Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

Yep, that's me!

Splitter! ;p

Reverence for nature exists by itself for many people - who don't need to join or cult, sect or religion to pursue it.

But there is a financial downside to revering instead of worshipping, you don't get taxpayer funded free out of hours visits inside Stonehenge in small groups.

...then a desire for peace and harmony probably lay at the bottom of early Christianity, and look how that ended up.

Aye, the good news today though is that,

“The Northern Territory Government is repealing old legislation which makes tarot card reading and witchcraft illegal.

“The Witchcraft Act of 1735 has been inherited from Britain and has since been repealed in most other parts of the Western world. But Northern Territory Attorney-General John Elferink says a legal quirk meant it stayed on the Territory's statute books. He says a year in prison is a pretty stiff punishment for a tarot card reader and has promised to finally repeal the legislation.

"Tammy Hatherill, a tarot card reader and teacher based in Darwin, says readings are popular in the Top End. But she says the practice has a deeper purpose than providing a source of amusement. "Tarot is a healing, because all sorts of information come up in a tarot reading. It's information that people need to know, not necessarily what they want to know," she said. "It allows them then to look back on their lives and start to heal areas in their lives that need the healing." She says many people do not know the Witchcraft Act exists, so getting rid of it will not make much difference.

“Those in witchcraft and pagan circles say they are glad the law is being thrown out.”

More here :-)

If you want to start down that route again, there's all kinds of people who get free stuff at the taxpayers' expense. Get over it ;)

Well I used to think the main free solstice event (sometimes attended only by a couple of dozen Druids according to them) cost £200,000 a year but I've recently found it's over £250,000 a year. So at a time when EH has been made virtually skint and has had to cut down on almost every element of heritage defence (including not fighting damaging planning applications as it can't afford it) I'm not about to "get over it" thanks. Times are tough, it's no good moaning at what EH don't/can't do while saying it's OK that they run one of the world's most expensive free parties inside a world heritage site. One or the other.

Agree to differ? I don't recall anyone saying £250K wasn't scandalous. I've only just found the figure out myself. As for the unpleasantness, you win. I'll vacate the thread.