The Appalachian Pagan Alliance will hold a “We Still Work Magic” rally at the A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, NC on September 20th at 7:00 p.m. The rally is being held in response to the “We Still Pray” rally which was held at the same high school in August, and attracted over 12,000 people.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to disallow prayer at football games in public high schools was a wise one” said Ginger Strivelli, co-founding priestess of the Appalachian Pagan Alliance. “However, if Christians insist on bringing prayer into the public schools, they must realize that other religions will insist on equal time. We pray, too, and our children attend these schools. We would never demand a public invocation to Pagan gods at a football game; in turn, we do not wish our children to be forced to participate in the prayers of another religion.”

Paganism is an umbrella term that covers a number of nature-centered, mostly polytheistic religions, including Wicca, or modern-day Witchcraft, Druidism, and the Norse tradition of Asatru. Pagans (or Neo-Pagans as they are often called) consider magic to be a form of focused prayer. Magic is a symbolic act performed with the intent to change the individual through personal will and the help of the gods.

The rally will feature speakers from various Pagan organizations, including WARD (Witches Against Religious Discrimination) AREN (Alternative Religions Education Network) and The Witches’ Voice, a popular Pagan web site (www.witchvox.com). A Pagan high school teacher from Granville, North Carolina will also be speaking.

“Though we expect only a small fraction of the number of people who turned out for the “We Still Pray” rally, the point we are making is that our country was founded on the principle of freedom of religion for all religions, including even the smallest minorities” said Diotima Mantineia, associate editor of The Witches’ Voice. “We hope to raise awareness of the diversity of religious thought in the Asheville area, and make it clear that if one supports the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Supreme Court’s decision is the only possible response to the question of prayer in public schools.”

###