Wicca versus The System

As I read the recent news story about Ken Scott, a Pittsburgh teen who was sent home from his High School for dress code violations, it highlighted what I believe is a disturbing trend in some of the newest followers of Wicca.

As Wicca gains in popularity and recognition, it seems that some people are using it as an excuse to do things in the name of ‘religious freedom�? things that really don’t have anything to do with Wicca at all.

At odds in the Scott case is a piercing that he has under his lip.The school district has a policy against piercing, but Ken says that his lip piercing is a part of his Wiccan religion, and in fact �?I>is in remembrance of all the pagan and witch pain and suffering throughout all time and that still goes on today". Now, I’ve been a Witch for a pretty long time �?over a decade anyway �?and through my work with the WLPA I have met literally hundreds of Witches and Wiccans of all shapes, sizes, and persuasions. The fact is that never once, in all that time, have I ever heard of body art or piercing being part of the religion. I know people who have tattoos or jewelry that have religious significance to them, and as a matter of fact I have two tattoos that hold a great spiritual significance to me, but I would never claim them to be a vital part of Wicca or Witchcraft �?they are personal to me, not to the Craft.

Now, it’s true that there is more to this issue than a pierced lip �?Ken claims that he was sent home because he wore his pentacle out in the open when he was told not to; the superintendent of the school, however, described Ken’s mode of dress when he was sent home:  �?I>the discipline against Scott has nothing to do with his pentacle and everything to do with wearing torn pants and a chain and spikes on his bracelets.�?nbsp; Apparently they also objected to Scott's ‘Cradle of Filth�?death-metal T-shirt, which portrays band members with their hair twisted into horns like devilish figures. With an outfit like that, it certainly doesn’t sound like a simple pentacle was much of a dress code issue. I’m willing to bet that, if Ken were wearing that same outfit, but with a crucifix instead of a pentacle, he still would have been sent home for dress code, and the issue wouldn’t have gotten any media attention at all. But instead, it becomes a freedom of religion issue to let this young man wear obnoxious t-shirts, dangerous jewelry, and a body piercing. I don’t think so.

I am going to be very clear right now, and I am probably not going to make many friends saying this, but I am going to say it just the same: Witchcraft and Wicca are not about being different. They are not about fighting the ‘Status Quo�? and they are not about proclaiming your individuality. Witchcraft has nothing to do with long black dresses, black lipstick, or spiked collars. It has nothing to do with pierced lips or tongues or eyebrows, and it certainly doesn’t have anything to do with death-metal bands with devil-horn haircuts. Although it certainly (and unfortunately) is shocking for some people, Witchcraft is not about ‘shock value�? and if you tell people you’re a Witch just to see the stunned look on their face, then you aren’t much of a Witch. Period.

True Witchcraft and Wicca are about religion, they are about a connection with the old ways, and they are about respecting our mother Earth and everything on her. They are about the God and the Goddess, the trees, the seasons, and a deep spiritual connection to it all. They are about faith, and love, and a truth that you feel right through to your soul, and above all, they are about a deep-rooted spirituality that I will have in my heart and soul until the day I pass beyond the veil of this world.

How can I say that Ken Scott’s case isn’t religious discrimination? I can’t; at least not for certain. Maybe there are a hundred kids in his school dressed in ripped jeans and ‘Cradle of Filth�?t-shirts, and Ken was singled out because he’s a Wiccan �?it’s possible, and it has happened; I’m not denying that persecution exists, believe me. If Ken Scott was truly sent home for wearing a pentacle, then that is clearly religious discrimination, no matter what kind of t-shirt he wore, and he should most certainly seek legal recourse for it.

More likely, however, that isn’t the case, and I can tell you that from experience. You see, when I was in high school over a decade ago, I was just like Ken. I had a weird haircut, I wore ripped jeans with writing all over them, and I wore all kinds of punk rock and heavy metal t-shirts. I had a denim jacket with a ‘Megadeth�?back patch that I wore constantly. You can be sure I was made to change my shirt, or my pants, more than once during my four years in those hallowed halls. In fact, I don’t think I could count how many times that happened; by my sophomore year I kept a spare ‘Safe�?t-shirt in my locker, just in case. And for all those times I had to change my shirt, not once did religious discrimination come into play; it was just poor taste in wardrobe �?at least according to the people that made the rules.

Now, I am not against individuality, and I am not against expressing yourself �?I am and always have been an individual. In fact, if you read the whole article, Ken’s own mother says that since he has found Wicca, he has become a better student, and a better person �?and THAT is what Wicca is all about. THAT is one of the points of Witchcraft �?to become a better, more whole person. I don’t have any problem with Ken saying he’s a Wiccan, and that Wicca has made his life better �?that’s GREAT! My problem is the person who says they wear black lipstick, or have a pierced tongue, or paint their bedroom black because they are a Witch, or because it’s part of their Wiccan religion. These are just individualistic or anti-establishment behaviors, not religious expression, and they have nothing to do with spirituality of any kind. Ken may have gotten his lip piercing to ‘honor Wicca�? but more likely he got it because it looks cool, and now that there is a school regulation against it, he’s trying to use Wicca to be able to keep it. That’s where I have a problem, Ken �?it’s not right to place the religion of Wicca in this predicament, and I think you know that �?you sound like a very intelligent young man. These things are simply people �?teens mostly �?wanting to get noticed, to be set apart from the others, or to fit in. I’m not saying it’s good or bad �?that really depends on the situation �?I’m just saying that it’s not what Wicca is all about.

So here’s my final note to anyone out there who thinks that proclaiming yourself to be Wiccan allows you to do anything you want: Wicca isn’t an excuse, it isn’t a scapegoat, and it’s not a permission slip for anti-social behavior - Wicca is a religion, a sacred spiritual path, and it should be treated as such. You can wear all the black makeup and body piercings you want, no problem, but if you want to call yourself a Wiccan or Witch, learn at least one lesson the religion teaches; take responsibility for your own actions, don’t blame Wicca.