mystic victory in dover

There’s been a small victory for the mystics in Dover, Delaware. boscov’s found wrong to deny tarot workshop

Earlier this year, Boscov’s Department Store in Dover booked a series of metaphysical workshops to be held in the meeting room of their store. Soon after running a newspaper ad announcing the event, they cancelled it. Apparently some Christian pastors, opposed on spiritual grounds, had approached the store threatening a boycott if the classes went forward.

Why, you might ask. Leslie Freeman, a woman firmly opposed to the event explained to reporters, “They have devil worshippers that give their life for the cause, but that’s not the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ, neither is it going to help our country.” battle over religious freedom heats up in dover

Given such attitudes, workshop organizers quite reasonably suspected they were dropped for religious reasons and took their case to the Delaware Human Relations Commission. Last week they won their case.

Boscov’s Department Store has been ordered to pay almost $21,000 to workshop organizer, Donna Jackson, and four other instructors. The money was awarded in recognition of loss of income and humiliation suffered through the cancellation of the event.

The issue here doesn’t seem to be so much about religious discrimination as it does religious ignorance. The Christian representatives opposed to the event seemed to feel that the workshops were religious in nature and intended to convert an unsuspecting public to pagan and devil worshipping beliefs.

Not only were they completely off base with the devil worshipping stuff (do I really need to go into that?), but their assumption that the various metaphysical arts like tarot, astrology and numerology, are religions of their own, or essential elements of particular religions, is also completely wrong.

No present day religion can claim ownership to tarot, astrology, numerology, or palmistry. These arts/techniques are used by people of varying faiths with equal usefulness. In fact, the woman who organized the workshop, Donna Jackson, is apparently a Christian herself, though some of the others are Pagan.

It’s too bad for Boscov’s that they got in the middle of this mess. They claimed they cancelled the workshops for business, rather than religious reasons. I believe them. They just made the wrong business choice.

It may have worked out better for them if, rather than simply cutting the event, they had brought their concerns to the workshop organizers after they were approached by the Pastors. I’m sure they could have easily cleared things up with some communication and education. Boscov’s has 30 days to appeal, we’ll see what happens.

There’s an important a lesson here for everyone involved in the legitimate practice of any of the metaphysical arts. Whenever possible, help people understand what it is you’re actually doing. And always stress to anyone who might be concerned - the devil is in no way involved.