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                               CultWatch Response
                              Candlemas/Uimelc 1989
                                Volume 1, Issue 3

From the Editor
by Gerald L. Bliss

        Another hot question: Why do I want  to be called a Witch? Why even
use this loaded word?

        Again, there are no easy answers, but let's look at the meaning of the
word. There  is still some  argument among etymologists  as to whether  the
word originates  from one of  two Indo-European roots,  both called "weik".
One of these roots means "wise" and is the pre-cursor to the word "wizard";
the other means "to bend or shape".  Not being an etymologist, I don't know
why most  etymologists say that  the latter meaning  gave rise to  the word
"witch", but  the modern Witch would  take this to mean  bending or shaping
reality, not  imitating Uri Geller;  in like fashion,  the true meaning  of
alchemy  was understood  to be  transforming the  "lead" of  one's heart to
"gold", not the transmutation of metals.

        However  the word  was derived,  from the  date that  the Bible was
published in English, this word was used in the places wherever sorcery and
necromancy appeared in the Hebrew and  Greek. In the verse, "Thou shalt not
suffer a Witch to live...", current  scholars are still bickering about the
actual word. Most either use "poisoner"  or "whisperer of (evil) spells" in
current translations,  and even if  it did refer  to the pagans  of ancient
Palestine, there are significant  differences between Palestinian paganism,
Roman paganism,  and the Celtic forms  (from which modern Paganism  is most
derived), and so the comparison  should be considered invalid; likewise, if
a scriptural reference  said, "Thou shalt  not suffer a  Buddhist to live",
one would not expect adherents to persecute Taoists.

        Isaac Bonewits  writes, "When `wicca(e)' was  translated into other
languages at the time, the words chosen in those other tongues were usually
ones  with these  meanings:  sorcerer,  magician, singer,  healer, midwife,
charmer,  drugger,  and  diviner.  Frequently  the  translation words had a
feminine  gender,  but  this  seems  to  have  depended  upon  the cultures
involved.  Almost none  of the  foreign terms  (except in  Ireland) had any
specifically religious  meaning -- a  very important point  to consider for
those who wish to claim that the earliest witches were the clergy of one or
more prechristian religions." (Real Magic,  p. 105, by P.E.I. Bonewits, 2nd
Edition [1979], Creative Arts Book Company, Berkeley, CA)

        Nonetheless, nearly all modern  Witches (including myself) consider
ourselves clergy, perhaps because most of our traditions come out of or are
directly influenced by Irish (and  Welsh and English) traditions. And since
it is a source  of honor and pride in our traditions  to be a Priest/ess of
the Wicca, we pay far less attention to the prejudices of others which were
caused by errors  in translation in the 1600s. Thousands  of years of pride
cannot be erased by 350 years of defamation, no matter how fervent.


        New  developments  in  Cult  Watching.  The  Salvation  Army lost a
controversial suit in  Biloxi, Mississippi. We have included  the entire AP
news article in this issue. The latest  issue of File 18 decided to lay off
Witches and attack the O.T.O. (Ordo  Templi Orientiis); this could prove to
be interesting,  since the O.T.O.  just settled a  major lawsuit and  might
have adequate funds for yet another court battle.

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                Ritual Child Abuse: Fact or Urban Legend?
                                  Part 2

                            by Rowan Moonstone

        In  the first  half of  this article,  we looked  at a  few of  the
ritualistic child abuse cases being  brought forth around the country. Most
of  these cases  involved children  in daycare  centers and pre-schools. We
demonstrated in that  article that the prosecution in  these cases have yet
to produce conclusive proof that any kind of Satanic or "ritualistic" abuse
took place. In  many of the cases the PHYSICAL  evidence of physical and/or
sexual abuse is evident, but the so called "ritualistic" aspects have never
been proven.  There is, however,  another aspect of  this ritualistic child
abuse issue  that has surfaced  in recent years.  This area deals  with the
adult "survivor"  of ritualistic abuse, many  of whom are now  seeking help
from  various counseling  agencies around  the country.  This article deals
with this issue.

        The first  stories of this kind  of abuse which became  public were
seen  in Dr.  Lawrence Pazder's  book "Michelle  Remembers." This  book was
written after a patient of Pazder's,  one Michelle Smith, began to bring up
horrible memories of things  done to her as a child by  a Satanic cult. The
story has become a frequent one of late with several books and prominent TV
talk shows dealing with the subject. From  all over the country we hear the
following tales:

        (Garden Grove,CA) "Jacquie Balodis is  a former satanic cult member
        who runs Overcomers Victorious, a  program in Garden Grove, CA that
        hides, counsels, and  deprograms ex-cult members. `We did  a lot of
        child sacrifice' she says. Children  who are kidnapped or born into
        the cult are used for the  sacrifices, she says. Balodis claims her
        own first two children were among the victims."(1)

        (San Antonio, TX) "Jerry Reider,  Exodus member and former Satanist
        priest, told how  he got involved in street  level Satanism through
        heavy  metal  rock  and  roll.  ...  Jerry  was  married  to a high
        priestess, and his baby daughter was killed in Satanism."(2)

        (undisclosed location  in Southern CA) "There  were other facets to
        the cult, including child sacrifice.  As Heather later related to a
        former FBI official, now a  private investigator, `It was explained
        to me they  were children who belonged to members  of the cult. The
        mother offered her own child up and if the mother didn't cooperate,
        she was killed also.'" (3)

        (undisclosed location)  "Suffice it to say  that while offering him
        as a  sacrifice, they chanted  something about Satan  accepting his
        heart as a  pure and unblemished sacrifice. Then  his body was laid
        on a black robe. The coven members each held his candle to the edge
        of the robe. It was quickly engulfed in flames." (4)

        (undisclosed location  in Fla.) Irene Park,  who advertises herself
        as "The  Witch That Switched", admits  to sacrificing her son  in a
        Satanic ritual.(5)

        (Chicago,  IL) A  young man  on the  Oprah Winfrey  show admits  on
        national  TV  to  being  involved  with  a  human  sacrifice.  When
        confronted  by Dr.  Michael Aquino   (of the  Temple of  Set) about
        details, the young man then admits that he can't remember any names
        or details of the killing. (6)

        (undisclosed  location) A  Ms. Judy  Smith admitted  on the Geraldo
        Rivera Special on Satanism (Oct 22, 1988) on national T.V. that she
        sacrificed her children to Satan.(7)

        (Lawrence, MA)  The following conversation took  place on the Oprah
        Winfrey Show, June  24, 1987 between Oprah and  Mr. Joseph Marquis,
        who  claims to  be a  former Satanic  High Priest:
                Mr. Marquis:  "I wasn't the  only one who  practiced this."
                Winfrey: "So,  you have practiced in  going out and picking
                up people  off the street  and slicing their  throats?"
                Mr. Marquis: "Yes." (8)

        At first  glance, this represents a  chilling and indeed horrifying
picture of what  may be going on in  the hidden places of towns  across the
country. BUT...  let's put hysteria  and shock reaction  aside and look  at
this collection of  accusations critically for a bit.  Notice the number of
cases that come from an  "undisclosed location". Notice, also, when hearing
about these kinds of cases, vagueness in giving locations, names of persons
involved, dates, or any other data  which would make the accusation able to
be investigated. Also, in a great many  of these cases, there is alleged to
be heavy drug use.

        It is a proven medical fact  that drug hallucinations are very real
and in some cases, indistinguishable from  reality. How many of these cases
can be attributed to that phenomenon?  Many of the people involved, such as
the young man on the Winfrey show who was confronted by Dr. Aquino admit to
having  spent time  in mental  hospitals for  various problems.  I mean  no
offense to anyone who has ever sought help with mental health problems, but
might not some of these allegations stem from a confusion as to the reality
of situations while  mentally impaired? It is certainly  something to think
about.

        When  trying to  track down  some solid  facts on  allegations like
this, one  is continually confronted  with the problem  of "trying to  nail
jell-o to  the wall". The  disclaimer in the  front of Ted  Schwartz's book
"Satanism, Is Your Family Safe?" is  typical of what you encounter when you
try  to  push  for  corroborating  facts  concerning  human  sacrifice  and
ritualistic  child abuse,  to wit:  "In several  chapters, names  have been
changed. In some instances, people requested  it. In others, it was done to
avoid harrassment or retribution. In a  few instances, such as the story of
the  Cambridge family,  a number  of criminal  activities are mentioned for
which  no charges  have been  brought. Although  extensive documentation is
available concerning  ritual child abuse,  drug abuse, and  murder, charges
have  not been  filed due  to  technicalities  relating to  the statute  of
limitations,  the  unwillingness  of  witnesses  to  testify,  and  similar
difficulties."(9)

        It  remains VERY  easy to  allege something  like ritualistic child
abuse, and very  difficult to prove it. As a  private citizen who has heard
these charges, I have some questions that  I would like to pose to you, our
readers in the law enforcement community. I have been studying this area on
my  own to  the best  of my  ability for  about three  years now  and would
appreciate any replies to these questions  that you would care to give. All
correspondence will of course remain confidential.

        (1) Have  there been any  investigations into the  allegations that
        these  VERY public  people  appearing  on national  television talk
        shows have made about being involved with human sacrifices?

        (2) If so,  has any corroborating evidence been  found? If not, why
        not?

        (3) If these allegations have not been investigated, why not?

        (4) If the allegations have been investigated and found to be true,
        have  there  been  any   indictments,  trials,  and/or  convictions
        obtained?  (I would  like to  have case  names cited  so that I can
        check the sources.)

        (5)  If the  allegations have   been investigated  and found  to be
        false, why  hasn't someone from a  reputable law enforcement agency
        come forward and attempted to stem the hysteria?

        As a  private citizen, I understand  that murder has no  statute of
limitations. If these people were not directly involved, at the very least,
they know  the names of some  who were. I for  one would like to  see those
responsible for  crimes like murder  behind bars where  they belong. It  is
also my understanding  that withholding evidence on a  crime such as murder
is a Federal offense.

        These allegations have spawned a  whole rash of rumors dealing with
Satanic organizations which are supposedly seeking to infiltrate schools in
an effort to find children to sacrifice. In one such rumor in Kentucky last
fall, a photographer  who was on assignment from  the Kentucky Arts Council
was forced  from the town  in which she  was working because  the terrified
residents thought she was a member of the cult.(10)

        When incidents like  theze occur, it is time  for someone who knows
the  real  truth  of  what  is  going  on  to  speak  up. As a law-abiding,
tax-paying member  of my community, and  as a Witch (therefore  standing to
catch a  lot of the  hysteria from the  general uneducated public),  I must
agree with Dr. Michael Aquino's  statement from Geraldo Rivera's show about
the  supposed human  sacrifices and  the survivors:  "Name these people and
arrest  them. Never  a name,  never an  arrest. These  women come  out of a
group. They insist that they know the  people in the group, and yet they do
not identify  these large mysterious cults.  Name them and arrest  them and
get them off the streets." (11)

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                                 FOOTNOTES


  (1) Berg, Melissa, "Satanic Crime Increasing? Police, Therapists Alarmed"
      The Kansas City Times, March 26, 1988, p. A-19
  (2) "Satanic Crime in San Antonio" Exodus Newsletter, February, 1987, p.2
  (3) Ted  Schwarz  &  Duane  Empey,  "Satanism,  Is  Your  Family  Safe?"
      (Zondervan Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988), p.46
  (4) Lauren Stratford,  "Satan's Underground"  (Harvest House Publishers,
      Eugene, OR, 1988), p.146
  (5) Interview with  Evangelist Rev.  Peter Popoff  (syndicated broadcast
      June 8, 1988.)
  (6) Oprah Winfrey Show, March (Ash Wednesday) 1988.
  (7) Geraldo Rivera Special "Exposing Satan's Underground", Oct. 22, 1988.
  (8) Oprah Winfrey Show, June 24, 1987.
  (9) Schwarz & Empey,  inside cover.
 (10) "Devil  Rumors  Force  Photographer  From  Town"  (AP) The Bismarck
      Tribune, Oct. 4, 1988, p. A-2
 (11) Geraldo Rivera Special "Exposing  Satan's Underground" Oct. 22, 1988


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                    The Plight of the Pagan Policeman
                             by Kerr Cuhulain


        (Vancouver, B.C.) The other day my partner (religion undecided) and
I  (a Wiccan) took a report from a  citizen who had his laundry stolen from
a dryer in his apartment building. Now this  may not seem like a big thing,
but  this  laundry  was  a  sizeable  portion  of  this  citizen's  worldly
possessions, so  it was a pretty  serious situation for him.  As luck would
have it,  a few days later,  he saw another tenant  of his building wearing
one of his shirts. Thats when he called us.

        After  obtaining the  particulars, my   partner and  I went  to the
office of the  Justice of the Peace to  obtain a search warrant. This  is a
simple  procedure. I  fill out  an "Information  to Obtain Search Warrant".
This I  take to the  JP. If the  JP agrees with  my grounds for  search the
information is then sworn and the JP issues me the warrant. Easy, right?

        My partner  and I arrived at  the JP's office and  I handed over my
"Information to  Obtain Search Warrant".  The JP read  it and seemed  quite
happy with it. So far so good. He  then picked up the Bible on his desk and
offered it to me.

        Now, being a Wiccan, I don't take oaths on the Bible. So I politely
informed the JP that I'd prefer an affirmation. This is when the fun began.

        "I'm sorry," he  said, "But if you won't take  an oath on the Bible
you can't have a search warrant."

        This raised both my eyebrows and my partner's.

        "Are you telling me that only Christians can get search warrants?"

        The JP had  to think about this. Obviously  he wasn't expecting his
opinion  to  be  questioned.  Possibly  he  found our glares disconcerting.
"Well, its because of the way its worded," he said.

        Now, if you've ever seen one  of these documents, you'll note that,
near  the bottom,  it says:  "Wherefore the  informant PRAYS  that a search
warrant may  be granted to search  the sais (dwelling-house, etc.)  for the
said  things." The  JP figured  that people  who "pray"  are Christians  so
everybody else was out of luck!

        At this point I entered into a  discussion with the JP which is not
worth going  into in detail.  Suffice it to  say that the  substance of the
discussion was this: "GIMME MY SEARCH WARRANT RIGHT NOW AND YOU AIN'T HEARD
THE END OF THIS !!!" Meanwhile, my partner (whose street nickname is "Darth
Vader" and looks the part) is towering in the background. The JP issues the
necessary warrant and says, "Well, I'll let it go this time."

        After successfully recovering the  missing laundry and charging the
person responsible for absconding with it,  I went back to the JP's office.
There I spoke  to the senior JP, a charming  and very competent lady. After
hearing my  story she frowned and  said that she knew  there was an answer,
but that off the  top of her head she didn't know  which statute to find it
in. She promised to get back to me within two weeks.

        Two  weeks  later  she  supplied  the  answer, which was simplicity
itself. She had  obtained 3 legal opinions which  basically stated that the
word,"pray" in this case meant "ask"  or "beseech" according to Old English
Law. The  junior JP was  spoken to by  his senior colleague  and the matter
closed.

        Police work isn't as  easy as it is made out to  be on all those TV
police shows. But then, none of the cops on those shows are Wiccans either.

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                      Witch Wins Suit in Biloxi, MS

   BILOXI,  Miss., Jan.  14, 1989  (AP) --  The Salvation  Army violated  a
woman's  constitutional right  to freedom   of religion  when it  fired her
because she practices witchcraft, a federal judge ruled.

   U.S. District  Judge Dan M. Russell  of Biloxi ruled last  week that the
Salvation  Army cannot  discriminate  against  witches because  it receives
federal funds for some programs.

   Jamie  Kellam Dodge,  a former  victim's assistance  coordinator at  the
Pascagoula-based Salvation  Army Domestic Violence  Shelter, filed a  $1.25
million lawsuit  against the Salvation  Army. She sought  reinstatement and
compensation for  embarrassment, humiliation, pain and  suffering. A ruling
on compensation will be made later, court officials said.

   Dodge, 28, was fired in August  1987 after she admitted using the agency
copy  machine  to  copy  Satanic-Wiccan  [sic]  rituals, according to court
records.

   "If you could  see it, you would agree it  was horrible. It talked about
sexual  things,  around  the  fire,  lots  of  things  that are contrary to
Salvation  Army policies,"  Raymond Brown,  an attorney  for the  Salvation
Army, said Saturday.

   The Salvation Army has not decided  whether it will appeal the decision,
he said.

   Dodge's attorney, David Frazier of Pascagoula, called Russell's decision
"courageous." "He bit  the bullet and did what a  federal judge is supposed
to do,  to cite tough  decisions in an  effort to follow  the law," Frazier
said.

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