Subj : From http://www.dispatch.com/news/features01/feb01/588718.html To : All From : Rachel L. Akers Date : Wed Feb 14 2001 09:49 pm Greetings All, I'm being FWed some interesting stuff lately... That's funny about this one is that Drayton (Queensland) is a satalite community about 50 miles South-west of here Rai -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Joe Blundo: Attempt to ban fortunetelling brings witches out of closet Thursday, February 8, 2001 Joe Blundo Dispatch Accent Columnist They aren't quite as formidable as the Christian Right, yet witches and pagans demonstrated recently that they know how to mobilize for political action. "I was quite impressed," said Lisa Johnson, clerk of the Moraine City Council. Recently, Moraine, a Dayton suburb of about 7,000 people, considered passing an ordinance that would have banned fortunetelling for a fee. Suddenly, just how many witches and pagans inhabit the Dayton area became apparent. Council members began receiving e-mails and phone calls. Word spread on the Internet. Johnson said that on the night the ordinance was to come up for a vote, it was standing-room-only in council chambers, which seats about 150. Most of the spectators were there to protest. "I think they were a little bit astonished that we grouped together so fast on this topic," said Crystal Mize, an office manager who is also a pagan high priestess and director of the Montgomery County chapter of Witches Against Religious Discrimination. The witches were polite, said Councilman Ronald Payne. "It was very calm, a good discussion. The people got to say what they wanted to." After hearing objections that the ordinance was an unconstitutional restraint on religious freedom, council tabled it. Payne said he hopes it doesn't come up again. "I think it infringed a great deal on people's rights," he said. Amanda Hamilton, whose business started the ruckus, is relieved but remains wary. In October, she opened Anything Under the Moon, a "metaphysical shop" in Moraine, offering jewelry, incense, gemstones, crystals, books and tarot card readings. Hamilton's request for a business permit brought to the attention of council a 1960s ordinance against fortunetelling. Johnson said the old ordinance was aimed at "Gypsies," itinerant fortunetellers with questionable business practices who were visiting Moraine at the time. The city law director attempted to draw up a new ordinance that removed elements that were obviously unconstitutional but retained a ban on fortunetelling for a fee. It also would have required registration with the city even if the fortunetelling did not involve a fee. Then the pagans descended. Hamilton learned about the proposed ban two days before it was to go before the council. She called 150 people, and many of them informed others. "Not only would this have affected my business, but I'm a practitioner of Wiccan religion, and using divination and communication with spirits is an integral part of my spirituality." Wicca is a pagan religion whose practitioners sometimes call themselves witches. Naturally, this conjures the image of the green-faced witch who terrified Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. That's a Hollywood distortion of what Wicca is, Mize said. It's an earth-based religion with a goddess and a calendar of celebrations based on the turn of the seasons. Wicca does not embrace evil, she said. "We have a master rule of 'Do what ye will, but harm ye none.' " Joshua Thomas, state director of Witches Against Religious Discrimination, said some witches remain reticent about going public with their beliefs, but many others are becoming more open. "We call it coming out of the broom closet." Not every pagan is a Wiccan, and no one knows for sure how many pagans there are. But there are enough in the Dayton area to have a Pagans Night Out, form pagan children's play groups and pack a City Council chamber when the need arises. (Ohio has a thriving pagan community. Check out http://www.witchvox.net.) Hamilton said all she wants is to run her business in peace. "I feel the city may have had good intentions to try and block fraudulent behavior, but having a profession of reading cards or performing astrology or supplying a spiritual service is not a fraudulent service," Hamilton said. "It's a profession, and it's as old as time." The fortunetelling ordinance had one upside, Hamilton said. Her business was in Dayton until a fire forced her to seek new quarters last fall. After she moved to Moraine, some customers didn't know where to find her. Thanks to the publicity, they know now. Joe Blundo is an Accent columnist. jblundo@dispatch.com --- Msged/2 4.00 * Origin: Elfwhere - The POINTy eared POINT (3:640/531.2379) .