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We have worked together in a black and white, we have eaten lunch together many a time, we have sat next to each other on the bus, we shop at the same grocery stores, we work out together at the gym, we have trained side by side with you in the armed forces, we are your next door neighbor. The truth is that you have most likely had some kind of either casual or regular contact with one or a few of us. Contrary to popular belief, witches don't have green faces and huge noses, pagans don't all wear black, we aren't standing around in dark corners waiting for a "satanic sacrifice victim"! Lets start out with some basics:
All L.E.O.'s should read this: Special Agent Kennth J. Lanning of the F.B.I.'s, "Investigator's Guide to Allegations of 'Ritual' Child Abuse".
Is what I've seen in movies and on tv true about you guys?
Let's take a look at some basic do's and dont's but first, let me make it clear that the below do's and dont's, apply to the general Thelemic or wiccan population and many of the pagan religions. I cannot for a fact say that NOBODY has ever done or ever will do any of the criminal or atrocious acts I speak of below, even if current FBI statistics show that pagans commit few if any of the crimes that are usually attributed to them in the media.
What I can say is that even if one pagan commits a crime, we cannot paint all pagans as criminals. Just as it would be terribly unfair and not based in reality to say that all Christians kill abortion doctors, or that all Muslims commit terrorist bombings. It has been a longstanding human tradition to place the blame on someone else for their own actions.
It's pretty easy to say "the devil made me do it" or "I got involved in the occult and a demon made me do it", when the truth is that these criminals are using it either as a strategy to attempt an insanity defense, or perhaps just trying to find another reason to justify their own personal inner turmoil or hatred for society. People have been taught by the media to fear the "occult", witches and magick.
So what could be easier for a social misfit or antisocial individual than to claim to be a "satanist", or a "witch" or a "devil worshiper" so that they can be feared or to justify their behavior? I'm sure you wouldn't want idiots like these to be considered a part of your religion or philosophy....we don't want or need them either.
1. Thelemites and witches DO NOT engage in the following activities: eating babies, killing humans or animals for ritual sacrifice, selling their souls to the devil, worship of the devil, have ritual abortions, breed babies for death cults, or kidnap and brainwash anyone.
2. Thelemites and witches DO engage in the following activities: Magickal rituals, Spiritual Pathworkings, Yoga, Religious or Philosophical studies, Environmentalism, Enlightenment and Teaching Tolerance whenever possible.
3. The Pentagram and the Hexagram are ancient holy symbols. The pentagram can be found as far back as 5000 b.c.e. in numerous artistic and religious drawings and is a symbol that represents the human physionomy. It also represents the microcosm, the hebrew letter He, and when turned upside down, it is said to hold power over the spiritual realm, whereas the upright pentagram represents the elemental realms of earth, air, fire and water.
Many people who are involved with the Church of Satan, do however use the inverted pentagram as a symbol of their belief but this should not automatically label them as a criminal. The symbol is further villified by being used in many of todays rock bands and by young teens who have no idea what it truly stands for.
The hexagram usually stands for divinity or the macrocosm, the sun surrounded by the six ancient planets and the hebrew letter Vau, among many other things. Most pagan religions use either or both of these symbols in different forms or styles.
In the Jewish faith it is called the Star of David and in Hebrew the MAGEN DAVID ("Shield of David"), Magen also spelled MOGEN, a Jewish symbol composed of two overlaid equilateral triangles that form a six-pointed star. It appears on synagogues, Jewish tombstones, and the flag of the State of Israel. The symbol--which historically was not limited to use by Jews--originated in antiquity, when, side by side with the pentagram, it served as a magical sign as well as a decoration.
In the Middle Ages the Star of David appeared with greater frequency among Jews but did not assume any special religious significance; it is found as well on some medieval cathedrals. The term "Magen David", which in Jewish liturgy signifies God as the protector (shield) of David, gained currency among medieval Jewish mystics, who attached magical powers to King David's shield just as earlier (non-Jewish) magical traditions had referred to the pentagram as the "seal of Solomon."
Kabbalists popularised the use of the symbol as a protection against evil spirits. The Jewish community of Prague was the first to use the Star of David as its official symbol, and from the 17th century on the Hexagram became the official seal of many Jewish communities and a general sign of Judaism, though it has no biblical or Talmudic authority. The Hexagram was almost universally adopted by Jews in the 19th-century as a striking and simple emblem of Judaism in imitation of the cross of Christianity. The yellow badge that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe invested the Star of David with a symbolism indicating martyrdom and heroism.
(Note to L.E.O.'s: Taking and booking pentagrams, hexagrams or ritual tools, including swords and daggers, into evidence, if not directly related to the crime being investigated, may be against the law and a IS a civil liability. It is like taking a crucifix, a rosary or a bible from a home even if they have nothing to do with the crime.)
Now let's figure out why all this false information has been propagated:
A few people in our government and certain religious groups would like everyone to believe that all Thelemic, Pagan and other similar groups or organizations engage in horrendous crimes such as cannibalism, child sacrifice, blood orgies, etc.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Several groups (Notably the Catholic Church and the Muslims) have had an agenda of exterminating anyone who does not agree with their religious ideals for over 1700 years. Millions of innocent people were tortured and killed in the name of religion.
This is why it is important to dispel the propaganda of hate put forth by these groups before the past repeats itself. Many people believe that the agendas of these groups have changed. I believe that they would still incarcerate, torture or burn to death anyone who disagrees with them if they thought they could get away with it.
Many people believe that we as a race are far beyond this kind of vicious activity, but a little over 50 years ago the Nazi's were torturing and killing millions of Jews, Gypsies and anyone else who disagreed with them. Take a look around the world and you can see that the climate of intolerance is still alive and well.
People are still killing each other in the name of their gods. The climate of hate is highly evident today even in the USA, a country that prides itself on freedom of religion and speech. I promised myself that I would never sit idle and let people be robbed of their rights to live, speak, think or love as they will. I will never back out on that promise.
Many active or retired police officers have put to shame the profession by claiming to be experts in so called "occult/satanic crimes". The truth is that the great majority of these officers have NEVER investigated an alleged "occult/satanic" crime. They have used their status to breed hate against alternative religions or organizations that do not agree with their beleifs. They have cast aside their professional investigative skills and instead, have used their position to promote their religious agendas. Although they do have a right to believe and to speak about their religious beliefs, they should not use their position of authority to publicly attack other groups and confuse the public with their rhetoric.
(Note to L.E.O's: A crime is not an occult or satanic crime just because the suspect is an occultist or a Satanist. We arrest many more Christians, Muslims and Jews than occultists or Satanists. Labeling each crime as a "Christian Crime" or a "Muslim Crime" when they have nothing to do with the religion of the suspect, would be unfair and is illogical. The media puts enough spin on things as it is, keep your investigation professional and unbiased.)
These are a few websites from different groups that have been targeted in the past by fundementalist groups:
Ordo Templi Orientis: The O.T.O. is an Outer Thelemic Order which is dedicated to the high purpose of securing the Liberty of the Individual and his or her advancement in Light, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, and Power through Beauty, Courage, and Wit, on the Foundation of Universal Brotherhood.
Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica: The E.G.C. is a Thelemic religious environment, dedicated to the advancement of Light, Life, Love, and Liberty through alignment with the Law of Thelema.
Witches and Earth Religions: Basic information on the Do's and Dont's of Witchcraft.
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