Wicca: It's not broomsticks and black hats

By Jason J. Barry, Record-Journal staff

MERIDEN �?Jacqueline Glen's modest white three-story house on Franklin Street blends in well with the rest of the neighborhood a few blocks away from City Park.

But the living room is cramped and busy. Her daughters Taylor and Gina, ages 6 and 9, respectively, stayed close to her on the couch.

Her 15 year-old daughter Cassandra was out, but her shy son Joshua, 17, drifted in and out of the of the room, sometimes stopping to tempt a bird with his finger between the rungs of a boxy birdcage next to the TV. The candles lit on the coffee table, however, win the most attention.

Candles and potions, she explained, play a big part in the practice of her new, offbeat religion. A glass vial she filled with grapeseed oil also held cinnamon sticks, a seashell, a feather and a citrine. She poured some in her hands, then rubbed a candle. She said usually she would roll the candle in crushed cinnamon and light it.

"While you do that, visualize what you want," she said. "I want strength. I want courage. Then you roll it in crushed cinnamon and light it."

Glen, 37, a city native, left Catholicism three years ago and found she fit in with Wicca.

Wicca, the practice of witchcraft, is a fast growing religion with hundreds of organizations and covens throughout the state, according to the Connecticut Wiccan and Pagan Network.

The religion has been around formally in the United States since the 1920s but was popularized by the book "Witchcraft Today" by Gerald Gardner in 1954. In 1985, Wicca became recognized and protected as a religion under the U.S. Constitution.

"It really is about a connection to nature," said Liz Guerra, a Wicca practitioner from New Milford and president of the statewide organization. "We put an emphasis on maintaining a healthy balance. It gives you the feeling of incredible freedom. You are participating in the rituals instead of sitting in pews."

In Meriden, Glen gave up on Christianity after she tried to have her marriage annulled. With her divorce finalized in 1997, she found that she didn't connect to the religion she was raised with. Still she wanted to connect with something.

"I thought it was strange that a group of priests had to decide. They haven't had any relationships, being celibate," she said. "I resonate so well with (Wicca.) I'm so connected, much happier. I'm not the victim n I'm a strong woman who can support four kids."

Glen's departure from Christianity isn't uncommon especially since many Catholics worship culturally, not religiously, according to Rev. Edmond Nadolny, pastor of St. Stanislaus Church.

"So many people are starting their own religions. Everyone doesn't have the gift of faith, but we all believe in something," Nadolny said. "Even atheists believe there is no God. To leave the Catholic Church for another religion tells me they never believed in the Catholic religion."

Glen introduced herself to Wicca while trying to satisfy her curiosities at New Age fairs. There she met people who practiced various religions. The Internet and the airwaves have helped Wicca reach those who are interested in the religion.

In the eastern Connecticut town of Baltic, husband and wife Rapid and Patricia Freeman host their own public access television show called "The Witchin' Hour" to raise awareness about Wicca.

Rapid Freeman, 31, is a machinist of Cherokee descent raised in a household of Pentecostal beliefs as well as atheism. Patricia Freeman, 40, is a cashier at an agricultural store who said she was raised a Christian. Both have been practicing Wicca for about 15 years.

"I thought and walked a lot of (Christian religions)," Patricia Freeman said. "There was something missing. I don't feel I should walk into a church and go through the motions. I found something missing. I didn't find the warmth."

The Freemans are part of an eight-member coven in Baltic called Knights of the Crescent Crown.

"I choose my associates very closely," Patricia Freeman said. "Each coven decides how many numbers they decide to pursue. It's our hope we will have 13 and that will be it. There is 13 moons and that goes in accordance with 13."

Glen considers herself an eclectic witch and prefers the freedom of adopting beliefs from various religions. She isn't part of a coven, but routinely joins a group of 30 in Salem �?a mix of Cherokees, Christians, Pagans, Wiccans and others �?in fire circle ceremonies with chants usually based on Native American customs.

"She's doing her own thing and following her goddess in her own way," Patricia Freeman said. "You can incorporate what you want. You don't have to have all the rules and regulations. We're just good people trying to help other people. Eclectics take from a lot of paths."

The balance of Wicca comes from having both a god and goddess. More strict Wiccans practice alone as "solitaries" or in a group called covens. Wiccans typically convene during four major and four minor Wiccan holidays, starting with the Wiccan new year of Samhaim �?the Celtic feast of the dead �?that falls on Halloween.

Next is Yule, the Wiccan festival of songs, gifts and merriment on Dec. 21. Feb. 1 is Imbolc �?Gaelic for "in the belly" �?a major holiday that celebrates the end of winter and glorifies fertility and pregnancy.

Mar. 21 is the vernal equinox, which celebrates the great balance in harmony, a day when daytime and night are the same. May 1 is the major holiday of Beltane, a celebration of fertility, life and the union of male and female.

"A lot of people would think it is something sexual," Patricia Freeman said. "We usually wear green. We dance around the Maypole, women and men intertwine multi-color ribbons. Once we have the dancing and the merriment around the Maypole, we socialize, we might have a potluck dinner. Then people go their separate ways."

June 21 is mid-summer night, the shortest night of the year, often celebrated outdoors. Aug. 1 is Lammas or Lughnasadh; a major holiday that celebrates the first harvest and is often paired with they playing of Gaelic games. The holiday calendar finishes with the autumn equinox on Sept. 21 to celebrate balance and the second harvest.

Glen makes no qualms about her affiliation as a Wiccan. The hatchback of her minivan is adorned with witch-related bumper stickers and she regularly wears a pentacle necklace and earrings. Last year, she launched the Internet Website "mysticandleworks.com" to help start up her business selling candles and potions.

She said some Wiccan purists believe the Website makes her a sellout. To her, the prospect of a business allows her to bring her closer to her beliefs and share them with others.

"I get a lot of criticism from people like that. It's not just a business, it's part of my life," she said. "I tell them where I'm coming from and that I'm trying to help people."

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