Modern Witches Deny They
Intend Any Harm
Intend Any Harm
Books, Gifts and More
770-516-6969
Daily Sitka Sentinel - Sitka Alaska
October 31, 1995
October 31, 1995
TROY, N.Y. (AP) – With their popular Halloween image of snaggle-toothed hags in pointy black hats cackling over bubbling cauldrons, it’s no
wonder most of today’s witches are staying in the broom closet.
Yet some have come out on one of their most sacred of days to say that the witches of the ‘90s aren’t so scary, with pagan beliefs turned into full-
blown religions, complete with services and holidays.
“Even if this is the only time of year that anyone pays attention, it’s a chance to tell people there’s nothing to fear from us,” said Allan Patnode,
who considers himself a witch (he does not use the term warlock).
Witch Dee Coyle Anderson added, “Witches do have other holidays, you know. People tend to think we worship just once a year.”
These witches, among 50 members of the Hudson Valley Pagan Network, are contemporary followers of an ancient pagan religion based on
Celtic mythology.
In its most basic form, witchcraft, or Wicca, is a form of nature worship. The pagan calender in most traditions follows the seasons, with the
solstices and equinoxes as holy days.
The core of the Wiccan worship is belief in a deity with male and female attributes whose psychic energy can be tapped. Most witches say they
do not use the energy for destructive purposes.
But from their traditions come legends of satanic worship – and a bad image.
“People who use the word ‘witch’ in connection with living sacrifices or satanism or any of the nonsense – that’s not who we are.” Said group
member Christine D’Allaird.
There are about 2 million Americans who adhere to some form of paganism, said Leo Martello, director of the New York City-based Witches’ Anti-
Discrimination Lobby, an organization that fights for the rights of pagans to gather in public places and receive holiday benefits for such days as
Halloween.
Because of fear of losing jobs and negative perceptions from friends and family, many pagans remain solitary, Martello said. But he said pagans
may just be living next door, coming “from all walks of life – politicians, waitresses, computer programmers, you name it.”
Believers say today’s paganism evolved from the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Since then, the Age of Aquarius has become the New
Age – the umbrella term for the thousands of separate pagan traditions that have been building steadily over the past 30 years.
But in the days around Halloween, the old images of witches always seem to bubble to the surface, even for modern-day believers.
At a “Witches Ball” thrown by the Hudson Valley group on Saturday night, members showed up in outlandish Medieval costumes, including
knights in full armor and wizards with pointy hats and black robes. There were even such traditional Halloween activities as bobbing for apples.
On Sunday, the network held a secret religious ritual to mark Halloween. The group would not discuss details of its rituals.
Patnode called Halloween a “crack in time” between the old year and the new that spills over into the next world and allows pagans to ask the
spirits for advice.
“This time of year has always been seen as a time of death. The growing year is ending, the leaves are falling.” Patnode said. “Death and life
occur in a balance. We feel it’s healthy to acknowledge it, because it helps you to appreciate life more.”
wonder most of today’s witches are staying in the broom closet.
Yet some have come out on one of their most sacred of days to say that the witches of the ‘90s aren’t so scary, with pagan beliefs turned into full-
blown religions, complete with services and holidays.
“Even if this is the only time of year that anyone pays attention, it’s a chance to tell people there’s nothing to fear from us,” said Allan Patnode,
who considers himself a witch (he does not use the term warlock).
Witch Dee Coyle Anderson added, “Witches do have other holidays, you know. People tend to think we worship just once a year.”
These witches, among 50 members of the Hudson Valley Pagan Network, are contemporary followers of an ancient pagan religion based on
Celtic mythology.
In its most basic form, witchcraft, or Wicca, is a form of nature worship. The pagan calender in most traditions follows the seasons, with the
solstices and equinoxes as holy days.
The core of the Wiccan worship is belief in a deity with male and female attributes whose psychic energy can be tapped. Most witches say they
do not use the energy for destructive purposes.
But from their traditions come legends of satanic worship – and a bad image.
“People who use the word ‘witch’ in connection with living sacrifices or satanism or any of the nonsense – that’s not who we are.” Said group
member Christine D’Allaird.
There are about 2 million Americans who adhere to some form of paganism, said Leo Martello, director of the New York City-based Witches’ Anti-
Discrimination Lobby, an organization that fights for the rights of pagans to gather in public places and receive holiday benefits for such days as
Halloween.
Because of fear of losing jobs and negative perceptions from friends and family, many pagans remain solitary, Martello said. But he said pagans
may just be living next door, coming “from all walks of life – politicians, waitresses, computer programmers, you name it.”
Believers say today’s paganism evolved from the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Since then, the Age of Aquarius has become the New
Age – the umbrella term for the thousands of separate pagan traditions that have been building steadily over the past 30 years.
But in the days around Halloween, the old images of witches always seem to bubble to the surface, even for modern-day believers.
At a “Witches Ball” thrown by the Hudson Valley group on Saturday night, members showed up in outlandish Medieval costumes, including
knights in full armor and wizards with pointy hats and black robes. There were even such traditional Halloween activities as bobbing for apples.
On Sunday, the network held a secret religious ritual to mark Halloween. The group would not discuss details of its rituals.
Patnode called Halloween a “crack in time” between the old year and the new that spills over into the next world and allows pagans to ask the
spirits for advice.
“This time of year has always been seen as a time of death. The growing year is ending, the leaves are falling.” Patnode said. “Death and life
occur in a balance. We feel it’s healthy to acknowledge it, because it helps you to appreciate life more.”
