Spyrit Dancers' Musings On All Things Wiccan

The new “henge” is about 900m (2,950ft) from the giant stones

Archaeologists have discovered a second henge at Stonehenge, described as the most exciting find there in 50 years.

The circular ditch surrounding a smaller circle of deep pits about a metre (3ft) wide has been unearthed at the world-famous site in Wiltshire.

What is really neat about this discovery is, it wasn’t made by digging, but by scanning the area with high tech scanners, and mapped virtually.  For a long time archaeologists figured it was all empty fields around Stonehenge, now this study is proving different.  To read the entire article, plus watch a short movie on it, click here.

This is an awesome article about an Anglican Priest who attended a Witch Camp to perform slight-of-hand stage magic to pagans who believe in another type of magick. You can read the entire article here.
I love his last paragraph.  If only all religions were so open to what we have to offer each other!

I’ll always be a priest. It’s where it all began, and the beauty of the unpolluted Christ-message is still enough to send shock waves of love rippling down my spine. But when I spend time with pagans and absorb the openness, warmth, magical-power and sheer delight in being human, I catch a glimpse of what the church ought to, and (perhaps) could be like.

Another article that was linked to from Mrs. B is this one New book waves wand at witchcraft.

Author Diana Gerdenits says its “not an easy read”, but one that will tell of the shocking world of witchcraft with a Lower Mainland setting.
“The story is loosely based on me growing up in Vancouver,” said Gerdenits.
“As a young teenager I was part of a group that studied the stuff like witches and covens.
“It was in the early 1980s when most teens were into drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll, but this group– a couple guys and a couple of girls spiraled out of control and found their own thing.”
“I won’t say what is truth and what is fiction, but I can say a lot of things were tested and tried during this time of our lives.”

I’m trying to find this to buy in ebook format for my Sony Reader, but so far I’m not having any luck. If anyone else does, please let me know.  It sounds like an interesting read.  Diane’s official blog for the book can be found here.

I saw a post about this on Mrs. B’s facebook page that the Pope was coming out against the movie Avatar.  Of course, I haven’t seen the movie yet, and this just makes me want to see it even more.  You can read the entire article here.

The pope also denounced the “supposedly egalitarian vision” that human beings and other living creatures should be placed on the same plane of existence, adding that such a worldview would “open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would see the source of man’s salvation in nature alone, understood in purely naturalistic terms.

What is wrong with putting people and animals on the same plane of existence?  I personally believe that ALL life is sacred.  Animals and humans are included in that.  None should be devalued.

Oh wait, he is talking about worship.  That man’s salvation in nature alone.  Hmmm. I believe that the spirit of the Goddess and God flows through all living things…plants, people, animals.  But I believe that the Goddess and God are the same divinity that other faiths worship, I just see a different facet of the whole than they see.  So I feel the power flows from divinity, not just from nature alone.  So…I’m losing where he thinks that is neo-paganism.  But then again, I’m also not familiar with the many flavors of faith either.

The article is an interesting read, and I agree with the author, when the movie releases in Italy after that proclamation, it will probably be mobbed.

After seeing this in a tweet, I read this article posted up on The Wild Hunt that a Bath and Body works manager was fired when  taking off a week last year to celebrate Samhain.  This is something that she had done every year for the last six years!

Her old manager had approved the vacation almost a year before.  When a new regional manager was promoted over Gina Uberti, however, they questioned the wisdom of her taking off during a promotion that Bath and Body Works was holding at that time called “Signature Restage.”  Gina explained that she had asked for the time off a year in advance.  When pressed why she needed that week, she explained she was going to Salem to celebrate Samhain, the New Year. She explained about Wicca, the Sabbats, and how this Sabbat was considered the holiest of them all.

“Uberti says she explained that her vacation had already been approved and that she was celebrating a religious holiday.  Uberti says Scibelli responded, “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Let me ask you where your priorities should have been?” Uberti says she asked what was ridiculous, and Scibelli replied: “Well, you will need a new career in your new year.” Scibelli allegedly added, “I will be damned if I have a devil-worshipper on my team.” Uberti says she was fired in November 2008. She seeks lost wages and punitive damages for religious discrimination.”

I can’t believe that a manager of a store that sells bath and body products, after having the holiday explained to them, would make a comment like that.  We don’t even believe in the devil, let alone worship it.

If you are as outraged as I am about this, make sure you write Bath and Body works by clicking here.

You can read a pdf file of the court documents here.

Great article in the Seacoast Online.

Every Oct. 31 millions of children and adults dress up on Halloween in hopes of a trick or a treat. For most, Halloween is nothing more than a night of fright and make believe at a local costume party, but to some this is a very sacred time and is more than just candy corn and hot cider.

In America and other countries, communities of modern day witches, wiccans, druids and pagans gather in homes, parks, public buildings or a secluded forest to celebrate the feast of Samhain (sow-in), an ancient Celtic fire festival meaning “Summer’s End” that traces back more than 2,000 years to ancient Europe. During the morning of Samhain, the Celts would gather up the final harvest of the year as they prepare for the start of the three darkest months of the Celtic calender, which begins at Samhain and ends at Imbolc (Feb. 1), the start of the Celtic spring and midway point between the winter solstice and vernal equinox.  Click here to read the rest of the article. Always nice to see positive press for Wiccans!