This page is for those pagans who practice "down under" the equator! Most pages fail to cover information relevant to the changing of the seasons, legal, etc. stuff relevant to ya'll so I've decided to add a small section that will cover some basic stuff and will include a few links!
Of course, the main variation between the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere are the dates on which the Sabbats (pagan holy days) fall. Below is a list of southern hemisphere dates!
State Laws regarding Witchcraft in Australia~
The Criminal Code - Chapter XL of the Criminal Code of Queensland titled 'Obtaining Property by Flase Pretenses: Cheating' contains Section 432:
432. Pretending to exercise witchcraft or fortune telling. Any person who pretends to exercise or use any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment, or conjuration, or undertakes to tell fortunes, or pretends from his skill or knowledge in any occult science to discover where or in what manner anything supposed to have been stolen or lost may be found, is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for one year.
As such, witchcraft is still a criminal offence in the state of Queensland.
New South Wales
The Witchcraft Act of 1735 was repealed by the Imperial Acts Application Act, 1969 (NSW), (having been repealed in England in 1951). The offence of fortune telling, [Section 4(2)(n) of the Vagrancy Act, 1902 (NSW)] was repealed by the Summary Offences Act, 1970 (NSW), and replaced by Section 39 of the Summary Offences Act, 1970 (NSW), which was finally repealed by the Summary Offences Act (Repeal) Act, 1979 (NSW).
Australian Capital Territory
Until relatively recently, there were a number of laws covering the pretence of witchcraft in the ACT. However, the Discrimination Act, 1991, now makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of (among other things) the person's religious convictions.
South Australia
The Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Public Offences) Act, 1991 abolished a section similar to the Queensland criminal code plus a vagrancy provision. The 1991 Act inserted a new offence into the Summary Offences Act as Section 40. It states:
'A person who, with intent to defraud purports to act as a spiritualist or medium or to exercise powers of telepathy or claivoyance or other similar powers, is guilty of an offence'.
Northern Territory
Relevant legislation, specifically the Northern Territory Ciminal Code 1983 and the Summary Offences Act 1923, fails to reveal any equivalent laws which affect religious practices.
Tasmania
The Police Offences Act 1935, Section 8(1)(g) which pertains to fortune telling; the Criminal Code Act 1924, Sections 119-121, concerning crimes relating to religion, which however, may be offset to some degree with the Constitution Act 1934, Section 46, providing for freedom of religion.
Victoria
The relevant criminal provision is Section 13 of the Vagrancy Act 1958 which is entitled 'Fortune Telling and Pretending to Exercise Witchcraft, etc':
Any person who pretends or professes to tell fortunes or uses any subtle craft means or device by palmistry or otherwise to defraud or impose on any other person or pretends to exercise or use any kind of witchcraft sorcery enchantment or conjuration or pretends from his skill or knowledge in any occult or crafty science to discover where or in what manner any goods or chattels stolen or lost may be found shall be guilty of an offence.
Click here to view Australian pagan news!
Stella Australis- Australian pagan Information
#WiccanWay- IRC channel for Australian pagans
Some of the pagan shops found in NZ include the following (by location):
AUCKLAND
Dragonspace - 9 Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden.
The Chrysalis Effect- 40 Mokoia Rd, Birkenhead
BAY OF ISLANDS
Blue Penguin- 22 York St, Russell
CHRISTCHURCH
Spellbound- 540 Tuam St, Linwood
Moonlore- 65 Shades Arcade, 108 Hereford St
Raven's Nest- 620 Ferry Road
Kate Sheppard Women's Bookshop- 145 Manchester St
Mystical Realms- Shop 4, 454 Colombo St
DUNEDIN
Fairies-Wizards & Gifts- Savoy Building, 58 Princes St
Rumours of Eternity- 223a Main South Road, Green Island
Hamilton
Forever Now- 371 Grey Street, Hamilton East
NELSON
Possibilities- 200 Hardy street
TIMARU
The Cauldron- Glenwood Traders, 276 Wai-iti Rd
Atlantis- 299 Stafford St Timaru
WELLINGTON
Arcadia- 11 Laings Road, Lower Hutt
Links for NZ pagans
NZPagans
NewZealandSites.com pages on Paganism
