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Over the March 20th weekend, another inspiring event took place to
coincide with the Spring Equinox: the first-ever Reclaiming workshop in
Pittsburgh. Reclaiming is an approach to Wicca, a sect of paganism, and is
centered in the principals of openness, inclusivity, and equality. This is a big
difference from the closed, secretive covens of the past and from the covert,
magic-based operations of the military and the secret service. In the document "The Reclaiming Principles of Unity," the closest thing that
the Reclaimers have to scripture, they state, "The values of the Reclaiming
tradition stem from our understanding that the earth is alive and all of life is
sacred and interconnected. ...Our practice arises from a deep spiritual
commitment to the earth, to healing, and to the linking of magic with political
action." The Reclaimers that are politically active usually My first experience with Reclaiming witches occurred last November at the School of the Americas protest in Georgia. I happened upon a Reclaiming ritual that was about to begin on the lawn adjacent to the protest site. Most of the participants had come up from the Free Trade Area of the Americas protest in Miami. The chance to participate in a ritual was a welcome relief to me. What struck me the most about this ritual was that the conductors began by acknowledging the stressed out, vulnerable state most of us were in after having been in Miami. They were able to help us clear some of this stress and to bring us into a feeling of community and empowerment. The ritual helped me merge spiritual feelings with political commitment. At dinner later that evening I met Starhawk for the second time. Starhawk has
been an icon in the pagan community for many years and she has emerged as a
leader in radical politics in recent years. She was busy organizing strategies
to raise bail money for the protesters still stuck in jail in Miami. Although
she was denied permission to publicly announce the Reclaimers fundraising
efforts from the SOA stage, the group nonetheless raised $3500 in the two days
of the SOA protest - truly a magical feat. And so, the Pittsburgh workshop began with a diverse group of thirteen
participants and was facilitated by two young Reclaimers from New Mexico, Ravyn
Stanfield and Miles Sledd. The student teacher was Erin Curtis-Scott from
Pittsburgh. This was the Reclaimers intensive, introductory workshop, The
Elements of Magic. We attuned ourselves to the elements of air, fire, water,
earth, and spirit. We employed such techniques as visualization, energy raising
and projecting, spell casting, song singing, and creating group rituals. We were
encouraged to work with focus and strong intent. I had originally
anticipated that we would spend most of our attention on external phenomena but
to my surprise the exercises moved me into an introverted, introspective space.
And in fact, this is a central Reclaiming theme, engaging in magical practice
for both inner and outer transformation while striving to keep a balance between
the two. The workshop was fascinating and fun, safe and confidential. We honored self and community, self and world, and worked on empowering all. I think the flavor of the weekend can be best captured by quoting some of the many notable remarks I heard: "If New Mexico seceded from the Union it would be the third largest nuclear power in the world." (Attributed to Amy Goodman) "I don't invoke transformation spells anymore without using the "Geological time heals all wounds." "Who benefits from our hating ourselves?" Candice, a young but seasoned local witch summed up her weekend by sharing,
"This was a wonderful experience for me. It gave me hope and now I really
understand that all things are connected. A lot of things fell into place for
me." - Shakti |