coming out of the broom closet

ok, so a little addendum to post about the "advocates for magic and spiritual convening" group, or whatever they were called. the chronicle published this interview with a local pagan. good reading for halloween. just don't read it and drink milk at the same time.

"This being Halloween, M. Macha NightMare will dress up with a pointy hat, black clothing and a broomstick. It's mostly for fun, but it's also what people expect from the 62-year-old educator, author and priestess, who also happens to be a witch.

NightMare -- not her given name -- considers herself a Neo-Pagan, an eclectic term describing a diverse cluster of religious movements in the last 100 years or so seeking to resurrect pre-Christian spiritual beliefs, like a reverence for nature and Goddess worship. Some Neo-Pagans are witches, others are Wiccans and still others are both and neither..."

"What was the last spell you did?

Oh my! I have to think about that. One of them I did that stands out was basically a curse designed to eradicate corporate greed. I did it a few years ago on the Russian River near the Bohemian Grove during an anti-globalization protest. The spell is called the Curse of the Morrigan."

"What form did the spell take?

One of the ways that the Morrigan has revealed herself to people has been as a character called the Washer at the Board. The Washer at the Board is seen washing the garments of people who will be slain in battle that day. So she is sort of a precursor of death to come.

As the people were marching from the rally site across the bridge up to the gates of the Bohemian Grove -- that's when I did the spell. I kissed the water and began washing the suit and white shirt in the river. It's kind of funny, but shortly after I did that Enron blew up.

And you think you might have had something to do with that?

I don't know. You just put these things out there, and you have to let them go."

For more, go here.