At sunset, August 2nd, in front of
City Hall, Coven Oldenwilde will mark the anniversary of their
first ritual to strengthen the town’s 100-plus-year-old
magnolia tree against developer Stewart Coleman’s ax. Last
year’s protest rite on the Pagan holiday of Lammas followed
the first news reports that Mr. Coleman, owner of Black Dog Realty,
had purchased from the Buncombe County Commissioners the former
public parkland the tree calls home -- which was donated to the “people
forever” in 1901 by George Willis Pack, Jr.
The sale sparked city-wide grassroots opposition to Coleman’s
plan to erect the nine-story Parkside Condomiums, which would house
35 people with a base entry price of $900,000 per unit. To date
at least 7,000 citizens have signed an ongoing petition against
the complex, asking city and/or county officials to use eminent
domain to protect public property rights and return the parkland
to the people and spare the tree. Meanwhile, Pack’s descendants
are suing both Coleman and the county; a preliminary hearing is
scheduled for August 25th. |
For the past 6 weeks & 2 days
(as of August 12) Lady Passion, High Priestess of the Coven,
has maintained a 24-hour vigil to protect the rare twin tree
from destruction by the developer. Hundreds help support Lady
Passion with food, supplies, and eyes on the tree. Fellow tree
watchers who come to “sit a spell” in the tree’s
cool, fragrant shade have dubbed the disputed property the “Temporary
Autonomous Republic of Magnolia,” and strive to promote
democracy and free speech through open discussions of government
and development -- as well as smiles and waves to passers-by,
in true Southern genteel style.
Coven members plan once again to chant Barbarous Words of Power
- this time, an ancient Roman spell called the Enos Juvate, to
prevent the felling of the beloved, famous magnolia tree.
For more information, contact Lady Passion (Dixie Deerman) at
828-335-2554, and visit www.StopParkside.org
 Lady
Passion is co-author of The Goodly Spellbook: Olde
Spells For Modern Problems and High Priestess of Coven
Oldenwilde in Asheville, NC. She may be reached via: www.oldenwilde.org
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