Wiccans thrive in N.M.

HOME TONIGHT IT S A RELIGION THAT S GROWING FAST AND GAINING GROUND IN NEW MEXICO AT FACE VALUE MANY PEOPLE INCLUDING A LOT OF CHRISTIANS MAY FEEL THREATENED EVEN FRIGHTENED BY IT BUT THE PEOPLE WHO PRACTICE THIS RELIGION WILL ARGUE THEY RE MORE LIKE YOU THAN YOU MAY THINK AND THE VERY LAST THING THEY D WANT TO DO IS SCARE YOU AN ACCOUNTANT — A NURSE — A COMPUTER TECH THEY ARE PARENTS THEY RE YOUR NEIGHBORS AND THEY ALSO HAPPEN TO BE WICCANS start music and images 8 09 for me it s the same thing I am wiccan I am a witch THE WORD WITCH CONJURES UP IMAGES OF SORCERERS AND MAGIC OR WORSE 29 47 the word witch people have kind of a negative connotation of that the image of the old hag with the green skin and the warts BUT WICCANS SAY THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH SATANISM OR ANY DEMONIC CULT A LOOK AT SOME OF THEIR BUMBER STICKERS SUGGESTS THEY ARE THE PEACE-NIKS OF WITCHCRAFT 37 07 the roots of witchcraft or wicca is from shamanism 18 and that s earth based celebrating the natural spirit of the land and of deity WICCANS BELIEVE NATURE IS SACRED THEY CELEBRATE THE SEASONS AND LUNAR CYCLES THEY HONOR MANY DIFFERENT GODS AND GODDESSES GREEK CELTIC HINDU AND OTHERS THEY DO PERFORM MAGIC THOUGH IT S NOT EXACTLY SUPERNATURAL 13 54 magic is transforming reality through means that are not ordinary they re using the powers of our mind and our will to effect change in ourselves and in the world IT IS A RELIGION RECOGNIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT BUT WICCANS DON T RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS EVEN THEIR OWN CHILDREN 43 57 We raise our daughter in a wiccan household but we don t raise her as a wiccan 20 29 we believe that people need to find their own spiritual path BRIAN RASMUSSEN WAS ACTUALLY RAISED AS A MORMON - BUT SAYS HE WAS LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT PATH 27 19 I ve always had a person connection to the natural world and I saw the beauty of divinity through the natural world WICCA ATTRACTS PEOPLE LIKE RASMUSSEN FOR IT S EARTHLY ATTRIBUTES WHICH THEY SAY ARE REFLECTED IN THE SYMBOL THE PENTAGRAM 25 02 the five pointed star represents the elements of earth air fire water and spirit THE SYMBOL ISN T ONLY USED BY WICCANS IN FACT SATANISTS ALSO USE THE PENTAGRAM WICCANS SAY IT S ONE OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS THEY CONTINUE TO FIGHT LAST YEAR THE U-S GOVERNMENT AGREED TO ALLOW THE PENTAGRAM TO BE USED ON WICCAN VETERANS HEADSTONES LIKE AT THE NATIONAL CEMETARY IN SANTA FE 23 06 there s many countries where there s so much intolerance right now that to have a different religion or political viewpoint is your death warrant and I cherish the fact that New Mexico is so open to diversity and that having harmony among the different cultures is so important to us ENDS WITH MUSIC heal me WHILE WICCA IS GROWING YOU WON T LIKELY SEE A CHURCH FOR IT WICCANS PRACTICE THEIR RITUALS AT HOME OR OUTSIDE IN NATURE BUT THEY DO HAVE SCHOOLS — IN FACT THEY HAVE A NATIONALLY KNOWN SEMINARY IN JEMEZ SPRINGS