[Photo Credit: Cindy / Flickr
The Franklin, Pennsylvania area Chamber of Commerce supported a local for a “Witch Walk.” By all accounts, this was an annual retail event held by the Franklin Retail & Business Association
Earlier this month, St. Patrick Catholic Church wrote on Facebook: “I’m sure there are a number of Christian owned Businesses, who could voice opposition to this nonsense and put an end to it.”
The church cited on their post that these “witch walks are not cute, harmless, “just for fun” events. They are coordinated efforts that lure and entice participants to participate in occult and diabolic practices.”
And then the church went after religious freedoms, “it’s one thing to dress up and go dancing or to have a couple drinks, but when you introduce Wiccan charms, spells, and formulas like many witch walks have done and promote readings like this one in Franklin, you’re crossing the line and popularizing what is evil and harmful. “
The church cited “Christian Moral Theology” as the basis for their opposition to the events and encouraged local Christian businesses to also express their opposition and disapproval. “These practices are a gateway to the diabolic and invite demonic presences into one’s life, family, and home whether intended or unintended.” The church locked the post for further commenting but not numerous members of the Pagan community expressed themselves against the church’s position.
However, the opposition to the Witch Walk was not unique. There is concern, however unfounded, about the demonic influence of Halloween.
On the one hand, it is yearly handwringing for Christian conservatives because apparently, you can summon demons by accident this week, On the other hand, this year, the opposition to Halloween has been a little more widespread and it has also become an opportunity to fundraise.
Focus on the Family has decided to “Share Jesus this October” in orange colors. The group noted “On a general level, Halloween is a time of the year celebrated by advocates of Wicca, a network of practicing witches. As the official religion of witchcraft, Wicca believes October 31 to mark the time when the separation between the spiritual and physical realms is the thinnest. In other words, Halloween is the best time to try and interact with the supernatural realm, according to Wiccans.”
In an unsurprising frame of persecution, they added “All things considered, this leaves Christians in a difficult place. On one hand, there are elements of Halloween that are harmless and fun. While on another, Halloween contains sinister influences and promotes behaviors that present troubling realities for families of all backgrounds. So, let’s explore a few more key questions about Halloween.”
They are also concerned about the “Hidden Traps of Wicca” bewitching teens. “Wiccans boast that their religion gives even young witches a great deal of control. Also, the secrecy of rituals may provide a sense of power.”
Worse still, Wicca might have something to do with “Saving the Earth” and having agency and self-awareness.
But the worry about Halloween is being exported also. Father Kenyon McKie of St, Michaels Grammar School in Melbourne Australia said that the holiday is not welcome as reported by The Age. “Many Christians would feel that recognising Halloween gives the false impression that what is actually potentially spiritually dangerous is innocuous,” the chaplain wrote. “Some children develop a fascination with the supernatural that may lead them into more sinister occult practices later in life.”
“As a Child Safe School, we do not want to promote a practice that, in some cases, causes annoyance, destruction of property and havoc for our neighbourhoods,” McKie added.
The Wild Hunt was unable to find accounts of property destruction or havoc on Melbourne streets during Halloween.
The Catholic Church has been advocating celebrating “Holyween,” an anti-Halloween celebration that includes masses, prayer vigils, and the like. In 2014, the Vatican-recognized International Association of Exorcists said that they wanted to see Halloween banned because of a spike in occult activity around the holiday.
Father Aldo Buonaiuto said in 2014 that their emergency exorcism hotline gets peak calls during this time. “Many say Halloween is a simple carnival, but in fact, there is nothing innocent or fun about it – it is the antechamber to something much more dangerous.”
“There are always more evil rituals, animal sacrifices, desecrations of cemeteries and thefts of sacred bones at the time of the 31 October,” he said, adding, “For the sects it is the best time of year to recruit new members. From here the door to the devil can be opened. For this reason, it’s necessary for us to speak out and not play down the danger.”
We could not locate the emergency exorcism number or else we would have called. Fortunately, they do list their tax-exempt status and the IBAN code to donate directly from your bank account.
In the same theme as above and for your edification, a woman entered Costco to discover Halloween decorations and proceeded to exorcise them. In case you can’t make it out, her exorcism is a combination of the following: “Get outta Here. Go back to Hell…. Evil Evil evil Creature, get back to the lake of fire… Get Behind me Satan, I the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”
@dam.miami305 #exorcism #exorcismo #exorcist #religion #mentalhealth #mental #mentalhealthmatters #extremist #memes #funny #costco #humor #comedy #fail #explorepage #adventure #summer #summervibes #hallloween #halloweenlook #halloween2021 funny #funnyvideos #funnyvideo #funnymoments #hilarious #hilariouspetstiktoktv #hilariouspetstv #madeyoulook #madeyoulaugh #madeyoulookchallenge #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #fyp fyp> #fypage #foryour #foryour #foryourpage #sigueme #sigueme_para_mas_videos_asi #mexico #duet #stitch
Announcements:
20th Conference on Current Pagan Studies: 2024
Sadly, the Conference on Current Pagan Students has been canceled for this coming year. Jeffrey Albaugh, PhD., the program manager for the conference, wrote “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of the Conference of Current Pagan Studies for the year 2024. Due to unforeseen issues that have arisen, we are unable to proceed with the event as planned. We understand the disappointment this may bring, but we are committed to making the conference an enriching and safe experience for all participants, which has regrettably become unattainable for this year.
We want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly, and it is in the best interest of the Pagan community and the conference itself. The health, well-being, and quality of the experience for our attendees are of utmost importance to us.
However, we have every intention of returning with the Conference of Current Pagan Studies in 2025. We are already working diligently to resolve the issues that led to this year’s cancellation and to make the 2025 conference a truly exceptional and inclusive gathering.”
He added, ” We appreciate your understanding and support during this time, and we look forward to reconvening in 2025 for a memorable and enriching Conference of Current Pagan Studies.”
Do you have news to share with our community? Elevations? Events? Let us know at pcn@wildhunt.org.
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Announcements & Upcoming Gatherings:
The next Earth-based Spirituality Team (EBSAT) event has been announced. EBSAT is for “anyone who keeps the sacred Earth at the center of their practice. We see action on climate change as an urgent moral imperative. We aim to reach out into our global communities and recruit volunteers for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. We recognize and honor the spiritual nature of climate work.”
The Earth-based Spirituality Team is for Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Occultists, Druids, Gaians, Goddess-worshippers, Earth-worshippers, Animists, Deep Ecologists, Scientific Pantheists, Creation-centered Christians, Secular Humanists, and Religious Naturalists. We enthusiastically welcome indigenous people, followers of African Diasporic Traditions, shamanic practitioners, and anyone who shares our reverence for Mother Earth.
Here is a brief on the EBSAT:
Open Coven is running the following in-person events in Western North Carolina this Fall and early winter. Open Coven is run by TWH writer Liz Watkin, a fiber artist and educator with an online learning background.
Open Coven provides resources on using fiber art for magick. This includes embroidery and fiber art kits, classes, and online workshops. For more info. visit their website:
- 11/18 & 11/19 – Pop-up: 11 am – 7 pm at Asheville Raven and Crone (640 Merrimon Ave #207, Asheville, NC)
- 11/25 – Magick Talisman Class: 2 – 4 pm at The Well (3 Louisiana Ave, W. Asheville)
- 12/9 – Tarot Bag Class: 2 – 5 pm at The Well (3 Louisiana Ave, W. Asheville)
- 1/13 – Altar Cloth Class: 1 – 5 pm at The Well (3 Louisiana Ave, W. Asheville)
If you have an announcement or an event to share with the community,
send it to The Wild Hunt at pcn@wildhunt.org
Positively Noteworthy
Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland held its annual “It’s the Great Annual Pumpkin Explosion, Charlie Brown!” Students, faculty, staff, and members of the Chestertown community gathered to watch the Chemistry Department blow up some pumpkins in the name of science!
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“We take immense pleasure in sharing the wonders of chemistry with our students and the promising leaders of tomorrow,” said Sarah Arradondo, Assistant Professor of Chemistry.
“For nearly a decade, our campus has eagerly anticipated in the annual tradition that unites the community through captivating autumn experiments and thrilling displays of chemical phenomena.”
Thank you for your support of The Wild Hunt!
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: The Halloween Tarot, by Karin Lee, art by Kipling West, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Card: Two (2) of Pumpkins (Pentacles)
The incoming week is likely to hold elements of duality and require rendering a decision. While the week is liable to be full of activity, it will require careful balancing to manage all the things.
Conversely, there is a huge potential to be overcommitted and overextended. Now is a great time to reevaluate priorities and reorganize.
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