. Atheists Distribute Book Covers in School A controversy occurred in August of 2000 over the distribution of book covers in the Grand Prairie School District in the Dallas, Texas area. Dick Hogan and other members of the Metroplex Atheists group were initially denied access to local schools for distribution of their book covers, although the school district had previously allowed a Christian group to pass out covers bearing the Ten Commandments. To uphold the separation of church and state and to test the school's equal access policy, the Atheists sought to distribute covers that carried quotes about religious freedom from several US presidents. At first, Hogan's attempts to contact the school board were ignored. Only after receiving local news coverage about the situation, did the school district give Hogan information on how to submit the book covers for review. No response to the submission was received within 24 hours, which, according to the school's policies, meant the request was denied. The Metroplex Atheists then sent out a press release titled, “Grand Prairie school board turns down atheist-themed book covers in wake of their decision to allow Ten Commandment book covers.” This incident received a large amount of local press and was also picked up by the Associated Press wire service. In face of the publicity, the school district then gave the Atheist group permission to distribute their book covers, which they did at all the schools in the district in late August. Complete details can be found at http://www.metroplexatheists.org/ Voter Guide for Churches Election years sometimes bring up questions about the legal role of churches in political campaigns. Although individual ministers' rights to speak out about political issues are protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, houses of worship that are nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) Internal Revenue Service status are legally barred from endorsing or opposing candidates and can not intervene in any partisan campaigns. Some nonprofit churches have been prosecuted and have had their tax-exempt status removed as a result of misunderstanding these laws. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has made several educational documents available on their website to help churches understand the legalities of how they can and cannot participate in political campaigns. See their website at: http://www.au.org, under the section, “Churches and Politics,” for more information, or contact Americans United for Separation of Church and State, 518 C Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20002; (202) 466-3234. Anti-Witch Cross Burning in Kansas In early August, Pagans Sarah and William Leslie found a cross burning in the yard of the house into which they were preparing to move in Miltonvale, Kansas. The cross held a racial slur and reference to Witches on it. This was after an earlier religious controversy that erupted in the town when a Buddhist monk was invited to speak at the local library. Some Christians sponsored a counter rally outside the library, claiming that Buddhism is a false religion. Pagans came out in support of the monk's talk, and debate erupted between them and the Christians. Later, some residents objected to a Pagan gathering that took place in the home of Candy Ayres, saying that it was noisy and that the bonfire was a fire hazard. Ayres, however, feels that it was a quiet party that couldn't have disturbed neighbors. She says that rumors are going around that Pagans will be burned out of their houses and run out of town. Several letters to the editor, both for and against religious freedom, have been published in the local Salinas, Kansas newspaper. Police are investigating the cross burning incident. The sheriff has stated that the Pagans were not breaking any laws during their gathering at Ayres' house. Update on "Witch" Killings in Africa According to a July 19, 2000 article in the Africa News Online (http://allafrica.com/), a new traveling show is reducing violence towards Witches in South Africa. As reported in the Winter 1999/2000 issue of LLL, 600 people accused of Witchcraft have been murdered in South Africa since 1990. These “Witches” appear to include native wise people who practice forms of traditional magic in their healing. The new roadshow, sponsored by the Gender Commission, features 33 actors, some of whom are former Witch-hunters, who have been granted amnesty after giving testimony that violence towards Witchcraft in their homelands was politically motivated. The Gender Commission, which is involved with the problem because most of the victims are women aged 55-72, reports that the show has helped to dramatically reduce Witchcraft related violence. Alternative Health Practices Legalized in Minnesota Pagans who work with herbalists, homeopaths, and other alternative practitioners were pleased to hear that in June Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura signed into law a bill that allows freedom of access for consumers to alternative health care and freedom to practice for complimentary/alternative health care practitioners. The law, which is paving a new path in alternative care, allows practitioners to practice with a minimum of oversight and frees them from possible legal sanctions for “practicing medicine without a license,” as long as they get signed consent forms from their clients. It sets up an office in the state Department of Health to register practitioners and field complaints, and establishes some liability for practitioners, safety for minors, and freedom and responsibility for consumers. Other states are already looking at this law as a possible model for similar legislation in their areas. More details can be found at http://www2.bitstream.net/~bunlion/massage/, or contact the Minnesota Natural Health Coalition (MNHC), the organization that spearheaded the reform, at 3236 17th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55407; (612) 721-3305, http://www.minnesotanaturalhealth.org. Gore Depicts a "Witch" The evening proceedings of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles on August 17, 2000, included a discussion of the Gore family's view of the importance of Halloween as a family holiday. Just prior to Al Gore's acceptance speech for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, his wife, Tipper Gore, presented a multimedia show which included her family photographs interspersed with commentary about Al Gore's personal life and some video clips. Included in this show was a childhood photograph of one of the Gore daughters dressed as a “Witch” for Halloween. Although this was about the cultural celebration of Halloween as an American folk holiday, rather than a political statement in support of Wiccan religious freedom and Pagan contributions to American popular culture, the inclusion of this family Halloween piece stands in sharp contrast to the agenda of militant conservative Christian political forces which have worked, sometimes successfully, to ban secular Halloween celebrations from public schools and communities, and to remove from libraries books with positive depictions of Witches, Halloween, and Paganism. Pagans Rally in Washington, DC The annual Blessed Be and Meet Me in DC rally was held this year from October 13 to 15 in Washington DC. The gathering, which is shaped by Pagans from many paths, is intended to promote religious freedom by educating the general public about Paganism. Activities throughout the weekend included workshops and public rituals on the Library Mall, as well as a food and blood drive, trash pick up, voter education, and collection of plants and flowers for donation to area hospitals. This year's speakers included Phyllis Curott, Kerr Cuhulain, Isaac Bonewits, Ellen Evert Hopman, Ellen Cannon Reed, Freya Aswynn, Charles Arnold, Elspeth and Nybor, and others. The event opened on Friday evening with a Full Moon ritual at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, which was intended to return his spirit there so that all who visit are inspired by his ideas of religious freedom. Although one ritual on Sunday was interrupted by three bystanders shouting Christian doctrine, who were removed by security, most bypassers were curious and tolerant. Around 250 people attended the event, which received press coverage from local TV shows. One strong message that arose from the gathering was that Pagans can benefit by doing public service and dealing proactively with the media. Mirror events were held elsewhere in Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Ohio, and Texas. For more information, see http://www.bbmmdc.org or contact Blessed Be Pagan Unity, Inc., PO Box 7716, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-7716. Memorial for the Victims of the Burning Times Participants at Circle Sanctuary's Samhain Festival, held October 27-29, 2000 in southwestern Wisconsin, participated in the creation and dedication of a memorial to the victims of the Burning Times. The memorial was created in a workshop on the opening day of the event which was facilitated by Cindy and Theresa. Historically documented names of victims were embroidered onto brightly colored ribbons, which were then tied to a hoop that hangs from the memorial, which also includes a pentacle shaped wind chime. A large black ribbon was added for those victims whose names and stories will remain unknown. A healing for victims, facilitated by Theresa, was included in Saturday's main Samhain ritual, which was followed by a religious freedom working facilitated by Shel. On Sunday, the memorial was permanently placed in Circle Sanctuary's cemetery as a place for reflection and offerings from visitors. There are plans to add to the memorial in the future. This memorial was created to increase awareness of the horrors of the Burning Times, when an indeterminate number of women and some men were killed due to accusations of Witchcraft during the 15th to 17th century in both Europe and America. By increasing awareness of the scope of the burnings and executions, as well as the social causes that permitted such atrocities to occur, it is hoped that there will never again be a Burning Times.