University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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is way of what people choose to do. Based on this belief, the threefold-law was very important to Alexander. She explained the law with her stoplight theory: A driver was waiting at a stoplight. Others drivers were trying to merge into traffic. If the driver waiting at the stop light let the other drivers in, the next three lights would be green. The good the person did would come back to them threefold. Based on this law, witches are able to practice bad magic. However, if they do, they will send three times the bad back on themselves. honoring all living and nonliving things. We honor all the critters and happy green things and happy green nonliving things, like rocks and dirt, Alexander said. The Mother Goddess or Mother Earth represents life, Alexander said. Life comes from the Earth in the form of food rain and sun. Alexander said things in nature origi- nate from a male and female. Wiccans usually worship a pair of gods, which consists of a male and a female, to repre- sent the balance of nature. Others wor- ship only the triple goddess, Alexander said. The triple goddess has three faces: ,ff Watch what you say and do. Temper your words or they will come back to haunt you, Alexander said. we ffm Jan: maiden, mother and crone. The balance Laffy of nature is achieved through the female Phllhps Cycle. Wican high Despite the importance of free, it is not The nature aspect of Wicca first inter- the main focus of Wicca. Nature is the primary component. ested Alexander. prays near l'Ve always been a part of nature. I Wicca is a nature-based religion used to talk with trees. When I was a

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Elizabeth Alexander burns incense, which symbolizes air and fire. 24 Popularvievvs depietvvitehes as evil or unnatural hovvever, Wiccan witches are anything but. These nature lovers lll.'PEL'l'IIIi' MYTIL ' I woMAN's GREEN FACE, wart-laden nose and night-flying broom is the image that often comes to mind when witches are mentioned. Larry Phillips, Wiccan high priest, said this public image asso- ciated with Witches originated from the Roman imposition of Christian- ity upon Northern Europe. At the time, the Europeans of the country were practicing magic and wor- shipping their means of survival, such as the Earth and sky. The Romans perceived the coun- try people as backward and poor. The words pagan and heathen origi- nally were insults referring to the odd country folk. A long pointed hat and other outdated clothing was the common dress for the people of the country. The Qld English word wit means magician or priest. The image and stereotype of the Witch f o r m e d from these roots. Today, the title of witch denotes someone who has begun a magical practice in a system, such as Wicca, Phillips said. Elizabeth Alexanderi, Wiccan high priestess, said, A witch is someone who has a nature-based belief, believes in the Wiccan rede I nornburg or creed, upholds the threefold law and views the creation force as a male and female dichotomy or worships the triple goddess. BY KERRY HILLARD HWICCA IS A NA'l'U IIE BASED IIELIGIIIN IIONOIlING ALL LIVING AVID NIDNLIVING THINGS. liLIZABE'l'Il ALIEXANIDIEII, WICCAN HIGH l'llIlES'l'liSS I I I I I Being a witch is the first of three stages of Wiccan initiation. After one year of study, the title of witch is conferred upon the stu- dent, Phillips said. The title of priest or priestess, the second stage, is received upon the completion of ritual training, Phillips said. Christian clergy is the basic equivalent. The final stage is becom- ing an autonomous high priest or priestess. This further teaching serves the basic purpose of priest or priestess only on a deeper level, Phillips said. One cannot become a high priest or priestess until they have proved themselves capable of running a group, Alexander said. According to Phillips, 95 percent of the magic a witch practices is directed back to themselves for personal develop- ment. Wicca.ns believe in the free will of all, including chil- dren, Alexander says. Magic cannot violate another's free will. Free Will, Alexander said, is whatever a person wants to do. A Wiccan should not stand in the

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child I thought there were people in them, Alexander said. I sometimes think I was a tree in a past life. Trees are really neat to me very special to me and very sacred. It was through her involvement in the Kansas City Renaissance Festival that Alexander discovered Wicca. She realized Wicca was based on what she already worshiped: nature. During a Festival meeting at the organizers home, Alexander said she noticed a huge bookshelf. It was a wonderful bookcase. It had everything, she said. Alexander began borrowing books, and within them, she many different backgrounds and choose a name, image or form to worship, Phillips said. Phillips was attracted to Wicca be- cause the deities were worshiped in male and female pairs. A lot of people, including myself, have a problem with a single ruler that is usually a male, Phillips said. As a child Phillips did a lot of unique reading. He was fascinated by magic. While attending a pagan feSiiV-21, Phillips met a Wiccan high priestess. He visited with her, he said, and asked her to teach him the Wiccan faith. Alexander is a self-taught Wiccan. She ' ' a, 4-Qge' Haag' gr - :IN fi- JY ee' W.. 26 .. fan: -., .Wil-lt L-9 W dk, -1,5 again' Wiccan tools of the trade include the pentacle, a chalice, candles, incense and a holy Bic. All items had to consecrated before the were fit to be used in worship. discovered Wicca. The owners never ques- tioned or pushed her. They just let me exist and come into it on my own. With Wicca, I finally found something that practiced what I prac- ticed, Alexander said. Alexander became a Sax-Wiccan and chose to worship a brother and sister pair of gods, Freyr and Freya. Alexander chose this pair and faith, but other Wiccans belong to different covens and worship other gods. All gods are one god. People involved in Wicca are from Gina Thornburg has read numerous books beginning with her book of choice, Raymond Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. Which, although it is wonderful, Alexander said, is in no way complete. In the next four or five years, Alexander plans to write a book about witchcraft that will explain her beliefs and faith. I won't write a book about the correct way to believe or practice because there is no correct way. I want to write a book not geared to Wiccans, but geared to the mundane commLmity, she said. 1 1 S119 medic in eX2UlPle handdif' dew' Cannot be def M' c0n511Ulm AWN pate in fhe Odober- fl '1 noni pr0mi59 ill Children 111 nhile he ended JW Algeandef 'My pan fadd1allI1 Alexende diSn1Ssedh they have 5 has never a As a doin and herhai wedding ce fasting. Although ing ef her h said others slanhed, hee feels llllllIE againsn hen 'The dn lllg as we th broom dna Though diwininne Pfffeption lmpollilll 1 For exnn bloom dur faded mul ffflbnre hen Brogms Order ho W Chan, 3 Q1 15 Wd to I Wihhe snnenping myth ni he brnhms 0 hlexar DMS 1 wen.. I