Rocky Mountain Low

I think Chas S. Clifton's friend had it right when she said, "Doesn't it seem that Crazy Season is starting a little early this year?"

For those readers who are unfamiliar with Paganism and Wicca, every year those of us who are practitioners look forward to the Halloween season with a mix of enthusiasm and dread. Enthusiasm, because Samhain is one of the biggest across-the-board holidays (in my experience at least) for pagan/witchy types-- I've heard casual adherents referred to as "Samhain and Beltane Pagans"-- and there tend to be an explosion of celebrations especially in urban areas, ranging from Witches' Balls and masquerades with rituals at nightclubs, to more private ordeal or healing rites, to very intimate and quiet house blessings and dumb suppers to remember the dead. Some groups incorporate elements of Mexican Day of the Dead festivals, and this year, Hinduism's Diwali falls on Nov. 1st as well. It's a deeply meaningful and intensely celebratory time for many of us.

And dread, because with the approach of Halloween comes the annual running of the bullshit-- the gag-worthy media "lifestyle" profiles and hushed-toned melodramatic television specials claiming to answer the question, "is witchcraft REAL?!" and to unmask the great spooky secrets of Halloween, in which they dig up the weirdest, most outre goth-looking Wiccan witch they can book (Laurie Cabot is a favorite) to try to explain witchcraft to the masses. (I'm pretty outre and goth looking myself much of the time-- my objection is purely to the stupid sensationalism of it, like the media is some kind of Jane Goodall trying to communicate with the primitive punk-pagans.) And then you have the churches and "family" groups bitching about local Samhain festivals, some more bizarrely than others. And don't even get me started on the annual debate over whether the stereotypical green, warty, pointy-hatted witch/hag icon of Halloween is the Pagan equivalent of pickaninny art.

In any case, it IS pretty early for Samhain madness to descend, which is perhaps the only thing I found really surprising about this article. Apparently, in a very small town area of Colorado, a woman named Jerusha Doucette-Johnson rented the American Legion hall in the tiny town of Ramah on behalf of her group, Secret Garden Coven, to hold a Samhain festival as a fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. And another woman, Annette Manchego, along with others including Baptist minister Rev. Tim Tucker, is trying desperately to oppose it-- collecting signatures on a petition, threatening to stage a protest, complaining to local officials. Manchego's objection?

“We have vulnerable young people that don’t need this put upon them,” she said. “The festival is a pulling to get people in. Then they can work with the devil himself, which they worship. It is powerful, believe me. They can brainwash you, and before you know it, you’re staying for the midnight ritual.”

All together now: BUT WHAT ABOUT THE **CHILDREN**?!?!

So, what would this dreadful midnight ritual involve, anyway?

Doucette-Johnson, whose soldier husband is currently serving in Iraq, said the midnight ritual involves standing in a circle, turning to face each of the four directions and giving thanks for loved ones that are alive and those who have died.

"People bring pictures of people they've lost," she said. "We don't harm anyone in our ritual. We anoint people with oil and use incense, like the Catholics."

Oooooh! Scary! The devil is SO gonna show up to a hot shindig like that. Also? This wicked group of devil-worshippers even tried to lure in the local Baptist minister (I'm guessing that would be Rev. Tucker) by asking him to bless the food at the Italian-style dinner! I know, shocking, isn't it?

Other people had their own opinions about what would occur during the festival:

Doucette-Johnson said some residents thought the pagans would slaughter animals and one man said he didn’t want the pagans pushing their religion down his throat. He then asked whether she would be open to a Ku Klux Klan meeting in her front yard, she said.

On a more serious note, PLEASE. There are few religious groups in the world that are less interested in proselytizing and converting people than Pagans and Wiccans, usually because they grew up in or around religions that did just that. Back when I first started learning and exploring Paganism, you still really had to work just to find a group that would be willing to talk to you and teach you. Aside from how many pagans were just deeply closeted, the prevailing theory was that it was far better to build a community out of people who wanted to be part of it so badly that they'd put some effort into it.

What's encouraging here is that on an official level, no one wants anything to do with the complaints. The town board, once they realized what the fight was about, won't touch it. The American Legion chapter that runs the hall has no problem with the event, especially since Doucette-Johnson's husband is active military. The people complaining are mostly a bunch of disgruntled locals who can't stomach the idea of religious diversity:

"I don't think we need any cult activities here," said Manchego, who has collected 30 signatures opposing the event. "I'm a Christian, and I'm not going for it."

Oh, well, if you're Christian, then that settles it. Can't allow anything to go on that makes a Christian uncomfortable, isn't that how this country works now?

So what will these gentle folks do about it?

The same man also said he could organize a cattle drive through the area to ruin the festival, Allen said.

Well, that's neighborly. And how about this:

"I called Focus on the Family. They said they'd pray for us," [Manchego] said.

Yes, get James Dobson involved. That always makes things better. Isn't he too busy putting black boxes over SpongeBob SquarePants' and Tinky Winky's...tinky winkies, though?

From the sound of it, there are a lot of good, tolerant people in that area who don't have a problem with the festival or the coven, so I don't want to give the impression that they are all just a bunch of backwater bigots. But when Crazy Season starts, it's just impossible to resist dogging the steps of some of the more egregious Elmer Fudds out there.

This Denver, CO blogger also has a spot-on perspective on the whole thing.

Comments

[A Gentleman and a Scowler]

"And dread, because with the approach of Halloween comes the annual running of the bullshit--"

Yeah... and the next time I hear some nimrod repeat the phrase "Samhain, the Celtic God of Death" or some such nonsense, I'm going to seriously contemplate arranging for them to have a visit from Gwynn ap Nudd, Arawn, the Morrigan, Donn, the Ankou, etc. - ALL AT ONCE!

"What's encouraging here is that on an official level, no one wants anything to do with the complaints."

Agreed. In general, this is a good sign. Not so long ago, it might've gone differently...