Conference hydra::dejavu

Associated Press Thu 28-MAY-1987 13:53                            Witch Mayor

   Salem's Official Witch Runs for Mayor

   SALEM, Mass. (AP) - The official witch of Salem has taken out
nomination papers for a mayoral campaign, saying her candidacy is a
celebration of the American Constitution.
   Laurie Cabot, 54, took out papers this week to counteract
anti-witchcraft sentiment that became an issue in Salem's mayoral
race this spring when an apparently orchestrated campaign of
anonymous calls to the Salem Evening News inquired about a
``warlock'' on the City Council.
   The calls referred to Councilor Robert Gauthier, whose wife was
dying of cancer and became close to Cabot during her last two
years. Both incumbent Mayor Anthony V. Salvo and Gauthier denied
all knowledge of the calls, which ceased once they became public.
   Cabot, a single mother and business owner, said she understands
problems facing the elderly and families, the need for housing, and
city-wide matters like downtown parking and the loss of the retail
base.
   Although she has no campaign organization in place, she said she
has begun collecting signatures. If she decides to mount a
campaign, it will be after talking to people who can help her win
the race and run the city afterward, she said.
   Whether she ends up with her name on the ballot or not, the
important thing, Cabot said, is to make a statement that anyone,
regardless of religion, can become involved in politics.
   She noted that people around the world are interested in
witchcraft, a pre-Christian religion, and in the U.S. government
that allows such diversity of beliefs.
   ``It's just the fact that I can go to the City Hall and take out
papers ... It's just a tribute to the country,'' she said.
   Cabot was designated Salem's official witch by state
proclamation after she petitioned Gov. Michael S. Dukakis for the
title several years ago.

    
    This week's PEOPLE MAGAZAINE (6/22/87) has a one page article on
    Laurie Cabot.
    
    Kathi
    

    June 25th, on Oprah Winfrey's show, she had Laurie Cabot, another
    woman who was a shamanic healer, An author who just wrote a book
    (mystery) about witchcraft, a "Christian" , and some random guy
    who claimed to have taken part in Satanic human-sacrifice rituals,
    etc.
    
    The "Christian" and this latter person were really doing the
    anti-witchcraft-they're-all'Satan-worshippers-the-Bible-says-This
    routine. 
    
    I didn't see much of it, but what I saw frustrated me beyond belief!
    The two women hardly got a word in edgewise, so the thing was a
    shouting match between the Author (pro) and the other two men (con).
    
    No explanations were put forth that whatever this guy was involved
    in was certainly NOT witchcraft (in the wiccan sense), and he persisted
    in calling it witchcraft and equating it with Satanism.
    
    I keep hoping things improved as the show progressed, but I have
    little hope.
    
    Dawn
    

    Re .3:
    
    >No explanations were put forth that whatever this guy was involved
    >in was certainly NOT witchcraft (in the wiccan sense), and he persisted
    >in calling it witchcraft and equating it with Satanism.
     
    <sigh.>
    
    A problem here is that there _are_ Satan worshippers who think of
    themselves _and call themselves_ witches.   I won't chop through
    the whole "What Is A Witch?"  note again [which is worth perusing,
    if you haven't already], but what bothers me is that rather than
    emphasizing that Wicca is nothing like Satanic witchcraft, and strongly
    emphasizing the differences, many Wiccans apparently seem to fall
    into the trap of just saying "that's not witchcraft," leaving the
    field open to the bigots who then just have to produce one Satanic
    witch as an example to "demonstrate" that the "that's not witchcraft"
    statement is "untrue."
    
    Let's shift perspective from witchcraft to Christianity for a second
    for me to make the point.  _Within_ Christianity, there are
    differences: Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodox,
    for instance.  I've heard one set of bigoted Christians  say of
    another denomination, "They're not Christians," or even the more
    moderate, "They're not _really_ Christians."  Now, to a Moslem or
    a Pagan, they're _all_ Christians.
    
    P. E. I. Bonewits differentiated seven different types of witches.
    I may not agree with his differentiastions, but I suspect he was
    on the right track.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

    <=== Steve, I literally hollered at the TV "Boy! You wouldn't get
    away with that if Steve Kallis were there!!"
    
    They didn't hear me.
    
    *BIG sigh*
    
    Dawn
    

    Re .5:
    
    >  <=== Steve, I literally hollered at the TV "Boy! You wouldn't get
    > away with that if Steve Kallis were there!!"
      
    ... But they were afraid to invite me on the show. :-)
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.