Extrasensory perception paper published in respected journal

An academic paper arguing that people may be able to see into the future is to be published by a respected journal, prompting anger among some American scientists.

The Telegraph - 6th of January, 2011

The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology plans to print "Feeling The Future", by Professor Daryl Bem later this year, which presents what he claims is strong evidence for extrasensory perception (ESP).

Prof Bem, of Cornell University, New York, said the results of nine experiments he had carried out on students over the past decade suggested humans could accurately predict random events.

His peer-reviewed work was described as "pure craziness" and "an embarrassment for the entire field" by scientists who allege it has serious flaws and that ESP is a myth.

In one test, 100 students were presented with a computer screen showing two curtains. They were told an image, which could be erotic, lay behind one curtain and they should guess which.

Prof Bem found students predicted correctly 53 per cent of the time when the picture was erotic, while regular images only elicited a 50 per cent success rate, in line with average chance.

Read the rest at The Telegraph

Romanian Witches to cast anti-government spell

Nobody likes a curse or a hex - particularly when what they're doing is bad for the image of Witches, Wiccans and any Pagan.  Without wanting to be too critical - and it's hard not to be - it's interesting to see a very raw, localised practice here.  I can't support the use of excrement and in particular dead dogs.  Please, if this is the first time you've read about Witchcraft in the press - it does not represent the majority of practitioners.

The Guardian - 6th of January, 2011

Double, double toil and trouble: witches in Romania are planning to cast a spell on the country's rulers because of laws that will force them to pay tax for the first time.

Cat excrement and dead dogs, rather than eye of newt and toe of frog, will go into their cauldron – but they are hoping to put a Macbeth-style hex on the country's president, Traian Basescu, and his government after the imposition of a tax regime aimed at tackling the recession.

Witches will gather on Romania's southern plains and the banks of the Danube to protest against the laws and cast spells on the politicians who implemented them.

A dozen witches will hurl the poisonous mandrake plant into the river "so evil will befall them", a witch named Alisia said.

The threatened curse is not being taken lightly in a country with a long tradition of superstition. Basescu and his aides have been known to wear purple on certain days in an attempt to ward off evil.

The new law is part of the government's drive to collect more revenue and crack down on tax evasion. It will force the likes of witches, astrologers and fortune tellers to register their professions and become liable for 16% tax in line with other self-employed Romanians.

The Queen witch Bratara Buzea said she would lead a chorus in casting a spell using a concoction of cat excrement and a dead dog. "They want to take the country out of this crisis using us? They should get us out of the crisis because they brought us into it," she said.

From The Guardian

The Element Encyclopedia of 1000 Spells by Judika Illes

For: Intermediate learners

Why intermediate and not beginner?: The book does not have the standard disclaimer like so many others with the usual chapter of ‘No, we don’t worship the devil’ and only a very brief warning on not to hex thanks to the Threefold Law and the vow to Harm None.  This book makes a very small attempt on page 11 to make any such warnings and actually includes hexes within it as well as the use of ‘Devil Oil’ which I’m assuming is an old recipe.  There’s even a spell to get someone in your workplace to quit their job, which clearly goes against the Threefold Law.  As you know, I warn anyone and everyone NOT to do a love spell and this book is full of them!  Read my entry against hexes and love spells here.

This book would be very confusing for a beginner, and I would suggest that those in their second degree ought to read this, so that they have their experience behind them to discern between kind and (honestly) immoral spells.  It is suitable for those in their second degree wanting to expand their knowledge once you have the bones of writing a ritual, you can then refer to this book within the subject area you’re looking to resolve/cure/banish etc. 

Why is it worth getting?: This certainly is an interesting book.  With 1000 spells, the book isn’t large, but heavy!  It is a mish-mash of short, basic spells intertwined with more complex ones, all of which are easy to do.  Illes introduces us to all kinds of old-fashioned sounding spells, and sometimes it’s hard to tell whether she has just made some up or whether some of these are really tried and true from ancient Europe.  Despite my concerns about the hexes etc above, she does have some gorgeous short spells such as ‘Broken Heart Bath,’ ‘Easy Speedy (baby) Delivery,’ and even spells to reverse spells that you’ve cast and hex breaking – which I’ve never seen anywhere before.

Her introduction is marvellous as it takes you through a general history of Witchcraft, what magic is and the various cultural interpretations from past to present to give you an all-round concept of what magick means around the world & how it is put into context from the perspective of the Wiccan and the outsider.

There are remnances of old-fashioned Witchcraft, including old cures such as the following:

Iron Dental Health Spell

The following is a German recommendation to soothe a toothache.  Heat a horseshoe or other piece of iron until extremely hot.  Pour oil into the heated iron.  The rising fumes will allegedly ease the pain.  If it is safe to do so (there is no need to exchange toothache for a painful scald), bend over the fumes, exposing the tender spot.

All-in-all it is a marvellous book to have which you will spend years rifling through and discovering things in.  Certainly, I wouldn’t have it as my one and only spell book.  If you’re a beginner, start with these books before going anywhere else.

Judika has also written:

Encyclopedia of Spirits

The Dream Dictionary from A to Z

The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols

The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies

The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts & Hauntings

The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures

The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays

Image from Amazon.com

Witchy Outfit XIX

via Sun in Scorpio

Lavender - the all-round oil

For: protection, peace, love, sleep

Origins for witchcraft: Italian witchcraft - for protection, featured in a standard Meditteranean herb garden
Growth: perennial
Properties: analgesic, anti-depressant, anti-septic, anti-viral, cytophalic, decongestant, deoderant, emmenagogue, hypotensive, nervine, sedative, tonic
Cosmetic uses: Very similar to tea tree oil as it also fosters the regeneration of new skin cells and soothes inflamed and sun-damaged skin.  Can be used as an insect repellant, and as with all oils, make sure to have a base such as almond, jojoba or sunflower oil to carry the scent.  Used to clear a congested nose by adding it to hot water to steam.  Also great for when you've run out of tea tree oil for minor burns and blemishes - add to blemishes with a cotton bud directly to the spot.  Also good for minor headaches: add some oil to a little base and rub it around your temples.

Image source: How Stuff Works

Mary Wigman's Witch Dance

Some corrections made to my article on Baphomet

Just to make sure that I have all of this right, I had the following wrong!

Read the article here.

• I had said within that article that the Knights Templar weren't religious people, but of course they were - darn inaccurate web sources!
• I had also mentioned that Wiccans do not worship Baphomet - however, some do.  Baphomet was originally a peaceful symbol of peace and balance, and he is called upon by some Wiccans for this purpose as the hermaphroditic symbol of perfection.

Just really wanted to clear that up, particularly as it's the most read article on this blog!

)O( E.

Australian Wiccan Conference 2011

Keep an eye on their website below for more information as it comes in and sign up for e-mails.  Set in my glorious home state for the Spring Equinox!

All Wiccans, Pagans, Witches and pagan-type people are invited! Registrations will open 1st March 2011.  Hosted by a team of passionate local people who are active in our national community, it is set to be an awesome weekend of festivities celebrating the turning of the tides at the Spring Equinox.  Guest speakers, famous Pagan musicians and loads of workshops showcasing the fantastic wisdom, knowledge and experience of our locals, in a setting of Tasmania's gorgeous bushland, it is bound to be a weekend of magick and wonder.

Registrations open: 1 March 2011
When: Friday 16th, Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th September 2011

Where: East Coast, Tasmania
Cost: TBA
Contact Email: awc2011@gmail.com
Contact Phone: 0408 486 809
Web: http://www.2011awc.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Wiccan-Conference-2011/144223625619214

30 Days of Paganism [Day 10: Environmentalism]

I have to admit, this is an area of my lifestyle which has received little attention.  Partly because we have moved house so much that I still have to wait for our new bills to get started with '1 Million Women' - a project which is aiming to gather 1 million Australian women to reduce their carbon emissions by 1 tonne to lift 1 million tonnes worth of carbon footprint from the earth's atmosphere.

Then I can really get onto it!  Excuses, excuses, I know!  To make a sincere contribution I will be posting more on environmental issues rather than making one weak attempt in this one piece of writing.  I'm hoping to find arguments to balance out the issue of vegetarianism and environmentalism + whether it's truly practical as well as farming suitable products within your country.

More soon - promise!

Witchy Outfits XVIII

Finally, a balance between the genders.

More glorious masterpieces by Yinka Shonibare whose work featured in this previous post

via Steampunk Fashion