Would you buy the cross as a "secular symbol of death?" Despite the obvious absurdity of such a notion, that's exactly what a Utah federal court would have you believe, in answer to a challenge against the Utah Highway Patrol Association's habit of putting up crosses to honor fallen officers. It might have been a noble gesture, but for the inconvenience of using the cross despite the actual faith of individual officers. It seems only the universal identifier of the Christian faith may serve as a "secular symbol," but not any other.

Today is the first day of the ancient harvest festival of Lammas ('loaf-mass'). The Lammas Mass was drawn from an older Pagan celebration, known to the Celts as Lughnassadh (Assembly of Lugh), the feast of the lightning-god Lugh of the Long Hand (Llew to the Welsh). In ancient times, this was the feast of the corn-god, who represented the life force of the crops, who was slain at harvest time and dwelt in the underworld (often in the form of buried wine-jugs) until his rebirth at the winter solstice. The holiday is celebrated by modern Pagans, often with bread and beer

Plans to have the Dalai Lama speak at a scientific conference are causing controversy. (It's the notion that the body/consciousness can be separated that's causing the biggest flap)

Happy birthday to Edward Kelly, Elizabethan alchemist, seer, and partner to John Dee.

Interesting: Psychiatric treatment of ghost possession