Monday, October 31, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Serious Sweat.
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2223 LOUISIANA
Louisiana Purchase Shopping Center
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*11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
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WITCHES
843-8222
1516 W. 23rd St.
Westwind, who is pursuing a degree in religious studies, emphasized that the practice of witchcraft, also called Wicca, didn't include worship of Satan.
"The religion of Wicca/neopagism has no hexing, cursing, demonology, raising of spirits." Westwind said. "We are not into smearing blood around and hurting people.
Continued from p.1
"It's an earth religion — earth related, nature related, related to the Goddess.
"It has been suppressed by calling it devil-worshiping and Satanism. It (devil-worshiping/Satanism) doesn't have the earth, the Goddess, and the 'Harm none, do what you will."
"It is felt that whatever energy one sends out returns threefold," she said.
That philosophy is a basic withich belief that bad magic shouldn't be worked against others, Westwind said.
Westwind defined magic as "the art of changing consciousness at will." Through meditation, prayer or incantations, people can transform themselves or others spiritually and physically.
Witches use symbols — tools or magic such as candles, cauldrons of incense,钾 or crystals — to help concentrate thoughts or energy, and to create something what they want, and they have to be careful so that no one gets hurt.
"The ability to work magic is part of being human," she said.
A KU student who uses the pseudonym 'Imp' said that she used a blunt, double-edged knife as an instrument of magic. She would transfer her built-up negative emotions into the knife, stab it into the ground and release all of her tensions into the earth.
Westwind said that the tools didn't do the magic.
"They're props. They're a focus. Crystals store energy, things store vibrations, but a witch just doesn't sit at her altar and just say, 'Please, Goddess, do this for me.' You have to act in the physical world."
Bruce, a Lawrence resident whose witch name is Walking Towards The Dream, agreed.
"Here a man has to be responsible for his own actions, although it is scarier than saying something out of proportion because of things to happen," he said.
Bruce prefers to be called a male witch rather than a warlock.
"The term warlock is like the word bastard," he said. "It doesn't seem
Witchcraft is centuries old
The religion of witchcraft, or Wicca, has been around for thousands of years, but only recently are witches beginning to "come out of the broom closet," a KU witch priestess said.
By Cindy Harger Kansan staff writer
"People were afraid to admit that they were witches," said Sue Westwind, a witch priestess who is a KU graduate student of religious studies.
She said they were afraid because of witch burnings and incorrect stereotypes, such as the wicked witch of the West; *I*
Westwind said the Wiccan and neopagan religions dated to Neolithic times, from 10,000 to 3,500 B.C., when humans began settling in the fertile regions around women, and the people worshipped the Great Goddess.
Important roots of the Wiccan and pagan religions also can be found in ancient Celtic tribal customs, she said. Some of them were traditionally were celebrated by the Celts and the Druids.
"The only god image for thousands of years was a woman, Westwind said. "It (paganism and
Wicca) is a tradition unbroken from the beginning. It's been underground."
Westwind wied Wiccans and pagans worshipped a goddess and a god. The goddess is known as the Triple Goddess: maiden, mother and crone, a withered old woman. She is her divine child or consort.
Tim Miller, assistant professor of religious studies who specializes in new religious movements, said, "It's a feminist religion. They have the Godsness instead of a god, priestesses instead of priests. It reflects the women's movement as a whole."
The local witch covens and the Web of Oz, a local organization of witches and covens that meets for celebration of the witch holidays, is located in her practices. Miller said. A covens are group of ideally 13 witches.
He traces the witchcraft religion, to the 1940s or 1950s when Gerald Gardner, an Englishman, met some witches through other religious endeavors and was initiated into witchcraft. In 1951 Gardener published the book "Witchcraft Today," which has been credited for founding the modern witchcraft movement.
right calling yourself a bastard. Originally witch was used for both the male and the female."
"Anyone initiated, and that includes self-initiation, is a priest or priestess of Wicaa." Westwind said.
Just as Westind believes that anyone can do magic, she said that anyone could become a witch.
The new way of doing things in the craft is to dispense with strict rules of study.
"If you know someone in a coven and feel comfortable, you can ask them to initiate you."
She defines a coven as ideally 13 witches who meet for magic at the new and full moons and eight Sabbats.
Westwind has been a pagan and a witch for eight years. She rebelled against her Catholic upbringing and began reading books about the feminist religion and the Goddess and gruddened with her own. Three years ago, she began practicing magic in groups.
Westwind is not her real name, but she plans to legally change her surname to that. It is her witch name that she chose for herself and always
uses. She chose Westwind based on opposite sides of the Pentagram, a five-pointed star with each point representing a magical element.
The pagan and witch Pentagram which has one point upward should be distinguished from its inverted which has been called a symbol of evil.
Westwind wanted to found the Web so solitary witches and coven could meet to celebrate witch and pagan holidays.
"The Web of Oz events are not like a coven." Westwind said. "You don't know everyone. It isn't a time to do drills, with all its remedies. its a time to create maze."
After creating magic, singing, and dancing, the ritual circle ends as it begins.
"Go if you must; stay if you will," the group said.
The circle faced the east, south, west and the north, as members said goodbye to the gods.
They turned toward the center of the circle, joined hands and raised them into the air.
They shouted, "The circle is open, but is unbroken. Merry meet. Merry part. Merry meet again!"
MOUNT DREAD PART III
Halloween Night At the Kansas Union
Win a trip for two to Chicago!
A $50 Bookstore certificate and more!
Costume Contest begins at 8:30 admission is free
Get your EXCLUSIVE
Rocky Horror Prop-Pack
including water gun,
toast, rice and more
for only $2 at the door.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
begins at 9 p.m. in the Ballroom admission: $2.50
THE ROCKY
MORROR
PICTURE SHOW
R a different set of jaws.
Stop by the SUA table for a FREE scary treat Many activities will be going on the entire day... spend some time in the Kansas Union
on Halloween!
Pumpkin Carving Contest, entertainment, fortune telling, face painting Bookstore specials, food specials, prizes, bowling specials, candy counter, movies, plus lots more!