Brace yourself for St Brigid
She’s our female patron saint yet St Patrick gets all the parades, but with her name coming back into favour maybe it’s time for St Brigid to shine, writes FIONA McCANN Read full story from irishtimes.com
Is The First Amendment for Monotheists Only?
A case coming before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals could end up having major legal ramifications for all religious minorities in the United States. Wiccan chaplain Patrick McCollum has been fighting for years to overturn the State of California’s “five faiths policy”, which limits the hiring of paid chaplains to Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Native American adherents. While McCollum has suffered setbacks in his quest, with a California federal district court ruling in early 2009 that he had no standing to bring his suit, he recently gained support on appeal from several civil and religious rights groups who argue that his case should be heard. Read full story from wildhunt.org
Prayer before N.C. meetings ruled unconstitutional
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Using prayer to open a North Carolina county board of commissioners meeting violates the First Amendment, a federal judge ruled yesterday, adopting recommendations made earlier by a magistrate judge. Read full story from firstammendmentcenter.com
Groundhog Day has fallen far from our hearty Teutonic roots
Next week, we mark the occasion when, hundreds of years ago, our European ancestors emerged from their thatch-roofed homes, chilled to the bone from the winter’s cold, and prayed to whatever pagan gods they held dear that a sacred animal would herald the return of spring. Read full story from thedailytimes.com
Lifetree Cafe to highlight Wicca, Pagans at event
“People are intrigued with Wicca and witchcraft,” said Craig Cable, Lifetree Cafe representative. “But there’s a lot of misinformation floating around. We’ll hear from people who know the facts – and discover what the appeal is of Wicca and Paganism. Might you have a witch living next door? We’ll find out.” Read full story from coloradoan.com
New Yorkers, Keep Yoga Protected with a 2-Minute Call
Yoga is soothing for the mind, body and soul–so too is it sustainable when it comes to low-carbon exercise. No high-tech gear, gadgets or electricity required.
Shouldn’t such a good, green thing be accessible to its students and teachers? I certainly think so. The state of New York seems to differ. They’re threatening to make being a yoga instructor or studio owner challenging with lengthy forms, tests and licensure procedures, in addition to expensive license renewals. Read full story from treehugger.com
