is it illegal?

Discussion in 'Psychic' started by JCFN, Jan 16, 2008.

  1. JCFN

    JCFN Member

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    is it illegal to earn rewards from the practice of magic, witchcraft or sorcery in any USA state?
     
  2. zengizmo

    zengizmo Ignorant Slut HipForums Supporter

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    You should go to a law forum, not a psychic forum. I did find a site that says witchcraft and the like are not illegal anywhere in the USA. Here's a reference: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/39019

    This says nothing about material gain from the practice, though. But if it's legal to practice, why would there be any laws against profiting from it?

    You getting ready to hang out your shingle?
     
  3. mara-aum

    mara-aum Member

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    not sure about that. here in canada its not illegal to practice as a psychic as long as you prominantly display a "for enertainment purposes only" sign which i believe is TERRIBLE. i refuse to post the sign.
     
  4. dd3stp233

    dd3stp233 -=--=--=-

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    I know of people that say that the most "successful" people in life use some form of intuitive skills to get ahead, not really magic but kinda related.
     
  5. zengizmo

    zengizmo Ignorant Slut HipForums Supporter

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    Yes, and just let the cops TRY and catch us at it! LOL
     
  6. treehugginghappiness

    treehugginghappiness Member

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    Well, If youre talking about Wicca, then you would refer magick to be spelt like 'magick' not 'magic'. And it became a legal religion in 1985. There are still Christian organizations against it, trying to ban it however.
     
  7. its_des10e

    its_des10e Member

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    I don't think so, but in Pennsylvania, they have a ban on psychic business practices- including tarot readers. Completely nuts if you ask me.
     
  8. ideagirl

    ideagirl Member

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    Two quick responses...

    * "Wicca became a legal religion in 1985"
    - no. In the UK Wicca ceased to be illegal in about 1952 or 53, with the repeal of the Witchcraft Act. In the US, to my knowledge it was never illegal (I'm talking about the modern US here, not the Puritan colonies). There is no authority in the US capable of declaring a religion to be legal or not--that would violate the First Amendment's prohibition on establishing religion. (I don't think there is such an authority in the UK either). So in other words, Wicca has been legal (technically at least) since the Constitution was ratified. On the other hand, it's only been recognized by the US military since fairly recently; maybe that's where the 1985 date comes from. Wicca was recognized by the military a while back, but I think it was only last year that the first Wiccan pentacle was allowed on a US military headstone.

    * "Pennsylvania has a ban on psychic business practices" - I doubt that, because those kinds of regulations are always or almost always local (i.e. city-based). The few regulations I've heard about that banned one or more kinds of psychic business have been municipal regulations. Also, I know a psychic medium who practices in Pennsylvania and she's quite open about it: she advertises, does shows, has an office, is on local radio a lot, etc. And I've been to tarot readers and the like on both sides of PA (Philly area and Pittsburgh area). So if you've been to a town in PA where psychic businesses are banned, it would've been a municipal ordinance, not a state law.

    As for whether psychic businesses are banned anywhere in the US, I'm sure there are still towns that have such ordinances. But a lot of those ordinances have been successfully challenged on First Amendment grounds--i.e. someone who wanted to run a psychic business has sued to overturn the law, arguing that it violates their First Amendment rights. So if you know of a place where such an ordinance exists, and someone who's unhappy with that ordinance, maybe suggest that they get in touch with their local ACLU to try and throw it out.
     
  9. hotwater

    hotwater Senior Member Lifetime Supporter

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    Wiccan is a thriving business in Salem Massachusetts, an entire community which has embraced both it’s whaling and maritime past along with the historic witch trials [​IMG]


    hotwater
     
  10. seanmiller

    seanmiller Member

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    A little thing called freedom of religion lets you practice this however you choose. In the US a "for entertainment purposes only" sign prevents you from being sued if you happen to be wrong or tell someone something they didn't want to hear. Local ordinences might ban professional practices. However, if those laws were challenged they would probably be deamed unconstitutional. As for the legal statis of religions that has more to do with the ability to form a church that has tax exemption status.
     
  11. treehugginghappiness

    treehugginghappiness Member

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    To Idea Girl:
    Well, I don't live in the UK, in the US it became a legal religion in 1985 by Raymond Buckland's movement, and with the help of Lorrie Cabbit.
     

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