It’s 7 p.m. on a Wednesday and a group of about 20 Boston University students sits in a circle in a College of Arts and Sciences classroom deep in a meditative trance.
‘Picture yourself going through a tunnel to a body of water,’ says the young blond girl leading the exercise.
The students try to ignore the shouts and giggles of a sorority chapter meeting taking place in a classroom next door as they imagine themselves floating atop a pool of water.
The meditation leader explains how the circle is used to keep the spiritual energy of each person centralized.
The event is a Pagan ritual based on the practices of ancient ethnic traditions and the students in the circle are members of BU’s Wiccan Student Alliance, also known as Nemeton. University Professors Program junior Aubrey Hooser, the president of Nemeton, leads the group in the trance.
Paganism refers to a group of contemporary religions based on reverence for nature, the belief that all living things are sacred and the interconnectedness of all life. In addition, followers of paganism worship both Gods and Goddesses and live under an ethics system best summed up as, ‘If it harms none, do what you will,’ Hooser said.
Paganism also includes Wicca, or witchcraft. Wiccans follow many of the practices of ancient witches, and group members said they are not exempt from the stereotypical views concerning witchcraft, such as the common yet false belief that witches associate themselves with the devil. During this year’s Student Activities Expo, for example, Hooser said students kept asking them why they did not hex the Christian group that was set up next to them.
During meetings, members practice energy exercises in which each member works at locating his or her own aura, or energy field, according to information from the Pagan Network.
They believe through exercise, the spirit world speaks to the natural world, according to CAS junior and Nemeton Treasurer Jeffrey Barnett.
At their meetings, the group also practices ‘brushing off’ each other’s bad energy a ritual known as ‘fluffing.’ The students pair off and take turns as one person stands straight up, arms spread, and the other makes sweeping arm motions around the body.
‘Just so you know, anyone getting fluffed tonight isn’t going to be able to sleep for about another five hours,’ Barnett joked.
Though their activities may seem unconventional, the club also takes part in many events typical of any BU club sometimes with a more interesting twist. On Thursday, the group had a bake sale at the George Sherman Union and included a free Tarot card reading with each purchase.
In addition, the group hosts guest speakers, many of whom represent different paths of paganism.
One problem the group tends to encounter is finding an appropriate place to worship. Since their rituals usually involve candles and incense, finding a location on campus that allows for the lighting of such items can be difficult, Hooser said.
Although the group prefers to congregate on the BU Beach, it becomes a less than ideal place during Boston’s harsh winters.
Ann Gridneva, a group member and School of Education junior, said she became a Pagan at age 15 because she liked the Pagan atmosphere’s acceptance and respect for the duality of both male and female, as exemplified in its worship of both Gods and Goddesses.
Elizabeth Moss, a CAS junior and Nemeton Secretary, said she got into Paganism during her sophomore year in high school.
‘I like the idea of divinity in everything including nature and people,’ she said.
Barnett said CAS religion major Seamus McKeon founded the society four years ago. Although Paganism is based on individuals’ spiritual autonomy and has no religious hierarchy, Barnett said McKeon was able to find enough students practicing Wiccan to form the organization.
Since its founding in 2000, the alliance’s officers have been trying to receive recognition as a religious organization by BU’s Religious Life Council. The council is made-up of representatives of several religious groups on campus and are responsible for approving all of the university’s religious organizations.
Barnett said the club has been denied recognition because the council felt Paganism was not a clearly defined religion.
Hooser said Nemeton is also waiting to find out if it has been approved for affiliate status from Covenant of the Goddess, an international organization of Wiccan congregations. Once they hear back from the Covenant, she said, the Alliance will re-apply to the council for recognition.
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