The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a case in Federal Court last month challenging fortune-telling restrictions in Sevierville.
Psychic and Tarot reader, Rose Williams, was ordered by the City last September to stop offering fortune-telling services, or shut down her business.
Considered ‘adult oriented activity’, she was told she could only continue her work in designated zones.
According to Sevierville bylaw, sexually oriented businesses, tattoo parlors, and psychic and palm reading activities must be at least 1000 feet from any school, church, public assembly facility, and/or residential zoning district.
Williams’ business abuts a residential zoning district.
The ACLU-TN is arguing that the zoning ordinance unconstitutionally limits Williams’ freedom of speech and expression, and deprives her of her rights as granted under the first and fourteenth amendments.
They’re seeking for the ordinance to be overturned, an injunction put in place to prohibit its enforcement, and that Williams be awarded actual and nominal damages.
A group in the UK calling themselves the Christian Soldiers Dorset, intend to protest outside a Pagan Moot in Bridport on July 5th.
They mean it to be a peaceful vigil to warn people, especially the young, about the dangers of the occult. The group plans to protest other occult events as well.
Organizer of the Moot, Adam Marlborough, thinks that the group should be allowed to protest if they want to, though they’ll be disappointed if they’re looking for satanists. He believes in freedom of speech, and understands that everyone has their own perspective.
But he thinks the group could find better things to do with their time, and wonders whether they would have the courage to protest meetings of more mainstream religious groups.
I have to agree. There are a lot of problems in the world that are worth speaking up against. A Pagan meet-up about Earth Astrology and Colour Energy isn’t one of them.
As part of their Primetime Nightline summer programming, ABC News is premiering the Beyond Belief series. And it could be interesting.
The first installment, called Twintuition, examines the special connection between twins, and what their extraordinary communication might mean to the rest of us.
Next they’ll be looking at miracles, travelling around the world to places the Virgin Mary has been sighted. They’ll spend an episode on demonic possession, and another exploring modern-day psychics.
The series concludes with Bob Woodruff investigating out-of-body near death experiences, including his own.
The five part series starts tonight, Wednesday, June 29th at 10pm ET, and continues each Wednesday through July 27th. I hope it’s good.
People might not be interested in getting a reading themselves, but they don’t like the ban. Especially if it draws a lawsuit for being unconstitutional.
Dana Jones of Meridian has started a petition asking that Council reverse its decision. If you’re from the area, you might want to sign.
Comments posted on both her petition page and the WTOK report seem to support lifting the prohibition.
I don’t know that they’re actually representative of the general population, but they’re clearly concerned about the influence of personal religious beliefs on political decision-making.
Council may have thought that they closed this issue last Tuesday, but it might not be done yet.
Meridian, Mississippi City Council voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday, to maintain the city’s 38-year ban on fortune-telling, despite the risk of facing a potential lawsuit.
After months of debate, public input, and considerable soul searching, council’s made their final decision.
Members of the Meridian, Mississippi City Council are back at the table talking about fortune-telling.
And the debate is going strong. On one side, Ward 5 councilman Bobby Smith is absolutely opposed to rescinding the present ban. He’s been against it from the start and remains firm.
On the other side, there’s council president Jesse Palmer who maintains that it’s not really up to the council to decide if psychic readers should be allowed in Meridian or not.
He feels that they firmly believe in what they do, and it’s not up to him to say whether they’re right or wrong.
He’s also concerned that the ban is illegal. And he’s likely correct given that Maryland’s high court ruled last year that bans on fortune-telling are unconstitutional.
Undecided on the issue is councilwoman Barbara Henson who says she just doesn’t know yet how she’s going to vote, though she’s uneasy about the whole thing.
If the ban is rescinded, psychic businesses will be limited to a newly designated B-4 district.
They will also have to be least 1,000 feet from any existing fortune-telling business, and 500 feet from any residence, child care facility, church, or school.
Council will make what they hope will be their final decision on June 21st.
An interesting legal case is developing in Charleston, South Carolina. And a Tarot reader is at the center of the controversy.
In March 2010, Jonathan Spiel, a street performer and Tarot reader, set up his table, chairs, mirrors, candles and cards, on the sidewalk in downtown Charleston. He sat there with his dog, available for readings if people asked.
Police showed up four times while he was there, and each time, gave him a ticket for making charitable solicitations without a permit. These charges were later dropped, as it doesn’t appear that he was soliciting anyone.
In May 2010, police gave him four more tickets, this time for not having an ‘encroachment permit’, something he couldn’t get because used a table and chairs.
Later that month, Spiel decided to set up again, this time using a wheelchair as both his chair and a makeshift table. According to him, it was an attempt to avoid the encroachment issue.
When police told him to take down his wheelchair setup, he instead offered himself up for arrest, and was charged with disorderly conduct.
Now, the ACLU has taken up his case, claiming that city police violated Spiel’s right to free speech.
Their concern isn’t so much with his Tarot reading, but rather in what they see as his right to be in a public place, with furniture, and to speak to people when spoken to.
Susan Dunn of the ACLU, believes Spiel was being targeted simply because his presence was deemed offensive.
When the solicitation charges didn’t stick, police changed the offense. From her perspective, they were just looking for a reason to move him on.
She worries that this action could be precedent for targeting other forms of free speech, like volunteers with tables seeking petition signatures, or painters with easels.
Ravi Sanyal, an attorney representing the city, doesn’t see it that way at all. He claims the police have a right to clear sidewalks in order to protect pedestrians and drivers, prevent traffic jams and to keep Charleston visually appealing.
For him, the facts are clear; Spiel broke the law and needs to pay his fines.
I look forward to seeing how this goes. Spiel being a card reader has virtually nothing to do with the case, though it’s what made me look. And maybe it’s what made the police look too, who knows?
In any case, it’s interesting. And I can’t help but notice the humor in a free speech case being brought up for a man named ‘Spiel.’
There’s sad news in the Tarot world with the passing of master card maker and Tarot scholar Jean–Claude Flornoy. He died last week on May 24th in Sainte-Suzanne, France.
Flornoy successfully took on the monumental task of restoring the Marseille Tarot to its original glory. Not just once, but three times.
He was responsible for the faithful restoration of the Nicolas Conver, the Jean Noblet and the Jean Dodal versions of the Tarot of Marseille.
Flornoy had an incredible eye for detail, a deep understanding of the art, history and spirit of the imagery, and a devotion to his work. His contribution to Tarot was enormous.
Jean-Claude Flornoy was a gift to us all, and will be missed.
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Enrique Enriquez did a fabulous interview with Flornoy in February 2010. You can read it here.
The Andy Warhol Museum is presenting the show through August 7th. I wrote about it last November when it was at the National Arts Club in New York City.
It looked great then and looks great now. Curated by Stacy Engman, the deck is a collective work by the very hippest of contemporary artists.
Warhol himself made it in, immortalized as Patrick McMullan’s Hanged Man.
The fashion world is well represented. The 9 of Cups is by Christian Louboutin, the Chariot by Vivienne Westwood, and Marc Jacobs created the Knight of Pentacles. Karl Lagerfeld made himself the King of Wands.
The show in Pittsburgh has an added bonus. Running in conjunction with Contemporary Magic, is the film The Velvet Underground Tarot Cards.
Directed by Andy Warhol, it documents each member of The Velvet Underground having their cards read at some super cool apartment party in 1966.
To honour this magical day, and the fabulous cards it celebrates, I pulled a single card to add to the World’s Largest Tarot Reading.
It’s meant to represent what Tarot can offer the world this year.
Georgie Draws the King of Swords
The card I got was the King of Swords. Nothing sweet and fuzzy about this guy. I get the feeling that for 2011, the Tarot wants to be hardcore.
We can expect it to give us advice that’s straight and clear. This king isn’t mean, but he doesn’t mince words. And he’s sophisticated enough to say what he needs to without having to force his point.
Advice dealing with direction and mastery of the intellect is highlighted. In order to be an authority, you have to act like one. And per this king’s model, a leader is smart, clear, quick and decisive.
He’s got a scientific turn of mind and isn’t interested in either hocus-pocus or over-emotionality. His communication skills are brilliant, as is his deductive reasoning.
It looks like the Tarot wants to be taken a lot more seriously this year than it has been to date. It’s focused, directed and sure, and encourages us to be so too.
And maybe this is a call for more research to be done on how Tarot works. Not just how to do it, but why it works, from as rational a perspective as the cards will allow.
The Tarot wants to flex its intellectual authority this year. I look forward to seeing how it plays out.
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