Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Companion by Llewellyn (i wanna iguana read aloud .TXT) 📕

Month. The declaration is now the most widely translated document in the world.

So what is it? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a legally binding document of 30 articles that ensures all people’s right to dignity, liberty, privacy, property, fair employment, health, education, religion, and freedom from slavery and persecution. These rights are inherent to all humans, regardless of “race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” The declaration can be read in its entirety at www.udhr.org.

How to get involved

The Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute’s website for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides history, resources, a calendar of events, news, and scores of ideas on how to commemorate this month. Go to www.udhr.org and click on “Action” for ways to get involved in human rights causes. Activities are in five categories: Request and Read, Act Locally, Act Nationally or Internationally, Grab a Partner, and Raise Your Voice.

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

december 21–january 19

capricorn

Well, the holidays are over and spring is still far off—are you feeling cabin fever yet? Is the stale winter air making you yearn for fresh air? Maybe that’s the feeling that inspired Canada to declare the third week in January Non-Smoking Week back in 1977.

The week’s activities are coordinated by the Canadian Council on Smoking and Health. Canada has a very strong national smoking ban, both for indoor public spaces and work spaces, including restaurants, bars, and casinos. The United States has no national smoking ban, but as of March 2010, 26 states have some type of public smoking ban, 7 states have bans that do not include adult locations, 6 states have detailed bans, and 11 states have no statewide smoking ban. In addition, many local governments have passed smoking bans for public spaces. And it’s no wonder: cigarette smokers are 20 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers.

How to get involved

While occasional tobacco use is common in ritual, dependence on nicotine is an unhealthy addiction. If you are currently a smoker, there are many resources to help you kick the habit; try www.quitnet.net, www.smokefree.gov, or www.quitsmoking.com. The American Lung Association even offers a free online smoking cessation program. Visit www.lungusa.org and click on “Stop Smoking” for more information.

Are you close to a smoker? Visit www.quitguide.com and click “Help Someone Quit” for tips on supporting others trying to quit.

If you’re curious what bans are in effect in your area, try a search of “List of Smoking Bans” on Wikipedia for smoking bans by country and links to a list of smoking bans by state.

We are the music-makers

And we are the dreamers of dreams.

~Arthur O’Shaughnessy

january 19–february 18

aquarius

Back in 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week, celebrated in February due to Civil War president Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12, 1809) and the birthday of abolitionist author and former slave Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–February 20, 1895). In 1976, the commemoration was expanded to a month but kept in February. In the UK, however, black history is celebrated in October.

The usefulness of Black History Month is now widely debated, with some arguing that black history is American history, and there is no need to separate the two. But remember: if we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Just as we study the Holocaust and wars of old, we ought to examine the slave era and civil rights movement in order to avoid such prejudices in the future.

How to get involved

Take some time to learn a bit about the slave era and pledge to uphold racial equality in your community in whatever ways you can. Visit www.blackhistory.com for profiles of historymakers and more. Check your local television listings for special programs this month, particularly on channels like History and Biography. Biography’s website has timelines, trivia, and (no surprise) biographies of famous abolitionists and equal rights activists at www.biography.com/blackhistory.

Children are the future of society. Talk with your children and see what impressions they’ve formed of race and racism. You may be surprised what your children think and what they’ve absorbed from you, the media, and their friends. Racism is learned: be sure it’s not what your children are being taught.

Uncovering what is wrong must always precede

the discovery of what is right.

~Guy Finley

february 18–march 20

pisces

March is Women’s History Month in the United States. The first International Women’s Day was on March 8, 1911. Congress passed a resolution to recognize Women’s History Week in 1981, and the commemoration gained such popularity in many schools that it was expanded to a whole month in 1987.

Though women were not historically allowed to be explorers, teachers, or scholars, intrepid females have played a great part in the story of humankind. From scientists like Madame Curie, who discovered two new elements, to politicians like Great Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, women have been studying, inventing, exploring, and leading since the dawn of time—even if they had to do so behind the scenes.

Some instances of discrimination based on sex do still exist, but women in America have come a long way in recent decades. The eighteenth amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on sex, among other things.

How to get involved

Visit the website of the National Women’s History Project at www.nwhp.org to learn more about the unique role women have played in America’s history. This organization was founded in 1980 to celebrate women’s accomplishments and provide positive role models for young girls.

Girls Explore is another useful tool for learning about adventurous women. The site (www.girls-explore.com) features books, dolls, and biographies of famous women who changed history. Also included are pages of interesting information and links for children, parents, and educators.

All I am I owe to my mother.

~George Washington

march 20–april 19

aries

April is Community Service Month in the United States. After reading