The Survival of Witchcraft
Feared by some and misunderstood by others,
the ancient religion continues to exist in Eugene.
Illustration by Lorraine Rain
BY LUCINDA DILLON
First the circle must he cast — the sacred circle in
side which practicing witches in Eugene will perform
their seasonal ritual Dressed in robes of various col
ors. 19 local witches enter the area singing a prepara
tion chant
"Ground, ground, ground, ground.
Anchor myself to the depths of the earth
Nothing can sweep me
off my feet anymore
Centered and settled I stand
It is dusk and several lighted candles on an alter and
a small (ire illuminate the faces of participants in this
outside ceremony Some are smiling softly, eyes cbs
ed Others are somber One woman steps forward
slowly and with a tapered knife, cuts the air surroun
ding the group establishing j circular force field of
energy that must not fx* broken
Witch. Wicca. witchcraft, tht* Craft
The terms are different, yet similar, and all
refer to a controversial and often feared
religion some people consider to be the oldest in all of
history It is also a widely misunderstood set of beliefs,
according to local witches who practice the Craft
Samantha is a Eugene witch She has been forced
to deal with the attitudes and violence of those who
disagree with her beliefs in the 18 years she has been
practicing the Craft
'The biggest myth is that we are somehow different
than others All human beings have their humanness
in common we are simply people who have chosen
another lifestyle, she says
Regardless, there are many who do not agree with
her beliefs Samantha's life has been threatened and
last year someone fired a shotgun through her living
room window I think anyone who would do that
must be in a pretty intense hell themselves, she says.
"We re all part of a living planet Why we re so
threatening I don't know, but some people see us as
such.” she says
Witches and researchers admit witchcraft, with all its
connotations, is ferociously difficult to define "The
only way to put it into a nutshell is to s ay it is a celebra
lion of being Most other religions are a celebration of
death We celebrate life and all its aspects. Including
death.’ Samantha says
The witches are quiet now waiting /or the ■>a/t am/
| w ater blessing tit,it w ill purify the s.tired circle One
w orn.in holtls a goblet of water into which >/ie drops
j chunks of suit crystals She starts the procedure with a
i erse
lilessetl r>t» thou creature <1/ f'itth
Ulessed ho thou availin' ul watei
One witch remove'’ ,i cauldron of white hot coals
from the alter and sprinkles herbs on the coals ( losing
her eves, she breathes deeply, inhaling the rich sutvf
essence of incense The cauldron is passed horn per
son to person, allowing the fragrance to engulf those
ilathered inside the circle A sing song chant begins,
back and forth across the circle, one witch taking a
turn then the next
"I purify this cirle I consecrate this sacred space
The verse is repeated by another witch across the fire.
I purify this circle I consecrate this sacred space
The purification now is complete and the witches
rise and go to places within the circle where they will
do their part in calling the god and goddess to their
ritual
l.uclnda Dillon is managing editor ol the Oregon Dalis/ Emerald
She is originally Irum Bakersfield CaU and has an interest in
religions She has written primarily on racial and women 's issues as
well as sports