and open to Her Wisdom."
8th Day of the 9th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Kore
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Muin/Vine
The 8th Day of Blodlessing (Days of Harvest Rites) Cycle
Moon Phase: waxing Crescent
Moon rises: 2:32PM EDST
Moon sets: 11:35PM EDST
Moon in Sagittarius v/c 10:14AM
Moon enters the Cardinal Earth
Sign of Capricorn at 6:19PM
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
The First Year of Branwen's Cycle
Lunar Meditaton: The courage
to change
Sun in Libra
Sunrise: 7:10AM EDST
Sunset: 7:13PM EDST
Solar Question for the Day: "What
excites your soul?"
Lughnasadh (Gwyl Awst) Quarter
of the Year
September 25th, 2009
It is sad to see this happening yet again, perhaps still....
At http://hecatedemetersdatter.blogspot.com/
she calls our attention to the that witch hunts and witch killings are now global and spreading. Another site in which this is posted about is: http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/witch-hunts-are-now-an-international-epidemic.html
There it says: Witch Hunts Are Now An International Epidemic
Yesterday a coalition of U.N. officials, NGOs, and representatives from affected countries addressed the United Nations asking for governments to face the full extent of witch hunts across the world. Far from being a localized phenomenon in "primitive" or isolated villages, witch hunts and witch killings are now global in nature and spreading.
"Murder and persecution of women and children accused of being witches is spreading around the world and destroying the lives of millions of people, experts said Wednesday... "This is becoming an international problem - it is a form of persecution and violence that is spreading around the globe," Jeff Crisp of the U.N.'s refugee agency UNHCR told a seminar organized by human rights officials of the world body."
"Some religious practitioners make a living from exorcising alleged witches and charging exorbitant fees to those who request the ritual. In Foxcroft's experience, the most vulnerable members of society - children and the elderly - are often the victims of these accusations."
"Witchcraft is still widely practiced in many countries in Africa by witchdoctors who often use human body parts in their spells. Some witchdoctors employ gangs of young men to attack and kill victims, often young children, for their body parts, which are frequently removed while the victim is still alive. An estimated 300 people are killed each year in South Africa alone as a result of this practice. But horrific though this practice is, it is only part of the problem. In Nigeria, in both the Muslim North and the Christian South, witch hunts are not uncommon and this has led to a second form of abuse. Some unscrupulous pastors, many linked to Pentecostal churches, have a lucrative trade in making unfounded accusations of witchcraft against young children. [The pastors then agree to "cure" the witches for a substantial fee. Many children are being ostracized and abandoned by their parents as a result of these accusations.]"
These Christian pastors aren't isolated to Africa, they tour churches in America bragging about their battles with the occult, and have established ministries in Ireland and the UK. Commingling with an increasing anti-occult fervor among some Western Christian groups. Meanwhile, actual modern Pagan communities in places like India and South Africa are facing the possible ramifications of intensifying witch-hunts and witch persecutions.
Hecate's says in her blog: "This is a serious problem and it calls for serious actions. As Jason notes, signing a few internet petitions isn't going to cut it. I'd like to call on the Pagan community to -- in addition to serious political action, donations, and pressure on our own elected officials -- plan to do some magic on this topic at Yule, when we turn from the dark to the light. What can you do --as a solitary, a member of a coven or grove, a worker of magic, a shaman, a worshipper of the old gods, a priestess or priest of a public ritual, as one who moves between the worlds where what you do between them affects them all -- what can you do to put a stop to this modern day slaughter of witches and those labeled "witch"? If you plan an action at Yule, please share it in comments; if we can collect enough ideas, I'll do a separate post on the topic a bit closer to the Sabbat."
