WITCHES RITUALS SPELLS OHMY!
By Mandy Hendrix, Jayplaywriter
A small group of witches and pagans sit on the floor around a circular, wooden coffee table inside a cozy apartment in south Lawrence. They gather to ask ancient gods for personal growth and renewal in the year ahead. Decorated with dried greenery and leaves, each member sets candles in front of themselves on the table. In the middle, an antique gold pot called the "cauldron" holds dried herbs, pinecones, flowers and leaves, which are set on fire. Thick, gray smoke rises from the cauldron and emits a potent campfire smell. Other members sit near the table talking and laughing while one woman walks around the group holding a large dagger, inviting the spirits of the North, South, East and West to the ritual. She casts the circle and begins the ceremony.
There are about 20 members of the Wic-
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can/Pagan Alliance at the University of Kansas. The group started in 2001 as a way for other pagans to make and meet friends. Members try to meet once a week
to talk about anything from astrology to tarot. The KU group continues to experience growth throughout the Lawrence area. The rising popularity of paganism here in Lawrence follows national statistics showing an increase in pagan worship.
In 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that pagan religions accounted for about 375,000 adult Americans, up from about 28,000 adults in 1990. Paganism emerged in the United States during the 1960s when intense social change set the mood for paganism, says Tim Miller,
professor of religious studies.The 1970s saw an increased interest in feminism and environmentalism. These movements created a larger awareness of paganism
because they have similar viewpoints.
Paganism refers generally to a polytheistic religion that worships many gods and predates Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Religious Tolerance Organization defines paganism as a
range of spiritual paths that focuses on the Earth and observes the cycles of the seasons. The religion is based on deities, symbols, rituals and other surviving components of ancient religions such as earth-based worship and ancient gods.
Pagans follow the idea of animism, the belief that spirits reside in every living
thing. Paganism also has an environmental focus. "I'm really big into believing that everything with DNA is alive. You need to respect it because everything is connected in one form or another," says Chelsea Johnson, Hutchinson senior and president of the WPA.
Paganism also has a strong feminine component that focuses on the Earth Mother, Miller says. The Earth mother has many responsibilities in paganism, such as the role of creator and sustainer of life. The religion recognizes deities of both genders while Western religions have male leaders such as Jesus and Mohammed, Miller says. Both gods and goddesses are worshiped in pagan rituals. Feminine qualities complement masculine elements.
Because pagans don't follow a specific doctrine, the religion becomes harder todefine beyond terms of respect for
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Jayplay 04.07.05