Beauty Queen Must Repent

Stephanie Conover, 22, an actor, singer, dancer, and current Miss Canada Plus 2007, was invited to judge a local beauty pageant the 2008 Miss Toronto Tourism contest.

She accepted, and sent along a brief bio detailing some of her interests, including horseback riding, skiing , knitting, fisting, reading, yoga, reiki, and tarot card reading. She got a letter from pageant organizers revoking her invitation because the latter two practices constitute "the occult" and "witchcraft."

Reiki is a Japanese art that seeks to heal the body with energy, while Tarot cards are an ancient way of seeking spiritual guidance. Both harmless New age hippy practices. Yoga on the other hand has had links with Satanism for centuries but maybe they got it confused with yogurt and let it get past.

The rest of the letter went on to say that reiki and Tarot are not only unacceptable to "Jews, Muslims, or Christians," but to God Himself.

The letter quoted Leviticus 20:6, where God states: "I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums or spiritualists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut them off from his people," and Leviticus 20:27, which states that "A man or a woman who is a medium...shall surely be put to death, they shall stone them with stones, big flat pointy stones. "

The Miss Toronto Tourism pageant has no affiliation with the Toronto Convention & Visitors Association or other official tourism organisation.

Stephanie, who is a practicing Wiccan, told OBB News that she was shocked to receive the letter. "They're attacking my character when they know nothing about me, and based on things that have nothing to do with the pageant.
Reiki and tarot card reading are both positive practices that have nothing to do with 'dark forces. I feel so violated and my ying is all up my yang, I shall pray to the blessed white Unicorn for them."

Stepanie added "they're trying to burn me at the stake without knowing anything about my character."
Which was not a necessary requirement to burn someone at the stake. Most witch burnings were just personal grudges.

The letter also hoped that "Stephanie Conover will turn from these belief systems and will repent from her practice of them." Stephanie expressed no interest in repenting and said, "I only got into Wicca for the hot Pagan sex magic rituals."

Her philosophy is that destiny is not a matter of CHANCE but a matter of CHOICE and is also a great name for a child.

The Miss Toronto Tourism says on their website about their commitment to multiculturalism and tolerance.
They were not available for comment as they had to picket a gay pride parade.