The
widow of a Wiccan soldier killed in Afghanistan has gone to war with the Veteran's Administration.
After Patrick was killed in a helicopter attack last September, his wife asked for the encircled five-pointed star to be put on his plaque on the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Wall in Fernley. But since the pentacle is not currently approved by the department, his space on the wall has remained blank.
Why the wait? I doubt that this is a matter of mere bureaucratic lethargy. It's a prejudice against a non-monotheistic faith:
Bill Chrystal, a retired Navy chaplain and friend of the Stewarts, said the VA’s continued stonewalling has caused other problems as well. He was scheduled to hold a memorial for fallen Nevada troops later this month, but was told by state Veterans Affairs officials that Roberta could not speak because of the controversy with her application.
Chrystal, who belongs to the United Church of Christ, has since backed out of the event and will take part in a protest event to highlight the Stewarts’ fight.
Bravo Reverend Chrystal. I've met a number of Wiccans. They're a mixed bag, like every other group. Many Wiccans are a lot of fun, especially the ones who make their own mead. I must confess that, after a while, Wiccans who blather endlessly about "The Lady" can be almost (
almost) as annoying as any fundamentalist Christian. And I really hope never again to hear some ignorant fantasist proclaim Wicca to be the world's oldest faith. (It isn't. A British eccentric named Gerald Gardner started the thing in the middle of the 20th century.) That said, a Wiccan who has died for his country certainly deserves the same rights and honors that accrue to fallen soldiers from other traditions, and shame on anyone who has prevented Patrick Stewart from receiving the memorial requested by the woman he loved.
5 comments:
GREAT post. I wonder if this tragedy has anything to do with why I've been seeing this silver SUV cruising around my city with a very tasteful pentacle decal on the back window. In my town, the SUV drivers are really not the types to be either aware of or respectful toward anything not affiliated with the desert religions. Yeah, sure, they're not all Republican, but...I've never seen anything like a pentacle--or other signifier for anything non-Christian, frankly, on one of those monstrosities. Curious. S/he parks near one of the bookstores I frequent, so maybe I'll politely inquire about the decal sometime.
I know a fair amount of Wiccans, and I can't recall that any of them drive gas-guzzling SUVs.
Currently the government
allows for 38 religious emblems to be included on Government-furnished headstones. The list includes smaller denominations such as the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bahais, atheists, United Moravian Church, Eckankar as well as the mainstream ones.
In addition, there are some faith groups I had not even heard of before, such as the Aaronic Order Church, Konko-Kyo Faith, Sufism Reoriented, Church of World Messianity, Christian and Missionary Alliance.
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle/
Thanks Joe, Doc,...from a Witch (not all witches are wiccan blah blah blah)and librarian that was glad to see this story get a litte more play than the dull thud response i got from my congressmen when i raised this issue about this and other pagan soldiers.
this is a freeby..."of course millionaires dont have astrologers...billionaires do"...
the vibes are everywhere (my thanks to rich humbert)
Celestial Weather
21 May 2006 – 27 May 2006
Week of May 21st, 2006
Week as a Whole:
This week begins in the dreamy fog of a Pisces Moon that's charged by its “ruler” Neptune coming to a stop in our skies and beginning his retrograde period. Our imaginations are soaring and cracks between the worlds are opened. Neptune changes direction twice a year and each time we can find wisdom and guidance in our dreams and if we pay attention we can see connections made that will have long-term implications for us. We meet “special” people; chance encounters are anything but chance. Neptune dissolves boundaries and just as much as he expands our minds he can confuse and delude. Celebrity, mass media, mysticism, mathematics, and magic all manifest Neptune's power in our world. Shining through all these are the Platonic perfections that Neptune brings to us. The real problem with the “perfect” moments that Neptune brings is what to do afterward. Like the song says, “It's hard to go ahead when you're going down”.
These Neptune times are an opportunity to re-vision our lives especially with Neptune in Aquarius. Neptune brings an awareness of the approach of future change while he is in Aquarius. Consider how much of modern thought and atmosphere is colored by the notion of a future very different than our past: the shrinking globe, climate change, the Internet, economic globalization, and most recently here in the U.S., immigration. This is a time to ask ourselves, “Is what I'm doing today leading to the future I want?”
The Neptune champagne is already working as the week begins and will linger and fade through the New Moon on Friday. In between, our personal lives run over a speed bump or two as Venus and Mars make some sharp connections as they near the end of their current zodiac signs. Venus makes a square angle to Mars on Tuesday and with Venus in fiery Aries and Mars in anxious Cancer, we're liable to be twitchy and prone to over react. When we don't feel safe and secure, our Cancer defenses are activated. We're inclined to take things personally and find ill-will where in fact there is none. We want to feel uninhibited and free to act (Venus in Aries) but that freedom feels like it makes us vulnerable. This of course has minimal effect if your horoscope is not connected with where Venus and Mars are now. Most of us will experience this as nothing more than observing that people seem to be making darting sideways movements toward and away from each other...crab like. It passes quickly.
Venus continues the focus on our social lives on Thursday when she makes the harmonious “trine” contact with Pluto. This is a chance to shake off old attitudes and, for those connected, out grow some aspect - or some people – of our life. Coming after the Mars in Cancer stress, it may be an opportunity to confront and conquer a long-term habit of anxiety. But Mars is still active as he too is moving to connect with Pluto late this week. This is a not so “harmonious” angle the the two planets form once a year on average. It may manifest as an unpleasant surprise with Pluto once again jarring our sense of safety, and reminding us that we're connected whether we like it or not to everyone everywhere. This may be another shock to those who cling to the “tried and true” old-fashioned and comfortable ideas that no longer apply. The wildness of the world may make itself visible – but briefly since this angle is sharp and quickly passes.
All of this finds us withdrawing into our private spaces as Friday's New Moon approaches. This New Moon is in Gemini, the sign of thinking, communicating, and information gathering. Over Friday and into Saturday, we can best use this event to think about how we know what we know. We should consider our sources. We should look for ways to improve our clarity and precision of thought. This New Moon falls in the 6th degree of Gemini whose symbol is “Workmen drilling for Oil”. This image suggests going beneath the surface to discover resources created in the deep past. It suggests not being satisfied with superficial answers. And it suggests that deep knowledge has great power and great consequences. Risks are involved in drilling.
In this New Moon chart, Mercury is well-placed and moving from squaring Uranus to connecting with Neptune. A new consciousness is possible at this time. The New Moon itself is also well connected with Saturn and this indicates that we can make sound decisions as we refresh our mental processes. There is an opportunity for leadership to make a real difference. And this can be and a grand scale or on a more mundane level in our daily lives. We can have new thoughts, deeper thoughts, and that will have an impact on the day-to-day conduct of life. So take some time Friday evening to think and think about how you think. And think about the notion that we are NOT our thoughts.
Daily Forecasts:
Sunday 21 May 2006
A sense of change rumbling beneath us and an anticipation of change signals Neptune's standstill. Take the time to dream tonight and linger in your bed to stay in dreamland. Make notes.
Monday 22 May 2006
Very foggy and slow starting today with the Moon Void until she enters Aries at 6:24am/9:24am. But we brighten and gain clarity all day. Independent work is best; avoid micro-managing people. Expect a useful new idea or two.
Tuesday 23 May 2006
We keep bumping into people who seem to have just finished gossiping about us. If that's your experience, try to remember we're more often ignored than plotted against. Keep your anxiety in check, your irritation as well. Venus and Mars are square so we're all a bit graceless.
Wednesday 24 May 2006
The Moon has gone Void overnight and enters Taurus (remember earth energy?) at 9:00am/12:00pm. Practical matters require attention and unanticipated effort. The work will pay off later.
Thursday 25 May 2006
With Venus connecting with Pluto, we have to let go of something we no longer need to carry with us. Clinging leads to more and more abrupt change. The out of control feeling this evening will pass.
Friday 26 May 2006
Our minds are buzzing and we need some privacy to think. Mercury squares Uranus and moves to connect with Neptune, so we're thinking big thoughts, some new thoughts, and some that may be shocking. Oil drilling sometimes leads to explosive gushers.
Saturday 27 May 2006
The air is clearing and since the Gemini symbol is sibling twins, it might be rewarding to call a sister or brother today and touch base.
Long Range Forecast:
June 22nd – Jupiter and Saturn represent the forces of culture and politics in our society. When they interact in square as they do on the day after the Summer Solstice, a shift in the political winds is often the outcome.
Long-Long Range Forecast:
April 14, 2009 – August 21, 2010 - Saturn makes a series of squares to Pluto newly in Capricorn. The end of business-as-usual politics. The nationalistic dinosaurs will enter their twilight times. The transition to organic regional government will not be smooth…the result may be some corporate feudal mixture.
June 24, 2012 – April 17, 2015 - Uranus in Aries forms his first major hard aspect to Pluto, a square angle, since they were aligned in the second half of the 1960’s. Hippie dreams may come true when the ecology and/or petroleum-based economies fail. Plan to live where there is food and water and you don’t need a car. Plan to live where you’ll know your neighbors…maybe even love them. What a thought! We may have to choose between eating grain on a commune or growing very thin in the city.
Visit the Celestial Weather Web Site at http://www.celestialweather.com
Copyright 2006 Rich Humbert
keep up the good work...dont let the admins bugs bite...and be well ~Brian "Tanor" Story
Thanks so much, libreluvnwitch! Joseph, I implore you not to post anything mean to this kind soul in response for his/her great contribution to your comments section.
June 22, huh? That's a Thursday. If I can suggest out loud the obvious - wouldn't that be a fine day to go after Iran? (groan) Seriously, though. The US would begin actions late on a Thursday. If Iran goes to defend herself, it would be on a Friday, the Muslim worship day. The US would NEVER (cough cough) attack a Muslim country on its holy day, but if the Muslims lash back, then they get a poundin'. It would be quite the set-up.
Augh, I feel like a conspiracy prognosticator. Time to adjust my foil hat.
.R.S.E.
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