Introduction from the author: When Calafia asked me to serve as Public Information Officer for the local council, I thought it would be fun to write a column as a way of sharing news and information I gather throughout the year. What's Brewing is the result. It is my hope to provide you with a brief overview of what is currently brewing in the Wiccan community, and when possible, point you toward sites where you can obtain further information. I'll be awarding from one to five wands to those mentioned in my column who are Wiccan-friendly. The others will be the recipients of anywhere from one to five toads. We plan to update the column on a regular basis, so please visit us again soon.

Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone Visit San Diego: 
Serious practitioners of Wicca will be familiar with Janet Farrar, who along with her late husband, Stewart Farrar, authored A Witches' Bible Compleat and many other wonderful books relating to Witchcraft. In all likelihood, you have at least a few well-read copies of their books on your shelf.
     Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, principal author of The Healing Craft, will be joining us in San Diego for a very special Imbolg ritual on Feb. 2nd at Starcrafts in Ocean Beach. If you would like to attend this event, call 619-224-4923 to make reservations right now! Seating is limited to fifty people and filling up fast. The cost is $10 per person.
     Janet and Gavin will also be doing a booksigning at Starcrafts on Sunday, Feb. 4th, from 1-4pm. There's no charge, and you can bring previously purchased books if you wish. From 5:30-8:30pm Sunday evening, Janet and Gavin will be presenting a lecture on Witchcraft in the New Millenium and a slide show on Irish Folk Traditions and Sacred Sites Throughout Ireland. The cost is a reasonable $15, with a limit of sixty-five people, so don't wait any longer to sign up. Tickets are selling quickly. Unfortunately, their advanced workshop on Feb. 5th, Drawing Down the Moon, sold out almost immediately.
     After their visit in San Diego, Janet and Gavin will be in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from Feb. 6th through the 15th. For more information, contact Mystic Spiral at mysticspiral@earthlink.net
     For more information on Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, or the aboe events, visit Starcrafts' website at www.starcraftsob.com You will also find a link on Starcrafts' site to the Farrars' website.

WitchCrap: 
Just when we think it's safe to venture out of the broom closet, along comes an international news story about a demented woman claiming to be a witch and threatening the use of black magick against her enemies. According to News of the World, Judith Kilshaw, who recently purchased twin baby girls over the internet, swears she's a witch and vows to cast malevolent spells on all those who try to keep her from adopting the twins, Kimberly and Belinda.
     Judith claims to have tested her 'powers' on others, giving examples and results, and acquaintances of the Kilshaws give testimony to some of their bizarre behavior.
     Unfortunately, rather than seeing this woman as a twisted human being who is suffering from delusions of grandeur, a lot of readers will see her as the quintessential witch. For perpetuating this stereotype image, I am awarding Ms. Kilshaw twin toads. Hopefully they will bring her great joy, and by all accounts, I believe they will better suit her lifestyle than human babies.
     To read the entire story, visit News of the World at: http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/4140760, or access the story from the Drudge Report website at: http://www.drudgereport.com

Witch Wins Posthumous Pardon: 
According to an article by Ian McKerron and Jonathan Petre in The Electronic Telegraph, campaigners in Britain are certain that a recent Appeal Court judgement will secure them a victory in winning a posthumous pardon for Helen Duncan, a woman convicted in 1944 of practicing Witchcraft. She was sentenced to nine months incarceration after a seven-day trial at the Old Bailey of offences under the Witchcraft Act of 1735, which has since been repealed.
     During the war, Duncan held seances where spirits of the dead were believed to materialize. She came to the attention of the Ministry of Defence in 1941, when during a séance, she revealed that the Hood had been sunk. At the time, no official news on the sinking had been released. During another séance, she told a woman that her husband, a sailor on the HMS Barham, wished to speak with her. The woman insisted her husband was not dead, but later discovered a U-boat, a fact that had been kept secret, had sunk the Barham.
     Ministers saw Duncan as a threat to national security during the Second World War. They believed she might reveal other secret information, including details about D-Day, and resolved to silence her.
     Past efforts to win a pardon for Helen Duncan have failed, but two of the leading campaigners, Michael Colmer and James MacQuarrie, are busy preparing a new application for the commision. Let's send them five waves of the wand to help them succeed this time, since Witchcraft is no longer against the law.
     To read the fascinating details of this story, visit The Electronic Telegraph at:
     http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Relive the Inquisition: 
Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to live through the Inquisition? What was it like to be accused of Witchcraft, arrested, and tortured? Would you be convicted and sentenced, based on the answers you gave to the court?
     To find out, visit The Inquisition and put yourself to the test at:
     http://www.zpr.uni-koeln.de/~nix/hexen/e-proz.htm

Lady Diana
Lady Diana, HPS of Misty Vale Coven, is the current Public Information Officer for Calafia, local chapter of CoG. She teaches an ongoing series of Wiccan classes at Starcrafts in San Diego. You can contact her at mistyvale@home.com or visit the Misty Vale website at http://members.home.com/mpadilla

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