The Journal

Media Credit: Theo Welling

The witches at Webster University are coming out of the broom closet.

A new on-campus organization, the Webster Pagan Grove (WPG), allows all students who are interested in paganism, witchcraft and other religions to join forces.

"All are welcome who come with an open mind and are willing to learn about the topic for free," said Brian Barbagello, a senior informations systems major and president of the WPG. "We hope to reach out to anyone who would be interested in our group as a learning institution."

The WPG is a spiritual group that was created last spring by a group of about 10 students who were enrolled in a Wicca and Neo-Paganism course.

"There was a huge amount of interest on the subject so the class decided to come together as an official campus activity," Barbagello said.

Paganism, which includes a number of spiritual beliefs, is an Earth-based religion that draws heavily on seasonal changes, planetary movements and other natural energies.

"We believe in our own spirituality," said Megan Gilbertson, a freshman Anthropology and Spanish major and secretary of WPG. "We explore different spiritualities and ideologies to try and figure out what's right for ourselves."

Every Saturday, the WPG meets for a few hours in the magic herb garden, which was donated by the club to the Gorlok Green Thumbs over the summer to study ways of improving one's self through nature.

"We usually begin meetings with meditative drum circles and smudging, which is when you burn a sage leaf and move it in a circular motion around your face," Gilbertson said. "This helps release all negative energy."

Members participate in meditation techniques like yoga, healing practices with natural herbs and self-improvement exercises.

The group also takes field trips to places of spiritual interest like Buddhist temples and other religious events in the area.

"It's a really cool club," said Kacey Hampton, a Student Government Association (SGA) comptroller and junior business management major. "It has a lot to offer. It gives a new perspective to students."

While WU students and faculty have shown a strong curiosity and acceptance toward the WPG, Gilbertson said that the club has raised eyebrows and drawn criticism due to common misconceptions about paganism and witchcraft.

"It's not like we're sacrificing cats," Barbagello said. "We're just trying to help people figure out what's right for them, spiritually, and the amount of open reception we receive feels amazing," Barbagello said.

Since the WPG's establishment, members have planned on sharing their spiritual beliefs to the WU community. The club received a $2,000 grant from the SGA last spring to cover student funding and club fees, but members plan on spending the money a little differently.

"We are buying a bunch of books about paganism to donate to the library," Gilbertson said. "The books will be available to anyone who is interested in reading about the craft and spirituality."

The WPG's purpose is simple: people with like-minds, an interest in self improvement and a desire to protect Mother Earth need to come together as a group to discuss and learn about paganism and wiccan beliefs.

"[WPG] is almost like a relief," Gilbertson said. "It's nice being around people who think like me."

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