ONLINE RADIO INTERVIEWS:
Starting this Friday at 11pm Eastern, Tara Miller will do a series of interviews with Lady Passion on her blogtalkradio.com show "Soul Journeys". Listen to, download, or follow Tara and Lady Passion at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/taramariamiller .Here are the shows' dates and topics (you can find more info, including the questions each show explores, at the above link and, soon, at http://oldenwilde.org ):
SAMHAIN UPDATE:
Get hitched by Witches in downtown Asheville this Halloween!
"Love is the Law" will be the theme of the 18th Annual Free Samhain Public Witch Ritual on Wed., Oct. 31, 2012, starting at 7 pm. As a "spirited" protest against North Carolina's and Buncombe County's legislated discrimination against gay marriage and all other non-conventional committed partnerships, this year's Pub Moot/Mummer's Play procession through several downtown brew pubs will culminate at Pack Square Park's Roger McGuire Green in front of the Buncombe County Courthouse, where Coven Oldenwilde's High Priestess Lady Passion and High Priest *Diuvei will conduct a mass handfasting and broom-jumping for partners of any gender or number who wish to declare or renew their vows to one another. After the family-friendly rite, Lady Passion and *Diuvei -- as legally recognized clergy of the Wiccan religion -- will sign wedding licenses provided by participating couples whose union North Carolina currently recognizes.
MUMMERS PLAY: The handfasting rite will be preceded by a downtown traveling Pub Moot and Mummer's Play, in which costumed volunteers storm select brew pubs and perform a quick, funny, sacred play enacting the annual harvest-death of John Barleycorn, the personification of the reaped grain that makes ale.
"You could consider it a blessing of 'Beer City'," *Diuvei notes. "The Pub Moot and Mummers Play is an ancient, popular tradition in Britain."
"One feature that changes year-to-year is a verbal skewering of a villain that locals despise," Lady Passion adds. "Last year we referenced the state legislator who called Asheville a 'cesspool of sin'; this year Rep. Tim Moffitt will catch scorn."
In between performances, Asheville’s spirit-horse mascot Ol' Charmer will lead participants in a musical procession toward McGuire Green.
MASS WEDDING: "'Love is the Law' means the heart can’t be dictated, legislated, or denied," *Diuvei explains. "Pagans are not 'one way only' monotheists; there is more than one way to worship, and more than one way to love. We’re polytheists with family values that include honoring human diversity.”
"We’ll sanctify anyone’s bonds, including polyamorous groups," nods Lady Passion. "Prejudice is petty. We're inviting open-minded, respectful folks to don black garb or nuptial finery and join our Sabbat revel. Have a free adventure wedding. Renew your vows or bond in a trial marriage Pagan handfasting if you wish. Even if you don’t 'tie the knot' and 'jump the broom', enjoy supporting those who do!” All who participate in the handfasting will get a keepsake handfasting ribbon. The Samhain ceremonies will culminate in a Spiral Dance finale around the magnolias. Lady Passion and *Diuvei will sign licenses couples obtain from Buncombe County Registrar of Deeds and bring to the proceedings in the outside portion of Pack’s Tavern.
DETAILS including the play script, roles for volunteers, donation needs, and specific pub locations will be posted soon at http://oldenwilde.org ) and in further e-Updates. See story and pictures of last Samhain's very successful Flashrite Pub Moot at http://oldenwilde.org/oldenwilde/samhain/rite2011/samhain-2011-flashrite-pubmoot-mummers-play.html .
TOPLESS RIGHTS
We don't ordinarily side with atheist UFO sex cults ... but when they're right, they're right. Last Tuesday, Aug. 28, *Diuvei (Steve Rasmussen) represented Coven Oldenwilde in Asheville's City Council meeting to speak out in defense of North Carolina women's First Amendment right to go topless. Titter at your peril, for this is no laughing matter: Last Sunday, members of the Raelian religion organized a second annual "Go Topless" rally in downtown Asheville to defend women's equal rights to bare their chests as freely as men. (Raelians believe, as Pagans do, that the human body and sexuality are sacred and shouldn't be a target of shame.) This time, several local publicity-seeking puritans made such a ridiculous fuss -- even sponsoring a contest for the lewdest photo of the rally -- that our City Council announced it would seek to have the state law that tacitly allows bared breasts "clarified" — which means in politi-speak that they want higher authorities to ban it so they can disclaim responsibility. That's why we had to speak out: As *Diuvei was quoted in the Asheville Citizen-Times the following day (see http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120829/NEWS/308290030/City-Council-seeks-guidance-on-nudity-statute?source=nletter-news ).
"It seems like as soon as we find out we've got a right, the government takes it away."
The High Priestess also sees broadly negative ramifications of this:
1). It is religiously discriminatory: street preachers bussed from NY ruined Bele Chere with impunity while a different religious group has been targeted for suppression?
2). Council’s decision coincided with National Womens’ Rights Day. Their timing was dismissive, and their stance is puritanical, setting a bad precedent to persecute future group activities fundies don’t like.
3). This is an insignificant issue compared to poverty, homelessness, and food and healthcare insecurity. Shades of scape-goating here…
4). Fair’s fair: If men can go shirtless, women should be allowed to go topless in safety.
Lady Passion has vowed that if this law is passed, she will break it on Pagan principle.
