Saturday, January 29, 2011

And the Winner Is...

The winner of the Burt's Bees Gift Pack is Becca Taylor!!!

Congrats!

Pagan Top 20!!!

All of the votes are in and have been tallied...who is your number 1?
____________________________________________________________________________________

20) Cybill Shepherd - Actor/Author

Actress and former model, Cybill is best known roles include starring as Jacy in 'The Last Picture Show', as Betsy in 'Taxi Driver' and as Maddie Hayes on the amazing 'Moonlighting'.  Cybill made history when she came out of the broom closet on the Golden Globes.  She describes herself as “...a Christian Pagan Buddhist Goddess worshiper, but I’m also a feminist. I think the ultimate glass ceiling is God, in another words, if we think God is a man, then we make man a God, and I studied and learned that there is a whole other history of the worshiping of the great mother,” she explained. “I really think that probably God is a woman, that helped me to break through that celestial glass ceiling.”






19) The Power of Three from 'Charmed' - Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan - Actors
'Charmed' can not be underestimated as an important tool.  They had a Book of Secrets and used the Wiccan rede.  It is a great introduction for mundanes wanting the learn more about our culture.  It helped redefine Witchcraft from the image of the Witches from 'The Wizard of Oz' to ourselves, modern, ready to come out into the open and not a wart to be seen.  This series has opened many doors for us.








18) Stevie Nicks - Musician

One minute she is saying she is not a Witch, the other, she is writing songs like 'Rhiannon'.  Make up your mind woman!!!  LOL!  While she admits to having a high regard for the mythic and gothic, she denies any solitary dedication to any one religion, including Wicca. Nicks' music is copyrighted under the name Welsh Witch Music, a reference to her song 'Rhiannon'.











17) Wendy Rule - Musician

Rule is a practicing Witch and her lyrics typically address Pagan and mythological themes. She has publicly spoken about her belief in Polytheism, and her lyrics have been influential in Wiccan ritual. 
Wendy Rule's Official Site








16) Julie Andrews - Actor/Musician

Who here didn't try to jump off there front porch with an umbrella?  'Mary Poppins' for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, is the role for which she is still best-known.  Julie, you are "practically perfect in every way!"






15) Laurie Cabot - Salem's Official Witch

Laurie was one of the first people to popularize Witchcraft in the United States. She is the author of such books as 'The Power of the Witch'.  She also founding the Cabot Tradition of the Science of Witchcraft and the Witches' League for Public Awareness to defend the civil rights of Witches everywhere. In the 1970s, Cabot was declared the "official Witch of Salem, Massachusetts", by then-Governor Michael Dukakis, to honor her work with special needs children.  She is perhaps one the most high-profile Witches in the world.


14) Elvira, Mistress of the Dark: Cassandra Peterson - Actor

Cassandra Peterson and best friend Robert Redding came up with the sexy punk/vampire look after producers rejected her original idea to look like Sharon Tate in The Fearless Vampire Killers.  Unable to continue with the Vampira character, the name Elvira was chosen. What followed was Elvira's Movie Macabre featuring a quick-witted valley-girl type character named Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.  With heavily-applied pancake horror make-up and a towering black beehive wig concealing her flame-red hair, the transformation from Cassandra Peterson to the sexy "Elvira" was so drastic that no one ever recognized her out of costume.  The Elvira character rapidly evolved from obscure cult figure to lucrative brand-name and "Mistress of all Media", spawning countless products throughout the years.

Elvira Official Site

13) Angelina Jolie - Actor/Activist

Jolie has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Jolie promotes humanitarian causes, and is noted for her work with refugees as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has been cited as one of the world's most attractive people.  "We cannot close ourselves off to information and ignore the fact that millions of people are out there suffering. I honestly want to help. I don't believe I feel differently from other people. I think we all want justice and equality, a chance for a life with meaning. All of us would like to believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us." (Jolie on her motives for joining UNHCR in 2001).  Some have speculated that Angelina Jolie is now a Buddhist (rumour also has it that Angelina and Brad had a Buddhist marriage ceremony), but she has not indicated a commitment to Buddhism more than any other faith. In fact, she seems to take a United-Nations inspired approach to her family, and perhaps, to her religion.

12) Fairuza Balk - Actor

Fairuza made her theatrical film debut as Dorothy Gale in Disney's 'Return to Oz'. Her most famous Pagan roles are Mildred Hubble in 'The Worst Witch' and Nancy in 'The Craft'.  From 1995 to 2001, Balk owned Panpipes Magickal Marketplace, an occult store, in Hollywood, California.  Now, she is focusing on her music.  Her first release is sometime this year.  Watch her Official site for updates...fairuza.com.










11) The West Memphis Three - Religious Prisoners

From wm3.org - "Teenagers at the time of their arrest in 1993, these young men were considered suspects in the gruesome triple child homicide and arrested without any evidence tying them to the crime. The police and the state managed to convince the media and the juries that "devil worshippers" were responsible, and that Damien, Jason and Jessie somehow fit that description. It was publicly stated by law enforcement officials and the media that the murders had been a part of a satanic ritual; a human sacrifice in the wooded areas of West Memphis, Arkansas. It seems unlikely that this would be accepted as motive by a contemporary jury, but once the police had a young, mentally challenged boy in their custody, they managed to coerce him into providing what was seen as a "confession" despite huge logic holes, discrepancies and the fact that he later recanted and refused to testify against the other two men.

Now, 15 years later, these men are still fighting for their freedom, but there are a few major differences now. The "satanic cult sacrifice" motive is now seen as an embarrassment that the police and prosecution no longer embrace, and much more importantly, DNA and other forensic technologies have progressed to the point where items that were previously inadequate for testing are now providing the positive proof that Damien, Jason and Jessie have been waiting over a decade for."

They have found many public supporters over the years, from Winona Ryder to Johnny Depp.  With the new DNA evidence uncovered and FINALLY new trials scheduled, there is now hope of seeing their release.
WM3 - Official Site - PLEASE DONATE!!!

10) Selena Fox - Author/Leader

Selena is a Wiccan priestess, an activist and lecturer in the fields of Neopaganism, Wicca, New Age and comparative religion.  She is the founder of the "Circle Craft" tradition of the Wiccan religion.  Selena, along with others, founded Circle Sanctuary in 1974, which is one of America's oldest Pagan centers and Wiccan churches.

Selena Fox - Official Site









9) Daniel Radcliffe - Actor

I know, I know...a hokey pop culture choice.  However, when explaining Witchcraft to young children, just say Harry Potter and they get it.  J.K. Rowling could have been the choice, but the boy who lived is now seen to be Daniel.  Is it time for the last movie yet?







8) Sully Erna - Musician

The singer of Godsmack and a solo artist ('The Expendables' soundtrack:-) is the most publicly out Wiccan celebrity. 

"I'm not trying to convert them; I just want them to understand that Wicca has nothing to do with black magic. It's not about turning people into frogs or practicing black magic...Wicca is a very peaceful, harmonious and balanced way of thinking, an earth religion if you want. I believe it is the oldest religion, definitely pre-Christian, and we don't worship Satan or the devil because we don't believe in it. We believe that the earth is a mother to us all and we should honor and respect her and live a harmonious life. We don't own the earth but we are part of it and to destroy it means to destroy ourselves. We respect life above all. Respect for life and free thought I'd say are the basics for Wicca. We respect every other religion because we think all gods and goddesses are the same. People just worship them in a different way. Wicca is often mistakenly associated with evil, but we believe in Karma and if we do something bad it comes back to haunt us, as a godsmack! That's the basic creed, harm none. We don't sacrifice people and we don't sacrifice animals because we believe in harming no one. We also don't worship Satan; he is a Christian creation and they can keep him. Wicca doesn't work with fear. It's about your own consciousness and doing what's right. We believe in the Law of Three: whatever you do comes back three fold, good or bad." 

Sully's Official Site - SULLYERNA.COM

7) Tim Burton - Director/ Artist

Burton is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Sleepy Hollow' and for blockbusters such as 'Batman' and 'Alice in Wonderland', his most recent film, that is currently the second highest-grossing film of 2010 as well as the sixth highest-grossing film of all time.  Burton has said concerning religion, "My parents tried to send me to church, but suburban religion is a bureaucratic setup where you're told things but you don't feel anything. I consider myself a spiritual person, but I don't place spirituality in any form or place."  He is our Pagan pied piper even if he is not Pagan himself.  With every new masterpiece, there is a new beautiful depiction of our culture.





6) Alyson Hannigan - Actor

Do you have to ask?  Willow, from 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' is the perfect Witch...cute on the outside with that dark side itching to have fun.  I have seen it listed that Alyson herself is a Pagan, but I cannot confirm.  Isn't it just great to wonder?




5) Barbara Eden - Actor

Barbara is best known for her starring role in the sitcom 'I Dream of Jeannie'.  Duh!  It's like the twitching of the nose for 'Bewitched', you try to cross your arms and nod to create magical wishes.  Or you dress up in a kinky Genie outfit...LOL! 







4) George Lucas - Director

Only so often can you say that you have created a religion...by accident no less!  In Australia, more than 70,000 people (0.37%) declared themselves members of the Jedi order in the 2001 census.  In England and Wales, 390,127 people (almost 0.8%) stated their religion as Jedi on their 2001 Census forms, surpassing Sikhism, Judaism, and Buddhism, and making it the fourth largest reported religion in the countries.  This gave rise to a movement to establish "genuine" Jediism, a genuine religious movement.



3) Johnny Depp - Actor

Johnny is known for his portrayals of offbeat, eccentric characters in a wide variety of dramas and fantasy films. He has won the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award.  He is also Captain Jack!  Depp has collaborated with director and close friend Tim Burton in seven films, beginning with Edward Scissorhands (1990), opposite Winona Ryder and Vincent Price.  Most recently, he was seen in Tim's 'Alice in Wonderland', the 3rd highest grossing 3D film of all time.  When asked about religion, he has said, "...I believe in destiny. There has to be to a reason for all this, a driving force, even if we can't fully understand it. That I'm here, that I've been blessed with the work I've done, with the girl I have, the children I have. I don't know if I would call it God. My image of God has evolved, by the way: from the wise old man with a white beard on a fluffy cloud from my childhood years he has changed into a cosmic omnipresence, from the air to the trees, and all possible human and animal creatures. I surely don't go to church. Organized religion doesn't appeal to me. Probably because of my childhood: my uncle was a preacher and he was constantly talking about hell and damnation. Not my scene."

2) Silver Ravenwolf - Author

Ok, I have always had mixed feelings about Silver Ravenwolf.  First, let me say that her early work is a great introduction to the Craft.  She is straightforward and easy to understand.  She explains the basics well and is a good starting point for any beginner.  That being said, 'Teen Witch' is rather slanted and judgemental.  Example, Real Witches do not "...work black magick - that's those other guys. Real Witches know that whatever you do, whether in this world or the magickal world, comes back to you three times. If you do good stuff, then you get rewarded. If you do bad stuff, you pay the price - and, let me add, you will pay dearly. Wiccans have a poem that goes: Ever mind the rule of three, what you give out comes back to thee."  Magic is neither Black or White, Good or Evil.  That is like saying good Catholic or Bad Catholic...it's a tool, not a person.  Another is "Whether you practice folk magick or ceremonial magick, both systems used in a positive way have the following in common: All magick contains prayer. All magick incorporates divinity. All magick concentrates on positive change."  Huh?  Pandering the the big three masses a bit for me. 

Don't get me wrong, she was overwhelmingly mentioned by the voters, but the context she was mentioned in was usually "but, she is wishy, washy."  If you are a fan, I'm sorry.  This is just one Witch's opinion...

1) Neil Gaiman - Author

YAY!!!  Over half of the voters said Neil Gaiman.  Is it because he is the award winning author of the comic book series 'The Sandman' and novels 'Stardust', 'American Gods', 'Coraline', and 'The Graveyard Book'?  Is it because this work is steeped in all areas of Magical lore?  No, it think in the grand scheme of the world, he is one of the few people on it that makes it a  better place.  His writing is a modern Pagan's template for existence, full of humour and adventure.  He is our imp; he is our jester...
"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." - Neil Gaiman



***Special thanks to Wikipedia for some stats and quotes!

AWESOME!!! Perform the Kama Sutra with Your Laptop

From Gizmodo -

Perform the Kama Sutra with Your Laptop
To be honest, I've been thinking of spicing up my relationship with my laptop for a while. I was thinking more RAM or a SSD would do the trick but maybe I'll learn some of these Kama Sutra positions instead.

Which positions have you perfected? Or are you the boring and conservative type who uses a *gasp* desk? [9gag]

Ratings: 'Fringe' does it again!

7 hours ago | EW - Inside TV | See recent EW.com - Inside TV news »

Fringe showed last Friday’s rating was no fluke, my friends.
The Fox drama delivered 4.6 million viewers and another 1.9 preliminary adults 18-49 rating last night.

Fringe held steady despite its lead in, Kitchen Nightmares (4 million, 1.7), dropping two tenths from last week’s debut. Everybody thought Fringe would have to face Supernatural this week, but that face-off has been delayed until next Friday. The CW decided to give the returns of Vampire Diaries (0.6) and Nikita (0.4) an encore airing instead.

Way to buck the Firefly curse on Friday!!!

It's Holy Crap Time!!! - Rumour: Is Robin Williams Dark Knight Rises' Hugo Strange?

By Matt Maytum | Jan 29th 2011

File this one firmly under 'tantalising rumour' for the moment folks: could Robin Williams be set to play Hugo Strange in The Dark Knight Rises?

Batman On Film stoked the rumour with a tweet, and Batman News claims to have a source who believes Strange will turn up in the new movie.

Rumours about the character's appearance in Christopher Nolan's threequel have been circulating for a while now, with Tom Hardy once believed to be playing the character (he's been confirmed as Bane now).

We're taking this one with a huge pinch of salt for now, although it's not entirely out of the realms of possibility.

For one thing, Williams has expressed interest in appearing as a Bat-villain several times in the past.

He's also worked with Nolan before, on Insomnia, when the director effectively tapped the funnyman's inherent creepiness to create a genuinely unsettling villain.

Hugo Strange is set to appear in the upcoming videogame Arkham City, so is this current rumour just fanboy wishful thinking?

With Nolan planning to make The Dark Knight Rises his final Batman movie, would he really want to introduce three new villains (Bane, Catwoman, Strange) into the mix as he's trying to wind down the trilogy?

That would be extremely ambitious to say the least, and one of the best things about Nolan's series so far is the way it has kept the focus on Batman/Bruce Wayne.

Or could Nolan surprise us all and continue with the franchise beyond the third movie? Maybe that's just wishful thinking on our part now...

Box Office: Anthony Hopkins has 'The Rite' stuff for no. 1 Friday

Winter weather in the Northeast may affect the overall box office numbers this weekend, but it wasn't enough to exorcise Anthony Hopkins' return to the box office Friday.  The legendary actor's devilishly themed new drama "The Rite" debuted to $5.3 million for what should be a $15 million weekend.  That's a bit below pre-release polling, but again, it appears the snow-socked East coast haven't returned to their regular moviegoing habits as of yet. In second place was Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher's "No Strings Attached."  Last weekend's no. 1 film found $4.4 million Friday.

Pagan Icons - 30 thru 21

Hello all.  After snow, sleet and a nasty fall I'm back!!!  Let's get started...

30) Melissa Joan Hart - Actor

My daughter was and is a HUGE Archie comics fan.  Out of that comic book series came their friend Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.  My mother wouldn't let me ready it because she was going through her "Everything that is Magic is Evil" phase...little did she know - HAHAHA! 

Melissa started in the pilot movie on on Showtime and the television series which lasted seven seasons on ABC and The WB. 













29) Loreena McKennitt - Musician

For alot of people, she was the gateway drug of New Age music.  She is the artist that sparked my love for Celtic and Middle Eastern music.

All of her work is released under her own label, Quinlan Road.  In 1990, McKennitt provided the music for the National Film Board of Canada documentary, "The Burning Times" a feminist revisionist account of the Early Modern European witchcraft trials. The main theme would later be rerecorded by her and her band and called "Tango for Evora," a track which appears on her album, The Visit.  McKennitt's single "The Mummers' Dance" received airplay in North American markets during the spring of 1997, and was used as the theme song for the short-lived TV series, Legacy.






28) Madonna - Superstar

I know, she is an odd choice, but I had a pile of votes for her.

Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. Considered to be one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. She is recognized as an inspiration among numerous music artists.  Madonna is dedicated to Kabbalah and in 2004, she adopted the name Esther which in Hebrew means "star".







27) Terry Pratchett - Author

Sir Terry is best-known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels and has been one of the top novelist in recent history in the UK.  He was knighted in the 2009 New Year Honours.  In December 2007, Pratchett announced that he was suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease, subsequently making a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust, and filming a programme chronicling his experiences with the disease for the BBC.

All our wishes, Sir Terry!









26) Cyndi Lauper - Musician/Actor

Cyndi may be a Christian, but through her music and personality, she extols many of our virtues: independent, passionate and caring, not only has Cyndi released 11 albums and over 40 singles, and as of 2008 had sold more than 30 million records worldwide.  She also launched the Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination of the GLBT community as part of her True Colors Fund. The campaign is to bring straight people to stand up with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered community and stop the discrimination.








25) Stephen King- Author

King is the most famous author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction in the United States.  His books have sold more than 350 million copies which have been made into many movies and television films. As of 2011, King has written and published 49 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, five non-fiction books, and nine collections of short stories. Most of his stories of the macabre are set in his home state of Maine.

24) Carrie Fisher - Princess Freakin' Leia!

LOL. Just read "Wishful Drinking" if you don't understand.  On the fame of her mother, Debbie Reynolds: "She is literally like an icon--a gay icon, but you take your iconic stature where you can get it."  Same can be said, Princess;-)  She is like the Mother Mary of the Jedi following.












23) Lady Gaga - Performance Artist

Gaga is well-recognized for her sense of style as a recording artist, in fashion, in performance and in her music videos. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements. Also, Gaga has been included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.  Her new album and single 'Born This Way' was recently called 'the anthem for the outraged and the outsider.'  I am excited to see what happens next!
Lady Gaga's Official Site


22) Zsuzsanna Budapest - Author

Z. Budapest writes on feminist spirituality and Dianic Wicca. She is the High Priestess and the founding mother of the Susan B. Anthony Coven #1, the first feminist, women-only, witches' coven.  She is the director of the Women's Spirituality Forum, a nonprofit organization featuring lectures, retreats and other events, and was the lead of a cable TV show called 13th Heaven.  She is also a playwright, her work 'The Rise of the Fates' having premiered in Los Angeles in the mid-seventies. She is the composer of the song, 'We All Come From the Goddess', as well as others.



21) Sting - Musician/Activist/Actor

Who would have thought that little Gordon Sumner would some day be in a slightly well known New Wave band and be the King of Tantric sex? 

Sting was, or sometimes is when they are not fighting, the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist of the band The Police.  When he is not making millions in music and film, he is a major force for human rights.  A high point came in 1988, when he joined a team of other major musicians – including Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen – assembled under the banner of Amnesty International for the six-week world tour Human Rights Now! Tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  With his wife Trudie Styler and Raoni Metuktire, a Kayapó Indian leader in Brazil, Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation Fund to help save the rainforests and protect the rights of the indigenous peoples living there.

Just 20 more to go!  I will have those up after the news!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Time Out Looks at Most Controversial Movies Ever

Check it out HERE - Time Out New York

First Look: The NEW ThunderCats

Back in June we learned that Warner Bros. was planning to make a whole new animated series based on the classic 80s cartoon ThunderCats. Last summer, we got our first look at the concept art for the new show … today, we get our first official look at how the characters will look in this new series. I’d be lying if, based on this first look, I didn’t say that I am starting to get worried about this new show.

A reboot of “ThunderCats,” the popular 1980s animated series that depicts cat-like humanoid aliens battling evil, is set to premiere later this year on the Cartoon Network and the first promotional image for the new show was recently released. The new show is a product of Warner Bros. and Japanese animation Studio4°C, which produced “The Animatrix,” and “Halo Legends.” Cartoon Network writer Todd Casey posted an image from the new “ThunderCats” on his Twitter page, adding: “ThunderCats (officially) Ho!!,” a reference to ThunderCats leader Lion-O’s battle call. Pictured are Lion-O, Cheetara, Tygra, and Panthro. Among those missing from the photo are younger ThunderCats and twins WilyKit and WilyKat, as well as the team’s pet, Snarf. “Rest assured, he’ll be in the show!” Casey said. “We’ll try and make sure he’s in the next batch of artwork released.”
HMMMMMM. Here is another photo that features this new batch of ThunderCats:

So …. what do you think? My initial reaction is … I don’t like the look of the new characters. I much prefer the way the characters look in the original series:


But, that’s not to say that I won’t A.) still watch the show and B.) grow to like the characters. The original characters are so dear to me that any changes would not be welcome … but I’ll wait to see the show to make a final determination. These new ThunderCats look far too manga for me … they also look much younger than they should (er, you know, for humanoid cat people). My heart isn’t in love with these ThunderCats just yet … but maybe that will change.

What do YOU think?

Fairtrade fashion: Emma Watson models her new 'People Tree' collection

Proving she can pull off the rock-chick look to perfection Emma Watson has come a long way from her Harry Potter days as she poses in a new ad for clothing company People Tree.

She's collaborated with the fairtrade company for the past two seasons and the 20-year-old has also designed their latest spring/summer collection.

"I designed the collection last year after I’d started university in the US. We took care to design a really wearable collection that truly celebrates the traditional skills of People Tree’s Fairtrade groups around the world," she says.

The full range goes on sale on February 28, coinciding with the celebration of fairtrade fortnight.

**Hello Magazine

Kevin Smith's COMPLETE Sundance Rant - Red State

By now, you all know all about Kevin Smith's stunt at Sundance this past weekend. You know he bought his own film, Red State, for $20, even though he told people he was going to hold an "auction" for the rights to it.


But now, you can see the whole mess go down yourself! Someone who was in the audience had the foresight to tape Kevin's rather interesting rant.


Check out the video (above) to hear Kevin explain, in his own words, what buying this film for himself actually means.


We won't lie, it's loooooooong. Still, its worth the view to see how Kevin is trying to challenge the industry into a new wave of making and selling movies.




**Thanks Perez!

The Vampire Diaries Nabs Infectious Ratings With Return!

Perez Hilton Filed under: TV News > Ian Somerhalder > Kat Graham
the-vampire-diaries-ratings-return.jpg
All that double entendre marketing paid off!

Last night marked the midseason return of The CW’s highest rated shows, The Vampire Diaries and Nikita. The shows faced strong opposition now that American Idol has returned, but surprisingly, they both performed well under the pressure!

3.5 million people caught VD (teehee), while 2.7 million tuned in to watch Maggie Q kick butt! As it stands, last night was the network’s most-watched Thursday since early November.

Kudos, CW. Let’s hope you guys can keep this up when Idol gets into full gear. Results shows maybe a bit tricker to stand up against in the raitings.

Top 30

I am getting so many new messages that I am holding the contest open one more day.  I will post and complete the Pagan Icons list Saturday evening.  I have had over 150 entries!!!

Good Luck!  The drawing will be held on Saturday!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pagan Icons - 40 thru 31

Here we go...make sure that you enter by Friday for your chance to win the Burt's Bees Healthy Hands Gift Set!

40) Yoko Ono - Musician/Artist/Activist
I was really taken aback when a friend of mine suggested Yoko.  However, doing some research, I discovered that Yoko was a New Age Witch.  I had no idea.  I can genuinely say that my only experience with her was her infamy for supposedly breaking up The Beatles.  Ono brought feminism to the forefront through her music which prefigured New Wave music (whether she was a direct influence is still debated). She is a supporter of gay rights and is known for her philanthropic contributions to the arts, peace and AIDS outreach programs.





39) Viggo Mortensen - Actor/Artist

He is best known for his role as Aragorn in Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' film trilogy and my best friends pick.  He also starred in 'A History of Violence', 'Eastern Promises' and 'The Road.'  With part of his earnings from 'The Lord of the Rings', Mortensen founded the Perceval Press publishing house — named for the knight from the legend of King Arthur — to help other artists by publishing works that might not find a home in more traditional publishing venues.  It has been posted that the Renaissance man is a practicing Heathen.  He is often pictured wearing his Thor's Hammer (left).








38) Deepak Chopra - Writer

Deepak is an Indian American public speaker, and writer on Ayurveda, spirituality and mind-body medicine.  Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine.  Chopra was a top assistant to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before launching his own career in the late 1980s by publishing self-help books on New Age spirituality and alternative medicine.  Throughout his career, he has been controversial for some of his stances.  In April 2010, Hindu American Foundation co-founder Aseem Shukla, on a Washington Post-sponsored blog on faith and religion, criticized Chopra for suggesting that yoga did not have origins in Hinduism but merely is an Indian spiritual tradition which predated Hinduism.  The same year, he received the 2010 Humanitarian Starlite Award "for his global force of human empowerment, well-being and for bringing light to the world."


37) Tina Turner - Musician

A famous Buddhist, Tina's career has spanned more than 50 years.  In 2009, Turner participated in the Beyond singing project with fellow musicians Regula Curti, Seda Bagcan and Dechen Shak Dagsay. This CD combined Buddhist chants and Christian choral music along with a spiritual message read by Turner.  She taught Mick Jagger to dance, she was The Who's Acid Queen and she was Mel Gibson's Auntie Entity.  She is simply The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll.











36) Sandra Bullock - Actor

She is in no way a Pagan even though she did turn down 'The Blind Side' three times "due to a discomfort with portraying a devout Christian."  She played, in 'Practical Magic', one of the finest portrayals of Witchcraft that Hollywood has ever produced.  She was voted for by a few people for extolling many on the virtues that we hold to.  Bullock has been a public supporter of the American Red Cross, twice donating $1 million, first to its Liberty Disaster Relief Fund and four years later in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis.  In 2010, she donated $1 million to relief efforts in Haiti following the Haiti earthquake.  She also recently adopted Louis, an infant from New Orleans.






35) Stan Lee - Writer

Stan is a comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.  He co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many other fictional characters and revolutionized superhero comic books.  Sure, he is a shameless self promoter, but he can be:-)

34) Aishwarya Rai - Actor

Rai has acted in over 40 movies in Hindi, English, Tamil and Bengali, which include a number of international productions.  Rai is also cited by the international media as the most beautiful woman in the world.  Aishwarya is Hindu and deeply religious. Her favourite temple is a 200-year-old Lord Ganesha Temple.  In 2010, she appeared for the second time in list Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World".










33) Alice Walker - Writer/Activist

Walker has written at length on issues of race and gender, and is most famous for the critically acclaimed novel 'The Color Purple' for which she won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.  Walker is Buddhist and also a practicing vegan.







32) Winona Ryder - Actor

You know the jokes, you've heard the whispers, but do you realize that Ms. Ryder has been an unwavering supporter of The West Memphis Three since the beginning of their religious persecution? 
Ryder's breakthrough role was 'Tim Burton's Beetlejuice' as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition. After making various appearances in film and television, Ryder continued her career with the cult film 'Heathers', a controversial satire of teenage suicide and high school life, which drew Ryder further critical and commercial attention.  She has most recently been seen in the recently Oscar nominated 'Black Swan' and 'The Dilemma.'






31) Charlaine Harris - Writer

She is the author of a little series of books about a telepathic half-Fairy named Sookie Stackhouse.  I'm sure you've never seen 'True Blood.'  This season, the Witches come onto the scene.  This will be a great opportunity for dialog with mundanes and ourselves.  I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Jhagra School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’

Bureau reportTuesday, January 25, 2011

PESHAWAR: Students of a government school have been attending classes at a graveyard since the destruction of their school in Jhagra village near the provincial capital in the July 2010 floods.

The government has failed to reconstruct the Government Primary Mosque School,

Garhi Hameedabad, or provide an alternative building to accommodate the 52 students. Said Alam Khan, father of a student, said the local education authorities had been informed time and again about the problems faced by the school staff and students, but to no avail.

Requesting anonymity, an official of the Education Department said there were two teachers for 52 students, including 25 girls and 35 boys. “It is impossible for two teachers to take five classes,” the official added.

The official said that the officials of Education Department including executive

district officer (education) visited the place several times but nothing had been done so far. He said the younger students would contract diseases if they were not provided a proper school building. The News correspondent saw several students shivering with cold while studying in the open in the morning.

Oprah Winfrey reveals 'half sister I never knew existed'

Following an in depth interview with Piers Morgan on his new CNN show, Oprah Winfrey has taken to her own series, The Oprah Winfrey Show, to reveal she has a secret half-sister.

The chat-show queen announced her family secret as she introduced her 47-year-old sister Patricia in a family reunion set to air in the US on Tuesday night.

The 56-year-old told her audience: "Yes, it is true. It is true that my mother is also Patricia's birth mother. That means Patricia is my half sister who I never knew existed."

Oprah's mother gave Patricia up for adoption shortly after her birth and the two sisters met for the first time last November.

Piers Morgan took to Twitter to air his disappointment that she didn't reveal her secret on his show.

The former newspaper editor tweeted: "Damn and blast, you're all absolutely right, I should have asked Oprah: 'Got any secret half-sisters called Pat we don't know about?'"

Watch The Nominations Announcement For The 2011 Academy Awards LIVE

The nominations for the 2011 Academy Awards will be announced LIVE in Hollywood, CA at 8AM ET/ 5AM PT on Tuesday January 25 and YOU will be able to watch the nomination announcements as they are made right here on the blog. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences have made available a live video stream embed of the Academy Award nominations announcement so that WE can all watch together LIVE.

Make sure you come back at the appointed time to watch the nomination announcements as they are made live:

http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2011/01/watch-the-nominations-announcement-for-the-2011-academy-awards-live/

Be sure to leave your comments on who got nominated for what, who didn’t get nominated at all and who YOU think will walk away on Oscar Night with the most trophies of all :D

Ooo...Congrats to the daughter of the Prince of Darkness!

Kelly Osbourne: Material Girl's New Spokesmodel!

Kelly Osbourne Michael Wright/WENN.com
Move over, Taylor Momsen.

Kelly Osbourne has been named the new face of Madonna and daughter Lourdes Leon's Material Girl clothing line.

Details of the ad campaign have yet to be revealed, but the company issued a statement today saying it is "thrilled to confirm that Kelly is the new face for 2011."

The Fashion Police cohost takes the reins from the Gossip girl, who modeled the juniors line's debut collection last fall.

Are you excited about this new collaboration? Weigh in below!

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b222253_kelly_osbourne_material_girls_new.html?utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=imdb_topstories#ixzz1C3Da7VLy

Kevin Smith Fools Hollywood -- SModcast Pictures to Release 'Red State'

By Jeff Sneider
After weeks of saying he would pick his distributor in the theater following the World Premiere of "Red State," writer-director Kevin Smith pulled an about-face and announced that he would distribute the film himself through his and producing partner Jon Gordon's new company, SModcast Pictures.

Many buyers were in attendance (including Smith's mentor Harvey Weinstein) under the guise of a live auction, but Smith surprised everyone in the Eccles Theater on Sunday night by winning the bidding war himself before it even started for the low-risk price of a crisp $20 bill.
Smith did add that he's looking to partner with a "smart exhibitor" to show the sure-to-be controversial movie.
Prior to the announcement, Smith spent more than 15 minutes railing against tricky Hollywood accounting, arguing that it makes no sense to spend $20 million marketing a $4 million movie, which was the budget for "Red State." Smith said it took "Clerks" seven years to turn profit, despite the fact that the black-and-white film cost little more than $27,500.

Smith said he won't spend a dime on traditional marketing such as print & TV ads, as well as outdoor billboards. Instead, he plans to make investors their money back by relying on his devoted fanbase to spread word-of-mouth.

SModcast, named for Smith's popular (and now lucrative) podcast, will release "Red State" on Oct. 19, but fans in select cities won't have to wait that long to see the film.

Smith is taking "Red State" on a month-long, cross-country tour, which kicks off on March 5 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Tickets will be significantly more expensive than your average movie ticket, but Smith promised that attendees will get more bang for their buck, not to mention the chance to see the movie six months earlier than the rest of the country.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, Jan. 28, and other dates include:
3/6 - Wilbur Theater, Boston, MA
3/8 - Harris Theater, Chicago, IL
3/9 - State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
3/10 - Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI
3/11 - Clowes Memorial Hall, Indianapolis, IN
3/12 - Midland Theater, Kansas City, MO (home to Rev. Fred Phelps, whom the main character in "Red State" is more or less modeled after)
3/14 - Clark State PAC, Springfield, OH
3/22 - Paramount Theater, Denver, CO
3/26 - McAlister Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
3/28 - Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX
3/29 - Cobb Energy Centre, Atlanta, GA
4/4 - Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle WA


The "Red State" website (named after the town where the main character preaches intolerance) allows fans in other areas to request screenings in their hometown, which is the same approach that "Paranormal Activity" took en route to its staggering success at the box office.

Additionally, Smith and Gordon used the newly-unveiled website to release a statement regarding their surprise decision, which is available in its entirety below.