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I was raised in the Mormon church and became an elder in 1969. I remained a member until 1973 when I was introduced to one of its offshoots. After converting to the new church, I was ordained as an Elder and given a ministerial license from the state of Missouri. Around 1983 I was introduced to Wicca when some friends invited me to join in a rite of passage ritual they were conducting for friends of ours who had died in a car accident. In 1986 I received my 1st degree from an Alexandrian high priestess. In 1994 I met my current high priestess (Seanara) who introduced me to Western Transformational Wicca. (for more info) At Yule 1996 I received my 2nd degree from her, and am working toward my 3rd degree.
During the various Ecumenicon
and Sacred Space Conferences that I have attended since 1994, I have been strongly
impressed by the stories (patakis) of the
Orishas in the Yemaya/Olokun and Yemaya/Erzulie paths. During the feast
at Ecumenicon XI, I was (as some of us like to put it) struck along the side
of the head with a "Clue by Four" and impressed that I should place
these stories on my web site. Please enjoy
these patakis.
Now for a lighter note:
To see a random Pagan lightbulb joke,
I retired from the U.S. Army in 1987 after 20 years.
(See my military information page for more
information)
Two urls with on-line information regarding the U.S. Army and Wicca are: Specificially Gardnerian Wicca and Wicca in general. These two URL's are part of the "ONLINE EDITION - last updated 25 March 1999 of RELIGIOUS REQUIREMENTS AND PRACTICES of Certain Selected Groups A HANDBOOK FOR CHAPLAINS (1993). Be aware however that this site also has the following disclaimer:
Nothing herein, including all internet links, shall be construed to reflect the official position, policy or endorsement of the Department of the Army, or of the Chief of Army Chaplains regarding the organization, beliefs, or doctrine of the religious groups described in this manual. It contains information on these selected religious groups provided by the groups themselves.
In May 1998, this "Wiccan Religious Background Paper" was issued to THE ARMED FORCES CHAPLAINS BOARD. This paper presents the following information:
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 elucidates the First Amendment with regard to religion: To be a bona fide religious belief entitled to protection under either the First Amendment or Title VII, a belief must be sincerely held, and within the believer's own scheme of things religious. (USCA Const. Amend 1: Civil Rights Act 1964 701 et. seq., 717 as amended 42 USCA 2000-16)
Based upon the above legislation, and specifically pertaining to the Wicca religion, the District Court of Virginia declared in 1985 (Dettmer v. Landon, 617 F Sup 592) that: [Wicca] is clearly a religion for First Amendment purposes. . . Members of the Church sincerely adhere to a fairly complex set of doctrines relating to the spiritual aspect of their lives, and in doing so they have 'ultimate concerns' in much the same way as followers of more accepted religions. Their ceremonies and leadership structure, their rather elaborate set of articulated doctrine, their belief in the concept of another world, and their broad concern for improving the quality of life for others gives them at least some facial similarity other more widely recognized religions." Judge J. Butzner of the Fourth Circuit Federal Appeals confirmed the decision (799F 2nd. 929) in 1986 saying: "We agree with the District Court that the Doctrine taught by the Church of Wicca is a religion."
Although the military may claim that "it" does not specifically recognize Wicca as a religion, the above statements seem to show otherwise.
The information in the background paper can help chaplains understand the minimal accommodations necessary to allow Wiccan practices in accordance with the DOD Directive 1300.17 Accommodation of Religious Practices Within the Military Services, February 3, 1988.
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are copyright © 1997, 1998
Crystal Owl Productions
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courtesy of Yemanja
at www.pagans.org
