Editor’s Note: This week’s essay comes from PoliceOne Member Martha Dickinson, who hopes to educate officers on Paganism, which she says “is one of the fastest growing faiths” in the Untied States. In PoliceOne “First Person” essays, our Members and Columnists candidly share their own unique view of the world. This is a platform from which individual officers can share their own personal insights on issues confronting cops today, as well as opinions, observations, and advice on living life behind the thin blue line. If you want to share your own perspective with other P1 Members, simply send us an e-mail with your story.
By Martha Dickinson
Police1 Member
A regular Saturday night, not quiet but not crazy. Your radio crackles to life — you’re all ears as you hear your number called. An address is given in a normal, middle-class residential neighborhood. There’s not a lot of information, approximately 10-15 people in a backyard near the complainant acting in a suspicious manor, possible smell of marijuana.
Not quite calling for lights and siren, but you speed up a bit and arrive at about the same time as your backup officer. You take a minute and assess the situation…there are about 10-15 people dressed in robes. There are candles set up along the perimeter of a circle marked in the grass. There is a woman running a packet of some kind of packets of plant matter over the people entering the circle. In the center there is a robed man wearing a sword. You look at your backup.
What the heck is going on?
What was going on? What is an officer to do and most importantly why on this shift, in this zone?
First let’s tackle the what the heck is going on question. It’s a pagan ritual, they are most commonly held during the eight sabbats, during the full or new moons. That said, it should be noted that Paganism is an umbrella term for many faiths, including Wiccan, Witchcraft, Voodoo, and Druidism to name a few. The ritual described above would fall under the heading of Wiccan (though many Witches and Druids also follow these holidays).
The eight sabbats are the most important days in the Wiccan wheel of the year. I will just touch on them briefly. I am giving the dates of the actual holiday, but be advised most covens will meet on the weekends, or on a mutually convenient date.
Midwinter or Yule- (December 21st) this celebrates the birth of the new God, representing the new sun. Welcoming the shortest day of the year, also the hope of the season of growth and spring to come.
Imbolc or Candalmas- (February 2nd) the first of the fire festivals, strongly associated with the Goddess Bridget, also represents growth and planning for the New Year. A time to plant the hopes and dreams for the coming year
Vernal Equinox or Ostara- (March 21st ish) equal hours of day and night. This is the first day of spring, represents the planting of the fields, new beginnings.
Beltane- (May 1st) a mayday festival focusing mostly on fertility, for crops and the consummation of hopes and dreams
Midsummer or Summer Solstice — (June 21st ish) the longest day of the year, a time to focus on the manifestation of the hopes and dreams planted at Imbolc
Lughnasadh- (August 1) — represents the first harvest of the hopes and dreams planted at imbolc.
Mabon- (September 21st ish) –the completion of the harvest.
Samhain- (October 31st) the pagan new year represents the death of the God, and a time to honor those that have passed on
Keep in mind this is a very basic and general overview — by no means complete.
In many traditions, as mentioned earlier, the new and full moons are also celebrated. What is going on in the beginning paragraph is a religious observance, not a common one in most communities, but it is a celebration of faith. The majority of groups call themselves covens, though there is no sweating over a hot cauldron adding eye of newt, and toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog, (most of those are actually folk names for plants anyway), most are just regular folks meeting to practice a common faith.
I will go through it, again as a general overview, please understand this barely scratches the surface. The circle, sometimes marked on the ground, sometimes not is where the ritual is performed. Most traditions do a ritual cleansing of the person before they enter, hence the robed woman with the stick of herb, that admittedly smell remarkably like marijuana, is almost definitely a smudge stick made from sage, sometimes mixed with lavender or other herbs. The robes—well many groups do not permit everyday clothing in the circle, it’s a sacred space—some covens prefer to go skyclad or nude, though most have the judgment not to do that outside in a residential neighborhood or a park (at least without permission). The sword, carried by the robed man in the circle, is used by many practitioners (usually High Priests or Priestesses) to cast the circle, never for harming anyone. The candles around the circle edges mark the quarters, North, South, East and West, each corresponds to a different element.
Now what to do from a law enforcement standpoint, now that we are armed with some background on what they’re doing it should make it a little easier. I hope it needn’t be said officer safety is always first and foremost, if the sword is out, or if any of the others are carrying knives on their belt –it’s common, it’s a ritual knife called an athame—do what you feel you must. Please do not enter the circle unless invited, (unless of course it’s an officer safety issue) it’s a sacred space, usually one of the group will come over and speak, or sometimes several. Handle it with compassion, if they’re doing something wrong do what is needed, if not just let them know someone was concerned and why. Ask questions about what they’re doing, any implement you don’t recognize, most are happy to explain. They may decide to take the ritual inside, they may stay where they are, and they may even invite you to watch.
It’s estimated that there are roughly 1,000,000 pagan or neo-pagan practitioners in the United States, some have said it’s the fastest growing religion in the country, so the chances of you running into a situation like the one described above is better than not.
The folks that practice this faith (or these faiths) are doctors, lawyers, teachers, dispatchers, even other officers; you’ve probably met several or talk to some on a regular basis and not even know.
