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Religion in the presidential race 2016

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UNITED STATES — As November looms ever closer, Americans continue to grapple with the many issues and the rheteroic surrounding the 2016 Presidential election process. The national conventions for the Democratic and Republican parties are now over, and candidates officially declared. At the same time, the smaller Libertarian and Green parties have also declared candidates. To date, this race has been one of the most contentious, and only promises to continue in that vein. One of the most critical issues for Pagans, Heathens and polytheists is a candidate’s position on religious freedom and the protections granted by the First Amendment.

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“Bern the Witch” slogan angers voters

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The month of October is notoriously famous for eliciting kitschy slogans and glossy advertising inspired by Halloween. So it might not be that peculiar for a New Jersey pizzeria owner to use a Halloween-inspired theme for a political event supporting Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders. While that “debate watch” party, titled “Bern the Witch,” was considered successful and well-received, the slogan itself has generated an entirely different, and perhaps unexpected, reaction. “As a witch, I find this form of supporting Bernie particularly outrageous. Do they not know the history of the witch killings?

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Astrology and metaphysics in the White House

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While most media outlets and private citizens are remembering former First Lady Nancy Reagan for her political stances, almost forgotten is one of the most controversial revelations of her stint in the White House – that her consultations with an astrologer heavily influenced President Ronald Reagan. In 1988, Reagan’s former Chief of Staff Donald Regan included a bombshell in his book For the Record that Nancy consulted Astrologer Joan Quigley. He wrote that, “Virtually every major move and decision the Reagans made during my time as White House Chief of Staff was cleared in advance with a woman in San Francisco who drew up horoscopes to make certain that the planets were in a favorable alignment for the enterprise.” Regan noted that those moves included setting the timing for summit meetings, presidential debates, the timing and date of State of the Union addresses, and every takeoff and landing of Air Force One. Nancy kept Quigley on a $3000 a month retainer and consulted her by phone up to 2 or 3 times a day.