European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine by Jeff Bradley associated press e s a Vietn a Veteran who spends Winel evenings watching Gary Grant movies and would hic to be Reine Arnald As Fred Astaire. But Charles Arnold in also Canada s most visible Wilch a second degree High priest q wicca. The religion of witchcraft. I Don t melt Al Waler is poured Over  says inc id Yogi old clerical worker who is campaigning Lor  acceptance of his beliefs in both a mate and female divinity the Potency of Nogic and absence or original sin Arnold began the quest last year the he asked his Boss in Toronto Lor paid religious leave on the a wiccan Holiday s of  nov 1, when witches celebrate inc mortality of Ine body and immortality of Iho sound belly one May 1, we Taomina sum a. Life and Fertility. Humber College of applied arts and technology which employs Arnold in its hospitality Otico denied hit request because wicca is nol recognised by Tho Canadian Council of churches and lacks lax free charitable status Arnold protested to a labor arbitration Board which upheld his grievance and said wicca a Obj Tusly a religion. The modern survival Oltha ancient Pagan religions of Western  Bui Arnold s Victory As Short lived. The native of Washington d a who served a year in Vietnam became an and War Ali visa and of night ated to Canada is years ago. Had also applied for a License to become the Tirol Canadian Wilcott authorised to perform weddings. In a March ruling the Ontario registrar general s Vilice turned he Down. Ii questioned the legitimacy til his ordination and the nature of the wiccan marriage ritual known As a  Arnold blamed Ontario s protestant establishment although Council of churches official Edilh Shore showed dome sympathy Lor the wiccan. Christianity was a fringe group when ii stalled Loo she said Arnold complained that the marriage act discriminates a Amsl Canada s 5.000 witches by making a a crime punishable by up la six months in jail to perform an unauthorized wedding. They should either License me or do away Wilh the Law  a said noting that wiccan beddings Are permuted in 38 us states. He had to travel to Montpelier i. Lor his own wiccan wedding three years ago. The practice of Wilch Craft is widespread in the United Stales but precise numbers a c hard to Como by. It l everywhere every big City probably has a  cays the Rev. W. A Kent Burtner a dominican priest based in Portland. Oil. Who studies culls. I see ii basically As a nature religion nol associated with satanism but thai maybe  because of whom i gel to meet As a catholicism. It s a while your own theology sort of a approach and it runs a real Broad  lady Sabrina a High pne Sless in Nashua , estimates there Are a couple of Hundred thousand members scattered across inc United Stales including a couple of thousand High Canadian Witch Char tit Arnold a Centt to Tom High priest of a lace witchcraft i ire Ilion priests and priestesses. Sparhawk a san Francisco High priestess and author of the spiral dance a Book about wicca largely agrees. I ust had a conversation Wilh someone and vie decided thai there were Between 250.000. And 4 million of us she says the million she explains would include All pagans. In any  she says there Are More of us than Thero Are unitarians Sparhawk say Many members Are underground there is a Iong Ira Dilion where it is not Safe to be a Wilch she says. We Don t necessarily announce it. Many people s jobs would be in   an author and lecturer teaches Al a Catholic College in Oakland Calif. Her most recent Book is truth or dare encounters Wlsh Power. Aul Only and mystery lady Sabrina runs our lady of enchantment. A wicca mail order school with 6,000 members representing 25 countries. I have performed marriages and have to Ai Empl status but i Only know 12 or 15 others who have tax exempt status she says. You really live to Light to gel Many of us in California perform marriages but Here in you go through the trouble to sign the papers and Lake a blood lest you can get licensed to por lorm  Star Hawk says a dog could get he License  lady Sabrina whose Church is open to the Public on Friday nights says she never heard of Charles Arnold bul that does not Surprise her. For a while a woman in Salem mass., who was picketing the movie witches of Eastwick became very Well known. Since there is no Central organization whoever makes lha most noise becomes the most prominent Witch Arnold a Soli us Yokeman Virt with a Bort re r3y3 to Vati if to ipod an a pries in Wilch cml  Tiit Iarj Hack thousands of is each coven irn not Tum plan chooses is own ritual and vg-,-.-, some covens meet in inc nuiit1 Hui Arnold s a group prefers Robes he Otlo Rod this of  of a wiccan wedding inside it rain Iichi i Tiv Thyl Mulc and Lomale d i Nihon Tirc Sumii Monod along Wilh Tho guardians i Thi Loui elements air. Water or Fife ind  the gloom s my Hail is taunt to inc Bride s right Henrt and some choose to draw blood imm  in Aid Lour i like blood pro this couples of Chian in Nijs.  Floral crowns step cur limes Lor Puril Icaran ant Lurlin. And jump our .1 Broom to Pym holier household Unity  Gills include bread id plenty it Sci pros Puril sail  Ond Weott or cil physical and emotional warmth before the Antist pm ounces Itice husband and wife he invokes the couple to pleasure one  Arnold says we Don t Cut set Oil irom the Rusl at lilt we Don t make a big thing do of it  Al Iho heart of the primitive Rel Itjin to s the Power of Iho male and i Cowic in Natac Ray utilized by inc god usually Cilc Rcd to by the Collic name her ii and the goddess known As corny  or Athena or Isis. Arnold said. Wiccan also believe in the myst cries of magic reincarnation aril m celebrating Iho riles of passage such As firs menstruation and menopause. We go through Lile alter my to team and evolve and Progress to Iho Point where we rejoin Tho god and goddess Arnold says behind them there 15 something we can t even identify Iho Unity they come  witches Don t go around laying curses on people my they Don conduct human or animal Sacri licks eat Hub is or worship the Devil As depicted in Lollma and comics he said bul the Craft does have a prac Lici Side. I mix up poisons and my Wile makes some of Iho finest liqueurs you be Ever tasted Arnold says. " use Wormwood and Calendula a rare Horb in vinegar to take bruises away and Lavender vinegar Lor  Arnold says to discovered his religion 1d years ago alter Intuit Ivory  a wiccan Allar in his Homo a woman he was dating happened to be a Witch and was startled to Sec Trie altar. Loader of Iho 50-Membcr Templo of the elder fails in Toronto Arnold was raised in now Jersey by a grandmother who read Tea leaves we believe that in you Are moan to find the Grafl you  he says Tainy traditional wiccan think we re growing Loo fasl and this will water Down the religion and a actually destroy in " he said covens usuary Meel on Highl sabbaths coinciding Wilh the year s solar and lunar cycles. The average age in his group is 27 and members include a real estate agent a schoolteacher and a Naturopath. Covens Are closer than most Jambes. Members lend to be More Imaginal Ivo than most people and a mile bit  said Arnold a put elect Poel and a Perl on ritual body decoration. "1 want to come Back in my no i Lite As feed Astaire. He had class wednesday May 11, 1988 the stars and stripes Paga 13