Posts Tagged ‘Pagan’

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News & Submissions 11/28/2009

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

Welcome to Melbourne for the Parliament of the World’s Religions, December 3-9, 2009
On behalf of the spiritual ancestors and the traditional owners of Melbourne, I invite you to Melbourne in 2009, for the Parliament of the World’s Religions to share in the traditions, culture and spirit of Australia. Read full story from parliamentofreligions.org

Hidden Symbols of Thanksgiving
According to an article published on the Fox News website, there are five secrets of Thanksgiving and they are:
1- A secret society invented Thanksgiving.
2- There’s a secret connection between the Bible and Thanksgiving.
3- A manuscript lost for two centuries resurfaces with true Thanksgiving meanings.
4- Pilgrims preferred Thanksgiving to Christmas.
5- The Statue of Liberty holds Thanksgiving Day secrets.
Read full story from  examiner.com

Right-Wing Culture Warriors Warn of Atheist Attack on Thanksgiving!
Michael Tomasky notes that the annual “War on Christmas” has started early this holiday season. But that’s old hat — mainstream stuff that’s become just another part of the old holiday spirit among the Fox News set. Read full story from alternet.org

Christian church, Native American tribe reconcile
NEW YORK – Members of one of America’s oldest Protestant churches officially apologized Friday , for the first time , for massacring and displacing Native Americans 400 years ago. Read full story from philly.com

Let’s get it straight: Irish child abuse was perpetrated by the trendy, modern post-Vatican II Catholic Church
The Obama principle that a crisis is too good to waste is clearly being applied in the case of the clerical child abuse scandal in Ireland. A spin is being put on the shocking revelations in the report on abuse in the archdiocese of Dublin to implicate the “pre-Conciliar” Catholic Church in the wrongdoings of post-Vatican II pederasts. In the process, the name of a good man has been dragged into the cesspit, for political purposes. Read full story from telegraph.co.uk

O Christmas tree: Centuries-old tradition brings joy to the season
Decorating your home with an adorned tree or two during the holidays is a centuries-old tradition.Long before the ubiquitous ‘Christmas Tree’ was offered up in store windows, or tied to a cherished religious holiday, people decorated their homes with evergreen foliage during the bleak winter season as a reminder and symbol of life. Read full story from citizen-times.com

Have a Holly, Jolly Xmas Solstice!
OLYMPIA, Wash. — An atheist group has unveiled an anti-religion placard in the state Capitol, joining a Christian Nativity scene and “holiday tree” on display during December. Read full story from leatherpenquin.com

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News & Submissions 11/27/2009

Friday, November 27th, 2009

SAUDI ARABIA: Kingdom steps up hunt for ‘witches’ and ‘black magicians’
When the popular 46-year-old Lebanese psychic Ali Sibat went on-air and made his predictions about the future, the phone lines of the satellite television station Sheherazade used to be flooded with calls.

But what the star psychic probably did not predict was that his claims to supernatural prowess would land him a death sentence. Read full story from latimes.com

Killer son stabbed ‘witch’ mother 21 times
A divorced father of three stabbed his mother 21 times after becoming convinced that she was a witch and had put a curse on him, a court heard today.

Kayode Kuye tortured and killed Christina Kuye, 69, because he believed she had ruined his life with a black magic spell, the Old Bailey was told. Read full story from independent.co.uk

The pagan gardener
There’s no way around it; gardeners suffer from split personality, I guess. Because as we head to Christmas, or the Winter Solstice if that is your preference, we seem to take the whole garden inside. Trees, shrubs, branches – things we strictly kept out of the house all summer, we now excitedly drag inside to create, let’s face it, a garden space under our roof and inside our four walls. Read full story from westisland.com

Forest vicar warns against dabbling in the occult
Gloucestershire vicar Nick Bromfield is warning Foresters not to dabble in the occult after a sheep’s head was put on a pole outside one of his churches.

The churchman says he has spotted several signs of black magic worship while out and about in the Forest of Dean. Read full story from thisisglouceshire.co.uk

Goat’s head found in Lira municipality office
Fear gripped Lira municipality officials on Monday morning when they reported for duty and found a goat’s head in the office of the town clerk.

The goat’s head, believed to have been used to perform rituals, was discovered near the visitors’ seat. Read full story from newsvision.co.ug

Archaeologists Recount a Buddhist Tale
“In a 60-square-meter pit dug out with care, two meters deep,” or a 650-square-foot pit 6 feet deep, “fragments of Buddhist statues were methodically laid down, the heads along the sides and the larger bits, torsos, and stela slabs in the central area. Some were only partially preserved. A number were reassembled after a delicate restoration job. Some reveal traces of a fire, others were repaired in ancient times with iron clasps.” Read full story from nytimes.com

Second arson attack at Sri Lankan Buddhist temple
TORONTO — An early morning fire that damaged a Buddhist temple used by Toronto’s Sri Lankan community for the second time in six months has been classified as an arson. Read full story from nationalpost.com

Diverse group unites to give thanks
More than 100 community members, young and old, filed into the First United Methodist Church Thursday morning, to give thanks for their peers and acknowledge the common ground among members of different faiths. Read full story from dailytidings.com

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News & Submissions 11/25/2009

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Solitary or Social Pagan?
Pagans practice in one of three ways: solitary (alone), socially (in a group), or semi-socially. Here are some ideas of what these three entail and tips on if you are a pagan and want to change from solitary to social. Read full story from The Examiner

ENA and content filtering categories for the Indianapolis Public Schools
Based on Content Filtering Categories for the Indianapolis Public Schools opt-in listed at http://www.ena.com/help/BlueCoat/InSchools/, anything with a single asterisk (*) is content that is blocked by Indianapolis Public Schools. Anything with a double asterisk (**) is always allowed by Indianapolis Public Schools. On this page, it is also stated that, “Websites that are categorized in this way are always allowed regardless of multiple categorizations.” Read full story from The Examiner

Islam in the Land of the Rising Sun
Everyday the call to prayer is made in different corners of the predominantly Buddhist country – unobtrusively within the confines of its 50 or so mosques and approximately 100 musollas or communal prayer rooms. Read full story from aljazeera.net

Nepal’s bloodbath fair claims three Indian infants
Kathmandu, Nov 25 (IANS) At least three Indian infants died due to cold in Nepal’s most controversial religious fair, where thousands of animals and birds are being slaughtered by Indians and Nepalis, mostly in the hope of getting a son or wish fulfilment. Read full story from sindhtoday.net

U of A offering occult course
For about 15 years Bruce Miller taught Witchcraft and the Occult at the University of Alberta as a credited course.
It was so popular that the university had to split the class in two and hire another teacher. Read full story from metronews.ca

Family group declares victory in ‘Christmas’ battle
The American Family Association has tentatively declared a victory in its battle to keep Christmas in American culture, suspending its boycott of Gap, Inc., after the clothing retailer announced an upcoming pro-Christmas commercial campaign. Read full story from wnd.com

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News & Submissions 11/24/2009

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Tony Alamo Gets Locked Up Forever
Tony Alamo, 74, is convinced that a demon possessed FBI and the pope are behind the plot to put him in prison, but this defense didn’t exactly impress the judge who sentenced him to nearly two centuries of hard time. Read full story from unreasonablefaith

Pagan spirituality group offers opportunity to explore beliefs, rituals
With a multitude of churches in the Whitewater area, most people don’t have a problem finding a supportive environment for their religious and spiritual beliefs. Read full story from royalpurplenews.com

Going to Extremes A&E’s new paranormal show takes different approach to investigation
Count one-time Norwalk resident Nathan Schoonover, now of Danbury, in that first group. He’s one of the stars of A&E’s new show, “Extreme Paranormal,” which the cable network says investigates haunting legends by provoking spirits. Schoonover’s job as the team’s occult specialist is to assist investigator Shaun Burris and technical expert Jason Gowin as they ferret out paranormal activity found in the nation’s well-known haunts. Read full story from wiltonvillager.com

Saudi Arabia: Witchcraft and Sorcery Cases on the Rise
(Kuwait City) – The cassation court in Mecca should overturn the death sentence imposed on Ali Sabat by a lower court in Medina on November 9 for practicing witchcraft, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the Saudi government to cease its increasing use of charges of “witchcraft” which remains vaguely defined and arbitrarily used. Read full story from hrw.org

Goodness just feels good; no gods or devils need apply
Q: What do you think of the American Humanist Association’s new “Godless Holiday” campaign? The ads will say: “No God? . . . No Problem! Be good for goodness’ sake. Humanism is the idea that you can be good without a belief in God. Read full story from washingtonpost.com

Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill, radical and heinous
Uganda has taken a large step backward in the past month, with the introduction of an anti-homosexuality bill. This issue not only has stirred up controversy in international rings, but also poses the greatest threat to Uganda’s stability. As outlined in the draft bill, “aggravated homosexuality” would be punishable by death, with different tiers of punishment being allotted to homosexuals and even heterosexuals who fail to report homosexual activity. Read full story from The Manitobin

College pays fired witch $40,000 to settle discrimination charge
A former University of Nebraska employee who claimed she was fired for being a witch has agreed to settle her case for $40,000. Read full story from walletpop.com

Pet owners turn to massage, yoga to help furry friends
Keri Block and her dog Bailey take part in a class at the City Arts Factory in Orlando. She credits massage and other holistic therapies with calming Bailey’s nervous energy. (CASSI ALEXANDRA/SPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL / November 15, 2009) Read full story from orlandosentinel.com

Dalai Lama begins teaching for Russian Buddhists
Dharamsala, November 24: Hundreds of Buddhists from Russia and its neghbouring countries are currently in Dharamsala to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s three-day teachings and Buddhist initiation. Read full story from phayul.com

Dalai Lama says Obama not soft on China
NEW DELHI — The Dalai Lama defended President Barack Obama from criticism that he has been too soft on China, saying Sunday that the U.S. leader just has a different approach to dealing with the Asian giant. Read full story from Google/AssociatedPress

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News & Submissions 11/19/2009

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Spiritual festival in the cards
Ann Marie Beale, minister of Unity Center of Tulsa, demonstrates a tarot reading in her home. She will read the tarot cards during Saturday’s Spirit Fair at the Unity Center of Tulsa. Karen Shade / Tulsa World Read full story from Read full story from tulsaworld.com

Boost morale and spirituality for Pagan soldiers overseas — send a Yule package
Most of us are probably aware of Circle Sanctuary, Lady Liberty League , and all Selena Fox’s other work for the Pagan community at large. Her work towards the success of acquiring the pentacle as an accepted symbol on veteran’s headstones was a wonderful achievement that is still fresh in our minds. Read full story from examiner.com

‘The mass sacrifice of animals is barbaric’
Pramada Shah, president of the Animal Welfare Network Nepal and wife of the king’s nephew, explains what will happen during the Gadhimai Jatra festival on November 24-25, at which half a million animals and birds are expected to be sacrificed Read full story from gaurdianweekly.com

War on Christmas comes to Minnesota
The religious right’s annual “War on Christmas” is ramping up early this year, and at least one Minnesota-based company is on its hit list. For the past few years, the American Family Association has targeted retail corporations that use the word “holiday” instead of “Christmas” in their holiday marketing. On Thursday, the group said it’s a trend that began with the Nazis. Read full story from minnesotaindependent.com

Postal Service Cancels Letter To Santa Program
Starry-eyed children writing letters to the jolly man at the North Pole this holiday season very likely won’t get a response from Santa Claus or his helpers. Read full story from npr

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News & Submissions 11/18/2009

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Martin Lecture Series explores Neo-Paganism
Magliocco is an old friend of Wheaton Professor of Religion, Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus. Magliocco was recently inaugurated into a group of Neo-Pagan “witches,” after years of researching the Neo-Pagan reclamation movement in San-Francisco Bay Area. Read full story from thewheatwire.com

How the Nazis tried to take Christ out of Christmas
For the perfect Nazi Christmas you had to hang glittering swastikas and toy grenades from the pine tree in the living room and, in your freshly pressed uniform, belt out carols urging German women to make babies for the Führer rather than worship the Jewish Baby Jesus. Then came the moment to light the pagan candle-holders — hand-made by labourers at Dachau. Read full story from timesonline.co.uk

Witch School Moved
The Witch School witches prepare their brooms for a long flight because Witch School is on the move. The mostly witches’ virtual school has been operating from Roseville, Illinois for the past several years. They’ve been trying to teach live classes in Roseville, but apparently it’s not the most witch friendly town in the USA. Read full story from examiner.com

Northern California tribal leader airs concerns with Obama
(MCT) – Leslie Lohse, leader of a small band of Indians in Tehama County, recently found herself speaking directly to President Barack Obama – one chief of state to another. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

Choosing a domestic deity for the Pagan household
Every domestic witch will eventually look into the subject of a household deity. Traditionally, there are two types of domestic deities: a major god or goddess or the minor or local entities called animistic deities. You’ve probably heard of at least a few of the goddesses used as deities in the household: Hestia, Frigg or Brigid are some of the most popular used today. But have you heard of the tomte, domovoi or cofgodas? These are but a few of the animistic deities that have been worshipped in the past. Read full story from examiner.com

Yoga helps even little ones channel energy, emotion
Decatur, Georgia (CNN) — Gigi reaches up into her sun salutation. She steps back into her high lunge and kicks her legs straight into plank pose, a push-up she holds without wobbling for 10 seconds before looking up impatiently at her yoga teacher. Read full story from cnn.com

The Evolution of the God Gene
IN the Oaxaca Valley of Mexico, the archaeologists Joyce Marcus and Kent Flannery have gained a remarkable insight into the origin of religion. Read full story from nytimes.com

(MCT) – Leslie Lohse, leader of a small band of Indians in Tehama County, recently found herself speaking directly to President Barack Obama – one chief of state to another.

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News & Submissions 11/17/2009

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

2009 Wild Hunt Winter Pledge Drive, Nov 16-22
Since it started in 2004, the Wild Hunt has become a vital news source for modern Pagans, and a crucial resource for those outside the Pagan movement who want to explore the issues that are important to us. Read full story from The Wild Hunt

Retired policeman speaks in Farmville on occult
FARMVILLE — Juggalos, Wiccans, Satanists and vampires are all subcultures of the occult that are on the periphery of the mainstream. Read full story from timesdispatch.com

Satan, the great motivator
What makes economies grow? It’s a question that has occupied thinkers for centuries. Most of us would tick off things like education levels, openness to trade, natural resources, and political systems. Read full story from boston.com

ACLU: Bibles passed out, prayer encouraged in Cheatham County schools
A lawsuit has been filed against the Cheatham County School Board alleging that school officials have promoted their own religious beliefs and allowed and encouraged public prayers at school events. Read full story from tennessean.com

Indianapolis Public Schools Block the Pagans
The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, you may remember them from the Green Bay Nativity case, is demanding that the Indianapolis Public School system change its current web access policy which bans access to “occult”, “Wiccan”, “Voodoo” and “mysticism”-boosting sites. Read full story from The Wild Hunt

The wonders and worries when traditions converge
We’ll get ready, soon, to decorate the Christmas tree. Or light the menorah. Or celebrate Kwanzaa. Read full story from washingtonpost.com

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News & Submissions 11/16/2009

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Wisconsin: Man-Wolf sightings
You all know how skeptical we here at GhostTheory are. Sometimes we even come off as being too tough on people. For example take the case with “Extreme Paranormal“. Read full story from ghosttheory.com

Be a good Christian: Say ‘Happy Holidays’
Here’s a fun mind game just in time for the year’s biggest shopping season: If Jesus were a clerk ringing up your purchase at The Gap, would he wish you “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”? What would Jesus do? Read full story from post-gazette.com

Flying Oskar: “I Believe” In Political Pandering
Score one for the good guys. After months of waiting on what was an absolutely inevitable decision, It was finally time on Wednesday for the rational people of South Carolina to stand up and cheer after U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie ruled that South Carolina’s state-issued “I Believe” license plate is unconstitutional. It was a good week for the separation of church and state here in the Palmetto State. Read full story from spartanburgspark.com

The origin of witchcraft
Christian leaders who believe in the story of creation say the craft of witches was a result of man straying from worshipping the one true God. Because man has an insatiable desire to worship a supernatural being and to look to the supernatural for help in times of calamities like drought, misfortunes, floods and epidemics, people formulated images that they found unique, captivating and alluring, like the rainbow, extraordinarily smooth stones etc. Maybe these held the answer to their problems, they thought. Read full story from monitor.co.ug

Witchcraft charge dismissed against traditional healers in Samoa
The Supreme Court in Samoa has dimissed one count of witchcraft against a couple standing trial for the death of a 44 year old woman who was severely burnt in a hot water treatment allegedly as a result of the witchcraft. Read full story from rnzi.com

Tarot cards could spell out your future
Marcus Katz is a scholar magician who is leading today’s witchcraft session, which is to promote a new TV series, Eastwick, starring the beautiful Rebecca Romijn of Ugly Betty and X-Men fame. Read full story from metro.co.uk

The DIY spiritual practice
I often envy people who practice a spiritual discipline. It almost doesn’t matter what they do. Zen, maybe, or yoga. Shamanic drumming. Sufi dancing. Kaballah. Ceremonial magick. Pagan witchcraft. Or even something as mainstream as regularly praying to God. Read full story from uuworld.org

Anti-gay church sets its sights on Jews
WASHINGTON — For more than a decade, Westboro Baptist Church has raised a ruckus with the message that God hates gays, posting itself outside government buildings, college campuses and even the funerals of American soldiers. But in recent months, the Topeka, Kan.-based church has been moving toward other targets, predominantly in the American Jewish community. Read full story from usatoday.com

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News & Submissions 11/15/2009

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

Here Come The Werewolves…
Every few years there’s an ever changing fad in Hollywood. Whether the fad is on dystopian stories, Sci-fi, dogs or the most recent, Vampires; we always see the trickle-down effect. It starts in the most impressionable of sources. Books. Read full story from ghosttheory.com

The Sunday (Pagan) Movies Round-Up
Some big-screen news for those with Pagan views! We start off with an update on “The Wicker Tree”, the currently-shooting spiritual companion/sequel to the 1973 cult-classic “The Wicker Man”. On Halloween in New York, a special screening of “The Wicker Man” was held (along with a cool concert featuring Silver Summit), and director Robin Hardy was on hand to talk about the cult-classic and screen ten minutes of footage from the new film. Lucky for us all, Dread Central was there and files a report. Read full story from The Wild Hunt

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News & Submission 11/12/2009

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Catholic Church gives D.C. ultimatum
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn’t change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care Read full story from washingtonpost.com

‘Witches, possessed’ flock to Kenya pastor
Kisii, Kenya (CNN) — On one Sunday each month Pastor Lawrence Omambia, the lead preacher at the Community of Christ church in Kisii, Kenya, shows off his gift — healing and exorcism. Read full story from cnn.com

2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won’t End?
Remember the Y2K scare? It came and went without much of a whimper because of adequate planning and analysis of the situation. Impressive movie special effects aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won’t be the end of the world as we know. It will, however, be another winter solstice. Read full story from nasa.gov

Shenpa, attachment and craving… the lessons they teach us
Shenpa is the Tibetan Buddhist term for attachment and craving that can keep us hooked in a pattern of overindulgence, particularly when it comes to our addictions – whether they be to food, alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, or even such seemingly healthful things like exercise and spirituality. Read full story from examiner.com

Living a good life – without God
Frankly, I find Christianity as implausible as many Christians would find Hinduism, Muslims paganism, Buddhists Judaism, etc. But when pushed for analytical rigor, I have no option but to exercise intellectual prudence and accept that many worldviews, seemingly implausible to me, are not trivially irrational. This column is to ask that atheism/agnosticism/secularism/deism/naturalism/humanism be likewise recognized by the religious as a reasonable interpretation of the world. Read full story from dailyprincetonian.com

Pagans reach out to community at workshop
Pagans of the Champaign–Urbana area reach out to followers and non-Pagans alike to foster discussion of their faith – partially to clear up previous notions people may have about their beliefs. Read full story from dailyillini.com

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