The realm of the Fae is one that is often up for spirited debate in the Pagan community. On the one hand, we have folks whose tradition works hand in hand with such otherworldly beings, and on the other, we have people who think it's all a load of silliness. Regardless, there's no escaping the fact that some people do take the notion of the Fae as a very important and integral part of their belief system. That's why this article from the Washington Spokesman-Review is so refreshing.

For the last nine years, the annual Fairy and Human Relations Congress has been held in the Cascade mountains. The outdoor metaphysical festival celebrates the fairy realm and those who interact with it. What's nice about this particular piece is that reporter Kevin Graman could have taken the easy route and made a bunch of jokes about Tinkerbell or whatever. Instead, he takes a respectful approach, being sensitive to the fact that a LOT of different belief systems are represented at this event. Kudos to Graman and the paper for putting together an informative article that doesn't make the local metaphysical community look like a bunch of fruitcakes.

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Thanks to Vandreyer for sending this one my way -- apparently a Saudi Arabian family is taking a genie to court for harassment. Yep, a genie, which is sort of the Islamic equivalent of a poltergeist. They are often suspected in cases of human possession.

Anyway, the family says that they heard voices telling them to get out of their house, and the genie began throwing stones at the children. Once the kids got frightened, the family began to take things seriously. So, they've filed a lawsuit, and a local court is investigating the validity of the claim. One does wonder if a genie would abide by any mortal judge's opinion in the matter, but the situation does put things in an interesting light. The fact that the court is investigating, rather than tossing the case out as frivolous, shows the marked difference between the Arabic world and the Western one.

In Islamic theology, genies - sometimes called djinn -- can be good or malevolent. According to the Koran, the djinn were created long before mankind existed. Some spirits were thought to be the source of plague, famine, and war. In fact, in some stories, Satan is the best-known of the djinn.

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Here's an interesting one. At the Fairfax Farmers Market in San Francisco's Bay Area, local witch Joey Talley has been doing free Tarot readings for years. Now, however, market organizers have asked her to stop. They say she's never applied for a vendor's permit, and so it's time for her to leave. The venue has limited space, and market managers have declined permits from masseuses, chiropractors and holistic healers -- their point being that while there may be a place for everything, it isn't necessarily the farmer's market.

Market manager Amelia Spilger says, "We don't want the market to become a free-for-all festival." Talley, on the other hand, claims that she's providing a valuable service -- at no charge -- and should be allowed to stay. She's even circulating a petition.

Spilger points out that the market's "farmers are certified as growing what they're producing. Our artisans are artists producing what they sell... It's the same with our food purveyors, to protect the integrity of the market. I understand Rev. Talley's frustration, but those are the parameters set forth for the market."

My thoughts on this are that while yes, Talley is doing something good, she should have to follow by the same rules as everyone else, and fill out a vendor's application. If it gets declined, then so be it -- right now, there appears to be a waiting list to get in as a vendor anyway. To be sure, she may not be collecting payment for her services at the farmer's market, but she is most likely benefiting financially in some small way -- a free reading at a farmer's market often leads to a paying client.

What do you think?



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