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The rough, one-lane dirt road that leads into the Gaea Retreat Center wan-
witches who practice alone.
Far left and above: Rachel Stoughton, Hutchinson junior, demonstrates her personal rituals of lightening candles and reading tarot cards.
ders past a 12 acre lake and through a cluster of red wooden buildings. From there, the road snakes through woods and passes a small green sign. The bright yellow lettering reads, "Clothing optional beyond this point." Finally, the road charges up a steep hill to a hilltop clearing.
The clearing is the place where witches meet.
It is March 20, the spring equinox, one of the eight major holidays of the Wiccan religion. Members of The Web of Oz, the largest Lawrence-based Wiccan group, are preparing to worship at Gaea, 168 acres of natural land located in a rural area about 30 miles northeast of Lawrence.
Kathryn Huxtable, a Web of Oz member who works for Academic Computing Services, said about three KU students and six KU employees participate in group events.
Wicca is a pagan, polytheistic, nature-centered religion whose members — both male and female — refer to themselves as witches.
That's because Wicaa is highly individualized with very little hierarchy to it, said Tim Miller, professor of religious studies.
He said, that while pagan religions have existed for thousands of years, the Wiccan branch of paganism probably began less than a century ago in Britain.
Nevertheless, many Wiccans believe the religion is an ancient sect that survived underground for centuries, and several practices are similar to ancient pagan rituals, Miller said.
In any case, Wicca boasts modern social causes — such as environmentalism and feminism — that attract people to the religion.
But beyond that, trying to define the religion is an exercise in futility. Each of the hundreds of Wiccans in Lawrence has his or her own definition.
Rachel Stoughton, Hutchinson junior, began reading Wiccan books her freshman year at University of Kansas. She said she was fascinated by the feminist and environmental concepts the religion contained.
"Christianity was taught to me as so masculine," she said. "The first book I read was a feminist Wiecan book. I would pull out all the goddess aspects."
Although some Wiccans worship as part of a group, the majority in the Lawrence area are solitaries —
Others, such as Aaron Shaffer, Topeka sophomore, mix both. While Shaffer said he has attended a few Web of Oz events, he practices mainly by himself.
Rituals, both group and solitary, vary but often include meditation, chanting, burning incense and candles, and casting spells.
Miller said that the multiple gods and goddesses and the worship of nature are what qualify the religion as pagan. While many people equate paganism with Satanism, he said, the two are not related.
"I tend to use magic in my rituals," said Stoughton, who is also a solitary. "I usually choose a theme and focus on that."
Near left: Stoughton's personal artifacts that she uses in rituals.
Wiccans usually worship a wide variety of deities, though most worship a supreme goddess and sometimes a supreme god as well.
Stoughton said that Wiccans believe spells and magic work by focusing energy from the environment on a goal.
Actually, Wiccans have a moral code contained in what is known as the Witches' Rede: "If it harm none, do what you will."
Wiccans must make sacrifices at some ceremonies. At the March 20 ceremony, offerings range from a whistle to quartz to a toy tractor to thyme. Wiccans sacrifice items that are personally meaningful to them. Animals are not among the sacrifices Wiccans offer to their gods and goddesses.
Nevertheless, myths about animal sacrifices are popular conceptions of paganism. Witches say their religion rarely is understood by outsiders and often maligned.
But not all Wiccans cast spells.
Peterson said she rarely does anything more than meditate.
However, Miller said paganism
"Going public as a witch is often referred to as coming out of the broom closet."
Darcie Callahan Lawrence graduate student
still has trouble overcoming the false link forged with Satanism more than 1,000 years ago.
it took about 1,000 years for Christianity to spread across Europe," Miller said. "As it spread, the Church needed to have Christianity wipe out the established religions of different regions, so they had to make people to drop their current religions. Christianity couldn't triumph completely by persuasion. So instead, it redefined everything not Christian as Satanic. It succeeded gloriously."
"When I was at home and tried to do rituals, I was afraid I'd be caught," she said. "I might never tell them. I don't want to hurt their feelings."
Stoughton grew up in a strict Christian household.
Misconceptions remain today
She was home-schooled because she said her parents thought public schools were immoral.
Her father is a Baptist minister. She said when she was about 10, she believed the Christian teachings that were constantly hurled at her.
Since 1997, she has practiced Wicca, but she has not told her parents about her religion.
Stoughton is in a classic Wiccan bind. Wiccans say that because of the myths about their religion, they often fall prey to prejudice and misunderstanding.
Shaffer said that when he was in Boy Scouts in high school, he was confronted by parents of two of the
other boys and told not to mention his religion to scouts.
His decision to become a Wiccan also displeased his mother.
"I'm also a confirmed Methodist," Shaffer said. "Because of my family and the expectations placed on me, it was expected I'd go through that."
Now he and his mother employ a don't-task, don't-tell policy regarding his religion.
Darcie Callahan, Lawrence graduate student, who wrote her master's thesis on Wicca, said such minor examples of prejudice are common. But in the course of interviewing Wiccans for her research, she found more severe examples, including the loss of jobs and child custody.
Callahan also said that in more
But she said not all University employees are so lucky. She said some of her Wiccan friends in other departments felt they had to hide their religion.
Acts such as these lead many Wiccans to exercise caution and practice in secrecy.
Huxtable said that as a KU employee, she can be open about her religion while at work.
"I have not felt any discrimination." Huxtable said. "I've been very well supported."
rural areas, Wiccans' pets are killed or crosses are burned on their lawns.
"There are a lot of parallels between homosexuality and Wiccanism," Shaffer said. "Either people don't care, or they hate it."
Callahan said the process of coming out as a Wiccan is often like when gay students come out.
"Going public as a witch is often referred to as coming out of the broom closet," she said.
Despite prejudice, Wicca is growing — especially among college-age people.
"A lot of the growth now is in the younger age groups." Callahan said.
Miller said that the number of Wichens in Lawrence, already in the hundreds, will continue to grow.
He said the modern draws of feminism and environmentalism set the stage for long-term growth.
Back at the clearing, the participants of the March 20 ceremony finish their ritual by singing a nature-themed song and talking about the future. They promise to meet again.