Jason on Jan 19th 2009 Paganism
An announcement has come forth that Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and star (along with her family) of the reality television program “My Unique Family”, has converted to (some form of) Christianity and is opening a new church. In a letter sent to members of the church (thanks to Kat for forwarding it to me), Hovey takes time to explain her conversion from Wicca, pointing out her former faith’s (perceived) shortcomings.
I have come to see the serious failings of the Wiccan faith. A major problem with the faith is that there is no unity among the followers of the faith which makes it very challenging to define exactly what Wiccans do and do not believe in. Wiccans have a very open “do what you will” or “live and let live” perspective in life which very easily can cause harm to oneself and others without one actually knowing it until it is much too late. Additionally, there is no unified moral code of ethics. This puts up huge red flags for society-at-large because no one can really be quite sure of what any group’s intentions are. Society would have no way of knowing, for example, if you are a Wiccan that practices the Great Rite or polyamory, to name only two examples. Also, they would have no way of knowing just what “Do what ye will and harm none” means, and quite frankly, neither does each individual Wiccan. We are left to make moral and ethical decisions for ourselves rather than realizing that by human nature we are going to do anything that feels good to us, not what is best for us, and also not necessarily what is best for society as a whole. This makes for a very dangerous and faulty moral code of ethics. In addition, Wicca teaches primarily about how we can change the world and have all that we want. Spells, magick, etc. all prove to cause us to think selfishly instead of putting others before ourselves and more importantly instead of putting God before anyone else, including ourselves. It is very understandable that one would be close to nature and the earth, as well as, feel a need to call “God” the “God and Goddess;” however, the actual rote and complicated spells involved in Wicca can prove to be a huge distraction in one’s spiritual growth. We do not need all of the “ritual things” in order to have a relationship with God – all we need is a sincere and thankful heart.
While I respect the decision of any Pagan to leave for a faith or philosophy that better suits them, Hovey’s little rant to her followers seems to point to someone who wanted Wicca to be something other than it was, and didn’t really understand (or want to understand) the theology, morality, and practice of modern Paganism as it is. Perhaps her desire to shoehorn Wiccan practice into a congregationalist model, complete with sermons on Sunday and clerical collars, bespoke a long-standing desire to fully embrace Christianity. Now that she’s moved on, her new church is aiming to heal the wounds of “inequity from past religions”.
…helping people heal from their experiences of inequity from past religions and religious institutions, using Jesus Christ and his teachings in the Bible as the foundation of how to have a meaningful relationship with God, as well as, holistic health of mind, body, and soul.
Again, I wish Ms. Hovey well in her conversion and ministry, too bad her healing journey towards Christ had to begin by misrepresenting and bad-mouthing her former faith. She’ll no doubt be far happier in her new role, though I doubt it will get her the attention she sought while running a Wiccan church.
Jason on Feb 21st 2007 Uncategorized
Last month I reported (skeptically) about a Wiccan family appearing on TLC’s new reality series “My Unique Family”. The episode, entitled “The Witches Next Door”, featured Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her family as they struggled with their day-to-day life. The episode in question aired on Monday, and feedback from Pagans who watched the show has been appearing in the blogosphere. Surprisingly, it seems that the Hovey family acquitted themselves well, and that TLC didn’t pull any of the usual reality-television dirty tricks.
The Hovey Family: Kendra, Tim, Alana, and Alec
“For once, I was actually quite surprised and pleased with it. The family was portrayed as being regular people who had regular concerns within their family and in daily life. It seems that the main theme of this episode was religious tolerance, which makes sense to me. There are so many people that do not have an understanding of Pagan religions for several reasons, including not having any exposure to it. One thing that struck me was that Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey said that she would rather have people say things to her face rather than saying things behind her back. That way, they have a chance for communication and education.” –
S. Nichole, A Pagan Sojourn
“I have to say that I was pleased beyond my wildest expectations. It was a fair and honest portrayal of the Wiccan faith. It was a fair and honest portrayal of an American family who just happens to follow a faith that is outside the societal norms. It showed the good and the bad (each child expresses feelings of being “left out” because of how busy their mother is with her with her congregation responsibilities).” – Mama Kelly, A Blog of Two Witches
“I was really presently surprised though! The family was as normal as can be, the father was an IT consultant and the mother ran the First Church of Wicca in her town and was a full-time mom. Take away the pentacle and she could have been any religious minister. They are raising their two children in the Wiccan path but they also are prepared to let them walk their own path if they so choose.” – Jaspenelle Stewart, Graceful Symmetry
More reviews of the episode can be found, here, here, here, and here.
In reading over all the reviews I have found so far, it seems the main criticism of the show is aimed at Rev. Hovey’s insistence on constantly wearing a Christian clerical collar everywhere she went no matter what she was doing. But aside from that issue, the feedback seems generally positive. So congratulations to the Hovey family for winning the reality television lottery*, a positive portrayal of a modern Pagan faith in one of the most sensationalist formats ever invented.
*Like winning the lottery, the chances of another Pagan family experiencing the same treatment is on par with being struck several times by lightning on a clear day while taking a walk. So remember my semi-official guideline for Pagans and reality television, if it isn’t Oprah (or TLC I guess), just say no.
Jason on Jan 26th 2007 Uncategorized
The history of Wiccans in reality television isn’t exactly stellar. You had Fiona Horne’s starring role in “Mad Mad House”, “scary” Mary O’Leary from the UK version of “Big Brother”, the Eckhart family on the never-aired show “Welcome to the Neighborhood”, the vaguely Pagan-ish New Age D’Amico-Flisher family on “Trading Spouses” (which caused the now-famous freak-out by Christian mom Marguerite Perrin) and the infamous Wiccan priestess Donna Thompson on “Wife Swap”. So I’m always a little leery when I read about yet another Wiccan family signing up for the reality television merry-go-round.
The Hovey Family: Kendra, Tim, Alana, and Alec
“Television viewers, prepare to be shocked when you see what one Wiccan family on the South Shore does virtually undetected. They go out for ice cream. Among the reasons people willingly partake in reality TV shows, promoting religious tolerance isn’t high on the list. But for the Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her husband, Tim, it’s the sole reason they agreed to star in an episode of a new series on The Learning Channel called “My Unique Family.” For the entire month of October, the Hoveys and their children Alec, 11, and Alana, 8, were filmed, followed and interviewed – at home, at church, going to work and, yes, even going out for ice cream. More than 200 hours of footage was compressed into the one-hour program scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19.”
Will The Learning Channel be more sympathetic and fair than previous reality programs? Even the family has its concerns over their imminent television portrayal.
“They haven’t yet decided if they’ll do anything special when the show airs. One member of the congregation suggested watching together on a big-screen TV, but, the Hoveys said they’re still a little worried about whether they’ll be left smiling or doing damage control that night.”
As I have said before, reality programs (for the most part) aren’t looking to normalize outsider views and faiths, just to put them on (highly edited) display. A sanitized freak-show for our modern era. No matter how positive or good-intentioned there is always a touch of outlandishness inherent in these programs, and while I always hope for the best I’m sure there was a reason the show picked a priestess who insists on wearing a Christian clerical collar.
Then again, you’ll also note they picked a Wiccan tradition that is following a congregational model (200-strong according to Rev. Hovey) instead of the more traditional coven structure. So perhaps this might be a rare normalizing effort on the part of TLC. I guess we will just have to wait and see what the show’s editors decided to portray.
