radical faeries reclaiming and the

In 1979, a young woman Starhawk published a book called The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. This book, which artfully shaped environmentalism, feminist spirituality and scholarship, grass roots activism and Wiccan forms into a coherent worldview and spiritual practice, was instrumental in the spread of the neo-pagan movement and eventually gave rise to the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft. That same year, the first gathering of Radical Faeries was held in the deserts of the Southwest, and only a year before, Arthur Evans’ work to trace the historical and mythical links that connect queer sexuality and spirituality were published in his book Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture

Since that year, the Radical Faeries have emerged as a tenacious, vibrant, creative queer spiritual movement which has put a great deal of focus on developing a web of Sanctuary lands and communities, while also nurturing vibrant urban circles. Reclaiming has emerged since that time as a major tradition in the Wiccan revival, is a respected and powerful force on the activist front of environmentalism and global capitalism, and has established a web of WitchCamps across North America and several European nations from which local communities have grown.

It is also true that since even before 1979, the two groups, like twins in a womb, influenced and shaped one another, and that today the two movements while distinct and independent, overlap in significant and meaningful ways. Our intention for this issue of RFD was to a) explore and document the shared roots of Wicca, particularly Reclaiming, and the Radical Faeries, b) consider how each movement has informed and is informing the other, and c) to consider possibilities of confluence and mutual nurturing as we turn the wheel forward into an uncertain future.

The articles we received certainly fulfilled our intentions. We begin with two articles, “Diggers” by Robert Croonquist, and “What I learned from the Faeries” by Arthur Evans, that explore the earliest connections between what would become Reclaiming and the Radical Faeries and make clear that the shared roots of the two movements go further back and are broader than we might assume. Leafshimmer’s “Faggot-Farmer-Faerie-Witch” takes a look at the earlier issues of RFD to find a plethora of pagan and Wiccan subjects being considered in a context of queer spirituality and gay consciousness, but argues for an expanded view of faeries.

“Weaving the Web of the Wyrd” by Donald Engstrom-Reese, one of RFD’s founders and a respected elder in both the Radical Faerie and Reclaiming communities, starts a series of articles that trace some of the many intersections that have occurred between Radical Faeries and Reclaiming, particularly Reclaiming-based faerie covens and faeries who have become teachers at Reclaiming Witchcamps. We see these connections in such things as our shared eclectic creative approach to ritual forms, our chants, our insistence on addressing politicized issues such as the environment, AIDS, queer rights, etc through ritual and in sacred space, our sense of play with gender and costume, our honoring of sexuality, the body, and the earth. (Frankly, Starhawk’s own frequent reference to Radical Faerie culture and practices at those very camps has helped infuse Reclaiming with faerie sensibilities and appreciation for irony and play) Together, “Lifting the Wand” by Robin Hood recounts his powerful sexual/spiritual transformations he has been pat of at both Reclaiming Witchcamps and faerie gathering. “Lifestyles of the Witch’s Anus” by Ken Cooper, chronicles a Reclaiming faerie’s coven experiences in Brooklyn. Trixie X reflects upon the patterns of activism that lie behind some of the connections between the Reclaiming, Buddhist, Marxist, Activist and Faerie worlds in his Living Activism. “How Reclaiming Kicked Our Butts” by Peter recounts the origins of a Boston Faerie ritual groups origins in Reclaiming. “Free Activist Witch Camp–One Faerie’s View” by JP Heartsong recounts the dynamics between faeries and Reclaiming witches at a series of Reclaiming WitchCamps for activists, a camp that held last year at Wolf Creek.

Of course, the connection and interplay of faeries with Wicca extends far beyond Reclaiming. StarChild explores the spiritual landscapes shared between Victor Anderson’s Feri Witchcraft and today’s Radical Faeries in his “Feri Faeries?” Drew Campbell ‘s “From Foe to Fae” outlines his spiritual journey with Witchcraft and the Radical Faeries. “Finding your Path” by Eden Firestone names a distinct faerie path which draws inspiration from feminist, Native American and Wiccan sources, yet is distinct from those sources.

We close with two articles that specifically focus on faerie rituals in the context of Reclaiming. “What Isn’t Ritual” by Gabriel Q, explores his growing understanding of faerie ritual, framed in part by his experiences in Reclaiming. Finally, guest editor Endora’s “Why I Hate Faerie Rituals” looks at the shadow side of the faerie pattern of disrupting big rituals, and suggests that both Reclaiming and the Radical Faeries could benefit deeply from more interplay in the future.

It is my sincere hope that you enjoy these articles and the ideas and connections they raise about who we are, where we come from and what it is we are doing. I want to thank all those who contributed, thank Bambi for his work in getting all this together, Jason and Waterfall for editing, and Matt for laying it out. And I want to the thank the Goddess for letting me be lucky enough to live in a time with both the Radical Faeries and the Reclaiming Witches are both alive and well and have made space for me.

-Endora

For those Radical Faeries who do not know much about Reclaiming, the easiest way is by reading the Reclaiming Principles of Unity. This is a document of consensus and as such does not necessarily capture the nuances or tonal priorities of Reclaiming culture, but they do say clearly what is consented to.

Principles of Unity

“My law is love unto all beings...” –The Charge of the Goddess

The values of the Reclaiming tradition stem from our understanding that the earth is alive and all of life is sacred and interconnected. We see the Goddess as immanent in the earth’s cycles of birth, growth, death, decay and regeneration. Our practice arises from a deep, spiritual commitment to the earth, to healing and to the linking of magic with political action.

Each of us embodies the divine. Our ultimate spiritual authority is within, and we need no other person to interpret the sacred to us. We foster the questioning attitude, and honor intellectual, spiritual and creative freedom.

We are an evolving, dynamic tradition and proudly call ourselves Witches. Honoring both Goddess and God, we work with female and male images of divinity, always remembering that their essence is a mystery which goes beyond form. Our community rituals are participatory and ecstatic, celebrating the cycles of the seasons and our lives, and raising energy for personal, collective and earth healing.

We know that everyone can do the life-changing, world-renewing work of magic, the art of changing consciousness at will. We strive to teach and practice in ways that foster personal and collective empowerment, to model shared power and to open leadership roles to all. We make decisions by consensus, and balance individual autonomy with social responsibility.

Our tradition honors the wild, and calls for service to the earth and the community. We value peace and practice non-violence, in keeping with the Rede, “Harm none, and do what you will.” We work for all forms of justice: environmental, social, political, racial, gender and economic. Our feminism includes a radical analysis of power, seeing all systems of oppression as interrelated, rooted in structures of domination and control.

We welcome all genders, all races, all ages and sexual orientations and all those differences of life situation, background, and ability that increase our diversity. We strive to make our public rituals and events accessible and safe. We try to balance the need to be justly compensated for our labor with our commitment to make our work available to people of all economic levels.

All living beings are worthy of respect. All are supported by the sacred elements of air, fire, water and earth. We work to create and sustain communities and cultures that embody our values, that can help to heal the wounds of the earth and her peoples, and that can sustain us and nurture future generations.