8.25.2008
Exporting Anti-Witch Hysteria?
There has been a debate within modern Paganism, specifically within the various Witchcraft and Wiccan traditions, over whether the issue of persecutions and killings of "witches" in places like Africa, India, and the Middle East is a "Pagan" issue. While some correctly note that these alleged "witches" are often not associated with any Pagan or pre-Christian religion, others, like Phyllis Curott, argue that we are bound by a common label.
"I don't think that Fawza was practicing anything resembling what most of us now call Wicca and Witchcraft. If she was doing anything, which is not clear, it may have been some kind of old traditional folk magic. It doesn't matter - she is sentenced to die by beheading for Witchcraft. That is the word many of us use to identify ourselves. That word means that she is a member of our community. And we are not a community if we don't take care of each other. We may not be able to save Fawza, but we must try."
This view has been echoed by modern Pagans in India and South Africa, who have seen an all-to-real connection between the persecution of "witches" and the rights and freedoms of modern Pagans living near them. But can the problems of "over there" impact those of us living in the West? Mary Leland, writing for the Irish Independent News, argues that the anti-witch fanaticisms of "over there" may be finding a new home among us.
"In this case it was the revelation that the guest speaker was a man representing a church in Dublin which advertised among its services a protection against witchcraft. The chat diverted into such issues as whether alternative therapies such as Reiki or yoga or hypnosis could be considered contrary to biblical strictures ... before occasionally hitting on the immediacy of superstition among, in this case, largely African congregations. Whatever else many of our African immigrants may have brought with them to Ireland, they have included a belief in witches, seen as an active threat to the well-being of families and communities ... Christianity may have outgrown that horrible idea by now, but not before exporting it, with evangelistic missionaries, to Africa. It's not easy either for a woman to listen to any debate about witches and witchcraft without remembering that it was women who were accused, tortured and executed in their thousands over several centuries."
Leaving aside issues of tensions over immigration and possible xenophobia, can immigrants from countries known to persecute so-called practitioners of "witchcraft" bring with them the hysteria that has destroyed so many lives? Some are saying it is already here, with suspicious deaths and child abuse linked with a fear of malicious magic and witchcraft among immigrant communities in the UK. Leland worries that those offering immigrant communities in Ireland "protection from witchcraft" could eventually spark a larger witch hysteria.
"To hear that witchcraft is on the religious agenda of an African church in Dublin is to feel some alarm at the possibility that this tradition of evil-seeking has been re-introduced to Ireland. Of course we have to be racially and religiously sensitive to cultural differences, but the fanaticism of this particular cultural difference, and the brutality with which its victims are treated, must not be ignored, even on a radio chat show."
Is it possible that the witch persecutions we read about in the paper could come to us? Could cultural misunderstandings and tensions among various communities result in violence and harassment towards modern Pagans? While debates will continue regarding whether the persecution and killing of "witches" in distant lands is "our" issue, we may soon find ourselves having to contemplate the problem much closer to home.
Labels: India, Ireland, Paganism, persecutions, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UK, Wicca, Witch, Witch Killings, Witchcraft
8.11.2008
Reality Television Hits New Low (If That's Possible)
A wise man once said that there is a sucker born every minute. How else to describe the phenomenon of people eagerly lining up to be demeaned on reality television shows? I guess the promise of easy money and a fleeting amount of infamy is too much for some people to deny. Doubly saddening for me is those who place their faith up for mockery, abuse, and exploitation. It seems like madness. How else to describe the new UK television show "Make Me A Christian"?
"The Reverend George Hargreaves thinks Britain is in a state of moral decline and that a return to a more 'Christian' way of life would stop the rot. He and his team of mentors aim to show how by convincing a group of non-Christian volunteers to live by the teachings of the Bible for three weeks. In this three-part series, a group of volunteers from around Leeds in West Yorkshire give up their normal lives and attempt to live like Christians for three weeks."
If you guessed they found a Witch (or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof) to be involved in this farce, you would be correct.
Take Fay, the occult lapdancer. George takes one look at her lifestyle (spangly bras and tarot cards) and announces she's "on a trajectory to hell". Sobbing, Fay slinks away to her boyfriend's house for a few days of comforting. When she emerges later, George bollocks her for having sex outside marriage. "While the world might call it 'making love'," he says, "the Bible calls it fornication."
No prizes for guessing what George "founder of The Christian Party" Hargreaves does with her "occult" possessions.
"The lap-dancing manager is discovered to have more than a passing interest in witchcraft and magic - her books and ceremonial paraphernalia are taken away."
Shocking, of course, but I try to remember that Fay willingly signed up for this indoctrination boot-camp. One wonders how far Witches and Pagans have to go down this road before we collectively realize how toxic these programs are and refuse to be the playthings of television producers. As for the "Christians" involved, it seems that their savior isn't Jesus Christ, but Mammon. Their pride and vanity ensures that this is the only reward they shall receive.
Speaking of Witches and reality television, Australian show "The One: The Search for Australia's Most Gifted Psychic" has picked a "winner".
"Charmaine Wilson edged out Ezio De Angelis and Amanda Rousetty to take out the prize which was decided by audience vote. She promised to represent the spirit world and the psychic community as best she can."
The Witch contestant, Shé D’Montford, didn't make it to the final round. Perhaps the gods were sending a message? You can listen to interviews with all the contestants, and the judges, at the Ghost Radio site.
Labels: Australia, Christianity, occult, Paganism, Reality Television, Television, UK, Witch
7.31.2008
Closure in the Salem Psychic Wars?
Last year I devoted several posts to a local struggle in Salem over the licensing of psychics. One group, led by Laurie Cabot, wanted to limit licenses and inhibit traveling "psychic fairs" (which they felt "poached" their profits), the other, led by Christian Day, wanted more relaxed rules that would allow for a greater number of licensed psychics. Eventually a compromise measure was reached, but in the process, remains from a dead raccoon were left on the doorsteps of two local metaphysical shops.
"The remains of a mutilated raccoon were left at the doorways of two of the city's psychic shops. At 12:41 a.m. yesterday, John Ray of Salem flagged down police Sgt. Richard Gagnon and alerted him to a raccoon's skull and a pile of intestines that had been left at the entrance to Angelica of the Angels, a shop at 7 Central St. While patrolling Essex Street about an hour later, Gagnon discovered more remains at the door to The Goddess' Treasure Chest at 172 Essex St."
Some Salem residents cast suspicion on Day, accusing him of working malignant magic, but it soon came to light that the perpetrator was psychic and Salem Witch Sharon Graham, who had been nursing a grudge against Christian Day.
"Richard Watson said he went back to his Bridge Street apartment on the night of May 26 to a disturbing scene: his roommate, Sharon Graham, dressed in black, surrounded by four young men, also all in black, standing around a jar. Inside that jar was the eye of a raccoon, police say. And in two trash bags in Watson’s refrigerator was the rest of the critter, which had been dismembered."
Now, nearly a year later, and after further accusations of witness intimidation, it looks like we have some closure. Sharon Graham, in a plea agreement, has admitted to a judge that she placed the raccoon remains in front of those shops, though she claims to not know why she did so.
"A self-described Wiccan high priestess admitted yesterday that she had placed pieces of an eviscerated raccoon on the doorsteps of two local businesses last year. But Sharon Graham said she still can't explain why. Graham, 47, formerly of Salem , admitted during a hearing in Salem District Court that prosecutors had sufficient evidence for a conviction on charges of littering and wanton destruction of property. Judge Dunbar Livingston called the case "certainly a somewhat bizarre and troubling incident" but agreed to go along with a plea agreement that called for the charges to be continued without a finding for a year on condition that Graham perform 20 hours of community service and remain in counseling. If she complies with those conditions and stays out of further trouble, the charges will be dismissed in a year. Prosecutors also agreed to drop the most serious charge against Graham, a count of witness intimidation."
Graham has moved out of Salem, is receiving counseling, and is being supervised by a probation officer. Christian Day has gone on to become an even bigger fish in Salem's pond, working with the city to promote Halloween season tourism, and co-running his own Witch shop Hex. Laurie Cabot continues to be as famous (infamous?) as ever, celebrating her 75th birthday in March with Godsmack frontman Sully Erna, among others, in attendance. So it looks like this matter is finally closed, and life in Salem, in all its Witchy glory, can continue.
Labels: Christian Day, Laurie Cabot, law, psychics, Salem, Sharon Graham, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
7.22.2008
Witches, Swords, and a DUI
Obviously the lesson of the inebriated Witch from last year who was arrested while in the process of burning a cooler and rubber car-mats on a bonfire was lost on our community. Because two, count-em, two, incidents involving Witchcraft and the law in the past week have made the news. First, a woman who was either under the influence, colossally unlucky, or merely very clumsy, accidentally stabbed her foot with a sword in a graveyard.
"According to a Lebanon Police Department news release, Katherine Gunther, 36, was performing a Wiccan "ceremony of thanks" in Oak Hill Cemetery around 12:15 a.m. Saturday when she ran the blade through her left foot. She said in an interview Monday that she'd had a run of good luck recently and wanted to give thanks with the rite. Gunther said she was aiming to put a sword in the ground when it accidentally hit her foot. "It wasn't the first time I performed the ritual, but it was the first time I put a sword through my foot," she said."
Police are letting her and her friends off with a warning for trespassing in the cemetery (feeling perhaps that they have suffered enough). In an interview, Gunther said there was nothing left to do but laugh it off.
"It's like all you can do is laugh at it now. All you can do when something like this happens is make the best out of it,"
Slightly less funny is a woman pulled over for driving while intoxicated who claimed to be a "black witch" who would "hex" the police officer.
"A DUI arrest an unusual turn on July 11 when the suspect claimed to be a “black witch” and threatened to place a hex on the arresting officers, Eagle police said. The 56-year-old woman first caught the attention of a patrolling officer when he had to swerve to avoid a head-on crash when her vehicle crossed into his lane on Broadway at about 8 p.m. Her car kept swerving and she was pulled over. The woman behind the wheel had slurred speech and glassy eyes. She said she had consumed a couple of tequilas and was also taking methadone ... When the cops handcuffed and arrested her, she began yelling profanities and declared herself to be a “black witch.” She also threatened to hex the two officers involved. On the way to jail, she kicked and banged her head on the interior of the cop’s car."
Classy! The "black witch" has been charged with driving on a suspended license, careless driving, and resisting arrest, among other things.
So remember kids, be careful with sharp objects, if you do accidentally stab yourself, it is a lot less embarrassing if you aren't trespassing in the process. Don't mix methadone with tequila, and driving under the influence is never, ever, ever, a good idea. You too can avoid legal trouble, and embarrassing press coverage, if you follow these simple guidelines.
Labels: law, Paganism, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
7.14.2008
Return of the Nine Million
Australian Gay and Lesbian website Same Same features an article by Jade Starr on the history of Catholic and Catholic-inspired persecutions that trots out some old "favorites" from within the Pagan community.
"Those who did not follow the Catholic ideals were deemed to be witches or heretics and were then persecuted from the late 1400s to early 1700s. It has been estimated that up to nine million people lost their lives during ‘The Burning Times’ but due to a lack of evidence the exact number is accepted as closer to 50,000 to 1 million. Many of these people, predominantly women, endured unfair trials and were subsequently incarcerated or burned alive at the stake for their so-called crimes against God. Not only were Pagan people segregated, tortured and murdered but they were also robbed of their rituals and practices, which are even now still used in modern Catholicism."
As much as I like to call out the Catholic Church for their many misdeeds, the reality is that 40,000 - 60,000 victims in the span of 250 years is as high as your going to go, and those numbers are educated estimates. There is only definitive proof for around 12,000 deaths attributed to witch trials. Only one in 25,000 deaths was attributed to execution for witchcraft. While the "nine million" number is dramatic, I agree with Margot Adler when she says that:
"...it serves no end to perpetuate the miscalculation; it's time to put away the exaggerated numbers forever.".
Inventing a Pagan or women's holocaust in no way helps our cause, or adds gravitas to our arguments against Christianity. Further, by the time of the witch trials in Early Modern Europe, there were no "Pagan people" to torture, imprison, or murder. While some may continue to argue for underground survivals from the pre-Christian era (a debate I'll leave to others), by the 15th century Europe was solidly Christian in religious orientation, and the vast majority of "witches" considered themselves good Christians.
If one wants to criticize the Catholic Church, or Christianity in general, there are several excellent ways and reasons to do so. However, including false information only invalidates the entire argument.
Labels: Australia, Brock's Law, GLBT, Paganism, The Burning Times, Witch, Witchcraft
6.09.2008
Injecting a Stereotype into Stereotype-busting Story
Yesterday ABC News posted a story from London concerning an ambitious "living library" project, the goal of which is to eradicate prejudices and stereotypes concerning different cultural, ethnic, and religious minorities.
"Welcome to the Living Library. Here, you borrow individuals who represent stereotypes that often are the target of prejudice or hatred. At this east London library on a recent Saturday, there were 26 "books" available, including a Muslim, an immigrant, a transgender individual, a witch and an Indian atheist. Readers borrow them for half an hour, hear their narrative, question them, even pry a little, and -- so the theory goes -- break down some of their preconceptions and stop "judging the book by the cover." The idea is the brainchild of Ronni Abergel, a Danish antiviolence campaigner, who has taken the Living Library to 12 countries and watched it flourish in places as diverse as Australia and Turkey."
While the story itself does a decent job explaining the Living Library project, and it various successes and challenges across Europe, the ABC staff illustrator seemed to not get the memo.
"Muslim and Witch", (ABC News Photo Illustration)
While the "Muslim" shadow is simply a man with a nicely trimmed beard, the "Witch" shadow is wearing the traditional Halloween-witch pointy hat. While some modern Witches do occasionally wear the wide-brimmed conical hat for fun, they are hardly an indicator for allegiance to Wicca or other forms of religious Witchcraft.
Because most Witches and Pagans are relatively easy-going, I doubt there will be much of an uproar over the illustration (nor am I calling for one), but the irony of injecting a visual stereotype into a story about eradicating stereotypes strikes me as downright satirical. Better luck next time ABC.
Labels: ABC News, Living Library, Paganism, stereotypes, UK, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
4.21.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
To start off, happy birthday to Rome, which was founded by the mythical twins Romulus and Remus on April 21, 753 BC. On that day a pagan festival ensues that some call the "Christmas of Rome", and hundreds dress in traditional Roman military garb.
The 'Natale di Roma' includes parades, fireworks, banquets, and gladiator shows. For more information check out this Italian web site devoted to the holiday.
The Wall Street Journal shows that gods and goddesses can indeed change over time. Representatives and mediums of anticommunist ancestor deities residing in Taiwan are softening their stance towards China as political relations thaw between the two nations.
"...after being anti-China for decades, some of the gods around here are having a change of heart. At least that's what their representatives say. The keeper of the temple of Lee Kuang-chi'en, a colonel in the Nationalist army who died fighting the Chinese in the 1940s, says Mr. Lee now wants to return to his homeland in peace. Su Ai-chih, a 67-year-old retiree and spiritual medium, says a woman who was drowned by Chinese soldiers and turned into a goddess has even asked believers for help in reconnecting with her family on the mainland. 'The goddess possessed me and told me that she wanted to go home,' she adds."
This is a perfect illustration of polytheistic theology in action. Gods can change, practice can change, and those who do not change risk losing worship. There is no singular text or law holding these faiths in a static position.
"Fortunately, Chinese folk religion -- a widely practiced mix of indigenous beliefs and elements of other religions -- is remarkably forgiving. Not only does it often co-exist alongside other beliefs, its worshippers can create, discard or modify gods. That's particularly true of gods who aren't considered to be ling -- effective or powerful. As ties between China and Taiwan improved, Kinmen's anticommunist gods started to lose their ling. 'Chinese folk religion doesn't have a scripture, so everyone has his way of interpreting a god,' says Chi Chang-hui, an anthropologist on Kinmen who has studied anticommunist cults. 'And nowadays, that is less hostile to the mainland.'"
The gods and worshipers remain, but to survive in different eras, they adapt and adjust (or they fade away). A common event throughout the history of polytheism, one that can seem alien to those growing up in a culture dominated by a "religion of the book".
If you think the myth of "The Burning Times" is overblown and harmful, wait till you start to explore the Christian persecution complex. A "discursive entity", according to Professor Elizabeth A. Castelli, "impervious to critique, self-generating and self-sustaining."
"This trend mobilizes the language of religious persecution to shut down political debate and critique by characterizing any position not in alignment with this politicized version of Christianity as an example of antireligious bigotry and persecution. Moreover, it routinely deploys the archetypal figure of the martyr as a source of unquestioned religious and political authority."
The article is wide-ranging and covers a growing spiritual militarism within Christianity that is fueled by a deep-seated (though often illusory) sense of persecution. The Reveler web site offers only an excerpt, for the entire article head over to the Differences journal page, where you can download the entire piece, along with several related works.
Speaking of "The Burning Times", Christian blogger John Morehead interviews Christopher S. Mackay about his brand new translation of the infamous "Malleus Maleficarum" ("The Hammer of Witches"). A tome that is blamed for enabling the execution of thousands of innocent men and women for the crime of "witchcraft".
"I'd say that the Malleus was responsible for the acceptance of a new "paradigm" (in the sense advocated by Thomas Kuhn) about witchcraft. That is, the dissemination and widespread acceptance of the point of view (or world view) that underlay and instigated the so-called "craze" of witch hunting in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries can be attributed (ultimately) to the Malleus."
The new version, which is apparently far more coherent and readable than previous translations, gives us a means of understanding how this establishment of "diabolism" (Satanic witchcraft) still lingers in our world today, and helped inform such tragedies as the "Satanic panics" of the 80s and early 90s. An important text to have, though I think I'll wait for the soft-cover edition, since the two-volume hardcover runs for several hundred dollars.
Over at "Blog o' Gnosis", Anne Hill criticizes efforts by Reclaiming to reach out to racial minorities in order to make the group more "diverse". Hill questions why the organization should be on a diversity recruitment drive when they don't even have their own "house" in order.
"...the obsession with proselytizing, I mean bringing in new blood - no, I mean reaching out to others who could be helped by people like us. As several people at my table mentioned, other religions are not diverse, and they seem to have no problem with it. Wasn't the point of a spiritual community to give aid to its members? Why were we even discussing strategies for bringing different kinds of people in, when we were gathered for a rare opportunity to meet each other face to face? It was at this point that I had to point out the essential backwardness of our discussion topic. Reclaiming is insular. Painfully so, embarrassingly so. We really needed to be asking the opposite question: why don't we get out more? Why aren't more of us involved in interfaith activities? There's plenty of diversity there, but that would involve going to meet others rather than reeling them in to us. Why don't more folks even make the trek to San Jose for Pantheacon each year? Isn't there anything we can learn from other Pagans?"
The issue of expanding racial diversity (and similar issues) is, according to Hill, a "red herring" that prevents Reclaiming from working through deep divisions that already exist within the community. A state of affairs that has distanced several Reclaiming veterans from the tradition they helped create.
In a quick final note, a Llewellyn Journal article tells you what you really need to do.
"The only thing that we as new magickians really need to do is rely on a made-by-reputation company like Llewellyn Publications, because nothing is as easy as it seems."
Indeed, nothing is as easy as it seems.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: China, Christianity, John Morehead, Llewellyn, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Polytheism, Reclaiming, Rome, Satanic Panic, Taiwan, The Burning Times, Witch
4.13.2008
To Pardon or Not to Pardon (the Witches)
The New York Times profiles Debra and Addie Avery, a mother and daughter who made the news recently for their quest to have Connecticut exonerate the men and women convicted of witchcraft during the 17th century. The article tells how the Averys, who are descended from convicted witch Mary Sanford, were met with an usual amount of hostility over what seemed to be a simple matter.
What passed for due process back then.
"Soon, the Averys' lobbying attracted the support of other descendants of those who were accused. But critics spoke out, too, lashing out on Internet blogs. Ms. Avery was shaken to read the harsh comments, which reminded her of the mob frenzy that her ancestor faced. 'The world has changed, but people haven't,' she said. Addie said she got a new education when she decided to publicly defend her ancestor. To her mother's amazement, the attacks didn't bother the suddenly thick-skinned teenager. 'There are worse things than mockery,' Addie said. 'Now, I'm not afraid to stand up when I see something wrong.'"
A syndicated column by Warner Todd Houston (with the oh-so-clever title of "Take Your Apology And...") seems to encapsulate the kind of "harsh comments" received by the Averys.
"We have a busy body mother and wife who is wasting the time of everyone around her over her faux outrage about something that happened in a long lost age ... This is the same sort of faux outrage we see from black Americans who want "apologies" or even reparations for slavery ... There ain't any witches being persecuted by the state in 2008 ... You should apologize for wasting our time and the tax money used to fund the government that wasted its time on your silly resolution. And you should apologize for forcing us all for taking time away from important matters."
Despite the idealogical resistance to exonerating innocent people, a watered-down resolution, which merely calls the judgments "shocking", and that no stigma should be attached to their descendants was introduced. It failed to win passage. An outcome that shouldn't be very surprising, since lawmakers never took this resolution seriously, as evidenced by transcripts from the resolution hearings on the matter.
"REP. LAWLOR: You know ... this morning, I remembered this great scene from Monty Python, where they grabbed the witch. And if you Google it, if you Google "Monty Python witch trial," you get to see that scene. There's--
DEBRA AVERY: Yes, about the wood and how wood floats, and, yeah, I'm very familiar with that.
REP. LAWLOR: But as funny as it is, it gives you a sense of, you know, looking back, how outrageous it really was because, it's something."
I'd state that this may be the first time Monty Python has been referenced in a resolution hearing, but I'm sure I would be wrong.
Is it important to exonerate people accused of witchcraft 300 years ago? While the Averys aren't Pagan (that I know of), the issue has become a somewhat contentious one within the modern Pagan community. Some modern Witches feel a sort of spiritual kinship with those persecuted as "witches" hundreds of years ago (a sentiment that has also been attached to modern "witch-trial" victims), others assert that since these men and women weren't practicing any sort of faith that we would now call Paganism, we should feel no special connection to these "witches" (other than sympathy for the lack of real justice given to them).
No matter where one comes down on the issue, it is strange how much hostility and scorn can be released over a resolution that would ultimately cost taxpayers little, and in no way negatively affect anyone's current lifestyle. Is it the idea of an apology? That it involves "witchcraft"? Whatever the reason, perhaps with real-live witch-killings and persecutions happening right now in places like Africa, India, and Saudi Arabia it wouldn't be such a bad idea to definitively exclaim that what we did then was barbaric and wrong. That these trials were the mistakes of a fearful and superstitious populace, and the men and women convicted were innocent of the supernatural crimes they were accused of.
If we cling to their convictions in this enlightened age, what sort of message does that send to governments and communities who are repeating our mistakes?
Labels: Connecticut, Debra Avery, law, Witch, Witch Killings, Witchcraft
12.05.2007
Pagan Interviews of Note
Religious blogger and academic John Morehead has recently posted two interviews of interest to the larger Pagan community. The first is at his Theofantastique blog where he interviews Pagan author, academic, and movie critic Peg Aloi concerning Pagan and occult themes in film, and her forthcoming book (co-authored with Hannah Johnston) "The Celluloid Bough: Cinema in the Wake of the Occult Revival".
"...the first example of occult cinema that had widespread and culture-changing impact was Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. In addition to its being a very artful and entertaining film, based on an equally artful novel by Ira Levin, there were some real-life occurrences that added to its aura of evil, and fueled a widespread spirit of protest against all things occult, even as the film ushered in a palpable fascination with the occult."
Then back at his primary blog, Morehead's Musings, he interviews Aloi's collaborator and writing partner Hannah Johnston, Adjunct Professor in Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College, concerning teen Witches and a recently released collection of essays on the subject (co-edited with Peg Aloi) entitled "The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture".
"...having become aware of the distinctions between teenage Witchcraft and the adult Pagan/Wiccan/Witchcraft communities at the end of the 1990s, I was struck by the emergence of teen Witchcraft as a distinctive articulation of popular culture post-feminism, and I went on to pursue my doctorate in the field, investigating teen Witchcraft as an amalgamation of new religious structures, pop media poaching from alternative beliefs and new age practices and new feminist concepts of 'girl power'."
Both interviews (and books) are worth the effort to read. It is often the case that pop-culture and youth-oriented permutations of a religious movement are devalued by "insiders" and older demographics who see these representations and recent adherents as lacking in seriousness or real worth. But how we are displayed in popular media, and how the next generation of modern Pagans adapt and changes with the times are truly important topics that I'm glad writers like Aloi and Johnston are covering.
Labels: books, Hannah Johnston, John Morehead, movies, Peg Aloi, pop-culture, teens, Wicca, Witch
11.15.2007
Noose Problems
2007 seems to be shaping up to be the year of the noose. In the wake of the Jena Six controversy, which started with the hanging of nooses to intimidate black students, the hanging rope seems to have re-entered our consciousness as a symbol of persecution and intimidation (both real and imagined). This new "noose awareness" has sparked a string of intimidating noose placements, in addition to some seemingly innocent/naive uses of the symbol that have generated controversy.
Up until now the harassing noose placements had all been racially motivated, but that seems to have changed now that a noose has been placed outside a Pagan-run metaphysical shop in Bakersfield, California.
"A hangman's noose was found outside a spiritual bookstore in Bakersfield run by a self-proclaimed witch. Police are calling the noose discovered at Altar Bookshoppe, which sells occult books and supplies in Old Town Kern suspicious."
While the report is somewhat sparse, Altar Bookshoppe owner Katie Olivares gives a bit more detail on the case at the Wren's Nest comments for the story.
"What is not being reported by the ABC station is that the NBC station aired a segment /the previous week/ about Witchcraft which featured interviews, a short ritual and (gasp!) my children's book about the craft. Not a hate crime? It seems obvious to me. I don't want this to turn into a cop-bashing opportunity. They get enough bad press. (. . . and I happen to be very-much in love with a police officer!) I see this as a potential opportunity to dispel some myths and foster some acceptance, which is why I consented to the original interview."
Which certainly makes it seem like someone was trying to intimidate the Witch they saw on TV. While a previous television appearance was most certainly a factor in inciting some idiot to take up rope-tying, other theories have emerged.
"Because of the brou ha-ha connected with a Halloween decoration, someone thought to use it as a threat now. I've a feeling that this is going to happen more often, because the people that are doing this sort of thing are usually lacking in imagination-if not in hate."
Did news coverage over the controversy concerning a noose-hung "witch" during Halloween in Massachusetts help inject a renewed connection between witches and nooses? I doubt we'll ever know for sure, but it is certain that the vocabulary of hate and intimidation, racial and religious, has reached back into the past to stir old and painful cultural memories.
Labels: California, hate crime, Metaphysical Shops, noose, Paganism, Witch
11.05.2007
Bunky Not Going the Witch School Route
The media has remained fascinated with Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, a Wiccan who won a 33 million dollar jackpot in September. Last week a story hit the wires that Bartlett was going to open a "real-life Hogwarts" school for Witches, leading some to think the newly-rich-Witch was going to follow in the footsteps of online establishments like Don Lewis's Witch School or Oberon Zell-Ravenheart's Grey School of Wizardry. Today, Bartlett appears in the papers again, to clarify what his post-lottery Pagan plans are.
"Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett ... would like to clear up a few misconceptions about his plans for a "witch school." Yes, he'd like to start a pagan seminary. But no, it's not going to be some sort of Hogwarts-on-the-Patapsco, with precocious adolescents running around in wizard hats and casting spells. Bartlett instead envisions the place as sort of a yeshiva for all faiths, a "church" that's less about God - or gods, if you prefer - and more about spirituality, nature and healing. The future Willow Springs Sanctuary and Community Center ... will teach classes about all religions, offer technology courses for those seeking better jobs and counseling for those seeking to make sense of their lives."
The article also talks briefly about the dearth of Pagan-oriented options for a formal religious education. A situation that often results in a sort of hodge-podge attempt at a well-rounded and relevant curriculum.
"Folks who have wanted to serve in a leadership capacity have managed to cobble together an education through Christian divinity schools, counseling programs, and the Unitarian Church," said [Sherry] Marts, a practicing witch and spokeswoman for the Open Hearth Foundation, a pagan community center in the Washington area. "It's been kind of a piecemeal. It would be great to have a pagan seminary."
Strangely, the reporter tracks down Witch School founder Ed Hubbard to talk about the development of a Pagan seminary, but not a single direct mention or interview with anyone from Cherry Hill Seminary, one of the few serious attempts at building a comprehensive and professional Pagan-focused ministry education. One wonders if Hubbard is consulting Bartlett on his sanctuary/community center, or if that was the only relevant source the journalist could find on short notice?
In any event, it is good to know that Bartlett is trying to build something of lasting value to the wider community, and is attempting to engage in interfaith activities. I wish him every success, though after winning the lottery I'm sure his gods are looking out for him already. Plus, as Bunky asserts in the article, he has no worries about deflecting any misfortunes relating to how he manages his new-found wealth: "I have the ability to deflect the curses that come my way."
Labels: Ed Hubbard, Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, lottery, Paganism, Wicca, Witch, Witch School
11.03.2007
Update: Hate Crime?
Back in mid-October, I mentioned a controversy brewing in the small town of Chicopee, Massachusetts. There a local homeowner hung a "witch" (though some claim it was supposed to be an effigy of Hillary Clinton) by a full-size gallows noose, prompting a local Wiccan to claim it constituted a hate crime against her religion.
"But Lynch says it's no laughing matter. She says it's a hate crime
The Halloween display in question.
Lynch organized a small protest outside the home sporting the witch. Emotions seemed to run high, causing police to be called to keep the peace.
"At one point the protest got a little heated, and Chicopee police were called to East street, but in the end both parties stayed on their own sides and continued to stand up for what they believe. "It is strong, strong dislike and hate for a person and a specific religion that is known all over the United States," says protestor Melissa Mercier ... "Witches have rights too, under freedom of religion," adds Lynch."
Then on Halloween night, someone decided to take matters into their own hands, and burned the faux-witch down.
"The witch hanging from a noose outside a home on East Street in Chicopee has been burned at the stake. Neighbors say when they went to bed last night, the witch was intact, but this morning, it was found burned on the ground. The halloween decoration stirred controversy when a group claiming witchcraft as their religion protested outside the home. But neighbors say whoever set fire to the witch went too far."
So now the question is: who burned the witch? Lynch? A supporter of Lynch's? Random hooligans? Some conspiratorial-minded folks have even suggested the homeowner did it himself. But whoever burned the witch, one thing is clear, thanks to this action the issue isn't going to go away now.
"One neighbor says he wants to put up four more witches for next year's Halloween season."
It seems that any positive outcome from this situation has been lost. It will now become a show of solidarity in the neighborhood to hang witches, and what most likely started out as something not aimed at modern Pagans could very well evolve into the thing Lynch feared. Wiccan effigies on suburban lawns.
* The hung witch in this instance isn't a hate crime in any legal sense of the term. A "hate crime" is a very specific thing. It is the intentional use of threats, violence, or intimidation against someone because of their race, religion, orientation, or creed. So far there is not a shred of proof this man hung this witch in order to threaten or intimidate Pagans. He may be a rude insensitive jerk, but that isn't against the law.
Labels: discrimination, hate crime, Massachusetts, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
10.30.2007
(Pre-Samhain) News of Note
Some last minute essays, opinions, and stories (some of it dealing with the upcoming holiday), for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
The Times reviews Emily Wilson's new book about the death of Socrates. Entitled, appropriately enough, "The Death of Socrates: Hero, villain, chatterbox, saint", the book looks at the different perspectives through history of this famous free-thought martyr.
"For some Romans, Socrates talked too much while dying a rather comfortable death. According to Plutarch, Cato the Elder called him "a big chatterbox"; the painless demise was contrasted with the hideous suicide of Cato the Younger. As an explicit act of political protest, inspired by Socrates, Cato stabbed himself till his innards extruded; after his wound had been sewn up, he tore it open again and ripped out his bowels. This scene is illustrated, along with numerous versions of Socrates' end."
The book goes on to illustrate how Socrates ended up a hero to Christians (thinking that Christ was the culmination of the philosopher's teachings), and being used as a popular character in a string of recent novels.
New DNA evidence was filed Monday in hopes of overturning the convictions of the West Memphis 3. The three teens were convicted for the murders of three children back in 1993, the case has long been criticized for using "Satanic Panic" to frame the teens, bringing up Damien Echols' interest in Wicca and Heavy Metal music, and using an "occult expert" to gain a conviction.
"Defense lawyers say two hairs -- evidence that looms large in a case long devoid of physical evidence -- link the stepfather to the crime scene where the bodies of three 8-year-old boys were found nude and hogtied in a watery ditch ... The prosecution's theory of a satanic motive was key to the convictions ... However, forensic reports offered by the defense attribute nearly all those injuries to predators -- possibly dogs or raccoons -- that fed on the bodies in the hours after the murders."
In fact, according to a report filed in July, none of the genetic material found at the scene could be trace back to the three teens. It remains to be seen if this new evidence will in fact clear the teens (now in their 30s) or save Echols from execution.
The Idaho Statesman explores the famous witch-trials in Salem through three women descended from victims and accusers at that time.
"'I lived this for about two weeks - what would he have said, what would she have done - and I literally entered her skin,' Judith Alexander said. Judith Alexander, Rebecca Bowen-Odom and Lila Hill. The three women recently portrayed their ancestors in a dramatization of the Salem witch-hunt era for Pioneer, the local chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution."
The article thinks ergot poisoning was the most likely culprit for the witch hysteria, though there are several theories out there.
Mexico's Roman Catholic Church has gone on record as saying it doesn't like Halloween.
"Those who celebrate Halloween are worshipping a culture of death that is the product of a mix of pagan customs," the Archdiocese of Mexico said in an article on its Web site yesterday. "The worst thing is that this celebration has been identified with neo-pagans, Satanism and occult worship."
No word on if this includes Dia de los Muertos celebrations as well, or if the death-haunted holiday is significantly free of "occult" influence to remain safe.
Finally, a somewhat strange attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records was attempted by a group in Somerville, MA.
"The witches were urged on by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne, the Somerville author of the new children's book Witches' Night Before Halloween and an authority on the holiday. Witches' Night (Pelican Publishing) is her fourth Halloween book, but her first for kids. Pratt Bannatyne wanted to celebrate Halloween in a new way, and Somerville -- with its eclectic festivals and "the willingness of people to come out and do something different" -- seemed like the place for the first known Guinness attempt for the 'Largest Gathering of Halloween Witches (Reciting Poetry).'"
No word on how many of the "witches" were also Witches (of the religious sort), but they did succeed in winning the record. Maybe a Pagan group can work towards 'Largest Gathering of Pagan Witches (Reciting Poetry)' sometime in the near future.
That is all I have for now, have a good holiday in the coming days!
Labels: Christianity, Halloween, I drank what?, Mexico, Pagan News of Note, poetry, Salem, Socrates, West Memphis 3, Wicca, Witch
10.23.2007
Tis the Season (to interview Witches)
Halloween is quickly approaching, which means that journalists across the country are looking for willing (real live) Witches to interview. This time of year is usually one of the busiest (journalism-wise), and the theme often turns to "dispelling myths" concerning Witchcraft and Paganism. Such is the case in a recent interview with Salem's own Laurie Cabot.
"We don't dress up like the chainsaw massacre. We don't paint our faces green because we're not green. We don't have a hatchet sticking out of our heads asking to be murdered. We dress up like what we want to be ... I think propagandizing our holiday in such a nasty way is not educating anybody or making anybody happy. I'd rather see the whole world dressed up in something beautiful in October and have a great time and still party."
You don't have to be a (in)famous author/personality from Salem to get an October article, you just have to be willing to speak out about your beliefs. You can even get away with saying some rather contentious things about religious Witchcraft/Wicca like Utah Witch Daneen Deuel:
"Wicca is more than just being a witch ... Wiccan's have a deep love of nature, and work on self improvement, and sending good out toward the universe ... Wicca is an ancient Celtic religion which was revived around the twentieth century ... It's really hard to explain Wiccanism because there are really broad principles, and you can take whatever you want from it ... We believe that all Deity are aspects of the same universal power that we are all a part of and we are here in this sphere to learn and grow,"
Of course these articles also take time out to convey important facts about our lifestyle and the ethics we live by:
"Real witchcraft is not glamorous in any way shape or form ... We're not sacrificing babies and boiling cats, for crying out loud..."
Most Wiccans and Witches interviewed for an October article try very hard to come off as normal and harmless as possible, in an ongoing battle to normalize modern Pagan religions.
"The neighbors are really good. We've never had any problems because they know we are good people. We have a dog and a turtle and two children. We are a normal family ... We honor the gods and goddesses of ancient mythology. We honor the sun, the moon, the Earth. There is nothing evil about it [Wicca] ... Many witches believe in the wiccan rede - that what you do to others comes back to you threefold. So we don't do harm."
But no matter how "normal" we all try to appear, it is important to remember that journalists are drawn to odd eccentrics like moths to candle-flame, so expect a fair helping of Witch interviews to follow that trend.
"In 1999, when she went by the name Laurie Jean, the spirits commanded her to change her name and be reborn as a witch. What followed, she said, was a period of deep research on her part of the "ancient archives on the mysterious and unknown things" ... Israel [Shvhu V. Magdaglene] recognizes herself as the reincarnated spirit of Egyptian queen Cleopatra; she claims to be waiting for Mark Antony. If he shows up at the shop, though, he might miss her. Israel plans to move on, possibly in a year or two, to model goddess, witch, vampire and princess clothing in New York City ... Until then, however, she'll be content to run her store in Melvina with her two Timber Arctic wolves. She keeps them as pets and says they're kind and sweet."
So enjoy the Samhain/Halloween season, just watch out for journalists lurking in the shadows, they may want to interview you!
Labels: Halloween, journalism, Laurie Cabot, Paganism, Samhain, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
10.17.2007
The Business and Controversy of Halloween
It is becoming ever more apparent that the Halloween holiday has become the biggest holiday outside of Christmas. Popular Halloween destination spots like Salem, MA gathers 75,000 people on that night alone, and retail sales for the holiday are breaking records.
"Halloween spending is estimated to reach $5.07 billion this year, compared to $4.96 billion in 2006. At $1.8 billion, costumes for adults, children and pets make up the bulk of spending, according to the National Retail Federation ... The average person is expected to spend just under $65 on Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation survey. One-third of that - about $23 per person - will be spent on costumes and almost $20 will go toward Halloween candy."
But with the growing popularity comes growing controversy. School bans of the holiday (and subsequent un-bannings) are becoming ever more common, and controversies over publicly displayed decorations are becoming heated and angry. It has columnist Ellis Henican wondering where all the fun went.
"Who needs to wait for another hyped-up "War on Christmas?" It's only mid-October. And we're already in the thick of a breathless national "Assault on Halloween." Consider yourself warned, you precious little trick-or-treaters, you toilet-paper-tossing miscreants: Two weeks before the greatest kids' holiday of the year, a bunch of nay-saying grownups are hell-bent on spoiling the fun ... anti-Halloween eruptions are now breaking out everywhere ... If it's not one thing, it's another on Halloween - from any interest group with its own fax machine."
These complaints are echoed by Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi:
"The two most devastating words any red-blooded American kid is likely to hear are "Fall Festival." It can mean only one thing: The War on Halloween is once again upon us. No, the War on Halloween won't induce the same zealous indignation that, say, the War on Christmas can. For me, though, it's far worse. We're still weeks from this glorious pagan celebration, but you can already hear the sound of the pinheads sucking the fun out of life."
Harsanyi talks to Harvard Halloween expert Lesley Bannatyne who explains why, despite the controversy, the holiday is more important to our society than ever.
"'One of the main reasons the holiday is critical is because it's perhaps the only holiday left where we actually open our doors to strangers ... If we've ever needed that, we need it nowadays' ... Moreover, during Halloween kids can express and explore things that they find scary, Bannatyne explains. It's healthy. It's about Celtic mythology, popular culture, literature and the evolution of the American experience. It's also about inclusion. Bannatyne claims that Halloween was used in the early part of the 20th century as a means of teaching immigrants how to acclimate to the American way of life."
You can read a fascinating article about the different developing Halloween trends on Bannatyne's web site. The larger point here is that Halloween has become too big to be owned by any singular conception of what it should be. Pagans no more get to define it than the anti-Halloween Christians promoting "fall festivals", or the secular thrill-seekers looking to blow off some steam. We should all remember that this holiday, since the very beginning, has been about crossing boundaries and doing shocking things.
"While Samhain (and the phenomenon of death which it celebrated) was obviously the end of a cycle, it was more importantly the start of a new one. Because all true novelty springs from the chaotic freedom and vitality of the Otherworld, a new cycle could be inaugurated only by dissolving all of the structures of the old one -- just as the moment of death dissolves our identity in this world, allowing the fresh energies of the Otherworld to impel us towards new life. This meant that, as happens in the feasts of renewal of many different cultures, certain types of social disorder were actively encouraged during the period of the festival, because they promoted the renewing influence of the Otherworld at the point in the yearly cycle where it would be most beneficial. Customs originating entirely in the world of cultural values -- such as those relating to social rank or gender-appropriate behaviour -- were the most likely to be violated. Disrespect could be shown to elders or to members of the upper classes. Cross-dressing was one of the most widespread and popular ways of expressing the dissolution of social categories, and in parts of Wales groups of young men in female garb were referred to as gwrachod ("hags" or "witches") as they wandered through the countryside on Calan Gaeaf, indulging in all kinds of mischief."
So shouldn't this holiday, for Pagans anyway, be the one time of the year we accept the strange, gruesome, outrageous, and offensive? Let us all try to use the energies of this holiday to bind us all closer together as a society. The business of Halloween is getting bigger, lets be sure its true spirit remains a part of that growth.
Labels: Halloween, Paganism, Salem, Samhain, War on Halloween, Witch
10.11.2007
Two Coasts, Two Conceptions, One Samhain
Two recent stories discuss upcoming Pagan-run events for the Samhain season. The first comes from Starhawk's most recent entry on The Washington Post's "On Faith" blog. In the essay Starhawk discusses her views on death and dying, and mentions Reclaiming's annual Spiral Dance held around Samhain in San Francisco.
"At this time of year, as we move toward Samhain or Halloween, the ancient festival of the ancestors, we say 'the veil is thin' that divides the world of the living from the realm of the dead. The ancestors return to visit us - and that is the origin of our Halloween customs of setting candles out in jack-o-lanterns to light their way to our doors, of giving offerings (once harvest offerings, now candy) to children, who are the ancestors returning. In our Samhain rituals, like the large, public Spiral Dance ritual that Reclaiming creates every year right before Halloween, we often take an imaginative journey to the Isle, to meet and talk with our beloved dead, to receive help and guidance, to finish what is unfinished, to offer our love. I have many times had visions and a deep sense of connection with my loved ones who have passed on. The meaning is often very personal, a message of hope or approval or advice."
Meanwhile The Salem News gives us a "dummies guide" to the variety of Witch-related Halloween happenings in the "Witch City" of Salem. Of particular interest is the competing "official" Salem Witches Balls from two different generations of Witches.
"...two witches balls, both advertised as the "official" Salem witches ball and both at the historic Hawthorne Hotel. The first, on Friday, Oct. 26, is run by local witch Christian Day and features Fiona Horne, an Australian rock star billed as "the world's most famous witch." The other, on Halloween night, is being staged by Laurie Cabot, who also is "the world's most famous witch." Cabot, of course, is the official witch of Salem, a title bestowed upon her three decades ago by Gov. Michael Dukakis ... It could be argued that Day, 37, and Cabot, 74, are the new and old guard of Salem witchcraft. They have loyal followings, are occasionally controversial and unabashedly entrepreneurial."
You can find information for Day's ball, here, and Cabot's, here. These Samhain events, held on different coasts, help illustrate the diversity of attitudes and approach within modern Paganism (specifically religious Witchcraft) while preserving essential elements of the holiday (honoring the ancestors, acknowledging those who have died, celebrating life through feasting and dance, connecting with divinity). To a certain extent, a shared practice (praxis) binds these Witches together far more than any shared theology or ideology. A point that often escapes those looking to pigeonhole "what Witches (or Pagans) believe".
Labels: Christian Day, Laurie Cabot, On Faith, Paganism, Reclaiming, Salem, Starhawk, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft
8.26.2007
More Drama in Salem Psychic Wars
Just when you thought things had calmed down, another police report is filed in the ongoing Salem psychic wars. To briefly recap, two camps of Witches, Pagans, and psychic practitioners in the "Witch City" of Salem, Mass had been in opposition on the issue of licensing psychics. One camp wanted tight regulations that benefited long-time residents and shop-owners, while the other preferred looser restrictions that would allow for non-residents to work at "psychic fairs" (eventually a compromise measure was passed by the city). While this debate was going on in the city, two metaphysical shops had mutilated animal parts left at their doors. Several months later, the perpetrators of this malicious magical intimidation were caught and arrested.
"A woman claiming to be a Salem witch and her housemate have been charged with mutilating a dead raccoon and leaving the remains on the doorsteps of two psychic businesses. Self-proclaimed high-priestess Sharon Graham, 46, and her roommate, Fredrick Purtz, 22, both of Salem, were arrested Monday in connection with the May 27 incident. They both pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning in Salem District Court on littering and malicious destruction of property charges."
Now the witness who came forward to give information on the two suspects has had his house ransacked.
Richard Watson
"The lead witness in Salem's raccoon mutilation case returned home yesterday afternoon to find his apartment ransacked, with valuables - including his crystal balls - gone. Salem police are investigating the break-in at the home of Richard Watson and said yesterday they didn't know if it was linked to the allegations against Watson's former roommate, Sharon Graham, and an associate, Frederick Purtz ... "Of course, it raises your eyebrows because it's coincidental with the main suspect being released," he said. "But as far as her being connected right now, I can't answer that because the incident's too fresh." Watson said he doesn't know who broke into his apartment at 100 Bridge St. "I feel that it is in retaliation, though, of me coming forward," he said."
Coincidence? Or revenge for going to the police? If evidence can be found linking the break-in and theft to Sharon Graham or Fredrick Purtz, the charges are going to be a lot more serious than littering. Watson has already claimed that Graham threatened him to keep quiet, and had an order of protection taken out against her. Certainly any friends of Graham who may have been motivated to retaliate aren't doing her a favor by attacking this witness. At this point we'll have to see if things escalate from here, or if Salem will finally see a respite from the infighting that has developed.
Labels: law, Paganism, psychics, Salem, Sharon Graham, Witch, Witchcraft
6.24.2007
The Impaler Extends His Fifteen Minutes
Last year a loon-bat by the name of Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey gained a modicum of national press coverage when he ran for Governor of Minnesota as a representative of the "Vampyres, Witches, and Pagans Party". Several articles followed his quixotic attempts, and some intrepid filmmakers even created a documentary about his run. One might think that would just about extinguish his 15 minutes of fame, but it seems the mainstream media isn't done with Sharkey yet. ABC News recently featured his Impale-ness in a story concerning the hundreds of small-timers who try to run for President.
"He calls himself a "vampyre" (the Romanian spelling, he says) and claims he's been drinking blood since age five. He also wants to be your next president. Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey is running unchallenged for the Vampire, Witches and Pagan Party 2008 presidential nomination. Most Americans would have a hard time naming the 19 more-or-less official candidates, but, in fact, there are hundreds of Americans running on third-party and independent tickets. Sharkey is running on an "impale criminals" platform."
I suppose this is a success story of sorts, it isn't often that a former wrestler who (possibly) tried to fake his own death achieves this much notoriety (legally). But I must confess that having read through the first wave of "Impaler" news, I'm hoping this particular "human interest" well has run dry. For more Sharkey-related material you can look at his Presidential MySpace profile.
Labels: Jonathan "The Impaler" Sharkey, Paganism, politics, Presidential election, Vampyre, Witch
3.24.2007
A Fat Witch...
Conservative radio and television show host Glenn Beck is getting some heat for calling Rosie O'Donnell a "fat witch" on his show. But he wants to be clear that he didn't mean Pagan Witches.
"I have to tell you, I'm a little ashamed of myself for saying that. I am. I mean it's technically true, she's a witch. Well, no, technically, she's not a witch. There's no Wiccan tendencies there, and I probably agree with Wiccans more than I agree with Rosie O'Donnell. So I apologize to all Wiccans on that."
So it seems that in the world of conservative punditry calling someone you don't agree with "fat" is OK (since its "scientific consensus" according to his producer), but calling them a "witch" is crossing the line (Does that include actual "fat" Witches, or do those two conditions cancel eachother out?). Who knew that Wiccans have risen so high in the esteem of prominent conservative commentators. I'm sure Limbaugh, Coulter, and the rest will be sure to take note.
Labels: Glenn Beck, Rosie O'Donnell, Witch
