General Chat:

[Sealiah]

At long last, the VA has conceded that all Wiccans will be allowed to have the mark of their faith on their headstone! The Bush Administration finally concedes that they were being bigoted A-holes!

Today is a day for celebration and a VICTORY DANCE!!

Thank you, everyone, who went to sign the petition against the VA. Thank you for your support and your ... being who you are! We've struck a blow for justice!

[nomadicrhymer]

I remember you had this subject in the Rant Room...kudos to taking your "individualism" to the grave!! There goes saying "Bush never did anything right, huh" lol!!

What exactly would be on the gravestones? I mean, instead of angels, or a cross, or whatever others use, if they use anything...is it a symbol?

Personally, I don't see the need for graves at all, I want to be cremated...but I know for many people it's a connection to the one they have lost. A sign that they once existed and made their mark on the world. But once the body is dust, it's dust....

Nomad

[MsJacquiiC]

For Justice!
Congrats!

Jacquii.

[Sealiah]

The Wiccans can now have a pentacle inscribed on their tombstone. It is an upright 5 pointed star, with a circle around it. Showing the unity of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.

It's a sign of respect, an acknowledgement of hwo people of such varying paths found ways to work together.

[nomadicrhymer]

The pentacle certainly has a lot of history behind it...all religious...until the psycho's thought that witches were bad, that is! Check this out:

During the times of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), the pentacle was the first and most important of the Seven Seals - an amulet whose seals represented the seven secret names of God. It was inscribed on King Solomon's ring, which is often called Solomon's Seal in error. 6 Each point of the pentagram was also interpreted as referring to the five books of the Pentateuch - the first five books in the Hebrew Scriptures; the Torah.
The Celts believed that the pentacle was the sign of the Goddess of the Underground, who they called Morgan (a.k.a. Morrigan). The concept of five points seems to have permeated at least one of the Celtic lands. "Ireland had five great roads, five provinces and five paths of the law. The fairy folk counted by fives, and the mythological figures wore five fold cloaks." 9
In Christian times:
The five points of the pentagram have been interpreted as representing the five wounds of Christ (2 wrist, 2 ankle and 1 side). The Roman Emperor Constantine used the pentagram in his seal and amulet. 14 It has been referred to as the Star of Bethlehem It was used to symbolize the star which allegedly led three Zoroastrian astrologers to the baby Jesus; it was called the Three Kings' star. The English warrior Sir Gawain, a nephew of King Arthur, adopted the pentagram as his personal symbol and placed it on his shield. 7 It appeared in gold on a red background. The five points symbolized "the five knightly virtues - generosity, courtesy, chastity, chivalry and piety." 14 Tarot cards originally had a suit of coins or discs. These were changed in the 19th century to pentacles when the Tarot became associated with the Kabbalah. They eventually became the suit of diamonds in modern playing cards. It has been widely used by past Christians as a protective amulet. During the burning times when the Christian church (psychos! was this the Inquisition?) burned alive or hung hundreds of thousands of innocent people, the meaning of the pentagram changed. It began to symbolize a goat's head or the devil in the form of Baphomet. "The folk-symbol of security - for the first time in history - was equated with evil and was called the Witch's Foot." 14 The religion of Wicca is based in part on ancient Celtic deities, symbols, days of celebration, etc. The pentacle and pentagram are their main symbols.


Nomad