The Wiccan way: No Place for Hate Committee to host panel discussion

Salem -  The city of Salem’s No Place for Hate Committee will host a panel discussion on April 12 that will focus on practices within the Wiccan faith and the everyday lifestyles of those practicing paganism.

 The objective of the event is to inform those in attendance about the religion, lifestyle and culture of those who practice Wicca while also touching on the history and its distinction within the Salem community.

 The panel discussion on Wicca and Paganism is free and open to the public. It will be held Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m. on the second floor of Old Town Hall, Derby Square. The event will feature opening remarks by Mayor Kimberley Driscoll and will conclude with a song from Rev. Amy “Gypsy�?Ravish from the Temple of Nine Wells in Salem.

 The panel discussion will be moderated by Salem State College Professor Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello. The discussion will be led by No Place for Hate Committee member Jerrie Hildebrand and Margot Adler of National Public Radio (NPR) and is sponsored by the Salem Witch Museum.

 Adler is the host of NPR’s “Justice Talking�?and is a regular on shows such as “All Things Considered,�?“Morning Edition�?and “Weekend Edition.�?She has been a Wiccan priestess for over 35 years. In 1979, she wrote the book “Drawing Down the Moon,�?a classic study of Neo-Paganism and Wicca which was recently revised and updated. Adler also wrote “Heretic’s Heart,�?a 1960s memoir of her life. In addition, she is also a co-producer of the award winning radio drama, “War Day.�?BR>
 Hildebrand is creative principal of the Salem-based marketing company Kishgraphics. Since 1986, Hildebrand has worked with various national religious freedom organizations on issues pertaining to the Wiccan and Pagan religions and in 2005 was ordained by Circle Sanctuary. More notably, Hildebrand was part of the team from Circle Sanctuary that led the effort in getting the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to add the pentacle to its list of official emblems for the headstones and markers of Wiccan veterans. She illustrated the final version of the official emblem now used.

 Both Adler and Hildebrand have traveled throughout the country to conferences separately and together doing presentations and discussions on related subjects. After the two are through speaking, the panel will open to questions from the public.

 This will be the second event sponsored by the No Place for Hate Committee within its second year of existence. Last June, the city of Salem was officially named a No Place for Hate community by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) after the committee organized three events which focused on promoting respect and diversity. The committee needs to sponsor two events each year in order to regain the city’s certification as a No Place for Hate community.