EP 33: Law & Aura - The Hanover Witch Fights Back!

What happens when a law written during the Civil War crawls out of the history books to threaten a modern-day business owner with jail time?

In October 2023, the Police Chief of Hanover, Pennsylvania, walked into The Serpent's Key Shoppe & Sanctuary with a warning for owner Beck Ravenswood: Stop reading tarot cards for money, or face prosecution under an 1861 state statute banning "fortune telling for gain or lucre."

Instead of hiding the decks, Beck fought back, filing a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of trying magic in a modern court.

In this episode, Gary and John sit down with Beck Ravenswood to discuss not only her background but:

• The surreal experience of being threatened with an archaic law in the 21st century.
• The dark history of anti-vagrancy laws used to target spiritual communities.
• The reality of the ongoing battle to protect First Amendment rights for pagans and practitioners.
• Whether this legal zombie is just bureaucracy at work, or a historical prejudice actively haunting Hanover.

Does the law fear what it can’t understand? Join the conversation as we split the difference between the legal and the mystical.

GUEST LINKS Keep up with Beck Ravenswood and their legal fight:

• Instagram: @the_stitching_witch
• TikTok: @thestitchingwitch
• Shop: https://serpentskeyshoppe.com/

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