May 7, 2005
I BET THE WICCANS THINK THEY'RE NUTS
Area woman indicted for giving illegal abortion (George W. Claxton, Greenfield Recorder, 5/4/05)
A Wendell woman, charged with performing an illegal abortion, has been indicted by a grand jury in Franklin County.According to Google, Deva Skywalker is an artist specializing in wind chimes and jewelry made from forks and spoons. She is also listed as a "spiritual midwife" and leader of Women's Health Workshops on the faculty of the Priestess Path Apprenticeship, a nine-month long program, meeting one weekend per month and costing $2450.00 (paid upfront), in which women learn, inter alia, the planet's call "for the Priestess to re-emerge as a modern day archetype . . . for deep planetary transformation all the way down to the DNA threads of existence."Deva Skydancer, of Farley Road, is facing one count each of procuring a miscarriage and practicing medicine without a license. . . .
"We became aware of the incident when the victim presented at the hospital, Franklin Medical Center, with serious complications from the procedure," she said.
Loehn declined to discuss the particulars of the case and would not say whether Skydancer is a licensed nurse or midwife.
"She is not a licensed physician, which is a requirement for performing abortions in Massachusetts," the prosecutor said.
If Skydancer is found guilty of performing illegal abortions, she could be sent to prison for a maximum of seven years.
Think of all the small, discrete steps you have to take before you find yourself in this position.
Posted by David Cohen at May 7, 2005 12:36 PMsounds like someone had a weird kind of nostalgia to the pre-roe-v-wade days. that 9 month class sounds like a good money earner though, and you could probably wring a few more sheckels out of the goofs who sign up, selling them health crystals and bat wing extract. its all almost enough to make one believe in darwin.
Posted by: at May 7, 2005 1:04 PMor believe in W.C.Fields— "Never give a sucker an even break, or smarten up a chump."
But the feminist Left has beenwarning us of an increase in illegal abortions if the fanatical fundamentalist rightwing Xtian Republicans stay in power, but I don't think this was what they meant. On the other hand, isn't it a woman's "choice" to have a Wiccan abortion, and shouldn't the state just butt out?
Totally off-topic -- Did anybody else notice this reporter's name? If I ever have a son, I think I'll name him George W. Murphy.
Posted by: Matt Murphy at May 7, 2005 2:17 PMMatt:
That's a two-fer. The current President and a former California conservative Senator (and close friend of Ronald Reagan).
Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at May 7, 2005 4:00 PM"Think of all the small, discrete steps you have to take before you find yourself in this position."
the first one would be becoming a lunatic.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at May 7, 2005 4:07 PMI guess one answer would be to make abortions more available and more confidential for all who want them.
You know, leave it up to the individual ... OOPS, what am I saying, this is a society based on what the state wants, not on what the individual wants.
Posted by: Linda at May 8, 2005 5:07 PMLinda: That solution does nothing for those who believe that the fetus is a person, with rights of its own.
Also, are you suggesting that abortion in the Commonwealth is not sufficiently available and confidential?
Posted by: David Cohen at May 8, 2005 6:06 PMlinda, what year is it on your calendar ?
good news: nixon's dead
bad news: so is mao
Posted by: cjm at May 8, 2005 6:12 PMI'm amazed this woman isn't from Sedona.
Too bad she didn't try to just chant out a miscarriage.
In this day, what woman would go to such a quack? Seems like a huge risk to me.
Posted by: jim hamlen at May 8, 2005 7:31 PM