Jennifer's Alternative Religions Blog June 2007 Archive

Dread Respect
Rastafarians are probably one of the world's least respected and most understood faith groups. A common problem faced by Rastas centers around the religious requirement of hair growth- like ... Read More

Friday June 29, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

"Get the Pagan," Part 2
Seems the "Christian Civic League" of Maine wasn't content with directing members to harass a Pagan Democrat- after commenters on their site reacted overwhelmingly in favor of the local activist, ... Read More

Thursday June 28, 2007 | permalink | comments (4)

The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is an important symbol in nearly every culture. With its branches reaching into the sky, and roots deep in the earth, it dwells in three worlds- ... Read More

Thursday June 28, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Here We Go Again- "A Victory For Wicca"
After ten years, one might think the windbags' blustering about the evils of Harry Potter might have died down a little, but it seems to only get louder and sillier ... Read More

Wednesday June 27, 2007 | permalink | comments (5)

Abracadabra
The word abracadabra is known universally as the "magic word" of stage conjurers. What little know is that it is a word of ancient origin, used by genuine magicians from ... Read More

Wednesday June 27, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

"Satanic" Tom Cruise Not Welcome In Germany
Poor Tom. It's hard to like anyone who sets himself up the way he has- it seems nobody likes a preachy convert, no matter what religion they profess, and ... Read More

Tuesday June 26, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

"Family Values" (Or, "Get the Pagan!")
Maine Democrat Rita Morgan has a lot of nerve, apparently- not only is she open about being a pagan (gasp), she promotes Paganism to the children* of Pagan parents! ... Read More

Tuesday June 26, 2007 | permalink | comments (5)

Ex Hex
This is cute- it seems a particular Shinto shrine in Kyoto has earned a particular reputation for aiding adherents in severing ties with unpleasant people, especially exes. The Mainichi ... Read More

Tuesday June 26, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Because the Bible Tells Us So
As much as it pains them to do it,an Australian-based Creationist group is museum is suing its American counterpart, but rest assured- they have a biblical justification for doing ... Read More

Monday June 25, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

A Wiccan and a Satanist Walk into a Church...
And if you believe the pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Saginaw, they burned it down while performing a bible-burning ritual: "We think something pagan was going on in here, something ... Read More

Monday June 25, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Feast Of John the Baptist
Today is Midsummer, the Feast of John the Baptist, who in Christian tradition was the initiator of Christ. According to other traditions, such as the Gnostic Mandaean ... Read More

Sunday June 24, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Adam Knew Eve...and Joan, and Laurie, and Beth
When the man who plays Adam in a creation museum's video exhibit acts a bit too biblical, there's only one rational response: yank the video, quick.

Friday June 22, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

They Want the Stupid People to Themselves
I don't know what else to make of the African Catholic Church's decision to lavish their attention on Francesca Zackey, the South African teenager who claims to have had ... Read More

Friday June 22, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

"Druid Murder Trial"
What's a "Druid murder trial?" Obviously, one where the defendant refers to himself as a Druid, because that's obviously the most relevant detail. I wonder why I've never ... Read More

Thursday June 21, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Friday links: Solstice!
Here comes the Sun Thousands attend solstice party Ancient traditions, rituals Rain, wreaths and road deathsSummer solstice legendsRevelers Celebrate Summer SolsticeBanksy's Pottyhenge Photo: ... Read More

Thursday June 21, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

"Ask Father Paul"
I have to wonder why anyone would ask a priest his opion of the occult- maybe hoping for something other than the obvious?

Wednesday June 20, 2007 | permalink | comments (10)

Italian Prosecutors Charge DVC Obscene
Ron Howard may want to rethink location for his latest Dan Brown movie adaptation- he might soon find himself a wanted man in Italy, if prosecutors get their way. ... Read More

Wednesday June 20, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Honk if You're Pious
It seems even the pope uis annoyed by boorish behavior on the road- either that, or someone gave himj one of those "WWJD" bumper stickers- his "Guidelines for the ... Read More

Tuesday June 19, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Masonic Mickey
The Widow's Son looks at one of the loonier Masonic conspiracies, this one involving Walt Disney (and, presumably, his mouse).

Monday June 18, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

The Witch's Knot
The Witch's knot is a common symbol in folk magic. The witch's knot is a symbolic representation of the knot magic practiced by witches in the middle ages, and was ... Read More

Monday June 18, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Unwholesome, Like Twinkies
Michael Medved thinks Wiccans have every right to have their pentacles on their tombstones, even if their religion "carries unwholesome associations with witchcraft and Satanism," but in return, he wants ... Read More

Monday June 18, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

My Pagan is Empty, Can I Get a Refill?
A my first thought on seeing this headline was big fluffy floating pagans...but no such luck, it's another one of those sanctimonious "Jesus-sized hole" ravings from America's most beloved crackpot.

Friday June 15, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Satanic Conspiracists Alive and Well
Scamsters who use tales of Satanic networks to scare cash or other benefits out of a fearful population may have had their heyday in eighties America, but they are by ... Read More

Friday June 15, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

An Inevitable Irony
Fundamentalist yobs in Texas find objectionable material in a book on school curriculum and seek to ban it. The book? Farenheit 451. Really. I couldn't make up ... Read More

Thursday June 14, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

A History of the Rosicrucians
Rosicrucian means in Latin, "of the Rose Cross." The symbol of the rose cross is ancient and layered with meaning. The origins of the Rosicrucian fraternity are even more shadowed. The ... Read More

Thursday June 14, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)

Pope Condemns Amnesty International
The Pope has thrown the baby out with the bathwater by asking Catholics to stop giving money to Amnesty International, a human rights organization that lobbies to free prisoners of ... Read More

Thursday June 14, 2007 | permalink | comments (8)

"Give Us Money For Our Hurt Feelings"
The Church of England is horribly offended that Sony used the Manchester Cathedral as a setting for its Sci-fiResistance: Fall of Man but they assure us a nice wad of ... Read More

Wednesday June 13, 2007 | permalink | comments (6)

Japanese Occult Plot (Not)
I know it's almost too easy to pick on small town papers for their occul hysteria, but damn if they don't make it too easy. The Barbados Advocate has ... Read More

Wednesday June 13, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Stupid Sells
And the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is buying- the misguided, paranoid ravings of our favorite lunatic, Ms. Laura Mallory. Ms. Mallory was, for some inexplicable reason, given a platform in the ... Read More

Tuesday June 12, 2007 | permalink | comments (8)

"The Rodney Dangerfields of Religion"
A Bangor, Maine local profiling a local Wiccan website describes Pagans as "the Rodney Dangerfields of religion," who of course "get no respect." I have to wonder if many ... Read More

Tuesday June 12, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Isaac Newton & the End of the World
Among other things, Isaac Newton predicted the end of the world, which he calculated for 2060: "One of the most intersting manuscripts is a letter from 1704, in which Newton calculates ... Read More

Tuesday June 12, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

You, Jesus Doesn't Love
Flashy televangelist Benny Hinn typically draws crowds of thousands, many ill of afflicted people who hope the white-clad weirdo can provide a miraculous cure. Many spend days standing in ... Read More

Monday June 11, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Return of State Sanctioned Paganism?
A brief article in the Catholic World News suugests that Bolivia's pagan president Evo Morales is flirting with the idea of changing the popular Catholic holiday of Corpus Christi to ... Read More

Monday June 11, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

"Afraid of the Spells."
It looks like Laura Mallory is not one of a kind, after all- she appears to have a soulmate in the UK. Sariya Allen, a Pentecostal teacher's assistant, is ... Read More

Friday June 8, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

The Magical Properties of Mercury
Not what you think, exactly, but the Daily Mail has a very interesting overview of the fantastic properties of Mercury.See also:Alchemy Mercury

Thursday June 7, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Community Support, Pagan Style
In May, Wiccan "spiritual counselor" Teresa Gurnell appeared before her city council to request a permit to do spiritual counseling at her New Age shop, a service not covered by ... Read More

Wednesday June 6, 2007 | permalink | comments (5)

Inmate May Sue For Thor's Hammer
The First Amendment Center has posted another small victory for incarcerated pagans. No other pagan groups seems to have as much difficulty in prisons as adherents of Asatru, who ... Read More

Tuesday June 5, 2007 | permalink | comments (2)

Beefy Pentagram and a Signed First Edition
I have a few funny items to pass along today, and because they're all similarly absurd, I'm going to put them all together. The first is one of those ... Read More

Monday June 4, 2007 | permalink | comments (4)

Beefy Pentagram and a Signed First Edition
I have a few funny items to pass along today, and because they're all similarly absurd, I'm going to put them all together. The first is one of those ... Read More

Monday June 4, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)

Square and Compass
One of the most common symbols of Freemasonry is the symbol of the crossed compass and set-square. The compass and square are architect's tools, and symbolize God as the architect ... Read More

Friday June 1, 2007 | permalink | comments (1)