Wiccans find recognition, freedom at BU

In the dark basement of Marsh Chapel, 15 students stood in a circle Wednesday night with burning candles and incense, waiting to begin the ritual.
Before the ritual could proceed, one member, dressed in a long, black robe, stepped forward and asked for all cell phones to be turned off.
‘I have had digital cameras break, because they were on during ritual,’ she said.
This was a ritual for Samhain, a Pagan holiday to commemorate ancestors and celebrate the new year. About every six weeks, the Boston University Nemeton Wiccan Student Alliance holds a ritual for significant Pagan holidays.
As in any ritual, the first step was to cast the circle, Nemeton spokeswoman Jessica McGeoch said. Right after the cell phone warning, another member stepped outside the circle and motioned her hands in a flicking movement to create a barrier.
‘To do this, you cleanse the area and create an energy barrier to keep the space clear of energies that you don’t want to work with,’ McGeoch, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said. ‘Then, they call the elements from the four directions. Then, call the god, goddess and spirit.”
Wicca is a relatively new religion, founded during the mid-20th century and, because of this, it is constantly evolving and changing, Nemeton Treasurer Alex DeSimone said.
‘Basically, it’s a polytheistic religion that emphasizes balance between masculine and feminine in the form of god or goddess,’ DeSimone, a CAS senior, said.
Nemeton, which currently has about 15 members, was founded in 2000, but did not receive status as a religious group on campus until 2005.
Nemeton members underwent a long process to become a religious group, DeSimone said. It was originally a pagan group, but had to identify with Wicca because the label was more specific, according to the BU Religious Life Council standards.
‘Nemeton’ means scared growth, or a safe place to come and be, DeSimone said. Even though the group is a ‘safe place’ for Wiccans to practice, not all members are open about the religion, or ‘still in the broom closet.”
‘It’s a serious thing when people come out,’ DeSimone said.
For many students, coming to college means the first time they are able or allowed to practice Wicca or paganism, Co-President Jack De Groot said.
‘During high school, I was like, ‘Christianity is OK, but I’m not sure it’s right for me,” De Groot, a CAS senior, said. ‘Where I grew up [Wicca] wasn’t very accessible. Your parents are there, watching every step you do.’
At the end of the ritual, the members wrote their wishes for the new year on pieces of paper. Afterward, certain members took the wishes and dropped them into the Charles River.
Members of Nemeton stressed the importance of discussing their different beliefs, and disagreeing with each other as essential to building their spirituality.
‘We come together to explore our faith,’ De Groot said. ‘Talking and discussing helps us solidify our faith. My favorite idea is that there is no one true path.’