Norway Sponsors Witch

It was bound to happen. New Zealand has long had a state sponsored wizard, the wizard of Christ Church, who receives support as a national landmark. The United States doesn't precisely have state sponsored witches, but there are paid Wiccan chaplins in the U.S. military. Now, Norway has a state sponsored witch as part of a program to support new small businesses.

Lena Skarning, aged 33, claims 13 years of experience in witchcraft.

Her business, Forest Witch Magic Consulting, will tell fortunes, teach magic tricks at corporate seminars, and offer potions and creams to cure for problems ranging from sleeplessness to bad habits. . . . A condition of the grant is that she has promised not to try any spells that might hurt anyone.

The grant is for $7,500.