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<channel>
	<title>Easy Witchcraft</title>
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	<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com</link>
	<description>Bringing Magic to Everyday Life</description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:27:41 +0000</pubDate>
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			<item>
		<title>J.K. Rowling Pulls a Muggle&#8217;s Move with Punitive Lawsuit</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/harry-potter-author-pulls-muggles-move/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/harry-potter-author-pulls-muggles-move/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:36:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hera See</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Fantasy Books]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[alternatives to Harry Potter]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Harry Potter]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[harry potter alternatives]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[harry potter lawsuit]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[harry potter sucks]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[j.k. rowling]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/?p=17</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ 
J.K. Rowling Pulls a Muggle&#8217;s Move with Punitive Lawsuit

Okay, we’re not fans of the Harry Potter books here at Easy Witchcraft. Never mind that the series, which has enjoyed unprecedented marketing and therefore sales, is little more than rehashed old fantasy standbys peppered with embarrassingly awkward proper nouns. We’ll also set aside the disturbingly [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://digg.com/arts_culture/J_K_Rowling_Pulls_a_Muggles_Move_with_Punitive_Lawsuit" target="_blank"><img src="http://digg.com/img/badges/91x17-digg-button.gif" alt="" width="91" height="17" align="left" /></a><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ezwitchcraft.com%2Fharry-potter-author-pulls-muggles-move%2F&amp;title=J.K.%20Rowling%20Pulls%20a%20Muggles%20Move%20with%20Punitive%20Lawsuit"><img src="http://www.prophesy2012.com/consciousness/images/stumbleupon.gif" alt="" height="17" align="left" /> <img src="http://www.prophesy2012.com/consciousness/images/thumbup.gif" alt="" height="17" align="left" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>J.K. Rowling Pulls a Muggle&#8217;s Move with Punitive Lawsuit<br />
</strong></p>
<p>Okay, we’re not fans of the <strong><em>Harry Potter</em> books</strong> here at <em>Easy Witchcraft</em>. Never mind that the series, which has enjoyed unprecedented marketing and therefore sales, is little more than rehashed old fantasy standbys peppered with embarrassingly awkward proper nouns. We’ll also set aside the disturbingly elitist premise of inherited “magical-ness.’</p>
<p>At <em>Easy Witchcraft</em>, we firmly believe everyone is born with the capacity for magic.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the popularity of the books are hard to deny, despite the well-worn plots and primitive delineation of good and evil. These features have always sold better than original writing expressing subtle worldviews.</p>
<p>But with all the hype and multi-billion dollar success of her lowest-common-denominator pulp fantasy, <strong>J.K. Rowling</strong> can’t stand the thought of a single penny slipping from her fingers. This time, she’s pointing her crone’s wand at her own fandom.</p>
<p><span id="more-16"></span></p>
<p>The controversy stems from a <em>Harry Potter</em> fact site on which <strong>J.K. Rowling</strong> herself has often heaped praise in the past. According to <a title="J.K. Rowling Sues Fan" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24094995/" target="_blank">this article</a>, Steven Vander Ark is being sued for copyright infringement over the release of Vander Ark’s independently researched lexicology about <strong>J.K. Rowling’s books</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Rowling</strong>, who once admitted to using Vander Ark’s website to check facts about her own books (!) now can’t bear to have him in the courtroom when she testifies against him. She has had her attorneys secure extra privileges for the celebrity witness to insulate her from her fans.</p>
<p>What makes this move particularly noxious is that it is quite common, especially in the fantasy genre, for fans to produce guides to the complex worlds of their favorite authors.</p>
<p>Fantasy aside, this litigation begs a larger question of copyright, and threatens the very practice of literary criticism itself. What right does an author have to bar annotation of their work? Citation and analysis is an integral part of the academic process. Will Rowling’s next action be against a PhD candidate producing a thesis on her work?</p>
<p>While <strong>Rowling</strong> and her expensive legal muscle may well be able to rewrite common law to suit her purposes, several hundred years of literary tradition do not support the right to suppress annotation.</p>
<p>Yet another reason for <em>Harry Potter</em> to wake up and try some of the more advanced flavors of magical fiction. You’ll be surprised at how good some of it is once you get your head out of the Hog’s Warts. See some of our favorites below.<br />
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<hr/>Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact ampi@amanamission.com so we can take legal action immediately.<br/><span style="float: right;font-size: 7pt"><a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wordpress-plugins-provided-by-taraganacom/">Plugin</a> by <a href="http://www.taragana.com/">Taragana</a></span>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Enlightening Quotes</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/enlightening-quotes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/enlightening-quotes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:07:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hera See</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Age]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Quotes]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Albert Eistein]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Cree Indian Wisdom]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Dalai Lama]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Oliver Wendel Holmes]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[peace]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[peaceful quotes]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[the Buddha]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/enlightening-quotes/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When the last tree is cut
the last river poisoned
the last fish caught
then only will man discover
that he cannot eat money.
-Cree Indian Wisdom
 

 Cree Indian Prophecy Poster
*********************************************
&#8216;Happiness is not something ready made. It comes           from your own actions.&#8217;
-Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama:
Man, Monk, Mystic
*********************************************
Peace cannot be achieved [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center"><font size="4"><font size="3">When the last tree is cut<br />
the last river poisoned<br />
the last fish caught<br />
then only will man discover<br />
that he cannot eat money.</font></font></p>
<p align="right"><font size="3"><u><strong>-Cree Indian Wisdom</strong></u></font></p>
<p align="center"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FV0S6U?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000FV0S6U"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/cree-indian.jpg" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B000FV0S6U" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p><span id="more-15"></span></p>
<p align="center"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FV0S6U?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000FV0S6U">Cree Indian Prophecy Poster</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B000FV0S6U" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#800080" size="6"><strong>*********************************************</strong></font></p>
<p><span class="quote"><font size="3">&#8216;Happiness is not something ready made. It comes           from your own actions.&#8217;</font></span></p>
<p align="right"><span class="quote"><font size="3"><strong><u>-Dalai Lama</u></strong></font></span></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OI0FQ2?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000OI0FQ2"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/dalai-lama.jpg" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B000OI0FQ2" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OI0FQ2?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000OI0FQ2">Dalai Lama:<br />
Man, Monk, Mystic</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B000OI0FQ2" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#800080" size="6"><strong>*********************************************</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font size="3">Peace cannot be achieved through         violence, it can only<br />
be attained through understanding.</font></p>
<p align="right"><font size="3"><strong><u>-Albert Einstein</u></strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743264738?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0743264738"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/einstein.jpg" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0743264738" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743264738?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0743264738">Einstein: His Life and Universe</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0743264738" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#800080" size="6"><strong>*********************************************</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font size="3">When the mind&#8217;s eye rests on objects illuminated by <strong>truth         and reality</strong>, it understands and comprehends them, and functions         intelligently; but when it turns to the twilight world of change and         decay, it can only form opinions, its vision is confused and its beliefs         shifting, and it seems to lack intelligence. </font></p>
<p align="right"><font size="3"><u>-(<strong>Plato</strong>, Republic)</u></font></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0872207366?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0872207366"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/plato-republic.jpg" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0872207366" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0872207366?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0872207366">Plato&#8217;s Republic</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0872207366" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#800080" size="6"><strong>*********************************************</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font size="3">Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind         overtasked. </font></p>
<p align="right"><font size="3"><strong><u>-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr </u></strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/143465236X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=143465236X"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/oliver-wendell-holmes.jpg" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=143465236X" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/143465236X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=143465236X">A Mortal Antipathy : First Opening of the New Portfolio<br />
by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=143465236X" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#800080" size="6"><strong>*********************************************</strong></font></p>
<p align="center"><font size="3"><em>What we are today, comes from our thoughts of       yesterday<br />
and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow;<br />
Our life is the creation of our mind.</em></font></p>
<p align="right"><font size="3"><u>-The Buddha</u></font></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0861714911?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=amanmisspubli-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0861714911"><img border="0" src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/buddhas-words.jpg"></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0861714911" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0861714911?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=amanmisspubli-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0861714911">In the Buddha&#8217;s Words <br/> (Teachings of the Buddha)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0861714911" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#800080" size="6"><strong>*********************************************</strong></font></p>
<hr/>Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact ampi@amanamission.com so we can take legal action immediately.<br/><span style="float: right;font-size: 7pt"><a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wordpress-plugins-provided-by-taraganacom/">Plugin</a> by <a href="http://www.taragana.com/">Taragana</a></span>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Drawing Down the Moon : Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and Other Pagans in America Today</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/drawing-down-the-moon-witches-druids-goddess-worshippers-other-pagans/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/drawing-down-the-moon-witches-druids-goddess-worshippers-other-pagans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:25:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hera See</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Divination]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Feminism]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Goddess]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Invocations]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Age]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Pagan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Rituals]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Wicca]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[druidism]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[magick]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[neo-pagan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[paganism]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[witches]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/drawing-down-the-moon-witches-druids-goddess-worshippers-and-other-pagans-in-america-today/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America
The only detailed history of a little-known and widely misunderstood movement. Drawing Down the Moon provides a fascinating look at the religious experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of the Neo-Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="cleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143038192?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0143038192"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/drawing-down-the-moon.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="10" vspace="5" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0143038192" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143038192?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0143038192">Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0143038192" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p>The only detailed history of a little-known and widely misunderstood movement. <em>Drawing Down the Moon </em>provides a fascinating look at the religious experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of the Neo-Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. Contrary to stereotype, what Adler discovered was neither cults, nor odd sects, but religious groups that are nonauthoritarian in spirit and share the belief that there is no one path to divinity.</p>
<p>This edition of <em>Drawing Down the Moon  </em>includes a completely updated and expanded resource guide that details several hundred related journals, festivals, newsletters, and groups. <em>(From the editor)</em></p>
<p><span id="more-13"></span></p>
<p>A very useful and extremely informative history of earth based Goddess-centered religions.</p>
<hr/>Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact ampi@amanamission.com so we can take legal action immediately.<br/><span style="float: right;font-size: 7pt"><a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wordpress-plugins-provided-by-taraganacom/">Plugin</a> by <a href="http://www.taragana.com/">Taragana</a></span>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Trickster&#8217;s Choice by Tamora Pierce</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/tricksters-choice-tamora-pierce/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/tricksters-choice-tamora-pierce/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:01:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hera See</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Fantasy Books]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Age]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[fantasy]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[science fiction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Tamora Pierce]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Trickster's Choice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/tricksters-choice-tamora-pierce/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Trickster&#8217;s Choice
Your mother is the King’s Champion; your father is second in command of the realm’s spies.
Your godfathers are the King and one of his advisers.
Your godmothers are the Queen and her governess.
Your adoptive uncle is the realm’s most powerful mage who is married to your adoptive aunt who is also a mage as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="cleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013D50DK?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B0013D50DK"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/tricksters-choice.jpg" border="0" alt="" align="left" /></a><img style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B0013D50DK" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013D50DK?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B0013D50DK">Trickster&#8217;s Choice</a><img style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B0013D50DK" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p align="left">Your mother is the King’s Champion; your father is second in command of the realm’s spies.</p>
<p>Your godfathers are the King and one of his advisers.</p>
<p>Your godmothers are the Queen and her governess.</p>
<p>Your adoptive uncle is the realm’s most powerful mage who is married to your adoptive aunt who is also a mage as well as half goddess.</p>
<p>You were raised amongst wonderful and powerful people and expected to be great. So, what do you do when you are kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery?</p>
<p><span id="more-12"></span></p>
<p>You follow the path that Tamora Pierce created for Alianne Cooper of <em>Pirate’s Swoop</em> in her novel, <em>Trickster’s Choice</em>. Alianne, or Aly, as most people refer to her, is purchased by a noble family in the Copper Isles and must choose her path: try to escape and risk death if caught, or stay with the family and try to rise through the slave ranks.</p>
<p>Aly chose to stay with the family and began a journey that she would not soon forget.</p>
<p>One of the Isles Gods, Kyprioth, needed to free his people, the raka, from beneath the Luarin&#8217;s oppression and decided to utilize Aly’s spy skills to their full extent. He started by making the Balitang family believe that she was chosen by Mithros, a Great God. Because of this, they looked to her, a mere slave, in confusing and trying times.</p>
<p>Forced to move from their home in Rajmuat, the capitol of the Copper Isles, to their ancestral home on Lombyn Island, the Balitang family began to see the Aly was more than just a merchant’s daughter from Tortall. Aly had the Gift of sight. She could “see” when someone was lying, if there was magic about, or spells on buildings. She could also talk to crows; this Gift was given to her by Kyprioth who is patron God for the crows and raka alike. The crows become Aly’s eyes and ears over the castle village and estates, so that Aly can keep the family safe. The two oldest Balitang girls are not only half Luarin nobility, but they are half Raka nobility as well. Their mother was the last heir to the throne before she died. The Raka used to be the rulers of the Copper Isles, but the white Luarins came from another realm and overthrew the Raka in their time of weakness. Since then, the raka have been oppressed and slaved, and the raka nobility has been in hiding.</p>
<p>Lady Saraiyu and Lady Dovasary are the raka’s last surviving heir’s to their lost throne. The raka have started a conspiracy to get the current Luarin rulers off the throne and to place a raka queen back in her rightful position. The Balitang girls are their last hope. As Aly begins to discover their plan, the conspirators try to shake her off their path, until they realize that Aly has some amazing tools that can aid them in their goal. They soon begin to recruit people to aid in the resistance. These new conspirators include some sympathetic Luarins who are tired of the Rittevon’s tyrannical control over the islands, as well as a strange crow-man who has fallen for Aly.</p>
<p>This novel marks the first half of Aly’s story on her journey to free the Copper Isles from oppression. The magic, conspiracy, and love in the story have something for every type of reader and would be a great choice for anyone who enjoys fantasy/fiction books. Aly’s story continues in <em>Trickster’s Queen</em> where she becomes further involved in the lives of the Balitang household and the raka’s future.</p>
<p>Find this series and other books by Tamora Pierce below:</p>
<hr/>Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact ampi@amanamission.com so we can take legal action immediately.<br/><span style="float: right;font-size: 7pt"><a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wordpress-plugins-provided-by-taraganacom/">Plugin</a> by <a href="http://www.taragana.com/">Taragana</a></span>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Ariadne&#8217;s Thread: A Workbook of Goddess Magic</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/ariadnes-thread-a-workbook-of-goddess-magic/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/ariadnes-thread-a-workbook-of-goddess-magic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:25:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hera See</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Astrology]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Divination]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Feminism]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Goddess]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Invocations]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Age]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Pagan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Rituals]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Tarot]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Wicca]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Ariadne]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Ariadne's Thread]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Goddess magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[magic workbook]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[magick]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Mountainwater]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Shekhinah Mountainwater]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/ariadnes-thread-a-workbook-of-goddess-magic/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ 
Ariadne&#8217;s Thread: A Workbook of Goddess Magic
Using the figure of the ancient goddess Ariadne as a metaphor, Mountainwater unravels the mysteries of a woman-centered spirituality. She offers gentle guidance through the cycles of a woman&#8217;s life; the phases of the moon; the yearly nature holidays; and the aspects of divination. She concludes each chapter [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895944758?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0895944758" title="Ariadne's Thread" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/ariadnes-thread-shekhinah-mountainwater.gif" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0895944758" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895944758?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0895944758"></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895944758?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0895944758">Ariadne&#8217;s Thread: A Workbook of Goddess Magic</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0895944758" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /></p>
<p>Using the figure of the ancient goddess Ariadne as a metaphor, Mountainwater unravels the mysteries of a woman-centered spirituality. She offers gentle guidance through the cycles of a woman&#8217;s life; the phases of the moon; the yearly nature holidays; and the aspects of divination. She concludes each chapter with suggested exercises, meditations, and reading lists. Her capably organized and well-written book encourages women to find their own spiritual path. The reading lists lack complete citations; still, a very good, practical book on women&#8217;s spirituality and goddess worship. Recommended.<br />
- Gail Wood, Mont gomery Coll. Lib., Germantown, Md.<br />
<em> Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.</em></p>
<p><span id="more-11"></span></p>
<p><em>Review From Library Journal</em></p>
<hr/>Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact ampi@amanamission.com so we can take legal action immediately.<br/><span style="float: right;font-size: 7pt"><a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wordpress-plugins-provided-by-taraganacom/">Plugin</a> by <a href="http://www.taragana.com/">Taragana</a></span>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Astrology &#038; Horoscopes</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/astrology-and-horoscopes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/astrology-and-horoscopes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:12:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hera See</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Astrology]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Divination]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Goddess]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Age]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Pagan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Tarot]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Wicca]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[aquarius]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[aries]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[astrologers]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[cancer]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[capricorn]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[horoscope]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[leo]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[libra]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[pisces]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[sagittarius]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[scorpio]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[taurus gemini]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[virgo]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[zodiac]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/astrology-and-horoscopes/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Astrology literally translates to mean &#8220;the study of stars&#8221;. The word comes from Greek: ἄστρον (astron), &#8220;star&#8221;, and λόγος (logos), &#8220;theory&#8221;, &#8220;study&#8221;.
The zodiac is the belt or band of constellations through which the Sun, Moon, and planets transit across the sky.
Star-gazers of every sort have long been fascinated by these constellations and the easy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.amanamission.com/img/astro-merge.gif" border="0" alt="" hspace="10" vspace="5" /><strong> </strong><em>Astrology</em> literally translates to mean &#8220;the study of stars&#8221;. The word comes from Greek: ἄστρον (astron), &#8220;star&#8221;, and λόγος (logos), &#8220;theory&#8221;, &#8220;study&#8221;.</p>
<p>The zodiac is the belt or band of constellations through which the Sun, Moon, and planets transit across the sky.</p>
<p>Star-gazers of every sort have long been fascinated by these constellations and the easy stories which flow from their picturesque forms. Astrologers, with time, developed the system of twelve signs of the zodiac based on twelve of the constellations they considered to be particularly important.</p>
<p><span id="more-10"></span></p>
<p>The majority of Western astrologers base their work on the tropical zodiac which divides the sky into twelve equal segments of 30 degrees each. The first point- Aries- is the point where the line of the earth&#8217;s celestial equator and the ecliptic (the Sun&#8217;s path through the sky) meet at the northern hemisphere spring equinox. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the slow changing of the way Earth rotates in space, the zodiacal signs in this system bear no relation to the constellations of the same name but stay aligned to the months and seasons.</p>
<p>The zodiac signs and dates associated with each are as follows:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Aries</strong> <em>The Ram </em><strong>:</strong><em> </em>March 21 - April 20<em><br />
</em></li>
<li><strong>Taurus</strong> <em>The Bull </em><strong>:</strong><em> </em>April 21 - May 22</li>
<li><strong>Gemini</strong><em> The Twins </em><strong>:</strong><em> </em>May 23 - June 23</li>
<li><strong>Cancer</strong><em> The Crab </em><strong>: </strong>June 24 - July 23</li>
<li><strong>Leo</strong><em> The Lion </em><strong>:</strong><em> </em>July 24 - August 23</li>
<li><strong>Virgo</strong><em> The Virgin </em><strong>:</strong><em> </em>August 24 - September 22</li>
<li><strong>Libra</strong><em> The Scale </em><strong>:</strong><em> </em>September 23 - October23</li>
<li><strong>Scorpio</strong><em> The Scorpion </em><strong>: </strong>October 24 - November 22<em><br />
</em></li>
<li><strong>Sagittarius</strong><em> The Centaur </em><strong>: </strong>November 23 - December 21</li>
<li><strong>Capricorn</strong><em> The Sea-goat </em><strong>:</strong> December 22 - January 19</li>
<li><strong>Aquarius</strong><em> The Pitcher </em><strong>:</strong> January 20 - February 18</li>
<li><strong>Pisces</strong><em> The Fish </em><strong>: </strong>February 19 - March 2</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a title="Kosmik Horoscope" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amanamission.com/new-age-resources/astrology/kosmik-horoscope/" target="_blank">Get your own, personalized 25 page extended horoscope now!</a></p>
<p><em><strong>The Vedic Indian Zodiac: </strong></em></p>
<p>Traditional Hindu astrology has a sidereal coordinate zodiac system with twelve signs. The names of the Hindu zodiacal signs, or <em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">rāśi</span></em>s, are similar to Graeco-Babylonian signs.</p>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">meṣa</span></em> &#8220;ram&#8221; (Aries) <strong>: </strong><em>April 14 - May 14</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">vṛṣabha</span></em> &#8220;bull&#8221; (Taurus) <strong>: </strong><em>May 15 - June 14</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">mithuna</span></em> &#8220;a pair&#8221; (Gemini) <strong>: </strong><em>June 15 - July 16</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">karka</span></em> &#8220;crab&#8221; (Cancer) <strong>: </strong><em>July 17 - Aug 16</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">siṃha</span></em> &#8220;lion&#8221; (Leo) <strong>:</strong><em> August 17 - Sept 16</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">kanyā</span></em> &#8220;girl&#8221; (Virgo) <strong>: </strong><em>September 17 - October 17</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">tula</span></em>, from <em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">tulā</span></em> &#8220;balance&#8221; (Libra) <strong>: </strong><em>October 18 - November 16</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">vrushchik</span></em> &#8220;scorpion&#8221; (Scorpius), also <em>kaurpi</em>, loaned from the Greek <strong>: </strong><em>November 17 - December 15</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">kārmuka, cāpa, dhanus</span></em> &#8220;bow, arc&#8221;, <em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">cāpin</span></em> &#8220;armed with a bow&#8221; (Sagittarius) <strong>: </strong><em>December 16 - January 14</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">eṇa, mṛga</span></em> &#8220;antelope&#8221;, also <em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">makara</span></em> &#8220;sea-monster&#8221; (Capricornus) <strong>: </strong><em>January 15 - February 12</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">kumbha</span></em> &#8220;pitcher, water-pot&#8221; (Aquarius) <strong>: </strong><em>February 13 - March 14</em></li>
<li><em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">matsya</span></em> &#8220;fish&#8221;, also <em><span class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" lang="sa-Latn" xml:lang="sa-Latn">jhaṣa, timi, mīna</span></em> after specific kinds of fish (Pisces) <strong>: </strong><em>March 15 - April 13</em></li>
</ol>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amanamission.com/new-age-resources/astrology/indian-vedic-astrology/" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amanamission.com/new-age-resources/astrology/indian-vedic-astrology/" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone" title="Indian Vedic Astrology" src="http://www.indianvedicastrology.com/images/main_logo1.jpg" alt="" width="315" height="70" /></a></p>
<ol style="text-align: center;"><a title="Indian Vedic Astrology" rel="nofollow" href="http://http://www.amanamission.com/new-age-resources/astrology/indian-vedic-astrology/" target="_blank">Learn all about Indian Vedic Astrology</a></ol>
<hr/>Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact ampi@amanamission.com so we can take legal action immediately.<br/><span style="float: right;font-size: 7pt"><a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wordpress-plugins-provided-by-taraganacom/">Plugin</a> by <a href="http://www.taragana.com/">Taragana</a></span>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>12 Steps to Finding a Spiritual Teacher You Can Trust</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/finding-a-spiritual-teacher-you-can-trust/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/finding-a-spiritual-teacher-you-can-trust/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:25:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpiritualiTea</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Divination]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Age]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Pagan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Wicca]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[magick]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[neo-pagan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[paganism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/12-steps-to-finding-a-spiritual-teacher-you-can-trust/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Neo-Pagan Sacred Art and Altars: Making Things Whole (Folk Art and Artists Series)
Books abound on the array of neo-pagan faiths and Wiccan traditions, but after reading all we can, it is common to desire a teacher to inspire and guide us along our chosen path. Unfortunately, the world is full of hucksters eager to cash [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="cright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578063914?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1578063914"><img src="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/images/neo-pagan.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><img style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1578063914" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578063914?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1578063914">Neo-Pagan Sacred Art and Altars: Making Things Whole (Folk Art and Artists Series)</a><img style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1578063914" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p>Books abound on the array of neo-pagan faiths and Wiccan traditions, but after reading all we can, it is common to desire a teacher to inspire and guide us along our chosen path. Unfortunately, the world is full of hucksters eager to cash in on this desire. Money, however, is not the only &#8220;evil&#8221; to watch out for, and often not even the primary one. Potential religious teachers often seek the recognition or respect given to them by eager students. Sometimes, such respect is entirely unwarranted. Over the course of our lives, we may have many teachers and learn these lessons through hard-won experience but how can you avoid these pitfalls and find a spiritual teacher with your best interests at heart? Here are some tips to help you find your way amidst the labyrinth of good and bad intentions:</p>
<p><span id="more-8"></span></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Search for a teacher who is both experienced and honest.</strong> There are many reputable teachers in a variety of traditions and they will welcome your questions about their lineage and training. If they are self-taught, a good teacher with lots of experience is not ashamed to admit they are. Claims of profound mystical powers are often a warning sign, as is how your prospective teacher handles proprietary information. Is it common for the teacher or other group members to pass along written information without crediting authorship? How can you tell? If the style of language used in the text does not match what your teacher or fellow group member usually uses, chances are they copied this information elsewhere without crediting its author. A good teacher will not only credit where they acquired information, they will make a point of teaching you to do the same.</li>
<li><strong>Take your time &amp; avoid anyone who moves too fast.</strong> Don’t adopt a teacher on the basis of one meeting. Spiritual education is a life-long journey. There’s no inherent value in rushing your decision. On the flip side: does your prospective teacher accept you as a student without taking the time to really get to know you? This should be a two-way process and a teacher who does not take the time to evaluate prospective students is in search of quantity, not quality.</li>
<li><strong>Get to know your teacher &amp; his/her tradition.</strong> Sometimes the only way to get to know a teacher is by enrolling in a class they may offer online or at your local occult shop. Feel free to enroll in these without committing to being their student on a long-term basis (ie, seeking initiation or ordination with that teacher). Evaluate the information you are provided with in the class – Does it feel like the right path for you? Does his/her description of their tradition fall in line with your own research on that tradition. You haven’t done any research on his/her tradition? Back-up and do that before agreeing to anything!</li>
<li><strong>Conduct a background check.</strong> What is your prospective teacher’s background? Does s/he claim initiations or degrees that you cannot confirm through outside sources? A reputable teacher will be happy to provide references. Be wary of individuals who claim hereditary blood lines or training that you cannot verify. Find out his/her reputation in the spiritual community. Is the prospective teacher respected amongst his/her peers? If you meet your teacher at a festival, community event, or even in a chatroom, ask others of similar stature and experience what they think of him/her. Does s/he allow contact with her former students that have completed their training with her? If not, consider it a warning sign.</li>
<li><strong>Learn to spot power trips and puffery.</strong> Are you strongly urged by the teacher to take the next class (to the point of being pushy)? Does the teacher seem impressed with him/herself? Does s/he brag about who s/he knows or his/her own stature? Does your prospective teacher make rash, emotional decisions or always place blame on someone other than themselves? Does your prospective teacher expect you to put them on a pedestal? If not, are you tempted to put them on one? Run far, far away. No matter who instigates such a relationship, it is not healthy for either party.</li>
<li><strong>Ask questions about his/her personal and professional life.</strong> Is his/her emotional life in order? Spirituality affects and permeates all levels of our lives, and as such a good teacher should have stable relationships with their mate, family, friends, former teachers and former students. This is not to say that we don’t all go through ups and downs, or that you should necessarily quit working with someone when they go through inevitable woes life swings our way, but you’ll both have a more rewarding experience if you start when you are both on a more stable footing. This, of course, will become readily apparent if you follow step 1 (above) and take your time: time will tell you whether or not your prospective teacher is merely going through a rough period or if chaos, dissension and blaming others seems to follow them wherever they go.</li>
<li><strong>Find out if the teacher takes minors as their students without significant dialogue and permission from the student’s legal guardian.</strong> For those who are underage – Yes, I realize you are eager to learn as much as you can about your chosen spiritual path, but remember that there is no reason to rush things. Even your parent’s religion will teach you valuable lessons regardless of what path you later choose to take. A good teacher will encourage that you learn your lessons from your family while you can.</li>
<li><strong>Explore all your options.</strong> Does your prospective teacher encourage you to explore several paths before deciding his/hers is the right one? An experienced teacher will be able to provide you with a list of readings that illustrate perspectives different from his/her own. S/he should be willing to discuss these options with you <em>without </em>pointing out his/hers is the only right option. Certain traditions require significant investments of your time – if you are the type that likes to study many different paths simultaneously, talk this over with your teacher. Most will be fine with it, especially if you are still exploring and trying things out (they may even encourage it!), but because of the intensity of the training they may require you to decide upon one before beginning a priest/ess path with their group.</li>
<li><strong>Evaluate what you expect from your teacher. </strong>What kind of relationships do other people in the group have with the teacher? You can tell a lot from context. Some teachers will prefer a more formal relationship, others informal. One isn&#8217;t necessarily better than another, but knowing what you&#8217;re after ensures a more likely fit. It&#8217;s also a good idea to open up a dialogue by writing a list of what you are looking for and sharing this with the prospective teacher when you meet.</li>
<li><strong>Ask prospective teachers what they expect from you. </strong>What will your homework assignments be like and how much time per week or month will you be expected to devote to them? How many classes and rituals do you need to attend? Be honest with him/her and yourself &#8212; can you balance the study load along with work, family life or school? If not, now may not be the time to begin this particular course of study. If a fee is charged for lessons, does it seem reasonable? Teachers have to eat too, so money does not necessarily indicate base motivations, but the fee should be reasonable (whatever that means for you &#8212; don&#8217;t be afraid to ask what the fees are allocated for). Also ask if you are allowed to disagree with a teacher. You should certainly learn their tradition and fit reasonably well with their beliefs if you plan to dedicate and seek initiation, but questions and doubts should be part of the dialogue and not simply subject to blind faith. Bear in mind however that the relationship you have with your teacher should also not be a constant source of philosophical (or other) disagreement.</li>
<li><strong>Assess whether or not the ethics of a group is a good fit with your own.</strong> Some people think that &#8220;consciousness-altering&#8221; substances are a valuable part of ritual, while others would never even consider such a thing. From Dionysian revels to Native American worship, this isn’t an easy question when you look at historic precedents, but whether your own ethics fall on one side or the other of this argument, make sure you discuss this with your prospective teacher ahead of time. Either way, <em>avoid illegal substances and the groups that use them</em>.  Whether or not they <em>should</em> be legal is beside the point; common sense tells us that it is needlessly foolhardy to participate in illegal activities. Another area to consider: Certain favors from the student to the teacher are <em>not</em> considered ethical; the most obvious ones are sexual favors. We’re human; sometimes romantic relationships develop between members of a group, but they should not be expected as a matter of course, nor should they break any commitments you or the other party has made with your respective spouses <em>nor should they be  tied to your advancement in the group</em>. Less obvious are things like washing the windows in the High Priestess&#8217; house (Helping to clean up the property after a ritual, however, is normal).</li>
<li><strong>Trust your intuition.</strong> A teacher may check out all the points beautifully but the student&#8217;s inner bell is clanging an alarm. In that case, the student should heed it.</li>
</ol>
<p class="cright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891661116?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1891661116"><img src="http://www.prophesy2012.com/consciousness/images/cafe-nation.jpg" border="0" alt="" hspace="10" /></a><img style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1891661116" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891661116?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1891661116">Cafe Nation: Coffee Folklore, Magick, and Divination</a><img style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1891661116" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Document Copyright © 2001 <a href="http://www.spiritualitea.com/">Spiritualitea.com</a> &amp; Sandra Mizumoto Posey, Ph.D., author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891661116?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1891661116">Cafe Nation: Coffee Folklore, Magick, and Divination</a><img style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1891661116" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> (Santa Monica Press, 2000). This article may be reproduced as long as no changes, additions or deletions are made to the text. All the information in this paragraph must be included on the document whenever it is distributed or reproduced. Special thanks to Laura von Bosau for her significant contributions to this article and to Donna Albino and Denise Dumars for their thoughtful and insightful suggestions.</span></p>
<hr/>Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. Copyright &copy; 2008 <strong><a href="http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/">Easy Witchcraft</a></strong>. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact ampi@amanamission.com so we can take legal action immediately.<br/><span style="float: right;font-size: 7pt"><a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wordpress-plugins-provided-by-taraganacom/">Plugin</a> by <a href="http://www.taragana.com/">Taragana</a></span>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Goddess™: On the Proliferation of Goddess Imagery in Popular Culture</title>
		<link>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/goddess-imagery-in-popular-culture/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/goddess-imagery-in-popular-culture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:12:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpiritualiTea</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Divination]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Feminism]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Goddess]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Age]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Tarot]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Wicca]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ezwitchcraft.com/?p=3</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Change happens slowly, but when it finally hits, the years of individual strides and steps culminate in a burst of change. Trouble is, change doesn&#8217;t always take effect in the ways we&#8217;d hoped.
When the &#8220;goddess movement&#8221; was birthed out of feminism in the early seventies by groups of women passionate about both political and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.spiritualitea.com/articles/goddessgatheringkit.jpg" alt="Goddess Gathering Kit" align="right" height="300" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="225" /> Change happens slowly, but when it finally hits, the years of individual strides and steps culminate in a burst of change. Trouble is, change doesn&#8217;t always take effect in the ways we&#8217;d hoped.</p>
<p>When the &#8220;goddess movement&#8221; was birthed out of feminism in the early seventies by groups of women passionate about both political and personal growth, it started with small circles of women determined to use magic as a tool for change. Leading figures during this decade included such notables as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Zsuzsanna%20Budapest&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Zsuzsanna Budapest" target="_blank">Zsuzsanna Budapest</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Shekhinah%20Mountainwater&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Shekhinah Mountainwater" target="_blank">Shekhinah Mountainwater</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" />, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Starhawk&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Starhawk" target="_blank">Starhawk</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" />.</p>
<p>The Wiccan religion, which was first birthed by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Gerald%20Gardner&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Gerald Gardner" target="_blank">Gerald Gardner</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> in the mid-twentieth century, had grown into a viable alternative religion in both Europe and America. As one of the first modern Western religions to worship a goddess as well as a god, it was a logical starting point from which feminists could build their new faith. Wicca formed the skeletal structure of the new women&#8217;s religion, including seasonal rites and the use of magic, but was altered in ways that made it truly different. Some continued to include male god imagery, but a significant variant not only focused solely on the goddess but made it a women&#8217;s mystery religion where only women attended the rites, only women were taught magic, and seasonal rites became inseparable from the cycles of a women&#8217;s body as she moved from pre-menstrual maidenhood through her post-menopausal crone years. This sect came to be known by several monikers, such as Dianic Wicca, Dianic Witchcraft, and simply &#8220;goddess religion.&#8221;</p>
<p><span id="more-6"></span></p>
<p>One of the primary sacred narratives of Dianic Witchcraft was built upon the idea that in civilizations past women held higher status than contemporary society and was only lessened when matriarchy gave way to patriarchy. Built upon archeological finds of female statuary interpreted to be goddesses, the idea was birthed first by scholars but only became the foundation of new religious movements when the idea had gained a foothold in feminist circles. Many of the scholars (such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Marija%20Gimbutas&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Marija Gimbutas" target="_blank">Marija Gimbutas</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> &amp; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=J.J.%20Bachofen&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="J.J. Bachofen" target="_blank">J.J. Bachofen</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" />) who presented these ideas do not find currency any longer with most academics. This development has parallels with the larger Wiccan movement, whose own sacred narrative includes the idea that it has a direct linear connection with pre-Christian European witch-cults (as proposed by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Margaret%20Murray&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Margaret Murray" target="_blank">Margaret Murray</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" />), an idea which contemporary academics have long considered unfounded. However, whether or not the idea of matriarchy is in fact a viable and factual history is beside the point. The role these ideas play among contemporary Dianics and Wiccans is as sacred history, a potent symbolic web upon which ideas for a new worldview and societal change can blossom and grow. Key factors of this different society for both groups include empowerment for women and a more symbiotic relationship with nature.</p>
<p>Witches of either sect understand that there is magic that happens when symbols become manifest as reality in the form of tangible objects. First it is only within the realm of the groups that birthed them - jewelry and adornments with representations of goddesses and magical symbols, bumper stickers, <a href="http://www.amanamission.com/books/" title="Books" target="_blank">books</a> on nature religions, etc. - until the symbols, if not always the idea behind them, seep into a wider cultural milieu. Items such as those mentioned above move from esoteric mail order catalogs and small metaphysical shops into the women&#8217;s studies or occult sections of larger bookstores (in the case of books) or museum gift shops (in the case of deity statuary or jewelry). Spell candles now find their way into gift shops of every sort. Still, even these things are perceived by the larger public as fringe items - possibly even with satanic implications (in the case of pentacles, for example). A lack of interest may even result in their falling below their radar at all. Then, arriving with a force that makes it seem almost sudden, despite the slow trickle over several decades, goddess symbolism is everywhere. &#8220;Good Witches&#8221; have become stock characters in TV dramas from &#8220;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Buffy%20the%20Vampire%20Slayer&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Buffy the Vampire Slayer" target="_blank">Buffy the Vampire Slayer</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" />&#8221; to Aaron Spelling&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Charmed&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" title="Charmed" target="_blank">Charmed</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" />.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src="http://www.spiritualitea.com/articles/tietheknot.jpg" align="left" height="200" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="200" /> In high end beauty catalogs and stores we find <a href="http://www.charmedworld.com/" title="Charmed World's" target="_blank">Charmed World&#8217;s</a> spell-casting kits that come with items such as &#8220;Wash that man out of your hair&#8221; shampoo and conditioner, Eau de Fortune money-drawing fragrance designed to release your inner tycoon!&#8221; and &#8220;Temptress&#8221; bubble bath in hot pink containers. The contact page of their website bears this caveat:</p>
<ul><font color="#8b4726">CharmedWorld is not affiliated with any organized religion. Rather, it is our belief that there is magic within all of us. We hope that our whimsical products empower people to be proactive in their lives and, at the same time, have some fun. We would also like to stress that our products cannot be used to bring harm to any one, nor to make any one act against their will. Have fun! And, most of all, have a &#8220;charmed&#8221; life! </font></ul>
<p>The text above and at various places on their website suggest Wiccan influence without being explicitly stated. These pink potions are still in the broomcloset with regard to their inspiration. Wiccan influence can be seen in the &#8220;harm none&#8221; ethic voiced above as well and in the text of one of the spells: &#8220;I beseech thee, dear Goddess, let it be true. So be it!&#8221;Despite their assertion that products cannot be used to &#8220;make anyone act against their will&#8221; their descriptions for their spell kits belie their stated ethics. The Tie the Knot magical spell, for example, bears this description:</p>
<ul><font color="#8b4726">Would your man rather have a root canal than discuss your &#8220;future&#8221;? Do weddings make him comatose? Does he cringe everytime you pass a jewelry store? Help him lose those ball-and-chain blues, cast this spell to get to the &#8220;I do&#8217;s.&#8221; </font></ul>
<p>Less explicitly witchy and even more mainstream  is <a href="http://www.jacquagirls.com/" title="Jacqua Girls Goddess Gathering Kit" target="_blank">Jacqua Girls</a> &#8220;Goddess Gathering Kit.&#8221; According to their website, Jacqua Girls products has &#8220;distribution to more than 2,000 prestige gift shops, specialty and department stores in the United States, England, Canada, Germany, Scandinavia, France, New Zealand, Japan and Hong Kong.&#8221; Package details state:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<ul>          <font color="#8b4726"></p>
<li> Juturna Aromatherapy Spray</li>
<li> Isis Jasmine Incense</li>
<li> Kali Herbal Foot soak</li>
<li> Gaia Clay Mud Mask</li>
<li> Aphrodite Jojoba Lotion</li>
<li> Wish Boxes</li>
<li> Hestia candle</li>
<li> Bindis</li>
<li> Henna Tattoos</li>
<li> Invitations</li>
<p></font></ul>
</li>
<p><font color="#8b4726">Get all your goddess girlfriends together for a night of rituals, and beauty to bring out the best in your life. Includes for 4 people: </font><font color="#8b4726">Women have been gathering for thousands of years to share in story-telling, ritual, beauty, and bonding. In this fast-paced world we seldom take the time to gather in this ancient way. This kit was created to encourage you to gather with your friends for a meaningful and memorable time and discover your true goddess potential. So may it be!</font></ul>
<p>Here again a Wiccan influence can be detected in the phrase &#8220;So may it be&#8221; and the names of popular goddesses, but otherwise the kit makes no mention of spirituality. Instead, the intent is to &#8220;discover your true goddess potential.&#8221; As goddess imagery seeps further and further into popular culture, the word goddess begins to shed its religious implications and seems to connote beauty with a liberal dash of female bonding thrown in. Here, we make wishes, not magick. Dark and powerful Kali is relegated to soothing tired feet.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gogoddess.com" title="Go Goddess" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.spiritualitea.com/articles/gogoddessgame.jpg" alt="Go Goddess Game" align="left" border="0" height="233" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="300" /></a> The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WKMERA?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000WKMERA" title="Go Goddess" target="_blank">Go Goddess</a> game also doesn&#8217;t make any mention of magic or religion (though they do refer obliquely to spirituality and include &#8220;chakra-colored candles&#8221;), but does borrow a phrase from Dianic Witchcraft, paraphrased prominently on their website: &#8220;What does a goddess look like? Look in the mirror. You are a goddess.&#8221; Below this, the creators state that the Go Goddess game is:</p>
<ul><font color="#8b4726"> . . .an enriching catalyst to realize our dreams, recreate our lives and fulfill our unique potential.By bringing women together to share life&#8217;s experiences, Go Goddess! is a great way to connect with friends, make new ones, and realize the goddess that&#8217;s blossoming within each of us. </font> <font color="#8b4726">There are no right or wrong answers, and no judgments. Go Goddess! is a concept for living, a spiritual oasis that bathes you in positive, supportive energies, and inspires you to be the best you can be - to be the best mate, mother, sister, daughter, lover and friend. That&#8217;s what we all want, isn&#8217;t it? </font></ul>
<p>Unlike the Jacqua Girls kit, the Go Goddess game leans more heavily toward female bonding and empowerment than beauty. This is pop psychology with a Goddess twist rather than either religion or cosmetics, but it seems clear that our beloved goddess is destined to attain pop culture saturation as a synonym for beauty - hairless beauty.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.spiritualitea.com/articles/venusrazor.jpg" alt="Gillette Venus Razors" align="right" border="0" height="234" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="203" /> The most audacious use of goddess imagery is without a doubt the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=Gillette%20Venus%20Razor&amp;tag=amanmisspubli-20&amp;index=blended&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325">Gillette Venus Razor</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amanmisspubli-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> for women. The television commercial for this product pans over dozens of svelte women in white bathing suits kicking their smooth hairless legs to the pop tune lyric &#8220;I&#8217;m your Venus.&#8221; The close-up of the razor itself reveals a handle shaped to look like a woman&#8217;s body with her arms raised above her, much like the Nile river goddess. The slogan for this product, &#8220;Reveal the Goddess in You&#8221; (which is, by the way, trademarked) suggests that the word goddess, here, refers to a woman finally free of all that unwanted body hair.</p>
<p>As much as we want to believe in symbols as archetypes that shape our consciousness as a species, symbols evolve and meanings change. The fact of the matter is that once the meaning has changed, it loses some of its power even for those who embrace it. The use of the swastika by the Nazis has never regained its luster. An extreme example, to be sure, but the goals of feminist witches have never been modest. They seek to change the world for the better, but unfortunately much of the world does not want to change with them.</p>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica" size="2">Document Copyright © 2001 <a href="http://www.spiritualitea.com/">Spiritualitea.com</a> &amp; Sandra Mizumoto Posey, Ph.D., author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1891661116/spiritualitebook">Cafe Nation: Coffee Folklore, Magick, &amp; Divination</a> (Santa Monica Press, 2000). This article may be reproduced as long as no changes, additions or deletions are made to the text. All the information in this paragraph must be included on the document whenever it is distributed or reproduced.</font></p>
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