“There’s a Natural Mystic blowin’ through the air…”

-Bob Marley

Elsewhere, I have highly praised Christine Wicker’s Not in Kansas Anymore.  (I just found the whole book is available in e-book format here.)  I have stated that it should be in every hotel room in America, right next to the Gideon Bible.  I meant it.  I still do.

The following excerpt is offered as a wake-up call for anybody who has ever been suckered in by the power-hungry and fear mongering who try to tell us that “

America was founded as a Christian Country, on Wholesome Family Values!!”

America might have been “Christian” on paper, but for over 80% of her people, that’s where it ended.  Historic evidence shows that the real america was much more tolerant, broad-minded, and, yes, magical than we were ever taught in school.  When viewed in the grander context of American history, this current trend of Evangelical Fervor may become just a backwater eddy in the much larger tide of Religious History in

America .

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Greetings, Friends and Family!

This coming weekend, I propose a new “meeting place” for the annual business meeting.  This is one we haven’t tried before, but I believe it’s worth a try, given the short notice and the high cost of travel.  I propose a meeting in “Cyber Space.”  I have set up a new board on the forums for Church Business, and would encourage EACH of you to bring up any questions, suggestions, ideas and thoughts over the course of the next week.  If you go to http://www.churchofancientpaths.org, the LAST forum listed on the “Forums” page is “Church Business.”  Start threads, respond to threads, post ideas, get some discussion going.

Throughout the week, the Managing Director and I will do our best to be available on IM as much as possible.  I would encourage the other members of the board and clergy to do the same.   During the day, Rob and I are restricted to AOL IM (as caliginos and ladyportia, respectively).  However, AOL IM is available for free to download off of AOL’s site, and I would encourage each of you to create an account, if only to provide greater accessibility to our congregants.  In the evening, we can access Yahoo IM from home.  Regardless, email works around the clock, and the forums are an ideal way to share ideas.

My hope is that the board and clergy will work together to parse through the information and suggestions in order to find a shared vision that serves The Greatest Good.  If there is no contact, no posts, no emails, no nothing, it’ll be assumed that we all gave this our best shot, but the Church’s time has passed.  The site will be taken down, and any of our clergy who choose to maintain the title “reverend” will have to find another entity to back that title or cease using that title. 

We have options and possibilities.  There are great things w can do if we work together, but there needs to be interest in order for that to happen.  Please log onto the website, go to the forums, and make your voice heard.  I believe in you, and I believe in us.

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While I am still trying to figure out how over 1,000 posts about porn (somehow focusing on Christina Aguilera having Lesbian sex, of all things) ended up flooding the forums.  Yes, my mistake for setting these things so that “everybody” can post.  Yes, you now need to be a registered user, if only so that we’ll know you’re a human being.

 

I suppose, as internet catastrophes go, this really isn’t so bad.  We could have gotten trolls, flame-wars, or even death threats.  By comparison, 1000+ offers to see porn isn’t so bad…

 

But, still, it’s annoying.

 

Creating an account here shouldn’t be all that difficult, but if there’s problems, please feel free to contact the reverend at tracie@churchofanicientpaths.org or our managing director at rob@churchofancientpaths.org.

 

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but, hopefully, it will be less inconvenient than sifting through thousands of offers for free porn.  As the author Rita Mae Brown famously said, “Lead me not into temptation, I can find the way myself.”

 

Love, Light, and Laughter,

 

Rev. Tracie Voss

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(Olean, N.Y.) AP – Police are investigating vandalism aimed at a symbol of the Wiccan religion set up next to a Nativity scene in front of Olean city hall.

Officials in the city 60 miles south of Buffalo say someone in a pickup truck backed over the Wiccan pentacle around 10:15 p.m. Monday, then sped off.

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Passing this along from the good folks at Circle Sanctuary and Gaia Works Inc.:

"As the holiday season begins to take it's tole, let's not forget our Pagan Troops who are serving in theaters in often dangerous places. Circle Santuary , Gaia Works, Inc., and others are collecting Penticals and other sacred symbol pendents, pocket peices and rings. , for our
troops in war zones.

"If you would like to make a donation to this cause you can send your contributions to Circle Santuary in WI or Gaia Works, Inc., 204 S. Audubon Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46219.

"Your donated items will be blessed and shipped on its way. Please have items to us by Dec 10th, to make sure we have plenty of time to get them where they are going in time for Yule..

Thank you for your consideration to this request."

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The “links” section has been added, complete with a collection of terrific links to a wide variety of “Ancient Paths” and current issues. Please check it out, and feel free to contact us with your suggestions for additional great links!

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A new  FAQ Section has been created.  So far, it's mostly general information about the church, but I'd like to add more, including a more Pagan-cenrtered "FAQ" part.  Do you have an idea or a question?  Please contact us through the "contact" page.  We'll respond either privately or in the FAQ section!

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Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.
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