Here is a tile set with a slightly different flavor for Nels Anderson's 
Mahjongg 3.3.  The theme is WICCA, which is a 20th century revival of 
ancient nature religions.  While Wiccans like to feel that their religion 
goes back 25,000 years, most of the paraphernalia and litany has been pieced 
together from various sources within the last century.  This does not bother 
most Wiccans, who feel their religion is a living, breathing, progressive 
one.  If many of the following symbols remind the uninitiated of what is 
commonly called "Witchcraft", it is because this is, in fact, the same 
tradition.  Wiccans feel their beliefs were wrongly slandered by medieval
church officials, and their symbols and deities changed to represent 
Christian ideas of evil, even as some of the tools, and all of the Sabbats, 
were adopted by the church for its own purposes.  Many Wiccans strongly 
dislike the term, "witch", and actively wish everyone to know that their 
religion stands for peace, goodness and harmony with all.  It is to be 
expressly denied that any aspect of true Wicca represents "devil worship",
for "Satan" is strictly a Christian deity and is not acknowledged by Wiccans,
regardless of the claims of certain modern conservative church leaders.

The tiles:

SYMBOLS
	1. Pentagram - symbolizing the four elements of nature (See tiles
		39-42) knit together by spirit.  Note that it points upward.
		This beloved symbol has, unfortunately, been adopted by
		some who call themselves "Satanists", though they display it
		upside-down out of a perverse desire to oppose anything 
		symbolizing good.  They do the same to the Christian cross.
	2. Wheel of the Year - Symbolizing the progression through
		the yearly cycle of life. (See tiles 27-34)
	3. Goddess - Wiccans believe in a duality of the creative
		force, Female as well as Male.  The more feminist Wiccans
		give priority to the Goddess over the God.  Most, however,
		regard them as equals.
	4. God - the consort of the Goddess.

TOOLS

	5. Cauldron - iron pot for cooking, brewing and other uses among
		Wiccans
	6. Scrying Mirror - a mirror painted black, which those with the gift
		use to call up images.  A crystal ball is used by some.
	7. Broom - used to ritually sweep negativity from a circle.  A newly
		married or "hand-fasted" couple will "jump the broom" to
		encourage fertility.  This and other old pagan customs are
		still practiced in remote regions of the Appalachians.
	8. Book of Shadows - the Wiccans personal reference for ritual.  Many
		are hand copied and jealously guarded.
	9. White Knife - for utility use in rituals, cutting fruit, cake,
		etc. (NOT living creatures!)
	10.Athame - Ritual tool for focusing energy, symbolic of the male
		sex.  Not used as a cutting tool.
	11.Wand - Another tool for focusing energy, also symbolizes the male.
	12.Salt - the naturally clean mineral, essential for rituals and
		purifications.
	13.Oil - used for the ritual anointing of coveners, sometimes mixed
		with herbs.
	14.Candle - all shapes and sizes used throughout all Wiccan rituals.
	15.Incense - another purifying substance with its own properties.
	16.Goblet - Ritual tool representing the female sex, corresponds to
		and used with athame.
	17.Bell - used in rituals to invoke the Goddess.
	18.The "Venus of Willendorf" - a prehistoric statuette considered by
		Wiccans as proof of Goddess worship before recorded history.
		This is debatable, but its meaning to modern Wiccans is 
		indisputable.  Reproductions of this and other figures are 
		used to represent the Goddess in all rituals.
	19.Horned Helmet - Representative of the God of the hunt, used in 
		several rituals.  It and other symbols are also used to 
		correspond to the Goddess symbols, as No. 18 above.

RITUAL MISCELLANY

	20.Represents the ritual circle with "deosil", or clockwise, dancing.
	21.13 coveners traditionally formed a coven, 12 couples and a
		priestess or priest, though modern covens are of any size.
	22.The 4 directions of the compass represent the four elements.

PERSONALITIES

	23.The "Familiar" - often a cat, but may be any other creature with
		whom the Wiccan feels a personal bond.  Wiccans,
		incidentally, honor life above all and feel a special
		kinship with the other animal folk of Nature.  Animal or
		(shudder) human sacrifice has no part in Wicca.
	24.The Green Man - has a rich history in Europe, represents the God.
		This image was perverted into the concept of the "Boogey
		Man."
	25.The Goddess - She who holds all in her bosom.  Mother Earth
		ringed by the moon, which reflects in its orbit woman's
		menstrual cycle.  Known by many names and venerated by many
		cultures throughout history.  Most Wiccans feel the refusal
		of modern Western religious thought to acknowledge the 
		female aspect of deity is a serious shortcoming.
	26.The God - The Goddess' consort, who is always depicted with
		horns or antlers because he is Lord of the hunt or the
		forests.  Because the "Beast" of Revelation in the Christian
		Bible is also depicted with horns, the medieval church
		put two and two together and interpreted this as evidence
		that "witches" worshiped Satan.

MAJOR SABBATS

	27.Samhain - depicted by a pumpkin.  The "Witch's New Year", at which
		time Wiccans commune with departed loved ones.  This was 
		altered by the medieval church to "All Hallows Eve", or 
		Halloween.
	28.Imbolc - depicted by candles in the darkness.  First celebration 
		of the awakening Earth.  Altered to "Candlemas", or Ground 
		Hogs Day.
	29.Beltane - depicted by the Maypole.  The traditional "May Day."
		Observance of the uniting of the God and Goddess.
		(Has absolutely nothing to do with the Soviet Union!)
	30.Lammas - depicted by an ear of corn and stalk of wheat.  The time
		to be thankful for the first harvest.  Also known as 
		Lughnasadh and "Harvest Home."

MINOR SABBATS

	31.Ostara - depicted by the decorated egg.  This is the Sabbat that
		the church turned into "Easter."  It is the first day of 
		Spring, and symbolizes the Goddess bursting forth with
		fertility.  The Spring Equinox.
	32.Litha - depicted by a stalk of grapes.  The Summer Solstice, the
		longest day of the year.  The height of the Goddess' powers.
	33.Mabon - depicted by falling leaves.  The first day of Autumn,
		completion of the harvest.  The Fall Equinox.
	34.Yule - depicted by the Yule log.  The God, who has died at 
		Samhain, is now reborn to the Goddess.  He begins his 
		journey back from the shortest day of the year, the Winter 
		Solstice.  It is probably obvious which Christian holiday is 
		modeled after Yule.

MOON PHASES

	35.New - beginning and end of the magickal cycle, a time of meeting 
		for some covens.
	36.Waxing - a period for building magickal forces.
	37.Full - the apex of the magickal cycle, generally a time of meeting
		for all covens.
	38.Waning - a period for releasing magickal forces.

THE ELEMENTS

	39.Air - modern physics aside, the Wiccan honors the four traditional
		elements of matter.  Air is the spirit of the East.  See #22.
	40.Water - the spirit of the West.
	41.Fire - the spirit of the South.
	42.Earth - the spirit of the North.

There was much thought given to the presentation of these images and to
these explanations of them.  Sadly, it must be admitted that there are those
devout individuals of other religions who will feel they should not be
presented at all, much less as the focus of a game.  Wiccans ask only the
same consideration that is asked by other beliefs, as was taught, it would
seem, by the founder of the Christian church when he said, "However you want
men to treat you, treat them the same."

Those wishing to learn more about Wicca may consult two excellent books:  
"Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham, and 
"Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft" by Raymond Buckland.

Blessed Be.

Thornwood