Eric Drummond

My palms were sweaty as I fidgeted in my chair, my discomfort obvious. What am I supposed to ask? Do I ask anything? What if they give me bad news? Thoughts raced through my head as a serious man sat across from me holding a deck of cards that would, presumably, predict my future. The psychic carefully turned down each card and studied them with pursed lips and emotionless eyes. I analyzed his many earrings and piercing blue eyes, searching for clues as to what was coming next.

He finally spoke. “You have experienced a heartbreak recently.” I imagine the shock on my face was obvious as I had just gone through a break-up the week before. He laid more cards down, asking questions about me. Some of his assumptions were wrong, some right. Yet overall, his advice was solid: Stay focused on your goals, and remind the people you love how much you care about them.

According to Charlene Hacker, Wiccan and proprietor of Psychic’s Thyme (the New Age shop on Monroe Avenue where the man performed my reading), there is a “cosmic consciousness” that links humans together through their souls and minds. Although psychic abilities can occur in witches, they are not guaranteed. “Not every witch is a psychic.” Regarding her own psychic abilities, Hacker said, “I have always been a medium. In other words, I have always seen dead people.”

Everywhere I looked I saw pentacles, the modern symbol of Wicca and one of the most misunderstood symbols in history. Although Christians often associate it with evil and the workings of the devil, to Wiccans, the pentagram is a symbol of universal harmony. “Wicca is an earth-based religion; we worship a duality of god which [has both] a male and a female aspect,” said Hacker. Scott Cunningham, author of The Truth about Witchcraft Today, accurately described Wicca as a series of events “which celebrate and strengthen our relationships with the Goddess, the God and the Earth.”

Nearby, I spotted a calendar with such holidays as Esbats and Sabbats. Esbats are rituals that take place during the full moon of each month. They are a time for initiation ceremonies or even for healing magic to be done. This time may also be used for business discussions in the coven to reflect on its workings and examine its success. Wiccans base time on the Wheel of the Year. The annual cycle of the seasons is made up of eight intervals of events called Sabbats. Four of these celebrations are lesser Sabbats and are more commonly known as the solstices and equinoxes.

The most sacred Sabbat is Samhain, better known as Halloween. It means “end of summer” and commences the dark winter half of the year. Usually celebrated on October 31 and sometimes November 1, Samhain is a time when the thin veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is lifted. This makes communication with loved ones who have died easier.

Eric Drummond

Beyond the seriousness, Samhain is also a time of celebration. On October 26, Wiccans and Pagans came from hours away to celebrate Samhain at a Costume Ball at the Dutch Mill restaurant in Rochester. The most popular category in the costume contest: Witchyest. The attendees look on the stereotype as something entertaining, dancing to “Monster Mash” and “I Put a Spell On You.”

However, that is only one piece of the Wicca puzzle. Another aspect of Wicca is spell-casting, which has roots in the most ancient forms of religion. In modern times, it is comparable to meditation and prayer — a channeling of positive energy to help achieve one’s goals. Whereas a Christian might pray for an ill relative to get better, a Wiccan might cast a healing spell in hopes of the relative recovering.

Some Wiccans follow a code of conduct for spells. The code states that spells should not be used to control, manipulate, or dominate another person; they should always have free will. Some also choose to follow the three-fold law, which states: “All good that a person does to another returns three-fold in this life; harm is also returned three-fold.”

One particular spell to attract a lover seems especially interesting. It requires that one must first prick holes in a red apple with a needle while reciting the name of their anticipated lover throughout the process. This should be done near the time of the new moon. For on that night, the caster must place the apple under his or her pillow. The following morning, the apple must be cored, mashed and made into a pie which must then be delivered to the intended lover. Even those who do not believe in magic may find such a spell interesting. Who doesn’t like pie? Leaving out the detail about sleeping on the apple is suggested.

As I finished my visit, I felt as if I had only scratched the surface. There was still so much to see and understand. I noticed a green bracelet with tiny bird charms. I felt an inexplicable urge to purchase it for my roommate who was having a rough week. It looked like nothing she owned, yet, for some reason, I knew she would like it.

I presented it to her that night and she loved it; she asked me how I knew she liked hummingbirds. She had grown up admiring the various glass hummingbirds her grandmother hung in the family cabin. In truth, I had no idea that they were hummingbirds. I guess we all have a little psychic in us.