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CultWatch Response
Beltein 1988
Volume I, No. 4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CWR, Cuhulain
Announce Guide
CultWatch Response is proud to
announce that CWR, in conjunction
with the Wiccan Information
Network, will be publishing Kerr
Cuhulain's A Law Enforcement Guide
to Wicca, a W.I.N. project (with
input from many North American
Pagans). The expected release date
is mid-May, 1989, and the cost will
be $10.00, ppd. Please let us know
if you want us to reserve a copy
for you as soon as possible, so
that we can get an idea of how many
to print in the first run.
Canadians should contact the
Wiccan Information Network at
P.O. Box 2422, Main Post Office
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 3W7 CANADA
Information on W.I.N. can also be
obtained from this address.
-----------------------------------
In This Issue
- Rowan Moonstone on "The Origins
of Beltane";
- Kerr Cuhulain continues his
series on "The Plight of the Pagan
Policeman";
- Texas has proposed a law to
deal with Ritual Child Abuse;
- "A Your Type", a humorous Pagan
response to some of the various
charities who are refusing
donations from Pagans;
- Reviews of By Silence Betrayed
by John Crewdson, "Die Mother
Father Brother" (from the April
Redbook Magazine), and "The
Preliminary Report on Satanism in
America" from the Committee for
Scientific Examination of Religion;
- "Tarot and Religious Freedom"
from The Freedom Writer;
- Finally! Letters to the
Editor!
... and more!
From the Editor:
My Heretic Heart
by Gerald L. Bliss
Another question I hear often is:
"If I become a Witch, what's in it
for me?" I can just see those
Fundamentalist visions of wild
orgies swimming before the eyes of
some preachers. Sorry, but that's
just not the way it is.
I suppose that the greatest thing
the Craft has to offer is the fact
that no single person has more
authority over one's belief than
oneself. As Catharine Madsen put it
in her song, "Heretic Heart":
"Though law and scripture,
priest and prayer
Have all instructed me,
My skin, my bones, my heretic
heart
Are my authority!"
I was taught the fundamentals of
a flexible set of ethics, and was
encouraged to develop them further.
I have been given some things
(rituals, spells, history, etc.),
and developed others on my own. I
was taught the "Wiccan Rede" (which
states that I may do anything within
the dictates of my conscience, SO
LONG AS IT HARMS NOBODY), the Three-
fold Law (which states that any
energy I put out into the world
returns to me three times over, thus
making it an act of stupidity to do
"negative magick"), and the basic
Laws of the Craft. I am sworn to
the Rede, and am affected by the
Threefold Law whether I like it or
not; the other Laws were taught to
me as guidelines, and so I apply
them as need dictates.
Another issue is the equality of
men and women (indeed, the equality
of all creation); in nearly every
branch of the Craft, the few
imbalances are in favor of honoring
the feminine aspects of what is
"human", and so the High Priestess
is given ascendancy over her circle.
Oh, yes. That silly little
thing about "selling your soul to
the Devil"... my soul is a gift
from Goddess, which would make it
redundant should She wish to "buy"
it.
My relationship with my God/dess
is not defined in any book; it is
far too personal to be covered with
someone else's words. I feel
His/Her hand in every facet of my
life.
My God/dess gave me a brain and
feelings, sent me teachers who gave
me the training and experience to
enable me to discern for myself
what is right/wrong for me, and
gave me the right to decide my own
life and path.
For me, there is no more one
"Right, True, and Only Way" in
religion any more than there is
only one "Right, True and Only Way"
to drive to work.
Please to not feel that I am
criticizing your beliefs; these are
merely statements of some of the
things I believe. May you find
peace in your path, as I have in
mine.
-----------------------------------
Letters
As a Wiccan minister, I have
been actively engaged for a number
of years in educating the general
public on Witchcraft through talks
with various social and law
enforcement agencies. I cannot say
that it has not been "interesting",
but it certainly has been well
worth it.
What I have found talking to
these various agencies is that, as
a general rule, they prefer to
schedule "experts" from within
their own ranks rather than invite
guest speakers that are both
knowledgeable and active in the
subject matter.
A couple of years ago, a local
police captain contacted me for
assistance; it seemed that the
North Carolina Police Academy had
scheduled him to speak as an
"expert" on the occult, and he had
no knowledge in this area. I spent
many hours teaching him various
aspects of the occult as well as the
differences between Witchcraft and
Satanism (not to mention the Satanic
dabblers). Since that time, I have
met with many detectives from all
over North Carolina for conference
on the "occult" and matters of some
crime activities of an "occult"
nature.
But this is only a handful of the
people within these agencies. The
general feelings I meet are that it
is all "bull" or comments to the
effect that I "should be institu-
tionalized". This seems to run at
about a 9-to-1 ratio, with the 1
representing the proportion of the
staff who is genuinely interested in
the topics I present.
Within the social structure of
these agencies I have met much
opposition. It seems that most (if
not all) of these people subscribe
to misinformed publications such as
File 18 and seem to believe the
viewpoints presented there as if
they were gospel; this is going on
from the level of the staff
psychologist on down, and they all
think they know more about the
"occult" than someone who has spent
their whole life as an active
participant.
Most of the seminars held by
local agencies on the "occult" are
either given by a local officer
(serving as an expert) or are
presented totally from the Christian
viewpoint with a minister as the
guest speaker. These so-called
"experts" generally lack any
knowledge of the subject matter, yet
they are "teaching" important
segments of society as to what we
are and what we do!
These agencies must come to
realize that you only discover the
truth about a group by talking to
active participants. One does not
contact a plumber to do electrical
wiring, yet this type of thing is
exactly what is taking place in the
majority of these agencies.
I even overheard a conversation
between two social workers about
Witchcraft and its practitioners,
during which one of them stated that
"there are not enough foster homes
to hold all the kids that would be
taken away from these Devil
worshippers"!
Until our law enforcement
agencies discover that they are not
getting the facts about Witchcraft,
until they schedule the real
experts, this kind of attitude will
continue to exist. There are, of
course, those who either do not
know the facts or would rather not
recognize them. The vast majority
of law enforcement officials I have
met with are still very much in the
Dark Ages when it comes to
understanding us.
I intend to spend more time
getting media coverage, hoping that
my exposure will bring more of
these people to listen, and hoping
that someday some of these people
will not sit still while Witches
are being slandered in public.
Yes, my activites may bring on a
confrontation, but I believe that,
before it is over, there will still
be a few questions remaining in
enough minds that will require
answers.
Blessings,
Jim Sutton
New Earth Church
P.O. Box 5461
New Bern, NC 28561
-*-*-*-*-*-
I want to share with you some
activities and information from the
Pagan Alliance of Central Texas
(P.A.C.T.). Our first organiza-
tional meeting was in mid-December
1988 with a good turnout. Our
statement of purpose (below) was
drafted during the January 1989
meeting, and since then we have
worked on setting short- and long-
term goals.
In January, two other P.A.C.T.
members and I attended a
conference, entitled "Destructive
Cults and Mind Control", sponsored
by a local psychiatric hospital and
Austin Independent School District.
During the lunch break, two of us
confronted Investigator Dan LeMay
about grouping Pagans, Wiccans,
Satanists, and "other cult law-
breakers" together in a couple of
his statements. He admitted that he
didn't know much about Wicca, but
would be open to learning after we
identified ourselves and our
purpose.
A few days later, in an hour-long
phone conversation with Mr. LeMay, I
presented an overall view of
Paganism, Witchcraft, rituals, and
magick, stressing the religious
focus of these things. I told him
that the national and local
motivation for Witches uniting and
networking is to support and protect
our religious freedom. He was
interested in in how many Witches
there were, whether we performed
blood rituals, animal sacrifices,
nude ceremonies, and if we wanted to
become a mainstream American
religion.
I answered these and many other
questions to the best of my ability
and ended by recommending a suitable
reading list for his further use. I
also sent him our educational
packet, including our statement of
purpose, a general her/history of
Witchcraft, occult symbols and
definitions, and excerpts from
CultWatch Response, Circle Network
Pagan Strength Web, Witches' Anti-
Defamation League, and the Witches'
League for Public Awareness
publications.
Mr. LeMay shared with me police
attitudes toward Pagans and Witches
based on dubious information
distributed at in-service cult crime
seminars. Enclosed is one very
disturbing paper he shared with me,
developed by a Deputy Dave Gaerin of
the San Diego Sheriff's Office about
a group called the Witches Inter-
national Coven Council Association
(conveniently W.I.C.C.A.).
You can see from this paper that
it gives an incriminating account of
Witchcraft that is being accepted as
truth by less well-informed police
officials. I wrote a letter to Dep.
Gaerin, objecting to the distri-
bution of this material and asking
for documentation. No one I have
asked has ever heard of this group,
so I am passing the ball to you...
Per subsequent phone conver-
sations with Mr. LeMay, he informed
me that he found our educational
packet very interesting and
helpful, and (he has been) sharing
it with other police (officers) in
the Organized Crime Unit. His
"cult crime" presentations have
changed also, now differentiating
between Wicca and Satanism. Mr.
LeMay now describes Wicca as a
legitimate religion being practiced
by a growing number of responsible
citizens. We are making progress
here in the "heart of Texas" and
hope that by all working together
we can prevent things like this
"W.I.C.C.A. Papers" an other
misinformation about Witches from
being circulated, perpetuating
harmful stereotypes!
Blessed Be,
Lady Magdalena - Grove of Phoenix
Rising
B.J. Barrett - P.A.C.T.
[Editor's Note: The so-called
"W.I.C.C.A. Papers" are a forgery
being a re-write of an equally-
fictitious document first published
in the early 1900s in Russia as a
document called "The Protocols of
the Elders of Zion", claiming an
international Jewish Satanic (sic)
conspiracy.]
-*-*-*-*-*-
Pagan Alliance of Central Texas
Statement of Purpose
P.A.C.T. is an alliance of
Wiccans and Pagans from different
cultural traditions. As
practitioners of pagan and Neo-
Pagan religions, including Wicca
(also known as Witchcraft), we
employ a positive, life-affirming
faith that is dedicated to healing,
both of ourselves and others, and
of the Earth. We recognize the
divinity of Nature in our Home, the
Earth.
We exist to defend, protect and
support the Wiccan Craft and Pagan
compatriots in Central Texas by
putting a stop to the defamation and
persecution of the Craft, Paganism
and its individual practitioners.
We do this by actively opposing
slander or libel against our
churches, clergy and congregations,
and act as a media and government
watch group. A primary goal of
P.A.C.T. is to protect the religious
freedom of its members.
We also exist to educate the
general public about the nature of
the Craft and Paganism, and to make
clear the distinction between our
beliefs and common misconceptions.
We function as a network among Pagan
groups. While doing this, P.A.C.T.
is open and in the public eye as an
organization, but guarantees the
right of privacy and anonymity to
those members who desire it.
We live by the Wiccan "Golden
Rule": As long as you harm none, do
as you will.
------------------------------------
[Preface: The confusion between
Satanism and Witchcraft in the
public mind came to a head a few
months back when an animal rights
group returned a donation from a
Craft group and forbade them from
any further fund-raising activities
on their behalf. Rather than get
angry, I thought a little humor on
the subject would do the job best.]
A "Your Type"
by Lint Dagger
I peered through the dirty
window, trying to gauge what awaited
me inside. The summons mentioned
something about a "refund" and gave
an address on the lower end of 17th
street, Falwellville. I'd been
eating canned soup for dinner the
past few months, and could not
afford to pass up any offer which
would help me make it from one pay
check to the next. My intent gaze
could not penetrate the foggy haze
which covered the plane glass; my
trepidation grew. I glanced again
at my watch, and discovered I was
over a minute late. Clutching my
courage with one hand, and
tightening my resolve with the
other, I opened the door and went
in.
The waiting room was small.
Perhaps fifteen feet square, with
four dirty chairs placed
contumeliously around an equally
filthy card table. The closed door
against the far wall had no knob
that I could discover with my
cursory glance. The thick window,
imbedded in the plaster next to the
door like a cyst on an old man's
butt, appeared bullet proof; a
young, harried, tight-lipped woman
stared fearfully through it's wavy
entrails, no doubt making me look
as innocuous, as shapeless as she.
"Name!" the shape demanded
through the three-inch diameter
wire mesh placed squarely in the
center of the vacuous surface. The
sound might have reminded one of a
stifled fart. I leaned forward to
the wire port hole to speak my
name; Ms. Shapeless jerked back
sharply, as if I had attempted to
bite her. "Dagger, Lint M.," I
screamed into the orifice, artic-
ulating precisely. She took
another step back, paused to digest
this new information, stepped
forward. With a long stretching
reach, loathing to get any closer
to me despite the barrier between
us, she pressed a button under the
window. A loud buzzing issued from
the door. "Go in!" the shapeless
shape demanded.
I pressed against the door,
opening it slowly, wondering if
whatever Ms. Shapeless was afraid
of might get me, too. The door
opened into a short, empty,
expressionless, blank hall, with
yet another door at the very end.
How Ms. Shapeless got into her cage
was a mystery, as there seemed to
be no door leading her way.
Cautiously I walked down the hall
and opened the door. This room
was slightly larger than the
waiting room. Furniture included
one desk, two chairs, a computer.
At the computer sat a man wearing
nylon pants (the legs came up
almost to his knees), nylon socks
(which were limp around his
ankles), and a nylon shirt (open at
the neck, buttoned tightly around
his paunch waist). His shoes were
missing.
He jumped to his feet, as if
caught at some misdemeanor.
Striding up to him with my hand out,
I smiled warmly at him. He
stared at my hand as if it were a
snake, snatching his behind his back
out of reach. Putting the desk
between us, he motioned to the far
chair. Shrugging to myself, I sat
down. Mr. Nylon sat as well. I
waited. I couldn't catch his eyes.
Mr. Nylon pushed a few papers
around his desk, twitched his right
cheek spasmodically a few time, and
shoved a paper over the desk's
surface at me like a threat. "Sign
at the bottom," he intoned, in a
stressed voice. I tried to catch
his eyes again, and failed.
Having nothing to lose, I
assumed, I picked up the paper and
examined it.
United Farmers Of Ohio - $35.00
Childless Parents Of Utah - $25.00
Animal Liberation Organization -
$175.00
Save The Parrots League - $16.00
... the list began.
"What?" I muttered more to myself
than to the "gentleman" across the
desk.
"Just sign it," he groaned, his
tone sounding like, "Are you gonna
give us trouble too?!" His
tonicity, intending to demean,
humiliate, and shame, ground into my
nerves, causing rebellion to swell
up in my veins. I started to scan
the list from the top again, reading
as slowly as possible, determined to
look for any reason at all not to
sign.
Black Hockey Players Dental
Alliance - $83.00
Republican Party - $0.23
Richard Nixon Acquittal
Confederacy - $10.00
Horseless Carriage Restoration
Coalition - $15.00
...the list continued.
"What?" I muttered again.
"It's your refund!" Mr. Nylon
snarled. "Every damn penny! And 8
percent interest. Just sign there
at the bottom."
Making as if to lean across the
desk to point to where I should
sign, he jerked to a stop half out
of his chair. The action was
curiously like a person who dropped
a quarter in the outhouse and
decided he didn't want to retrieve
it that badly. The thought that he
could have gotten close enough to
touch me seemed to make him shiver
ever so slightly.
Clown Union March For
Independence - $65.80
Tammy Bakker Plastic Surgery Fund
- $0.02
Second House Neptune Endowment -
$32.00
Dolly Parton Back Brace Support
Group - $45.00
...the list yet continued.
At the bottom of the paper was a
sub-total, what I had to assume was
8 percent of it (being somewhat
poor in the art of mathematics),
and a grand total.
"My refund?" I asked. "Refund?
This is a list of every charity
I've ever given time or money to in
the past 25 years. Why a refund?"
The paunchy pile of nylon
snorted angrily. "You know why!"
His piggie, watery eyes flitted
across my forehead, and scurried
away again, not quite making eye
contact. His hands made wringing
motions. I took a deep breath.
"No. Why?" I demanded. I
considered the possibility of
leaving, but curiosity sometimes
pays for the cat food. Mr. Nylon
grimaced, winced his eyes
insolently.
"Because your a Your Type!" he
snapped. This time he did manage
to look at my eyes, defiantly,
hostilely, just a second, before
snatching his gaze away again.
"It's obvious!" Another deep
breath. "A what type? I'm a
what?" I wanted to get to the
bottom of the issue quickly. I'm
not one to call a harlot a "social
worker" if "whore" would suffice.
"A Your Type! You and Your Kind!
The gall you've got, giving money to
these fine, lawful, NORMAL people!
How dare you?!" This time he stared
directly into my eyes, hotly, with a
gaze full of blistering hate and
detestation, demanding with
speechless violence an answer to why
I choose to be a "Your Type,"
whatever that was. I was still
ignorant to what we were talking
about.
"What do you mean about being `My
Type'?" I wanted to leave now, but
anger started to replace the
rebellion in my blood.
"You're a ..." he paused.
"You're a =Witch=!" he ejaculated
finally, defiantly, accusingly.
"You ride a motorcycle! You live in
a house full of subversive books!
You've been seen talking to ..." he
shuddered "... lesbians!" His
pallid, flaccid, doughy face was
turning red. "You sleep in your
back yard instead of inside! Like
an animal! You drive an MG, for
God's sake! What the hell do you
mean, 'What do you mean "My
Type"'?!"
"Auhh ..." I began, mind reeling.
But he wasn't through.
"You voted against Brother
Robertson! You don't eat meat! You
and Your Type don't conform! You're
an Anarchist, a throwback to
evolution! You don't belong here,
we don't want you here, and we sure
as hell don't want your money!" I
was beginning to get the picture,
slowly. "You're an Astrologer! A
godless heathen! You protested the
draft! You listen to Country and
Western music! You talk to your
vegetables before you eat them! God
only knows what else you do to your
vegetables!
"You don't want my money? These
charities don't want my money?
Because I'm a Pagan? Because I'm a
vegetarian? Because I like the
stars? Because Falwellian Politics
makes me throw up?"
"Yess!" he hissed through
clenched cuspids. "These fine,
respectable, normal, =conforming=
charities don't want to be connected
to a Your Type in any way, shape,
or form. They don't want any kind
of support from a Your Type at all!
How dare you offer them your money
and time?! YOUR money! YOURS!?"
"So they're sending me back my
contributions..." This I couldn't
conceive. "With interest..."
"Yesssss!" he hissed again.
"Because my girl friends are
gay? Because I like British cars?"
"Yesss, yesss!"
"Because I apologize to apples
for biting them, telling them to
take a deep breath and close their
eyes first..." He flinched and
seethed at this, blowing hot air
through his flaccid lips. "... and
yell at people who deliberately
stomp on snails?"
"Yesss, yesss, all that! A
freak! An insult against God and
nature! You haven't been to
church, a =real=, =normal= church
=ever=! Not only that, you've
started your OWN church! You
worship a Supervisor at your work,
for god's sake, as a goddess!"
My eyes narrowed dangerously.
That was going too far. "You leave
Cezanne out of this! She's perfec-
tion personified, and worthy of
worship..."
"See?! You admit to being a
Your Type!" He threw his weight
into his chair, leaned back, and
glared at me. I stared at him
speechlessly. "Sign the paper,
take the money, and get out!" he
demanded.
I didn't even hesitate. "No."
"What!"
"I said, `No'." I got up to
leave.
"You have to! You will! It's
yours! We won't take it! Give it
to some damn perverted Your Type
group!"
I walked to the door. A poster
was taped to the back, which I had
missed when entering the room.
"America: Love It Or F*ck You!" it
said, with the Statue Of Liberty
standing proudly in it. Her middle
finger was raised in traditional
"Giving Them The Bird" posture.
They had gotten to her, too.
"Use the money to buy yourself
some shoes," I said, closing the
door after stepping through. As I
passed Ms. Shapeless she glared at
me hatefully, but I hardly noticed.
"Sad fools," I added, stepping out
into the street. I felt dirtied, in
need of a shower.
------------------------------------
BELTANE:Its History and Modern
Celebration in Wicca in America
by Rowan Moonstone
The celebration of May 1st, or
Beltane as it is known in Wicca
circles, is one of the most
important festivals of our religious
year. As I did in the Samhain
article, I will attempt here to
answer some of the most often asked
questions about this holiday. An
extensive bibliography follows the
article so that the interested
reader can do further research.
1. Where does the festival of
Beltane originate?
Beltane, as practiced by modern
day Witches and Pagans, has its
origins among the Celtic peoples of
Western Europe and the British
Isles, particularly Ireland,
Scotland, and Wales.
2. What does the word Beltane mean?
Dr. Proinsias MacCana defines the
word as follows: "... the Irish name
for May Day is Beltane, of which the
second element, `tene', is the word
for fire, and the first, `bel',
probably means `shining or
brilliant'."(1) The festival was
known by other names in other Celtic
countries. Beltaine in Ireland,
Bealtunn in Scotland, Shenn do
Boaldyn on the Isle of Mann, and
Galan Mae in Wales.(2) [Editor's
Note: The concept of `correct
spelling' is a relatively modern
one, and there are many other
spellings, including the one used in
the banner of this issue of CWR.]
3. What was the significance of this
holiday to the ancients?
To the ancient Celts, it
symbolized the coming of spring.
It was the time of year when the
crops began to sprout, the animals
bore their young, and the people
could begin to get out of the
houses where they had been cooped
up during the long dark cold winter
months. Keep in mind that the
people in those days had no
electric lights or heat, and that
the Celtic counties are at a much
more northernly latitude than many
of us are used to. At that
latitude, spring comes much later,
and winter lasts much longer than
in most of the US. The coming of
fair weather and longer daylight
hours would be most welcome after a
long cold and dark winter.
4. How did the ancient Celts
celebrate this festival?
The most ancient way of
observing this day is with fire.
Beltane, along with Samhain (Nov.
1), Imbolc (Feb. 1), and
Lughnassadh (Aug. 1), was one of
the four great "fire festivals"
which marked the turning points of
the Celtic year. The most ancient
records tell us that the people
would extinguish all the hearth
fires in the country and then
relight them from the "need fires"
lit by the druids (who used
friction as a means of ignition).
In many areas, the cattle were
driven between two great bonfires
to protect them from disease during
the coming year. It is my personal
belief, although I have no documen-
tation to back up the assumption,
that certain herbs would have been
burnt in the fires, thus producing
smoke which would help destroy
parasites which might make cattle
and other livestock ill.
5. In what other ways was this
festival celebrated?
One of the most beautiful
customs associated with this
festival was "bringing in the May."
The young people of the villages
and towns would go out into the
fields and forests at Midnight on
April 30th and gather flowers with
which to bedeck themselves, their
families, and their homes. They
would process back into the
villages, stopping at each home to
leave flowers, and to receive the
best of food and drink that the home
had to offer. This custom is
somewhat similar to "trick or treat"
at Samhain and was very significant
to the ancients. John Williamson,
in his study, The Oak King, the
Holly King, and the Unicorn, writes,
"These revelers were messengers of
the renewal of vegetation, and they
assumed the right to punish the
niggardly, because avarice (as
opposed to generosity) was dangerous
to the community's hope for the
abundance of nature. At an
important time like the coming of
summer, food, the substance of life
must be ritually circulated
generously within the community in
order that the cosmic circuit of
life's substance may be kept in
motion (trees, flocks, harvests,
etc.)."(3) These revelers would
bless the fields and flocks of those
who were generous and wish ill
harvests on those who withheld their
bounty.
6. What about maypoles?
The maypole was an adjunct to the
festival of bringing in the May. In
olden days, the revelers who went
into the woods would cut a tree and
bring it into town, decking it with
flowers and greenery and dance
around it, clockwise (also called
deosil, meaning "sun-wise", the
direction of the sun's apparent
travel across the face of the Earth)
to bring fertility and good luck.
The ribbons which we associate with
the maypole today were a later
addition.
7. Why was fertility important?
The people who originated this
custom lived in close connection
with the land. If the flocks and
fields were fertile, they were able
to eat; if there was famine or
drought, they went hungry. It is
hard for us today to relate to this
concept, but to the ancients, it
was literally a life and death
matter. The Celts were a very
close tribal people, and fertility
of their women literally meant
continuity of the tribe.
8. How is the maypole connected
with fertility?
Many scholars see the maypole as
a phallic symbol. In this aspect,
it is a very powerful symbol of the
fertility of nature and spring.
9. How did these ancient customs
come down to us ?
When Christianity came to the
British Isles, many of the ancient
holy sites were taken over by the
new religion and converted to
Christian sites. Many of the old
Gods and Goddesses became Christian
saints, and many of the customs
were appropriated. Charles Squire
says," An ingenious theory was
invented after the introduction of
Christianity, with the purpose of
allowing such ancient rites to
continue with a changed meaning.
The passing of persons and cattle
through flame or smoke was
explained as a practice which
interposed a magic protection
between them and the powers of
evil." (4) This is precisely what
the original festival was intended
to do; only the definition of
"evil" had changed. These old
customs continued to be practiced
in many areas for centuries. "In
Scotland in 1282, John, the priest
in Iverkething, led the young girls
of his parish in a phallic dance of
decidedly obscene character during
Easter week. For this, penance was
laid upon him, but his punishment
was not severe, and he was allowed
to retain his benefice."(5)
10. Were sacrifices practiced
during this festival?
Scholars are divided in their
opinions of this. There is no
surviving account of sacrifices in
the legends and mythology which have
come down to us. As these were
originally set down on paper by
Christian monks, one would think
that if such a thing had been
regularly practiced, the good
brothers would most certainly have
recorded it, if for no other reason
than to make the pagans look more
depraved. There are, however, some
surviving folk customs which point
to a person representing the gloom
and ill fortune of winter being
ostracised and forced to jump
through the fires. Some scholars
see this as a survival of ancient
human sacrifical practices. The
notion that animals were sacrificed
during this time doesn't make sense
from a practical standpoint. The
animals which had been retained a
breeding stock through the winter
would either be lean and hungry from
winter feed, or would be mothers
nursing young, which could not be
spared.
11. How do modern day pagans observe
this day?
Modern day pagan observances of
Beltane include the maypole dances,
bringing in the May, and jumping the
cauldron for fertility. Many
couples wishing to conceive children
will jump the cauldron together at
this time. Fertility of imagination
and other varieties of fertility
are invoked along with sexual
fertility. In Wiccan and other
Pagan circles, this is a joyous day,
full of laughter and good times.
12. What about Walpurgisnacht? Is
this the same thing as Beltane?
Walpurgisnacht comes from an
Eastern European background, and has
little in common with the Celtic
practices. I have not studied the
folklore from that region and do not
consider myself qualified to write
about it. As the vast majority of
Wiccan traditions today stem from
Celtic roots, I have confined myself
to research in those areas.
FOOTNOTES
(1) MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic
Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing
Group Limited, London, 1970, p.32.
(2) Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth
and Legend, Poetry and Romance,
Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys,
CA, 1975, p.408.
(3) Williamson, John, The Oak King,
the Holly King, and the Unicorn,
Harper & Row, NY, 1986, p.126.
(4) Squire, p.411.
(5) Hole, Christina, Witchcraft In
England, Rowman & Littlefield,
Totowa, NJ, 1977, p.36.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bord, Janet & Colin, Earth Rites,
Fertility Practices in Pre-
Industrial Britain, Granada,
London, 1982.
Danaher, Kevin, The Year in
Ireland, The Mercier Press, Cork,
1972.
Hole, Christina, Witchcraft in
England, Rowman & Littlefield,
Totowa NJ, 1977.
MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic
Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing
Group, Ltd., London, 1970.
MacCulloch, J.A. Religion of the
Ancient Celts, Folcroft Library
Editions, London, 1977.
Powell, T.G.E. The Celts, Thames &
Hudson, New York, 1980.
Sharkey, John, Celtic Mysteries,
the Ancient Religion, Thames &
Hudson, New York, 1979.
Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth,
Legend, Poetry, and Romance,
Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys,
CA, 1975.
Williamson, John, The Oak King, The
Holly King, and the Unicorn, Harper
& Row, New York, 1986.
Wood-Martin, W.G., Traces of the
Elder Faiths of Ireland, Kennikat
Press, Port Washington, NY, 1902.
------------------------------------
Tarot and Religious
Freedom
reprinted by permission from
The Freedom Writer
As the result of a December 1988
jury trial in West Hartford, CT, a
precedent was set in defense of New
Age beliefs. A woman, arrested in
her home for tarot card reading, was
acquitted after she challenged a
Connecticut law which prohibits
fortune-telling for money. She
maintained that the law violated her
New Age beliefs.
The woman, Mary Joan Williams, a
full-time accountant and part-time
tarot card reader, was arrested last
year when a couple, both undercover
West Hartford police officers, came
to her home for a $35 reading.
During the secretly-taped
reading, the fortune-teller
predicted, "You will receive money
for work done in the past." The
tape was used as evidence against
her in court. On the day the "not
guilty" verdict was announced, West
Hartford police officers learned
that they would be receiving a
retroactive pay raise.
------------------------------------
Note:
We skipped the Spring Equinox
issue because we had all the irons
in the fire that brought you this
issue. All subscriptions effective
with Issue #3 will still run through
Issue #10.
Have you subscribed to CWR yet?
CultWatch Response, Inc., is fully
funded by your subscriptions; all
other funds come from my pocket or
Vicki's (and we both are holding
down jobs as clerical workers).
Your subscription will help us keep
going.
THE PLIGHT OF THE
PAGAN POLICEMAN
PART 3
Samhain was fast approaching.
Anticipating the usual stories
which appear in the newspapers and
on the air around this time of
year, I had made some preparation.
To each newsroom in my area I sent
out an excellent article by Rowan
Moonstone on the origins of
Halloween and a covering WLPA
letter. I then sat back to see
what would happen.
Nothing...with one exception.
One of the two major television
stations in the area, CKVU,
contacted me just days before
Samhain. They wanted a Witch to
interview on the noon news October
31st. They wanted someone who
could appear publicly without any
disguising. A tall order.
Unfortunately it proved
impossible to find anyone that both
filled these requirements and was
available on such short notice.
So they asked me.
This was a very difficult
decision for me to make. I finally
agreed with some misgivings, on the
condition that they distort the
image of my face and my voice. They
agreed to do this, pre-taping the
interview to avoid mistakes.
So on Samhain, I found myself
walking into CKVU wearing my
Witches' League for Public
Awareness T-shirt and wondering if
I knew what I was doing. It turned
out that my concerns were
unfounded. I had a brief talk with
the production assistant and the
newsreader who was to interview me.
We got along just fine. We then
trooped into the studio where the
staff were very helpful and
friendly. They took great care to
get the taping done right. They
did my voice twice as, in the words
of one of the technicians, "It
sounded like Darth Vader the first
time through". The interview was
short but it went well. The CKVU
staff seemed pleased with the
result. It was scheduled to follow
a taped interview of a Wiccan high
priestess from Wichita, Kansas.
Immediately following this taping
session I just had time to drive
down to my police station. I hurried
to the lounge where I sat amongst 2
dozen unsuspecting detectives as
they watched the CKVU noon news.
When the Kansas clip came on, one
detective loudly remarked to the
detective munching next to him that
he wanted to see "real news". Then
the anchor man came on and
introduced police officer Kerr
Cuhulain. The same detectives sat
bolt upright and elbowed the guy
next to him nearly off of his chair.
"This guy's a cop!!!"
Everyone sat open mouthed
watching the interview. No one had
any idea that Kerr (not my real
name) was sitting amongst them. You
could have heard the proverbial pin
drop. Once it was over there was a
moment's silence. Then they all
started talking at once.
"Can you beat that!" "Far out!"
"Who would have believed it?!"
A few moments later, a relieved
Kerr Cuhulain slipped quietly away.
I hope that one day soon the
disguises will no longer be
necessary. It would be wonderful
to be treated just like anyone else
in my department even though my
beliefs were public knowledge. This
incident has given me some hope, but
there is a ways for us to go yet
before this happens. Some Pagan
officers out there have much further
to go than I since they live in less
tolerant communities. And there are
some Fundy officers out there who
aren't going to make it easy for
any of us. But we're going to make
it...some day soon.
Kerr Cuhulain
------------------------------------
Texas Wants "Ritual
Child Abuse" Law
The State Senate of the State of
Texas has proposed a law adding
additional penalties to current
offenses for "Ritual Child Abuse";
we are publishing the text in full
for your information.
SB 803
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the punishment for
certain offenses committed against
a child during a ritual or
ceremony.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.
Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Penal
Code, is amended by adding Section
12.47 to read as follows:
Sec. 12.47. PENALTY IF CRIME
COMMITTED AGAINST CHILD DURING
RITUAL OR CEREMONY.
(a) The punishment prescribed for
an offense listed in Subsection (b)
of this section is increased to the
punishment prescribed for the next
highest category of offense if it
is shown on the trial of that
offense that:
(1) the victim of the offense
was younger than 17 years of age at
the time of the offense;
(2) the offense was committed
as part of a ritual or ceremony;
(3) the participants in the
ritual or ceremony shared a common
belief;
(4) the victimization of the
child was considered by the parti-
cipants to be in obedience to or in
furtherance of the commonly shared
belief.
(b) This section applies to an
offense under the following
sections of the Penal Code:
(1) Section 21.11 (Indecency
with a Child);
(2) Section 22.01 (Assault);
(3) Section 22.011 (Sexual
Assault);
(4) Section 22.02 (Aggravated
Assault);
(5) Section 22.021
(Aggravated Sexual Assault);
(6) Section 22.04 (Injury to
a Child or to an Elderly Indivi-
dual);
(7) Section 22.041 (Abandoning
or Endangering Child);
(8) Section 25.02 (Incest);
(9) Section 25.06 (Solici-
tation of a Child);
(10) Section 25.11 (Sale or
Purchase of a Child);
(11) Section 43.24 (Sale,
Distribution, or Display of Harmful
Material to a Minor);
(12) Section 43.25 (Sexual
Performance by a Child).
(c) This section does not apply to
any offense for which the punishment
otherwise proscribed is the
punishment for a first-degree felony
or a capital felony.
SECTION 2.
(a) The change in law made by this
Act applies to only to an offense
committed after the effective date
of this Act. For purposes of this
section, an offense is committed
before the effective data of this
ACT if any element of the offense
occurs before the effective date.
(b) An offense committed before the
effective date of this Act is
covered by the law in effect when
the offense was committed and the
former law is continued in effect
for this purpose.
SECTION 3.
This Act takes effect September 1,
1989.
SECTION 4:
The importance of this legislation
and the crowded conditions of the
calendars in both houses create an
emergency and imperative public
necessity that the constitutional
rule requiring bills to be read on
three separate days in each house be
suspended, and this rule is hereby
suspended.
REVIEWS
by Rowan Moonstone
BY SILENCE BETRAYED; Sexual Abuse
of Children in America by John
Crewdson, Harper & Row, New York,
1988
This hard-hitting book begins
with a narrative of the massive
child abuse case which came to
light in Jordan, Minnesota in Sept.
1983. Pulitzer prize-winning
reporter John Crewdson uses this
example as a springboard to
investigate the phenomenon of
sexual child abuse in America.
What makes this book valuable to
CWR readers is the treatment
Crewdson gives to the subject of
ritualistic child abuse. He treats
extensively with McMartin and other
cases in which ritualistic abuse
has been alleged, and some cases in
which convictions have been
obtained.
Crewdson also notes that in the
Jordan case, the story progressed
from child sexual abuse to stories
of rituals and murder. Later the
children admitted to lying about
the murder. According to Crewdson,
"A second boy...admitted that he
had gotten the idea of ritualistic
torture from a television program
he had seen. He had lied about the
murder because he wanted to please
the investigators, whom he had come
to think of as his friends and who
seemed always to want something
more from him."
I would recommend this book
highly to anyone interested in the
problems of child abuse and
especially anyone who is interested
in the problems of ritualistic
child abuse. Crewdson has done
excellent research into just what
IS...and what is NOT a valid
problem in America today.
-*-*-*-
"Satanism in America" (an interim
report) by the Committee for
Scientific Examination of Religion
(CSER), Shawn Carlson & Gerald
Larue, Oct. 31, 1988.
CWR has obtained a copy of this
report from one of our correspon-
dents and I have found its content
to be excellent. CSER has taken a
hard critical look at the problem of
Satanism in our modern culture and
come up with some sound and well-
founded conclusions, which, inciden-
tally, match the conclusions that I
have drawn from my own private
research.
Among the topics looked at by
this report are: Heavy Metal Music,
Murder, Child Abductions, Ritual
Child Abuse, the McMartin Daycare
Case, Cattle Mutilations, Breeders,
and Threats Received by Therapists.
The report includes an excellent
appendix by Rev. D. Hudson Frew on a
Brief History of Satanism, and also
makes some excellent suggestions for
combatting the problem of Satanism
in America. The final report is due
out in April of 1989, and I look
forward to its publication. Copies
of this report should be available
from Shawn Carlson, University of
California, Los Angeles.
-*-*-*-
"Die Mother Father Brother; The true
story of a boy who vowed to do the
devil's dirty work" by Ester
Davidowitz, Redbook, April, 1989,
pp.132-134 & 168-171.
When I first saw this article I
thought, "Oh no, not another sensa-
tionalist Teen Satanism article!" I
was pleasantly surprised, however,
when I read the text. Ms. Davidowitz
goes into great detail on the
background of the Thomas Sullivan
case from Jefferson Township in Jan.
of 1988. She informs the reader of
the already existing problems within
the family structure before Tommy
ever turned to Satanism.
In addition to the Sullivan case,
she briefly outlines several other
instances of antisocial behavior
among teens which carry "occult"
overtones. Following this section,
the article deals with the agencies
and individuals which work with
these troubled teens. Steering
clear of sensationalist groups which
seem to be concentrating on
"bashing" any group which isn't
Judeo-Christian in nature, it
focuses instead on those people
who have a calm and reasonable
approach to the subject. For
instance, Sandi Gallant is quoted
as referring to the cases of murder
and other violent acts saying," If
the kid did not grow into Satanism,
he would have found drugs, alcohol,
or some other kind of external
excuse for his bad behavior."
The final section of the article
offers perhaps the best advice I
have ever seen in a magazine
dealing with this topic. The
writer urges parents to keep in
close touch with their children and
be involved with their lives. As
Ms. Davidowitz says, "The child who
does feel loved and recognized in
this special way is much more
likely to turn to his parents when
he is confused or hurting than to
seek solace in the Devil."
----------------------------------
[Editor's Note: The following
Frame should be found extremely
useful in determining the potential
hazard of any religious group, not
just those that are non-Christian.
Score each category from 1 (Low)
through 10 (High). The author
makes no assumptions as to how high
a group can be and still be "safe";
however, one should be extremely
concerned when a score exceeds
100.]
Cult Danger
Evaluation Frame
c. 1979 by P.E.I. Bonewits
1. INTERNAL CONTROL, amount of
internal political power exercised
by leader(s) over members.
2. WISDOM CLAIMED by leader(s);
amount of infallibility declared
about decisions.
3. WISDOM CREDITED to leader(s) by
members; amount of trust in
decisions made by leader(s).
4. DOGMA, rigidity of reality
concepts taught; amount of doctrinal
inflexibility.
5. RECRUITING, emphasis put on
attracting new members, amount of
proseletyzing.
6. FRONT GROUPS, number of
subsidiary groups using different
names from that of the main group.
7. WEALTH, amount of money and/or
property desired or obtained;
emphasis on members' donations.
8. POLITICAL POWER, amount of
external political influence desired
or obtained.
9. SEXUAL MANIPULATION of members by
leader(s); amount of control over
sex lives of members.
10. CENSORSHIP, amount of control
over members' access to outside
opinions on group, its doctrines or
leader(s).
11. DROPOUT CONTROL, intensity of
efforts directed at preventing or
returning dropouts.
12. ENDORSEMENT OF VIOLENCE when
used by or for the group or its
leader(s).
13. PARANOIA, amount of fear
concerning real or imagined enemies;
perceived power of opponents.
14. GRIMNESS, amount of disapproval
concerning jokes about the group,
its doctrines or leader(s).
15. SURRENDER OF WILL, emphasis on
members not having to be responsible
for personal decisions.
(from Real Magic, by P.E.I.
Bonewits, 2nd Edition, Samuel
Weiser, New York 1979. This article
is copyrighted material; you may not
republish it separately without
permission of the author.)
Available Information
on Paganism
The Pagan Alliance of Central
Texas has a pamphlet available on
Witches and Pagans in Texas. For
information, write to:
Pagan Alliance of Central Texas
P.O. Box 90182
Austin, TX 78709
For a pamphlet outlining the
beliefs of NeoPagan Druidism, write
to:
Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid
Fellowship
P.O. Box 1022
Nyack, NY 10960
Please include a self-addressed,
stamped envelope.
----------------------------------
List of "Experts"
Developed by CWR
CultWatch Response is developing
a list of people whom we feel are
experts on the subject of Witch-
craft in America. This list will
be extended in subsequent issues.
It currently includes:
Hal Mansfield
United Campus Ministry
629 S. Howes
Ft. Collins, CO 80521
(General topics, emphasis on
dangerous cults);
Vicki Copeland
CultWatch Response
P.O. Box 1842
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
(History and Practices of the Craft
in America, the media's view of the
Craft, other related topics);
Kerr Cuhulain
P.O. Box 2422
Main Post Office
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 3W7
CANADA
(Law Enforcement, general topics).
Editorial Policies
Each issue of CultWatch Response
is published by CultWatch Response,
Inc., a non-profit Corporation under
the laws of the State of Colorado,
under a Public Domain Copyright.
This entitles any person or group
of persons to reproduce, in any form
whatsoever, any material contained
therein, so long as articles are not
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given the original author.
In some instances, our articles
may be republished material that is
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We encourage groups and indivi-
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and editorial policies.
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