Imagine living in a small town and having a secret life, and then being called on to reveal a secret life to thousands of people. One Woman in Hoopeston, Illinois faced this and confessed her love of all things Wiccan and Magickal in her conservative American town.

Hoopeston, IL - In small town America it is very difficult to be different from your family and neighbors. In the town of Hoopeston, Virginia Powell faces this everyday as a practicing Witch and Pastor of Selu Temple, a Wiccan Church. She is a lifelong resident, and as she has come out of the closet, she has discovered a lot of acceptance and some resistance. Rev. Powell has confessed to practicing Wicca for a long time, and now is a teacher of Wicca as well. (more…)

Angkor, Cambodia - Built by a mighty 9th-century Khmer king, the soaring temple of Phnom Bakheng stands atop the highest peak of ancient Angkor. With a sweeping view that takes in Angkor Wat — the world’s largest religious structure — the monks stationed here were probably among the first to glimpse the approaching Siamese troops that snuffed out this city’s centuries-long domination of much of Southeast Asia.

So perhaps it is not surprising that more than 500 years later, Phnom Bakheng has become the ideal perch from which to watch another assault on Angkor — by marauding armies of tourists. (more…)