MERIDEN — Jacqueline Glen's modest white three-story house
on Franklin Street blends in well with the rest of the neighborhood a few
blocks away from City Park.
But the living room is cramped and busy. Her daughters Taylor and Gina, ages 6
and 9, respectively, stayed close to her on the couch.
Her 15 year-old daughter Cassandra was out, but her shy son Joshua, 17, drifted
in and out of the of the room, sometimes stopping to tempt a bird with his
finger between the rungs of a boxy birdcage next to the TV. The candles lit on
the coffee table, however, win the most attention.
Candles and potions, she explained, play a big part in the practice of her new,
offbeat religion. A glass vial she filled with grapeseed oil also held cinnamon
sticks, a seashell, a feather and a citrine. She poured some in her hands, then
rubbed a candle. She said usually she would roll the candle in crushed cinnamon
and light it.
"While you do that, visualize what you want," she said. "I want
strength. I want courage. Then you roll it in crushed cinnamon and light
it."
Glen, 37, a city native, left Catholicism three years ago
and found she fit in with Wicca.
Wicca, the practice of witchcraft, is a fast growing religion with hundreds of
organizations and covens throughout the state, according to the Connecticut
Wiccan and Pagan Network.
The religion has been around formally in the United States since the 1920s but
was popularized by the book "Witchcraft Today" by Gerald Gardner in
1954. In 1985, Wicca became recognized and protected as a religion under the
U.S. Constitution.
"It really is about a connection to nature," said Liz Guerra, a Wicca
practitioner from New Milford and president of the statewide organization.
"We put an emphasis on maintaining a healthy balance. It gives you the
feeling of incredible freedom. You are participating in the rituals instead of
sitting in pews."
In Meriden, Glen gave up on Christianity after she tried to have her marriage
annulled. With her divorce finalized in 1997, she found that she didn't connect
to the religion she was raised with. Still she wanted to connect with
something.
"I thought it was strange that a group of priests had
to decide. They haven't had any relationships, being celibate," she said.
"I resonate so well with (Wicca.) I'm so connected, much happier. I'm not
the victim n I'm a strong woman who can support four kids."
Glen's departure from Christianity isn't uncommon especially since many
Catholics worship culturally, not religiously, according to Rev. Edmond
Nadolny, pastor of St. Stanislaus Church.
"So many people are starting their own religions. Everyone doesn't have
the gift of faith, but we all believe in something," Nadolny said.
"Even atheists believe there is no God. To leave the Catholic Church for
another religion tells me they never believed in the Catholic religion."
Glen introduced herself to Wicca while trying to satisfy her curiosities at New
Age fairs. There she met people who practiced various religions. The Internet
and the airwaves have helped Wicca reach those who are interested in the
religion.
In the eastern Connecticut town of Baltic, husband and wife Rapid and Patricia
Freeman host their own public access television show called "The Witchin'
Hour" to raise awareness about Wicca.
Rapid Freeman, 31, is a machinist of Cherokee descent raised in a household of
Pentecostal beliefs as well as atheism. Patricia Freeman, 40, is a cashier at
an agricultural store who said she was raised a Christian. Both have been
practicing Wicca for about 15 years.
"I thought and walked a lot of (Christian religions)," Patricia
Freeman said. "There was something missing. I don't feel I should walk
into a church and go through the motions. I found something missing. I didn't
find the warmth."
The Freemans are part of an eight-member coven in Baltic called Knights of the
Crescent Crown.
"I choose my associates very closely," Patricia Freeman said.
"Each coven decides how many numbers they decide to pursue. It's our hope
we will have 13 and that will be it. There is 13 moons and that goes in
accordance with 13."
Glen considers herself an eclectic witch and prefers the freedom of adopting
beliefs from various religions. She isn't part of a coven, but routinely joins
a group of 30 in Salem — a mix of Cherokees, Christians, Pagans, Wiccans and
others — in fire circle ceremonies with chants usually based on Native American
customs.
"She's doing her own thing and following her goddess
in her own way," Patricia Freeman said. "You can incorporate what you
want. You don't have to have all the rules and regulations. We're just good
people trying to help other people. Eclectics take from a lot of paths."
The balance of Wicca comes from having both a god and goddess. More strict
Wiccans practice alone as "solitaries" or in a group called covens.
Wiccans typically convene during four major and four minor Wiccan holidays,
starting with the Wiccan new year of Samhaim — the Celtic feast of the dead —
that falls on Halloween.
Next is Yule, the Wiccan festival of songs, gifts and merriment on Dec. 21.
Feb. 1 is Imbolc — Gaelic for "in the belly" — a major holiday that
celebrates the end of winter and glorifies fertility and pregnancy.
Mar. 21 is the vernal equinox, which celebrates the great balance in harmony, a
day when daytime and night are the same. May 1 is the major holiday of Beltane,
a celebration of fertility, life and the union of male and female.
"A lot of people would think it is something sexual," Patricia
Freeman said. "We usually wear green. We dance around the Maypole, women
and men intertwine multi-color ribbons. Once we have the dancing and the
merriment around the Maypole, we socialize, we might have a potluck dinner.
Then people go their separate ways."
June 21 is mid-summer night, the shortest night of the year, often celebrated
outdoors. Aug. 1 is Lammas or Lughnasadh; a major holiday that celebrates the
first harvest and is often paired with they playing of Gaelic games. The
holiday calendar finishes with the autumn equinox on Sept. 21 to celebrate
balance and the second harvest.
Glen makes no qualms about her affiliation as a Wiccan. The hatchback of her
minivan is adorned with witch-related bumper stickers and she regularly wears a
pentacle necklace and earrings. Last year, she launched the Internet Website
"mysticandleworks.com" to help start up her business selling candles
and potions.
She said some Wiccan purists believe the Website makes her a sellout. To her,
the prospect of a business allows her to bring her closer to her beliefs and
share them with others.
"I get a lot of criticism from people like that. It's not just a business,
it's part of my life," she said. "I tell them where I'm coming from
and that I'm trying to help people."