Wicca

Shayne Looper: To coexist is just not enough
We were in an Ivy League town recently, and I noticed a number of cars sporting a bumper sticker that read COEXIST. The letters were constructed from various symbols, some of which were religious in nature. Read full story from norwichbulletin.com

Winter solstice is a time of renewal, reconnection with the Earth
Throughout the ages, a variety of cultures have viewed the winter solstice as a time for celebration and renewal. The tilt of the earth’s axis makes the winter solstice the shortest day — and longest night — of the year. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the word solstice comes from the roots “sol,” which means sun, and “stit,” which means stand. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice usually falls on Dec. 21 or 22. Read full story from poughkeepsiefournal.com

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

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

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

Witch Bottle Discovered; Made to Ward Off Evil Spirits?
**October 29, 2009—**In time for Halloween, a beer bottle-turned-talisman against malicious spirits has been found buried near a former pub in England, archaeologists say. Read full story from nationalgeographic.com

Ten-year-old refuses to stand for Pledge of Allegiance
When ten-year-old Will Phillips, of West Fork, Ark., found a principle he couldn’t stand up for––he sat down. And the repercussions from that action have spread across the country. Read full story from uuworld.org

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

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

NASA finds ‘significant’ water on moon
(CNN) – NASA said Friday it had discovered water on the moon, opening “a new chapter” that could allow for the development of a lunar space station. Read full story from cnn.com

Oz Muslim students bully 11-year-old kid for eating a salami sandwich
Melbourne, Nov 13 (ANI): A Sydney couple has withdrawn their two children from a public primary school because Muslim students bullied their 11-year-old son for eating a salami sandwich during Ramadan. Read full story from yahoo.com

Days of the Dead
From October 31st through November 2nd, a number of festivals, holidays and solemnities take place, all loosely related and revolving around remembrance of the dead. Halloween, Samhain, All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, the Day of the Dead and other festivals trace their origins back to Celtic, Aztec, Roman and Christian traditions. Halloween is largely a secular observation these days, All Souls and All Saints remain mainly Catholic observations, and the Day of the Dead is still largely a Latin American tradition, its roots in Mexico’s Aztec heritage. Collected here are photographs over the past week from the varied observations of the Days of the Dead around the world. Read full story from boston.com

Day of the Dead honors ancestors
Día de los Muertos, meaning Day of the Dead, is celebrated on November first within the Hispanic cultures around the world. Originating in Mexico, this annual ritual dates back some 3,000 years in history. The rituals are about honoring and communicating with one’s dead ancestors, and was practiced among the Zapotec, Mixtec, Olmec, Maya, P’urhepecha, Totonac and Mexica societies. Read full story from The Examiner