Does a witch live next door

Wicca: An oft misunderstood — but fast-growing — religion

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photos This is the personal Samhain altar of Lusby resident Rachel Emerson. On it are symbolic elements for this time of year. The changing of the leaves, the pumpkin is symbolic of the harvest; gold and silver candles to represent the god and goddess; there is also a corn dolly on the altar, a traditional fall craft; an athame (ritual blade used to direct energy), some burning incense and a pentagram. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photos Wiccan Priestess Lady Themis, of the Circle of Fire's Spirit in Leonardtown, left, has smoke from smoldering sage fanned over her by Tapestry, another member of the coven. Wiccans use the fragrant sage smoke to "ground and center" themselves before entering a ritual space. Click here to enlarge this photo This personal altar is in the home of Zianna of Lusby. The items shown include the athame ritual knife, a crystal ball, Tarot cards and a wand. Click here to enlarge this photo Chuck Nemeth, of Leonardtown, is High Priest of the Circle of Fire's Spirit coven in Leonardtown. He is shown with his wife, Renee, the High Priestess, and their son Max.

With Halloween coming up tomorrow, most folks are stocking up on candy and other treats to be given away to all the little ghosts, goblins and witches who will be trooping up to the front door screaming, "Trick or Treat."

Speaking of witches, are you among those who think of witches as nasty old crones who fly around on broomsticks, peddling poisoned apples and turning handsome young princes into frogs? Maybe, like Samantha who cooks dinner with a twitch of her nose, or the girls on "Charmed," who can turn their neighbor's pet dachshund into a parakeet? Or, perhaps, among those who believe that witches sacrifice babies on bonfires, poison young minds and worship Satan during lurid nocturnal ceremonies?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you may be surprised to learn that there are estimated to be at least several hundred real, live witches in Southern Maryland — men and women who do none of those things, but who are devout followers of Wicca, one of the fastest-growing and least-understood religions in North America. In fact, a real witch may live next door or down the block from you.

"For many hundreds of years, the word ‘witchcraft' has conjured up pictures of ugly old hags flying through the air on broomsticks, stirring bubbling cauldrons, worshiping Satan and doing evil," writes author Raymond Buckland in his 2001 book, "Wicca for Life." "In recent years, the truth has emerged that witchcraft is simply a non-Christian (not anti-Christian) religion dating, in some ways, from ancient times, and that its followers — known as Witches or Wiccans — are lovers of all living things, with desire to harm none."

While there are differences among Wiccans in the various details of their rites, much the same as the differences within the other mainstream religions, there is a core set of beliefs common to Wiccans of all varieties. Their overriding code, known as the "Wiccan Rede," is short and simple: "An it harm none, do what ye will." This is not unlike the "Golden Rule" and similar teachings in virtually every major religion of the world.

Wiccans believe that there is a divine presence in all earthly things — animals, trees, rocks, water, fire, etc. In worship, they normally personalize this divine, or spiritual, presence in the form of a dualistic deity consisting of a goddess and a god, either as individuals or as a single deity comprised of both male and female attributes.

They do not worship Satan; in fact, they do not even believe in the existence of Satan or any other all-evil entity.

"We believe in doing no harm to anyone or anything, and in honoring nature and the cycle of the seasons and life. We also believe in karma and that what goes around comes around," explained Zianna, a 30-something practicing witch from Calvert County, who asked that her real name not be used. "Wicca is very much about being in harmony with nature," she said. "Our meetings have to do with the phases of the moon and the seasons of the year."

Again, these beliefs, either singly or combined, are not unique among the world's numerous faiths. But, Wiccans also practice witchcraft and employ it in their rituals.

What is witchcraft?

According to Buckland, "The word ‘witchcraft' comes from the Old Anglo-Saxon word ‘wicce-craeft,' meaning ‘the craft of the wise.'" The ancient wise ones had, over time, acquired knowledge about herbs, including poisons — knowledge they needed to help those who were sick or who had accidentally poisoned themselves by eating the wrong plant. The Medieval church turned this knowledge against them, accusing them of using the knowledge to poison others, a line of reasoning used in King James I's later translation of the Bible.

"The original words of the Bible said, ‘Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live,'" Buckland continues. "James's translators, whether by ignorance or design … chose to say, ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.'" (Exodus 22:18, KJV)

The rest, of course, is history, including Europe's Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials of colonial Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693.

Most modern-day Wiccans trace the origin of their religion to 1954, shortly after the last British law against witchcraft was abolished, when an eclectic Englishman, Gerald Gardner, drawing on ancient lore, updated with some modern interpretations and enhancements of his own creation, codified the general tenets of the now-diverse religion known as Wicca. That was when witches, or Wiccans, started slowly to come out of what they call the "broom closet" — one thing Wiccans don't lack is a sense of humor.

Ronald Hutton, a professor of history at the University of Bristol in England and an author, specializes in the history of paganism in the British Isles. In his book, "The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft," Hutton questions many of Wicca's assumptions and claims of longstanding hidden pagan traditions, but he also argues for its acceptance as a genuine new religious movement.

"Pagan witchcraft is a fully developed, independent religion …" he writes. "… It is a modern development which deliberately draws upon ancient images and ideas for contemporary needs."

Most Wiccans interviewed found their way to Wicca after unfulfilling experiences with various mainstream organized religions, situations that didn't provide what they needed for spiritual growth, they say. Nevertheless, many misconceptions about the religion persist, so coming out of the broom closet is a difficult choice for many Wiccans, especially those with children.

"I would be happy to answer any questions you have about Wicca," said Zianna, who lives in Lusby with her husband, also a witch, and three small children. The entire family is happily Wiccan, "but as there are many people who are intolerant of witches, and I do not wish to invite problems onto my children, we are in the broom closet so I am using my coven [Wiccan] name," Zianna explained recently in an interview at the Calvert Library Prince Frederick.

"When I was open and out of the closet, I actually had some death threats — not much fun. It kind of makes me a little hesitant to come out of the broom closet," she said.

Why does Wicca continue to draw more than its share of misconceptions and intolerance? Most likely it's not because of its pacifistic beliefs, but from its vocabulary of words almost guaranteed to engender misconceptions. Words like witch, witchcraft, coven, spells, magic (or, "magick," as it is spelled by Wiccans,) often push the hot buttons of many on the conservative side of most current Christian-Judeo religions.

Perhaps for this reason, the majority of Wiccans choose to be solitary practitioners. However, others seek the support and companionship of like-minded individuals who practice their faith in small congregations known as covens. Traditional covens may have as few as five or six members; the largest, less than 100. Like most churches, temples and parishes, all covens share basic core beliefs, but often vary in their social and interpersonal aspects.

"I think each religion has a lot to do not only with your spiritual path, but with sociology in terms of where you draw comfort, where you draw your friends from, how you celebrate life with them," said Anne Rutherford, 62, of Mechanicsville, who, as Lady Cerridwyn, is the high priestess of The Circle of Amber Heart. "You tend to gravitate towards people you're comfortable with; people that you know. I don't think that's any different in our faith than in any other."

Elizabeth Russell-McDeavitt, 60, of Leonardtown is Lady Amber, the high priestess of The Circle of Amber Rose, perhaps the oldest coven in Southern Maryland. Recently, over coffee at Starbucks, she related the coven's history.

"The Circle of Amber Rose started in 1989, as a single small coven," Russell-McDeavitt explained. Now, "The Circle of Amber Rose has seven hives, including itself. We all get together for [certain occasions]. All the covens in the circle are co-equal, but we have chosen to remain together in a loose structure — we like each other too much not to."

Although the circle has grown, Wiccans do not seek out new members. "We never evangelize or attempt to recruit members," Russell-McDeavitt said. "We never teach or provide instruction [in our faith] to any children [younger than] the age of 18, unless a consenting parent is present, primarily because of all the common misconceptions [about us] that exist."

The Circle of Amber Rose currently has a coven in Baltimore, she said. The other six are in Southern Maryland: Mechanicsville, Leonardtown and La Plata. However, large groups of loosely connected covens are the exception in Wicca, rather than the rule. "One thing you'll find as you study Wicca is that there isn't nearly as much structure as in most other organized religions. We're, perhaps, an unorganized religion, and that's OK with us. There is no tight structure and we avoid dogma like the plague."

In the past 10 or 15 years, evolutionary changes have occurred in The Circle of Amber Rose, and, typically, in many other Wiccan groups. Perhaps the most impactful has been the increase of men, young adults and families with children, according to Chuck Nemeth, high priest of the Fire's Spirit Circle in Leonardtown.

"When I first joined the Circle [of Amber Rose] more than 10 years ago," he related, "there was only one other man. Now, men represent more than 35 percent of those in the family [of associated covens in the Circle]."

Nemeth, 49, whose Wiccan name is Lord TimberHart, said the growth in both numbers and diversity has brought "healthy changes" such as children's rituals, babysitting programs and more responsibilities for the high priests and priestesses to deal with, primarily those of a pastoral or clerical nature. Both he and Barbara Tighe, 51, the high priestess (Lady Emerald) of The Circle of Briar Rose in La Plata, cited more demands on their time for duties such as sick calls, premarital counseling and performing weddings and "Wiccanings," the Wiccan equivalent of Christian Baptism. Wicca is recognized as a religion in Maryland and its priests can legally perform weddings, they explained.

While there are some in society, perhaps misled by ignorance or the Wiccan vocabulary, who distrust or despise Wiccans, they are clearly a vocal minority. Many others, especially among the young adult generation, who are more sensitive to ecology and environmentalism, are tolerant of and even interested in the Wiccan faith.

Marilyn Mandala Schlitz is president of the Institute for Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, Calif., an organization that conducts and sponsors research into the potentials and powers of human consciousness. Many believe she is the role model for the character Katherine Solomon, a noetic scientist in Dan Brown's latest novel, "The Lost Symbol." In a recent telephone interview, Schlitz, who is not a Wiccan, said, "I have deep appreciation for the Wiccan tradition. I've heard it described as ‘environmental agnosticism;' it encompasses a unity with nature that requires us to look within [ourselves] for many answers. Wicca is based on a traditional reverence for the cycles of nature. Many people today are questioning or doubting organized religion and there is a growing awareness of our environment … that we are just part of a whole [ecological] system. This coincides with an ongoing world-view change that I think is healthy."

But, perhaps the most thought-provoking comment about Wicca was from Rachel Emerson, 27, of Lusby. A 2000 graduate of Patuxent High School, Emerson is a former Navy linguist and currently a nursing student. She has been a Wiccan since the age of 14. Asked what one overriding message she would want to leave about her religion, she responded, "Wicca, at its full essence, is about love — love for nature, love for the people around you, love for divinity and the universe. There is nothing sinister about it … it is a religion about love and learning ways to develop connections with every element of the universe."

rrenneisen@somdnews.com

Witches on Halloween: How do they celebrate?

Halloween is a holiday surrounded by mystery and superstition, but it all started in ancient times as a harvest festival known as Samhain (pronounced SOW-en), when the Celtic people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends.

They often set places for them at the dinner meal, left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world.

The Wiccan Web site "Brightest Blessings" says, "Samhain, most often recognized as our New Year, is also called Ancestor Night. It represented the final harvest, when the crops were safely stored for the coming winter. As the veil between the worlds of life and death is thin on this night, we take this time to remember our beloved dead."

Ancient beliefs in the oneness of nature and the cycle of the seasons are actively kept alive by a prospering Wiccan community in Southern Maryland.

"Children have changed our worship [over the years]," said Elizabeth Russell-McDeavitt (Lady Amber) of Leonardtown, high priestess of The Circle of Amber Rose, a local Wiccan coven. "We still have our traditional adult ritual for Samhain, but now we also have a special ritual for the children … where the children can dress up in their Halloween costumes and do a sort of trick or treating, but [they] get gifts of spiritual significance … maybe a pretty crystal or something."

Still, there are many non-Wiccans, either uninformed or misinformed, who don't trust or don't like Wiccans — perhaps because they often refer to themselves as "witches."

"There are many misconceptions regarding Samhain and witches," said Zianna, a local witch. "We do not believe in or worship Satan, nor do we sacrifice anything except for our time and money to causes we support. We believe in doing no harm to anyone or anything, and in honoring nature and the cycle of the seasons and life."

"So, you may want to know what ‘real' witches do for Halloween/Samhain. Well, there is no set script that all witches follow, but I can share with you how my family celebrates the holiday.

"One thing we do to remember the dead is to have a ‘dumb dinner,' where we set out a place and food for our beloved great-grandma and grandpa and enjoy a meal with their spirits," she continued. "During the dinner we tell stories about them to the kids and help them remember how much we love them. After the meal and trick or treating, we may gather together with our coven and cast a circle and work a little magick, or we may have a quiet evening at home working with the Tarot cards and crystal ball. Or, we may head down to one of the ‘harvest festivals' hosted by one of the local churches, as they are very much in keeping with the proper celebration of our holy day."

Zianna lives in Lusby. She, her husband and three small children are all Wiccans, who asked that their family name not be published, fearing that the children might otherwise be ridiculed or ostracized for their Wiccan faith.