The following items are also being added to the prohibited items list: advice; spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; magic; prayers; blessing services; magic potions; healing sessions; ...And the following categories are to be removed:
Discontinued categories:I'm a little ambivalent about this. It's not as though this is a direct attack on pagans or witches, as prayers are also included; however, it does seem to be targeting a certain set of beliefs and, rather interestingly, I could not find miracles listed among the banned items.
- Metaphysical: Psychic, Paranormal; Readings
- Metaphysical: Psychic, Paranormal; Spells, Potions
- Metaphysical: Tarot Readings
This ban may go some way to stopping the charlatans, but I am one of those people that feel if someone wants to spend $5,000 on a magic candle to cure their ills, then let them so do, because, generally, I am not very keen on the nanny state. Technically speaking, a seller can still list a ring believed to have been owned by the Grand Magus, Quezacotl Doom Sayer, imbibed with his personal magic, because what they are really selling is the cheap, silver plated ring not the magic attached thereto. So, these bans and removals Ebay is instigating may not be terribly effective at stopping fools from parting with their money.
Ebay is a business and, as such, reserves the right to refuse anyone from trading with them. Still, the specific categories being removed, and the items being targeted - although intangibles - are related to a particular sector of society, which gives it a hint of a smell of - what's the right word here? - discrimination against occultists.
Ah well. Does it really matter to me? No. This update will have no affect on me, nor my dealings with various auction/trading sites. Real occultists are likely to remain unaffected, because, as occultists, everything is generally hidden and not displayed for sale, and the unscrupulous will always find a way to take advantage of the unwary.
Caveat Emptor!
