Associated Press
12-21-06
Wiccans push for greater acceptance with grave marker lawsuit in U.S.
BARNEVELD, Wisconsin: With an estimated 400,000 members nationwide, and
a high-profile fight with the U.S. government over veterans' grave markers,
Wiccans are moving into a more prominent place in the religious landscape.
And Selena Fox is leading the way.
A Wiccan priestess and founder of Circle Sanctuary, a 200-acre (80-hectare)
nature center in the Wisconsin woods about 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of the
U.S. state's capital, Madison, Fox battles for acceptance of the so-called neopagan religion.
Though they are often equated with witches, many Wiccans reject the label
because of the baggage it brings.
Fox, whose graying hair flows midway down her purple dress and matching
cape, exudes more hippie-esque charm than any kind of Hollywood-conjured
witchery. She embraces the task of fighting discrimination against Wiccans.
"Spirituality should be something that lifts the spirit," she said.
Fox, a 57-year-old psychotherapist, wants to make clear that Wiccans do not
worship the devil or engage in Satanism. She doesn't cast spells, ride a
broomstick or wear a pointy black hat.
The golden rule for Wiccans is, "And it harm none, do what you will."
A nature-based religion, the Wiccan faith is founded on respect for the earth,
nature and the cycle of the seasons.
A "yule tree," which looks identical to a Christmas tree, sits in a corner of the
100-year-old red dairy barn Fox has converted into an office, meeting room and
spiritual center.
"We worship the divine and we do that by recognizing that the divine permeates
all of life," Fox said.
The highest profile fight in Wiccans' struggle for recognition is with the federal
government over its refusal to allow pentacles on grave markers issued by the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
The pentacle, a symbol of Wiccans, is a five-pointed star representing earth, air,
fire, water and spirit. Variations of it that are not part of the Wiccan belief have
been used in horror movies as a sign of the devil.
Last month, Americans United for Separation of Church and State sued the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of Circle Sanctuary and others arguing
that the VA is violating the constitutional rights of Wiccans.
Buried at Circle Sanctuary's cemetery are the remains of two soldiers — a
Vietnam veteran from Ohio, and Jerome Birnbaum, a Korean War veteran. There
also is a memorial to Nevada National Guard Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who was killed
in Afghanistan last year.
The widows of Stewart and Birnbaum are part of the lawsuit.
Fox and others say not including the pentacle on the list of accepted grave
marker symbols is especially maddening because the Army Chaplain handbook
has listed ways to accommodate Wiccans since 1978 and about 1,800 activeduty service members identify themselves as Wiccans, according to 2005
Defense Department statistics.
Fox said the VA's lack of acceptance of the pentacle points to prejudice.
"I didn't want to have to sue the government to try to get the U.S. Constitution
upheld," Fox said. "It's discrimination. There's no other explanation I can think
of."
A spokesman for the VA had no comment, citing the ongoing litigation.
People are attracted to the Wiccan religion for its devotion to nature and
incorporation of both male and female deities, said Nikki Bado-Fralick, an
assistant professor of religion and women's studies at Iowa State
University.
She estimates the number of Wiccans nationwide has increased from about
40,000 in the late 1970s to around 400,000 today.
The Census Bureau, based on a survey in which people self-report their religion,
put the number at a more modest 134,000 as of 2001. Fox said she thinks that
number is low because many Wiccans fear reporting their religion.
"Oh lord, everyone thinks you worship the devil," said Joey Bunbury, a 39-yearold property manager from Madison and a Wiccan for about a decade. "People
don't understand."
Some Wiccans use the name good witch, pagan or neo-pagan, to describe their
spirituality, but others say there's just too much of a negative connotation and
prefer to be called Wiccans.
"There's a misinterpretation that says if you say you're pagan or Wiccan, you're
weird," said Jerrie Hildebrand, an ordained Wiccan minister living in Salem,
Massachusetts.
Hildebrand is assistant director of the Lady Liberty League, a group headed by
Fox that addresses discrimination.
She said the group receives more than 100 complaints a year, and only a handful
ever get amicably resolved.
Complaints range from school children being told they can't wear jewelry with
Wiccan symbols to workers who face harassment.