Discrimination in Vancouver? Maybe...

In another edition of WTF my fellow Pagans, a British Columbia man is accusing the Vancouver Police Board of discriminating against him based on his religion and sexual orientation in denying him a chauffeur's license back in 2006. The courts have finally gotten around to dealing with this situation. It seems Canada is just as slow as the US when it comes to finally shorting stuff out.

According to an article on British Columbia's CTV News website, this man showed up to the licensing interview wearing all black and informed his interviewer that he wears all black because he is a Pagan (as a tree-hugging Pagan who wears mostly green and brown I am already put off by this guy). He also revealed to his interviewer that his sexual orientation is BDSM. I am not sure that BDSM is a sexual orientation and perhaps (as discussed in the article) that is a matter that the B.C. Supreme Court will eventually have to decide, though they won't right now. At any rate, why would someone walk into an interview, dressed all in black and announce that they were BDSM if they weren't trying to cause a ruckus? But I digress.

The interviewer who denied him his license says it was because of his past record in which no charges were filed but several complaints of minor violence and inappropriate sexual behavior had been made. However, during the interview, according to the would-be chauffeur, the interviewer was insulting and rude and told him that he would not give him a license to recruit people into his "sex cult" which doesn't look very good on him.

While both men didn't behave in the most intelligent manner, ultimately the tribunal decided that there was no discrimination in this case and while I'm not sure if that's true, I think it was probably a good idea to deny this guy a chauffeur's license anyway. What think you, dear reader?

Winter Warm Ups

With the snow flying already, it's time to break out the hot beverages. I've been enjoying the taste of mulled cider since before Samhain but it becomes even more enjoyable as the weather grows colder. I've decided this year to share the joy by adding mulling spices to my gifts. To do this, first take a look at my mulled apple cider recipe at Kitchen Witch Corner. Find or make a cloth bag, preferably cotton (about the size of a of a tarot bag, maybe a little smaller) in a festive print. Fill the bag with the dry ingredients (dry the orange slices in a food dehydrator or purchase dried orange slices) and tie the bag closed with a pretty ribbon! Add a tag to the ribbon with preparation instructions. If your recipiant isn't a huge fan of hot apple cider, this gift can also be used as a fragrant sachet or potpourri!

What's your favorite winter warm up?

A Spot of Bother

Recently I read a great book called A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. It's not the usual sort of book for me. It's sort of a family drama with a bit of romance and some British humor. Nothing supernatural, nothing historic, nothing mysterious, fantastic or even exciting and it's certainly not educational. I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by the same author several years ago mainly because it is in the point of view of an autistic child, and I am interested in autistic children since we have autism in the family and several family members work with the autistic population. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime was a mystery, of sorts, and I rather enjoyed it so I thought I'd give the author another go.

One thing that amazes me about this author is his ability to write from the point of view of another person. His characters are full of depth, passion and realism. This man is not autistic (to my knowledge) but he managed to write an autistic boy into being with amazing realism in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Likewise, he was able to create a young gay man, a passionate young woman, a bored elderly housewife and an old man wandering into dementia in A Spot of Bother with amazing clarity and realism. I could not have done it, perhaps that's why I stick to nonfiction.

My husband says it's a girly book, and perhaps it is. I was actually surprise the author wasn't a woman.

A Spot of Bother is the story of a wedding. The daughter (the aforementioned passionate young woman) announces she is going to marry a man nobody in the family really likes (though none of them have a good reason for it). Meanwhile, her father is having a nervous breakdown, her mother is trying to feel like a woman again and her brother is so busy worrying about what everyone else thinks he doesn't notice his own relationship is falling apart. Meanwhile, the bride-to-be and her intended are both having their own second thoughts as the couple loses all control over the wedding plans. Throw in her very small son from a previous marriage just to complicate things further and, well, hilarity ensues. It's definitely a love story three times over. All three couples have challenges to face, every individual makes a fool of him or herself in the process and the reader is entertained throughout.

This is light reading, but not the sort that leaves you feeling like your brain needs a good scrubbing. I highly recommend it and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. He hasn't disappointed me yet (though my husband doesn't agree)

Druid Organization Recognized in Britain

This week, the English Charity Commission officially recognized a Druid organization as a religious charity allowing The Druid Network to enjoy tax exempt status (as Druid and many other Pagan organizations do here in the US already.)
The full text of the commission's decision may be read here.

The Druid Network first began working toward its goal of official recognition of their organization as a religious charity in England nearly five years ago. Their success helps validate the charitable work of Pagan organizations and Enland and opens the door to other organizations to enjoy similar success. I am sure all Druids and Pagans here in the US will join me in offering our brethren across the sea a hearty congratulations!

Read more in this Associated Press Article





Partial Lunar Eclipse This Saturday

This Saturday, June 26th the Capricorn moon will undergo a partial eclipse beginning at 4:55am EST and ending 10:22am EST. This eclipse will be visible in the Pacific and parts of Australia, but those of us in the United States would be lucky to catch a glimpse as the moon goes down (get more details at http://www.astrologycom.com/partialeclipseJun26.pdf) . However, you can still make use of the energy of the lunar eclipse.

Throughout history, lunar eclipses have foretold change. This is an excellent time to perform a spell for change, or to do some divination. This eclipse combines the energy of the full moon in Capricorn and the sun in Cancer with the Earth's constant energy suggests that this is a good time to focus your magical energy on bringing about positive change related to the family, especially male family members or matters relating to the family business or any business proposition that will benefit the family unit. I will personally be working to help my husband find a better job, with better hours that will allow him to spend more time with the family (and more time jamming with our son!).

Just how does a lunar eclipse affect your magical workings? First, understand that lunar eclipses always take place during a full moon, so you are working with strong full moon energy. The lunar eclipse mimics a lunar cycle, what usually takes nearly a few months in just a few hours. This increases the power of your work by magnifying the energy of the full moon by the energy of the rest of a lunar cycle and can speed up the manifestations of your desires.

Witchcraft on Bones

When I was an Anthropology major in college I wanted to be a Forensic Anthropologist, just like Bones! This show has been recommended to me for years, but I haven't got a TV. Recently I started checking out various TV shows on Hulu and I have discovered such wonders as Lost, Dead Like Me, and... when I found out May 6th's episode of Bones was all about Witchcraft I thought I'd check that out too.

Did I like it? Well... it was entertaining. It was friggin' weird and predictably made witches seem, well, wacky. There's some wacky witches out there, some of them are my dear friends and one of them is myself, but we don't mess with dead cats or have dead bodies in our closets and I've yet to meet one who claimed to make someone's hair fall out (cool trick though). I was actually more insulted as an Anthropologist than a witch. I was appalled by the idea of an Anthropologist "observing" a Wiccan ritual without them knowing they were being observed. Very unethical... Of course it all wrapped up with a pat outcome as series's do which is one of the many reasons I gave up TV all those years ago in the first place.

Anyway. You can check it out yourself.

Voudou Practitioners Claim Christians are Monopolizing Haiti Aid

According to the UK Telegraph, Max Beauvoir, a Voodoo leader in Haiti claims that the evangelical Christians in Haiti have taken over the aid effort and are excluding Voodoo peoples.


But there ARE Voudou organizations on the ground. If you want to make sure that your donation goes to the Voodoo people in Haiti, consider sending it to Voudou Aid, the charity arm of the Roots Without End Society . They are on the ground, in Haiti and dealing directly with the Haitian people and do not discriminate based on religious belief.

Get updates on how they are dealing with the Earthquake here.