Lessons from the Story of Brandi Blackbear

So I read an interesting article today about a high school girl who was supposedly suspended because of her Wiccan beliefs and practices. Take a look!

Note the date on the story. This is making its way around Facebook, but it's not new. This happened quite a while ago. 

Anyway, while you can read it for yourself, the crux of the matter is pretty simple: An Oklahoma middle school suspended a student for 15 days when they suspected her of casting a spell to make a teacher sick. Of course, the parents, the administration, their lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union got involved. The school district was forced to defend its actions--namely, suspending Brandi twice in 1999--in Federal court. 

Eventually, the court found in favor of the school, and the 2002 story here suggests that there would be an appeal, but I haven't gone digging for additional information yet. 

According to the second story, the judge in the case did not believe that Brandi was a true Wiccan practitioner, and thought that the whole religious aspect of the case was played up so there would be more media attention surrounding it. 

Stories like this are challenging, because many Wiccans get very strident about voicing their 1st Amendment rights, and a story like this just stokes the flames. But I think it's important to take a step back and look at exactly what happened, based on the information that is presented to us, before we go running off saying that the school was at fault. 

Actually, for me, the whole thing is just sad, and there is blame on both sides. 

Here are few things that struck me as I read these articles:

1) Brandi had claimed to be a witch with the power to harm others with spells

Two students came forward saying they were afraid of Brandi for this reason. This was the reason behind Brandi's first suspension. The job of the public schools often rests on the principle of in loco parentis, a "parental" role in which one of the school's main jobs is to keep the students safe. In this age of people walking into schools and offices with murder on their minds, they are right to take that role seriously. Imagine if Brandi had been an actual threat and the school had done nothing; the school would have been in serious trouble. 

With that said, I'm balking a little bit at the 19-day suspension that was imposed here. With the understanding that I'm not aware of all the circumstances, isn't 19 days a bit...well, harsh? Would the message have gotten across with 10 days? 5 days? 

2) When Brandi was suspended a second time, after the teacher had become ill, she had been questioned about her beliefs in Wicca by the administration, her notebooks of horror stories she had written were confiscated, and she was forbidden from drawing or wearing any signs or symbols of the Wiccan faith. 

I side with the family here to a certain extent. The administration seized her stories, which, truth be told, could have been her plans to kill people, so if they saw her as a threat they would have done so. Also, if she was writing them at school instead of doing work, I could see taking the notebooks, too, provided they were returned to her at the end of the investigation. 

To question her about her spiritual beliefs, however, is ridiculous. Were they really that scared that a girl could make a grown man sick? Just the fact that they would even consider this possibility is crazy, even in 1999 Oklahoma. 

And real Wiccans don't use their power to harm; Brandi would have taken on a serious karmic debt had she actually done that, anyway. 

And until everyone else in that school had hidden their own religious items--including crosses--I disagree that the school had the right to ask Brandi to stop drawing or wearing Wiccan symbols to school. The fact that she was interested in Wicca, and by her own admission had read a book in the school library about it, is meaningless. She should not have been questioned about it. 

So where does this leave us? Well, I'm reminded of some very important points. 

1) Words have power, so be careful how you use them. 

In both the mundane and magickal world, words have a lot of power. Don't claim to be something you're not, and don't threaten others with any power, magickal or otherwise. 

2) The US Constitution may give us the freedom to practice Wicca/Witchcraft, but you can't legislate respect. 

There is a difference between tolerance, respect, and acceptance. Practicing Wiccans and Witches will find people who wholeheartedly accept them and their spiritual path. They will also find those who will generally be respectful without accepting who we are, and that's fine, too. There are people who will tolerate our spiritual practice to varying degrees, and some who rail against it. We are allowed to practice it by law, but if you expect everyone to be thrilled about that fact you've got another thing coming.

My community and I have experienced various displays of discrimination and intolerance directed our way, and while it's sad, it does happen. We have to take the high road, report it to the appropriate authorities when it occurs (if applicable), and do our best to take it in stride when that's all we can do, with the understanding that these incidents are not truly frequent. 

3) Know what you are taking on when you call yourself a Wiccan or a Witch. 

Some people may never be "out of the broom closet", a term we use for a Wiccan or Witch who practices openly. I leave that choice to each individual person. With that said, practicing Wicca openly in some countries could get you killed, quite literally. 

If you choose to practice openly as a Wiccan or Witch here in America, remember that your example has an effect on all of us. While we are one of the fastest growing religions in the United States, we still have a lot of obstacles to overcome before we are fully accepted by American society. Is it sad? Absolutely. But it is also the truth, folks. I take my "Blessed Be" bumper sticker off my car when traveling through certain areas of the country myself; it's just common sense. 

Every religion has its crackpots, but our reputation takes a serious hit when stories like this make their way around the social media circles. So please don't act like a crazy person; choose to be an informed, balanced, empowered, responsible Wiccan or Witch. And a part of that responsibility is withholding judgment on stories like this one until we get all the facts. 

We're fortunate in this country to be able to believe and worship as we choose, and I think that's something we all can agree on.

2013: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Hope you're enjoying an evening with Neptune tonight, folks. My most recent vacation took a lot out of me, so I'm staying in for a nice relaxing New Year's Eve with my beloved. I've never been a big party person anyway, so I usually go low-key for ringing in the New Year. 

Tonight is a Sidhe moon, the second dark moon in a month, and it's a great time for self-reflection. 2013 has been all over the place for me personally. 

I feel like I'm tired from this year, but overall, I'm reminded of how truly blessed I am. 

In that vein, and before I forget, I'd like to take a moment to thank the Wiccan community at 13 Magickal Moons and the Tradition of the Witches Circle for not only their patronage but also for their support and assistance this past year. I wouldn't be who I am without all of you, and while I try to thank people personally, I want to make sure you know how much you mean to me. 

For me, I'd say one of the biggest low points was the government shutdown, which made a lot of people in the Capitol region very unhappy--me included. So many suffered, but at least the suffering is over, hopefully at least. And it appears my days with the DC Tarot Society are over; January 4 will be the last meeting of the group unless someone takes over for outgoing organizer and founder Geraldine. Before you ask, no, it's not going to be me...I already have too much to do. But I hope someone decides to step up. 

The highs outweighed the lows, though. Fatherhood seemed to be a theme for the year for me. I became a father to my Pele, who is as I write this blog at my ankles purring. I also became a Godfather for the first time to a wonderful little boy, Marcus Alexander Harvey. "Godfather" is a title that I never thought I'd have, to be honest, so I'm totally thrilled!

2014 holds more challenges. While I'm not a fan of resolutions for many reasons, I'd like to get my non-fiction tarot book done and hopefully out to a publisher. More weight loss would be great, too. And I'd like to write a few more blogs. Yes, Saturn is always hoping I'll go on a schedule...

I'm also looking forward to Friday night, where I will guide another group of Witches on a fantastic spiritual journey with the Tradition of the Witches Circle in Witchcraft 101. Hopefully I will learn as much from them as they do from me. But it's definitely exciting!

I look forward to reading for the first time in the New Year at 13 Magickal Moons (www.13magickalmoons.com) on Saturday, January 4, from 11:30-5:30. I hope you can join us. It's usually busy so be prepared to shop while you wait! 

I wish you and yours success, happiness, prosperity, and joy in 2014. May the Lord and Lady bless you abundantly and often!

Letter From Neptune: Enjoying the Holidaze

Dear John...

Another Christmas is here, and already people around the world are riding with me! It's pretty cool but also a little bit scary.

Alcohol consumption and therapy are both in my purview, and it's facsinating to me that many people spend the holidays self-medicating both ways. It's not a problem on both counts when neither are taken to an extreme, though. What I find really interesting is that people end up spending the holiday with most of the people who were involved in causing the difficulties in the first place. Why that is I have no idea. Maybe people are trying to deal with their problems head-on, and that's more of a Mars way of handling the situation. I'm more of an "avoid the problems" type; it always seems to work for me.

Anyway, enjoy your Mike's Hard Lemonade and have a fantastic day! Hope it won't be the subject of any therapy sessions later. 

Believe,

Neptune

Update: Venus Retrograde...going on now!

[I deleted my last Venus retrograde post by accident, folks, and people were looking for it. So I made a few tweaks and re-posted. Most of the updates are at the bottom. Thanks for tuning in!]

You know the drill by now, folks. But just in case, here's a reminder of just how vital Venus is. 

OK, so let's start off with some background. Venus is a planet that is extremely important astrologically, although many of us don't really pay much attention to it unless it's Valentine's Day. Here are some of the things Venus rules:

• Love and attraction
• Beauty in form
• Refinement of artistic tastes
• Our romantic, poetic, and artistic selves

Taurus and Libra folks, this is your ruling planet, the lovely and charming Venus. Some of you may also know her as the Greek goddess Aphrodite. 

Most people think about love and attraction only when it comes to romance. I'm here to tell you that Venus also has a financial role. Why? Because if we are in business for ourselves, for example--like yours truly--our ability to make money and succeed depends on our ability to attract and retain clients. So Venus has an often overlooked role in our financial success. Also, if you're looking for work, Venus is an important planet for you to attract the attention of the right employer. Problems with Venus in your birth chart and indicate both love and money difficulties.

So I hope I've been able to convince you that this lady is nothing to be trifled with. Venus goes into retrograde once every eighteen months, and before you open your mouth to complain, it's the LEAST amount of retrograde time of any of the planets in the solar system. You gotta cut the girl some slack; she's busy and needs a break! 

Anyway, when this planet starts to move "backward" in the sky, the focused is on unfinished business in our emotional and financial relationships. Here are some things to know about what you might experience, in both love and money.

Love and social affairs--Overall, relationships tend to slow down. This is not a good time to:

• Get married
• Go on first dates
• Have big parties
• Change your hairstyle
• Wear flamboyant clothing
• Buy a new wardrobe
• Re-decorate your home or business

Business--You may experience:

• Legal issues
• Problems with diplomacy or negotiations

Also, this is NOT a good time to begin new business partnerships. So if you can avoid doing this until it's over, all the better. 

Relationships that are already having difficulty may feel additional pressure. Venus retrograde often forces us to face feelings that we have ignored in the past, and re-evaluate those friendships and romantic partnerships as these emotions re-surface.

I wanted to make one thing clear as well: This is a time to acknowledge these feelings, but it's not a time to act on them. Wait until the retrograde period is over to do so.

Statistically speaking, January is when the most marriages and divorces occur, and with Venus in retrograde in Capricorn, a stable, long-term sign, a lot of marriages may be breaking up this holiday season. Evaluate your feelings carefully now. 

Good luck! If you have any stories that I can share, please let me know!

Keeping Saturn in Saturnalia

Dear John,

First of all, welcome to my time of year! I know how excited you must be that my influence is at its peak now. I know I am! I provide the season with a sense of dignity and peace. 

With the understanding that you are on vacation and with sincere apologies for the interruption, I am writing to complain about a story I heard involving me. An athiest group decided to put up a banner that said "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia!" in response to a New Jersey town's "Keep Christ in Christmas!" banner. And then some idiot decided to try to burn down the sign that was dedicated to me! 

If I was Neptune I would probably say "WHAT THE HELL...?" But since I'm not him...or her...I'll just say I am saddened that some group who believes in no higher power anyway decided to throw me into this fight without even warning me first. That was undignified to say the least, and downright impolite. There was no need for that.

There are so many things wrong with this picture. I thought that people on earth were supposed to be nicer at this time of year. I guess not. 

Do you know how many years it has been since people celebrated Saturnalia? A heck of a long time. It was pretty good when it went on...I think it was nice. But you know, times change and the world moves on. They don't need to bring it back.

I don't want to be a pawn in some stupid fight over a banner...well, technically about two banners. Can't everyone just...what's the phrase you prefer? "Get over themselves"? 

People are powerful. They have choices and control. Why let a banner upset you? If you don't like what the town is doing, then don't go down there or spend your money there. If you are that offended, move out. (Did anyone tell them that many pagans worship me? Are you really sure an athiest group should be invoking a Roman god? Kind of odd, wouldn't you agree?)

By the same token, the Saturnalia banner should get the same respect as the other one. No one has tried to burn that one down, right? At least not yet. But some misguided soul couldn't stand their beliefs being mocked by an old Roman holiday? Really? All it takes is a joke for your faith to feel threatened? Sounds like someone needs to examine their own beliefs a little harder. The same rules apply for these people. If you don't like it, don't look. And put down the accelerant and matches before you hurt yourself! 

Of course, I didn't take it personally. It would have been the same as if someone who knew Neptune rules music to say "Keep the 'tune' in Neptune!", or even "Keep the 'us' in Venus!" to push the value of relationships. Am I sounding stupid now? Yup. And that is the point. 

Anyway, I am so sorry for interrupting your vacation. Enjoy my season...and if you are feeling frisky, a dance for Saturnalia would make me happy. 

Very truly yours,

Saturn