Witches overturn new Leicester shopping mall name

[TonyGosling]

for me this just reinforces the connection between the cult of consumerism and occultism or the black arts

Victory for witches in £350m shops fight
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/24/nwitch es124.xml
By Stephen Adams - 24/07/2007

A coven of elderly witches has claimed victory in a bizarre battle to have the name of a £350 million shopping centre changed.

They objected after the developer, Hammerson, announced that it would be calling a huge addition to Leicester's Shires mall Highcross Quarter.

That is the name given by witches to the four most important periods in the "wicca" calendar.

Once the name was announced, the witches, wizards and gnomes immediately registered several internet domain names using the term. Then they set up a website that they have used to discuss their beliefs.

Morrigan Wisecraft, a witch from Loughborough, Leics, said she was contacted by Hammerson within days of registering the domain names incorporating the name Highcross Quarter last year.

She claimed the group was offered large amounts of money to part with the titles, before Hammerson took the matter to the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo), which adjudicates on internet domain names.

Now the company has appeared to have given up on the fight, saying the name has "evolved" to Highcross Leicester. It did not comment on whether pressure from the local "alternative faith group" was behind the decision.

Miss Wisecraft said: "We were amazed that anyone would name a shopping centre after the high points on the pagan/wicca calendar historically so closely associated with witchcraft.

"If we, a small wicca coven composed in the main of elderly grey-haired ladies in our twilight years with all our infirmities and aches, pains and frailties have inadvertently been 'faster off the mark' to obtain these domain names than a world-class, pin-stripe-suited multi-national like Hammerson then that, quite simply, is 'tough'."

In a statement, Richard Brown, the senior development executive at Hammerson, said: "Initially, Highcross Quarter was used to describe the development to potential new retailers and to our city centre partners in recognition of the wider city regeneration.

"It has now evolved to Highcross Leicester, which we believe will give it a stronger identity for customers and raise the profile not only of the development but also the city."

Mel Gordon, the web designer who created the witches' site, said the group had yet to receive written confirmation from Hammerson that it had dropped its claim to the domain name.

Highcross quarters factbox

Highcross quarters are the names given to the four most important periods in the wicca or pagan year.

Their calendar is split into four highcross quarters, alternating with four periods of lower significance, called simply 'cross quarters'.

Therefore each of these 'quarters' actually lasts for one-eighth of the solar year, or about six and a half weeks.

The dates for each is calculated using the solar and lunar cycles.

The Highcross quarters follow this order throughout the wicca year:

SAMHAIN, centred on the "sabat" of November 1, marks the start of the wicca year. It is regarded the most important of all the quarters. Witches celebrate "the overthrow and death of God" with a "Banquet of the Dead", according to the witches' website. Believers use the time "to honour and to bid farewell to loved ones who have died". It is also a time of self-reflection and preparation for the future.

IMBOLC, which is centred on the "sabbat" of February 1, is the Highcross quarter of spring. According to wicca beliefs it is a time when "the old crone Goddess of Winter gives way to the Maiden, who having recovered from the child birth prepares the earth to start its growth cycle yet again."

BELTAINE, centred on May 1, is the Highcross quarter of the start of summer. It is symbolically a time of "fertility", "joy" and "quickening", popular for witch weddings.

LUGHNASSADH or LAMMAS, centred on August 1, "is the beginning of Autumn and was the time of the initial harvesting". Consequently it a time for "bringing forth fruit as well as setting store and making provision for the winter ahead".

[Disco_Destroyer]

I see no Black Arts in Wicca (I've been in contact with many practicing white witches over time) stop demonising people for their beliefs thats the sort of comment you'd expect from the pope

[gericom]

There are no "Black Arts" within Wicca, so please, stop making adverse comments about something that you obviously do not understand.
I have been a practicisng Wiccan for many years, and have yet to find ANYTHING in the Wiccan Rede that mentions these so-called "Black Arts".

In fact with regards to magick, there is no such thing as "Black Magick" or "White Magick" even.
"Magick" is within all of us, and it is solely down to the Practitioner, how it is applied.
"Magick" itself, is neutral, a force that can be used either to do good, or to do evil.

[John White]

If anything we owe these nature worshiping old dears a beer or something for blocking a bunch of illumie mason property developers nicking esoteric symbolism to turn agains the people for their own profit

[Disco_Destroyer]

Tony i just found this even has crystal balls just think Black Sabbath


Link

[gericom]

Great video.