A quick history of Magic and it’s relationship to the developing western civilization.

Ancient roman law recognised the difference between beneficial magic such as healing, herbal treatments, blessings, prayers, divination etc.. And harmful magic --evil doing, hexes, curses and the like.

This concept existed into early European civilizations. There was good magic- given by the Gods/God- healing, divination, miracles and harmful magic. Those condemned for witchcraft usually were midwives practicing without a licence, taking business away from the leechy physicians.

During the 9th and 10th centuries the church began to condemn witches because they decided that even beneficial magic belonged to God and therefore only His priests could have access to this power.

The Theology faculty at Paris University officially made all magic heresy in 1398, regardless of God given or not. Anything suspect of being supernatural in anyway, and not performed by a priest, was heresy and a pact with Satan.

This shows that the concept of beneficial magic being evil is a uniquely Christian, they had the power, they made the laws. As we see in other cultures, Native American, for example the distinction between harmful and beneficial magic was/is still made. Shamans and Medicine men/women perform healing and good magic for their peoples. They avoid the evil spirits and even the tricky ones like Coyote.

It was either Shayno or Graceshaker who asked Why should we as Christians not run from a proclaimed witch, when the Bible calls witchcraft a sin?

The method of beginning an examination by torture is as follows: First, the jailers prepare the implements of torture, then they strip the prisoner (if it be a woman, she has already been stripped by other women, upright and of good report). This stripping is lest some means of witchcraft may have been sewed into the clothing--such as often, taught by the Devil, they prepare from the bodies of unbaptized infants, [murdered] that they may forfeit salvation.

Dear Former 1995 Grad Student,

That's right, put on your hypercolour t-shirts, roll up the bottom of your jeans nice and tight and pull up those white socks - it's been TEN years......

Do you have a hankering for some soggy French fries? [yummy, what I ate for lunch for five years] Perhaps you miss hanging out at Faye's [the corner store]? Or maybe, just maybe, it's been almost 15 years since you were last water ballooned at a barbeque.....It is for the above reasons (ok, and a few more), that it's time for your 10 year grad reunion!

Date: Sept-Oct 2005
Location: TBA
Cost: Approx $20.00-$30.00 per person
Details: More to come soon!

At this time a few of us have begun planning the event but we need your help. We need contact information for many of your fellow classmates. Currently we have about 1/3rd of the class. Please take a moment and read the list below for those we do not have contact information for and forward their email addresses and phone numbers to TD at this email address(td@--.ca) as soon as possible.... And don't worry, we promise we won't give contact information to anyone else.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you all soon. You will hear more from us shortly.

TD, CM, McG and SA*.

Here is the freaky info for our grad reunion. Scary that it's been ten years. I'm emailing you guys cuz you're all considered MIA, send on an email to TD, he's getting this thingy all organized. I didn't send him your email addys cuz I don't know if you all want to be found or not. This whole thing makes me feel weird.

Sorry I've been so lax in getting back to you. I was on vacation in Idaho. But I did want to get back to you all this time, and a continental breakfast at a Quality Inn seems as good a time as any.

Thanks for not passing my e-mail along. I'll have to think about whether I want them to find me. It would be real money for me to get there, so it's a hard call. It will depend a lot about who's going -- I would be interested in seeing people I was close to again, but I don't have much sick curiosity about seeing the "popular" kids again (and they seem to be the ones organizing this thing.) And on the other hand, to see the people I got along with, I don't really need a reunion for that necessarily. Unfortunately, that time M and I came to visit was just way too short.

To be honest, I miss some of the teachers as much as some of the students. I would like to see Mr. G, Ms. D, Ms. O, Mr. B, etc.

So, how's motherhood treating you? That's something I always thought you'd be good at. Any other news in North Van?

Take care,
DM

No worries about taking your time to get back to me. That's what's so great about email. What did you think of Idaho? Sorta weird huh? I understand about not being sure if you want to be found. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be found either, but i still live in the same house, so they'd track me down, and I’d rather surrender peacefully then be attacked in the night. Can't you just tell how much I loved high school?

I think quiet a few of our gang will be there, and besides I’ve heard a rumour that TD is kinda bald, so really that's why I’m going to show up. I'm trying to convince FA to go as my recently discovered lesbian lover, but she seems to believe too many people would know it’s a lie. I think that's what makes it great- our friends know the truth- but we'd confuse the hell out of the 'popular crowd'.

Being a mum is great fun. Owen is a terrible brat some days, but I guess it's payback for my childhood behaviour. I love being a mum, it's a lot of fun and a lot of work, but I get to watch cartoons and play at the park all day, you can't beat that!

news of the shore--- hhmmmm well we know own my parents house, we bought it from my folks this spring, we are now proud members of the freedom 85 club, how's your house? As much of a money pit as this place has become?

Lets see... what else... WH had a baby boy last Oct/Nov (she's going to kill me that I can't remember the date) named M. And LD and LD had their baby in May MM. FA got engaged after swearing she's never marry and now all I hear about it silk dresses and "my colours". NMO is teaching eng 12 summer school this summer. We're trying to get together before she starts teaching. I'd like to see here before the class starts cuz I’m worried the hooligans in summer school might kill her.

I have these odd run ins with old high school folks now and then, I guess that's what I get for staying on the shore. But that's all the news I can think of right now--

I think it would be great if you guys made it out for the stupid reunion. We can plan one of our own for our crowd, have it at my house and just invite the people we want to see again PPFFFFPP~~~[raspberries] to the popular crowd. I watched Grosse Point Blank awhile ago- now that's what a reunion should be. Just think we could make our own movie about it-- all coming of age and look how far we've come crap and a few hits for hire to add some spice.

Think about it! I’ll give you the staring role as the "guy coming back after many years away" you'll see how everything's changed but nothings really changed and it'll be all naughide-- sorry nostalgic-- and beautiful and tragic at the same time. I'll be the girl who never left and I'll should how wonderful the past truly is and how you can come to terms with the popular crowd and we'll all reunite and be friends forever and ever and ever.

Man I should give up this freelance shit and become a screen writer Oscars here I come!

(Sorry it's early and I haven't had much coffee yet-- this is one of those emails I should sit on before sending, but I'm going to send it anyway...hope you enjoyed my little diatribe.)

Big hugs
FM

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