Jennifer's Alternative Religions Blog October 2004 Archive

Pardoning "witches" for Halloween
The town of Prestonpans in Scotland will hold a public ceremony to pardon Scottish witches (and their cats) executed during the witch hunts of the 17th and 18th century. ... Read More

Sunday October 31, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Kitchen karma
Witches needn't toil over a caldron all day when today's appliances get the job done ever so much faster Amy Myers works magic in her kitchen. And we're not talking about ... Read More

Sunday October 31, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Revealed: past lies of abuse witness
A WOMAN whose claims of Satanic child sex abuse helped put eight people in the dock had a history of making false allegations, which was known to police, Scotland on ... Read More

Saturday October 30, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Britain’s witches stir it up for holiday
[Kevein makes his semi-annual appearance]“You can summon the dead if they want to come back,” said the man in a long, red velvet robe. As he spoke, 10 black cats pawed ... Read More

Wednesday October 27, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Going Out of Business, on a Broom
LET'S face it, no matter how hard groups like the Connecticut Wiccan and Pagan Network try to get the word out, it's always going to be a bit tough being ... Read More

Wednesday October 27, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

A Wiccan's Life
From the outside, I appear to be the perfectly normal college student. I do well in school, am in a sorority, participate in undergraduate research, volunteer, write for the school ... Read More

Wednesday October 27, 2004 | permalink | comments (4)

Those of you who read here regularly will remember the Flint politician who promised his town he'd help them get rid of a Wiccan coven...seems the backlash is finally headed ... Read More

Tuesday October 26, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Sufi or not Sufi? That is the question
The influence of William Shakespeare on western culture has made him arguably Britain's greatest export. Now it is being claimed that his work resembles the teachings of the Islamic Sufi ... Read More

Tuesday October 26, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant
And a happy L. Ron Hubbbard-mas to you, gentle reader. For, in playwright/composer Kyle Jarrow's scathing satire of the Scientology movement, 'tis the season for E-meters, engrams, and ... Read More

Tuesday October 26, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Halloween Ban Brings Boos In Puyallup
After KOMO 4 News first reported that the Puyallup School superintendent had cancelled all Halloween festivities in Puyallup schools, a flood of e-mail and phone calls followed: to the ... Read More

Tuesday October 26, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Psychics say they’re feeling the energy of Election Day
Jacqueline Stallone says the psychic dogs she keeps have predicted that George W. Bush will win the election next Tuesday by 15 percentage points. But Sylvester Stallone’s momma’s dogs are ... Read More

Tuesday October 26, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Satanists are so nice . . but in a bad way
LUST, pride, greed, sloth, envy, gluttony and anger are instantly recognisable as the seven deadly sins. And few would be surprised that followers of Satan believe he "represents all ... Read More

Tuesday October 26, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Living life as a witch isn't everything you might think it is
SHE looks like anyone you might cross paths with at the corner market. Dressed in earthy blue denims and a lime green velour pull-over, her head a mess of untamed, ... Read More

Tuesday October 26, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Tour the river Styx (flash cartoon)

Monday October 25, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Halloween at Alternative religions: Halloween History Hysteria Halloween myths exploded- Some conservative Christian tract writers believe Halloween has sinister origins. We ... Read More

Monday October 25, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Halloween banned?
[This one's different] A SCHOOL authority has banned Hallowe'en - in case it offends witches. Parents in Puyallup,Washington state in the US, have been told pointy noses, broomsticks and cauldrons might upset ... Read More

Monday October 25, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

British sailor wins right to perform satanic rituals
HE LOOKS every bit the clean-cut naval rating at the start of a promising military career. But the ordinary face of Chris Cranmer masks his unusual status - as the first ... Read More

Monday October 25, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Magical "machi" may cure any ailment in Chile
Manuel Lincovil is one of the most sought-after doctors in La Pintana, an area of Chile's capital Santiago known for its poverty, alcoholism and gang violence. But you won't find this ... Read More

Monday October 25, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Japanese woman killed in cult ritual
Four breakaway members of Japan's doomsday Aum Supreme Truth cult were arrested on Thursday for allegedly killing a woman by beating her with bamboo swords in a bid to erase ... Read More

Thursday October 21, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Mysticism and Mortgages
Sacred Therapy: Jewish Spiritual Teachings on Emotional Healing And Inner Wholeness As everyone seems to know by now, Kabbalah has broken into the mainstream. Thanks to Esther, née Madonna Louise ... Read More

Thursday October 21, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

What the Bleep Do We Know?
What the Bleep Do We Know? is a serious documentary-drama that seeks to explain the ways of quantum physics to us mortals. That's a phenomenally tall order. But, while not ... Read More

Thursday October 21, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

At pagan gathering, wiccans examine myths
A new organization has recently been formed at Binghamton University to dispel — literally — certain stereotypes about the witchy world. Flying broomsticks and evil spells are conspicuously absent at the ... Read More

Wednesday October 20, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Auras may be generated in the brain
Synaesthesia can cause people to see coloured auras around friends or loved ones. She sees colours emanating like haloes from her friends and foes. Blocks of colour form in her ... Read More

Tuesday October 19, 2004 | permalink | comments (1)

Lighting the obscure mysteries of the jack-o-lantern
The story of the jack-o-lantern extends back to a legend of an Irish blacksmith named Jack, who, when he was drinking, promised his soul to the Devil if he would ... Read More

Tuesday October 19, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Catholic Church doesn't condone Mexico's 'St. Death'
Deep in the heart of Mexico City's toughest neighborhood, in streets plagued by drugs and prostitution, faithful Catholics are praying to a new and fearsome saint: death itself. They come by ... Read More

Tuesday October 19, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Queen slips off shoes for Sikh visit
The Queen and Prince Philip removed their shoes and wore headscarves yesterday to acknowledge the customs of their hosts at a Sikh prayer hall. As a mark of mutual respect, they ... Read More

Tuesday October 19, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Baker officials hope to ban 'satanic' holiday
[here we go again] Ghosts and goblins, costumed superheroes, even little girls dressed up like Cinderella -- none may be welcome on the streets of Baker next year ... Read More

Sunday October 17, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Wiccans put neighbors in an uproar
Neighbors of a quiet, rural neighborhood are demanding that township officials find a way to ground a coven of witches living in their midst. On Tuesday night, about 20 ... Read More

Sunday October 17, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Wizard To Hang Up His Hat
Christchurch's Wizard is hanging up his pointy hat and broomstick, and preparing for retirement in Oamaru. Ian Brackenbury Channell says it is time to move on, after establishing himself as an ... Read More

Sunday October 17, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

A Halloween urban legend resurfaces:
"Halloween and black cats go hand in hand, but after hearing about some real life horror stories the S-P-C-A`s across the state won`t let you adopt a black cat or ... Read More

Saturday October 16, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Have you forgot about the WM3?
Shortly after three eight-year-old boys were found mutilated and murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, local newspapers stated the killers had been caught. The police assured the public that the three ... Read More

Friday October 15, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Spiritual time in Malaysia
There is an air of spirituality over multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia. Today, Muslims welcome their holy month – Ramadan – by starting a period of fasting and abstinence. Yesterday, ... Read More

Friday October 15, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Baha'i historic sites demolished in Iran
In recent months, government authorities in Iran have demolished historic sites of great artistic and cultural significance, which are also sacred to the country's Baha'i religious minority. In response to ... Read More

Thursday October 14, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

An Entrails Reader’s Guide to the November Election
"Fully 59% [of Americans] say they believe the events in Revelation are going to come true." – Time Magazine Initially, Armageddon angst was amusing, yet embarrassing, like VH1’s The Surreal ... Read More

Wednesday October 13, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

High Court To Examine A Symbol Of Religion
Barely four months after dodging a ruling on the merits of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, the Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to examine another heavily freighted symbol ... Read More

Wednesday October 13, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Court to hear prison religion case
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Tuesday in an Ohio case to decide whether a federal law protecting religious expression behind bars is constitutional. The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized ... Read More

Tuesday October 12, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Crowd says goodbye to Sikh leader Yogi Bhajan
Nearly 1,000 people gathered in Santa Fe to remember the man credited for bringing the Sikh faith to the West. A cremation ceremony was held Saturday for Yogi Bhajan. He ... Read More

Monday October 11, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

The case of the hot-tempered tourist
On a day in July five years ago, Earl DeWaal and members of his family visited the Rainbow Bridge National Monument in southern Utah. It was not a happy outing. ... Read More

Monday October 11, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Shamanism in the Philippines
IF we look at the traditional definition of shamanism and its practice in the western context, it would seem that the Philippines does not have any shamanic tradition or practice. What ... Read More

Monday October 11, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Ancient Labyrinths Are Back In Fashion
Labyrinths have a long history, dating back 3,500 to 5,000 years, and they haven't always been associated with any particular religion. Each one has a path that follows a specific circular ... Read More

Saturday October 9, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Protestant churches losing their majority status in US
HALF a century ago, Bethany Presbyterian Church in Wichita, Kansas, had to open an overflow area to accommodate the 350 worshippers who regularly turned up for Sunday service. This summer, ... Read More

Thursday October 7, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Complete Fabrication
It was inevitable: A crucial witness says her testimony in the West Memphis Three case wasn't true, but a product of police pressure to get results in the death of three ... Read More

Thursday October 7, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

New research on the Witch Trials
Probably everyone in Danvers knows that the famous Salem witch tragedy of 1692 started at the First Church in the Highlands, whose minister was the infamous Reverend Samuel Parris. There, ... Read More

Thursday October 7, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

A passion for shells
"My parents tell me that I wanted to know everything about shells and how they lived," said Hanson, 51. "I didn't know that there was any purpose to it. I ... Read More

Thursday October 7, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Just add followers
Dadi Janki strains to hear the questions. But her dark eyes flash intensely as she explains the tenets of her faith. "God says to open your eyes," she said through a ... Read More

Thursday October 7, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Iranian Zoroastrian Graveyard turned into Racing Track
A 400-year-old Zoroastrian burial place where people used to entomb their dead as late as 4 years ago has been turned into a cyclists' race track in the central province ... Read More

Tuesday October 5, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Seeking religious unity for troubled times
Historically, religion has been viewed as a cause of many major world conflicts, and is seen as an underlying source of global terrorism today. Widely acclaimed speaker Ron Hershel will ... Read More

Tuesday October 5, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

New Age techniques for a new age of soldiers
Lt. Col. Damon Arnold's hands spin magic in this northern Iraqi city. They unlock backs twisted from carrying too much gear and body armor. They ease stomach pains and knotted ... Read More

Tuesday October 5, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Teacher Accused of Witchcraft
The headmaster of a school in Kilifi has been accused of casting spells on his pupils. There was tension at Lugwe Primary School in Rabai yesterday as angry parents accused the ... Read More

Tuesday October 5, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Sikh ends hunger strike over lockout
A Sikh protesting a lockout at a temple has ended a hunger strike after more than 40 hours, saying he got what he wanted. Kunwar Karanbir Singh, who is engaged in ... Read More

Tuesday October 5, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

New at Alternative Religions:
New Texts in the Library: Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) The "Book of coming forth by Day." The Symbolism of the Rose Cross Max Heindell The Egyptian Revival Frater Achad on ... Read More

Monday October 4, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Pagans: Sacrificing time, not each other
Wild orgies on the grass, sacrificial altars begging for blood over the sidewalk and an informational session entitled "Stealing the Soul of the Common Man" are just a few of ... Read More

Monday October 4, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Pagans gather to share faith
Pagans of all kinds, from witches to Druids, came to the Town Common yesterday to share their faith and teach others about it. "The Western Massachusetts Pagan Pride Day ... Read More

Monday October 4, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

May the chi be with you
Business isn't booming at Loan Express Center, so owner Sammy Giang brought in a consultant, Doan Van Thong. The problem, according to the consultant: Much of the chi or energy ... Read More

Monday October 4, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Saturday October 2, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Baha'is look to Iran
Baha'i faithful speak out against Iran In 1982, Mirza Kouchak Majidi faced a death sentence in his native homeland — the Islamic Republic of Iran planned to execute him for his ... Read More

Saturday October 2, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Pieces of history
In 1947 in the steep, rocky cliffs of the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, a 14-year-old Bedouin boy chasing a goat threw a rock that shook the foundations of ... Read More

Saturday October 2, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Against the Modern World: Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century
Mark Sedgwick sets out to chronicle this disparate group of thinkers, each in his own way engaged in the most fascinating intellectual project that you have never heard of: the ... Read More

Friday October 1, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)

Pagans cultivate tolerance, humor
A sign in front of Dragonspyre, an Orange City metaphysical shop, reads: "Witches Parking Only -- All Others Will Be Toad." Pagans tend to have a good sense of humor, notes ... Read More

Friday October 1, 2004 | permalink | comments (0)