
      The Beltane Conspiracy


We are facing, in 1988, perhaps the greatest threat to the Old
Religion and to human liberty this country has ever seen.  There is
currently a coalition of forces, often referring to themselves as
"Christian Reconstructionists", with a terrifying philosophy.  Anyone
who viewed the recent PBS  special on Church and State knows what I am
referring to.

At the core of their beliefs is a yearning for America to become
"God's Kingdom on Earth", a desire to which "secular humanist" ideas
like democracy are antithetical.  This is not merely my paranoia,
they have stated it as such.  The Kingdom is to be a "bible
believer's" theocracy, in which biblical law would function alongside
civil law.  To those of you uninitiated in the terminology, "Biblical
Law" and "Islamic Law" are pretty much indistinguishable.  They call
for, among other things, the execution of adulterers, homosexuals,
"incorrigable sons", and of course, us........

Normally, this would be just another nut group, but their influence in
current Republican politics is  astonishing.  At the grass roots
level, their electors may well have achieved dominance at the next
Republican nominating convention.  An example:  This year one
Northwest Florida precinct had 23 slots open for local participation.
There were over 200 applicants for those slots.....ALL BUT 12 OF THEM
WERE ELECTORS FOR REV. PAT ROBERTSON!

Although it may not win, there will be strong support at the
Republican Nominating Convention for a Kemp/Robertson or
Robertson/Kemp ticket, and their influence will be felt in the
platforms of both parties.  Make no mistake, This Is Real.....!


We have come up with, I think, a way to help combat this kind of
thinking, and, hopefully, a way to help put this country back on the
path set out by our beloved, drug-sodden, sex crazed, mystical
forebears Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, and Washinton (long may his pot
fields wave).  We feel it is ideal for Pagani because it is
essentially apolitical (though if you do have a political bent, in the
names of the Goddess, get involved. One person can do so much good if
intense enough) and probably a lot of fun.


                /\
               /  \
              /<()>\
             /      \
             --------

               THE
             BELTANE
           CONSPIRACY!

(....or: can a bunch of Witches, New Age types, rock musicians,
computer geeks, and 60's burnouts save American Democracy and have a
good time while doing it...)


The premise of this project  is very simple:  It is to increase the
awareness of the American Public of options....options in lifestyles,
in religious beliefs, in futures...it is also to increase the
political visiblity of Free-Thinking people to the political
electorate (as in: if they got 170,000 people out in the park last
Saturday, thats a LOT of potential votes).  We want to present to
America a vision of the world in which options are only limited by the
will to carry through on them, and by a respect for our fellow humans
and for the Earth, as opposed to one in which "everything not
prohibited is compulsory and everything not compulsory is prohibited."

The current resurgence of the 1960's, both in interest and in musical
style, as well as the ascention of those of us who grew up (or didnt)
through the 60's to  positions of importance in government and
business, provides an excellent platform for a year of celebration. A
celebration of life and of freedom. The Conspiracy timetable runs like
this:

1: OMBLEC (or Candlemas or whatever you use in your trad....early
Feb., anyway):

   Meet with your Circle, friends, or Working group to plot out the
year. We suggest  using Amnesty International's technique of breaking
people up into smaller groups, each assigned to letter writing or to
securing needed public permits...whatever.  It seems to work very
well.  This is also a really good oppurtunity to do something
positive....just in general.  After you meet, take your Circle down
someplace with a bunch of garbage bags and clean up a roadside, tidy
up a park, anything.  Make somplace a little nicer to be in, and when
someone asks what you're doing, tell them...

2: EOSTAR:

   Get your Circle together with other interested groups for planning.
 This is not only a good chance for some larger scale public works,
but for some Events with a capital E.  If you've access to some
musicians, or to artists, make the meetings occasion for public
showings and concerts.  Do it right. Get the appropriate permits, et
al.  Make a point of showing the local authorities that you're not out
to cause a scene, at least, not a bad one.
   Above all, DON'T PUSH, don't SELL anything, unless you're doing a
crafts fair.  The point is OPTIONS, not OUR OPTION in particular.
Make it fun for everybody.


3:  BELTANE

     The traditional time for festival, a time for the fires and music
and maypoles and orgies and so forth, and its about time we stopped
keeping these all to ourselves.

     We should be together enough by now to do it right, to drown out
the jackboots echoing down Red Square with some sounds of joy.  Public
concerts, Public Circles, maypoles, REAL maypoles like when most of us
were growing up, and this time, get up a press list and invite the
media along.
    Think about a Maying with Reniassance or Medieval period dress and
instruments, or a big joint public circle in a public park (again, GET
THE PERMITS), or just a series of outdoor concerts, just for fun.
Lets DRIVE SOME OF THIS BLACKNESS OUT OF HERE.


4: MIDSUMMER!

   Stated Simply, we would like to see major festivals in every major
city in this country.  We would like to make the fabled "Summer of
Love" look like a tepid handshake on a cold night.

   Call together the Pagans, the Hippies and NeoHippies, the Punkers
and the Eccentrics and the  people who are just plain flat in love
with living for a celebration of options and ideas.  I would
personally like to see 150,000 people in Griffith park at Midsummer
sunrise.


It Will Happen.  If you or your group are interested, leave Email to
me or to Parsifal, and please talk this up.  Those of you on Qlink,
Playnet, or Compuserv, there are already discussions going on, and we
hope to have a handbook of sorts ready for DLing by the end of
January.

Lets ride this horse.

Blessed Be


[Editor's note: More information should be available on the following BBS's:
   Parsifal's BBS: 818-769-5864,  North Hollywood, CA
   PBS (Pagan Broadcasting System): 818-982-0751,  North Hollywood, CA

And, possibly, on Mysteria: 818-353-8891, Glendale, CA
 (use "C D/CAGLE/12" for PCPursuit)

(since Mysteria runs at 1200baud, then, it is available via PCPursuit. The
other 2 BBS's run at 300 baud (as of 15 Jan) and, as such, are not available
via PCPursuit (there's only one PCP modem for that area, and it runs at
1200 baud, only!)  If PBBS or Parsifal's BBS ever get 1200 baud, then, they
WILL be available via PCPursuit.  I don't know who's taking contributions,
try asking on Mysteria, which does run at 1200, or, call direct at 300 baud.)]

[Editor's further note:  I believe the original author of this piece goes by
the handle of "GreyMage1" on QLink.  An associate of the author goes by the 
handle "Parsifal1" on QLink.  I have no idea of how many other networks
these two are on.] 

