Page 39 - 200303 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2003

Paganism Uncovered 39 Paganism Uncovered 39 Professionals uncover childhood ambitions - to become a pop Professionals uncover truth about paganism star or a racing driver. He tried and failed truth about paganism at both. 'At the age of 14 he wrote a song BY BRADLEY COLE which was made into a record. He became Times Staff Writer something of a pop star in the early Sixties, but by the time he was 18 it had HOBART -- Seven years after Kele Ivey fizzled out,' she says. 'He was also crazy discovered pagan religion she has about racing cars and with the money he decided to share her love of faith and had made in music he started racing. That literature with others by forming the Well lasted about a year before he realised he Read Witch Book Club. wasn't good enough and set up a car The club met for the first time Jan. "No matter how many times I wiggle my magazine instead. Then, in 1973, 20 and will continue to meet on the third nose, I can't make money magically everything changed.' But it seems she is Monday of every month at Barnes and disappear," Ivey joked. "I don't practice still fond of Claude. 'He says his Noble in Hobart. black magick or cast evil or harmful discovery of Raelism was like being "I came up with the idea last spells on people. One of the basic rules in reborn. He wasn't expecting it to happen. October or November," Ivey said. "I had the Wiccan religion is we do not harm I love him like a son so I have to accept it. seen a book called the Well Read Witch, others." 'Last time I saw Claude was at a which is a bibliography of what should be For centuries, witches and pagans Raelian gathering in Geneva two years on (witches') bookshelves. I thought it have said they're simply misunderstood, ago. There were a lot of people sitting would be interesting to go through it and as some insist on branding them as about in the nude, but no one seemed start picking books, reading them and cultists, Satan worshippers and heathens. brainwashed or reluctant. discussing them." In most Wiccan and pagan religions, the 'Claude stayed the night with me Ivey, a 27-year-old paramedic, said mystical aspect doesn't go beyond the use here after the rally. He tried again to get she wasn't sure how well the club would of herbs and crystals, a far cry from the me to join the Raelians, but I always said be received, but her concerns were stereotypical candlelit ceremonies where No. I remember joking that at 85 I was alleviated when 33 people attended the wands are waved, potions are made, too old to strip off in public. I told him it first meeting. spells are cast and brooms or stools are was a load of fairly harmless mumbo There are thousands of pagan book ridden. jumbo.' Therese gathers up the childhood titles, many available at libraries or in Ivey said in reality, pagans and photos of Claude from the table and tucks bookstores, Ivey said. The club, which witches believe in good and evil, but don't them inside an old issue of his glossy concentrates on pagan fiction and recognize an evil being. The pagan Raelian magazine called Apocalypse, nonfiction by such authors as Starhawk, religion is based on a belief in a God and which has a large picture of a Scott Cunningham and Marianne Goddess, the balance of man and woman, demonically grinning Rael on the front Zimmerman-Bradley, is open to the the crucial role of balance and harmony in cover, sporting his topknot of hair and public, but Ivey said there's one key rule nature and the belief that people are wearing the baggy white costume of a for those attending. responsible for their own actions. [End] cult leader. "All I ask is that people be polite She says: 'Some children grow up and have an open mind," Ivey said. I was Married To Rael to become doctors or farmers. He leads a "There are a lot of misconceptions about Continues from Page 38 cult. I have learned to live with it.' witches and paganism. We are not Claude's mother Colette Michel certainly Satanists as many people suspect and Colette, now aged 85 and twice hasn't learned to live with it. She rarely we're not new age flakes as others call us. widowed, lives less than half-a-mile from gives interviews and refuses to pose for Most of us are professionals and live their Therese, but relations between them have photographs, but her son's latest claims lives much like others." been poisoned since the day Claude about cloning have forced her to break Ivey, a self-professed witch who became Rael. In almost 30 years, the two her silence. practices magick, said she thought the old women have barely exchanged a Through a gap in her front door book club would be a good excuse for the word. In the street on market day they secured with a burglar chain, she rants: large number of pagans in the area to get avoid each other's gaze. In Therese's 'Claude has always been weird, but this together, read and socialize. She said the photo album, Colette's face has been cloning thing is just plain evil. Northwest Indiana Pagan Association scrubbed out with black ink. Everyone in Ambert apart from always is trying to come up with new She says: 'Colette thinks I have Therese thinks he's barmy. activities. Each month the association raised a monster. I think she is heartless 'I always thought Therese would do hosts a number of outings, including and possesses no maternal instincts at all. a better job bringing him up than me - pagan's night out, and a witchy movie 'If Claude wants to have orgies and that's why I let her take him. But she has night in LaPorte. connect with space aliens, that's his produced a monster. Ivey said the group wants to dispel business. But now he's started trying to 'What he is doing now is vile. I misconceptions about pagans and create clones, Claude has gone too far.' have not seen him for ten years and I'll be witches. She said many of the members Therese recalls how as a youngster, happy if I never see him again.' [End] in the area, both men and women, are Claude had self-belief bordering on professionals who are no different in arrogance that she always hoped he Want to know how Creepy Canada is? appearance than others in the community. would channel into one of his two great www.creepycanada.com