Uniting with Nature: Locating Celtic Pagan Groups in Your Local Area

There are several Celtic pagan groups near me that are actively practicing and promoting their beliefs. These groups draw inspiration from the ancient Celts and their pagan traditions, incorporating elements such as nature worship, polytheism, and rituals into their practices. One of the prominent Celtic pagan groups near me is a local organization that holds regular gatherings and rituals to honor the Celtic gods and goddesses. They also celebrate the Wheel of the Year, which consists of eight major festivals aligned with the changing seasons. These events often include storytelling, music, dancing, and feasting, providing a community-oriented space for individuals who follow Celtic pagan traditions. Another Celtic pagan group near me focuses on studying and preserving the mythology and folklore of the Celts.

This was the case with “aquiline” or "hooked" noses, which were used to depict both Jews and witches, Vi explains. “This nose, which has been found to be a more broadly Mediterranean trait, was something that was used to signify differences between Jews living in Western or Eastern Europe and their non-Jewish neighbors who wouldn't have had that Mediterranean ancestry,” she says.

Even more recently, the witch has entered the Zeitgeist as a figure akin to the so-called nasty woman, who in the face of a Presidential Administration that is quick to cast any criticism as a witch hunt has reclaimed the term for the feminist resistance. Like green skin, this is another example of how the 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz solidified the stereotypical image of a witch a wart sprouting horse hairs was built into Hamilton s prosthetic chin.

Another Celtic pagan group near me focuses on studying and preserving the mythology and folklore of the Celts. They organize lectures, workshops, and discussion groups where members can delve into the rich stories and symbolism of Celtic culture. They also offer resources and guidance for those interested in personal exploration and development within the Celtic pagan tradition.

The Many Faces of Women Who Identify as Witches

My first encounter with the figure of a witch in popular culture—apart from those in kids’ movies like Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” and M-G-M’s “The Wizard of Oz,” or in books like Tomie dePaola’s “Strega Nona” and Roald Dahl’s “The Witches”—was in a campy scene from Oliver Stone’s 1991 bio-pic, “The Doors,” depicting Jim Morrison (played by Val Kilmer) and one of his lovers, a Wiccan witch (a character played by Kathleen Quinlan, and based on the rock journalist Patricia Kennealy, who reportedly married the singer in a Celtic handfasting ceremony, in 1970). In the flickering light of dozens of candles barely illuminating a high-ceilinged chamber, the two peruse an esoteric sorcery tract in the nude, snort cocaine, slit their wrists with a dagger, drink each other’s blood, and have wild sex to the shrieking strains of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.”

More than a quarter century later, the often paradoxical grab bag of clichés tied to the contemporary figure of the witch is not that far off, I think, from those shown in Stone’s movie. The witch is often understood as a mishmash of sometimes contradictory clichés: sexually forthright but psychologically mysterious; threatening and haggish but irresistibly seductive; a kooky believer in cultish mumbo-jumbo and a canny she-devil; a sophisticated holder of arcane spiritual knowledge and a corporeal being who is no thought and all instinct. Even more recently, the witch has entered the Zeitgeist as a figure akin to the so-called nasty woman, who—in the face of a Presidential Administration that is quick to cast any criticism as a “witch hunt”—has reclaimed the term for the feminist resistance. (This latter-day witchiness has often been corralled to commercial ends: an Urban Outfitters shirt bearing the words “Boss Ass Witch,” say, or the women-only co-working space the Wing referring to itself as a “coven.”) The muddled stereotypes that surround witches nowadays are, in the end, not so very different from those used to define that perennial problem: woman.

In her portrait series “Major Arcana: Witches in America,” which will be shown at the ClampArt gallery, in Chelsea, beginning October 4th, the photographer Frances F. Denny seeks to explore the figure of the contemporary witch beyond the cultural chestnuts that have shrouded and obscured it. In the course of the past two years, Denny, who holds an M.F.A. in photography from the Rhode Island School of Design (where I taught her for a semester a number of years ago), has travelled in California, Louisiana, and along the East Coast, taking the portraits of dozens of women who identify as witches. Her subjects are of diverse age, social class, and ethnicity, and practice a range of rituals, often drawing on “mysticism, engagement with the occult, politically oriented activism, polytheism, ritualized ‘spell-work’ and plant-based healing,” according to Denny’s exhibition notes. Among them are “self-proclaimed green witches, white witches, kitchen witches, hedge witches, and sex witches.” The series as a whole aims to avoid easy formulas and, instead, to exhibit the heterogeneity and individuality of modern-day witches, Denny told me recently, adding, “I’m not pinning these women down.”

In one photograph—“Randy (Plainfield, VT)”—a grandmotherly woman is standing in a lush green meadow, wearing a flower-sprigged sack dress, her hair arranged a bit girlishly in tousled white ringlets. In one hand she casually clasps a pair of divining rods, while in the other she holds up a pendulum, her gaze raised toward it, her lips upturned in a slight, self-possessed smile. In another—“Kir (Brooklyn, NY)”—a young, lithe woman is dressed in tight black jeans and a tank top, her booted feet planted firmly on a city street, a large, inquisitive-looking tabby cat on a leash at her side. And in “Shine (New York, NY),” a statuesque black woman, posed against a wall of ivy, is dressed in an elaborately embroidered coat, gazing piercingly at the camera. These subjects are all self-identified witches, and yet that fact would not be immediately or necessarily obvious to the uninformed viewer. When she first started the project, Denny read a book by Margot Adler about witches, in which the late journalist and Wiccan priestess argued that “witch” was not just a word but “a cluster of powerful images,” Denny said. “So I thought, I want to make this cluster of images.”

Denny asked the women she photographed for the series to wear an outfit or bring along an item that they felt would represent their practice and identity as witches, and some of the portraits do answer more readily to our expectations of what a witch might look like. More than one woman wears a voluminous cape; some subjects’ fingers are crowded with ornate, sculptural rings, and others’ makeup is goth-y and exaggerated—lips crimson, eyes dramatically shaded. They brandish mysterious implements—a crystal ball, a bow and arrow, a wooden staff; one woman reclines, entwined with a snake—and most are dressed in black. Still, Denny said, it was important for her to make portraits that diverge from the ways she had seen witches typically photographed. “In what I saw out there, there was a lot of low lighting, and a lot of use of colored gels, usually purple or green. There was an immense theatricality,” she told me. In her photographs, Denny used natural light whenever possible, and the women are posed straightforwardly, facing the camera. Like other portraitists, such as the contemporary Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra, or the twentieth-century German master August Sander, Denny captures her subjects suspended delicately between performativity and naturalism. These self-identified witches are positioning themselves before us, fully conscious of our eye, and Denny is allowing them a lovely three-dimensionality.

For those who are interested in a more hands-on approach to Celtic paganism, there is a local group that practices various pagan crafts and arts, including herbalism, divination, and traditional crafts. They offer classes, workshops, and mentorship programs to teach these skills to interested individuals. This type of group fosters a deeper connection with Celtic pagan traditions through practical application and learning. Overall, the Celtic pagan groups near me provide a supportive and inclusive environment for individuals interested in exploring and practicing Celtic paganism. They offer opportunities for community engagement, spiritual growth, and the preservation of ancient Celtic traditions..

Reviews for "Uncovering Ancient Celtic Practices: Exploring Local Communities"

1. John - 1 star - I was really disappointed with the Celtic pagan group near me. The members seemed more interested in socializing and showing off their costumes than actually practicing any meaningful rituals or connecting with nature. It felt more like a cosplay gathering than a spiritual community. Plus, the group was very exclusive and unwelcoming to newcomers. Overall, it was a complete letdown and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic and inclusive pagan experience.

2. Sarah - 2 stars - I attended a few gatherings organized by the Celtic pagan group near me, but I just couldn't get into it. The ceremonies felt disconnected and lacked depth. The leaders didn't provide much guidance or teach the symbolism behind the rituals, leaving me feeling like an outsider. The group dynamics were also off, with cliques forming within the community, making it hard to feel welcomed and included. I really wanted to find a spiritual home, but sadly, this group was not it.

3. Mark - 1 star - The Celtic pagan group near me was a complete letdown. I expected to find a community that shared my love for Celtic spirituality and a deep connection with nature. However, all I found were egotistical individuals more interested in showing off their knowledge and arguing about historical accuracy than actually embracing the essence of Celtic paganism. The lack of inclusivity and the constant need to prove oneself intellectually made me feel unwelcome. I left the group feeling disillusioned and disheartened by the whole experience.

Connecting with Celtic Traditions: Finding Local Pagan Groups