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Druid Utopia
We spend a day with a group of modern Druids as they welcome in the Spring with a ceremony at the Spring Equinox. The Druids were originally Celtic priests who venerated the natural world and celebrated the changing of the seasons throughout the year. We spend a day with a group of modern Druids as they welcome in the Spring with a ceremony at the Spring Equinox. The Druids were orig... more
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Hocus Pocus Club
On the 10th May this year Witchfest England takes place. This is one of the largest and most popular gathering of Witches in the world. Featuring talks, workshops and an esoteric market. Interest in Occult is rising in the UK which some Christian movements blame on the rise of TV, film and books such as Harry Potter and Buffy. We talk to the event organisers, performers and Witchfest festival goers about what it is that they practice and why people should know about it. On the 10th May this year Witchfest England takes place. This is one of the largest and most popular gathering of Witches in the world... more
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Kathy Lee Gifford bashes pagans on The Today Show!
On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, during a live broadcast of a wedding reception on The Today Show, Kathy Lee Gifford gratuitously referred to pagans as "nasty, bad Pagans." Ms Gifford's hate speech has done harm to American pagans' ability to live in peace with our neighbors of other faiths. By allowing her hate speech to be broadcast, her direct employer The Today Show, and their network, NBC, participate in that hate speech.
This is a petition calling for, at the very least, an on-air apology. A Today Show program devoted to dispelling misconceptions about pagans and paganism would go a long way toward undoing the damage.
Signers of this petition are also putting the sponsor of that Today Show segment, Samsung, on notice that we are conducting a boycott against them until such time as we receive justice.
Sign Petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/quotnasty-bad-pagansqu... On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, during a live broadcast of a wedding reception on The Today Show, Kathy Lee Gifford gratuitously referred... more -
Friendly Neighborhood Witches
"From The Times
July 8, 2008
My friendly neighbourhood witches
Ken Russell
In a heavily wooded hollow in the heart of the New Forest lies the village of Burley. Its tea rooms provide cream teas for tourists, while half a dozen shops cater to the needs of witches living in the woods near by. Books of spells for good and ill, stacks of magic wands, shelves of tarot cards vie for space. Pentagrams, lucky charms, crystal balls, mystic bibles, “books of shadows”, astrological mugs and twig brooms are piled high. Witches and fairies of all kinds hang from the ceiling in mid-flight or decorate bracelets, china, paintings and pretty clocks. Everything is for sale, and for every sale to a serious witch or warlock, there must be a thousand to the visiting tourist.
Yes, Burley is well and truly steeped in witchcraft. And, except for that 16th and 17th-century lapse in tolerance in which tens of thousands were burnt across Europe (mostly women), witches have been thriving, ever since Burley's own Sybil Leek came out of the broom closet in the 20th century and invented witch pride.
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Like most people brought up on Shakespeare, Rackham's drawings, the Brothers Grimm and The Wizard of Oz, I've always assumed that witches were good when they were bad. Double bubble, poison apples, magic mirrors, warts and wands. Pointed hats, black cats, prodding fingers, cackling laughs. But in Burley I was privileged to drag my Hammer-Horror fantasies into the secret lair of a real witch and warlock for correctional instruction.
Our modern magicians, Vandervalk and Freya, hold multiple university degrees in medicine, animal husbandry, ecology and psychology. They're grounded professionals whose dedication to public service (teaching prisoners to care for creatures such as wild owls as a route to learning respect) makes it a risk to reveal their night jobs as high priest and priestess of the craft. And they've had it up to here with toad jokes. This is 2008, after all, and the wise arts have been tested and refined for centuries. The results are in for this pair, who have been practising a combined total of 30 years, 12 of them in partnership.
Witchcraft is based on the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. It involves fine-tuning oneself to receive a vivid experience of the connectedness of things. As Vandervalk puts it: “Witchcraft is like electricity. I'm the plug that goes into the mains. I don't keep the force for myself, or claim mastery over it. I'm a conduit, to bring ease and positive outcomes to other people's lives.”
He continues: “In Western civilisation, all of us are five days away from anarchy. All it would take would be for our usual power systems to fail and we'd be plunged into darkness. At that moment it would be extremely useful to know a shaman like myself who is an adept in woodcraft and plant medicine.”
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“Power animals are my speciality,” he adds. “I'm grafting myself to their purity. Survival is their whole purpose. It's the life-linkage I'm cultivating. A witch connected to woodland ways is able to remove the plastic wrapper from life. That's why it's easier to conduct our work in nature. The forest, the time of year and the Moon are our church.”
“It's a path for attaining self-knowledge in conjunction with the cycle of life, birth, death: the mysteries."
“If someone wants to get revenge or a husband to return, we don't help them to cast spells; we redirect them,” Freya says. “Any black magic rebounds on the sender seven-fold. Nor do we perform ‘skyclad' - in the nude,” she adds, a little too pointedly in my direction and with a hint of psychic powers.
“We're not obsessive about it. The point is to integrate the mundane with the evolutionary thrust, not to favour one at the expense of the other,” Vandervalk says. “And,” he jokes, “to turn annoying people into mushrooms.”
" "From The Times July 8, 2008 My friendly neighbourhood witches Ken Russell ... more -
Man charged for practising witchcraft (in Dubai)
"9 July 2008
DUBAI — An Asian man M.A. has been referred to Public Prosecution for allegedly cheating and practising witchcraft in the Hatta area in Dubai .
The Dubai Police received information on July 2 that a large number of people were visiting an Asian man who promised to help people achieve their desires. He claimed to possess supernatural powers.
He was visited by people who were either seeking jobs or wanted to get rich overnight, and women who had problems with their husbands.
Some people also approached him for miracle cures to their ailments.
After proper investigations and monitoring of the man's movements, the police laid a trap.
He was arrested when he brought his witchcraft tools and chanted some strange words in his efforts to appease one of his clients, who was an undercover officer.
During interrogation, he confessed that he had been indulging in withcraft for the past two years in the Hatta area."
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=da...= "9 July 2008 ... more -
Religious Extremist Roomies - God Loves ME Best! - Volume 1
Extended trailer for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! The producers introduce the cast to their new home while ridiculing them from behind the scenes. Starring Allegra Cohen, Khrystyne Haje, Eric Kirchberger, Nasry Malak, Michelle Maryk, Ron McClary, Ann Scobie, and Sam Rodd.
http://www.godlovesmebest.com
http://www.youtube.com/godlovesmebest Extended trailer for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! The producers introduce the cast to their new home while ridiculing them fro... more -
Witches, Christian Porn, & Prayer-God Loves ME Best! - Vol 2
Extended promo for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! in which the cast members get to know each other a little bit. Volume 2 of the God Loves ME Best! series. The roomies become acquainted. The Wiccan explains Witchcraft, The Christian covers his porn with a bible, The ladies discuss the sexual potential of their male counterparts, and the guys argue over prayer space and spiritual practices.
http://www.godlovesmebest.com
http://www.youtube.com/godlovesmebest Extended promo for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! in which the cast members get to know each other a little bit. Volume 2 of th... more -
Gay Preachers & Crystal Meth - God Loves ME Best! - Volume 7
Extended trailer for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! Starring Allegra Cohen, Khrystyne Haje, Eric Kirchberger, Nasry Malak, Michelle Maryk, Ron McClary, Ann Scobie, and Sam Rodd.
http://www.youtube.com/godlovesmebest
http://www.godlovesmebest.com
Extended trailer for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! Starring Allegra Cohen, Khrystyne Haje, Eric Kirchberger, Nasry Malak, Miche... more -
Illuminati, New World Order, and the Coming Age Beginning December 21, 2012
There is an Esoteric Agenda behind every facet of life that was once believed to be disconnected. There is an Elite faction guiding most every Political, Economic, Social, Corporate, some Non-Governmental or even Anti-Establishment Organizations. This film uses the hard work and research of professionals in every field helping to expose this agenda put the future of this planet back into the hands of the people. The orginal site (TalismanicIdols.com) was taken from under us so the new site will be TalismanicIdols.org
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If you have seen the movie Zeitgiest and you felt that you were connected to something even bigger than your immediate reality then you have to see this film. If you liked "What the bleep do we know" and you connected with the marriage of spirituality and science, you will be touched by this film.
This film is about abandoning fear and embracing love. Love activates dormant parts our DNA that will in turn cure our diseases, transform our realities, and lead us eventually to immortality.
This film give us the bigger picture of what is going on this world, why events are reaching a climax of destruction and violence, and what we can expect to come in the dawning of the age of Aquarius. We will be transformed by a transdimensional evolution due the increasing vibrational frequency of the earth wherein we will be transformed into beings of light. There is an Esoteric Agenda behind every facet of life that was once believed to be disconnected. There is an Elite faction guiding mo... more -
Vandals damage Stonehenge
Vandals take a hammer and a screwdriver to the ancient Stonehenge monument.
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God Loves ME Best! - Intro Promo
God Loves ME Best! A New Television Satire.
What happens when a Transvestite Muslim Extremist, a gun and porn Loving Christian Fundamentalist, a Fame hungry Jewish Radical, a pill-popping Buddhist with an anger management problem, a basket case Wiccan, and a kleptomaniac Atheist all live together under one roof?
God Loves ME Best! seeks to explore the narrow minded practices of extreme religious fanatics, stubborn non-believers, self righteous spiritual seekers and the shady washed-up reality show producers who are responsible for this madness, along with the Scientologist network executive who green lights the show.
God Loves ME Best! is a parody of reality television that explores hypocrisy in religion and politics. We are not here to belittle you, we are here to ask why your way is the only way, explore hypocrisy, and generate plenty of laughter along the way!
http://www.godlovesmebest.com
http://godlovesmebest.blip.tv/
http://revver.com/u/Merkaba/
http://www.youtube.com/godlovesmebest
http://godlovesmebestest.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/godlovesmebest God Loves ME Best! A New Television Satire. ... more -
Zeitgeist - The Movie
Have you ever wondered where Christianity really came from? Did you know that George W. Bush's Grandfather laundered Nazi money during WWII? Zeitgeist , shown here in it's entirety, will illuminate the blind and affirm the visionary. Winner of the 2007 Artist Film Festival, Hollywood, California, Best Feature Documentary, Zeitgeist will rock your world. Enjoy and spread the word! Have you ever wondered where Christianity really came from? Did you know that George W. Bush's Grandfather laundered Nazi money durin... more
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Ostara, The Pagan Equinox, And The Season To Shop
by Marisa
Our clocks are adjusted, and we're enjoying the perfectly balanced day and night of the spring equinox. Total coincidence that Easter is just around the corner, right? Well, not entirely...
While to Christians this weekend is most closely associated with Jesus' resurrection (well, that and chocolate-bearing rabbits, but more on them in a couple days), Easter traditions, like many contemporary religious holidays, have a rich Pagan history. Specifically, the struggles of various figures to return from the Underworld, be they Greek Mythology's Orpheus or Persephone, the Norse Odin, or Jesus Christ, have long been intertwined with the seasonal rebirth of trees and flowers at the Vernal Equinox, known to Pagans as Ostara.
Ostara gets its name from "Oestre" (which also morphs into "Easter"), the Teutonic Goddess of spring and dawn. Within the Pagan Wheel of the Year, in which the Goddess and God figures transition through the stages of life with each holiday, Ostara marks the Goddess in her maiden bloom, as she's courted by the now virile young God.
In ancient Greece and Rome, where seasonal lilies adorned the Ostara altar, young men mirrored their lusty springtime God by presenting the lilies to young women in courtship, which served as a symbol of commitment tantamount to an engagement ring today. Even the Easter bonnet is steeped in Ostara lore, as ancient Pagans considered it bad luck to wear new clothes before the Equinox. They therefore worked secretly through the winter months on the elegant finery they could parade on Ostara day.
Ostara isn't purely a springtime holiday, however, it is also inextricably tied with the Equinox, as represented by the Sun Wheel in its perfect balance of a cross within a circle. Having trouble drawing a mental image? Just think of the pattern atop a traditional Anglo hot cross bun, long a symbol of the Easter holiday.
So now that you have a sense of Ostara's history, how best to honor this year's Equinox? One ritual is to burn a list of Ostara aspirations, hopes you wish to birth in the coming season, by the light of a purple candle. Then bury the ashes in the ground with the springtime seeds, so your dreams may bloom with the flowers. Too much effort for your liking? There's always that proud tradition about new clothes and hats...
http://www.dailymantra.com
by Marisa ... more -
Easter, Eddie Izzard, And The Egg-Laying Rabbit
by Marisa
Crucifixion, resurrection... chocolate-bearing bunny rabbits? In the immortal words of Eddie Izzard (from his "Church of England Fundamentals" rant in Dress To Kill), "Kids eat chocolate eggs [at Easter] because of the color of the chocolate and the... color of the wood on the cross? Well, you tell me!" Agreed, Mr. Izzard, it's a quandary, but the following background may shed some light.
To ancient Pagans, the Vernal Equinox (or Ostara, later "Easter") celebrated the fertility and rebirth inherent to the coming spring. As an obvious symbol of fertility, eggs were a significant part of this celebration. In France, decorated eggs were given to new brides in the hope of a fertile marriage, while Pagan Celts incorporated eggs into their magical fertility rituals. In Germany, farmers' wives distributed bowls of eggs among the field workers to attract a rich harvest, while in Russia eggs were decorated to symbolize abundance and good fortune. The coloring of these eggs can be traced as far back as ancient Greece, where red eggs symbolized rebirth, and green eggs represented the budding plants and flowers.
So how did the eggs and the bunnies intertwine? (I mean, beyond the amazingly fertile sex-lives-of-rabbits thing.) According to legend, the Pagan goddess Ostara, for whom the Vernal Equinox is named, saved the life of a bird with frozen wings by turning the bird into a rabbit. Having once been a bird, however, the rabbit continued to lay eggs, which he decorated and presented to Ostara in gratitude.
As perhaps Eddie Izzard said best, "Bunny rabbits are for shagging, eggs are for fertility, it's the spring festival!" We at Daily Mantra, hope you enjoy. by Marisa ... more -
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of The Chocolate Rabbit
by Marisa
From Ostara to Easter, the holiday weekend is upon us. For some, this means Easter services at their favorite church, for others it means a Pagan springtime ritual, and for still more it's just a great excuse for baked ham and some pretty strange candy. I mean, chocolate rabbits? Marshmallow Peeps? The bizarre candied yolks of a Cadbury Egg? If only there were some way to tie it all together...
Fortunately, the Paganism hostess over at About.com has crafted this delightful (and delightfully absurd) union of rituals, symbols, and heavily sugared tradition: All you'll need to partake is a bag of jellybeans, some Marshmallow Peeps, and a chocolate rabbit and a glass of milk for each participant. Mix in a sense of humor, about twenty minutes of your time, and enjoy! Go to www.dailymantra.com for full details. by Marisa ... more -
Easter: Wabbit Season
Have you ever wondered where the tradition of Easter rabbits started --and where real Easter bunnies end?
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The Easter Bunny conundrum
Is the Easter Bunny a Controversial Christian Symbol or a Godless Pagan Icon?
Either one depending on who you ask.
One US City Council had easter bunny decorations pulled for fear of offending non-Christians with such blatant Christian decor on a government public building.
One Christian group a few years ago put on a morality play where they treated the Easter Bunny as a pagan idol and preceded to beat the holy stuffings out of him in front of some very confused and teary-eyed children.
How did this wasically rabbit work its way into the Easter celebration anyway? Follow the link and find out. Is the Easter Bunny a Controversial Christian Symbol or a Godless Pagan Icon? Either one depending on who you ask. ... more -
Imbolc And The Pagan Groundhog
by Marisa
Most of us know Imbolc by its more mainstream moniker, Groundhog Day, a day on which a prophetic Pennsylvanian groundhog alerts us to the coming of spring. Less well known, is that this unusual holiday is grounded (ahem) in rich Pagan history.
The word Imbolc derives from the Gaelic "Oimelc" (ewe's milk), referencing the seasonal lactation of pregnant ewes as spring approaches. In Ireland, Imbolc honored the Goddess Brigid in her maiden state, as she lured the youthful Sun God's return with candlelight and "Brigid's Crosses" (equilateral crosses encased in circles, representing the Wheel of the Year). Eventually Christian traditions integrated Imbolc, renaming it Candlemas and shifting the candle-lighting focus to the Virgin Mary.
What does this have to do with a groundhog? By Pagan legend, Brigid's snake would emerge from her womb (do with that symbolism as you like) on Imbolc to determine the proximity of spring. To the same end, in Brittany, grain sheaves were thrown on a fire - with the pace of the burn representing the speed of spring's approach.
So sure, our groundhog tradition has the seasonal fortune-telling angle covered, but this year maybe round out the holiday with additional Imbolc rituals, such as fashioning a Brigid's Cross to hang protectively over your door, tossing coins in a well for fortune, or cleaning your home, both physically and spiritually with a smudging of sage and sprinkling of lavender or rosemary water. Then settle into a candlelit purification bath, and await the forecast on spring.
http://www.dailymantra.com by Marisa ... more -
The Seasonably Charitable Cancer Full Moon
Yule, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza; 'Tis the multiple holiday season, and you're likely up to your ears in eggnog-fueled celebration. Sometimes the seasonal frenzy can be so intense as to eclipse the more thought-provoking origins and intentions of our festivities. Fortunately we have a benevolent Full Moon in Cancer on December 23rd to refresh the holiday spirit and remind us of the goodwill and charity at this season's core. [For complete story, please visit the Daily Mantra link listed above.] Yule, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza; 'Tis the multiple holiday season, and you're likely up to your ears in eggnog-fueled celebration. S... more
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